no, not my house...(i sort of wish...would like to downsize...), but my blog.
i've worked on it for 9.5 hours in one day, and it only took that long because i was pretty clueless going in. but so far, so good.
if you haven't found the new home yet,
click here to check out the new place. it feels pretty good. so far.
see you there!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Great Christmas Cookie Freeze!
it is my pleasure to be participating in this *virtual* Christmas cookie party, hosted by my blog friend, edie! she has a blog life{in}grace that more and more refreshes and inspires me. i am thankful that our internet lives crossed, and that her inspiration is available to me via the web!
anyways, she decided to have us all *over* for Christmas cookie baking...we would share our favorite recipes, and ideally we'd all bake cookies all weekend! i jumped in with my gingerbread cookies because i seem to be somewhat inundated with gingerbread this time of year. it's a choice, and i love it.
i change gingerbread recipes as often as i change my hair style (and color), so i have to give credit where credit is due. i use the Pampered Chef gingerbread recipe when i make my houses, but i used the "Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications: food gifts" for the recipe i used for my gingerbread men this year, (i bought it in october, but here is a link to their site with fabulous ideas! better homes and gardens.
so, here is the recipe, which i have made twice and doubled each time. i feel that you need more than a few gingerbread men...more like a gingermob, so i double. (and apparently it is not politically correct to make these gender specific, as you'll note in the title.) whatever. my favorite is still the men.
gingerbread people cutouts
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
1 T. white vinegar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
royal icing (recipe follows)
i altered this recipe both times i made gingerpeople this year because someone (pretty sure not my husband) had used all but the last bit of white flour and didn't write it on the whiteboard that we needed more. so, i used a little white flour and the rest organic whole wheat flour. they came out very yummy and much more healthy. it's all good.
1. in a mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. add granulated sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar until combined. beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. divide dough in half. wrap each half in plastic wrap; chill dough about 3 hours or until easy to handle.
royal icing
in a mixing bowl, stir together 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 T. meringue powder, 1/2 t. cream of tartar. add 1/2 c. warm water with 1 t. vanilla. if desired, tint with food coloring. beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, then on high speed for 7-10 minutes or until very stiff. add 2-4 T. of additional water, 1 t. at a time, until icing reaches desired consistency.
i provide the royal icing recipe, however i couldn't resist the wilton sparkle decorating icing this year!
i am also using bh&g packaging idea for these when i present them to my co-workers in a couple of weeks...
that's just a cd envelope (i got 100 for about $4!), with scrapbooking paper tucked inside and ribbon glued across the front! just wait an hour or two for the icing to harden...my poor little guy has a smushed face here, but i wanted to share and i have dinner plans in an hour! :)
happy baking! thanks, edie, for letting me share!
~kimberly
anyways, she decided to have us all *over* for Christmas cookie baking...we would share our favorite recipes, and ideally we'd all bake cookies all weekend! i jumped in with my gingerbread cookies because i seem to be somewhat inundated with gingerbread this time of year. it's a choice, and i love it.
i change gingerbread recipes as often as i change my hair style (and color), so i have to give credit where credit is due. i use the Pampered Chef gingerbread recipe when i make my houses, but i used the "Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications: food gifts" for the recipe i used for my gingerbread men this year, (i bought it in october, but here is a link to their site with fabulous ideas! better homes and gardens.
so, here is the recipe, which i have made twice and doubled each time. i feel that you need more than a few gingerbread men...more like a gingermob, so i double. (and apparently it is not politically correct to make these gender specific, as you'll note in the title.) whatever. my favorite is still the men.
gingerbread people cutouts
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 c. molasses
1 egg
1 T. white vinegar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
royal icing (recipe follows)
i altered this recipe both times i made gingerpeople this year because someone (pretty sure not my husband) had used all but the last bit of white flour and didn't write it on the whiteboard that we needed more. so, i used a little white flour and the rest organic whole wheat flour. they came out very yummy and much more healthy. it's all good.
1. in a mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. add granulated sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar until combined. beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. divide dough in half. wrap each half in plastic wrap; chill dough about 3 hours or until easy to handle.
2. preheat oven to 375. grease a cookie sheet; set aside. on a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/4 in. thick. cut with 2-3 in. gingerbread people shape cookie cutters. place cutouts 1 in. apart on the prepared cookie sheet. (i had mine closer together and they were fine...)
3. bake for 7-8 min. or until edges are light brown. let stand for 1 min. on cookie sheet. transfer to a wire rack and let cool. pipe designs on cookies with tinted (only if you want tinted, the recipe instructs) royal icing. makes about 24 cookies.
royal icing
in a mixing bowl, stir together 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 T. meringue powder, 1/2 t. cream of tartar. add 1/2 c. warm water with 1 t. vanilla. if desired, tint with food coloring. beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, then on high speed for 7-10 minutes or until very stiff. add 2-4 T. of additional water, 1 t. at a time, until icing reaches desired consistency.
i provide the royal icing recipe, however i couldn't resist the wilton sparkle decorating icing this year!
i am also using bh&g packaging idea for these when i present them to my co-workers in a couple of weeks...
happy baking! thanks, edie, for letting me share!
~kimberly
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
haiti on my heart
if you have been following this blog here for more than a month or two, you know that haiti is near and dear to my heart, and where i spent the majority of my summer, and 100% of my vacation time for 2010 from my work...
what they are experiencing there over the past few weeks, but most especially days makes my heart hurt. literally. i can feel the pain.
since the outbreak of cholera there, (really started by the U.N. really? who knows...), to what appears to be another corrupt election, there has been unrest amongst the people.
now, there is rioting throughout the country. this is not rioting that our friends in les cayes hear about that is happening in port-au-prince...no. it is right in theirback front yard. they are hearing constant gunfire, some of that sounding to them like machine guns...any and everything that can be burned in the streets is doing so...imagine trying to sleep with the sounds of unrest and the stench of burning tires....
people are dying. many of them. and if you do a google search, (at least as of 4 pm today) you will be hard pressed to find more than 1 or 2 news articles about what is happening there.
people are dying on the doorsteps of my friends. more than one. these are random acts of violence stemming from a frustration that is decades old. i can't blame them, but i can be saddened with the thought that they are only hurting themselves.
more than 2000 people have died from cholera in the past 7 weeks. more than 11,000 have dealt with the disease. it's not over yet. and, the rioting is making relief efforts for cholera ever more difficult. this disease may very well spread over the next weeks as a result.
who is being hurt by this violence? not those that the people choose to send a message to...no. it's the very people that are the weakest already. or the innocent.
if you pull someone out of the window of their car and beat them to death because you are frustrated with the election debacle, how do you know that they weren't just as frustrated as you?
my friends in haiti have had a rough life. now they are having extremely rough days. and they don't understand why God allows this. frankly, i'm having a hard time myself.
i know that He is in control. i believe it and i share it. but why the people of haiti can't get a break escapes me at this moment. i can still trust and believe, but i shake my head in lack of understanding.
when my believing friends in haiti don't understand, i can't even attempt to...
yes. haiti is on my heart, and my heart hurts. come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
what they are experiencing there over the past few weeks, but most especially days makes my heart hurt. literally. i can feel the pain.
since the outbreak of cholera there, (really started by the U.N. really? who knows...), to what appears to be another corrupt election, there has been unrest amongst the people.
now, there is rioting throughout the country. this is not rioting that our friends in les cayes hear about that is happening in port-au-prince...no. it is right in their
people are dying. many of them. and if you do a google search, (at least as of 4 pm today) you will be hard pressed to find more than 1 or 2 news articles about what is happening there.
people are dying on the doorsteps of my friends. more than one. these are random acts of violence stemming from a frustration that is decades old. i can't blame them, but i can be saddened with the thought that they are only hurting themselves.
more than 2000 people have died from cholera in the past 7 weeks. more than 11,000 have dealt with the disease. it's not over yet. and, the rioting is making relief efforts for cholera ever more difficult. this disease may very well spread over the next weeks as a result.
who is being hurt by this violence? not those that the people choose to send a message to...no. it's the very people that are the weakest already. or the innocent.
if you pull someone out of the window of their car and beat them to death because you are frustrated with the election debacle, how do you know that they weren't just as frustrated as you?
my friends in haiti have had a rough life. now they are having extremely rough days. and they don't understand why God allows this. frankly, i'm having a hard time myself.
i know that He is in control. i believe it and i share it. but why the people of haiti can't get a break escapes me at this moment. i can still trust and believe, but i shake my head in lack of understanding.
when my believing friends in haiti don't understand, i can't even attempt to...
yes. haiti is on my heart, and my heart hurts. come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
It's a Stressful time!
I'm currently lying on my bed looking out my window at the sun and a light snowfall thinking "wow, I have so much to do this week, and I'm still putting it off". This week is exam week, the final week of the fall semester. Along with six exams and a jury to keep my music candidacy, I am in charge of checking out 36 girls a they move out of the building for a full month. I am quite excited for the Christmas break. Normally, it's a full month of laying around and doing nothing but relaxing. But, this break will be very different. On Monday the 13th, I have my first day of jury duty. When I found that out I was quite annoyed, but maybe it will be a good experience? After that, I am hoping to babysit as much as possible. [if you need a sitter for ANYTHING at all, please let me know!] The reason I am going to be babysitting so much is because I have been given the opportunity to go on a mission trip in March. I will be traveling to the Dominican Republic with an organization called Orphanage Outreach. I will be working with orphans most likely teaching English, and leading the music. I just decided to go on the trip this past week. The trip costs $600-800 plus the cost of a plane ticket. Basically, I need to raise almost $1600 before the end of February. Therefore, I need to do as much babysitting or work as possible to raise the money!
When this opportunity was first brought to me I was excited because it I know it is going to be such a good experience. But, then I started freaking out about everything that goes along with it. Raising the money really worried me. Being at school, I don't have the opportunities to raise money if I were at home. I prayed about it a lot and had my parents also pray about it to see if this is what God wanted me to do. Another main issue with the trip is that I am going to miss an entire week of school in the Spring semester. That is a lot of class, and it is especially at a bad time because my spring choir concert is the day I get back from the Dominican. I decided to talk with my choir director because this was going to affect our group the most. At first, she was hesitant but then we talked about why I was going and how important it was to me. God bless her, she said I could go. I promised her I would have all of my music memorized before I left and she said that she hoped it would be a great experience for me. That was basically the green light from God that I should go. That was the main thing that was holding me back from signing up and putting my deposit down. So, after a long conversation with Tom late one night, I paid my deposit and am now signed up to go!
This experience I hope will bring me more clarity in what I am to do with my life. I am hoping to grow closer to God and to help others grow closer in their relationship with God. Working with little kids is a great passion of mine, and I can only hope to do everything through God and really let Him speak through me.
Now, back to this week. Even with so much going on I am trying to not let myself be stressed. Instead of stressing, at night I'll watch an episode of Bones [my new favorite obsession] or continue writing my book. [Yes, I started writing a book, we'll see how it turns out]. Being able to just lounge on my bed for an hour or so and not think about the real world really allows me to take a step back and keep my stress level down. Awesome right? I definitely recommend taking time for yourself each day. Whether it be just driving in the car for 20 minutes at a time by yourself, or praying before you go to bed. It is so key, when there are so many people around to take care of or be there for, that you are taking care of yourself. Because, how can we help people if we ourselves are not ready?
This season is known as the most wonderful time of the year, but also the most stressful. Try to take some time for yourself each day to keep your spirits high and to keep yourself rejuvenated. God bless.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
the days of december (okay, and a teensy bit of november...)
just a few moments to give you an idea of what's been going on around here recently...
we had a lovely Thanksgiving in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with my mom and dad. Kati and her boyfriend Kurt made the long trek from Delaware to be with us...dinner was especially yummy, and we had a great time!
more Thanksgiving photos....a family weekend would not be complete without a wrestling match between siblings, with dogs barking all around...
we left the U.P. early Friday morning in a snow storm to hurry home for our annual gingerbread house event! we have been doing this since the girls were very young, and we have wonderful traditions surrounding this now...lunch before as we gather our strength...much smack talk during the decorating...and a rousing game of charades at the end...
i've also been attempting to appease my inner creative kimberly, so i've been sewing, knitting, making Christmas cards, and also this Christmas banner....
the metal nativity fireplace screen is my favorite thing that we've brought back from Haiti...and the new stockings were a great find at meijer. this year when i unpacked the stockings we've used the last 14 years, they were, well...somewhat moldy. ewwww....not sure how that happened.
i wasn't prepared to make new stockings just yet, nor did i want to shell out $200 for stockings on a whim...so these cute things were on sale for $2.99 each! i dressed them up a bit with glitter initials from walmart, which were $1 each. when you have 9 stockings and a blended family, stocking identification is crucial!
i am *loving* my advent devotions this year, although they began before advent and will carry on after we celebrate His birth, as well. if you are looking for a way to get to know Him better, you may want to pick this up:
Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only
amazing.
blessings, my friends.
we left the U.P. early Friday morning in a snow storm to hurry home for our annual gingerbread house event! we have been doing this since the girls were very young, and we have wonderful traditions surrounding this now...lunch before as we gather our strength...much smack talk during the decorating...and a rousing game of charades at the end...
i wasn't prepared to make new stockings just yet, nor did i want to shell out $200 for stockings on a whim...so these cute things were on sale for $2.99 each! i dressed them up a bit with glitter initials from walmart, which were $1 each. when you have 9 stockings and a blended family, stocking identification is crucial!
i am *loving* my advent devotions this year, although they began before advent and will carry on after we celebrate His birth, as well. if you are looking for a way to get to know Him better, you may want to pick this up:
Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only
amazing.
blessings, my friends.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
December
This is an evening post based on the subject of some great emails today. Wow. God is so amazing - all the time - but I think we choose to see (or receive) what He gives when we are thinking about it, or in prayer about it, or in communication with Him (actually listening instead of doing all the talking, right?)
So, because I am somewhat tired and emotionally drained from the events of today (mostly good, focusing on that), I am going to abbreviate this a bit.
Anyways, if you are my friend on facebook, you may have seen that I shared an "event" called "pay it forward" last night. It's about doing a random act of kindness for someone each day in December - so 31 of them. And, if you're not my friend on facebook, why not? But I digress...just friend me, ok?
So, I was pretty geeked about that. Then last night as I thought about how powerful that could be (the pay it forward dynamic), I got to thinking about how I spent the last month thinking about and expressing gratitude...to God, and to my facebook world. I realized that after a month of gratitude, random acts of kindness would just be a natural outcome, and that it was a beautiful thing.
THEN, as I was praying/driving to work (don't worry - I *mostly* pray with my eyes open when I drive), I also was thinking about how great this would be but with a startling realization that without a conscious effort, I could very possibly treat strangers very well, but forget to tell my husband how much I love him. That was quite convicting for me.
So, (a glimpse inside a crazy mind here), I sent an email out to some beloved sisters in Christ challenging myself and them to do one special thing for their husband each day during December. It could be cute, fun, cheap, an investment (money and emotional), or whatever....but just to do it and see what happens.
WOW! What a response! I can tell you that I received quite a few replies today that totally challenged me in return! What an awesome sisterhood we have here, girls!
So, please, please, please find a way to comment on this blog to encourage others. Women thank me all the time for encouraging them, and I don't say this in a boastful way but to tell you that I don't do much, but if we are all doing it for each other, we become a powerful force for good with each other. I know it's a little complicated with the free web hosting. The only thing on my Christmas list is the ability to get a domain and a new blog design that will hopefully allow for my flexibility in posting and your ease in posting comments. Do you know that in the 11 months that I have had this blog, it has been viewed over 3,500 times? WOW! That doesn't mean that everyone that viewed it found what they were looking for, but it's out there.
So, please prayerfully consider this challenge. Feel free to share this link, but if you can do it via email rather than on facebook (why aren't you my friend on there yet??? just sayin') that would be awesome because I am trying to keep a little mystery here for my husband, too.
So many thanks to those of you that replied today and your honesty. For those that need more encouragement after the attempt today, please look to God to fill you up and not an instant response from your husband. For those of you that aren't sure you can do this well, trust me when I say that what you do will be blessed and you don't have to worry about "well." (and, oh, by the way, if you haven't read Beth Moore's book on Insecurity, now is the time dear.) For those that don't feel they have anything to give, again, let God fill you up.
Please share your comments here, and anonymously if you need to do it that way. Some are looking for encouragement, others are looking for ideas,...
I love you my sisters, and I feel a revolution coming...let's make marriage important and relevant again in our society! Let's start by cherishing our husbands for one month.
kimberly
So, because I am somewhat tired and emotionally drained from the events of today (mostly good, focusing on that), I am going to abbreviate this a bit.
Anyways, if you are my friend on facebook, you may have seen that I shared an "event" called "pay it forward" last night. It's about doing a random act of kindness for someone each day in December - so 31 of them. And, if you're not my friend on facebook, why not? But I digress...just friend me, ok?
So, I was pretty geeked about that. Then last night as I thought about how powerful that could be (the pay it forward dynamic), I got to thinking about how I spent the last month thinking about and expressing gratitude...to God, and to my facebook world. I realized that after a month of gratitude, random acts of kindness would just be a natural outcome, and that it was a beautiful thing.
THEN, as I was praying/driving to work (don't worry - I *mostly* pray with my eyes open when I drive), I also was thinking about how great this would be but with a startling realization that without a conscious effort, I could very possibly treat strangers very well, but forget to tell my husband how much I love him. That was quite convicting for me.
So, (a glimpse inside a crazy mind here), I sent an email out to some beloved sisters in Christ challenging myself and them to do one special thing for their husband each day during December. It could be cute, fun, cheap, an investment (money and emotional), or whatever....but just to do it and see what happens.
WOW! What a response! I can tell you that I received quite a few replies today that totally challenged me in return! What an awesome sisterhood we have here, girls!
So, please, please, please find a way to comment on this blog to encourage others. Women thank me all the time for encouraging them, and I don't say this in a boastful way but to tell you that I don't do much, but if we are all doing it for each other, we become a powerful force for good with each other. I know it's a little complicated with the free web hosting. The only thing on my Christmas list is the ability to get a domain and a new blog design that will hopefully allow for my flexibility in posting and your ease in posting comments. Do you know that in the 11 months that I have had this blog, it has been viewed over 3,500 times? WOW! That doesn't mean that everyone that viewed it found what they were looking for, but it's out there.
So, please prayerfully consider this challenge. Feel free to share this link, but if you can do it via email rather than on facebook (why aren't you my friend on there yet??? just sayin') that would be awesome because I am trying to keep a little mystery here for my husband, too.
So many thanks to those of you that replied today and your honesty. For those that need more encouragement after the attempt today, please look to God to fill you up and not an instant response from your husband. For those of you that aren't sure you can do this well, trust me when I say that what you do will be blessed and you don't have to worry about "well." (and, oh, by the way, if you haven't read Beth Moore's book on Insecurity, now is the time dear.) For those that don't feel they have anything to give, again, let God fill you up.
Please share your comments here, and anonymously if you need to do it that way. Some are looking for encouragement, others are looking for ideas,...
I love you my sisters, and I feel a revolution coming...let's make marriage important and relevant again in our society! Let's start by cherishing our husbands for one month.
kimberly
Sunday, November 14, 2010
gingerbread and other things...
can you say, "busy?" wow!...i have been incredibly busy recently, and hence the lack of posts here recently. so sorry...but it's all good stuff, so i will fill you in for a moment...
and though i've been busy, i have been especially appreciative of the beautiful morning and evening views out my back window...
(by the way, i've given up on capitalizing here...it's how i do email and most other things, but always thought this should be a little more "proper" but no more. that's it. i'm done.)
so you know about the book discussion group, and that's been great! we have had a great time getting to know each other and learning about ourselves, our insecurities (or not) and also how to be more compassionate when others are dealing with insecurities. we will continue meeting on monday evenings until the first of the year, and it's been a blessing! i am so thankful for this group of women, willing to open up, risk, and share.
in other news, i've also been doing some crafts. they just make me happy, and i have decided that i need to do them on a more consistent basis. one of the things that i recently completed is these:
aren't they just the best? there is a new little one expected in a month in my brother's family, and i thought that these might be a perfect "welcome to the world, but it's winter here in michigan gift" for the little one....
yesterday and early this morning i was busy baking a pile o'gingerbread for our annual tradition! every year since the twins were in preschool we have made gingerbread houses together using the pampered chef stone gingerbread molds! some years i haven't baked a single cookie, but come thick or thin, single parent, planning a wedding in 2 weeks, or planning to move on december 23rd, we've made these houses each year! i don't know that we've had *exactly* the same group any 2 years in a row, but most years our friends, john, barb, rachel and jacob have done them with us...usually followed up by a great game of charades. we have had other family join us, friends, cousins, a variety of boyfriends (not mine or barb's...), and it is always so much fun and a great big mess with sprinkles to be found on the floor well into the new year!
this year, (yesterday) the original mold that i have used since our very first year, broke as it slipped out of my hands when it was hot. truth be told, at the exact moment it was happening, i was more concerned about having to mix up more gingerbread than the mold itself.
but, the good news is that i had over the summer purchased an extra mold, so that was fortuitous. since you have to bake in the mold twice to get one house, it is quite a time-rich project....so i thought that i would speed it up by having an extra house mold. what i quickly realized is that each house only has 1 chimney, and since this mold broke down the chimney, i could still accomplish that goal. it's all good, and this mold still has many years ahead, i'm sure!
i've also recently taken up directing the Christmas (can't NOT capitalize Christmas!) choir at our church since our other wonderful director retired from that position several months ago. i figured that i could retrieve that skill from, oh, about 14 years ago and do it in the short term...we shall see.
i'm also serving on a task force for our church/school to help work through a few little difficulties around vision and mission.
oh, and the praise team.
yeah. and my job that is reaching one of it's most busy times since june...
right.
so, last week i worked 47 hours at the office, and had something every night of the week at 7 pm. that and sharing a car with my better half...
it's all good, right? i know that...but it leaves me longing for moments of boredom, or only a moment to sit and write here.
so, in my lack of posting, know (again) that i love doing this, but life is filled to the tippy-top right now with things that i love.
so, now i sign off with a half made meatloaf for dinner, and max's hair to clean up in prep for book discussion tomorrow night...and looking longingly at the fabric on my shelf waiting to be made into more Christmas gifts...sigh...
blessings my friends! may you be *almost, but not quite* as blessed with good things to do as i am...
~kimberly
(by the way, i've given up on capitalizing here...it's how i do email and most other things, but always thought this should be a little more "proper" but no more. that's it. i'm done.)
so you know about the book discussion group, and that's been great! we have had a great time getting to know each other and learning about ourselves, our insecurities (or not) and also how to be more compassionate when others are dealing with insecurities. we will continue meeting on monday evenings until the first of the year, and it's been a blessing! i am so thankful for this group of women, willing to open up, risk, and share.
in other news, i've also been doing some crafts. they just make me happy, and i have decided that i need to do them on a more consistent basis. one of the things that i recently completed is these:
this year, (yesterday) the original mold that i have used since our very first year, broke as it slipped out of my hands when it was hot. truth be told, at the exact moment it was happening, i was more concerned about having to mix up more gingerbread than the mold itself.
i've also recently taken up directing the Christmas (can't NOT capitalize Christmas!) choir at our church since our other wonderful director retired from that position several months ago. i figured that i could retrieve that skill from, oh, about 14 years ago and do it in the short term...we shall see.
i'm also serving on a task force for our church/school to help work through a few little difficulties around vision and mission.
oh, and the praise team.
yeah. and my job that is reaching one of it's most busy times since june...
right.
so, last week i worked 47 hours at the office, and had something every night of the week at 7 pm. that and sharing a car with my better half...
it's all good, right? i know that...but it leaves me longing for moments of boredom, or only a moment to sit and write here.
so, in my lack of posting, know (again) that i love doing this, but life is filled to the tippy-top right now with things that i love.
so, now i sign off with a half made meatloaf for dinner, and max's hair to clean up in prep for book discussion tomorrow night...and looking longingly at the fabric on my shelf waiting to be made into more Christmas gifts...sigh...
blessings my friends! may you be *almost, but not quite* as blessed with good things to do as i am...
~kimberly
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
missing this...
i know that i haven't posted much recently...it is certainly not out of lack of desire to do so! i want to do this every day! however, i have successfully managed, in recent weeks, to fill every available moment with one of several things:
1) work
2) ministry (and not THIS ministry)
3) making Christmas gifts
4) family (but that's been slim to none, too....
right now (oh, by the way? giving up on capitalization here...i did it in emails before it was popular many years ago, but have always thought i should be more "proper" here. there's no time for proper.....) i am swamped at work, and that's until the end of the year. also, my church family has some needs that i am particularly gifted for, so "for such a time as this..." keeps coming to mind...and i have stepped up, as i hope you will do when your church family needs you.
that said, my days are full and my afternoons/evenings are as full or fuller. it's necessary right now, and all good, but i miss this!
i was so encouraged this morning to be able to speak at another mom's group. that and this is what i love. i'm not sure why i can't spend more time doing that sort of ministry right now, but God knows. i do it as much as i can, and that must be enough.
so, i have taken photos, but not uploaded them...done some crafts for Christmas gifts, but not shared them. i'm so sorry. i love those of you that follow, and those of you that choose to ignore your laundry to read up once in awhile. this is what i am so excited about right now. i will be back in more regular fashion, but it's going to be hit or miss for awhile.
what i won't give up despite the craziness is my morning devotions and workouts. nor my date nights with my hubby on wednesdays if we can squeeze it in (not much lately)...so right now, this is the thing that is not getting my attention. bear with me...
have a great night, week, and *hopefully* not month, before i catch up again...
blessings, my friends.
kimberly
1) work
2) ministry (and not THIS ministry)
3) making Christmas gifts
4) family (but that's been slim to none, too....
right now (oh, by the way? giving up on capitalization here...i did it in emails before it was popular many years ago, but have always thought i should be more "proper" here. there's no time for proper.....) i am swamped at work, and that's until the end of the year. also, my church family has some needs that i am particularly gifted for, so "for such a time as this..." keeps coming to mind...and i have stepped up, as i hope you will do when your church family needs you.
that said, my days are full and my afternoons/evenings are as full or fuller. it's necessary right now, and all good, but i miss this!
i was so encouraged this morning to be able to speak at another mom's group. that and this is what i love. i'm not sure why i can't spend more time doing that sort of ministry right now, but God knows. i do it as much as i can, and that must be enough.
so, i have taken photos, but not uploaded them...done some crafts for Christmas gifts, but not shared them. i'm so sorry. i love those of you that follow, and those of you that choose to ignore your laundry to read up once in awhile. this is what i am so excited about right now. i will be back in more regular fashion, but it's going to be hit or miss for awhile.
what i won't give up despite the craziness is my morning devotions and workouts. nor my date nights with my hubby on wednesdays if we can squeeze it in (not much lately)...so right now, this is the thing that is not getting my attention. bear with me...
have a great night, week, and *hopefully* not month, before i catch up again...
blessings, my friends.
kimberly
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Raising Responsible Kids....
I had the blissful experience of sleeping until 6:27 am, at which point Max the 80 lb puppy told me it was time to get food in his belly.
I am excited this morning because I get to do one of the things that I love most, which is speak with moms about raising their children! Being a wife and mother is why I feel I was placed on this earth, with the additional gift of being able to share from my experiences to help and encourage other moms. What a great gig!
This morning I will be speaking to the dear mommies that attend MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. I will share what I have learned about raising my daughters, who at this point in their lives (almost 23 years, and the twins, 20 years), are very responsible, successful and happy most days!
If you have been reading recent posts, you will see what each of my daughters has had to say about growing around me...not always a walk in the park because I "lose it" just like everyone else. But, in the end, through all of history, most glorious, some painful, I think we had more wins than losses, and God has been so very good to us.
Since I am doing this same talk for another moms group in a couple of weeks, and have done it a few times in the past, I decided to invest some extra time and recreate a couple of the tools that I used with my own girls. Here they are:
In an effort to raise responsible, organized and generous children, I borrowed a system that I had heard about for them to save their money. Any money that they received, they put 40% in spend, 40% in save and 20% in give. The vehicle for saving took many forms over the years....jars, envelopes, whatever was handy (always cute), and something they were excited about.
This is a replica of the chore charts they had when they were young. They got to pick from a number of tasks pictured on cards with a one word description (pre-reading skills), and they picked a certain number for the week. They would pull a card from to do, do the task and then place it in done. The tasks were always about being age appropriate, relevant to them at their age, and once done give them a feeling of success.
Also, in my increasing efforts to "go green," I didn't provide a packet of handouts for everyone, but instead am making some of the items I referenced available here for those that are interested. Please, help yourself.
I can't wait to hear how you help your kids grow up to be amazing! Leave me a comment and we will share our ideas.
And, if you know someone that would like to hear more about this, let me know. This is what I LOVE to do...
Monday, October 25, 2010
so long, insecurity
WOW! What a great evening I just had with a bunch of amazing women! Tonight was our first night of a book discussion group on the book by Beth Moore, So Long, Insecurity, You've Been a Bad Friend to Us.
If you aren't able to join us, I still encourage you to pick up the book and read it. Even if you don't struggle with issues of insecurity, I am confident when I tell you that you are surrounded by females that are! Anyways, eight women, some of whom didn't know others that were there, came to my house, some not knowing me....to delve into this book tonight.
I think that I can speak for each of us when I say that we are all attending for a reason...God placed it in each woman's heart to make time, arrange childcare, buy a book, and show up.
Some may be on the journey because there is something that God wants to show them...others may be on it to help the rest of us learn...others, just so that they can be role models to the young women that they encounter.
Whatever it is, I am SO excited to be a part of it and witness it! What a great 11 weeks this is going to be!
Ladies, thanks for enriching my life this evening, and for making Mondays a little brighter!
I look forward to your comments, insights, questions and thoughts here. Please note that your comment will not instantly appear, as I have to approve it before it shows up.
See you next week! (If you would still like to join us, just let me know...we are very informal...)
kimberly
you're responsible for you.
i am the last, but not the least to post!! sorry i haven't been blogging lately. twenty credits, working the days i'm not in school, fundraising, and planning haiti mission teams really keep me busy!!
so i'm supposed to write about how my mother turned me into such a well-behaved young lady. well, seeing as i really don't remember much from my childhood, i found this blog post very difficult to write. [obviously, since i put it off for quite a while..] but here i am. writing it.
when she told me what she wanted me to write about, immediately one memory came to mind. well, probably just a memory because i've heard the story so many times, but even so, a memory.
my mom took my sisters and i grocery shopping one day. obviously when you're a kid you're either messing around, thinking about how bored your are, or looking at all the things you want to get while you're grocery shopping with mom. well, i knew what i wanted; a big bag of suckers. my mom always taught us to eat healthy so obviously she wouldn't buy me a giant bag of bubblegum suckers. so when we were waiting in line at the register, i just took them.
i guess at that age i wasn't really sure what was going to happen if i was caught and maybe i didn't even know what i was doing! i honestly don't remember what i was thinking besides how much i wanted a sucker.
so when we got home my mom realized what i had done. instead of just taking the suckers away and punishing me, she did me one better. my mother took me and my sisters alllll the way back to the store where she then made me return the bag of suckers and apologize to the cashier.
boy, was that the most embarrassing moment of my little life. it was then and there i realized one: that stealing was bad and two: that i needed to take responsibility for what i had done. she didn't just put me in a time-out at home. she made me go face the very person i had stolen from. although i'm sure i was ashamed and embarrassed at the time, but i am so glad my mom taught me that lesson.
i mean, i didn't just learn not to steal, but i knew from then on if i did something wrong it was only my fault. i couldn't blame someone else or just hide from what i'd done. you always need to take responsibility.
also, she definitely taught my sisters and i the value of money and responsibility with it. i think we were around 13 or 14 when my mom told us that from then on we were responsible for buying clothes that we wanted. she would take us school shopping once or twice a year and get us clothing, but if we wanted anything extra we needed to pay for it.
this taught me that i can't just ask for anything i want and get it. we had to earn things we wanted. i know so many people i've grown up with and gone to school with that don't have value in anything because their parents just give it to them. i mean, i can't even remember the last time my parents just gave me money because i asked for it. i'm not even sure if that EVER happened when i was growing up.
i just see all these kids today throwing money away like it's nothing and they're not even grateful for it! i am SO thankful that my mom instilled that in us at such a young age. i think that kept us grounded and thankful for everything that we did get. there are kids my age that are still asking mom and dad for money for everything they want. i take pride in the fact that i pay for my own car every month, i pay for my own clothes, i pay for extra fun things i want to go out and do with my friends, i pay for new tires, i could go on and on. i mean, i feel like if i didn't pay for it myself i just won't have as much value for it.
another thing my mom always taught us was to be polite. i can't tell you how many times my friends parents have commented on how polite i am. and they always say something like "oh i wish johnny here spoke to me as nicely as you do!" that always makes me sad. and to see how some of kids treat their parents. it's like no one's teaching their kids respect anymore. at tim hortons and at the movie theater i have seen some of the rudest children ever. they just yell and scream and speak to their parents like they're inferior. and i don't think they mean to or even know they're doing it! it's just how they've learned to get what they want. i just wish kids were still learning the kind of politeness and respect that i was taught when i was growing up.
i am so thankful for how my mom [and tom!!] raised my sisters and i. almost every time i go over to a friends house i am reminded of what amazing parents God has blessed me with. i truly believe that the way i was raised has had a HUGE impact on my performance in school, work, and my life. and now that i've started typing there's more i want to say! but i'm babysitting and i think she just got home so i've got to wrap it up. thanks for being just good parents mom and tom!! we love you!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
"Did you do your best?"
My mom asked me to post about how I thought I became a responsible and successful young woman. I've been thinking about it for the last few days, and it wasn't really a list or a specific lesson that came to mind.
I think the thing that has really made me successful and responsible is the fact that I was always encouraged to be proud of myself and my work. When I did great at something, like an assignment or a role in a play, I was made to feel proud of myself. When I didn't do so well at something, my mom always asked me, "did you do your best?" If I had, then I had no reason not to be proud of my performance.
I knew that my parents were proud of me, of course, but I was also taught to be proud of what I have done. In middle school and high school, my friends would tell me about how their parents were upset with them for grades they had gotten or how their parents pressured them into spending long hours on homework or something else. I never felt like I was being pressured, though. I wanted to do well because it made me feel good, because I knew that the things I did represented me. And I knew that if I tried my best I had something to be proud of.
Unfortunately, I don't know exactly how this sense of self-pride was instilled. I think it has something to do with positive reinforcement for good behavior and only asking for someone to do her best. I know a lot of kids that I went to school with resented their parents for nagging them about grades or activities or anything else, but I always felt like I was supported or steered gently in the right direction.
Sorry I'm not on Facebook anymore, everybody! I'll be back soon, probably. It was a crazy two weeks of school (four papers, an oral exam, and two presentations) and I needed to eliminate all the time-wasters I could. Don't worry, I did my best on all of them...
Doing laundry...
Today I am sitting here while I have the most perfect batch off cookies in the oven. When my mom asked me to write about responsibilities or things I have found useful in my college career I honestly had no idea what to write on. But, then it came to me. I am a Resident Assistant [someone who looks over a floor in a Res Hall to make sure everyone is safe and following the rules, also someone to help create community and someone people can talk to about any issues] to over 200 people and I have some great insight on how my life is different from so many others.
Growing up, my mother always made us do our laundry and pack our own lunches. I tell people she has made us do that since Second Grade but that might just be an exaggeration. In a college community, knowing how to do laundry is a GREAT asset. I have seen dozens of freshman not know how to do laundry so I, or others, end up having to teach a group. It is incredibly useful to be able to do your own laundry. Another great thing that I was taught growing up was how to eat healthy. One might think, "If I talk to my son or daughter about eating the right things then they will be fine when they go to school". But to be honest, if you are not feeding your child the right kinds of foods growing up then they will have no idea how to stay healthy on their own. I was fortunate enough not to gain the 'freshman 15' but, I know so many of my residents that have already gained weight in 2 months because at our cafeteria there is always ice cream, cookies, and cake available. One can eat how ever much they want and there is no one to tell them no. If you instill on someone at a young age that eating healthy is important, it is less likely they will have an issue when they are on their own.
I think one of the most important skills to know when going away to college is knowing what your morals and boundaries are. I was lucky to have such strong parents that taught me right from wrong. But, I know many people that do not have those values. I have been able to keep a good head on my shoulders and make smart decisions for almost 2.5 years of school.
Something else that has been very useful for me is knowing how to cook/baking. Hanging out in a kitchen eating good food brings people together like you wouldn't believe. Especially college students. I bake at least once a week and I always have tons of people in and out of the kitchen asking if they can have some of what I made or just hanging out and talking. It really is a great way to get to know people.
I never really thought about how much what my mom has taught me has really affected how I live my day to day life. Everything I do correlates back to how she raised me and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, she was very strict but everything I learned from her has made me the person I am. Being strict really does work. But, don't be overly strict! Having skills that my mom taught me from when I was young has really helped me succeed at college. I can never thank her enough for all that she has done for me!
from my point of view...
Life is beautiful this morning! I'm feeling (temporarily) on top of some tasks.
I've been working on my presentations about raising responsible, successful, happy kids and feeling incredibly blessed.
It's Sunday, which is beautiful just because of the day...soon to church to visit with family there and worship.
And, while it's gray outside, this is my view as I type this morning
Just so beautiful, in the way that beauty happens in the fall on a gray, wet day.
I am missing my better half like crazy, and I smile as I think of him this morning driving alone in Belgium. If you know Tom, this is not the sort of adventure that makes him all warm inside. But, it's adventure nonetheless, and I hope he is making the most of it.
So, that's my point of view this morning. Let's spend today focusing on the blessings, our successes (even if they are small in our eyes), the beauty that surrounds us, the One that created that beauty, and the adventures that lie ahead..
I've been working on my presentations about raising responsible, successful, happy kids and feeling incredibly blessed.
It's Sunday, which is beautiful just because of the day...soon to church to visit with family there and worship.
And, while it's gray outside, this is my view as I type this morning
Just so beautiful, in the way that beauty happens in the fall on a gray, wet day.
I am missing my better half like crazy, and I smile as I think of him this morning driving alone in Belgium. If you know Tom, this is not the sort of adventure that makes him all warm inside. But, it's adventure nonetheless, and I hope he is making the most of it.
So, that's my point of view this morning. Let's spend today focusing on the blessings, our successes (even if they are small in our eyes), the beauty that surrounds us, the One that created that beauty, and the adventures that lie ahead..
Thursday, October 21, 2010
life{in}grace
Please check out my very favorite blog these days...and be part of the 12 Days of Handmade Christmas if you are interested, by clicking here!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Participation Needed Please!...
If you are a faithful reader, (thank you!) you know that every once in awhile one of my three daughters (pictured above), posts on this site. I think the world of them, but of course, I carried them for many months, and have spent a considerable amount of time just hanging out with them, so of course, I think they are awesome!
But, besides just me, there's a few others in this world that have remarked about what a blessing it is to have one successful, gifted, happy child, let alone three! I am the first to admit, that we are very blessed, and in so many ways. There is something to be said for praying for your unborn children, even before they are conceived, and giving them to their Creator before you even meet them. And, I can't even begin to calculate the number of minutes, hours and days that I have spent in fervent prayer over them since they came into my life....
But, that said, I do believe that there are certain things that we can do as parents, mothers in particular, to raise children that are happy and successful...and seem to be responsible and just "get stuff done."
In the next several weeks I am speaking to two different groups of moms on raising responsible, happy, successful children. Not that I have all the answers. Or even very many, really. But, I do have some things to share that I did with my girls, that I believe in, and that sadly, I see lacking in our society today.
I believe that we as parents have a responsibility to do our best to teach our children to be responsible, and I want to share what has worked (and not worked!) for me to help parents do just that.
So, the test is going to be to see if my girls will venture out in this forum and write a little bit about how they were raised and what led them to be be the incredible young women they are today. I am going to email them to give them a heads up...but if you know them, you might encourage them too.
And, if you have your own tips or observations of my family that you've made over the years, I would LOVE to have you comment here. The more input I can get for these presentations, the better they will be!
But, besides just me, there's a few others in this world that have remarked about what a blessing it is to have one successful, gifted, happy child, let alone three! I am the first to admit, that we are very blessed, and in so many ways. There is something to be said for praying for your unborn children, even before they are conceived, and giving them to their Creator before you even meet them. And, I can't even begin to calculate the number of minutes, hours and days that I have spent in fervent prayer over them since they came into my life....
But, that said, I do believe that there are certain things that we can do as parents, mothers in particular, to raise children that are happy and successful...and seem to be responsible and just "get stuff done."
In the next several weeks I am speaking to two different groups of moms on raising responsible, happy, successful children. Not that I have all the answers. Or even very many, really. But, I do have some things to share that I did with my girls, that I believe in, and that sadly, I see lacking in our society today.
I believe that we as parents have a responsibility to do our best to teach our children to be responsible, and I want to share what has worked (and not worked!) for me to help parents do just that.
So, the test is going to be to see if my girls will venture out in this forum and write a little bit about how they were raised and what led them to be be the incredible young women they are today. I am going to email them to give them a heads up...but if you know them, you might encourage them too.
And, if you have your own tips or observations of my family that you've made over the years, I would LOVE to have you comment here. The more input I can get for these presentations, the better they will be!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
fall photos...
If you read my post from earlier today, you read that I wanted to do something...something!...
So, after I learned how to make a collage, I went out and took a few photos and played a little more.
Here is the result
The last few gerber daisies making an appearance...
This was all sort of fun on a day when I was feeling rather confused about things...
So, after I learned how to make a collage, I went out and took a few photos and played a little more.
Here is the result
And while I am happy with the collage, I am wishing that it was showing up larger...but, that's for another day, I suppose.
Here are some photos I took this evening...
The "Cinderella" pumpkin at sunset...
This was all sort of fun on a day when I was feeling rather confused about things...
Playing...
I have been wishing so frequently recently, and praying fervently for the ability to have time to do all the things that I love to do more often...like...
studying the Word
making yummy meals
taking photos
ministry with women
hanging out with kids
blogging
knitting
sewing
decorating my home with things that i find at garage sales and thrift stores
And, I am trying to figure out what happens when selfishness, calling, passion and midlife crisis collide...
So, I've increased my intake of omega-3 fish oil (good for depression, anxiety and nice skin), started a new personal Bible study (Beth Moore...Jesus...a 90 Day study...), and researched blogging and photography some. Here's what I learned to do today...
I'm sure it seems simple, but I didn't know how to add a photo collage to my blog...and now I do! These are some of my favorites from Haiti, and my very first try, and for today, it makes me feel like I got to do something that I have been wanting to do.
As for the rest, I will keep wishing, hoping, praying, dreaming, and looking for opportunities.
Truth be told, I have just never given up on wanting to be the stay at home wife and mom with the big, old farmhouse (with awesome technology), and a place to do ministry.
For today, it's a photo collage.
studying the Word
making yummy meals
taking photos
ministry with women
hanging out with kids
blogging
knitting
sewing
decorating my home with things that i find at garage sales and thrift stores
And, I am trying to figure out what happens when selfishness, calling, passion and midlife crisis collide...
So, I've increased my intake of omega-3 fish oil (good for depression, anxiety and nice skin), started a new personal Bible study (Beth Moore...Jesus...a 90 Day study...), and researched blogging and photography some. Here's what I learned to do today...
As for the rest, I will keep wishing, hoping, praying, dreaming, and looking for opportunities.
Truth be told, I have just never given up on wanting to be the stay at home wife and mom with the big, old farmhouse (with awesome technology), and a place to do ministry.
For today, it's a photo collage.
Monday, October 11, 2010
loving fall...and the moments in fall...
I posted a couple of weeks ago about realizing that I love fall, and most of winter, actually...that it's just February and March that really start to get to me. I resolved at that moment to start embracing each day and I'll just muddle through those other months when I get to them! That has worked pretty well for me so far! Of course, having great weather hasn't hurt either.
In the spirit of embracing fall, and due to the fact that I owned no fall decorations that were more recent than 1995, I worked with a friend on a couple of fall decor' projects. Here is one that took awhile, but will last many years.
I am pleased with how it turned out:
I have also been knitting quite a bit and doing a little bit of sewing, now that I have a borrowed vintage Montgomery Wards Signature sewing machine in my home! My parents bought me a Kenmore sewing machine when I first got married in 1984...it sewed my clothes and all sorts of little girl sundresses and fancy dresses, then faithfully sewed all sorts of costumes for various dramatic productions that my girls were involved in over the years from middle school through high school. During Stephani and Adrianne's junior (?) year, Stephani was chosen to be Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and Adrianne was the Scarecrow. Of course, the beginning of the movie was in black & white, so that necessitated making 2 Dorothy costumes...one in tan and white gingham (to replicate a "sepia" look) and the traditional in blue and white gingham. Well, late one evening, during the blue & white jumper phase, my faithful Kenmore died. Just died. It was a sad moment, 20+ years we had been together. Of course, the costumes were needed soon for dress rehearsal, and my life was crazy, as usual. I ran to our local Meijer store and purchased a sewing machine for $100. It finished the costume, and the ones for the subsequent senior year productions ( mean stepsisters in Cinderella comes to mind as just one that year...), but has done little since.
I mentioned to a friend my issue a few weeks ago (remember the canning tomatoes photo? One of those friends...and she let me know that there was an old sewing machine at church that I could borrow. I tried it for the first time yesterday, and it was a beautiful thing! There is a sticker on it that says that it was last serviced in 1988...I can tell you that when it stitches just a straight stitch, it is like cutting butter with a warm knife...so solid, even, and, well, secure...My only issue is that I cannot figure out how to wind a bobbin. Looking on the internet has not helped....so, that is my challenge for this week.
Anyways, I am loving doing these more domestic activities, and am looking forward to sewing more once I figure out the bobbin thingie! I want to make some cloth napkins this fall, so hopefully I will figure it out soon....
And, in other other news, I am so excited about the upcoming book discussion that I am hosting! I was so moved by this book over the summer, but really wasn't sure if I was supposed to widen the group of women that were exposed to it...I spoke a couple of weeks ago to a lovely group of women at a local church, and the day that I was praying about that speaking, I just kept hearing a voice that said to my spirit, "You need to invite them to the book discussion." It was so clear, and repetitive. So, that night, I told them that I would be offering my home as a book discussion group for this particular book...the response was good. Since then, the response has been awesome! I am so excited! Women that I don't know have heard about it, called or emailed me, and are coming in 2 weeks! Wow! When God tells you to do something, He clearly provides the way, doesn't He? I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HE HAS IN STORE!
O.m.goodness.
If you are interested, here is the link to order the book:
In the spirit of embracing fall, and due to the fact that I owned no fall decorations that were more recent than 1995, I worked with a friend on a couple of fall decor' projects. Here is one that took awhile, but will last many years.
I am pleased with how it turned out:
I have also been knitting quite a bit and doing a little bit of sewing, now that I have a borrowed vintage Montgomery Wards Signature sewing machine in my home! My parents bought me a Kenmore sewing machine when I first got married in 1984...it sewed my clothes and all sorts of little girl sundresses and fancy dresses, then faithfully sewed all sorts of costumes for various dramatic productions that my girls were involved in over the years from middle school through high school. During Stephani and Adrianne's junior (?) year, Stephani was chosen to be Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and Adrianne was the Scarecrow. Of course, the beginning of the movie was in black & white, so that necessitated making 2 Dorothy costumes...one in tan and white gingham (to replicate a "sepia" look) and the traditional in blue and white gingham. Well, late one evening, during the blue & white jumper phase, my faithful Kenmore died. Just died. It was a sad moment, 20+ years we had been together. Of course, the costumes were needed soon for dress rehearsal, and my life was crazy, as usual. I ran to our local Meijer store and purchased a sewing machine for $100. It finished the costume, and the ones for the subsequent senior year productions ( mean stepsisters in Cinderella comes to mind as just one that year...), but has done little since.
I mentioned to a friend my issue a few weeks ago (remember the canning tomatoes photo? One of those friends...and she let me know that there was an old sewing machine at church that I could borrow. I tried it for the first time yesterday, and it was a beautiful thing! There is a sticker on it that says that it was last serviced in 1988...I can tell you that when it stitches just a straight stitch, it is like cutting butter with a warm knife...so solid, even, and, well, secure...My only issue is that I cannot figure out how to wind a bobbin. Looking on the internet has not helped....so, that is my challenge for this week.
Anyways, I am loving doing these more domestic activities, and am looking forward to sewing more once I figure out the bobbin thingie! I want to make some cloth napkins this fall, so hopefully I will figure it out soon....
And, in other other news, I am so excited about the upcoming book discussion that I am hosting! I was so moved by this book over the summer, but really wasn't sure if I was supposed to widen the group of women that were exposed to it...I spoke a couple of weeks ago to a lovely group of women at a local church, and the day that I was praying about that speaking, I just kept hearing a voice that said to my spirit, "You need to invite them to the book discussion." It was so clear, and repetitive. So, that night, I told them that I would be offering my home as a book discussion group for this particular book...the response was good. Since then, the response has been awesome! I am so excited! Women that I don't know have heard about it, called or emailed me, and are coming in 2 weeks! Wow! When God tells you to do something, He clearly provides the way, doesn't He? I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HE HAS IN STORE!
O.m.goodness.
If you are interested, here is the link to order the book:
The details for the meetings are:
Starting Monday, October 25th, 7 pm at my home. Comment, or email me for the address.
Bring the book, a pen/pencil/highlighter and a notebook
Let me know that you are planning to attend.
Invite a friend if so inclined.
I'm not stressed about the number of people that show up...God knows who needs to be here and He will make it happen.
Blessings on your fall-ish week! I pray that you are embracing this season!
kimberly
Starting Monday, October 25th, 7 pm at my home. Comment, or email me for the address.
Bring the book, a pen/pencil/highlighter and a notebook
Let me know that you are planning to attend.
Invite a friend if so inclined.
I'm not stressed about the number of people that show up...God knows who needs to be here and He will make it happen.
Blessings on your fall-ish week! I pray that you are embracing this season!
kimberly
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
upcoming book discussion....
Good afternoon...(it's not 7 yet, so it's still afternoon, right?)
I just wanted to post a special invitation about the upcoming book discussion group to be held at my house.
In short, this book changed my life, and I believe that not only should every woman (young and old) read it, but every human being. I realize that only leaves the male species...
You can read reviews of this book on Amazon if you'd like. All I can say is that since we live in a society where media dictates what we should look like, act like and be like, and since we almost all have issues from our past that have deeply hurt us, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our spouses, our children, and the young ladies that surround us to recognize what has made insecure, and our unhealthy reactions because of our insecurity.
This book and study will cause you to dig deep, ask some hard questions, do some quiet reflection, and, in the end, realize who you are and Whose you are. It's not just for believers, so if you know someone that could benefit, but is not a believer, by all means, invite her. Just let her know that we will open and close in prayer...other than that, we're discussing a book. (Oh, until the end, when there will be an invitation, but that's after many weeks together...)
Here are the details:
When?............. Monday evenings starting October 25
When??.......... 7 pm
Where?.......... at my house, in Oxford - if you need directions, comment and I will get it to you
What else?... no childcare - sorry
Needs?......... bring the book with you (order soon from link below), a pencil/pen & notebook
This is the link for a paperback...you can do hardcover, paperback, cd's, or kindle...you just need your own copy of the book. If you order from this link, a portion of your purchase goes back to our ministry...(it costs you the same, they just give me a portion.)
That's it! No arm twisting, as I completely believe that the women that are supposed to be here will be here. I just feel compelled to share this book, and wish that while in Haiti and reading it I'd had someone to discuss it with...that's where this all came from...oh, yeah...and a strong feeling that I was supposed to be doing this! :)
Comment with thoughts or questions. Let me know if you will be attending so I can plan accordingly...
Blessings!
kimberly
I just wanted to post a special invitation about the upcoming book discussion group to be held at my house.
In short, this book changed my life, and I believe that not only should every woman (young and old) read it, but every human being. I realize that only leaves the male species...
You can read reviews of this book on Amazon if you'd like. All I can say is that since we live in a society where media dictates what we should look like, act like and be like, and since we almost all have issues from our past that have deeply hurt us, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our spouses, our children, and the young ladies that surround us to recognize what has made insecure, and our unhealthy reactions because of our insecurity.
This book and study will cause you to dig deep, ask some hard questions, do some quiet reflection, and, in the end, realize who you are and Whose you are. It's not just for believers, so if you know someone that could benefit, but is not a believer, by all means, invite her. Just let her know that we will open and close in prayer...other than that, we're discussing a book. (Oh, until the end, when there will be an invitation, but that's after many weeks together...)
Here are the details:
When?............. Monday evenings starting October 25
When??.......... 7 pm
Where?.......... at my house, in Oxford - if you need directions, comment and I will get it to you
What else?... no childcare - sorry
Needs?......... bring the book with you (order soon from link below), a pencil/pen & notebook
This is the link for a paperback...you can do hardcover, paperback, cd's, or kindle...you just need your own copy of the book. If you order from this link, a portion of your purchase goes back to our ministry...(it costs you the same, they just give me a portion.)
That's it! No arm twisting, as I completely believe that the women that are supposed to be here will be here. I just feel compelled to share this book, and wish that while in Haiti and reading it I'd had someone to discuss it with...that's where this all came from...oh, yeah...and a strong feeling that I was supposed to be doing this! :)
Comment with thoughts or questions. Let me know if you will be attending so I can plan accordingly...
Blessings!
kimberly
Sunday, October 3, 2010
embracing seasons...
Yes, it's true that I am not a big fan of gray skies and cold weather, but I am a fan of fall! And, I realized the other day that really, I just don't like the cold weather in Michigan in February and March. I can handle the rest! So, instead of bemoaning fall because summer is over, I choose to embrace fall, look forward the the changing trees and soon to be blowing snow, and will just hunker down and endure February and March when they get here!
Here are just a few fall photos that make me smile...
Canning tomatoes on a chilly Saturday morning with my friends Barb and Marge! Don't they look yummy? Bring on February...
This photo that Adrianne texted to me after an afternoon at the Renaissance Festival! (How can one still be so beautiful with a zebra face?)
Here are just a few fall photos that make me smile...
Canning tomatoes on a chilly Saturday morning with my friends Barb and Marge! Don't they look yummy? Bring on February...
This photo that Adrianne texted to me after an afternoon at the Renaissance Festival! (How can one still be so beautiful with a zebra face?)
This over my front yard early another Saturday morning....
(I WILL do that one day around my birthday.... )
And this view from my deck yesterday morning...rainy, but beautiful as things are starting to change color...
So, as I choose to embrace fall and the approaching winter, I think upon this verse, first from Young's Literal Translation:
"To everything -- a season,
and a time to every delight
under the heavens"
or
from The Message:
"There's an opportune time
to do things;
a right time for everything
on the earth"
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Which tells me that these seasons that I love (for the most part) are doing the right thing at the right time...and my changing focus and activities are also right, and to be a delight and God-pleasing, just as the seasons are....hmmm...might that also apply to bigger things in my life?
I believe so.
For now, it is time for me to be in ministry here in Oxford, MI...and while my heart spends a lot of time in Haiti, I know that there is a season for that, as well. And my time in each place may very serve the very purpose of preparing me for the other.
It's something to think about...
(And, as my heart has been in Haiti the last couple of days, one of the thing I am doing this afternoon is preparing a Haitian dinner...fried Plantains (finally found them!), Picklese (a spicy cabbage/carrot salad, and tuna with onions and Indian hot sauce...yum! It's also part of this season, and I will delight in it!) Here's a photo, added after dinner. Good thing I can edit my posts!
and, from 12 o'clock in clockwise order, we have Indian Hot Sauce (mixed with the hot tuna and mixed with ketchup for dipping plantains), hot tuna, fried plantains with Picklese (spicy cabbage salad on top), and a mango napkin holder made in Haiti, as well as a placemat made in Haiti by our wonderful cook, Ziane! Did my heart (and tummy!) good!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
New Opportunities...
God is so good. I know you know that, and I certainly know that. But tonight was such an affirmation of that again, and you know, He didn't have to do that...but He did!
I had the pleasure of speaking to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group this evening that I haven't spoken to before. The church that they meet at is a mile from my house, and I've visited there a few times, was impressed, my girls went to youth group there for a couple of years, but other than that, I hadn't had any involvement.
Anyways, I was asked to speak tonight, and what a BLAST! I spoke on a chapter from this book:
I had the pleasure of speaking to a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group this evening that I haven't spoken to before. The church that they meet at is a mile from my house, and I've visited there a few times, was impressed, my girls went to youth group there for a couple of years, but other than that, I hadn't had any involvement.
Anyways, I was asked to speak tonight, and what a BLAST! I spoke on a chapter from this book:
The chapter that I spoke on is called, "Who are you again?....Oh yeah, the guy I married." And I spoke about maintaining a great relationship with your husband after having children.
It was a great talk! Lively discussion about all things related to maintaining a marriage with children around...all topics...(insert your own mental images here.) And I added the "flavor" of having 2 marriages with children around...!
Anyways, ( I am trying HARD to write this despite lively, sometimes heated conversation in my home office!)
One of the things that I mentioned was a book that I read while in Haiti. This book by Beth Moore:
I have been thinking and praying about starting a book discussion group about this book. I was waiting for clear direction over the past 6 weeks, and today I got it. All day, I kept thinking, "I have to mention a book discussion group for this book." It was clear. I needed to do it!
So, I mentioned it, sent around a sign up sheet, and 4 women said that they are interested! Praise God!
Now, I need to see who else is interested and figure out logistics. There are some women that need childcare if they are to attend this group. I don't know how to provide this yet, and I don't know if I can...but please pray about this; that either I can provide this, or that those moms that need this are able to make other arrangements.
Well, I've had 1,437 distractions while trying to write tonight. I hope it's coherent. And, if Monday nights at my house sound like a good place to hang to discuss self-esteem, then I am your connnection!
Have a great night!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
telling the story...
This morning Tom and I had the privilege of sharing a portion of our time in Haiti with our brothers and sisters in Christ at our church, Good Shepherd Lutheran! Since I took over 1200 photos myself, as well as countless videos taken by Tom, Adrianne and me, it was difficult to find a way to condense this into a 20 minute sermon message.
The way we decided to tackle this was to discuss what "we" (us and our Good Shepherd family) were involved in while in Haiti, during the sermon message and then discuss what is next during the 1 hour Bible study time. It sort of worked. :)
We divided the sermon portion into 4 sections: Carrefour duClos, Children of Israel Orphanage, Jacmel, concluded with some of the beauty of Haiti in photos.
During the Bible study time we (ok, Tom, really) got into more detail about next steps...what's needed in Carrefour, for CIO and in Jacmel. It was wonderful to hear some of the questions that people had about how to further help these specific areas through time, talents and treasures! There is such a love and passion for Haiti within our church! What a blessing!
In the end, I think that the Lord worked through the messages and was working in the hearts of the people that attended, which was our prayer. We pray now that people are moved to want to get involved through prayer, fundraising and trip planning so that multiple teams can be created and head down over the next two years...hopefully each specifically working on an area where the members are gifted and passionate...teaching the children, construction, helping the ministry in Carrefour, gathering cotton, knitting needles, fabric, and the list goes on and on.
There is a meeting next Sunday, September 26th at 12:30 pm where we will, under Adrianne's leadership, discuss, pray and start those conversations. If you'd like to attend, you can comment here or email me and I will pass on to Adrianne.
In conclusion, this was good for my heart today. It has hurt to not be there any longer and to not even be able to communicate as we desire due to all the "things" that get in the way...on our end, work schedules and commitments, on their end, lack of internet and electricity.
And, there is much for story to be told! We have so many videos and photos that help describe life there and the work that needs to be done. Tom and I discussed on our way home that it is our prayer to find a way to share more of what we experienced to those that have a desire to hear and learn. We will keep our hearts and eyes open for such an opportunity.
I am thankful that God provided this opportunity to us. I look forward to what we can do for Him next in this area to benefit the ministry in Haiti.
To Him be the glory.
The way we decided to tackle this was to discuss what "we" (us and our Good Shepherd family) were involved in while in Haiti, during the sermon message and then discuss what is next during the 1 hour Bible study time. It sort of worked. :)
We divided the sermon portion into 4 sections: Carrefour duClos, Children of Israel Orphanage, Jacmel, concluded with some of the beauty of Haiti in photos.
During the Bible study time we (ok, Tom, really) got into more detail about next steps...what's needed in Carrefour, for CIO and in Jacmel. It was wonderful to hear some of the questions that people had about how to further help these specific areas through time, talents and treasures! There is such a love and passion for Haiti within our church! What a blessing!
In the end, I think that the Lord worked through the messages and was working in the hearts of the people that attended, which was our prayer. We pray now that people are moved to want to get involved through prayer, fundraising and trip planning so that multiple teams can be created and head down over the next two years...hopefully each specifically working on an area where the members are gifted and passionate...teaching the children, construction, helping the ministry in Carrefour, gathering cotton, knitting needles, fabric, and the list goes on and on.
There is a meeting next Sunday, September 26th at 12:30 pm where we will, under Adrianne's leadership, discuss, pray and start those conversations. If you'd like to attend, you can comment here or email me and I will pass on to Adrianne.
In conclusion, this was good for my heart today. It has hurt to not be there any longer and to not even be able to communicate as we desire due to all the "things" that get in the way...on our end, work schedules and commitments, on their end, lack of internet and electricity.
And, there is much for story to be told! We have so many videos and photos that help describe life there and the work that needs to be done. Tom and I discussed on our way home that it is our prayer to find a way to share more of what we experienced to those that have a desire to hear and learn. We will keep our hearts and eyes open for such an opportunity.
I am thankful that God provided this opportunity to us. I look forward to what we can do for Him next in this area to benefit the ministry in Haiti.
To Him be the glory.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
ahem.
| Noun | 1. | ahem - the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc. utterance, vocalization - the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Yes, I know it's been a long while since I posted, and there is a reason for that. You see, I only post when I feel I have something to say, which hasn't been lately.
Life is good...you know...going along with work, home, the approaching fall and things. But, each time I think about sitting down and writing something, which I LOVE to do, I think to myself, "But what have I done that anyone needs to hear about?" And, probably the answer is: nothing.
Of course, having nothing of substance to say does not stop millions of bloggers from spewing out words each and every day. But, I digress.
I am not all fatalistic in thinking that nothing means anything after being in Haiti, nor am I adjusting poorly (imho) to life back in the states. It's just that by comparison, it is difficult to put the daily events of my life in any sort of perspective with my life in Haiti.
And, that's a struggle for me.
There are still things that I am working on for Haiti, and still reminders that our work there had meaning:
Like this photo of beautiful Marie Ansha knitting! Warens sent this to me last week. What's so meaningful about this one is that she had a tough time learning while I was there. Not learning in general, as she was my most relentless teacher when I was trying to learn Creole, but when it came to knitting, she was having a hard time.
Several times when I went to the orphanage after I had taught the girls, I would see her with some knitting in her hands. I would say, "Did you do that?" She would shake her head no, and say the name of the girl that had done it. But, you see, she was always studying, looking at the other girls' work, and trying to do it.
My joy at seeing this photo can hardly be put into words! This is her work! This means that 3 weeks after I left, instead of just setting aside those knitting needles, she kept working and working until she got it! I am so incredibly proud of her, and of course, you can see the joy in her face!
I also got photos recently of the raised garden boxes that have taken form, and will soon be filled with seeds as the weather begins to cool to a temperature that will allow seeds to grow. And we received updated photos of the wall, which is progressing.
God is good in allowing me to see the progress that has been made since we left, but the joy is bittersweet as it tugs at my heart that I am not there now to help more.
So, please bear with me as I find my voice again. (Ahem.) It's not that there is nothing going on in my life, but that I struggle to find the same meaning in my every day life here. There are things that God is showing me, and it's all good, but it's in His time, and I have never carried around the same pocketwatch that He does.
In the meantime, I go about life working, cooking, cleaning and seeking His will.
Tom and I are preparing to do a presentation next Sunday on our time in Haiti, which will do me good, I think.
In the meantime, I'm just a little quiet, which is always necessary when listening for instructions.
"Be still and know
that I am God."
~Psalm 46:10
Peace....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
