I LOVE this!

Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great
temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the
real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being
decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you
shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made
except by a steady, long continued process.

-- Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) American Bishop

Wake Up!

"Like the elephant, we are unconscious of our own strength. 

When it comes to understanding the power we have to 

make a difference in our own lives, we might as well be asleep.

If you want to make your dreams come true, wake up. 

Wake up to your own strength. 

Wake up to the role you play in your own destiny. 

Wake up to the power you have to choose what you think, do, and say."

--Keith Ellis, Bootstraps

I think I just needed to find a great quote for the week to inspire!

Image via Patricia Gray

Sending Big HOPE!

My wish for you this weekend. BIG HOPE!
...And something that brings inspirtation to you.

Happy Weekend to you!

Past image I found, in an old file, so when I find out where it came from I will post.

Friday Beautiful

Just something that made me really think and desire to take action! I am so human and realize that fully! I have been trying to learn human communication better and praying about this. Is it a sign when one keeps running across a book by Joyce Meyer called Conflict Free Living?...I should read this! My communication efforts are not working yet and I keep finding myself in situations that leave me defensive, and cursing like a sailor (human!)! Thankfully, I have not had a comeback to my feelings in defense. I am thankful to my people that love me anyway, allow me to be honest about this and give beautiful to my day. They seem to dust me off and stand me up to move forward in grace, beyond my personality that is bold and independent as a lion, yet tender hearted and sensitive to a fault! Somewhere in the mix of those opposites, I pray God can still use this soul of mine...Please God say, yes! Pretty please! I do pray that in the midst of me and in-spite of that fact that God will just use me humbly, boldly in gentleness anyway to give light, hugs, smiles and encouragement, every second for the rest of my life. I pray to really give the world something beautiful! I really hope your Friday beautiful and weekend Happy!

One Magical Night with My Lulu Pie & Mom!

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

- Audrey Hepburn

My Mom and I took my niece, Peyton Angel Grace (My Lulu Pie) to see Annie at the Fox Theatre last night. You would have thought we handed her a million dollars. On second thought it was as if she had won the HGTV house! She took in every second as if to capture every moment in her memory! She giggled, she sang, she lit up and twinkled over and over like stars in the sky. She shines so big and makes others shine big in her company. She has the optimism of Annie! My desire in life is to enjoy life as much as she does. She skips everywhere she goes! I LOVE that quality in her. It started to rain harder as we skipped and ran on our way, which turned into a twirling Peyton Grace and dancing our way to the car as the sky opened up with and abundance of sweet drops of rain everywhere. She is my great reminder that even the greatest of moments can happen in rain if you take a second to just dance and laugh until your tummy hurts. In this walk, skip, dance to the car, she would not get in the car until my Mom got there. She adores my Mom. The other day she stated to my Mom, "You, Me, FUN!" They have the best time together. As I watched the broadway show, I kept catching myself watching them instead of the show. They twinkle with delight in one another's company! Just wanted to share the magical night with you and remind you to skip, sing and TWIRL in the rain!

There are two ways to look at life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle. 

The other is as though 

everything is a miracle. 

Albert Einstein

New Years Resolution

The one resolution, which was in my mind long before it took the form

of a resolution, is the key-note of my life. It is this, always to

regard as mere impertinences of fate the handicaps which were placed

upon my life almost at the beginning. I resolved that they should

not crush or dwarf my soul, but rather be made to blossom, like

Aaron's rod, with flowers.

-- Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Writer

In short. As far as resolutions go, many are like wishes that float away like blowing bubbles and dissipate quickly. So, I have learned the gift of looking into each moment with a smile and finding joy no matter what. That is the greatest gift of 2007, to find joy when sorrow was quite present. Joy is solid and true and to see that and lean into faith and just trust. This year it would be amazing to make a lifestyle change of extraordinary! To come up alongside God and do something to give back to him. To wish Him a good day, to be grateful. To live a life that matters and remove selfishness and to give the world a big warm hug and a soft place in a heart to land in encouragement. To give back and be part of a greater cause and see God in the midst. It would be so very amazing to be able to look back and see that God worked through this soul as a vessel to make others smile. It be so great to look back at 2008 and see picture images of where time was cherished even in the most insignificant of moments and to truly give him the Glory and send him a big ole blow kiss daily. Peyton Grace and I always make up new blow kisses. We have done this since she was quite young. We have never done one to give to God. That is my new years resolution to find a way to live my life in a way that is constantly sending him sweet Peyton Angel Grace kind of blow kisses with each breath He gives me.

Oh yes...and to work out, eat right, bring those quite dreams to pass, laugh more, but most importantly, get Gods word so written on my heart that those thin pages in that sweet leather bible of mine become even thinner and more highlighted than they were created! Wouldn't that be so great?Amen!

Wishing you more blessings than you can hold and so many giggles that it makes your cheeks hurt!

I pray you a Happy Christmas Ever After!

The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure 

one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel 

them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper. 

-- Aristotle

So, people in hard situations over the holidays always hit my heart the week before Christmas. I don't ever want people to feel sad or loss, but life does not allow for perfect. If life were perfect like a holiday picture book, we would have no reason to lean into Christ. What gets me thinking of this? Well, today (December 20) is the birthday of two of my very dearest of friends growing up (Jami and Lori).  The bittersweet in this is that Jami's son Levi died six years ago on Jami's birthday (seems like just yesterday I was sitting next to him and talking with the little guy), no less five days prior to Christmas as well. So the week before always brings to mind people that might be needing a smile, a true giggle and hope around the holidays. I have watched four of my closest friends (Angie, Jami, Lori and Paige) in life loose people they love. I often wonder why God has placed me there, but hope that I have learned through it how to find hope and be a true friend. I need to state that I have learned more from each of these amazing women than I have ever given to them! I don't want anyone to feel any kind of pain...ever! So, I want to encourage those that if you are going through the holidays facing a hard situation or just holiday blues, that you can find a twinkle in your heart still.  I want to tell you that you can stand against sadness with valor and hope. God has placed that strength within you and He will meet you in that place. Know that I pray for you. Know that I wish you to feel the twinkle of God with a tangible touch and well, a big warm hug from God. I pray that you know, that you know, that you know, that God knows every hair on your head and will see you through whatever. So grab hold of his hand, face the wind, (Be careful with the hairspray-wind mixture though because that can make your hair a mess...smile!), and walk with him or just curl up in his lap for a while. In that place and on that path you will truly find strength.  I know this to be true, because that is the place I find my strength and find delight when he catches my tears and turns them into true glimmers of His kind of great. I pray you giggles and warmth and most of all joy and hope and a very Happy Christmas Ever After! And all God's children said....AMEN!

May you give hugs and happiness freely (The very best gifts of all.).

and receive them abundantly as well.

Image via Dreamhouse Cammy. A beautiful blog by the way, all in what I think is German.

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.

I pray your weekend wonderful and if you have children...good luck in line to ride the Macy's Pink Pig at the mall or images with Santa. I pray your time wonderful and look very forward with gentle expectation to see the images on your blogs.

"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)

I thought of this quote while being up on a lift last night in the weeeeee-late hours hanging more Christmas cheer. Thank you God for your grace and making it turn out well. Mom, Gretchen and Angie....You all are the hardest workers and most gracious and funny people I have ever met. In being part of this team, each of you have each taught me so much and I am so very proud and grateful to know each of you. 

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. --Psalm 112:4

I am still learning this verse above and still a work in progress.

Does anyone ever feel like God has sent us to earth as just one big learning/testing experience? Character school 101...smile. Life is so good though and laughter can always be found.

I pray your weekend well and full of smiles.

Image: Shuff

I love this quote!

After 3 weeks of working my families Corporate Holiday Decorating Business for install of Christmas beauty, this quote holds so true!

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." Walt Disney

People that know nothing of this corporate decorating business say "Oh that sounds like fun"...HA. The honestly is, beyond tired and valiant effort there is much fun in defeating the impossible in putting up 30ft, 20ft, 14ft, 7.5 foot trees (60 some odd trees. I have to go back and count), countless boughs and wreaths, hauling items 3 times ones body weight and outside lighting of what feels like strings of lights that could wrap the earths surface twice. We are often doing what many would say is cirque de soliel acts on many ladders, lifts and scaffolding (no I am not kidding...it is almost beautiful to watch). It is nothing short of achieving nearly the impossible on NO sleep safely and God gets and deserves the glory. Up at the crack of dawn hitting the ground running. and working many nights past 2:00 a.m, three weeks straight for install. I found that I could work freelance projects in between 2:30 and 3 a.m. Beyond the tired, scratches and bruises, and new muscles found, I am so very proud of my Mom and sister, Gretchen (They are nothing short of amazing to me in grace, effort, joy, tenacity, attitude...just in every way without complaint...ever!). God hand picked every other person that worked with us this year...what a true blessing. I am thankful to each of them for working so very hard and making the world more beautiful through December 25th. I am proud of Angie my friend for working tenaciously in spite of the fact that this effort happened around Thanksgiving and her little girl had just gone to heaven only 2 months ago. She works just like my sisters (cold mountain style...See the movie "Cold Mountain" with Nicole Kidman and Renee Z. and you will understand...smile) and has become a quick new family member and we just adore her. She is about God's grace in the midst and that one can still find joy through incredible hardship. I just have to believe amongst these three women (Mom, Gretchen and Angie) that God is looking down on them and is pleased.

I witnessed the fact that we conducted ourselves in professionalism and kept God in the center. After 14 years of this company, I see maturity and God sitting in the center of the relationships. Relationships are what matters as a whole anyway. Lastly, I am thankful for my friends who prayed over us daily. The answer to those prayers were definately felt and we kept healthy and safe which is a blessing. I am going to take pictures this week of all of our impossibles that we encountered and won over into possibility with delight and share with you next Monday.