I happen to love earth prints....God made dirt and dirt don't hurt!

Hi there! YAY, it's finally spring - I love this time of year! There's just something about Spring that makes me extra happy and brings a renewing freshness to everything that surrounds us - it's so wonderful and for me only this time of year can do that. Bring on the cleansing rain, bring on the beautiful flowers and bring on my flip flops already!

I'm a big gardener - all flowers all the time! I have been since I was a very small girl, playing in my mother's veggie and flower gardens. We lived on about an acre and a half and so there was always spots to plant something, spots to dig a new hole and spots just to play in the mud! I was outside NON-stop, it was a very different time then my children live in now. But the cool thing is, my mom and I have passed on our love for the garden, for the Earth, for DIRT to my 3 boys. They keep their very own veggie garden at my mom's house. It's their's to prep, plant, pamper and pick - from beginning to end. It's also their's to reap the rewards of their bounty.

I would have to say I have five love/passions in this world: God, his people (my family just happen to top that list), singing/music, great attitudes of kind, unselfish good deed doers and planting stuff. I have very few other passions - writing is beginning to emerge as a new passion, as well as photography!  But for me, when I'm singing or in my garden (sometimes doing both) time flies by and the world around me becomes distant and almost silent - I just get in this ZONE! I love when I have earth prints on my fingers tips! I also love to wash those prints off soon after because I happen to be an "almost" career germ a phobe. However, for some reason I love dirt - just not under my nails - HA!!! But you know what they say, "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt! LOL

Hey, I just want to thank YOU, from the bottom of my heart for all of your love, support and friendship that you've shared with me over this past year. It means the world to me that you've been there for me and I'm so happy to call you friend. 

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls."  ---Mother Theresa

Just to clear it up...lol

Okay....so just to clear up a little mis-step....folks have been wondering and asking me (because of a post a week back) if I was quitting my blog!!! YIKES...nope!!!  Acutally I wasn't thinking about quitting my blog, it's very theraputic!!! LOL  I was talking about my singing ministry, so go back and check out the post "The Same Old Thing Wearing on My Heart...and it'll make more sense probably now! HA!!!  But, after all of that heavy thinking, I'm just leaving that matter up to God....so it is what it is!!!  Thanks you all for your support and encouragement!!! You're all the best....and like I promised Amanda Brown...I'm gonna keep writing so she can keep reading.  HAHAHA!!! xoxo's

Where are you.....1/2 way here or 1/2 way there?

Hi there! Happy Monday (at least as I’m writing this)!!! I hope your weekend was a blessed one filled with all sorts of fun, love, joy, a chance for service and maybe even some pampering time as well.
Once again, God’s perfect timing never ceases to amaze me, I love what he does and how he does it.

There’s been lots of changes in my family - my mom has been healing from lung cancer surgery, my niece just gave birth to her first baby, family members on my husband’s side have moved far away, and then throw in there birthdays, illnesses and this crazy weather, one can’t help but wonder how do we juggle it all and still stay happy, healthy and sane? One thing I ask myself is, “through all of this am I still growing in my relationship with Christ? Are these moments meant to teach me something simple or something huge? Or are they just distractions in my life meant to throw me off track and attempt to lead me far away from where God wants me?”

Speaking of God’s perfect timing, Jim and I wrote this week’s devotional (early this past week) on the prodigal son - we found God also inspired our Pastor to speak on the very same thing just yesterday in our worship service! I love when God does that. I figure the message is either his perfect timing wanting to get this message out there to many or something we/I need to hear again and focus on this week. Here’s our “UAW Weekly Devotional”, let us know what you think:

We all are the prodigal son, the question is where are we in the journey. Are you 1/2 way here or 1/2 way there...are you coming or going?  Do you find yourself running away from God, wildly squandering your life away? Or instead are you running to God, into his open arms that wait eagerly with love, longing to receive you as you are? He doesn’t care about how much you’ve messed up or how long you’ve been away. He’s just glad that you’re with him now and he is planning a celebration in your honor.

Luke 15:11-32  Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

Thanks for reading friends...let me know how you're doing...and just remember: You Are Loved!!!
xoxo Kim

Saaay what? You're gonna be how old....

Yay, I’m so excited - my oldest is turning 13 this week and is having a birthday party with a few of his buddies this weekend. This is his first party as a teenager, but also his first party in a very long time (1st grade).  We don’t throw a lot of ‘friend’ parties…we usually have us and the grandparents and that’s just sort of it. I’m not sure why, I suppose because if you do a huge party every year somehow it looses it’s specialness and becomes a “HAVE TO” instead of a “GET TO”.

My soon to be teenager has really grown up in the last six months, I never even saw it coming.  I have to say for as many hormones that are running thru his veins, I'm amazed that he can still keep it all together.  He is the most polite, funny, sweet, loyal and kind 13 year old I’ve ever met. Of course his daddy is pretty cool so he must take after him - I was a foot stomping, sassy mouth girl that hogged up the bathroom and got a job at 15 to purchase her own phone - because yes…I planned to hog that up too!

So let the party begin - got the chocolate fountain ready to be on tap, got the streamers up, balloons this year were a no no….so were goody bags. So I made a goodie bowl for all the boys to grab all that they wanted: I took a huge bowl and packed it full of movie theatre sized candies like Reese’s Pieces, Whoppers, Jr. Mints, Raisenets, full size packs of gum, bags of Combos and horn blowers! The more mature take on the “goodie bag” I hope. He seemed pretty pleased with it!

I’m so glad that PD is my first born, he has been such a blessing and is such a good role model for his younger brothers. They look up to him, trust him and depend on him - he tries to never let them down; what teenager does that? I realize that there is still plenty of years left where this might change and he could start to cause a ruckus, but I just have a feeling that this young man is who he is and always will be. I’m so very proud of the hard choices he’s already had to make! I’m so proud of his walk with Christ and I’m so proud to be his mom. He sets the tone for the rest of the crew and I can’t think of another young man that I would want to mentor my youngest children - he’s a treasure, peach fuzz and all!

Try and try as I might, sometimes I just gotta let go...

Isn’t it funny how sometimes when you put your mind to work the spigot just turns on and flows, and how other times you can barely get the nozzle to turn? I wonder often just where inspiration comes from! Does it come from necessity, boredom or chocolate? Fear, sanity, the crazy or the lazy? I suppose it comes from all sorts of places…smells, sight, sounds or even money. Sometimes inspiration can come from nothing at all, just the quick moment of picking up a keyboard and letting it all go. Sometimes when I stop and write, I put nothing down at all, which in fact isn’t really writing now is it? No, sometimes if I try too hard I get writers block.

Sometimes the harder I try to do something, sing something or attempt to accomplish anything, the worse I do at the task at hand. Sometimes the harder I try to do it on my own, it only becomes more difficult or down right impossible for me to begin let alone complete. I believe I’m not alone on this one! So why is it that we do this to ourselves? Why is it that our first instinct isn’t ALWAYS to include God in on the light AND heavy lifting? Why does it appear sometimes that we so easily forget to rely on the provider - the one with all the answers?

All we need to do, is just take pause and instead look to God for comfort and direction when life gets difficult or when situations are not working out like we had hoped they would. Things may or may not be easier in doing so, but we would have rest and peace in knowing that the outcome is God’s will. We would know and be satisfied in knowing that He is in control. Humbly seek God before all things.

Psalm 62:8  Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Philippians 4:7  “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 41:10  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Same old, same old starting to wear on my heart....

Just gonna keep my chin up!

So what's your ministry? I guess mine wasn't what I thought it was. Where are you focused? I'm guessing ministries can change over the years. I‘ve always struggled to find my gift and have never really been sold on what mine is said to be by others. Against my better judgment, I let my guard down and accepted what other‘s proclaimed my gift to be - I accepted it humbly with reservations though. I let myself be vulnerable and shared this "so called gift" with others, only to now find that I'm asking myself, "What was I thinking?"  All this time I thought I knew what my gift was, but now I feel a little embarrassed that I was wrong all along.

It's frustrating when you want to share your gift/ministry with others, but the opportunities are slim pickings!  I have to say, I'm feeling like I don’t fit in and maybe I'm just a joke, or maybe I just need a different venue. Either way, today has me feeling perplexed and wondering what the heck was I thinking by putting myself out there. I’m putting this in His hands, because if I think too hard on it, I may speak my “flesh” and not my heart and just give it up all together. That may be the solution He’s leading me towards, but I don‘t want to usher anything in that isn‘t his will. It’s too bad, because I love sharing a message, I’m just feeling hindered, stifled and like an awkward outsider that needs to be hidden away.

I wonder what will come of this - it’s hard to not give up when you feel invisible and defeated. So I’m casting my sadness and worries on the Lord, and will just go about my simpleminded business and see what comes of this. Thanks for listening to my 2 minute ramble…sometimes you just need to get “it” out. I’m gonna let it be, I’m gonna let it go, I’m gonna lay it down!

Listen, do you want to know a secret? Shhhh...

Hi YOU! How are you today.  Hope my note greets you with a smile.  Make sure to leave me a note in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!  Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading my posts or if I should continue.  Writing can be very therapeutic, even if no one else is reading - it's a cheap, effective and fun way to self diagnosis! LOL 

Hey, do you write poetry?  I never really have.  At times I have written songs, melodies or even long winded presentations to teach folks how to do "something", but it has never really crossed my mind to put pen to paper to write any type of poetry...that is until recently.  Jim and I like to write and brainstorm together, but I do most of my writing alone, in quiet times - as a mom of three, quiet time is a rare thing and it's usually at night when I'm most creative and slap happy. You'll get some of my most funniest work, my most sappiest work and my most "circular" talk late at night, makes for some crazy creations.  I should mention, I like to speed write, I don't like to think TOO hard when I compose anything creative/artsy; I just let it flow out and see how fast I can throw it onto the page - it's always a hoot to read it months later and see if it's any good! LOL  Keep in mind when reading this, that for me the faster the better - makes for fun self discovery and to me it's almost more of a challenge!

Here's something I wrote several months back, it took about 3 minutes and so I thought I'd be vulnerable and share it with you.  It's unedited, so you know, take it for what it is:

I expect God to keep me safe. I expect that I will fail him. I expect that he will redeem me. I expect that I will come into the fold. I expect that I will be challenged. I expect that he will give me the words to use. I expect that I will tell you about Christ. I expect I will be shunned. I expect I will die a little inside. I expect God will redeem me again. I expect I will rise above. I expect I will forget to be humble. I expect God will humble me himself. I expect I will learn from the past. I expect I will grow and share from my experience. I expect I will be hurt. I expect that God will heal me. I expect that I will praise him. I expect I will forget him. I expect I will be reminded. I expect I will exalt him. I expect he will smile. I expect I will cry. I expect he will dry my tears. I expect he will lift me up again. I expect it will be on his terms. I expect it will be by his grace. I expect it will be by his hands. I expect to be his forever. I expect only because he has promised. I expect only because he is faithful.

The definition of expect: verb 1. to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming. 2. to look for with reason or justification.

I hope you're having a wonderful week so far....hugs & love dear friends....you are awesome and you are loved! xoxo

Who's there? "Um, candy gram." Are you that clever shark? "I'm only a dolphin, ma'am"...

Ha!!! I wish it wasn’t so and that I had more grace than this (I’m much better than I used to be), but I have to confess something! I’ve always hated unexpected visitors at my front door. It’s so……unexpected! Eeeks…who’s there? What do you want? “GO AWAY”, the old grouchy lady exclaimed! No, mostly I tell my children, “shhhhh, hide”. LOL Why does it bother me? Not because I hate people or visitors to the house, I actually love to entertain and spend time with friends and family. But my unexpected visitor phobia comes from a combination of things.

 

First, I dread the morning knock at my door (morning for me is still 11am). My hair is usually still disheveled, I’m probably still in my pj’s, if luck has it I do have a bra on but there are no guarantees, and chances are good that the only make-up I have on is the black streak of left over, crusted on mascara that attacked my face during a good nights sleep. I look a freight! And I pity the foo that has to see me in such a train wreck state. Don’t pity Jim though, he likes that look!

Secondly, a mid-day knock at the door in my neighborhood usually means a sales person. Someone that wants something I don’t have much of: time and cash! And I hate disappointing people but what I hate more is listening to a sales schpeal at my front door, with a strange man I don’t know, with a household full of all my valuables: my children! So, I answer my window at these moments. Sorry dude, what you’re selling I don’t need or can’t afford and I’m not opening my door to no strange man - unless maybe you have chocolates with you. HA!

Thirdly, if it’s a knock at night, I’m even more of a basket case. Again, I love guests, but normally in the evening everyone in the house is either hauling butt to finish their dinner, homework or laundry….or a really good movie. Who wants to be interrupted when time is of the essence? And you know, here’s the real reason (lol)……my house is TRASHED and we‘re all exhausted and crabby. So if my unexpected visitor is someone I know and love, I’m usually so embarrassed of what the day (and a few sloppy children) have left EVERYWHERE. Remember the sock fight post a month or so ago? Well, again…you might find a sock or juice box or underwear in any random spot on any given night if I’m not expecting you. So, I probably won’t open the door then either: unless you can hang out for 15 minutes while I get my act together. Yes, I’m that good…I’ve got a system and can do some masterful cleaning as to not offend your senses! I’ve developed a 15 minute speed cleaning plan of action….of course it helps that I’m a great delegator! Connor, quick: you’re in charge of all paper, pick it all up and make a nice neat pile on the counter. Cameron, find all socks and put them in the laundry room. Parker, dish duty…go! I’ll get the slime off of the table and any toys, food or rocks, leafs, bugs and wildlife I can find….go….time me!

I've become better over this past year, I've tried to make myself plan for the unplanable.  I get up a little earlier in the morning to take a shower, I've tried to keep on top of the major clutter and organize things as to make it easier for the family to put stuff back where they go.  Although, as much as I organize, it only takes a few days of OTHERS to unorganize me....maybe I need to place labels on all shelves with reminders of what goes where: "PLEASE PLACE YOUR UNDERWEAR ON THIS SHELF, THANK YOU".  Really I'm more of a happy go lucky kinda gal; so when I try to become ultra organized the perfectionist in me comes out and it just makes me more stressed when they don't put things back where they belong...it's a catch 22! So I suppose the key is just to tell folks, "Hey, you're welcome over, just please call first....because you never know what you might get....it may not be pretty!" EEKS!  So I guess you can say, I'm still working on my hospitality skills - some are born with it, other's of us have a struggle with it! But I'm determined to expect the unexpected and prepare for the unpreparable from here on out - and of course SMILE the whole day through!  Hugs & love, Kim