tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35468675969106910102024-03-20T03:30:49.914-05:00A Time to LaughLife is stressful enough...there should always be a time to laugh!Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-29532542023296926072015-03-08T10:42:00.003-05:002015-03-08T10:42:24.121-05:00A Time for LOVEI work at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Pelham, Alabama. There is a misconception that is widely accepted about pregnancy centers. What I hear the most is that we're pushing "our agenda" on women, forcing them to make the decision we want, scaring them out of abortion. Let me tell you what we actually do. When a woman comes in, more often than not, she is the only one who knows she's pregnant. She hasn't felt comfortable enough to talk to anyone about this, especially the people in her life who love her most. Fear of disappointment, fear of failure, fear of rejection - these are all things she is up against. We offer her a free pregnancy test, free peer counseling, a free ultrasound, and if the test is positive, free prenatal classes, free parenting classes, free material assistance, referrals to other organizations that may also be able to help her... everything is free. In the peer counseling session, we listen. We take in her background, her fears, her current situation, her roadblocks, her support system, and basically anything she needs to get off her chest in a safe environment. And then we give her information on her three choices: parenting, abortion and adoption. Yes, abortion too. (Cue the gasps) "But I thought y'all just tried to get them to choose life and scare them out of abortion."<br />
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Look, what I think in a woman's situation is not important to her. My job is to give her every bit of information she needs so that SHE can make an informed decision. My only job is to move her from a knee jerk reaction to a place of research so that she can make a decision for herself. The information she receives speaks for itself - I don't need to insert my opinion. And no, we're not giving women graphic pictures of aborted babies - WE DON'T EVEN WANT TO SEE THAT. It's purely factual information. Sometimes we spend 45 minutes with a woman - sometime we spend an hour and a half with a woman - it just depends on her needs, how much she needs to talk, etc. And again, everything we offer is free.<br />
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We've figured out that for each pregnancy test or ultrasound visit, it costs $30 per visit. Think about something you recently spent $30 on. For me recently, I've been able to fill up my car with gas for a little less than $30, and I have been THRILLED! I picked up dinner for my family dinner recently for about $30. In this scenario though, $30 can provide one woman something that she can't get anywhere else: free medical services, a shoulder to cry on, someone who understands her fears and won't judge her, information that she needs, a calming and safe environment in the midst of her whirlwind.<br />
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Y'all, we need help to be able to provide this service to women. And this is where I ask you to help me. My family has a team for the LifeSaver Walk and Family Fun Day to try and raise support for the Pregnancy Resource Center. How many lives do you want to impact? Even though you may never meet any of these women in your lifetime, how many of them do you want to help, knowing that you are making a difference in her life, and ultimately, the life of her child? I am challenging us all to start a love revolution - to love on these women when they need it most. They don't need people screaming at them; they need LOVE! Without the PRC, these women will go at this alone, with zero support, and keep believing the lies that they are unworthy, with no value, used goods, and worth nothing more than being used and abused. Women deserve better.<br />
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<a href="https://secure.ministrysync.com/ministrysync/event/website/?m=2177325" target="_blank">Join the love revolution here</a>. I promise it will be the best $30 you ever spent.<br />
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If you want to do more, <a href="https://secure.ministrysync.com/ministrysync/event/website/home/?e=7787" target="_blank">join our team and walk with us</a>. Our team is Sanford and Sons, and there will be activities and games for the kids to give you all a fun Saturday to spend together.<br />
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Don't want to walk? Just come to the <a href="http://www.famfunday.org/" target="_blank">Family Fun Day</a> and have a blast.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-83304707930208834662014-04-21T22:10:00.000-05:002014-04-22T10:53:36.373-05:00My Life According to Pixar<div style="text-align: center;">
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My name is Kay, and my favorite songs right now are from Pixar movie soundtracks. I am not ashamed. My son is pretty heavily into Cars and Planes right now (the movies... I'm too lazy to google how I'm supposed to technically lay out the titles. Is it italics, underline, quotation marks... like I said... moving on)</div>
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Anyway, on my commute today, while I was jamming out to a Planes song by myself without my 3 year old, I started thinking about how much I love Pixar movies. I mean, these movies are teaching lessons, people! Take the Toy Story trilogy, for example. In the first movie, I learned that true friends can end up being the people you can't stand when you first meet them. Once you can get over your insecurities, people can actually be really cool. The second movie taught me to fear anyone in a chicken suit- they're just weird. And in the third, I learned that there are "Lotso" people in the world who are cruel, but most of the time it's because they've been labeled as replaceable, so it's really just a defense mechanism. Some of them never get past it though... but that's no reason not to love them anyway.<br />
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Or you could look at Wall-e. That little guy.. what a sweetheart. But that movie showed me that I better take care of my environment and be cautious to not end up as a fatty in a portable recliner (as tempting as that last part sounds).<br />
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What about Up, y'all? My gosh, Pixar. Rip out my heart and show it to me, why don't you. Lesson learned... never fall in love and have dreams together, because one day you'll be old and want to fulfill them, but it'll be annoying because you'll have a little chatty boyscout, a talking dog, and a freak of a bird who you'll feel obligated to protect because you're that kind of decent human. Yeah, just stay home, and go to "the home." You can still mess with people at "the home" and start your own prank show with Betty White.<br />
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Then there's Cars... a personal fave of mine right now. There's a part of all of us that thinks we're "too good" for the Maters of the world. And Radiator Springs? Fugget about it - too good for that. Problem is, the Radiator Springs Maters of the world are THE coolest people on the planet. And we're not too good for them. They're too good for us. We would be blessed beyond measure to find ourselves in their company. Plus, life is so much more fun when you have a Mater. The Brad Paisley song during the credits says,<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: center;">We go through life</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: center;">So sure of where we're headin'</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: center;">And then we wind up lost</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;">
And it's the best thing that could have happened</div>
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'Cause sometimes when you lose your way</div>
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It's really just as well</div>
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Because you find yourself</div>
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Yeah, that's when you find yourself</div>
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Even though I sometimes wonder if I'll ever like "adult things" like responsibility, being on time, or planning for the future, I am really enjoying living vicariously through JM's phases, but seeing them with adult lenses. I'm learning the most valuable things that way. What about you? What have you learned from an unlikely source lately?</div>
</span></span>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-37936406831233905152014-04-19T12:24:00.000-05:002014-04-19T12:24:26.930-05:00A Time to Be a Vessel<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: italic; line-height: 26px;">And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself. - Corrie Ten Boom</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 21px; font-style: italic; line-height: 26px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px;">I was reading through some old blog posts and came across this gem. The past few days have been filled with news stories and conversations and speculations... all about the bad shape our world is currently in. There is fighting, war, blood moons, more fighting, more wars, conversations about the blood moons... all of which seem to be laced with a measure of fear. Fear about the end of the world, fear about what these wars and fighting will mean for other countries, and for our own. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px;">I am usually met with blank stares which turn to judgment when I tell people that I don't watch the news. But this is exactly why I don't watch the news. I'm not burying my head in the sand here, people. You'll be happy to know that I have an AP alert set up on my phone. Some of the alerts I read... some I don't. I don't have to watch the news every hour of the day to find out what's going on. The conversations that take place throughout each day, plus my Facebook feed, are all I need to keep abreast of current events. And believe me, that's about all I can take. My major in college was news broadcast, so I received my fill in how the news works. However, what I see on news stations today doesn't look at all like the lessons I learned in college. I see biased reporting on both sides, fear-based reporting, and fighting. I get enough fighting at home with a toddler - I don't need more.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px;">So what is it that will heal our world of all these things? Better yet, what is it that will heal our world from the little things? I find it hard to relate to things like war - until I put it into perspective in my own life. How about the war I fought at work several weeks ago? Or the one I fight within myself everyday when I'm at the crossroads of choosing compassion over anger? Or the war I can't see, but can most certainly feel the effects of when a client tells me that she knows what her decision will be about this pregnancy, and can't I just help her end it right now? What about you? Is there someone in your life who has made it hard for you to live? An "enemy" of sorts? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px;">I've had those. In fact, I thought of my father as an enemy for a long time. Because of my inability to forgive, I was unable to truly love and trust. It caused even more upheaval in my life and brought out the flavors of hatred, insecurity, paranoia, distrust, and self-infliction. All of those things together make a horrible combination. And that's exactly what the enemy wanted in my life. But it wasn't until I realized that the enemy wasn't my father - that I fight a real enemy in my life who wants to rob me, steal from me, and even kill me - that I was able to fight more effectively. The fighting couldn't come from a place of anger. It had to come from a place of love and forgiveness. Not mine, mind you. I didn't have it in me. It hurt too much, and I was too raw and embarrassed to move an inch forward. It had to come from Him. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 26px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;">Right before that sentence that Corrie Ten Boom uttered above was another gem in her story, "The Hiding Place." Her realization came when she was met with an actual guard who kept her in captivity during the holocaust. That's the nice way of putting it. She was humiliated, naked, made to feel "less than." Sound familiar? Jesus faced the same fate. But Corrie realized that Jesus died on the cross for that guard, and then asked herself, "Will I demand more than that for him?" Whoever the human enemy is your life, will you demand more than Jesus' death for that person? Will you hold yourself in captivity while you refuse to forgive them? Will you demand that they pay for the ways that they've hurt you because somehow you deserve more? It's a hard question and it stings. Our pride is a weird thing that drives us to expect that the world owes us for all the ways we've been hurt. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;">I had to ask the Lord to forgive me and then to forgive my father because I just. couldn't. do. it. I couldn't do it. But He could, and He did. And in the act of willingness to walk through forgiveness even when I didn't feel it, I was able to release my father from the impossible standard of making it up to me. But what it really did was release me. I was the one in captivity - I was the one continuing to be hurt over and over. I don't expect to make it out of this life unscathed from hurting others - especially my own family. And I can't force people to forgive me for the things I do in this life. But I can do my part of being willing to forgive - to keep myself free of being offended at every turn - and of asking the Lord to be the forgiveness and love through me. Because if I'm really honest, I'll tell you that I'm incapable of anything that I just described. It's only His love, forgiveness, and compassion that will heal my little world. He has that place of honor in my life. He died for me, and He died for you. The necessary act has been done.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #665f33; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26px;">This Easter, will you accept this challenge with me? If we do our part of letting Him live through us to others in our little worlds, maybe, just maybe that love, compassion and forgiveness will spread to other little worlds. And maybe our whole world will end up being better for it. All it takes is the one small act of letting Him change your life. </span></span>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-2750745607528777772014-02-03T10:00:00.000-06:002014-02-03T10:00:10.360-06:00Snowpocolypse - Chapter Four<b>Tuesday, January 28, 2014... 8:30 pm</b><br />
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I had waited as long as I possibly could. As I removed the velcro sides of the size 3T-4T pull up, I remember thinking that it looked so much bigger when I was putting it on JM. I tried to lay it out flat but the elastic sides kept folding over in the middle. Once it was in place, I tried the "easy does it" method once again. Success! I thought.<br />
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I don't know what happened, but there was a great amount that just didn't get caught and I was again left with a soaked seat, blanket, pants... everything. I wrapped the pull up and threw it in the passenger floorboard, just completely disgusted at this point about the day I'd had. Traffic continued to sit completely still for another hour.<br />
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<b>9:30 pm</b><br />
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My friends began to devise a plan to send someone out on a four wheeler to come and get me. I worried that if they didn't make it, or if someone got hurt trying to get to me, that it would just continue to pile on a terrible string of events to this already ridiculous day. Also, I had to admit to my friends that I was covered in urine, and that a ride on the back of a four wheeler in 7 degree weather probably wouldn't be the best idea. Evan, the four wheeler rescuer, told me he would pack a change of pants as well as some warm coveralls to get me home... so I agreed.<br />
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In the meantime, another friend had seen on Facebook where her husband's cousin was out on I-20 in a jeep, giving people rides home. She texted me his name and number and I immediately called. I tried to explain where I was, with a description of all the things I could see around me. But, I was worried that I was in the middle lane and wouldn't be able to move my car to the emergency lane. I texted Evan to let him know that a jeep was on the way, but he stayed out on the four wheeler just in case. Once the jeep arrived, Keith (one of the jeep rescuers) helped me move my car by directing the cars around me to move up, back, etc. Once I parked in the emergency lane, I gathered my things and got out of my car. The rush of cold air to my wet pants took my breath away and I was grateful for my decision to remain in my car for so long before.<br />
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<b>10:15 pm</b><br />
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The road was literally an ice-skating rink. My cowboy boots had very little traction so I carefully skated down I-20 with my wet behind waving at all the cars behind me who were now spotlighting it with their headlights. As we crossed the median, I broke the news to Keith even though I was mortified. We approached the jeep, on the westbound side of I-20, and as I opened the door, I blurted out "I'm so sorry - I peed my pants" to the driver. They must have had to bite their lips to keep from laughing at me. We set off in the opposite direction, driving east down 20W. There was no traffic on that side at all, only abandoned cars and 18-wheelers on each side. I remember thinking that it looked a lot like the title sequence to The Walking Dead. We drove slowly, and the heat was blaring... which would have been fine, except that it exaggerated the urine smell. I told Eric (the driver) that he might want to crack a window, but they were just as polite as could be, telling me that it was fine. I know it wasn't fine. I mean, I was gagging myself at this point.<br />
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We stopped by my friend's house so that I could pick up JM, and then slowly headed to my house. We got inside, I put JM to bed, and I took a very much needed bath. I called my family members, texted my friends, and updated everyone who had been following my day.<br />
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<b>3 days post-snowpocolypse</b><br />
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Michael was stuck at UAB for two more days, and made it home at lunchtime Thursday. On the way to pick up my car, he started cracking jokes like, "Urine in a really unique position here, Kay." And, "Urine a place that not many others have been." I'm so glad that we can laugh about it at this point. I hope you've been able to laugh some, too. If you can't laugh about these things, what can you do?<br />
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And yes, my driver's seat has been cleaned with a high powered pet urine remover spray. And, even though the pull up was a frozen solid brick when I went back to get my car, all remaining memories of Tuesday have been disposed of... well, except for this blog.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-34532181480719762652014-02-02T10:00:00.000-06:002014-02-02T10:00:01.537-06:00Snowpocolypse - Chapter Three<b>Tuesday, January 28, 2014... 4:30 pm</b><br />
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Cars were moving slowly down the hill to cross the bridge on 459. The car behind me was making me nervous because she was riding too close to me, in my opinion. The Tahoe in front of me started sliding uncontrollably to the right. He was able to stop and slowly head forward again across the bridge. Up ahead, the 18-wheelers were still blocking the road, but there was one small path that weaved through them. Before moving forward, I looked down and noticed a bottle of holy oil in my center console. As I unscrewed the cap, I felt like I was getting buck fever. My heart started racing and I just started putting oil on my car, my steering wheel, my head (which was still pounding), and then replaced the cap and moved forward. I prayed out loud the entire time as I weaved through the trucks and continued at no more than 15mph up another hill on 459. Other drivers seemed upset at my slow pace and began to pass me on the left and right. One car passed me and then proceeded to fish tail all the way down the next hill. Part of me smugly thought, "Hmph, serves you right" and the other part of me started praying that they would regain control.<br />
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Traffic on the other side of that mess was completely unclogged for the duration of my 459 experience. I even thought about stopping at Grants Mill and hiking my pee pants up to Church of the Highlands for the night. But, with traffic being opened up, I thought I would surely make it the rest of the way.<br />
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<b>4:40 pm</b><br />
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I came to a stop on the I-20 exit ramp and immediately regretted my decision to trek on. I had stopped counting mistakes at this point though, so I thought I better just make the best of it. By this point, my phone was blowing up with texts. My small group was continuously checking in with me to see how far I'd traveled since the last time they texted. My childhood best friend, John, had been texting off and on throughout the day. He'd been stranded on I-65 all day, and I later learned that he'd been helping people get home all afternoon. However, the humor that came through his texts did keep me chuckling. You see, John and I have a warped sense of humor... it's just gross... there's really no other word for it. John and my brother once found a dead body in the Alabama River while jet skiing and then acted like it was all in a day's work. Anyway, while I hadn't shared with him the fact that I'd peed on myself yet, he started joking about... well, let's just say he started joking about ways to use excrement and just leave it at that.<br />
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My husband called and started becoming anxious as I relayed the latest update on my location. He was stuck downtown with no way of getting home, much less getting to me. There was still hope for me getting home though, as I moved about a car length every 30 minutes or so.<br />
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<b>7:00 pm</b><br />
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It took about two hours to make it up the exit ramp. My hope was starting to fade. I was too far away from anything to park on the side of the road and walk. Plus, the sun was down and the temperature was dropping. Oh, and my pants were still soaking wet, so there was also the thought of hypothermia. I was wedged on I-20 between two 18-wheelers, with two more in front and back. And... I was starting to get uncomfortable with my ability to hold my bladder again. In my conversation with Michael, upon telling him about my wet seat, he suggested that I should have used one of JM's pull ups that I always keep in my purse. I felt like such an idiot. I could have avoided all of this if I had just remembered the pull ups!!! So, I reached down into my purse, pulled out a pull up, and decided to give it a go...<br />
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<i>Tune in tomorrow for Snowpocolypse - Chapter Four</i><br />
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<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-57697259734662792582014-02-01T10:00:00.000-06:002014-02-01T10:00:01.272-06:00Snowpocolypse - Chapter Two<b>Tuesday, January 28, 2014... 1:00 pm</b><br />
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I-459 was slow but steady. Traffic was moving, and although it slowed up at the I-65 interchange, I moved past that point with general ease. On the other side of the 65 interchange, traffic slowed to a stop. It wasn't horrible at this point though because about every two minutes or so, we'd move a little bit. I figured it had to do with people trying to get on 280, and I was right about that... sort of.<br />
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<b>1:30 pm</b><br />
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I had finally made it to 280. Judging from the looks of the exit ramp and some posts I saw on Facebook, I didn't think 280 would be a good route for me, so I stayed on 459. Around this point, I started thinking about the gallon of Gatorade I'd had earlier in the day. As I looked down at the empty Nalgene bottle, I thought, "This could be bad later." But the urge wasn't bad. What WAS bad was the insane headache that had come on due to my earlier dilated eyes. I tried to relax and just listen to the radio coverage of the storm and traffic. It didn't help, because at some point on this stretch of the road, one of the local meteorologists had called into the radio station, and he, too, was stuck in the horrible traffic. Fabulous.<br />
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Every now and then the traffic would move a little and I'd get excited. After several hours of that, the excitement passed.<br />
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<b>2:30 pm</b><br />
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Speaking of passed... by 2:30 pm the idea that I could hold my bladder any longer had also passed. I looked around my car to try and determine my best plan of action. I was not really able to get out of the car to use the bathroom, because, well, the rest of Birmingham was sitting around me. Two men had easily gotten out of their trucks and walked to the woodsy edge to relieve themselves, but the thought of me squatting over there with my bright white behind sticking out was unbearable to me. And hey, it was still daylight folks. There was no hiding here! And the occasional walker down the side of the interstate didn't make it any easier of a decision. (Walking Dead reference #1) With cameras on phones and social media at hand, I thought it best to look for an answer from within the confines of my car.<br />
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I had one styrofoam cup and one tall coffee mug with a handle. In my mind, I thought the handle would easier to navigate. Using my coat as a shield to the other cars, I began to prepare myself. Okay, let me stop here for a minute. I've had to tinkle in a cup a few times in my day, so I was fully aware of my horrible ability to do this in a clean manner. In addition to this reality was the fact that this was a tall coffee mug. This meant that if you were sitting behind me in traffic, you either knew exactly what I was doing, or you somehow thought I'd grown two full feet in the last two minutes.<br />
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Trying to keep yourself shielded while performing a coffee cup relief maneuver is challenging at best. I slid the mug in place and lowered myself, trying to aim as best I could. This is where I lose track of what happened in this moment. I didn't want to let er rip and risk a waterfall in my seat. So, I tried to "easy does it" - which, is it just me y'all, or is that hard for a woman? Every now and then I slid the mug to the side to check my work. Urine in the cup - success!!!! When the cup was semi-full, I decided to just stop and empty the cup. I rolled down the window and created a yellow snow spot beside my car, replaced the coffee cup into my cup holder, returned my pants into their upright and locked position, and then sat down in the seat.<br />
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About 30 seconds passed before I realized it. It wasn't just warm in my car, it was now warm on my seat. But what do you do in that moment? The damage had been done.<br />
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<b>3:00 pm</b><br />
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I was about three miles away from the Liberty Park exit, and everyone was just sitting in park, not moving. Up ahead, I could see about ten 18-wheelers jack knifed and blocking the entire three lane interstate. People were moving to and fro on foot, but at that distance, I couldn't tell what was going on. I found one of JM's blankets in the backseat and stuck it under me to try and soak up some of the tragedy down there. People were texting me left and right, and I was keeping everyone informed via Facebook. In fact, one of the most hilarious moments of the day happened on Facebook. See it here:<br />
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Pretty soon, I saw a few cars beginning to move. They appeared to be moving into a single file line down the hill and across the bridge. The girl behind me was riding too close to my bumper which really started to make me mad, but even worse, the Tahoe in front of me started sliding to the right uncontrollably...</div>
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<i>Tune in tomorrow for Snowpocolypse - Chapter Three</i></div>
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<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-27811975606942735162014-01-31T12:45:00.000-06:002014-01-31T12:45:27.498-06:00Snowpocolypse - Chapter OnePeople have been asking to hear the story of my car entrapment this past Tuesday, so I thought instead of re-telling it over and over... I'd just put it all down in the blog. It's an extremely LONG story, so I will make it bearable by breaking it up into several chapters. Plus, I can leave you in suspense... my favorite part of story-telling that can only happen in print.<br />
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<b>Tuesday, January 28th, 2014... 8:15am</b><br />
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John Michael and I loaded up the car for our eye appointments. Mine was at 8:30, his at 8:45. It was a normal morning as we had our eyes checked - but alas, we both had to have our eyes dilated. Normally, I would hate this only because of the ensuing headache that would follow. As we put our coats on to leave, I looked outside and saw that it was snowing. Not being much of a snow freaker-outer, I said, "Oh look John Michael, it's snowing. Let's go and get you to school." The weather forecast had only called for a "light dusting" in our part of Alabama, so I thought it would be a little snow, and that if any accumulated, we'd make a tiny snowman in the yard that evening when we got home. Plus, I had to get him to school because I was scheduled to speak at Hoover High School that morning about the decisions, choices and options faced with teen pregnancy.<br />
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<b>10:00 am</b><br />
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I dropped JM at school and casually asked if they thought they would close early that day. There was no sense of panic or anything as I was told that they were just going to watch it and see what it did. I agreed, as that is what I would have to do for my office as well. I open and close our office by what Shelby County does, and I had not seen where any schools or counties were announcing closures. So, I left and headed out to Hoover. As I typed "Hoover High School" into my Google Maps app, it became very apparent to me that I couldn't see anything on my phone. At the time I thought, "That's okay, Google Maps talks to me, so I'll be fine."<br />
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I headed down I-459 to Hoover, and my phone rang. It was the office informing me that they were canceling our prenatal/parenting class for the night. They also wanted to know if we were going to close early, but I said we'd go by Shelby County. If they hadn't called off school yet, we would stay open as well. That was mistake #1, although I didn't know it at the time. Then I got a text from two other employees, but couldn't read them because my eyes were still dilated. I mean, no, I couldn't read them because I don't read texts while I'm driving. Moving on...<br />
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I called my mom and asked her to look up the school closures for me to see if Shelby County had announced yet. She said no, that Jefferson County was the only one on the list so far. Wait, Jefferson County? Would that include Hoover High School? Or does Hoover High School fall under City of Hoover announcements? Not being from that area, I continued to the school. I arrived at 10:30, as the doors swung open and students ran out of the building to their cars. I quickly called my co-leader to see what I needed to do - yep, Hoover had just let out, so we'd have to reschedule.<br />
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<b>10:30 am</b><br />
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I was now stuck in school traffic, in addition to the fact that the snow was now coming down really quickly. Again, I thought that it would probably accumulate in the grass, but not on the roadways. By this point, my phone no longer worked. I kept trying to call the office to tell them to close and go home, but I couldn't get them. I texted a few people, but no response. Traffic wasn't moving, and I wasn't in an area where I was familiar with shortcuts or back roads. When my phone rang and it was JM's school calling to say that they were closing at 12:30, I thought there still might be a chance of me getting there on time. Plus, there might be an opening in the phone lines for me to try the office again. I did and got through. I told them to close and go home, praying that they would make it home quickly.<br />
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<b>11:00 am</b><br />
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Called my husband to go pick up JM. I had moved 10 feet and there were accidents all around me. Hwy 150 ahead looked like a parking lot, so I started looking on Google Maps to see if there was a side road or cut through. Hwy 150 was completely RED on the map. I-459 posted red in some places, but every time I refreshed it, I saw a new accident pop up. I waited.<br />
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<b>11:40 am</b><br />
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Texted Michael and realized he wasn't going to make it out from downtown either. I couldn't call the school because my phone wasn't working again, so I texted a friend who lives close to the school to see if she and her husband could pick JM up. Her husband went to get JM and I promised that one of us would just come to their house to get him when we could get through the mess.<br />
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I eventually made it to Hwy 150. As I turned right, thinking I could go down Valleydale or 119 to get home, I was horrified to find out that 150 was closed in that direction due to ice. I tried to u-turn but I had to wait on a turn lane to move. At some point here one man started yelling at me and blaming ME for holding up the traffic. I'm pretty sure I blacked out at this point because I screamed at him and drove through a bunch of parked cars to a gas station. Looking back now, I realize this was a good thing because I only had a quarter of a tank of gas. So, I filled up the car and went inside to use the bathroom. Met an older gentleman in the bathroom line who was headed to Leeds as well. He said that 459 wasn't bad. So, after using the restroom and getting back into the car, I started following two pickup trucks (a man and another woman) to 459.<br />
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<b>12:30 am</b><br />
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I headed down 459 at a safe pace and thought to myself, "I can make it now." I had no idea what was waiting for me...<br />
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<i>Tune in tomorrow for Snowpocolypse - Chapter Two.</i><br />
<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-42501650838492476032014-01-19T07:30:00.001-06:002014-04-11T19:09:41.318-05:00TBS-2"Things Bug Says"<div><br></div><div>1. "Mama, you got a freckle on your eyebrown. I got a freckle on my eyebrown too."</div><div><br></div><div>2. (Seeing an 18 wheeler that looks like Mack from the movie Cars)- "Hey there's Mack!"</div><div>Michael and I: "Hey Mack!"</div><div>JM: (in Mack's voice) "Hey John Michael, hey Mama, hey Daddy."</div><div><br></div><div>3. Max broke his dew claw so we took him to the vet, spurring all sorts of doctor conversations. I overheard this one:</div><div><br></div><div>JM: "Bubba, I'mma take you to the docta. I just need you to be vewy vewy quiet."</div><div><br></div><div>4. JM: "Chapp bwoke her spida."</div><div>Me: "Her shoulder."</div><div>JM: "Her shoulda. Yeah."</div><div><br></div><div>5. Nighttime prayer from JM:</div><div>"Thank you for if I go poo poo in da potty, I get pwizes. In Jesus' name, Amen. Kachow."</div><div><br></div>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-60391059125418285202014-01-06T23:57:00.001-06:002014-01-06T23:57:24.273-06:00TBSThis is a new series titled, "Things Bug Says." I call my son Bug, and wanted to keep up with some of the funny things he says, so here goes...<div><br></div><div>1. When playing with his trains, he yells, "All da board!"</div><div><br></div><div>2. A band-aid is a "boondaid."</div><div><br></div><div>3. When he takes a bite out of something leaving a crescent shape- "Hey look! Da moon!"</div><div><br></div><div>4. While playing with a stuffed angry bird- "Dat wed buwd has eyebwows."</div><div><br></div><div>5. He makes the dolphin sounds by saying "ah gah, ah gah, ah gah." But while talking on speaker phone with my husband, he held his dolphin up to the phone to "speak" to him and said, "ah gah, ah gah, ah gah to go poo poo in da potty."</div>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-78981624798686163942013-07-23T08:30:00.000-05:002013-07-23T12:00:15.399-05:00A Time for ExtravaganceExtravagant grace. Extravagant love. Extravagant forgiveness.<br />
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I never quite understood any of this (and still don't fully) until I read "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. After that book, nothing in life seemed to be as bad as what she went through. My life seemed so small in comparison - my problems became "first world problems."<br />
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After my last post, some have wondered about the extravagant grace I was offering to the mother... was it too much? How can I find the room to heap grace upon someone who held the keys to save a life? It's the same reason I can heap grace onto a woman who tells me she aborted her unborn child. The same reason I think there's still hope for men and women who are currently sitting in prison. Does it make the action right? Of course not. Am I lessening the weight of sin and poor choices? Absolutely not.<br />
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The guards in Nazi prison camps did horrendous things to prisoners. They humiliated them. They beat them. They killed them. However, in the end after it was all said and done, Corrie Ten Boom, who was the ONLY survivor from her age of women in the prison camp (by a clerical error within one week's time of the mass killing), traveled around trying to rehabilitate former prisoners. She spoke of the need to forgive in hopes that everyone could live in peace once again. But then, it happened... she was faced with the first of her actual jailers. And not only that, but he approached her! Read on to find out what happened...<br />
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It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face.</div>
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He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.” he said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!”</div>
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His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.</div>
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Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.</div>
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I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.</div>
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As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.</div>
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And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.</div>
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Corrie later went on to describe that moment as never knowing God's love so intensely as she did right then. His extravagant love and forgiveness. Jesus Christ has died for all of us; are we going to ask for more? Are we going to ask for more when we encounter people who sin so greatly in our eyes that we just don't have it in our hearts to forgive them?<br />
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I know of a few instances off the top of my head where I just didn't have it in me to forgive someone who had done me wrong. It hurt too much. It was too close. The wound was still fresh. But I also knew that Jesus had enough forgiveness for the both of us, and as I willingly walked it out, He did the forgiving through me and I was eventually able to say with confidence that I forgave. It wasn't quick, it certainly wasn't pain-free, and reconciliation was not always involved. But forgiveness was there, and continues to be.<br />
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Maybe I'm too much- but He was too much, first. None of us deserved it then, and none of us will ever deserve it... EVER. It's risky to offer extravagant grace, love and forgiveness. I'm positive that in this world, that kind of love, grace and forgiveness won't feel good... I might even get hurt. But I'd rather risk the triple jump in hopes that He'll help me land it, than just play it safe and barely get off the ground.<br />
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Lord, help me give what you've so readily and extravagantly given me. I'm not perfect, and I won't always get it right. I'm taking a risk right now even talking about this in public, because I'm certain that I won't always get it right. But I do know that when you tell me to love, forgive and extend grace... that you will also provide it. Amen.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-34865594382140261702013-07-18T16:59:00.001-05:002013-07-18T16:59:21.845-05:00It Could Happen to MeTwo days ago, I was shocked and distraught at the story I read about a one year old child who died in the backseat of a car after her mother forgot to drop her off at the babysitter's house, and then went to her husband's workplace and forgot the child was in the car (because the child fell asleep, I think). Apparently when the babysitter called three hours later to find out why she hadn't gone by, the mom rushed out to the car, but it was too late.<br />
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Tears welled up in my eyes as I relayed the story to my husband, watching the sadness on his face, as it must have been a reflection of my own. And then I read all of the comments to the story, where people accused the mother of being a monster, being on drugs, or any number of hateful things that you can think of to say to a mother who just lost her child. And I secretly sat there on the couch and hoped and prayed that nothing like that would ever happen to me... because it could.<br />
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I end each day thanking the Lord for protecting my son through my own dingbat actions or inactions. I'm thankful to just make it through each day with everyone in my family still being alive... but mostly my son, because he relies on me. That one's in my court and my husband's court. Maybe all of you moms out there have it all together. Maybe there's no chance in the world that you would ever do such a thing. But I am not like that. I don't have it all together... I barely have a tenth of it together.<br />
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Last year my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and he had surgery to remove it. He had described episodes that he was having for months before the tumor was discovered... episodes like forgetting where he was going while he was driving somewhere. Or maybe just stopping for a minute and forgetting even where he was or why he was there. I remember listening to that and thinking, "Oh, it's like mom brain." There isn't a week that goes by where I don't forget everything I own at the house, or forget where I'm driving, or wonder where on earth I left my brain. So, yeah, I've done things that would probably be considered crazy or bad mom-ish... but NEVER have I done them on purpose. And so, as I was reading this heartbreaking story, I thought, "That could happen to any of us. It could happen to me." And don't think for one second that she isn't beating herself up enough without all of the hurling insults from us onlookers.<br />
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The first year of my son's life was a total blur to me. Even 2.5 years into his life, I'm still wondering what has happened to my brain. As women, we're expected to have it all together, but I'm here to tell you that NONE OF US DO! We can pretend all we want. We can fakebook all of our glorious pictures of how glorious our kids are, and how glorious we are as parents, but behind closed doors, you know how quickly things can get crazy. Some of us work 40 hour work weeks, come home to work at home, and try to remember all that we're supposed to remember and do and be. And some of us stay home with the full-time motherhood that extends from sun up to sun down and after. I don't care whether you work or not... motherhood is HARD. So, for once, instead of holding each other up to impossible standards, why don't we just hold each other up? Why don't we create a support system and encourage each other once in a while? If I had been that mother, would you be hurling the insults at me, or insulting my mothering skills behind my back, and pretending that you have it all together and that there's no room for grace in my life? Or would you know my heart, and know that I would rather die than to see something happen to someone in my family? What about the people who wouldn't know my heart?<br />
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I don't know this mother's heart, but I do know what it's like to be a mother. My heart aches for her. And we all have room to grow as parents. Some of us just haven't seen tragedy, and some of us never will. I'm not saying that we should all be haphazard and just throw caution to the wind with our kids. But deep down in my heart, I know that there's more to this story. I hope there's more to this story. And while I don't know the details, I trust that God does. So I will not be throwing the book at this mom. You can do whatever you want. But be sure to never mess up in your own life because heaven forbid we extend a little grace to each other every now and then. And while you're at it, pray for me... because it could have been me.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-5932803944472498172013-07-07T22:20:00.000-05:002013-07-07T22:20:41.335-05:00Reading Nook!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know my blog posts are once in a blue moon, but I try to save the good stuff for posting. Today was good stuff. I've been wanting to create a better organizational space in John Michael's room, while also creating for him a nice little reading nook (the boy loves his books). Since we were going to be in Atlanta for the 4th this year, we decided to make a pit stop by IKEA on the way home to pick up some goodies. But first, you have to see the before pictures (as much as it makes me cringe).</div>
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We still had a changing table in his room, because as much as I wish we were fully potty-trained... we're not. Luckily, that table isn't really a changing table, so I was itching to get it into the living room to have a more functional piece in there as well.<br />
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Ugh, the toys. There are soooo many toys! See that tub behind his bed? Also full of toys.<br />
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And... this isn't going to get me the "parent of the year" award, but this is real life, folks. Yes, I push-pinned a duvet cover over his window to block out the light. A momma's got to do what a momma's got to do when it comes down to nap time and no real curtain options around the house.<br />
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Michael saw somewhere where someone (like my descriptions there?) had taken some Expedit bookshelves from IKEA and turned them into benches. The bookshelves and the storage bins were easy. But as we walked around IKEA, I wondered what on earth I would do for the cushioning on top. When I told Michael to be on the lookout for a long cushion, he spotted these individual blue cushions in the dining area. He's a genius! They worked perfectly!<br />
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AND they velcro underneath to keep them in place! I tell you, a genius!<br />
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The real test was whether or not Max approved. I'd say we got two paws up!<br />
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Next was my curtain issue. I couldn't let the boy keep duvet curtains. Plus, that blue was going to clash with my new bright blue cushions. So, the original curtain that I wanted to put up in his room was crying in a closet somewhere because it was just too darned sheer for nap time. Enter light blocking panels, stage left. I laid out my curtain on top of one panel and cut the bottom off a couple of feet to leave it a tad longer than the panel.<br />
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And because the thought of pulling out my sewing machine made me want to curl up into fetal position, I stitch witched that sucka!<br />
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Attached my handy dandy clip on holders at the top... (I'm super technical).<br />
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And then I picked up the curtain with the overlapping panels and realized the panels were going to gape open in the middle.<br />
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So, I pulled out my MacGuiver belt and safety pinned them together in a few places. Oh come on people! Anything is better than a duvet curtain!<br />
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About midway through my toy sorting, two of the Elmos threw down a stomp routine.<br />
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And then, voila! The toys were put away, the books were up on ledges (also from IKEA), some throw pillows made their debut, and the new normal curtain was up!<br />
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I just love these book ledges. I'm doing some subliminal messaging there with that purple potty book front and center. :)<br />
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Blankets and babies are ready for some snuggling!<br />
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Look at that awesome, real curtain! The panels do a FABULOUS job of blocking out the light too!<br />
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And the last little finishing touch is John Michael's art piece that he painted at Little House of Art in Atlanta this past weekend. I hope to continue to switch this piece out as he continues to create.<br />
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That's it for our reading nook! Hope you enjoyed!Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-59887645927614782182013-01-02T22:55:00.003-06:002013-01-02T22:55:56.165-06:00A Time for Acceptance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's funny how the Lord brings back memories to drive home a point, you know? All day long, I've been talking to Him about acceptance, and how that one little thing can make people do crazy things. I have been observing people around me, and how their striving for acceptance can sometimes make them lose sight of the world around them. I've seen myself doing it in ways that I'm not proud of. So I was asking the Lord why it is that we humans strive so much for acceptance, while sometimes stepping on others to gain it. It was quiet all day though. Maybe I was distracted.<br />
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Until I started washing my face tonight, and I was reminded of a mother/ daughter moment from Jr. High. I know you probably won't believe this unless you were friends with me back then, but I struggled a lot in the 8th grade. It just wasn't my year. I was awkward, uncomfortable with myself, slow to the good comebacks I'm now a little too privy of, and people made fun of me. I was living in a single parent home with a mother who was literally working herself to the bone while also trying to attend every single extra-curricular event my brother and I were involved in. I was extra sensitive, something I had developed in early childhood. I can remember as a child when someone in my life asked me if I was going to cry every time someone looked at me the wrong way. The answer was yes, and I knew it. I didn't want people to look at me the wrong way. My whole life revolved around doing everything I could to make people look at me the right way. But nothing I did in 8th grade made it any better. It was the only year in my entire life that I uttered the words, "I never want to go back to school there again."<br />
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My mom developed a ritual that year that I had completely forgotten about until the Lord reminded me of it tonight. She would get out the little jar of Noxema, we would cover our faces with it, and watch tv in her bed until we could no longer stand the stinging and we'd wash it off. It was something she had done with her mother, and she was passing along the tradition. The time of sting allowance gradually increased, as these moments became some of the best conversations I had with my mother growing up. We still have great conversations, but something about the Noxema drew out more than just the dirt in my pores.<br />
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I eventually made it through the awkward year, and turned into the supermodel you all know and love. (cough cough- couldn't help myself) I realized tonight that the awkward year, while I unsuccessfully strived for acceptance, helped me to become who I am today. Not only was I striving for acceptance that year, but there were others who were trying just as hard to be accepted, while keeping the spotlight on me so that it wouldn't show their awkwardness too. Sometimes we think that this is just a kids game, that junior high is the only place for such nonsense. I'm here to tell you that it's very much alive in our workplaces, homes, and churches too. There will always be a boss, and there will always be employees trying to show how great they are at the expense of others. There will always be that one family member who's easy to make fun of. There will always be cliques at work or at church, because we all want to be accepted. The problem remains that there will be that little 8th grade girl in all of us who will eventually get stepped on, or made fun of, or brushed aside... and no one will notice...<br />
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Except for the people who choose to build others up; the ones who pull out the jar of Noxema and make that trampled little one feel like they do have something to contribute, that they're beautiful and valuable. Look at how Jesus treated the least of these... THIS is our calling.<br />
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"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-77582192284617148642012-12-31T22:23:00.002-06:002012-12-31T23:16:00.075-06:00Top 10 Things I Learned in 2012Things are getting rowdy around here tonight on New Year's Eve... spending the evening with my friends, Alka and Seltzer, the cold variety (also the PM variety, so my time is limited here). Maybe it's the seltzer talking, or maybe I'm hanging onto a pipe dream of watching the ball drop into 2013... but I started thinking back to the past year, and wanted to document the top 10 things I learned:<br />
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10. I really enjoy knowing very little about what's going on in the news. For example, when someone mentioned the fiscal cliff to me recently, I was actually glad that I knew nothing about it. What would I have done about it anyway? Plus, any major news I need comes through my Facebook feed anyway- haha. That's kind of a sad statement. Call me a millennial if you want, but the fact remains that we just don't have cable... and I'm fine with it.<br />
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9. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing as a mom. Whew, glad I got that off my chest. I'm done trying to pretend, or trying to please people in restaurants that I don't even know. Yes, my two year old plays Angry Birds on my iphone, and he's beaten my highest score. Talk under your breath about me, but I no longer care. Doing my best here, and I'm over your judgment.<br />
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8. I'm very passionate about many things in this world. But I'm not going to talk about them all the time. The only passion I may talk incessantly about is my love for my Savior. He's done too much for me and in me for me to not talk about Him. You may not agree with my passions, and I may not agree with yours. That's okay. This past year, I've learned alot about listening to differing points of view. I can't promise you that I'll ever change my position on them, but I do care about how you feel, and I do care about your point of view.<br />
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7. Tragedy happens. It's like dog poo in a slightly overgrown backyard. It's only a matter of time until it affects you personally as you walk. I will experience it. You will experience it. Sometimes you can't do anything about it. But I want to love others through their tragedies. I hope you'll do the same for me.<br />
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6. I have learned that this is the time to care about my health. Gonna do it.<br />
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5. I have learned to take mental pictures of little things. My iphone camera helps with that too.<br />
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4. I have learned that I'm a terrible listener. Gonna work on that.<br />
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3. I have learned that every job has dysfunction. There are different levels of dysfunction; there's even some ingrown dysfunction. But at the end of the day, I have to remember that we're all human, acting out of our own hurts and insecurities.<br />
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2. I have learned that forgiveness does not, in fact, mean reconciliation. I thought this was true, but struggled all year with whether or not it really was. It's true. And while reconciliation may never happen, the black marks are gone. I no longer hold myself captive, and that's nice. (See my previous post for more on this issue)<br />
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1. I have learned that I am not promised tomorrow. If I have wronged you, let me make it right today. I will hold my husband and son a little tighter, try to speak love in all circumstances, and try to live out my calling. I'm going to fail in a lot of areas. That's cool with me. I'll keep trying my best though, and with the Lord's help, I hope to make a difference in the lives of others.<br />
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Happy 2013, y'all.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-67117435747509314902012-12-10T20:50:00.002-06:002012-12-10T20:50:27.554-06:00What we need mostI don't know about you guys, but the Christmas season always seems to highlight the best and the worst in my life. I'm always very thankful for what I have, as the Lord seems to remind me in not so subtle ways how much He blesses us each day. In the midst of all of that though, I am also reminded of my own shortcomings. I have so much to learn, and I tend to beat myself up during the holidays for bad choices I've made, for things I wish I'd done differently, for the relationships that went sour in the past. Two Sundays ago, our pastor said that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has a higher suicide rate than the other 11 months of the year combined. The enemy wants nothing more than to highlight hurts and pain in our lives during the one time of year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior... a time that should be filled with joy and celebration.<br />
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Well, I choose to not fall for that anymore. The past couple of weeks at church have been a series of sermons based on forgiveness. We've only done the first two weeks, but in those two weeks, I have been so incredibly blessed and set free. So, I wanted to share with you what I've learned so that if you are holding onto some unforgiveness, you might experience release and freedom as well.<br />
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The reason it's so hard for most of us to forgive is because we have a wrong understanding of forgiveness. We think that forgiveness is somehow minimizing the seriousness of the offense, or that it means reconciliation HAS to happen, or that we must forget what happened. Forgiveness is none of those things. The offense IS serious, you don't always have to reconcile, and you certainly can't be expected to forget what happened. But the problem is, we don't think it's fair for us to have to forgive. As Pastor Chris said two Sundays ago, you don't want to go the fair route. We didn't receive what was fair when Jesus paid for our sins, died on a cross, and reconciled us to God... WHILE WE WERE SINNERS. So, why are we so harsh with others when we didn't even receive what was fair?<br />
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Something else about forgiveness is that we usually just don't think that we can do it. Well, in a sense, that's kind of correct. I read a book called "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom several years ago. At the end, she is faced with one of the very guards who had held her captive in a prison camp. And as he asked her for forgiveness, she said there wasn't an ounce of her that wanted to forgive him. It still hurt too much. So she asked the Lord to do the forgiving through her, because she knew that He was the only one who could change her heart toward this man. And as she embraced that man, she wept with a flood of forgiveness and love that she knew couldn't have come from her own flesh. We can't do the forgiving in our own power. When we begin this work, it doesn't feel like we're forgiving anything, much less anyone. But as you continue to walk it out, the Lord does a work in our hearts. I promise- I've been there. In the beginning, I couldn't go off of my own feelings. I had to just keep walking it out and choosing to forgive, and eventually I knew that the Lord had changed my heart.<br />
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There are three things you can do to walk out forgiveness for others:<br />
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1. Pray for them. It's REALLY stinking hard in the beginning of the prayer, but by the end of the prayer, you'll find yourself genuinely praying for their wellbeing because you can't truly pray for someone without turning out to love them. Matthew 5:43-44<br />
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2. Bless them. This means resisting the urge to talk badly about them. Human nature makes us WANT to talk badly about them though. But don't. If you truly want to walk out forgiveness, bless them and do not curse them. Romans 12:14<br />
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3. Do good to them. Don't give them what you think they deserve. Do good to them. Taking revenge leaves no room for the Lord to do anything. You've taken it into your own hands and decided to play God. That's prideful. It's not up to you. The Lord calls us to overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21<br />
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The best takeaway I had from this lesson was three simple words: The forgiven forgive. If you really know forgiveness from Him, then you are able to forgive others.<br />
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I feel sure that there will be more on this subject, as I have just been in tears the last two Sundays at church. Don't for a second think that I am not walking this out right there with you. I am still debating on whether or not to share anything about that part of my life. For now, until I know that I know that I should, just know that this is very real to me- it's a part of my history. We can all walk this out together. I pray that the Lord blesses you through this message as much as He did me.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-20189184389738978482012-12-07T08:49:00.002-06:002012-12-07T08:50:03.553-06:00It's beginning to look alot like... a TRAVEL STORY!Last weekend was all rush, rush, rush! I had to get the Christmas decorations done, the advent calendar, and pack for my trip to Virginia. Needless to say, I DID NOT watch the SEC Championship game... apparently much to the amazement of others. But, I spent some great time with JM and M and made some wonderful updates to the house to show our Christmas spirit!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYrHARIWPz1aJchIP-LRPQ6eUYjKxNAsH-DauYYDiw8ovUKrYMpoFFkqWWMIOOZjje_5tGJX0hvJ0Ac2-3GD9HUPJeATq0epTmeAOxDoYvOygRjZpq8By7EmC9W4BJd-lr8EWEj3HwBcX/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYrHARIWPz1aJchIP-LRPQ6eUYjKxNAsH-DauYYDiw8ovUKrYMpoFFkqWWMIOOZjje_5tGJX0hvJ0Ac2-3GD9HUPJeATq0epTmeAOxDoYvOygRjZpq8By7EmC9W4BJd-lr8EWEj3HwBcX/s320/photo-2.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've had these since we got married, but somehow have always forgotten to get them from Selma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwx4N8eirG0GmpLr1ixKwzU3pPFaue5aKiDHZ-N2cmVpXRJckq9YXg2JmfJ8iW0G60WhRsLvbwuYW3ssU8Lx4ImQsTp2i6ORCQ9oL7ZSTXUHazQa56jHpwGotSLnf-WKcIsstY1_Ruhbt/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwx4N8eirG0GmpLr1ixKwzU3pPFaue5aKiDHZ-N2cmVpXRJckq9YXg2JmfJ8iW0G60WhRsLvbwuYW3ssU8Lx4ImQsTp2i6ORCQ9oL7ZSTXUHazQa56jHpwGotSLnf-WKcIsstY1_Ruhbt/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Michael is really loving the idea of an Advent calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WeSpttxYjvoaX69UC0gIZZE4AUgSNIqyRrehZVukCUO_XeNG1ruXPimN2w-l0Aw8_-b3SgTbRWIMHQcHR5wA6VUsBEuZjVCKCVUSqmZat7i14O63ubaIhvkygt6L29dvTv-rk0jMt1gC/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WeSpttxYjvoaX69UC0gIZZE4AUgSNIqyRrehZVukCUO_XeNG1ruXPimN2w-l0Aw8_-b3SgTbRWIMHQcHR5wA6VUsBEuZjVCKCVUSqmZat7i14O63ubaIhvkygt6L29dvTv-rk0jMt1gC/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was hard to keep a 2 year old from eating while I created it!</td></tr>
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So, after all of that was said and done, I loaded up and headed to Virginia with my co-worker, Polly. Our organization recently hired a new CEO, so we were going to meet him, attend a conference planning meeting, and accomplish some other stuff too. Polly always blames me when our travels go awry... and she's right. People say that I should pay THEM to travel with me, because flights are always delayed, or crazy things just seem to happen.<br />
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I actually thought we were doing well- only a one hour delay in Atlanta (which to me is cake compared to some of the delays I've experienced). We arrived in Virginia, and started out on the mad rush to interview new employees, make conference calls in time, etc. I was planning on just staying with my friend and co-worker, Shannon... but when we got to the office, I went in for an immediate hug and she stopped me, saying that she might still be contagious. Oh no. After much thought, I told Shannon that while I loved her, I just couldn't risk another Christmas Day in the ER if I brought sickness home to my family. I would just go with Polly to the hotel and book a room. Surely they would have a room. (Don't call me Shirley)<br />
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After a wonderful dinner out, Polly and I took Shannon's car to CVS to get us some stocking feet (because we Alabamians don't pack for winter winter... we pack for summer winter... that's what we know). After a roundabout trip to CVS (which may or may not have almost included a fight between a tow truck driver and myself- I totally would have won, by the way), we set out for the hotel. The SpringHill Suites in Ashburn is one of my favorite places to stay. I stay there alot. So, walking in felt like going home for a short visit. While Polly checked in with one of the desk attendants, I went to the other side to see if I could book a room.<br />
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Me: "Hi, I need to book a room."<br />
Desk guy: "For how many nights?"<br />
Me: "Two."<br />
Desk guy: "I can book you for tonight, but starting tomorrow, we're completely full."<br />
Me: "That's okay. I'll just move my stuff to her room and shack up with her tomorrow night."<br />
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Other desk guy: "What did you say your last name was?"<br />
Polly: "Bennett."<br />
Other desk guy: "Can you see if you can find Ms. Bennett? I can't find her."<br />
Desk guy: "Sure. Ms. Bennett, do you have your confirmation number."<br />
Polly: (Sigh) "Yes, let me find it." (Shuffles in bag... pulls out folder... opens folder... reads out numbers) "Oh wait, that's my Marriott Rewards number. No, I don't have my confirmation number."<br />
Desk guy: "Ma'am, your confirmation number will let us know whether you're booked here, or at another one of our locations."<br />
Polly: "I'm booked here. I even made sure to tell the person who took my reservation that it was the one by the Chik-fil-A. And she said that it was."<br />
Desk guy: "I still need a confirmation number."<br />
Polly: (Deeper sigh- pulls out ipad) "How do I sign into the wireless here?" (I move over to help- she gets her email up- pulls up her confirmation email)<br />
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Now, let me stop right here. Polly is our conference director, so she knows ALOT about hotels. And before I go further, I want you to know that I'm not painting her to be a rude person, or someone who gets frustrated over nothing. Polly is a "oh well, we'll figure it out" kind of gal. But she knows how hotels should be managed, how reservations should be managed, and she expects things to be run in a professional manner. These two desk attendants were the nicest guys- and they were doing everything they could to sort this out. Okay, time in.<br />
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Me: "Polly, that email isn't from SpringHill Suites. It's from Towne Suites."<br />
Silence.<br />
Polly: "Well, here's my confirmation number." (Reads off numbers)<br />
Desk guy: "That is not a SpringHill Suites confirmation number."<br />
Polly: "Yes, I realize that." (turns to me) "You know what this is?"<br />
Me: (Silent, scared to speak)<br />
Polly: "Language barrier. I couldn't understand a word that woman said on the phone. And I kept repeating to her, 'Now, this is the one on 7 across the street from the Chik-fil-A, right?' and she kept saying, 'Yea, Yeah' (in what I think was supposed to be an Indian accent) But, clearly she had no idea, booked me at the wrong hotel, and now we only have a room for one night! (to desk guy) I need a room for this ENTIRE WEEK!"<br />
Me: (looking at the email, trying to hold in laughter) "Yes, this is by the airport here, this hotel where you're booked."<br />
Polly: (to desk guy) "Please call that hotel and cancel my reservation. Book us a room for tonight, and I'll figure this out tomorrow."<br />
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So, we get a room, and we get up in the room, and I cannot stop laughing. I realize that me laughing in a situation like this does nothing to actually help the situation, but come on! It was so funny to observe this whole transaction taking place. Polly said, "It's not funny, Kay." And I said, "But it really is, Polly. I mean, this is the stuff blogs are MADE OF!"<br />
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The next night, we stayed with separate co-workers, and I think Polly continued that for the rest of the week. I have laughed retelling that story a couple of times. I think maybe Polly will laugh at some point about it. I did get a smile out of her that night in the room. And if it helps, I lost my phone charger on the trip, so if you want to say that I got mine, go right ahead. ;)<br />
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I got home Wednesday night, loved seeing my boys again, and worked yesterday. No matter how little time I'm gone though, it always seems like my boys grow up exponentially while I'm gone. For instance, Max looked a little older to me yesterday...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like a grandpa, in fact</td></tr>
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And John Michael was excitedly playing with one of his toys he got from the Advent calendar last night. I don't know that I've seen him get this excited about a toy before. The quick laying on the floor to talk to the snowman is my favorite part! I can't wait to see how he responds on Christmas morning! (Oh, and his birthday is this weekend, too!)<br />
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Hope you all are slowing down this season to enjoy the little things, and to remember the reason for the season. If you're interested, <a href="http://michaelmcqueensanford.blogspot.com/">Michael is writing some on the meaning of Christmas</a>, including some personal stories and things he's learned from the Lord along the way. Chock full o' goodness.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-80914888077938790262012-11-11T21:44:00.000-06:002012-11-11T21:44:34.031-06:00He IS the giftMichael and I have been attending a small group on Sunday nights, called Fresh Air. It has been really good, although challenging at times... you know how hard it is to get to know a whole group of people. Well, for me, the second small group was the initiation group for me, because from the very beginning, I was uncontrollably sobbing. Like, ugly cry, red-faced, hyperventilating sobbing. In a small group. Our second meeting. It was awesome.<div>
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Well, tonight we were talking about the Holy Spirit, which can always be an interesting conversation depending on any variety of preconceived notions. And so, you know, the conversation turned to the gifts. It wasn't the usual, "I think that's weird" conversation that I'm used to, which was nice. But in those conversations, I love to just sit back, listen and watch. The conversation opened up some questions from people here and there, and we started talking about different gifts and so on. At one point, there was discussion about everyone having the gifts... or do they? Or do some people just flourish in some gifts, and does everyone have every gift?</div>
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Michael and I used to get all up in arms during these conversations, but I glanced over at him to see if he was about to start in on anything, and as he opened his mouth, he said one of the most profound things I've ever heard. I don't know if everyone thought it was as profound as I did... but I really think the Lord meant it for me tonight. He said, "Well, here's the thing: the Holy Spirit IS the gift, and the way I see it is, it doesn't matter if He tells you to operate in this gift or that gift. It's all just about following His promptings."</div>
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Never thought about it that way. I tend to get caught up in the "rules" of operating in the gifts. But I guess the point is to just do what He leads you to do, and realize that HE is the gift. Cool word for me tonight. I hope it ministers to you like it did to me. Thanks, hubs. :)</div>
Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-72296385292043879052012-10-31T15:45:00.003-05:002012-10-31T15:45:51.756-05:00Time for HIMIn the past several months, okay, maybe the past several years, I've struggled with this notion that I'm not DOING enough to serve the Lord each day. I tend to make myself feel guilty when I roll over and hit snooze at 5:00 am instead of jumping up and into the Bible immediately. And then 6:00 am rolls around and I barely have enough time to shower and get JM ready, so I push off my "devotional" time to... well, never, here lately.<br />
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So, I was talking to the Lord the other day while I was driving around, running some errands. I'm extremely honest with the Lord for those of you who don't know me. It was going something like this:<br />
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Me: Hey Lord, it's me... Kay. Oh wait, you already know that. I'm an idiot. Anyway, I was just thinking... I've been wanting to spend more time with you, and I think that the morning is really my only good time to do it because my days just get so crazy with work and JM and chores and supper and everything else (I speak in run-on sentences in my head). But, I mean, you know how much I love my sleep... and, so, well, sometimes... well, all the time... it seems like this morning thing isn't really working out for me because then I'm just talking to you while I fly through my morning routine, or while I drive, and let's be honest, you and I both know how ditzy I've been lately so I probably should keep my mind focused on the road (never mind the fact that I'm driving while praying this). But, Lord, am I a horrible person because of this? I mean, listen to me... I'm basically telling you that sleep is more important than you right now... geez. Why is this so hard for me????<br />
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And around this time, I'd gotten to the water works and was putting my bill in the little drop box (yes, I live in the 1920's). I'm walking back to my car, and He says, "Look."<br />
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I'm looking at the cutie pie sitting in the backseat of my car, smiling at me like it's the first time he's seen me all day, even though it's more like the 20th. It looked something like his smile in this picture:<br />
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And then He said, "I get that excited too."<br />
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Y'all! Is that crazy love?! Even a glance in His direction makes Him that excited. So, I realized that even five minutes is better than nothing. He just wants ME. It's a work in progress, that's for sure. But I'm definitely seeing it through different lenses this week.<br />
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He just wants YOU. It doesn't have to be formal, a certain period of time, or anything like that. All He wants is YOU.<br />
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Thanks, Lord. You're pretty awesome.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-33588578990421624482012-10-29T15:28:00.002-05:002012-10-29T15:30:55.108-05:00Comfortable Problems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the love... there is so much I could be doing right now, like cleaning my house, pulling out some picture frames that I've wanted to hang, laundry (oh the never ending laundry). Yet, I'm unable to pull myself away from a story I ran across last week. In fact, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it either. Her name is Angie Smith, and she writes a blog called <a href="http://angiesmithonline.com/">Bring The Rain</a>. Well, she's written more than that, actually. "I Will Carry You," "What Women Fear," and "Mended" are three books that I see advertised on her blog. I haven't read them yet, because I'm still in June 2008 on her blog, making my entire way through it. I started at the beginning, in April 2008, when Angie and her husband Todd (singer for Selah) found out that something just wasn't right with Angie's pregnancy. I'll leave you to read her blog, as there's absolutely no way that I could do the story justice. But a funny thing happened as I continued to read, to cry, to read and cry, to sob uncontrollably... the Lord sparked something in me that I haven't felt for years. Passion for Him.<br />
Yes, that's right, for all of you out there who have some notion in your mind that I have it all together... that I praise the Lord with every step... that I don't cuss like a sailor at times and then quickly pray that my son doesn't repeat it. If anything, I want to be honest with myself, and you. Judge if you want- makes no difference to me. I already know that I'm broken, so it's not a newsflash. But the past couple of years have been confusing at best. I've second guessed everything that I knew to be true... my ability to be a good wife, a good mother, a good employee, a good friend, a good person at all. I'm sure the enemy was having a field day with it. Have you ever noticed that the second you start to second guess yourself on something, there seems to be an event that proves you're right in thinking that ugly thought about yourself? It's easy to sit in that place for a long, long time. And I have. I've gotten pretty comfortable here. It's kind of like how Charlie Brown gets all upset about how nobody likes him, but the reason people get frustrated with him is because he constantly talks about how nobody likes him, and let's face it- that's annoying. Well, I think I've had a Charlie Brown spirit.<br />
I want to go on record right now and say that as hard as it has been to get through Angie's blog, I have continued to read it because the Lord is doing something in me through it. As I read her posts, I realized that she hears the Lord so clearly in the midst of her day. And then she acts on it. And I found myself wishing that I could do that again... hear the Lord clearly in the midst of my day. As I sat in my big comfy chair, I looked at the back cushion where Max normally perches and laughed because he was stuck in between the cushion and the back of the chair. So I did what any normal "mama" would do. I picked up my cell phone and snapped a picture, planning to send it to Michael so that we could LOL at our silly dog. Max wasn't even upset about the fact that he was stuck. He just settled down into it and plopped his head over the back of the chair, trying to make the best of the situation. I thought to myself, "What a comfortable problem to have." And then I heard it. That still, small voice that I've been so desperate to hear said, "We must be careful to not get comfortable in our problems. That's not how life was intended."<br />
That's not how LIFE was intended. That's so true! The author of life doesn't sit back and think, "Well, there she goes again. Gosh, I should really teach her how to be a better employee." He created life to be full of joy. And that doesn't mean that everything is hunky dory all the time either. Life is hard, y'all. But He's still on the throne.<br />
"And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" Revelation 5:13<br />
And so, instead of doing the list of things that I probably should be doing around the house, I praise Him, and I allow myself to dream again, and I allow myself to trust Him again, and I praise- I praise- I praise. I'm reminded of Angie in so many things... maybe it's the fact that just reading her blog makes me think that she and I would be good friends... but the reason her blog is called Bring the Rain is because good soil only happens when there's a lot of rain. And while it's a little scary to say this, I say, "Lord, bring the rain... because it's more important for me to know You... and I don't wish for bad things, or hard things... but if everything is easy peasy all the time, I'm scared that I'll never grow. So I'm done with being mad about the problems. I'm done with wishing for easier things. Help me get through the difficult. Help me to face the hard times with my head held high. Help me to be a light in the exact places you have me."<br />
We must not get comfortable in the problems. We have a solution. And in all things, He can bring peace, joy, comfort, healing, patience, love, kindness, gentleness and self-control.<br />
<br />Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-5913770448628460572012-04-18T08:15:00.000-05:002012-04-18T08:15:12.910-05:00A Time to be ThankfulThe past couple of days have been a roller coaster for my family. However, through it all, God was ever present, and I learned so much more about myself as I learned so much more about God. I wanted to get it down somewhere before it left my mind- and also so that I could revisit it all one day and be reminded of what He was saying.<br />
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Things I learned about myself:<br />
<br />
1. When I need to be strong, there is an endless supply of strength in the Lord.<br />
2. I know now the peace that surpasses all understanding. So many people on the phone commented about how calm I sounded- some even thought I was in shock. But all I knew was that I had a peace that I couldn't explain. I knew how bad things looked and sounded even as I explained them. But God gave me His peace, and I was really never able to accept things the way they had been presented. All I could see and know was His outlook on things... and His outlook was far better than ours.<br />
3. No matter how often or little I talk to my brother, we have a bond that cannot be broken. And I love that- and I love him.<br />
4. I can pretty much take any situation and find something humorous to lighten the mood. However, I wouldn't recommend causing a patient who just had brain surgery to laugh. I got in trouble more than once. But Hurt Head Ted is now taking over for me.<br />
5. I like Facebook and texting, and it truly is the easiest way to keep people informed, but there's nothing like a good old fashioned phone call.<br />
6. I can survive solely on Starbucks and Diet Coke.<br />
7. I am back in the business of reading my brother's mind. And it only took a 7 hour surgery to get that back up and running.<br />
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Things I learned (or was reminded) about God:<br />
<br />
1. He is Good.<br />
2. He only calls us to have faith the size of a mustard seed in order to move mountains.<br />
3. He doesn't do things the same way I do (and thank goodness for that).<br />
4. He hears our prayers, and works on our behalf long before we realize it.<br />
5. He has an appointed time for all of us to leave this earth. We won't leave a minute before or after our appointed time.<br />
6. Life's too short to waste it on things that keep us from carrying out His will, and He used a short five days to show me some things that I've been praying about for years. It was there all along, but sometimes you have to step back to see it clearly.<br />
7. He secured even deeper in me that I am not afraid of death. In fact, I rejoice in it- because death has no hold over us. Life doesn't end with death. It begins. And that's not just the natural version of death- that's the death of things in our lives that we've been holding onto, but we need to let go of.<br />
7. Lastly, we're not here for ourselves, or our selfish desires, or even to make a name for ourselves. We're here to point back to Him, to show others the Way, to bring Life into dark places. And it can be as small and as simple as one conversation. But people need to know that we care- so if we ask Him for His heart in all situations and for all people, we can't really go wrong.<br />
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There's still a road of recovery ahead, but I feel a new clarity that I didn't have before. I pray that we all move forward changed, and that we were able to bless others through it.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-2625057993687214852012-04-01T22:26:00.000-05:002012-04-01T22:26:37.966-05:00A Time for Easter PicturesIt has been quite a while since I last posted over here (and I said I wasn't going to do that). But, work has been insanely busy... to the point where I've been struggling alot just to get dinner on the table at night without having a meltdown. I've also been traveling quite a bit since this year began, and I have to go back to Dallas this week. Since I won't be back until Saturday (riiiiiiiiiiiight before Easter), I thought I'd go ahead and take some Easter pictures of JM today.<br />
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I kept trying to get all creative about where I was going to take his pictures, but then basically came to a "do or die" moment and just loaded him up in the car to go exploring. I spotted a little woodsy area at the front of a nearby neighborhood, and decided I'd go for the whimsical look today. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to go! So, JM and bunny went exploring, and I documented it.<br />
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We headed back home, and I spotted another field, so I asked John Michael if he'd be willing to do just one more...<br />
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He tried to warn me. He cried the entire time.<br />
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And what's a photoshoot without one of these (hehe)...<br />
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What a sweet angel. I love this little guy to pieces! I hope you all have an amazing week, and enjoy Easter with the ones you love. May we all be reminded of what He spoke so clearly to me about today... and that is HE IS GOOD! There is nothing that you are going through that He isn't working out for some purpose... and you don't have to worry about what that purpose is, because you can rest in the fact that HE IS GOOD. Love you guys!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGjWBOFs9RlC9vIFvlNHqP8BP7scRnDGEjsg-VkTDJuRziHp3RhWrbtVGnILy2SwP4nNgDcfvM9eaW52JmYuLotVfKbo9p2aHzGrW_oKG8A8Njmbcb6kzA4U9E_gVDCApwKnMiehH950h/s1600/JM_Easter13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGjWBOFs9RlC9vIFvlNHqP8BP7scRnDGEjsg-VkTDJuRziHp3RhWrbtVGnILy2SwP4nNgDcfvM9eaW52JmYuLotVfKbo9p2aHzGrW_oKG8A8Njmbcb6kzA4U9E_gVDCApwKnMiehH950h/s400/JM_Easter13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-75271832336847593592012-03-04T08:57:00.001-06:002012-03-04T08:57:21.750-06:00Lazy Sunday AKA Get up and do something!I fly out of Birmingham in T minus 9 hours and 30 minutes. What do I need to do before then?<br />
- wash clothes<br />
- pack those freshly washed clothes<br />
- pack everything else<br />
- finish up taxes so I can send them off<br />
- finish up two work items<br />
- cook some things for my family to eat while I'm away<br />
- buy some diapers so my child can live a sanitary life<br />
- buy some food for my child so he can eat while I'm gone<br />
- clean my house so that I can come home to it being messy again<br />
- get to the airport an hour before my flight leaves<br />
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And what am I doing? Everything except what's on this list! And that includes watching JM be incredibly cute while he eats a waffle.<br />
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But he's checking my flight status and printing out my boarding pass for me, so I didn't add those to the list.<br />
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I need to get my buns in gear! Hope everyone has a great week! I'll be "nerding it up" at a database conference! (pushes glasses up nose)<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1Cycqt0oX9Nj6GZbR-BkmlH2WuP9jzb9MxV_q4hM6unQ8Cqgw_pg_6ROTQ1uPMHvcmMQJ0TGnxCN0OLUDYj_z-ZcoI5DBJQqRko8Bq65o1H0yh27gET-XO_DLgyPp8sZWnHC6weyKuk5/s640/blogger-image-1223152624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1Cycqt0oX9Nj6GZbR-BkmlH2WuP9jzb9MxV_q4hM6unQ8Cqgw_pg_6ROTQ1uPMHvcmMQJ0TGnxCN0OLUDYj_z-ZcoI5DBJQqRko8Bq65o1H0yh27gET-XO_DLgyPp8sZWnHC6weyKuk5/s640/blogger-image-1223152624.jpg" /></a></div>Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-26959563229513301502012-02-25T10:00:00.000-06:002012-02-25T10:00:07.520-06:00It's time for the Academy Awards!!!I love all of the Oscar buzz... I can't help it. I guess I'm a sucker for an event where everyone dresses up and people go home with awards. And I LOVE the speeches that some people give at the Academy Awards. Let's face it, there are just some people in this world who are cocky and you can see right through them- especially in their acceptance speeches. I of course love the ones with humor, but I also love the sincere "I really didn't think I would win" speeches. And you can tell the difference between someone who didn't think they would win, so they're fumbling through their words versus the ones who "didn't think they would win" and then pull out a typed speech from their bra.<br />
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In honor of the Academy Awards on Sunday, I wanted to link you guys to a couple of ideas for throwing an Oscar party. I'm not throwing one, but Michael and I do like to fill out the ballots and try to guess who we think we'll win. I especially love the foreign film sections, where we just have to completely guess!<br />
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The first set of ideas comes from a blog I follow and absolutely ADORE! It's called "<a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/">Skip to my Lou</a>" and Cindy always has the best ideas. Plus, you crafty ladies should check out her "made by you Monday" posts, and link up to her blog on Mondays if you've made something fun. I love seeing what she picks each week. But her <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/02/24/oscar-party-desserts-academy-awards-party/">latest post</a> on Oscar party treats and printables was too fun not to share!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEima_9yYdHnAVXp_H9JeVzSo-8qK9MdnLAEeAOdVtr3yaXUPKrpjKRMnqRpYfS7cAGd3Mkoxo9MMA8c5ZWjR2Ip8fElkYezT38AZYgF4DSiwHN6fcwHLYXxy49cgy7IU7O4TQE9tWWnFxk6/s1600/TwigandThistle_Oscar_PopcornBox_1-500x332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEima_9yYdHnAVXp_H9JeVzSo-8qK9MdnLAEeAOdVtr3yaXUPKrpjKRMnqRpYfS7cAGd3Mkoxo9MMA8c5ZWjR2Ip8fElkYezT38AZYgF4DSiwHN6fcwHLYXxy49cgy7IU7O4TQE9tWWnFxk6/s320/TwigandThistle_Oscar_PopcornBox_1-500x332.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I am also slightly obsessed with Bakerella... mainly because of an obsession with cake pops. But, y'all, look at these cookies!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u-nAHWeDs7pE_kAUQlgYKZzdL5jdafH7wOLFPAbdWWNGhEhrizux1P9jCXLY0BF6UqDuXAqiHHy4CIIzk2WOeKQDj8wOTN28l3jlCnj1BPIBIOQBBVU2XGvABDZzxD58Fa00rg4-s2qO/s1600/4319850530_4b7772c7ba_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8u-nAHWeDs7pE_kAUQlgYKZzdL5jdafH7wOLFPAbdWWNGhEhrizux1P9jCXLY0BF6UqDuXAqiHHy4CIIzk2WOeKQDj8wOTN28l3jlCnj1BPIBIOQBBVU2XGvABDZzxD58Fa00rg4-s2qO/s320/4319850530_4b7772c7ba_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
There's a <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/and-the-winner-is%E2%80%A6/">whole blog post</a> dedicated to making these puppies. I mean, if I didn't have a toddler, and did have all the time in the world, I'd be making these for sure!<br />
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Last, but certainly not least, is the coveted Oscar statue. You wanted to make your own, you said? Well, ladies and gentlemen, this one still has me chuckling. I actually think it's a great idea, but for some reason I can't stop laughing about it. Probably because I act like a 12 year old. But at any rate, you could <a href="http://www.everydaycelebrating.com/2011/02/glaming-it-up-for-the-oscars.html">spray paint your Ken doll</a> for decoration!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKhxM8qSKKqQvEZMjKQiT2Cy6R3diDpfITEwPulZAInF6E3jhj6Tp-v5mBm5Bl7tnFPhMZ1MmzwQ_8tsvt7cmjzosnRC3OZT9fvEBP-1cdpUWTKGIbDDF-CX-SzoIk6OHRb8ISi9R2h1s/s1600/6a00d8341c019753ef01116867a416970c-320wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKhxM8qSKKqQvEZMjKQiT2Cy6R3diDpfITEwPulZAInF6E3jhj6Tp-v5mBm5Bl7tnFPhMZ1MmzwQ_8tsvt7cmjzosnRC3OZT9fvEBP-1cdpUWTKGIbDDF-CX-SzoIk6OHRb8ISi9R2h1s/s320/6a00d8341c019753ef01116867a416970c-320wi.jpg" width="165" /></a></div><br />
Is anyone hosting an Oscar party this year? We'll probably be lucky to even get to watch at all, but I think Oscar parties sound like so much fun!Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-23344793993406410632012-02-21T22:18:00.001-06:002012-02-21T22:18:05.062-06:00Mommy MeltdownsI learned today that I don't know anything. And just when I think I might be on to something and start getting all cocky, I'm right back where I started... Knowing nothing.<br />
It's not a bad place. It's quite humbling here, actually. And humble is always good.<br />
After three Mommy Meltdowns occurred before 8:30 this morning, I realized that I do not have it all together. It wasn't a particularly fun place to be, but I think it was exactly where I needed to be.<br />
I am thankful.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3546867596910691010.post-9175697553251699652012-02-20T14:13:00.000-06:002012-02-20T14:13:19.222-06:00Submit to whaaaaa?If you follow my blog, and you're a coworker of mine, sorry- you're getting a double dose of this message. Let me explain to the rest of you though.<br />
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I had to catch up on some sermons from my church, because we had to take JM into the doctor yesterday morning, and we were out of town two Sundays ago. So, I decided I would watch them today to catch up on what I'd missed. Wow. We've started a new series called "Running with the Giants," and God is speaking some necessary truths through this series! But for today's blog post, I will only focus on yesterday's sermon... it was focused on David, but the jist of the message is submitting to authority. Allow me to dig deeper though.<br />
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This isn't my first rodeo on the subject of authority. God has been speaking to me about this for a LONNNNNNNNG time. So, am I just hard-headed and not listening? Not really. I learn a new truth about submission each time. But let's be honest, my flesh is pretty powerful at times and likes to rear its ugly head trying to make me forget the truths that I have learned. I don't pretend to be perfect, nor do I pretend to know everything there is to know about submission. I'm just walking it out- crying, fist pumping, and stomping my feet along the way- but I'm walking it out.<br />
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Starting out, I thought that submitting to authority was what we were supposed to do, no matter what the circumstances. But I'm slowly learning that there is more to it: the four tests of submission is what I believe it was called in yesterday's sermon. After watching it this morning (<a href="http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/david#">you can watch it here</a>), I started thinking about how it relates to my life. And the Lord opened the floodgates. I was getting revelation about authority, but also some MAJOR revelations about other things I'm dealing with. I laugh when I think about how the Lord must be saying, "Well, Kay, when you finally do sit down to talk to me about these things, I need to cover alot of ground, because I never know when we'll get the opportunity again." I realize that's sad, but I've come a long way, and I also realize that He gets so excited when I even glance in His direction too. I just love the talks that we've been having lately, and it has been such a sweet time- I wonder why I don't make time for it everyday. But, I'm working on it. Again, not perfect, just walking it out.<br />
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So, here's what I know. Submitting to authority is a necessity if I want to walk closely with Him. After all, the authority He has placed me under on earth was appointed by God anyway. And if I am supposed to work in everything as if I am working for the Lord and not man, then by not submitting to my earthly authority means that I am not submitting to Him either. And I don't want to be rebellious, because rebellion was instituted by the enemy. So, everyday, I am given a choice: A. I will listen to the Lord's voice, and submit even when it's uncomfortable (note: I didn't say that I would submit to all out abuse, and there's a difference- watch the sermon). B. I will listen to the enemy's voice, and rebel against authority, because of course I know better, and of course I'm right, and of course I'm more experienced in these matters than they are.<br />
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I learned today that the reason I may be more experienced in something than my authority is because the Lord wants me to use it to SERVE my authority. Kay's motto, enter stage left: I am only here to serve. I'm not here to make a name for myself, or to advance some invisible ladder. I am only here to serve.<br />
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I went through a situation one time that I thought was just going to be the death of me. I remember thinking, "If ______ happens, I'm done. I can't do it anymore, Lord." And then it happened. I felt defeated, small, unworthy of the Lord's favor, and second rate. But somehow in the middle of it, I saw this little bitty glimmer of light. And out of nowhere I told the Lord, "Okay, let's do this. Let's get through this. I don't want to keep learning this lesson over and over again. If I get out of this situation, I'll most likely run into it again in a different form, so Lord, do the work in me that you have to do for me to get through this and come out on the other side victoriously." And guess what... He did. I can't explain it other than the fact that sometimes the Lord does a work in us that is supernatural- and things that bothered us about a person, or things that were unforgiveable, or situations that made us come unglued- no longer have any power over us anymore. The only thing I can tell you is that when I started repeating my little motto of servanthood to myself, something within me started believing it. It wasn't that my life no longer had purpose- it was that my life had the biggest purpose of all. I am not in this life to make a name for myself, or to be better than anyone, or to be the best _____ of all time, or to be anything other than a servant. Jesus said that we must first become servants. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. So, it's okay if I never get recognition for something great; it's okay if people think I'm stupid, or not good enough to be this or that; it's okay if nobody EVER knows my name.<br />
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I am only great because of the One who made me. Not because of what I've done, but because of what He did for me. I am a servant to that fact. I will walk it out in whatever ways He wants me to. I joke at work and tell people that my job title is janitor. It used to be that I resented having to clean up messes, or fix things that were broken, or take a project that nobody else wanted. But I realize today that the title of janitor is an honor. It's the ultimate position of servanthood, and I will bear it proudly. I might get promoted, or have some sort of "Manager" title after my name, but I will remind myself every morning that I am a servant. I am not here to make a name for myself, or to advance the invisible ladder. I am a servant.<br />
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Do yourself a favor... <a href="http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/david#">watch the sermon</a>.Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12265682596310603146noreply@blogger.com0