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    I was listening to Mark Batterson's book, Whisper. I was listening to Mark Batterson's book, Whisper. Mark wrote about waiting to see an eagle before purchasing a building for their church. My husband had started house hunting, and I felt like God said He would show us an eagle when we were supposed to move. ⠀ ⠀ As my path crossed my husband's in the kitchen that morning, I said, "So I'll move when we see an eagle." Looking back, that comment made zero sense. I don't even know if I can pinpoint seeing an eagle in Omaha before that time, but God was changing my dependence on Him. ⠀ ⠀ My husband found a house. We went to see it. The air was crisp; the tree limbs were still, and there was not one bird anywhere. I looked out every window, no eagles. We gave it a few more weeks, and as he pored over pictures of the house, I felt like the door was shut. ⠀ ⠀ When we returned to town after Christmas, he wanted to drive by one more time. I begrudgingly said yes and again, the trees were perfectly still. We drove down the road, and he nudged me, "Kirst," and pointed to the front of the house. There it was above the front door, a cast iron eagle. ⠀ ⠀ God gave us an eagle. We were moving. ⠀ ⠀ We made an offer on the house, and they rejected it. What? I felt like God said pack, so I kept packing, and a few days later, they wrapped back around and accepted our offer.⠀ ⠀ God was teaching me to follow Him before the details came together. He was allowing me to proceed based on His voice and not the circumstances. God was teaching me to proceed while He revealed the plan. ⠀ ⠀ We followed Him into a lot of change that year. The kids changed schools, which led us to a new community, and we left some comforts because God said to. ⠀ ⠀ God taught me the rhythm of what it feels like to hear Him and then wait and to proceed when He says to.⠀ ⠀ I wonder what God might be whispering to you. ⠀ ⠀ As we follow Him before we can see the full story, we learn a new way to live. When that new way becomes a pattern, we will find our story to be one that He is writing. It won't be all new houses and lottery tickets, but it will be a life where we learn we can trust God no matter what, and it's the best way to live. ⠀ ⠀ HLLF, @kirstinricketts
    It's the 4th of July, and I'm at the point of Chri It's the 4th of July, and I'm at the point of Christmas pajamas. It's a sign of too much sun and dirt from the baseball fields and some of the tricky things life has brought our way recently. Even looking at the surrounding circumstances, my heart has never felt more free. Free from worry, free from pressure to "be" something, free from uncertainty about the future, even free from worry about our kids. While the last year has had its share of difficulty, God has been pruning my heart, cutting away at places I was finding my security in and showing me how in it all He is my provider and refuge, my comfort and safety. There is freedom on the other side of this that I didn't know was available. I haven't always had this life with God. I saw others who seemed to "have it" and I wondered if they were faking it. If they weren't, I wanted it, but I knew I couldn't muster it on my own. I had tried. I started asking God to stir my heart with affection for Him, and He answered. I didn't know that was something we could ask for, but we can. We can ask God to fill our hearts to overflowing. When we are discouraged from trying, God makes a way. My current circumstances should have me pretty uncomfortable. It would make sense to be full of worry and concern, plagued by things that have happened in the past and letting them control my thoughts as we lean into the upcoming week. All I can say is I'm not. What the Bible says about peace that passes understanding, it's true. I have it and it's available to you too. We will see a lot of adorable pictures of kids in red, white and blue this weekend. We will celebrate freedom. As we do, consider if your heart is free, and if it's not, let's ask God to compel our hearts towards Him, to stir our affections and increase our zeal. Freedom is available. Peace that passes understanding is available. Joy that lasts even as the fireworks fade is available. It is found when fully supplied by our Maker. Let's ask God to show us full supply, let's surrender to the One who is the author of our stories and so worthy of our trust and this 4th of July, let's let freedom ring. HLLF, @kirstinricketts
    Summer and corn on the cob just go together! But, Summer and corn on the cob just go together! But, making it for big gatherings is a little tricky. You can only boil, grill, or microwave so many ears at a time... and this year, we will be celebrating summer with lots of friends and family! ⠀ ⠀ Last year my sister taught me this trick, and it is going to be your new favorite way to cook corn this summer! It is unbelievably easy and just the perfect side to feed the masses at your next gathering. I can’t wait for you to try it!⠀ ⠀ COOLER CORN⠀ ⠀ Step 1: Clean out the cooler and husk the ears of corn. You can have several dozen ears if your cooler is large enough. Lay the ears of corn right on top of each other in the cooler.⠀ ⠀ Step 2: Boil enough water to cover the corn. Pour boiling water over the ears of corn, shut the lid of the cooler and let cook (ignore it) for 30-45 minutes.⠀ ⠀ Step 3: This is the great part… you are done. You can leave the corn in the cooler for about 90 minutes before it gets too chewy. Slather on some butter and salt, and enjoy! ⠀ ⠀ HLLF, and Happy 4th! ⠀ ⠀ #coolercorn #cornonthecob #familyfood #BBQsides #hllf #holdlooselylivefreely #thefeed #feedyourpeople #kirstinricketts #melissacheatham
    God is merciful. ⠀ God is loving.⠀ God is cons God is merciful. ⠀ God is loving.⠀ God is consistent.⠀ ⠀ Each day, without compromise, God is faithful in His promises to us! Each day, without a doubt, we can rest in Him. No matter how badly we failed yesterday, today, we each get to wake up anew in His generous compassion for us. ⠀ ⠀ Maybe today, you need a little reminder that His mercies never end. It's something to be so incredibly thankful for. 💛 HLLF⠀ ⠀ #mercy #love #compassion #newday #verses #hllf #thankful #holdlooselylivefreely #kirstinricketts #melissacheatham
    If you were to fill in the blank: I am a _________ If you were to fill in the blank: I am a __________.⠀ ⠀ What would you say? ⠀ ⠀ We might respond with the obvious things: mom, wife, daughter, house cleaner, chauffeur, boss, friend, employee or business owner.⠀ ⠀ I wonder if our response would make God sad. ⠀ ⠀ Oh no my child, you are a daughter of the King, chosen and beloved, delighted in and fully supplied. You are a daughter of the King, who is a mom. A daughter of the King, who is a friend. ⠀ ⠀ When we live with our identity in the wrong order, it changes everything. ⠀ ⠀ A mom who is also a daughter of the King is exhausted from her mothering because she relies upon herself and then looks to her Maker. A daughter of the King wakes up supplied by the Father and then mothers from His full supply. ⠀ ⠀ A dearly loved daughter of the King, chosen and delighted in, who is a friend, checks her Instagram rooted in her identity as a daughter of the King. She can be grateful for the experiences others have because she is living the life planned for her by her Maker. ⠀ ⠀ If we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that His blood paid the ransom for our sin, if we ask for His forgiveness and are covered by His saving grace, then our primary identity is no longer mom, wife, friend or daughter. ⠀ ⠀ We are daughters of the King.⠀ ⠀ By the Holy Spirit's power, we can believe what is true and leave behind who the world tells us we should be. We can live in the reality of who God says we are. ⠀ ⠀ How can we do this? ⠀ ⠀ -Ask the Holy Spirit to be our full supply and tell us what is true.⠀ -We rehearse what He says is true until it begins to flow from us.⠀ -We realign as we drift back to who God says we are.⠀ ⠀ We can live this way because it's nothing we do, but Who we rest in. Let's ask God to teach us what is true and let's live out of His supply with our identities rooted in the truth that we are daughters of the King, forever.⠀ ⠀ Holy Father, teach us what is true. Let us plug into the source and let us live in the reality of Your full supply moment by moment. Direct us and guide us, Your dearly loved daughters. We are Yours and abiding in You, we can live like that it is true. ⠀ ⠀ HLLF, @kirstinricketts
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