Pinterest Probz

I've gotten in this habit of killing "just a little time" on Pinterest before I go to sleep each night. Mistake! An hour later I'm convinced I need new furniture, to figure out how to cook every recipe known to man, and that I need more animals. Not to mention all of the eCards I laugh at-although they are completely inappropriate.

Yesterday I got my hair done. I've had many hair issues over the years, far too many to even want to remember actually. Lets just leave it at this for now: I've been given really really bad cuts, colors that never turn out the way I ask, and when all else fails and I've taken matters into my own hands - gray hair. Yes, it's an on going battle. I must say though, more often than not I'm able to clean it up myself, somehow. By the grace of God.

So I'm looking at the "hair" section on Pinterest last night and all of these post say "strawberry blonde" and I'm like "No girl, your hair is red. Own it." Come on, I know a redhead when I see one. (Remember, slightly obsessed).

I wish I had red hair. Did you know only 7% of people in the world have red hair? Rock stars.

On another note - I mentioned wanting to get involved in ministry. That very same day my D-Group leader asked me to lead next week. My first reaction was "No way!". D-group stands for "disciple group" and it's through the Chi Alpha organization on my college campus. How is it I can walk around (confidently, I might add) with orange or gray hair, but the moment someone gives me the opportunity to do exactly what I feel called to do, I freeze up? Well thats the enemy I tell you, and he must get behind me!

I've just recently gotten involved, and to be honest I'm not plugged in near as much as I should be. I have every excuse in the world but the fact remains, I'm still an extension cord away from the socket. I should really work on that. I should also thank God for leadership that is willing to put me on the spot and ask me to share how God is working in my life. So now, I am praying and preparing (and praying some more) to share with these lovely ladies what God has laid on my heart. That will happen in the next few weeks- I'll let you know how it goes.

This weekend I get to play big sister - for real. That lovely (redheaded) lady I mentioned a few post back - her and her husband have 8 awesome kids. They are escaping Conway for the weekend and leaving me in-charge... It's a really good thing these aren't your average run of the mill children. But, they do wake up around 5:30AM--- remember my 10am dream day? Yea, pray for us (mainly them).

I also have to fit in the better part of a research project sometime before Monday... Good thing I'm the queen of homework under pressure. Don't worry Mom, it will get done.

The adventure starts around 3pm tomorrow and I have on good account someone will be wearing a toilet seat around their neck this weekend.

And just to show you, the ever growing hair issues...

Yes, orange and gray. No lying about it here. Thankfully for you, I am an avid picture taker. It appears I am also incapable of smiling like a normal human. your welcome, Thursday.


Catch you on the flip side.
- Kris


Disclaimer: My hair is currently not orange or gray... and much to my Selah's approval- the "roots" are gone!

Airstream Dreams

When people know you are on the verge of graduating college they almost always ask "what do you want to do when you graduate?"

The truth is... I'm still figuring that out. 

I've always wanted to buy an old RV (airstream anyone?) and drive across the country, maybe that's what I want to do. I love to travel. It can be fully decked out with fine linens and many goodies found along life's highway, and of course Deacon would ride shotgun -- Gypsy Soul here, checking in.

How about all of these "local" up and coming brands I'm in love with? Like Fayettechill, or Ugly Mug Coffee ... What if I found my way into working for or starting my own company? I love the southern values and hospitality attached to each of these, and growing up the granddaughter of a small privately owned business I know the value of every customer. Come, sit in my shop and have a cup of coffee. Share with me the joys of your heart.

On days I've watched too much Greys Anatomy, I want to be a surgeon. Then reality sets in and I realize no matter how much I pray, there's no way I'm making it through Med School. No way.  

Maybe I'll run a local book store where people can swap out old for new, or perhaps it will be a feed shack where animal lovers may find themselves killing an afternoon. Oh, how about a farm? I could give private riding lessons and include children with special needs.

Either way, I'm not exactly sure what I will do or where I will be. I do know my deepest desire is to serve people. I want to have a "job" that's allows me the privilege of sharing my faith at any moment. I want to be at the Lords feet in all areas and know that He has ordained every person to enter into my life for a divine purpose. I want my life to be solely for the purpose of sharing His glory to all the nations.

My degree, when I FINALLY graduate, will be something of very little use for any of these previously mentioned avenues of employment. That's completely ok though, because God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. I'm praying about that calling and where it may lead me.

Maybe I've yet to "settle down" here in good ol' Conway Arkansas because God knows there is something bigger for me, in another place. Maybe that place is Colorado. Or Kentucky. Or Texas (they do say everything is bigger there). How about Saudi Arabia. Or India? I honestly have no idea. Well, that's a bit of a lie, I have some prospects- but its too early to get into all of that.

I guess one benefit of not knowing what you are going to do upon graduation is: the possibilities are endless. 

Seriously, endless. Especially when your Father holds the universe in His hands. annnnd que music "He's got the whole world, in His hands" 

I will need to clothe and feed myself (gas for the airstream), and Deacon can't live on granola bars alone, so I realize I will have to have a means of income. I'm just starting to acknowledged (to myself at least) it's ok if it's a very unconventional means to an end. More importantly, it's ok if I haven't quiet figured all of that out, yet. 9-6 ain't quiet my thing.

A perfect day for me wouldn't start until 10am, and it would be ok if there were many breaks (naps) in the mix. I want to spend some time outside, I want to spend time with people. I will need coffee. I'm a night person, so it's cool if these days stretch into the wee hours of morning on occasion. I can't operate a business if I'm not fully functioning at early hours- So all of those ideas could be thrown out the window.

What does it look like to work in ministry? I'm going to do some research. I can handle my own infront of a crowd, I can have perfectly hairsprayed hair that gets windblown on occasion. I could rock a pants suit, if need be. I would probably preach barefooted though. Just sayin' (Arkansas born and raised). How great would it be if God intrusted me with the task of spreading His message and love to the multitudes in a way that allowed me to consider it my "day job"? Beth Moore, anyone? What if she is my new bestie?! (side-note: those ministry women travel a lot-airstream can still work here)

The greatest part of all of this, I don't have to figure it all out. All I have to do is ask, and listen. I just ask God where He wants me, what His desires are for me and He will faithfully answer. He will also provide the airstream or the pant suit-whichever fits the need. 

So for now, here's to the girl who doesn't know what her future holds, but to a God that does.     

The value of friendship

Encouragement comes from the most random places, but always at the most precise moment. So, this ones for you, Bran!

One of my greatest talents (or so I believe) is randomly coming up with raps or silly songs that always find a way to rhyme. I come by this talent honestly, as my grandmother is always one to sing about the daily task in a manner that produces much laughter. We don't share this special gift with just anyone though, so consider yourself favored if you have ever, or do one day, receive words in the form of song that make you want to laugh (sing) along. They most often come in the form of birthday wishes.

Today, my dear friend Kelsey turns 25. Because of this monumental, quarter of a century birthday-she got (what may very well be her first but surly not her last) a special birthday rap. She may or may not have cried at its awesomeness. Your welcome. Here's to the birthday girl! 

Brandi (my encourager for the day) and I have been through so much, I even briefly mentioned it here a long time ago. Through it all-she still knows me just about as much as I know myself. I love her for that, even if she sometimes has episodes. (Episode: when you see someone freak out, oftentimes in a public setting, over pretty much nothing)

Meet Brandi. 

There are so many people that have made me better for knowing them throughout my life. The good and the hard times all molded me into who I am and who I continue to become. When times are hard and relationships are strained, you learn and grow from them.

You make the choice each day to allow your circumstances to effect you, you also make the choice of HOW they will effect you. Because of this, we need to remember that even when things seem impossible or relationships seem not worth it - or if the time comes that they must come to an end, we learn from every single one of them. We learn about life. We learn of things that work and things that don't. We learn to love.

I am beyond thankful for friendships that have carved me into the best version of myself. I am thankful for girlfriends who understand what makes me tick, guy friends who are willing to plunge toilets or hoist me onto a billboard just so I can take a picture, parental figures who push me to be my best, children that look up to me-therefore keeping me in remembrance to always be myself, mentors who faithfully lead, daddy's who fix cars, brothers who irritate you, friends who watch cheesy TV shows with you, who study with you, who sit on the porch and do nothing but sing Conway Twitty songs over and over, friends who take random road trips just to eat dinner in another city, who come in the form of family, who hug, who will drive your car because you don't want to, who take you on your first casino trip and convince you to blow all of the cash you brought on a "Grease" machine, who support your dreams, who donate money to send you half way around the world, who bring you gas when you run out, friends who will forever have the name "kiddo" when they come mind,  who convince you to stalk old flames, who make it through the awful fights and come out stronger, friends who have 4 legs, friends who cook for you, who eat the food you cook-even when it's burnt, friends who climb mountains with you-figuratively and literally, who sew your Halloween costumes, who have been there since elementary, who will lay on the kitchen floor and cry about your problems with you, who help clean up tornado damage with you, who apologize, who forgive, friends who impact you-who change you-who encourage and influence you. 

Friends who love you, for you. Friends who pray for you.

If you don't soak in any of what I've already mentioned, hear this: you need people who are not only willing-but desire-to pray for you. Those are the truest of true friends.

I will say it time an time again, the people you surround yourself with will gratefully affect the kind of person you turn out to be. Take a look around- look in the mirror. If you don't like what you see, you are the only one who can make a change.

So here's to friendship and the value you place on it.

All of those mentioned, you know who you are and where you fit.Thank you for being you and letting me be me. More importantly, thank you for keeping all of those embarrassing moments just between us (most of the time).

Flashback Friday, anyone?

 

I'm quiet the finger painter you see. 

 Political statements.... 

#BigHairDontCare 

Now - Go, spread Joy. 

Kris

Grammar Lessons: It is well.

Lets have a little English lesson. 

It

Subject pronoun: used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence.

Is 

"to be" verb. A declaration.   

Well 

Adverb: expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, or cause.

Definition: in a good or satisfactory manner. 

With 

preposition: characterized by or having

My 

reflexive pronoun: a form of the possessive case of I used as an attributive adjective

 Soul 

                    Noun: my innermost being. My root, deep down to my core.

Just words... but when you place them together, they form quiet the sentence. 

It is well, with my soul.

We sang this song at church this morning. A song I've heard a thousand times, yet its never effected me like today. 

I declare that whatever it may be, all of my innermost being, my soul,  is in a good place; linked or joined together with the spirit of acceptance. Realizing no matter the situation, you can have that peace where everything is good-everything is well within you. All of this is because you come to a place of acceptance, that is when you reach a place of reverence. (Definition: a gesture indicative of deep respect; an obeisance, the state of being; the outward manifestation of this feeling)

My deepest prayer, no mater where this life may take me or what trials I will encounter- may I always be able to declare before The Lord; it is well, with my soul. May I have the understanding that everything is well as long as I have Him in the foremost part of my life.

He is the beginning and the Last.

I stand before you in brokenness knowing that you have made me whole, all the while comforting me so that it can all be well with my soul.

Do I know if all of the grammar "rules" were properly applied here? Not so much. But I do know, today,

 It is well, with my soul.

Did you say "bacon"?

I cried at work today, over Starburst....  but not in the “I’m Hangry” kind of way. 

 This morning I’m just there at work, minding my own business. I think- Oh I’ll be nice and offer one of these fruity, chewy little treats to a coworker- he then politely declined while informing me he was a vegetarian.

I just learned what gelatin really was last night. I also just learned of its existence in almost all of the yummy stuff we eat. Bill Cosby, I'm disappointed. 

The decline of my Starburst spurred another conversation about the substance of gelatin and exactly what it is and how it's made. I don’t know if it’s true, but when another coworker informed me that gelatin was sometimes made of horses hooves, I literally started to get teary eyed. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love meat. I’m not saying I want to go vegetarian or that I would consider cutting all (or any) meat from my diet. I mean, bacon is a BIG deal. But the idea of horses hooves in my innocent mid-morning candy pick me up was actually a let-me-down. Maybe tomorrow I will stick with the regular granola bar.

I have been asking God to break my heart for what breaks His. I don’t know if it’s the innocent animals, or just that He's making my heart softer, but there I was... standing at the service desk in [almost] tears.

When I left work there was a man outside our building. He asked me a simple question about the kind of products Target carried. He was a homely looking man. It could have been because he works construction and those are his work clothes, but the way he asked about a simple loaf of bread got to me. 

There I was again, on the verge of tears. 

I got in my car, as I was driving off thinking of that man and saying a silent prayer for him, Matthew Wests song “My Own Little World” started to play. I've heard this song many times before, but today I actually heard it. It made me wonder; what if there is a greater purpose I could be living right now? I'm on the hunt for my greater purpose.   

Have you ever wanted to know God more but didn’t quiet know where to start? Me too. People always say “start in The Word, of course”. While that may be true, I also know that it can get overwhelming. The Bible is a big book (I mean, technically it’s a large collection of smaller books, but who’s counting). Ask any one person where to start and they will each give you a different place-for a different reason. My suggestion? Start with Prayer. If you want to know God, the very first step is to pray. From the “sinners prayer” to a real relationship- it all starts with prayer.

"Our Prayers are the necessary opening that allows God to act without violating our freedom. Prayer is the ultimate partnership with God." - John Robb

I will add, reading The Word is one definite way of learning more about God. Don't be overwhelmed, start with small amounts. Pray for God to increase your hunger.  

He will. 

I am so thankful I have been challenged by people around me to do just that, to pray and read His word. I am taking this Perspectives Class, it is teaching me God’s heart for the nations. I think more importantly it is teaching me more of who God is, what His desires are, and what His purpose is for each and every one of us.

To take another line from the song, “I don’t want to miss what matters, I want to be reaching out. Show me the greater purpose so I can start living right now.” 

I challenge you, start reaching out, start living now.  

Just a side note: When Jesus created the new covenant, we received the freedom to eat bacon. 

Hung up on Homeschool

I am 26. I am unmarried with no children, unless we count the one with 4 legs. I should not know who Heather Sanders is, but I do. I know who she is because I just spent the better part of my morning reading home school blogs and I happened upon hers. To my own defense, I started with a cooking website in attempts of domesticating myself more. From there I ended up in a mess of home school wonder. To me it is just that, wonder. I know very little, but I'm fascinated. 

You could say my current running crowd has influenced me in the way they do school (remember, I told you who you run with will affect how you do life). Or you can look at the bigger picture. I am 26 years old stuck at a 4 year university taking a class for the umpteenth time, which I cannot pass, simply because it is a degree requirement. Every day I want to skip, to ditch, to bail out. I am only allowed 5 absences a semester though. But I promise you, I use them.

The university feels it will make me a well rounded adult. Hello, I am already an adult. I have a job, I pay my own bills (yes, some with student loans-all of which I will pay back) I am responsible for another life (my dog). I pay my taxes. I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve learned life changing things from them. I contribute to society. 

I saw a TED talk on “hackschooling” and my first thought was “Man, I wish I could hack school the rest of my college degree.” It wasn’t until just a few months ago I realized I should never say “might could” in a sentence... but we can blame that one on my geographical location-not my lack of education. Seriously though, have you ever thought of what your children, or in my case-future children, may be learning or lacking every day? 

What do you do when the student is 16 and believes they know it all already? (that was me) You step up, you encourage them, you push them harder, you ground them, you take away the car keys, you give more homework, you love them, and along the way - you may have to deprive yourself of sleep to make sure they “get it”.

                                       You. Dig. Deeper. 

I didn’t know, or care, to push myself by the time I made it to the grade levels that would essentially effect my future. Would I go back and change things? Yes. Can I? No. So what do I do? I beg you to take your kids education into your own hands, in whatever way that may be. I am asking for the sake of the next generation, do not let them grow up unmotivated or uneducated.

 

My point is this, look into all areas of education. Do not limit yourself to the everyday bump and grind of the public system. If you do choose public education, make sure you are checking in on your kids. Push them. Keep up with the teachers who pour hours into your children. Join the PTA. 

If you home school; you choose the curriculum, you set the pace, YOU are responsible - that I've learned. That I am attracted to, but at this point in my discovery it's about all I know. Oh, except there is a great online support system of people all over the country doing this too, and they love to help out new beginners. Just saying. 

I am only asking you to so heavily consider your children's education because they will help determine my future. They are our future law makers, business people, road builders, political leaders, educators, doctors, zoo keepers-they will be doing it all. 

Your children will also decide which nursing home you will go to. Choose wisely.

Reflections

1 year, 4 months, 12 days------Now that is a break in blogging. 

I just spent the last hour reading all of my old blog post, from the very first one to the most recent. If you are in need of a good read, I recommend doing the same (on my blog, of course). Apparently I am a really clever lady, and my play on words is oh so impressive. I do seriously recommend reading at least the first few, it’s where the magic happens. I would add the link here, but I'm not cool enough to know how to do that, so take a look at the side bar and hit "archives", or whatever will take you there. 

As I read through all of my past ramblings, I realized a few things: 

-I spend a lot of time in the library not doing homework. (that hasn’t changed much) 

-God is faithful.
-I am funny! I really do have the gift of gab, and I’m totally prepared to use it.
-One should never underestimate the power of a good pair of cowboy boots.
-My desire to be the First Lady is real. (If chosen for this, I am fully prepared to sing happy birthday Marilyn style for the rest of my life. Totally prepared.) 
-I should get back into a workout routine.
-Once a Greys Anatomy addicted, always an addict.-10 years and going strong.
-The people you surround yourself with really do affect the way you do life.
-I choose laughter. And sometimes wine.

  

                                         So, what’s new then? 

I am obsessed with the Fayettechill clothing line. I just love all they stand for.

Meet Deacon, the prayer dog. He’s not so new to me (feb 20-our 1 year “gotcha day”), but he does deserve a formal introduction to the blog if I’m going to make a real go at this. Currently, he's sad he doesn't have a yard because he likes to run through the snow, and I get cold.

I wrote about having a red fish because redheads are my favorite, but now hes swimming in life's greatest sea. RIP Lewis. 

Then I shared about my mom, the one I don’t know. Its ok though, because this lady adopted me, and she’s kind of a celebrity. Don’t mention it to her though, she just swears it isn’t true.

Notice the red hair? I told you, God IS faithful. 

I was going to graduate in May, now I’m not. Hello December Commencement Ceremony! (perpetual student strikes AGAIN)—seriously, someone should be paying ME to still be here.

I got a new [to me] ride. The back glass is covered in cheesy stickers, one even mentions french kissing. I wouldn't want it any other way.

I went to India (in case you missed it from the awesome clothes in the above picture). I now have this unique ability to squeal any time I see an Indian person here in America. I believe we are all bonded, even though they have no idea.

So these are a few of the things that have changed in a year… 

I’m sure there’s more, just as I’m sure I will promise to tell you all about it then possibly forget for a few months. Finger crossed that won’t happen. How else are you to learn of my whereabouts and read my deepest thoughts? Oh that’s right, Facebook. 

While attempting to listen in lecture yesterday I came to this conclusion; I would love to be paid to tell people truth and tell them what I think-preferably from my house-in my pajamas. Maybe this is a start. If I add in a camera and a political science degree, can I stumble upon a career in photojournalism? 

Thoughts to ponder.

-Kris