Another Woman At The Well

Because I Have You In My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:00 +0000

I always think of the church at Philippi as a small church. When Paul first went there with the gospel, there were so few Jews there that they didn’t even have a synagogue in the town. Paul would usually go there first, wherever he was, and share the good news of Jesus the Messiah. But, this town had so few Jews, they just met outside the city gates by the river each Sabbath day to pray together. And that is where Paul joined them and preached the gospel. And so I think of it as small although by the time this letter was written, it may have been a mega-church! Who knows?

When you read verses 1-11 of this first chapter, did you sort of get the idea that Paul and Timothy really LOVED the people at Philippi? In verse 3 Paul says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” Aren’t there those people in your life that make you feel that same way? Just the thought of them can make you laugh and cry and be thankful all at the same time.

My Mom, Lil, is one. Oh, how I miss her and oh, how I thank God for the firm, loving, godly mother He blessed me with. And my Mom’s friend, Myrtle, I love her still and always give thanks for what she taught me about being a wife.

Roy and I have lived a lot of places on this earth and in every place there are dear people that I remember with thanksgiving and with awe that I even was blessed enough to be at a time and place that I could know them. I think of an elderly couple in Holland, Jan and Ans Poot. They are humble, and simple and glorious pray-ers. A few years ago when one of my boys was going through a really rough time, Jan would pray for him and every time I felt like Jan had escorted my son right into the presence of God to be laid at His feet. Will I ever forget them? Impossible.

As we have lived this transient expat life for several years, there are always two ways to go with this friendship thing. Some people say, “oh, I don’t want to get close to anyone or invest too much time, they’ll be leaving in a year or we will and it’s just too painful to always be saying good-bye. Roy and I never really considered approaching it that way – we always just jump right in and start giving our lives away wherever God plunks us down. He always has things prepared for us and we are always surprised and usually (although not always) delighted when we find out what they are. Yes, I weep and cry and feel like my heart is being torn out every time we leave a group of people that I have come to love. But, like one of them said to me as we parted, “wouldn’t it be REALLY sad if you had come here for these two years and left and no one shed a tear, no one cared at all – that would be sad indeed.”

And then there are the people we love that we become separated from. Sometimes through anger or misunderstanding or sometimes we just drift away without really meaning to. But, still, if someone mentions their name, or you see an old photograph, a little tear might form in the corner of your eye or you may find yourself chuckling over some hilarious little thing that pops into your mind. Just in the last year, I have been reunited with one of these friends. Well, over 30 years ago we lost track of each other, I was uncomfortable, I was immature, I just didn’t know how to handle something. So, even though I wasn’t angry, and I still loved my friend, I just walked away gradually. And before I knew it, it’s our 40^th class reunion and there she was – and there were tears and laughter, tight, tight hugs and so much emotion, I was a mess! I’m so thankful she still loves me and I still love her. Thank you God for preserving that love for all these years. This is how she closed her last email to me: “Feels so good to have you back in my life, sometimes words don't say enough!”

Paul was writing to the believers at Philippi. This always adds another dimension to the love we feel for these people we thank God for. When you have two true believers in Jesus Christ, friendship and fellowship happen quickly – we are already brothers and sisters in Christ which allows us to cut through the small talk and the icebreakers or whatever else is needed to get acquainted. We immediately know that we have a common bond. We can share our trials and triumphs, we can prayer for each other and what I always love – praying for each others’ kids. There is trust, not because we are such great people but, because Jesus Christ is our Savior and through Him, we can be a blessing to each other.

Just two more verses I want to comment on in this section. Verse 6 says “For am confident in this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Who’s the “He” who began a good work? God. And what could that good work be? Did your grandma read you a Bible Story, did you go to VBS? Did you ever listen to anyone truly explain what the gospel is? Those are all the beginning of good works. Those are all the Lord beginning a work in your life. Are you my friend? The Lord MAY use me in your life. I say MAY – because it’s not up to me, it’s up to Him.

Verse 7 says in part “For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart…….”

That’s why all this love, thankfulness, and remembrance stays with us, because God made us to be people in His image, people capable and drawn to love….because I have you in my heart.

Care To Join Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000

In 2012, I hired a lady to design this blogspot for me (I like it, it’s definitely my favorite color and the title is one I’ve had for a while – I certainly am Another Woman At the Well!) and made plans to begin doing some writing in 2013. I cleared up my calendar and shifted some responsibilities for the first of the year and I was getting ready to write – on this blog and (I say this very timidly) a book that I have had rattling around in my heard for more than 20 years. It was sort of painful because that meant I had to give up some Bible teaching – which I love to do more than anything else. But, this writing bug had been “there” for so long, I just couldn’t put it off any longer.

Many, if not all of you, know that I am going through some health issues these days. The Lord knew the real reason that my calendar needed to be cleared and others needed to fill in my responsibilities. There are many aspects of these health problems that I really don’t like but, one of the worst is how it causes me to be so “self” focused. Everything is about “me.” Every conversation or email is about “me.” Every day is just all wrapped up in myself. It gets very depressing. I thought about writing a blog about my journey through this illness – but, then again – just more about “me.”

So yesterday, as I contemplated all this, I was drawn to the book of Philippians in the Bible – it’s a book that Roy and I have used as our “go to” book many times when we find ourselves in trouble or trials. Sometimes we have both read the whole book everyday for more than a week, just hanging on to all the promises and comfort that is found there. So, I’m going back there and I hope you will go with me. Maybe you have found comfort in this book yourself in the past or, maybe you haven’t touched a Bible in years, not even sure that you want to or that you would find a thing of value in it. In any case, will you just go here with me for a short time? It’s only four chapters long – you could read the whole thing in less than an hour. But, I’m going slower because I want to really digest this book at this crucial time in my life. If you don’t have a Bible, or you would like to do this on the run, here’s a place to find Philippians (and the rest of the Bible) on-line www.biblegateway.com. The first thing we’re going to read is just the first chapter so in the search area just type in Philippians 1. Then there is a drop-down list of all the different Bible Translations. I’m going to use New American Standard, so you can select that one and hit search. It will come right up. You can use whatever translation or version you want, of course, but, this is my favorite one!

I’m going to try to post every 2-3 days, depending on treatment dates, etc. I’ll put something on Facebook when there’s a new post and I think we can get blogspot to notify you somehow – we’ll figure this out as we go along.

I’m looking forward to studying this precious book with whoever decides to join me.

Philippians 1:3-4 I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all!

See you here in a few days!

Answered Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:53:00 +0000

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

As the mother of three sons, I have long understood the truth in this verse and I have prayed for the Lord to bring a helper suitable for each one of them. Yes, it's true that I maybe didn't teach them to take care of themselves well enough. They are not so good at doing their laundry, eating healthy meals or keeping track of the details of life. I did all those things for them when they were under my roof and I have seen them flounder around in these areas in that gap between mom and marriage. These practical things are important but, to be honest, these are not the things that I have spent much time in prayer over.

Proverbs 31:10-12, that's what I have been praying for Brad, Tim and Dan. An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. That's it, that's a description of the helpers suitable for my boys.

I'm no model wife and mother but, there is one thing about me that I hope to see in my sons' mates. I love my husband and respect him as a man. He is my partner in life and I love him much more now than I even knew how to love 35 years ago. I'd rather spend my day with him than anyone else on earth. I find that amazing.... after all these years .... he's still my favorite person!

Today, I, Mrs. Grimm, sat down with two other Mrs. Grimms and had a simple lunch. We held hands and prayed and I got a little choked up as I realized that I was holding hands with two answers to prayer. As we sat with our heads bowed, I said a prayer for another Mrs. Grimm many miles away on a different continent. How I wish that other answer to prayer was in this precious circle as well.

I love you, Sarah, Anna and Rebeca. When I think of you, I will always thank God for answered prayer.

The Red Sea Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:58:00 +0000

I love Friday mornings. I meet with other women here in Taipei for a Precepts Bible Study and usually lunch after. There's just nothing better and I know these are friendships to be cherished for life!

Recently one of these friends introduced me to a little gem of a book. I downloaded it to my Kindle and read it on the plane from Taipei to Tel Aviv in October. You'll see I've added it to my list of "Life Changing Books." It gives ten God-given strategies for difficult times straight from the book of Exodus. Here are the ten:

#1 Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

#2 Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.

#3 Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.

#4 PRAY!

#5 Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.

#6 When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.

#7 Envision God's enveloping presence.

#8 Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.

#9 View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.

#10 Don't forget to praise Him.

I hope this piques your interest! I read it straight through without a break ( of course, I did have 12 hours on that plane) and I'm pretty sure it will remain in the top ten for a long, long time.

Lots of us are going through difficult times and this really puts that in perspective!

Back to Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:57:00 +0000

I started blogging in 2009 and then....it just sort of fell by the wayside. I guess you could say that was a pretty traumatic year for me in many aspects and writing it all down just seemed to compound the complexity.

So, now - two years later, I begin again. I love to write and I want to communicate some things that I observe about life on a daily basis - and also what the Lord shows me as I search His Word.

I hope to post a new blog every week....it's a committment I'm making and I could use your prayers that it will be worthwhile for me and anyone that reads it - and that it, above all else, will bring glory to the Creator of the Universe!

Holy tidbits of time

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:01:00 +0000

I had such a blessed morning, I had to write about it. I went to Faith's house - a Nigerian woman - and led a Bible Study for 5 young Moms with little ones. There was a 5-year-old, an almost 4-year-old and 6 little ones between the ages of 8 months and 2. It was Bible Study in motion. We have no baby sitter. The Moms: Faith from Nigeria, Joy also from Nigeria, Evelyn from Ghana, Valerie from Ohio and Alyona from Moscow - as in Russia, not Idaho! Everyone speaks English but, at different levels and way different accents. At least Val and I tend to be able to understand each other most of the time! HA!

Last night it rained buckets but, this morning the sun was shining (thank you, Lord) so at least the kids could go out and play.

I had some long passages of scripture to read but, quickly abandoned that as I knew the little ones would not let us have peace for that long. So, we would read maybe 3-4 verses and then discuss those in detail and then move on. After a while I noticed a precise pattern: one of the ladies would read the verses, I would ask a couple questions and then we would discuss what the verses meant and how they apply to our lives. Then one or more children would start crying or screaming or....whatever! Moms would jump up, fix whatever was wrong, get some snacks or juice for the kids, sit back down and then we would read a few verses, ask questions, discuss, apply and then....cry or scream, fix, serve, sit back down.....and on we went.

I realized after about 3-4 cycles that the Holy Spirit was in control and He was allowing us those moments of calm to focus on His Word in between chaos. It was so plain to see and such a blessed time. Thank you, Lord! And thank You for these wonderful Moms that want to study Your Word and pray for their children. Thank You that they all welcome each other and are so kind and loving to each others' kids. Just Thank You, Lord - I think this is becoming my favorite day of the week!

The Bait of Satan - Offense

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Tue, 26 May 2009 07:18:00 +0000

I am reading a book called The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. My daughter-in-love, Erin told me about it a few months ago - I think her brother Ross had read it. And then, when I was in New Orleans in March, my roommate, Jeri Lynn told me how it had impacted her life. So, while I was there, I picked up a copy. You'll notice that I have already added it to my list of Life-Changing Books - even though I am not finished with it yet. It's amazing - go get it and read it!

I was struck by something right off the bat - in the Preface, no less! The apostles traveled with Jesus for 3 years and witnessed many miracles - blind men could see, lame men could walk, a woman that bled for years healed, demons cast out, the sea calmed at His command and Lazarus raised from the dead! Incredible miracles that they somehow seemed to take in stride. But, when Jesus commanded them to forgive someone that had wronged them, they questioned it. How many times do we need to forgive? And when he basically answered - "every time." They responded "increase our faith" (Luke 17:3-5). This was the thing that stopped them in their tracks and gave them doubts. Forgiving after you've been offended, even in the light of all they had seen Jesus do, looked like too big an order and they were going to need some help.

We know that our old enemy, Satan is continually roaming the earth looking for who he can devour. He sets traps to lure us in and one of his favorite kinds of bait is something we all encounter - offense. Here's a quote from the book in the introduction, page 2.

Offended people produce much fruit, such as hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, strife, bitterness, hatred, and envy. Some of the consequences of picking up an offense are insults, attacks, wounding, division, separation, broken relationships, betrayal, and backsliding......So many are snared in this deceptive trap that we have almost come to believe it is a normal way of life.

As I've been reading, I have been brought face-to-face with some offenses that continue to plague me after many years. They haven't really stopped me dead in my tracks - but, they have kept some areas of my life closed off and I have to admit - there is bitterness.

Dear Lord, search me and show me and make me willing to shed these chains of offense so that I can bring glory to You and serve you fully. AMEN!

Jesus says, "Come!"

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:29:00 +0000

My old friend, Jack Miller pointed me toward the book of Matthew in an email earlier this week, to a story that I've read 100's of times over my life but never let it sink deep into my heart.....

Matthew 14
Jesus had sent the disciples out in the boat while He went alone to pray and then He came walking to them on the water which scared the living daylights out of the disciples until He told them who He was.
v28 Peter said to Him, "Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." v29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
v30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" v31 Immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Now I'm going to add Jack's own words here:
I have seen this scripture differently than before, because this time when I read it it becomes more clear that God fixes everything if we do it his way, and just "COME." Its always a heart issue. Later on in Matt. 19: 26 Jesus states; "And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Isn't it amazing how a person's heart can stop the God of the universe from achieving His will in our lives?

When my kids were little, I would often run to stop them from doing something that would hurt them. And now that they are adults, I would like to do the same. I watch and think, "Oh no, please don't do that, you're going to get hurt." But, now that they're older, I can't force my will on them. I can only watch. It makes me think of how often the Lord must look at me and think, "please don't do that, you're going to get hurt." But, just as my kids have the freedom to do as they please, the God of the universe grants me the same freedom. I know how badly I hurt when my kids are busy hurting themselves. Oh, how our Father in heaven must weep over me as well.

Lord, I don't want to make You weep. When You say, "Come." I want to come - simply trusting You even though it looks humanly impossible. I choose to trust You, believing Your Word and refusing to let the enemy of old cause me to sink because I'm looking around at the circumstances and consumed by fear! NO! I choose to look at You and keep walking forward. AMEN!

When The Mountain Won't Move

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:59:00 +0000

I am reading a book called "Breakthrough Prayer" by Jim Cymbala - he's the one that wrote "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" a few years ago and I always love his books on prayer because they attest to the miraculous ways that God answers prayer. Anyway, this latest book has really spoken to me and I want to share a section of one chapter called "When the Mountain Won't Move." I have a mountain in my life right now that is not moving and I praise God for bringing me this message of truth and hope:

"Times of trial and difficulty remind us of two great challenges regarding the prayer of faith. The first challenge is to believe that no situation, however evil or entrenched, is beyond the scope of prayer. In theory, we know that God can do anything, but many of us fail to trust him when it comes time to pray for specific people or situations. Instead of looking to the Lord for help, we keep our eyes on the problem, which grows bigger the longer we gaze at it. We don't pray seriously about such problems because they just seem too big, too hard, or too complex for prayer to resolve.

Though we may mentally affirm the promises of Scripture, we fail to lean on them. Reluctant to come before the throne of grace to receive the help God promises, we worry, complain, live in fear and depression, ask others for advice - anything and everything but go to the Lord in prayer. (Or we mouth prayers but, all the time, not expecting God to answer, we're just paying lip service (this is added by me)).

The second hurdle is the waiting. Most of us hate to be kept waiting for an answer to prayer. We've asked the Lord to intervene, and we want immediate results. What's taking Him so long? We feel as though we're holding on for dear life, but the situation hasn't changed one iota. In fact, it's gotten worse! How long do we have to wait? Is God even interested in us? Does He care about our problem?

Without learning the secret of how to wait in faith, many of us become spiritually fatigued as we pray. We may start doubting whether God's promises apply to this particular situation. Instead of entertaining this as a reasonable doubt, we need to realize that we are encountering an area of spiritual warfare not often discussed.

God wants you to know that His answers are always worth waiting for! But remember, while you're waiting, Satan might whisper that you are alone and forsaken. Keep holding on to the Lord today no matter how you feel, no matter how bad things get.

If you have been waiting for an answer to prayer for a long time, remember that long waits often occur right before the biggest mountains come down. Keep praying and don't give in to the doubt or fear that tells you "this situation is impossible" or "that person will never change" or "it's just too late." Instead of letting Satan have the last word in the battle to believe, speak it yourself, borrowing from God's own word in Scripture: "the Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all He has made." Psalm 145:13"

I hope this thrills your heart, just like it did mine.....Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

1 John 1

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:17:00 +0000

I started a new Bible Study for women at IBC today - on 1 John. I figure the Lord must have some things to teach me in this book because - since starting this study - I have read and heard passages from this book coming at me from all directions this past week. Today, in the sermon this morning and just now - in the book I am reading "Breakthrough Prayer" by Jim Cymbala.

From my first lesson in 1 John, I learned quite a few things already:

The apostle John wrote this letter so that we can know for certain that we have eternal life. From Cymbala's book - "God wants us to feel secure regarding our relationship with Him. He wants us to know with certainty that we posses eternal life as part of His family. This security and knowledge is significant because doubts and insecurity will grieve the Father's heart and hinder our ability to live victoriously. Because we are God's children, then, we can bring our needs to Him with certainty in prayer. We can have the same confidence in asking for things as we have about our salvation." AMEN!!
John was an eyewitness of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was a close companion of Jesus. What John has written is inspired by God and without error. We can trust this book.
God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If there is darkness, fear, evil, bitterness, spite, anger - it is not of God - He is only light.
When I walk in the light - living life in such a way that pleases God, it is not for my credit - it is to bring glory to God.
I'm a sinner. Period. But, when I confess my sins to Him....HE is faithful and forgives me and cleanses me from all my garbage. Thank You, Lord!

From the Sermon this morning by Tim Plona.....1 John 1:8-9 gives us a new cycle to live by for recovery from sin:

My part:

Admit I am sinning
Stop the sin
Confess the sin to the Lord

Gods part:

He forgives me
He cleanses me

Instead of continuing on in my cycle of sin over and over again.....STOP the cycle and by God's grace begin anew! YES!

The Woman At The Well

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Grimm) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Lately, I have been struck by the knowledge that Jesus knows all about me. He knows every sinful action or thought that I have committed over my entire life. And still....He loves me and He has forgiven me and He has set my feet upon a solid rock - Himself.

I am another Woman At The Well.