The Gift of Friendship

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Kristin

This is Mel.

We met on the God Sized Dream team in January.

Somehow we also ended up in this little “Mastermind” group that was a spinoff of the larger GSD group. There are less than 12 of us in that group so we got to know each other pretty well over the last 9 months.

Then she joined my Hello Mornings Bible study group for a session and she is now co-leading with my other friend Kami this session!

God finds way to bring people together.

This past weekend at Allume we were also roomies and discovered that we are sisters at heart.

I love this woman.

She makes me laugh, she borrows my boots ;), she mails me my computer cord when I have left it in the hotel room.

She is a gift.

Except for the online community – we probably would have never crossed paths. It is all God.

She and her husband were missionaries in Indonesia for 5 years before they had their daughter. She has a passion for others, especially those in other countries. At Allume, Uganda grabbed a hold of her heart.

I will be honest – it stinks not having her closer.

Spending time with Mel and the other girls at Allume gave me a taste of what real community can look like. As much as I wanted to be at home with my family – I didn’t want to loose that connection, that girl time.

I don’t have that here at home and it can be lonely.

But just like my friendship with Karlena, I know that miles do not separate and with social media and Voxer (the greatest invention since sliced bread), it doesn’t feel like she is too far away!

While God impressed on my heart a spirit of giving this weekend He also gave me the greatest gift that I could have asked for.

Mel, you are such a gift to me. I am so grateful that we get to do life together. I wish it could be over coffee and hot chocolate more often, but since that isn’t possible right now I just praise God for the technology that makes the distance a little more bearable.

I adore you friend. YOU are a gift!

Give

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Kristin

Allume 2013 is over.

Yesterday I felt a little lost, not having worship time with breakfast, lunch and dinner! What an amazing experience the past 5 days has been. I went in to this hoping for community and what I found was so much more.

I was worried, just a little, that these God Sized Dream women I had grown to love over the past nine months might not be what I “expected”. What I found was that they were more gracious, more funny, more giving than I had hoped and I was filled with blessings time and time again.

Having the opportunity to do life with them for even a few days has filled my soul to overflowing!

People have asked what it was like, what did I learn? And I have needed to really process everything the past few days. There was so much and I will probably write several posts about what the speakers had to share specifically – I hope you stick around with me for those!!

But the one word that has been turning in my head from this weekend is GIVE.

I believe that God calls us to give. Give to others of our time, our love, our resources. I can hold on to these things so tightly and can be unwilling to share all the blessings God has poured out on me – but He doesn’t call us to be selfish – He calls us to be selfless and generous.

I believe that this is an area that He will be challenging me in the coming days.

We met with and heard from several organizations that work with the needy. It is my plan to feature one of these groups each month. I believe strongly that it takes very little of my money, time etc., to make a HUGE impact on the lives of the hurting. I feel called to share these with you because it is possible that you, like me, have not heard of several of them.

And If you know of a group or organization that I might feature please email me and we can talk details!!

One of the best parts of the weekend was participating in an impact opportunity. We each chose a group to work with and did different projects. I worked with Sole Hope and I will be posting about them soon. They are amazing and are impacting the lives of so many little children and it is so easy to get involved!! I am hoping to take this to our churches youth group as well!

Giving can be hard.

It means that we have to let go of some of the comforts we have so that we can help change the world. But by giving we CAN make a change.

We have a voice here in the online community. God calls us to use our voices and be a light. The dark places here seem vast and overwhelming – but together, one step at a time, we can share hope to the lost.

Will you join me?

Seek out what God’s calling is in your life – what area He may be calling you to give. Maybe it is the gift of encouragement, maybe you have seen financial success and have excess to share, maybe you have someone in your life you need to forgive and you are ready to give that gift to yourself.

Seek Him.

Be generous.

Give of yourself and I promise that the what you receive in return will life changing!!

And to the women of the GSD team, you gave to me more than I can say. I laughed more than I have in years, I was loved and blessed by each of you and I am humbled by your grace. Thank you to each of you for being so generous with me.

And to the Allume team – WOW. Seriously WOW. As a “newbie” I walked away changed. I know less about how to self promote and more about how to live for God than I thought I would gain from coming. And I am so very glad. This weekend was a game changer for me and I am working to figure it all out I am thanking God for each of you that followed God’s vision for this weekend.

To God be the glory!!

Five Minute Friday – TOGETHER – Allume Style

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Kristin

Linking up with Lisa Jo again – LIVE FROM ALLUME!!! -this week to participate in Five Minute Friday.

Today’s word is TOGETHER – ready, set go –

I wasn’t sure exactly what this weekend would mean for me. This gathering of friends together at Allume.

I had hopes for meeting my roommates for the first time and developing those real life relationships…but I had no idea it would be like this.

I am home. I am with my people. These are women that know me and help me to feel more together.

Sisters. Girlfriends. Gifts.

Each of you know who you are. You have gifted me with laughter in ways I couldn’t imagine I could experience in the course of 24 hours.

If I walk away from this weekend with nothing else, I will feel blessed abundantly.

Thank you dear friends for loving me.

Thank you for accepting me.

I am finally at a place where I feel like I belong, and it is together with all of you.

This God of ours that brought us together in this unique way is showing me that He can fill the voids that my heart has felt for so long.

Thank you Jesus.

I am filled with overflowing.

And The Journey Begins….

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Kristin

A view of the Chicago skyline from my first flight!!

The journey began last night really as I left my family and drove to Sioux Falls to stay with my parents so they could take me to the airport this morning. A journey that started many many months ago when I purchased a ticket to a conference I had heard about.

Allume – or All-U-Me if you ask Dominic 😉

It was a risk really. Trusting that God had something planned for me on this weekend. I felt a heart tug to go. Thinking that it would help me grow my blog and learn more about how to turn this blogging thing into something more.

But as the months counted down leading up to this weekend my heart changed. I started to get to know on a deeper level these women involved in the God Sized Dream Team. Many of them will be there this weekend. We will finally get to hug necks and laugh in person.

I have discovered that these women are “my people”. They pray with me and encourage me. They share deeply and honestly and love me for who I am, mistakes and all. They have given me community and friendship when I felt that lacking so much in my life.

While I am excited to hear the speakers and attend the sessions, even more, I am looking forward to building deeper relationship with these women I have grown to love as sisters.

Yes God has been preparing my heart to really let friends in again, even if it means I might have to give them up. After losing a best friend almost 3 years ago I have been hesitant to really fill that void. I didn’t want it to be a replacement, didn’t want to feel like I was letting Karlena go. And to be honest I don’t want to experience that hurt of loss again.

But I now there is no forgetting, or replacing. Karlena still holds a big part of my heart. She is one of the reasons I even had the courage to come in the first place. I saw it in her first and I know it is now my time to step forward in faith and be brave. To seek God’s plan for my life, even if it is scary!

And I have seen that the value of community and friendship is so great, that it is worth the risk of loss. So my heart has become open to all of it – the good and the bad.

In the next 4 days I anticipate lots of laughter, loads of treats, chocolate and cupcakes and probably even some tears. As so many of us gather to celebrate the God that brought us to Greenville, SC and thank Him for the women He has put in our path.

Yes there is lots to learn, but I have a feeling that it is going to be a lot more heart learning than blog learning for me this year. And I can hardly contain my excitement!

And to all of my friends that can’t be there with us this time. Know you aren’t far from our minds and you will be with us in spirit…and maybe a little in Voxer too. 😉

Making Muffins in the Morning

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Kristin

Tonight I am driving to Sioux Falls to stay overnight so that I can catch my morning flight to Greenville, South Carolina! I can hardly believe that Allume is here. It was months ago that I bought my ticket and booked the flight….and now it is here.

I am terrified and excited all wrapped in one.

I have a list of things that I really wanted to get done before I left. My floors are in desperate need of mopping. DESPERATE. But it just isn’t going to get done…(my apologies to Dominic’s family who are coming for a visit while I am gone!!)

I worked late at the office last night to get a few things done there as well so I can leave and not stress about what I am coming back to.

This morning I wanted some quiet time and maybe one last round of my ab exercises. My feeble attempting at fitting well into my skinny jeans. 😉 But my Elijah had different plans when he was up and out of bed at 5:10 am.

I could have easily been frustrated. I offered him a few easy choices for breakfast – but he wasn’t interested. So then I suggested muffins. He was excited and of course wanted to help.

If you have baked with children you know that nothing is quick and easy with littles under foot. But I felt the Spirit prodding me to take the time. To set aside my agenda, my toned abs (ha!!) and my quiet time for quality time with my 3rd born.

So we got out the mix, I let him pour it in the bowl and add the milk, and he did the stirring. He loves to participate like that and I should let him help more often!

And so this morning we made muffins, chocolate chip ones. And they were yummy. I didn’t get in my devotional reading, I didn’t get in my workout but I made a memory with my son.

I think God wants that from us as wives and mothers. I know that quiet time is important and taking care of my body is important. But I believe that we can honor God when we serve our family well.

So today I encourage you to find a little way to love on your family. Even if it means sacrificing your to-do list. I promise you will be rewarded for it!!