To bring a smile to an inside running talk my Mom and I have. I have no children...yet. My hearts wish is that I do, but reality is reality and I just lean into God through it with a genuine smile. There are people in my life that talk about their children and well, I do not yet have images to post, or children to talk of. I do gleefully post amazing images of my favorite person in the world, Peyton Grace my niece. She plays along in my world beautifully. She is the best gift God has ever given me and is such a light that has made my life full, so I do want to state that. So, I ask my Mom, "What do I have to talk about in addition to God in my life, because I am trying to just be a vessel and have him use my heart and not my mouth to represent him. (I pray he finds some sort of vessel in me to go through and shine His light and a smile...Lord willing!)? My Mom and I laugh about this and state "Well, you have your work...tee hee hee". So here you have it. An image from my work Christmas gathering. I am the one leaning down because I was too tall in front. These people individually really inspire me. John behind me is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is a great Dad, and husband to Caroline and might I add one of Peyton Grace's favorite people, because he always leans down and talks to her like she matters and smiles with her always. My Bosses on either end. The one on the far right, Jerry, has often stood in as a father figure to me years before I took this job to work for him. He makes me see that there are men of honor out there. His son, Corey on the far left. A gentle leader and a great friend to me. Last but not least is Jill next to me. The girl has run 100 mile races and is a complete inspiration to me not only in her running, but her ethics at work and in life. So there, no children or santa visits at the mall to talk of (I couldn't get my people at work to go for the mall image with Santa thought..smile), but definitely people that matter and worth posting and image and talking about in my life.
"It is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our strength and tenacity. Only in this is our character molded into genuineness which gives way to God's great light within us." --Me (Kristin)
Two cuties. My sister Gretchen and her baby girl, Petyon Angel Grace. When I think of the word courage, my sister Gretchen always comes to mind. She has been through much over the last few years and is always just full of grace in most every situation. She is never a complainer....ever! She is Brave and I admire that in her. I am just proud of her as a person and think her daughter, Peyton Angel Grace is every bit as courageous and funny as her Mamma. I love these two people very much. I am very marshmallow (the word I use for proud) of these two girls and wait expectantly for blessings to gently fall all over them. So there is my "Friday Beautiful" for the week. I get Peyton Grace for the night and can't wait until this work day is over so I can go and giggle with her. One last sweet thing. In this image doesn't it look like all the sunflowers are looking gently on them. I love that! They are both sunny people, so they fit perfectly amongst sunflowers.
I have no clue as to how I came across this image. Probably from one of my daily reads. However, I think it is brilliant and would look so great in a loft.
From such an introspective morning, there is a definate need for light, happy, pink, and fun souflée end of day.
Can I title this a "Introspective journal moment to find well, Friday Beautiful?" Thank you for grace...ahead of time...smile. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. this morning just as a Rozerem sleep-aid commercial came on....what is that about? 4:30 a.m. has become a typical wake up time for me as of late as I seem to be sleeping like princess and the pea. Too tired from work and freelance that I haven't been much on my quiet time when I need it the most and sleep! So, I got out of bed and turned the TV channel to Beth Moore, then Joyce Meyer as if to absorb some Godly wisdom, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall with my cup of coffee, big floor pillow and my bible (closed, but my hand is gently laid across it, as if to absorb through my hand to my heart....HA). Just quiet/simple prayers from my heart this week for people I love and for God to please equip me for my tasks ahead in my moments of work. So much work to be done over the last three weeks that I haven't had time to think, and my prayers have been narrowed down to moments in the shower, just talking to God about my heart and questioning the if's of whether I am opening my heart to be used in some way as His vessel and praying, "God, please, please be with and protect my people/your people". Do I praise you Lord with vivre? Do I simply love people with acceptance (with the pure simplicity like our dogs love us without judgement.)? Do I listen to understand God, before requesting to be understood by Him? Do I offer the world a happy place and a gentle hand to hold? If one was to look through my eyes into my soul, would God and the world find good within as time passes? Anthony calls me "Bergs". It is short for iceberg. I often thought it meant icy because I can have walls of protection up and have times of being quiet and insightful. He finally explained himself recently, to say that "What you see in an iceberg is striking beauty above the water, but what you have to offer Kristin beyond the surface like an iceberg that has much more below the surface than on top of the water. So, an iceberg is likened to your soul, deep, meaningful, and as you turn each corner the light shines through amazingly and even the inclusions are beautiful." I thought, that is nicest compliment anyone has ever given me, but is that something to share with people? In humbleness, I don't think I live up to that, but it came from his honest heart, so it is gently worthy of sharing. So, "Bergs" came across my mind this morning in prayer in the shower. God, please be in my soul to make me worthy of being in your presence. Please make me the kind of "Bergs" that is deep and brings meaningful, good and smiles to people. Please be a gentle chandelier of your unique light to offer people hope to pour out of my soul. Please allow me to absolutely accept people with love and bring them incredible smiles...Amen.
Silly to be excited about this. However I love Martha's, Blueprint Magazine and any mixture of Martha's imagination (or her employees imagination to possibly be more exact) and holiday is just fun. Looking foward to getting this magazine and just enjoying the season coming.
My nephew, Jake and homecoming date, Sarah.
I desire to be up and completely full of amazing energy and have my home and personal items in order. There is absolutely no truth to that presently....HA! Over the last month, God placed me in two very emotional, tragic, and stressful situations with friends that are dear to my heart. Can I state that I would not have wanted to be anywhere else except with these people. It was an honor that they would want me there. It was God alone that held my hand and mind to hope in the midst and truly showed himself in both situations. He taught me more about how to love others, to trust and hold tightly to him. I place my trust and hope in Him alone and believe that He works all things together for good according to his purpose. It's so true that I am absolutely nothing without Christ in the center of my life! Stack on a upper respiratory infection and finally starting on a antibiotic yesterday, to just being so very busy and yearning for one hour of simplicity and a moment to rest my head and find peace. I am claiming an hour of my own this Saturday to be like this Great Dane pictured on a chair....right after I go to yoga, possibly meeting my niece for brunch for her birthday (14, yikes...already?!), meeting with a realtor about a home-site, work on a freelance job for an international oncology marketing company and clean up my place that I call home for the moment. Yippee to this Great Dane rest moment to come...smile.
Just looked like a yummy and cozy image for a Monday. My niece, Peyton Angel Grace used to call these treats, MARSHFELLOWS. Memories of her saying this still makes me smile. She called me yesterday just to say hi. I love more than anything in this world, the sound of her sweet 6 year old voice bringing a smile and hello to any day. She called, we giggled about nothing and it was like having a great big cup of Starbucks while sitting in the sunshine breeze. So, I wishing for you Marshfellows for your day too. Thank you God for another day, another moment to breathe and just to be grateful.
Writing about light, beautiful and happy is bittersweet. Tender hearted about my friends little girl passing and it is just challenging on my heart to state the least. I feel often like I am handing them an empty basket, but the truth is that God is using the holes in the basket to fill with light full of comfort to shine through. Through this, amazing women surrounded my walk. My Mom, Sisters (Kelly, Wendy and Gretchen) and my life long friends. Paige, Karen, Jami and Lori. Out of all of these women, four have lost people they love. My mom a son (David), Paige a husband (Gregg), Jami a son (Levi) and Lori her twin sister a nephew (Levi) which was basically like a son to her too, as Peyton Grace is like a daughter to me. My Mom has been never ending with her listening ear to me, asking the right questions and showing me the way in wisdom along with each of my sisters and friends who are each just amazing. They have used their pain for something really good and I want to thank each person from the bottom of my heart. Each time loss of sweet people has occurred, this kind of pain does not lack in force in my heart, but God is still bigger, sweeter and more gentle. I am just praying to keep moving forward and walking with my precious friends Angie and her husband Don. I pray through each tear and pain a light on the other side. I am trusting that God wins anyway and His glory will be a testimony to this tragedy. I want to say thank you to each of these women and people that I am honored to know who have each used their life walk to pray for someone that lost someone dear. They have each just been an incredible beaming light of hope and strength for Angie, Don, their family and me too. I pray big that I can be used in some way to comfort for such a time as this and shine brightly in the midst. I pray to be as much of a blessing as they have been to me. Because of who these women are and seeing how God can still make wonder of tragedy, I look expectantly for the blessings to come and His light shine even brighter.
My family got together and took my Mom for a nights stay in a couple of small cabins and whitewater rafting for her birthday. She is an adventure girl ( I love that quality in her!) and well, each of her daughters have followed suit. This fearlessness includes my 6 year old niece, Peyton Grace who got right in there and actually guided the raft part of the way down the river and into/through a couple of rapids. I was just so proud of her. Half way down the river, my Mom with my nephew Zach proceeded to climb the way, hold hands and jump off a very high rock into the water, quickly followed by my niece, Peyton Grace and I together and then my sister Kelly and her husband, RJ. I didn't know that water could actually be so cold that one lost their speech! All I could think about was getting Peyton Grace above water and to the raft. She is just a brave little soul. We just had so much fun. My Mom stated to my sister Wendy, that it was the best day of her life! You know that just warms her daughters hearts. Just good to spend time with my family and laughing so hard over everything. I will be posting the whitewater rafting images very soon. Thanks family of mine for such a great time. xoxox....Too fun!
Mon-amie,
Not much to share. I just wanted to thank God for another day to love the ones I love and to live life big.
Raegan Audrey Hearn - 10/04/06 - 09/17/07. You are still a shining bright light. My friend, Angie and her husband Don's little girl Raegan passed away in a sudden tragedy and she went quickly to heaven into the arms God. She was named after Angie’s mom’s middle name, Rae. I always just loved her name. Your Mommy and Daddy love you most, but over the week I found that you were endeared and loved by many. So many stories of you and all included smiles of your joy. I used to tell Angie that Raegan was just this light that made everyone's face bright when you walked into her presence. Like this "Hi, and welcome, we have missed you so, and have happily been waiting for your company!" She had sweet, big blue eyes like her Daddy and amazing beauty inside and out like her Mommy. My heart is so broken for this family and I just wish I knew what to do to bring this little light back into her Mother's arms to sing songs to and bring back Raegan's smile to Don's heart. Please pray for my dear friends Angie and Don as they walk through one of the hardest experiences in life. Please pray as I and so many walk along their side, that God will use us somehow to be a vessels of strength for them and know what to say or do to comfort their hearts in some way and truly listen and pray for them. I love these people and I just love little Raegan very much and we will all miss her until we see her in heaven. Until then, shine on Raegan, shine on! You are and will always be your Mommy and Daddy's beaming light and as they said to you in a note, "Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we are blowing you kisses! Please blow God a kiss for us!"
Paige Greene, my roommate from years ago and I used to have this saying. When the first chill of the air came for Fall, we would tag it "Boyfriend Weather" and we would then go eat Mexican to celebrate. Okay, we would use any excuse to go and eat Mexican! The words still makes me smile and has continued to be spoken about over the past few years with my life long friend Paige Knudsen in place of the words that describe Fall. My Mom called and stated on Sunday that "Boyfriend Weather" must be here because Starbucks is now offering their Pumpkin Spice Latté...so sweet. Married or single, females love the idea of being swept off our feet and romanced by a gentleman. The chill in the air always reminds me of that. Happy "Boyfriend Weather" to you.
Because it's Friday, that's why. I hope you have an amazing, laughter filled weekend. Don't forget to count each blessing one by one.
To walk by faith
My Mom and I took a trip in September about five years ago to Paris. I had wanted to go there (Actually live there!) since I was young. I still do. My Mom and I often spoke of the day we would go, and so we did. I remember it like it was just yesterday. At any rate, the sweet coolness of this morning reminded me of the morning that my Mom and I went to the green market. Might I add we went to a bakery there that had the best palmier pastry (my favorite cookie ever!). Just remembering a sweet moment and made me realize there is a need for a new Paris trip sooner than later!
While I am in the Paris mood. I thought I would post this book as well that I have on order, "My French Life". It is absolutely beautiful inside. I am certain to book a trip shortly after receiving it in the mail!
Image: House Style
Imagine the view at night with candles everywhere!
I have a new hard deadline to meet for a graphic user interface prototype due in the next couple of days. This project is for a new potential client for the company I work for. I am thinking I could take my laptop to this lovely place pictured above and get the project finished so much quicker and with a smile on my face. Oh well, maybe one day I could do just that. Back to reality for now and grateful to have my job!
My sister Wendy went on one of her final interviews with a different county fire department today. I have known over the course of this last bit what she has had to go through in interviewing beyond her working her current fire fighter job. It is strenuous to state it mildly and she has just taken it in stride without complaint. I wonder in your job did you have to go through the tasks listed below to gain employment? Oh me oh my! Fire fighters should definitely get a pay raise!
God seems to be swiftly making changes within the halls of my soul to grow in faith and action in order for my life to finally move forward. It is far more likely that He has patiently waited for me to finally see what He has had in his hand forever and finally take leaps of faith. So I am willing to go boldly move forth with God speed, wisdom, and courage and know that I will blossom by the path He is lighting. The point is to take the step of faith. "There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom". - Anais Nin. The truth of this quote resonates with my heart incredibly.
I had dinner last night with my family to celebrate my birthday. It is so much fun to be at dinner with them (Mom, sisters and my six year old niece, Peyton Grace). Just a good time to listen, eat and talk and just be in their presence. Against my wishes, they chose to be exceedingly generous with gifts. I was quite humbled honestly. I hope they do know that all they needed to do was find a funny card and bring a smile and their company. There is an unspoken funny card competition among the girls in my family when it comes to birthdays. It is a favorite moment when we start laughing at the card and pass it around the table until we are each giggling until gleeful tears come down from hearing one another's laughter. That moment is just the greatest! My Mom gave me the winning card this year that was in a word (or two), hysterically funny. So, I walked away from dinner with more than enough in my heart. I am so blessed to know my family and actually like and love my family. Thank you so much for treating me and for just a precious evening spent with one another. Image courtesy of Violettes website. This sweet little French restaurant in Atlanta.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will
My Birthday Blessings. Instead of the sheer panic of my birthday in the next couple of days, I am trying to really rest and be happy about it. There is so much I have to be grateful for instead of focusing on dreams not yet fulfilled, or mistakes of decisions that I have made in the past of yesterdays that I can't get back. How blessed am I and happy to still be on God's green earth and smile.
Birthday and the Beach. I am not headed to this particular beach in Jamaica this weekened, but a beach none the less for a fun filled birthday weekend near Seaside. Looking forward to getting my toes in the sand and just reading a book or two, giggle and just being able see the ocean and smell the salt in the air and resting for a moment!
