by Kelli Garms | Jan 17, 2020 | Spiritual Growth, Women's Ministry
I remember back to when my family had first returned to the U.S. after spending most of my childhood and adolescence on the mission field. My mom would wash and reuse zip lock bags and plastic cups. Now, I watch my kids use a paper plate for one (1) cookie and then throw it away. How times have changed! We live in a disposable culture. Even things like computers, cell phones, and kitchen gadgets seem to be cheaper to replace than the money, time, and energy it takes to repair them.
Unfortunately, this disposable mentality has seeped into other areas of our lives. It is more difficult to get people to commit to jobs, ministries, and even relationships. If you have a disagreement with someone in your church, you can go find another church. If you have a falling out with a friend, that’s ok, you can find another one on Facebook. If you don’t like something your boss said or did, just get another job. Everything in our lives seems to be disposable.
An unfortunate side effect of this mentality is that we don’t have any depth in our lives. Our friendships are shallow or even non-existent. We give up on our marriages at the first sign of trouble. We walk away from our jobs or our ministries because they aren’t fun anymore.
But there is something to be said about sticking with something or someone even when things are hard or monotonous. There is maturity and depth that comes with working through the issues or choosing to be content in our circumstances. And the loneliness that comes from a disposable mentality can be suffocating.
From what have you been tempted to walk away lately that maybe deserves a second glance?
by Kelli Garms | Dec 13, 2019 | Book Review
I have been reading a lot of business books lately that give me the steps to accomplish X, or tell me to “do the work,” or encourage me to “trust the process,” and I can tell you they have left me EXHAUSTED. So I was very curious to read what Jordan Lee Dooley had to say as she is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, and I have admired her for a long time.
Yes, I know her audience is younger women who might be stepping out in faith for the first time, women who are just graduating from college or finding love and a desire to start a family or a business. I took that into consideration as I hit the purchase button for the book. And yet I was pleasantly surprised to find that, though her examples are aimed at younger women, this 43-year-old mom of teens could relate to the struggles of comparison, procrastination, and impostor syndrome, among others.
The principles Dooley outlines in the book are universal struggles for women. She gives practical steps to overcome these struggles by encouraging the reader to “be” instead of “do.” This is a message that has been piercing my soul because what I do will overflow from who I am.
Though these topics may sound daunting, Dooley’s style is very easy to read. She weaves her faith in with her story without overwhelming the reader with Scripture analysis. Her step-by-step plans are manageable and actionable. And I walked away from the book feeling encouraged and empowered to live my life now!
I would love to know your thoughts on the book once you read it!
by Kelli Garms | Dec 6, 2019 | Bible Study
I recently finished reading through the Bible for the year. And, yes, I’m proud of it! I have read the Bible through four or five times in my lifetime, and one of those times was in 90 days! That was really fast!
Every time I read through the Bible I learn new things, and something different captures my attention. I make new connections and deepen my understanding. And God always shows me something I have missed before.
This time, for example, I fell in love with the book of Daniel. Daniel’s relationship with God, in spite of his surroundings and his circumstances, is incredibly inspiring. Daniel’s prayers are beautiful, and his faith is overwhelming.
There are so many benefits to reading through the Bible:
- You get an over-arching picture of the Word of God.
- You connect events, characters, and places that you have learned about before as separate stories.
- You discover passages that touch your soul in a way you never expected.
- You have a daily plan that keeps you showing up to your time with the Lord.
…just to name a few. Every believer should commit to reading through the Bible at least once in her life. You could do it very quickly, say in 90 days, or you could take three years or longer to get through it. It is a commitment you won’t regret keeping!
Though I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through the Bible this year, I won’t be doing it again next year. Here is why:
- I love lists, and I found myself battling my tendency to read the passages just to be able to check them off.
- I enjoy diving deeper into Scripture, and I found that, by the time I finished my passage for the day, my day and all of its tasks were pushing in on me.
- I had to continually check my motives. Why was I doing this? Was it just to be able to say I did it or was I really growing my relationship with God?
Whether I am reading through the Bible, studying a passage on my own, or doing a Bible study and gleaning from someone else’s wisdom, the goal is always to grow a deeper relationship with the Author of this love letter.
If you have not read through the Bible, I encourage you to commit in 2020. There are a plethora of reading plans out there. You can read from Genesis to Revelation. You can read it chronologically, or you can mix it up. Many Bibles come with a reading plan in the back.
If you need accountability, I’d love to provide it. Let me know if you’re making the commitment, and let me cheer you on!
by Kelli Garms | Nov 29, 2019 | Family, Women's Ministry
One of my goals for 2020 is to stop trying to multitask. The truth is true multitasking is a myth, and when we try to do it, we can cause brain damage. Let me explain.
Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time. You can only “multitask” when only one of the things you are doing requires focus. For example, it is possible to fold laundry while watching TV or listen to a podcast while applying your makeup. However, if you drop that eyeliner, you stop listening to the podcast and shift your focus to the makeup. If you can’t find the matching sock, you take your focus off of the TV show to look for it.
The problem occurs when I try to do too many things that actually require my focus, like watching a video while I play a computer game and text my group chat. Then I’m not actually multitasking, but instead, I am quickly shifting my focus from one thing to another and back again. This causes a loss of attention span and can ultimately damage your brain.
But it is difficult to step away from multitasking when there are so many things on my to-do list!
Here are a few things I have discovered as I have tried to cut multitasking out (and don’t think for a moment that I have been 100% successful):
✔️ I am actually more productive when I focus completely on one thing at a time. I’m faster at tasks that used to take me FOREVER to accomplish.
✔️ I notice more moments that are right in front of me. This allows for spontaneous memory building with my kids.
✔️ I even enjoy my meals more when I focus on what I’m eating instead of watching a video or listening to a book while I eat. This, in turn, keeps me from snacking so much throughout my afternoon. #nonscalevictory
✔️ Content that I consume, whether it’s a podcast, a book, a video, or a training, stays with me because I’m fully present. This allows me to make connections between the many different things I’m consuming on a weekly basis.
✔️ Even though I seem to be getting more done, I feel like my life is slowing down a bit, which is something I find myself longing for in this season of life.
So in 2020, I will strive to kiss multitasking good-bye! Will you join me? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how the mind works and how to align it with Scripture, check out my course, Captive Thoughts. It might be just the thing you’ve been looking for!
by Kelli Garms | Nov 22, 2019 | Bible Study
We live in a time when every kind of knowledge is at our fingertips. We can order a book on kindle and have it in seconds. We can google any phrase and immediately know who said it. We can research a topic and come up with millions of “hits.” Before we know it, we can be down the rabbit hole filling our minds with useless, if not harmful, information.
Gone are the days when Biblical principles governed our education and political systems. We can no longer assume that the shows played on a kids’ channel will be appropriate. Even books published by Christian organizations can’t be blindly trusted. So how do we navigate this ocean of information? We must filter it.
But, in order to filter the information, we must first have the filter. I spent so much of my life as a Christian thinking that was all I needed. I was saved, so nothing else was too important. I knew the Bible stories, I could recite the books of the Bible (only in Spanish, though, and I still revert back to that), and I could give you all of the Sunday school answers. But when it came to the day-to-day decisions, I relied on the knowledge I had accumulated, most of which was not filtered through the lens of Scripture.
I wanted to be someone to whom people came for advice. I wanted to give godly counsel. I found myself frustrated because even I recognized the advice I was giving was worldly (and I am so thankful it was rarely heeded!). Then everything changed.
I started studying my Bible and really pursuing the application of Scripture. I don’t have it all figured out yet (it won’t happen this side of Heaven), but God’s Word has changed me. I am more confident in my decision-making. I pray with others rather than giving them advice. I am often overwhelmed by the answers the Holy Spirit gives me to my kids’ tough questions.
I am still walking this road, and I would love for you to join me! I have created a course, Captive Thoughts, that lines out practical steps to recognize God’s voice, bear His image, and renew your mind. If you would like more information about the course, you can reach out to me, or click this link.
If you aren’t ready to take the plunge yet but would like to take a baby step in the right direction, download my free Bible Study Worksheet here.
I encourage you to spend time in God’s Word, not only to gain knowledge, but also to get to know Him. He wants you to know Him!
