{Just a little Christmas Cheer for you}

{This Kind of Day! Mmmmmmmmmm!}

Just praying you this kind of day. The kind of day that is warm to the heart and sweet to the soul. The kind of day that you feels like holding a warm cup of white hot chocolate close to your heart and makes you feel grateful to be alive.

Happy, Beautiful Day to you!

{I need a Silent Night!}

Oh my, I need a little Peace right here!

First of all my apologies for this post being so long. It just is...are you really ready?

I ran across this image above and see me in it! I know that is both sweet, sad but true people.

Christmas~ like those wings on that dog, are on top of me! Tied to me none the less!!!!!

As if I cannot run and yes, I have that look on my face too!!!!! I won't lie to you. One year I bought a halo for my little dog Imrie to take a Christmas image. She would have nothing to do with it and was quite miffed with me! Oh, I would have been beside myself too! Smile!

I would love to be fake here, and gleam a pretty smile, possibly wink, offer you a warm Christmas cookie and tell you of my Christmas glory and that I am singing Fa, La, La...but it just is not true. I have done that each day...sing Fa, La, La that is, but moments in between that are in desperate need of a Silent Night and Peace! So real is what you get people. There is good in that too because it comes from a solid place that holds true joy! See below for Amy Grant's song, "I Need a Silent Night". Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom first pretty please.

My family has a corporate Christmas Decorating business. Holly Productions we are called. I think we do 64 trees some of them 30 plus feet tall, to 20ft, to 14ft, to 7ft. One tree you can park a car in width. Outside lighting of trees and boughs, boughs, bows to bring peace and cheer to people. We start in the beginning of October making or revamping this holiday cheer and dusting every thing with sparkle. Mom starts this in July! My sisters and I take our full vacation to do this business and then work double time to catch up at work, but I am here to state that I am so blessed for the opportunity to spend that precious time with my family and dear friends, to work, to laugh so hard you cry, to live each day of those weeks of installation with as the moments to sleep and rest are few. We finished last week and then I sat in my home with no desire to decorate anything but fell asleep many times on my hardwood floor, tucked gently next to my fireplace on my furry white floor pillow only to wake there the next morning...ouch! I really just need to sleep I am guessing! I love pretty decor! It is what I am about! I love peaceful uncluttered but refined by perfect design that is both natural and glamorous. I love Christmas so very much! But my heart has nothing to give but sees that peace in the midst is possible and I will be brave enough to see it through.

I see my friend Lissa who has found beautiful and solid peace in the midst of a year that has been tender in hard but she is amazing and determined to walk with God and be at peace in here heart. I saw my life best friend Paige find peace through the holidays after her husband, Gregg died and every year after sitting in the presence of God with a grateful heart to shadow Christ's peace on and in her home and within her family and friends. She is always the woman to me that faces storms with grace and true. I have reflected and thought many times God give me that kind of grace that places my full hope in you my maker, my Christ and the lifter of my head that gives me solid to walk in. I saw and see both of these women take a beautiful stance at finding peace and their hope in their creator and lover of their souls. So much to learn from these two. Proverbs 31 women are they and they are to be called praiseworthy. Take a look at their blogs and find all kinds of hope in their words and Christmas peace in the beauty of decor.

From Paige's home.

From Lissa's home

Beautiful and yummy white, with hints of silver, green and tan their homes are. Both Paige and Lissa's hearts are each as beautiful!!! I am not just saying that! To me I just want to pack my bags and go to their homes and sit and gaze and find giggles too. They might find me there and come in from family stuff and there I will be snuggled on their couch gazing at the Christmas peace everywhere. I am just sayin Lissa and Paige, be warned, smile! I want to find that peace that I see in decor. I want to see that peace resides in my heart.

I have not blogged because of work, but also my heart that is trying to overcome much still and think how do I put you all through this silly mess. But stand true and keep it real I will. I will stand as Esther in the bible for such a time as this. I am such a glass half full, or so I thought about myself, but when truth smaks you in the face you gotta deal. I am bravely and hope God will find good in my soul for the journey. So I am facing my heart and truth brave and the beauty is finding not just God, but a real and authentic God that loves my soul and I would walk this journey again to find what I have found in Him! Things are no better in circumstance than they were in July, but what has changed is my complete trust in Christ. My complete surrender to the ONE that loves my soul and yours too!~ He is my all and to Him I will decorate. To him I will bow, and lift my hands and see the beauty in this season and really for once seeing what it is about. To him I will gaze and find peace and the reason for my hope the reason my my silent night. If my girls Paige and Lissa can do this no matter if present or in the past, for such a time as this I can too. So thank you Paige and Lissa my dear, precious friends for showing me it is possible. I am so very grateful for you both. I love you both so very much!

I pray if you are in the midst too that you just find some peace and a beautiful silent night!

Lastly I wish to post this.

My kindred friend Paige. Tender-hearted year for us, but the gift of her friendship is one of amazing to me and humbling to my heart as to what a true friend is. She has fought for our friendship and I am humbled by her grace and love towards me. Paige know this! She has walked my journey with me at times that I have been too private to share my tender heart about my circumstances. We have walked through so much in life together and she has been there. She has given me too many beautiful tangible gifts over the years that I wish I had a picture for each as they are always true gifts of the heart, wrapped beautifully each one, but this post would not end, but many times gifts too of allowing my heart space to work through my present circumstances that have gone on for years and for just being there. What has also never ended is this precious gift of a friendship and I am blessed by you and love you my dear, lifelong, tender and kindred friend.

I wish to also show you this. This is not a hey look at what I got. Please know in humbleness this. But a thank you to this girly that God knew we were just supposed to be friends.

My precious friend Lissa sent this beautiful package below to me. There is a CD too that goes with it but I have not taken it out of my car and it plays non-stop! Thank you Lissa for the box of Christmas cheer. From your heart beautiful and I am grateful! This picture does not do it justice. She even found a recipe card with a pink tractor on it in smiles to the fact that I learned to drive one on my mom's farm this year. Silly, brave, solid in heart and sweet girly is this Lissa!

Off to work and decorate in between (Keep that on the down~low will ya! wink!) today as I promised God I just would and will.

I pray your weekend Beautiful, Peaceful and Smile-filled!

I pray if you find yourself in this place too that you see that you in fact have Christ that will love your soul to the end and show you real and beauty in you that you did not know existed before. I pray you find your heart in that stable that beautiful night that our King gave us hope!

I promise to take images of my home once dusted with Christmas Joy!

Please forgive my lack of commenting too. I want to do this and have read your blogs late at night, but wanted my comments to make sense and be heartfelt as with lack of sleep the comments might just not make sense. Thank you for your grace in the midst of this.

Love, peace, hugs and silent night to you,

Kristin

This song is amazing to me!

Please turn the music off below and then press play.

Work has me in such a deadline-crazy place, but so very grateful for the opportunities.

So press in and on I will with a smile in tact...ok a little sleepy, but a smile none the less.

I have missed being here but also it has given me a chance to

reflect why I even do a blog and if it is a good thing after all.

I hope your December is finding you peace and gentle smiles.

Many, blessing to each of your precious souls!

{Light Challenge...Wanna Try With Me?}

This song is stuck in my head!

"This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine"

You know you are humming it now! Smile!

I thought to challenge myself to open my heart and shine God's light bright through me today.

I often catch myself with me and what I am walking through on my mind...

with my lists of begging requests to God. Uggh! I don't want my heart to stay there!

So today I caught myself and thought

to ask God simply,"What can I do for you God today?

"What can I do for one of your children so they feel your big light shining in their soul?"

You know the kind that you can't help but smile because it is coming all out of ya!

"What can I do to get my thoughts out of my life challenges and bring some good~sweet joy?"

Oh my, I sooooo need to do this in every way!

So today I challenge you too.

To smile in the company of others because nine times out of ten

we have no clue what they are going through internally or in their lives.

I am gonna be willing to try. Would you be up for trying too?

If you are going through a hard time, I pray someone shines a little soul shine on ya.

I hope you feel that I just did! Sent soul-shine all over you that is!

I pray and hope your day the good kind of amazing and so full of light that you feel

beams coming out of your heart and onto another.

You can't dust that kind of happy off of you~! I dare you to try!

Just sayin....

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

"Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,

but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they

may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

(Matthew 5:14-16)

Mwaaahhhhhhh of sunshine all over you!

Image via: Citified

{Happy Friday a Good Day To FLY!}

I love this quote!

"Flying is simple. You just throw yourself at the ground and miss."
- Bojan Beran/Douglas Adams

...sometimes you just gotta keep walking forward.....

"Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures,
but of the success that may come tomorrow. 
You have set yourselves a difficult
task, but you will succeed if you persevere; 

and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles."
-- Helen Keller

Happy Friday, Happy Moments, Happy Life!!!

Fly!

Image: via R. Hardy

{You ARE BEAUTIFUL! Know This.}

I have heard this song many times, you might have as well.

...Today I really listened as I worked in my office.

I always thought it was to little girls, young girls. It's not. See the last part of the verses below.

It hit the heart people and was somehow written on my soul.

Please pause the music at the bottom and play and close your eyes and really listen

as Jonny Diaz sings "More Beautiful You."

Know this....

He sees you, the real you and sees your soul and says simply...

"Your beautiful, your soul is beautiful to my heart and

there can never be a more beautiful you! Know this!"

He values you as dear and precious as a king does his crown. He just does.

"You are a Crown of Splendor in the Lord's Hand!" Isaiah: 62:3

"And the LORD their God will save them in that day As the flock of His people;

For they are as the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land." Zachariah 9:16

Part of the lyrics:

"There could never be a more beautiful you
don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl


There could never be a more beautiful you
dont buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

There could never be, a more beautiful you."

{The Swing with Wings...A Fairy-tale of sorts.}

This is the story of Love. Sorry it is long my friends.

So, the story begins of a woman that has had well...

...what a newscaster would call a Disaster, "Spectacular" many months!

...Her soul is bruised and tattered.

She felt fear, sadness and angry as if she was fighting a war.

She thought she had it all together in her perfectionist mind.

She was sadly mistaken! Bless Her, sigh!

She WAS in fact and well...to keep it real with you, IS still fighting a war

that broke her faith in God, in People, the World, her Fairy-Tale.

Dare I mention she found she is very Brave inside of her heart.

{Image is of Jasmine from Aladdin: Images are called Fairy-tale gone bad.}

Oh, how this girl resonates with this image!

...She always believed in a glass that could not just be half-full, but overflowing.

...but things happen in life and dreams can get shattered. Hers did.

{Image is of Sleeping Beauty at The Bar: Again....Fairy-tale gone bad. It happens people!}

No, she did not resort to this! She wanted to, but did not. She still could, but won't.

Trust me girlies, she tried to keep putting water

in the glass to get it even half full!

...but there were cracks and the water kept dripping out.

...and people a butterfly cannot fly with water on ones wings...It ain't happening!

The cracks in the glass shown of prisms and she said even to that,

"Well, isn't that pretty."

...and even tried to use her reasonings to make it seem good.

Then one night, the glass (her heart) broke and

the water went ALL over the floor.

She quickly tried to gather the glass and water in her hands. Crazy right!

She could not see that one cannot pick up spilled-water with their hands.

She believed it possible. She was in a panic people what can I say! Smile.

She held it all with tears and looked closely to see if there is a way to fuse

it back together and get the water...yep, all of it, back in the glass.

People, she was panicked! And panic in that state isn't pretty!

She is a control freak and stubborn/feisty after all...with a hint of OCD {Smile}! Oh My!

Where there is a will there is a way people. Or she felt that way at least.

She had no clue of the butterfly effect that was about

to ensue that God had planned for her!

But God said,

"Now lay the pieces down right here my dear at my feet.

...Please trust Me.

And quit trying so hard. You can touch the glass and water,

but that won't do anything.

Giving them to me is where faith is built

and where I make beauty for ashes. "

He then said,

"Place your heart in my hands and rest your weary head

and I, God will hold you up and stream light through

your soul like you have never known before."

He is doing this now in beautiful fractals of light

and showing her what real BRAVE is,

so she can stand in FAITH and FLY the way she was meant to SOAR all along!

...I am speaking of my heart and not any sickness.

...I am speaking about the way I viewed God, My People, The World

.....My Fairy-Tale.

Have any of you ever had your heart so broken like this?

Where it challenged all that you believe?

...I am finding forgiveness and allow God to be the real and brave in me.

...I am for once allowing God to be true in his way and not my picture.

...I am giving Him my full attention.

Anything worthwhile is worth the investment.

Yes, yes I do talk of my relationship with God on my blog.

I am not talking about religion or being religious. Please forgive if that offends.

I am talking about a living and breathing relationship with our creator.

He is amazing by the way!

Oh yes, I have failed Christ, not just once but throughout my life!

But He just smiled and held my face and then held me tightly

until streams of water that were in the pretty broken glass of mine flowed.

He caught and is catching each one and promised He will make good of them.

He is now responsible for how the glass gets renewed.

I don't have to figure it out, but more learn to sit in His presence

quietly and really listen and pray for the people I love.

So, on with the story...

In August a little over a month into finally

seeing the brave that was in me all along.

I was yearning to gain strength to fly, to believe it is possible to be whole.

My Mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday.

Albiet to move my heart to brave. She is good like that.

I have never been into gifts so this is hard for me.

I told her I always wanted a twin bed swing to put at my

house and watch the stars and sparkle view of the town lights below.

A place where peace resides.

I knew she knew so much about woodworking.

I had no clue to the vastness of her knowledge! Amazing!

Her suggestion: "We should build it together!"

And so She, My niece Peyton Grace and I did just that.

I wish each of you could build one with my Mom too.

The experience and time was so much more than any swing could offer.

This story is really about a Mamma's heart to

show her baby girl at 44 years old to fly.

She called to read this to me yesterday...

"The darkness hides the true size of fears and lies and regrets. Jesus explained.

The truth is they are more shadow than reality. So they seem bigger in the dark.

When the light shines into the places where they live inside you,

you start to see them for what they are."

-The Shack

So true.

Here is my Mom below, the giver of wings.

It is easy to say this because she quickly gives the

glory right back to the one that created the wings in the first place.

She would truly give you wings too and then show you how to fly/soar.

My Mom is Amazing to Me. She is My Person. She is a lover of peoples hearts.

She is so very much the wind that is strong and pure beneath my wings.

She just is. I pray I am even a hint of that for her too!

She desires to see all her babies whether hers by birth, or

just a soul she sees needs a peaceful place to rest and fly.

In that I watch her soar as she says "See you can do this, I will show you how!"

...and she does.

She went to her next door neighbors daughter's homecoming parade today.

She just wanted Logan to know she cares.

I am in awe of this woman I call My Mom!

She is my Mariposa {My Butterfly}!

My Mom has the heart of a teacher who smiles gently

when one achieves even the smallest of details.

She is SOUL~SHINE in EVERY sense of those two words!

I am Independent, Brave and Strong because of God through her.

I am Brave not because of the words she has spoken but because of her life walk.

I am Free because she pushes me gently to the point where the

only choice is to have faith and jump.

Because of her walk I realized I wish too to be authentic before Christ.

She would give you that kind of peace and love to

let you know that kind of relationship exists too.

So to my Mom that gave me wings.

Here is a picture of the swing that love, brave, faith and flying are made of.

For this treasure of the love, sweat and tears and smiles put into this,

Mom, I am eternally grateful.

Thank you for believing in me and giving me wings to fly. I love you, I do!

So, in life I wish you to know that what we see our potential is a tiny butterfly.

What God sees is this below! I am not even kidding you!

A real image from the Hubble Space telescope.

I wish you to know that you can fly too! You just can! So please give it a try!

After all you too are A Mariposa! A Butterfly ready to soar.

{Thursday Thought}

You Are Beautiful!

Vous Étes Beaux!

I hope your day wonderful!

Much too busy for me with work and getting my focus true, so I have had no time to post anything as of late....

...but, I have a very grateful heart for busy with work!!!!!!

I will try to catch up to myself and post on Saturday.

Happy Thursday and Know Today That You Are Beautiful!

You just are!