Kentsten

39..(almost 40) week update

2011-02-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

I am not going to share the picture that I have of me at the beginning of week 39. The picture I have I lifted my shirt and sent a pic to my mom...I am huge and not a fan of my bare prego stomach on the internet :). However, Lindsey and I took a few fun maternity pictures in the snow last week, with me fully clothed...so I will post a few of those when I have them.

In about 4 hours Kent and I will leave our house to go to the hospital to be induced. When we return, we will have a son and life as we currently know it will not be the same. We are eager, excited, and a little anxious about becoming parents...but ready or not here we go!! Few different stats:

Currently 39 weeks (40 on Thursday). From the beginning my doc has said I would deliver sometime between the 4th-11th. So, after some consideration of all the pros and cons--we decided that tonight we will start the induction process. We are praying for everything to go smoothly and that we will meet our son sometime tomorrow 2/9/11.
Everything is very much done....Carseat installed, bags packed, books read, etc etc. I have had to-do lists going for weeks, and so now that today is finally here I am sitting around without a lot to do. I tried to nap, but I was too excited to fall asleep :).
For the most part I still feel okay. My skin is itchy and my back is still achy even after the massage, but I guess when you are carrying a large watermelon in front of your body that is to be expected.
Sleep has gone from okay to pretty terrible. There have been a few nights I lay completely wide awake for 3-4 hours.
No new cravings, but I have allowed myself to enjoy a lot of food recently knowing that soon it will be back to exercise and only healthy eating in an attempt to get back into my regular jeans.
Doctor continues to say that he anticipates an easy delivery, I am hoping he puts his money where his mouth is tomorrow. :)
At our last sonogram 2 weeks ago Drew weighed approximately 6 lbs, 12 oz. They always say they could be a pound under or over on their estimation. I am hoping that Drew is under 8 pounds, but our family is kinda known for big babies so we shall see.

I guess that is all my news for now...the exciting stuff is still to come. I will post a picture here as soon as I can. I can't wait for you all to meet our son!!!

Oh, one more little thing...have you all heard of a Push Present?? Neither had I, but yesterday Kent came home with a new mom gift, and today my friend Jill informed me those gifts are known as a Push Present :). Kent gave me a color Nook...which is awesome and I completely love it!! I can read mags, blogs, and books with ease and on one little handy device. Kent is a great gift giver and really puts a lot of thought into presents. I love it!!!

Work Showers

2011-02-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

I have about 5 hours to kill before checking in to the hospital, and considering I haven't blogged in awhile I thought I should post a few things. Hopefully this will be one of two or three posts in the next few hours.

On January 19th, my amazing team at work hosted a baby shower for us at work. I was not prepared at how generous my co-workers were going to be...we received adorable embroidered clothes, gift cards, bibs, and other fun things. This little boy is so blessed already!! Here are a few pictures from the shower.

Cute gift basket of goodies from my team

37 weeks pregnant and counting down the days

Both pregnant on the same hallway. DeNae is about 10 weeks behind me with her second baby!!

Kent's coworkers hosted a baby shower for us on January 28th. I forgot to take pictures at that one, but it was great. It was so fun meeting a lot of Kent's coworkers and seeing how excited they were for Kent to be a dad. We got gift cards, clothes, books, and even a spa gift certificate for me!! I am saving it for some time after Drew is here when I feel the need for some pampering.

Stay tuned for another post soon!!

Drew's Room

2011-01-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

I still have a couple things I need to do for Drew's room, but I wanted to go ahead and give a little peek into his almost completed nursery.

View from the door

Glider with fun "d" pillow

Crib with picture collage

Anthropologie knobs on the closet

Look at his little elephant chair!!

View from closet looking back toward the door

Check out my awesome diaper bag!

Can you see the small touch of Star Wars above the toy basket?

His closet is very organized, although it looks disorganized in this picture...hmmm

Closer up view of the picture collage (I will try to take a better one soon)

I always love when people post where they found their nursery items, so I am going to share in case you need a few ideas. Obviously I took these pictures, so they aren't that great..but you can see the gist of the nursery.

Furniture
Crib: Simmon Valencia convertable crib-Babies R Us (gift from my parents)
Changing Table-Pottery Barn Outlet; X-Large baskets from Pottery Barn kids (gift from my parents)
Glider-Babies R Us (gift from Kent's dad and stepmom)
Bookshelf-Previously owned Ikea Expedite (baskets from Michaels)
Small elephant chair-Homegoods (gift from my parents)

Misc.
Pillow on glider-Etsy from HAWthorne
Orange fan-fun store in Jasper, TX (gift from Kent's mom)
Diaper Bag-Gap (on sale!)
Toy Basket-Target laundry basket (later it will be embroidered with Drew's name on it)
Elephant painting-Gift from my brother in law's parents
Darth Vader night light-Pottery Barn kids
Knobs on closet-Anthropologie
Bedding-Ordered on Amazon Carter's Elephant Bedding (I reversed the bedding so that the elephants face the inside and the polka dots face the outside of the crib. Also, I am not using the crib sheet it came with, I am using a solid brown one from Carters.)
Letters for name above his crib-Pottery Barn kids
Lamp base-Babies R Us,
Lamp shade-Pottery Barn kids

Picture collage
Frames-Target
Keep Calm-Greeting card purchased in London
D-Cut out by my friend Glo, added the rain drop scrapbook paper behind it
It's hard to see, but the frame to the right has Kent written on it. It's from Kent's kindergarten class when he was learning to write his name!!
Monsier Print-Etsy from Cosas Minimas
Child of God-Etsy from Sugarfresh
Sailboat-Greeting card purchased in London on orange scrapbook paper

Wall color is from Lowe's-Valspar Going Gray

I still have an awesome mobile to hang that my friend Lindsey made, so I will post that once it's up. This weekend we installed his car seat, set up the pack & play, and put together his little vibrating chair. So, we are almost completely ready for his arrival. Tomorrow I am clearning toys and pacis. Only 3 1/2 more weeks (or maybe less) to go!!

35 week pregnancy update

2011-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't talked too much about my pregnancy recently, but I thought I would do a short post giving a brief update. Here are a few stats:

Currently 35 weeks, with an approximate due date of 2/11/11 (but, he is welcome to come earlier)
We have most of his clothes washed and his nursery just about completed..still need to hang a mobile and I am considering doing a DIY valence for his window. Blog with pictures of his nursery coming soon. Also, still need to install his car seat and set up the pack & play.
For the most part I feel okay. Drew is sitting very high, so I sometimes have trouble breathing and have daily acid reflux. Also, I have weird pains in my back..but tomorrow I am getting a prenatal massage at Spa Nordstrom (Christmas present from Drew's dad :).
Sleep isn't great, but not terrible. Usually wake up 3-4 per night, but I guess that will be my future for the next few months.
My only consistent craving through my pregnancy has been orange juice, but occasionally I will have a strong craving for Chinese food!!
Doctor said on Thursday that Drew's position is great and he anticipates that I will have an "easy" labor and delivery. I am not counting on the easy part, but we will see!
Right now I am planning on taking 10 weeks off work, so I am staying very busy at work preparing for my maternity leave.

I have not been taking consistent pictures through my pregnancy, but occasionally I will take one to send to my best friend, Lauren in Denver. So if you aren't grossed out by pregnant women...enjoy!!

In Florida..about 4 weeks pregnant but didn't know it!

8 weeks

12 weeks

About 20 weeks

26 weeks @ Dallas baby shower with all of Drew's grandmothers

32 weeks at annual Christmas dinner with Glosie and Bex

33 weeks

35 weeks (took picture to wish my mom a happy birthday from Drew :)

She turned 5...

2011-01-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have about 5 blog posts up my sleeve..one including pictures of Drew's nursery. First a simple post celebrating/lamenting the fact that my oldest niece turned 5 last month. To me, 5 is when they go from being "little" to "big" kids.

Home from the hospital

Around 18 months

Age 2

Age 2 1/2 (my wedding day)

3rd Birthday

Age 3 1/2

Not sure what to think about her new sister

Age 4

Age 4...almost 5

Age 5 at her princess birthday tea

Addie is so good with her little sister...she is patient, understanding, and generous with Macy. I am excited to see Addie with her cousin Drew. I love that my sister's family lives only 5 minutes away, and I hope that our kids are lifelong friends. Addison Leigh Seidel, I love you more than words can express and I pray big things for you. To end, here is a recent picture of my youngest niece, Macy at 18 months old.

Tuesday: I Know this Much is True

2010-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today's entry will be short, but since I have missed a few favorite things entries I figured a short post is better than no post at all! The favorite things today is my five favorite blogs/websites I have visited today. I am a website/blog regular, so I manage reading blogs on Google Reader. These are just my favorites TODAY, check back with me tomorrow and it would all be different. Click on the name to follow the link.

1. Paul Matthies' blog: Paul was a former pastor at The Village, and he now lives and works in Korea. He is an amazing man of God, and I was encouraged by his most recent blog entry. Happiness and joy...a good reminder/lesson for me.

2. Kimberly Hughes blog: Kim is married to Beau Hughes who is the campus pastor for The Village in Denton. They love the Lord, love children, and want to reach unreached people. Her blog this morning left me reminded that I am chosen by God, not because of my goodness but because of His love. Christ alone restores me and reconciles me.

3. The Pioneer Woman: I check her blog and use her recipes frequently. If you haven't made her Lasagna, I highly recommend it. However, she recently did a post about Christmas cookie decorating. One of the Christmas traditions that Kent and I have enjoyed for the last 3 years is making and decorating Christmas cookies, decorating our Christmas tree, and watching our favorite Christmas movies. The cookies we make are good, but they are not pretty See picture below for proof. Maybe I will try some of the tips on PW's blog.

4. Project Nursery: I like looking at how people decorate their nursery, and this website allows regular people to upload pictures of their nursery, birthday parties, and showers. It is a lot of fun to look and get ideas.

5. Samaritan's Purse: This is an easy way to give a Christmas gift to someone less fortunate. I created a shoe box in less than 5 minutes, and I was able to even write a personal note to the receiving child. If you have $35 and 5 minutes visit this website and make a gift box for a less fortunate child this Christmas.

I could keep listing blogs/websites for you to check, but I will not overwhelm you today. Enjoy reading...I hope you are either encouraged, inspired, and provoked to deeper thinking/living. Oh, and if you haven't read Matt's blog from last week..you definitely need to read it as well.

Did I mention...

2010-12-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

I wasn't blogging this summer, and I wasn't taking a lot of pictures. These two things are being worked on, but it means that several major incredible events were not documented well. So, did I mention that I went to London and Paris this summer?

Going to Europe was one of my mom's dreams, and she needed a travel partner. I gladly volunteered. I found out 2 weeks before we left that I was expecting Drew. So, at 6 weeks pregnant and with a lot of prayer, some nausea meds (just in case), and my doctor's blessing we flew to Paris. After several days in Paris, we took the Eurostar train to London. It was absolutely incredible.

Just a few pictures

Boat Tour/Dinner down the Seine River in Paris

Mom and Mona Lisa at the Lourve

The Eiffel Tower behind me

Inside Shakespeare and Company

Notre Dame

Versailles

Hall of Mirrors in Versailles

Gardens in Versailles

Bike ride from main palace at Versailles to Marie Antoinette's Chateau

The Chateau

Mom in front of Harrods

At Her Majesty's Theatre (we saw Phantom of the Opera!) trying a sip of Pimms

Big Ben

Eating fish and chips and watching a cute old English man stroll by

3 story amazing Anthropologie with a LIVE plant wall!

Paris was everything and more that I thought it would be. My 5 favorite things about Paris:

1. Rue de Cler: It's the street where our hotel was located. Rue de Cler is a famous, quaint Parisian street. It was filled with sidewalk cafes, gelato, cheese shops, and boutiques. I loved it.

2. Museums: The Lourve was great, but crowded and difficult to really see everything we wanted to. My favorite Paris museum was the Orsay. It was created from an old train station and filled with paintings from Monet, Rodin, and Renoir.

3. Boat Dinner Tour: Mom and I took a romantic boat dinner tour down the Seine, which was incredible food and a great introduction to the city.

4. Shakespeare and Company bookstore: The bookstore has housed struggling writers in the apartment above since World War II. It is filled with unusual books in a crowded, small atmosphere. It reminded me of something Kent would salivate over, so I tried to take it all in for him so I could describe it when I returned to Dallas.

5. Palace of Versailles: I watched Marie Antoinette before I left on my trip as well as read a little history about the Palace, so seeing it in person was incredible. The palace, chateau, the gardens were vast and breathtaking, but it also gave me a visual picture of what I think Solomon acquired and said that it was all meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2

"I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.¹⁰ I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. ¹¹ Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

My 4 favorite things about London (I would do 5, but I need to get dressed to work in the preschool at church):

1. Eurostar: Mom and I splurged and sat in 1st class on the train between Paris and London. It was divine, complete with warm towels, champagne, comfy seats, and delicious food. I think I was meant for first class :).

2. Shopping: We stayed in a hotel just off Oxford street, so every store was just walking distance away. We loved Liberty of London, Anthropologie, Harrods, H&M, and all sorts of small boutiques.

3. Theatre: We saw Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. I loved it! The story, the music, and the acting was fabulous, and I could have watched 5 more shows in our short time there.

4. The Underground: After living in a large city that does not have very good public transportation, I was so impressed with The Underground. It was a lot of fun learning the subways and feeling kinda like a local. It was also fun hearing, "Mind the Gap" in a perfect British accent.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. Next time I go to Europe I hope not to be pregnant, so I can eat more of the cheese and drink more of the wine. It would also be nice to not feel so tired or nauseous. My mom is an incredible woman. She walked and walked all over Paris and London without a word of complaint (I think I complained more than she did) and was willing to do and try anything. I hope that wasn't our last trip together...maybe next time my sister will be able to join us, and the mother-daughter trio will be complete!

Baby Showers!!

2010-11-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

November feels like a blur, and that is my reason for not posting much this month. I am attempting to post at least 2 times per week and I failed this month. I will try to get back to regularly posting.

November was the month of my two baby showers. One was in Flower Mound at my sister's house, and the other was in Corpus at one of our family friend's house. Both were absolutely lovely and we are overwhelmed at people's generosity. Before you see the pictures I want to note that I am wearing the exact same outfit in both pictures. If you have ever shopped for decent looking maternity clothes, you know that they are expensive!!! Therefore, in order to justify paying for something I really liked I wore it to both showers.

Flower Mound shower with the hostesses

The gorgeous table!

My special helper-Addie

A few of my beautiful friends that attended

Opening presents

The Flower Mound shower was my "big" shower. My mom and my two mother in laws came in from out of town to celebrate with us. It meant so much to have all of Drew's grandmother's there (Cita-my mom, KK-Kent's mom, and Gigi-Kent's step mom). My hostesses are some of the most beautiful people I know. They have all touched my life in various ways, and them helping with the shower meant so much. Briefly, a word about each of them starting from left to right in the picture below:

Marianne Lagerstrom: We met the Lags when the hosted a Sacred Marriage book study at their house. We instantly fell in love with them, and soon began going on double dates and fun couple outings. The Lags marriage has survived the storm, and they have a testimony of God's redeeming power. The Lagerstroms have a love for the arts and good food, so most of our time with them usually surrounds one of those things with amazing deep conversation.

Lauren Williams: Lauren and I have been friends since 2004. We lived together spring 2004-spring 2007, so we know each other well. I love this girl more than words can express. She possesses a wisdom that could only come from the Lord. Lauren has a wonderful sense of humor with great timing...she is one of those people that is subtly witty. I love Lauren, she is truly a great friend.

Lindsey Brittain: Lindsey and I went to Liberia, Africa together in the summer of 2005. We became fast friends on that trip, and have remained great friends ever since. Lindsey is truly one of the most dependable and loving people I know. She will do anything for a friend and longs to serve others well. Lindsey also truly loves people. She calls out sin in my life even when it means an uncomfortable conversation. Lindsey is a true, true friend to me.

Megan Seidel: It's hard to know where to begin talking about my sister. This woman loves me and knows me, and I am so thankful that she is apart of my family. Megan prays with a heart that longs to know the Lord more. She is a wonderful mother and she puts up with my many questions about pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. I am beyond thankful for my sister, and I hope that we grow old together.

Glo Gaddis: Glo and I met in a bible study in the fall of 2005. She exuded wisdom and love for the Lord, and I instantly wanted to know her more. She began mentoring me shortly there after, and we have remained close through the last 5 years. Glo prays for Kent, Drew, and I probably more than anyone else. She has been there for me when I needed a place to live, a person to confess to, a stand in mom when mine is far away, and an example of a godly woman. I hope to love my husband and children as well as Glo loves hers.

Now for the Corpus Christi shower. I didn't have anyone take any pictures of this shower, so there are only a few.

The CC hostesses

The Corpus shower was hosted mainly by my mom's friends. These women have seen me literally grow up in front of their eyes. I love the thought of how cyclical life is...having children in a community of people, watching those children get married, and then supporting them as they have children of their own. These women are gems and I love each of them so much. Melanie (the cute blonde next to me) and I have been friends since elementary school. We spent many, many nights together calling into radio stations to request songs, sneaking into our older sister's things, laughing until we cried, and eating corn nuts and drinking cokes (sounds gross, but it was the best combination at Mel's house!). It's so weird to me that we have literally been friends for over 20 years! I hope that we remain friends for 20 more!

Two of my fav friends from High School-Melanie and Lanna

Drew is loved from places all over Texas, and that makes my heart full and joyful. Thank you to everyone that supports and cares for our family. We'd probably be in a ditch without each of you. I pray our son is blessed with rich community as we have been.

Monday: I know this much is true

2010-11-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

I missed last week's favorite things post, so I thought I would throw one in on a Monday and maybe do another one later in the week. Today's I know this much is true is all about my five favorite television shows (not including those that are now off the air like LOST). These are in no particular order:

1. Friday Night Lights: I am a recent convert to Friday Night Lights thanks to the persuasion of Lindsey Brittain and Netflix. I love this show for so many reasons, primarily because of the way they really develop each character to draw you into the story (ok, the drama). The football obsessed town reminds me of my home town and love of football in some ways (Go Calallen Wildcats!), when it was most important to date a football player, be seen at the games, and cry at the end of a loss with everyone else (seriously, why do all the cheerleaders and other girls cry after games...they probably didn't even know what was happening most of the time). Anyway, if you haven't watched FNL, definitely catch up in time for season 5.

2. Project Runway: I go in and out of watching this show, but I tuned in for this past season because I went to high school with one of the girls on the show, Valerie Mayen. Valerie didn't win, but she was in the top 6 and is an awesome designer. Check out her shop here. I remember Valerie as early as elementary school being an amazing artist and extremely creative. The Lord has definitely allowed her to refine those talents and be successful by doing what she loves! Anyway, this past season is over and I didn't agree with who the judges chose as the winner. Maybe I will tune in again next season.

3. Biggest Loser: Some people hate this show, but I love everything about it. I love to see the transformation of people once they have lost a lot of weight. I love the way Bob and Jillian work out the contestants and get into their heads about why they're so fat. I usually cry at a few episodes every season, as well as fast forward through some of the drama/game playing. I love Tuesday nights..first amazing Bible Study at The Village and then coming home to watch Biggest Loser!

4. How I Met Your Mother: Kent introduced me to this show on our honeymoon. It's funny and enjoyable, and typically end up laughing out loud.

5. America's Next Top Model: I think I am the only person alive that still watches this show, but I love how they take these normal girls and turn them into models and I love the photo shoots. I know the eliminations are overly dramatic and I know that the girls are even more dramatic. But, if you DVR it you can fast forward through the silly parts and just watch the creative ones.

Ok, that's all for now. I need to go get ready for tomorrow...lunches need to be packed, coffee made, and a shower taken!

More Jonathan Adler lamp love!!

2010-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Check out the two giraffe sconces on either side of this abacus. Now, if you read my previous post, you know how much these little Jonathan Adler fun, stylish, unique, lovely lamps run...now multiply that by two! Whoa, somebody has more mula than me to spend on their nursery. A girl can dream! Meanwhile, just enjoy the eye candy and take whatever decorating likes get you going from the photo below. For me, it's everything...the unusual decision to use an abacus as a feature on your wall, the two giraffe sconces, the bright yellow dresser as a changing table, and using yellow and gray as the main colors. So fun...I need more babies to have more rooms to decorate...oh, and I guess more money too. See the whole nursery here (I am not a fan of the pictures they chose for above the crib, but love the morrocon pouf they used instead of an ottomon!).

Found on Odeeoh

Meal Plan Sunday

2010-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

In February of 2008, my husband and I were engaged and began working out together and eating healthy. We called this our LGN (look good naked) plan before we were to be married in July 2008. We were diligent and disciplined, and as July came around...we looked really good. So much to the point that my wedding dress was too big (yay going down a size), and Kent's suit jacket was too small through the shoulders (yay muscles!). Since we have been married, I maintained my regular 3-4 day per week workout and ate moderately healthy. I have done enough to maintain my usual weight and size. Kent is blessed with amazing metabolism, and doesn't really have to watch what he eats or doesn't need exercise to look good.

Then, enter pregnancy season. I, by no means have let myself go, but now I only workout lightly 1-2 days per week and allow myself more treats than normal knowing that I only have a few months to enjoy food I don't typically eat before having to return to my typical diet to get the pregnancy weight off.

Even more importantly than how we look, we know the importance of treating our bodies well and eating healthy. Kent has recently been convicted on the importance of eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle especially as he enters parenthood. He is beginning P90X in a few days, but meanwhile we are implementing more healthy foods into our diet (while not going crazy and only eating lettuce). So, here is our meal plan for this week

Lunch:

M: Grilled chicken salad (I make it w/ a ton of veggies: red pepper, edamame, avocado, lettuce, tomato, green onion, etc.)

T: Chicken and broccoli

W: Turkey Wrap with avocado. lettuce and sprouts, barbeque pop chips, fruit

TH: Leftover flank steak/snow peas

F: Salmon with salad

Dinner:

M: Kent work dinner, Kristen: Quinoa with black beans and tomatoes

T: Pasta in olive oil with lots of veggies

W: Beef with Snow Peas

Th: Salmon, asparagus, brown rice

Our breakfasts will include oatmeal, eggs, fruit. Snacks are going to include protein bars, yogurt, fruit, and nuts (within moderation). I still will have my occasional pregnancy treats (sweet stuff, Fuzzy's tacos, etc) for the next few months, and then once little Drew is here I will kiss most sugar and other treats goodbye as I work off the excess weight. Haven't decided what my workouts will look like come February or March, for the first few weeks it will be whatever I can handle between lack of sleep and learning to be a mom. :) Our motivation is no longer LGN, but maybe NHL (normal healthy living).

Between Notes Teaser

2010-11-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

My husband is brilliant in a million of different ways. He sees things differently than I do, absorbs a ton of information on a daily basis about a variety of topics, and he can communicate ideas through words effectively and intelligently. He is also creative, and he has a desire to see stories come to life on film. Last spring, him and several others made a story about music and relationships come to life. In August, I and about 300 others were able to watch this story in a theater. It was magical. Not just because the story was good, but because I knew the hours and hours that these men put into creating this film, and now there were people were seeing the fruit of their labor. Currently the film is being submitted to several different independent film festivals, but below is a link for a quick teaser to make you salivate and want to see more of this film. My prayer for Kent and the others is that Between Notes is only the beginning, and that many other films will be brought to life. I will keep you posted on when the awesome soundtrack is available, as well as when the incredible film is released to the public.

Between Notes Teaser: http://on.fb.me/a7tmbE

Menu Plan Sunday

2010-10-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I actually stuck to the menu exactly. On Wednesday I was tempted to do takeout from somewhere, but resisted knowing that we had food we had already paid for at home. Here's this weeks menu:
Dinner:
Monday: Parma Pizza (dinner with new members from church)
Tuesday: Leftover Pizza or Left over spicy baked chicken
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner
Thursday: 6 can tortilla soup, chips and salsa

Lunch:
Monday: Left over spicy baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans (what I made for Kent's bday)
Tuesday: Kent-business lunch; Kristen-Left over pizza, salad
Wednesday: PB&J sandwhiches, fruit, chips
Thursday: Grilled chicken salad
Friday: Kent-lunch out; Kristen-left over soup

Warning: PDA

2010-10-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

In August of 2007, a friend of friends walked up to me and asked me out. Three years later we are married and expecting our first child. I couldn't be more blessed. Today is his 32nd birthday.

Dating fall of 2007

Engaged in February 2008

Married in July 2008

Summer 2010

Fall 2010 (expecting our 1st child)

32 things I love about my sweet husband:

1. He love Jesus Christ more than he loves me

2. He is passionate

3. He has a sweet tooth and loves to eat yummy treats

4. He lets me put my cold feet on his legs to warm them up

5. He loves the Baylor Bears and Dallas Cowboys through thick and thin

6. He likes coming home

7. He leads me well and calls out my sin

8. He loves watching movies and the whole movie experience

9. He is excited to have a son, and hopes great things for him

10. He doesn't expect me to cook every night

11. He thinks Valentine's Day is silly (and so do I)

12. He longs to help hurting/broken people

13. He takes care of my car

14. He loves a variety of music and makes great playlists

15. He looks good when he doesn't shave for a few days

16. He answers my theology questions

17. He exposed me to the greatness of LOST, How I met your Mother, & The Office

18. He tells me he loves me at least 10x per day

19. He sends thoughtful text messages and emails just because

20. He is creative

21. He has lots of nicknames for me

22. He begs the Lord for Drew's salvation

23. He goes to bed at the same time as me, even though he would prefer to stay up much later

24. He is an amazing cook, especially on the grill

25. He was open minded about sushi, and now loves it as much as me

26. He is great with children

27. He yells at the TV during football and basketball games

28. He gives his opinion in decorating our home, but let's me make the final decision

29. He judges every mexican food restaurant by their salsa and beef fajitas

30. He serves in our home and church

31. He is an excellent communicator, and asks great questions

32. He walks in the truth, freedom, and hope of the gospel, but longs to know more daily

Tuesday: I know this much is true

2010-10-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I decided that I would do a "favorite things" post weekly. I like the title I used last week of I know this much is true, so that will be my weekly title for favorite things. The title is appropriate because the things I use/enjoy/like probably change, so this is all I know true today (on a surface level..not the real truth that never changes). Today's I know this much is true is all about beauty products. The top 5 today are:

1. L'Oreal's Voluminous Mascara: I have tried MANY other mascaras that range in prices from cheaper to much more expensive, but in my opinion you will always have great lashes with this $6.99 product.

2. Kiehl's Body Balm: Now this item falls in the pricey range, it's about $40 for a giant tub of amazingness. I had a fear of the itchy skin and potential stretch marks that potentially accompany pregnancy. Some of the itchy skin has reared it's head and stretch marks may follow (TMI?) later on, but so far this stuff leaves my skin feeling amazing. In my first trimester I thought it smelled like minty pickles, which was a definite issue if you know how much I loathe pickles. But, I think that was all in my head, because now I look forward to putting it on nightly. It's amazing, and the tub will last you several months.

3. Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo: There is some controversy about this next product. Many people have experienced (me included) the dry shampoo actually evaporate in the bottle without using it. However, in it's defense this has only happened to me twice and if you buy it at Ulta and this happens they always replace the can. Anyway, this product allows me to only wash my hair 2-3 times per week, which will be very useful once the little bambino arrives.

4. Moroccan Oil: My previous hair dresser introduced me to this lovely product. Add a quarter sized amount to your hair before blow drying and wa-lah..your hair is fabulous. I mean, you still have to go through your normal styling routine but this product cuts your drying time and adds something fabulous to your hair. I suggest buying the bigger bottle, you save money in the long run.

5. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer: In the past I only used powder, but felt like I needed more coverage. I was hesitant in making the jump to foundation in fear of looking overdone or cake-y (if you use foundation, no offense..this is just how I felt for me). So, this tinted moisturizer was a great solution. After I wash my face in the morning and use just a dab of my regular moisturizer, (which I also love, but more on that later) I use a very small amount of this. It provides enough coverage to give me the look I want, but not so much that I feel like I am overdoing it. Also, I bought this in August and I have only used about 1/4 of it. If you use it sparingly, it will last a long time! I am sad I am already on my final product, so maybe next week will be beauty products part 2.

Anyway, I know that I have had a sudden revival of my blog, but it's been so fun. Everyone that hasn't posted in over 6 months...start posting today, we all want to read your lovely thoughts!!

Menu Plan Sunday

2010-10-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

I saw on someone's blog that she post her menu plan each week for other's to get ideas and to hold her accountable for actually cooking each week. I am going to try it out.

Lunch:

Monday: Kent/Kristen-Grilled Chicken Salad

Tuesday: Kent/Kristen-Leftover Sesame Noodles/Veggies

Wednesday: Kent-Jambalya from Tom Thumb; Kristen-Sliced avocado/tomatoes

Thursday: Kristen/Kent Quinoa Curried Salad

Friday: Kent lunch out; Kristen leftovers or frozen pizza, salad

Dinner
Monday: Pioneer Woman's Sesame Noodles/Stir Fry Veggies
Tuesday: Chili/Cornbread
Wednesday: Quinoa Curried Salad
Thursday: BLT for Kent/Kristen-Bunco
Friday: Dinner out

Will post to see if I actually followed through with everything. Stay tuned!!

Trees

2010-10-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

I am drawn to trees...in art, in jewelry, and in real life. As I was praying this morning, I started to think about why I love these things. Here are a few examples of the trees in my life :)...

Picture above our couch

My journal (that I purchased at Liberty in London, but they now sell at Anthropologie)

My favorite necklace

As a believer and worshiper of Christ, I want all things to bring glory to His name. I want to reflect on my likes and my attractions, and see if they "stir my affections" (term made popular by our pastor) for the Lord or if they just begin and end on me. One of my all time favorite verses is in Jeremiah 17:5-8

"Thus says the Lord:“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Psalm 92:11-13

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
¹³ planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God."

Isaiah 44:22-24

²² "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." ²³ Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. ²⁴ "This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself..."

I want to be like the tree that he talks about in Jeremiah, that has roots that are deep in the Lord and bears fruit no matter what comes my way. I want to flourish like a palm tree in the house of the Lord, and worship Him because He is a good God. I want to remember daily that He has swept away my offenses and sing for joy with nature, knowing that He has conquered death once and He will return to conquer it and sin once and for all.

I have such a long way to go in learning to reflect on the Lord in all things, but maybe today with this reminder I will take all my affections, likes, and personality and give glory to His name alone since He is the one that created ALL things. May it play on repeat in my head today, "worship the CREATOR, not the creation!"

Giraffes, Elephants, and design...oh my!!

2010-10-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I want that Jonathan Adler lamp featured in the picture above so badly for Drew's nursery. But, there is no way I would ever want us (or anyone) to spend over $300 for a table lamp...even if it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. If someone would gift me with about $5,000, I could make one killer nursery! I would get the lamp featured above, and this bedding (picture it without the awful blue pain on the wall)...

And I would get this glider...

And this changing table...

Alas, I don't want to spend $400 bedding, I definitely don't want to spend $1300 on a glider, or $950 on a changing table!!. So, I am trying to come up with some pretty cute budget friendly ideas to incorporate some of the design elements and adorable ideas that I have found. If I knew how to make a mood board, I would post a mood board on here. However, here are a few sneak peeks at a few of the things that have been purchased (mainly by Drew's generous grandparents!).

Glider

Pillow for glider with an orange d on it for Drew

Pottery Barn classic changing table

One of several prints that will be displayed in photo collage similar to this one

I will not be starting to really work on our nursery until after our baby showers in November. I still need a guest room for in-laws until then. I will be hopefully creating some type of make-shift guest room in the little office we have in our house. I am thinking of purchasing this as the bed so that there is still plenty of room for the bookshelves and computer desk.

Stay tuned for more nursery decor to come in the upcoming months. Oh, and who knew there were so many fabulous nursery decorating blogs! I love technology.

Time, Plans, and Control

2010-10-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Lord allowed Kent and I to get pregnant very quickly, and so after one month of no "golie" we were expecting (TMI..maybe). I know this is a blessing, but my controlling mind immediately begin calculating the due date. I felt like we had made a mistake, I couldn't be due in February! A February due date meant that I would only have 8 or 9 weeks off with my child and then have to return to work to finish out the school year. That was just the first thing that wasn't apart of my plan!

Next, I felt like my body immediately begin to change. I immediately felt chubby and begin to pack on a few pounds (Almost 24 weeks later, it is more than a few!). My plan was to be about 5-10 lbs. lighter when we conceived so that I would be at the lower end of my weight and my pregnancy weight wouldn't be as overwhelming. Once again, this wasn't apart of my plan!

Thirdly, my mind swirled out of control worrying about everything from birth defects, to learning disabilities, to syndromes, and...on and on my worry list went. What if something happens that is not apart of my plan, and our lives are forever shaped and our family has to endure suffering.

My mind was consumed. As I stared off one day while I was supposed to be reading the Word and praying, my eye caught a picture of a clock that we have framed in our livingroom. (I wanted to post a picture of it, but blogger says no image uploads for 2 hours!) The Lord overwhelmingly reminded me that He is outside of time/bigger than time/and lovingly controls all things..even time. Then I turned to Psalm 139:

"For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."

The Lord knew the exact moment that Kent and I would conceive our son. He knew that I would be 5-10 lbs. heavier than I thought I should be. He knew that our son's due date would be in February. And He knows every day that our precious son will walk this earth.

I believe that the Lord is more trustworthy, loving, and good than I can ever fathom. Therefore, I can trust His timing and His perfect/loving plan for our son's life and my life.

As Lauren Chandler wrote on her blog:

The lie is this: God is not good and He does not want my good.

This is the lie that tripped up Eve in the garden. This is the lie that has plagued humankind ever since. This is the lie the Father exposed through His Son on the cross. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay his life down for his friends." How can we not see through this lie? "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things?"

May whoever reads this have renewed trust and hope in the Lord...not because your life is easy, and not because you have everything you think you deserve. Instead, trust in the eternal hope that the Lord has promised us. Yes, this life on earth is filled with suffering, death, and trials...that is the result of sin. But for the one who believes there is hope! Revelation 21:

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”"

Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

Re-reading this, it reminds me of a post I wrote 3 years ago.

I know this much is true...

2010-10-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

In college I read a book by Wally Lamb called, I Know This Much is True. I love the title, and the book was entertaining although a little twisted. Anyway, this entry has nothing to do with books, but instead an updated (click here for one 2 years ago) favorite things post..pregnancy style. My top 5 favorite things from the last 22 weeks that I hope will help me endure the next 18 weeks.

1. Snoogle: An amazing pregnancy pillow that supports your entire body!! I was just entering in the stages of uncomfortable sleep when my friend Jill brought me her Snoogle. This pillow is amazing!

2. Zantac: There are many body issues that accompany pregnancy that I haven't had to deal with (yet!), but I have not been spared from heartburn. Zantac to the rescue! It's the only thing that I have found that truly works.

3. Simply Orange: Right now this is like manna from heaven. I don't know why, but it sounds good at any point in the day and I look forward to that first cup every morning. No other orange juice quite does the trick...Simply Orange has my heart.

4. Old Navy Maternity Skinny Jeans: I was skeptical as I made the online purchase, but once they arrived I instantly knew why the reviews of the jeans were so good. They're not as tight as normal skinny jeans and they provide the comfy maternity panel, but allow you to still look slightly modern even in pregnancy. I am eager for the weather to turn cooler so that I can wear these with boots!!

5. Forever 21 accessories: I decided that my pregnancy style would be plain shirts accompanied with cardigans and accessories. My stylish friend, Lauren Borgeson, met me at Forever 21 and helped me pick out 5 necklaces that will go with lots of different outfits. For $30.00 I was able to by 5 necklaces and 1 pair of earrings!! Who cares if it falls apart later, right now they are helping me spice up a round belly and plain shirts. Here is one example:

There are a few other things that I have enjoyed (can you say sweatpants), but those above are definitely in the top 5. I am thankful I am pregnant in 2010 where there are many options that combine style and comfort.

Stay tuned, there may be another entry coming later this week.

Where to begin?

2010-10-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

How do you pick up blogging after not writing one tiny sentence for over 1 year? My method is going to be by jumping back in head first and pretending like the 14 months off were on purpose or something. (They weren't..I was just lazy) Here are 10 things that are new since July 2009:

1) We're homeowners
2) Kent was promoted to Creative Director at his job
3) Macy is 14 months old now, and Addie is 4.5 years old (they look so little on my blog)
4) Our pastor and my father in law were diagnosed with cancer, but both are doing remarkably well
5) I travelled to Paris and London with my mom
6) Kent made a full-length film
7) We're pregnant (22 weeks) and due February 11th
8) Drew Rabalais will be the first grandson/nephew on my side of the family
9) Drew will carry on the Rabalais name (Lord willing)
10) We are eager & thrilled to welcome our little man into our family

Being pregnant hasn't been too bad for me so far (Praise God!), but it's an interesting time of life. I've learned that women love to share their pregnancy stories, labor/delivery stories, and share all sorts of opinions about child rearing/child safety/breast feeding/products/sleep schedules/birthing plans/discipline/formula/potty training/etc/etc/etc. I do have to say that I am fascinated right now with labor/delivery stories and first 3 week survival stories. I want to know all the nitty gritty details, so the more involved the story the more you have my attention! However, I struggle with the stories that just claim it was all bliss and easy. I am sure that is true for some, but I am a sucker for those that have a few scars and battle stories. All of the child care opinions are in the end only opinions, and though learning from others is valuable, first and foremost we have to beg the Lord for wisdom in raising our son and do what we feel is best for our family. James 1:5-8 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

I have a few other things I'd like to share, but I will save those for a different night not so far away. I end my little blog entry tonight thankful and knowing in my heart that the Lord will not fail, leave, forget, or stop loving. And, just because a blog is more interesting with a picture or video, here is one of my baby pictures shortly after coming home from the hospital. My mom says I was born with baby acne, a milk tooth, sticking up hair, and bulging eyes. Ummm, let's just hope that Drew starts out a little better looking than his mom!

Neighbors, Word-Eating, and Macy

2009-07-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

I have a million things to blog about, but I am only going to choose 3.

1) I just met (today!) a new neighbor named Jane. She is in her 70's and cute as a button. I am thinking about making her cookies and maybe get to know her a little better. I have always wanted an old woman neighbor to take care of!!

2) My beautiful friend Summer has a hilarious blog post that I decided to copy. She listed the 10 things she swore she would never do and is now eating her words, and then the 10 things that she still swears she will never do (and will probably eat her words). If you know Summer, the list is completely true and funny! Here is my list:

Things I said I would never do, but ended up doing:

1. Getting on Facebook
2. Watching movies like Lord of the Rings (and loving it!!)
3. Watching LOST
4. Watching The Office
5. Talking in voices and using ridiculous names with my husband
6. Wearing Skinny Jeans
7. Enjoying Yoga
8. Wearing leggings
9. Liking popular bands like U2 and Coldplay

Things I still swear I will never do (but may end up eating my words):

1. Watch and enjoy Starwars
2. Eat pickled things (sick)
3. Dye my hair dark
4. Natural Childbirth (copied from Sum's, yep don't feel a call to that one)
5. Learn to smile with my eyes and model walk (though I wish I could)
6. Wear heartbutt jeans (yep the clause was permanent)
7. Drive a minivan (though I can see how this may be necessary :)
8. Enjoy swimming as exercise
9. Allow my kid to use a pacifier beyond 1 year of age (it's weird to me when 3 and 4 year olds still use them...not to mention terrible for their speech development!)
10. Washing my hair everyday

3) Finally, the most important thing...here are pics of my new beautiful niece Macy Elizabeth Seidel!

That's all for now..oh, and I love and appreciate my husband..he is currently fixing fuses on my car. My least favorite thing to do is deal with car stuff, and he takes care of it all! Thanks Babe!

June 29th..already!

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already the end of June! My intentions have been to post a couple times per week. Not because a lot of people read my blog, but because I really enjoy posting little things here and there. I think this is the beginning of week four of my summer break. My favorite activities of the summer have been:

1. Getting my hair cut shorter...it's much cooler and it is fun to change things up (No, I have no pictures..YET!)
2. Spending time with friends by the pool
3. Not going to bed at 9:30 pm and waking up at 4:45 am
4. Having as much time as I want to read my bible and journal in the mornings
5. Writing

Number 5 is what I want to briefly talk about. I have always loved to write. You can read my first blog post about my love for writing. So, this summer I am trying to spend at least a couple hours everyday writing something. I am doing some technical writing for The Village, as well as working on some ideas I have for a children's series. I have no clue if anything will come from any of it, but I am having a lot of fun right now!

Recently I have read several books from renown authors on the craft of writing, and most all of them say write something everyday and read A LOT! Last summer I shared some of the books I enjoyed on here , and wanted to do the same this summer. I try to keep the Shelfari link on the right hand side of my blog some what updated, but here a few of my favorite recent reads.

I am going to try to get better about blogging and incorporating some of my writing into my blog. We shall see what the Lord does with it all.

Spring in Pictures

2009-05-31T12:57:00.001-07:00

I have done a very poor job regularly posting pictures. Since June 1st is tomorrow, I figured that today is my last day to display pictures from the last few months.

These first few pictures our from Rebekah's birthday celebration in Possum Kingdom. I don't have too many from that weekend (like I said, I have been a bad picture taker lately). I had to include the video of Lindsey singing...I will probably get in trouble for posting it, but it was too funny not to.

For spring break I went to visit my parents for a few days. We went to my favorite restaurant in Corpus, The Yardarm, and ate delicious seafood. On Wednesday my mom, our friend Susan, and I went to Austin to pick up Addie and Marty (Susan's grandson). I was stuck between two carseats for the entire 3 1/2 hours back to Corpus.

After my trip to Corpus we went to stay at an amazing cabin in the middle of nowhere. It was awesome. I posted a link to Summer's page awhile back because she did a great job of documenting all of our fun, but I wanted to include this picture because you can see how fabulous our cabin was!!

Mom came in town for Easter and it was the first weekend with truly beautiful Spring weather. We enjoyed the sunshine and Sprinkles cupcakes!! Yum!

At the end of April, Dawn and Zipporah came to visit. It was great to see them, even if we did have to hang out at Boston Market! The even better news, the Thomason's are moving back to Dallas! Our IC will be complete once again.

At the beginning of May Kent and I went to Jasper to celebrate his grandmother's 80th birthday. It was a short trip, but a wonderful time with his family.

For Memorial Day our group of friends went to Crystal Beach (near Galveston). I, of course, didn't take too many pictures, but it was a great getaway with some of my favorite people.

Finally, MEXICO!!!! Lindsey had to go to an all inclusive resort in Mexico to photograph a wedding, and I just couldn't let her travel alone! The wedding was beautiful, and there was something so holy about watching two believer's get married with the Lord's beautiful backdrop of the ocean. Check Lindsey's photography blog for pictures soon.

And then for some strange reason Kent and I ended up swimming over at Megan's yesterday...as if I didn't already get enough sun!! The thing you see Addie standing on is something that Wes built for her to practice swimming.

Five more days of work before we're out of school. The summer is packed with exciting things like a trip to San Antonio, a surprise Anniversary celebration, and the birth of my beautiful niece Macy! Check back frequently for blog updates.

You HAVE to make these

2009-05-17T10:35:00.001-07:00

If you like brownies and peanut butter, you have to try these. I made them on Friday for Geoff's graduation party and they were SO good! Here is the recipe.

Eight Things

2009-05-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have done one of these, and my friend Melanie tagged me to do this post. Here are the rules for "eight things":

mention the person that tagged you.
complete the list of eight things.
tag eight of your wonderful blogger friends.
go tell them you tagged them

Eight things I look forward to:
1. Going to Crystal Beach on Friday
2. Going to Mexico next Wednesday
3. Completing the 08-09 school year
4. Getting a tan
5. Meeting Macy (new niece to be born in July)
6. Watching the movie My Sister's Keeper (comes out in June)
7. Owning a home
8. Spending more time writing in the summer months

Eight things I did yesterday:
1. Worked Out
2. Listened to an Inventory
3. Took a 2 hour nap
4. Finished reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
5. Ate sushi
6. Drank an Americano
7. Went to the movies with my husband (watched Is Anybody There?)
8. Talked to Lindsey on the phone

Eight things i wish i could do:
1.Be in two places at once
2. Not be a full-time SLP
3. Be debt free
4. Walk in more humility
5. Live near the ocean
6. Run another marathon
7. Live closer to my parents
8. Truly cast all my anxiety on Christ

Eight shows i watch: (this is embarrassing)
1. The Office
2. America's Next Top Model
3. How I Met your Mother
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
(Those are the only shows I regularly watch. I occasionally watch American Idol or Biggest Loser...but not frequently)

I am tagging Summer, Lauren, and Natalie. That's not 8, but whatever. Kinda a boring post, but it killed time before I get to go sit on Blue Goose patio with my IC!!!! Look for beach pics soon!

No, He is not safe, but He is good!

2009-05-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

I remember running on the beach one morning when I was 19 and being awed that the water reached further than my eyes could ever see. I slowed my jog to a walk and then slowed my walk to standing still facing the water. For the first time ever my teenage pride was shattered, and I was aware how I am really weak and small. I love the ocean. I love all my memories from growing up near the water and spending many summer afternoons jumping waves and building sand castles. I love laying out with the beach as my backdrop reading a good book or listening to good music. When given a choice of where to vacation, I will choose a beach 90% of the time.

This morning I was reading from a book called, "The God who Smokes", and the author quoted C.S. Lewis' Narnia where Mr. Beaver is explaining to the children about Aslan the Lion. Having never met a lion before, the children in the book ask Mr. Beaver if Aslan is "quite safe". The beaver says, "Oh no... He is not safe, but He IS good!"

Aslan and the ocean hold similar qualities. Both are good and beautiful, but neither are safe. The lion could destroy you in mere seconds just as the ocean could swallow you whole. Isn't that why we worship God? He is good, beautiful, glorious, kind, merciful, and trustworthy. However, He is also wrathful, dangerous, mysterious, just, and jealous.

I worship a fierce and protective God that is swift and mighty, but also gentle and compassionate.

I will spend a total of about 6 days at a beach this month. Three days at Crystal Beach near Galveston, and then three more in Mexico. My prayer is that I worship the Creator of the ocean, knowing He is not safe, but that He is good!"

Also, Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom!!!

To my beautiful sister, who is a great mom to Addie (and soon to be Macy)!

To my mother in laws, who raised a fabulous son!

A Cheat Post!!

2009-04-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

So, I swore I would post before Kent came home on Thursday, but it's almost 10 pm which is when I turn into a pumpkin so my post can't be too long. 10 things that I have learned while Kent has been gone (beware, they are a little cheesy!)

1) I really loved the looooonnnngggg season of being single, but I am so glad it's over. Thank you Lord for the call to marriage.
2) I am thankful that Kent takes out the trash. Doing it this week made me remember how much I hate it. I always stand back as far as I can from the dumpster and launch the bag in. Not many things gross me out nearly as much as the smell of a dumpster.
3) Things are just better when Kent is here...even if we're not talking, I just like to have him near. Summer and Lauren got a kick out of the fact that Kent and I will sit with our laptops propped up in our laps while laying in bed. ha, ha.
4) I complain a lot about the weekly pileup of socks on the floor and the 3 or more cups that accumulate by my husband's bedside, but this week has taught me I secretly love it because it means he's here.
5) We suck at talking on the phone (we already knew this, but it was confirmed this week).
6) I learned how video chat on google on Sunday...very cool and very futuristic feeling! Kent and I laughed about how we thought that we thought there would be flying cars by the time we could live video chat.
7) I learned the importance of praying for wives that have husbands that travel frequently. Especially if it's overseas! (Kent is only in Indiana, but it feels like another country. :)
8) I really appreciate him getting me bedside water nightly. I knew I appreciated it before, but this week has reminded me how much.
9) I have been reminded that the Lord is truly my only constant companion.
10) I learned that it takes less than 10 months to develop very regular habits. We have been married less than 10 months, but having him gone for 7 days has thrown my whole schedule for a loop.

The other portion of my blog is a cop-out. I never blogged about our awesome spring break. Summer did a great job of sharing, so check out her blog.

Good night my loves!!

Tuesday 8:44 pm

2009-04-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

I don't have anything too exciting to type away about or any pictures to share, but I felt like writing...so I am writing. It's 8:44 pm on Tuesday night, and the Rabalais' apartment is pretty quiet. Kent and I are in our low-key nightly posture with our laptops in our laps. He is probably checking a sports, news, or theological website/blog, and I am checking in on all my newly found creative's blogs.

I have been thinking a lot about Easter and the resurrection. On Monday and Tuesday I polled my kids at work about what they did to celebrate the holiday. Most of them talked about how much candy they received or what toy the Easter bunny hid (Did you know that kids get things like scooters, soccer balls, and Wii games for Easter???). Very few mentioned going to church, and when I asked if they went to church I would say about 40-50% said yes. I asked each group filled of my little speech darlings if they knew the real reason we celebrated Easter, and 2 out of my 43 kids explained the resurrection well. One little girl named Lauren (who was born in China and then adopted by a beautiful family) received a new bible for Easter, because her old bible was falling apart. She goes to Irving Bible, and lives in a home that believes and lives for Jesus. Today when I asked her to share why Easter is important she told the story of the death, burial, and resurrection as well as I could tell it. I love hearing little Lauren with her speech impaired /r/ sound say, "Jesus died on the cwoss fo ow sins..." She preached, and the Lord exulted over her with singing and dancing as she shared the beautiful gospel!! I pray tonight that those little first grade minds are spinning with the information Lauren, the 1st grade evangelist, shared. Here is a picture of sweet Lauren (I think that name is annointed, every Lauren I know is amazing!)

We live in "Christian" nation (DFW=biblebelt!!!), and 2 out of 40 kids know why we celebrate Easter?!?! And, even worse yet 18 other kids went to church and still think that Easter is about bunnies and eggs! God, please have mercy on our souls and bring revival to Flower Mound. Let us not walk blindly thinking this life is about our comfort and happiness, but instead may we look to Christ and His Kingdom for our joy.

Only 37 days of work remaining for the 2008-09 school year, and then about 2 1/2 months off! Praying through and preparing for what the summer is going to look like, so I don't wake up one day in late August and all I have accomplished is a good tan. Lord, please let me be resourceful with my time. I am going to do a little therapy, and a lot of reading, writing, and cooking. I am already giddy just thinking about it!!

Okay, it's time to start preparing for tomorrow's workday...My 4:40 am alarm will be going off in only a few hours...

Kent has to go out of town for a week starting on Friday :(, so I am determined to post again while he is gone. Until then...good night!

Good Photographer, Amazing God

2009-04-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across an amazing website tonight. In this picture alone, God created not only the clouds, but the shapes of the clouds, the color of the sky, the photographer's talent, the web people to create such a blog, and on and on the list could go. All creation literally sings praises to Him!

Five Senses

2009-03-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been dedicated to low key and rest. Our lives have entered into the busyness of spring with plans almost every weeknight, so we often find ourselves counting down the hours until there are no alarm clocks set before 6 am and long days in the comfort of our home.

Saturday mornings I have the joy of leading a Step Study Recovery Group made up of about 20 amazing, courageous women. We ended up discussing how to learn to be fully present in the season the Lord currently has us in. So we all agreed that we no longer want to live in our imagination of the future saying, "Things will be better when ________________ happens." I want all my senses to be alive to the blessings that God gives daily. I want to say with Paul in Philippians 4:11-13, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content"

Kinda on that same note, I also want to be drink deeply in the blessings the Lord has provided. Tonight I found this blog, and every Friday she does a post about how her 5 senses were engaged that day. I loved the idea! So, as I pray for acute awareness and contentment, I too am posting ways the Lord allows me to use my senses in my environment.

Father, I praise you alone for sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

(Disclaimer: I found this blog literally 20 minutes ago, so there are no fancy pictures to accompany my post :)

Sight: A really, really clean house. I spent a few hours today deep cleaning, and the rest of the day enjoying the sights of a clean house...no more dust on the fan, spots on the mirror, or shoes in the living room.

Sound: Explosions in the Sky. To me, their music is perfect for lots of different occasions...even cleaning!

Taste: Sushi! Kent and I had takeout sushi tonight from Oishi, our favorite neighborhood Japanese restaurant.

Touch: Kent's stubble :). Sounds a little strange, but I love how Kent's face feels against mine in a hug when he hasn't shaved for a few days.

Smell: Coffee from Starbucks. I admit that am a Starbucks junkie, but there is no better way to start a cold (yep, 35 degrees in March) Saturday morning.

So, that's my Saturday night five blessings through my five senses post! I put this on Facebook, but I like this picture and blogs are always more fun with a picture. Here is Mom, Addie, and I last week during Spring Break.

Wordle

2009-03-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

Have you heard of Wordle? It's so much fun!! This is one of my life verses Psalm 63 in a fun layout. http://www.wordle.net/

Can you say, random?

2009-03-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

I try to steer clear of big news stories of murders or kidnappings. If I read one article about it, I am hooked and will then follow the trials, the new evidence, etc. I should have done that with the Caylee Anthony story.

Instead I watched a news story after they found her little body, and I have been following it ever since. If you don't know the story, just google it and you will find more information than you care to know. Her mom is standing trial in the killing of her baby girl, after months and months of claiming the child was missing. During those months Casey Anthony partied a lot (you can find pictures and stories of that too) and didn't look too concerned with the whereabouts of her daughter. It breaks my heart. As I sit and blog, I pray for Casey Anthony. I pray that she understands the gospel and it's saving power. I pray that she is broken hearted and repentant for her sin (whether she committed the crime or not). I pray she trust Jesus Christ, and that her life is forever changed. She doesn't deserve salvation, but neither do I.

On a lighter note, I have to admit a guilty pleasure of mine...America's Next Top Model! The new season just started on Wednesday, and though Tyra (aka "the goddess of fierce") is ridiculous, I love the show! I love seeing the creativity of the different photoshoots. I love the panel. I especially love the makeover episode. I could do without their house drama, but other than that I'm in. Judge me if you want to (I think Kent does, he leaves the room every time it's on), but I am a fan of ANTM!

It happened again...

2009-01-29T15:05:00.001-08:00

So blogging one time every 5 months isn't really a reason to keep a blog. However, I like having a blog and I like the idea of blogging regularly, so I will keep mine for the hopes of the day I habitually update this thing. September to the end of January, how do you update events and thoughts to cover 5 months. I shall do it in bullet points (you guys know I love me some bullet point lists):

*Octoberish: Getting my iPhone!!!! Goodbye Sprint, goodbye to flip phones!

*October 5th: Kent and I went with his Dad and step mom to the Texans v. Colts game. I have always respected Tony Dungee, so it was fun watching that game...AND we had awesome seats.

*October 11th-13th: Dad's 60th Birthday Celebration at the beach. It was a great getaway time with the whole fam. Few pics:

*October 31st: Celebrating my husband's 30th birthday

*November 1st Watching (on tv) Texas Tech beat Texas. I haven't cheered that loud since college!!

*November 19th: Seeing Coldplay in concert

*November 15th: Seeing my friend Afshin get married and going to III Forks for the first time.

*November 27th: First married Thanksgiving at my parents house. I cooked 3/4 of the meal, so I had a lot of fun doing that.

*December 13th: Going to my niece's 3rd birthday party

*December 14th: Watching the Cowboys vs. Giants..2nd to last game in Texas stadium and the last decent game played by the Cowboys in 2008

*December 23-26th: First married Christmas and first Christmas away from my parents. Favorite gift by far...Wii!!!!

*January 2nd: Going to the Cotton Bowl (crappy game, but fun atmosphere)

*January 3rd: Going to my best friend Lauren's (Waters) baby shower. Can't wait to meet Anna Leigh

*January 6th: Celebrating Sara's birthday Indian style!!

*January 17th: Lindsey's 1st annual wine party (yes, Lindsey it will be an annual event) and meeting sweet Zipporah!

I think that's at least some of the events I have to post. I have been married 7 months now (almost)!! The Lord blessed me with an amazing man, and I am so thankful for him. Stay tuned, I promise to post more soon...I have lots of book reviews to do..I have been reading a lot!

Festivals and Fairs

2008-09-28T14:17:00.001-07:00

Not sure what it is about a festivals and fairs, but I always have a great time. Now these two things are two separate events, but I happen to be wearing the same shirt.

First, Grapefest with Addison, Megan and Wes...

Last night was my first experience with the Texas State Fair. I have lived in Dallas since 2003, but for one reason or another never made it to the Fair. This weekend was supposed to be a weekend trip to Galveston with friends, but Ike made other plans for us and we ended up at the Fair instead.

Mainly we spent our time eating...

And visiting the animals in the petting zoo...

And finally playing a couple of games and riding a few rides...

Fun times!!!

A few of my favorite things...

2008-09-21T13:32:00.001-07:00

I have a desire to create a home. A home that is well organized, clean, and calm. I want my husband to want to come home and to be able to find rest here in our little 2 bedroom apartment. I want it to be filled with guests and laughter. I want our home to be a place of prayer and solitude. I want to learn to be an excellent cook and run my household well. Titus 2, Ephesians 5, and Proverbs 31 tell me that these desires aren't coincidence, these desires are from the Lord. I know I am only 2 months in, but I thought I would share a few of my favorite "home" things. Who knows, it is a lazy Sunday afternoon...I might just add all sorts of things I appreciate.

First, the Swiffer WetJet Mop. This makes mopping easy and effortless. No bucket, no nasty rope strings to wring out...just a simple cloth that attaches with velcro. Genius!!

Next, the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I can't explain what the difference is between this and a hand mixer...but I know that this machine has already made amazing mashed potatoes, sheet cake, and a few other desserts. The best part of this is that we didn't receive it as a wedding present, so every time I saw one I would just stare at it and think about the day I would be an owner of one. On my birthday Kent covered my eyes and led me to the kitchen, when he took his hands away there sat my very own KitchenAid mixer!

This next one is near and dear to my heart, but has little to do with creating a home. I have fallen in love with my french press coffee maker. I grind up fresh coffee, and a few minutes later I have the most delicious coffee on the face of the planet. It has to be a weekend treat because it takes a little long for the weekdays.

During the week I rely on my Hamilton Beach BrewStation. It makes excellent coffee and you can serve it one cup at a time. Thanks Glo for introducing me to this coffee maker.

Two magazines that have been crucial to our Tuesday night guest dinners and crucial to feeding my husband...Cooking Light and Rachel Ray. I love the recipes in both of these magazines, and so far only one has been a complete bust, but that was my fault for not following the recipe exactly as it was written. Too much gorgonzola cheese and your husband will say, "Babe, it tastes like soap." Ha, ha...we had to throw it out it was so gross!

Our two favorite restaurants that we are dying to have in Flower Mound, Posados and Cheesecake Factory. You think you've had good fajitas, but you haven't had anything until you have had the fajitas at Posados! The Cheesecake Factory is good for anything you're in the mood for...meatloaf, breakfast, pasta, etc. We can't leave without getting Kent a slice of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake. Good thing I am not a fan, otherwise I would already weigh a million pounds!

All three of my blog followers know that I have always enjoyed running. I am convinced that I will buy Asic running shoes for the rest of my life. I don't know what it is, but I promise they are the best running shoe...I ran my marathon and all 6 half marathons in Asics.

I could keep going and going, but it is time to cook our Sunday dinner/Cowboys game food. I will end with three of my favorite pictures from the wedding.

This first one is after my dad and I danced. Growing up my dad and I danced a lot in our kitchen, so it was very important to me to dance with him on my wedding day.

This is my niece and I before the wedding. Addie was abnormally obsessed with me on my wedding day. We decided that I was the closest thing she had ever seen to a princess (because of the dress) and that is where her fascination came from. After she walked down the aisle, she ran back down the aisle to the bride's room. It was adorable.

Finally, my Kent and I on our last dance. In college I made a "Life's to do list", and one thing on there was play Nora Jones' Come Away with Me before we left for our wedding night. So, I made arrangements with the DJ and when everyone went downstairs to light their sparklers, I asked Kent to dance and the song was played. It was exactly how I had pictured it!

I love Sunday afternoons. Almost time for some Romo action...Go Cowboys!! Oh, I guess I could add them to my list of favorite things. Don't you think Tony looks a little like Kent. Kent is way hotter, but Tony has a few good features.

Charles and I...

2008-08-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Kent reads Spurgeon's daily devotions online a lot, and occasionally I will stumble upon his page looking to be enlightened or encouraged. Today, Charles' thoughts resonate with my soul.

I am longing for those rare times where God's presence is so near and thick that you can literally feel him as you pray, worship, and go about daily tasks. It's those times that faith is easy and following the Lord is truly the desire of my heart. Today is not that day. In fact, that day has not come in months. Praise God for good teaching at The Village where I have learned to still pursue the Lord and live a life of faith even if I don't feel like it. Besides that, this life would be lived in vain if I worshiped the Lord only based on the feelings that it gave me or what he could provide for me. I have got to give him glory for all things, at all times despite how I feel. May my soul be desperate in all times for him, and may I cling to the hopes of what he is doing in my life even if I don't see it. More than all of these things, let me cry out in heart-felt worship for Christ's sake...for the fact that He came as my substitution for sin, and because Christ will return and His kingdom will come!

Anyway, I just thought I would share in case you may be having that day too. Spurgeon's daily below.

"Sing, O barren."—Isaiah 54:1.
THOUGH we have brought forth some fruit unto Christ, and have a joyful hope that we are "plants of His own right hand planting," yet there are times when we feel very barren. Prayer is lifeless, love is cold, faith is weak, each grace in the garden of our heart languishes and droops. We are like flowers in the hot sun, requiring the refreshing shower. In such a condition what are we to do? The text is addressed to us in just such a state. "Sing, O barren, break forth and cry aloud." But what can I sing about? I cannot talk about the present, and even the past looks full of barrenness. Ah! I can sing of Jesus Christ. I can talk of visits which the Redeemer has aforetimes paid to me; or if not of these, I can magnify the great love wherewith He loved His people when He came from the heights of heaven for their redemption. I will go to the cross again. Come, my soul, heavy laden thou wast once, and thou didst lose thy burden there. Go to Calvary again. Perhaps that very cross which gave thee life may give thee fruitfulness. What is my barrenness? It is the platform for His fruit-creating power. What is my desolation? It is the black setting for the sapphire of His everlasting love. I will go in poverty, I will go in helplessness, I will go in all my shame and backsliding, I will tell Him that I am still His child, and in confidence in His faithful heart, even I, the barren one, will sing and cry aloud.
Sing, believer, for it will cheer thine own heart, and the hearts of other desolate ones. Sing on, for now that thou art really ashamed of being barren, thou wilt be fruitful soon; now that God makes thee loath to be without fruit He will soon cover thee with clusters. The experience of our barrenness is painful, but the Lord's visitations are delightful. A sense of our own poverty drives us to Christ, and that is where we need to be, for in Him is our fruit found.

Pictures are up!!

2008-08-12T06:03:00.001-07:00

Go to this website

Kentsten Wedding Pics

Click on our gallery and use your email address as the password. There are A TON of pictures so you can navigate quickly by using the categories (ceremony, reception etc) in the left hand corner.

Happy looking!!

Who's Who..and other random fun...

2008-08-06T18:06:00.001-07:00

My sweet husband has been super busy at work lately, so much that at times he has to do an hour plus writing at night. Me, trying to be the quiet wife, busies herself with reading or being on the internet. Though I received the final book of the Twilight series in the mail today (and have already plunged through 50+ pages:)is choosing the internet...aka blogging (like the new background???). Here is some random fun...

Can you tell which one is the Kent part of Kentsten and which one is the Kristen part? Pretty tough, huh. Or maybe we are actually the same person and this whole marriage thing is actually some deep twisted thing with a weird outcome. What?

Next, it's been a long time since I have posted anything of my adorable niece, Addie. Here she is on our day trip to Selado a few weeks ago. (She is trying to mimic the things next to her in the pictures)

And here she is singing her version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star...http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Despite what my wife-in-training mentor thought (understand her skepticism on my Wifey 101 post), I have actually been cooking...and ENJOYING it! I don't feel like posting all the recipes right now...I will do that another day, but here are two of the recipes I have tried. This first one was a recommendation from Dawntoya . If you like spicy things, you will love this dish! Get the recipe here.

One of my favorite things I tried so far was low fat crab cakes.

Get that recipe here.
I served that with Baked Sweet Potato Fries.
I found this recipe on a blog...she has a lot of good stuff I want to try!

Sara Duran was our Tuesday night dinner guest this week, and she brought all of her old Cooking Light magazines which will hopefully turn into lots of delicious meals!

Okay, Kent is still busy, but I must get back to my Vampire Saga. More to come later...

Identity Crisis

2008-08-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

I still don't have pictures of the wedding to share yet, but posting that one blog earlier this week got my juices flowing and I have been eager to share several different things. So check back in a few days for another post. Kent also has some stuff he wants to write about, so for those of you that know him you know you can anticipate being enlightened through his words.

At our rehearsal dinner we opened the floor for anyone that wanted to share stories or toasts. Many people shared very encouraging things, and I know that both Kent and I left praising the Lord for friends and family and the story that we find ourselves wrapped up in. After the rehearsal dinner was over and my parents and I decided to join some of our extended family for a drink at the hotel bar. It was there that my mom began to question some of the stories shared at the rehearsal dinner. She said that many people spoke of me having wonderful qualities that surrounded a "type-a" person: being efficient, planned, organized, etc, etc., but she wondered where were the stories of the Kristen she knew. The little girl that loved to spend hours upon hours reading, writing, and creating things, the girl who loved to cook, and the girl who once was the complete antithesis of type-a...hiding things under her bed, waiting until the last minute to complete anything, hanging any memorabilia on her bedroom wall regardless of how tacky it was...and on and on. My mom said that she regretted not sharing at the rehearsal dinner where this now "strong, type-a woman" had once been as a child.

That night I just laughed my mom's perspective off without giving it much thought, but somewhere during the time on our honeymoon I realized that she was right in someways. I think that during middle school and high school people in my life starting recognizing leadership qualities in me, so I was trusted with responsibility. I was placed as class president, youth group leadership team, etc, etc. This continued in college with me immediately stepping into major leadership roles in my sorority. It was during my time as ZTA president that I learned the skill of efficiency and how to get many things accomplished in a short period of time. I was praised frequently for my ability to manage a good GPA, running an organization with 150 women, spending time with my out of town boyfriend, and still maintaining a good social life. I liked how that praise felt, and so I learned to refine those skills of efficiency, organization, and leadership until I found my identity in my leadership. I graduated from college a little over 5 years ago, and somewhere in there a lot of the skills that I prided myself on had turned in to anxiety, rigidity and control. With the increase in these refined characteristics was also the decrease of some of my first loves like reading and creating.

For the first time since middle school I am currently not in any leadership roles. Kent and I agreed that our primary ministry focus for our first year of marriage would be and should be our marriage. Marriage has not only brought on the death of the unhealthy, independent spirit that I once possessed, but also the death of where I once found my identity. Praise God that when He kills a sinful, unhealthy portion of our flesh He also fills us with His Holy Spirit and births new life.

My identity is not found in leading this or that, not in being a wife, not in my personality or preferences, but in Christ alone. He is teaching me in order to be fully the person He purposed for me to be, I have to be rooted and found in Him. So, my mom was right, the Lord did give me a love for creative things. I love to read, write, and have long deep conversations. At the same time, God also created me as having a mind that enjoys leading, planning, and a good organizational system! In Christ, I am allowed to be all of these things for His glory and His purposes. Any of these things become sin the second they take precedence over the gospel of Christ.

For those of you that are still reading, I wanted to share some of the books that I have had time to read this summer. Warning..the spacing of all of these is weird, so sorry for that!

The first is Sacred Marriage. One of my student's moms gave me this book for a wedding present. The subtitle of the book is "What if God designed marriage for our holiness instead of our happiness. It is rich book filled with wonderful reminders and insight on the relationship of a husband and wife.

I have not completed this book yet, but if nothing else all women should read the chapter on the lies that women believe about their body. The author does a great job at identifying the lies and then leading you through truth to repent and combat those lies.

Okay, these next 3 are apart of a series (the 4th comes out today!!!). Many of you will laugh that I have read these thick books that are intended for teenage women.

Yes, the plot is about werewolves and vampires, but I am allowed to appreciate a good story...and these are great stories. There are parties tonight for the release of the 4th book, but instead I just chose to quietly pre-order mine online.

Sacred Sex...I am a huge advocate of this book, because it completely defined what sex between husband and wife is about. We all know that we are bombarded with what sex is according to Hollywood, magazines, etc...but this book defines what God intended it be.

The Road was awesome! The author is an amazing writer and is able to paint an amazing picture and story with his words.

Excellent story that evoked a lot of emotion. The theology is very questionable, but the some of the imagery is good and author wrote a good story. Read more about the thoughts regarding theology here.

This next one is one of my husband's favorite books. I finished it this morning, and thought it was excellent, but really deep. I think for me to fully grasp the story and the symbolism I am going to have to read it again.

I am currently reading Tim Keller's Reason for God. I think this book will be excellent resource when faced with the "hard" questions about why Christ. I know I have friends out there that are cursing me for having months off at a time, especially those who also know that I have had lots of time to watch movies I have never seen like Lord of the Rings (can I say, amazing!) and cook. More on those topics later.

Um, yeah..

2008-07-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

That's the only thing I can think of for a title when I haven't posted in over 2 months. I have been yelled at by the 4 people that still faithfully check this little blog. Side note: most likely my Psalm63 blog and Kent's Shadow Forest blog will be put quietly to sleep and a new blog will merge for the both of us. That is all to come, so stay posted.

Not sure where to begin when my life is radically different than the last time i posted. Kent and I were married on July 4, 2008. For everyone who then says,"You
got married on the Fourth of July?" um, yes obviously the Fourth of July and July 4th are the same date. (You wouldn't believe how many people say that!) Our wedding was perfect and I wouldn't have changed a thing. I prayed a lot that we would remember the entire day, and by his grace we do. I heard the stories of everything being a blur too many times, and I really was thankful to Him for not letting that happen. We don't have wedding pics back yet, but as soon as we do I will post some of them on here. You can see one of us on our photographer's blog.

Our rehearsal dinner was at Mattito's in Dallas. The food and drinks were amazing, and it was a wonderful night with close friends and family. Here is a picture of my friend Amber Cassidy and I. She has known me very well since I was about 8 years old, so you can only imagine the stories she told during her toast.

I spent Thursday night with my parents at The Magnolia Hotel in Dallas, which was a risky thing to do the night before your wedding since both of them snore terribly. Thanks to Kent and Geoff, I slept wonderfully all because of the ear plugs they purchased for me. Friday I awoke refreshed and surprisingly very calm. Lindsey Brittain, who was my wedding week right hand man, my mom, my sister, and I spent the day at the Ritz Carlton eating lunch and getting our hair and makeup done. This was a special wedding day treat from my mom and sister. Here are the pictures.

I am going to wait until I have more pictures from the wedding to share those details, but let me say it again...It was the best day of my life. Here are a few of the pictures I do have.

If you were at the wedding and you have pictures, please send them to me!! I hardly have any, and I am itching to see some.

So, the wedding details and honeymoon will be a separate post, but I wanted to share one more thing since who knows when I will actually getting around to blogging again. I have been reading through the book of Proverbs this summer, and I have noticed several themes...watching the tongue, pursuing wisdom, fearing the Lord, foolishness vs. wisdom, etc. One theme that I have been extra sensitive to recently is how many times Solomon and the other writers of Proverbs mention wives.

Proverbs 11:22 "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman without discretion."

Proverbs 12:4b "She who brings shame is like rottenness in his (her husband's) bones."

Proverbs 19:13 "...and a wife's quarreling is a continual dripping of rain."

Proverbs 21:9 "It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than i a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

Proverbs 21:19 "It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman."

Proverbs 27:15-16 "A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one's right hand."

So, it may seem as if the writers of Proverbs are suggesting that wives are only annoying and out of control, but considering that Solomon also wrote Song of Solomon which is all about making love to his bride, I doubt that. The writers of Proverbs also say:

Proverbs 12:4a "An excellent wife is the crown of her husband."

Proverbs 18:22 "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord."

Proverbs 19:14b "but a prudent wife is from the Lord."

I share all of this as encouragement to wives and those that desire to be wives. The call is weighty and hard, but it is one that is from the Lord. We cannot submit, serve, respond, or encourage our husbands in the way scripture asks us to in our own strength, but through humility that produces dependence on Christ we will be able to fulfill the task the Lord has called us to. Ask the Lord to teach you when to speak and when to be silent. Let's learn not to be quarrelsome, but instead encouraging and supportive.

My daily prayer for Kent and I comes from Proverbs 5:18-19, "Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." I want the love and passion that Kent and I have shared these first 3 weeks of marriage to be a fraction of what is coming in 10, 20, or 30 years. All of this is by the Lord's grace alone!

If we aren't sure where to start on the pursuit of becoming godly women, Proverbs 31:10-31 provides a strong foundation. This list isn't exhaustive, but some of the qualities of an excellent wife: She is trustworthy, good to her husband, hardworking, wise, strong, giving, creative, courageous, prepared, dignified, kind, and on and on the list can go. Again, the task is not easy, but my prayer and desire is at the end of life this can be said for me, "Her children rise up and called her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." (Proverbs 31:28-29) I think verse 10 of this chapter suggests that this woman is rare, "An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels." My desire is to be a rare woman that always remembers, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Stolen

2008-05-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

In my weakness and failures Christ is perfect. When I walk in my prideful flesh, I eventually will fall. I prove it to myself again and again, yet the lesson is one that I have to consistently be reminded of. The Gospel of Christ is my only hope. I was conceived in sin and possess nothing good within me, there has to be a substitution for my sin. That substitution is Christ. He bore God's wrath and made a way for perfection...not me, but Him...Jesus Christ. I cannot earn His love, I cannot be good enough, I must have Christ. Tonight I feel intimately acquainted with the sin that I thought was far behind me. Temptation rose up and I tumbled in, despite the path of escape the Lord provided. Here is what I know: I know that God forgives me instantly upon repentance, that He embraces me again, assures me of hope that can only be found in Christ, and then He holds me up with his right hand. The beautiful Gospel.

Nothing can separate me from His love. Nothing can separate me from His love. Nothing can separate me from His love. Romans 8:37-39

I stole this YouTube thing from Bleecker's blog without his permission, but God used it tonight to speak to me so I wanted to share it with all of you. If you do watch it, watch it to the end...you have to hear the words of Colossians 1.

Wifey 101

2008-05-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Like I said on my last post, I am living with Steve and Glo Gaddis. Glo has discipled me for about 2 1/2 years...our relationship basically consists drinking a lot of coffee and long talks. Those talks consist of everything from theology, to Home Group management, to cooking, to shopping, to husbands, to prayer, to tears, to laughter, and on and on the list could go. Moving in has allowed me to watch a godly woman 25 years ahead of me get excited about the things the Lord teaches her on a daily basis. I have watched her walk through times of trials and suffering with dependence and faith, and learned what the prayers of a faithful mom and wife look and sound like. I see the tears she cries over her children, longing for them to know the deepest parts of the Lord. I watch her serve the body of Christ through relationships with younger women and through leading her Home Group. I marvel at the way she serves and encourages her husband, and the way she gracefully tends to her home. The Lord had purpose beyond convenience and saving money in me moving into this house, He wanted me to soak in and imitate this God fearing and God loving woman.

With all of that truth said, there is also a lot of humor attached to Glo teaching me to become a wife. You see, there are those women like my beautiful friend Shelly that have wanted to be a wife and a mother from the very beginning. They were blessed with gentle and compassionate hearts, natural quiet spirits, and know from birth how to tend to their homes. I am not that girl. I have rough hands that have been titled as "man-hands" by some of my closest friends. I have pridefully worn my singles cape for about 4 years, and silently gloated as others prayed for their husband to come along. I cook 5 times a year...homemade croissants and buttermilk pie at Thanksgiving, ooey gooey bars at Christmas, and then a random meal here or there when I am feeling Martha Stewart-y. I ran my calendar with rigidity not leaving room for anything that was not pre-planned. That was all before...now God has blessed me with Kent and called me to be His wife. I have repented for my single prideful ways, and tried to fully embrace the blessing of dating, engagement, and preparation for marriage. I thought it would be funny to post random stories about God using Glo to teach me how to become a wife. Starting with entry #1: Wifey 101:

Picture this, it's 9:45 on Thursday night. I am tired and irritable from the previous 5 hours of moving Rebekah and I out of our apartment into Public Storage. Kent willingly and lovingly helped us in this move, and so he too is exhausted and hungry. We discuss where to eat. Options are exchanged, but no decision is made, and we end up back at my new/temporary home-The Gaddis's. Now from my previous explanation of the type of woman Glo is, you can assume that she has a kitchen full of yummy food that would take minimal effort for me to prepare for my starving fiance. Your assumption is correct...there is all sorts of delicious choices that I could use to feed Kent. I open the pantry and my eyes fall to beloved Cheerios. I don't ask if he likes Cheerios, I simply put them in front of him along with a bowl, milk, and spoon. Cheerios was my decided dinner for him. Kent quietly opens the box and pours the cute little whole grain oat cereal into the bowl. Just as he is about to pour the milk over the cereal we hear Glo yell from her bedroom, "you will not feed that boy cereal for dinner!" She gets out of bed, puts on her robe, glares at me, and then lovingly provides a gourmet sandwich for Kent. I sulk in the corner as I see Kent begin to smirk. Glo snaps her head toward me and says, "I've got two months with you missy. We will make a wife outta you!" Kent no longer hides his smirk, but allows it to stretch fully across his face. He was probably relieved his options for dinner for the rest of his life would not be me saying, "Hey babe, did you want Cheerios or Fruit Loops tonight?"

Class is in session for WIFEY 101!

Wheredyago??

2008-04-23T20:24:00.001-07:00

So being in 12 weddings as a bridesmaid (I wonder if I can list them all: Megan, Sara F., Kelly, Sarah B., Czarina, Kristen W., Lauren W., Shelly, Dawntoya, Lauren F., Melissa, and soon to be Chev) did not prepare me adequately for planning my own and preparing to become a wife. You hear and/or witness the busy times, the moving, the premarital counseling, the learning how to deal with new a new family, budgeting together etc, etc, but I didn't get it until I entered it myself. Currently I am laying on a bed that is not mine, in a room that is not mine, and living in a house that I do not pay rent or a mortgage for...I am officially living with Steven and Glo Gaddis (and Roommate, aka Bex). That is just one of the minor changes that has occurred in recent months. We officially move out of Timber Ridge tomorrow night with the help of Kent, Abe (Bex's brother), and Matt McCauley's Home Group. Bex and Kris will officially no longer reside in the Flo Mo ghetto. I will miss that place. I told Kent today that we need our pic taken in front of the sign there since it was where we met (thanks Paul and Geoff), where we started dating, where we first kissed, and the location for many long talks/romantic moments/movie watching/etc. I am glad dating and engagement will be over in 72 days (I am not psycho, I looked on The Knot website to find out how long it was :). This middle ground is hard and I am ready to be married to Kent, but we are really fighting to enjoy this time and enjoy the moment. Wedding planning is going well, and I think I am done with all big decisions!!! I hope that it is fun and beautiful, but I really my prayer is that each little decision in some way bring the Lord glory and make His name known...so everything from the music sang, to the dress, to the way the food tastes, I want it all to be a reflection of Jesus. Otherwise, we have just spent way too much money on a party that everyone will forget about in a few weeks. Only 30 days left of work before summer vacation. There are some drawbacks to my job, but I think hands down the vacation time cannot be beat! I am really praying this summer is intentional and purposeful. Anyway, this is the most random post ever and all that actually read my blog probably already knew each of these details, but nonetheless, typing while laying in bed sounded appealing tonight. I may regret it when my alarm goes off at 4:45 am to workout...probably not. In all of this, I know that God is good and that even these earthly decisions can get me more of Him and bring Him glory...it's a fight, especially for me who is prone to materialism, control, and selfishness. Pray for me!

This post is poorly written and random, but it's something!!

Good night!

A few pictures

2008-03-18T06:54:00.001-07:00

My favorite friend and photographer took a few pictures so that we could use one for our Save the Date cards and so that mom could put one in the local newspaper. So, check out the famous Lindsey Brittain's blog to see a few pics of Kentsten http://lindseysheaphotography.blogspot.com/.

Think mom will put the one of us kissing in the grass in the Corpus Christi Caller Times??

THANKS LINDSEY!

The Letter

2008-03-06T06:31:00.000-08:00

Several of you have said that you were unable to see Kent's letter that he wrote while He was in Israel. I reread it this morning, and really feel like it is from the Lord and so I want to share it. Oh, why am I able to write a blog midmorning on a Thursday, because I took a mental health day (aka a personal day!). The morning consisted of working out, a good breakfast, and time with the Lord that was not controlled by the clock telling me to get to work. I have 4 blogs floating in my head, maybe over spring break I will be able to get them written. The letter (you can see the original post from our engagement story in The Story of Kentsten):

Dear Kristen,

I sit overlooking the Mediterranean Sea now, thinking of the Lord, and you. I think the hardest thing any two humans may face as the grow closer may be their desire to yearn for each other, more than yearning for the Lord. It is so easy and natural to do-taking creation and exalting it above the Creator. One may be tempted in reading the above and think, "that's not how my parents are, or my friends are, or my sister is, or my brother is, they quarrel, they have their hope in hobbies and careers they don't burn for each other. They did, but they don't now." Why is this? Two people fall for each other, burn with yearning and passion, then at some point find themselves burnt out on each other and onto other things. It is James 4:1-19, Why do we fight and argue? Is it not the desires that rage withing us? Yes, because n the above examples we put our yearning and hope completely in human flesh and cursed are we if this is our ultimate hope. When flesh fails, passionate fights will occur, because our god (the person) has let us down.

But what if this didn't happen? What if we begged the Lord to give us the grace to have our eyes opened and our ears made to hear the Truth-that there is only one who is worthy of our ultimate yearning. One ONE who is worthy of our ultimate hope, only ONE who is worthy to be called Lord of Lords and King of Kings-Jesus Christ. What if he would give two people the joy of enjoying His creation the way it was intended-for it to cause worship to the creator of all things? What if He let two people not look to flesh to satisfy the scorched places, but to Him who gives a watered garden, whose waters do not fail? What if He would open our eyes and ears to know Him as Lord, and not each other? It would be amazing. It is what I am begging for in this relationship. It is not natural, and it is not always easy, but He is faithful to do what He wills, and I know that He works all things for good according to His purposes for those that love Him and that He call as His children: and even if He doesn't give any of that, He has given us everything already. But oh! How we can entreat, plead, and beg Him for more. This is my hope and desire more than anything. That we would know this life as we know it now is temporary and a time for harvest of the Kingdom of God and for the sanctification of His fruitful seed. Ultimately it is not about happiness and comfort-though He may give those things (may it cause worship!), but it is about Him!!! May we get that.

Lord, put us before the throne, begging you for this-that you alone are God and you alone are worthy of our worship. This is my hope. This is my dream for marriage. This is my prayer. May it be.

"Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for My sake will preserve it."

Wouldn't it be amazing if this was not how we only entered marriage, but our daily lives...knowing that all of this was merely apart of a bigger, grander plan. We can only see in part, but He sees in full.

Tagged...Again

2008-02-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Rebekah to complete one of these little survey deals. Now that I am getting married maybe I can go back and complete that one that was going around for a few months about husbands. Who takes the trash out, which side of the bed we sleep on, how he proposed, etc. Isn't it funny how we are fascinated by other people's lives. I think like anything there can be a healthy interest and then it can bleed over to gossip...it's a fine line!! I think that is why we are consumed with celebrity gossip...the television shows, the magazines, the websites...we are fascinated. I wonder if we actually ever stop to pray for those people...yikes, I know I forget a lot. Today I had lunch with one of my best friends from college. We lived together our senior year at Tech and one of our favorite things to do was to go get coffee at Barnes and Noble and read People and Us. We figured out today that it has been 5 years since we were in college. Now almost everyone is married (me in July and her in November) and some even expecting babies now (congrats to Summer and Kelly!!). I was supposed to be filling out a survey and suddenly it turned into my rambling. Anyway...

10 years ago:
-I was a junior in high school
-I was driving a 1988 Grand-Am
-I was recovering from my second knee surgery
-I was dating a guy named Chris Dupree (I thought I would marry him because he was a pastor, I really thought I wanted to be a pastor's wife...so I only dated guys that had that intention. ha, ha)

Things on my to-do list today:
-complete paperwork for kids in LISD and for my private clients
-go see Adam (my 26 year old down's client...we're working on increasing his length of utterence so that he can be more functional at his job at Tinsel Town)
-Decide which wedding invitations I like
-Mail my dad a card just because
-Go eat with Kent, Geoff, and Heather before Film and Theology (Luther!!)

What I would do if I suddenly became a billionaire
-Pay all of my debt and Kent's debt
-Pay my parents back for college & my wedding
-Take my mom and sister to a week long spa
-Shop
-Give to someone who really needs it but wasn't expecting it
-Buy a house
-Travel
-Adopt a child from Africa
-Give to someone who doesn't deserve it
-Save...

Three of my bad habits:
-Picking at my nails
-Overplanning and overscheduling
-Coffee (specifically a venti 2 pump toffee nut americano from Starbucks)

Five jobs I have had:
-Waitress at Outback
-Book filer at Texas Tech Health Science Center library (yes, it was as boring as it sounds)
-Jason Clarke's assistant (ha, ha!)
-TA for my graduate advisor at UTD
-Speech Pathologist

Five things people don't know about me:
-I wake up at 4:45
-I like to read Time magazine when I have a chance
-That I smashed the screen on my brand new Apple MacBook 2 weeks after getting it (then sweet Kent helped me fix it and then we fell in love :)
-That I will spend my wedding night at The Mansion on Turtle Creek as Mrs. Rabalais
-That I would love to go skiing in Switzerland

Oh, I tag Kelly Tarro, Czarina (sorry girls, now that you're bloggers you have to play the game) and Kent

Way out of order, and way overdue...

2008-02-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

I know it is almost March, but I never posted any Christmas pictures...and when you have a niece as cute as mine, you have to post Christmas pictures. So, this will be short and sweet (those that know me well are laughing, because my blogs are never short). Christmas 2007/New Year's Celebration 2008. Enjoy!

Picture this. 3 adults, 1 baby, 1 dog, luggage for everyone, Christmas presents for both our family and Wes' family all in 1 car on the 7 hour drive from Dallas to Corpus. How do you get the baby to stay happy? You load up on DVDs for her to watch and feed her complete junk food. Here she is eating a gas station corny dog. Please note that my sister is an amazing mom and never feeds Addie like this. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

My mom and I LOVE Scrabble!! We played 3 times over the week I was home. This night, my brother-in-law, Wes, decided to team up with my mom and play 2 against 1. They won...barely...and they cheated, they think you can write out words on a piece of paper to help you brainstorm. Um, I think that is called CHEATING.

Christmas Morning

I received some great gifts. Cute shoes, money, perfume, etc, etc. One of my favorites were these new silk pajamas from my sister. Below, one of my not-so-favorites. Mom thought I would LOVE this jacket thing, yikes Mom...thanks for trying though.

This is Kent teaching my mom to text message. I wasn't expecting Kent to come down to my parent's house, but on Thursday night he arrived!! I now know it was to ask my parents if he could marry me. If you know my dad, you would applaud Kent for having the guts to ask him!

My sister modeling her new jacket...

Cousin's House

Finally New Year's. This was the greatest NY celebration of my life. We went to Crystal Beach (Galveston). Everyone could do whatever they wanted...sleep, read, play games, spend time alone, etc. It was great!!

The Story of Kentsten

2008-02-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

You've heard of Bragelina and Bennifer, now it is time for you to meet Kentsten. Lindsey Brittain and Geoff Ashley competed to give us our celebrity name, but Lindsey's choice of Kentsten won out over Geoff's pick of Kristent. Here is a small piece of our story.

Dating Life: For the sake of this being the longest post ever, I will spare you the back story of how Kent and I met and the tons of ways he romanced and pursued me while dating. I will just say that he is creative, thoughtful, prayerful, and intentional. What made me fall for him?? Primarily the way he loves Christ and that he lives knowing that everything in this life is a means to getting more of Jesus. But, it was also the constant sweet things...for example walking out to find flowers on my doorstep on HIS birthday with an amazingly sweet note attached. It is the silly things like him performing the Souljah Boy at my niece's birthday party and our New Year's celebration. The common interests like writing and deep conversations...the not-so-common interests like The Cowboys (him) and sushi (me). Of course you can't really explain in words what it is you love, all I know is that God made my heart respond to Kent's pursual and I am going to be his wife!!

The Proposal: On February 3rd Kent cooked an amazing dinner of spinach and ricotta chicken, salad, and veggies. The table was covered with candles, rose petals, and a bouquet of flowers. After dinner we went near the lake where Kent started a fire and read me several letters that he had written over the course of our dating relationship. The first was a letter to me while he was in Israel, but it was more of a prayer he had written for our marriage. Second, he read a few pages from his journal about the little details that he loves about me, followed by some verses from Song of Solomon. Last he read this: (sorry, it may be hard to read)

Finally, he bent down on his knee, asked me to be his wife and put this beautiful ring on my finger.

He designed the ring himself, so the diamonds are all placed with symbolism.

After the proposal:We walked a little further to a wooden cross and spent some time worshiping and praying for our marriage. We had never prayed together (other than meals or with other friends), so I loved that our first prayer together was for our marriage to be to the glory of God.

The Engagement Party:We went to my sister's where about 25 of our friends were waiting to celebrate with us. The night was complete with encouragement, champagne, chocolate fondue, and prayer. Here are some pictures from the night.

The scrapbook my sister began for us with pictures of us, a letter from my mom, and notes from everyone at the party.

The beautiful table

The Champagne Toast

Friends that celebrated with us

Sharing our story

Family Pictures

Kent and I are products of the community that surrounds us. God has used family, friends, The Village Church, and our home groups to grow and shape us. We really believe that the gospel collides with all aspects of our lives. Dates, flowers, romantic nights, delicious food, a thought provoking movie, silly moments, good conversation...etc...are not earned or deserved, they are merely an extension of His grace and shadows of God's love. I love our story mostly because it is not ending with Kensten, but instead it will end with how it began...Jesus Christ.

What up, India!

2008-02-07T16:21:00.001-08:00

This is a much delayed post. India was amazing, but difficult to process through and capture in words and pictures. I promise there will be engagement stuff on here soon!!!

6:28 pm 11/15/07
(flight from Chicago to Delhi, India)

"Just read Isaiah 26, and verses 11-15 became my prayer for India. Let the people see your hand lifted up, let their gods be put to shame as you capture their hearts. May all other gods fade into the stone and falsehood they were created in. Let the people become consumed with you. May the only remember you. Wipe their gods from your loved one's memory. Your nation has no boundaries and sees no color of skin. Your nation is forever expanding. Father, expand your nation and sweep up the lost souls in India."

Bob, Sara, and I settled in for our 14 hour journey from Chicago to Delhi

8:26 pm 11/17/07

"It;s the end of the first full day here. India smells similar to Mexico, and has lots of crazy traffic and street vendors. I feel very safe and no one really bothers us except to ask for money or food. The difference between the rich and poor is vast, and my heart aches for the mothers begging with their children. I wonder if it is merely society's social ranks that put them in this circumstance? More than giving them money, I wanted to hug and kiss the children. They have no clue of their lot in life or that millions of children around the world have more to eat and a warmer place to sleep. Soon enough they will grow up to learn their place that life has offered them and the type of service they must do in order to hope for a better life in their next life (after reincarnation). They're taught if they do their work well and without complaint they will be reincarnated into a higher caste. They believe this was the "gods" intentions. As we walked through the market we saw beautiful pieces of art with the Hindu gods on them. Literal idols. We learned tonight that we will be delivering the gospel by tapping into the Hindu teachings. They believe there is 1 god that does not need and idol in his image because of his supremacy, so we will be drawing the parallel and identifying who the only true god is, Jesus Christ. It reminds me of Acts 17 when Paul is in Athens. I am sure some people mocked Paul as he identified their idol to the Unknown God, but some had to have heard what he said. Father, would you call these people to yourself, save souls, and return for your flock."

9:47 pm 11/19/07

"Though the program (washing feet/ministering to "untochables") wasn't how I would have ran it, and though the haziness of the culture and language collision was huge, my prayer is that you were exalted and that people were not only touched physically, but their souls were touched by you. I want them to be enlightened to the one true God, Jesus Christ. When I washed the first woman's feet she began to weep and utter something in Hindi. Another woman tried to refuse to have her feet washed out of shame and embarrassment. When she finally relaxed and allowed me to touch her feet I could not find a towel, so I used my dupata (head covering) to dry her feet. She freaked out!!! Robin later explained that foot washing in their culture is used as a form of punishment and that it was difficult for them to see an American at their feet, and even more difficult for them to understand how someone who they consider better than they are (due to the caste system) to use their head covering on their feet. Father, I continue to plead for you to call these people to yourself. Don't let the purity of the gospel be lost in translation. When I think of you, Jesus, at my feet like you were at the disciples it is overwhelming. I cannot begin to grasp what it was like to leave constant communion with the Father and the completeness of heaven. What do I do with this picture of you washing the tiredness and filth away? I see myself refuse, but that is rooted in pride. Without me doing anything, you wash me. Am I willing as an overflow of having been washed by you serve others here and back home? God as low as I was tonight at strangers feet, I want to be low in your presence. "If I then your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. (John 13: 14-15)"

(We had Pizza 3 times during our 10 day stay in Delhi!!

10:38 pm 11/20/07

"End of day 5. The footwashing event was better than last nights. The name of Jesus was spoken clearly and it didn't seem as focused on the Americans. I washed an old man's feet today, and then was reminded of Duet. 4:9. These are memories and stores of deep significance. I get to watch the gospel be delivered and then take part in a small portion of it. The rest of the day was spent reading and relaxing. We ate Indian food, got henna tattoos, and sat in our favorite coffee shop. Today I passed hundreds of beggars and I touched people's hand that may never travel beyond the city of Delhi. God, do not let me forget all that my eyes have seen! You have a plan and a purpose in all of this. I know goodness always surrounds you and that you are somehow glorified in all of this."

8:19 pm 11/21/07

"The morning was the usual slow start-rough breakfast of white toast (we finally just stopped ordering the nasty eggs and cereal with hot milk) and coffee with buffalo's milk, a long delay in wait for transportation to the event, followed by a long drive to the actual event. I didn't feel like talking and Mack and I shared the front seat for the 2 hour drive so I listened to music the whole way. Charlie Hall's Prepare the Way spoke volumes to me. It became my prayer, that he would prepare the way in my heart for whatever he had in store and that he would prepare the way for us at the village we were traveling to, and that He would prepare the hearts for the people we would meet. In all of the areas of the city I have seen so far, the poverty we drove through today cannot be explained through words alone. Next to Mercedes and nice houses were lines of beggars, people trying to sell stuff etc. As a small girl and her baby brother banged on our car window asking for food or money. I just looked in her eyes thinking she doesn't want to be in this place begging. They wouldn't do it if they literally weren't desperate. Their lot in life is literally dirt, filth, begging, and no hope of becoming something else (because of the caste system). Though this place is friendly, there is an oppression and a deep hurt here. These thoughts were met with the Lord's voice saying, "I delight in these people and have created them for my glory, They are worshipers whether they know it or not. Salvation is an extension of my grace and for my glory alone." Once we arrived at our destination, we were again paraded through the village and met by very excited people. During our walk, I was handed a glass of milk like substance. The people gave it as a friendly gesture, so I prayed over it silently and then drank some of it. It was awful..a mix between buttermilk, sour cream, and old yogurt. Not minutes later, a large cow rushed through our crowd of people piled in a narrow street. At the moment it was really scary, but after I laughed and laughed. Who gets experiences like this?? The gospel was shared plainly and boldly today. Then an Indian woman got up from the crowd saying that God had sent her to this village to open an orphanage in His name. She was from a higher caste, but she new she was to live among these people and tell them about Jesus. We prayed that a blind man would regain his sight and even more than that we prayed that hearts were awakened. It's hard to know what to do with all of this. I sit back and think, why me? Why now? What is my response to all that I have seen? I end knowing and believing that the Lord is good. He is good when my stomach cramps from weird food. He is good when I hold an orphans face in my hands. He is good to the deformed. He is good to the poor, the old, the rich, and the young. He is good when I don't understand. He is good in worship and tears. Father, please redeem these people for your name. Let Satan be silenced and You be lifted high."

This is some of the filth that we saw entering into the village

The faithful believer in Jesus that began the orphanage in His name

The blind man we prayed for

The cutest woman in the world

Sara, Mack, and I at the orphanage

11/24/07

"I didn't journal at all yesterday, and I am really regretting it, there is a lot to process through. We started our day out at our usual coffee shop and then went to visit a pastor that began a bible college and seminary. It has produced a lot of strong bible believing men that have started churches around India.

After, Sara wanted to see the older parts of Delhi, so we went to the red fort area adn to visit a very famous mosque. Words don't suffice to explain the horrific sights at the mosque. From the street there was a long walkway with dried up fountains (like Katherine prophesied!) and on it stood thousands of people selling anything they could to make a little money. This sounds terrible, but my eyes saw hundreds of people deformed beyond human recognition. The children were filthy and their hair was matted together in clumps. They grabbed at our arms and clung to our clothes, begging for anything that we'd give them. The sounds were as terrible as the sights. Animal sounds mixed with clicks of begging and music. The people lined the stairs and filled every walkway. My spirit quickened and all I could do was repeat the name of Jesus over and over. The song, You are the Light, played in my head as I begged God to lift the darkness. Once we stepped out of the walkway we all began to weep and didn't stop until a few hours later. There is so much to process through and pray about. God redeem this place! Break my heart for someone not like me!! Use this all for your glory. Break! Rebuild! You ARE ON THE THRONE! YOU ARE WORTHY!"

11/25/08 2:35 am (Flight home!)

"On the flight home, and I am longing for familiarity, my bed a good shower, and to see Kent. I am thankful for this trip and I am walking away with a lot of different things and I am sure it will take me awhile to process through all I saw and all I felt. Saturday we went to the Taj Mahal. The drive was long and cramped, but it was cool to see such a famous landmark with that much history. It almost looked fake because of it's size and the amount of times I have seen it in pictures. Sara made a great point, she said it was literally a whitewashed tomb. Beautiful on the outside, but dead on the inside. The guy who built it and his wife whom he built it for have their tombs inside. The rest is empty and cold. "

The Room

2008-01-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

She closes the door behind her forcefully in hopes that the shadows of the day will disappear and the sounds of the world will remain trapped on the outside. She instantly feels comfortable, but somehow knows instictively this is not her home. However, the solitude of the environment seduce her to stay. She breathes in the air and then releases slowly. The process repeats until life's monotonous repetition fades into a memory and she can once again feel her own skin. She cautiously opens her eyes and realizes this is not a dream, she is finally alone with herself. Her eyes wander around the room to drink in the surroundings; the room is ornately beautiful, plush, and comfortable. A small voice whispers, "leave", and for a long moment she glances at the door contemplating exiting the utopia she stumbled upon, but a charming voice woos her to stay and assures her safety. She again forces herself to relax until and longs to be numbed from the pressures from the world.

The girl walks to the center of the room and twirls as if she were a small child in a dance recital. She does this again and again until she collapses and she is laughing uncontrollably. When the room stops spinning, she notices a small wine refrigerator in the corner of the room. She walks over to pour herself an expensive glass of chardonnay. She drinks the wine quickly and immediately feels it's effects. Her eyes close, and the small voice returns saying, "leave", but again ignores the voice and pours a second glass of wine. She settles into the plush couch with a magazine, and for the first time in years is pleased with herself and feels lucky to have found such an exquisite place of escape. As she buries herself further into the couch she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror across the room. She stares at herself for a long time until a subtle smirk creeps across her face. She returns to the magazine, but finds that she drawn to her own reflection. Her eyes return to the mirror and she finds the image staring back completely captivating. She walks towards the mirror inching closer and closer to the girl staring back at her. She stares...hours pass. The girl likes what she sees as she studies her own reflection inch by inch. Her mind is entirely consumed and she loves it. She turns back toward the couch to find a mirror in it's place. She tries to look past her reflection, but cannot see anything beyond herself. Feeling a buzz of confusion, she looks to the right and again is met with her own reflection peering back at her. Very slowly she turns her head to the left and finds her eyes gazing once again on herself. The girl panics and runs to the door that she entered the room through. The door is mirrored and she fights against herself to get the door open. Tears sting the corners of her eyes and slowly fall down her cheek. Sobs exit her throat and she collapses on the floor. She's been here before and never intended to return. The door unlocks and opens. Jesus picks her up and carries her away from her reflection.

A few months as I was overwhelmed with myself and repenting for the amount of times I thought of myself before everyone else, while I was praying God gave me a picture of me in a room filled with mirrors. He communicated to me that often I enter this room and am selfishly consumed with my own reflection. Obviously this is not just my physical reflection, but symbolic for how much I considered my own needs and preferences before other people, the gospel, and God. I hated the picture of this because it was lonely, selfish, and prideful. I literally could not see beyond myself and it was frightening. Praise Jesus, he doesn't leave us alone with ourselves or our own reflection. He will enter that room and carry us away. He is graceful and merciful. For me, I prayed he would shatter the mirrors so that I could see beyond myself and gain an eternal perspective. At times my flesh longs to escape into a serene environment like I described in the story above. There have been moments that selfishness wins and I am again in that room surrounded with my own reflection. However, I am never satisfied when all I can see is myself, so I find myself again begging God to shatter the mirrors. God is faithful to come quickly to my rescue and forgive. Instead of being captivated by my flesh and the image I see in the mirror, my prayer is that I worship the Living God that created me for His glory. I want to be found at Jesus' feet peering up at His face.

Meet Kristen, in 4th grade...

2007-12-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

In July I began my blog with a reference to Chynna Phillips and my 4th grade school picture. I could not find the school pictures, so instead I posted this.

There have been several requests for the 4th grade picture to be posted on here. To those of you who have seen it you know why people would want this posted...it is truly HILARIOUS!! However, there are two small problems: 1) I have not sat down to figure out how to post pictures on here (anyone want to volunteer to help) and 2) I cannot find it!! Last night I looked in all of the places that stuff like that usually is kept and it is no where to be found. So, for now you will have to use your imaginations. Close your eyes and picture blond hair cut above the ears and the same length around the entire circumference of the head. Blue eyes peering out from under bushy eyebrows that touched in the center, and teeth that protruded slightly past the lip. For school picture day she chose a navy blue button down shirt with gold paisleys. You may think this is an exaggeration, but on more than one occasion the picture has been mistaken for a boy (thank you Jason Clarke). In order to remedy the physical appearance the teeth required a year of wearing a headgear (yes, the contraption that extends from inside the mouth to around the face and to the back of the head) and two more years with braces. The eyebrows that to this day are consistently plucked and threaded to keep the shape, were once shaved off entirely in an effort minimize their uni-brow effect...That was 7th grade, and when my math teacher asked allowed in front of the entire class why I looked different today, Christy Mungia (class bully) yelled, "because she shaved her face off this morning." The hair was treated by my best friend, Amber, who attempted to girli-fy it by encouraging me to borrow her headbands and bows as it slowly grew out.

This afternoon, I dug threw my parent's giant stack of pictures until I finally found it. Meet the 4th grade Kristen...please try to keep your laughter to a minimum. Praise Jesus that hair grows and that braces were invented!

For fun, I also thought I would include my school picture from the Catholic Pre-K I went to. I was 4 years old, so apparently my mom was okay with me sporting the "boy" look from 4 until I was 9 years old!

I tried to find a picture that could redeem my child femininity, but there weren't any. My mom insists that the rough looking years of short hair and buck teeth, followed by a few more of headgear and shaved eyebrows developed my character and personality. I hope it developed something, because otherwise I think it is just straight up child abuse. Mothers, use this as examples of what NOT to do to your daughter's hair.

The Table

2007-11-05T14:54:00.001-08:00

Some of my most precious memories are from dinners where people linger long after the last bite was taken, but the feasting on laughter and deep conversation continues. As a child we were forced to have a sit down meal together almost every night for dinner. I wasn't fond of it then, but looking back the dinner table is etched into many of my favorite childhood memories. It's where we talked about the events of the day and made plans for the future. Throughout college, grad school, and still today many of the hardest conversations have been hashed out over dinner. The kind of conversations that are necessary, but extremely uncomfortable. The kind that in the end are the most loving and result in the most good. I can go back to specific meals shared at restaurants and homes where the ridiculous line is continuously pushed and laughter is uncontrollable. Dawntoya, Summer, Lauren, and I have literally been shushed at a restaurant for laughing too loud. Sharing meals is where relationships have flourished and new levels of depth reached.

The word table is used over 90 times in scripture, and I love that God communicates with us through the imagery of the table. One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 55:1-3, "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." The beauty of the gospel is that we come with nothing, but are invited to freely feast! We have promises to cling to that we will dine with Jesus for eternity in Heaven.

A few months ago, Lindsey Brittain and I created a reading group. As we searched for a name for the group, we eventually settled on The Table. The Table consists of a book discussion and a shared meal together. So far the group has read Jane Eyre (sort of) and The Kite Runner. Everyone loved reading The Kite Runner, and we shared rich discussion about the book. Here are some pictures from the night.

Lindsey cooked a fabulous Italian dinner for us!

All the girls that came to The Table in October

Introducing Kent and I (for the 4 of you that look at my blog). He was stuck with 6 women, but he served us all diligently and had amazing questions for discussion.

This month we are reading Lovely Bones written by Alice Sebold. The Gospel intersects all facets of our lives and all truth is ours to claim, so I look forward to the next Table event to share a meal and discuss truth.

Angie's (not so) Adventurous Adventures

2007-10-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Last Monday morning the alarm clock rang at 4:40 a.m., and 7 minutes later I stumbled out the door to meet Duran at the gym. The rest of the morning fell into the typical routine of quickly getting dressed, downing some Fiber One cereal, spending some time with Jesus, and finally rushing out the door armed with the bag I lug to work each day and my fabulous oversized brown purse. Mondays and Fridays are Starbucks days (ok, sometimes Wednedays too) so I have to be out the door by 7:26 a.m. in order to get my hit of caffeine and make it to work by 7:40. If you are not a math person, that means that I can get coffee and make it to work in 14 minutes! Praise God for answered prayers of driving a 6 mile radius everywhere I go. I slid in the door of Garden Ridge Elementary with 20 minutes to spare before the energy of children crashed into my serene environment of checking my email and getting materials ready for the day.

What's missing in this scenario?

Angie.

Where was Angie?

Oh, here she is...

The bottom of my purse.

I tried. I purposefully put her in the bottom of my purse on Sunday night, so that I would remember her on Monday morning. But, let's be honest. Who has the cognition and the humor at 7:26 a.m. on the first day of the work week, to pile up pillows to take pictures of a stupid wooden angel (Sorry, Ang!)? Not me. I did invite her out with some of my students on Monday. Here she is with my favorite 5th grade boys.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...all the same story. She rode in my passenger seat at the bottom of my purse. I would remember around 10 am that I was supposedly documenting her adventures and then bring her out. Here she is with little Chelby and enjoying Shane & Shane's new album.

Angie was supposed to be in this picture too, but Chelby kept moving her away from the camera too fast.

I admit when I fail, and I most definitely failed in the payment of losing this bet. Angie did not wave to a single passing car, she was not invited as the 3rd wheel on Thursday night date night, and didn't participate in our Home Group retreat on Friday.

Bex, you win. Don't change the locks or have us evicted from Timber Ridge.

Love, Kristen and Angie

Introducing Angie

2007-10-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Meet Angie. Out of my two roommates (the other is Rebekah), I like Angie better. Angie is an excellent listener and very clean. Rebekah must pick up on the bond between Angie and I, because I catch Rebekah attempting to kill Angie. I have found Angie tangled in my sheets (attempted suffocation), in my shower (attempted drowning), in the refrigerator (attempted frostbite), and in my suitcase upon arriving in Chicago. Angie just waits patiently and quietly until she is found in these obscure locations, she never utters a word of complaint or slander.

On Tuesday night during a drive to have dinner with our friend Jourdan, Rebekah and I found ourselves in a small disagreement. She is stubborn and I am overly competitive, so we ended up making a bet on who had the correct information (details will be spared of what the conversation was about in order to respect the confidentiality between roommates). A bet is not fun unless there is something on the line. So, it was decided that the losing person had allow Angie to ride buckled up in the front seat of her car for 5 days straight. The loser would need to pile pillows up in the passenger seat of their car so that Angie could see out the window and wave to passing cars.

I lost the bet.

Being a woman of my word, Angie will be buckled up in the front seat starting on Monday morning. If you ride in my car, you will be forced to ride in the back so that Angie can have shotgun. I have decided to take Angie's adventure a step further and take her everywhere I go next week. I will photo-document the week and blog about the places we go together.

Welcome to the Adventures of Kristen and Angie!

Garments

2007-10-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

She couldn't open her eyes to look Him in the face. She hoped if they were closed tight enough she could disappear within herself. The girl knew what she looked like, and she couldn't stand to see disappointment on His face. Her garment hung loosely from her body, it resembled a rag more than it did a dress.

Stained.

Dirty.

Foul.

The girl knew it was a mistake to come, and she turned to run. He caught her arm with ease and refused to let go. With His other hand He gently touched her face as if to invite her to open her eyes. Tears of shame and guilt began to fall down her cheek and onto His hands. Neither of them spoke. After a long moment of silence, she forced herself to look at Him. Their eyes met. He smiled and embraced her. As He released her, she caught a glimpse of something white. The girl looked down and saw that a garment without stain and without filth now covered her.

She was clean.

The tears returned. She couldn't believe His grace, His love, His mercy.

He embraced her again and asked her to dance.
_________________________________________________
A few months ago I was praying over a beautiful young woman, and I was struck with this image of the girl believing that she was still clothed in the filthy garments. She felt that God was ashamed of her. All I could do was beg God for the woman to look down and see that she was clothed in a new garment. A garment that was pure and white. I begged that she would know that God dances over her and delights in her for His sake and glory.

We find ourselves again and again in the stained state of shame and guilt. We believe that we've disappointed Him and that His love and grace are fleeting. The bible points us to Christ and proves that our thoughts are entangled in a web of lies.

"Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord. I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord. " Jeremiah 2:12-14 (ESV)

"And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! Even the Lord, Who [now and habitually] chooses Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this [returned captive Joshua] a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord]. And He spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And He said to [Joshua], Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich apparel. And I [Zechariah] said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by." Zechariah 3:2-5 (AMP)

"Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:"Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:14-17 (ESV)

If you are in Christ, He has made you clean and covered your shame with His Son's blood. Look down. Return to Him. Believe that you are clean. Rejoice in His grace and live for His glory.

Time I can never get back

2007-09-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

So, I just did something completely out of character. I went to a website called simpsonizeme.com and uploaded a picture to see what I would look like on the Simpsons. Yes, I just wasted 10 minutes of my life doing this. It is actually pretty funny...

Who am I??

Life Snapshots

2007-09-20T14:25:00.001-07:00

Two deep posts in a row, time for a fun one!!

These first pictures are of the Albertson's Garage Sale. I have never been apart of anything this disorganized in my entire life, but God knows how to work in chaos. Everything was sold for less than $10, but made over $600. All glory to Him!

Next, a snapshot of our fun girl's night at On the Border. I am so thankful for the girls in my life.

Finally, a random shot of a guy that stands on the corner of Josey and Keller Springs singing into a flashlight. It wasn't easy to capture these photos, Brittain and I had to pretend we were getting gas just to get close enough. I don't know why he does it, I don't know what he is singing, but I do admire his boldness!

Meet Addison, my niece. She is sassy, cute, and full of personality! She has tons of toys, but what does she spend her time playing with? A box. This is me above her pushing her around in her "car".

And a preview of her Halloween costume. Meet the new Wonder Woman!

Let me know if anyone wants to join me singing a ballad on a corner anytime soon! :) Oh, and sorry for the off-centeredness of some of these pictures, I think I did something wrong. I am not a very savvy blogger.

Thoughts from the day

2007-09-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Last night I put blankets over the windows in my room so that my body wouldn't be woken up with the sunrise. I wanted to sleep as long as my body would allow. I naturally woke up a little before 9 and layed in bed contemplating going to the gym. Suddenly I was reminded of coolness from the night before and jumped out of bed so that I could go for a run in the 75 degree weather. The sun was so inviting that I decided to grab Starbucks and go for a drive to one of my favorite spots in Highland Shores to spend time with Jesus near the water. I sat outside and the sweetness of God filled the air. So, all that to say, the first 2 hours of my day were euphoric. Then a picture fell out of my journal. Meet Promise (left) and Louise (right), my favorite two little girls from my first trip to the Daniel Hoover Children's Village in Liberia, Africa.

Every time I look at their little faces my heart leaps and aches all at the same time. It leaps at the fact that they both have been adopted by American families and that they are no longer intimately acquainted with a lack of food and parental guidance. It leaps that I was able to hug and kiss on them for 2 weeks straight. My heart leaps as it remembers Louise climbing in my lap one night without saying a word, just wanting to be held. It aches knowing it will most likely never see these two little faces again this side of heaven. It aches thinking of their experiences of war during their first 4 years of life and that they will never know their biological parents. Seeing this picture for the millionth time this morning made my mind go into a tailspin...

As I sat there surrounded by $500,000+ homes enjoying my morning, some little girl was most likely orphaned or sold into prostituition. As I sipped on my $3.00 Americano a little boy in the Sudan will walk for days without shoes, drinking his own urine to stay hydrated. As I hold my $20 dollar bible freely, someone in the East is memorizing scripture so they don't lose their life for owning a bible. As I savored the moments of my sabbath, a mom in this neighborhood will change the diaper of her 11 year old son with Cerebal Palsy. Another mother in the area will monitor her daughter's brain activity to be sure she isn't having another seizure or stroke. Someone will grieve the loss of a husband and be forced to raise their child alone. Somewhere a man will attempt to comfort his bride as she writhes in pain from a miscarriage. On Sunday, churches around the United States will be filled with broken hearts, lost dreams, and lifeless marriages. Guilt will be covered up with expensive clothing and strategically placed makeup. Shame will whisper in ears, and in attempt to drown it out the music will be turned up. People will insist they are fine while they are lugging around thousands of invisible chains. A girl will hate the decision she made last night that seemed so right at the time. Men will cross their arms along their chest as images of pornography dance in their head. Someone will tell a lie in order to cover up sin and then add a smile to ensure the listener he is telling the truth. A parent will stay quiet as their teenager numbs himself to life through his drug addiction. A man will seek death of another as revenge. Someone will grieve the loss of their grown child serving in Iraq. And the list of the broken continues on and on...

It is not getting any better. Government strategies and education are not working. Satan, the Prince of Darkness, lurks and convinces that our pain will be satisfied by the things of this world. He lies.

How do I reconcile my day with these heavy thoughts? Return to the gospel. Pray. Cling to hope.

"My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes! Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart." Psalm 119:25-32

Trust. Know that He is returning.

"For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:53-58.

The wrestle and the search for the line of being present with where the Lord has me, while being keenly aware of the hurting surrounding the world continues. All I know is that God is still good despite brokeness and sin, and that though suffering may last for a moment joy will indeed follow. The Gospel must remain central. I must remember that Jesus died for this broken place. I must remember the hope that is offered through God's grace. I must point to the cross, cling to the cross, and never move on from the cross. To God be the glory, please come quickly sweet Jesus!!

Addict

2007-09-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

After Matt's sermon last week I realized that Narcissism is indeed something that plagues us all. His words sparked my memory of an old journal entry that I thought I would share.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i am an addict,
an addict of self.

i nurse my flesh and walk in comfort.
i am an addict of self.

i am intimately acquainted with all that i think i need
and make every attempt to see those met.

i am an addict,
an addict of self.

i feed my desires the choicest of luxuries, comforts, and delicacies;
anything that will curb my satisfaction pangs.
i am an addict of self.

eat, drink, and be merry is what my flesh screams out,
and there is no fight or even resistance from within.
i am an addict of self.

deserver of comfort, earner of rights,
happiness found within my own hand.
i am addicted to self.

i will steal, lie, conquer, twist, ignore,
project, hold back, exalt, humor, massage, insult
all to protect and glorify myself.
i am an addict of self.

i beg you to tear down this monstrous idol.
demolish it and carry me away from the rubble.
consume me, break me, open my eyes, protect
me from reconstructing another idol in my own image.

i am an addict,
an addict of self.

Jesus, you wooed and awakened me with a touch of your grace.
my soul was stirred and reactive.
you imparted love and mercy,
you know my filth and stench,
but still you chose to sacrifice, wash, clothe me in white.

i am an addict,
an addict of self saved by the blood of Jesus.

Watermelons, Sushi, Shopping and Jazz

2007-09-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

I TURNED 26!! My sweet God knows my favorite things and gave me a little taste of each of them to celebrate my entry into a new year. Enjoy the fun pictures.

The celebration began a few weeks early with a fun pool party at Summer's house. It was complete with volley ball, cannon balls, and wiffle ball. The watermelon ended up in the pool at least 100 times, prank calling was somehow involved, and Kevin Bailey ripped a phone book in half. It was truly a great day!

The girls...

The following Sunday I went with two of my favorite people to an Etta James, Al Green, and BB King concert. The show was awesome and we had a great time!! Just know that if you ever see this group of amazing singers the show will be OVER 5 HOURS LONG!

Jonathan and Lindsey

On my actual birthday we headed to Denton to see Kimberly's new house and enjoy some sushi and ice cream (two of the greatest foods on earth). Bex had everyone write some kind of poem, cheer, etc as my gift. I couldn't have asked for anything better!!! Picture Sara Duran doing a cheer in the middle of the Square in Denton. She spelled T-I-M-E, because she gave me a subscription to Time Magazine (something I have been wanting for a long time). Bex and Lindsey wrote out poems that were sweet and hilarious. I was going to post them, but they are covered in inside jokes that wouldn't be interesting to anyone else. Thank you to all of you for your sincerity and your friendship.

Finally, last weekend Lindsey Brittain and I went to Chicago to see my best friend, Claude and go to a Chris Botti and Diana Krall concert. It was one of the greatest weekends ever. Ladies, Claude is a complete gentleman and a romancer...someone catch him! We dined a fancy restaurants, went shopping, and laughed a lot...but the best thing that happened was the concert. In the past year I have grown this intimate spot in my heart for jazz, so I couldn't have asked for a more perfect present! Download some of their songs, they are incredible!!! Claude, thank you for everything this weekend. For the past 13 years you have been there through all ups and downs of life and I couldn't ask for a better friend. Lindsey, you are my friend. My real friend. Someone who gets me and still loves me. Someone who sees through my perceptions into the heart of who I am..the good and bad. Thanks for making me laugh, praying for me, and letting me be an over-planner, controlling and uptight :P.

Claude and I

Lindsey and I

Diana Krall Concert

To all of my sweet friends who purchased gifts, treated me to lunch or dinner, wrote out cards, or called/emailed/text...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Raw

2007-08-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

When I was little I loved playing house with my Cabbage Patch Dolls (Shout out to my favorites: Lyle..a red headed bathtime baby, Xena...a premature, bald headed baby, and Sheldon... an African American baby that I dressed in a tuxedo). That is the beginning and ending of the typical girl-y things I partook in as a child. I refused to put on a dress till I was in 5th grade, I asked for race cars for Christmas, and I loved going hunting with my dad.

On weekend hunting trips with my father I would sit up in the deer blinds for hours looking for deer (or as my dad initmately titled them, "The Infamous Whitetail Buck"). My job was to silently indicate that I spotted a deer by gently nudging or gesturing. Then Dad would quietly lift up his rifle, aim, and hopefully kill the deer (if you're grossed out, keep reading...I promise there is a point). When he succeeded in hitting his target, we would load up in his truck, drive to where the animal fell, and haul it back to camp. From there the deer had to have it's flesh and insides removed, and I have many vivid memories of watching deer be gutted and skinned. To skin the deer my dad would hang it by it's hind legs, and remove it's skin until all that remained was raw meat.

**Allow me to pause for a moment to enter a disclaimer: 1) I now know that this is something I am supposed to be disgusted by, and 2) this is not something that most girls partook in as children. However, it seemed normal before I was issued my Dallas-ite card. Please continue...**

My prayer tonight was that the Lord would strip me of all my selfish control, ideas, plans, pride, etc. The word raw kept coming to mind. So, I prayed that God would strip away all of my flesh until I was left completely raw. As I prayed, God illustrated it with memories of hunting with Dad. I could once again see the animal hanging helplessly, stripped of all of it's outer skin until only rawness remained.

After this hunting entry 90% of you will never read my blog again, but before you log off recall what Romans 6:6-8 says,

" We know that our old self was crucifed with him in ordert hat the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."

So if you are in Christ, dying to yourself and asking him to strip you of your flesh is actually a beautiful thing. Obviously death to our fleshly desires doesn't come easy or feel natural, but be encouraged that we are promised to LIVE WITH HIM (v.8). For me to attempt to capture that hope of life with Him in words wouldn't do it justice, so just allow the promise to sink in, resonate with your soul, and produce worship.

FYI: If you think that I am inhuman for hunting or have a crazy belief that animals will go to Heaven , you'll be happy to know that I no longer consider hunting a hobby. However, thank God my dad still does so that we can forever enjoy the delicious meals his cruelty produces :).

The Room

2007-08-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

She closes the door behind her forcefully in hopes that the shadows of the day will disappear and the sounds of the world will remain trapped on the outside. She instantly feels at comfortable, but somehow knows instictively this is not her home. However, the solitude of the environment seduce her to stay. She breathes in the air and then releases slowly. The process repeats until life's monotonous repetition fades into a memory and she can once again feel her own skin. She cautiously opens her eyes and realizes this is not a dream, she is finally alone with herself. Her eyes wander around the room to drink in the surroundings; the room is ornately beautiful, plush, and comfortable. A small voice whispers, "leave", and for a long moment she glances at the door contemplating exiting the utopia she stumbled upon, but a more charming voice woos her to stay and assures her safety. She again forces herself to relax until and longs to be numbed from the pressures from the world.

The girl walks to the center of the room and twirls as if she were a small child in a dance recital. She does this again and again until she collapses and she is laughing uncontrollably. When the room stops spinning, she notices a small wine refrigerator in the corner of the room. She walks over to pour herself an expensive glass of chardonnay. She drinks the wine quickly and immediately feels it's effects. Her eyes close, and the small voice returns saying, "leave", but again ignores the voice and pours a second glass of wine. She settles into the plush couch with a magazine, and for the first time in years is please with herself and feels lucky to have found such an exquisite place of escape. As she buries herself further into the couch she catches a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror across the room. She stares at herself for a long time until a subtle smirk creeps across her face. She returns to the magazine, but finds that she drawn to her own reflection. Her eyes return to the mirror and she finds the image staring back completely captivating. She walked towards the mirror inching closer and closer to the girl staring back at her. She stares...hours pass. The girl likes what she sees as she studies her own reflection inch by inch. Her mind is entirely consumed and she loves it. She turns back toward the couch to find a mirror in it's place. She tries to look past her reflection, but cannot see anything beyond herself. Feeling a buzz of confusion, she looks to the right and again is met with her own reflection peering back at her. Very slowly she turns her head to the left and finds her eyes gazing once again on herself. The girl panics and runs to the door that she entered the room through. The door is mirrored and she fights against herself to get the door open. Tears sting the corners of her eyes and slowly fall down her cheek. Sobs exit her throat and she collapses on the floor. She's been here before and never intended to return. The door unlocks and opens. Jesus picks her up and carries her away from her reflection.

A few months as I was overwhelmed with myself and repenting for the amount of times I thought of myself before everyone else, while I was praying God gave me a picture of me in a room filled with mirrors. He communicated to me that often I enter this room and am selfishly consumed with my own reflection. Obviously this is not just my physical reflection, but symbolic for how much I considered my own needs and preferences before other people, the gospel, and God. I hated the picture of this because it was lonely, selfish, and prideful. I literally could not see beyond myself and it was frightening. Praise Jesus, he doesn't leave us alone with ourselves or our own reflection. He will enter that room and carry us away. He is graceful and merciful. For me, I prayed he would shatter the mirrors so that I could see beyond myself and gain an eternal perspective. At times my flesh longs to escape into a serene environment like I described in the story above. There have been moments that selfishness wins and I am again in that room surrounded with my own reflection. However, I am never satisfied when all I can see is myself, so I find myself again begging God to shatter the mirrors. God is faithful to come quickly to my rescue and forgive. Instead of being captivated by my flesh and the image I see in the mirror, my prayer is that I worship the Living God that created me for His glory. I want to be found at Jesus' feet peering up at His face.

School days are here again

2007-08-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Though I made big promises of consistently blogging to rediscover my passion for writing, it hasn't happened nearly as much as I thought. Thursday I start working full-time again. So, before I am off to the real world again, I thought I would add a few pictures from the summer months.

The summer began with a trip to Chicago with my sister. One of my best friends from high school lives there, and so we thought it would be a perfect "sister-only" trip. Though are destination was Chicago, we found ourselves in Las Vegas for a few hours due to our flight being canceled to Chicago. Through a few fortunate events we ended up at The Venetian for the night...COMPLETELY FREE!! Here are a few pics of the room.

Though Vegas was an adventure, we were eager to get to our destination. The trip was filled with fun, shopping, sightseeing, eating amzing food, tatoos, and on and on.

While we were sitting in the airport waiting for our flight back to Dallas, we received news that our uncle had passed away. Though it wasn't a fun reason to spend the next week at home with mom and dad, it was good to see family. Here are a few pics of my niece at Cita and Papa's house (that is what their "grandparent" names are :).

The following weekend was a gift from my good friend, Lindsey. She bought us tickets for the John Mayer concert for an early birthday present for me. Love me some good John Mayer! Thanks, Linds.

Oh, these last pics prove how we really are grandmas.

July was just as busy and fun. I spent a lot of time working for de CLARKE (www.declarke.com) and doing private therapy. At the end of the month, Summer and I escaped to Memphis to see Dawnie!!! I will spare all the pics since Summer stole the pics I took and put them on her blog :).

Somewhere in there Bex and I had time to crash Josh Patterson's pedicure!

Haiti Now was a big event put on by some of our good friends. God is doing major work in Haiti (www.haitinow.com) and we all were able to witness the documentary they produced. Later in August a group of 20 will go to Haiti to be used by the Lord. Pray for them. Here are the 6 of us that piled in a VW bug.

In August I was asked go to Southern California for the Connecting Ministry. I wrestled with God a lot on that decision, but finally decided that if someone had to go to San Diego and Los Angeles, I would be the one to go! So, at the beginning of August I boarded the plane with Sara Duran and Shanah Brown and then met up with two girls from Austin Stone Church and Watermark Community Church. I was the driver through out the trip, and I drove 6 people all through roads I've never been on in this car.

I realize I don't use my camera enough to capture all the amazing things God allows me be apart of. For instance, Wednesday afternoons were reserved for dates with my niece. We ate Bahama Bucks, went to the pet store, and spent time in the pool. My favorite thing about the summer is that time with God could actually extend past 45 minutes in the morning since I didn't have to rush off to work, and if I decided to spend the day in shorts and a t-shirt I could!! However, we all know that there is a time for everything, and it is now time for me to go back to work. I am thrilled about driving 6 minutes to work and acutally living and working in the same community. Updates on here will still be a priority, especially if it is my pass to read all of your blogs!!!

The things you've been dying to know about Kristen...NOW REVEALED

2007-08-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (**if you’re a non-blogger, you can email them!)
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My Random Facts:

1) I tore both ACL's (a ligament in your knee) playing basketball. One my sophomore year and one my junior year. The thing is, I was never really that good. I played on 2nd string varsity in basketball, but I should have stuck with track. I was much stronger in that. My best mile time was 5:53. I would die running a mile that fast now.

2) I prefer "strong" drinks. I like americanos, black coffee, cabernet, and dark beer (been known to have a Guiness every now and then). I love to eat sugar and sweet things, but when it comes to drinks I like it bitter! According to Lindsey Brittain...I look like a girl, but I drink beer like a guy. hmmmm

3) I keep a life's to-do list with things such as having a book published, riding in a hot air balloon, go to the Oprah show etc. (those things have not been accomplished). Some of the things accomplished already are: Getting my masters degree, running a marathon, going overseas on missions, etc.

4) I pluck my eyebrows at stoplights.

5) My nickname in high school was Link. Several of the guys my freshman year teased me for not shaving and having a big chin, eventually they determined I was the missing Link of evolution. It stuck for about 2 years. My youth minister still calls me that.

6) I have ridden a mechanical bull...twice.

7) I want to adopt a child from Africa even if I never get married.

8) I was obsessed with my sorority in college. I was the community service chairman my sophomore year, vice president my junior year, and president my senior year. Rules of ZTA, never walk and smoke, it's tacky. Your cig should be like an accessory, sit down and smoke with your legs crossed. PR is important. Give your shirts to cute boys to wear around campus. If you don't make your grades, you can't party with us on the weekends. Study hard, play hard. Personality always should come out, fake it if your not feeling it. You can be known by all the bouncers and bartenders in town, but you may NEVER dance on top of a bar or steal a sister's boyfriend. Crowns, strawberries and bunnies for life....Go ZTA!!

The people tagged are Kent, Lindsey Brittain, and...????? I don't know that many people that blog that haven't already been tagged. Oh wait, Kendall Vinson says she sneaks on every now and then, so start your own Kendall!! Sara Duran, I believe you do too, so get to writing!!

The Expected

2007-07-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

This is a story about a girl named Sirk that lives in a place called Rewolf Dnuom. Never heard of it?? Well, you are probably more familiar with the larger city near it called Sallad. Sirk loves where she lives, and loves that on any given day she could sit on her front porch and predict what she will see. At some point in the early morning she can expect to see Mrs. Turquoise out walking her dogs. Mrs. Turquoise will wave and smile, and underneath the blood colored lipstick beautiful white teeth will appear. Sirk always waves back and says good morning. Inevitably during the day Sirk will run into her downstairs neighbor, Notlim, and he will ask to borrow her car to drive to California. Notlim apparently thinks this is a hilarious joke, and proceeds to ask daily. Sirk always plays along, and says she would love to swap her Honda for his Cadillac. Notlim will laugh, and then shuffle off to his vehicle to go see his wife in the nursing home. Treb, the other downstairs neighbor, will invite Sirk and her roommate Xeb over to partake in his grilled meat dinner. They always decline the invitation for two reasons, 1) Treb begins grilling around 9:30 pm and 2) He has also invited them over to drink vodka and watch his flatscreen with surround sound. Treb enjoys his surround sound so much, that at times it is so loud it is vibrating through the ceiling into Sirk and Xeb's apartment. Sirk has been known to jump on the floor repeatedly until he turns it down. By 11 am every morning Sirk expects to hear shouts and laughter by the pool as the kids jump in to escape the summer heat. The maintenance man is always finishing his pool upkeep around that time, and with a cigarette hanging from his mouth he will shout, "Enjoy the pool, kiddos", and then zoom off in his golf cart for his next task. By 5 pm, Sirk can expect to run into Essej walking his wolf-like dogs, and the thoughts of how hot those dogs must be will run through her head. Essej will compliment her somehow and then go on to discuss the weather. Most of all, Sirk loves hearing the sound of her roommate walk up the stairs, because she expects that Xeb will enter with a smile and greet her in a bad accent with something like, "Hello precious face." Though Sirk is not the extreme silly type, she finds herself playing along and returning the greeting with an equally bad accent. On Sundays Sirk will enter The Egalliv Church, and suddenly find herself surrounded in community. She can always expect at least one hug, one genuine "how are you", and lots of people eager to celebrate all that God has done and continues to do. Sirk loves that her life is filled with these people in this place. She loves that God has slowed her down some in order that she may find time to drink in her surroundings.

For the past 8 months Sirk has had an opportunity to do speech therapy with a 26 year old male named Leahcim. Prior to meeting him she learned that Leahcim had spinal menegitis as a baby that caused him to present with low cognition and some aphasic-like characteristics. At their first meeting, he waited outside for her arrival and then introduced himself 4 times in 45 minutes. Leahcim collects plastic lizards, eats at Jack in the Box daily, listens to 94.9 obsessively, and frequently asks if Sirk believes in Jesus. Sirk has grown to love that she can anticipate every Tuesday and Wednesday Leahcim will be waiting at the window for her, that he will ask at least one time during their therapy session if he is a good friend, and that he will always reach out for a hug at the conclusion of their meeting. Leahcim has taught Sirk that loving God does not have to be complicated. Leahcim doesn't know theology or understand fancy terms like, propitation for sins. All Leahcim knows is that he believes in Jesus and that is a reason to worship. Sirk has found herself amazed that God delights in Leahcim's worship, and knows that God is estatic when Leahcim lines up his plastic lizards and sings along with 94.9.

Sirk feels like she runs her life well and loves that she knows mostly what to expect on a day-to-day basis. Recently she was set up on a blind date with a man named, Ekim. Sirk was initially excited, but as the date grew near she found herself dreading it to the point of being in a bad mood. Upon further investigation, Sirk learned that the bad mood and dread stemmed from fearing the unknown. Sirk knows how to live as a single christian woman, but wouldn't know how to allow herself to be pursued in a godly way or be a godly wife (Sirk has the tendency to look too far into the future). As the time for Ekim to arrive grew near, she had convinced herself that he was going to be ugly and boring. So, you can only imagine her surprise when she opened the door to find that Ekim was very good looking. Not what she was expecting at all!! The date began with Italian food and was followed by fishing. Sirk would have never expected to go fishing on a first date, but found herself enjoying every moment of it. At the conclusion of the date Ekim asked Sirk out for a second time and then left after a firm handshake. Sirk slowly walked upstairs and found herself smiling...a good blind date, how unexpected!! Two days passed, and she told the blind date story to her friends who shared in her excitement. When Ekim called on Tuesday night, Sirk felt like she knew exactly what to expect, a proposal for a second date. You can only imagine how her mouth dropped, as Ekim said, "There will not be a second date, I don't have a peace about it." Sirk stammered some type of polite response, but was struck with shock...Where was the expected second date?? After the brief sting of rejection wore off, Sirk found herself comforted by the Lord's sovereignty and knows that He is in control.

Sirk's life has returned to the expected, but as she pulled up to Leahcim's house on Wednesday to find him in his usual spot awaiting her arrival her heart was full and content. Mrs. Turquoise waved her usual friendly hello this morning, Notlim shuffled to his car, and Xeb will eventually come home today and greet Sirk with a bad accent. Sirk desires to be present in the moment, but always eagerly anticipating the unfamiliar, unexpected places the Lord will take her.

Which one of you stole the picture??

2007-07-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

There have been several requests for the 4th grade picture to be posted on here. To those of you who have seen it you know why people would want this posted...it is truly HILARIOUS!! However, there are two small problems: 1) I have not sat down to figure out how to post pictures on here (anyone want to volunteer to help) and 2) I cannot find it!! Last night I looked in all of the places that stuff like that usually is kept and it is no where to be found. So, for now you will have to use your imaginations. Close your eyes and picture blond hair cut above the ears and the same length around the entire circumference of the head. Blue eyes peering out from under bushy eyebrows that touched in the center, and teeth that protruded slightly past the lip. For school picture day she chose a navy blue button down shirt with gold paisleys. You may think this is an exageration, but on more than one occasion the picture has been mistaken for a boy (thank you Jason Clarke). In order to remedy the physical appearance the teeth required a year of wearing a headgear (yes, the contraption that extends from inside the mouth to around the face and to the back of the head) and two more years with braces. The eyebrows that to this day are consistently plucked and threaded to keep the shape, were once shaved off entirely in an effort minimize their uni-brow effect...That was 7th grade, and when my math teacher asked allowed in front of the entire class why I looked different today, Christy Mungia (class bully) yelled, "because she shaved her face off this morning." The hair was treated by my best friend, Amber, who attempted to girli-fy it by encouraging me to borrow her headbands and bows as it slowly grew out.

Though this is fun to laugh at now, it would be kinda nice to return to those days of being oblivious to appearance. For as long as I can remember my dad has always told me I was beautiful on the inside and out, oddly enough I must have actually believed him for the first 9 years of my life. Though I am glad the buck teeth and mushroom haircuts are gone, it would be nice to return to the days where vanity and comparison didn't exist, and the only opinion that mattered was my Father's. "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139: 13-14.

Chynna and Helen

2007-07-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

In fourth grade I asked my mom to cut off my hair so that I would look like Chynna Phillips from the band Wilson Phillips. The mushroom-cut blonde hair coupled with my intense overbite and tendency repel anything remotely girly did not leave me looking as pretty as Chynna did as she cried out with the Wilson sisters "I know that there is pain, but you hold on for one more day...". Instead the haircut caused people to occasionally mistake me for a boy, which would leave me in tears and my sister in stitches. That same year, I chose to research Helen Keller for a biography project. As presentation day grew near, I thought it would be an excellent idea to not only tell the class about her, but also dress and act like her for that entire school day. Though it got me an A on the project, it did not equal popularity among peers. On career day I thought long and hard about what path I would choose before eventually settling on becoming an author. Immediately I began writing elaborate plays for my friends to act out, penning short stories, and devouring novels beyond my maturity level. Throughout school my teachers encouraged me to pursue this talent, often using my writings as examples in class and urging me to submit my stories to local publications. Though the passion for Chynna and Helen faded, the love for writing remained.

Fifteen years later, I am not an author and my writing is limited to personal journal entries and emails. I think the passion for writing was stuffed down as I learned to play it safe and began competing regularly in the comparison game. In comparing my talent with others, I no longer felt like it was strong enough to really develop to the point of selling novels. Reality taught me to stick with life choices that are stable and not quite as vulnerable. I don't know, or honestly really care if I could have been successful in some writing realted field, but I do hate that a God given passion sizzled away due to a fear of not being good enough. So, while others are updating the world on the events of their life through blogging, I will be using it to reignite my lost passion.