I Wish You Knew.....Get Unshakled

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~MLK

"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals." ~MLK

I wish you knew my Lord like I know my Lord. I wish you’d give him a chance, take a listen, give it a shot, hear him out, get to know him, make an educated decision, not an emotional guess. I know you don’t want to hear about Christ, and I’m not sure why you protest so much. You might just find what you were looking for, you might just find something you didn’t know existed, you might stumble upon a treasure you didn’t know you were searching for…you might just find your home. Why are you waiting? What holds your feet? What binds you…what has you trapped? Why do you insist upon your shackles? Why do you deem yourself unworthy, unforgivable, unlovable or unavailable? Don’t you know we’re all unworthy, unforgivable, unlovable and unavailable, that’s why he came to save us…the almost unsaved, the unsavable. Not one of us is worthy. Only He is. The one, our Lord, our King, my prince…I Am. Why do you think you’re so special to be unspecial? We’re all the same, and the gift is for all, but again…a gift is not a gift until you accept it. Why do you reject it? Call it names? Trash it? Flog it? Spit at it and toss it away? Its not really the gift you hate, its yourself that you hate. Why can’t you accept that he loves you even if you don’t love yourself. He loves you before you can admit to loving him or yourself. His love is greater than any mind can comprehend or any one heart can contain or hold….his love is massive, biggie sized, grande, gianormous, uncontainable, but available to all. Its unconditional, prefect sized, gift wrapped and cleansed by his own hands, his own blood. Why do you stumble do you think? What has you caged and distant…or rather whom. You don’t come to him because you don’t think you need saving, can be saved, deserved to be loved, deserve a second, third or fourth chance. But he thinks so. You don’t have to love yourself for him to love you first, you just have to admit, confess and surrender. You just have to stop believing the lies and delve into the truth. Why do you think you’re not worth it, a lost cause, a basket case, a mess up or a loser? Don’t you see you’re not so special…he is. Don’t you see you’re not so worthy….he is. Don’t you see you’re not so lovable….he is…don’t you see…its not about you….but it is for you….don’t you see…its about him? Change your focus and change your life. Become who he wants you to become and become a person that can give, receive, honor, cherish, bless, hold and love Christ, others and…yourself! Love Christ first and then you can learn to love yourself. 

Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Happy Sunday Friend OR Is That Sundae? LOL yum   Hugs & Love...Kim

Love Never Fails.....

It's no secret - I love to sing!  I have never sung in a band, karaoked only a handful of times out in public and have only been in the church choir for about 3 years...but none the less, 2-3 times a year I get the opportunity to share a special song with my church family.  It is quite an honor to get to share a song I have selected, a song that for me is more than just a quick pick. 

I really find my voice quite awkward, but I share it with other's because I've been asked to, some would say even called to - honestly though I feel I sing quite aweful. LOL!  I never forget who I am singing to though and that is what gets me on my feet to do it!  Although the congregation is listening in, my audience is truly that of one.  For this reason I put a lot of thought into the song I sing - it must have a special message, one that I think God is calling me to sing that particular week. Many times I have a song selected and God lands a brand new one in my hands - sometimes with less than a week to learn...but when it fits - it fits! Who am I to argue.  Yes, I still get nervous but I focus on the message and what it means to me and I hope that those who are watching this intimate expression of love find meaning in it as well.  I always pray before I sing in church, I ask that God uses it in a mighty way - that it touches someone, even JUST one!  I ask for God to be with me, give me courage, take my nerves away and let me NOT mess up so bad that the message is lost.  I also ask that he works through the song to bring someone nearer to him, for his glory.  With that said, against my better judgment, I give in and let him take over!  Only through his strength am I able to sing in front of hundreds of people without passing out or crying....I say crying because when I sing I really feel the song, I feel the words....and I just let it come out however he wants it to!  Many times I know a song has a great message when I can't sing it without crying and I know when it's ready to be sung: when I can sing it WITHOUT actually crying during it! LOL  I never forget though, that by him I can do all things, and without him I can do nothing worthwhile and of true value.

Here are the lyrics for the song I'm working on now, it is quite timely in my life!  It's called "Love Never Fails" and it is preformed by Brandon Heath:

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

At A Loss For Words - Naw, Sometimes They Just Gotta Simmer….

I am never at a loss for words, am I? LOL No, but sometimes I find I need to hold my words in, let them stew around for a bit - I like to put them on simmer and see what God says about them - he‘s the master editor. And we all know that “flesh” many times needs editing.  Some great sadness has reached my doorstep on many occasions and once again I find it is knocking at my door. But add to this pain, more pain of a drama maker of the family coming out of the woodwork to make my mother's diagnosis all about them.

We all have them in our family, the drama queen that doesn’t have the time of day for you unless you have a twenty dollar bill in hand. The liar that can spin a story out of the blue that would make you ask yourself, did this just actually come out of her mouth. The family deserter that leaves town and blames you for their bad decisions and the poor outcomes that have resulted. The story weaver that will re-work a story about their thievery and handiwork and make herself come out the victim somehow in the end. And the flat out evilness of spreading such lies about dead people that would make my dog throw up in his mouth - again. Sometimes it's hard to believe the actual size of nuts they have. LOL This is my flesh speaking but it has been edited by many days of ‘simmer’! But yes, I said it, hahoneys, gumbauts, nads. Somehow they think they are all THAT when actually they haven’t even arrived to the party. You know, the deserved ones…responsible for nothing yet deserving of everything. The ENTITLED ONES! For real?

I can never understand selfishness and unkindness. I can never understand greed and hatred. I can never understand the inhumane and the corrupt. I understand being upset and misspeaking or mis-stepping....but all in all most people have compassion and empathy. It all comes down to self centeredness and how can they benefit from a situation….what can they get out of this? Whether it’s loot, sympathy, pity, a chance to yell or just because you like to throw a wrench into someone's life just to see if you can stir up chaos and pain. I am just not a drama sort of person. I never have been, so I tend to avoid the drama queens of the world.

I‘ve gotten so good at spotting these people that I can usually read them just after a quick few minutes of conversation…it is the discernment that I have prayed for. It has never failed me and I cling to it…THANK YOU GOD!  They‘re not hard to spot, it's just really disappointing when they trample across my path. I'd really like to post the note I received in my inbox a few days ago, but I have taken the high road instead of the path that leads to destruction. I am a truth seeker and a truth teller, but I am not mean spirited so I will keep the details of such nonsense to myself.  Most times now, unlike my past, I do hold my tongue and choose my words carefully while still shining the spot light onto corruption or just plan mean, heartbreaking, dream robbers. But I do believe what is most important in these situations is to let your light shine, because the more we shine our light the less places there will be for darkness to hide!  Everyday I choose again, to love him and to keep his word in my heart - I choose daily to reflect the son!

(NLT) Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

I figure that eventually these sorts of havoc wreaking, drama starting, mean-spirited people will be figured out by everyone anyways: so I won't post the note! I'll just post what has given me great comfort...the love of God and the true love of his faithful children…my brother's and sister's in Christ (and not those with ‘said faith‘ yet a heart of fire and a tongue filled with venom).

If anything, today has taught me that I have grown in God's love more than I ever could have realized...and for that, I smile through the garbage that the enemy tries to throw at me...in fact: HAHAHAHAHA I laugh in his face! My dear Aunt Dorothy (loving know by C-man as Auntie Em)  reminded me of something I already knew but need to hear again...."the Devil rises up in times like these and tries to pit family against family". True words and a great reminder! A testament to the fact that this new creature has truly come much further than she realizes. Because again, you may be able to steal my time but you'll never be able to steal my joy OR Jim's pie! LOL 
 

Here are some words to live by - they have always brought me peace and understanding. And they remind me of why it is okay to be the nice one, and why I do what I do - most importantly who I do it for - for His Glory!

One of my favorite quotes from Mother Theresa:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.

　

Peace & love dear friends!!!

I Prefer To Call It Nag-ga-licious....

SO a few months ago (cause I’m of course cured of this) I proceeded to tell my husband (as he gets home from a 10 hour day at work) all about all the things that I WANTED to nag at him about throughout the day. In a very NON nagging way, sort of like…these are the things that I let bug me all day. I’m not mad at you for them and I know that they are irrational, but I still in those moments wanted to nag you over every one of them. After my laundry list I tell him, "I don’t want you to do these things NOW, just in the moment I wish that you had or wondered why you hadn’t taken care of my irrational list" yeah guy, the list of items that you should just somehow KNOW I want or need to be done (you mind reader you).  He of course, because he's Mr. Fantastic, laughed at me and gave me a huge hug. AWE! 

I now wonder, does giving him the list so plainly and in a non argumentative way have the same affect on a him as they would have had I nagged him over them. Even though I wasn’t nagging, but told him I had WANTED to nag him, does it make a difference? Does it lessen the blow? Or am I still a nag? I think it probably still makes me a nag….but a nag on the road to recovery! At least I have acknowledged that on RARE occasions I find the need to vent, or as some misinformed folks may call it: nag - isn’t that the first step to my healing? Nagging is a disease right?

Does Blue Cross cover some sort of treatment in a specialty center for this Naggarosis - like somewhere in the Caribbean? Just until the snow here has melted - Mr. Fantastic is welcome to come along to support me in perfecting my jet ski skills...oops, I mean my Naggarosis recovery…..sigh!

Mr. Fantastic is so cool - I bet that if you asked him if I'm a nag he'd say "No, she doesn't nag ever"! LOL  I have to admit, I'm not very good at nagging - I hate be nagged so I hate TO nag.  In fact, when I'm in the middle of a NAG-O-RAMA moment I apologize the whole way though.  It's pitiful - naggers around the world be ashamed of me!  He likes to tell me "It doesn't bother me, it's just because you're tired".  He is right, I don't nag often and when I do it's in moments that I am exhausted or had a day that dragged on and on with nonsense. I have begun to learn that these "long & draining" days are, if I let it, only meant to steal my time and my joy.  Once I learned that fact, I started to live by this motto: "You might steal away my time, but I refuse to let you steal my joy ever again"!  Hugs and love friends......

You're Unique....Oh Yes You Are!!!

There has never been or will ever be another one like you. You are unique, special and made to order. You are one of a kind and unique especially in the eyes of the Lord. You were put here on earth for a special purpose and plan that is only for you to fulfill. Your true purpose will always be God honoring and within his will. His love for you is uniquely yours, the highest, truest and purest love there is and it’s yours to receive. It often boggles my mind to hear how unaware people are in knowing their true worth, their value, their potential, their “fantasticness”.

Please never doubt how special you are and never underestimate how valuable you are in God’s eyes. Knowing this fact has helped me to come to the realization that everyone is special including myself. On the outside I may appear to be “together”, maybe even confident and comfortable in my own skin. I have to admit, I am these things most of the time, but not always; and only after battling years to overcome self doubt, missteps and a lack of self worth. Only through coming to know Jesus have I begun to realize that everyone and everything has purpose, has value and needs to be treated as a treasure…treated with respect and cared for in a way that is God honoring.

When we loose sight that everyone is valuable and has a purpose we loose the ability to have compassion and empathy for one another. Even more so, when forget that we belong to one another, we lose a piece of our humanity and it becomes easier to be dismissive, hurtful, spiteful, maybe even hateful, cruel and vengeful. When we remind ourselves that we are all God’s creation it is easy recognize that we are his treasure, a unique work of art, his masterpiece….and that is something everyone can find peace in!

   "People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway."

                                                                                                                   ~ Mother Teresa

   "If we have no peace, it is because we forget we belong to each other."
                                                                                                                  ~ Mother Teresa

　

Psalm 139:13-16  For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jeremiah 1:5   The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

Hugs & love to all.......Kim

He Greets Me And Meets Me Where I Am....

Even when you feel ungiven, unloved and unhugged…..God will take care of you….even when you’ve forgotten how to take care of yourself…..he hasn’t. And he’s watching and ready to help pull you out of the darkness and put you back on the path of becoming the new creature he’s creating you to be. The full you….YOU IN THE FULLNESS, you in God’s eyes. How does God see you…..as his!

St. Joe's Beach - Summer 2010

Sometimes I write and I don’t even know where it’s coming from. Sometimes I think it’s divine intervention upon my behalf, my betterment. It’s God, hammering out the dents and shining up the chrome. Sometimes when I type he tells me things I didn’t hear him say, but I get to read as they come out onto this page. I know he has great things in store for me….he has always been faithful and has only THE best in store for me. To be in his hands - what safer place could I be?

When we begin to believe the lies of the world, we loose sight of the bigger picture…his plan! His plan is the divine plan, Satin’s plan is the lie. Traps and hidden doors, smoke and mirrors…all there to throw us off course. Don’t even listen. When you hear an ounce of lie starting to form in your head…call it out…stomp on it….put it under your feet. For you know it’s a curse and it isn’t from your creator. It’s meant to keep you from him…meant to put fear into you! I will not be afraid. For I know my God hears my prayers, my God knows my needs and my God greets me everyday.

Sock it to me baby...

You’ll probably hear a lot on this blog about my 3 sons. They are ages 12, 8 and 4 and are the loves of our life. All 3 are very similar in personality, in looks and in likes and dislikes, but I am more surprise that with all these similarities that they are SO different in so many other ways. One thing that they are identical in: they all 3 have a sock “thing“. They have to fit a certain way, they have to feel a certain way and when they’re at home chilling - they have to be OFF! LOL Its funny, I think they may get this sock thing from me but in a “mega dose”.

The moment that each one of these darling boys come home, instantly the gear gets removed and tossed at the foot of the front door. It starts with the shoes, hats, gloves, coats and then they run to the bathroom and wash up. And then it begins, one by one the SOCKS come off - sometimes socks never get put on in the first place. Normally this shouldn’t bother me but the quirky part to the story is that whenever the feeling hits them, that no matter where they are, the socks have to come off and are left in that spot. Which means on any give day you can find one of three sizes of stocks left in random places all over the house. They leave them wherever literally!!!

Come on over, you can find them in the middle of the living room, on a dining room chair, underneath any given chair or couch. Take a peak under the bed, in the bed or the side of the bed. Hey, sometimes they come in pairs and sometimes they get separated from its mate.  You can also find one by the television stand and another one in the toy box. One time, I found an itty bitty sock…guess where? My refrigerator! Really and truly its that random. No matter how hard I try to drive home to them that they need to put them in their dirty clothing basket or in the laundry room it just never happens. I one day told Jim I'm going to have him or grandpa build me a sock tree - so the minute they get home they can just hang their socks on the sock tree and I‘ll know where to find them for laundry day! LOL



C Man dancing sockless & pantless!



My children dislike socks so much that many times they would prefer to leave the house sockless....even during snow storms. Just this weekend Cameron started off his Sunday morning dressed for church WITH socks and shoes on and ready to go. By the time we made it into the car he had shoes on his feet with NO socks. I have to do a sock "call out" GET YOUR SOCKS ON and then I have to do a foot check, a “pre” shoe screening so to speak. After this weekend I guess I need to add a sock “door check” to my to do list!





Hey, 2 out of 3 is not bad!



I suppose we really are a bunch of shoeless, sockless hillbilly wannabes. We like to watch tv and play video games sockless, dance sockless, eat sockless, sleep sockless, visit grandma’s house sockless and now we can add going to church sockless. In fact, you’ll be lucky if we even bother to put our shoes on at all. With all this socklessness going on in my house, it makes me wonder why in the summertime my boys socks look like they’ve ran a marathon in a pig race. They are so dirty…I get it…they only like to wear their socks when “shoeless” and only when they outside…we’re all messed up and confused! There’s been times when all five of us have ran outside to stop the ice cream man, yes, in our socks! LOL

So maybe it’s a motivation thing? Maybe it’s just a "who can resist ice cream" thing?  Maybe it’s a feet to constriction ratio sort of thing? Or you so want to go outside barefoot but who knows what’s lurking in the grass and socks just give you that extra “bug” shield security we need with out all of the constriction of a shoe? Or maybe you just want to drive your mama nuts with filthy socks?  Is there a filthy sock constest among boys that I don't know about?  If so, what's the prize and can mom's enter too? Maybe there's just no reason at all.

We even decorate our Christmas Tree sockless!



The worst (or best) part, my husband just informed me that I do the same thing. He said look, there’s two under the kitchen table right now! LOL I give in…I give up…I’m part of the sock haters club and didn’t even know it. I’ll have to be more respectful of where my socks land from now on…tee hee…it was pretty funny, I just saw a pair of Jim’s socks balled up on the steps. Jim says, “that’s Poochi, he drags them out of my laundry to play tug of war with”! LOL sure he does….he does that to mine too…didn’t you know! J

Expectations.....

Expectations! Expectations start at home. Teach a child what you expect of them and then they’ll know what path you want them to choose. Make a child guess at your expectations and he’ll run all over the road, in my flower beds, through the candy isles, hitting and screaming and calling people names just to find the right path, to please you, to please himself. No expectations = no direction. No direction = a kid starved for guidance and attention. A kid starved for attention = the trouble makers of tomorrow….and the dude who gets yelled at for letting his dog poop on my yard! I see you owner of the random pooping dog…I expect you to not pretend you don’t see your dog pooping on my snow, I expect you will know that I know what you know….I expect you to pick that up! LOL

I bet YOU were expecting me to take expectations in a totally different direction, weren't you!  But this will work too!  Have a great day....hugs & love!

Doesn't that dog realize we like to sample our snow, play in our snow and build temporary friends with it! Protect our snow quality for the sake of the snowmen of the world...no pooper dogs allowed! LOL

Building Memories - The Spree

Every late June, the carnival comes to town here. Our city is pretty big, but the SPREE is always the main summer event, arguably the event of the year. It’s a week long blast made up of fun rides, concession stands, quirky contests, live bands and awesome food. It’s tradition that my mom will insist that she and my dad bring our three sons to this huge shindig (on my dime LOL) but as a fun “Grandma” experience/memory for the boys. She calls these moments “memory builders” and I have to say I think that’s pretty special. It thrills me that she’d yearn to build moments with her grandsons that will last them a lifetime - that will help mold them into the men they will become later in life.

Every year she asks me to come on the various excursions - strawberry picking, pumpkin/cider mill jaunts, fun library days as well as the occasional McDonald toy hunt!  Most times I tell my mom that these moments are for her and them; I almost feel like a 5^th wheel - dad only gets to go so he can chauffer them around town.  I ususally decline the invitation because I don’t want to intrude - sometimes I think it’s more of an adventure anyways if “mom” isn’t there! However, last summer I realized that my mom’s back health was in question and I didn’t want the outing to take a toll on her. Plus, in my head I knew that this particular Spree outing could be her last one depending on back surgery and other factors. I wanted to go to take some work/burden off of her as well as get a chance to experience the Spree with my mom for maybe one last time as her daughter. So, I took them up on their invitation and I joined in on the fun.  I was surprised that not only did we have a blast, but I had some “memory builders” and learning experiences of my own that day - it launched a whole new way of thinking for me and putting me on a journey of discovering “perspectives”.

That day I drove separately to the Spree, the plan was that I would meet up with them in the park after they had a few hours alone to play some games and ride some rides. You can’t drive to the carnival directly, you have to first drive to the City Hall, park and take a shuttle bus to the event site. So when the shuttle dropped me off, I had no idea of where my family could be in the park. I called my dad on the cellphone to ask him where they were in the park, but because I had not been to the Spree in over 10 years, I really didn’t know the lay out of the event or even what direction to head as he describe where he was. So he told me to stay where I was and he would come and get me and bring me to the group. So I sat and waited and stood and awkwardly waited to spot my dad, almost like a little child who has gotten lost in a store waits for their daddy to come and rescue them. Silly I know, but it was an odd surreal moment.

When I first saw him I smiled and under my sunglasses I confess that I got a bit teary eyed. He approached me and made a funny joke about me being lost and proceeded to take me by my hand and said “come on this way, I‘ll take you there“. I honestly can say that the last time I held my father‘s hand would have been at my wedding almost 17 years ago, briefly maybe a minute or two. In that instance, I knew it was a memory making moment. Later that night, as I reflected on the events of the day, my mind instantly went to the moments I spent with my dad. I thought to myself: “I walked hand and hand with my dad today.” It felt odd yet good. It felt like a stranger’s hand, yet like home. It felt uneasy or awkward at first, yet safe and secure after a few minutes. And after a few minutes more, I didn’t want him to let go. It was the hand of my daddy, I haven’t held that hand in many years. I forgot what it was like to walk hand and hand with my father. And I suppose as I think about it, he forgot what it was like to do the same with his little girl.

We walked for about 5 minutes and talked, smiled and laughed…neither one of us wanted to let go and so we didn‘t. That is until my own children spotted us from across the park and came running up to welcome and hug me. Then the little girl became a mommy again. For a brief moment, the mommy remembered what it was like to be held by her father and it was very sweet. Then he and I rode the highest ride in the park, dropped nearly to our death and celebrated our oldness in laughter and fun.

It’s great to be in a place where I can be vulnerable yet safe, I’ve always known that feeling holding my husband’s hands, but I forgot who held that job first. That was my dad’s job from the moment when I first came into the world until the day he gave my hand away in marriage. I wonder if my dad finds that a hard job to let go or if he still feels like its his job and he’s just sharing those duties with his son-in-law. Last week I pretended to ask my dad for some money, asking for money is something I’ve never done even as a kid. He looked at me and said sure, how much do you need. Almost as if he was excited at the thought to help his daughter out. I almost felt bad in saying, oh I was just joking. I wonder how I will fair in giving my sons over to their wives?

As I was thinking on this days later, I wondered to myself how does God see us. We’re given to our parents for only a short time as their children, or are we? God calls us his children and teaches us that it’s important to rely on our heavenly father for all things as his children. This is something that I’ve been learning and committing to achieving, but my perspective on earthly parent as begun to shift. It is difficult to wear both “hats”, that of being a child while holding the title mommy! I need to remember (or re-learn) how to give to my parents myself, as their child, as well being the adult they’ve raised me to be. Here's to the ever so delicate balancing act of life!

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.
~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse

When you have brought up kids, there are memories you store directly in your tear ducts.
~Robert Brault

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.
~William D. Tammeus

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
~Hodding Carter, Jr.

Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids.
~Sam Levenson

Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs.
~P.J. O'Rourke

　

Matter Matters....What matter are you using today? Gray or red?

We're all receiving information daily! We store it away neatly into files upon files in something we all like to call the "gray matter between our ears" - the brain. All of this highly detailed information just sits there many times going unused on a regular basis. It just sits there waiting to be recalled, edited, looked back on fondly or...deleted!

Most of the "matter in my matter" is about things I wish I wouldn't bother to store up.  Like the price of green beans at Kroger or my jean size! LOL  Some things, stored up in my dusty attic, are little tidbits that I wish to never remember again - but I find these are valuable tools in helping others or many times they help keep me from making the same mistakes twice.

Then there are those special documents, those very important files that make us who we are.  Some would argue that these golden words were stored in us even before anyone (but God) knew of our existence. Those are the things of God either known "innately" or have been taught to us by Him through his Word and the experiences he presents to us during our years here on Earth. It's important to not let the things of God sit there idle, unused or shuffled away for a more convenient time; let Godly things penetrate the red matter - the heart, and be utilized daily! Things of the heart are actively flowing and moving to give life. Sharing God with others and caring for their needs will open the door of life for others.

I encourage you to spend more time contemplating, nurturing and maturing the things of the heart, the things made of God! Use that love and those teachings to quench the thirst of the nations for Jesus Christ. Use the red matter put there by God to show others that He loves them dearly and that there‘s always room for them at the foot of the cross.  Hugs & love!

1 Samuel 16:7  But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Kings 8:61  And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

2 Corinthians 8:2-5  In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

Everyone has em'...what's your quirkiest hidden talent?

What's your hidden or undiscovered talent?  We all have them and sometimes we realize these talents early in life and other times they don't blossom until much later.  Many of us also have some quirky talents that are completely second nature to us and we don't even realize they're so "out there".

I'm one of 3 children, I have an older brother and sister.  My sister Karen is 6 years older than me and we shared a room together since I was 5 (much to her disappointment).  But over a period of time, she came to find I was a great listener, someone she could talk to who wouldn't judge her, but listen and reply with the best innocent advice that my little brain could target in on.  So I would say one of my talents would be that of a good listener - but one of my hidden talents that I discovered while rooming with my sister is: being able to do everyday tasks either in the dark or with my eyes closed! LOL 

Karen and my brother Kevin were both bathroom hogs and you've probably guessed it: so am I!  I will share the space and resources but I need my "smoke & mirrors" time, otherwise I'm not quite me for the day.  I'm a makeup junkie and have been since I can remember my life on this earth!  I'm old, that's a long looooong time.  Another small bit of info: I love to sleep in and drain every last second out of my bed time!  But, back to my hidden talent....since my siblings were such bathroom hogs and I was always sleepy, I remember many times I would have to improvise on how to get my "makeup" game face on and ONLY be 15 minutes late to anywhere (me and my friend call that Chrissy and Kim time - we used to be late 15 minutes everywhere no matter how hard we tried).

All those years of being bathroom deprived, I learned to put my makeup on, in the dark while lying in bed waiting for the bathroom to clear out.  Yes, I can put my makeup on in the dark or with my eyes closed and yes even while laying down without a MIRROR...crazy I know. 

Tap tap tap....is this thing on? LOL  Wow, its 1:18 in the morning....and my fingers are still typing.  I need to check and make sure I'm awake,  I could be sleep-typing.  One time I was typing with my eyes shut and my 8 year old walked by and started laughing....he said "how do you do that?"  I said "do what"? like it was nothing....."close your eyes and type, how do you know what you're typing"...."cause its in my head, I don't need to see the screen to type what's in my brain...duh". LOL that might explain a few of my typo's and how sometimes I hit the back space button and loose all of my work! LOL whatever....it adds to the excitement of typing! I'll know what I've typed when I decide to open my eyes...no biggie! LOL Nite...or good morning...either way:  HUGS!!!!  And be sure to stop by and let me know what your hidden or quirky talents are...this could be fun!

There's Always Room For A Little More....

There’s always room for a little more!  A little more love, more happiness and more joy.  Of course there’ll be times of sadness and heartbreak, the key is not to make ‘room’ for it!  When you do, you give it the ok to stay.

When I joined a review site, called Viewpoints, I was asked "What's your motto?".  I won't kid you, I have many (since I am a chatterbox), but surprisingly my answer was short and kind of a simple one: "I love you! Love others as you love yourself and don't be afraid to say it often."  That really is how I live my life, mostly! LOL Don't get me wrong, I have my moments, but generally speaking: I love people!

Be unselfish with honest praise & words of encouragement. Its free to be nice!  I narrowed my "motto" down to this one because it gets down to the basics - to the root of what everyone wants and deserves - to be loved!  To be honored!  To be respected!  To be treated with kindness and dignity!  Too many times folks live their lives closed off with blinders on and miss opportunities to reflect the son.  They forget to look around and shine their light - to share their light.  Light is reflective and the more you shine the more others will reflect it back and spread it on. 

So today, make room for happiness and joy and don't forget to share - that's what good friends do: share! Okay, except for germs....don't share colds, that's not nice! LOL

Not sure what to start with, its my first.....

Hi there! Welcome. I've hesitated posting my first blog page because I'm not sure what topic to start with for such a momentous occasion ! :-) I like to build things up in my head bigger than they really are. Anyways, I have a habit of just spewing out onto the keyboard whatever thoughts pop into my head....for your comfort and viewing pleasure I'll really really try to make them brief.  I said try!  That's why I subtitled this blog ".....1 minute ramble" that's to keep me on target so you don't burn your eye sockets from reading this! So it may at times go over 1 minute but I'll try to do my best to.............." oops...I can't go any further...sorry, its just my minute is up! Eventually you might see that number increase here or there! LOL  HUGS & LOVE!  Kim