It's Amazing What Praising Can Do!

I am participating in an Encouragement for Today Blog Hop. Won't you join us?

Is there a day that goes by that we all don't need encouragement? Some days we might need a little, other days we need a lot. But no matter what situation we find ourselves in....it is amazing what praising can do....do you remember that old song? I can only remember parts of it too, but there is truth to the message.

One of my favorite devotional books is Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman. As our family is trying to follow the Lord's leading regarding our church home, today's devotion really spoke to my heart.

Have you ever struggled with God's silence? Do you know what I mean? John 11:41 reminds us that God hears us and we should pray as Jesus did by saying, "Father, I thank you that You have heard me."

Today's devotion goes on to ask, "Where do we ever hear a song of gratitude and thanksgiving for an answer that has not yet been received? Yet in this Scripture passage, there is nothing strange, forced or unreasonable to the Master's sequence of praise before the miracle. Praise is actually the most vital preparation to the working of miracles. "

"Praise changes things. Nothing pleases God more than praise as part of our prayer life, and nothing blesses someone who prays as much as the praise that is offered." The devotion tells about a man that received bad news from home. He explains, "The deep shadows of darkness seemed to cover my soul. I prayed but the darkness remained. I forced myself to endure but the shadows only deepened. Then suddenly one day, as I entered a missionary's home at an inland station, I saw these words on the wall: Try giving thanks. So I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, never to return. Yes, the psalmist was right: It is good to praise the Lord (Psalm 92:1). Henry W. Frost

If you are still reading this, I hope that this passage encourages your soul today too. It is a great reminder for all of us that it is good the praise the Lord....in the easy and difficult times. I know that God has a place for our family to serve and worship Him and that He knows this heart of mine far better than I know it myself. So today, I will try to praise Him instead of agonizing over it all...and believing Him for the answer and the direction before it is even given. I'll continue to praise Him even out of my brokenness. Mandisa's song speaks volumes to my heart. It says, "When all that I can sing is a broken hallelujah and my only offering is shattered praise. Still, a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins and I will worship You and give you thanks...even when my only praise is a broken hallelujah!" This is an amazing song!



How about you? Is there something that you are struggling with? How can I pray for you today?

Joyfully,
Kristi

Don't Touch the Jewelry!

I can't believe that it is Friday. Mr. Incredible and I had a fun anniversary celebration. We went to our favorite Sushi place, watched a romantic/comedy movie, and enjoyed coffee (me, not him) and Italian chocolate cake from Johnny Carinos (Thanks Mom and Dad for the sweet treat). It was fun to have a date night with my man.

I missed posting my Word Filled Wednesday post because I was taking my last teacher workshop for the summer. It was fun, but long.

Yesterday was filled with mowing and more mowing and braving my life to climb the ladder, disconnect my outside lanterns and spray painting. I am loving the new look. I'll try to post pictures of the house soon. Mr. Incredible was less than thrilled that I was on the ladder while he was at work. He actually asked me if I remembered to throw the breaker before handling the lanterns. Uh....yes...yes I did! Duh! (I mean that in the most loving way possible).

Rachel is at a squad leader band thingy all day today so last night Hannah asked me what I had planned for the day. I told her that it might be fun to check out an estate sale today. I am on the lookout for a large coffee table for our family room. The advertisement listed furniture and James Avery jewelry too, which all 3 of us girls adore. "Does that sound like fun?" I asked. After tucking my sweet girl in bed and kissing her goodnight, she responded by saying, "So basically we are going to buy some dead person's jewelry?" Nice! She has such way with words sometimes. It kind of sucks all of the fun out of estate sale shopping, doesn't it? If you see us, we will be the ones avoiding the jewelry! Oiy! Ya'll have a great weekend.

Joyfully,

Kristi

Only God Could Love You More!

It's hard to believe that we are old enough to be married 19 years today! 19 years? It seems like yesterday that mom was helping me with my veil and my dad was walking me down the aisle. Where did the time go?

It was so fun this morning to look at our rehearsal dinner picture that is hanging in the closet and giggle together that we looked so young. We still do...or at leas that's the story that I'm sticking with.

We may look a little different when we look in the mirror each morning but we are still that young couple who fell deeply in love at Baylor University so many years ago. I'll never forget how you told me that you loved me before you even kissed me....I think that was on our 2nd or 3rd date. It didn't take this heart of mine very long before I realized that you were the one that I had been praying for my whole life. What an incredible gift you are to me.

I can't imagine journeying through life with anyone else but you. Our life together has not been perfect by any means, and at times it has even been a bit difficult, but it has always been blessed and I wouldn't trade any of our memories together. With you, my joys are somehow even more joyous, and the deepest sorrows are somehow easier when you are right there beside me.

It is the Lord that brought us together and I am so thankful that He did. We share many similarities....like our heritages of faith, our deep and abiding love for the Lord, a desire to serve Him faithfully, singing together, snorkeling, etc....but we have a few differences to make life interesting. For instance, your gun closet is filled with guns that I can't pronounce....my gun closet holds a well used hot glue gun, but I can wield it like no other. You would rather watch UFC fights on television, but I prefer Hallmark movies...but still we both compromise...I'll watch the fights with you (I can't believe I even remember their names....my students think that is cool) and you watch Hallmark's Christmas in July movies with me....while adding a few funny commentaries.

Our two best blessings, next to Jesus, are still sleeping this morning. How can they possibly be 16 and 12? The tears are already streaming down my cheeks, so I'll just move on. What a joy to be their parents!

I'll try to wrap this up. Only you know this heart of mine like no other. Often you believe in me when I don't even believe in myself..going back to college is the perfect example. I love how it took you saying, "Kristi, either go back to school or quit talking about it! You can do it" before I jumped back into school. You were right.

You know that I am fiercely competitive, but so are you... so I love the fact that we stayed up until almost 11:30 last Saturday night playing volleyball in the pool because I wasn't going to bed until I had won....and you weren't either. How funny that our daughters said they were tired and going to bed....game over! I love that you kissed me goodbye this morning and your fragrance lingers. Your baby blue eyes melt my heart like no other.

One look into those eyes and I melt all over again (unless of course they are your angry eyes....that I don't see very often....only when working on project like putting together the pool {I'm smiling and hoping that you are too}).

My mind is flooded with so many memories of our 19 years together. What an incredible gift from the Lord.

May He grant us many, many more years together.

Love,

Kristi

My Bond Man...007 Has Nothing on Him!

Did ya'll have a good weekend?

It was grand central around here. The painters arrived and finished repainting the trim on our house and front door....and I love it! Wanna see? You will have to check back later in the week to see what colors we went with.

Anyway, Mr. Incredible and my dad (who is incredible too, by the way) got to go shoot their pistols at a gun class Saturday.

Mr. Incredible brought home a little souvenir:

...his target whatchamacallit. What a shot....look out 007....here comes my man!

He held it up against several of the walls in the family room while trying to find the perfect spot to hang it....what??? And then he flashed those gorgeous baby blues, that I have had the blessing of seeing nearly every day for the last 19 years, and said he was just kidding and my heart melted all over again! Whew! The green whatchamacallit thingy found its perfect spot in the garage, next to the trash can.

He came home to an almost finished house and he loves it too and I am so glad! Oh, the pressure of having only a few days to pick your paint colors and then finding them on your house. The entire process happened so quickly....but for this girl who calls patience the "p" word, it was just right on time.

The painters took down a huge wasps nest that was on one of the eaves of the house with only their painting tools and their bare hands. Yikes!

But speaking of wasps, my dad has a great suggestion for all of us ladies.

It is a good idea to keep a can of wasp spray around the house not only for wasps but for protection too. It can shoot farther than a can of tear gas or pepper spray...20 plus feet. Here is an interesting article about this topic. Heaven forbid that we would ever have to use it but I think it is brilliant idea. What do you think?

Oh, I almost forgot this fiasco! Did you hear the one about the 2 blondes that almost ended a man's career at Academy Sports due to....well here you go! Last week at Academy, where we bought the pool, we met a sweet young man (boy that made me sound old) who helped me get the pool off the shelf and into the cart. Poor guy! I walked aisle after aisle trying to find someone to help me get the 280 pound pool off the shelf and to the front of the store, but no one was to be found. I spotted this "young man" with an Academy shirt and badge and asked if he would please help me. He chuckled and said that he would try. In my haste to find help, I was just looking for someone with an Academy shirt on and I hadn't bothered to look down....his foot was in a brace...and he walked with a big limp. Oiy! I am not making this up....I wish that I were! What was I suppose to say? So I muttered something along the lines that it was really heavy and I needed some help, did he mind or would he help me find someone to help, all the while thinking to myself....way to go! I felt so bad.

Anyway, he found a flatbed cart and put it next to the pool. My only job was to hold the cart steady...well that sounded easy enough...until 280 pounds of pool hits it and sends it flying. Did it already have water in it! Thankfully, it somehow landed on the cart. I didn't have the heart to ask for help getting the mass of pool to the front of the store. I simply said, "Thank you so much for your help, Jace. I really appreciate it." The "sweet young man" looked a little relieved that he was finished with us and walked away, I mean limped away, and that's when my oldest daughter burst out laughing. "His name is JacK" she said, "not Jace!" Oh really? That's what my eyes saw from where I was standing. Oiy! It's not fun getting older. Poor guy, I didn't even call him by the right name, after all that trauma.

Dear Academy,

You have a mighty fine young man working for you in your outdoor pool section. His name is Jack but he goes by "Jace."

Thank you,

the Crazy Pool Lady

I think footage of Rachel and I trying to get the pool to the front of the store may be on funniest home videos or something....nothing clears a path quicker than 2 blondes, a massive pool, and a flatbed cart that has a will of its own.

I better get going....I have an appointment with my eye doctor...go figure!

Joyfully,

Kristi

Just Thinking

I don't really have a clever way to begin this post....my mind is going in a thousand different directions today, it seems. So, I'll just share a few of my thoughts from the week. Is that okay?

1. Picking new paint trim and a new front door color is hard but so much more fun with the help of amazing blogging friends. I'm liking this look below, I think....well for now....do you have an opinion about it? (That's the cool thing about paintshop pro/photoshop it's not permanent yet!

2. It's hard to watch your oldest daughter continue to have daily headaches....since December 25th....which is way too long. Rachel still has not had a day without a headache. We've tried several medications and dosages and we are anxiously waiting for more brain scans and appointments in the coming weeks.

Please, pray with us that we will find the answer to headache free days very soon. School is only 4 1/2 weeks away and I thought she would be so much better by now. It's hard to be patient. I'm thankful for Leslie, the pediatric neurologist's nurse who is always so quick to return phone calls.

We know that the Lord is working in this and that He is showing Himself so faithful to Rachel and to us. We are still praying that this will somehow only be a short season and that she will come out of this more like Jesus and able to share the amazing work that God did in her life through this diagnosis and treatment. He is doing a mighty work in her life, I just know it!

3. Standing up for what is true and right isn't always easy, especially when it happens in a youth committee meeting. The easiest thing would have been to just sit there and be silent but when the Holy Spirit stirs your heart, your best choice is to obey even if what you feel led to say isn't well received and personal attacks seem to follow. It was still the right thing to do and the Lord has been so gracious to minister that to me.

{sigh, my heart is still a bit broken over this one}

4. A trip to the garden does wonders for the soul. There is beauty in squash blooms, even the ones that have bugs in them. Is that how we look to the Father? He sees it all, doesn't He...and yet He loves us...what a thought!

5. I am greatly anticipating seeing these sunflowers in full bloom. There seems to be a competition to see which one can reach the sky first. As a Kansas girl, I love glorious sunflowers.




6. I use to be an above-ground pool snob....until we priced an in ground, custom pool. Do you know the easiest way to overcome being an above-ground-pool snob? Yes, it's buying one and putting it in your backyard. We've joined the countless ranks of pool owners ...and we love it.

Our little bichon, Tinkerbell, loves it too. She enjoys floating on my raft with me. The chihuahua, Lizzie, not so much.

7. Summer rains in July are absolutely a blessing. Rachel and Hannah delighted in seeing little birds looking at us through our windows. This little one was so wet!

8. Last one, I think! Basketball camp can wear a girl out and make one very sore. Rubbing icy-hot on Hannah's legs can bring out the funniest giggles.

I better get to mowing. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful new day.

Have a blessed day in the Lord today.

Joyfully,

Kristi

Please Help Me Pick A Paint Color Before I Lose My Ever Loving Mind!

Today is DIY day at Kimba's A Soft Place to Land. Many extremely wonderful and creative bloggers will post their finished projects. Been there done that, last week. This week I am pleading with all of you to help me make a decision so that I can finish this project. Please??? Pretty please, with sugar on top?

We were blessed to build our home in 2000. I can't believe that this December it will be 9 years since we moved in, the week before Christmas, I might add. Did we have a tree that year? Oh, yes we did and stockings and presents and guests. We may not have had a dining room table, but we had a Christmas tree.

Anyway, I'll try to get to the point of this post. Our trim needs to be repainted and Mr. Incredible suggested that we change it up a bit? Say what??? Who is the decorator around here? But, I got to looking at the house and....should I admit this....oh, alright, Mr. Incredible is right. But, I need your help before I take the giant leap into a new trim color and a new color for my front door.

The painters are ready to go. In fact, they would really appreciate it if the projects were finished yesterday. I'm not kidding! It was pouring down rain today and they wanted to come paint. That might be a problem for 2 reasons, it's wet and I haven't decided yet!

Okay, here are a few pictures of our house now:

Please, pardon the mulch that is ready to mulch my front flower beds.

You can see we have white trim, white grout, and a fabulous white door.

I love the austin stone accents so I was thinking about a taupe colored trim with a black door.

I quickly did a photoshoppy thing to get an idea, because I'm a little afraid to go nuts and just hope that it looks good. You know what I mean?

Anyway, before photoshop:

And after:

I did this very quickly...can you tell? Ha! I'm not planning to paint over the window parts of my door and sidelights, this was just the quickest way to get an idea of what it might look like. I think that I like the door and the lanterns in black. It would be so safe to go with good old white again, but I'm feeling a bit more daring and I really like how the black-ish bricks seem to pop with a black door. I always like to have a wreath on my front door; I think each season's wreath would look great against a black door.

After reading my comments, early this morning, I added a few more to choose from.

At Kimba's suggestion (thank you) I tried a shiny red door:

Charcoal was suggested by another blogger:

And here is the black without painting the lanterns:

A little brown? I don't know:

And here is a suggestion from Rhoda (I adore her Southern Hospitality blog):

So, which one do you like??? Should I paint my pots black too?
Do you have any other suggestions?
Red is my favorite color and I've debated a red door for years, but I'm afraid that it clashes with my brick. In my opinion, the only red color that looks sort of decent is an Texas Aggie shade and since we are Baylor bears, we won't go there! (But, after Kimba's suggestion, what do you think?) Please, give me your honest opinion about the trim color and the door. Tell me what you like and I'll love you forever!

Joyfully,

Kristi

A Pruning and a Blessing

This verse is the Air1 verse of the day

(Our family really enjoys this station).

With the recent season that we are finding ourselves in, you can find out more by clicking this link, this verse spoke volumes to me today. I instantly thought of the last picture that I took after last week's mowing and weeding episode. Where there were once ginormous weeds, there are holes and barrenness, but if you look closer, you can see new growth.

The new growth is a beautiful, cheery green color; this is quite a contrast to the dry, barren land.

I wondered to myself if that is how our hearts look when the Master Gardener prunes away our weeds, even the ones that are so deeply rooted. The uprooted weeds in our hearts leave quite a gap that should only be filled with Him, His desires, His will, His fruit, His Son....and shouldn't that be our heart's desire?

His working in our lives is glorious, and quite a humbling thought that the King of kings and Lord of lords delights in working in the lives of His children and that He loves us far too much to leave us the way that we are, but often it is painful. But, I have to say that if the end result is the "desire and the power to do what pleases Him" and that we come through seasons somehow looking more like Jesus, than how can we be afraid of a visit with the Master Gardener?

Take it from me, stop hiding in the weed-filled garden of your heart, and meet with Him today.

(Please visit Amydeanne for more Word Filled Wednesday inspiration.)

Joyfully,

Kristi