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Is Your Comfort the Enemy of Your Progress?

Drenda Keesee • Jul 24, 2019

Have you ever heard this quote: “Comfort is the enemy of progress”?

There are so many phrases in our culture that use the word comfort as a positive, but God didn’t create us to be comfortable. He challenges us to get uncomfortable, so we can go out and do the impossible.

Over the years, Gary and I have both been called outside of our comfort levels and outside of our abilities as well. That’s because God is not going to give us assignments that we can walk out on our own. He’s going to push us to do things that only He can help us achieve.

Marriage and family are two of God’s most amazing blessings , but they can also be challenging assignments.

When Gary and I first got married, over 35 years ago, we were both naive. We thought, Hey, we love God; it’s gonna be all good… right? Ha!

Of course, loving God is important, but that doesn’t mean you just put up your feet and get comfy. Like any good thing, it takes work to keep a family together and strong, especially when storms come against you.

Now, as you may know, Gary and I are no strangers to challenging circumstances.

You’ve probably heard our story—years ago, we lived hand-to-mouth. For nine very long years, we were in financial chaos. We were living in a small, broken-down, 1800s farmhouse, complete with weeds growing through the broken windowpanes and trying to raise five children! We owed on two rusted-out, bent up, high mileage cars, 10 maxed out credit cards, three finance company loans, back taxes … it was a nightmare.

That was also a difficult time in our marriage. Gary was sick during those days, and we were both miserable because we were in a state of constant financial stress.

I’m sure many of you know that financial stress can create a lot of marital pressure.

Luckily, no matter how much pressure or discord there is, God is always ready and willing to help us get things back on track!

Once Gary and I began to look to God’s Word to see what He said about marriage and family and learned to unleash the Kingdom of God in our family AND in our finances, it was like a light switch was turned on!

In less than three years, we were completely out of debt, and we went from surviving our marriage to thriving as a husband and wife, and as parents.  

Why???

Because we were doing it God’s way!

I want you to know, no matter where you are in your marriage, God wants to take you even further!

God has more for you than just being comfortable. He wants your family to excel in its purpose. Once Gary and I got on the same page, started praying, and expecting answers, we received instructions on the next steps in our assignment every single time.

Now, I’m not saying there weren’t challenges, but once we stopped trying to do it ourselves and realized that we needed to go to God for everything, and do it His way, that was the moment everything changed.

We started new businesses during that time that have only kept growing. We paid cash for our cars, cash for our 55 acres of land, and built and paid for our new home.

If we hadn’t gone to God for the vision, we never would have been able to do all those things. Part of providing your family with security is making sure you’re being consistent with God’s vision.

His vision should be the compass for all of the decisions you and your spouse make.

God brought you and your spouse together for a reason. He has an incredible plan for your life. The enemy wants to put a wedge between you and your spouse. Don’t let him! Keep the devil out of your marriage by keeping the Holy Spirit strong in it! 

Trust God with your relationship, and turn to His Word for guidance. Read it, pray it, and speak it over your marriage.

I want to do all I can do to cheer you on, so you can have peace and happiness in your family and experience victory in any circumstance.

Once you get clear on God’s vision for your family, you can tackle your purpose and truly enjoy each step along the way.

God created you to live a life that would be a light for the world.

You must get uncomfortable to live that life. Once Gary and I got out of our comfort zones, we were able to accelerate in our God-designed purpose, AND we knew we were demonstrating faith through our actions to our children.

Instead of talking to them about being secure in God’s love and having faith in His purpose and assignment for their lives, we showed them.

Children model what they see. What are you modeling to your children every day?

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There’s so much more I want to share with you about this!

That’s why, for your best ministry gift of just $45 or more, I want to send you a powerful and practical LIMITED EDITION package we created called the New Vintage Family Package.

The New Vintage Family Package contains a teaching I did on how to take vacations with your family called Make It Fun , as well my book, The New Vintage Family .

  The New Vintage Family is a dynamic book packed with critical lessons for helping you embrace God’s design for family and, at the same time, have fun!

You need real answers to the modern-day struggles we face as parents. This is crucial mentorship material that offers both the practical and spiritual actions you need to enjoy the promises of God in your family.

So, don’t wait! Request your copy of the New Vintage Family limited edition package here.

With this offer, you’ll also receive my Make It Fun mentorship CD, and Your Love Story , a powerful teaching by Gary, that will help you navigate your marriage and your finances using powerful tools like knowing your love languages and more!

God wants to take your family to places beyond your wildest dreams this year.

I believe these resources will help you get uncomfortable, so you can start seeing the “impossible” as wonderful opportunities that God put in front of you.

5 Steps to Release the Kingdom in Your Life

By Gary Keesee • 10 Apr, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 13 secs – In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you know it? It’s where we see Jesus teaching the disciples how to release the Kingdom of God into the earth realm. Basically, a large crowd was following Jesus, listening to Him teach, and watching Him perform miracles. It got to a point where the people needed to eat, and Jesus asked the disciples what they planned to feed the people. Of course, Jesus knew the disciples would freak out. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people. In fact, they started talking about how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy just a bite for that many people. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and He was teaching us— the Kingdom of God has all the answers you need . How can you release the Kingdom of God into your life? Here are the five steps Jesus took. 1. Look at what you have. Jesus asked the disciples what they had to feed the people. What do you have in your life that you can give God to work with? Jesus multiplied bread into bread and fish into fish. What do you need multiplied in your life? Find some of it. That’s your seed. Also, remember that money can be named. You don’t sow money to believe for more paper or digital money. Money represents your life and can be named to be the thing you need multiplied. 2. Make sure you’re in faith. “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, GNT). You have to know how to judge whether or not you’re in faith. How? Do you have the right picture? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Do you see yourself with the thing you’re believing for? Can you defend your position? Why do you believe it? Prove it! Because you can be sure that between the “Amen” and the “There it is!” the enemy is going to contend for it, so you better be able to defend it. Do you have joy, expectancy, and peace? Are you in agreement with your spouse? 3. Confess over what you have, and release it in faith. Be specific. Say exactly what you’re believing for and release the seed to God. 4. Get the plan from God. Be ready for new direction, new ideas, and new concepts by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Carry a notepad and a pen. Write everything down. 5. Act quickly! When God gives you the plan, MOVE! It’s wise to have counselors and get wisdom, but you need to act swiftly on any direction you receive from the Holy Spirit.

Want Growth and Success? Here Are 10 Steps to Help Take You There

By Gary Keesee • 13 Mar, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 34 secs – How can you make sure you’re equipped for the growth coming your way this year? Here are my 10 steps to posture yourself for opportunity and success. 1. Ask yourself how you’re handling your current responsibilities. Don’t run from your responsibilities. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you should be a success. People will still see the evidence of God even if you think you’re in the wrong spot. 2. Detox your life of the things that keep you from having time to think. We live in a fast-paced world. There are plenty of things that can keep you distracted. But it’s in the moments that you stop to think that you’ll find ways to solve problems, and that’s where the opportunities are. So figure out what is consuming your time. Start saying no to some things. Find time to think. 3. Don’t hang around people who are always losing. I know people hit rough spots, but if the people in your life are chronically losing, it’s time to expand your circle. Hang around people who are better than you are, who don’t see things as impossible, and who have vision. It may be uncomfortable for you, but their influence will cause you to think differently. 4. Write down EVERY idea that you have, no matter how strange it seems. Most people filter opportunities and ideas through what they perceive their ability to be. This means most people discard ideas by the dozens because they don’t think they can do them. But God isn’t limited to what you know how to do. The ideas He gives you might seem so weird to you that you can’t process them fully. Write them down so you have time to think about them. 5. Research. Research. Repeat. You don’t need to know how to do something; you need to know how to learn how to do it. Research until you find what you’re looking for. 6. Count the cost before you jump. A lot of Christians hear God and jump out too soon, resulting in catastrophe. There are seasons for everything. God will prepare you for where He wants you to go. Be patient. 7. Always be in agreement with your spouse. Never, ever march out into battle without your spouse being in total agreement and your faith aligned. 8. Ask God for direction. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go, and what to do. And always remember that prophecy from other people shouldn’t lead you; it should only confirm what God has already said to you. 9. Commit to never quit. Quitting is not an option. Once you’ve moved, don’t move again until God speaks to you. Stay with it. Walk it out. Don’t quit. So many people have so much potential, but they get uncomfortable and they quit. If you want to win, you should always be stretching. 10. Get ready to embrace bigger things. Your ability to see the big picture will keep growing as you change and grow on the inside. You’ll pick up on even more opportunities. For more principles, check out this FREE video on success.

The Consequences of Strife: Why You Should Never Allow It in Your Life

By Drenda Keesee • 14 Feb, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 59 secs – A stuffed toy laid in the road at the scene of the accident. As we passed, the Lord spoke to me, “ Okay, this is your last warning. Are you going to continue this? You know you are opening the door to the enemy.” Gary and I had had a disagreement just before we had left the house for our family road trip. And there we were six hours in and we’d barely said a word to one another. Six hours. You think driving from Ohio to Tennessee is a long stretch of highway? Try doing it while giving someone the silent treatment. One word: torture. Then we passed the accident. Gary and I both felt the same conviction when we passed it, especially because it clearly involved children. But... pride. We knew what we were doing wasn’t good. (What kind of example is it to your children to ignore each other?) But neither of us wanted to lay down our pride. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord, and I’d think, No, I’m not going to fix this thing, because then I’ll have to talk to him. It was almost a competition to see who could hold our grudge for the longest. But strife is dangerous stuff. What is strife? Drama, conflict, friction, disagreement, bickering, arguing, bad blood, disputes… whichever words you use to describe it, it’s dangerous. Whether it’s between you and your spouse, you and your child, you and a friend, you and a family member, or you and a coworker, you don’t want to let strife remain in your life. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is confusion and there is every evil work (James 3:16). Our small argument between Gary and I had gone unchecked and had escalated, and neither one of us were listening to the voice of the Lord. And there were consequences for our strife and outright disobedience. About an hour after we passed the accident, a car pulled out in front of our vehicle, and we were in what could have been a very serious car accident. I started yelling the name of Jesus, and God supernaturally protected our entire family. Initially, it looked as though there were going to be serious issues. They told us our son’s spleen might rupture. I was pregnant, and the doctors worried that I might lose the baby. Through all of these things, we stood on the Word of God, and we all came out unharmed, including the young preacher’s son who had pulled out in front of us (he was in disobedience at that moment too). Even in the midst of this difficult situation, through our prayers, standing on God’s Word, and our children’s words to the medical personnel, we had opportunities to minister and impact the little county hospital we had to visit. The enemy tried to take us out, but he lost. We were responsible for opening the door to the enemy. But the name of Jesus is more powerful than our mistakes and circumstances, and that is what kept us protected. You MUST stay on guard and not allow strife in your life, with anyone. How? Here are just three quick tips: Bite your tongue. You don’t have to say everything you think. Don’t lash out or give the silent treatment. Work on communicating with others in a healthy way. Repent quickly and forgive quickly. Take responsibility; admit when you’re wrong. Say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. Don’t hold onto hurts. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.
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