Kara's Soft Words

Faith. . . Family. . . Food. . . Football. Those are the main things that come to mind when I think of him. Once I finally got to know Mr. Darryl "Bubba" Simmons, I quickly gave him the nickname "Uncle B." He was so loving and kind yet protective that he seriously reminded me of my uncles. I had heard about "Bubba" (and his cooking) for years but it seemed as though I was the last (or next to last) person in my family to meet him. I remember totally understanding the 'hype' when I first tried one of his dishes. . . His meals were always full of flavor and love. And I truly enjoyed seeing him in action with his family! They clearly respected each other and had a great system that had customers coming back for more and even marking their calendars- months in advance when they announced special events. I think it's safe to say that food sparked my father's friendship with Uncle B but it quickly became apparent that they definitely...

". . .  God is always working  on our behalf, even when we fail to see it . He has a  perfect plan , and His  timing  is perfect. . . Don't despise your off-season.  Keep investing  in your call, your gift, your talent, your local church, and the people God has entrusted to your care. It is during this time that  God is usually setting you up  for what is to come."  from Tailor Made by Alex Seeley For a while, I've been trying to articulate this particular stage/time in my life & re-reading those words felt like a true lightbulb moment. "This is it! This is how I'm feeling!"   A couple of weeks ago, I was scrolling through some of my older Instagram posts when I came across my favorite quotes from this amazing book, Tailor Made: Discover the Secret to Who God Made You to Be.   Backstory: Once I truly came to terms with the fact that God was leading me to move to Texas, I decided to focus on se...

My parents have never claimed to be the perfect couple (let alone, individuals), teachers, or even pastor and pastor's wife but they have been wonderful examples for me and my siblings. For their (37th) anniversary, I wanted to reflect on some of the lessons that I've learned from them. --- Dear Mom and Dad: I hope you know that I truly love and appreciate you. And I hope that you don't disown me after reading this😅. I simply want to share lessons that my siblings and I have learned from you and maybe broaden people's perceptions of you as well. . .  Faith Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. - Matthew 5:16 (KJV) Beloved; let us love one another: for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. - 1 John 4:7 (KJV) I started with this because your love for God is the foundation of everything that you do.  Before my siblings & I ...

Anyone who actually knows me will tell you that I am a planner. While there are moments when I do  appreciate spontaneity. . . for the most part, I like knowing exactly what to expect like where I'm going, what I'm doing, and how I'm executing a task. So I know some people were (or will be) shocked to learn that on January 1, 2019 , I moved from Maryland to Texas without an elaborate plan. While I kept hearing, "Kara, you're so brave! This is amazing. . ." and similar things, I honestly was trying my best not to freak out😬. This installment of When You Give Unto the Lord is about releasing control and simply surrendering to His Will. . . even if it doesn't seem to make sense (to you or anyone else). A piece of the backstory: God actually began dealing with me about moving to Texas in July of 2017. At that moment, I wasn't sure about any of the details (like how and when it would happen). I wrestled within myself (for a few weeks) and o...

"When you give unto the Lord, He will give you more to give. . ." Congregational Song "God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have show Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10 (NIV) "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38 (NIV) A few weeks ago, I came across a video clip of Pastor Mike Todd . He was speaking about what worship actually should look like, in the everyday life of a Christian. I quickly reposted it because I totally agreed with the snippet of his message. Not only that but I was actually experiencing some of what he was describing. The video reminded me of Casey J's song "I'm Yours" as well. The chorus says, "You can have all of me. . . I'm Yours. I give you all of me. . . I...