tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87527565086347325212024-03-21T21:28:14.767-07:00"Restoring old paths" Restoring old paths...
Isaiah 58:12Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-60765429527177215322015-01-29T00:07:00.001-08:002015-01-29T07:31:51.647-08:00Feeling the heartbeat of loss itself. <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Most people say, "I'll never forget the day...", but I have to achingly admit, I'll never remember; I'll never remember so many of the details of that whirlwind of a day. I'll never remember, though I try, the only time I saw baby #4 on that tiny screen down in the left hand corner. I had waited two full months to get to a doctor so I could hold paper evidence of what I knew was growing inside of me. This was not just another pregnancy, not that any is, this was a prayed for little child. We waited for this miracle for over a good year & a half; this baby was <i>wanted. </i>This baby was dreamed about, thought of, and would have been delivered into a room full of wide open arms, which included three siblings who had made big space in their hearts (and rooms). And when I saw that fragile little life on that screen, I remember the doctor turning the monitor on, and here's when you're supposed to hear that loud, "thump thump thump", but instead only a deafening silence echoed back; you know that silence? The silence you sometimes get when you ask God <i>why?</i> Or the aching silence of being utterly alone. That was me. On that sonogram table. I was thankful ultrasounds were done in dark rooms because light would have given me away; and somehow I knew by the way the nurse looked at me with pity and the doctor made his medical analysis, that I was just another girl with another miscarriage. And I don't honestly remember all the big words that doctor sputtered off, I just remember him talking, while I stared at that tiny screen, and mouthed to that little being,<i> please wake up</i>. This was the last time I saw that baby...and for the record, it was beautiful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The weekend following this doctor visit, I had done respite care for a two yr old boy & his three week old preemie sister. I remember the night plainly when the miscarriage started, more so than the day of seeing my baby on that screen. I had been up hours in the night exchanging grins, feeding, & rocking this baby girl who was new to our painful, fallen world. Everything about her, down to her dainty little nose was capturing. Her brother had already experienced loss, fear, and that utter alone-ness before his third birthday. Loss has a way of doing crazy things to people. It adds awkwardness to our life; dealing with a massive hole in your life makes your people skills tough. Chit Chatter & your everyday cup of tea becomes frustrating, but sometimes we live with that, trying to make it work, trying to fit in where we are, to avoid the deafening silence that makes us hold our ears. But isn't this what God told me to do? In that cold office, the one in the ER that day, the one where my husband & I sat & listened to a new born cry while we registered for my d&c; yes, that very day, I turned to look at an empty desk across from where we sat that held a sign that read, '<b>BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.' </b>Maybe the person who normally occupies that desk meant to have it there, but I know that day it was there for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <i>I'll never forget</i>, it was a sunday night. I was lying on my back with this preemie asleep on my chest. It was the only way she wanted to sleep. Sometimes we just want to be held all through the night, and don't want to be left alone in the dark. Does anyone relate to this? My side began to give me almost intolerable pain & I needed to get off my back but did not want to wake the baby. I waited a little longer before shifting the babe & I, but before I did I remember feeling her heart beat. It was steady & peaceful, as if she felt perfectly safe sleeping to the pattern of my every breath. I did not know then, but I know now, it was the very moment the heartbeat of my own baby stopped. Here I was seeping into loss, yet feeling the heartbeat of one who was loss herself. I held life that night ( and a couple weekends after) that was desperately trying to just stay alive. I got to nurture and cup a sacred heart beat that was a logo for loss. Because of her part in my story that weekend & the comfort she brought me & my kids, in later weekends, she will always be special, and I will always make an effort to keep up with them. We will be an open door for the rest of their lives. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The weekend my slow & painful loss began, is the weekend two babies came home with me with nothing but a diaper bag to their name, they knew nothing but loss, and somehow when loss meets loss, they're filled. Kind of like when deep calls out to deep. Even though it's loss, you're not alone anymore. And anytime there's a death doesn't God bring life through it, or anytime one of His children suffer, those nail scarred hands bring joy in the morning. Doesn't a God, who is love Himself, know the ultimate loss of a child? And doesn't He continue to experience loss through disobedient children and those who reject His loss of the ultimate sacrifice. Yes, I am convinced that love Himself knows what a painstakingly aching heart feels like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> From here is where my testimony to my health begins and our foster/adoption journey took off. May days of rain meet days of sunshine, may days of dark meet days of bright, may days of loss meet days of arm fulls, and if it doesn't, may we continue to be still and continue <i>knowing </i>(believing, trusting, finding out) He is God. And when loss meets loss, or pain meets pain, or abandonment abandonment, or fear fear, then may the one who conquered all these things <i>through death</i>, be the one and only who fills exactly what He understands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> And sometimes pain equips us for the calling ahead....if little ones come through my door and know nothing but loss, then may pain meet pain and slowly watch a beautiful garden grow in our hearts. A garden that bears fruit & seed of the rarest kind; whose Gardener has scarred hands and is skilled in tending scarred hearts. </span><br />
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<br />Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-77818608009893045762014-01-14T22:45:00.001-08:002014-01-14T22:45:19.519-08:00When pleasing God is not your habit. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b> It has been months since I felt the slightest tug, the slightest inspiration, the slightest motivation to write. <i>I wonder why,</i> I think to myself between the mounds of duties through out the day. <i>Am I just at a busy stage of life? Please don't tell me I'm still comparing my writings to others that say all the right things? But they really do. Don't we outgrow that 'comparing' phase in highschool? Will I ever grow up? </i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>I'm surprised God is still bothering with me.</i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>These scattered thoughts pile high as I recollect the miserable failings I had that day. Maybe it was when I lost my cool and yelled earlier. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Why can I not get around to hosting friends for dinner again? I keep forgetting to return so and so's phone call. I meant to remember her birthday this year, what a lame friend I am. Why does the mud room seem to resemble all the rooms this week? </i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i> </i><i>It's no wonder I haven't been inspired, how can I encourage others when I'm sitting in the middle of a big ol' mess created by my lack of grace and good nature. </i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>I'm just admitting I'm not perfect. I'm just admitting I get uninspired. I'm just stating the raw truth of my frail, dust made being. I'm simply confessing that I sometimes strive more to please YOU than....Him. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>And when I do that, I find I cannot please. I cannot write good enough, I cannot get more inspired, I cannot keep up, I find that I am dirt made and feel the reality of it. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>But amongst all the imperfect, I get a nudge--a stir--a <i>whisper.</i> Do you not love how the Lord woos us back to Him? How He Invites us back to commune with Him? Our filthy rags and all. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>We walk right across our muddy floors (maybe it's just mine) and past the blaring calendar of missed birthdays, past the open laptop of awesome blog posts of those ladies that probably really do have it right, past the iphone lit up with missed calls and notifications and find the feet we so desperately need to bow to, cling to, yield to, cry to, pour to.... </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>It's like the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and poured <i>OUT </i>her most valuable item she owned, on one she knew was worth more than a thousand bottles of perfume. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Yes, it's like her. The one whose life was in shambles. The one who carried guilt from the day's preceding, from the weeks preceding, the years...</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>It's exactly like her. The one who knew she could never please her on lookers. But she didn't try. She knew her worth without the critics. But what's humbling is she ran to the one with whom she did not have to pretend. The one who knew it all, saw it all, <i>felt</i> it all, forgave it all, and covered it all. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Her on lookers saw a wretched mess...a life out of order...a person who did not have it together on the outside as did they...but wouldn't you agree she had it going on when it came to the inside? Was it she or the on lookers that left whole that day? Was it she or the on lookers that felt like they had pleased someone that day, maybe for the first time? She had let everyone around her down, more so than that, disgraced them, but she left that day pleasing her savior...finally, the only one worth pleasing. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>How often can we say this of us? Are you failing at pleasing? Can you not keep up? Is it vitally important to keep everyone liking you? Do you ever look around and see a mess and wonder what you've been doing because you feel exhausted? </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Maybe, just maybe, its time for you and I to uncover our sinful priorities, those priorities that seem so important but leave us empty as the on lookers, and bend a knee to the only one worth our effort. Here in do we get the satisfaction of finally doing something right. Finally pleasing. Not only do I want to be pleasing but I want to be <i>pleasant.</i> The aroma of that perfume was pleasant to all those around---so go ahead, give up! Throw in the towel. We'll both be so very glad we did. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-35676922077043661812013-05-09T22:10:00.002-07:002013-05-09T22:14:04.380-07:00To Not Drown in Shallow Waters.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i> It's thinking back to those first few years, well, weeks for us, that everything you ever wanted would come true...a time to be completely self centered, self absorbed, ambitious, and lay ground work for more dreams to become a reality. Two months into our very young marriage we would be invaded by a precious little girl. Our hearts were no where near parenting...we still wanted to change the world (for God, of course). Somehow down this road, starting there, nothing has been how we planned. We've found ourselves holding onto God for dear life & at times crawling. Here's us now:</i></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>This is almost eight years later. The smiles you see on our faces are real and the joy is there. <u>But it did not happen blissfully and overnight for us.</u> Thank God. I look back to our beginnings and shake my head. I had no idea how to change the world, God knew this, that is why He radically changed mine. These eight years have proven us, and what God means to us, more than all the fifteen years of simply knowing each other ever could. There has been nightmares where we really did not know if we'd have each other in the future; there have been emotional roller coasters with our kids that made us hurt more than our broken marriage. There has been loss, much pain, and a nearness of Christ that we would have never experienced any other way. In eight years Christ has seared our bond and we truly live a three cord strand. He has been our glue, our healer, our guide, & our strength. Here's the truth: </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i><u>It may be a great love story but Christ will always be the ultimate love story! </u>You put that cross, that sacrifice, that blood, that agony, that forgiveness, that heart, that love right smack dab in the middle of your story & it is swallowed up in victory. There are things you walk through with someone that make you know there could never be another; t<u>here are testimonies that go so deep you cannot share them, but both of you know. </u>There is a dark place you both have walked to with Christ. Those times you and your spouse don't know each other anymore, are the times you seek to know the only one who is worth knowing. How else does God make two, one? How else does God lay two self centered people down and raise one soul walking hand in hand? </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>Our "first years" have most definitely not been common, but God knew I would otherwise drown in shallow waters. Had we had a normal beginning with all the pleasures of seeking to make us happy, we'd die. Die spiritually. Somehow in the uncommon, quite young, dark beginnings I found my soul mate, and the creator of my soul. God used our past, our marriage, & our children to radically wake us up to Him. It may not have been the road we talked about for ourselves--but God by His great mercy saw fit to take us another route; one a little more steep; a little harder to climb; a little foggier; <u>and with a much better view. </u></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>I do not claim to have all the answers but be encouraged here. There is nothing too far out of reach that God cannot restore, heal, cover, cleanse & make new. There is no pain too unbearable that He cannot ultimately take. There is no wrong done against you too big that He cannot give you the power to forgive. </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>I have recently been thinking of Shad- rack, Me- shack & Ab- indigo. Three Hebrew men thrown in the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal. The only thing burned off of them was their bonds. The son of God in the midst of them, they walk out free. How casual we take these testimonies. How small we see our God. Have you come to a place to see Him as He really is? Over all, in all and working through all. If we really saw God in control of all, would our faith not stir a little, and would we shake the water off from the shallow, safe end and follow Him to the depths. Do we trust Him with something small as our relationships, and even bigger, our lives? Or our kids' lives? What a relief if we saw God as those in the early days did; Sovereign and mighty to save! Why is faith a shield? Why does faith literally protect from fiery darts? But here's the thing...i can't just choose to have faith in faith itself....I need my eyes opened to who i'm actually serving. There's a mighty big difference in having faith and having faith in God! The true living God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the God I long to know. The God of the Bible who has graciously made Himself known in so many small areas of my life; I want the faith to know Him in bigger. </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>What about you? How has He held out His hand and asked you to walk out of the shallow waters of life & follow Him to the depths? </i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-92185791963448452292013-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:002013-04-08T14:14:00.117-07:00A peek inside our Holy Week :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I</span> wanted to share with you our week leading up to Resurrection Sunday!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Last year I was thrilled doing a small garden with the girls that showed the empty tomb, etc. This year I took it a step further and we did a lesson and activity every night. Some nights included Justin and I acting out the story which brushed us both up on our theatre skills. It was nothing short of awesome. And fun. And beneficial. And some nights emotional. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Our first night started with Palm Sunday! "Hosannah! Hosannah!" Our activity included the homemade palm branches (yes, made from a cut out of their palm. *snickers*). Everyone got a turn riding the donkey (played by their sweet daddy) and playing Jesus. I actually loved this first night---Hosannah, meaning 'Jesus save!!' while they threw their coats and palm branches in His path. Thank you, Jesus, you did! </i></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">O</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ur second night introduced Mary Magdeline. The woman forgiven of much who therefore loved much! She is the woman as we all remember who walked into the midst of many accusers and fell at Jesus' feet and wept. She broke the expensive perfume and poured everything out on the one who she saw as the most valuable. This was acted out by Justin and I, and in the middle of telling this story I did choke up....how can you not feel the overflowing love of this woman sitting at the feet of love Himself. Our activity included the girls emptying their piggy banks with a bag full of coin rollers laid out counting that money! This was to be their offering for Resurrection Sunday! What they hold as valuable given to one who is priceless!</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ur third night was especially special. Here we introduced the foot washing ceremony Jesus performed at the Last Supper. Our activity included our very own foot washing....Justin and I washed Lauren's, Lauren washed Libby's, and Libby washed bubby's. But....we made sure to muddy up those feet first! A great lesson to be learned here. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ur fourth night was the Last Supper. Our activity was exactly that--the Lord's supper. </i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF55elNCPqS9UUlZWWf7PW-5t4xvuLIh67xnoOKDv3b-RkWcOi7-aVn8crTVnynjTvULHCurvNgFutCUKlO7PBfTudbhMUPXQ4Ncbl_GHtNU9r-Y4SBzSVVb6M08gZ-v9ayzGmp8xeCTU/s1600/DSCF1981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF55elNCPqS9UUlZWWf7PW-5t4xvuLIh67xnoOKDv3b-RkWcOi7-aVn8crTVnynjTvULHCurvNgFutCUKlO7PBfTudbhMUPXQ4Ncbl_GHtNU9r-Y4SBzSVVb6M08gZ-v9ayzGmp8xeCTU/s400/DSCF1981.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(It was important to Libby to be a "real" disciple.)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">O</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ur fifth night we followed Jesus to the Garden where He wept. We talked about His sacrifice.... Our activity included gathering rocks and writing things we struggle with on them; once this was done we formed them into a cross in the ground stressing why He died. And that He took our place....</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAZi7x6X-ld7fKGc0fTQkPVg7tk60aSwmFyZlkz7QXsMK8y5H_iZ9x73dGX3cB8aw-wSewPtI152-bPdl6OfMilIfTyynmVnJinV0WfgZa3mxvoViayigogn4pKwnmqSe3oTPwQ-4k5s/s1600/DSCF1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAZi7x6X-ld7fKGc0fTQkPVg7tk60aSwmFyZlkz7QXsMK8y5H_iZ9x73dGX3cB8aw-wSewPtI152-bPdl6OfMilIfTyynmVnJinV0WfgZa3mxvoViayigogn4pKwnmqSe3oTPwQ-4k5s/s400/DSCF1986.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">O</span>ur sixth night was the resurrection cookies. Each ingredient symbolizes a specific part of His death: Vinegar, what they gave Jesus on the cross when He was thirsty. Salt, representing the bitter tears of those who mourned His death. Crushed nuts, representing how His body was broken for us. So far, the ingredients are not very appealing! Egg white, representing the righteousness of God! But then you add a cup of sugar, representing the whole reason why He did this! Ultimate love, eternal life and a hope! drop them by the spoon full and throw in oven, which represents the tomb, tape it shut and the next morning they are hollow! Because He is risen!</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a great time making these and I love the idea of them. The girls' favorite part that night was taping the tomb shut! Our cookies were not hollow the next morning unfortunately, not sure what we did wrong. We'll try again next year! :)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">esurrection Sunday included checking our cookies in the empty "tomb," gathering their rolled coin they did on night two for church, and these sweet pictures we did after service Sunday.</span></i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MVnRggtemC5k21ywSyRE655UQpCbEoBlkG67uW7W3v8mkJEEHQzdl870MBuRKyXhR_9RrNI9awXqnxtB4almF84WJHMnGiXivwCpZv_oVXlv2YWOpM7cZHWrq0iBTyHyQpVpCCBOkvI/s1600/DSCF1989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MVnRggtemC5k21ywSyRE655UQpCbEoBlkG67uW7W3v8mkJEEHQzdl870MBuRKyXhR_9RrNI9awXqnxtB4almF84WJHMnGiXivwCpZv_oVXlv2YWOpM7cZHWrq0iBTyHyQpVpCCBOkvI/s400/DSCF1989.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">also had their "sin" rocks we made into a cross on night five gathered into a bowl with a red cloth, representing Jesus' blood and covered with a white cloth showing we are made clean by that blood. But on the backside of each rock was written a new gift we receive to replace that sin. Praise God, our struggles are not only forgiven, nailed down, but replaced!<br /></span></i></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Feel free to share how you kept Jesus at the heart of Easter for your kids. There are many, many great ideas out there. A couple nights we also added coloring pages to go with the night's story & listened to the Kids Audio bible for each lesson. May we strive as Christian households to uphold Jesus in our celebrations & lifestyles. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Blessings!!</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-24245267733845168872013-03-21T14:02:00.002-07:002013-04-08T14:13:24.483-07:00Seize The Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16 (kvj)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Faithful readers, I must share with you my devotion. If you just happened to read the post from, 'Our Family for His Glory,' that I shared on this blogs facebook page about mothers not having time for God, then you will really appreciate this devotion. It goes hand in hand, fits like a glove, hmmm, almost like God is telling me something. Please be encouraged & soak in the words I'm about to share. This devotion is taken out of <i>His Victorious Indwelling, </i>a devotional I highly recommend. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: xx-large;">A</i>ll Christians greatly need certain free time to be given to recollection. Try to steal some such hours, knowing that such little parings of time will be your greatest treasures. Try to save your mornings--defend them like a besieged city! Make vigorous defenses against all intruders, clear out the trenches, and then shut yourself up with God. <i>Even the afternoon is too long a period to let go by without taking a spiritual breath. </i>Recollection is a great cure against such evils as pride, a critical spirit, the wanderings of your imagination, impatience with others, love of pleasure, and all such faults. It is an excellent remedy, but it needs frequent repetition, much like an expensive watch, which needs constant winding. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">A</i>nother suggestion: reread the books which moved you; they will do so again, and with greater profit than the first time! Also, be patient with yourself, avoiding both self-deception and discouragement. This is often hard to do--people either look complacently on themselves and their good intentions, or they despair utterly. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">E</i>xpect nothing of yourself, but all things of God. Knowledge of our own hopeless, incorrigible weakness, coupled with an unreserved confidence in God's power is the true foundation of all spiritual life. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">I</i>f you have not much time at your own disposal--make good use of every moment you have. It does not take long hours to love God, to renew the consciousness of His presence, to lift up the heart to Him or worship Him, to offer Him all we do or bear. This is the true Kingdom of God within us, which nothing can disturb.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">--Francois Fenelon</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;">W</i>e are just as spiritual when resting, playing, sleeping, ill or incapacitated, if it is His will for us, as when we are directly serving God. We can maintain an undercurrent of knowing we are in complete accord with God and pleasing to Him whatever we are dong. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">--Lewis Sperry Chafer</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-71774223595546323662013-03-19T14:40:00.001-07:002013-03-19T14:43:31.178-07:00A letter from Pastor Saeed while he's behind Iranian bars. Please click the link below to hear the letter from Pastor Saeed. Remember him in your prayers today.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvTS-V0nxc0#action=share">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvTS-V0nxc0#action=share</a>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-7343163078459783452013-03-18T10:44:00.001-07:002013-03-19T14:18:51.693-07:00To bring his & his family's suffering into the light; Pastor Saeed.Friends & family, I want to give you a heads up of one of many persecutions going on with our brethren in the faith. Pastor Saeed & his family are American citizens who do a lot of missions work over in Iran, his home country. He has started many home churches over there through the years as well as orphanages. This last trip, before being arrested, he was headed over to one of his orphanages with an offering. This money was taken by the government in Iran. He was sentenced to eight years in one of the most brutal prisons in that country enduring extreme abuse daily while bring asked to deny his Christian faith. The torture he endures has left him unable to stand without shaking uncontrollably. I fear for his life everyday. His wife & children are asking for help from brothers and sisters in the household of faith to please put Pastor Saeed on their <u style="font-style: italic;">daily</u> prayer list. But there's more that you can do! There's been petitions where over 500,000 have signed and last week was a congressional hearing held by the ACLJ leaders & his wife pleading the case of our American citizen and brother in Christ. We are holding our breath and praying that our government takes action to free this man and bring him home to his family. This is only one of many who suffer for the name of Christ but it weighs heavy on my heart. Imagine if it were your husband & daddy to your children.....lets come together and be the voice him & his family need right now. <b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You can sign the petition and hear from his wife, Naghmeh, here at this website www.SaveSaeed.org. If you have a smart phone you can install the ACLJ app and sign important petitions like this one almost everyday; and keep up to par on the results. </span></u></b><br />
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Pass the prayer request along and lets not give up on our brother & his family.<br />
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<br />Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-34825008980127070252013-03-11T15:06:00.002-07:002013-03-19T14:21:33.901-07:00...but does He know you?<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Afternoon dearest friends, I've had a thought weighing on me for a couple months & have very much wanted to blog about it. But most of you know, life for me right now is just "surviving." This is sad, I know. Before we started building the house I asked God to help us get through the year with much grace, to cherish it and not pass through it, mostly because I will never have Lauren at 6 again, Liberty at three again, nor Justin Jr at one. It was important to me to truly live and soak up this time with them...I get sad seeing how many days go by that I just wanted to make it through. "It's only a year," I remember Justin and I saying in the beginning, but I really think someone should have explained it to me like this, "<i>Are you prepared for a year without your husband? If you think he's tired now, just wait, you've seen nothing yet. Are you prepared for your children to need you more than they already do? Their everyday is going to be different too, you know. Are you prepared to find out just how incapable you are? To realize just how bad you can get behind....in everything? To be stretched thin? To unleash all selfishness until you hate how ugly you are without Christ? Are you, Krysten, prepared to meet Christ as your first love again & learn to rely on Him to fill all the many complex needs you have?" </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Had this been asked so plainly in the beginning, maybe I would have spent less time daydreaming about wall colors and grasping for God's grace sooner. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The bible speaks plainly that a woman's desire is to please her husband. It's just grafted in her heart of hearts, it cant be helped. Her desire is for Him, her need for Him is great. Her dependency on Him & her reliance on Him is truly a mystery to the feminist viewpoint. And in a sense, I feel that rock in my life has been removed for a time. I have often whispered to the Lord during the day, "I would rather live in a hut & have my husband than have a mansion and never see Him. Why could this be your plan? Your will? It's a gift, I know...but it is one I don't remember asking for." I pray this doesn't sound ungrateful to you, readers....I'm just sharing my deepest thoughts & feelings here. Sometimes we get the most comfort and assured answers from the Lord when we are most honest. He can handle an honest heart, in fact, that's what He prefers. I remember getting married and simply wanting a comfortable home, children, an apron for cooking and that red headed guy pulling up from work everyday. Somehow this past year of building has made me long for that simplicity more than ever...<i><u>I am very grateful for the gift of this new home, it's beautiful, and it's a gift from the Lord, and my husband. </u></i>And I long to enjoy this gift with the most wonderful things in my life, the lives of my family. The living, breathing souls that God has placed in my life that mean more to me than any other gift except the gift of His son, Jesus. I am getting tired of picking out chandeliers or can lights and I am very ready to see my husband pull up at five and eating supper with us around the table again. <i><u><b>There's just some things that are priceless</b></u></i>....chandeliers, on the other hand, are not. :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This post was not supposed to be about all that. ^ I guess I had a lot to say about that subject, you'll have to forgive me. Here's what I have been wanting to write about lately & have not due to time, '<i>Does God know you?' </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It's really very profound and it's been replaying in my head quite a bit--and maybe I can tie this thought/question in with what the Lord is walking me through above. ^ </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We know the scripture that states the person who tells the Lord on judgement day about all the things He did in God's name....He even performed miracles and cast out devils in God's name. But this man does not get to enter the kingdom of heaven. Does this not blow you away? I'm sure this man who obviously possessed a power in the Lord to do these things must have been very comfortable with his relationship concerning the Lord. How could you not? He was comfortable in his own regard to the Lord, but the Lord did not know Him. . .scary.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The parable of the ten virgins; notice, they were all waiting on Him and claimed to know the bridegroom. But only the ones who had oil for their burning lamps entered in, the others were told that they were not known by Him. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So we see two different types of people here...someone who is very busy doing things in the Lord's name & even those who are waiting on the Lord but are not yet prepared for His return. Both types really thought they knew Him! They even recognized Him.....but yet, the Lord did not know them? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">If you ask someone if they know the Lord, something comes to mind instantly; Sunday school, a preacher's sermon, a prayer they've prayed, etc, etc...and it's usually their basis of "knowing the Lord." It's their idea of Him, they're comfort zone with Christianity, and their idea of being eternally safe. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">If you turn the question around, "Does God know you?" it makes you think...it almost makes you gasp for a breath....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The bible says He knew us in our mother's womb, before we were yet formed. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And yet the divide of sin only grows if it is not decreasing. So, yes God loves us, and yes, He formed us and knew us, but there is something very critical about coming to place when we're older and asking, "<i>Lord, do you know me?"</i> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">For He is a gentleman....He will not invade someone's sinful heart & life without being asked to invade. We must be careful that our idea of Christ and history with the Lord are not one sided, <i>but that we make sure we are letting Him know us. </i>This is why an honest heart with the Lord is important because He will also be honest. He will recognize the ones that have His nature, the ones that He has worked in, the ones that have suffered with Him, and depended on Him, the ones that have needed Him so desperately. We must let Him know us.....and then somehow our understanding, or knowing, of the Lord will most likely be changed. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Is this why David cried out, "Search my heart and <i>know</i> my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me." He was always asking for God to search Him, to reveal sin in his life, to prove him...to guide him. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So among many long days, I let weary sighs & sometimes tears fall into a Father's hand who desperately longs to know me. He does not just want to see my smiling face and pretty dress on Sundays, <u><i>He wants to hold me in that dark when I feel the ugliest & I've grown the weariest. </i></u></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Lord, just know me.....just know me. What an overwhelming honor.....<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">He</u> wants to know me. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Blessings friends,</span><br />
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p.s--Thank you, Kailey Annice for encouraging me to write again.<br />
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<br />Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-24308957544660910462013-02-07T11:26:00.000-08:002013-02-07T11:59:48.840-08:00If growing up is not necessary anymore, then what?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Let me start at the beginning. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>It was the other night, my husband showed me a video that is popular right now on YouTube. Someone had sent it to him on his phone & a co worker had mentioned it, I believe. Men were getting a kick out of this video. Can I just say I watched the whole thing, almost (I got bored close to the end), and barely cracked a smile. Here's why; I'm a thinker. And while I'm watching this, I'm wondering, why do men find this random guy who's joking about being lazy, gross, and a real "country boy", funny. Why is this plumb funny? I wish, for my husband's sake, that my mind would have stopped there. But instead I go on to think out loud while we're washing dishes together.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>"Honey, if I were to think of all the crude, embarrassing things about my gender and joke about being a lazy mama, or a raw "country woman" would you laugh?" </i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>This question came with a demonstration, I'll spare the details. He laughed, but so did I, simply at the thought of something like that spiraling all over YouTube and women passing it along. But my point was, our generation is sad. We have declined in so many ways, including our humor. People don't grow up anymore. They recess. The more crude, exposing, gullible, or child-like they become the more our generation applauds them. The more that behavior tickles our funny bone.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>My thoughts did not stop there, I'm afraid....</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>This is why people don't have strong leaders in their home. Men (and women) are not taught to grow up, to say excuse me after belching and mean it. It's funnier to be gross and demoralizing. Where does this lead? <i>T<u>o 40 year old men who have a mature mind & therefore know how to use it to be more immature than children.</u> </i>I can't help but think of Will Ferrell, sorry. Seriously though, he is known as one of the top comedians in movies simply for taking rolls that portray a grown man as completely ignorant & degrading. He will gain money and laughs, be popular with the younger, ignorant generation but when he's 60 dear friends, will he have earned a reputation that anyone ever truly respects? And if any respect, what kind? Friends, these are men that younger ones are looking to. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Think about actors in the older days, and the way the black and white movies portrayed fathers. They were not men who said stupid things, degraded their children, & bad mouthed the opposite sex. They were men that sat around the table with their family, guided their children, kissed their wife, and were portrayed as the ones with wisdom. Boys looked forward to one day being a man! The things their sweet mama enforced as far as opening doors for women, saying excuse me, working hard, & washing behind their ears were simply part of becoming a man. Part of growing...maturing. We are in a generation where men do not grow up, nor girls for that matter. Instead of being taught, by men older than themselves, to pull up your pants and wear a belt if need be, rather show your underwear & lose all worth. It's more than a fad, folks, it's where "adults" have allowed morals to go. Respect for life, dignity, self worth, and the opposite gender is trampled under foot. Men get selfish & decide it's not worth providing for a family any longer, so boys get selfish and quit caring about their pants. Really. Women get tired of taking care of everybody and decide to quit the family so she can go find herself, and so girls decide marriage is not worth it & they'll just play house without the God ordained commitment. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>As we talked about this my husband went on to say some things that I passionately believe are worth recording. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>What is wrong with sons doing what their fathers did for a living?</i> In the old days you would hear about 4th and 5th generations of block layers, and they were good at it! But now, the almighty dollar is worshipped. <u>Somehow making lots of money will exempt you from a life of problems.</u> <u>When did the bible ever portray hard work as a bad thing? </u>Jesus himself was born into a carpenter's home; which back then was more work than today, and I'm sure they were good at it! Jesus was taught to work hard in his early years by Joseph. Whose footsteps are we following on this earth anyways? Am I suggesting all boys need to be a carpenter? Why, no. My point is we give our children nothing to go in life with but a head full of making money. There are good, strong homes to where the dads only concern is that his son go to college. And these statements usually proceed that thought, "so you won't have to work hard like I have..." "You're smart enough to make good money..." </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Never mind the child's God given talents, passions, or simply God's plan for His life, just mind the almighty dollar. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Here's my prayer with our boy right now, our only boy, that in all of life, no matter what God has Him doing, that He would bring glory to God. My greatest hope for all my kids, is that they love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. This is first and foremost....this is my desire above math, above good manners, above instilling morals. This is what I give them to take in life, not a head full of how to make lots of money, but a heart, soul, mind and strength that is sold out to Christ. Because in that, no matter what they find themselves doing whether a carpenter, doctor, homemaker, janitor, etc, God will have them covered above and beyond what their needs could ever be. A bank account full of money does not guarantee them safety & peace.....only God alone does this. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>I suppose my husband's and I's point in this conversation is that it seems fathers do not give them this sole purpose above anything, they just send them out into the world to make lots of money. I pray this never becomes our purpose with our kids...but that we have given our lives as a sacrifice to instill, above all else, Christ alone. Because in this, we leave them the greatest inheritance they could ever have. And that by walking with the Lord, and making it more than just our religious practices but our life, that we also grow with Him into real men and women that gain the wisdom that is so desperately needed in our generation. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Blessings, friends. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-4072511311819469232013-01-16T19:32:00.001-08:002013-01-17T06:17:58.779-08:00Unfamiliar places; where we see hope clearer. <br />
I woke up this morning with many things on my mind, but could not pin point what was weighing on me. I felt cold so I added more layers. It wasn't long before heavy snow began to fall. <i>More snow</i>, I thought. Big yawns & a constant rubbing over my eyes gave away how I felt. The needs began pouring in from little people I still cannot believe came from inside me. A messy bun of hair that needed washed, baggy sweat shirt, sweat pants, thick socks, & a face with day old makeup somehow set the stage of what the inside must have looked like too. After straightening up around me & getting a couple loads folded (not yet put away) I took a gulp of coffee, not slowly enjoying as I normally would, and let out one of the many thoughts in a whispered tone, "<i>three deaths in the last several months. Things change so fast..." </i><br />
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Thankfully these deaths have been from ones who died peacefully & had long, full lives. Though there's tears, there's a sense of peace...their journey is done, they've given all their love, hugs, service they could to the world and the ones who love them. I am still grasping for security amongst the winds of change, the familiar places now unfamiliar. When it feels like somethings (someones) missing, as if someone yanked a blanket off you in the freezing, we must know God is merely leading us on....further still....<br />
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Where we find ourselves, God is already there.....you have not arrived at this point & simply seek for Him to meet you among all the unfamiliar, <i><u>you have arrived simply where He already is.</u></i> Except here in this unfamiliar, He seems so much bigger than before. Somehow in the familiar we feel safe, in control & at ease....the unfamiliar is big, uncertainty whispers, chills creep up our back, & we are beckoned to trust Him. We take all He has fed us in the safe and familiar and begin to <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">remember</u> in the unfamiliar.<br />
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We learn to see him in more of His glory...in this chilling wind and fog that is around us, we close our eyes and trust the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob and in time our eyes begin to adjust. <i><u>We see Him with our eyes after our faith has led us first. </u></i><br />
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Has God led you to unfamiliar places? Does it seem chillier there? <i><u>Isn't it true that it's colder the further up you climb?</u></i><br />
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If you know me at all, you probably have caught on that I am one to carry the weight of the world. I don't handle the news well, one reason I don't watch it. Politics weigh on me, fear of disease, fear of losing someone, etc etc. The enemy has a field day on my mind & heart when tragedy actually does strike.<br />
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When my husband & I lived in our last house before this rental we got really scary news. A family we knew who only lived a couple blocks over needed serious prayer. It was a couple that had three boys. We did not know them very good, but enough to say hello when we ran into them. It was one of those things, where they were friends of friends. The mom and all three boys were in a head on collision while on their way to Jonesboro. Two boys walked away from the accident, but the mom and other son were flown to Memphis. The dad was asking for prayer that God would spare her life.......................<br />
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The son that was in the hospital had minor injuries and it wasn't long before he was home. But weeks turned into months & the mom was barely hanging. I remember weeping for her. I could not bare the thought of these boys losing their mama. She was not much older than me & it hit too close to home. She had brain injuries & they were not sure that even if she did recover, she would be anywhere close to normal. I remember driving by their house when I'd leave mine and my heart would sink, and I would pray, "<i>God, have mercy........" </i><br />
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Justin and I kept them in our prayers every night for weeks.<br />
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Time moved on, and it wasn't long before we were in the middle of selling, moving & building.<br />
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Months must have passed.<br />
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Last week I had to make a night time run for groceries. Justin has been working late on the house & it was one of those, "go now or starve tomorrow" type pressures. It was freezing out and after supper, I had many thoughts of what I could conjure up to cook the next day that would excuse me from leaving that evening. But I layered up, grabbed my list and left. I suppose the making meals from magic was over and I <i>had</i> to go.<br />
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Through out my shopping I kept seeing the back of this girl who wore a scarf type wrap around her head through the store. A boy about 15 or so was with her. I wasn't sure if this was a fashion statement or from sickness. An hour later I head to check out and this same girl ends up in front of me looking for a check out lane as well. I'm walking behind her and she turns her buggy into a lane then changes her mind and backs up, which causes me to back up, and seeing I'm making room for her she smiled at me and chooses the lane closest to me. Her smile seared in my mind. It was so familiar that I turned around a couple times to the check out behind me to try and get glimpse of her face and maybe place it.<br />
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As I'm grabbing grocery bags and placing them in my buggy it hits me, but I just could not believe that I was right. The mom with three boys...........................<br />
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She is done before me and walks right by me as she's leaving and something grabs a hold of my heart and I just have to know. "You look so familiar, may I ask your name?"<br />
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"Kerry. You look familiar too, I think I've seen you with your two little girls."<br />
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"Oh my goodness, what is your husband's name?"<br />
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She tells me and I cry.<br />
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I could not help myself.<br />
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Because you see, for someone who carries the weight of the world, it was as if God met me at the store that night and walked her by me and whispered, "<i>I am still moving......" </i><br />
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I told her we had been praying for her faithfully and that to see her there grocery shopping overwhelmed me.<br />
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She told me that she has already driven to Jonesboro twice by herself since she's been home & that the doctor told her within 18 months she would back to the way she was <i>before</i> the accident.<br />
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Friends, I cried all the way home. God not only saved her for those boys sake but to be a witness of the hope we have in Him. A walking angel of hope is what she is. God knew I needed to get groceries that night because he had an appointment to meet me there that night. He knew I needed that assurance, that shot in the arm of hope.<br />
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<b><i>Thank you, God for that whisper that night....it pierced me deep. In all unfamiliar places I will trust. Just simply trust. </i></b><br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-32108242635972718362013-01-01T16:28:00.000-08:002013-01-16T19:34:39.406-08:00Focusing on that gift. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dear faithful readers, hello!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I just want to pause a second and breathe. Wow. What a month December has been. Is it really the New Year!? Really!? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Christmas was beautiful and blurry. With a one year old, I spent a lot of time hot gluing ornaments back together. I also did a lot of online shopping this year, which means some gifts arrived on Christmas eve, just in time for the next morning. But hey, I love surprises. My sister, Kailey, has a gift still trying it's best to get here from over seas. It was ordered November 25th. Next time I'll know if I order from Hong Kong to give it at least three months. An even bigger surprise. I had spent a lot of time in October and November crocheting fingerless gloves, ponchos, & hats for some of my gift giving this year. I kinda miss those incredibly late nights trying to finish a project. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our trip to Texas was a week before Christmas weekend. What a trip this was. . .</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The car ride was actually somewhat smooth thanks to a dear friend that loaned her secret to traveling with kiddos; the double screened DVD player. I'm not big on my kids gelling on TV for hours, mind you, but once I hit three kids, pesky no no's vanished. I welcomed the movies with open arms and big wet kisses. Really though, seven hours flew by. And it actually entertained baby J on the way there...we cracked up about him turning his head left and right trying to watch both screens with every movie. Unfortunately on the way home he was only half way impressed. With the warmth and goodness of seeing family and exchanging gifts of love, pulling into our driveway 4 days later was welcomed. Our truck smelled like a mixture of fries and pizza & I honestly felt like sleeping right into January. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Also, another unfortunate event is that my kids all came down sick the whole week before Christmas. No appetites, fever, heavy, heavy coughs and pouring eyes and noses. This eventually put us into the doctor's office Christmas eve. All you can do is laugh. *big smiles* Justin and I found ourselves saying, "Merry almost Christmas" in some of the oddest places; the waiting room at the doctor's office, holding a screaming baby and coaxing another to eat, & through an occasional snore come night. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have this little tradition on Christmas eve. We have a "special" dinner by candle light, Justin reads the Christmas story aloud, dessert and then stockings. Or is it stockings then dessert? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, it was tough this year with hacking kids and low appetite children. And the baby.....he was simply miserable. Just a bundle of misery. He cried and cried all evening....here I am running around trying to throw this "special" meal together listening to this screaming and crying. He did not want to be held, to eat, to lay down or anything else you could possibly conjure up. He was happy just constantly reminding us he was miserable. There was this once I put my head in my hand and let out a long sigh that said, "<i>this is ruining Christmas eve and the fun of it...why are we even trying so hard?" </i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In that moment things got serious. The shooting at the elementary school came so heavy to my mind and heart that tears fell; <i>what those parents would give to hear their children screaming right now on Christmas eve. Is it healthy, jolly little children that make this perfect or the truth that they're all right here.....with me. </i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It may have been a long, tiring month...and it wasn't the easiest Christmas we ever had, but compared to what some of those parents were missing this Christmas I had <b><u>every reason in the world to celebrate.</u></b></span><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's horrific realities of life that make us finally understand what's important and what's worthwhile in life. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was after that breathtaking reality shock that I embraced Christmas fully & quit trying to wish January upon us; among everything that wasn't perfect somehow I saw the manger & the lifesaving grace that laid there.....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you, God, for this gift. Thank you, God. How hard it must have been to send your only son into such a fallen, unpredictable place. But in these horrific incidents on earth, I see what saving grace was wrapped in those swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you. </span></i><br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-36488019737521251502012-12-04T12:01:00.000-08:002013-01-16T19:36:13.275-08:00And so time passes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's pouring today and I embrace it fully. Infact, I could sit in it like a child and just enjoy the soak. Our days are a swarm right now. I imagine a swarm of bees flying round and round to where they're almost a blur....except, no, that's not bees, it's only the Stasnys. I just want to warn that if you ever have a whim to build your home for all the good reasons there are for that, plan on it becoming your whole life for the next year. Sometimes I wonder, <i>"what were we thinking???" </i>But it's only a year, right? Maybe that's the hard part; making sure it is done under a year. Here's some photos of the recent progress.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blocks are laid, dirt work is done, plumbing is done & now it's concrete time.<br />Justin did the blocks, dirt work and plumbing himself which I am totally proud of, and his dad made a trip up from Texas with his crew to help pour the foundation. A big thanks to them as well.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM9cPOP_da-uy2RytovLSyGam5rYbYT2ghFTkCE_BKDskT5ya9as4olIAhZM_c0jFSQ0zRJiF7_01Uc28tyXYedVIMvn8WYTVvqJLT5BXDL0ocXXSob9rsHF7Sbrhwwl1Jp2XatFoCoI/s1600/DSCF1925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwM9cPOP_da-uy2RytovLSyGam5rYbYT2ghFTkCE_BKDskT5ya9as4olIAhZM_c0jFSQ0zRJiF7_01Uc28tyXYedVIMvn8WYTVvqJLT5BXDL0ocXXSob9rsHF7Sbrhwwl1Jp2XatFoCoI/s400/DSCF1925.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />...And now the framing...</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkW9zBTNq-plZ3C2R_HUgSqKqVyRHAUrxMTjFSEdyDaVA8oLkKIBm579lvVcXvLgXGLfNZgeKvuumlfXG5EFfTG_Yjt3dPvQh5sNDyLy5RcSRkKbd89kSmNydwKSJWwAhyUXnGs0ZytQ/s1600/DSCF1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkW9zBTNq-plZ3C2R_HUgSqKqVyRHAUrxMTjFSEdyDaVA8oLkKIBm579lvVcXvLgXGLfNZgeKvuumlfXG5EFfTG_Yjt3dPvQh5sNDyLy5RcSRkKbd89kSmNydwKSJWwAhyUXnGs0ZytQ/s400/DSCF1937.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />Raising them walls...</span></td></tr>
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And so here I conclude my update. If I may be so humble as to ask for your prayers over our family through this time. We really are scary busy, and sometimes it feels like the things that keep us grounded are completely unglued. I know that in due time we will reap if we faint not, but it's the fainting part I do worry about. :) The kids and I miss our hard working man very much; we miss him being home and our family dinners. We will also be traveling to Texas for an early Christmas with extended family within a couple weeks and ask for traveling safety and peace over the kids. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (we did and ate entirely way too much). May God bless you all through the Holidays as we celebrate the greatest gift ever given.<br />
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<br />Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-87515040088920758322012-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:002012-11-10T07:38:30.693-08:00Thinking outside the box for your christmas shopping.It's around the corner....most have already begun to shop for it....Christmas. Frantically running around trying to figure out, <i>what do they need? Is this too cheap....too small? Can I be more creative this year? </i><br />
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There's Christmas and then there's Christmas shopping.<br />
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Last year I really enjoyed buying from companies such as Toms (yes, they're pricey but you ARE actually buying two pairs of shoes at a time), and the company FashionABLE, which are women in Africa who make scarves, the money provides a safe place and a JOB for women who were once on the street.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjj0pU19VEjuLjGAni5AUibaRY-J-2HaxPv39ZtQuTr_-YBSRPChRdas6B36_oZ8vhptiPFi68PSpIJxn5jz-nICTJK2jv1jsXdFM7FDGvjv0OD_Pn_8u3uWqtI9DP9gpjmkvoYkjO4dI/s1600/New-Bez-273x365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjj0pU19VEjuLjGAni5AUibaRY-J-2HaxPv39ZtQuTr_-YBSRPChRdas6B36_oZ8vhptiPFi68PSpIJxn5jz-nICTJK2jv1jsXdFM7FDGvjv0OD_Pn_8u3uWqtI9DP9gpjmkvoYkjO4dI/s320/New-Bez-273x365.jpg" width="239" /></a>www.livefashionable.com</div>
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And of course, you have world vision who, whether you sponsor a child or not, gives you the opportunity to provide something very needful to a family over seas; a goat, chickens, mosquito net, bibles, or even a cow. </div>
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I have also found a new one this morning. It's at www.3cordshaiti.com</div>
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This small company provides women in Haiti who dealt with devastation from the aftermath of the hurricane a shelter and steady job. Women who made have had to have amputations, etc. They have some of the cutest products; Purses, tote bags, Mac covers, ipad covers, hair cords, etc.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I don't know about you, but when Christmas comes around, I love knowing my money is going to help somewhere AND it's marking names off my Christmas list. FashionABLE scarves even offers wrapping & each scarf comes with a picture and the story of the woman who made it. I have yet to buy from 3cords, hopefully I will get a chance considering everything says 'Sold out' this morning. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We also love Operation Christmas child. They are even providing the boxes for you, and you can (online only) track your box alllll the way to the the child that receives it. If you have children, they might enjoy this. You're even allowed to put a letter in there spreading the Gospel and the greatest love story. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSABOTriUOerS81jDffAa6Atsx2Rh5JFy_8ujBH4mQJqyxD78wPSNXlcSBg0tAL8VdyDRmfex4S0aizpT9El8Jjefquo_mx9TQlb4rxYHBRm7T4kGjHOAzhqkPj3zMjdirDkRzR3mc7EU/s1600/lp.hero.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSABOTriUOerS81jDffAa6Atsx2Rh5JFy_8ujBH4mQJqyxD78wPSNXlcSBg0tAL8VdyDRmfex4S0aizpT9El8Jjefquo_mx9TQlb4rxYHBRm7T4kGjHOAzhqkPj3zMjdirDkRzR3mc7EU/s320/lp.hero.png" width="320" /></a>www.samaritanspurse.org</div>
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You also have your local children's shelter & those Angel trees for something more local. Justin and I used to do the Angel tree every year before getting more involved in ways to actually shop for family AND give. Whatever fits your situation, I can't think of a better family project. It makes huge impacts on your own children watching them change from, "what do I want this year...." to, "I get to pick out all their gifts....yay!" </div>
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-76499715354819259112012-11-09T07:06:00.001-08:002012-11-09T07:25:29.478-08:00Stealing a post that's too funny to not steal. <br />
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Why I'm Thrilled to Be in a "Boring" Marriage</h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><a class="content_image_link" content_image_id="6472" href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/article/why-i-m-thrilled-boring-marriage-05583?trk=digest_editorial_5583&email_enc=n9Sx3t6Yp9rex9TU2qbalKGj0WbO2aA%253D&email_src=135240298882761ad5ede1d5d7dffdffaacac601fb&template_name=digest_weekly_2&subject_id=da520fdce3ed4aa7daf67f0f480ba049%3A1&cc_id=f_5583&usr_email=krystenstasny%40yahoo.com&eh=9659ffc9684bbb20a0cedb0435dcc4c9&has_fb=1#_" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 2px 2px 2px; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; box-shadow: rgb(221, 221, 221) 2px 2px 4px; color: #f27200; display: inline !important; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; width: 160px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #cccccc; font-size: 10px;">s</span></a></span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: #cccccc; font-size: 10px;">t<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-size: 12px;">One busy night after the kids had gone to bed, I settled into my well-worn spot on the sofa for some mind-numbing television.</span></span></span></h1>
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“Can you believe this guy?” I asked my husband, seated in his favorite recliner beside me. When no answer was forthcoming, I glanced over to witness an all-too-familiar scene: Deeply embedded in the recliner’s cushions lay my husband of 19 years, sound asleep.</div>
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Normally, I would giggle, turn the lights out around him and go to bed – a sort of revenge for being “abandoned” for the umpteenth time. He’d eventually wake up alone in the dark and trudge upstairs to find me tee-heeing under the covers of our bed.</div>
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But on this particular night, I gawked at my dreaming husband as if I was seeing this for the first time. Is this the man I married?</div>
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Panic gripped my soul as I realized: We’ve changed. We’re tired, boring, predictable. We’re doomed.</div>
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In the Beginning</h1>
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One evening in 1992, my husband-to-be and I were at an Italian café in Pittsburgh, sipping wine and falling in love. </div>
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“I really want to travel,” I said. “Me too,” he said. “I want to live near the ocean,” he said. “Me too,” I said. “I don’t care about money, I just want happiness,” he said. “Me too!” I said. It was a match made in heaven and our future was destined to be perfect.But maybe if we'd understood the reality of marriage our conversation would have been different: “I might have a lot of stretch marks,” I should’ve said. “That’s okay, we’ll just dim the lights,” he might’ve said. “I’m going to go bald, but ironically, hair will sprout out of my ears and nose,” he should’ve said. “I’m good with tweezers,” I might’ve said. “I have no mechanical ability whatsoever, and will feel no embarrassment if my wife handles all the home repairs,” he should’ve said. “I won’t have a problem with that for the first ten years or so, but then I’ll get really fed up,” I <em>really wish</em> I’d said.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">But back then, we weren’t thinking about annoying habits, taxes and clogged drains. We were too busy planning our perfect life to be bothered with reality. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">Our unrealistic expectations persisted after we were engaged. “Oh pardon me!” my fiancé yelped after accidentally belching. Although he insisted he would <em>never</em> expel any kind of gas in front of me, it didn’t take long to erode his steely resolve. Today, expelling gas is almost commonplace and happens as soon as the urge beckons. Mid-sentence, under the covers, in the recliner. “Why do you have to burp while I am talking to you?” I’ve said. “I didn’t burp,” he’s said, sincerely oblivious.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">Before marriage, I preened and pampered my fiancé like a primate, manicuring nails and plucking stray hairs to maintain his ruggedly handsome good looks. I thought this giddy nurturing stage would last forever; I had no idea that those stray hairs would later multiply so profusely that our grooming sessions now take place in the garage and involve the leaf blower. The pedicures have become completely intolerable because my husband’s left piggie toe now resembles a tiny hoof. One of the kids recently asked him if it was made out of wood. I had to draw the line somewhere. </span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #a64979; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 22px/normal ChunkFiveRegular, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Are We Doomed?</h1>
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So what am I saying? Are we doomed because we haven’t met our premarital expectations?</div>
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That night as I watched my husband dozing, I realized something very important: We did not <em>meet</em> our original expectations, we’ve <em>exceeded</em> them. Back when we were dreaming of a life of romance uninhibited by responsibility, stress, and aging, we couldn’t fully comprehend the complexity and depth of the marital relationship. </div>
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What we didn’t understand then is that romance is more than candlelight dinners and adventurous travel. The foundation of long-term romance is really commitment, companionship and comfort.</div>
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Realizing this, my initial repulsion at the sight of my sleeping husband turned to adoration. And as I turned the lights out and sneaked upstairs to wait for him to wake up alone in the dark, I felt happy that our marriage is on an unexpected course to paradise.</div>
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--Lisa Smith Molinari</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">{{I don't know about you guys, but this made me laugh until tears fell. And sometimes we just need that gut wrenching belly laugh. Happy weekend!}}</span></div>
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-8066805199362802022012-11-08T07:23:00.003-08:002012-11-08T07:23:59.580-08:00Just another day in progress.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-68688184232763423442012-11-07T07:46:00.000-08:002012-11-07T08:38:02.362-08:00The shock and the morning after. . . <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When my husband & I stood in line to vote yesterday I couldn't help but look at all those around me waiting for their turn. I know they had to be wondering the same thing. This year was different...it wasn't so much about democrats and republicans as it was moral and immoral. We all stood in line this week deciding the fate of our country, the blessed America, the future America. I won't lie, I was very surprised with the end result. In my heart, I really did believe Romney had the win. I just <i>knew</i> that was God's plan. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>My heart sank.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>The America my kids are going to have to face...."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Our freedoms.....our liberties.....freedom to worship, to speak, to home school, to make our own choices medically, to make our own choices, period." </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Abortion....now at it's most liberal capacity...the horror of this." </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"The legalizing of gay marriage being the norm for my kids..."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Christians over the past four years we have already seen the liberties Muslims are gaining and we have lost, we cannot expect this to get better.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Fear.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Churches are being vandalized through out the states with Nazi signs. People have been arrested <i>in their home</i> for bible studies....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>this has all been in America.</u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was reported that at one poll a man wearing a t-shirt that read, "Vote biblical..." was told to put a jacket on due to "campaigning" & swaying voters....they said this while a life size poster of Obama and his campaign slogan hung on the wall. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>We watch while America voted to be "free" in their own eyes....free from morals, laws of the bible, and to choose their own god. </u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From this we see why God sets laws & asks us to be holy....in that we find true freedom & life....otherwise we are on a pathway to death, because sin is really bondage, never "freedom." </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the shock of the announcement last night & holding my breath for any last hope from Virginia, Florida and a possible recount of Ohio, I had to accept what was in place...especially once they announced Virginia and Ohio went to Obama. The reality of what our country was going to become and where it had come from and what it had stood for sunk it.....<b><i><u>hard.</u></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><u>I wept.</u></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The abortion and perversion of our nation is at an all time high, our country deserves judgement. I would have been surprised honestly at the patience of God, had He allowed Romney. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not to say that this election was not God's mercy....hard to see that right now....but being a person of morals (Christianity) and being an immoral person has never been more divided. Well, it probably has in History. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a large line now. Not so much a "fine" line. Part of Obama's strategy is to turn America into an equal of the third world countries. This means financially, government wise (socialism), weapon wise, & religiously. He has accomplished much of this already---</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I have to say, God is allowing him to for a reason....maybe this is what it takes to wake a sleeping church up? To call the ones living in the grey to choose a side morally & actually live that. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, what do we do now??</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We <i>live. The fight for good and right will be a harder fight, to keep our children will be a tougher battle, but we fight for it. To preserve the good things of living right....</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We continue to <i>dig</i> those good & right things up that are being squandered and buried.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(And I mean, dig)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We <i>pray.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Daily. While washing dishes, while folding clothes, while working in our daily surroundings, wherever that may be.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>We pray for our president. That God would turn his heart. We pray for Christians all over our nation. We pray for God's protection & covering. </b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>And then we sigh....and trust. God is our rock, not America. </i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I regretted telling Lauren the verdict this morning--she had prayed her little heart out that Romney would win. I did break the news and saw her wiping her little eyes....and then she asked, "<i>But what will Obama do!?"</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
This made me sad. She hears family talking over politics and somehow in her little heart she knew her own freedom was in jeopardy. I smiled and said, "We give thanks that God's will has been done."<br />
<br />
On our school chalkboard this morning I wrote, "<b>Pray for our president, pray for our country, & remember God is our strong tower!" </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
She smiled and wrote underneath, "<b>God is big! Yay!!!!!"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>We're feeling better. Just needed a higher view....Doesn't God say do not fear what man can do to you but the one who has power to cast your soul into hell? Whew! Glad to be on His side! Amen? </i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"America, America, </span>May God shed His grace on thee......"<br />
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-1864721045760752562012-11-06T09:04:00.002-08:002012-11-06T09:05:08.072-08:00Oh, that's "tacky."<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to dabble into my last post just a tiny bit. I talked about "nibbling at the wrong table" and reasons we may do that. Reasons that range from "<i>others do it,</i>" to "<i>what would people think if I didn't,"</i> to "<i>I admire them & I want to adopt some of their habits." </i>This post is not necessarily about eating tid bits from things the Lord has convicted us about, it's an in general look at why we're who we are. Have you ever really thought about why you're the way you are? I began to examine our lifestyle, our habits, our choices and our personalities....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><u>What is truly "us" and what is things we've "adopted" because of <b>reasons.</b></u></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>One of my favorite quotes from random people is when they say, "I'm looking for myself...I just need to find myself & figure out who I am." </i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This used to seriously crack me up. I suppose I have a little sarcasm in me---"Well, have you forgotten your name? Your date of birth? Who's your ma and pa, son?" </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>But maybe there's something to this. What is tacked on to us simply because of people in the past who made an impression? What is tacked on from insecurities? What is tacked on because of past mistakes? What is tacked on because otherwise people would <i>"talk"?</i> In a broader view, what therefore can be shaken off?</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><u>What is tacked on solely because of Jesus Christ and our faith?</u></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>When you can say we do or do not do something because of your faith, isn't this what makes you who you <i>really</i> are? What we are in Christ is all that is eternal & goes with us. </b></u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I once heard a dear sister in Christ say, "I've been watching *insert show here* every week now for about four weeks to keep up with *so and so* because that's really all we have to talk about and she begged me to, but honestly I hate the show and disagree with almost everything in it. I can't wait for it to end." </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is she living authentically? It goes against everything she believes, but she is trudging through it to keep something tacked on that gains her points with someone else. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">It made me think! What in the world is "tacked" on to me just because!</u> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And what is really authentic identity that Christ has given me? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really friends, this can be very liberating. Take them tacks off! Maybe it's not a bad idea to sit and evaluate who you are & <i>why</i>. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There's so many things that the Lord lays on people's hearts to do differently but we suppress those nudges simply because of <i><u>reasons.</u></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"I joined this group because I feel I have to in order to keep up." </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"I put my kids in this or that because everyone Else's kids are doing activities."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"I really wish I had this or that because I think people would respect me more."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If we are doing things that are bringing more stress into our life and taking us away from our family then we really should stop and evaluate our reasons for doing them...maybe God has been nudging you a different path all along and you are finally going to get still & see what better dainties He has to offer. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The bible says to lay on your bed at night and commune with your own heart---it is very biblical to lay your habits, do and dont's, lifestyles, <i>burdens, </i>intentions, before yourself and simply ask <i>why?</i> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You consider your tacks today and I'll be over here considering mine & maybe we can come out a little more free, a little more <i>authentic. </i>Doesn't that just sound refreshing. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-66661480829056041372012-11-03T08:35:00.001-07:002012-11-03T08:35:13.563-07:00Nibbling at the wrong table. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sometimes feel that my writing comes across stern and judgmental at times, especially if I am particularly passionate about something. This is the last thing I want and judging others is the furtherest thing from my mind, friends. I felt the Lord leading me to get rid of facebook for awhile and I fear my post came across harsh about facebook altogether which is <i>not</i> what I intended. I have convictions about Halloween and choose to avoid it altogether. These are things that are *my* dealings...it is not a statement of convictions that I expect everyone to possess or follow. Lord forbid. <i><u>He deals with each man differently because each man is just that....different. We have different agendas, different temptations, different struggles, different weaknesses, therefore, different convictions.</u></i> When I write about something I'm going through---it is simply... that....--something *I'm* going through. It is not a "throw out" note to hammer the rest of the world. Please understand this and see my sincerity. I have absolutely no judgement to any one of you who do things differently than me....I love you all & hope to only be an encouragement where you need it the most. I am also very humbled and honored to those of you who even read my ramblings & care about our family. </span><div>
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Every year around October we get the 'pure shock look' and comment of, "you don't <i>just</i> let them dress up and go get a little candy?" Thankfully, I did not have to endure the lectures from anyone this year, but my husband did. It's funny, really. People act as if it's so un-american, like we don't eat cheese burgers. They presume we live in a village & don't watch tv either (i mean, we don't pay for cable but that is simply because we're not tv people, dvds and netflix mostly). I guess what I'm saying is, if you don't trick or treat then what other weird things are you hiding!? People always make me feel so odd. Why <i><u>don't</u></i> you do this, or that, and why <i><u>do</u></i> you, do this and that? Sometimes I just want to ask, why <u style="font-style: italic;">do</u> you care so much what we do or don't do? I say that in complete humor. People who do anything <i>different</i> just arouses curiosity. </div>
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For me, I am somewhat of an extremist. Like, I'm an all or nothing person. This type of personality shows in lots of my decisions. And there are many things that I just really <i>dont know </i>the answer to so I just choose to back away until I get an answer through lots of prayer & the word. There are lots of logical reasons why I don't celebrate Halloween...mostly the history of it, we don't do scary, and I abhor the candy (And yes my kids eat candy, sugar, & chew gum). But this year my husband had a friend that said, "but you can dress up innocently & just let them enjoy the fun parts.".......I pondered his statement. Not that I haven't thought of this myself in times past....I have thought of all types of ways to make it okay for us but sometimes you just don't feel right in your heart about something. <b>And sometimes that's enough.</b> But I did get a verse I felt was from the Lord, FOR ME, to confirm what I felt. </div>
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"<b>Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works of men who work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." psalms 141:4</b></div>
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The amplified version reads:</div>
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<b>"Incline my heart not to submit or consent to any evil thing or to be occupied in in deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." </b></div>
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There's a lot of fun in things out there. . .but if something is a conviction for us, we don't need to pick the fun stuff out of it and eat of it just to fit in. I say this in many areas of life; we feel getting drunk is wrong, but we'll justify that going to a party and only drinking a little is okay. I bring this up because the guy my husband was talking to also stated things like that. ^ "I know being around people that party is bad for me and a downfall for me, but I can handle it if I just drink a little...." </div>
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<b>What happened to abstaining from even the appearance of evil? </b></div>
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<b>Why do we have to eat of the dainties at the wrong table? Even if we're just nibbling. </b></div>
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<b><u>Do we not trust that God's table will satisfy? That it will not bring us pleasure? </u></b></div>
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It's not so much a do and don't list dear friends, it's so much of a trust thing.....<u>why do we simply doubt that God's table will suck the fun out of things? That it will leave us boring, legalistic, & stiff? Doesn't His word promise the exact opposite?</u></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doesn't it say He will give us life and give it more <u>abundantly.</u> That in His presence is <u>fullness</u> of joy. Why do we doubt the very one who created us & knows how we're wired?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Understand, this is not a post about Halloween. This is a post about <i>anything</i> you may feel the slightest bit convicted about and choose to nibble at...For me, it just happened to be Halloween. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Facebook just happened to be something I couldn't control well. It was a downfall <i>for me.</i> I justified staying on for family and many other reasons, but God has to be our first priority and if something keeps you away from that then you need to let it go. Others control it well and it doesn't mean anything to them, and yay for them! Boo for me. :)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><u>So, in conclusion, never feel that I am judging any of you. Ever. Judgement should always begin with ourselves and always compared to how short we fall to God's holiness and HIS standards, not compared to others. I have friends that do Halloween and we love them immensely & they know all is grace here, and I love how they can extend that grace to us in what we feel. There's no condemnation on either side. </u></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My sister and a friend asked me recently how I'd been doing without facebook. That question almost makes me laugh because I feel like I'm being weened off a drug & people sincerely asking, <i>How are you???</i> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In response and for all those who truly care and wonder, I am doing great. My mind doesn't feel so cluttered and I feel like I think more clearly. I feel more organized and more patient with the children. I don't feel as stressed or burdened. Why did facebook make me burdened? I don't know. I'm just odd, remember? Justin, would always tell me, "Krysten. Facebook is not real." And I would say, "Oh yes it is. It's interacting with very real people & real situations." He just did not how real it was for me...those situations carried into my home & my actions. So, yes, I am doing well without it, and surprisingly enough do not miss it. Mostly when I think about it, I remember the feeling it left me with day in and day out--and I certainly don't miss that. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you all who follow me here & keep up with us. You all mean very much to me & I am honored that you cared to stay in touch with us. May God bless you all this weekend. </span></div>
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-67193685648762669662012-10-31T10:57:00.004-07:002012-10-31T10:58:05.818-07:00Just pausing time this afternoon~<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-26546515458300076042012-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:002012-10-29T09:07:43.856-07:00Those hard places...<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">G</span>ive thanks, </b><b><i>always. </i>We get busy. A crisis comes our way. We become discontent. Restless. Careless. Distracted. Bored. Preoccupied. Overwhelmed. But God stresses that we continually offer a sacrifice of praise & thanksgiving. <i>Why?</i></b><br />
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<b>Maybe because that's exactly what it is most of the time; a sacrifice. <i><u>Hasn't sacrifice always brought glory to God?</u></i></b><br />
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<b>A couple Sundays back I humbly shared how in the realms of being a patient, good mommy I had missed the mark horribly<i>, </i>earlier that week. Not that by any means I normally hit the mark--but some days I have failed in every way you can possibly fail. I think the worst of this is the guilt you carry of letting your children down so hard; <i>over and over.</i> <i>Multiple times.</i> <u>We work so hard to protect our children from danger, from pain, from evil & yet we are the ones who can truly hurt them the worst I think. </u><i>That's hard to swallow.</i> So, I sat sharing my story and looked around at the faces listening hoping to find grace in my shame. Mind if I share it here too? It really does have everything to do with thanksgiving. </b><br />
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<b>My weeks have been long lately. Apart from my husband working his regular job, he's been heading straight to our land and working on the house till bed time. We knew it would be this way and we were ready. <i>I thought.</i> Normally I'm accustomed to him getting home right before I start dinner and helping with the littles. These long days I saw him at bed time. The chaos of cooking with everyone at my feet, waiting. Sitting down at supper without him, over and over. Days going by without our family time and putting the kids down myself added up. </b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just a little insight into what my days had been...and will be for awhile. </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This one particular morning I remember struggling to get out of bed. <i>Ah, the motivation, where was it?</i> I believe motivation had run off because another week was just too scary. As dear Ann would say, sacrifice always starts by your feet hitting that cold floor, while this is true, it certainly doesn't mean that it's a glorious sacrifice. I walked into kitchen ready to bite whatever need came to me first. And that's exactly what I did; most of the day. <u>I knew by that afternoon I had done my "duties" but I had cast a horrible shadow on everyone around me in the process...and I had left an altar to the Lord, empty. </u></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>I excused myself from everyone & walked into my room and dropped to my knees. <i>Isn't sweet surrender supposed to be...sweet? </i>I felt aggravated. Frustrated that I needed to repent. Funny in a way huh. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>God, I am so annoyed that I am a sinner and that I sinned!</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Needless to say, it wasn't a comfortable surrender. I began by asking forgiveness. I logically knew I was wrong---I just didn't <u style="font-style: italic;">feel</u> very sorry. After repentance, I began to offer thanks....it was not easy at first. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>"God, thank you my kids are all healthy & whole. . ."</i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>"God, thank you for protecting Justin everyday, the things I know about, and the things I don't..."</i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>"God, thank you I am healthy enough to do what I need to do..."</i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i>"God, thank you for all the food in the house, I'd hate to be scraping to feed my family..." </i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*heart begins to soften*</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>"...And Lord, <i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">thank you</span></u></i> my family is alive..."</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*tears*</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Finally a sweet smelling savor on the altar. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>There's nothing better than an emptying before the Lord. Isn't the Lord happy with those that empty themselves from all their <i>stuff</i> so He can fill?</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><u>If anything, we know a hard sacrifice & thanksgiving in its self brings God glory, is this not reason enough to do it?</u></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Though it brings glory to the King, there's a secret there that God knows so well. As it was with Abraham and the attempt to offer a very hard sacrifice, God met Him there with a ram and blessed him abundantly. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>We enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And it's in those hard places that we offer up a sacrifice on that cold, hard altar, and that burning savor to the Lord can't help but leave its mark on us. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We wear that fragrance. That fire melts the hard in us. We are the ones the walk away with the treasure. </span><br />
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<b><i>When I feel restless, aggravated, worried, overwhelmed I know where I need to go; the eye doctor, the heart specialist...because we need new glasses, new vision & we need a heart change, and soon...doesn't this always take place at the altar of praise?</i></b><br />
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<b><i>"Happy the person who has an empty vessel and God waiting ever ready to fill. Unhappy they who have no empty vessel. </i></b><br />
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<b><i>-George V.Wigram</i></b><br />
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-16571642931520470062012-10-26T13:33:00.000-07:002012-10-26T14:26:38.412-07:00An exposed or hidden life?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"> I</span>t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was the flashback of Lauren coming to me after a semester of ballet ended and regretfully saying, "I didn't win the free summer class. *insert name here* did. " The downcast look she wore as if to say, <i>I failed, I wanted to come out here and tell you I was the best and make you so very proud. </i>After all, she had won it the previous year, I guess she expected to win, again. <i>Such disappointment to have not measured up this time....and beaten by the same girl....twice. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> It was also the flashback of her coming to me days later after a festival we had attended & shamefully saying, "the girls were mean to me. <i>They told me to go away. </i>But I don't know why.<i>" </i>Why did it take her days to admit this to me? <i>Her mother. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Or maybe it was the flashback of her coming out days later and confessing she had been cornered and bullied at a class I had been taking her to. <i>"Mom, the bigger girl kept getting in my face and telling me I was a wicked girl..." </i>she said as tears fell and fell and fell. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's true that we praise our children highly and in their innocence they face life in somewhat of a fairy tale idea. "You're so good!" "You won! I knew you would!" "Go mingle and makes friends! They'll love you." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We pop in Cinderella and they begin to believe it will all end in a fantasy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>But then life becomes real. The picture we painted of who they were and what people would love about them shatters & we see where we really live....a fallen world.</u></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u><b>The hard reminders of this breaks our heart.</b></u></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Don't we all get thrown this hard ball? We find out something that was said behind our back; we find out we weren't invited; we find out we didn't even place; we see other women appearing to do it better; etc, etc....</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>I have to wrap my head around this and cup Lauren's face & admit, not everyone will like you. Not everyone will treat you kindly even if you treat them kindly. You will not always be the winner. People <u>will be</u> mean. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>And then I remember this quote:</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Forgive them anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Be kind anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Succeed anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Be honest and sincere anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Create anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Be happy anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The good you do today, will often be forgotten.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Do good anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Give your best anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><u><b>You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />It was never between you and them anyway.</b></u></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-Mother Teresa.</span></div>
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<i>Does the bible not say, do unto others as you would have them do to you? Only if they return the favor? Or simply.....that's what you do.. </i></div>
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<i>Does the bible not say the world will hate you because they hate me (Jesus)?</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Then why do we teach our children the opposite? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Why do we strive for the opposite in our own life?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Why do we get our feelings hurt so easy by others? Why do we strive and push our children for popularity? Why do we teach them to be men pleasers? Is it because that's exactly what we are? We need the friendships of....everyone, to be liked, to be praised, to be applauded? </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I remember when I felt to start blogging again. I searched around the blog world before writing again and became very humbled. Everything I wanted to write about was out there. Mothering, God, homeschooling,etc, etc....not only was it already out there, but it was out there multiple times. I could hardly even conjure up a new post...I would hear that silent whisper, "<i>it's already been written about. . .and more eloquent at that." </i>Who was I but another speck in the blog sphere. I saw how small I was in light of how important I rated my thoughts. <i>Bummer. Another hard ball of life. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><b><u>God whispers, "But....it was never between you and them anyways."</u></b></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i><u>It's always about pleasing Him.</u></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And so, I have to teach Lauren while I learn this too;</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is good to become small, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">humble, & </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">hidden.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our life is not meant to be continually at the top with big ratings it is meant for the small, humble, weak, poor, broken, and hidden things.....</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I tell Lauren, it is good, very good to have not won a free summer class, I am happier she loves to dance. Isn't she dancing for her King anyways? Maybe this other little girl was better? So what? People will be better than you at things you love. <i>Do it anyways.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I tell Lauren that it's okay the little girls were mean, our measure of worth cannot be left in the hands of such small, innocent people. Through that she will learn that God will never forsake her & understand what it means to be held by Him. Others do have a way of making us feel about two feet, don't they? I explained to her that she was so occupied and striving so hard to keep up with this bigger group of girls that night, that she missed a couple very quiet girls that were alone most the evening. <i>Sometimes God needs us to stop & <u>look.</u> <b>Maybe He has something better, something real. </b></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The bully? Lauren didn't know her name. All she remembers is that this girl was bigger and wore blue socks that day. In our faithful night time prayers she is known as, 'blue socks.' A year and a half later we still pray for her...who knows, maybe Lauren will see her again someday when they're older and see how God was faithful to "blue socks" through her faithful prayers. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>"The fishes of the sea live in salt water, yet when we eat boiled fish there is no salt taste in the water in which they have been boiled. They live in an atmosphere impregnated by salt, yet they have kept free it's flavor. So do Christians live in the world, without taking it into their hearts."</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>-His Victorious Indwelling. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-23363258270197871492012-10-24T07:39:00.002-07:002012-10-24T20:54:07.514-07:00One of those mommies!? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was in a restaurant that we heard the mommy practically come unglued with a little boy who looked like he was two. In her meanest, hissing, sharpest tone, and as if she was addressing the whole restaurant she would sneer, <i>"No! You cannot get down! Now hush!" </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The boy was obviously not phased by the loud answer...it was nothing new. He calmly responded, "But why can I not get down?" I almost held my breath for the dear soul awaiting his mommy's very aggravated response,</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>Because I am STILL trying to eat!!!" </i></span><br />
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I'm sure it did not go unnoticed how the mannerisms of the mommy were kindly softened when the waitress approached. <u>Especially to the boy</u>. I have to wonder, what happens from the time they hand us that innocent, helpless life wrapped in a footed blanket that takes our breath away, to becoming that one thing <b>that brings out the ugliest</b>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was while grocery shopping that I heard a toddler wailing and no doubt making a scene somewhere near me. It was a few feet away I get a glimpse of a very young mom grabbing the shoulders of a very frustrated two or three year old little girl and pushing her down into the back of the buggy. You could <i>feel</i> the anger...the <i>embarrassment....</i>the <i>shame.</i> Because no one wakes up one morning & decides, "Hey! I'm going to be one of <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">those</u> moms."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because, truthfully, our biggest fear is being judged. Judged and labeled as <u style="font-style: italic;">one of those.</u> We not only have been in a similar scenario but most assuredly we have been the judges...more than we can count. "<i>someone needs to spank their kids," "she is so mean she needs her kids taken away, look at her, didn't even fix her hair. The shame/" </i></span><br />
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<u>Somehow it's easier to see those struggling, place our judgement and sigh a sigh of relief that they make us look pretty darn good.</u> After all, my hair is fixed (today) & my kids are sitting perfectly in the buggy. So we blend in with the ones passing by raising their eye brows.<br />
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Can I back up to my first story...so Justin & I are sitting there at the table with our kids, listening to the commotion behind us. And he says, "don't you hate that?" He was referring to those moms that yell in public I suppose. <i>But it's justified if done behind closed doors? As long as our kids make us look good in public</i>? <b>My heart is aching. </b> <i>Why is it more important to make a good impression on the waitress and folks next to us than our own children? </i><u>The lives that come straight from the depths of our gut continue to pull at the most intimate parts of our soul once they are born.</u> They reveal what we hate about ourselves. Our selfishness, our pride, our priorities....they are a constant reminder of just how much we do not have it together.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Why is this? Why does eternity lie in the heart's of the least of these? Why does the bible say the kingdom belongs to them? </span>Why would God choose the messiest, neediest, humans on earth to hide His mysteries?<br />
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<b><u>Because they realize their need. Because their faith knows no limits. Because they are the most forgiving creatures alive. Their love is unconditional. They have no love for money, only a massive need to be loved. They do not see poor & rich, but people. They cry when another baby cries. They see the ugliest of you & still wake up with arms wide open.</u></b><br />
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<i>His mercies are also new every morning...</i><br />
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Maybe we've grown up to realize we have it all backwards...our priorities are all wrong....we don't know how to seek His kingdom even though He's placed it right in front of us. Instead we brush it aside, trample it, yell at it, jerk it, and wonder why they just don't get it!? Why can't they care about what we care about?<br />
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<b><i>Why can't we care about what they care about? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What God cares about?</span></i></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lauren comes to me with two sticks this morning. She has been working on them for a couple days, "getting all the rough bark off," she says. She wants me to feel her progress, "do you feel how smooth this part is? I'm about done with the tops." I have to ask, "why do you need them to be smooth?" She answers, "When you hit them together they sound better than when they're rough. They make better instruments." She demonstrates this to me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"What are you going to do with them once you're done?"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Make a cross."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My heart melted.....the cross is where we find grace.....no rough spots, no old bark, but softness.....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Is this God's whole idea of children? Yes, they pull at the most intimate parts of our lives---simply because they are God's tools....they work for eternity while we strive for the temporal. They are tools used to scrape the rough spots, the old, flaky bark until we are smooth....gentle....<b><i><u>approachable.</u></i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Does this not hold true to all the people we turn our faces from? The druggies. We avoid eye contact because we're on a different plane than they are. We don't have addictions like they do....</b><u><i><b>at least ones that show. We know how to hide ours. And compared to theirs, ours seem small, until we wake up one day and realize it's sucking the life from us, just like theirs are. </b></i></u></span><br />
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<b>The woman who had an affair. We look way down on her, "<i>How could she do this to her family?" "I don't want to be seen talking to her...she's so low." </i><u style="font-style: italic;">But who hasn't struggled with desperately needing to feel loved? Who is really beyond the temptations of this? </u></b><b> <i><u>Who hasn't felt ugly and needed the assurance someone would always love us as we grew older?</u></i></b><br />
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<b>No one. We are sinners, fallen very short of the glory of God. This is where the cross comes in....again. And always will. We need His grace. <u>Others need His grace.</u></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You see, in all the ones we turn our face from, there's a little bit of our self staring back at us, reminding us of why we sit at the foot of the cross, daily. That portrait of the one person we shiver at the most, is a visual of ourselves without drinking from that fountain of grace. The cross, sprayed like graffiti, on top of that ugly portrait. If not for grace and the cross, I could not reach out to those struggling, I could not sympathize. If not for grace and the cross I would not care too...I would be more content to judge.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>But the cross judges no one but me. Then washes me clean & I find grace to carry on where I desperately fall short.</u></span><br />
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-79017979699560535842012-10-23T10:43:00.002-07:002012-10-23T10:49:45.344-07:00A Prayer for Bloggers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am no longer my own blogger, but Yours.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Refine me with each post how You will, rank me how You will.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put me to service, put me to suffering.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Let me be a follower — instead of seeking followers</strong><br />Let me post for You — or be put aside for You,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lifted high, only for You, or brought low, all for You.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do with me and each post whatever You will, because You alone know best.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Let me not strive but submit</strong><br /><strong>Let me not compete but <em>care</em></strong><br /><strong>Let me not desire hits but holiness</strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let my blog be full of You, and let it be empty of me.<br /><strong>Let me crave all things of You, let me care nothing of this world.</strong><br />Let my words be focus only on the greatest of audiences: You.<br />And You are enough.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May I write not for subscribers… but only for Your smile.<br /><strong>May my daily affirmation be in the surety of my atonement</strong> not the size of my audience.<br /><strong>May my identity be in the innumerable graces of Christ</strong>, never, God forbid, the numbers of my comments.<br /><strong>May the only words that matter in my life not be the ones I write on a screen</strong> — <em>but the ones I live with my skin.</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I freely and heartily yield every sentence, every title, every post, every comment… or no comments… all to Your pleasure and perfect will.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My only fame is that I bear your name<br />My only glory is the gift of Your Grace<br />My only readership, Your eyes that seek to and fro to find<br />Make this so. Lord…</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yawhew, you alone are my God, not Google<br />Jesus, you alone are my Savior, not sitemeters<br />And Holy Spirit, you alone are my Comforter, not comments</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So be it, today, yesterday, and every post to come.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,<br />thou art mine, and I am thine.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my prayer I have made on earth, over thie keyboard…<br />let it be ratified in heaven.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Jesus’ Name…. Amen.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Taken from Ann's blog. www.aholyexperience.com)</span><br />
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Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-62684258255754709312012-10-22T14:34:00.003-07:002012-10-22T17:07:06.631-07:00Why no more facebook?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> It all began one sunny, hot day while feeling very cluttered that I decided to think long & hard on how to de-clutter the kitchen table. Here's where we had school, my husband and I had our bibles and notes sprawled out there, with limited counter space it was also where all the fruit and paper towels, etc lingered. In the evenings, I would push everything to one end so we could eat supper, hot, steaming pans, all brought to the table, not buffet style. I grew exasperated with this; the clutter, not the steaming pans. So, as the sun rays shown in the kitchen door, my mind began to work....I moved things around on the kitchen counter to make room for kitchen items that were kept on the table & brought in shelving for designated school books, etc. By the time I was done there was not one thing on my table!! Except a burning candle, mind ya. I wiped it down till it shone bright under them rays. I breathed in the space! The first thing out of my husband's mouth upon coming home from work, "wow, the table is empty!" Of course, like any frantic OCD venture of needing to de-clutter it was short lived. I'm actually sitting at the table with my laptop, my husband's bible & notes around me, coloring book, my bible and notes at the other end, paper towels, three devotion books piled up, magazine, sippy cup, kitchen towel, my phone, & my plate of food. But I wouldn't call my hard work that sunny mid morning pointless---I still try to minimize it all at night as much as possible. Okay, back to that day.....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I could not get the word 'clutter' out of my head. And heart. Yes, I had been making time for God's word, & I didn't neglect my household and teaching duties. But my mind was clogged. It seriously needed a plunger. I was "filled" with what random people were eating for supper, what movie they were going to see, who they were with, what they were doing, etc, etc......<i><u>I was keeping up with people's lives that I barely knew! Why?</u></i> What's the harm in this you ask? Simply, for me, I was collecting junk and there was no room in my mind & heart for the Holy spirit. Daily filling up with random people's info robbed my kids of 'mommy's best.' It's a fact that what our minds are full of is what our hearts will be centered around which will be evident in our actions---in our attitudes---in our priorities. I would read the word but it just wouldn't retain....it was very evident the Lord was whispering, "have you left room for me? Is something else your source of fulfillment...why do you choose, daily, to fill up on emptiness when I have promised you life and life more abundantly?" It's like a druggy who keeps going back.....and back.....and behind their back people whisper about them and say, "why do they choose such a sickly road to get their fix? Don't they realize what it's stealing from them? Don't they know there's a whole different world?" The enemy is very clever---though technology is at it's high and comes in pretty darn handy---the enemy has also found ways to make it very useful to his agenda. We are careful with movies, music, & things we allow in our home & our minds, but being a steward of my time was something I failed. It's not very complicated really, simply that Jesus wants to be first in my life. He wants me to desire Him more in the mornings than I do twitter. Or facebook. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> This was taken from my devotion book and basically confirmed what I felt the Lord was asking of me. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My dear fellow christians, if you mean business for God in these desperate days, I suggest to you we need an examination of every part of our lives so that the furniture with which the enemy clutters them up might be thrown out. Oh, that we would learn to make room for God to work!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It is not a question of whether a thing be right or wrong, but what savor have the things of Christ in it? It may be a very small thing. If we find the reading of a book makes the manifestation of Christ to become less precious to us, we have gotten away from God, and we cannot tell where the next step may take us. Satan often cheats us in this way. . .if anything comes in & takes the freshness of Christ from your soul, take heed!" ---His Victorious Indwelling. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span>I wrestled many days with the idea of leaving my personal facebook account for a time. I argued that as a stay at home mommy it was somewhat of my connection to updates and socializing. But is it really what bonds two friendships? Friends can have fun on there, yes, but it's not what brings soul ties. Face to face is what makes real friends...remembering friends with a real card on their birthday is what's real...the ones who really care what you're eating for supper will text and ask you. Facebook, for me, was a way to escape from so many that needed me here, even just mentally escape, there's nothing in it's entirety that's wrong with that, it's just that I found I wanted to escape once too often than I needed and<u> I would find my body doing what it should be in the home but my mind was far away. </u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Am I suggesting everyone needs to lose their account? Of course............not! Everyone struggles with different areas. I have precious friends who have facebook and I want to text them and mention that their profile pic is 4 years old. This is how unattached they are. I envy them. This is between the Lord and I. He's actually brought me here before and I was off facebook for about 6 months. Recently I felt He has brought me back to this place. But I do want family & dear friends who care about what's going on in our life to please keep in touch! I'll also have my email (Krystenstasny@yahoo.com) and cell (870-378-6874). :) My blog has been something that keeps me faithful in the Word, one reason why I'm happy to share here. While you're here--sign up for receiving updates in your email. I feel good about the decision knowing it will be strictly family and friends who really care, that are keeping up with our personal life. I will be back to facebook personally, when I feel the Lord has given me that release. Right now, I just need to de-clutter. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To all my family and dearest sisters in christ, </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8752756508634732521.post-25213946864107575012012-06-19T14:21:00.001-07:002012-10-17T18:07:14.320-07:00June.<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi guys. I thought I'd throw a little update out there on what's going on within these walls. It has been busy. The month of June is a biggy for us but this year more events were added in. Our anniversary, Father's Day, and Lauren's birthday is a normal June. This year has been the above with the addition of my parents moving, my dad's surgery, my brother getting married, and the first steps being taken to build our own home. In a way, I wished I could have closed my eyes and suddenly June would be over. But what's the fun in that, right? I would miss the memories being made. I mean, come on, Lauren will never have another 6th birthday and I'll will never have another 7 year anniversary. So, I took a breath and fully embarked this month and thus far it all has been smooth. Our anniversary was sweet & funny. If he and I are together--it doesn't matter how romantic or sentimental we try to make it, we'll find ourselves laughing. It's just who we are. Everyone was busy Father's Day but I decided to take time and bake pies anyways. We were on the highway of convincing Lauren to do a small family birthday party this year, she sweetly agreed and over the weekend I decided to mail invites to every friend of hers I could think of and throw a shin dig right here in the backyard. Like I said, I wanted to blink and skip June, but amongst those thoughts my heart frowned. I wont get these moments back---embrace them. I have. I am. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial;">On another note--we have been doing family time or family worship in the evenings after supper. God had put it on my heart a long time ago and I finally pushed it one evening and it's been a habit ever since. As soon as suppers over, Lauren cleans the table off, we grab our bibles and meet in the living room. Funny how we don't prepare a big teaching session for these evenings, it just happens. We all share something. We sing. We pray. We memorize scripture. We ask how each other is doing. It's been good. Sometimes it's long--sometimes it's short. Sometimes it's deep--sometimes it's surface. None-the-less, we all connect and put God as the center of our bonding time. We have always done devotions, bible reading, scripture memorization, songs, prayer and things like that before the girls went to bed---but to them it was just a quick routine like brushing their teeth. We always tried to make supper the "bonding" time around the table but a, "How was your day? what did you do today?" just wasn't cutting it. We wanted to really know how everyone was doing spiritually. Also, after supper seemed to be chaos time. I don't know why. Once Jus and I were full we felt the length of the day hit us and ironically that's when the girls got a burst of energy. It was tired, chaos time. Now after supper we have a plan and it seems to give Justin and I that last "umph" we need and the girls are calm getting ready for couch time. I'd love to know what your family does for stuff like this if you do. I know everyone is different and does what works for them. We're still feeling our way along but so far so good. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also got real sick awhile back & couldn't figure out why. Once it was over I decided it was time to take care of myself physically. I cut back on sugar, used honey as much as possible, got back on vitamins (it's been over a year since I've been on vitamins), started carrying a water with me as soon as my coffee cup was empty in the mornings, started doing breakfast (still a tough one to stay consistent with for me), instead of chai lattes every afternoon I mix it up with other hot teas that are healthy, and I close my eyes in the afternoon if it's possible, usually it's not but 5 minutes helps. Sometimes. I have felt better just from those small changes. I buy more fruits and veggies for snacks. I still buy ice cream too---it's just not what's laying around for grabby fingers. Small changes. Better choices, when I can. No where near perfect but I do realize I have to take care of me to take of the rest. Exercise you ask? hahaha, are you kidding me. I'll get back with you on that. </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial;">Homeschooling. I'd love to know your favorite, EASY, second grade curriculum. I'm going to be mix matching Lauren's this year. I'll also be putting a reading list together--book friends, ideas please. :) </span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial;">Lovely afternoon! </span></strong><br />
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<br />Kryshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027897287446025293noreply@blogger.com0