The Macdonalds

a great day for a special lady.

2012-02-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

my mom's birthday is today. happy birthday to her! being a mom is an awesome thing and every day that i am a mom i realize how amazing my mom is. the fact that she did what i do day after day after day and has hardly complained through the sacrifices and all... wow. she get's an A+ in my book.

i remember going to Guatemala after my senior year of high school on a mission's trip. I learned a lot on that trip but one of the main things was that God chooses your parents, the place you grow up, the siblings you have, and on and on for you... and at that i am so so grateful. God knew the mom i needed and he has allowed me a great relationship with her.

we love to shop together, laugh together. she has been a huge help with my kids, whether it's when they are born or on sunday nights when we need a babysitter. and not only does she help... she loves it. my mom has a strong faith that has carried her through many trials in life and has showed me that when you trust in the Lord, he really will make your paths straight. she exemplifies endurance to me.

my mom has been an example in her marriage too. she picked a great man (if i say so myself) and they have stuck together for almost thirty-seven years. and they still love each other. they go on dates and have been a tangible example for me a true love.

my mom loves her kids and would do anything for them. i can remember pleading with her for prom dresses that i 'needed.' she would figure out a way to make it work even if that meant scrimping on herself. she has gone to great lengths in order to be there for us and have taught us to love Jesus and that is the best legacy i could have asked for.

i want to shout to the roof tops that it's my mom's birthday today. because i love her. and she rocks. she's a great example to me.

happy 39th and counting. you look great lovely lady!
xo,
kg

you might just eat the whole pan.

2012-02-16T13:51:00.002-06:00

the other day i was looking to bring a dessert to our small group and stumbled upon

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.

Warning: you may eat all of them if you dare to make them.

Also, they take like ten minutes to make!

here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
5 cups of Corn Flakes
1 cup of syrup (light color)
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of peanut butter

Topping:
1 12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 package of 12 oz. butterscotch chips

Measure out corn flakes and set aside in a bowl. Bring syrup and sugar to a boil (all on low heat and it should only boil on the sides), add peanut butter-mix well. Pour mixture over corn flakes and thoroughly mix. Press into a 9x13 pan.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch together and pour over top of corn flake mixture. Let cool for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!

(they are pretty rich, but serve little pieces with ice cream... i think they are to die for:))
happy baking,
kg:)

happy heart day.

2012-02-16T13:34:00.006-06:00

valentine's day is a special day around here.
no, i'm not going to say that 'it's valentine's day everyday at our house' because that's downright cheese-fest and i think luke would vomit.
i'd like to think we do have a loving house but let's be serious, we're human.

we had a valentine's breakfast with my in-laws... it was fun to see everyone sporting their red!
reid got to wear a v-day shirt i had gotten for carter a few years ago and it says, 'mommy's little love bandit.' Since v-day carter keeps saying, 'reid's my bandit.'
this kid is hilarious.

carter and i made homemade valentine's this year.
i decided we didn't need to spend a fortune or do gifts this year.
they are precious. i might just keep them forever.

then my sweet husband changed the plan that i thought we had by surprising me with a babysitter and a night downtown.
no cooking. no cleaning up. a night out. i was SOOO excited.
not to mention it was ten years since our first date.

when i said, let's do no gifts, i thought it meant none...
so i literally made a paper valentine.
but while waiting in traffic he was like here's your gift:

he got all my blog entries since i started my blog bound into a book.
yes, tears started flowing.
i had no idea.
what a thoughtful gift.

it's fun to look through it now, but i can't wait to reread it in ten years.
so to say that we had a happy heart day is true.
hope yours was special too!

Love & hearts,
kg

sunday's commentary:)

2012-02-16T13:25:00.003-06:00

a few days late, but a great sermon.

on Sunday, luke preached about waiting. i've done some waiting in the past 25 years and i think it's fair to say that it's a part of everyone's life.

The long and short of the points are over here on his blog ...

but my favorite part of the sermon was at the end when he said there's two ways to handle waiting... good and bad.

bad: squirm out of it, try to cut the corners so the waiting will be over.

or

good: waiting through it and learning the lessons as they come learning better how to trust the Lord.

Psalm 25 says it best:
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.

i don't know about you, if you're in a season of waiting or coming out of one; but i do know that the lessons i've learned during times of waiting i always remember. they are ingrained in my heart. they might not have been easy to learn and most times i was darned if i thought it was the time to learn them, but God knew better every time.

i want to wait well.
blessings,
kristen:)

in the trench. literally.

2012-02-08T13:10:00.003-06:00

a dear friend of mine bought me a book for christmas.
and i devoured it.
like it still has the pages (maybe that's obvious) but i read it in record time.
it's a short read. but it talks out of the season that i am in.
well, the author has 5 kids - 5 and under (two are twins).

it's called 'LOVING the little years, motherhood in the trenches' by Rachel Jankovic.
sometimes you just need to spend some time reading a book reminding yourself of why you do what you do and getting new ideas how to do parenting right.

i have read books in the past who have told these 'glory stories' about picking up poop and stuff and they remember the stories with fondness. i love my kids, but i'm in the trenches, when poop gets dropped on your brand new slippers.... sometimes you want to scream. in other words... poop stories are only glorious after they are over. (does it sound like that is hypothetical, lol?!)

there's a certain comradarie with someone when they are in the same 'trench' as you.
-just moved
-single
-pregnant
-engaged
-just married
-have a newborn
-just retired (i'm guessing here;))

that's what i felt most of while reading it.
but here are the key points that flowed from that camaraderie.
... 'it is not an abstract thing-the state of your heart is the state of your home.' {insert: what is the state of my home?}

...'because if you are the teacher and none of the students are succeeding, you need to be doing a better job. You need to think of new ways to explain lessons. Change up the terminology a bit. Give some illustrations. {yep, see this}

...Christian childrearing is a pastoral pursuit, not an organizational challenge. {where's their heart}

...grabby hands come from grabby hearts {thinking about this one a lot. what's the deeper issue.}

...structure and freedom combined together make happy children. too much of either is very destructive. {hard balance.}

...but joy is not giddy. it is not an emotional rush-it is what happens when you accept your lot and rejoice in your toil. {needed that.}

i started following her blog today too.
happy wednesday.
kg

three looks good on you.

2012-01-31T20:16:00.005-06:00

dear carter jude, happy birthday. today was a great day - we celebrated YOU! this year you've taught me so.... much. you've taught me patience (gosh, i never knew i needed to grow this much!), grace, forgiveness, and that a kiss always makes an 'ouchie-wa-wa' feel that much better. you have taught me to keep laughing when life hurts, to keep my eyes closed when i or you pray and you have helped me to think about the ordinary things of life again because they're all brand new to you. You've taught me the power of curiosity and the joy of playing hard. You've taught me about pirates, toys that like to play with Andy, and so many character's names ... i know more than i ever knew i wanted to.:) You've taught me that a beautiful picture is colored only with a few crayons and scribbles. You've taught me that there's no time to waste... on to the next thing. You've taught me that you love sleep-what a beautiful rarity. I don't mean to sound cliche but i could go on and on because i haven't even scratched the surface of what you teach me. As a mom i learn so much and quite frankly learn how little i thought i knew before. Thanks for teaching me so much and for being a refining tool in my life everyday to draw me to Christ. Thanks for being my pal. Life with you is that much better. love, your momma.

when you have it 'all together.'

2012-01-28T21:02:00.003-06:00

this was one of those weeks.
where the plan was to have it all together.
the kids were going certain places for the day of the elephant room so i could take part, i had my husband's and my clothes picked out and ready to go and elephant room went as well as could have been planned. ALL PRAISE TO GOD!

but then the next day happened: i felt tired, my kids woke up too early, i had to take one of the kids to the doctor and of course his symptoms stopped once we got there... and the list goes on.

all to say by thursday my 'i've got it all together' had disappeared; as seen not just in my appearance but in my attitude.

can you say... 'u-g-l-y... you ain't got no allaby... you ugly, hey, hey, you ugly' {yes, i just went back to my cheerleading days... it was applicable, just take my word for it.}

but i've been thinking about this because so often i put on this front as if 'i have it all-together' when i really really don't... {i promise you, i'm getting to my point}

let me start with this though... probably two months ago i came running into church on a saturday night with my kids. i had probably ten minutes to get them checked in and into their classes, i still had to find the mister and get seated... as i'm scanning my card i run into carter's old church school teacher and as carter starts sprinting the opposite direction from me she goes, 'you always look like you have it all together.'
i
laughed
OUT
LOUD.
it was like she had figured out that i hadn't. there i was in shock because she was serious.
i thought that any person with to 2+ kids knows that you've thrown that out the window once you gave birth....
did i mention at this point i have no idea where child #1 is... for all i know he is checking out the fifth grade church school rooms because he wants to meet someone.... such a sanguine.

let me get to my point.
in the last year... i've given up the 'i have it all together' plan. {or at least am attempting, see first paragraph;)}
i played it in the past and it was so defeating, discouraging, did i mention unsatisfying?
do i still struggle with this sometimes, yes, of course.
but you know what i figured out for myself at least... trying to keep 'my family's' life all tied up in a neat bow doesn't work in normal life, no less when you're trying to live for jesus.

life is messy.
relationships our messy.
while i'm, at it kids our messy.
who care's if a hair is out of place, or it needs a good buzz.
who cares if i can't make a perfectly homemade, nutritious snack for my kids everyday,
who cares if i can't be on time to every single thing.

because when i'm on the 'i look the part' program that's my flesh shining through...
like, aren't i so great, i have the strength within myself, and you know what, that's just so darn untrue.

the only hope i have in getting myself out the door, dressed, along with those two darlings he gave me and my husband is by God's grace. He gives me energy. He supplies the patience. He gives me compassion toward them. He has provided every step of the way... and when i try to shine instead of Jesus it's an ugly thing.

Lord help me... let CHRIST shine through.
bless that sunday school teacher lady's heart... she was just trying to be nice.
and yes, i did find the first born... i think someone brought him over to me and said, 'he's yours, right?' {shly obliging i took his hand- of course they knew!}
but, this has churned over in my mind and even as i type i think gosh i shouldn't be publicizing it.
but then again i bet i'm not the only one who acts, feels, battles this thing.
it's a beast.
and i double-dog-dare it to not rear it's ugly head.

let me shine JESUS rather than 'have it all together...'
it's so much better that way.
kg

blood part II. commentary

2012-01-23T16:10:00.003-06:00

elephant room is this week. this means that we're at the end of a long season and we're excited for the event and wow, i've never seen my husband work so hard in his whole life (insert here: he is a hard worker all the time so you get the idea). although Elephant Room is exciting and challenging there's also High school ministry.

high school ministry was amazing last night. like
faith building.
in awe of God inspiring.
constantly praying.
growing.
students fired up.

like wow.

Luke preached an almost identical message to last week because he encouraged the students to bring their friends this week.
AND. THEIR. FRIENDS. CAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
like so many friends.
like rows and rows of students.
like i don't even know the number.
to me, that's faith building.
that's the students in HSM taking ownership of their ministry and desiring for their friends to not just like them for how they dress or how they look but for the core of who they are: saved by jesus.
can you tell it fired me up?

last night when Luke was explaining the gospel he talked through all the sins that Jesus died for that we commit. it was pretty powerful... i didn't get it all down, but here's the gist.. it impacted me.
the price jesus paid was once for all.
but sometimes once we've heard about it we move past the physical pain.
how though?
When Jesus knew of his impending death on the cross he sweat drops of blood because of the stress and anxiety and that now cleanses us of the stress and anxiety we face.
he was whipped.
he was lied about.
he was treated like a piece of meat.
(sigh), i never want to get over that last one. brutal.
when he got treated that way it pays for all the times when we go the wrong way intentionally even knowing it will lead to sin.
he bled internally.
that paid for all the times we pretend at church when our hearts are far from him.
they jammed a crown of thorns on his head.
this was payment for all the times i think that i know better. {clearly i'm too prideful to see}
then he had nails put into his hands/wrists
that was for all the times i touch, take, or type in things i shouldn't.
his feet were then nailed to the cross.
that was for all the times i go places i know i shouldn't go but go anyway.
he was pierced in the side.
that pays for every time i've ever chosen anything other than him.

if you can't see your sin after that, well, i'm not sure what to say.
in awe of Christ,
kg:)

switch it, change it, a-re-arrange it.

2012-01-19T14:49:00.003-06:00

i read over my allotted goal of last year. that was exciting!!!!!!!!!
i'm finishing the next Christians. and then i'll be completely done with that 2011 book list (with a bunch of additions to the original).
and for this year i have a list of suggestions, of books i really want to read, and books that i am going to read for small groups and bible studies... here's some of the lists....

Suggestions:

1. Unbroken
2. Knowledge of the holy
3. When sinners say I do
4. Because he loves me
5. Hipster Christianity
6. The giver
7. Outliers
8. The last sin eater By Francine Rivers
9. The gospel driven life
10. Give them grace
11. Cupidity
12. Into thin air
13. Hunger Games Trilogy
14. The help
15. Classics… little women?
16. The day satan called by bill scott
17. Don’t waste your life by john piper
18. Captivating by john & stasi Aldridge
19. Weight of glory by c.s. lewis

On my list:
Love and respect
Cooking book - Julia’s kitchen wisdom by Julia childs
Photography book- dslr photography for dummies
The saving life of Christ
Total money makeover by Dave Ramsey
Power of a praying wife
Birth order

small group/bible study books...
intimate issues
when God's people pray

any more suggestions?!
kg:)

sunday nite commentary

2012-01-17T14:05:00.003-06:00

it was good to be back at youth group.

we've been away and so normal feels good.

like the fact that today i am excited to cook dinner. gosh, that only happens after i haven't had to do it in a LONG while. i am thankful for the rest we had and ready to be back 'at it.'

going to youth group on Sunday night felt like home. i was moved to tears during worship and moved by the message as we partook in communion after.

see, Luke preached about the blood of Christ.
something that's graphic as you think of the price he paid (think passion of the Christ) and beautiful as you think of the symbolism of what it gave to us... pure freedom from our sin... it canceled the debt WE CANNOT pay. No one could do it but jesus.

here were his points:
blood was used. ----> when you trust in anything other than or God or put something above God it is sin. So before Jesus came, in the old testament they put blood above their doors to show the sacrifice of animals for sin...

blood failed. ----> eventually it was supposed to be that the constant need for a sacrifice led you to the point that you didn't want to sin anymore... but people kept failing. rules always make us curious to try things even if they are wrong.

{insert example of my husband throwing 'crap off the boat' on the cruise because he wasn't supposed to}

blood is needed. ----> hebrews 9:26 states that Jesus died ONCE FOR ALL. we need to accept him so that his blood covers our payment for sin... because in and of ourselves we can't pay the debt. not by good works, not by giving money, not by living a nice life... nothing we can do can come even close.

blood is perfected. ----> the blood of Christ is the only solution. it's easy to loose sight of what we gained through his blood. but the cold hard truth is that if we don't accept Christ we have a lifetime of burning in eternal hell and separation from Christ.

our responsibility: tell everyone we know. students are bringing their friends this next week and Luke is going to share a similar message. please join Luke and i in praying for our students as they ask their friends to come and as students hear the gospel preached this sunday.

my response: far too often i have chosen comfort over uncomfort. if it feels like i'm being to 'preachy' or if i fear rejection i sugar things up when talking to people when they don't know Christ. i feel convicted. This year i am going to choose the more uncomfortable approach and if i have to say something that is too preachy or that states the truth.... well, the stakes are too big... i don't want those i love to be separated from Christ in eternity.

praying for salvation,
kg

keep on keeping on...

2012-01-17T00:01:00.003-06:00

ministry is an interesting thing. you serve and love people and you do as unto the Lord but...
relationships are messy...
life isn't easy.
people aren't perfect.
hard things happen.
circumstances change.
and on and on...

which makes the need for Christ in our lives so urgent. who can get through this life alone? let me go first, not me!!!

just today i have been in tears probably three times. i need Christ... in fact i'm desperate for him.

that's why we do ministry .... high school ministry propels kids toward Christ in the midst of life.

every sunday night after youth group luke and i debrief. sometimes that means talking for a half hour while other times that means just silence, praying, smiles and laughter, or tears... the whole spectrum sometimes too.

there's always reasons to be frustrated and always reasons to be excited, to see God at work and to stop and think... wow, what we are trying to use our lives for is actually meaningful. clearly, we are just two people he is using but none of what is being done is because of us or something that we should receive glory for. all of it is for the Lord and his kingdom it's just cool to be part of it.

however last night Luke received a letter from a student whose life has been changed in the midst of being part of harvest hsm (among many things of course).

these type of stories we don't take lightly... i hope it blesses you the way it did me. God changes lives...to him be the glory!

Dear Luke,
I'm sure I've said it a million times, but I am so glad I started coming to youth group in Rolling Meadows. You have no idea how much it has totally changed me. Before coming to HSM, I was totally NOT on fire for the LORD. I was very focused on myself and what I wanted in life. At that time, I had no idea what brought me to youth group (obviously, now i know it was the Lord!!) that day in January, but I knew the minute you started preaching that this is what I had been missing for years in my life: in your face, unashamed, relevant to me, TRUTH. I never felt that way about youth group before. I am forever changed by the message you gave that day. Your words brought me out of my selfish haze and made me realize how stupid and stubborn i was.
Since your message, I have been forever changed. I have never been happier in my relationships with friends, never so in love with the LORD and never stronger in my faith. I have you to thank for that. The Lord spoke powerfully through you that day and I am so glad he did.

God is awesome and it's so cool to hear about lives changed.
Psalm 33:4
For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
thankful,
kg

keep 'em coming...

2012-01-16T15:53:00.004-06:00

who says that you have to finish your resolutions all in one year.... i don't.

i just finished reading this book and it is a definite fave. so just after i turned the last page i wrote my top five reasons of why i loved it:

1. helped me understand the Bible story of Rahab with lots of color & illustration.
2. showed the awesome mercy & grace & love of Christ.
3. Kept me guessing - always something happening.... kept the story unraveling.
4. inspired me to be a woman of faith.
5. well-written.

you should read it. or buy it as a gift for someone. or just read it.
happy monday,
kg.

2012.

2011-12-31T00:32:00.000-06:00

looking to the future, the new year, new days... new memories, a clean slate.

Luke and i had a little meeting this week of brainstorming... talking and of course led into some kind of discussion 'about God knows what' that got us off topic for a an hour... but we've got some goals we're excited about, challenged by and altogether ready to get going with!

my/our goals this year:

physical: work out twice a week
{our together goal: run a 5k this spring}

spiritual:finish reading through the bible in a year (chronologically)
{our together goal: memorize our family value scriptures and teach them/the concepts to our kids}

relational:one 'pour out' (into someone else) activity/meeting and one 'pour in' activity/meeting each week

intellectual: continue blogging;), read at least 12 books (post to come), put together a recipe book with all our fave recipes for my own keeping as well as for a gift to give to newlyweds (excited about this one!)
{our together goal: read the new driscoll marriage book, go through the love life dvd series, tim keller marriage book, and a parenting book - wow typing this seems over ambitious!}

cheers!
kg:)

2011-12-30T13:47:00.005-06:00

i've surpassed my reading goal for 2011 but haven't quite gotten to all my books. i have two to go. and i don't think i'm going to finish them before tomorrow at midnight...

and yeah know what?!
----------------------------------------------------------> that's ok.

i read at least fifteen books or so... i think when you go from barely reading one book a year to loosing count, i'd say that's a good sign.

i recently finished...
this is one that i think i want to read every year. seriously, whatever season you are in you can learn from it... single, married, dating... us girls think we get guys. truth is we can always learn something.

in my current season, here's 4 things i picked up.

1. he wants you to support him... most of the time that means standing by him and not inserting your thoughts.
2. at the heart of our response... do we want to support our husbands or change them? pg. 130
3. when he makes an effort, it's your responsibility - and your joy - to demonstrate that it's worth it. pg. 152
4. don't get too busy with the kids , the to do list, helping people... for him. pg. 154

i also just finished this book...
at times this one was a page turner. it is definitely a love story. i'm a sucker for that. but it also has some pretty dirty language that i am not used to. at 518 pages... you've got to be a dedicated reader.

i don't know my favorite book of the year. i liked so many of them this year. this was a 'worth it' goal. i challenge you to do it next year if you didn't this year... twelve books... if i can do it, you can:)

happy reading,
kg

small vs. big box.

2011-12-30T12:05:00.002-06:00

we don't live in a small town so we haven't had all the small businesses be replaced with walmart but our little friend linda who owns a cleaners down the street is going out of business. sad.

i can't be a hater of those 'one price cleaner' places because i use them myself. but they don't tailor anything or alter dresses or patch jeans.

three years ago we found this little lady who works hard, charges fair prices and the other day when luke went to have her alter his jeans - she told him she's closing... 'not enough business.'

literally, i couldn't stop thinking about it. besides the fact that i was sick for part of this week at which point you have several long hours to think throughout the day about all the sad things happening in the world.... including you being sick... dramatic- yes. true- yes.

anyways... our little cleaners is closing and that makes me sad for all the little business owners that can't stay open because of the big box stores that lure customers like me in for cheap products... oh the dilemma.

i may as well spare you from anymore of this soap box...
and dear sweet linda, i don't think you know how much we appreciated you;)
kg

why i don't write a christmas letter.

2011-12-23T17:18:00.002-06:00

i am not against christmas letters or have hate for them... i find extreme joy in running to my mailbox during the christmas season to see the pictures, cards, and letters that arrive daily.. no joke i have to pick myself up out of a funk when i receive none in a day. so for those of you who send us a card, thank you for keeping my spirits up around Christmas.

but yesterday i read a letter from a family we've known for a while and it was real, it described what they did, yet didn't boast, nor made me feel discontent with my life. it inspired me... for a minute i had wished i had sent one out and then thought... 'well, there's always next year.'

for those of you who are faithful blog readers you know what goes on over here {possibly more than you'd like} you see millions of pictures, you hear me tell the stories of our boys and you support us by encouraging us in ministry. but, i thought i would kind of use this mini-platform to reflect on the year.

We started off the year sleep deprived and trying to figure out the two kid thing and although i haven't quite mastered how to shower, care for my kids, arrive on time to events, and have a clean house we've finished the first year and are much less sleep deprived. Somehow our second born has (knock on wood) discovered his love for sleep and we couldn't be more than thrilled. We have taken woody and the various toy story characters (stuffed animal versions) on many adventures and we have completed another season of ministry. it's been a full year... in some ways one that we won't mind to see go and on the other hand have memories that are very dear to our hearts.

Carter Jude the first born is sweet and sassy and lovable. He has a quick wit and loves to talk {sometimes too much}. He takes after his father in many things but thank goodness loves hanging with his mommy too. We have been very familiar with the naughty chair and discipline this year but have also seen him flourish at what he likes to call 'church school' and 'swim school.' Considering his first swim lesson (with me in the pool with him) was spent crying in entirety we have found success in the fact that he doesn't hold us with a death grip anymore and has hopefully given up an aversion to water... we'd say we made progress. His love for books is exciting and his desire to share can only increase... however we hear that's normal.;)

Reid is growing and on the move. We see more of his personality come out daily and we have been waiting a long time for him and Carter to be able to play together... a feat that we feel like is in the very near future. He loves shrieking which others find enjoyable and we tend to 'deal with,' but the laughs and the babbling are warmly welcomed. His love for his brother is undeniable and although you wouldn't know it by his waistline... well, he can eat. We love our time with just him and treasure it since it's rare and like i said before we are very excited that he now enjoys long periods of sleep.

Luke and I are four and a half years into our marriage and are thankful to continue to pour into our relationship and keep it going strong. We enjoyed another year of serving the Lord in the high school ministry and have been challenged as well as encouraged in all that is entailed. Luke has taken on a lead role to put on the Elephant Room conference and we are greatly anticipating all work that has gone into such a neat event. We are thankful for our couple's small group and for family nearby so that date nights are a regular occurrence and so that the fire is still ignited.:)

We've seen God move this year in our hearts and lives... we've cried tears this year... we've seen provisions... we've travelled long hours... we've been up with children... we've had sickness... we've ... well fill in the blank.. looking back this year had a lot but we are so so grateful and testify that God is good all the time.
May you be reminded of that joy in this season.
thanks for your love and support and stopping by this little blog:)
much love,
kg

the gifts in the gift.

2011-12-23T16:44:00.003-06:00

christmas is almost here. the house is decked with love and decorations, all the gifts are bought and wrapped {except the new pets: to be revealed}, and before we know it, if we aren't careful all the hype of gifts will overshadow the reason of the season: Jesus' birth. i have been overwhelmed and thought a lot about that gift this season... to attempt to explain to my first born and to grasp for myself why I'm giving to others and celebrating.

last year i remember thinking and reflecting a lot on Mary... it seemed to make sense since i had a newborn... i felt like i could relate in a very small way or at least i could understand some of the things she must of have been thinking. but this year my attention has been turned toward that baby, named Jesus.

Matthew 1:23 {ESV} says,

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Immanuel isn't just his name, it's his presence. When i think about his presence and how he promises to never leave nor forsake us (hebrews 13:5) i think about the peace that brings. i am never alone. never... no buts, no maybes, no it's conditional on how you act.... he is with us... that's part of who He is and He is faithful to everything He is. Immanuel, think about it.

the other part of the birth that i have been thinking about is the mercy in the gift of Jesus.

the definition of mercy: is not getting what i deserve.

the book of Isaiah prophesied that there would be a king that would be born and that He would pay the price for our sin.
Isaiah 53:3-6 says

"He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."

you almost have to read it over a few times to grasp all the gifts that he gives to us... all the things that he bore that we don't have to because he took them upon himself instead.

i was thinking about the funny thing about mercy... like the fact that if you extend mercy to someone you think, wow, that person owes me and i'm so great because i gave them what they didn't deserve.{don't leave me hanging here, haven't you ever thought that... i know it's pride that is soon to be broken... stick with me} but on the other hand if you need mercy given to you by another you think about all the reasons why you deserve 'mercy' {oxymoron: i think so}. and then you think about the mercy that God gives us- i don't know about you but it's momentarily here in our house... {please don't think i'm trying to boast in sin but rather acknowledge that i fall short a lot} well... daily, hourly, even minutely--- God has given me so much i don't even deserve. mercy = wow & pride= instantly broken

that's the baby that was in the manger named Jesus... he embodied peace with his presence and mercy in the fact that he would pay for all our sin and yet he was born a babe so we could see his humility even with all of that on his resume. after being out shopping in busy places today that reminds me of the exact opposite of the vibe in the air... and reminds me of how fresh and awesome and indescribable this baby Jesus was and is.

he is more than my words will ever say.

merry christmas,

kg:)

random 'merryness' of christmas

2011-12-20T21:45:00.008-06:00

hello:)

i've been snapping a lot of pictures lately.

most of them of these two crazy boys of mine.

like here... we have before and after shots of their most recent do's.
before:
after:

low and behold my second born decided to sit calmly without tears for his first hair cut. {didn't think that was possible} I am so happy that is possible for a child. that makes me think this kid is going to be a keeper... wink.
and if you wondered about the firstborn... well, after many cuts of his coarse hair i think we've done well with bribery and many less tears than the first time around. Progress is good... said a wise woman:)

and then there was the princess party for my niece. i dressed like a princess.... who says 'no' to wearing their wedding tiara again? {not me}

and then there was the beginning of the sugar cookie tradition my mom always did with us that i decided to pass on to carter... so fun and so exciting that i can finally do this and will be doing this for years to come... eeekkk!

and while the cookies were cooling we took them to a park near where we lived when we were newlyweds! it wasn't too cold so the boys had fun running around and well, it was entertaining watching carter try to climb on the forbidden carousel 'to ride the horses..'

did i mention icing the sugar cookies... ice a cookie, eat a cookie, spill all the sprinkles... and repeat;)

oh and this was lunch one day last week. is he a heartbreaker or what?!

now get ready for a laugh... this was in effort to get a photo of their christmas wear to church on saturday... last year carter was crying... this year it is reid... funny nonetheless.

at least he's cute when he cries.:)

oh and then our 'ice skating with santa' family fun day' - mainly luke would say pushing carter's full body weight on ice. {maybe next year}
this santa was free to get a picture with... imagine that;)

and then today... i got to go to the american girl place with my niece... to pick out first a sold out doll and then Ivy. we had an overpriced breakfast, tears over the sold out doll, and lots of giggles. it was precious.

and then we opened our first christmas gift tonight... we do this every year and it was new pj's. i opted against christmas jammies and got well.... it all started when i found buzz lightyear jammies ---> the rest is history. they were pretty psyched and then tears ensued following the realization that christmas isn't tomorrow. {mommy fail.}
oh well. they look cute and i now know that carter is going to be so glad when it's christmas. {insert fact: as if i already didn't know that}

our weeks have been full and a cold has been kicking my butt and i've been thinking on the message we heard this weekend... the important christmas to-do list. take a listen if you haven't already.:)

hope it's a merry week for you... i'm sure you'll hear from me again...
love,
kg

joy, joy, & more joy.

2011-12-14T15:27:00.006-06:00

i was thinking about Christmas Advent... & the joy that Christ brings. I was thinking of one person in particular who has exemplified that for me: my pop.

this is how the story begins: ( i know it's not super detailed and perfect but it's as i know it:))

my grandfather (pop) was born the baby of ten and his mother was very sick and couldn't take care of him so he was raised with a few of his siblings in an orphange in central illinois. right out of high school he decided to join the navy and served (what ended up being his whole career). shortly after his time overseas he married my grandma. they loved each other, they lived for jesus and she was an example of an amazing servanthearted woman. they raised four children together and they have twelve+ (plus many other grandchildren through second marriages) grandchildren not to mention ... i don't know even where to begin with great grandchildren((but let me mention he knows all by name and birthdate). my favorite picture of them is them standing by niagra falls with yellow rain coats on... a trip they went on right before my grandma got sick. they desperately wanted to make it to fifty years of marriage but were two years short when she lost her battle of leukemia eighteen years ago (on december 21st).

{me, my grandpa, my mom & my firstborn}

my grandpa kept going as any widow tries to do. although he didn't continue to do everything the way she did, he's kept going none the less. You see- here's my point, my grandpa's life wasn't out of a story book but throughout all of it he has chosen joy. For him, that often means making light of situations and laughing even when times were tough. I cannot remember a time visiting him when i've come out for breakfast in the morning and his Bible's not open - he always has praise music going and he's choosing to laugh in the midst of a trial. i know he's not a perfect man but in all the life that he's seen you know that regardless of his circumstances he chooses to see joy.

{pop & my grandma & my parent's couch many ages ago;)}

just a week ago he was taken to the hospital with health problems. the verdict... he's 80+ years old and has some health issues (at that age i think it just comes with the territory?) but as my mom was giving me the play by play she sent me this text: 'the whole time in the ER he was cracking jokes.' that's just pop... him in the moment of weakness exuding joy.

everytime around this year i think of my grandma... things i wish she could have taught me (she was an amazing seamstress and cook), wishing we could have had more memories together (she died at 65), and of course that she could have been a great grandma to my kids and met my man. She had a beautiful smile and a sweet little giggle. her wake and funeral were a testament to how great she was... there were so many people. I'm glad that i was able to be part of the clan that was there to say goodbye to her while she took her last breath... literally. and then i think about my grandpa and how he's continued 18 years without the love of his life with joy. true joy.

true joy... is not finding happiness in circumstances or allowing circumstances to dictate your attitude but it's having a supernatural delight in Jesus Christ.

as i look back on this year and as i look forward to Christmas i think of joy over this year... that my year had joy because God was at work and he has used all the circumstances of this year to show me his love, his faithfulness, and that he reigns in all the world.

{one tradition he kept up was handing out cracker jacks with this hilarious santa outfit on}

i pray that joy would fill your christmas memories this year,
kg:)

monday morning commentary {on steroids}

2011-12-12T13:57:00.003-06:00

Luke preached this weekend in BIG church. he prepped all week and we prayed for him all week and it was a message so applicable for the holidays. it wasn't some 'warm and fuzzy' love those who are hard to love messages....

it was this message that he preached in high school ministry a few months ago about Abraham's life and how he was an amazing example of godliness in relationships.

there's a relationship i'm in right now that i'm finding myself needing to 'yield my rights' in. My sinful nature has listed the reasons a million times of why i have the 'right' to be frustrated but Luke reminded me through this message that God had the right to give us what we deserved and he yielded that right when he sent Jesus to pay for all our sin... knowing that we would fail him and be unfaithful to him he STILL SENT JESUS. wow.

yielded rights. that's my conviction. what was yours?!

moving on to high school ministry... Luke preached for the fourth time this weekend. FOUR TIMES! this man amazes me. so so proud of him.

he preached from Isaiah 9:6 and how God provides all our needs. He brought up the point about how things aren't always the way they seem... like people could put up a really good front that they live a perfect life but if you lived in their home it could be a completely different story. But Jesus isn't like that... everything, let me repeat... EVERYTHING he says he is ... he is!

and Because of who He is I have hope.
Wonderful Counselor: intellectual hope: the Bible is the most scrutinized book & it's never been proved wrong.

Everlasting Father: physical need: many people sadly have a screwed up view of what a relationship with a father is but he is the sovereign... always in charge amazing picture of a father.

Prince of Peace: fills every emotional need: HE WON'T LET YOU DOWN! i loved the way he described peace: simplicity- perfectly content.

Mighty God: fufills every spiritual need: everyone has this desire in their life for something to fill it. we all fill it with endless idols that cease to satisfy... until we fill it with a relationship with Jesus Christ we aren't satisfied. And even after accepting Jesus Christ sometimes we let him get crowded out by idols that are stupid now and stupid before. God fills that need... alone.

Christmastime is simply about the fact that Jesus came- to fill every need so that you and i and everyone can have hope.

so blessed after this weekend.
God is Awesome!
Convicted and Challenged,
kg

'hope-ing' {not to be confused with hopping}

2011-12-09T14:43:00.004-06:00

this morning there was not even an inch of snow on the ground but it got my {almost} three year old so excited. he kept saying, 'it's almost Christmastime mommy, because there's snow.' by he kept saying it, i mean he incessantly repeated it all morning. and yes, it was cute the first time and the time right before i put him in his bed for nap. (insert smirk here.)

this boy of mine is so excited for christmas. he talks about it. and asks questions about it like: who will be here? where it will take place? where is santa gonna be? and the list goes on....

but see here's the thing... he's 'hope-ing' for something.

so today when we were in the car and he was brought to crocodile tears about the fact that christmas wasn't here yet, i said to him, 'it's hard to wait, huh?!' and with giant crocodile tears and red smudgy eyes he looked back at me and nodded yes.

as i thought about it hope-ing and waiting go hand in hand.

you hope to find the man/woman of your dreams, then once you find him or her you can't wait for the wedding.

you hope to have a baby, then once you get pregnant you wait 9 long months to meet him or her.

you hope for a trial to come to an end, for the pain to be over, but you have to wait until healing happens and the consequences have come to an end (usually an unknown time line.)

you hope for good news from a doctor, you wait for the phone call and then wait to see how the 'prescription' (s)he suggests pans out in reality.

or like my three year old son you hope for your buzz lightyear, and he waits for {what seems to him an eternity} christmas til he gets to open it.

yesterday, in my bible reading I came to psalm 33. here's verses 20-22:

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord be upon us, even as we hope in you!" Psalm 33:20-22

and that's where this whole thing made sense... the verse shows us the process: we wait in Him and in the meantime we Hope in Christ {and not as much in the thing we were waiting for in the first place}

because like we all know in the process of hope-ing and waiting is the refinement. becoming more like Christ than I was before so that I am ready and can handle what i think i need/want/must have or what in all actuality usually turns into what he thinks i need which is ultimately so much better.

the other day, i was awake before my kids (this doesn't happen often folks:)) and so i decided to sit up in my warm, cozy bed to read my bible.... to prepare for their arrival. wink. as i got out a journal that i had tucked in my nightstand i opened it up to find a prayer that i had written out the january that Carter was delivered. Re-reading these prayers brought back the emotions of waiting and hope-ing and not knowing all that was going to come with this new baby but there was so much anticipation in it all. (and at that i laughed and thought, wow, i had no idea all that goes into having a child...haha... still laughing.:))

in all seriousness there is much more excitement in Christmas than carter just opening buzz lightyear, i am trying to teach him to hope in Jesus Christ. That there was this humble little baby that was born on Christmas Day that came to die on the cross for our sin. That's the big hope, the unfailing hope.... a hope that we wait to celebrate (without fail) every year.

let's hope and wait in Jesus... for Christmas & for the other things on our heart.
He never disappoints.
hope-ing & waiting too,
kg

photo shoot {kind of}.

2011-12-04T20:15:00.004-06:00

i wanted the boys to wear santa hats in these pictures.

little did i know this is mission impossible.

here's proof:

i feel like carter's saying, 'mom, seriously?!' in this picture.
this is a picture into real life.
so, in my mind reality is better than perfect pictures.
that way you know if my kids look good in pictures it's either photo shop or bribery.
now i'm giving away secrets.
haha.
ho ho ho,
kg:)

homemade comfort food.

2011-12-04T15:17:00.003-06:00

Every once in awhile i post a new recipe that is husband approved.

This one is from a friend of mine from high school, her blog is here.

Tomato Basil soup is the Bomb. yes i said it. When i was pregnant with Reid I stumbled upon this type of soup and couldn't get enough of it then and to this day I still haven't had enough. I just love it.

Honestly, back in the day i would have looked at this recipe and said it was too much work, but it's not. It was pretty easy and for the reaction of my family (and others at my house that night- my dryer was getting fixed- whole other story) well, i would have slaved away all day for the response of... 'this soup is to die for!'

here's the recipe copied from her blog and I have just added my comments :)

Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients:
*1 1/2 pounds fresh roma tomatoes, quartered (8 tomatoes in my case)
*1/2 large yellow onion, diced
*less than 1/4 cup Arborio rice, uncooked (I found it on the bottom shelf of the rice section & this is the rice usually used for risotto)
*low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable broth for you vegetarians!), ~26 oz (I used a whole container of Swanson's version but wish I would have used 1 cup less. I'd pour out one cup and then pour in the whole container)
*olive oil
*2 good pinches of crushed red pepper flakes - I didn't use the red pepper flakes so my kids could eat it.
*3 small garlic cloves, minced
*fresh basil leaves, ~6 *** this makes it!
*1/4 cup half and half (1 part heavy cream with 1 part skim milk)
*seasoning: dried basil, salt, pepper
*good pinch of brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

Preparation:
*Heat a few tablespoons (a few good drizzles) of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add diced onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until browned.
*When onion is almost done cooking, add minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and pinch of brown sugar. Mix around and allow to cook for another minute or so.
*Add quartered tomatoes and chicken stock. Make sure you add enough so that it just covers the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Then add rice and simmer, on low, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes until rice is cooked through.
*Once rice is cooked through, add in about 6 torn basil leaves and stir. (This is when I decided it was too brothy and removed about a cup of the broth, being careful to keep in the tomatoes and basil. This is also why I suggest using one less cup to begin with, but it's your choice. I like thicker tomato soup.)
*Transfer mixture to blender and blend until smooth. (I don't have a blender so I used a mini food processor. Our soup wasn't as creamy but Luke actually loved the texture. I am sure the blender would make it more creamy and less chunky... all based on preference;)) Return blended mixture to pot and add half and half, stirring well. Add a teaspoon (or more) of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or more) and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir well.
*Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches and garnish with fresh basil! Yum! :)

such a perfect cold night dinner.
enjoy,
kg:)

laugh attack.

2011-12-02T16:04:00.008-06:00

so you all know that the Mister just had his birthday.

my mom wanted to get him something nice so we went shopping together and i picked a cardigan out. it was on the sale rack, it was gray, and if you know anything about luke... he loves cardigans. perfect.

he wore it last friday for about two hours and when he came down to leave the house i noticed it was really long on him... which is unusual. he is sooooooo long waisted. but then we were hanging out at home so he threw something else on.

well, yesterday he was getting ready for work and he came down and said...

' kristen, this is a women's sweater.'

and i died laughing. literally had a laugh attack. tears and laughs and couldn't stop crying or laughing to tell the story to others.

ok, but come with me to gap for a second...

this is a mens cardi...

and this is a women's cardi...

was i that off?
or maybe i did it on purpose.... to have a good laugh. and start the day exactly how it should be .... laughing.

he sent out this tweet: True or False: @kgmacdonald bought me a women's sweater from the gap for my birthday last week? so if you were wondering.... the answer is
TRUE.

and now i just sound like a total ditz...
so... happy laugh attack friday,
kg:)

2011-12-02T15:59:00.002-06:00

i love all things christmas. so naturally our family started listening to christmas music as soon as thanksgiving was over and well, we haven't stopped yet!

i made a mix last year and thought i would share it with you.

my fave: winter snow by audrey assad.

1. tell it on the mountain: duvall
2. it's the most wonderful time of the year: amy grant
3. last christmas : taylor swift
4. what child is this (with mary j blige): andrea bocelli
5. joy to the world: mariah carey
6. hallelujah: light has come: barlow girl
7. o, come all ye faithful: chris tomlin
8. miseltoe: colbie calliat
9. winter snow (feat. audrey assad): Chris tomlin
10. do you hear what i hear: whitney houston
11. joy to the world: david archuleta
12. little drummer boy: faith hill
13. all i want for christmas is you: mariah carey
14. winter song: sara barellis
15. christmas (baby please come home) : u2
16. this christmas: Christina Agulera

merry christmas,
kg:)

game on.

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Recently Luke and I were talking with a friend. We were talking about ‘living on offense.’

Have you ever watched a game on tv and all they played was defense?
Like it’s your home team and they can’t get past midfield without having a turnover.
DE.PRESS.ING!
(to say the least)

I found myself thinking about the concept of ‘living on offense’ as I had a day at home (or shall I say, a day we didn’t leave the house). If you are unaware, let me fill you in. A day with an almost three year old and one year old at home all day feels endless … play with toys, put them away, eat food, make a mess, clean the mess, clean the mess you made to make the food and repeat about four hundred times. Endless.

But, if in my home I choose to live in defense mode of only doing the things I have to and getting mad when my kids are distracting me from the things I could wait to do at nap time, and choosing to be negative about the things that come in the mail, and the list is endless….

But living in offense means that I encourage my kids, teach them about God’s Word, show them God’s creation along the way of life, sit down and color even when things on the to-do list seem more important or build a tower that will get knocked over in T-21 seconds.

But, that’s the beauty, if living in offense would be easy everyone would be doing it… it’s a choice.

It’s using my time wisely but having time to do things that aren’t part of my plan, building into others, it’s planning dates with my husband so I get out of the house, it’s having playdates with friends that I laugh with and am encouraged by, it’s not taking myself too seriously and laughing sometimes when I could be crying. It’s a choice.

Do I make this choice daily? No. Do I want to more often? Yes. Can it happen after the day is half way over? Yes.

Why? Because playing defense all the time is exhausting.

Game on,
Kg:)

first let's celebrate thanksgiving.

2011-11-23T20:21:00.003-06:00

another thanksgiving for the books.
another year to think about all that God has taught me, how God has been faithful, the abundance of blessings we have received (not even necessarily out of necessity).

last year i blogged daily in november about everything under the sun i was thankful for. i can remember thinking at that time being thankful that the period of waiting was over and the rejoicing of getting to hold our sweet Reid. that was a sweet time of thanksgiving when the smiles were abundant and the sleep deprivation didn't seem that bad. that was joyful thanksgiving.

when i think over this year... even as you read over some of the 'early in the year' blog posts this year has had it's highs and lows. i can honestly say that in the midst of both i have trusted God's faithfulness, but sometimes with tears, whys, and stomach aches of is there a point to this?

this thanksgiving i can say that there is. there is a point to the things you don't choose in life, the circumstances that blindside, the hardship of others, the pain in relationship, the sad days when you just don't 'feel it' because...

the other side of making it through and knowing that the hard days were the days when you felt like you couldn't keep going but God gave you the strength.

and you didn't know when or where the provision was going to come from and yet God came through and it was a provision only possible through Him.

you forgive in a relationship and God gives you grace to move forward even when there's things that are hard to understand.

the thread is God. and on the other side of hardship is thanksgiving. it's thank you for seeing what i couldn't and providing before i asked and knowing what i needed at each moment and giving me grace to just put one foot in front of the other so that i could live life that reflects that God's in control.

to me. that's true thanksgiving.
although i'm thankful for my family, our home, my church, the upcoming celebration of Christmas and the promises that it brings... i feel like i can't get to Christmas until i thank God on thanksgiving for all the ways HE CAME THROUGH this year.

God is good all the time,
#thanksgiving
kg:)

'monday' morning commentary

2011-11-23T20:05:00.003-06:00

this sunday was a bit different... because I taught the jr. high and high school girls.

it was the last message in the Go Clean campaign. so naturally i covered the topics of self image, modesty, and sexual choices.

when Luke asked me if I would do it, i honestly thought, 'gosh, i can't do this.' but, when i got down to how important these subjects are I realized it's better received woman to woman & that i could use God's Word as the truth.... being only the messenger. so i humbly accepted... knowing God doesn't need some special messenger but he can even use me.

i used three passages... two from my favorite book 1 Peter:

2:9 "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

3:3-4 "Do not let your adorning be merely external, the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, the putting on of clothing, but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

and then 1 Corinthians 6:18-19.
'Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.'

I believe God used it and for that i am grateful. Most of all I learned three things about my husband and his work:
1. i have so much more compassion on him as far as bringing a message to people weekly and the weight that that holds.
2. speaking is like a whole body experience... you are wiped after wards.
3. being a pastor is hard hard work.

didn't know i could love the man more. so thankful for the people we do ministry with and for.:)
blessed,
kg

birthday love.

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy 26th to my best friend.
Seriously. You’re closer to thirty than twenty. Babe, you always say you’re getting so old and now that you’re getting closer to thirty, we can honestly say that's more true than before.

There are so many things I love about luke:

one. He’s not afraid to do the hard thing.
Two. He works hard.
Three. He loves God.
Four. He pays attention and fathers our kids… makes time for them even when he is so so tired after work.
Five. He cares for my well-being.
Six. He still to this day makes me laugh.
Seven. He is so so smart. (who makes it a goal to read 52 books in a year?)
Eight. He loves to stretch himself… w/ goals at work, home, etc.
Nine. He is so so curious.
Ten. He makes things happen. (love that powerful choleric in you;))
Eleven. Really good at apologizing.
Twelve. So much, could I say too much (?!) passion. ;)
Thirteen. So so Hott. Who says high school sweethearts can’t make it work?!
Fourteen. Fun. He makes parties & life that much better.
Fifteen. He is willing to grow and change.
Sixteen. Gifted in music and athletics. Didn’t know this combo could be possible in a guy.:)
Seventeen. Caring of those he pastors. Did I mention he cares?
Eighteen. Good at affirmation.
Nineteen. Sharp dresser.
Twenty. He still ‘dates’ me.

And that doesn’t even begin to explain it.
Love him so so much.
happy birthday man of my dreams,
kg

my second born.

2011-11-16T00:01:00.002-06:00

Reid.
Sweet.
Stubborn.
Loves to be held.
A smile that melts my heart.
His best laugh comes from his brother.
You shake your head no when you mean yes.
You are a monkey.
Your speed is incomparable.

You seemed content and timid but now you love to shriek.
You like to do your own thing but also like stealing your brothers’ toys.
You are playful.
You are so so so curious.
You have little fear.
You’re tough.
You like to make yourself known… ever since you grunted as a baby.

You’re tiny-waisted.
You’ve got big feet.
Your fingers look like they have potential to play piano or basketball.
Your eyes are so so big.

You’re our reider, snakey, little brother (and at that rated the best in the house).
We love you mister.
Happy one year!
Your proud mama.

10 great gifts.

2011-11-15T21:08:00.007-06:00

ho ho ho. christmas is coming.
i was in my kitchen thinking about some great gifts i've received.
both little and big.
so here are the first ten that came to mind.

ten. williams sonoma mellamine {PINK} bowls.

why i love them: they have rubber on the bottom so they don't move while mixing and the spout is so so helpful.

nine: Sweet Floweret scripture key fob

why i love it: it makes it so much easier to find your keys in your purse & oh so easy to put on your wrist.

eight: Big Train Spiced or Vanilla Chai

why i love it: always good to have a fun drink to use when hostessing and it tastes so amazing!

seven: perfume... my fave: lolita lempickna

why i love it: who doesn't love trying a new scent...:)

six: yankee candle

why i love it: i NEVER walk into yankee candle just to buy myself a candle but I LOVE them. so it's such a treat!

five: TOMS shoes

why i love them: comfy, cute, and you give a child shoes.:)

four: an anthropologie apron

why i love it: who doesn't want to look adorable when they cook?;)

three: monogrammed spatulas

why i love them: ok, you're probably like... you're crazy yo. but, whenever i get these out to use them.. they don't break like cheap spatulas do and i always think about the person who got them for me. so so sweet.

two: C.O. Bigelow lip gloss trio. {it was out a christmas last year... i hope they make it again this year}
why i love it: it makes your lips look good and smell good and it tastes good too. and it is super afforable.:) {their mint candle is amazing too}

one:
timeless sweater.

why i love it: it doesn't get nubby, it is comfortable, and you don't have to worry about it going out of style.

happy shopping! tis the season:)
kg

CMA's

2011-11-14T21:59:00.004-06:00

last week i flew to nashville for a mere 24 hours to go to the CMA's.
it was so cool and so fun and quite an experience.

there were many characters that came to watch too and that means drama. lots of drama. (around us, not between us). did i mention it was fun to people watch?

i have loved country music ever since my sister came back from her freshman year of college in texas and introduced me to it on her napster account. lol.

and then being in ohio for some of my college experience... they love their country.

it was cool to see some of the big names on the stage!

as i was sitting there i made this list that i want to download on itunes:) just thought i'd share!
Honey Bee - Blake Shelton
Stronger - Sara Evans
Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert
Colder Weather - Zac Brown Band
Mean - Taylor Swift
Ours - Taylor Swift
Easy - Rascal Flatts
Stuck on you - Sugarland
Are you going to kiss me or not - Thompson Square
All your life - the band perry
kiss goodnight - lady antebellum
Won't let go - Rascal Flatts
Remind me - Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood
I'm gonna love you through it - Martina McBride

yeehaw!
kg:)

Monday Night Commentary.

2011-11-14T21:37:00.003-06:00

preface. Luke has been preaching and I have been listening. but, as i have learned for our life we need to really really rest on Mondays so we can go at full force with whatever the Lord has for us that week. so, my commentaries have been lacking... and i realize that. I'm just beginning to think they may be tuesday commentaries because getting on my computer usually means .... well, not really resting.

on to the series... GO CLEAN. he did this series two years ago and it's back again. it's just that umm... necessary.

Last week's sermon was from Daniel 1. (love that text)
his points:
two paths: God's way or the World's way.
I must intentionally choose God's way.
God's way seems crazy.
Loved this part where he talked about the four lies we so easily believe:
lie 1: if I was better looking, i would be happy.
lie 2: if i don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend, something is wrong with me.
lie 3: what i do now really doesn't affect my future.
lie 4: Everyone sins sexually, it isn't that big of a deal.
but...God will reward my choice.

My favorite quote of that sermon was: "God Rules- you'll never obey God and regret it."

Last Night's message was about God's Standard for our sexuality.
there's such a spectrum from naive to well the exact opposite from naive so he focused on the truth.
We're supposed to Imitate Christ by walking in love. (Eph. 5:1)
I loved when Luke said: Christ is the only person that didn't interact with awkwardness. think about this: people nothing like jesus liked jesus.

We're supposed to excavate the sexual immorality in our lives both things we do and things we see and things we say/hear/laugh at. so so much guilt goes with this.

lastly, we're to deactivate. walk in the light. It doesn't just work to say you're not going to do something... you have to put something else on... go a different way.

I promise I'm not judging you.

2011-11-14T21:31:00.003-06:00

I just finished another book. It's called Personality Plus by Florence Littauer. It's about the four personality types (yes, there can be combinations) and now whenever I am hanging out with people i am trying to determine their personality type- no judgement, just analysis.

It kinda goes like this in my mind... every personality has positives and negatives... my combo is Perfect Melancholy with Peaceful Phlegmatic. Don't we all know and wish things about us were different? let me just answer for you and i... yes!!! but this book addresses those. turns out my husband and i are the exact opposites. (there's a test in the book) he's Popular Sanguine and Powerful Choleric.

It is a quick read and so interesting to find out how your personality makes sense with life. I would recommend this to anyone. Just be fore-warned that you will be LOLing as you read the idiosyncrasies of yourself and those you love.
happy reading,
kg:)

construction themed party.

2011-11-14T20:48:00.006-06:00

i've said this before and i'll say it again: i think that the first year is so worth celebrating BIG because we made it... (well at this point we're 48 hours short of making it) but you get the point. it's a big feat.

so i have boys and i've been dreaming up this party for... well i am slightly embarassed to admit this but since the kid was like two months old. i just like this stuff. it doesn't keep me up at night but it does get me excited.

let me note that these weren't all of my original ideas (clearly this isn't the first construction themed party ever) but this is what i did with it and ill share sources along the way...:)

ok... so we'll start with food. I did a build your own sandwich theme with a lot of snacks:)
but of course the snacks had the construction theme...

many of these ideas came from here!

i also did construction hats (found on amazon) and put the kid's names on the brims using letters i had found at michaels... they stick on themselves. turned out super cute... especially with the hard hat area sign. (that was also one of their favors they took home.)

the other favor was a chinese take out box filled with puppy chow and said it was 'gravel for the road.' i found these yellow Chinese take out boxes... 3 for $1 at my dollar tree. complete steal!!!

the cake: i used this recipe... make sure you're not doing this at the last minute because you'll be hating yourself like i was.:) leave ample amount of time and it's an easy way to serve cake and everyone liked them!

I used birthday zone construction tape for decor (found on amazon) as well dump truck balloons from my local dollar tree.

but my favorite piece of decor was this picture garland i did. i did one picture for each month of this year and i used sticky star and small clothespins as well as yarn to hold it all together. i thought it turned out cute especially if you're a picture person like me!

the other fun find i had was looking through my fave but only a special gift catalog... mini boden. literally i drool. the stuff is so so cute. i found this 'digger' shirt and thought it was too cute to pass up!
(love this picture of my mom and reid)
happy 1st reid!
love yo momma;)

he is the thread.

2011-11-10T13:35:00.004-06:00

i have been thinking about these seasons i've seen in my life of God's faithfulness.... ok not just seasons but the thread that is woven through my whole life. i was thinking back about this story that seems like yesterday but was about two years ago.

the mister and my story is long and involved but the long and short of it is that we fell in love, got married, and life has gone at supersonic speed ever since. we graduated college, worked our tails off in the mean time and shortly after i had gotten my dream job (before it had even actually started) i got pregnant. this was a complete joy and exciting event but the dilemma would come after this little charmer of a firstborn arrived.

from the first conversation of telling my principal i was pregnant i said...'i will finish out the year..' and that i did. but after that season of a newborn, finishing out my first year of teaching and luke finishing his first school year as a youth pastor... well, we just needed to kind of stare at each other for a few minutes. because life really seemed to be going too fast.

side note: do you ever feel like you're in a season and your life is going so fast and is leaving little room for many other things but the things in front of you? you tend to feel like everyone else's lives are at a halt and it will be all fine and well when you can include everyone else again in life? however, the reality i have found is that everyone is busy. And...life just keeps on moving for EVERYBODY. you have to love those you love and keep on or else those you love will feel more and more isolated from you. that's a huge life lesson i have learned personally... love others even in the busyness.

anyways, we decided and trusted that God had provided for us enough that i didn't need to work. that meant that we wouldn't have as free of a lifestyle as two working parents but that I would stay home with this little man and raise him and we would do what it took to pay the bills.

then the faith came in...
the furnace broke (the one of the two that was newer).
home taxes went up.
cars needed fixing.
christmas was coming.
and we chose faith.

i'm not going to say it was unwavering
or that i was always saying hallelujah.
but it was faith.

the Lord provided a job for me to watch my niece.
the Lord provided right around Christmas a research meeting where i made $100(ish?) and didn't even have to stay the whole time because I got there early. I'm sorry, I'm not willing to admit that that's a coincidence.
oh and while I was teaching and Christmas was coming, the Lord provided a small (but what seemed large at the time) proceeds to a small cd project my man had done.

see the thread?

when my faith was small and i started to question if what we had done or were going to choose was wise... God was like... i'm going to give you little nuggets of blessing so you can trust some more.

this summer Luke and his AP life group was meeting with a faithful couple in our church and the wife said,
'you know a lot of people believe the saying that God won't give you more than you can handle. but, i'm not sure i buy that. i think he gives you more than you can handle so that you can trust him and know the greatness of his faithfulness.' i haven't forgotten luke coming home to tell me that. it is true. i buy that so much more.

because so often we're like... but we can't?
how?
wait, what are you thinking God?

and he's always like trust me.
choose by faith.
i will be here, i'm not going anywhere.
there's no forsaking you loved one.
you're mine.
just.be.faithful.

and the even more awesome thing is that in God's unconditional love, when we lack faith he still loves and is faithful. and he wants us to come to him as we are so he can show us his faithfulness once again.

i don't know about you but i'm blown away by him... his love, his goodness, his grace, his FAITHFULNESS.
He is the thread.
kg:)

do you cry in your car?

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

i do.

i'm that weirdo who is driving and can't find kleenex and has raccoon eyes or mascara lines {that shouldn't be dripping}. yes, i'm that person.

why you ask? because of God's faithfulness. and i can't not (sorry about the double negative) think about all he's done when i sing this song. i think about...
circumstances i wouldn't have chosen but He used for my good.
friendships he's given me, when i least expected them.
a taste of hope when i felt like all that surrounded me was darkness.
an encouragement from a friend that i hadn't talked to in ages.
an answered prayer.... what i was praying for or better than i was praying for...most of all different than i was praying for.
when he's changed my heart toward forgiveness or grace when it wasn't what my flesh wanted.

that's just the beginning. but, please. stop what you're doing and just watch and listen to this video. this beautiful worship to God.

one thing i will always remember that my mom taught me... is truly one of life's most important lessons. it's this: people will always fail you. God will never fail you. I love that line because it is so so true. I don't need to focus on the people in my life who have failed me.... {how many times have i failed others is where i should start if i wanted to go down that road...} instead how many times has God failed me. that is a RESOUNDING NONE! that's a lesson i'll never forget.

this is just the beginning of seeing his faithfulness.
because that's the beauty of it... it's a story he's writing and it becomes clearer as the days go by.
touched by his faithfulness,
kg.

none can deny...

2011-11-06T20:47:00.003-06:00

God's faithfulness.

i feel like this year that has been a HUGE theme. in my life.

i can't say, 'Lord, I am so so thankful' enough. ever.

when you want to ask God for something, ask him to show you his faithfulness. you won't be disappointed.

i got going on this thought last night when i was sitting in church listening to my father in law preach. our church gave pledges this weekend for a 3 year giving campaign beyond our normal tithe. his last point in the message was : caution: reward for generosity comes in many forms. he said that in his life he's had at times a blessing of monetary value and at other points in life would have given every cent he owned for it to be the change of a circumstance or fill in the blank... thus to say that usually the monetary reward is worse than the others.

i can honestly relate. so i thought i'd recount some of the amazing faithfulness stories i've seen this year in my {our} life. {this week}

lets start small. at the end of the month money gets a bit tight. i'm not saying we're poor because by world's standards we're not. in fact we are blessed. but, we do a cash system so when it's gone. it's gone.

at the end of october, i was in fact a bit short. i had hosted an event and well the cash was gone. i went to the store and spent $25 extra dollars on necessities... like mega-cheap dinners. we were making it through fine but i had no snacks for the kids...

i'm talking all we had was stale animal crackers & a stack of graham crackers.
{please don't think i'm crying a river here... just making a point.}

but i had this bit of hope in me that God would provide.

i said to myself, 'my kids can eat apples for snacks all week. who needs curious george fruit snacks anyway?!' {carter thinks he does;)}

sorry... i'm getting to the point.

i hadn't told luke about the need or anyone else, i was just thinking, 'ok Lord, i know this is crazy but i know you... you always provide, you are always faithful.'

it was a thursday morning and we had to get all the way to monday to make it to the 31st but at that point halloween candy would hold us over. ;)

We had a family picture event and my mother in law and a family friend had brought snacks for the kids. (yes, i bribe my kids to make them smile... no perfection here:)) as we were packing up to leave the family friend said...

'hey, kristen, do you think you could use these pretzels and toy story fruit snacks and juice boxes.'

i am not even kidding you i just about stopped dead in my tracks.

we didn't need those fruit snacks
or pretzels
or juice boxes.

TRUTH:
any family with kids gets tight at the end of the month.
because let's just put this on repeat: there's always something.

but that day God grew my faith.
he knew our needs... as non-existent and as stupid as it might have seemed: snacks & juice.
but when we trust him in obedience
he
always....
always...
always....
i think you get my point.
always
provides!

God is faithful.
to him be the glory,
a family that saw his faithfulness first hand.

hey hey!

2011-10-27T13:44:00.002-05:00

how was that for a blog binge? luke LOLed when i told him that i wrote five blogs in one afternoon. five?! i must be crazy. (but you already knew that) wink.

anyways, last spring i had the privilege to meet Steven and Holly Furtick, the pastor and his wife of Elevation Church. I enjoy meeting new people and I love when you meet people who are as cool and authentic and love Jesus like you hope they do (especially having read her blog for the last while). These people genuinely love God, their kids, and they are in the trenches doing ministry. Today she posted a blog titled: Don't blame it on the ministry: Relationship edition. I've been thinking a lot about what she has concisely and well written in this post. I don't think i could have stated it this well so you might as well hop, skip, or jump over to her blog to read it. To sum it all up: we should invest in relationships in our lives but know in doing that all relationships aren't forever relationships and that's just life, not to blame on anything else.

have a great thursday!
kg:)

how to act right...

2011-10-26T15:13:00.004-05:00

when your spouse acts wrong. by leslie vernick

this is the latest read of mine. it was for my wife of noble character bible study that i've been taking. to say the least this book was convicting. when buying it on amazon, i was talking to Luke about something and he thought i was making a joke by ordering the book. nope, just for my bible study.

there were lots of really good quotes and themes of this book but i'm going to (attempt;)) to keep this short:

first. i can't fool my spouse. i can tell so and so that i am changing, even prove it to a friend but your spouse knows who you are through and through. for the good and bad. so make sure your character with them is what it should be don't let your home be the last place you are working on who you are.

ps. i'm speaking to the choir here:)

second. i am to act right and grow in Christ not so Luke will act right or so he'll affirm my acting right but as an obedience to the Lord.

third. i am to respond and not react. i love this quote from page 62... (i think you'll get the point) 'you might feel better to get it out, but vomit belongs in the toilet, not on your spouse.'

i thought i'd end with this poem about pride (pgs. 52-53), it's by Beth Moore and the reason for it is that i feel like pride robs us from doing good to our spouse (and others) and it is easy to not see it in ourselves... yet it's so so ugly. i think this will speak for itself:

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because
you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment... because you
'deserve better than this.'
I cheat you of knowledge...because you already
know it all.
I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of
me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to
admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look
in the mirror than out a window.
I cheat you of genuine friendship...because
nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance
demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you
refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince
you to seek your own.
My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think I'm always looking
out for you. Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...
If you stick with me
You'll never know?

trying to act right, because the other way is ugly, oh and wrong.
kg:)

the pumpkin patch.

2011-10-26T14:46:00.007-05:00

we're having a flash back here....
pumpkin patch o9.

pumpkin patch 2010
present:

this is actually so true to life... i can't even describe it to you but show you this visual. boys. sigh.

we liked the pumpkin farm....
the pumpkins were the perfect height for reid...

oh and that hat was a janie and jack garage sale find for one whoppin dollar. insert another happy sigh here.:)

in other news... carter figured out that instead of looking at the pumpkins it's much more fun to crawl on top of them. since they weren't charging for broken pumpkins i thought let's just focus on the majors.... this is SOOO minor.

and last but not least our (amazing) church had a fall fest and so the kids dressed up and could 'trunk or treat,' jump in a pumpkin bounce house, and do a costume parade. although there were many tears in actually putting woody costume on, he enjoyed the loot as a result. and yes we are still in candy coma.

looking forward to halloween & loving fall,
kg:)

commentary from sunday.

2011-10-26T14:32:00.002-05:00

Luke finished the series this week looking at Genesis 22.

he started by asking the question: what's the hardest thing you've ever done?

hmm... i can think of a few really hard things, yep, ok i got it.

From the last post about good old Abe's waiting... his payoff was his son isaac. For literally some people's whole lives they were waiting for this son of Abraham's and finally he was here!

But, in Genesis 22 Abraham was called to lay Isaac down for a sacrifice.

the test: is God important enough to you that you're willing to give everything to him? Jesus gave his whole self to us.

If you don't know the ending to the story, because Abraham was willing... literally when the knife was about to come down on Isaac an angel of the Lord stopped him and because he knew his heart was willing to sacrifice him he allowed him to be spared.

but, it makes us look into our own lives...
God's not happy to be part of you... he wants all of you.

is Jesus Christ your God or not really?
whatever it is instead of him, he will chisel it away out of your life.

key sentence: do whats best now or do it when he makes you. the first one is easier.

i've seen this in my own life. and sadly instead of taking idols out of my own life on my own, God has had to strip me of them, and that hurts big TIME! When Luke and I were dating in college... he was everything to me... yes i loved God, i read the Bible, i went to church, i was even serving but it was just a part of my life... that relationship was my god. And so God stripped it away from me. But then you all say.... but you got it back.... yes, yes i did and you wouldn't be able to know unless you could really look at my heart... because that was such a hard time in my life, the only one I could look to was Christ and it brought me back to my first love- Christ. I realized that although i wanted to be married someday that God needed to fulfill me first and be my rock and refuge and everything before he would bless me with that. That was a long season of process between the promise and payoff.:)

idols stink. let's take them down before God has to.
in Christ,
kg:)

a bit after commentary.

2011-10-26T14:16:00.003-05:00

a couple weeks ago Luke preached a message from the life of Abraham. It was all over Genesis but started in Genesis 12.

He talked about how in life God has promised us things but that we spend a lot of time waiting... i.e. the chart below...

Promise...........................waiting......................................PAYOFF

the wait time is the gap between the promise and the payoff.

our whole life is an example of that - Jesus coming back.

for Abraham.. he was promised many kids (gen. 15:2). the problem was that he was really old and he had no kids.

I loved when Luke said 'following God works out not in the first five minutes, five weeks or five months, it's when you're in it for the long haul that he shows you what he's been doing all along.'

another word for waiting is the 'process.'

think about it... he wouldn't have our attention if we asked and got whatever we wanted all the time.

the process is what God does while we wait.

the truth is that sometimes Abraham wasn't a good example while waiting but let's remember he was human. And even in that he wants to do something in us.

the cool thing is that you can see this throughout the Bible in the lives of noah, abraham, joseph, moses, and david, as well as the prophets, and the disciples.

what are you waiting for? i know for me there's different areas of this and in some instances i'm fine at waiting where as others i spend too much time pestering God about when rather than submitting myself to the process.

working on being thankful for the process,
kg:)

i'm back ...

2011-10-26T13:54:00.004-05:00

i've been mia. honestly i'd like to blame it on the fact that i have a desktop and have to sit AT my computer to be on the computer but that's just lame. time is flying and i haven't made time for it, that's the real story. Sorry blog readers... i love and care for you, so i'm back. so much so, there's a 'blog binge' coming (that's what my love calls it) when i have all these pent up things i can't wait to share.;)

first things first. ahhhh where to start. well, i have so many fun things i've seen and want you to know about. so this will be a LiNkTaStIc blog.

so so so proud of my husband, the director of the elephant room 2. check out this video (scroll down a bit and press the play button). january 25th will be a great day at our house.

i've been himming (sp?) & hawing over when/if we are going to carve pumpkins. We have ravenous squirrels in my neighborhood that eat ours if they're outside... this idea looks so so tempting. thoughts?

i made these meatballs a few weeks ago and my husband is still raving about them, my son was just talking about the 'neatballs' yesterday.... all to say, they were a major hit. you MUST (i'm not just urging you) make them!!! (i eliminated the red pepper flakes so my littles could eat them without drinking a gallon of water or just having lots of tears;))

we just got family pictures taken and i can't stop looking at them. they were taken by a friend a ministry partner of ours. this one makes me feel so blessed.

luke has preached the last two weeks and they were such great sermons.. our mondays just got away from us and so i will be posting those blogs ... my commentaries:)

i went to a concert with luke and a few high school students and a few of our graduated students on Friday night... David Crowder was there [side note: we went to a david crowder concert at the same theater when we were abotu 17, holy cow... it felt a lot different standing for four hours after having two kids!;)] but two other people opened for them that i loved! Gungor & Chris August... check them out:)

well, that's all i can think of now.
talk to ya soon...
kg:)

unconditional love

2011-10-12T20:22:00.003-05:00

i am in a class called wife of noble character.
it's a bible study and the thing i love about it is that it's not just teaching me to be a better wife but more important than that... to be a better follower of Jesus Christ.

this week i was memorizing john 15:12 'this is my commandment, that you love one another, just as i have loved you.'

i have it stationed infront of the rpm's odometer on my dash (who needs to know their rpm's anway?) and it hit me.
I can love others.
i love my husband
i love my kids
i love my family....
i mean come on... i love them.

so many times though, i say i love so and so but....
and the Lord was so convicting me about the 'but....'
because in the second part of the verse he says, 'love as i have loved you'

if God said, "I love Kristen but....
-she's a sinner
-she's jealous of that person's house
-she's prideful about this
-she's not fully satisfied in me
-she's got idols in her life
-she's...
i mean the list could go on and on and on and.... you get the picture.

God's love doesn't include I love you but.... he just says... i love you.
i want to be more like that.
growing in desire to love better & thankful for the ultimate example of unconditional love,
kg

hudson's wisdom.

2011-10-12T20:13:00.003-05:00

yep, it's still wednesday and this post should have been posted yesterday. but, it wasn't, remember i had a headache:)

this little paragraph is really convicting to me.... thoughts?
{pg. 238-9}
Take time. Give God time to reveal Himself to you.
Give yourself time to be silent and quiet before Him, waiting
to receive, through the Spirit, the assurance of His presence with you,
His power working in you. Take time to read His Word as in His presence, that from it you may know what He asks of you and what He promises you. Let the Word create around you, create within you a holy atmosphere, a holy heavenly light, in which your soul will be refreshed and strengthened for the work of daily life.

i'm in God's Word but sometimes the yelling and excitement around me, and the hiddy-ho-ho-ho's from Jake and the Neverland Pirates are more of what I hear than God speaking to me. It's my job to be in an undistracting spot and if i do that... God will speak to me. will, not might.

that's wisdom, thanks hudson:)
kg:)

monday morning commentary.

2011-10-12T19:55:00.003-05:00

it's actually wednesday. today i honestly wasn't sure what day it is because well, i've basically had an ongoing headache for a few days now.
it's getting old. but anyways...

i didn't want you to miss the sermon luke preached about on Sunday night. it was about money.

he started out by saying that it's a bit awkard to talk about it. but that our view of money is shaped by how much we have. but God's view on it is not about how much we have but what we do with what we have.

think matthew 6:21... where your treasure is your heart will be also.

1. everything is God's.
with that 10% of the first fruits should go to God and the local church you attend.
2. What we must do.
we should be tithing...
3. what we get to do.
he shared the story of the woman in poverty in Mark 12 and how she was in a spot where she needed all she had so by giving it she really had to trust God.
4. what i want to do.
the challenge laid before us is to dowhat you must do (tithe) +more. the amount isn't the thing. the thing is to give from sacrifice.

when your treasure is with God.... your heart follows.
the more I give, the more my life is going to represent that i love Christ realize the sacrifice he made for me.

personal story:
about two years ago, we were a few months in to the school year. Carter was about eight months old and we had decided that i was going to stay home with him. we had a bit of savings but money was tight and we were starting to see that if an emergency came to be... well, it would be even tighter. so we began thinking, what do we have that we can use to make some money so that I don't have to go in to work and spend money on daycare etc. About a week later we woke up one October weekend to our upstairs furnace not turning on. so, as i shared before, money got tighter. Now, it wasn't that I couldn't go find a job or that i couldn't be more frugal or use more coupons.... more than anything it was God saying to us....'are you going to trust me with your finances?' We looked at our options and one of the ways that God provided was the opportunity of watching my niece. That opportunity allowed me a better relationship with her, interaction for Carter, and limited inconvenience for me. win-win-win. It couldn't have been a week later and we were offered another opportunity to earn money that could be in our home. I look back on that time as one that stretched us but one that grew our faith all the more. our God is faithful and he never ceases to amaze me.

so, with that you should check out this video for the financial campaign for our church for the students to think of ways... outside the 'box' to give. it made me smile and laugh....i hope it does so for you too;)
thankful for the supreme provider,
kg:)

you got a friend in me.

2011-10-05T00:01:00.003-05:00

Carter loves woody from Toy Story.

Like they are literally best friends.

He likes to dress like him.
He takes him in his crib with him.
He has a stuffed animal Woody, he has a plastic Woody, he has a miniature Woody doll, and we‘ve even got PEZ Woody. {we’ve got options}
When we were at the park today I looked at the humor of this little figure and how he’s a traveler with us.

He’s a pretty good traveler at that, because he doesn’t talk back. :)
Kg

hudson's wisdom...

2011-10-04T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret.

{pg. 238}

"God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome.
To him, the secret to overcoming lay in daily,
hourly fellowship with God;
and this, he found, could only be maintained by secret prayer and feeding upon the Word through which He reveals Himself to the waiting soul."

i love this. that we can be overcomers....but that it lies in being in fellowship with him.
do that with me today.
kg:)

traditions

2011-10-03T15:33:00.004-05:00

luke knows i love traditions.
so as carter grows up we're beginning to have things that we've done as a family more than once.
i'm jazzed {trying to use more adjectives than just excited} about it. EEEKKK!
and today luke was like, 'kg, we're like doing traditions.' {silence for a happy moment} :)

for family fun day this week, we went to the choo choo cafe.
we went once before, but carter was young and well, he didn't totally communicate that he knew what was going on.
but this time..... he LOVED it.

clean plate club.

double high chair so he could sit at the counter.

look at that amazing vintage milk shake machine.

after tantrum tears are quickly dissipated once on daddy's shoulders.

snuggles with reid.

although some days it seems that fairy princesses, dressing a little girl, and playing with barbies would be so much fun....
after going to the choo choo cafe it makes me all the more excited that i have boys.

cheers to the choo choo,
kg;)

monday morning commentary.

2011-10-03T08:50:00.003-05:00

a walk to remember.

that's what our new series is called and no... (i'll eliminate all suspense) mandy moore is not involved. wink.

this series is about the life of abraham. this particular sermon was from Genesis 13... relational conflict between Lot & Abraham.

in this case Abraham handles himself REALLY well... like an example for us.

Luke used a stop light to communicate 3 ways to handle relational conflict {not that anyone deals with that. #sarcasm} in a God-honoring way.

i know i am bias but i think this was Luke's best sermon since this summer. all Praise goes to the LORD!

first. red light means... stop NOW.
abram {his name hadn't been changed yet} chose to reach out and instead of having a full blown fight, he said...let's fix it.

second. yellow light means....YIELD.

let the other person go first. and have their way.
abram chooses the selfless action.
we are so hung up on 'what's fair' vs. just letting the other person have their way.
in this situation Lot ends up getting the best stuff {land} right after the fight; but in the end it will all be Abe's anyway.

third. green light means... GO!
Abe goes way out of his way because he cared about the relationship. not because he wanted to (per-say) but because it honors Christ. {what if my life really honored Christ?...}

i loved when luke said this.... God always....
responds in love
grants another choice
we need to act more like him.
operate the way Jesus does.
speak kindly of the person

in the bible (sorry i didn't catch the reference) when God looks at us all he sees is Jesus' blood covering us - what if{???} we did the same. what if.

we have a pretty unbelievable example of all of this.... that happened this weekend.. not for the sermon or anything. wink.

Luke has had car problems basically since he got a car.
when he was in high school he got a car and got into a really serious accident and that car basically blew up.
after that he got another car that at one point he left it parked behind our church for a few days and it got stolen. (note: a month before we got married)
after we got married we bought a new car which he graciously gave to me and he got my old car. which when driving he pulled the hood release rather than the emergency brake release and the hood flew off. thus it had a black hood and white body for as long as it lived.
once that car finally died we got a better looking version of the same car... a camry.
the last few weeks it hasn't been starting well and the other day it started smoking. it hasn't started since.

so i have a friend whose husband owns a dealership. i was asking him the other night to help us get the car fixed because we needed to use someone we trusted. after all we have gone through with cars, and the way luke treats them (this came from his mouth, no, i'm not getting myself in trouble;)) he should be driving a really crappy bike. instead the other night my friend's husband shows up with a really, really nice car from his dealership. just to help.

so... what if that's how we acted in relationships... if people who have hurt us or said something mean to us or have tarnished our name or who have {fill in the blank with your relational conflict} if we let them sit pretty (after of course dealing with the conflict) because that honors Christ more than retaliating (what our flesh wants to do).

what if?!
let's honor Christ today- you in?!
kg:)

p.s. how do you like my rainbow post<-------------------------

Hudson's wisdom

2011-09-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

I love this quote from Hudson taylor's spiritual secret...
(pg. 238)

"God does not give us overcoming life:
He gives us life as we overcome."
To him, the secret of overcoming lay in daily,
Hourly fellowship with God;
And this,
He found,
Could only be maintained by secret prayer and feeding upon the Word through which he reveals Himself to the waiting soul.

-kg

monday night commentary

2011-09-26T22:46:00.006-05:00

today got away from me but i didn't want to forget to post my brother [in law]'s sermon notes because it was super convicting and it highlighted another one of our core values.

let me introduce you... this is my brother [in law] landon:)

he has this cool blog and he shares this one with my husband and he makes this cool music.:) he's sooo cool:)

his message had four simple points about the core value of generosity.

what do I deserve? nothing.
what do I have? something.
what should i give? my best.
we should give in response to how great God is.

it all came out of 1 chronicles 29.

the sentence i loved best from his talk was,'don't give to be seen. don't give to feel good about yourself. give because you love God.'

i'd like to grow in my generosity and the motives in my heart dealing with generosity. how about you?

i'd also like to introduce you to another one of my favorite people and one of our great leaders... her name is ashley and she is also one of our talented artists.

she made these amazing paintings for our core values...
check them out!!!

have an expectant, intentional, loyal, brave, fresh & generous day for the Lord,
kg:)

hudson's wisdom...

2011-09-21T15:34:00.002-05:00

hudson taylor's spiritual secret. pg. 233

' how few of the Lord's people have practically recognized the truth that Christ is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all! If we can judge God's Word, instead of being judged by it, if we can give God as much or as little as we like, then we are lords and He the indebted one, to be grateful for our dole and obliged by our compliance with His wishes. If on the other hand He is Lord, let us treat Him as such. "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?'

He is LORD!
let's treat him as such-
kg

extremes - from wife to mom.

2011-09-19T21:55:00.004-05:00

this post has been rolling around in my head for a few days. like i walk around the house and am thinking about how much my life has changed in the last two and a half years...

remember when i used to only have to clean my house like twice a month,
when i didn't know what it meant to load or unload the dishwasher more than once a week,
when i did laundry in two loads,
or when i could clean my house without being interrupted.

remember when all that lined my picture frames were wedding photos,
and my wedding rings were still shiny and not covered in baby food,
or when we used to sleep in on saturday mornings,
or how we used to get to think about what WE wanted to do.

remember when I used to go out without having to pay a babysitter,
or when every night we were out was a date night.
when coffee was a hot drink and not a necessity.
and when 'my biggest job' was outside the home.

but all the sudden one night at two thirty a.m. my life changed.
it was called labor and it lasted only five short hours.
out came carter jude.
and our life was never the same.

sleep was a commodity rather than a pleasure.
time together was spent thinking about, laughing about, and dreaming about our little man.
my dishwasher {and washer, for that matter} was loaded up and hasn't stopped since.
my floors have needed more sweeping, more vaccumming, more swiffering than ever before.
my rings are shiny once i come out of the shower but not for long. but the wear and tear on them show the sacrifice and wear of life on them...
our love is no longer based on feeling alone but on selfless love because it's not just us anymore.

our frames now hold more than just a day's memories but years of smiles, laughs, smirks from two kids who've shown us that life is more than just about ourselves.
when i fold laundry i think of the funny things that they say or do when they were wearing the clothes and sad when i have to pack them up because they're growing UP.
thinking some days i wish they would do 'this or that' and then sad when they are finally doing 'this and that' because it means they are growing up.

these thoughts have been swirling and don't even seem all that clear.
but, i know this, our life holds these dear sweet children that the Lord has blessed us with. they have certainly changed our life.

my oh my have they changed our life.

and although sleeping in seems quite nice, i wouldn't give up or give away the changes they've brought in me:
they've humbled me,
made me pray more,
and made me recognize that sacrifice is called sacrifice because it is costly.

all of this seems like extremes because they kind of are.
and that's ok.
because i know going from a wife to a mom has brought out all extremes in me.

the journey of life marches on...
thankful for it,
changed by it.
and thankful that I have Jesus Christ to go before me
& carry me through,

oh motherhood, let's keep on trekking,
kg:)

monday night commentary

2011-09-19T21:43:00.002-05:00

Harvest Hs has 6 core values. Luke's preaching about them. Last night's value was a message for me among others.

core value #4: BRAVE.

he spoke from Acts 4:1-31 and talked about four steps to bravery.

first he talked about how it is a choice to be bold. he talked about how God picks ordinary people to serve Him so that it rightfully reflects who sent them. nothing that people do is amazing... it's Christ through them and it's a choice for them to be willing.

he also talked about the challenges that come with choosing to be brave. for example, that sharing about what Jesus Christ has done in your life with others is sometimes scary because rejection is real. but, when we are brave, we can't help but share about Jesus because of the amazing things he has done in our life.

lastly, he talked about praying for more opportunities. if we ask, God will give them to us.

he pointed out the fact that he heard about two high school students that died just this weekend from high schools around here. two. it is reality that people are perishing, they are gonna go to hell if we don't tell them about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

but will we be brave? just because i'm a mom and don't 'work' doesn't mean i shouldn't look for opportunities to share Christ. I was greatly challenged by this message and am praying for opportunities. will you join me?

let's be brave together,
kg:)

apple picking.

2011-09-19T16:04:00.007-05:00

i woke up with a pounding headache that continued from last night but i think it's because i hadn't had coffee in two days. i don't think that's a good or bad thing. wink. anyways, a DD coffee and a few tylenol later we headed to our favorite apple farm. it was a bit dreary but actually perfect to pick.

why don't you just come with us...:)

these two are pals. they are look alikes and alike in most ways. too cute.

this is me and my little who had quite superior behavior. don't even look at my bad hair day;)

isn't that glorious?!

this was his first apple he picked... he was pretty proud.

reider enjoyed his apple too.;)

these galoshes are just too much?! Luke said it was too dreary to go today and i said, 'but i really want carter to wear his thomas galoshes.' Luke replied, 'he can wear them wherever we go today, not just the apple farm.' good point babe. Carter didn't avoid puddles, instead these thomases gave him FULL AUTHORITY to go in EVERY puddle and stay in them while making large splashes. they were well used.
this is one of my fave pics ever of my 2nd born.
although this isn't our best family picture it's a memory picture which i am sure we'll look back at. so in love with those boys.:)
did i mention i love them? the classic reid face... like, ok i'll put up w/ carter. and the luke smile... i love you and so i'll take another picture. and the carter... i'm so cute i don't even have to look at the camera.. i'll just pester reid some more.

our loot included two pecks (isn't that a weird measurement of is it just me?!) of apples, a dozen and a half apple cider donuts which WILL disappear in 1.5 (max) days, an apple caramel sucker which was gone before we returned home, and an apple crisp mix. not bad.

this was our third annual year doing this and it was so so much fun. my heart is full.
happy fall,
kg:)

the trifle bowl.

2011-09-16T14:10:00.007-05:00

when we were engaged one of the funnest days of my life was registering here! I literally drool (well, maybe just sit jaw dropped rather than drool. lol) over the catalog when it comes to my house so it was only fitting that that is where I would register.:)
I registered for this .... {drum roll please}
and it has only been used for things such as this.... decorating for seasons.

can i just say LAME-O!
but i didn't have a trifle recipe and so i just waited and waited until i stumbled upon...
Peanut
Butter
Fudge
Brownie
Trifle
recipe.

could all that goodness really go together in one trifle bowl?!

so yesterday i found out. the answer is YES!!!!
{do the caps make it sound like i am screaming? because yes, it was THAT good}

in my kitchen i have an ipod home and lately i can't get it off the artist Christy Nockels. it's a toss up between healing is in your hands and choose as my faves.

in the mean time i wanted to send out some love to my girls. {the ones that are now in college, tear:,)}

i had written them this note...

and addressed all the packages....

even though i had to re-address them at the post office. thank God i was child-free. dang postage label.

i made them what every college freshman wants and needs....homemade rice krispie treats. so so yummy.

on the other hand today is much calmer...
right now i should be cleaning, but i'm not.
the heat is officially on in our house and we're wearing these again....
shall i mention the fact that it's been a battle with my two year old all day?

and we're playing with this vintage{?} toy.
and he's in love.
between having to wear socks and which dsic to put into the view master...
it's been 'a lot of decisions kind of day.' oh childhood.

happy friday,
kg:)

hudson's wisdom...

2011-09-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

here's a few more quotes from hudson taylor's spiritual secret.
his faith is just remarkable.

'It doesn't matter, really, how great the pressure is,' he used to say; 'it only matters where the pressure lies. See that it never comes between you and the Lord-then- the greater the pressure, the more it presses you to His breast.' [pg. 153]

[pg. 163] 'But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the faithful one.'

'That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest position He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient.' {pg. 165}

{pg. 202} My need now is great and urgent, but God is greater and more near. And because He is and is what He is, all must be, all is, all will be well, Oh, my dear brother, the joy of knowing the living God, of seeing the living God, of resting on the living God in our very special and peculiar circumstances!

be blessed,
kg:)

we made it...

2011-09-12T19:42:00.008-05:00

whew!
usually you'd find my monday morning commentary from luke's sermon the night before.
this weekend was a bit different.

we started the weekend with our dear friends lindsay & mark's wedding.

congrats guys.
they are the new Mattingly's.

I was a bridesmaid, Luke was an usher & Carter was a ring bearer.
[yes, carter tripped, hit his head, and screamed while walking down the aisle & no that was not a dream;)]
Reid was left with my friend which was a blessing and allowed less stress for all. :)
so this was my fave pic of three of the four of us.. maybe i should photo shop reid in. bahaha.

then carter had his first ever swim lessons. no picture because i was in the pool with him while he bawled for most of it. i am hoping and praying it can only go up hill from here.

then we were fashionably late for our nephew's first birthday. mr. lamont groves.

it was carnival themed and so my father in law made this fun game.:)

our 2 year olds loved it!

then we went downtown for CHI-TOWN shindig.
a youth event for all jr. highers and high schoolers at our church. 1200 kids. holy COW!
i love seeing events come to life that my husband has poured energy and work into. it was so so so amazing.
God's Word was preached.
students accepted Christ.
and we worshipped our risen King.
it was in the new Harvest Cathedral which made it even COOLER.

the rest of CHI-TOWN shindig was small group time so luke and i traveled to a few of the houses and then hung out while watching the bears win...

Reid or i mean hester ;) was super excited about their win too!

it was such a crazy weekend that we canceled our babysitter tonight because were too tired to go out. and that does.not.happen.

but it was amazing.
i have a full heart.
we have a BIG God.
and i'm still tired.
and my monday morning commentary would say...
this is what encouraged my heart today:

exodus 34:6-7 "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."

so... how was your weekend... what did you do?
exhausted but refreshed,
kg:)

in my kitchen.

2011-09-07T13:02:00.004-05:00

so last night i tried a new recipe.
and it was so easy, i didn't think it could be good.
i was nervous.
i thought, my kids and my man are going to take two bites and laugh in my face.
carter was too good for it but that's because he's testing me about EVERYTHING.
did i mention everything?

with a husband who likes a hearty meal and two boys who make food disappear as though it was never even there... i need good recipes.

and this is one.

it was so good, my husband loved it and reid couldn't eat enough. he even ate carter's slice.
it's..... drum roll please:)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie. [it's from the cook book that hbc pastor's wives made w/tried and true recipes-hooray for that!]

4 ingredients:
- 2 cups frozen mixed veggies (i bought a bag with peas, green beans, corn, and carrots)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breasts or thighs (i used two and it had plenty of meat in it)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 ready made pie crust (i bought two jiffy pie crust boxes and made them - all you do is add water... don't cook them before .. it just cooks as you make the pot pie and they were perfect)

Directions: mix first three ingredients, place in pie shell, and cover with pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover edge of crust for the last 15 minutes.

I served it with uncle ben's rice. it's not an every week kind of meal but it's worth a try for these cold, dark winters that are closer to us than next summer.;)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i'm headed out to a bachelorette party tonight so the boys are home for dinner.
lucky for me, pity for them.
but i wanted to put dinner in so that the mister didn't have to get dinner figured out too.
so... this is another SUPER EASY recipe that is handed down from my mother. and it's SOOO good. and did i mention easy?

it's chicken wings (although i bought a bag of drumsticks instead)

3 ingredients:
- 8 oz. of ketchup
- 1/8 cup Worcester sauce
- 1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Mix together & pour over chicken wings {or put in a big Ziploc and refrigerate for a few hours to marinate]. Cook at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

other than that i wanted to pass along another blog that i have recently subscribed to. it's a great idea and it's all about cooking. check it out!

i hope you eat well today,
kg:)

hudson's wisdom

2011-09-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

welcome to tuesday's with hudson.
my
new (or only)
series.;)

here's a few short tidbits from the latest book i read.
you don't even need a grain of salt to go with it.;)

pg. 121, 'Depend upon it, God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supplies.'

pg. 149, 'For the One who permitted the troubles to come had also made provision in His own wonderful way.'

pg. 152 'On him then reckon, to Him look, on him depend: and be assured that if you walk with Him , look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.'

now, you might just think of these quotes as nice 'tie a bow' truths on that pretty little present illustrations. but i have tasted and seen that the Lord is good in my life. Not in a 'i pray and get exactly what i ask for kind of way' but in a way that i know that my Father will provide regardless if it's the way i had thought he would or not. these truths remind me of God's faithfulness that I am so unworthy of but yet so thankful for in my life.

I'm not sure where Carter learned the lyrics but quite often sings, 'oh i need you, how i need you, every hour i need you.'

that's it folks, spoken from the mouths of babes.
may hudson's wisdom and God's truth touch you in a new way this morning.
god bless,
kg:)

husdon taylor is filled with

2011-09-02T08:26:00.003-05:00

w.i.s.d.o.m. & f.a.i.t.h.

i was seriously blown away by his faith... it is his 'spiritual secret.'

to be honest, it took me a while to get into the book.
but when i did, i didn't want to stop.

{insert tangent here}
my friend got me this chai for my birthday.
these are my fave mugs we registered for from only the best place on earth. i could seriously wander there for hours.
point is.. my chai in my mug was sitting next to me while i read almost the entirety of this book.
this is a major happy face.

this book is so inspiring.
he
stopped
at
nothing.. zilch, nada...
to tell others about CHRIST.

i can't really think of anything more inspiring than that.

so, in the book there were quite a few places where i wrote 'wow wow wow' or something of the like in the margin because it blew me out of the water. so i'm gonna have a series... starting on tuesday that is 'hudson's wisdom.'
{side note: isn't hudson a cute boy name?!}

trust me, it will blow your mind and at the same time inspire you.
at least it did me.
so there.

and yes, i recommend this book especially if you need a jump start or re-ignition to your faith.

oh and i only have three more books on my list for the year....
whoop, whoop, followed by my very own party dance.... only in the privacy of my own home kind of party dance. wink.

happy friday!
kg:)

a 'snipet'

2011-08-31T13:50:00.002-05:00

i have been reading hudson taylor's spiritual secret...

and this paragraph really hit me.

it refers to john 7:37 when Jesus stood up and cried out...

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

it says..

{What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul-yearnings- Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet. He not only promises me rest-ah, how welcome that would be, were it all, and what an all that one word embraces! He not only promises me drink to alleviate my thirst. No, better than that! 'He who trust Me in this matter (who believeth on Me, takes Me at My word) out of him shall flow...'} (pg. 174-175)

i can drink & never be thirsty again.
what a promise.
resting in this today,
kg:)

grace.

2011-08-29T09:26:00.004-05:00

grace: defined as unmerited favor.

right now Luke and I are reading the bible together. we're using this new style....

and as we read, we write our thoughts so we can process what we're reading together. get it... journaling while reading the bible together all in one. what a concept. [sarcasm]

we are 7% complete as of today. and we're using Youversion.com for our plan... it's pretty sweet you should Check it OUT.:)

i've been learning a lot about grace as we're reading.
we just made it through the stories of Jacob & Esau and Joseph & his brothers.

let's get a brief about Jacob & Esau. Esau gave his birthright to Jacob over a bowl of stew {insert ridiculous what-were-you-thinking comment here}. they went their separate ways for years and because of most of the wise choices that Jacob made... his life was full of blessing. but later on in life there was a point at which Esau and Jacob were supposed to meet. rightly so Jacob was scared. Esau deserved nothing from him and yet Jacob was so so so so so gracious to him when he met up with him and not only that.... he gave him a bunch of his livestock {think about it in our times... a car, a bunch of his food} Esau told Jacob, [in my own words] you don't have to give me these animals, really it's ok. and jacob said no, i really want to give them to you.

grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace.
it's the only word that i can think of.
he decided to set aside the past and move forward and give unmerited favor toward his brother.
wow. what an example for us.

let's move to joseph and his brothers.
he was sold by his brothers, his father thought he was dead. he was imprisoned for years. and then when he was like the mayor of egypt and had a ton of wheat during a major famine his brothers came to buy wheat from him. not only did he give them wheat but he didn't take their money. [let's remember they sold him off because they laughed and mocked him and couldn't stand him and told his father he was dead]. and that's how he responded?

grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace. grace.
it's the only word that i can think of.
he also decided to set aside the past and move forward and give unmerited favor toward his brothers.
wow.
now it's becoming personal.

i can read that and completely separate that from my life or i can look at it as an example that is the major theme of the whole book. i am saved by GRACE; to give GRACE; and to learn GRACE; and to never forget that GRACE is the unmerited favor that died on the cross for MY sin.

i know that there's things in my life that don't line up with this. that's not a question. the question is how am i going to use this example to set the standard in my own life. and that is a complete challenge.

but i don't do it on my own. it's Christ IN me who does it. thank the LORD!
grace is amazing... how are you holding on to grace?

saved by grace, so i'm thankful for grace, so i want to extend grace,
kg:)

monday morning commentary.

2011-08-29T09:12:00.003-05:00

last week the core value Luke shared was Expectant...

this week the core value is

be intentional.
[something that sounds familiar because it's one of our family values.]

he spoke from one of my fave passages : psalm 1.

he talked about three ways to live intentionally.
1. stay pure.
i thought this was interesting: Luke recently read a study that said you become like the average of the top five people you're around.

2. stay connected
reading the Word is the single most intentional thing you can do.

3. stay faithful.
i loved what he said about staying faithful.... everyone can start new things, very few finish. point: don't waste your life... stay faithful to what you believe and living intentionally for it.

how do you live intentionally?
I've learned that the Sabbath is an intentional day to rest. I can do everything in 6 days. I do need rest. God made me that way. It's an intentional choice I have to make [that is against the grain of the rest of the world] but if I make that choice my family and I will be well served.

trying to live in all ways intentionally.
kg:)

one of those things i dreaded.

2011-08-26T20:32:00.005-05:00

this week we tried and i think [think being the key word here] conquered potty training.

my firstborn had showed interest in the spring and ended up [literally] landing nothing in the potty.

so i've been dreading this week a bit.
nothing was on the calendar....
just me and the boys
at home
all day.

this summer has been full.
i don't want to complain because i honestly wouldn't want it any other way.
but some days i thought...'it would be nice to just have some time to stay at home.'
on Sunday, i was looking at my calendar and how empty it was and was thinking....'oh, great'
not because i don't love being with my kids or being at my house....
it's just like being on house arrest is bad if you have the sentence.
or like how a sixteen year old just wants their liscense so they can drive by themselves but they don't really want to be alone in the car.

any...who.

this was the object to be conquered...

we had cool undies
we had read books about potty's (this one being carter & my favorite)
we had this jar
we bought woody buzz stickers to go on this chart...
and i really want, i mean need to have the cost of diapers go down in this house.

so we stayed home.
we chilled out.
we laughed.
we ran furiously to the bathroom.
we yelled while sitting on the potty, 'come out pee!!!!!!!'
we also had tears.
we had an accident on the playset & on mommy's leg & on daddy's side of the bed...
we had dilemma's over which sticker to put on said chart...
and we took our time eating lots of m's.

this morning i woke up praying that today could be it. that he would get it. that he wouldn't want to go back.
it wasn't magical (who are we kidding here?)
but he is telling me he needs to go.
he does pretty well even when we were out running errands today.
and we finally conquered both #1 & #2 in the potty.

and at four o'clock today when i was thinking about the fact that our house has been a bit calmer
and i liked not having to be anywhere at 9 a.m.
but that i missed telling luke about our exciting summer adventures at dinner time.
i realized that this week was good, but that i like our full life. and i like it even more with a potty trained two year old.

so i don't have a formula but i think we are there and i really didn't dread it all that much... i might have actually liked it.

hoping it sticks,
kg:)

HOT date.

2011-08-26T16:12:00.007-05:00

last night the mister & i went on a hot date.

i wore wedges which seeing as i've been at home for just about a week straight working on potty training...
well, wedges are a BIG deal.

i think my fave movie of all time is...

can you guess it....

..........................................................................................................................................................................

the wedding planner. i have it in vhs (thus aging myself). and i always loved the 'movie in the park' scene. and for ten years... [since we've known each other [now being 11 years- holy cow]]... i've been asking to go to a movie in the park.

so we made a plan to go to the park right off of Lake shore drive.
i mean COME ON...
this was the view opposite of the lake.

we got....
and after eating a must-eat crab & artichoke dip (oh my amazingness) with crustini's for an appetizer luke said... 'this is almost perfect.' at which point we realized we didn't have....

yep, forks.
eating salad with hands....
eating shrimp scampi with my hands.
NO thank YOU.

so luke HAD to buy a red velvet cupcake (which may or may not be true seeing as that's his favorite) in order to get forks. he missed 15 minutes of the movie. but we ate our salad and scampi with forks.

can i convince you to LOVE this movie like i do. i mean the romance.... dancing at a movie in a park. let's say it together....

awwwwwwwwww....

so yeah um... i think this is going to be an every year maybe couple-times-of-year type of date because it was just that fun.

but next year i'm gonna have like 4 million forks in my bag just to make sure i don't have to eat with my hands
and so the mister doesn't have to walk a million blocks
and so we can watch the movie in peace.

but then again almost perfect is pretty darn good. i'll take it.

still dating after [who's counting?!] years,
kg:)

etsy shopping.

2011-08-24T13:14:00.004-05:00

i think i could spend all day on etsy.

especially if i had a little girl to put all the cute accessories on.
but doing a cash budgeting system makes it a tad inconvenient to buy stuff online.
great system and the benefit is it keeps me off the site so i don't buy anything....

so you're now like what the heck is she posting something about etsy on if she doesn't even go on there.

it's because i have a lovely sister in law... who started a business with her mom and sisters.

she makes adorable posters and party favors.

like this...
and a three print combo like this....
and you've seen her cute favors here for carter's party. too cute!

so go check her out. on etsy. especially if you use your debit card a lot instead of cash;)

love,
kg:)

are you gutsy???

2011-08-22T21:22:00.002-05:00

this is a blog i love. megduerksen.typepad.com

she did this the other day.

you have to tell me if you'd do it.

i wish i had a playroom for my kids because if i did i would make it and put it up.

but am i gutsy enough???? i.don't.know.

tripledogdareyou,
kg:)

reid's dedicated.

2011-08-22T15:25:00.006-05:00

reid has now been dedicated. yay!

his shirt was kind of a last minute dilemma... so this picture is even more precious because he has a shirt on that matches his bow tie.... we spent the morning with our loved ones. ate some good food with them and then ended the night with the high school kick off....

but i still can't get enough of this picture ... [you can see why.]
proud mama,
kg:)

p.s. don't try to buy a white oxford shirt ANYWHERE in the month of august. they're no where to be found. such was the dilemma;)

monday afternoon commentary.

2011-08-22T15:15:00.003-05:00

Expectant.

that's the word that luke preached about last night. it's the first of the six core values of
harvest students.

He spoke from Mark 11.
And he brought about three questions we should ask ourselves...

1. is my sin bigger than my faith?

2. is my doubt bigger than my faith?

3. is my 'list' bigger than my faith?
[my 'list' being the things that i want and ask for selfishly]

i think his most powerful point was when he said when we pray for something, we pray but don't pray with expectancy because of the terrifying fear of rejection, because we want to do everything ourselves, and because we know that the things that we are asking God for are kind of dumb. But, what if, just what if we lived out a faith that leans out without a back-up plan.

i think we'd see some miracles....
i know at our house, we're praying more expectantly... will you?

expectant,
kg:)

my reid isaiah.

2011-08-18T14:03:00.006-05:00

my reid isaiah is turning into a little man right before my eyes. i remember this day just 9 short months ago...i don't think he even stays that still for a second unless he's sleeping anymore...

this weekend we are dedicating him at our church. our church believes:
In Scripture there is an example of dedicating children to the Lord. In 1 Samuel 1:11, 26-28, Hannah vowed to dedicate her child to the Lord if He would grant her one. The Lord honored her request and she kept her vow, dedicating Samuel to the Lord. “ . . . then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life.” 1 Samuel 1:11

before our kids are born I ask the Lord for a verse for them. Reid's verse comes with a story. He was breech for at least a month before birth.... although we truly trusted God we wondered why we'd have to go through a c-section etc. but we trusted that God knew best. we or should i say i shed lots of tears, said lots of prayers and as i studied the book of Isaiah (his middle name) i came to a verse that brought me joy & peace and i knew that that would be his verse. so here's just a little something i made for him....:)

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting Rock.
Isaiah 26:3 &4

because this is now a fave verse of mine i had sweet floweret make me a key fob to see it more frequently.

oh & pics to come of the adorable little man on the dedication.. in full out fedora and bow tie... just wait.

trusting the LORD,
kg:)

four to go...

2011-08-18T13:34:00.003-05:00

i said i would read twelve books this year... thus far i've read thirteen.
WOWZER....
oh gosh, i just used the word WOWZER.

but i just finished this book.

i have to say that Timothy Keller is one of my fave authors. he speaks plainly but truthfully and man, am i convicted when i read his stuff...

growth. is. good. [and hard, but it's good.]:)

so i wanted to share my five fave quotes from this book. i think it's a must read... maybe you should decide...

---->one. pg. 19 'as many have learned and later taught, you don't realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.'

----->two. pg. 103 'as we have seen all along, idols are good & necessary things that are turned into gods.'

------>three. pg. 123 'but if you let it (pride) humble you rather than embitter you, and turn to God instead of living for your own glory, then the death of your pride can lead to a resurrection.'

-------->four. pg. 125 'the way up is to go down; the way down is to go up.' [an awesome definition of humility]

--------->five. pg. 172 'but when we rejoice over God's sacrificial, suffering love for us -seeing what it cost him to save us from sin- we learn to hate the sin for what it is.'

take the plunge. read it. because, at the end of the day... everyone has idols in their life... you, me, that perfect christian that stays in their basement.... but figuring out what our idols are and asking the Lord for help is the first sign to change. l.o.t.s to think about.

loved this verse at the end of the book... 1 corinthians 1.25 'for the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the waekness of God is stronger than man's strength.'

be challenged as i am,
kg:)

FUN shower game.

2011-08-16T15:19:00.005-05:00

I've helped throw two showers in the last month and they've been FUN. but, sometimes FUN doesn't describe a shower. However, I want any shower that i am throwing to have that theme... FUN.

so i have a game for you that's just that... FUN!
laughing,
snickering,
shouting,
competition....

it's a game that i got from a fellow pastor's wife.

there's a baby version (first pic) and a bridal version (second pic).

the best place to find the candy is at walgreens and/or a specialty candy shop for the more exclusive bars.

think of it as a matching game, so every clue has a matching candy bar. you have different categories and as you say the clue (written on a post-it note with the candy bar on a post-it below it) someone has to guess the candy bar. (with a really large group you need to go around with the board and candy bars to show them in order for the guests to guess well, with a smaller group you can go around with just the candy bars).

like i said the
laughing,
snickering,
shouting, &
competition will ensue and it will be FUN!

some people like to keep great ideas to themselves... i think why not share?!
Have FUN showering those you love,
kg:)

playlist is...

2011-08-16T15:13:00.004-05:00

i love music.
but i never download new music.
i hardly ever know the name to the songs playing in my car. none the less how to work itunes.

i'm married to a musician.
in my opinion he cares A LOT about what's playing in the car while we're driving.
i don't really even hear the music unless i'm on a really long ride, by myself, and i'm singing so loud i can't hear the music.. but who am i kidding ?! the last time i did that was in college and yeah.. um. it was a LONG time ago:)

so. this summer i wanted to talk to my girls about worship.
but to go along with it i had them give me one-three of their fave worship songs.
we made cd's and the rest is history.

these days my hair is blowing in the wind and i am taking long drives and singing with the windows down..... actually that's not true. lol. but i do LOVE this cd. so i thought i'd share the playlist.:)

strong enough
give me faith
awakening
lead us to the cross
when i am afraid
shadows
forever reigns
with everything
all glory
stronger
you hold me now
hosanna
shine
stronger
listen to the sound

what's your fave worship song?
worshipping the King,
kg:)

seeing double ... cont.

2011-08-13T15:39:00.004-05:00

so, last year i wrote this post.

yesterday, after naptime i went to get my boys and reid was doing this:

and carter was doing this:

and i was seeing the double in live form.

i was like...
how did i end up with two boys
that are already 2 1/2 & 9 months
that are smiling at each other
and making me laugh
and driving me crazy
and asking me a million questions
and teething like there's no tomorrow but no teeth are coming...

all i know is that time is passing and i'm seeing double and it's moving fast and i'm trying to enjoy it and not get too much gray hair in the process. because i've got two little boys:)

signed mother of two,
kg:)

highlights of summer...

2011-08-13T14:58:00.007-05:00

i haven't been blogging. the time i would have spent on here has really been doing the things to keep the house up and then i've chosen to use friday as a 'i get to read in the sunshine' if i get everything i need to done that week:) but, i can't not blog about all the amazing things we got the chance to do this summer! here are my top TEN!

ready, set, BLOG!;)

fave memory of summer is from summer camp 2011. the theme was WAKE UP. thank the good Lord the holy spirit was at work! it was powerful to watch. my favorite part was when luke preached the gospel and lit a canvas on fire [which the students had confessed sin on] and illustrated for them the fact that when Jesus forgives us 'our sin as far as the east is from the west.' Then students shared the ways that they WOKE UP that week. i had weepy eyes because it was so so amazing. God is good!

2nd fave memory was when Carter earned his final prize for being in the reading program at the library. We both love to read and so it is important to us that our kids do too. Carter loved getting new books every week and he was read to for 10 hours!!!! He chose his book and it was definitely one of those 'proud mom moments' because he was SOOOO excited. yay carter!

3rd fave memory was family walks. these didn't happen too often but we've had two in the last week and it's crazy how refreshing, relaxing, and rejuvinating it is...to talk and be together.:)

4th fave memory is my thursday night small group with my now forever graduated high school girls. i had tears when wishing them well and praying over them the last night. they are so so dear to me. this was a highlight for luke and i as he would pester them once he got home from a different ministry thing he had that night... they all loved it. you know when you plan something and you hope it's not a drain on you emotionally and physically and for your family.... well i knew it would be quite a commitment to do this weekly but these girls poured into my soul. it was a major plus and not a drain at all! praise God... none of us are the same as when we met one another 3 years ago!

5th fave memory is date night. we tried different things.. we went on walks we did date nights at home we went to different restaurants, we went to movies, we went with friends and by ourselves. but we did it. it's no small task to get a babysitter, dressed nice, and out and about with money in your pocket do something fun. we committed that this would be a thing that would be part of our marriage and i'm thankful for it.

6th fave memory was our anniversary... the four year mark of marriage:) i reflected on it here but never told what we did... we had our adventures kid-free downtown and we walked so much of the city... we ate lunch at the grand lux, we had a snack at sprinkles, we went to the taste, we walked all the way from the taste to navy pier to rush street, we ate at tavern on rush and then got dessert at ghiradelli's. we woke up the next morning and got chick-fil-a and spent a few hours at oak street beach and then had lunch at chipotle. SO MUCH FUN. will never forgot it. although the new picture at the top of the blog is ginormous i love it because it reminds me of this phenomenal day!:)

7th fave memory was my family vacation up in green lake, wi. the weather was pretty terrible but we tried and succeeded in making the best out of it! we laughed, we ate, we watched our kids play together. it was much needed time with those i love.:)

8th fave memory was wednesday morning walks with my friend. we usually unless the temperatures were out of control walked at twin lakes and then we would usually get a coffee and breakfast that cancelled out the calories we burned but the part i loved was the convos that reflect iron sharpening iron. she rocks:)

9th fave memory was getting together with our small group each month. we had then here once and it's always good to catch up on what everyone's lives are like in the summer. the other part is that there's always good food:) one of the girls brought this game that was a huge hit... it's called...kubb & the men loved playing it!!!

10th fave memory was being with my boys... at home and at camp and taking them different places on new adventures. seeing carter's vocabulary grow and love for life flourish. i loved being able to see reid start to move and get red knees because his skin can't believe he's moving this fast;) they make me tired but they are so much fun. i'm blessed.

to say the least our summer was full, i'm actually looking forward to some calmer days. don't know if they will come but until then...
happy end of summer,
kg:)

fave summer recipe.

2011-08-13T14:15:00.004-05:00

my sister in law is a really good cook. on our family vacations we each have night where each family makes supper...she made a recipe that i couldn't get off my mind so i've made it countless times this summer and it is yummy!

i found it here:) It's bruschetta pasta salad!

Ingredients:

4 cups diced tomatoes [i get the grape tomatoes and cut them in halves or fourths]
1 cup finely chopped onion (Iuse Vidalia)
1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
4 cups cooked pasta (i love farfalle pasta!)(note: it takes about 7-8 oz. dried pasta to make 4 cups cooked pasta)
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste (i use fresh mozzerella & cut it into little chunks)

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sugar

Prepare pasta according to directions on box and set aside to cool. Combine dressing ingredients and whisk until blended. In a large bowl, add cooled off pasta, tomatoes, onion and basil. Pour dressing over top and mix lightly. Stir in cheese and mix only until incorporated.

Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve at room temperature.

This salad serves 6-8 depending on whether served as an appetizer or main course.

i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!:)
happy cooking,
kg:)

new photos

2011-08-07T11:43:00.004-05:00

it's another sunday and i need some updated pictures. so we did a SHORT but cute photo shoot. like minutes ago.
they
are
growing
TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
quick.

like i say, 'carter, reid's so cute, isn't he.' he replies, 'sure is.'

i won't delay... i'll get on with it...
ready
set
smile.
love my boys,
kg

OKLA-HOMA

2011-07-19T14:34:00.003-05:00

This past weekend Luke had the opportunity to preach at a fellow Harvest! It's a fired up body of believers. I was greatly challenged by the message ... like yesterday all day i was thinking about it, battling it, seeing if i could get out of it... yep, that's how God's Word is. So glad I can't get out of it that I need to live clothed by Jesus Christ.

the first point of the message was Wake up! and i was thinking about the fact that I WOKE UP spiritually ten years ago this week...

by a few crazy circumstances i ended up on a missions trip with this church my family had started attending. I had just finished freshman year of high school (wow, can't believe it's been ten years) and I was still finding my bearings... who i would spend time with... what i was gonna be about... and where my place was. So, i got on the bus and i'm not gonna lie... there were a few cute boys. i was excited to hang out with them and of course the girls too. ;)

my main job for the week was to cook for our group of 50. this may sound like a small task but when it's at least 100 degrees daily (which i don't have to imagine right now because that's the temperature outside) and the kitchen is about 10x10, oh and there's five other members of the team.. well it's quite a task. but, as we got the hang of it we realized we did have a bit of time on our hands so we were assigned to shovel shale out of the missionary's driveway in 100 degree heat and well... at that point i was like the rest of this week better be fun or what the heck am i doing here?!

it was midweek that I was getting the hang of the spiritual thing we did at night.. i was getting to know the songs and i wasn't the last one to find the book of the bible that the youth pastor was preaching out of.. so on the outside i was looking pretty good. but on the inside i was crumbling... who was i, did i really believe what i said i did for so long, what was my life going to be about?

the crumbling looked more like the ugly cry that night. IT WAS UGLY. but oh so beautiful at that same time because the facade finally came off. everything wasn't perfect. I realized that I did need and want and believe that Christ was Lord of my life. I wanted to put off Worldliness and put on Jesus Christ. This was a moment i will never forget.

On the trip i felt really convicted to write down kind of a list of convictions for myself... things i would do and wouldn't do so i wouldn't just 'end up' in a bad situation. I wrote it in orange marker and asked the youth pastor to look through it with me. He sarcastically teased me about the orange marker but really encouraged me to stick to these convictions and he prayed for me.

there were many more shenanigans from that trip but that was the foretelling of the christian life for me... because believing in Christ is easy but it's hard to live it out. I have found that in the last ten years. I've been through a few major trials. I've had hard conversations. I've, well I could write a whole long list of the last ten years. it's been full, and exciting and at times I was like 'where the heck are you taking me God' but he has brought me through every single time. not by just a hair but always in his timing and the circumstances he has for me.

Now being a youth pastor's wife I see students making the hard decision to live for Christ. I always think... you will never regret that choice. I am so thankful for our youth pastor & that my husband gets to be a youth pastor & am so thankful that our life does have purpose. It's not easy but God always gives us the grace we need to make it through.

If I would have known what those convictions written in orange marker had meant for my life... wow. i believe they saved me from grief and heart ache.. much of it. but that wasn't anything in me... only Christ can do that in someone.

so, ten years. yea, let's keep walking Lord:)
kg:)

oh and the trip was to oklahoma... thus the title of the post... oh and i am not sure i will ever go back there;)

marriage

2011-07-15T15:43:00.003-05:00

when we were engaged luke got me a gift. it was a cd set of sermons. little did i know i'd still be listening to them years later. again & again.

they are SOOO worth a listen. here is the one that i listened to [love and marriage part II: true love by voddie baucham] available for download.

it's funny but biblically sound. and good for your heart and marriage.

i hope you take a listen.
kg:)

'life change' from my own eyes.

2011-07-15T15:00:00.003-05:00

this week we spent a few days up at camp harvest [a.k.a. one of the greatest places on earth]. it was jr. high camp week (for the rolling meadows week). This is one of the major pluses of being a pastor's wife.. i got to go up with our kids and we got to spend time with Luke while he was working.

Carter loved looking for fish in the lake. Rides with daddy (which i may add are a bit crazy) on the golf cart. A dip in the pool with carterman. a stop on the way home to Sherman's dairy. there were lots of memories.

Being a pastor there's always critics but there's fortunately stories of life change and kind words that people share. I don't always hear the stories although Luke tries to share as many as he can with me but this week I got to first hand wittness an awesome 'life change.'

i was able to be part of the Tuesday night session when Luke preached and shared the gospel message. There was a leader serving up at camp who had a few kids that were in jr. high. Not only did Luke share the gospel but he invited the kids to stand who had accepted Christ. Then he had them say out loud... "I profess Jesus Christ as Lord." So after the message was done and the kids were about to head to their small groups this leader comes over to me with tears in her eyes and she said, kristen that was a great message. and i was like yea, praise the Lord, huh? at that moment her daughter (a student) came to give her a hug because she wanted to tell her mom that she had accepted jesus as her savior.

stop.
awe.
wow.
dead in my tracks.

this woman was there serving the Lord but she got to experience one the biggest joys of life, her own daughter proclaiming that she has chosen Jesus Christ to be Lord of her Life.

that was a moment.
i can only imagine seeing carter and reid stand and proclaim that one day.
but for now, i'll just pray. and praise the Lord for what an awesome moment that was to be a part of. from mom to mom.

3 john 1:4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

PRAISE THE LORD!
kg:)

'when doing the hard thing is the right thing'

2011-07-06T14:40:00.002-05:00

my man had the privilege of preaching God's Word this weekend at Harvest on our rolling meadows campus.

he definitely didn't shy away from our first pillar at harvest which is to proclaim the authority of God's Word without apology.

I don't want to take the point of the message away since you can listen to it or watch it but i honestly came to church with a bad attitude about some circumstances that day and left convicted to do the hard thing because it's the right thing.

that's the awesome thing about God's Word it pierces our hearts like a sword. so...

take a listen here.:)
kg

fruit of the spirit.

2011-07-01T15:22:00.004-05:00

i LOVE fruit.

and i have learned as a Christ-follower that fruit means two things.

one... that i tell others about Jesus.

two... that i am growing in the fruits of the spirit in galatians 5:22-23:

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control.

i told you earlier this summer that i am leading my senior girls in one last bible study. every week i am trying to teach them something from the Word that has helped me grow spiritually. Realizing that I need the holy spirit to help me and that i need to be growing in these fruits is challenging. so i did a bit of a hands on lesson... they each got an actual fruit and i wrote the fruit that they thought they most needed to improve in [of course with the help of the holy spirit]. They took them home and we all looked at our fruit throughout the week... mine sat on my end table in my family room.

mine was:

with my kids. yes, they are cute, but boy, they can test my patience.

we also memorized galatians 5:22. we talked about how we did last week. none of us did perfectly... but we're growing.

it was a helpful lesson for all of us.
growing in patience,
kg:)

shepherding...

2011-07-01T15:04:00.003-05:00

i just finished shepherding a child's heart... a well-known parenting book that gives great insight and wisdom in how to be a parent. Although I've learned through other bible studies about parenting i felt like this book was the best I've gotten so far. and it was already on my book list for the year... so i am already more than half way done with that... yay new years resolutions!!!

maybe it's because i've got a two year old and a seven and a half month old and i realize i cannot bring these kids up on my own i need a divine plan... sometimes i think God allowed us to have kids so that i can yet again realize my dependency needs to be upon him....

I loved this little paragraph. it made me be assured that i do what i do for a reason and that even though i have lots of days when i feel inadequate, tired, frustrated, feel like my kids are never going to listen... i remember that it's called parenting and there's a purpose to it.

pg. 97, paragraph 4:
Parenting is your primary calling. Parenting will mean that you can't do all the things that you could otherwise do. It will affect your golf handicap. It may mean your home does not look like a picture from Better Homes and Gardens. It will impact your career and ascent on the corporate ladder. It will alter the kind of friendships you will be available to pursue. It will modify the amount of time you have for bowling, hunting, television, or how many books you read. It will mean that you can't develop every interest that comes along. The costs are high.

shockingly or not... you can take the last sentence literally & figuratively. ;)

i love love love this verse when applied to parenting: hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

amen & amen.
parenting as a weak vessel but with a divine plan,
kg:)

four years.

2011-06-29T00:01:00.008-05:00

our anniversary is today. happy anniversary honey. when i think about our special day... i reflect on all the amazing times we've had...
so for reflectings sake i thought i'd show you some pics for a laugh...

this was him proposing...

and this was us on the day...

and this is us four years later...

and i thought i would say the five top highlights for us this year....
5. coming home on sunday nights and loving doing ministry together especially with my senior girls:)
4. adding reid isaiah to our family and adjusting to being a family of four.
3. our weekly date nights.
2. our time away this year.
1. surprising you early for your 25th birthday.

i've learned a lot this year. the funny thing is i look at these early pictures of us as people 'in love' but now we know sacrificial, you before me, believing the best in you kind of LOVE. we've grown this year. we know that marriage isn't easy but that it's worth it. and that forever & ever we're gonna stick it out. NO. MATTER. WHAT. and that's why waking up next to you is the best way i could start each morning.

i love you babe. gosh, i couldn't imagine doing life with anyone but you.
to another 100 years;),
kg

The royals book☺

2011-06-19T15:30:00.001-05:00

I was one of those people who woke up on april 29th at 4 a.m. with my dvr set since 3 a.m. to get the coverage of the royal wedding. It was my birthday and it in fact felt like the whole world was counting down. If you know anything about me, you know that was a great feeling.;)

On November 16th, I laid in the hospital bed getting induced with my 2nd born and that was the day the engagement was announced so at that point (having laid in bed for about 2 days straight) I felt like I knew everything there was to know about William and kate. But, after reading my latest book:

William & Kate: a royal love story I feel like I know it all…

So I thought I’d give you a top 5 list of things I learned about the royals.

5. their lives are scandalous. I don’t say that to be judgmental…. That is the best adjective I can use to describe them. And I wouldn’t have thought that before.

4. Princess Diana’s life was so sad. At the end of the book it talks about how she never felt loved, gosh if I had gone through some of the pain that she had I don’t know that I could have blamed her, especially in the public’s eye…. But wow, I think her life seemed a lot more ‘glamorous’ than it really was.

3. the amount that the the England taxpayers pay for protection and a bit of extravagance is crazy.

2. kate was so patient. They did live together before they were married and William had such a dysfunctional marriage displayed in front of him that I can see his hesitation. However, I don’t think anyone would disagree with the fact that she was so so so patient. That will come in handy as a wife.;)

1. the paparazzi situation on both of them I would never wish on anyone… not my worst enemy. I feel bad for them and am glad they do have places that they can get away to in order to be like ‘normal people.’

So all of this to say I would recommend this book. I liked it & thought it was interesting… although I would definitely read a book if it was from kate’s perspective…. I guess I can hope it’s coming.

Read up on the royals,
Kg☺

family fun monday.

2011-06-15T15:29:00.007-05:00

our monday rocked.

our boys slept until 8. i slept until 8:30.

we made a picnic. i forgot my phone at home. and we ventured to cosley zoo.

carter wanted to know: 'what's dis animol.' & 'what he doin?'

he fed the ducks successfully, meaning he didn't eat the duck food himself. ;)

we had planned on going to cantigny because it got canned the week before because of rain (in which we visited this place & carter loved it!) but, since we didn't have my maps ap on my MIA phone we ended up walking in wheaton, going to a park, and eating our picnic there too.

so it was simple, cheap, and amazing... later we celebrated my sis-in-law abby's bday. here's my fave pics from the day:)

thankful,
kg:)

a bride.

2011-06-12T09:46:00.003-05:00

wedding season is upon us... sigh. i love weddings. i love watching tlc's wedding shows, one of my fave movie's is the wedding planner, and i love when i get to sneak a glimpse of a wedding party taking pictures at a park... there's just something so wonderful about a wedding day.

i also love to be a 'creeper' on facebook during wedding season. i love looking at the dress, the flowers, the venue... the whole deal. if you're my friend on facebook and you're married, chances are almost 100% that i've looked at your wedding pictures. Take it as a compliment or not.:)

I look back on my own day and think about things i would have done differently but always look back at that day with so much fondness. I remember being so sure that I was marrying the perfect person for me. {which to this day i believe is true}. it was on my top five best days of my life.

the bride part of the wedding is fun. you look all glammed up... you have a beautiful dress on and everyone is looking at you. you feel overwhelmed with all the people who have gathered to see your special day and you get the chance to live out the very day that you've dreamed of since you were a little girl. but, there's the whole other part of it too... the after we get married I'm not a bride, I'm a wife part that's just as beautiful but I'd say is a bit more challenging. You have more than one day to perfect it... Lord willing you have a lifetime to perfect it but it's a large task.

When I'm at a wedding I usually have two emotional moments. One is that I usually tear up or cry (if I really know the person) when they walk down the aisle because of the special moment but more because they don't know the task that they're signing up for. In all honesty, I don't know that anyone would walk down the aisle if they knew all the hard work that a marriage take. Yes, I probably sound like a cynic but I've been in a marriage for four years and it's an everyday choice to love and serve sacrificially... it's not easy. I love it, let me repeat that, I LOVE IT, but it's not easy. I also always laugh at the sweet giddiness of the couple because they are so in love and so excited and it's a sweet love. And although I think that the mister and I still have that sweet love, now that we're married our love has become so much deeper than that. When you whether storms together and know that niether of you is gonna throw their ring at you and call it quits... its a love that is so much deeper.

but i got thinking about this yesterday when i read proverbs 31. it says...

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. - The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. - She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. - She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. - She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. - She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. - She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. - She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. - She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night. - She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. - She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. - She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. - She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. - Her husband is known in the gates - when he sits among the elders of the land. - She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. - Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. - She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. - She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. - Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: - "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." - Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. - Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

and, i was taking notes in my journal as if i had never read the proverb before. I was like that is one 'honkin' calling' to be a wife. and later that day i was texting with someone whom i admire as a wife saying that it is quite a task and she said... "but her husband's heart safely trusts in her." the perfect response. I don't want to be the cynic at weddings. and I don't want to look back and think oh i wish i was a bride again because that is so much fun. but rather I want to be a wife that lives up to this high calling and does it well so that my man trusts in me and that we walk in the strength not that we can muster up on our own. because being a bride is fun but being a wife is so much better.:)

from bride to wife,
kg:)

just leave it with me.

2011-06-10T09:56:00.003-05:00

the other day i had a conversation. i'm sure you've had conversations like this...

a person states the facts of a situation and they know one side. they have feelings and perceptions and think they know the whole entire thing.

who am i kidding, i've been that very person. but i was on the other side feeling like i knew some information that they didn't know and i wish they knew it because i think it would make them feel differently. i felt like i was between a rock and a hard place. my heart felt heavy, and frustrated, and like if i talked to someone all day long about it.... well it wouldn't produce anything good.

and that's when i felt the soft whisper of the Lord... say nothing profound. just... 'kristen, bring it to me. just rest that i am in control.' actually, it was profound... just simple. it wasn't audible but it was the perfect timing.

matthew tells us to not be anxious for tomorrow or even about today. i can't control the information that people have and i certainly can't control perceptions people have... and my whole life will be filled with situations where perceptions are going to be. true or not; such is life. and everyone could throw pity parties about how perceptions aren't true. and worry about what people think about how people feel.

there's been a lot of days i been anxious about those very things so i say this {not proudly} but as a novice of trusting. i trust the LORD today with what i can't control and i make the choice not to worry/or be anxious/or let my emotions control me... because that never produces anything good.

some trust in chariots.... but I TRUST in the name of the LORD. HE IS a mighty tower and fortress that the righteous run into and are SAVED. now those are truths i can rest in. it's a moment by moment thing. but, i believe God honors even those small, but important choices.

i know who I'm trusting, do you?
choice by choice,
kg

Epic. Epic. Epic.

2011-06-07T20:22:00.006-05:00

Epic disaster turned great.

Epic celebration.

Epic deal.:)

These are some of the epics in our house today.

Epic disaster turned great.
it was a shocking 107* today, shocking because we didn't have much of a spring. So, when the weather people inform us of these temperatures it's hard to believe them until i can feel them. and feel them did i. and guess what, i'm not going to complain one ounce because well, because this is what we endured the winter for. hallelujah. so, carter, reid, & i were on our way to a splash park to meet a friend and we were running late, my phone had low battery, and i ran out of time to make a picnic so i stopped by mcdonald's. i was driving and had to keep turning around because my phone maps ap did not assist me in finding said splash park. when looking at the map ap in disgust my phone shuts off. Oh Dear. then my gas light turned on. then my two year old kept asking... mom, wheres splash park? carter, i DON"T KNOW. finally, there was a car next to me with kids... so i asked the guy and HE KNEW!!! We made it, carter had the time of his life. So much so that an aggressive child whalloped him in the back and he smiled and walked away... i couldn't have asked for a better play date on a day with such shocking heat!;)

Epic celebration.
i'd really like to potty train carter. i know it won't be easy. i know that it's inconvenient to find & use public bathrooms. i know that the grass is usually greener on the other side. but, i'd like some success in this department. it would really help my budget out to have only one child in diapers.:) so we had carter buck naked tonight and he peed on the floor but then he got the 'poop look' on his face and i asked him.... and we ran to the toilet and MADE IT! let's just say it wasn't the kind of poop i would have liked to clean up... so it was an even more joyful occasion. I remember reading something a month ago that said that you should do a happy dance when they go... so that is what i did. carter LOVED IT! i think he loved the feeling of success even more than the m's he got as the incentive. who would have thought?! will it continue tomorrow, probably not. will this memory be ingrained in my heart forever, i sure hope so. epic victory is sweet to taste.

Epic deal.
i've always loved a great deal. at an early age i would look through the sunday ads and show my mom all the items that were $9.99. funny is an understatement. so, i really like to garage sale. we had a lazy saturday a.m. and so i thought maybe i should go and see if i could find anything. and did i find something...

so carter got one of these for his 1st birthday...

(wasn't he such a chunky monkey?!)

and i was already thinking about how i would like to get reid one of these for his 1st bday but didn't want to drop the cash. but i found this...

for...

and online pottery barn kids says i can get a replacement monogrammed slipcover for $49. so, a grand total of $54 when it originally would have been $129 (it's the oversized anywhere chair). now, that's an EPIC DEAL.

so what EPIC-LY happened to you today?!
epicly happy,
kg:)

a life lesson.

2011-06-06T16:19:00.004-05:00

"When you have to have something, it has you."

This sentence was spoken in the bible study i took this year. And when we shared our testimonies on spring break it was the main theme of something i learned right out of high school.

situation:
i was IN LOVE with a boy... and i wanted our relationship to work regardless if it was long distance and difficult and... well, you name it.

I was desperate to keep our relationship going. but that's not what was best for me .... because i had to have that relationship it had me.

it had me meant that it controlled my decisions and at that point in life you're making a lot of 'life time' decisions. truthfully having to have something other than JESUS CHRIST is 'simply put' stupid. i know that's not eloquently stated but it's true. as many of you know... the relationship i had to have was gone for a while which made me grow up in many ways. i was trusting too much in the excitement and future of that relationship which is lame because the truth of the matter is that people are always going to fail you. that doesn't mean that you isolate yourself completely but you shouldn't put all your eggs in the relationships with people basket because without fail.... you will be disappointed. MARK MY WORDS.

at that point in time it was mostly just hard. days were long, i felt lonely and the hard work of making new relationships weighed heavy on my heart and mind. I had one of those desperate longings for the Lord that come during the crisis' of life and that we attempt to carry on through normal life but the urgency that carries you through the crisis isn't there as much... which honestly kind of stinks. the love that I had for that boy never went away but it did dull so that I could go about my normal life and not see that as my number one priority.

the point that i learned was that when i had things in right perspective... God first, everything else after that... nothing could have me but Christ. what a freeing feeling. it was good for me and everyone around me. shockingly enough the relationship that needed to be let go came back... and now is my marriage relationship. And although that time apart was hard at times and stretching --- it molded me and taught me the lesson that nothing should ever get in the way of my relationship with the Lord. And that no other relationship can satisfy me to my core like my relationship with the Lord.

but, i see this lesson as one that comes up again and again in my life. i wish that wasn't true but it is. there's a longing inside of us to be filled by Christ and nothing else can satisfy it ... not stuff, not status, not a job, or title or {insert anything but CHRIST here} even though we try to fill ourselves with those other things again & again.... ugh.... sigh*

some things you have to learn the hard way. others can be learned on someone else's account. take my Word for this... don't waste your time having to have something because the control that it has on you will cost much more than you think... and guess what... it will never be worth it.

satisfaction occurs only in Christ.
lesson learned {or still in progress...},
kg

a plan is always good.:)

2011-05-31T21:39:00.005-05:00

this weekend was relaxing... other than a walk with the fam each morning there wasn't much on the calendar. but i do {emphasis intended} like having a plan. i find that especially on mondays (our family day), if i don't have a plan... we don't end up going anywhere...
so, here's a few fun family ideas we have planned for this month.

- cantigny : a beautiful walk & picnic {can't forget my camera}

-the cosley zoo - this one is very small but it's cheap and perfect for a quick trip.

- i know this is a risky one, but we're gonna take the kids to the taste... good food, done chicago style. :)

a fun date night....
i've always wanted to go to a movie in the park.... the movie the wedding planner {one of my all time faves} inspired this dream and it has always seemed an impossible task. but, this summer we are going to make it happen... here's the showings in june & the best part is it's free!!!

what are some fun things you're doing this summer?!

250th post... reading away:)

2011-05-29T14:41:00.004-05:00

it's my 250th post! and it's about reading:)

just wanted to share 3 GREAT books i just finished... a bit of something for everyone.

what's better to do on a rainy memorial day weekend than finish up the books you've been reading.

raising kids: i'm always looking for wisdom and insight in how to best raise my boys. i think it's hard to find down to earth books with solid biblical teaching. i think writing a book about parenting is kind of like writing a book about being pure as a teenage... it's hard to write it in a humble way that doesn't portray you as a perfect parent or with kids that followed a 'so-called formula.' this book showed just that... some principles she learned while painting the picture of a 'normal' family trying to make the best out of their circumstances and to teach their children the principles of the Word. this book came highly recommended and i say the same for you:)

spiritual: we've read this book for our couples bible study and it has been hugely impactful in my life. it made me think out of the box and brought conviction to change. if you haven't read this, you MUST.

marriage: we're coming up on four years of marriage. woohoo! but, i never want to be satisfied with where we are in our marriage or think that our marriage is so great that it's lacking in nothing. just like in our spiritual lives i don't think we'll ever 'arrive' in marriage.... that is unless you've married a perfect man like i have. :) haha! no, but this was a very practical book that helped me to see some unhealthy things that i do as a wife and points of how to change and brought good conversations between us. i'd definitely recommend it.

whether you're in sunny california reading under a palm tree {of which unfortunately i am not;)} or you're in the rain storms of chicago {of which i am:)} I would pick up one or all three of these books and read away:)

happy memorial day.... thanks to those who do and have served for our freedom,
blessed..
kg:)

and we commence.

2011-05-23T14:12:00.002-05:00

on mondays in the past i've written about the message that Luke has preached the night before at youth group. but today that's not what i will do.... instead last night we ended the year with some amazing games and with a night of worship led by my man (yes, he's multi-talented):):).

last night was the last night that 'my girls' were part of the youth group. i've been with them for 3 years... many of them at least and then we had a few that have joined along the way. looking at a picture from sophomore year could show you that they are a different group of girls... more secure, more beautiful, more confident in who God has made them to be. if you looked at them you would of course say that they are beautiful on the outside, because they truly are... but i can tell you that these girls have beauty beaming from the inside as well.

the journey's been long. week after week, sunday after sunday I have dropped my children off or gotten my preggo self there and have worshipped with these girls, listened to more messages than i can count and we've talked... lots. we've seen each other through weeks and weekends at camp, we've seen the ugly cry from one another and we've turned the pages on the calendar trying to do life together in a way that honors the Lord... for high school students that mean first days back at school, homecoming week... powder puff games, dealing with relationships, dances, breaks, etc etc etc.... don't you remember how rough high school can be?!

i could describe each of these girls in thorough detail but i don't think that's necessary here nor do i want to share personal details that would forgo my confidence. i will say though that these girls are marked by the love of Christ. At times they felt like living for Christ might not be worth it, they had doubts that they could while attending public high school, and they all have gone through peaks where God showed up in their lives and knew that there was no other way that had 'greener grass' than God's way.

what i think is especially unique though about this group of girls is that they are open and honest. not a week that went by that i had to doubt of them sharing their struggles or their desires to do better or 'you name it...' that's special. usually especially in girl's groups there's an insecurity and a desire to appear more spiritual than you really are. i don't think i shaped that community, i think that by being open and honest from day one they determined that that was the community they wanted... and the byproduct was huge gains. glory be to God.

Last night we said goodbye to the 'normal' we've known for too long. meeting in the green room, worshipping in the front row, and sharing the semi-cold food after youth group because we've gone too long... and today we say hello to our 'new' normal where we're more like peers than a leader-student relationship. this summer i couldn't be more excited about the fact that i'm meeting with them weekly to study God's Word through a book study and to come alongside them for one more solid push toward growing in Christ before they head out to college.

As of yet i've only birthed male children. wah wah wah.... lol:) and although i'd love to have a girl to call my own i know that God has a great plan for me regardless if there's a 'luke macdonald' that's a girl. so at this point, these are truly my spiritual children... if they're upset, k-mama's upset... if they're hurting, i'm hurting, if they're rejoicing, i can't help but rejoice. i think of the verse that says they'res no greater joy than to see your children walking in the Lord... and i can honestly say that seeing these girls walk in the Lord, knowing His truth reigns surpreme is the best joy that i could desire for today.

yes, tears were shed and yes, i'm a tad bit sad. but, i have great joy!
thankfully blessed and excited for my girls,
kg:)

10 {light-hearted things} i've learned about being a

2011-05-05T15:33:00.003-05:00

mom.

10. wipes can fix almost anything. buy them at costco.

9. hooter hiders are cool. no one likes to see momma's hooters hanging out, so use a 'hh' when in public:)

8. playgroups are really for the moms... come on, if you haven't realized this already.... it's a chance for momma to have some adult interaction. praise the Lord for that!!!

7. moms need mom friends. sometimes you need a friend to level with you. i had a close friend recently say to me, 'realize that God loves your kids more than you love them.' well said. i want friends that level with me and i want to level with my friends.

6. dollar store treats are just as good as treats from bloomingdales. kids don't know the difference. so just go to the dollar store, oh and save your money for their college education...

5. candy can fix almost anything. bribing isn't always bad;)

4. cuddling when your kids are sick is the best. sometimes it passes the nastiness on to you but then you're immunized without having to get a shot... paradigm shift, i know;)

3. the epidural is one of the best parts of labor, don't let anyone talk you out of it:)

2. you can never laugh enough or dance enough with your kids. ipods in the kitchen are a necessity.

1. i never prayed as much before i had children. they make you realize how little control you have. God is in control, and i'm thankful for that.

i love my mom.
i love being a momma.
& i love the mom's who are exemplary to me.
happy mother's day.
kg:)

the truth...

2011-05-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

always comes out.
the truth always comes out.
the truth always comes out.
the TRUTH always comes out.

this was the main point of the message that Luke preached last night. let me put it in other words... the truth is on an unassailable march toward being seen or known.

both good and bad. sometimes on earth & always in eternity. EVERYONE is going to judgment. So we must continue in doing good.

{scriptural back up: numbers 32:23, Eccl. 12:13-14, Galatians 6:7-9}

one point that he made that is so so true is that there's no happiness on the side of sin. there's always guilt, shame, pain, and we always want to forget or shield the truth when we're on the side of secret sin.

the best thing we can always do is to open up our secret darkness. James 5:16 says, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

lastly, there's so much more grace in opening up our own secret darkness rather than letting it get found out.

Are you going to be the one to bring it out? Or will God make sure it comes out?

one powerful night where sin was brought from dark to light... not easily but it brought freedom & hope purely because of the cross. thank you Lord!

by his grace we live because the truth always comes out.
amen & amen.
kg:)

check this out!!!

2011-04-26T13:48:00.002-05:00

i wanted to share a link with you....

luke & my brother in law sang the david crowder/lecrae song on good friday & it was so powerful...

enjoy it here!

easter

2011-04-25T15:09:00.005-05:00

this year's easter will always be remembered by just having gotten over the flu, carter's jelly bean trail, & finally having an appetite after being sick!!!

so.... i decided this year i wouldn't go big on the easter baskets because the grandparents love doing that and carter loves candy so, two baskets will be plenty...

well, the sickness got the best of me and i didn't have the chance to run and get candy at the store so i used my mother's candy from her easter basket (shhh!! don't tell her:) and carter didn't know the difference.

he loved waking up to the jelly bean trail...

the boys were great that morning... we opened our last resurrection egg which was empty!!!! yay! he has risen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and they chilled while mommy got ready for church...

and then we spent the rest of the day with family:) what a great day to celebrate the risen Lord!:)

hope your day was just as great!