go beyond creating your little nest egg

From The Desk Of Sandi Krakowski.... journal in hand, sharing my heart. 

 

I get so tired of this super pious religious crap where people say they are laying aside their dreams as some 'crucified life death to self sacrifice for Jesus.' No that's ego. Because at the core of why we do that is this: I feel important because you know I gave up everything. Look at me, giving up everything. Look at how holy I am because I gave up everything. NO! If God put a desire in you to steward so that the world could benefit from it, to add value to others, to not fulfill that dream is an OUTWARD ACT OF SELFISHNESS!

You know what the crucified life is? You know what death to self is? You want to know what it's like to EXCHANGE His life for yours, so that HE increases and YOU decrease? DO WHAT HE anointed and appointed and empowered and authorized for you to do! You are not helping anyone out by staying in that dead end job, thinking you are laying aside your desires so that you can just be humble and be who God called you to be. NO that is an apathetic path of procrastination that masquerades itself as holy.

THE TRUE LIFE and path to greatness means you will DIE to those self criticizing thoughts, you will DIE to those 'just delay and lay down and be small' ideas and you will DIE to those notions that it doesn't matter, and that you can have a choice and you can create whatever life you want and you can build your plan and just make sure your family is comfy cozy. YOU are designing what you want your life to look like. NO the holy path is YOU are designing your life to WHAT GOD wants it to look like and you are on a mission to impact as many people in this one lifetime you have as you can!

YOU want to know what the Warrior path is all about? DYING to this selfishness, this religiousness that thinks that we are doing God any favors by just laying aside our dreams and 'being grateful.'

Yes I want you to be grateful and I want you to be so filled with gratitude that you stop LIVING like an orphan trying to earn the love and favor of God by what you do or don't do, trying to PROVE TO GOD that you love Him, and what you sacrifice and I want you to STEP INTO the sonship that Jesus Christ paid for you to own. I want you to LIVE and WORK from His love and not for His love!

I want you to give it your all, do the hard things, do the hard work, put in the long hours, love your family, keep your priorities straight, go beyond creating your little nest egg and go impact thousands of other people and help them with their needs!

I want you to realize that GOD put that dream inside of you and HE has an intention that you would fulfill it and be a love offering of His to the world! Take that class! Get that degree! Do the work! DO what God has said to do and do all things as unto the Lord and LET HIM raise you up and LET HIM make you famous for HIS glory and for HIS honor and so that you can take His love to places that are dark and cold!!! 

I define success as someone who is giving it their all, robbing hell, building their platform because they know that they know at the core of who they are that GOD ALMIGHTY has summoned them to a task and they will fulfill it. Come hell, come high water, come friends and family persecuting them and all the pathetic religious people who are living lazy lives and just settling in a corner calling it 'holy'.  RISE UP my friends. THIS IS the year of OPEN DOORS!  RISE UP! 

 

The hardest thing I've ever done with my life is fulfill God's dreams for me. It's His love offering to the world and it's MY JOB to fulfill it. It's the best thing I've ever done too!

With love,
Sandi Krakowski

The Lord is Faithful

Wherever you are in your journey

The Lord cares so much about every detail of your life.

He put the desires in your heart

The more that you seek Him, the more your desires will become His

Don’t try to get ahead of God by trying to figure out how it is going to happen

Trust that if He created this earth and everything in it in such intricate detail, 

that he has your life planned and figured out

It will be beyond anything you can ever dream, ask, or imagine

 

Our God is so faithful.

Homesick

 

 

 

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I just went on a 4 mile run during my lunch break today

As I was running along the most beautiful path along lake union the sun was shining, beautiful house boats to my left, the wind at my face, the city of Seattle in clear view ahead of me

I see the our most famous landmark the Space Needle

 I look up at the tallest building in Seattle, the Columbia Tower

 I also see a glimpse of a 12^th flag that now holds even more meaning to our beloved Superbowl champions- Definitely a year remember for Seattleites- a name I thought I would always call myself

But you now what I kept thinking about? How I wish I was somewhere else

I don’t know where but I am homesick

My soul is longing for something more, something bigger

Something or somewhere I can give more of myself and be broken for that what breaks Him

As long as we are on this earth, we will ache for something bigger,

because we were designed for something bigger- something better.

We are designed for an intimate relationship with God forever.

- Jennie Allen " Restless"

 

I don’t think its in Seattle

In fact, I don’t think I belong in any specific city, state or country

We are called to GO into this world and be a light for Him

Wherever that is for me , is where I belong

Whether that is Africa in June

 Phoenix later this summer

I don’t know where I belong right now

I do know its not Seattle

Or Enumclaw

I dont know

But it is true, I am homesick

I may not know where I belong but I know Whom I belong too

He promises He will direct my path
I am holdiong onto Him to lead me into the unknown and satisfy my longing only He can fill

You know what I think? 
I think I know exactly where I am homesick for- My forever home-
A place where Seattle sunsets or the Seattle skyline will never compare
A real home where I will be able to forever worship Him, forever be wrapped in His love forever

I have no doubt God intentionally creates this feeling of nostalgia for a place we have never been
He wants us to always be reminded that His eternal home for us will always be better than any home or place  here on earth

To remind us that that the only home we are to long for is His home

Knowing that my real home is with Him
Knowing that I wont be landing at a final desination but rather a path 
 This creates a bravery I never knew I had to go into the unknown
Excitement, desire and yet peace waiting expectantly for when He calls me to GO

I will embrace being homesick and embrace wherever He calls me to next along this path
Because He has promised that walking along with Him is better than we can ever imagine

I can’t wait to see what He has in store

“You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You."

- Saint Augustine

"Where I Belong"

Building 429

 

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

 

Lord, the time is getting closer

Lord, the time is getting closer

June 15th is coming fast

I am still holding onto Your promise and truth that You have a plan for me

I will always go back to that day in October

You were so clear and told me this was my last year at SPU

You are a BIG God, a God of miracles and abundance

help me to ignore my critics or close friends and family who doubt what I am doing

They dont understand Your path for me

Lord, You have called me into something bigger -beyond what I am imagine or see

 I dont know what exactly, but I am trusting You will have something soon

Open a door I never imagined Lord and let Your Glory shine ALL over my life

 

 

 

Let Your light shine in a way that puts every ones doubts aside
Let your Glory shine so bright that they when they see me life,
They exclaim "Only by God"

 I am steppping out into faith with You because thats all I know how to live right now

Lead me to Your Glory, Your path for my life

Open a door and I will follow... anywhere

All You have to say is "GO"

The Fog Ahead: Embracing it with HIM

I've been spending a great deal of time lately talking to students and friends of mine about life. There is always a common theme in these conversations: uncertainty. 

  

I read an analogy of uncertainty that put in a positive context and I am in love with it. I want to continue to share it with others because it has opened my mind to a new train of thought.

None of us can see what the future holds before us. We use optimism or positive words to help us on our outlook. On the other side of the spectrum, we internally hold thoughts of worry or impatience. I recently read in a devotional a way to help me use the LORD, rather than optimism or worry, to help me better approach the pathway ahead.

Our pathway is clouded by fog. With the reassurance of GOD, we know it is bright! That there are "surprises", whether they be trials or triumphs, that await us. The next step may be a boulder we have to climb. Maybe it is a peaceful trail that allows us to praise GOD along the walkway. Whatever it may be, that fog is a reminder to step back and walk with GOD. We are meant to just dive right through it without HIM. We need to walk next to HIM in unashamed dependence. I want to hold HIS hand and communicate with the LORD as the fog clears and HE unveils what is next. 

The fog tells us, "Step back, walk with God and STAY with HIM".

At this current point in time, my patience is being tested by something that can be life changing. My mind and thoughts are consumed by the endless possibilities that may come of what that "next step" could possibly entail. 

But, I needed to put myself in "check", and say, "Jamil....you need to TRUST in the LORD....HE will show you which path to take" - PROVERBS 3:5-6

Talking with GOD is a blessing because HE gives me strength, joy and so much more. Why jump into the fog when I can talk to GOD as I enjoy the journey instead of rush it. I'm not UPS Overnight Mail. 

I'm right here, right now. Only GOD can deliver unto me...unto us.

Preparing Day 26 & 27

 

Day 26

3 Gifts Preparing

 

1- DREAMS-I know God is preparing me for something big. You know how I know? Because I have dreams about my future that I never dreamed of, never ever thought of accomplishing when I was youn ger. In fact most of my dreams have formed within the last year when I fully committed to letting go and letting God work in my life. The only explanation is they are from God! He knows my true hearts desires and He is slowly preparing me for those dreams.

Refer back to THIS blog to get a list of my dreams.

 

 

2- One of our athletes and one of our coaches are preparing to head over to the Philippines to play for their National team. We did a last minute clothing/canned food drive with our department and fans. We received way more than I thought we would! So grateful for this community and to be able to have the platform to help. Below is my office full of the items!

 

3- Preparing for Thanksgiving! My mom and dad are at home setting the table, gathering the extar chairs and cleaning every square inch of our house. Preparing for a day full of family, food, laughter, joy and of course thankfulness.

 

 --------------

Day 27

A Gift Homemade, Held, and Happy

 

Homemade-  Every year when the kids were little, my parents took us around Deep Lake and we collected leaves. We then made placemats with the leaves. My mom still not onyl has them but puts them up as decorations around the house. Something so loving and nostalgic seeing them around the house when I come home.

 

Held- Cant wait to hold my nephew Jace! It has been almost two weeks and I am dying. The love I have for the child amazes me.

 

Happy- My parents- true joy and happiness.

Now that they are both retired, they have more time to live a life of adventure. Its is like they are  "dating" all over again! They go on dates, they make time for eachother to just enjoy life. It makes me happy to see them so in love and taking care of themselves! So proud of them and their committment to eating healthier, taking supplements, being more active and growing in their faith...together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Time For Everything

 

I think my time is coming

Maybe it is already here

Either way I feel God moving in my life

Moving me into the directions of my dreams

Moving me towards the desires of my heart

Moving through my heart

Deep in soul 

I know it

When I started at SPU I would have told you I would stay there forever

Continue my knowledge for marketing through conferences like NACMA

Possibly move up to assistant athletic director

I loved everything about athletics and what it entails

And then I would meet someone at SPU

I would raise my children going to SPU events on weekends and evenings 

 I would have a completely happy and content life working at SPU

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more 

than all we ask or imagine, 

according to his power that is at work within us"

Ephesians 3:20 

Do you remember this post?

The Purpose Driven Life 

This post was written almost a year ago

I prayed circles around this post

And then I started seeing the life I was meant to live

Dreams started forming in my soul I never imagined

I started seeing the adventure from God

That is my dream

That is my purpose to bring Him Glory

Bringing faith, hope, love to children 

All around the nation 

All around world

I knew from this day I wouldn't be at SPU much longer

The Lords great commission started becoming the life I wanted 

I didn't know when or how it would happen but it was coming

All I knew was I needed to GO

Leave SPU?

Leave the students I have come to love?

Leave the financial and medical stability?

Are you sure God?

I sure LOVE what I do 

I prayed all year for God to make it clear

Give me peace when the timing was right 

"The Moment I Knew" 

Friday, October 11th , 2013 

That was the day I knew You were calling me in another direction 

 I was driving past the airport, Christmas music playing and that was when I knew 

I wasn't even thinking about it. 

"This is my last year at SPU" I told myself 

It was an instant decision

Then the dreams and visions started flooding

I saw me traveling to Africa
Traveling to Germany
Not asking a boss for time off

Coming home to play with Jace and the new baby
In the middle of the week!

A life of freedom

I would volunteer  whenever I wanted 

Make-A-Wish

St. Jude

Jessie Rees Foundation

It was exactly the sign I needed

So easy

So much peace 

I have no reservations, no holding back

I am committing to Advocare to provide financially but I know You have a plan for me

No doubt, I see my dreams coming alive the next couple months and it excites me deep in my soul
Lord, I am ready for the next season in my life, a season of freedom and traveling, serving and giving, and of course my deep longing of becoming one with my husband

Lord, I know You are saving me for Your best
Right now may seem like a huge trial and hurdle, lots of negativity and distress
Maybe for him too, but I have hope!

The One in my heart is greater than any insecurities and unfulfilled dreams. 

I will continue to pray circles around my bold dreams Lord

I know that when you fulfill them You will get all the Glory! 

Lord, show the world Your glory. 

Amen. 

*I wrote this about a week after to remember exactly what I was feeling 

We will praise Your name forever, Christ the Lord 

He Provides

Today was a pretty exhausting day

Rushing from meetings and bombarded with details about this week

I was drained of my strength

BUT

Just when I thought this day was a bust and I was going to give myself a pity party

I was able to get away after work for a bit to workout with a friend I have not seen in awhile

We met at Queen Anne track and had a great workout but more importantly a great conversation

You know that feeling when you leave from a visit with a friend and you are just encouraged and filled up? It is no wonder we are called to be in fellowship with believers

He provided the right time for my friend to meet me to workout

He provided the sunshine an crisp, fall air

He provided fellowship and great conversation

Our dreams He has placed on our hearts

He provided everything I needed today

For the first time in a long time I am at peace

About work

My life

Where God is taking me and molding me

I see it daily in the small things

For once I see Gods hand on my life

Everyday I wake up with expectation that He will show up

Take my hand to lead

Take my anxiety and stress away

Give me the strength when I feel weak

Give me wisdom when I am without words

And guess what?

He provides

Every.Single.Day

What is on my heart

I do love Seattle Pacific University

But SPU is NOT the church 

 It is a company, a not-for-profit business that is still about the bottom line 

At best SPU is a para-church organization within a Christian context, but it is not the church

and  I should not confuse myself that I ought to give too much

The pursuit of balance is a life-long chore
 

With that, I do get tired, and feel pressured to do it right, do it often, and do it without complaining

The pursuit of balance has been on my heart lately

My ache to serve God in a way that is pleasing and honors Him is high

I am trying to find my purpose here at SPU. Why am I here? What does God want from me here?

Some days are easier to see than others. I know I have a desire to impact young lives

I have a desire to be a role model and share my faith and Gods love to other

I know SPU gives me that platform and when I am around the students I feel that purpose

Then there is my other burning passion. To spread faith, hope, love to those children in need

I desire to work with a children’s charity and be around children all day

That dream has become stronger as I am able to be more involved
with charities around the area as well as nation

Sometimes it takes all of my being not to just leave and pursue that dream

Especially when the atmosphere around here gets negative and discouraging

 

But I know God will lead me into those dreams when the time is right

Spending time with Him in the mornings and meditating on Him throughout the day helps me stay focused on my heavenly calling and not what the world is calling me

 

 

 

Hindrances to Success

Hi Jamil!

Oh wow. Has my bloggng been lacking as of late! As you know, this time of year is crazy busy for us both. I recieved this devotion today and let me tell you this is exactly what I needed. I am sure you can relate to this at work as well :) I have a bloh post stirring up in my mind. I am hoping to write it out tonight! Love you!

 

Hindrances to Success Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Galatians 6:9-10  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. No matter how carefully we plan our time, we will now and then run into obstacles. They might be interruptions, miscommunications, cancellations, or delays. We have no control over many of these types of situations, but we are able to change certain kinds of hindrances. We can, for example, adjust misplaced priorities. Consider how often we allow others to dictate how we spend our time. Instead of maintaining a God-centered schedule, we may be responding to the demands of other people, permitting them to decide our activities without regard for what God has in mind for us. Circumstances can also determine our schedule, if we permit. But we cannot succeed in life if we let ourselves be drawn away from what God wants. Investing time in the Word and learning God’s ways must be an integral part of our schedule. Another hindrance to reaching our goal is procrastination. We all experience this on occasion, but for some of us, putting things off has become a habit. When that’s the case, we no doubt have many good intentions but lack follow-through. Success will evade us as long as we dally. A third hindrance that we can work to overcome is lack of concentration. To be successful, we must focus our minds on a particular task and stay with it until it is finished. Having a strong motivation to achieve the Lord’s plan is helpful, as we work at completing what we value and desire. How important to you is achieving the Lord’s plan? Align your thinking and your time with His ways, and success—in God’s eyes—will follow.   Excellent tips for success.  Again, the distinction is success “in God’s eyes, this version is of significantly greater eternal value than the worldly values.  Not to be hapless patsies, but the Christ-like calling of service thru living sacrifice is downward mobility and it is foolishness in the eyes of the culture. I appreciate the first hindrance, misplaced priorities.  We tend to get all wrapped up on time management when in actuality our time is driven by what is prioritized (what’s important to us at that moment).  If we start each day in devotion, our priorities become embedded more readily in what God wants for us.

Bad Times Can Make You Better or Bitter

Being that we both work in collegiate sports, we see adversity on many different levels. We see it in the work our department strives to achieve. We see it in our student athletes as they grow on and off the court/field. We see it our student workers that are challenged by what they want to become after college. And lastly, we see it in our day to day battles: internal and external. 

One of my mentors consistently shares a newsletter about the words of John Wooden with me every week. I believe that Mr. Wooden was fairly spiritual and led by example. “A setback is a set up for a comeback” describes Coach Wooden's philosophy for dealing with adversity.

In his book The Pyramid of Success with Jay Carty Coach described his perspective on adversity.

We cannot allow difficulties to discourage us. Roadblocks may cause us to alter our course a bit, but we cannot let them deter us from our destination. I have often said that we grow stronger through adversity. We become stronger physically through a weight-lifting program. Our muscles work against heavy objects. That's adversity. We get stronger mentally through the progressive difficulty of education. We don't start with calculus; we start with arithmetic. After we learn the basics, we move on to algebra, then to geometry and so on. We work our way up to calculus. In the same way, we grow stronger spiritually through the tests of life. Losing my beloved wife, Nellie, was the hardest event in my life. For a couple of years, it slowed me down; but it didn't stop me. In the end even her loss has made me stronger. In every way-physically, morally, emotionally and spiritually-we increase our strength when life is hard; therefore, we must not dread adversity, nor can we allow it to stop us from becoming the best we can be through the steadfast pursuit of our goals. In fact, as we become stronger we can and should expand our goals. Extending our capabilities to their limits requires us to realistically reevaluate our potential.

  

Dealing with adversity in a positive way requires the two top mortar pieces of coach’s Pyramid of Success: Faith and Patience and remembering as Coach put it:

Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

Say It Out Loud

 

Say It Out Loud

by Joyce Meyer - posted July 19, 2013

 

I am alert and active, watching over my word to perform it. —Jeremiah 1:12

Today I want to share with you some powerful truths that are based in God’s Word. I encourage you to confess these words over and over, so they will change your thinking and become part of your belief system about yourself. As you confess them with a heart full of faith, doing your best to believe them and act on them, you’ll be well on your way to a healthy self-image.

 

 

Love Yourself Today: Review the list of six confessions that will help you gain a healthy, biblical self-image.

 

 

 

 

Have You Ever Held A Mustard Seed?

Dear Jenzie, 

Thank God It's Monday! That's my positive, upbeat attitude going into the work week. I came across a beautiful image with a verse I do not ever recall reading before. I did some digging flipping in my Bible to better understand God's words. 

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20 (NKJV)

When circumstances appear to take an unexpected turn, sometimes our faith can be rocked.

To You, Lord, who created the universe and the mountains, the obstacles in my life are comparably the size of tiny stones. I trust You to help me step over these challenges.

So what does this mean?

What I interpret from this is that adversity should never be the end of our faith; it should be the beginning. No matter the adversity, a strong faith will enable us to endure life’s 
toughest hardships.

Do Not Be Discouraged

Dear Jenzie, 

A colleague of mine shared a devotional with me yesterday and it truly came at the right time. Although it is not my personal words or thoughts, I wanted to post it on our blog because encouragement is something we can always use......

Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged, for I will be with you wherever you go. You can choose to be strong and courageous even when you are feeling very weak. However, the weaker you feel, the more effort it takes to choose to be strong. It all depends on where you look. If you gaze at yourself and your problems, your courage will melt away. The choice to be bold rests on your confidence that I am with you and for you. Through eyes of faith, see Me on the path before you, beckoning you on, one step at a time. Looking to Me consistently will increase your strength and valor.

When everything seems to be going wrong, refuse to get discouraged.

Remember that I am a God of surprises: I am not limited by the way things are or by the paltry possibilities you can see. I am infinitely creative and powerful. With Me all things are possible! The longer you wait for your prayers to be answered, the closer you are to a breakthrough. Meanwhile, waiting for Me — aware of My loving Presence — is a blessed way to live. I am good to those who wait for Me.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” — Matthew 19:26 (NKJV)

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. — Lamentations 3:25–26 (NKJV)

* * *

Not Too Serious

Hi Jessie,

Came across two motivational quotes that really capture my train of thought right now. Looking forward on expanding my thoughts in a future post.

"Learn to laugh at yourself more freely. Don't take yourself or your circumstances so seriously. Relax and know that I am GOD with you." - Jesus Calling

The Aftermath

Dear Jamil,

It is a weird feeling coming home from such an amazing experience, literally on top of a mountain. Do I have to come down? I don' think I have fully actually "come down" yet just. I am holding on to those precious moments with God. Those moments where I was in total awe of His movement in my life, the students lives. Those moments of worship and being blessed by His creation. However, I was able to write out some thoughts this morning in my journal and I wanted to share with you! :)

The Aftermath

I didn't really reflect on my time in Montana. It was one of the best weeks of my life. I am still trying to absorb why I learned and continue to thank the Lord for this opportunity. My heart feels like is is going to burst with hope, joy, but also anxiety. I learned so much during this past week. One of the most emotionally, physically and spiritually draining weeks of my life. All planned by the Lord so I could realize just how much I need HIm, only Him. He humbled me beyond anything I have experience before, yet knew exactly the right moment to fill my heart again...and again...and again. He truly knows the desires, the longings of my heart. He is so good and reminds me that He alone is my strength. This past week I know was only a glimpse of what God has in store for me. 

I dream of being a role model to those around me

I dream of impacting MANY lives of children and young women

Though this past week was humbling, I only grew in my faith. I learned that God is the only one who can prepare me and give me strength. I was reminded the power of dreams, desires, and longings. I have NO doubt the Lord is preparing me for a GREAT ministry. I long for a great platform to share the gospel, to show His love and goodness. I know God is preparing me for GREAT things, plans that don't make sense to those around me, but in my heart the Lord is whispering, maybe even shouting,

"My child, I love you beyond anything you can ever imagine, keep searching for Me, keep close to Me, I am preparing you for something so great, beyond your wildest dreams. You are deserving of all My blessings. I love you my sweet daughter."

So, I will keep pressing on
I will wait in total abandonment
Total dependence of Him knowing He provides every step of my path
I will praise and thank Him along the way

Lord, let me be Your hands and feet. 

Amen 

Love,
Jenzie

"I am continually at work in your life, even when you can see nothing happening. It’s easy for you to feel stuck in a situation you’d like to change because you can see only the present moment. But I look at the big picture—all the moments of your life—and I am doing more than you can imagine." 

-Jesus Today