Love takes three.

Kevin and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary this weekend.  Love you, Boo!!  Our marriage thus far has included six dogs, a handful of fish, one rabbit, four kids, law school, two moves, five years as a youth director, six vehicles and a whole other host of challenges, blessings and path markers.  I bet you're wondering what our secret is.  I have no idea.  I married a man who has an amazing patience for my constant need for a creative outlet and he married, well, me.  Early on we invited God into our relationship, which was a really smart move.  Because you always need someone level-headed in a relationship, and patience and creativity aside, neither of us really fit that bill.     

When I was in college, a pastor showed me this diagram. 

The idea is that when you focus on God, the closer you draw to him.  As you and your partner focus on God, not only to do you draw closer to Him but you draw closer to each other. 

Our diagram probably looks more like this, the black bullets representing the always inevitable competition for our focus....

We are probably no better at this whole marriage thing than when we started, but we are a whole lot better at leaning on God.  Our marriage has as much need for grace as anything else in our lives.  Its successes and struggles remind us that there are a lot of ways to go about accomplishing something, but a focus on God is always the best way.  

I should also note that my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary the day after us.  Forty years!!!  Kevin, can you imagine 40 years together?  Do you know how many dachshunds we could own in that time?!  Here's to many more...

(Many more years, not dachshunds.  Well, okay, maybe also dachshunds.  We'll just see how it goes.)   
XOXO....Kelly

   

You.

"The true celebration of Christmas is not the birth of Christ.  The true celebration is the birth of Christ for you." 

--Rev. Matthew Ruesch

By now you're probably getting tired.  By now you've probably made 115 trips to Target, baked 47 casseroles and signed 715 Christmas cards.  By now you've moved your Elf so many times you can't keep track of where you've already hidden him.  Christmas music on the radio has become less of a novelty and more of a challenge in avoiding the Christmas Shoes song. 

Christmas is starting to wear on you.

And then someone somewhere (maybe this blog) encourages you to slap on a smile, keep on going and remember the real reason for the season....Jesus of course!  But what if that isn't the whole truth? 

I could feel myself settling into a similar mid-December slump when I read an article this weekend by Rev. Matthew Ruesch, a missionary for the Lutheran church.  "We are the reason," he writes.  YOU.  ME.  It's us.  We're the reason there's Christmas.  From somewhere deep within myself I heard an echo of the word.

"YOU.  For you, daughter." 

How had I missed something so obvious, so important?  These words that changed my holiday.  And like the Grinch whose heart grew three sizes that day, I felt Christ settle somewhere inside of me I'd didn't even know I was missing Him. 

Christmas is not just the celebration of a great man sent by a loving God.  It's the celebration of God's gift TO US.  We don't need Christmas to remind us that Jesus came.  We need Christmas to remember that God sent Him FOR US. 

God loves us, friends.  More than we can ever possibly understand.  More than time or earthly wisdom has ever been able to prove.  If you do anything to celebrate this Christmas season, don't do it because God needs it or wants it.  Don't even do it because you're trying to spread Christmas cheer.  Do it because you need to remember how much God loves YOU.  He'll take care of it from there.

You are the reason, friend, and you always will be. 

XOXO...Kelly
 

It's either an Elf on the Shelf or a new puppy.....

Well, Michael asked for an Elf on the Shelf.  For three years now I've wondered how long it would go un-noticed that we do not have one at our house.  Apparently in second grade you start comparing notes because it has been made perfectly clear to me that we are the only family without one.  (Side note:  Here are some other things you start to notice in second grade....who is good at math, who brings the best lunches, which kids have learned swear words, and that girls talk weird.)

Soooooooo.....now what to do. 

It's not that I'm opposed to an Elf on the Shelf.  As Michael pointed out (and I quote directly here), "They are loveable.  They are fun.  And they are magical because they come to life at night."  How could you go wrong with that combination?  It's not like I think you can't enjoy some of the more secular traditions of Christmas without losing sight of the real reason for the season.  I don't actually have a good reason for not having one except that between lots of babies over the past not so many years and every other holiday character around here (see previous post re: Morris, Gloria, Noel, Hans, the flamingos, etc....) I just haven't had the energy to keep up with an Elf. 

I offered to hide a Lego guy every night for Michael and let him find it in the morning.  He declined.  Said they weren't magical enough.

The fact is that an Elf on the Shelf really isn't going to make or break our holiday season either way.  That's the truth about most of the stuff around here. (Don't tell Hans, though.  His ego is HUGE and incredibly fragile.)  The kind of peace I strive for at Christmas is not bound by any tradition, gift or event, but by God's Son sent to earth.  Can there be peace at Christmas without an Elf, without coordinated wrapping paper, without all the family I want near me?

You betcha.

There's peace at Christmas--and every other day for that matter--because Christ waits for me on the other side and His spirit fills me until I can get there.

For the meantime, I've decided to wait and see if Michael brings up the Elf thing again.  He's a boy and he's young, so I figure there's a pretty good chance he'll forget about it.  If not maybe we'll just get him a puppy.  Right, Kevin???!!!  :)

XOXO.....Kelly


 

The gang's all here!!

Well, the house is ready for Christmas!  We've got the nativity set up, the tree is out, the "Meowy Christmas" towels have been washed and lots of my favorite holiday accessories are about.

There's Hans the Holiday Turkey and his little dachshund buddy.  Hans comes out for Thanksgiving, but he's got so much moxy there's no way we could put him away before Christmas.

Then there are the newcomers this year, Gloria and Noel.  This sassy pair of dancing sisters may stay up until Easter, they're so cute!

The flamingos, of course.

Kudos to Kevin on this one for the nearly 2 hours he spent on a ladder pulling this one off!  Our marriage has come a long way, hasn't it?  :)

And Morris. 

Morris got a little bit of a make over this year.  As some of you might remember from years past, Morris isn't as young as he used to be.  I begged Kevin for him the first Christmas we were in this house.  He's not very sturdy and his lights and motor don't work anymore.  But there's not much you can't fix with a little tinsel and, this year, pink spray paint.  Also, I stuffed a strand of Christmas lights into his belly, so he shines from the inside out!  

And isn't that the point?  That the JOY of Christmas shines from inside each of us, rooted in faith, hope and love?  Rooted in Christ!

"...for the JOY of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

May your joy this holiday season shine from the inside out, where it is not dependent upon gifts or goodies, parties or decorations, where people and circumstances can not diminish it.  May we start each day knowing that Christ's joy is always there for us, before we put one foot on the floor.  May it always be our choice.

XOXO....Kelly

 

The Thanksgiving Tree

I did something totally unprecedented this week.  I put up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving.  I have long been an advocate of waiting until after Thanksgiving to put up Christmas decorations.  We need Thanksgiving...the world is entirely too lacking in gratefulness.  But we bought a new tree this year and the box was just sitting there so I put it up.  I am grateful for it.  Does that count?

I actually think there's something very poetic about Thanksgiving wrapping up just as the Christmas season begins.  What better way to prepare for coming of Christ than with a heart full of thanks? 

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my savior
For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed
For the Mighty One has done great things for me--
Holy is his name.

I've said it before, I'll say it again.  If Mary can praise God as an unwed pregnant teenager surely I can muster up a couple of words myself.  The Mighty One has done great things indeed and in the name of Love sent His Son for my salvation.  This is a time for Thanksgiving for sure.

I shall enjoy my turkey and cranberry sauce this year in the glow of twinkling Christmas lights this year, remembering the reason for the season, and maybe I'll hang up some garland, too.  It was on sale at Michael's.  And I had a coupon!!  Thanks be to God!  Amen. 

XOXO....Kelly

   
 

The end of a chair-a.

We got rid of a chair this week.  And not just any chair.  My favorite chair.  I've actually gotten rid of it one time before this, but then I took it back.  It, along with a couch our dogs ate a hole in, was my first adult furniture purchase.  It was comfy and stylish and full of sentimental value.  It was also full of dog stink, so it had to go.  You wouldn't believe, though, how many times I walked by it until I finally worked up the courage to haul it to the curb.  Ask anyone in my family, I am not a pack rat.  So why is it so hard to let some stuff go?

When Joshua steps in to lead Israel, the walls of Jericho fall with great success.  But at Ai the Israelites are defeated.  Joshua falls to the ground in despair and cries out to God. 

"And the Lord said to Joshua, 'Stand up!  What are you doing down on your face?  Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep.  They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their possessions.  That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction."  Joshua 7:10-12

When Jericho fell the Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy all within the city and to keep away from the devoted things of its people.  A man named Achan, however, took in the plunder a beautiful robe, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold and hid them.  These things he coveted were standing in the way of God's power in His nation.

Do you know how much better my house smells without that chair?  As soon as it was gone I knew I had done the right thing.  But we get caught up in the having, forgetting that the power is in the letting go. 

Now, the world will not be made perfect if we all get rid of our smelly chairs, let go of the pants that don't fit us any more or the gallon-sized bag of troll dolls you found in the back of your closet (true story....ask Christi Thomas!!).  I believe in God's power and I believe it's bigger than all of these things in spite of ourselves.  Still, there's something to being "liable to destruction" instead of accountable to Christ.  What within or around you is standing in the way of you seeing God's power?  Maybe it's time to haul it to the curb.

   
XOXO...Kelly




  

I voted today.

Our pastor talked a little on Sunday about the balance between compassion and conviction, which got me thinking.  It's a hard balance indeed.  Today being an election day, personal politics are on the forefront of everyone's mind. 

How do I feel about certain political, social and economic issues?  And, when put to the test, am I willing to put my finances, my family, my actions behind those ideals? 

You see, no matter which side of the political coin you fall on, your vote is the first step in a greater call of action.  We have to believe enough to vote and then, once we do, we've got to act.  It's the freedom from that allows us the freedom to. 

And so it goes with our faith.  It's the freedom from sin that allows us the freedom to (as our pastor put it) finish what Christ started.  We are redeemed to bring others to redemption.

Jeremiah Busby was a criminal sentenced to 80 years in a state penitentiary.  By the age of 14 he had been convicted of two homicides.  When he entered prison he was told he would die there.  And, according to Jeremiah, he did.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor. 5:17  Jeremiah came to know Christ in prison, has since been released, and now works with a former warden in the Breaking Chains Making Amends Foundation, to bring other prisoners to the same light of Christ.

Redeemed to redeem.

Finish what Christ started.   

Freedom in Christ is not a free ride and the political freedom we enjoy in this country isn't one either.  Your vote matters.  Your actions matter even more.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.  Matthew 28:18-20

XOXO...Kelly


To learn more about the Breaking Chains Making Amends Foundation please visit their website at www.bcmafoundation.com or to hear Jeremiah's testimony please follow this link to Sunday's sermon at The Foundry UMC http://www.foundrychurch.org/worship/?mode=sermons and listen to 11/02/14.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz....

I was a drama kid in high school....in a good way.  I mean, I acted, performed in plays.  I had the time of my life doing it, taking on new roles, new costumes, new sets.  I remember the bond formed with fellow cast members, the kind that can only be formed after weeks and weeks together going over the same five scenes, missing lines and trying not to laugh.  So it was fun to see a few friends' children perform in CAPA's (Cypress Academy of Performing Arts) Wizard of Oz this month.  The kiddos were PRECIOUS and I imagine them getting to have some of the same fun I did back in high school. 

My own children have not spent a lot of time in the theater and they loved it.  Blake declared that it was just like regular movies "but with real people", and he was thrilled that candy and popcorn was available during "halftime".  If you've not seen a show recently find one.  There's something about live theater that you just can't get anywhere else.  I felt like I got a piece of my youth back just watching.

All that aside, the Wizard is an idiot.  You probably knew that, though.  He hides behind a curtain, has no real power, etc., etc., etc.  But it was his final words to the Tin Man that made me want to run up on stage and hug him and ask him what misguided person had given him such advice in his lifetime.  Bless his heart.

The line I'm referring to is, "A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others." 

Oh, sweet, stupid Wizard.  No it's not.

"You have heard that is was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  Matthew 5:43-48

Not everyone worth loving is going to love you back.  But we do our hearts and Christ's church a huge disservice when we choose to draw the line there.  It's true, the feeling of being liked and loved is a good one, a great one even.  I remember when Facebook first became popular.  Several of the kids in my youth group had a race to see who could get to 1000 friends first. 

But if you're waiting on popularity to make you complete you'll be waiting for a long time.

Perfect love is not easy love.  It means opening yourself up to someone who might not like you back.  Love is an action word, though, and love is as love does.  May our hearts follow suit.

XOXO....Kelly


  




 

 

The way, the truth, the life.

"Thomas said to him, 'Lord we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?'  Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.' "  John 14:6

Flashback to Sandy, UT circa 1993, Hilltop United Methodist Church.  A star was born.  My first singing gig in an exclusive worship group called Praise.  We had our own t-shirts and matching skirts.  It was kind of a big deal.  I had my first solo in a song called The Way, The Truth, The Life.  It was a combination of jaw-dropping vocals and amazing dance movements.   I blame/thank my parents for not owning a video camera.  Here's a photo of what life looked like then.

Anyway, the song is based on the lyrics of the above-referenced verse and would be burned into my youthful brain for years to come.  Sometimes God works like that.  He plants a seed He knows you'll need later when you're a little older and much wiser to appreciate it. 

THE WAY.  Fast-forward to January 2007.  I'm three weeks from the due date of our oldest son, Michael.  (My praise t-shirt and matching skirt does not fit any longer for very obvious reasons.)  In a freak, totally undeserved set of circumstances, Kevin loses his job.  He had only graduated from law school 9 months before and taken the bar exam a short time later.  I spent a good majority of the pregnancy praying that God would provide for us in such a way that I could stay home to raise our children.  I had a good job, but it was not what I wanted.  So when Kevin called with the news, I sat at the table in our tiny kitchen and dropped my head.  I prayed these words, "Lord, let there be a way."  And in that moment, the strangest peace came over me. 

THE TRUTH.  Michael was born on February 5.  Through sleepless nights with a newborn and new mama hormones I fought back the panic of our unknown future and simply tried to remember the peace I felt that afternoon at my kitchen table.  Kevin was doing contract work for a firm and enjoying it.  We had a number, the salary it would take for me to be able to stay home with the baby.  Everyday he went to work and everyday I prayed for God's providence.  I was due back to work on May 20.  On May 10 Kevin was offered a full time job with the firm he was doing contract work for.  The salary offer was the exact number we needed.

THE LIFE.  I've experienced a number of life-altering moments in my own lifetime, but none has had the impact on me that this one did.  Even as we rejoiced, we considered, should I still go back to work?  I mean, two salaries would be awfully nice and my job was really great.  But no one can serve both God and money.  And when you've spent the last 12 months praying for God to provide, and then He does it, you don't just hand it back.  At that point it became clear to me, for the first time ever, what it meant to live in God's will.  To rest, no matter how hard, no matter how tempted, in His peace. 

We all feel like Thomas and the disciples did from time to time.  Lost.  Unsure.  How will we know the way?  And that's why churches put groups of preteen heart-throbs together to remind you, in perfect harmony, of His word.  We know because HE IS. 

He is the Way. 
He is the Truth. 
He is the Life. 

And there's no other way around it. 

Whatever you're struggling with, have you handed it over to God yet?  And if He's answered, have you said yes?  There is peace for you, friends.  There is a Savior who loves you, sees you where you are and meets you where you're going.  I don't know this because I'm smart, because I'm good at singing or because I've got extra special connections with the Big Guy upstairs.  I know this because I made a commitment 7 1/2 years ago at my tiny kitchen table to trust in His way, to trust in His truth and to trust in His life. 

And now there's no other way around it. 

XOXO....Kelly


        

Do they see you coming?

My dad is a GOOD dad.  I mean, a really good dad.  He has always been a good dad, doing the things a good dad should do.  Like showing up to a late night play rehearsal when I was in high school and yelling at the director that we had no business being up at school at 9pm.*  Dude, he was pissed.  But he was right and none of the other parents were willing to do it.  We never had a rehearsal that late ever again.  (*It is with time and great maturity that I am able to appreciate this act of my father.  At the time I was just really, really embarrassed.) 

He was also prone to sending notes to school with us.  Like when he found something incorrect in a textbook.  "Dear Mrs. Soandso, Do you realize the graph on page 77 detailing oil and gas trends in the US across the last 5 years is inaccurate?  I'll assume this is not the sort of misinformation we want in our textbooks and ask that you please advise when we can expect a correction."

I am not kidding.

One time he stopped the school principal at open house to tell her the mascot paw was wrong.  THE PRINCIPAL.  He even brought a book with him to reference the correct anatomy.  To his credit, this is a bear paw print....

And this was the paw print of the mighty Fiest Elementary Bears....

I mean, really.  How could he not have said something?

I like to tease him that when our car pulled up in the parking lot the administration had to prepare themselves.  Especially if we had a note with us.  They could see him coming from a mile away.  He made no mystery of what he was about and still doesn't. 

And I love it.

"For I am not ashamed of the Good News about Jesus Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes."  Romans 1:16

Do they see you coming?  Do they know what you're about?  Is your love of mercy, of grace, of justice and peace so apparent that they know your Lord before you even open your mouth? 

Do you live your life unashamed of the truth in Jesus Christ?

Heavenly Father, there are so many things I can be today, so many places I can rest my identity.  Am I a mother?  A wife?  A neighbor?  When I approach others what do they see first?  Is my faith a mystery to others?  Is it ever a question what I stand for?  Please help me not to make it so.  Fill me with your spirit in such a way that today and everyday, Lord, they see You first.  Always You.  Amen.

XOXO....Kelly





 

It's not about you.

We've all been there.  Across the cash register from the grumpy clerk or customer.  Snapped at by a friend when we did not deserve it.  Believe me when I say, unless you're just the most unpleasant person on the face of the planet, whatever bad mood you've had to endure today, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

I realize that's a difficult pill to swallow.  Life should be fair.  Treatment should be just.  But it's not always that way.  Chances are whatever led the snap, the grump, the rude remark to come about, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

I worked at Einstein Bagels in college.  I stood next to a coworker one day, the morning after her husband walked out on her.  Do you know what mornings are like in a bagel shop?  Can you imagine what serving bagels and coffee to dozens and dozens and dozens of people first thing in the morning is like under the heartache of a broken marriage? 

I watched people rush, demand, frown at my coworker.  Was it their fault she was in a bad mood?  No, certainly not.  But then where is mercy?  Where is grace?  Aren't we better than that?  Aren't we bigger than demanding everyone treat us like sunshine and rainbows every second of the day?   

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,  'Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?  Up to seven times?'  Jesus answered, 'I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven!'"  Matthew 18:21-22

If the next thing out of your mouth is, "Well, I'm sorry he/she is having a bad day, but that still doesn't give him/her the right..." just stop it.  You are right.  No one has the right to be mean to you.  But for so many, at the heart of their struggle, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

So try to be nice.  Try to smile anyway.  There's no reason to be personally offended by something that really has nothing to do with you.  And you never really know what's going on, on the other side of the cash register.

XOXO....Kelly

Second grade is killing me!!!

Aaaaahhhhh!  Second grade is killing me!!  We're only 20 days in.  Okay, okay.  We're only 20 days in.  But suddenly my sweet little baby has 2 teachers, 3 subjects of homework, quizzes and actual grades!  Where did first grade go?  Can we go back there?  I liked first grade.  It seemed so manageable, so friendly.  Look at this face.  Who could want to make life hard for this face?!

It's not like I didn't see this coming.  I have memories of second grade myself, which I actually attended at the same school Michael is in right now.  I know what it's like to start something new, something challenging.  And while I walk him to school in the morning and tuck him into bed at night saying wonderfully supportive and encouraging things in my head I'm all like, "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!  We're going to fail 2nd grade!" 

And now deep breaths. 

Of course we're not going to fail 2nd grade.  Our school is wonderful.  Our teachers are wonderful.  Michael is wonderful.  But don't you sometimes just feel so inadequate?  Like you are suddenly totally unprepared for what's in front of you?  It's not just about kids either.  It's the illness you didn't see coming, the family drama tearing you apart, the change in circumstances, relationships and jobs. 

Life is freakin' hard sometimes.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed.
Perplexed, but not in despair.
Persecuted, but not abandoned.
Struck down, but not destroyed.  II Cor 4:8-9

When Paul wrote this he spoke of the believer as having "treasure in jars of clay".  That is, the love and power of God within us not because of anything we did, but because of who God is.  We are only vessels, fragile and breakable, like a jar made of clay.  It's what God has put inside of us that makes us worthy, that makes us strong.  That allows us to endure.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  II Cor 4:8-9, 1-18

We are but jars of clay and what we are up against, be it 2nd grade or anything else, could easily shatter us. 

But. It. Won't.

For what God has in store for us is far outweighs it all. 

I love you, sweet Michael.  I'm going to have a glass of wine now, darling, and a good night's sleep and you and me and Jesus....we're gonna tackle this 2nd grade thing tomorrow.  I promise.

XOXO.....Kelly


 

Why I think "living without regret" is a silly thing to say.

I'll never forget the day one a young teenager told me she had decided to live life from this point forward without regretting anything.  I'm sure I smiled and nodded at the time, but what I really wanted to say was GOOD LUCK.  She's young, I thought.  She'll learn.  But then there are a whole lot of grown adults out there saying the same thing.

There are easy enough ways to avoid regret.  For example, I know I will not regret putting off folding the laundry to read my son a bedtime story.  But then there are the decisions that you feel absolutely convicted about at the time you make them that turn out to be the wrong ones.  Like when you are sure the seafood salad at Subway is a good idea, but it turns out to taste like actual, literal garbage instead.  No?  That hasn't happened to anyone else?  What about the relationship you ended or the job you turned down?   

To live without regret is to disregard our need for God's grace in our lives, to presuppose we have a clue about the larger picture of His plan.  God's word is full of reminders to look forward and not back, but we have to acknowledge our mistakes, that despite our best efforts and most careful planning we don't have all the answers. 

We are going to do lots of dumb things, suffer all sorts of loss, make all sorts of mistakes.  We're too human not to.  We can't dwell on them, fixate over them, let them define us (see previous blog entry about my awesome advice to "get over it").  But regret reminds us that we are human, we cannot do it alone and we need God's grace to move forward.  Only then can God take your regret and transform it, making beauty from ashes.      

So if your motto for living is "live each day without regret" just knock it off.  Maybe try "live each day in God's grace" or "live each day doing the best you can and learning from your mistakes" or "I will try not to do anything stupid today" instead.  Or no motto at all!  I don't know.  As our pastor reminded us a few weeks ago, the only thing we can be sure of on any given day is God's presence with us and His love for us.  That's motto enough for me.

XOXO....Kelly
 

I cleaned out the garage!!

A little DIY carpentry project with my good friend Jennifer (check out her blog at http://www.stilllivingthedream.com/ as she is mucho awesome) led to an entire afternoon of cleaning the garage.  I swept, dusted, threw away, reorganized and decluttered. When I was done all I could think was, "I guess we'll never be able to use the garage again."  It was just so clean!  When the boys came in and threw their scooters down all haphazard and willy-nilly I almost lost it!  Could they not see the new and clearly designated scooter parking zone?  Seriously!!

I have to admit this is not the first time I've had this feeling.  I also tend to get this way when I clean bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, bedrooms, the linen closet.  You know, like let's just go ahead and move to the fort out back so none of this stuff I spent all this time cleaning gets messed up.

Yes, I know.  It's stupid.

And it brings to mind this scripture. 

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical need, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17

We have to clean out the garage from time to time.  It's a good thing (less you have recently read the Mary and Martha scripture and think that means don't clean your house...don't even get me started on that one!!).  We have to tend to our faith, nurture it, let it grow.  Go to church, study scripture.  But then we've got to use it!!  James says, "You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that--and shudder" (v. 19).  Your faith simply can not stop at a belief or what is there to separate you from even the Evil one?  Anyone can believe.  But when our faith and actions work together, our faith is made complete (v. 22). 

Put to good use the things you spend so much time tending to.  In your schools, in your neighborhood, at your workplace.  Put your faith into action.  Your life is not a museum.  Don't live it like one. 

XOXO...Kelly

When there's room for improvement....

In a recent discussion about health and physical fitness, Kevin and I both agreed we have room for improvement.  He wants to eat less carbs and get back into running.  I've resolved to stop eating an entire bag of Buccee's Beaver Nuggets in one sitting.  I know, I know.  We should probably market our new plan.  We'd make millions, but then I'm afraid of what all that money would do to the character of our family.  So in the meantime we'll just consider this a public service and offer this advice to everyone for free. 

You're welcome.

Is there really anything I can point to in my life right now that doesn't have a little room for improvement?  Let's see....

Parenting. 

Nope, looks good there.

 

 

Housework.

 

This is going to look really good when I get finished, so we'll go ahead and put a checkmark by that one as well.

 

Personal appearance.  I have managed a shower almost every day this week.  Not once have I forgotten to brush my teeth.  And then there's my fashion sense.

 

Check. 

 

The kids recently asked me if we could add a spoiler and some racing stripes to the minivan, you know, to make it look cooler.  As if there was any way a white Dodge Grand Caravan could possibly be cooler.  So I'll give myself a check minus there.  But beyond that I think we're covered. 

 

Oh, except for the days when I'm not covered and need this reminder.

 

"Praise the Lord...His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."  Psalm 147

 

Lord be with me on the days that I need to remember that my horses (or horsepower!!) and legs are what they are.  Is there always room for improvement?  Absolutely.  Is there anything wrong with working to make things better?  Not at all.  But God's delight does not rest  here.  His delight comes from the condition of our hearts no matter what the outside of us looks like.

 

I know some people doing amazing things, life-transforming things.  Friends and family members that have lost staggering amounts of weight, fought their way back from depression and anxiety, stepped into the role of a single parent, taken on a new career, overcome bad habits.  Praise God for his work in you!  You are worth the hard work it takes to get there, every bit of it.  Keep up the good work, even after the days that you fall completely off the wagon.  Rest in the assurance that He who began a good work in you will see it through to completion. Phil 1:6  God's love for you is unfailing, and nothing delights him more than those who would receive it today.

 

Receive it, friends.  Receive it. 

 

(I mean, can you believe you're reading this for free?  Again, you're welcome.) 

 

XOXO....Kelly

 

 

 



8-minute miles

Isn't it curious the things we hold on to sometimes?  Like when I was training for the 1/2 marathon back in the winter.  I was obsessed with being too slow.  I couldn't believe that I couldn't beat an 11 minute mile.  I mean, I used to be able to run an 8 minute mile.  In seventh grade.  But somehow my mind totally ignored the fact that was 31 years ago and I was actually upset not to have run faster.

Last night I dreamt about a friend from high school I have not thought about in years.  An incident was brought to mind that I had nearly forgotten about, but now can't seem to stop dwelling on.  It's like the last 14 years haven't happened at all.  My feelings are right back where they were in high school. 

Now for those of you that know me well, this is truly ironic.  I've often remarked what a terrible therapist I would because the only real advice I'm capable of giving anyone is GET OVER IT.  Not entirely thoughtful is it?  I have zero tolerance for baggage and people that choose to carry it.  And yet, here I sit, suddenly burdened by what was a blink in time for my teenage self.  Why such a dream at such a time?  Oh, where is Joseph and his coat of many colors when I need him??

Paul gives this encouragement in Philippians.  "....I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." 

In other words, get over it. 

It doesn't matter what happened yesterday.  Christ Jesus has taken hold of you.  You are redeemed.  You are a new creation.  His love does not erase your past.  It brings you up and out of it and beyond it, for He is greater than that which is in this world. 

Maybe I've never forgiven my friend.  Maybe I've never forgiven myself.  Maybe I've got to stop letting little boys and dachshunds wake me up all night and actually get some rest. 

But one thing is for certain.  Christ has taken hold of me.  Whatever the future holds He is already there.  To look back is to move away from the prize for which God has called me heavenward, to move away from all the He has in store for me.  I'm not who I once was, way back in high school or in seventh grade.  And, frankly, thank God for that!!

XOXO....Kelly

Praying

I'm praying for someone today who doesn't believe, but who could really use God's comfort and peace right now.  I'm praying despite all of her doubts and misgivings and cynicism because God is way bigger than any of that stuff could ever be.  I'm praying that He would reach down to her and maybe this time she'll reach back.  I'm praying because it's too important not to.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I shall fear no evil
For you are with me.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23

Praying for you, friend. 
XOXO....Kelly

They said it was daft to build a castle on a swamp!

I sang a JJ Heller song, "Your Hands", this weekend in church.  The chorus starts with this line....

When my world is shaking, Heaven stands.

See, we have this Lego castle.  It's got 15,970 pieces and takes a little over 4 days to construct.  I'm exaggerating.  A little.  But it's definitely one of those structures that, once complete, should get "the kra*gle" (super glue in case you've not seen the Lego Movie).  We haven't gotten that far over here so, Kevin and I have rebuilt the Lego castle a good 7 times since the boys got it at Christmas.

It's sort of like that scene in Monty Python....

We will probably continue to rebuild this castle until the boys leave for college.  Then we'll get a break for a  few years until our kids have kids of their own and then it will start all over again. 

How many other things have I rebuilt over and over and over again?  My attitude, my behavior, my parenting skills, my finances, my health.  Starting over and over and over, bound and determined to get it right, because when everything else falls and crumbles and fails, Heaven stands. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God.  Not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:8-9

It's the only reason the rebuilding is even worth it.  Despite all of our failings and missteps, God makes us worth it.  Is it hard sometimes?  Yes.  Maddening?  Frustrating?  Exhausting?  Yes, yes and yes.  But try we must because for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.  His grace is ready, His glory is waiting.

They said it was daft to build a castle on a swamp. 
But I built it just the same. 
Just to show 'em.

XOXO....Kelly

Being Still

My mom’s childhood church stories are some of the funniest.  She is one of five kids and both of her parents sang in the church choir, leaving the children to sit unattended during the service.  And with all that freedom they couldn't help themselves.  They rolled up the offering envelopes and pretended to smoke them like cigarettes, waited for a quiet moment to ruffle the hymnal pages and slam the book shut and rolled marbles down the church aisle from the back of the sanctuary.  My uncle and his friend licked the communion wafers and stick them to their foreheads.  It didn’t matter how hard my grandparents glared from the choir loft or how bad the punishment was when they got home.  It’s a wonder that all five of them have grown up with a love of worship and rightness with God!  You would have thought my grandparents would have thrown in the towel, but it was clearly more than just good discipline practice at work.  It was God’s grace.  Somewhere, in the midst of all those shenanigans, a seed was planted.  God’s grace allowed it to grow.

I’m sharing this because this morning I grumbled at my child during church.  I wanted him to listen and learn and appreciate, not draw on the back of the bulletin and try to lay down in the pew.  But somewhere inside my heart I felt the Lord say, Be still. 

Be still and know that I am God.  Be still and know that I am faithful.  And relax! Sew the seeds I’ve given you and let my infinite grace do amazing things.

As our pastor, Lynda Zelenka, likes to say, Lord, put me aside.  Put aside my pride and my prejudice.  Put aside my weariness and my aggravation.  Put aside the things that bind me to this earth and let instead your glory shine through.  Let your grace water the seeds we are so humbled to plant for you.  Let your grace allow us to grow.

XOXO....Kelly

And, P.S., God's seed can't grow if you don't plant it in the first place.  Get your kids to church. Get yourself to church!! Pass it on. 

How to Build a Family of Champions

Zachary recently learned to swim and a ride a bike on his own, big milestones indeed!  To celebrate he got a trip to Menchie's and picked out a new toy at Target.  On the way home Blake announced that he couldn't wait for his next reward, which he intends to collect after learning to whistle.  That's right.  Whistling.  Blake wasn't born without lips, so as I was trying to figure out why a feat such as whistling might be reward-worthy, my mind flashed to the image of this ribbon he recently won at a swim meet...

Yes, you're reading that right.  It says 14th place.  This ribbon might be cool if there were like 750 swimmers in the competition.  I think there were 30.  Someone, somewhere at the Acme Ribbon Company is planning a very exotic vacation right now from their fancy new sports car because they are making a KILLING on sporting awards.

It's not that I'm not proud of my kids.  Did I squeal in delight when they first learned to sit up/crawl/walk?  Of course.  I've not seen a performance yet of Lowery Elementary's hit Kindergarten program "How Does Your Garden Grow?" that hasn't brought tears to my eyes.  I'm just wondering if 14th place and rewards for whistling might be taking it a bit too far.

It's not that I'm a hugely competitive person.  Ask me how many sports I played as a kid.  I signed up for dance because of the recital costumes.  When I learned you had to also dance in a recital I quit.  And frankly I think there is way too much meanness in the world.  We need to build each other up.  We need to promote and protect the sanctity of life, the preciousness of God's creation. 

But it can't come from a ribbon.

If we don't know that we are special, that our lives matter, no amount of frozen yogurt and sporting trophies are going to fix that.  If we don't see ourselves as God sees us, beyond what any new car or house or cell phone or clothing label could possibly do for us, then we are sunk.  And what hope do our kids have? 

You matter.  And not because of your job performance or place in society or athletic prowess or your ability to whistle the entire Battle Hymn of the Republic in four part harmony.  You matter because you are God's creation, fearfully and wonderfully made, so treasured that He sent His only son to die on the cross that we would have life eternally with Him.  The things that matter, the things that count have nothing to do with how fast you run, swim, walk or bike, how much money you make or the people you know.  His glory is there for each one of us, that we might be the light of the world, the best kind of champion. 

It doesn't come from a ribbon.  It never will. 

XOXO....Kelly
   

 

It's okay to draw a line.

Saturday concluded my two oldest sons' first season on our neighborhood swim team.  We have had so much fun on this new adventure, but let me just say we are tired!!  Not that I didn't see this coming.  When you sign up for an activity that requires 4 practices a week on top of everything else you have going on you know you're going to be tired.  And so out came the lines....

"The lines" are little safeguards I put in place, promises I make to myself to keep my priorities on track and my joy intact.  For example, I don't buy dyed bridesmaid shoes.  I will lovingly stand beside any sister or friend in their wedding.  I will have my hair done.  I will buy the dress.  But I will not pay $60 for uncomfortable dyed shoes.  I'd rather be in a good mood on your wedding day. 

I also don't buy baseball pants for t-ball games at the YMCA.  When everyone on the team can make it through a season without crying (my kids included) we'll talk.  Until then, no.  I draw the line.

Some of my other lines include homemade baked goods (baking stresses me out), birthday presents that cost more than $20 (everyone has too much crap anyway), monogrammed sports shirts and buttons with my kids' faces on it (again with the crying....).  It's not because I see anything wrong with this stuff, but life is short and, frankly, it's okay not to do everything.  It's okay to draw a line, to say no thank you.  It's okay to want to enjoy something without all the optional extra's getting in the way.  And it's okay if your lines aren't the same as someone else's. 

I read something recently about joy, the kind of pure, unfailing joy that comes from a life with Christ, that does not depend on our circumstances, but on our assurance in Him.  Oh, how precious that joy is, how absolutely necessary it is to preserve it.  There are so many things that cross our path, fill our days, rob our thoughts.  But steal my joy?  That's where I draw the line. 

Of course, some lines move......  :)

 XOXO....Kelly

Speak Life.

Like most kids, mine like to put their toes on the line every once in a while.  You know, see what they can get away with before Kevin and I shut it down.  For a good month it was burping and farting at the table.  We started making them pay a fine every time they did it.  Then it was trying to order Coke when we went out to eat.  They didn't get very far with that one.  And now it's the word "butt".  I know, you should pick your battles with kids, but I can't stand hearing little kids say the word "butt".  It sounds so crude.  And, no, I don't care that there are worse words they could be saying.  We don't let them get away with smacking each other on the face just because it's better than stabbing each other.  So, anyway, no butts. 

You should see their faces when one of them lets it slip out.  They give me this sort of side look with raised eyebrows like they're daring me to get on to them.  Which I do, of course.  With soap.

But it can be hard to explain language choices to kids.  Is the word offensive or is it just annoying?  How come some jokes are okay sometimes but not others?  How can it be that bad if everyone else is saying it?  Oh, the devil is indeed in the details. 

There's a Toby Mac song called "Speak Life", and when "because I said so" or "would you say that in front of Jesus?" doesn't work that's really the best way to sum it up.

Our words can be so powerful.  Imagine if we used that power for good, to bring light and life to others.  It's not really about whether something qualifies as a curse word or not.  And, holy cow, it is NOT about freedom of speech.  We always have a choice.  Why make a bad one just because you can?  No, it's about whether we are honoring God with what comes out of our mouths. 

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.  Show me the words that bring healing, that bring comfort, that bring life to your people.  And when I am tempted to head another way, kindly put some soap in my mouth......  Amen.

XOXO....Kelly

The Man on the Street

My husband, Kevin, is one of those people that could talk to a fencepost.  It's one of my favorite things about him, his instant ease with people.  When we first started dating I was in awe that he could hang out with my family and not need me constantly at his side.  So when the homeless man on the corner called out to him as he walked by, of course Kevin stopped to talk to him.  After a few seconds of conversation the man asked Kevin if he was a Christian.  "Yes," he said. 

"I could tell," said the man.  "I can tell by the way you're treating me.  I've been sitting here all day and you are the first person that's bothered to make eye contact and talk with me."

St. Francis of Assisi said to preach the gospel at all times and use words only when necessary.  I watched over 80 middle school students be Confirmed at our church yesterday morning.  I think of all the things they've been learning over the last several months, the Bible verses they've memorized.  Will it show?  When they go to school this morning or step out into the sun this summer, will it show?

What about my own life?  Does it show?  I am living the will of God so rightly that I needn't even use words to explain it?  Maybe some days, but probably not most days.  If it had been me passing that man on the street I might have smiled.  I might have said hello.  I know I wouldn't have stopped to talk.  And all of the goodness God could have shown that man through me would have stopped right there. 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God....For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved.  Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."  1 Cor 10:31,33, 11:1. 

Not a word today, God.  Help me not to use a single world.

XOXO.....Kelly

Mercy

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet as without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  Hebrews 4:15-16

Mercy comes in funny forms sometimes.  Like on Wednesday this week when Zachary threw up in my newly cleaned van.  Miraculously and mercifully it all landed on the floor mat, which was easy to take out and clean off.  Does the great Lord in heaven have much larger, pressing issues to deal with than the direction of a 4-year-old's throw up?  Probably so.  But it was 6:30 in the evening, everyone was tired, everyone was hungry, Zachary felt awful.  Whatever my need was in that moment, God's mercy met it.  He who counts every sparrow also knows every hair on my head, and how much more valuable am I than a sparrow?  (Luke 12:6-7).  Nothing is overlooked in God's mercy.

And as such, this was one occasion where this tired mother of four did not have to pull the car over to scream and cry.  This week..... 

XOXO...Kelly

Hang on for the whisper....

I prayed a lot before I started up this blog.  I wanted it to be inspirational.  I wanted it to be honest.  I wanted, most of all, for it to be to God's glory.  And so each time I come to the computer to write I ask for His blessing and His guidance in my words.  I am very careful to avoid a soapbox, which is VERY hard.  I want my words to come from a good place, not a spirited rant brought on by whoever cut me off in the Walmart parking lot this morning. 

But this has not been one of those weeks.  It's like every thought in my head has bloomed out of irritation.  It all started with the license plate frame on the BMW in front of me in traffic Monday.  "I'm not spoiled....I'm blessed."  Oh, please.  I hope it was custom-made and there's not in fact someone out there producing those in mass quantities so that more than one doofus can proudly display that message.  Then there were pictures for swim team (no, I do not need a mock trophy with their pictures on it), someone wants money to monogram my son's YMCA shirt (NO!!), the book fair is selling toys (don't we have enough novelty erasers already?), a dozen ridiculous Facebook posts. Oh, great.  Now there's something in my eye...

With hardly any effort, any one of these annoyances could have easily been turned into a preachy, judgmental excerpt on righteous living.  But that's not why I'm here. 

So, I take a deep breath.  I visualize my sharp edges softening.  I turn my heart once more to God and ask Him to enter in.  He's more than willing to fight my battles for me, but not if I don't hand them over first. 

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written; 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'  No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39

Don't let the license plate frame on the car in front of you take you away from God's glory today.  It may seem like the devil is shouting for your attention and God's voice is only a whisper.  Take a deep breath.  A shout is not near as endurable as a whisper and certainly no where near as pleasant.  Something to think about when you're getting ready to mount your own soapbox...

Ask Him to enter in.  There's no other place He'd rather be.

XOXO...Kelly

His Name

Our youngest son, Parker, is going through a big mama phase.  Don't laugh if you know him because the phase pretty much started when he was born.  I am sure he will eventually grow out of it and I will someday miss his little face at my side everywhere I go.  But for now......



The other morning I kept a tally.  Parker said "Mama" 68 times in the first hour he was awake.  Sixty. Eight.  I am not kidding.  Sometimes he is asking for something.  Sometimes he wants to tell me something.  Sometimes he just wants me to look at him.  Sometimes he doesn't seem to want anything at all, just to say my name and know that I am there.

Wonder what it would look like if the Lord kept tally on me?  Lord, I need....  Lord, I want....  Lord, will you...  Lord, can you...  Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord....  Hi.

Jesus.

His name is powerful.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Philippians 2:9-11   

His name sustains me. 

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."  John 14:13

His name protects me. 

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

His name saves me. 

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name."  John 20:31. 

How many times have I come to His name and let it carry me?  Sometimes I ask for something.  Sometimes I want to tell Him something.  Sometimes I just want Him to look on me.  Sometimes I don't want anything at all but to just say His name and know that He is there.

And He is.

 

XOXO....Kelly

Martha, Martha, Martha.....

I take pride in my home and the way it looks.  And you know what happens when you start to be prideful.....God sends a tennis racket flying through your window and gives your kids an entire Lego castle kingdom with 450million pieces.  Give or take.

It's really only been the last year that the boys have started to be a little destructive around here.  Not really even destructive so much as hurricane-like.  They are home 10 minutes from school and the living room is covered in shoes, toy guns and throw pillows.  How did that happen so fast?  It's definitely been a test in patience for me, and in balance.  Yes, I like the blankets folded, but perhaps I can put up with them in piles on the floor until the end of the day when we put everything back where it belongs.  Or sure, it's nice to have sand actually in the sandbox, but it's really not hurting anything piled up at the end of the slide. 

Lately I've been a little less than short on patience and a huge failure in the balance department.  The Mary and Martha story has been popping up in my head.  You know, the one where Jesus comes to have dinner at their house and Martha complains because Mary isn't helping and Jesus tells her to chill because Mary's chosen better. 

"Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."  Luke 10:41

I hate the Mary and Martha story. 

I feel like Martha gets a bad rap.  What were they going to eat if Martha didn't cook something?  Well, I guess it was Jesus.  He probably could have whipped up some fish and bread.  And wine!!!

But in all seriousness, I don't think it was cooking and cleaning that got Martha into trouble and, as someone who takes pride in her own home, I'd like to set the record straight.  It's not the cooking and cleaning that get you.  It's the lack of joy that goes into it.

Being raised in the south, hospitality is an art form and a gift.  I have been in many homes where the food is cooked, the table is decorated and the bathrooms are clean.  And I've felt as welcome and relaxed as in my own home.  It's the feeling of being truly welcomed, like all the effort to prepare the house and feed you meant nothing compared to the joy of having you there.  I don't think it mattered that Martha was cooking and cleaning and Mary was not.  I think it was that Martha's spirit was devoid of the joy that should have accompanied a guest such as Jesus in her home. 

So I look around my own house and I make a new deal with myself.  If I cannot cook and cannot clean and cannot organize, decorate and renovate without a little joy in my heart then I shall not do it at all.  My husband works hard.  I will not groan to make sure he has clean towels.  My boys will only be little for so long.  I will not scream for the toys that ensure their childhood remains in tact as it should.  After all, Jesus isn't only a guest in our home.  He lives here, too.  And what else but joy can I have for that?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

1 Thessalonians 5:16

How to Replace a Broken Window

Not all home repairs require a skilled (and some time expensive) handyman.  Fixing a broken window is something you can easily tackle yourself.

Step 1--Google "how to fix a broken window."  The internet is full of helpful videos.  Watch a couple until you decide surely you can do this project on your own.  Then browse Pinterest for a while to decide which awesome home project you're going to do next once you get this window thing out of the way.

Step 2--Load up the children and drive to your local hardware store to get supplies.  You'll need a hardware store that also sells candy, sodas and ice cream 'cause that's what you need to get two small boys in and out of a hardware store. 

Step 3--Drive home with supplies.  Attempt to explain for the 14th time to your 4 year old why he can't have his popsicle in the car and must wait until he gets home.

Step 4--Get home.  Hand out ice cream and chips to the kids so they'll be occupied enough that you can start on the window. 

Step 5--Wearing safety glasses and gloves, remove any remaining glass in the frame.  Stop frequently to shoo away dogs and rinse off the dropped popsicles. 

Step 6--After the window frame is free of all glass and old adhesive, get out the new glass and discover it is 1/8 of an inch too big. 

Step 7--Load up the children for a second trip to the hardware store.  Drive through McDonald's for cheeseburgers since the popsicles and chips didn't really fill them up and this project has already taken 1 hour longer than you anticipated. 

Step 8--Arrive at hardware store and walk all the way to the glass cutting aisle again just as your four year old needs to go to the bathroom.  Walk all the way back to the bathroom.

Step 9--While waiting outside the bathroom have your 1 1/2 year old break your pane of glass.

Step 10--Acquire a new piece of glass, pay and get the heck home before anyone needs to pee again or break anything else.

Step 11--After all children are down for naps and quiet time set to work on the window again.  Spread new adhesive in the frame, set the glass in and set the trim around it.  Threaten all dogs and children within an inch of their lives should they mess with said window again. 

Step 12--Realize you never ate breakfast or lunch and might pass out.  Raid the candy basket for a handful of mini Snickers bars.  Yesssss...... 

See?  Piece of cake.  Why don't I attempt more home projects like this?  Do you know how much a handyman quoted me to fix the window?  $175.  Do you know how much the glass and adhesive ended up costing?  $9.  That's a savings of $166, which I'll later need for therapy and a good massage.  Still, it feels good to accomplish something.

How many times do we set out in our spiritual lives to do something we thought would be a breeze?  Join the choir?  Sure!  I did about a year ago.  I love to sing.  Ask me how many practices I've made?  Between the kids and Kevin's work schedule and everything else that comes up I average probably 1-2 a month.  The fact is, serving God would be really easy if all the other stuff wouldn't get in the way.  But then it's all the other stuff that reminds us why we need to do it in the first place.

Life is full of distraction, now more than ever.  Illness, HOME REPAIRS, school, work.  Doing the work yourself may take more time than you thought, be harder than you thought, seem like more trouble than you thought, but do it anyway!!  Because it's not about the money you save in the process.  It's that at the end of the day sitting back while someone else teaches your kids Sunday school class, takes meals to the elderly couple, organizes the egg hunt, serves as a greeter, etc., etc., etc. is doing NOTHING for you.  It's like watching Richard Simmons sweat to the oldies while you eat popcorn on the couch.  While you work outwardly, the Holy Spirit is working inwardly.

To quote the sermon in church this weekend, "what you do matters".  So do it.  Broken, distracted, tired, angry or just plain full of joy!!  In the name of Jesus Christ, do it. 

XOXO...Kelly

I hate technology.

I hate technology. 

 



I have broken some new technological ground for myself lately which includes joining Twitter and obtaining a smart phone.  Every time I do something new like this I think about the first time I had a cell phone and the first time we had a computer.  I was in high school.  We mostly played solitaire on it.  I'll spare you the "we didn't need all that stuff in my day" speech and just go ahead and say I don't think technology is inherently bad.  You can make a phone call almost anywhere you need to.  That's fantastic!  My washing machine has like a million settings.  But the amount of maintenance and repair that's been happening around here lately has me thinking.  When did all this stuff designed to serve our lives with efficiency became something we started to serve instead??

"What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."  James 4:1-3

The pressure to upgrade is everywhere.  Remember pagers?  A lot of my friends in high school had them.  Why??!!  None of them were doctors.  And have you seen how much a new car cost these days?  When Kevin and I bought our current minivan I wanted as basic a model as possible.  I wanted it paid off as quickly as possible and I didn't want to panic about what little boys were going to do to nice seats and all sorts of technology.  Kevin and I like to joke that we are going to drive the thing into the ground.  This van serves our needs.  Not our desires.   

People are smart and the world is full of lots of cool stuff.  But when it takes more effort and money to keep up a cell phone than it does to cook dinner I draw the line.  Maybe I'll look into one of those JitterBug phones they advertise on daytime television.  Or some homing pigeons.  Kevin loves birds... 

XOXO....Kelly

   



  

How to Run a Marathon (well...half of one)

Looking for something to do to keep active?  Running is a great way to stay in shape, set a fitness goal for yourself and determine which one of you is in better shape--you or your running partner.  Kevin and I ran the Armadillo Dash, a half marathon in College Station this weekend, which was my Christmas present to him.  If you're looking to sign up for something like this yourself, here are a few guidelines on what to expect during your race.

Mile 1--Don't be late.  We were late.  We had to speed walk from the truck to the starting line.  No time for stretching or pre-race meditation.  Now I am totally thrown off my game.  My muscles are tight, my head is all over the place. Why is everyone looking at me??!!  Is that a photographer?  This was a stupid Christmas present.  Next year he's totally getting some new pants.

Mile 2--Oh, good.  A port-a-potty.  That's better.

Mile 3--I've fallen into a comfortable pace.  All initial stiffness has worked its way out.  There's a slight drizzle falling from the sky.  It's not enough to really soak anything, but enough to keep me cool.  This is actually quite pleasant!

Mile 4--People are handing out Gatorade.  Yum!  Also, there's a group handing out beer and mimosas.  We did not partake, but these people have noticed the matching running outfits I bought for Kevin and I.  I knew they would be worth it!  We look awesome!

Mile 5--We are awesome!  Running is awesome!  This day is awesome!

Mile 6--Our family has appeared to cheer us on!  I could run forever fueled by nothing but my boys' sweet smiles!  And more Gatorade!  This cheering team is wearing fun and festive Hawaiian gear.  It's like being on vacation!  The awesomeness continues!

Mile 7--Oh crap.  A hill. 

Mile 8--The hill continues and they've placed another photographer at the top of it.  Who puts a photographer halfway through the run at the top of a hill??!!  This is stupid. 

Mile 9--Running back down the hill now.  This is much better.  My ankles are starting to get a little sore, but I am ignoring it.  Only 4 more miles to go.  Some lovely people are handing out more Gatorade and water.  God bless them.  God bless everyone!

Mile 10--A second appearance by family.  What a great pick up!  We're in the home stretch now!

Mile 11--Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!  Something in my knee and thigh has given way.  I am in pain!  Also, the course has turned to run parallel to the highway.  We are running up hill along the access road and there is a lot of traffic.  If I die here so many people will witness it.  Did someone just honk at me??

Mile 12--The pain continues.  Now I'm just mad.  Some people from a church are handing out gummy bears with their water and Gatorade and offering prayers of hope.  Forget the hope.  These had better be magic freaking gummy bears.

Mile 13--I'll be a monkey's uncle if I am going to cross the finish line walking.  The power of the magic gummy bears begins to take over and I am running again.  My foot hurts and I think it might fall off, but I am running!!  There's my family and there's the finish line.  We are done!!  They are handing out medals and water and more Gatorade and my children think we won something.  At this point it has started to rain.  I don't even care.  We are done!!

Ah, running.  I do think I like it now.  Maybe not enough to do another half marathon, but maybe so.  It's good to have a challenge, but then again most of us run a marathon everyday (well, not literally).  Some miles are good ones.  Some are uphill the entire way. 

Christ before me, the world behind me.  Head toward the cross, friends, because no matter what the miles are like in between, it is so sweet to finish.  It doesn't matter what tries to get in the way.  PUSH THROUGH. 

Is it money?  Is it appearance?  A relationship?  Your health?  Your job?  Your faith?

You are loved, friends.  PUSH THROUGH.

You are worthy.  PUSH THROUGH.

You are saved.  PUSH THROUGH.

Halfway between mile 8 and mile 9 I said the same prayer I've said a load of other times in my life.  "God, I know the only way is through this.  Get me through this!"  The screaming toddler fit, the pain of an injury, unpleasant confrontation, grief, madness, sadness.  You name it.  He pushes you through. 

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" 2 Cor 4:8,9.  For "though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me." Psalm 138:7

You are loved, you are worthy, you are saved, friends.  Push through.

XOXO...Kelly