I Wanted To Laugh

 

I was asked one day if writing was hard. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream out in fits of mindless laughter,

"YES, IT'S HARD!!!"  When you have not had a college education, when you have had no writing experience except for your own journaling and a blog which isn't really experience, it's just writing your thoughts down, and you have to learn, learn, learn to not write really, really long sentences, YES, it's hard. When it has been decades since you were in an English class, yes it is hard.



Sometimes it is so hard it is frustrating. You might want to throw the mouse at the computer, you might cry and have to be consoled by someone very patient and loving. You may not sleep well because you cannot turn your brain off from all you keep thinking of writing.  You may pig out on junk food all day because you've spent the entire day pouring over writing websites learning the how and why and do's and the don'ts and then at dinner time there is no dinner. You are really blessed here if you have a member of the household who is willing and joyful to go get take-out.


Then there is even the smallest of details that can make you crazy when you will be having your own words published for the world to see. What size font is the best? To be bold or not to be bold, that is the question when it comes to the chapter titles. And one person has their opinion and others have theirs and you have yours and this becomes very difficult when you want everyone to be happy, oh my!

So, you might be thinking about now, that I don't enjoy it. And that would be so wrong!

Just because something is hard and can be frustrating at times and sometimes causes tears is not a bad thing. If the task has been a calling from the Lord, then it is a wonderful thing. He never said it would be easy but He promised to always be there with you. And for this gal, He has walked every step of the way with me. Walking hand in hand with Him has been a joy. There were times I became weary. And that is when He spoke to me through His Word. He and I have met at the laptop each time I sat down to write. He has met me in my prayer closet and He has met me in the wee hours of the night as I lay there pondering.



To have the Lord move you onto a path and walk it with you every step of the way is a wonderful thing and I am learning that even though that path leads me out of a comfort zone, oh the blessings I find as we walk it together. I wouldn't trade it for anything. . .not even chocolate. And if you know me well, that's saying something!



Writing the book really has been a joy, a joyous, trying job I would do all over again.  And. . .I am. I'm starting another book. This one may take me two years too, but I'm stepping out and going for it.

Is God calling you down a path?

Are you on that path and is it hard? Is it trying?

 

Be encouraged. Run the race with endurance. Just don't run ahead of Him.

Even if there are tears, tears can fall with joy.

We need never lose our joy if we abide in Him always.

 

Abide, obey, pray and work.

 

So, when someone asks me if my work is hard. . .

I throw back my head and laugh and say,
"Yes it is hard and I'm loving every minute of it!"

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.



Tools of Love

A blanket, a pan of cookies. . .yes, there are still dear ones out there who say this will not fix homelessness. I have two things to say to this. . .

1)  I never, from day one, 5 years ago, thought a blanket would fix homelessness. I only wanted to show compassion and the love of Christ to people who I knew needed that touch. I wanted to hand over something that said, "I care, I'm here to be your friend if you want. And to share another friendship I have with them and leave that heavenly friendship with them if they so desire."

2) I've discovered that when God touches a blanket or that pan of cookies, these become tools to open the door to share that love, that friendship, to share of the one friendship that goes beyond this world.

Think of a time when someone handed you a gift with love. Did it perk you up? Did it make you smile? It's the same with all of us. I've seen people who thought they had nothing to smile about and when handed a gift in love, I've seen those stoic faces turn into huge smiles. I've seen people who were closed off, suddenly open up and begin to share. This can be the beginning of a healing process.

That is worth the gift of a blanket or a pan of cookies! 

 

One of our former homeless guests at the bridge went from living under the bridge as an alcoholic, to entering a rehab, became a recovered alcoholic, getting married, and they are now owning their own 16 acre farm with both having jobs and she re-enrolled at WKU. These are his words. . .

 

"I watched you all (volunteers at the Bridge Ministry), emulate the love of Christ. I decided when I was in rehab, I wanted to emulate His love also. When I did, my life started to turn around."

 

How was the love shown to him? Through a blanket, a big, green coat, accepting him as he was but letting him know he could be so much more. . .with Christ.

 

Christ touched him through the tools of a blanket, a green coat, hot food and drink out in the freezing weather, through hugs and unconditional love.

 

For those who are still critical. . .I invite you to come to the bridge and stand out in the cold weather with us, watch, and feel the love. . .look through the eyes of Jesus, remember that He was homeless himself. I ask you to imagine if one of your grown children were one of the bridge guests, would you not want them to be greeted with love, with a blanket, with a hot meal and guidance to lead them out of a dire situation? I would want that for my child.  And as we are all God's children, I believe He wants that for his child too who is lost out there in the cold world.

 

My goodness, if handing a blanket over, or a pan of cookies, or whatever else the Lord leads to give, is used to bring a cold one back into the warmth, the warmth of many things. . .is that not worth it?

 

I say "Yes!" And those tools will continue to be given as long as there are cold people in this world.

 

 

God bless everyone who donates the blankets, the pan of cookies, and ALL that is given in love, including your prayers, in the name of Christ.

 

I believe you will see many in our eternal home one day who will come up to you and say

"Thank you!"

And if we have crumbs on our face. . .you'll know exactly who we are ;)

 

 

A Real Live Gentleman (a repost with a new ending)

He is one of the last World War ll veterans. He was in the Korean War. But like most of these men, he never talked much about it. It wasn't that it was not important, it was very important. . .but some things you just keep to yourself.

I have always known him as a very quiet man but with a quick, dry wit. When you least expected it, he would shoot something from the mouth that would send you off laughing. I think it was even funnier coming from him, because it was so unexpected.

He has always been such a dignified, sweet, gentle man. In fact, put those last two words together and that is the perfect picture of my Uncle Ed. . .a true gentleman. He is one of the rare birds who always opens the doors for you, holds out his hand to help you out of the car, takes you by the arm in so gentle of a way and walks next to you, not in front, not behind, but by your side and then steps out of the way to let you enter a building or room first. He is so respectful and thoughtful.

He is my father's brother. My mom and dad divorced when I was a little girl and dad was completely out of mom's life after that. But his brother, my Uncle Ed and his wife, my Aunt Shay were not. They were in her life and mine forever.

Aunt Shay and mom were best friends until Aunt Shay's passing in 2003. She told my mom once years after the divorce, that my dad is the one who divorced her, not her and Ed. I've always thought that was remarkable. My uncle did and still does help my mother financially every month. He doesn't have too. He wants too, because he cares. Remarkable!

I'll always remember him as the man of few words but I'll never forget the scene in the hospital in 2003. He and I were standing in the room looking out the window together as his wife lay dying behind us. He had his arm around me and said, "We love you Kristy." It was the first time in his 82 years, in my life, that I heard him say those words. But I always knew it. He took care of me in one way or another over my years whether it was having me come out to their Colorado home one summer back in the 70's when my mother was going through a difficult time. He knew that was a difficult time for me also and wanted to give me a break. Like the time when one of my first cars I had as a teenager had brakes that went out and I was a broke teen. It was my uncle who left money on my dresser, quietly, so I could have the brakes fixed. As I was growing up, it was he and my aunt who bought me new clothes to start out the new school years. And every Christmas I receive a card with money in it. He never forgets. Such a quiet man but so full of love.

He is 92 today. He has been living in Texas with his daughter and son-in-law for the past four years. The son-in-law, Doug told me the other day on the phone that he is a better man because of Ed. I have no doubt! I'm sure everyone in Uncle Ed's presence is a better person because of him. I know I am.

I hope the art of being a gentleman does not die off. This world has changed so much since World War ll and the days of dressing up to go to a movie. But Uncle Ed never changed and I am blessed to have had the privilege of seeing up close a real live gentleman and being loved by one.

Happy Birthday Uncle Ed! I love you too~

Kristy

Today, January 21, 2014

my Uncle Ed passed away.

He is home with Jesus!

(Actually this is not a new ending. . .it's a new beginning!)

In honor of Uncle Ed

To Delete Or Not To Delete

 

            As I was typing one morning, I looked up at the screen and realized by all the scrambled letters, my hands had not been in the right position.  I hit the delete button and all the mess disappeared and I began again.
 

            I pondered on this.  Wouldn’t it be great if life had a delete button?  I didn’t like what happened last year, DELETE.  I didn’t like what she said, DELETE.  My childhood years were the pits, DELETE.  I don’t like what my children are doing, DELETE.  I don’t like all the sadness in the world, DELETE.
 

            But upon further pondering, I came to the conclusion there is a reason God didn’t give us a delete button for our lives.  What kind of relationship would we have with Him if we could always delete everything we didn’t like?
 

            How would we know joy if there were no sorrow?  How would we experience becoming strong if nothing made us weak?  How would we understand forgiveness if there were never anything to forgive?  How would we know victory if we never had anything to claim victory of?  What would make us run to the Father and seek Him if there were nothing to run to Him for?  How would we understand and appreciate the unconditional love from our Lord if we never experienced the other.  Would we even acknowledge Him as Lord?
 

            I think a relationship with the Father would be pretty emotionless, pretty lifeless, pretty pitiful if we owned a delete button to hit whenever we wanted.  Would there even be a relationship?
 

            When I think of my love for the Lord, I think of how He has rescued me, saved me, given me courage and boldness, restored and healed, infused me with His peace and joy, given me reasons for real praise.  This all came about because of experiencing those time I would like to have had deleted.
 

            Our relationship with Him, if any, would be very bland indeed.  If there were no struggles, no pain, why would we even run to Him?  Why would we seek Him out?  How would we grow?
 

            No, I believe He knew what He was doing when He didn’t make us a “life” delete button.  God had something much better in mind for us than a cold, hard button.  He gave us a warm, loving Savior.

“I have told you these things so you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

P.S. I sent this to my mom and she added to the devotional. Here is what she said:

For those of you who look at a keyboard all day and sometimes just need a break, want a devotional but don’t have one there at your desk, just look down at your keyboard. 
See the Pause/Break button?  When you know Satan is attacking you and you’re upset, just Pause and ask God to Break Satan’s scheme.

See the Shift and Enter buttons?  Sometimes we need to Shift our attitudes and Enter into God’s presence for renewal.

See the Escape button?  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have a way of Escaping the punishment we deserve.

And see the Home and End buttons.  When our life Ends, we’ll be going Home.  Halleluhah!

Thanks Mom! 

 

Which One Would You Want?

The difference between empathy and sympathy. . .this is one of the best descriptions I've seen.
Which one would you want?

Grandma's Aprons. . .Honor #1

 

            All it takes for this 51 year old woman to be transported back in time is to feel a slight breeze across my face or smell the scent of hay and I’m right back on my grandparent’s farm.  I was only there in the summers until 1970, so my memories are from the ages of three to eight but they are strong. At this time, I was being raised in a big city, so the sites I experienced in the country were very different.

 I have wonderful pictures in my mind of the place, especially of my grandmother in her aprons.  I never knew of anyone else who wore aprons all the time like she did.  She wore the kind that slipped over the head with a bib and tied behind the waist.  She of course, sewed all hers with simple cotton material. They always had a pocket on the right with a Kleenex inside.

She wore an apron while she cooked her wonderful, country meals and baked delicious goodies for her family.  She wore the apron while we washed dishes, which she did like no one else I knew.  We would wash in a big, white pan with a red rim around the top, then rinse in another pan just like it.  When the dishes were done, the water would be thrown out in the garden for the flowers, because my grandma never wasted anything!  While in her apron with me beside her, we would go out to their separate garage and wash clothes like no other.  In a white, electric tub with wooden roller wringers that turned by you cranking the handle on the side.  I see her in my mind, in her apron killing the snakes that got too close to the house and to her grandchildren, with her garden hoe.  And in that apron, she would put me to bed, telling me stories about Henny Penny, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Peter Rabbit. She never read these stories to me from a book, she told them all from memory. 

I’m sure she took the apron off before she went to bed, but when I got up, there she would be in the kitchen, or outdoors donning another cheery one.  When she died, I took two of her aprons, now faded from time, and they’ve been in my own home ever since. 

 This city grown girl is now a woman finally living in the country herself and loving it.  I have grandma’s antique furniture in my own home now and strive to have gardens like she did.  I cannot kill snakes like she did though, I run from them.  She was much braver than me. My grandma was a hard worker and yet there was a simplicity in her day that I do not see much today.  I long to go back and am striving for that simplicity again.  I’ve started by putting on her apron…with a Kleenex in the pocket.

 

Our beloved grandmothers aren’t the only ones who wear an apron.  When I think about the different professions of apron wearers, I think of blacksmiths, doctors, waiters, and cooks.  A sign of an apron wearer is humility, the act of servant hood.  We believers are called to be humble and to be a servant to others.

Thinking of aprons I can’t help but think of that unflattering statement put on grown children who still live with their parents.  It is said of them that they are tied to their mother’s apron strings.  This started long ago when mothers would tie their small children to their apron strings to keep them safe while they played.  But this is a great picture for us believers as we should be tied to our Savior so we will not venture away from humility, servant hood and His love.

I sat in my grandmother’s lap as a little girl, smelling her scent on her apron, feeling comfortable and loved.  May we as believers, crawl up into our Heavenly Father’s lap, soaking up the comfort and love from Him as well as His scent, so we can share the love and comfort with others and emit that scent to others to draw them to the One who loves them most.

 

This is in honor of all Apron Wearers

 

 

 

 

linking with

 

 

 

 

 



The Bird Lady

You've heard of people joking about the old, crazy cat ladies, haven't you? The old women who have cats all over their abode? Well, I've been enjoying the birds in my front and back yard lately so much, capturing them with my camera that I may become what some will jokingly call the crazy bird lady.  But I at least do not bring them into my home, no, I leave them outside to enjoy the creation God put them in and let their poop stay out there too! And I am thankful that I get to enjoy their beauty, their songs, their families. I spy on them through the windows and sometimes I hunker down on my deck and capture them with my zoom lens. Come look through my lens and enjoy these fine, feathered friends. I think they are just so darn cute!

I wanted to show this one first. I love the shadow casting off the bird house. . ."His eye is on the sparrow. . ."

 

. . .and the titmouse, and cardinals, and finches, and blue birds and . . .

 

 

Those above are from this winter which is by far the coldest one I have ever felt.

 

 

Below are pictures from last spring. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I couldn't resist this one...just hanging out. . .or hanging on

 

and then there was this bird that belonged to my mom's neighbor. . .

 

 

 

and I met this guy downtown a couple of summers ago. . .I just loved him!

He was a little cocky though...Here he said, "I look good from this side.

 

and I look good from this side."

 

and he was flirting with me saying..."Hellllooo pretty lady!"

 

 

Yep, the birds have my heart, what can I say?

 

His eye is on the sparrow, and He watches over you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things I Think About in the Frigid Cold

The temperatures have been colder this week than I have ever experienced. Highs of 5 with wind chills at night up to -40 degrees. Did you see that minus sign!? That baby, is cold!!!  My heater cannot keep up. The thermostat has been set on 68 but the inside temperature will not get above 55.  I paid $85 for a heat man to come to my house to tell me my heater and heat pump are all working fine. Nothing wrong with it. The unit is just too small to keep up with these frigid temperatures. He said when the temps start to rise again, the unit will work well again. Something about that just doesn't seem right. I started to ponder. . .

Why doesn't a builder install a heating unit to keep up with the cold weather?

 

Why would a heater not work well when it's really cold? Is that not what they're made for?

 

Why do they charge you to tell you nothing is wrong? I would pay for their gas, but that would not be $85!

 

and then I just kept on pondering. . .

 

If it's 0 degrees today and it's twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?

 

If they can invent seat warmers for cars, why can't they invent a seat warmer for  the porcelain throne?

 

Do outside pets become inside pets? And if not, are they angry at their owners?

 

How do those little birds and creatures of the ground not freeze to death?

 

The birds have been in my yard for days, all day long during these frigid temps, eating something from the ground. What is it? Maybe frozen worms?

 

It fascinates me to see how boiling water thrown into the frigid air turns into steam with no water hitting the ground. It doesn't take much to humor me folks.

 

Why do we complain about the cold, we who have homes and comfy beds and plenty of covers and for some, even a fireplace.

 

Some of our homeless friends slept out all night in this weather. One man slept in a park bathroom. None of them ever complain. The bathroom resident said it was 32 degrees in there and he was quite comfortable.  They all smile, are mannerly, and again, never complain, at least to my ears.

 

How do they keep their attitudes up and keep their humor with no complaints and we can at times grumble about the weather from our 55 degree and up homes. My porcelain seat may be cold but not like the one in the park! I have a comfy bed with plenty of covers. They sleep under bridges, in the woods and in park bathrooms leaning against a wall.  We help our neighbors because that's what we do. But I think THEY have also helped ME. Over the 5 years I have been out in the homeless community, I have seen survivors who make the best of their days. And for most of them, they do it with a smile and a gracious spirit. 

 

It keeps me on my toes to think how often am I sporting a gracious spirit. Am I complaining about anything when I really have no need to? Am I smiling as I sit on that cold seat? Am I grateful for that cold seat?

 And that is what I have pondered about today. I also continue to pray for my friends and praise the One who watches over me and watches over my friends outdoors.

 

Baby it's cold outside! Let's rejoice!

 

 

~Just a quick note here~

 

I decided to google before I published this post and guess what I found?

There really are seat warmers for that porcelain throne! It even comes with a remote control! With multiple heat settings!

Who knew?

In case you're interested, it's called the Toastie Tush and it's yours for only

$46.62

 

~I do not get paid for this announcement~

If Heaven Was Never Promised To Me

My mother and I used to sit at the piano and sing for hours together, the old hymns, praise songs, and praising to Him, our Lord and Savior. Sometimes my mom and I would get so choked up over the words because we identified with them. We are so sappy!

One of the songs we sang over and over was titled, If Heaven Was Never Promised To Me by Andrae Crouch. It asks the question, If Heaven was never promised to me, would I still serve Him, would I still love him? And my mom's and my answer is YES without a doubt. If this world was all there was, I would not want to live it without Him. This world can be frustrating, scary, and just plain hard.

But living for the Lord, He has given me strength when I have needed it, comforted me in my sadness, given me boldness in my shyness, and has showered me with so many blessings I cannot count them all. . .(although I am trying;)

With each blessing He is saying, "I know who you are. You are special to Me. I thought of you today. I love you." And because of Him, my crooked paths straighten out, my broken heart becomes healed, my hunger turns into filling, my life has joy because my heart has Him and He is Joy.

And if you have Him in your heart, you have all this too. Would you serve Him, love Him if Heaven was never promised to you?

But, we do have the promise of Heaven. And don't you know He is smiling, knowing that the grandest gift of all is waiting for us.

Why don't we give Him a gift right now? Let's tell Him, or better yet, sing to Him, "If Heaven Was Never Promised To Me, I would STILL serve You , I would STILL love You."

If you would like to hear the song, just click the link below.

http://youtu.be/Xd7SXzSU8ns

She sounds better than my mom and I did, but we always laughed and said through our tears that if no one else thought so, we sounded beautiful to God. :) 

 Below are the words to the song.

You may ask me why I serve the Lord,

Is it just for heaven's gain.

Or to walk those mighty streets of gold,

And to hear the angels sing.

Is it just to drink from the fountain,

That never shall run dry.

Or just to live forever, ever, and ever,

In that sweet, sweet bye and bye.

Chorus:

But if heaven never was promised to me,

Neither God's promise to live eternally.

It's been worth just having the Lord in my life.

Living in a world of darkness,

You came along and brought me the light.

If there were never any streets of gold,

Neither a land where we'll never grow old,

It's been worth just having the Lord in my life.

You've been my closest friend down through the years,

And every time I cry You dry my tears.

It's been worth just having the Lord in my life.

Living in a world of darkness,

living in a world of darkness,

You came along and brought me the light.

Mt. Dew in the Cowboy Boots

It was just an ordinary day grocery shopping in Krogers, the grocery store in town. Just minding my own business walking down the isles picking up this and that off the shelves. I rounded the corner when what to my wondering eyes should appear. . .a cowboy putting a 2 liter bottle of Mt. Dew down a cowboy boot. . .yep. . .that's what I said.

I had to take a double take. He caught me and smiled. "Ma,m," he said, "These boots cost me $800 and they are too tight on my calves. I took them to a shoe place and they couldn't stretch the calf part so I thought maybe this 2 liter would do it. He's pushing the liter down the boot the whole time he's talking. "I think this will work, don't you?"  I guess, I just hope it doesn't bust and ruin your boots."
"Oh no, it's not going to bust", he says.

Now he's trying to pull the 2 liter of Mt. Dew out of the book and it won't come. It's stuck. He looks at me. I'm still staring. "Ma'm, would you mind helping me?"  "Not at all sir." He grabs the neck of the bottle and I grab the foot of the boot and we both pull. I notice the other customers staring as they come around the corner and they just keep on walking. The cowboy and I keep pulling and pulling and pulling. Then pop! The bottle came out of the boot. "Thank you ma'm, I sure do appreciate it."
"No problem sir, have a good day." And off I go to the milk section.

You just never know what will happen when you go out your front door. I tried to come up with a lesson to go with this story...I kept pondering and pondering...

Be kind to strangers?

Be helpful to fellow customers?

If your boots are too tight, stick a 2 liter bottle down them?

Don't be afraid to ask a stranger for help?

 

Hhmmm, I'm just not sure. I'm going to have to ponder some more on this one.  But I did get a giggle out of it and so did he.

 

Do you see a lesson in this?

Please do share.



 

 

My One Word for 2014

I have been praying for about two months asking God to impress on me what my 2014 One Word should be. It wasn't long before this new word came into my mind, into my heart. I wasn't sure what I was to do with it. I had an inkling, but wasn't at all sure, so I kept praying.

December 28, 2013, I was validated. I was really needing this. This may sound vain and shallow but I am still human and I believe we all need validation. It is a true gift not from a box but from one's heart. It doesn't need a bow. It doesn't come with a pretty ribbon on it. Because it is beautiful all on it's own. When I received this gift on this day, I cried uncontrollably. Because someone near and dear to me gave me exactly what I was needing at the time. And I was so moved because my Lord and Savior knew my heart. He sees and knows and He moved someone else's heart to hand the gift over.

A couple of weeks before this, I received the same gift from someone else near and dear to my heart. It was so unexpected, it literally lifted me off my feet. Ok, the person lifted me off my feet, but my heart was touching the clouds.

You all may be thinking about now that my One Word for 2014 is validation. But it is not. The word God has impressed on my heart, I believe goes with validation. And I want to use this word in many ways. I'm not sure of all the details yet as to how God wants me to go about it, but I have a pretty good idea. I will keep my ears open to His leading throughout the year.

My goal each day is to honor the Lord. That is my heart's desire. I felt honored when I was validated. Sometimes I think we wait to do this until we are standing in a funeral home or in a church by a casket. That is all fine and wonderful, but I want to do this with others before that lid closes on the rectangle box or the ashes fill another kind of box. And I want to honor my Lord. So I shall see with time how my new word is to be used.
 

And so I reveal to you all my new One Word for 2014. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you pick One Word to follow for this new year?

Please do share. 

 

Have you never heard of this? 

 

If you are interested, please go to ONE WORD.

 

If you do and you decide to pick a word for yourself, better yet, pray and ask God to impress that word on your heart,

please come back and share. It's fun to see how God will use your word to move you, change you, grow you, and to inspire.

 

It would be an honor to say a prayer for you and your word!

 

~ God Bless ~