in between:)

Friends,

I have decided to step back from writing weekly for FredParent. I just need to take some time to discern what God wants for me and to listen to where He is leading me. I will continue to write, for sure, just not on a weekly basis.

Christmas has just passed and, incredible, another new year is upon us. One day, I'll stop being so surprised at how fast time flies... maybe. I'm always amazed by this, so who knows? Tommy may very well have me convinced of a time continuum. Crazy, I know.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. I felt overwhelmingly blessed by friends and family. I so enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus. My Savior. My King.

have a happy day!

Looks like

             

     

Sometimes, love looks like two ten plus hour drives in one month:) each way, mind you. Love is doing. It is an action. 

                      

    

Sometimes, love is physical. I have three, well, arguably four physical touch peeps in my family. That's their love language so, sometimes love is holding, and petting, and hugging, and back scratching.

                         

   

Sometimes, love is just sitting, listening, and watching. 

                        

         

Sometimes, love means stopping what I am doing and joining in- whatever that may be.

I am thankful. I am grateful. Love is patient, kind, and brave.

Breathe

                                        

I know this about myself: November and December always spike my anxiety levels. I'm guessing this has to do with the desire to please, the added expenses of fancy food and gift giving, and the extra organizational challenges of decorating and keeping secrets (gifts and such). 

This is my favorite season, and the most stressful. It's kind of like having a newborn- it's the most precious time, it goes by so fast, and it's so exhausting.

So, I breathe. I pray instead of meditating (in the traditional sense), because the value of quiet time and meditating- on Christ, for me- are immeasurable. 

Breathe, pray, and focus on being mindful on the moments happening right now. This season I am trying very hard to be mindful and present and to not be so distracted by the stress side of things. Stress is a hard hurdle to get around, I know. I'll keep trying, though.

                         

Another... Another, I know... catch up post to link all my musings together:)

http://bit.ly/2ygzkFr

http://bit.ly/2gJ85Zj

http://bit.ly/2xrRROB

http://bit.ly/2xpPkDz

http://bit.ly/2x6kRu7

Love deeply, Kristen:)

catch ups again...

A few catch up posts from my writing over at FredParent. I love writing, and I'm really trying to discern if I should write more formally. I'm always wondering what if... what if... what if...


http://fredericksburgparent.net/blogs/we-re-all-a-little-mad-here/3838-present-moments

http://fredericksburgparent.net/blogs/we-re-all-a-little-mad-here

http://fredericksburgparent.net/blogs/we-re-all-a-little-mad-here/4207-what-s-old-is-new-again

http://fredericksburgparent.net/blogs/we-re-all-a-little-mad-here/4183-bucket-lists

It's not over, and I know the ending❤️🙏🏻🌎

Rainy days and Mondays...

                        

      

In a world where we have so much to be thankful for, there remains depression and hurt and spiritual warfare. And before I get any eye rolls, or "she's a quack" whispers, let me assure you that spiritual warfare is alive and well in this present day and age. I know dear, wonderful, put together people that have recently been dealing with unthinkable things... like suicide, major depression- the kind that you don't shower or get out of bed for weeks kind- and these people are all wonderful, intelligent and put together. Only spiritual warfare could wreak such havoc.

Join me in prayer against the enemy that comes to lie, steal and destroy. Remember who you are fighting. Remember who you are. I declare it over us all:

I am a precious child of God. The enemy can't have me, because I am spoken for by the great I AM❤️

                       

     

rainy days...

Rain, rain, go away! Three days is long enough, thank you!

I know April showers bring May flowers and all that... but, I'm sure the flowers are good, now. We have a good sized creek in our back yard, that shouldn't be there. Also, the moods of all of us at this time are becoming irritable, at best. April showers don't bring good moods after day three.

It goes without saying that it could be worse. I think last April it rained every day. Not kidding, and true story.

So... again... I actually have much to be thankful for in the grand scheme of things.

Good, Good Friday

This time of year, and this part of celebrating Easter is heartbreaking. The Victory, yes, is too awesome and powerful for any kind of speech other than praise, and that doesn't even feel adequate. I think that the spiritual maturity that happens with age, and faith, and all the messy-beautiful stuff of life just makes Good, Good Friday ever so heartbreaking... for this mama, at least. Experiencing Good Friday as a mother makes me love Mary all-the-more, and makes me detest sin and betrayal more acute and sharp. The Crucifixion. The Friday that is called Good because of the Grace and Miracle of three-days-later.

Love

Surprisingly, Lent is coming to a close. I can't believe how fast this time went by! One day, maybe, I'll stop being surprised at how fast the years are going by- we are but a vapor in the wind.

I struggled with this season because I didn't know what to give up, or what to do, or how to help. Fasting is a new spiritual discipline for me, and I'm not so good at it. I need to try harder, and invite Christ in more. That is the key, I know, to let Christ in more. To stop trying to do things on my own. the true beauty of faith in Christ is the surrender.

We are a beautiful mess. Praise God for the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Sacrifice of Christ. Surrender to Him. Invite Him in. It's so true that His burden is light, and He is Light, and we just need to rest a bit.

During this upcoming Holy Week, rest in the comfort of His arms, His Spirit, His love. Focus on Him. It's not easy to be in this world alone, and we are not meant to carry our burdens alone. His plans for us are to prosper us. To not harm us. To give us a hope and a future.

Pray on!

March mess

It is a very lovely March day today! It was cold (ugh!) most of the week, so I'm happy to see sun and feel warmth:) 

To be honest, life has not been a bed of roses lately, BUT, even though there is suffering for now, it doesn't compare to the glory I'll experience in Christ Jesus. We suffer to become more like Him. He is making us like Him. It's truly overwhelmingly amazing. In the meantime, we will just be muddling through... With JOY!

                                 

                       

                                   

    

hard stuff

It has been one of those weeks where there is nothing really wrong, per se, but something is off. I've prayed over my house, I fasted last week. I just feel... you know... off. I'm ok, my family is ok, so we are just going to continue to truck on through this phase, and this feeling of unease. 

I'm thinking the political-social climate is part of this angst. I try to remember that Jesus loves all of us, desperately, and passionately. I am confused, though, that some people whom I follow, I don't really know them, but they call themselves Christian in the same sentence that they announce their same sex engagement. I am sad that people call themselves Christian and continue to live a lifestyle, and behave in such a way that is counter to the teachings of what they say they are. I've been taught that God is God (and I am not), and He never changes. His promises are promises kept. His Word is true and alive. His love is never-ending, and His grace is merciful. willful sin means consequences. Not one of us is perfect. Not one of us live without sin; we should be trying to, though. I just continue to pray and check myself, because I know I have to. My cross doesn't look like other peoples' crosses. 

Here's another thing... we have power. We can choose self-control, and love, while still seeking Truth, and trying to live in Truth. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. God knows I'm trying, and God knows I need every help available. Pray. Love. Forgive. Heal.

so, that's that... I'm working on my work in progress:)

just a little check in

I have once again fallen into my Winter slump. I'm not a huge winter person. I think, when I was younger, I loved winter. Not so much, now. I love the sun. I love Summer. I love swimming and walking. I do not love the early darkness, or the cold wind. I do not like freezing temperatures. Fortunately for me, it has been a mild season. It is February and seventy degrees. I'll take it.

I continue to post regularly over at FredParent on my "We're All a Bit Mad Here" blog. The whole deadline thing seems to work for me. I'm limited in mentioning my faith too much, because it is a magazine that is for everyone, but I tell readers I pray, and that God is the Best, often.

I can't live without knowing it will all be worth it, and that God is and was, and will be back. Let's face it: life can be kind of dark sometimes, and faith is what gets me through it. Faith and prayer get me through it. The Trinity gets me through it. Praise God.

field trip day

a girl and her horse friend

Pippi love

Seek Wisdom Always

No fair!

                            

      

So, some friends of ours came over to celebrate the new year! It's hard to get four couples together with activities and school and work. It snowed on Saturday and the temperature has been hovering in the teens since then. It's cold, and frozen, actually, like literally, and now the news is grim...

Out of four couples and nine kids, plus a designated driver, eight of us are now sick, and one kid had to get stitches (not because of being with us,though. A shower door unfortunately shattered on his wrist) over the weekend...

Between updates on messenger and texts going back and forth between four families, I feel like the apocalypse is coming. For me, especially. I'm waiting to see who falls ill, next, and wondering what symptoms are coming for us! We are experiencing an epidemic. The media is reporting widespread flu and a nasty stomach bug afflicting the good citizens of Virginia.

I'm, like, "Save yourselves!!!" 

My house smells like a Lysol bomb has been detonated, and like we have an indoor pool. I'm a bit OCD when comes to stomach/flu symptoms.

Hopefully I've contained the worse of it. Tommy, Katie, and I are down for the count, Mark is at work, and Danielle has quarantined herself to her room. She ordered Dominos for dinner, not wanting to eat anything in the house, for fear of contamination. I can't blame her.

Pray for us, friends❤️