Scripture memory verse #5...strength & song...

This week just FLEW by! My goodness...when I saw that my last post was almost a week ago, it's hard to believe! And that there hasn't been a free moment to post inbetween seems hard to believe as well, but it's so true!
What blessings and joy that have come from hosting our Haiti guests! Stephane and Gregory have really warmed up to all of us and are just having the fun living the life of a 3 yr old and 9 month old! They finally have both slept through the night the past 2 nights, for which we are especially grateful! Adults need their sleep, and getting it again is a wonderful thing....Leonie and Rachelle were such troopers all last week with them as they adjusted to a new home, and new climate, and dry conditions here in Michigan. The addition of a humidifier in their basement room was great for all of them!
Rachelle flew home yesterday to study for her boards, and was happily reunited with her husband of just 18 months, Ezekias. So now Leonie and our family cares for the boys, and we miss Rachelle's constant smiles a lot! We pray God's blessing on her studies!
Today Leonie had the opportunity to speak at Lake Louise Church of the Nazarene, the church of our dear pastor friend, Dave Gerber. Words cannot express what a tremendous blessing it was when the people of that congregation gathered around Leonie and our family and prayed over and for us as others were singing, "Amazing Grace." We are all still in awe of that time and those precious moments. Leonie has thanked us several times for taking her there this morning. God is indeed so good. And what a body of Christ that they would surround us and lift us up in that way! Pastor Dave even prayed over me that I might not have "too much Martha, and just enough Mary..." those of you that know my struggles understand the meaning of that prayer!
When we returned home from church, there was a lovely family waiting in our driveway...the adoptive family of Ludia, who was an orphan that knew Leonie from LesCayes. Christy, and Jon (parents) and sister Julianne came from Holt, MI to help Ludia connect with some of her Haiti history. We all had brunch together (remind me to tell you about my new crockpot - hero of the day!), and rekindled one old relationship, but developed so many new ones! WOW! God is so amazing! (Have I said that already? I am just humbled...) We are certain that we will be crossing paths again soon with Ludia and her family!

Ludia and Leonie

Our families (in part...minus our children, and their other 4 + 2 grandchildren,

 Stephane and Gregory!)

So, now it is time to share this week's Scripture memory verse. Very similar to last week's...I know that I need another reminder, and I'm praying that you do too. I think it's significant that these verses are repeated in God's Word to us...

"The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." 

Exodus 15:2

As we sang in church this morning, I peeked down at Leonie and she was singing along, but not mightily...there is that whole thing about translating, learning and a new melody, and figuring it all out before the song is over. So, her lips were moving, but there wasn't a lot of feeling being demonstrated. I was thinking about how it was when I worshipped in Haiti...the people around me were singing with such HUGE emotion (very different from most worship here in the states), but I didn't know the language or the songs, so I was just sort of moving my lips. Yet, when I observed Leonie in Haiti, she was worshipping, and I mean WORSHIPPING during those songs! 

And, thinking those things, in just a moment of time, the verse above came to my mind. The Lord is truly our strength AND our song...no matter where we find ourselves in a moment in time. The language and circumstances might be very different, but HE never changes. And when you throw in that He has become YOUR salvation...well...it doesn't really matter where you are, does it? He is the common denominator for all of us.

Let HIS strength be in YOUR song this week...because HE is YOUR salvation.

Praise God!

kimberly

...just playin'...

Here in Oxford, Michigan we got about 8 inches of snow today! Tom and I went to work, but the schools were closed. Rachelle told me that Stephane looked outside and said it was "raining neige," or, "raining snow." What fun!
This afternoon when we got home, we did some convincing to get him dressed for outside...after spending your life in a warm climate, snow pants, boots, mittens, coat and hat seem like a great inconvenience! But after he came out, he had a good time, intertwined with moments of terror...imagine having the snow touch the parts of your skin where it sneaks in...down the neck, your wrist...these were NOT welcome experiences for our little friend! :)
But, he experienced sledding:

(much more fun to slide down the hill than walk up it...)

throwing...

and...of course, licking!....

We had a great time this afternoon and can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...

Have a great evening...

kimberly

Scripture memory verse, week 4

2-21-10

Hello fellow daughters of the King (aka princesses!)…

I pray that you have had a wonderful week and have enjoyed the sunshine (at least here in Michigan) the past two days! It is has been a beautiful sign of things to come, even if we know it’s still too far off to really think about. I’ve been wondering these past two days how it is for our friends from Haiti, never really warming up…God was gracious with this weather for them as a welcome, but it is still quite a change from their life.

Yesterday I was telling Leonie to enjoy the sun while it was out because it doesn’t shine very often in the winter here. She said, “It’s ok. Haiti was really getting to be too hot.” Now that’s a positive way to look at dressing in 4 or 5 layers, isn’t it??

We are having a wonderful time, as you can tell from my last post. To have these dear women of God in my home, not to mention these precious babies is such a blessing. (The dogs aren’t enjoying it too much, as Stephane seems to be terrified of dogs…Gregory just seems to scream because his big brother is unhappy….we are doing slow introductions, but for now, the dogs are just seeing a lot of the bedroom, the backyard and the dog park!)

So how are your memory verses coming along? You know…you can reply or comment to this blog…many of you make comments or email me about what I’ve written, but if you’d consider sharing a comment or two here, we just might create more of a community…

I know for me, I practice my verses on my way to work in the morning. It’s been a great way for me to start the day, and three verses really hasn’t been that challenging…I have a feeling that more practice will be needed as we add more verses. So, how’s it going for you? Easy? Challenging? Any stories to share of how and when God has used these verses in your life yet?

Just wondering…

This week’s verse is:

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

This verse comes to mind now as I think of the people of Haiti…while my friends did not lose anyone in their immediate family that I am aware of, they were not untouched by the death and destruction of the earthquake. They have had to relocate everything…moving the orphans to a new location where the orphanage needs to be completely built…traveling back to LesCayes in the evening to guard their belongings still remaining in the now unsafe orphanage and house that they used to reside in, but sleeping at night in tents in the refugee camp next door…and the rains have come to Haiti now….leaky tents, mud all around…no restrooms…children still wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince, alone, with no one caring for them.

While the U.S. media seems to have moved onto other topics…the Olympics, Tiger Woods apologizing…life as it is the new reality continues for the people of Haiti.

As I think of them, singing praises to their Lord in the streets only moments after the earthquake and everyday since, this verse comes to mind. We each have things that we grieve…losing a loved one…or a child. A romance that isn’t quite at romantic as it used to be…a childhood that never was…A job lost, or a job that is only that…a job, but not a passion. Yes, we all have things that we grieve, but can any of us imagine the reality of the grief of Haiti? I don’t think so…yet the people there sing praises to their God in the midst of their grief.

So, my fellow princesses…I invite you to sing..in the shower, in the car, with your kids…at your place of worship. But I also invite you to increase your singing…have you noticed that you can’t sing and stay in a bad mood? There’s something to that…the dear children of the Lord in Haiti know that. It’s part of what’s getting them through this, but all throughout their difficult history…the singing leads to joy, and the joy of the Lord is their strength.

Blessings on your week….

kimberly

enough for everyone...

What a wonderful time we are having with our friends from Haiti! They arrived yesterday afternoon, and now have been with us for just over 24 hours.
Leonie (the grandmother of Stephane and Gregory) looks fabulous! She has been on a diet, she tells me and really looks wonderful! I am so blessed to have her in my home...I want some of her to rub off on me while she is here...gentleness, kindness...well, actually, just go down the gifts of the Spirit and put her name in parenthesis behind each one and you'll begin to know a little about her.
Rachelle, I met for the first time yesterday. She is the wife of Ezekias, who is Leonie's son. Rachelle is a nursing student in Florida, and has been in the U.S. for 6 or 7 years since leaving Haiti. She met Ezekias when she was only about 8 years old in Les Cayes, Haiti. Her father is a pastor, and his church was nearby Pastor Israel Isidor's church. Pastor Israel (now deceased) was Leonie's husband and Ezekias' father.
Rachelle tells me that she would get out of her father's church service after it was over and stop by Pastor Israel's church because they handed out candy to the children! This is how she met Ezekias, and he became friends with her older brother. So, they have known each other a long time and are very happy together. Rachelle is 22 years old.
Stephane is Leonie's grandson and Rachelle's nephew. His parents are in Haiti working on building the new orphanage. Stephane was introduced to snow for the first time yesterday...

He reminds us very much of his Uncle Israelson, also in Haiti and working on the orphanage. He flirts with the girls, has beautiful eyes, lots of personality, and has a blast with his friend, Pastor Tom!

And, above in this photo, crawling towards Cookie Monster, you'll see the very, very cute baby Gregory! He is all smiles and just loves whomever he meets! He enjoys watching his big brother play with Pastor Tom and the girls, as he cuddles on someone's lap. He has trouble finishing his bottle because he is so busy smiling...

So, there you have it...of course, I couldn't finish this without saying how absolutely proud, amazed and thankful I am for my girls, Adrianne and Stephani! Adrianne was a tremendous help getting the house ready for the Isidor family to arrive, and she continues to help with all sorts of things (especially entertaining the babies) now that they have arrived! Stephani came home for the weekend just to spend time with them, and she also has been a big help playing, but also with the tasks that need to get done to feed and care for a family that has grown! Kati will be home in a week and a half, and I know it will be just the same with her...
Here's a photo of the "girls and the boys" being silly this morning.

What fun! What blessings all around! I am a thankful, thankful wife, mom and friend to my Haiti friends! God is already revealing things to me through this visit, and showing time and again that He is always faithful!...How little faith I have sometimes, but how gracious He is with me over and over again.
Till the next time...

Haiti Lives! and Scripture Verse Week #3

Happy (almost) Valentines Day, Princess!

I hope that as you enjoy this day where love is celebrated, that you remember the Source of all love…the One without Whom we would never experience true love. It is my prayer that today as you celebrate with your sweetie, that you are basking in love for each other that flows from Him.

The other night we had the Haiti Lives! Coffeehouse Benefit at our church. It was a bigger success than any of us could have imagined! What a mighty, faithful and loving God we serve.

This event was special to me because at a breakfast after church 1 month ago, my daughters Stephani and Adrianne told Tom and I that they had an idea to help our friends and loved ones in Haiti. They spoke of an event like was held on 2-12-10…Stephani went back up to school and later that afternoon Adrianne got on the phone with our pastor as some others about the idea. Later that week she was meeting with two dear friends of mine over lunch, and presented the idea to Chris and Barb. They are such wise and loving women, that they decided to offer suggestions and any help that Adrianne might need with the planning, but that it was her baby from that time forward.

I say that they are wise because they kept their “inner Marthas” from coming out and wanting to plan and check on each and every detail. I know for sure that my inner Martha would not have been as restrained…I just tried to follow their lead.

WOW! What an amazing and beautiful thing happened through that process! Adrianne, who has always been gracious enough to let someone else make the decisions and be in the spotlight, turned on her creativity and passion for the people of Haiti, and she COMPLETELY ROCKED! Not only were the details taken care of, but we had HUGE support from our church, the young adults that heard about it, and members of the community. It was an evening of fun, great music, great food, fellowship and just plain relaxing and having fun. Setting up extra tables and chairs as more people streamed in was such a joy! Praise God as His people turned out to support Haiti in yet another way, and support those that did the planning for this event!

Adrianne, always with a smile, even when the technology wasn't cooperating...

Tom worked the sound board all evening...Stephani provided encouragement and smiles...

Barb lovingly and graciously helped wherever needed...

Adrianne sang, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Stephani also sang, but it seems that no one (that I have found) took a still photo of her, but only video...if we find a photo, it will appear sometime in the future!

So, now that we are all still just enjoying the blessings of that evening, and as I turn my thoughts (and our household) to the friends that we will soon have staying with us from Haiti, I ponder this week’s memory verse:

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

Isaiah 40:31

This verse is meaningful for this week on so many levels. It seems that everywhere around me, people that I know and love are struggling and hurting, whether it is with their self image, their marriage, their children, an illness, conflict in family…so much hurt right now. I’ve had the privilege of speaking with a few women about my husband’s advice of not letting the “what ifs” overwhelm you in times like this, but focusing on what you know for sure. What are those things? Certainly that your Heavenly Father thinks you are just awesome, that He has a plan for your life and for those you love, whether it makes sense to you or not, that He is always in control and has your best interest at heart…what else? Perhaps that you have a beautiful family, that you were raised in a loving household, that you have a job…etc., etc., etc. Concentrating on what you know for sure will not let the “what ifs” into you mind very much…if you find yourself in this situation, I pray that you will think about these things.

Anyways, this verse reminds us that our hope is in the Lord (not men, not doctors, not anything that will fail), and that He will renew our strength. We’ve all felt strong at different times in our lives…and at other times, we feel that the well is empty and we are weak. He is the filler of wells and will renew and restore your strength! Sisters, this is His work, and He loves to do it! Take a moment to take a deep breath and allow your spiritual well to be filled and your strength renewed.

I think too, of our Haiti friends…those we love and those we haven’t met yet, and pray that in light of the recent events and such devastation, that they would hope in the Lord and renew their strength as well.

You are loved. Whether you feel strong at this moment or not does not matter. Recognize where your strength comes from and allow it to wash over and through you.

Blessings on your week…

kimberly

you mean, me????

This morning, I had the awesome privilege of speaking to a MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group at my home church. The topic? Keeping romance alive after you have kids...
I asked the women that asked me, (more than once), if they were sure they have the right person, and they insisted that they did. I then responded with, "you understand that i am sinful, don't do this very well, and have made many mistakes?" and they said that they did, and to proceed...
I procrastinated for quite awhile before working on this presentation. Then, I started to just type out my thoughts, verbatim as I worked through it a week or so ago. It was interesting for me to give this some thought and to travel down memory lane a little. As i did, I thought of my girls when they were little...here's a photo:

This is Kati, waking up the first morning that her twin sisters were home from the hospital...they were 6 days old at the time, and each weighed about 5 lbs. She was pretty happy for a not quite 2-1/2 year old...! (And SO much beautiful hair!)
I asked those moms this morning about their relationship issues and felt so at home with their responses...it seems like just yesterday that I was in their shoes....
I spoke to them about my first marriage and the issues with it...most of which couldn't be prevented with a spouse that had so many issues that he wasn't able or willing to address. God was so present during those difficult years, and is still present now. He has been so faithful!
Then, I spoke with the women about my wonderful, wonderful husband, Tom, and shared with them a photo from our wedding...

I shared that NO, I am not wearing white face paint...I woke up at 2 am the morning of our wedding with the stomach flu, of course shared from children! I was in bed until our late afternoon wedding...started the service standing up, but needed to sit down before it was over. I certainly don't look healthy here, but I look happy, and I was...soooo happy to be marrying the man that shared my goals and dreams for the future! My only regret from that day is that I was sick and I would have had so much FUN at the wedding and reception if I hadn't been ill. Ah, well...it makes for great stories...my bridesmaids talking about how my (now) husband greeted them that day....and how they did my hair and my makeup while I was flat on my back. I figure that looking pale is infinitely better than the true shade of green that I was feeling!
Anyways, I feel that I shared my heart with those moms this morning...that being a mom of young children is hard work...that trying to be an attractive, loving wife is also difficult when we are so tired, lonely and overwhelmed....or bored...or insecure....or all of the above.
I recommended Beth Moore's newest book to them. I've just started it, and as I told the moms...there is something there...a truth that we don't often deal with. Her book is entitled, "So Long Insecurity: You've Been a Bad Friend to Us." I suggest you read it...even if you don't feel insecure. There seem to be many truths particular to women in it, described as only wonderful Beth can do!
So, in the end, women...hang in there! Love your man, and make some time for him. God intended it that way, and as I told the moms this morning, it's much easier to maintain a relationship than try to repair one that is hurting.
You are a princess...royalty...a daughter of the King. Ponder that as you close your eyes this evening.

Growing pains...

Well, princesses (still going to write more about that soon...), isn't it interesting how our heavenly Father chooses to reveal Himself to us? Sometimes (ok, most of the time for me), I get so wrapped up in the things of this world that I lose my eyes of faith and rely wholly on my eyes of sight. I mean, i was baptized when I was 2 weeks old...this is not a new thing to me, but yet at my age, I still lose my focus. Thank God that He is patient and loving with me and willing to use this cracked, chipped, faded vessel to carry out His plan!

As most of you know my family has made several trips to Haiti over the years. Some more than others, but Tom and I have gone, my girls have gone and Benjamin has gone. We hope and pray that Amanda, Megan and Nathan will go sometime in the future.

We have developed strong ties with friends in Haiti, and they have now become our loved ones. The earthquake of a few weeks ago really rocked their world and ours as we have been so concerned about them. I will write more about this in the future, but even though their town is 140 miles away from Port-au-Prince, they were affected and the building that they reside in and the orphanage were inspected by the U.N. and deemed unable to inhabit due to structural issues in the building after the earthquake. They are now somewhat divided, as part of the group stays in a refugee camp and a large part of the group (orphans included) have been moved to a new location where they are going to live in rather makeshift conditions until the new orphanage can be built.

Tom and I were contacted recently and asked if we would consider hosting a Haitian woman whose husband started the orphanage there, was a pastor and a visionary there, until his untimely death a few years ago. She accompanied some orphans here a week or so ago, and brought her two grandsons, ages 3 yrs and 8 months to the U.S. for awhile. She is going to use this time to visit some places that have supported their ministry in Les Cayes, and hopefully to get some medical attention for some health issues that she has been struggling with over the past few years, while her daughter and son in law there will work to build the new orphanage without having to care for two little ones constantly.

This is a photo of Leonie (on left at you view this photo, and her daughter, Yelline, whose little boys will be at our home soon!)

So, in less than 2 weeks, she, her grandsons and a daughter-in-law (not the mom of the boys) will be at our home for a month or more. Wow!  I am so excited, nervous, grateful, and amazed that God is doing this with me! I am so in awe of His plan, and that He thinks that I am worthy to host these wonderful people for this period of time! Leonie is a true woman of God if I have ever met one. The selfish part of me is so looking forward to spending time with her and soaking up who she is and what she says and does...how she lives her life. I have so much to learn about being a woman of God! 

Of course, the babies...well, that's a no brainer! Put me around babies and I am just a happy camper, so I can't wait to hug and love on those little boys! God is so good to fill my baby need!

I also can't wait to meet Leonie's daughter in law, Rachelle, who is coming along to help with the presentations that Leonie will be doing to spread the word about what they are doing in Les Cayes, Haiti.

What an amazing God we serve and what amazing princesses and sisters in Christ I have! Yes, I have been stressing a little about providing the proper space and equipment for my guests that will soon arrrive...I admit that I am a Martha, at heart. Our wonderful Father has a great sense of humor and abundant patience because this is a lesson that He has trying to teach me for many years, and He hasn't given up on me yet! He keeps giving me opportunities to learn the things that He needs to teach me, and I keep finding new ways to not learn His lessons. My wonderful friend, Claudia put it well once when she said, "I wish that I would just GET IT and learn to be patient so that He wouldn't have to keep finding new ways to try and teach me patience!" So true....

And, after my stress-inducing email that I sent to some close friends last night about my "logistics issues," my dear friend, Barb, replied with an email that began with:

"I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13

Oh, yeah. Ok, so what's that??? Just the very first Scripture verse from our Scripture memory group from, way back, oh...when???....LAST WEEK! Yup...I'm a slow learner, and ride the short bus when it comes to spiritual matters.

But, that should give all of us great HOPE, because our Father does show us undeserved love, grace and mercy, and it is constant! That He wouldn't give up on me should be very encouraging to you!

So, I end now by asking you what lessons do you still need to learn? And, are you observing the ways that He is showing His love by trying to teach you? Just look around and I bet you will see evidence of His love for you in the ways that He is trying to teach you His ways...His eternal, glorious ways....

Stay tuned...many more stories about my growing pains to come, I'm certain!

Memory Verse Two: 2-8-10

Good afternoon my fellow members of royalty…

WOW! Aren’t those great words to be greeted with?? We are indeed the daughters of the King, and members of royalty, or His princesses!

I hope that you have had a blessed week…mine was a blessing in so many ways even through my cold and weariness. God is so good and is revealing His love for us in so many ways!

Our numbers have grown this week…I sent (or attempted to send) and email invitation for this to 50+ women last Sunday. I know for sure that one or two got it, but I also know for sure that some didn’t. When I posted this opportunity on facebook at the end of the week, there were several more women that joined us, and most of those were ladies I thought I had already invited! Lol…God has a purpose for everything, and perhaps his reason for my failed email was because He wants the rest of you to invite women to this…perhaps my invitation is not what they need to hear, but your invitation is exactly the right thing. Think and pray about this….you can just forward the emails, or ask me to resend if you need it. I would LOVE to have this group just grow and grow and GROW…yes, while we are growing, too!

This week, I chose a verse that I was going to use a few weeks from now, but it continues our theme, “i am woman hear me roar….” (strength). We are focusing on the fact that not only are we strong, just because we are women, but identifying the Source of our strength, and reminding ourselves by committing this to memory, that He is strong when we are not. He sustains us and holds us in the palm of His mighty hand! Praise God!

I chose the following Scripture for this week because one of our fellow sisters in Christ, and a princess herself, Lisa, yesterday lost the very young baby she was carrying. She is such a woman of God and told me yesterday, “I’m not angry. I know that God has a plan for all of this.” I praise God for her every day, but also know that she will be relying on His strength in the days, weeks, and months to come. 

Here is this week’s verse:

Psalm 89:21

“My hand will sustain him; surely my arm with strengthen him.” (NIV)

(Of course the Bible always uses the male gender, and we can memorize it that way, or you can change it to be “her” or “you.”  Either one works.)

I LOVE the way that the Message translation puts this (and the following verses:

21 And I’ll keep my hand steadily on him, 
yes, I’ll stick with him through thick and thin.

22 No enemy will get the best of him, 
no scoundrel will do him in.

23 I’ll weed out all who oppose him, 
I’ll clean out all who hate him.

24 I’m with him for good and I’ll love him forever; 
I’ve set him on high—he’s riding high!25 I’ve put Ocean in his one hand, River in the other;26 he’ll call out, ‘Oh, my Father—my God, my Rock of Salvation!’

Isn’t that beautiful? And don’t we all need that…perhaps more sometimes than others…but NO ONE (and NOTHING) with get the best of you! He is with you FOR GOOD (not just FOREVER!), and He’ll love you forever, too!

So, this week, please keep our sister and princess, Lisa and her family in your prayers. Pray that she feels held safely in the lap of her Abba Father…her Father King.

My sisters, He holds you in that same lap this week. Bask in His love, his strength as you carry on being a woman.

Blessings and peace….

kimberly

Memory Verse One: 2-1-10

(for those of you that are interested in memorizing the Scripture verses with us, here is the first verse, from last week. AND, it's an easy one!)

Good Morning Princesses, and blessings on your new week and month!

This morning, we begin a new journey together…as sisters in the Lord…and, if you will, princesses of the King! (more on being a princess in an upcoming blog post!)

Thanks for standing side-by-side with me as we begin…you see, I start this not mainly as a service you, but a lesson in accountability for me! I need to be in the Word more! I need to be memorizing Scripture and holding those passages in my heart…so THANK YOU for humoring me and joining in this walk with me! I can’t WAIT to see what the Lord has in store for us this next 11 months!

I am going to group our weekly Scripture verses in themes…themes that seem important in my life, and I hope in your life, as well. The themes are titled by things that we might say to our spouse or to our friends, and then in parenthesis, the spiritual application.

So, this month, we begin with the theme,

“i am woman, hear me roar….” (strength)

Our verse for this week, is Philippians 4:13, which is,

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (NIV version)

Why this verse? This happens to be the theme verse for  my up and coming blog, which will be called “women of four13,” once it’s finished and pretty!  This verse has been a rock for me throughout my life. When life gets yucky (and we will discuss that in an upcoming theme), remember where the Source of your strength is…not in the things of this world…but in our Abba Father. He knows your needs before you do…and wants to and will meet every single one of them.

More on strength in the weeks to come…now on a technical note: if you have access to an ipod touch or an iphone and want to “have an app for that” to practice these verses, you can download the app “iflipr” for $4.95, and look for the group, “women of four13,” and you will get each week, the Scripture verse in a “flashcard” format that you can practice! Once you join, it will sync automatically so you never have to wonder if you’re current…very cool! I will be posting the weekly verse there each weekend for you!

If you don’t have access to that technology (or dislike that technology, lol), then I suggest you just purchase a spiral bound pack of index cards and copy the verse each week and carry it in your purse for practice.

Well, that’s certainly enough for one week!

Thanks again for partnering in this with me…I LOVE being with fellow princesses as we walk this road…

Feel free to forward this message to anyone else that might want to take this journey with us!

Blessings on your week my friends…remember that you are royalty!

Kimberly

january 2, 2010

Good day, ladies!

I hope and pray that your new year is off to a fabulous start! On 12/31/09, Tom and I celebrated our 13^th wedding anniversary!
It was a great celebration of many memories from our years together, as well as talking about what the days and years ahead might hold for us. God has been so good to us through these years, and as I spend each day with my best friend and soul mate, I marvel at how much we have to share with each other and how much we learn together.

Our years together have been filled with blessings, but not always easy…in fact, the first few years we said that we counted our married years in dog years…one would go by and it felt like seven in hindsight! Much of that came from having both been married before and the blending of two families. Never for the faint of heart, but something interesting at every turn!

As we have spent more time together, we have come to discover and re-discover the many things that we have in common, like ministry, optimism about the future, a strong faith in the One that gives us hope, our hopes and dreams for our kids, and our strong love and commitment to each other.

There are times too, when we discover that we aren’t exactly on the same page with each other, and then we have to take a step back, remind ourselves of all that we have in common, and then figure out where to go from that common ground into that new territory….not on separate pages but together.

One thing that I know for sure is that this man is the love of my life, and I am so thankful that God let him find me! Come good or bad, I want to share the things of this life with Tom, and have him by my side as we go through. I know that no matter what happens, if he is with me, and our heavenly Father, it will all turn out ok in the end.

I look forward to many more anniversary celebrations with the love of my life, no matter what challenges this life holds…there are many more joys for us to share together, as well!

december 27, 2009...

Welcome to the women of four13 blog! It is my hope and prayer that you will find something here that resonates with you and will embark on this journey with me!

My name is Kimberly Donnelly and I am a 40 something year young wife to Tom, mom of Kati, Stephani and Adrianne, and step-mom of Amanda, Megan, Benjamin and Nathan. I am also the step mom-in-law of Derick (Amanda’s husband of 2+ years), and “Grandma Kimberly” to Aiden, Amanda and Derick’s precious little boy who is 14 months old at this writing! Here he is on Christmas morning with “Bappa,” my husband, Tom.

Besides husband, kids and grandkids, there are three dogs that reside at my house…Max, Rocky and Bella…they keep me loved up, entertained, and busy with my dry mop catching the dog hair that never seems to end!

My life has been full of joys as well as challenges, and along the way I have never been perfect, but have always tried to remember Whose child I am, and keep that in perspective. This blog is my small way of sharing the lessons that I have learned along the way, as well as some of the moments that have changed me as a person.

You may be wondering about the title of this blog, and why I chose, “women of four13.” The Scripture reference is from the book of Philippians, chapter four, verse 13: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

I believe that we as women are incredibly strong…look who has the babies and sticks their hand down the garbage disposal when it is clogged! ☺ I also believe that we are born with hearts that are huge. have great depth, and can become hurt and burdened by this trials of life, or just by life itself.

We need a source a strength for those big events, but also for all of the small events that happen each and every day. I challenge you to think about your source of strength…and spend some time exploring this issue with me in the days and weeks to come.

So, let’s embark on a journey…a journey about becoming women of four13. I look forward to walking alongside you on the way….

well, you have to start somewhere...

good evening...
as i write this, the superbowl is just beginning, and i can see it from a distance, which is just fine with me! i will pause to get a closer look when it is commercial time, and after i am done here, sit down with my sweetie to watch the game for awhile.
creating this blog has been on my heart for sometime, and tom announced in december that i would start it after the first of the year as part of firmly rooted ministries, which, up until now has really been his, and his alone, ministry-wise. we have always dreamed of doing ministry together one day though, and the Lord seems to have been opening some more doors in the area of my ministry to women. it's something that i have loved over the years, and something that always seems to be calling my name, even when my time and attention were directed elsewhere. now it seems to be time to *give* it the time, care and attention that it deserves, and that my heart it beckoning for....
if you know me well, or have heard me talk about it, i couldn't officially start a blog until it was a "pretty blog." i enlisted the help of my *new* (and yet unmet) friend, kelly, of fabulous k creative to make my blog pretty! her blog designs are amazing, and she has become fairly well known, it seems...her waiting list is long, and i am about in the middle of it! she has endless patience with my questions and second guessing my designs, and at some point, when the time is right, i will have a pretty blog to share! i thank kelly in advance for her hard work on my behalf!
but, i haven't been waiting for the final product to begin writing, and now i have decided that i don't need to wait for "pretty" to start sharing, either! so tonight i begin posting those things that i have been writing over the past month or so and will just continue to add...i figure you all will just appreciate it more when the pretty appears one day!
soon i will post about how just like this blog, i'm not yet pretty...pretty enough to be sharing with you, but that you might bear with me, as our Savior does in our "not-quite-there-yet-ness" and loves us anyways, and just wants to make us pretty....
so, tonight i will post some of the previously written posts and share some photos....and then will post more soon, my friends.
thanks for indulging me by reading....i look forward to your comments and sharing more in the days to come...feel free to share with any woman that might need encouragement (or a laugh) about being a woman, being a wife and being a mom and step-mom....