Category Archives: Weekend Reflections

October 11, 2014

Over the Next Hill–The Light Still Shines

By Angie Knight
Do you have a flashlight?  Batteries fresh?  Every time I see a flashlight, I wonder about the battery content.

Without the glowing light, it’s difficult to see in the dark.

I have opened my fair share of flashlights only to find that the battery inside was dead.  Or worse yet, corroded.

Jeff and I have been seeking God about some things in our lives, the call on our hearts–ignited by The Holy Spirit–and set afire each time we venture out into the unknown with Him…

While the whole picture is not revealed–we see enough to know that without the Light, we cannot put one foot in front of the other…much like you have no idea what’s over the next hill in your life–so we are.  But –we faithfully, with hearts beating wildly with trust in Him–put one foot in front of the other and begin a journey.

I will share more about this later–and I hope you journey along.  The address of this blog will soon change.  I’m going to let it revert back to the original address and take up a new address from here.  I will send you that as soon as the work is finished.  I must confer with my techno buddy on this–to make sure that no one gets left behind. 🙂

One big change that recently came–after much prayer and conversation between Jeff and myself, we felt it was God’s timing that I step down from my position as secretary at our church and be more available to Jeff for the next mission trip(s).  Yes, that was a huge decision–as I have learned so much from our pastor and associate pastor.  What Pastor Dallas has learned along the journey of ministry–he freely gives to others to glean from.  I told him often, I felt like I was in school on a daily basis–Bible School, Leadership Training, Counseling Classes….and the list goes on.  What an incredible opportunity God afforded me!  I am eternally grateful to him and his wife, Pam.  Jeff and I love them dearly.  There are some people you “learn to love”, you don’t have to learn to love these, it just happens.  Their hearts for God’s people is evident–and their spirit of giving to others –contagious.

I say that not to create wonder and questions, I won’t have you (mother) hunting me up everywhere–I will be living right where we’ve lived–and Jeff will be doing what he loves doing (serving the West Florida District), but our passion for missions has exploded inside us and our hearts desire is to follow His leading…to wherever that may be…EVEN WHEN WE can’t see the next dip in the road…

So, please stay tuned so we can stay connected.  These are things God has been working on in me for quite a while- and I know I’ve not been the best blogger here– but that too–hopefully will change.

Be on the look out…put fresh batteries in…get ready to go–wherever HE leads.  You might not be able to see over the hill, and it might get dark at times, but trust HIM… HE is your light.  He’s my Light.

© 2014 Angie Knight- The Knightly News. All rights reserved.

Leave a comment | posted in faith, Life, Missions, Weekend Reflections

November 11, 2013

Exit, Stage Right.

By Angie Knight

A few days ago I had this post publish on Laced with Grace.  I need to tell you this has been a struggle.

The disconnect.  Then I got all in a knot.  Actually, a major twist.

That’s what it felt like…someone had twisted me out of shape.  I was –out of shape.  In more ways than one.  (I am learning my limitations with my aging self –ahem–(major throat clear)

At that point…it hit me.  Through reading in devotion time, and a BIG talk from my mother…knower (I know that’s not a word) of MANY things…she gave me the “old -one-two”.  And I realized in short, she was very right.

Too caught up in the “stuff  of ministry” and not enough time devoted to the temple of God…meaning “our own body, mind and heart-to-heart time with Him”….

So–I took a break.  I disconnected.  Removed Facebook from my phone…and since we don’t have internet access much at our house…I don’t check it as frequently.  I breathed easier with just that act of mental health.  It was crazy anyway…I rarely read a newspaper…why did I need to keep up with the goings on of those I rarely– if ever see?  (because everyone else did.)  [And it has actually taken me TWO weeks to get this little bitty post written.]

Growing up, I was not the girl who “did what everyone else did”….actually, I was the one who didn’t.  I was not the “popular” one…although I had friends, and truly enjoyed those friends, I didn’t have to be “the popular one”.  I wasn’t a cheerleader or ball player–although I had friends who were both.  I felt no pressure to become either one…

Why, then, do we put pressure on ourselves to be involved in everything…every time?  I don’t know.  But as I was frantically searching for the “off switch”… God showed me where and how.  Through an unexpected miracle…

It’s better if I just show you…

As the miles opened up the colors of the season, the stress of the past months seemed to ebb away…a little bit.

I say a little bit because I may be like you…so used to feeling stress that you might feel naked without it… Do you think it’s supposed to be the norm of a believer?

I don’t.  At least not a continual rotation of one stress to the next… It may SEEM like we run from one stress to the next, but that’s not how God intended our lives to be…

By stress, I am talking about the things we “allow” to come into our lives.

My mother would say, “put up healthy boundaries”. (She also gave me and our entire family a copy of the book, Boundaries, by Henry Cloud.)

My friend, who gives me such godly counsel from hundreds of miles away, says, learn to say “no, but thank you for thinking of me”.

We have had many miracles this year.  MANY.

Salvation to healing…miracles.

And the enemy so bad wants to bog down our minds that we are unable to “be in continual praise mode” like we should be– and want to be…all because of the “busyness” of our lives and minds…and the CONTINUAL activity that seems to be bombarding our lives.

Then I saw this:

This is a totally UNTOUCHED PHOTO except for the words I added.

That is JUST how beautiful God is…how HE blesses us.

He pours peace out into our lives like liquid beauty.

When we get to the end of ourselves…and it seems all we feel are hands tugging us this way and that– take a deep breath… and search for HIM.

He may be just waiting to show you something absolutely spectacular…and it may be just the simplest thing as a leaf hanging on a tree…


Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the LORD.  Acts 3:19

Bring your focus in on Him.  So that everything else just blurs in the background.  

Often, that may take “getting away”.  Do it.  Whatever you need to do to keep the way clear for Him.

Just say, “no, but thank you for thinking of me”….

Then, EXIT….Stage right.

 

© Angie Knight- The Knightly News

1 Comment | posted in Weekend Reflections

November 5, 2011

Band Of Brothers On A Mission

By Angie Knight

I have said several times—either here online—or when speaking –100_3523

“You are one of two things—IF you are a believer in Christ….”

According to Matthew 28:19-20, “You are either a Missionary—or a Mission Project.” 

I now know what it feels like to be both.  Being a missionary is incredible.  To share the love and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ with others is a feeling like no other!  Jesus said to the eleven disciples standing with Him, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”   He gave them their marching orders. 

Question for you:  If  you are going to leave your job—and it is your job to train your replacement—don’t you want them to know everything in order to succeed at the work ahead?  And if they leave after you—won’t they do the same?  And the next person the same?

That’s what Jesus did.  HE gave the instructions for EACH OF US…to be handed down through time until HE RETURNS.  So—what are you doing?

Let me tell you how we became a mission project.

We moved to a cute little house on the camp grounds…and it rained on the day we were moving in…which was really a blessing…because we discovered the roof leaked.  And a few days later it rained again.  And it leaked again.

HOWEVER, there is a “Band of Brothers” that Jeff has been BLESSED to be a part of ever since God laid it on the heart of Guy Tatum to begin a “men’s prayer group” at church.  (Marianna First AG). 

The prayer group is open to any man—of any age who wants to band together with other men and pray and grow in God.  I have witnessed the changes in the men of this prayer group as they “truly” band together and form a team of awesome encouragers in their faith and love for the LORD!

They showed up at our house this morning before the sun had set the trees on fire with it’s brilliance!  It was a gorgeous day—windy for being on a roof, but these guys didn’t mind –and there was not one complaint about the chill in the air! (Not that I heard anyway!)

Click on the pictures and see all that the LORD did through the giving hearts and working hands of these awesome guys!

Thank you Guy for following the call of God to lead this “Band of Brothers” into a higher place in Christ—and into the “Mission Field” of life!

Not a hammer was picked up until they gathered in prayer.

At break time—I stepped outside to snap a few pictures of them and heard them discussing their morning’s Bible reading.  Guy challenges them to each read the Bible through –and he supplied them all with the NLT Version of the “Bible in a Year”.

We are not the first mission project these guys have taken on—and I’m sure we won’t be the last! 

The West Florida District is extremely grateful for their hearts of love and labor today as they roofed not only our house, but a storage building as well!

Guys—, we could never thank you enough!  What a blessing you have been to us and the District!  We love you all!

 

© Angie Knight—The Knightly News-Giving Him All.  All rights reserved.

1 Comment | posted in Ministry, Thank you, Weekend Reflections

July 9, 2011

Saturday Ramblings

By Angie Knight

Good morning y’all.  That’s what I’d say if you were here…instead of there.  Wherever you are…maybe sitting in your p.j.’s eating cereal…or maybe it’s late night where you dwell.  Either way, good morning from here!

I woke to what appeared to be the sound of a boat buzzing across the lake–and then the stick hit the window and I remembered I don’t live at any lake and knew it was a lawn mower.  At an ungodly hour!  (not really, I was awake for a long time, just going over “things” in my head)

Jeff returns today from his second trip to North Alabama to assist those that were hit–devastatingly hard by the tornadoes in April.  Why don’t they name the tornadoes?  They name the hurricanes that come and rip the sands of the shore away, grain by grain.

There have been some storms in my life that I’ve labeled.  Maybe you have some of yours.   For me, it was not to remember the storm, but to remember what God did.  In a message from our pastor a few weeks ago, he talked about raising a “banner”–over the victory!–emphasizing that God had come in and stomped the enemy out!  We BELONG to GOD!  The enemy has NO AUTHORITY in your life, in my life–if we are a believer in Christ JESUS! 

But sometimes I felt “stomped” out–in the process of the battl.  And perhaps you have too…maybe it’s because there are things in us that need to be stomped out–pressed out–time for some self-examination! 

I’m getting ready for several things-

  • more massive cooking at “Youth Camp”,
  • The She Speaks Conference,
  • and Bolivia.  (Another one on the horizon, but we won’t discuss it right now.)

Tucked inside all of this–is a heart that seeks to do God’s will–wherever that may take me.  Time is running out–we’ve much to do–many hearts and lives to touch for Jesus!

KNOW that your prayers are needed and appreciated for both of us!  Jeff will be over the top busy the next few weeks!  Actually, being married to my best friend and love of my life for over 29 years, I have never seen him “un” busy.  He’s just a worker!  A man with a servant’s heart–who loves Jesus with all that he has and is.  I am so thankful that God joined our hands and hearts all those years ago. 

And the storms of life?

We just cling tighter.

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

1 Comment | posted in Weekend Reflections

May 14, 2011

River LIFE

By Angie Knight

If you live anywhere in the South–I say that because I don’t recall seeing the first decal of this type when driving through some of the Northern States in March of this year, but if you are “from around here”, you’ve seen various “life” decals.

Salt Life; Swamp Life; River Life; Beach Life, etc.

When I first saw “Salt Life”, I must confess my ignorance…or naivete.  I thought “Salt Life” meant that they were staking their claim as Christians to being the “salt of the earth”.  Hmmm.  I soon found out the truth.

I actually preferred my way of thinking.  If I had that sticker for my back windshield–I would be staking my claim as being what I feel we are all–as followers of Christ to be:  The Salt of the Earth.

My daughter, Tiffany and her husband went camping last night–woke up to soggy skies, but they soon cleared to reveal this look at the river.

I instantly thought of two verses in the Bible. 

One says what we are to HAVE if we believe in Christ Jesus.  The other says what we will EXPERIENCE at the end of this life IF WE HAVE believed in Christ Jesus.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” John 7:38 NASB

Can I tell you the river of life flowing from my life is the most exciting feeling in the world?  Just the knowledge that HE wants you and me to FEEL His presence in such a way.  I have felt that powerful river–and as the leaves of the trees rustle and twirl about–clapping their hands–and so do I!

Can I tell you the excitement jumps in my heart at this?

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.”  Revelation 22:1-2 KJV

People!  What a time that will be!!  If the very thought of being with Christ Jesus doesn’t send your heart into magnificent palpitations–oh my!  That’s what it does for me! 

If life struggles are weighing you down..take hope–and take heart.  We’ve come a long way–but we’ve not much farther to go.  Set your gaze on the river…

The RIVER OF LIFE.

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

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1 Comment | posted in Life, Weekend Reflections

April 22, 2011

Revelation Song–Easter Weekend

By Angie Knight

You can’t–or at least I can’t–listen to this song….sing this song…without FEELING the power of God surge through your heart!

We sing about the KING OF KINGS….OUR EVERYTHING!!! I DO ADORE HIM!!! Praising Him with all that I have –all that I am…

My heart and life is FULL Of all that Jesus Christ IS and what He has done for me—what He has done for YOU friend?

Have you recognized the missing link in your life? Do you know about the God shaped hole in your heart?

As I watched this movie–I cried again–my soul and heart gripped in an anguish of all that I have done…and all that I should have done. Unworthy I am–yet He freely looked on us with love and came to this earth for each one of us–so that we might know HIM…and the power of His love. The depth of His love.

All For Love. (Hillsong music to abbreviated scenes from the Passion of the Christ.) In a conversation once with someone, I suggested the youth of today’s churches see this movie if they had not seen it–the question was “why”. My reason: They all need to know.

Hollywood paints pictures of all sorts of blood-guts-gore and scare tactics to feed the need for adrenaline rush that people have, teenagers especially. The real need in their lives is for Truth of what Jesus came to this earth for–and what He actually suffered. It was for all of humanity. Not just a few. You and me are included in that word, “ALL”.

For God so loved the world (us again) that He gave–HIS ONLY SON. That whosoever would believe in Him–would not perish–but would have eternal–everlasting life in heaven.

Only click “play” if you are willing to be reminded of His ultimate LOVE and sacrifice. (*Warning–graphic scenes)

Would you like to make a decision to allow Christ Jesus to be LORD of your life? Please click here–let us know how we can pray for you. Your prayer request will not be made public.

I encourage you, don’t wait another day. Seek HIM today.

Giving HIM All,

Jeff & Angie Knight

3 Comments | posted in faith, Trust, Weekend Reflections

February 6, 2011

Arkansas in Florida! Headline News

By Angie Knight

Jeff and I are blessed to have a fantastic team from Arkansas with us this week. Pastor Matt Smith and about 20+ folks from Jonesboro First Assembly of God, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Pastor Carl Neal and his wife, Glenda from Swifton Assembly of God, Swifton, Arkansas. (Forgive me if I missed someone from another church there.)

What a group! They are with us for a week—and Jeff has some jobs lined up!  (You knew he would, right?)

SO! If you are from our neck of the woods, stop by and say hi!  Give them a hearty welcome and a big thank you from our West Florida District A/G Churches! 
There are so many things that need to be done —this is just a wonderful blessing!

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

1 Comment | posted in Weekend Reflections

January 28, 2011

Winds of Time

By Angie Knight

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

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December 16, 2010

In Training

By Angie Knight

You may not be able to tell by this photo….but they are training Scooter.

They have the book, the leash, and the dog.

Scooter looks real interested in being trained doesn’t he?

Probably about as interested as we are in receiving our training…

For the REST of this story–please visit Laced with Grace:
Laced With Grace

I have a table reserved just for YOU!

© The Knightly News 2007-2010

Leave a comment | posted in Devotion, faith, Trust, Weekend Reflections

November 27, 2010

Surrounded?

By Angie Knight

2010-11-23 Thanksgiving week-boys 2010 020

Have you ever had that feeling of panic that hits you when it seems nothing is going right?  When the noise level in your space elevates to such a decibel that your heart begins to pound and the temperature in your body rises and you begin to sweat…

Surrounded. 

By noise. By clutter, space, time constraints, people, winding up in exhaustion.

By chaos is what the enemy of your soul wants you to think.  How do I know?

Walk with me.  That is exactly what I’ve felt for the past few weeks.  The noise level had nothing to do with the grandkids being here.  The noise level was coming from everywhere and no where at the same time. 

Guess what I have found.  We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.  Peering over the portals, if you will allow me to paraphrase into my ideas of what it means. 

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV

Friend, today I held my Bible to look up something to share with my mother,  and the very feeling of peace that seemed to wash over my soul was amazing.  Just for my eyes to gaze upon the Word surprised my tired heart.

That’s what an encounter with Jesus will do every time.  Instead of trudging through the day without Him—why not give the day to Him?  For me, it’s the only way I can have true soul peace.  True heart peace.  Pure peace of mind.

That great cloud of witnesses are standing at a point seeing what we do not see.  The nearness of the end.  No, they don’t know the “day and hour” the Son of Man comes, for know one knows that—but I believe they can turn and see the table being readied.  They can see the chairs being lined up just so.  They can see Gabriel adding the last polish to the trumpet.  They can see far more than we can.  I also believe they are cheering us on.

“Don’t give up brother!  Take heart sister!  Though the trials you have suffered have been hard, there is such a joy set aside just for you ahead! Keep the faith!  Lay aside all that would hinder you—whether it would be relationships, objects, or ideas of what you’ve heard that is contrary to God’s Word.  Let nothing hinder you.  Let nothing get in your way to your heavenly home—let nothing stand between you and doing what God would have you do.  Keep your focus on HIM.

He focused on YOU and ME as He endured the cross.  He knew that without His fulfilling what He came to do—we would be eternally lost.  His focus was on us—so our focus could be Him.

You are surrounded.  Pull up the blanket of peace.  Tuck it in secure.  Shout out His Words! Claim them as your own!  (That’s what we have the Word for!)  Find your Victory Statement this weekend—and pursue peace and joy with all your might!

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4 Comments | posted in Adversity, Hormones, Weekend Reflections