Just Live: Our Graduation Dinner at Amanda's Fonda

Living in the Realization of God's Grace and Mercy Through Jesus Christ

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Sunday, May 18, 2008

Our Graduation Dinner at Amanda's Fonda

Posted by Kendall and JoElla Kempf at 5:55 PM

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Thanks For Dropping By

While on a drive to my daughter's one day in the winter JoElla and I passed a guy walking his dog in his shorts and orange Crocs, in 40 degree weather, carrying his longneck bottle the contents of which appeared to have been consumed. I said, “there’s a guy who has retired and is thinking that he’s at a place in his life where no one is going to tell him what to do and that he can drink a beer whenever he wants one.” Even when on a walk. I guess that’s what retirement is. JoElla promptly let me know that I could also have a beer any time or anywhere I wished. Of course, I haven’t wanted one for years and don’t particularly like beer. And no, we’re not retired or retiring.

But I am old enough to start thinking about things like that. What does one choose to do with themselves at any given stage of his/her life? And why? The motivations and reasons we do what we do are endless. My choices have alway been to do what God has put in my heart. I believe as you seek Him He makes you aware of the desires He deposited there. Admittedly, I’ve done so many things with most not fitting into one category. It seems like a big jigsaw puzzle. But JoElla reminds me how valuable the time spent has been. She calls what I have sometimes seen as career disasters, ‘rich experience’. She's wonderful like that.

But I’m starting to see it her way. My life and now ours together, is brimming with experiences that I now see as building blocks in our lives. Our ‘personal age and situation’ that David talks about in Psalm 103:5 is the place where we are today and the place where we will see God start to do what He has been putting in our hearts for years. It has to do with our own specific need. The first part of that verse says 'He satisfies our necessities and desires'. Our needs in the past have been great and God has provided. He never hasn’t. But our needs today dwarf those. To effectively do what we have in our hearts to do, verse 5 will be played out many time. Our mouths will be satisfied. Our youth will be renewed. We will overcome and we will soar!

Just Live - What's That About?

Just Live Ministries is a non-profit organization we have created to facilitate the ministry God has called us to. Why Just Live Ministries? “Just Live” is the instruction that the Lord gave to JoElla during the first year we were at Charis Bible College (CBC).

There was so much teaching during that first year. It is wonderful being immersed in God's Word and fellowship over 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. However, JoElla was on overload. She had borrowed Sharon Patrick’s book, Are You by the Pool, and read the whole thing. It really touched her heart in ways she didn’t really understand. While driving to work that afternoon she was telling the Lord that she was so full of information - she just couldn’t take in anymore. She cried out to God, “what do I do with this deluge of information?” God reached out in gentleness and love and spoke to her saying, “Just Live”. She didn’t have to do anything. Just Live in the realization of who He is.

The message from the Lord to JoElla is the message of our ministry. All we need to do is keep our eyes on Him and Just Live. Find out the depth of His goodness as we Just Live. Share the Good News and Just Live.

It is “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The Message says, "He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him!" If we have accepted Him as our savior and Lord, we're His. And all of His benefits follow us. For most of us, our religious training or what the world deems proper religious behavior forces us to be something, or to measure up to something that we can't accomplish - all in an effort to please God and keep His favor. But all God wants of us is to Just Live. Knowing Him is enough. Accepting all he has done for us is enough. Then our relationship with Him is simply the result of our natural response to His goodness and love.

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