To The Ones Who Inspire Me

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Kristin

**Thank you Melissa for this beautiful picture of just a few of the lovely women that have become sisters to me…while you are not all pictured here you are a part of my story. Thank you.**

There is a community of women that have become family to me.

While we started out as strangers a little over a year ago, today so many of you are women that I couldn’t imagine going through life without.

I have watched as you have grown in your God-sized dreams.

I have seen some doors open, and some close…but always at the guiding hand of God. With hearts full of faith and a desire to seek His plan you, my sisters, have journeyed forward.

I have seen you and I have grown because of it.

Your faith has been an inspiration to me.

Your courage has helped me fight my own fears.

Your strength and prayers have lifted me up in my times of weakness.

My life is changed because of you, and I am so grateful.

I write here in this space because you have encouraged me, told me that my stories matter too.

I hope that this will always be a place that I can do the same for those who pause here.

My dear dreamer sisters, thank you.

My words don’t adequately express my love for each of you.

You are my people, my tribe and I am blessed.

Joining Holley Gerth and her 2014 Encouragement Challenge. One day a week we take to spread joy to one another! Need a little love this week? Hop on over here and be encouraged!

Photo Credit: Melissa Aldrich

To The Ones Who Inspire Me

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Kristin

**Thank you Melissa for this beautiful picture of just a few of the lovely women that have become sisters to me…while you are not all pictured here you are a part of my story. Thank you.**

There is a community of women that have become family to me.

While we started out as strangers a little over a year ago, today so many of you are women that I couldn’t imagine going through life without.

I have watched as you have grown in your God-sized dreams.

I have seen some doors open, and some close…but always at the guiding hand of God. With hearts full of faith and a desire to seek His plan you, my sisters, have journeyed forward.

I have seen you and I have grown because of it.

Your faith has been an inspiration to me.

Your courage has helped me fight my own fears.

Your strength and prayers have lifted me up in my times of weakness.

My life is changed because of you, and I am so grateful.

I write here in this space because you have encouraged me, told me that my stories matter too.

I hope that this will always be a place that I can do the same for those who pause here.

My dear dreamer sisters, thank you.

My words don’t adequately express my love for each of you.

You are my people, my tribe and I am blessed.

Joining Holley Gerth and her 2014 Encouragement Challenge. One day a week we take to spread joy to one another! Need a little love this week? Hop on over here and be encouraged!

Photo Credit: Melissa Aldrich

The Proper Armor

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Kristin

Last week I shared some of the story of David and Goliath. David’s faith in God is so encouraging to me. He willingly went into battle to face a giant because he knew it wasn’t his battle to face.

When David first approached Saul to volunteer, Saul insisted that David wear his battle armor.

1 Samuel 17: 38 “Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off.”

David knew that he didn’t have the proper armor.

Can you imagine entering into battle without the proper armor?!

But God gave David JUST what he needed.

As a shepherd, David often used a slingshot to ward off animals seeking to hurt his sheep. I imagine that he was quite proficient with that slingshot…a weapon he practiced with often.

He may not have been able to wield a sword like the top warriors, but he didn’t need the best fitting armor or the sharpest sword. David had the perfect weapon and God had given him plenty of opportunities to prepare to use it.

40 “Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.”

God has been preparing me as well.

Preparing me to chase my dreams, preparing me to stand in the battles that will come at me.

It seems that the more I chase my God-sized dreams, I find myself in the front lines of battle with the enemy. A friend once told me that the enemy attacks those that he considers a threat…so consider an attack a compliment that you are doing God’s work! 🙂

The attacks can come in many forms.

Discouragement that I won’t be good enough….

Lies telling me that because I am failure so often, with my husband…my kids…how can I possibly share about my relationship with God here?

But God has surrounded me with His Truth.

He has shown me that my best “voice” is one that is proclaiming the truth that I AM a hypocrite – every day! But because of God’s AMAZING grace…I have the opportunity to share about His redeeming love.

As I chase these dreams, big and scary dreams…..dreams that feel out of reach and impossible, I am reminded that just like David, God is equipping me.

We are in training, can you see that?!

Maybe our “weapon” will be the stories that bring light to a dark world. (<==== Click to Tweet)

If we have God’s word on our heart, in our minds…if we have His plans in our focus…..we have the right armor on and we have nothing to fear!

In Holley’s Devotional she says this: “People may not understand. What you have in your hands or heart may seem small or even strange to them. But that’s exactly what creates the opportunity for God to do the unexpected. It sets the scene for giants to fall. For battles to be won. For God-sized dreams to come scandalously, miraculously true.”

Are you allowing God to do the unexpected in your life? If not – what is holding you back? Please leave a comment and allow me the honor of praying over those things with you…..we are in this battle together friends!

I am sharing stories of chasing dreams with my sisters over at God-sized Dreams…join us?!

Photo Credit

Five Minute Friday – Small

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Kristin

Linking up again today with Lisa Jo to join in the fun of writing for 5 minutes.

Today’s word is SMALL!

I often feel small, insignificant…unable to make a real difference in the world.

While I want to make an impact for the Kingdom, I am not traveling to Africa to work in the mission field, I’m not speaking at conferences or writing books. How can I possibly make an impact when I am “just” a wife and a mother.

And then God uses His Word, His stories, to remind me that there are so many seemingly small people that He has used throughout history to do His will.

Mary was just a teenager.

Gideon was just a farmer.

David was just a shepherd.

Each of these people lived small, normal lives – until God called them to much greater things.

I believe that God has greater things planned for each of us.

For some of us it may mean that we work really hard to help support our family – and to our kids, our spouse, we are a hero.

Some of us will travel to other countries spreading love to orphans, the getting there will take faith and hard work as well…but when we follow God’s plan we will see the impossible become the possible.

Recently God has asked me to share some difficult stories, to test the boundaries of my comfort zone, and to take my small and difficult past and use it for His glory.

Whatever it is that He has called you to, don’t believe for a second that it isn’t important!

Friends you have a story to tell. The enemy may try and tell you that those stories don’t matter, that you can’t make a difference because you are too small and insignificant.

But hear me on this – God want’s our hearts humble so we can serve Him. He uses the small, the “just a” kind of people and makes mighty things happen for His Kingdom.

Philippians 4: 13 (ESV) “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

When It’s The Little Things….

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Kristin

Dominic and I were at Walmart a few weeks ago and saw some Beta fish and he commented that he thought the kids might really like to have one. He said he wanted to bring them over to help pick a fish out so we didn’t do anything that night.

But life gets busy doesn’t it?!

Whether it is work or kids/school commitments, time at church….there are a lot of things that can fill out days around here.

We have been super busy with our business. It is a God-given blessing indeed, and we try not to take it lightly, but at times the weight of all that needs to be done can feel pretty heavy.

Last night it was time to leave the office and I could tell Dominic was so tired but felt like he needed to stay and work. I encouraged him to come home and have dinner and see the kids and then get back at it if he needed to.

He thought that maybe he should take the kids out and go look at a fish.

So while I was making dinner, Dominic took the 3 littles out to Walmart. They were so excited they could hardly stand it!

They came home with 4 fish, because of course they each needed one! 🙂

They set to task to prepare their new home environments.

They washed out old vases I had kept for a time such as this, cleaned up some old river rock we had saved from previous fish habitats and worked to get the water temperature just right and added the chlorine treatment so the water would be safe.

Then they had to wait.

Dominic explained that for the safety of the fish, it was best to wait an hour for the water temperature in the vases and the water temperature in the fish’s current “home” to align…that way when we transferred them over they would have the best chance at survival.

Waiting can be hard so we put in a movie to pass the time. It was Spongebob and it was terrible, but at one point I was sitting on the couch with 3 of my kids and they were all laughing.

It’s the little things, isn’t it?!

Seeing the smiles on their faces when they look at their new fish, hearing their laughter – even if it is at a terrible cartoon character….it was all worth it last night.

In the midst of so much “to-do”, we all needed something like a couple of new fish to remind us what is really important.

The small things can bring such joy can’t they?!

I often forget to look for the things that bring me joy, it isn’t that I am not grateful for our many blessings…but I don’t stop and “smell the roses” enough.

Last night we all did that and it was wonderful.

The kids named their fishes….Turk (short for turquoise) – Gabriel, Circle fish – Elijah and Around – Karlena. 🙂 We will see if these are still the names when the kids get up this morning!

And thankfully, at least today, all of the fish were alive when I got up!

I know life gets tough and sometimes it is hard to find the joy in our circumstances. But I encourage you today to take some time to do something small that helps you find that joy.

Whether it is taking a walk and watching the sunset, or curling up with a good book, or sitting on the couch under a pile of blankets watching a cartoon with the kids.

Take time to find that thing that brings you joy! You will be so blessed when you do.

I am celebrating that which brings us joy today with Holley Gerth and some other wonderful women that are seeking to bring light each Wednesday with Holley’s 2014 Encouragement Challenge. You can join in on the fun here!