I'm So Proud

Five years ago this month, I came home from college for the weekend on a Friday afternoon and discovered an empty house with an unmowed lawn. For those of you who know my dad, Big Dave, you know that this is not normal. Upon calling Mom's cell phone, I discovered that my parents were sitting in the emergency room, waiting to hear the doctor's report from tests being run on Daddy's heart after chest pains and an irregular EKG. We spent four long days in the hospital before an angioplasty revealed a miraculous lack of damage to his heart. Since that time, Big Dave's taken his heart and his health seriously. He's been eating better, staying active, and this weekend, he completed his first triathalon. I'm so proud of him, so thankful that he heeded the warnings of his own body and has such an incredible will not just to live, but to live well. Congrats, Big Dave! :-)

Sympathy Please

Today my job includes having to explain to a very childlike, mentally retarded 68 year old man that he can no longer receive meals on Thursdays because the volunteer that brings her little girls with her to deliver meals finds his pinup girl wallpaper offensive (even though he does have two newspaper clippings of Billy and Franklin Graham right in the center of one wall) and inappropriate and is convinced that when he invited her in to play with his toys, he wasn't referring to the rows of neat little cars and figurines lining the floor around his livingroom. Anybody want to trade?

Notice

I have decided to allow all of you "anonymous" readers to comment on my entries. This means you do not have to be a blogger to leave a comment anymore. However, you must sign your comments/let me know who you are for this to work. Otherwise, I will be forced to go back to allowing only bloggers to comment. Thanks for your participation!

What You're Missing

It's been a while since I've told a good case management story, but I want to let you all know what you're missing out on by not having a job that involves meeting old people in their homes. :-) Yesterday, I set up an appointment with a brand new client. Someone I'd never met before, an 82 year old woman who had two heart attacks and a stroke on the same day back in February. I knocked on her door at the appointed hour, and I heard a voice hollar "Come Innnnnn!" so I entered. As I stood just inside the door, said voice hollared again, "I'm in the bathroom!" I said, "Okay," in my most patient voice. Then the voice said, "I'm in the bathroom, you can come on back to the bedroom." Now, I happen to be quite familiar with these particular apartments, being part of a senior living residence and all, and I happened to know that there was a strong likelihood that the door between the bathroom and the bedroom was not closed. Maybe she's just washing her face, I thought. No such luck. I stepped inside the bedroom, and she kept talking, "Come on around the corner." Yup. Grandma was sitting on the toilet, grunting, and struggling to figure out her pull-ups. She held it up, squinting in the unlit bathroom, and looked at me. I tried to discreetly take a seat on the end of her bed and wait for her to make it into the bedroom to discuss our program. Depends are not in the job description!

Too Great Not to Post

How great is this?! ...

Take the quiz:
Which LOST character are you?

Hurley
You are Hurley Don't let your weight problem keep you down, at least your very fun to have around.

Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!

Power of Prayer?

Tonight, I have the opportunity to share with our college/singles prayer meeting. I've been attending this prayer meeting for a few weeks now, and I'm still trying to figure out how to articulate what is on my heart regarding prayer itself. I noticed after the first week or two a sense of dissatisfaction as I left the meeting, but I had such a difficult time putting my finger on what the problem was. Last week, as I left, it came to me. I was bored! Bored. I was in a room full of other believers, joined to petition the King of kings for the needs and desires of my heart, and I was bored. There was no sense of power in the room as we moved down the list of prayer requests listed by our fellow class members on Sunday morning. As I listened to the words and voices of the others in my prayer circle, I wasn't sure any of us truly believed Anyone was listening as we prayed. I would dare say, none of us brought anything to that room that we were desperate about. We were not desperate to meet God or sense His presence, and we were not convinced that coming to him with any of those requests was going to make any difference in the situations mentioned. Oh, how sad He must be by such times. How I long to challenge that attitude and encourage my brothers and sisters to prayer fervently, patiently, to pray believing. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, but he who comes to Him must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of those who seek Him diligently." I want this group to be a faithful group of people God delights to Reward by giving of Himself! There is nothing boring about being in His presence. How I pray we will repent of that attitude and rejoice afresh in Him! Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God that your sins may be wiped out and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of God." What more could we ask for?!

It is finished.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank my parents and each and every one of you who made graduation day such a special occassion for me. It was such a joy and privilege to celebrate with you. I cannot tell you enough how each of you has touched my life and made yesterday's achievement possible for me. I'm sure there's lots of mushy and probably some funny stuff I could write today about graduating from seminary, and that may happen in the days and weeks ahead, but today, I just want to say thanks and tell those of you who were here with me or left me notes and messages how very blessed I am to have you in my life. You are loved!

The Last Day

Okay, so, how appropriate is it that I got called out for talking during the last day of class in my academic career? Oops! I knew I was destined for a career in comedy. Just add it to my material. It's even more funny that I shared with a group of women this weekend how I was working on Proverbs 10:19 in my personal life, "In an abundance of words, much sin abounds, but he who holds his tongue is wise." I want to feel bad about this and chastened and all that, but I get the giggles just thinking about the irony. ;-)

Family History

I learned much this weekend about my family history that I hope to share with you in the posts ahead. Today, I have reprinted a prayer, written by my great-grandfather's grandfather, a man not known for his godly lifestyle as much as for his temper and his wild living. Notice from where this prayer was written.

Prayer of George Richard Gautier I
(1839-1924)
Written in Rusk Penitentiary ca. 1893

Oh, our Father who art ruler of earth and heaven, and who sent the Redeemer, our Savior Jesus, here on earth to redeem men, I know that I am one that is tired of sin. Would thou listen to one who is pleading for help now while I am out here alone on my bended knees, just turned loose from prison today? Oh, God, while I can look into the prison walls and see them all at work there, wilt though spare me to be a free man once more? God it is not me. I do not wish to live such a life – am I like Paul, used for a purpose? You know my heart, you know my tempter, help me to prove myself, you know my temper, help me to prove myself. You are the only one who knows me. It is said you are a forgiver of sins – forgive me, oh, God! I am at your mercy, forgive! Away from every tie, every friend, on my knees. Mete out the fountain of grace and love – let me feel thy power! Oh, God, let me drink from the fountain of pure love, let it come down! I feel like I am lost forever. God bear me through! I want religion now – right now! Change me. I will honor and praise thee forever and ever. Put me like Paul working for you, praising your name. Save – for I am lost! I feel like flying off to realms above. God, teach me the way I should go. I ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Family Night

Last night was one of my favorite nights ever with the Horton clan. Mama and Daddy and I drove into Rio Hondo just in time for the dinner gathering of all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. We are here for Easter, but we're also here to celebrate family milestones -- Nana's 70th birthday, Papa's 72nd, and we even managed to sqeeze my graduation into it, too. The first thing that struck me was just how much I love the people who were gathered in that house. We are a loud and raucous crew. I remember when there were 13 of us, and that seemed like a lot. Now, there are 19 of us, including 3 babies, and the noise and crowd just add to the sweetness of our time together. We started the evening like we always do, eating Taco Salad. Once the last bit of guacamole had been scraped from the bowl, we turned our chairs to face the easel, set up to play "Win, Lose, or Draw!" family style. My dad and Aunt Debbie had made a list of stories about Nana or Papa that we'd all heard over the years, and us grandkids were in charge of drawing them out and getting the family to guess which story we were depicting. I wasn't sure how well this seemingling cheesy plan was going to work, but we laughed so hard and each story we drew would remind us of about ten others, and even after we had used all the clues Daddy and Debbie came up with, we continued drawing our own memories. When we'd exhausted that, it was time for cards and gifts. Nana is the oldest of 9 brothers and sisters. Daddy had each of them send cards and letters for her to his office and gave them the chance to call in and leave her voice messages which he downloaded onto his computer and used to create a very special powerpoint for her with their pictures and stories. We all teared up as this 70 year old big sister listened to the loving comments of her younger siblings, one hailing all the way from Alaska! For Papa, the preacher, we'd found a solar-powered lighthouse to go in the backyard and remind him of one of his favorite analogies for the Gospel message. Then, we gathered back into the kitchen to eat cakes (one white, one chocolate) designed by our own cake-decorator, Daisy. While eating cake, we watched powerpoint Daddy put together to commemorate my graduation. I think it ocntains every picture of me ever taken. My generous family surprised me by having cards and gifts for me as well. Amazing. The grand finale of the evening was a DVD my cousin Jaclyn edited for Papa of a flying lesson he'd given her brother, Travis in his airplane a while back. Travis is a musician and the whole thing was set to some of his music. It was wonderful. My heart was already so full in anticipation of celebrating Easter itself, but to be here with this special people has been more than I can contain. Papa shared with us as we watched the footage of him and Trav flying over our home town that we couldn't begin to imagine how many times he has taken that plane up and, alone in the sky, called out our names before the Lord, petitioning for the needs he sees in our lives. Oh, how I praise the Lord for Papa's prayers.

He Is Risen

I'm off to spend Easter with family in the Rio Grande Valley. It's a long drive down, and a late night flight back, but it's worth it. I think, as far as holidays go, Thanksgiving is my favorite. It's got the best food, lots of family, an excuse to count your blessings, and no stress of buying presents. But, little compares with the utter joy that overwhelms me at Easter time -- He is risen! The AWE of that statement floods my heart and mind with a profound sense of joy and hope that can hardly be described, measured, and definitely not contained. My roommate said that when asked what Easter is about, one of her first grade students said, "It's about hope, Miss Horton, hope." Isn't that the truth? Because Jesus died, paying the penalty for my wretchedness (and yours!), and more importantly, because he overcame death and rose to live again -- we have hope. We have hope of victory over sin and death, hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven, hope of peace with God. Praise Him! He lives!

So That ...

This morning, I have the honor of speaking to a group of ladies at Bethany Baptist Church in Mesquite, TX. I am going to talk to them about Titus 2 and the biblical command for women to teach/train/mentor women to be loving and godly examples in their homes. I've read, read about, and heard teaching from this passage many times before, but this week, as I prepared for this talk, something different stood out to me. The "so thats" -- the parts of the passage at the end of the commands that say, "so that ..." I am reminded that God gives us reason, purpose for our obedience, and in this case, the "so that" is that his Word would not be dishonored. The way we live our lives alongside one another is a reflection of our God. Wow. That's an important "so that."
In the application portion of my talk, I plan to highlight three women who have been very instrumental in my spiritual growth and development over the years. I want the women at Bethany to understand that investing in someone else's life can be a simple decision with eternal profit.
Robyn is the first woman I will highlight. She was my Sunday School teacher in high school, and she lived on the end of our street. The first thing that I remember learning from Robyn was that the Bible was God's word and it contains all of the principles, precepts, and promises I need for godly living. She would hold her worn, tattered Bible between her hands and run the pages back and forth over her palm as she passionately entreated us to know it, believe it, and live it. Many times when I've come up against a question I was not sure how to answer, I have pictured Robyn's utter confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture for godly living and turned again to its pages for direction. Another thing about Robyn was that we had a system. Each morning, as I would pass her house on my way to school, I would honk twice, and I knew without a shadow of doubt that Robyn paused wherever she was, whatever she was doing in her home, to pray for me. Prayer, intercession, is such a precious gift, and she gave it over and over again. The final thing that Robyn did as a way of investing in my life was to open her home and her heart to my friends. We had open campus lunch my junior and senior years of high school, so Robyn instituted the Tuesday Lunch Club. Every Tuesday, we'd bring our brown bags to her kitchen table, knowing there would be brownies or Rice Kripy treats waiting for us, and we'd sit around the table and laugh, tell about our days, vent our frustrations and use those times to invite friends to join us later at church for various events. It was such a simple thing, but I can't even count how many friends joined us and were introduced to the things of God around that table.
The next woman I will talk about this morning is a lady named Mat. Mat was my mom's mentor when I was born. She's prayed for me from before I came to be. Mat gave me my first book and loves to take credit for my joy in reading. She and Bob moved to Wisconsin when I was in Kindergarden but she stayed in touch and wrote me letters and always assured me she was interested in my life and prayed for me regularly. Only eternity will reveal the impact of those prayers. A few years ago, after I got to seminary, Mat and Bob were in DFW for a visit. I was able to spend a couple of days with them at my parents' home and even bring them to a Sunday night service at Wedgwood. A week or so after they left, I received a check in the mail and a word of encouragement. She and Bob wanted me to know that they were excited about what God is doing in my life and had agreed to support me with a monthly gift through the rest of my seminary career. I wonder if she realized I'd be here 3 more years! Her letters, her prayers, and her giving have left such a mark on my life.
The final woman I want to tell about is Leslie. Leslie was a Sunday School teacher in our college ministry. Like the others, she was a prayer warrior. She was also someone who enjoyed sitting down weekly for one on one Bible study and discussion with me. I think I learned the most from her, though, when we were doing laundry together or running errands for her family. She would talk to me about them, about her job, and her life and share with me the things she was pryaing for and how she did her best to turn daily tasks into times of worship or prayer. I remember telling others, "I want to be like her when I grow up, a woman who prays as she folds the laundry!"
Who is it that has invested in your life? What are the simple ways others have given and how has it led you to be more like Christ?

Happy 10/14

Some of you are going to get way too much of a kick out of this, but here it is for your enjoyment just the same ...

Your Birthdate: October 14

You work well with others. That is, you're good at getting them to do work for you. It's true that you get by on your charm. But so what? You make people happy! You're dynamic, clever, and funny. And people like to have you around. But you're so restless, they better not expect you to stay around for long. Your strength: Your superstar charisma Your weakness: Commitment means nothing to you Your power color: Fuchsia Your power symbol: Diamond Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

What I Don't Do Well

Sometimes, I think my life is more about finding out what I'm not good at doing than discovering what exactly it is I'm so gifted for! I've written on several occassions that I'm not a good missionary. That doesn't mean I don't love missions or even that I don't do missions, just that I'm not particularly good at it. I've probably shared with many of you that I'm not at children's ministry. It doesn't mean I can't do it or that children suffer when I'm in charge, just that it wears me out with an exhaustion I can hardly describe. Other things I'm not exactly good at include but are not limited to: music (ask Lauren about high school band and/or youth choir!), athletics (this is a particular disappointment as the only child of a football coach!), matchmaking (sorry everyone whose ever fallen prey to those attempts -- you know who you are!), and time management (it's not that I am not aware of dates and times, just that I tend to prioritize fun a little to highly!). This weekend, I added something new to the list. I am not a good camper. It's not that I'm bad at it. I just don't love it. I like it, some. But, I don't love it. I think the moral of the story for me is that just because I can do something doesn't mean I have to or that I should. :-) SuperDave the Boy Scout took several of us camping at Enchanted Rock this weekend, and he was kind enough to allow me to tag along. We drove down on Saturday morning, stopping along the way at a Dam, then at the nesting site of a bald eagle, and at Cooper's BBQ in Llano. Then, we arrived at the State Park. We loaded our stuff onto our backs, hiked a mile and a half up to the camp, set up tents, hiked back for our water, and commenced with dinner preparations. I use the term "we" here very lightly. I was completely at a loss for what to do once we reached the camp site. I know nothing about putting up a tent, cooking on a miniature stove, or digging a hole to bury excess food. Trust me. I was born with the gifts of supervision and delegation. ;-) SuperDave, the beast of a man that he is, prepared quite the feast for us on Saturday evening and we were not lacking for breakfast either as we dined on chocolate chip pancakes and bacon! After breaking down camp and hiking back to the cars, we headed up the side of Enchanted Rock. This amounted to a 20 minute climb up the side of a steep but smooth giant rock with wind threatening to knock us down constantly. Had it not been for my ridiculously long pony tail, my cap would have been gone about halfway up! (Russell, your dad would have been proud of all of us! ;-) After climbing Enchanted Rock, our plan was lunch in Fredricksburg then picking fresh strawberries and heading home. The problem was, I was over the 24 hour mark for a hot shower (which means I was FILTHY) and I had slept on rocks all night (which means I was grumpy). Oh, and I grew up in a family that didn't take road trips. We took vacations to destinations, but none of this stopping along the way to enjoy the sites. I liked that part on the way down a LOT, but once we pointed our cars back north, I just wanted to get there. Good thing I have patient and good-natured friends! Overall, the weekend was a blast, but I think I can add camping to the list of things I just don't do well. :-) I asked SuperDave if he'd let me camp again sometime. He said it all depends on how much Egbert's willing to pay him to take me back out there!

Borrowing Faith

It seems to me over the last couple of years that there have been a number of experiences in my life and the lives of my friends which required us to "borrow" one another's faith. I would never suggest that one could borrow saving faith. But, when it comes to praying and believing God in faith for the things that we need, I am increasingly inclined to believe that God somehow allows us to have faith for one another. There are things in my life that I really want to see God do, but my faith is weak at times, and I have a difficult time asking for those things with confidence. I have learned to ask God for the faith I lack. However, I have also found that when I share them with another brother or sister who has faith in a very big God and readily believes Him for those good things we know He wants to accomplish in me or through me and commits to persevering in prayer over them -- things happen. And, it would seem the reverse is true for me as well. It's so much easier to look into another's life, identify things I know God, in His faithfulness, can and will do for them and begin praying boldly toward that end. They don't always have the perspective to see it so clearly, but I have the faith to believe God for them, and we begin to see things happen. I am so thankful for the godly women in my life who have big faith in a big God and pray boldly for His glory to be accomplished in my life. I am asking Him this week for the privilege of returning the favor.

Shout Out to Pruitt

Some of you have been concerned about the slowed pace of my recent blogging activity. One such concern was expressed today by my good friend, Pruitt. She felt there was increased distance in our friendship due to a lack of regular insight into my inner thoughts. And, now, I must confess the reason for this distance. I am a myspace addict. Yup. Just go there. Surf a bit. Sign up for one yourself. You'll see. www.myspace.com/kristenrea However, for those of you who are fans of my more serious posts, well, I should warn you -- myspace is rarely a serious place for me. It's just where all the fun happens! :-)

The Value of Tears

I was sharing with my cousins this weekend, how God used last year to teach me a little bit about the value of tears. I know some of you won't believe this, but I have never been much of a "cryer" and yet, last year, through a series of difficult circumstances, the non-tearful days were less common than those that were tearful. I was so frustrated by that in the beginning. I knew that it was only a season I was going through and that seasons change. I knew that there would be joy and laughter again, and I wanted to skip right to that place, but I believe our loving Heavenly Father had things to teach me in the tears. As I read passages about "crying out to the Lord" and found Him faithful to hear and come quickly, I learned that He, indeed, is near to the brokenhearted. As I read passages about "sowing in tears" and "reaping in joy" I learned to believe Him for the harvest. As I read passages about Him storing my tears in a bottle, I realized that they were precious to Him and I could make them an offering. God knew the deepest aches I was experiencing, and He allowed me the opportunity to offer Him a sacrifice of praise. As I shared these things with my family, Steven pointed me to this song by Casting Crowns. I had to share the lyrics with you, for those of you who've been in this place, and for those of you who may be there now.


"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

My Favorite Words

Some of you know how much I love to hear them. Three little words. I take way too much pleasure in hearing them, but I can't help myself. I get giddy. Three words ...
Kristen, you're right.
Tonight, I found even more pleasure to be had in this phrase thanks to my good friend Bob. They went a little something like this ...

bob: that's exactly right
me: add "kristen" to the end of that sentence and it would be the best one you've ever written!
bob: that's exactly right kristen

(sigh) What a great day!

Living and Active

Y'all, I am enamored with the Word of the Lord today. I am in awe of the power of God's Word to comfort, encourage, challenge, and bless. As some of you are aware, this is that time in the semester when midterms are schedules, papers come due, assignments pile up. That's plenty of stress. Then, at work, two coworkers who I depend on a lot to make my job go more smoothly tendered their resignations. At home, both of my WONDERful roommates have been very ill and my cousin was coming in for a weekend visit. At church, I was filling in as teacher in one of the ladies' classes, introducing a new quarter's study from Isaiah. Needless to say, I've had a lot going on, and for those of you who know me so well, you know that I rarely know how to ask for help until I've come completely to the end of all my strength and resources. :-\ So, it wasn't until last night, after the evening service that the emotional let down began to occur -- in front of several friends and strangers! Praise the Lord that His house is a safe place to be broken. But, that's not even the good part. :-)
Today, amazingly enough, the sun did come out -- in full force as a matter of fact! And, I did get out of bed and make it to work after spending an abbreviated time with the Lord this morning. That was the first blessing from His Word, just being reminded that He longs to have fellowship with us. Then, I received an email from a friend reminding me to "pray on my spiritual armor" and a voicemail from another, reading the words of Matthew 11:25-32 for me, "Come to Me all ye who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest ..." Then, I found a text message that was "accidentally" left in my phone with the reference to Isaiah 50:10, "10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God." I had to laugh at that point. God knew over a month ago when a friend was playing with my cell phone that I wouldn't find that verse until today, when I so desperately needed to be reminded of His faithfulness to those who fear Him and seek to obey His commands. Finally, I came home this afternoon to put in a little work on a paper before my class and opened an email from another friend with very familiar words from Psalm 65, including verse 11, "You crown the year with bounty and your carts overflow with abundance."
I share all of this with you to say that there is no comfort like the comfort of the living and active Word of the Lord, and I am thankful for friends God is using to point me back to it when other distractions threaten to crowd it from view.

Jonah

Have you read the story of Jonah lately? I came across it in some other reading yesterday and had to stop and take a closer look. Jonah's prayer of confession and repentance in Chapter 2 speaks powerfully. Listen to how he cries out to the Lord from the belly of the great fish ...

Jonah 2:7 "When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

8 "Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD."

10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

My prayer for myself and for you, my friends and loved ones, is that we would not forfeit the grace that could be ours by clinging to any worthless idol, no matter how good it may appear. My desire is that we would hear the Word of the Lord for our lives and choose to obey joyfully rather than end up in a hell of our own choosing, broken into submission, and vomitted into obedience.

100 Things You Might Not Know About Me

1. I speak Spanish.
2. I am an only child.
3. I don't like peas (unless they're sugar snaps).
4. I am a bad missionary (but that hasn't stopped God from using me from time to time).
5. I listen to sports talk radio during football season, and sometimes during March Madness.
6. When I watch pro football, I turn the tv down and the radio up.
7. I am addicted to As the World Turns.
8. Getting real mail makes my day.
9. Gerber Daises in bright colors are my favorite flowers.
10. I feel very vulnerable without my cell phone.
11. I don't like walnuts, not even in brownies.
12. The easiest way to anger me is to underestimate me.
13. One of my goals in life is to memorize Psalm 119.
14. When I was in high school, I did a film project on George Lucas without ever watching Star Wars.
15. I can quote most of Steel Magnolias.
16. I used to be a labor coach for birthmoms at the Gladney Center for Adoption.
17. I think rap music is funny.
18. Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.
19. Jack Vettriano is my favorite painter.
20. I don't think Brad Pitt is very attractive.
21. I do think Denzel Washington is the sexiest man in Hollywood.
22. I have declared February 1 National Tanning Day.
23. I think my birthday should be declared a National Holiday -- Happy Yom Horton!
24. I've never been to NYC.
25. When my mind wonders, I count ... or make lists.
26. My roommate and I have the same last name, but as far as we know, we are not related. My best friend's in-laws also have this last name. I think we're related, but I haven't proved it yet.
27. I am a good cook, but I rarely stick to a recipe.
28. I think female sports casters are annoying.
29. I would rather be cold than hot.
30. I prefer donuts when they are fresh but not warm.
31. I don't drink milk, not even in cereal. If I don't want to eat dry cereal, I put yogurt over it.
32. Blackberries are my favorite berry.
33. I like taking surveys and fun quizzes.
34. I am not as open as I seem.
35. I journal ... a lot! It is not uncommon for me to fill up an entire blank book every three months.
36. My favorite dessert at the Cheesecake Factory is Strawberry Shortcake.
37. I have had six documented broken bones, and currently have a swollen pinky finger that should probably be taped up.
38. I have an uncanny knack for remembering dates and numbers. It's ridiculous how many people's birthdays I have memorized.
39. I am obsessed with having soft skin, and put lotion on my hands at least four times a day.
40. The thing I hear people say about me most often is, "That girl sure does know how to have fun."
41. 10:00 is my bedtime, and I'm fairly religious about it.
42. I am a morning person.
43. I cheer for the Texas Longhorns in football even though the rest of my family are definitely Aggie fans.
44. I type a lot of words per minute.
45. I check about 20 blogs a day.
46. I don't know how to drive a stick-shift car.
47. I've never had much desire to live outside of Texas. Not unwilling, just no desire.
48. I have the phone numbers to my three favorite pick up restaurants in my cell phone.
49. My middle name is the same as my mom's and my great-grandmother's. Her parents chose it on the way to the hospital when they passed a sign for the R.E.A. (Rural Electric Agency).
50. If I could figure out how to charge my friends for all of the advice I give, I'd be rich.
51. My favorite meal is pb&j with goldfish crackers on the side and apple juice to drink.
52. I never had MTV growing up, but it was part of the cable package at the dorm my freshman year in college at H-S-H-S-U-U!
53. I majored in Spanish in college, planning to get my Master's in Business Administration and do interational business as a platform for missions. God had a different plan.
54. My favorite hairbrush is pink and I've had it since the 7th grade. The handle is held together by duct tape, and my friends think it's gross.
55. My favorite word is "mariposa" and it means butterfly in Spanish.
56. I am guilty of using the clothes dryer as an "iron" in the mornings.
57. The am a big fan of the "repeat" button my stereo and have been known to listen to the same cd in my car for weeks at a time.
58. I sleep with a stuffed teddy bear named "Snuggles" that my dad gave me for Valentine's Day when I was in college.
59. I am always jealous of people at WalMart who have those purple flip flops that light up when they walk.
60. The title of my first book is going to be "These Prayers I Prayed" and talk about the different and surprising ways God has answered prayer in my life.
61. I attended three different schools in the 7th grade.
62. Cilantro makes almost anything taste better.
63. I usually drink coffee black.
64. If I didn't think it would kill me eventually, I'd eat brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts and drink diet coke for breakfast every day.
65. When I was in college, I had a strange obsession with Classic Winnie the Pooh decor.
66. Having a pedicure is one of my favorite ways to "treat" myself.
67. I love throwing parties and getting friends together.
68. I'm not a good matchmaker.
69. I don't consider myself to be a terribly curious person.
70. I dislike being interviewed.
71. I've never written my own resume.
72. In college, I did not use an alarm clock or wear a watch for over three years.
73. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I don't play an instrument or a sport.
74. My ministry experience background includes having worked with: children, youth, college students, single adults, women, and the homebound.
75. My favorite pizza is Hawaiian -- ham and pineapple!
76. My dad calls me "Kritty Rea" and when he is messing me with me, he calls "Here Kritty, Kritty, Kritty" as though he were calling for a cat.
77. I use any excuse I can think of to wear a tiara.
78. I have a strange fascination with coasters. I'd collect them if I could figure out what to do with them all once I had them!
79. I only listen to country music when I'm in a good mood.
80. I don't usually enjoy live concerts -- I prefer to have volume control!
81. It's important to me that my toes and fingers have matching polish.
82. I feel very self-conscious when I wear my hair straight.
83. I often refer to my spiritual gifts as "the man gifts" because they are not ones that seem to be common for women.
84. The person I miss most in this world is my great-grandmother who went to be with Jesus last December.
85. I get giddy inside whenever I read or hear Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you until the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
86. My printer is sitting under the wingback chair in my bedroom because it stopped printing one day and I never took the time to figure out why.
87. My boss thinks I'm a computer whiz!
88. I don't balance my checkbook regularly.
89. A few years ago, my dad gave me a turtle shaped tiffany lamp for Christmas that he said reminded him of me. After staring at the thing for a few months with very hurt feelings as I wondered what about a turtle shaped lamp reminded my Daddy of me, I finally asked my mom. She pointed out the hearts in the glass and said he'd seen them and knew how much I liked heart shapes. Oh!
90. Opening the stockings is my favorite part of Christmas.
91. Habakkuk is my favorite book of the Bible, and if I could figure out how to make it cool, I'd name my firstborn son after the prophet.
92. For Christmas one year, I received a box of chocolates, and since it was all mine, I did what I'd always wanted to do -- bit into each one and only ate the ones that I liked, leaving uneaten halves for anyone who dared mess with them!
93. My grandfather has his pilot's license, and my first airplane ride was in his Cessna.
94. I never owned a Brittney Spears, N'Sync, or Backstree Boys cd.
95. I don't know how to send text messages, and my phone is blocked from receiving them.
96. As a childbirth coordinator for the Gladney Center, I have attended close to a dozen live births, and every single one of them was a miracle.
97. I do not sing solos. Not even karaoke.
98. I've had the same best friend since the 7th grade, and I still talk to her at least once a week.
99. I have been a bridesmaid in 8 weddings (maid of honor is 4), had to turn down requests to be a bridesmaid in three others, and served cake or punch in more than I could count. For this reason, when I meet new friends, I start off by letting them know that no matter how close we get, I will not ever agree to be a bridesmaid in their weddings. They laugh. I'm serious.
100. I stayed up way past my bedtime creating this completely pointless list! I had no idea it would be so difficult to find things to say about myself.

Ephesians 1

I've been picked on in the past for writing "What does this verse mean to you?" before sharing a passage with you. That is not my way of encouraging a poor method of Biblical interpretation. It's my way of asking you ... Have you read this passage lately? How does this Truth change your life? I'm hooked on Ephesians this week, and this is the truth I want to share with you today. I'd love to hear anything God reveals to you as you read these precious words. :-)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

My Commentary on V-Day

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love. You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

A few months ago, I told you about the sad, bored Pokemon VCR sitting in my bedroom, just waiting to be used. I thought you would all be pleased to know that the Pokemon VCR and Pikachu remote control have found their place in the heart of the Wonder House after emergency exploratory surgery was unable to salvage the old recorder we'd been using. (Thanks for rescuing the Tae-Bo tape, though!) If you have any questions about how to work the remote control, you just push in the middle of his chest to turn him on. ;-)

Nothing Wasted

I think most of you know that I consider myself a "Bad Missionary." The semester after I graduated from college (H-S ... H-S ... U-U!), I spent three months in Guadalajara, Mexico. I cried almost every day I was there and felt like a horrible failure when I returned. I refused to leave the country for the next three years. In fact, I didn't even leave the state of Texas! After 10 days in Morelia, Mexico summer before last and two weeks in Central Asia last summer, I have come to understand that God can use even me on the mission field if I'm obedient to His call, but I've always felt like that trip to Guadalajara was so bad. This morning, my dad called. His Uncle Terry is having a birthday party this weekend, and he had called Aunt Margie to find out where to send a card. In course of conversation, they exchanged information about "the kids." Daddy told her how I was set to graduate from seminary this Spring, and he mentioned how much my cousins and I had enjoyed our visit to see her and Uncle Terry a few years ago (the Christmas after I returned from Guaddy). Aunt Margie got excited when he mentioned that and told him that her daughter, Maddie (who was in middle school back then) had gone on a mission trip to Mexico last summer. Aunt Margie said it changed Maddie's life. She came back so excited and talking about the people and very passionate about her relationship with Christ. When she signed up for classes in school, they told her not to take Spanish 4 unless she was a native speaker, but she told her mom, "Kristen did it." She passed that and is taking Spanish 5 this year. She still has her pictures up in her room from her trip, talks about taking more trips, and has dedicated her life to serving the Lord. Aunt Margie told my dad she really believes a seed was planted more than four years ago when my cousins and I spent the weekend with them. As my dad finished filling me in on Aunt Margie, Uncle Terry, and Maddie, he said, "Kristi, that trip that you thought was such a disaster planted a seed that is still bearing fruit." And, in my heart I heard a very clear Voice saying to me, "I do not waste a thing."

Jeremiah 32:27, "I am the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?"

This is Kimbo.

This is Kimbo. Sunday was her birthday. I didn't forget. I just thought it would be more fun to celebrate her like this. Kimbo and I met in high school. She was the first person I ever saw God really take control over and transform in front of my very eyes. When she decided to follow Christ, there was no turning back, and thousands of children will never be the same because of it. Not to mention her husband, her beautiful boys, or those of us who get to be her friends! When we were still in high school, Kimbo gave me a gift -- a set of charms to go on my bracelet. One was a pair of hands clasped in friendship, the other was a small icthus, representing Christ. The two together represented what made our sisterhood so special. It was founded and grounded in Him. A lot has changed since high school. We grew up a little. Went to college. Kimbo married the boy she met her freshman year at DBU. They had sons -- two of them. Beautiful boys. They worked in a church in Texas. Now, they live and work at a church in Alabama. We don't get to see one another or talk often, but two things stand out to me when I think about this special woman. 1. Every time I hear her name, I smile. 2. Every time I think about her life, I'm drawn closer to the Lord and reminded of what His power at work in a life looks like.

A Pink and Purple House

This last year has begun a new era in my walk with the Lord. He's been communicating with me in a new way. It took me a while to know what to make of it, but I'm getting used to the ways He paints pictures in my head to help me see where we're at or where we're going. It started with last January when I first started praying about going to Central Asia in the summer. I kept telling Him there were too many obstacles. That's when the picture in my head was a long race track with a bunch of hurdles labeled with all of the reasons I didn't think I could go. I was standing at the start line, and my friend was standing at the other end, with a large map of her country and her people behind her. As I began moving forward on the track, a large Hand would come down and literally hurl the hurdles out of my way. I never had to "jump" a single one. And, in so many ways that is exactly how that trip came about. In the Fall, when Pappy was diagnosed with cancer and so many other things in life felt so hard, the picture was of a long, dark tunnel. I could feel that we were moving forward, but there was no light just yet, and I knew that God was the conductor, in control, and we would eventually see daylight. Most recently, as I begin to move past that dark tunnel in my life, but still feel the effects of those difficult days, the picture in my head is of a concrete slab. Cold, dull, gray, lifeless, square, boring ... but a foundation, absolutely necessary for building anything that can last. When the Lord revealed this one to me, I laughed out loud and asked Him, "Hey God, remember when I was a little girl and we lived in the barrio in South Texas? Remember how I always wanted a pink and purple house like my friends down the street? Yeah, that was cool." I hope that whenever God gets ready to paint whatever it is He's building in my life, He makes it bright and colorful.

Hook 'Em

I've never been so proud to be wearing burnt orange in my entire life. :-) What a game! Hope you were able to see every last second. That was fun!

Let It Be Said Of Us

I moved into a new room this week, and as part of the moving process, I have been going through old papers and trying to throw stuff away. Today, I came across these lyrics. It's an older song, I think. I printed them early last year and carried them in my notebook, so I'd look at them each day. Someone once said, "Live life with the end in view." Here it goes!

Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion,
That with gladness we bore ev'ry cross we were given;

That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course,
Knowing within us the pow'r of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory, and the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong.
Let the cross be our glory, and the Lord be our song,
'Til the likeness of Jesus be through us made known;
Let the cross be our glory, and the Lord be our song.

Let it be said of us we were marked by forgiveness,
We were known by our love, and delighted in meekness.

We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity's call;
Joined as one body, that Christ would be seen by all.

Let the cross be our glory, and the Lord be our song,
By mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong.
Let the cross be our glory, and the Lord be our song,
'Til the likeness of Jesus be through us made known.

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

When I look back over last year, the only question that really matters to me is: Do I look more like Jesus now than I did then?

January 1

Anybody else holiday and reflectioned out? I am just tired today, and as much as I want to say something meaningful about the past year or something hopeful about the coming year, I really prefer to lay on the couch and check my myspace for new friends every couple of hours. :-) Happy New Year everyone! -- Kristen

My Calm // Your Storm

Anyone familiar with this Caedmon's Call album? It was their first recording, and a good friend of mine is looking for a copy of it. Amazon.com has one used copy for $30.00 Anyone got a better idea? Let me know if you know where I can get this? Thanks!

Verses That Will Always Remind Me of 2005

Psalm 3:3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.

Psalm27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!

Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; 3Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.

Psalm 108:13 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Joshua 6:2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.

Ruth 3:18 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

Merry Christmas

It's nearly midnight, Christmas Eve. We've opened everything but the stockings and had a great time doing so. There's just something fun about Christmas time. It's particularly more fun this year having Mimi with us, though I know we're all aware that Grandmother and Pappy are missing. We did make it to a beautiful candlelight service this year, and I was especially blessed by the man sitting a few seats down from me. His face lit up like a child's as the service was starting and I heard him telling the man sitting next to him that he'd celebrated Christmas for 43 years without ever knowing that it was all about Jesus. There was wonder in his voice as he took in the the scene of worshippers around him, and I admit there was a lump in my throat as I heard him heartily bellowing out the familiar carols throughout the service. I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas this year. I pray that your heart will find a quiet place to celebrate the Babe in the manger who came that you might have life abundant and free.
Because of Him,
Kristen

In Favor of Church and Christmas

So the big debate in our house this weekend is which church service(s) are we going to in celebration of Christmas, and what it really boils down to is how many times do we want to take time away from our football watching, pickle eating, baking, present opening, staring at each other schedules to get dressed up and presentable and drive the 10 minutes down the road to light candles and sing carols. For the record, I'm in favor of church services to celebrate Christmas, and I'm disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm I sense from my family regarding this matter. I've refrained from jumping on my soapbox about this one this year, but really?!

Movie Review

I rarely value my own opinion when it comes to movies. I freely admit that there is very little validity to my critique of anything remotely artistic. When it comes to movies or music or even works of art, I tend to say "I liked it because I liked it" and that's about as much as you'll get from me. This afternoon, my dad took mom, Mimi, and me to see "The Family Stone" and I liked it ... in a Stepmom meets The Fockers sort of way. Just thought you should know.

The Difference a Year Can Make

A year ago, I had four living grandparents. Now, I have three.
A year ago, I would have never dreamed I'd actually get on a plane a fly to Central Asia. I did it.
A year ago, I'd been to the Wonder House once. Now, I've lived here for six months.
A year ago, Egbert and Dia had been on one date. Today, they are married.
A year ago, Dodie, Holly, Gera, Michele, and Carrie all lived in Fort Worth. Now, they are all over the country.
A year ago, I still wasn't sure about graduation. Now, I have six hours left.
A year ago, Jaclyn was just finding out she was pregnant. Now, Jaxon is nearly four months old.
A year ago, Emma was still in utero, today, she crawls and pulls up and smiles and jabbers, and has teeth, and a personality that lets us in on what she's thinking and feeling.
A year ago, I had a best friend who called daily. Today, we are strangers.
A year ago, Cody and Suzanne we're "just talking" -- now, we're planning their wedding for June.
A year ago, I had a lot of intellectual knowledge about the fear of the Lord, about God's character, His faithfulness and trustworthiness, and how big He is. Now, I have a little bit more experiential understanding of each of those things.
A year ago, I had no idea what March Madness was. This year, I filled out a bracket!
A year ago, phrases like "wait on the Lord" and "wrestle with me" meant nothing to me. Today, they make me shudder.
A year ago, I had never heard the "Thou, O Lord" song, and now, I can't get it out of my head.
A year ago, I'd never bought tires by myself or chosen my own mechanic. Now, I have the credit card bill to prove my progress.
A year ago, I didn't cry so easily. Today will be unusual if something doesn't bring a tear at least once.
A year ago, I had to watch Gilmore Girls by myself. Now, Barb tapes it for me and waits to watch it with me!
It's been a good year.

Psalm 95:11 ... You have crowned the year with bounty and your paths drip with fatness.

Why I Might Want a Wedding

So, even though I know I was kind of scroogy about weddings earlier this week, having attended Dia and Egbert's beautiful Christmas ceremony last night, I'm thinking there might be some good reasons to actually have a wedding. Here are a few of them:

10. I love a good party.
9. It's important to make a commitment, witnessed by people who will hold you accountable.
8. When else are you going to have all of your family and friends in one place and be alive to enjoy it?
7. Dia really looked happy and kept saying how much fun she was having -- I like to be happy and have fun.
6. I've always wanted an excuse to put together a photograph slide show.
5. I didn't know I could have fun music like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" -- I thought I had to only pick from songs I couldn't pronounce, had never heard, or couldn't differentiate between.
4. My bridesmaids can pick their own dresses!
3. It's a great excuse to go on vacation to some fabulous location afterwards.
2. It's a great chance go get back at all you people who've made me be in your weddings.
1. I get to be the PRINCESS and wear a tiara!

Why I Plan to Elope

After watching the last minute madness of the week before the wedding for the second time this year, have decided that if and when it is my turn, I should elope. Here's why:

10. No invitations to word, print, address, or mail.
9. No $500 dress to buy and wear for 3 hours then store for 20 years only to have my daughter decide it's not her style.
8. No deciding which of my amazing friends to make stand up beside me in matching dresses.
7. No torturing myself with a neverending list of miniscule details about things I couldn't care less about.
6. No pictures for my kids to make fun of later.
5. No disagreeing with my mom about proper etiquette.
4. No awkward moment of 200 of my closest friends and relatives staring at me as I walk down an aisle, rating my sense of style based on the colors, flowers, and dresses I choose.
3. Money available for other needs -- like the downpayment on a house!
2. No hours of posing for pictures that I'm going to critique to death and never want to look at anyway.
1. No having to decide whether to wear my hair up or down or have it cut before or after the wedding.

Basically, I do not like to make decisions and I really hate details, so the thought of all the stuff and stress I've seen go into the wedding planning all of my friends have done makes me think eloping is the answer. Anyone who's married want to argue with me? :-)

Holiday Poll

I'm taking a poll ... What is your favorite Christmas song? What holiday tune could you go the rest of your life without hearing again? Which song has been overdone or overplayed this year?

Some Weeks Are Just Bloggable

Some weeks are just bloggable. If you don't believe me, ask Holly.
For me, this week started last Friday afternoon. I was flying to Corpus Christi to spend time with my grandmother and speak to her church about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. I set my cell phone up with a reminder message to give me gate and departure information. The call came as expected, and I had a friend drop me off at Gate D11, as the phone had said -- only when I got inside the terminal, I discovered that my flight was leaving from gate B11, and I had two terminals to travel in less than 45 minutes. Thank goodness for Skylink! Of course, I would get in the security line behind a group of people traveling together, half of whom have been "randomly" selected to have their luggage checked more thoroughly.
Sunday morning, Mimi and I were doing well heading out the door to church on time when I hit the garage door button while the back hatch of her minivan was up and managed to get the door handle snagged and have the garage door and the hatch locked together. Fortunately, Mimi and I are both relatively intelligent women (obviously!) and were able to rectify the situation without damage to either door. It was a tense moment, though, while we determined if we really were trapped.
On Monday, I took two finals and received word that my precious punkin' Emma Powell was in the hospital, having vomitted every bit of nutrition she had in her body. Before going on to study for my third and final examination, I took a detour by Cook's Children's Hospital, and allowed Emma'sDaddy to entertain me with stories of what goes on after midnight in the Children's ER.
On Tuesday, I took my last final -- kicked it in the butt with cletes on, I think! -- then headed to work where I had the pleasure of conducting a recertification interview with a 63 year old woman while she sat in her bathtub. The worst part about that was that I've been doing this job so long, I didn't even remember to tell the story until this morning!
On Wednesday, winter weather started moving into the DFW area. We were told to deliver meals as quickly as possible and get home. I was safely snuggled under a quilt on the couch watching Maury Povich help hopelessly clueless women determine the paternity of their multiple children. Boredom led to web surfing and random IM chats with Bob. That evening, we had a "Happy Cold as Crap Day" party where we ate Chili and CornBread (thanks Josh!) and watched Elf. Sometime after putting on a second movie, Dia and Suzanne noticed that the house seemed to be getting colder. Could it possibly be from the cold air blowing through the vents?! Hmm...Sure enough, for the third time in two weeks our pilot light was out. The guys worked on it for a good thirty minutes before giving up, bundling up, and heading out to WalMart for space heaters while we built a pallet on Dana's floor -- the largest room in the Wonder House. While the guys were gone, Dia took a shot at the pilot light herself and managed to get some heat going. Yipee! That lasted through the night, but it was out again midmorning Thursday at which point we made a second phone call to the landlord who promised to send a friend by to look at it. Said friend confirmed that the gas pump was out and we'd have to wait for landlord to return from out of town to have it fixed/replaced. Brrrr! We bundled and layered up last night -- yes, we know we could have stayed elsewhere, but having dealt with the cold all day and knowing we had to be up and ready for work this moring, we elected to just spend another night in Dana's room. Sleeping was honestly fine, but getting ready in a 52 degree house was unbelievable! I've never seen three girls move so fast in my life! I was at work by 7:30 a.m.!
The landlord is here now, working on things. Hopefully, there will be heat soon.
Wow.
Oh, gosh, I didn't even tell you about the part where I get to work this morning only to find out that one of my clients is claiming one of our meals made him ill and he's got the evidence on his "shorts" to prove it. He tried to hand me a bag with his dirty underpants in it!
Yeah, totally bloggable ...

Whatsoever things are true ...

I've made a point of meditating on this part of Philippians 4:8 this week, asking God to allow me to keep in mind only the things are true, to allow truth to reign in my heart and mind about a variety of things. And, the replies came rapidly ... "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life ..." "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free ..." "Love does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices in the truth ..."
What truths are you clinging to this Christmas Season?

Happy Snow Day!

The first Happy Snow Day was Spring 2003. It started with pre-8 a.m. phone calls wishing everyone a "Happy Snow Day!", lunch at Steak and Shake where Tony brought a list of random, useless facts and Rhett and Derek dressed in matching mock-turtlenecks. It ended with a girls slumber party at my house and a great round of the shuffle button game! The next "Happy Snow Day" was Valentine's Day 2004. We had a fabulous snowball fight on Sandage, followed by Cody and Jake's all you can eat pancake contest at IHOP and pictures with our waitress. Last year didn't really see a good snow day other than a few flurries right before Christmas, but most people had already left town for the holidays at that point. Today, is another edition of Happy Snow Day. After having Josh help me deliver two routes of meals to my clients, I stationed myself on the couch under lots of blankets! Dia came home shortly there after, and Dana wasn't far behind. Suz and Cody have been by and will be back, and Josh is at the store right now getting stuff for Chili and renting Elf. It's going to be a great night! :-)

Greatest TV To Watch on Happy Snow Day

10. Happy Days -- the one where Fonzie's in the army.
9. Maury Povich -- who's my baby daddy?
8. The Energy Guy -- who knew holding bananas next to your heart gave you superhuman strength?
7. Live Continuing Coverage of the Winter Weather in DFW -- how many ways can you say Baby, it's cold outside?
6. Andy Griffith -- the one where Mayberry gets fleeced.
5. Holiday Affair -- the leftover Christmas movie from the Wedgwood Public Library.
4. Simon and Simon -- enough said!
3. Spanish Soaps -- since they postponed all the English ones until after midnight.
2. Spanish Jerry Springer ... Spanish Inside Edition ... Spanish News ... you get the point.
1. And ... dunh, duhn, dunnnn ... Kirk Franklin on TBN!

Top 10 Fun Words To Say!

10. Dastardly
9. Extremities
8. Fu Man Chu
7. Wee Little Bob
6. Glory!
5. Francisco ... that's fun to say!
4. Snarling
3. Hope
2. Clandestine
1. Mariposa!

A Word from Beth

Name Calling
Scripture Reading: John 11:1-44

Today's Treasure: "Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?' " (John 11:40).

My name is Had. You may know me, but you may not know my new name. You may have no idea what I've been through because I do my best to look the same. I am scared to death of you. I used to be just like you. I once held my head up high without propping it on my hymnal.
I was well respected back then, and I even respected myself. I was wholeheartedly devoted to God, and if the truth be known, somewhere deep inside I was sometimes the slightest bit proud of my devotion. Then I'd repent.because I knew that was wrong. I didn't want to be wrong. Not ever.
People looked up to me. And life looked good from up there. I felt good about who I was. That was before I was Had. Strangely, I no longer remember my old name. I just remember I liked it. I liked who I was. I wish I could go back. I wish I'd just wake up. But I fear I'm wide awake. I have had a nightmare. And the nightmare was me. Had.
If I could really talk to you and you could really listen, I'd tell you I have no idea how all this happened. Honestly, I was just like you. I didn't plan to be Had. I didn't want to be had. One day I hadn't, then the next day I had.
Oh, I know now where I went wrong. I have rewound the nightmare a thousand times, stopping it right at the point where I departed the trail of good sense. The way ahead didn't look wrong. It just looked different. Strange, he didn't look like the devil in the original scene. But every time I replayed it, he dropped another piece of his masquerade. When he finally took off his mask, he was laughing at me. Nothing seems funny anymore. I will never laugh again as long as he's laughing.
If only I could go back. I would see it this time! I would walk around the trap camouflaged by the brush, and I would not be Had. I would be Proud. Was that my old name? I can't even remember who I was anymore. I thought I was Good. Not Proud. But I don't know anymore.
Would you believe I never heard the trap shut? Too many voices were shouting in my head. I just knew I got stuck somewhere unfamiliar, and soon I didn't like the scenery anymore. I wanted to go home. My ankle didn't even hurt at first. Not until the infection set in. Then I thought I would die.
I lay like a whimpering doe while the wolf howled in the darkness. I got scared. I pulled the brush over me and hid. Then I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had to get out of there or I was sure it would kill me. I didn't belong there. I refused to die there.
I pulled and pulled at the trap, but the foothold wouldn't budge. The blood gushed. I had no way out. I screamed for God. I told Him where I was and the shape I was in. He came for me.
The infection is gone. He put something on it and cleaned it up instantly. As He inspected my shattered ankle, I kept waiting for Him to say, "You deserved this, you know. You've been Had. " Because I did and I know and I have. He hasn't said it yet. I don't know whether He will or not. I don't know how much to trust Him yet. I've never known Him from this side. My leg still hurts. God says it will heal with time. But I fear I will always walk with a limp.
You see, I wrestled with the devil and he gave me a new name. Had.
All sorts of people will read this. People who want to help Had. People who want to judge Had. People who want to know how bad was Had. And people who want to know how sorry is Had. They can read it if they want, but this part is not for them. It's just for you. Had.
In case no one has said it to you yet, I sure am sorry you've been Had. It's horrible, isn't it? Devastating not to live up to your own expectation. To become such a pauper to Grace. I've been Had a time or two myself. It's been awhile, but I remember well what it was like being him.
God says He doesn't want me to forget. I asked Him why. He said too many people have been Had out there. All sorts of ways to be Had. Good and Proud think there are just a few, but if they're not careful, they may be Wrong. And someday they may even be Had. I used to wish I could be Good and Proud again, but I don't anymore. I don't want to be Good, Proud, or Had. I just want to be Healed.
God says He will never let me be so Healed that I forget about Had. There have been more Hads than Good and Proud may ever know. Sometimes it takes a Has Been to know a Had.
One thing is for sure. Had needs a lot of Help. Healed's nickname is Help. He got the name because of what he does. He can't stop. Healed Hads Help.
God wanted to make sure I never act like I haven't been Had. So He left the scars. He kept a set on His own hands and feet and left one on my ankle. That's OK. My scars bear the marks of death. Don't let anyone tell you that being Had won't kill you. It will. It was meant to. If it doesn't, you've been Had for nothing and you'll be Had again.
Christ raises the dead only after they die. Before I was Had, God kept saying, "You are not yet Dead. " So instead I was Had. Christ let Lazarus lie dead for four days, but not because He was mean. Scripture says He loved Lazarus even though He let the illness kill him. Perhaps we all need to know how it feels to be dead for awhile. But do we believe we might see the glory of God? That's what Christ told Martha she would see. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, Christ did not raise him sick. He raised him Healed. I have a suspicion that Lazarus never got to kid himself into thinking he could never get sick again. He just asked for Grace never to be Had again.
Come on, Had. Let's you and I go on a walk together. It's time for you to go home. Maybe to a part of God's home where you've never even been. I'll walk you part of the way, and we'll talk. You don't have to hang your head with me. Then again, you can if you want. You can cry, get mad, throw rocks, and kick the dirt. Been there. Just keep walking.

Adapted from When Godly People Do Ungodly Things, by Beth Moore, pages 201-205. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2002.
Living Proof Ministries 281.859.1375

Disturbing?

Am I the only that finds the idea of a "snack that smiles back" a little less than appealing?

Warning: High Wind Gusts

So, Dallas-Ft.Worth experienced some unusually high wind gusts all day today, this evening in particular. I was driving from my parents' house in Plano back to Ft. Worth, with a stop at DFW Airport to pick up my roommate, Dana. I parked by the curb outside of baggage claim and waited for Dana's call to let me know she had arrived. When the call came, I hopped out of my car, and moved to the rear of my vehicle to make room for her suitcase. I was bringing back a LOT of Christmas decorations to prepare our home for the holidays -- Winter WONDERland! Anyway. I drive a Toyota Rav4 with a swinging rear door. I opened the rear door and began rearranging boxes and packages, then turned to see if Dana had indeed spotted me and was headed my way. As I turned, a gust of wind caught the door, and swung it right into my head! It was so jarring, I was not certain I would stay on my feet. I grabbed the door to steady myself and waited for Dana to approach. I calmly told her that I'd just been hit in the head by the door at which point, she looked at me and said, "Where you're bleeding?" I said, "I'm bleeding!" She said, "Yes, above your eye." Oh. That would be where it hurt alright. We put her bag in the back and closed the door, then got into the car. By this time, there was blood running down the side of my cheek from a 1/2 inch gash above my right eye. We both remained strangely calm while Dana fished for a wet wipe and a Kleenex. I drove us home with both hands on the wheel, and allowed her to apply the appropriate bandages when we arrived at the house. I have no idea what kind of mark or bruising I'll have to show for all of this tomorrow, but I just wanted to warn all of you to beware of wind gusts! And, yes, for those of you who know my penchant for laughing at other people's misfortunate pains in life, I have had a very good laugh at myself over this one! I've laughed so hard, my face hurts, and my voice is hoarse, and my roommates had to tell me to stop crinkling up my eyes or the bandaids would never stick and I'd be scarred for life!

Thanksgiving

I love an excuse to get together with family and friends and enjoy being together and reflect on the blessings God's placed in our lives over the past year without the pressure of finding the right gifts for one another (at least not for another month!). Thanksgiving is quite possibly the perfect holiday in my opinion -- if only we could work some fireworks into it. So here's a list of some of the things I'm thankful for this year ...
My Job -- I love Meals on Wheels, and I have amazing coworkers. It's a privilege to enjoy going to work each day and to feel like what I do matters at the end of each day.
My Family -- we have been through a lot this year, but I think we've grown to appreciate one another and enjoy the times we have together more than ever before.
My Church Family and Friends -- I feel as though I am daily learning the significance of the being the Body of Christ and the depth of relationship we have been created to share with one another in the family of faith, and I am so thankful for it.
Scripture -- Psalm 37:3 says, "Dwell in the land and do good. Feed on His faithfulness." Psalm 94:19 says, "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, your consolations will be my delight." Psalm 65:11 says, "You have crowned the year with bounty and your paths drip with fatness."
God's Unchanging Character -- Psalm 125:2 says, "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people." God has revealed Himself to me in so many challenging and encouraging ways as I seek to have faith that pleases Him.
Godly Roommates -- It is such a blessing to come home at the end of a day and have wise and godly women to listen and counsel life's trials as well as celebrate life's joys.
Laughter -- Proverbs says, "A merry heart does good like medicine." I am increasingly thankful for any opportunity to laugh until it hurts because then I know I am in the company of sweet friends.
Faithful Friends -- Proverbs 27:6 says, "The kisses of an enemy are deceitful, but faithful are the wounds of a friend." I am thankful for honest friends who speak truth in love, who know me well and love me anyway.
Travel -- few things in life make me more aware of the abundance around me than a trip around the world to find out what is really important
God's Sovereignty -- Can I tell you that I am thankful to serve a God I do not understand? I am so glad to know that He knows better than I do, and that His thoughts and His ways are infinitely better than mine.
Seaons -- We've had an extra-long summer in Texas, but as the air finally turns cooler, I am so glad to be reminded that life is all about seasons and they do change.
A Hope and a Future -- I have been reminded this year that it is God who calls me, God who keeps me, and God who knows where I go from here, and He is completely trustworthy.
The Voice of Truth -- John 10:4-5 says, "When he (the Shepherd) puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." I learned that verse in elementary Sunday School, and I remember praying that I would know the Voice of the Lord, and it's been such a blessing this year to find out how He has answered that prayer of childhood faith by affirming His direction for me over and over again.
And, of course ... Gilmore Girls! -- you didn't really think I'd leave them out, did you? ;-P
What are you thankful for?

Best Laid Plans ...

Lingerie showers are a Southern tradition for young brides-to-be. I've been involved in a number of them over the years as various friends have prepared for wedded bliss. It's an occassion when lots of silly screaming women, led by the all-knowing married ones, gather to "shower" the bride-to-be with frilly unmentionables to ignite the fires of passion in her new marriage. One of my current roommates is a soon-to-be bride for whom a lingerie shower was thrown this weekend. Female relatives arrived from all over the state of Texas to do their best to see if they could turn her cheeks crimson with embarassment. I was not a hostess for this party. I was not involved in the planning of it in anyway. I was truly to be an innocent bystander this time. But, as things would go, there was much to do at the last minute and certain tasks had to be accomplished. That is how I ended up assigned with the task of icing the cake. No problem, right? I've frosted many cakes in my time, but never one shaped quite like this. How should I say it? It was in the shape of a very specific part of the male anatomy. We'll leave it at that. Not only do the girls in charge of this party leave me to frost this cake, I'm also in charge of being sure Mimi, my roommate's grandmother who has been left out of this party, doesn't see it! I waited for Mimi to go upstairs for something, then quickly spread the icing over the cake, covered it, and put it back in its hiding place on a chair tucked under the kitchen table. My other roommate and I waited until the very last minute to grab the cake and run out the door with a quick "see you later" to Mimi called over our shoulders. The party was much fun. There was lots of laughter, particularly over the story of hiding the cake from Mimi. We came home several hours later to a very calm Mimi, sitting in a chair downstairs mending felt puppets, and we were surprised to see a sparkling clean kitchen awaiting us. "Mimi, you cleaned!" we each exclaimed as we noticed her kind deed. "Yes, I did," she said calmly in her polite British accent, "and I put that 'ugly' pan in the very bottom drawer!" she finished with a hmph! Gales of laughter rang through the house as the realization that all of our efforts to hide the cake had been in vain dawned on each of us. We tried very hard to look serious as the cutest 83 year old British woman I have ever seen chided us, "You girls and the things you talk about!" Hmph, indeed. ;-)

Bill and Gladys

Bill and Gladys could make a fine cartoon strip in my mind. One visit with them provides weeks worth of entertainment. They are a couple in their 80's and have been on Meals on Wheels for as long as anyone can remember. Their home is dark and smells strongly of dust and cigarette smoke. Bill rarely has a shirt on, sports a 2-3 day growth on his face, and is always drinking very thick, black coffee. Gladys generally stays in her chair, shouting her insults at Bill and smoking her never ending chain of cigarettes. On this particular day, we were discussing health problems. Bill reports Gladys has an overactive bladder. Gladys grunts her agreement with the diagnosis and adds that it gives new meaning to an old nick name, "Happy Bottom," then she grins with a michievous smirk waiting for me to get it, and finally supplies the clue, "Glad - Ass." She chortles loudly over this and displays a doll with a personalized bib that reads "Happy Bottom: Gladys." Bill snorts and moves on with his account of his last visit to the doctor. He's not going back for the results of his bone density test because they want to put him in "one of those tubes" to check for cancer. He says he, "ain't got no cancer." He "don't even have a prostate," he bluntly informs me, watching my face carefully for a reaction. "The hell you don't!," Gladys yells, "everybody got a damn prostate." "Nope," continues Bill, "Brodie took it." "What's Brodie gonna do with it? Play?!" Gladys retorts. At this point, I really must stop them. "Who is Brodie?" I ask. Bill winks. "He's my urologist." Evidently, Brodie wanted to do some radiation and Bill told him to just cut it out. At some point in this exchange, I was distracted by some unfolding drama on the TV. "You watch that stuff?" Bill asks in disgust. "No, but I catch bits and pieces in other people's homes," I say. "Oh, well, Happy Bottom over there watches four of 'em every day!" Gladys smiles and says, "Yup," and proceeds to list all of her regular soaps. I tell her I like to read. Gladys says she does, too. In fact, she's got lots of books and will give me one to take. We go into the kitchen, but she's distracted by some pictures. As she flips through them, telling me who each one is, I begin to notice that pictures of her sister, her oldest daughter "the brunette," and her mother are all the same person. We finally move on to her books. She hands me copies of "Prisoner of Passion" and "The Naked Face" -- things I am certain will have me thrown out of seminary if found in my possession. She says, "They all have a little sex in them, but I am old." ?!?!?! We walk back into the den. "You loaded up with some x-rated reading?" Bill asks. "Oh, shut up, Bill. You're too young to read this stuff anyway," Gladys shouts. "Bye, y'all. Have a good day. Stay warm and be nice to each other," I smile as I back out of the front door. When I got home, I wrapped the books in a sack from our local Christian bookstore and put them in the trash. :-\

Why?

Why is this site so funny to me?

Funeral Instructions

I'm accompanying my mom this afternoon to the memorial service for one of her best friends from college. Becky and her husband were killed in a car wreck last weekend, and mom's friends from all over Texas and several other states will meet in Mexia this afternoon to remember and celebrate Becky's life and the influence she had on all of them. I probably only met Becky two or three times in my whole life, but I've heard her name and the stories of her infamy many times over the years. My quiet, reserved mother gets a twinkle in her eye when starts to tell a story about one of Becky's exploits, and while I know that all of the women planning to meet in Mexia this afternoon are grieved by her loss, it's hard to miss the sense of excitement and anticipation among them as they look forward to being together again -- some for the first time in 30 years. Becky was a Christian and she loved these women and they all seem to feel a profound sense of appreciation for her role in their lives, even if it was only for a short time.
Funerals, especially ones for people who seem too young, who die unexpectedly always make me begin thinking about leaving a legacy. How will I be remembered? What will people say about me when I'm gone? Will they know how much I loved them? Will they know that everything good in me was from Jesus?
Beyond that, I need to make sure all of you know my wishes. I've been thinking about this for a while now, and the list of instructions for how to commemorate my passing is growing. First of all, I wish that all of my friends who are so inclined would shoe polish their cars with the words "Dance with Jesus, Kristen" and the dates of my life and death. I'd like you to all wear purple. And, finally, I would like you to be certain that there is a karaoke machine set up at the viewing, so people don't get bored. And be sure my friend, Lauren, sings "I Know Where I'm Going" by the Judds. ;-) Always remember, I love to laugh!
How do you want to be commemorated?

Did You Know?

Did all of you know Lottie Moon was a midget and no one think to tell me?!
She was only 4'3"! Who knew? I didn't! I don't know why it matters. It just seems like something I should have heard at some point along the way!

You Are God Alone

I heard a sermon in class last night about the fact that praising God through trial or pain is not a natural reaction but a choice. I've been thinking about it a lot today. You see, I preached last night, too, and for whatever reason, I always experience a "slump" the day after any ministry opportunity or assignment. Today's been no different. Emotions run high. Feelings run low. Everything feels out of whack. So, what do I do with it all? Wallowing is VERY tempting. But, I keep hearing "praise is a choice!" in my head, and I want to choose it. The following lyrics are from a song I first heard a few months ago. It's quickly becoming a favorite. Today, I choose to praise and give thanks to a God who does not bow to my temper tantrums, who is bigger than my imagination, and who always gives me His best.

You are not a god Created by human hands
You are not a god Dependant on any mortal man
You are not a god In need of anything we can give
By Your plan, that’s just the way it is

[chorus]
You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You’re the only God
Whose power none can contend
You’re the only God
Whose name and praise will never end
You’re the only God
Who’s worthy of everything we can give
You are God
And that’s just the way it is

[chorus]

[bridge]
Unchangeable
Unshakable
Unstoppable
That’s what You are

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;23 they are new every morning;great is Your faithfulness.24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“therefore I will hope in Him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,to the soul who seeks Him.26 It is good that one should wait quietlyfor the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-26

Gilmore Girls

In case you were wondering, I do yell "Gilmore Girls!" when the music comes on, even when I'm home alone.

An Evening on Fantana Island

The Women on Wonder Drive and Friends had a fabulous evening on Fantana Island. Thanks to all who came and participated, and especially to those who helped us decorate

!

Fanta! Fanta! Don't Ya Wanta?

That took some time!

Fantalicious!

Trey ... hunting season start THIS weekend!

The Williams -- enough said.

More Visitors to Fantana Island

The G.Lovers traveled the farthest to party with us!

Alice in Wonderland!

Dr. and Mrs. P???

Josh, does Dr. Patterson know about this???

We had all kinds of "pi-rats!"

Cody, is that a woman's blouse???

These are our friends from across the street. Zorro helps me mow the yard sometimes, and Sparkle Witch likes to help in the kitchen.

Healthy Respect?

For nearly a year now, I have been praying about and seeking a better understanding of what it means to "fear the Lord." This is a phrase that is repeated often in scripture and there is great promise for the one who fears the Lord. I think that Lex has come up with one of the best explanations of this concept I've heard yet. Check out what he has to say!

Everybody's doing it ...

Whaddayaknow?!


You are Napoleon Dyanamite and a buttload of gangs
are trying to recruit you.

Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?
brought to you by Quizzilla

Lyrics

Is it ever the case with you, that when you're not necessarily spending time with the Lord, in His Word with the focus and discipline that you once did, that He begins to speak to you through songs? This seems to be the case with me. There are times, I honestly feel like he walks in my room and starts singing through the radio. :-) Yesterday, was a day when lyrics to songs began to really speak to me. The following lyrics are from a song by Sara Groves. I've only heard the song once, but it really seems to say what's been on my heart for the last couple of weeks.

Hello Lord - Sara Groves

Hello Lord, it's me your child /I have a few things on my mind /Right now I'm faced with big decisions / And I'm wondering if you have a minute, cuz /Right now I don't hear so well /And I was wondering if you could speak up I know that you tore the veil /So I could sit with you in person /And hear what you're saying but /Right now, I just can't hear you. I don't doubt your sovereignty /I doubt my own ability to /Hear what you're saying /And to do the right thing /And I desperately want to do the right thing /But right now I don't hear so well And I was wondering if you could speak up /I know that you tore the veil /So I could sit with you in person /And hear what you're saying but /Right now, I just can't hear you. /And somewhere in the back of my mind /I think you are telling me to wait And though patience has never been mine /Lord, I will wait to hear from you /Oh Lord, I'm waiting on you Right now I don't hear so well /And I was wondering if you could speak up /I know that you tore the veil /So I could sit with you in person /And hear what you're saying but Right now, I think you're whispering