How Precious...

... are our loved ones.

My family means so very much to me. My husband and two kids and I are very, very close. Even closer, I think because of all the circumstances we have been through. Have we made mistakes? Oh my yes! Have I made mistakes? Wow, you just don't even want to know... :) Again, I digress...

We have the wonderful privilege this year of having family come for Christmas. We actually don't get the opportunity to see family very often. You see, we're from the South and ALL of our family is in the south - but, our daughter can't live in the south. It's also really dangerous for her to travel to the "hot" states and definitely not recommended. Travel is also very expensive and we live a long way away from all of them! (We lived in Alaska for several years, and it was positively a LONG way away!) :)

That's why this year is so special. The kids are SO excited to share this with the rest of their family. Things are settling into a routine, the kids are doing great in school, a LOT of the stress has been lifted from our shoulders and we feel like we are home.

There's still some really rough roads ahead, there's still a lot of stress... but, you know what? It doesn't really matter... God is good and He is God.
And how precious is it that He gave us our families?

Fun, Fun

An old friend has this on her blog - (hey, Michele, I'm not calling you "old" - just that we've known each other a loooooooooooooooooooong time) lol

It was a lot of fun - so I thought I'd share :)

Can anyone guess about the outdoor part? Of course, the quiz doesn't know us - but our house is REALLY cold :)

Merry Christmas!



Frosty the Snowman
For you, every day is worth celebrating, because it's finally winter! You spend as much time as possible outdoors with your friends. You'll take cold, snowy air over a stuffy, overheated building anytime. (Could someone please turn that thermostat down?) Since you like the cold, you don't always bother to bundle up, but you look great in winter accessories like scarves and hats.





Eggnog
Some people spend all winter complaining about the temperature, but not you. You're equally happy whether you're ice cold or steamy hot. You believe traditions are an important part of the holiday season, and you probably love rediscovering the decorations you made when you were little. All that old-timey awesomeness is heart-warming, but your personality also has a spicy sprinkle of nutmeg that keeps the holidays exciting and inspires you to start new traditions, year after year.

29,000 pages and counting

I think you all should know that I love to read. Well, that has been passed on to both of my children :). My husband, bless his heart - teases us about all our "reading" - and every time we have moved (which has been many times in the past 16 years of marriage) he talks about all the boxes of books and music. (I should give a prize if someone could actually guess how many, but, I'm rabbit trail-ing...)

Anyway, yesterday was report-card day here. And we keep track of everything for school - even the amount of pages that the kids read each quarter. :) (Those of you who know us really well, are probably laughing now...you know where I'm going...) And I give awards for how many pages they have read. This quarter has been ... different to say the least, we've had a little extra excitement (a tad bit of an understatement there) and a move... which gave extra time for reading. I really had no idea...

Kayla is 10 years old and when I presented report cards yesterday, I think Jeremy just about fell out of his chair. Kayla read over 14,400 pages in this quarter alone! (I checked, and triple-checked!) These are not picture books, mind you --- REAL books - 3 and 4 hundred page books! There was a shorter series of 40 books, that she read TWICE because she liked them so much! This school year she has read over 29,000 pages! (And we only have one more quarter in this school year - who knows how many she'll finish the year with!)

Are you inspired, yet? :)

Since we are getting close to the new year, I thought I'd give out a challenge. Instead of turning on the TV - go pick up a good book (THE Good Book is the best) -and there are TONS of great Christian Fiction out there now (if you need help picking something - send a comment and I'll help)- and great non-Fiction too - great Bible Studies - the list could go on and on...

Personally, I'm going to go add up my reading list (yes, I keep one too) and see how many pages I need to read to catch up to my ten year old!

Happy Reading!

Hope

Think about what Christmas really means to you. (You keep thinking, we'll get back to your answer in a minute.)

This past weekend, I hosted a Christmas party for our local ACFW group. We had an incredible time of fellowship and fun together and at the end, we sat around and talked about this very topic. Christmas is so very special and precious to me. I love to decorate for it (in fact for years, I've had a Christmas tree and nativity scene in every room, even the bathrooms- okay so tell me I'm nuts), I love the music, the time together as a family and I love celebrating the Greatest Gift of all coming to earth for you and for me. It bugs me when people say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Why did we start taking Christ out of Christmas? Why are we Christians, letting it happen?

David Phelps wrote a song on his new Christmas CD entitled If Christmas Never Came.
It's a beautifully haunting melody that depicts if Christmas never came, we wouldn't have stockings, or decorations, or church bells ringing, or carols ... or hope. The last lines of the song, "... there'd be no hope for me ... If Christmas never came" are so very moving.

You and I would be without hope had our Savior not come to earth to sacrifice Himself for us.

So, what does Christmas mean to you?

What can you and I be sharing with everyone this season and every season? Hope.
Hope.

The world is lost and dying - we need to be sharing what we have.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
He was born of a virgin, He lived a perfect, sinless life, He loved the 'unlovable', He gave Himself up for you and me, taking our sin and shame upon Himself. He was tortured and crucified. He died for you and me. And then... He rose again on the third day.

No matter where you are or what you have done, He loves you and gave Himself for you.
We are all the same. Sinners. No one is better than another.

Get out there and show the love and joy from our great God. Share the hope!
Merry Christmas!

More Cool Stuff about the Show...

We are so blessed. I keep saying that, and I mean it.

The FedEx guy just dropped off another package... from people who don't even know us, but, care so deeply and so much. I'm amazed yet again, at the love within the body of Christ.

In this package, there is a scrapbook- full of notes and pictures from David Phelps' message boards. People who have prayed and given and loved. I cried. Yes, a lot.

I don't know if any of them will read this, but THANK YOU. You have blessed our family in an incredible way.

Please watch EMHE on January 13th. There's only so much I'm allowed to say - so please watch the show :)

In Him Who is Almighty God,
Kim

Our Extreme Makeover Airing

I started this the other day but, forgot to finish and publish it!

We have been informed that our episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will air January 13, 2008.

I hope that you will all be blessed by it and that the Lord will be glorified through it.

Thank you all so much for your love and support.

One Wintry Night

I know, I know - my husband says music people are "weird" - and he's probably right, But, we love to talk about music and I have to say that David Phelps' new Christmas CD, One Wintry Night, is about the best thing I've ever heard. I was so impressed with all of it.

Those of us who were music majors ('music geeks' as Holly and I say) will understand. Not only is David the most talented singer out there - but he is also talented with his writing and arranging. We have a system around here for "grading" music. The best is only when I get chill bumps on my arms from the sound. David's music does that. Ever since the first time I heard End of the Beginning all those years ago.

My friend Lori was here - and she loves music - but, she probably was beginning to think I'm REALLY weird (oh wait, she already knows that!) And we were working on these intricate ornaments and I kept muttering - "ooh listen to those chord progressions...", "love that dissonance ... where will he go this time with the resolution...", "how long can he possibly hold that note out ... oh my word, that must have been at least 12 measures!" and "listen to the variations ..." Lori probably got tired of that - but she was loving it (the music, not my mumbling) as well!

Okay, so my whole point - you need to go out and puchase this CD! It is amazing! His first Christmas album, Joy, Joy - is still one of my favorites - he is accompanied by this incredible brass ensemble - oh my word - don't get me started!

Be blessed. God has given him a gift and he is sharing it with all of us. (This would make great gifts for Christmas!)

Thanksgiving

God is so good.

There are so many people that we know that are hurting, and people being attacked - and yet, I still have to say, "God is SO good".

Why do I say that? How can I say that? Well, because it's true.

I have a writer friend who just found out she has a malignant brain tumor - and to read her blog (www.christianlovestories.blogspot.com ) you see how they are still praising God. What a testimony! I have another friend who lost a child a few years ago, our own daughter went through brain surgery and has an incurable rare nerve disorder, and through it all, we all can say - God is so good.

Why? How? Think about a really tough time in your life. Did you come out of it stronger? Did you learn some valuable lessons through it? I know I have. And it was during all of the really tough times that I totally relied upon Him and He showed me His incredible grace and goodness. I also know going through those tough times, shows you how unimportant all of the other "stuff" really is. I'm thankful for the really tough times. I'm thankful for the trials. I'm thankful for His goodness. I'm thankful that He loves us so much that He sacrificed everything for you and me. I'm thankful that our time here on earth is not eternity. And that all the junk, lies, gossip, sin and hard times will vanish one day.

As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, we look forward to family and friends, fun and food. But, this season is my favorite because it stands for the greatest Gift of all. I'm thankful for all that God has done, is doing, and will do in my life. I look forward to being able to share with more people what He really means to me.

God is so good.
And I am so thankful.
Proverbs 3:5,6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

THANK YOU

... to all who gave of themselves, their time, their love, their sweat, their tears, their supplies, their hard work, and everything else I can't think of - THANK YOU!!!!

I'm completely amazed every day at the outpouring of love and friendship we are still receiving.

In a note given to us - it sums it up: "It's not about getting on TV or meeting someone famous or even feeling good about ourselves for participating. It's about people and caring about people. There was a need, and the need was met. That's what community is supposed to be about."

THANK YOU. From my heart to yours.

Our Builder

I had the urge to blog about this - so here I go:

We have had the most incredible experience with our builder Matt and his guys from Premier Homes. It has been so neat to get to know all these wonderful people and they have embraced us like family and taken care of us every step of the way.

Let me tell you, we've had several brand new homes before and never have we had such a great thing. I'm amazed at the craftmanship and all the love poured into this home.

Anyway, I was sitting here thinking about all of the things we have to be thankful for and I am so thankful for and privileged to know people like Matt and his family, Tony and Daniel. They'll probably never see this, but I had to let everyone know. Thanks guys!

Blessings and Forgiveness

We have been so very blessed! (And I'm not just talking about the incredible home thing that just happened!)

We have been blessed to receive the free gift of salvation. Do you ever take this for granted? Do you ever take forgiveness for granted? Wow - really think about that one . . .

Let me give you a few of my thoughts. The Lord has blessed us through ABC, EMHE, and our INCREDIBLE community. We have tried with all our might to make sure that He is glorified through it - but we are also imperfect, sinful creatures - we are not perfect. The enemy has been on the attack - and we haven't even had the chance to let it sink in because it has been so hard. I keep thinking that one of these days I'll get to breathe a deep sigh of relief :)

In the process of all of this, I am really working hard on forgiveness. There have been lies said and deceitful things done that have hurt deeply, and guess what? It was "Christians" who did it - but, isn't that the best way to attack? The enemy wants to see us divided and wounded, angry and not getting along. Are we going to let him win at his little game? Or are we going to keep going, working at it, forgiving no matter what?

I wrote a post a while back about how we might need to love one another a little more. I have had so much positive feedback from that post :) it made me realize that that is what is happening to the body of Christ - we've stopped loving one another and instead get jealous or angry. Petty things like, "everybody likes you more than me," or "you get more attention than me" are ruining the church. Trying to get rid of the people that disagree with you rather than working out your conflicts are leading innocent people astray and why non-Christians don't want to have anything to do with Christianity. Legalism is sucking the life out of believers.

I'm going to reiterate what I wrote a while back:
"So, my question is this: What can we be doing for each other that would help us come together to make the beautiful creation He has intended us to be? Maybe we need to spend a little more time encouraging one another. Maybe we need to spend a little more time praying for one another. And maybe, we need to spend a little more time loving one another."

Extreme Makeover

A lot of you have probably heard by now that we were chosen for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition! It's so exciting and surreal - and we are still completely overwhelmed! :)

Our episode will air probably sometime in January and I will post the air date as soon as I know it - but as far as any details -- you'll just have to wait and watch on ABC!

Thank you to all who helped on this project -- our community is truly incredible! We have been so blessed by the outpouring of love and by our great God.

Closets to Clean Out

Have you ever had a closet that was a disaster? And you finally tackled the daunting project, sat back and looked at the great job you did? Later in the day you went back, opened the door and smiled -- reveling in the fact that you completed such a huge feat, and patted yourself on the back for what great organizational skills you have!

You have two or three other closets that need re-doing, but for the next few weeks you keep going back to that beautiful closet, opening the door and smiling. "I'll get to the others soon," you say, and yet keep passing them by.

Isn't this just like sin in our lives? We're willing to get rid of one sin - and then we want to rejoice in the fact that that one is gone - but ignore the others because they're just too hard to let go of. I see an endless hallway of closets in my mind - and one by one - He wants me to clean them up. Not just clean it and then stand back and gaze at my handiwork . . . but to gently prod me on to attack the next closet.

I use this illustration a lot as I think about our Christian walk. Every day we are supposed to be learning and growing in the Lord -- getting closer to Him each day -- and as we learn and grow, we see the imperfections that He wants us to work on. The closer I get to the Lord, the more I find. Some are very minute, but He wants to help me work on them -- one at a time. Until I am a pure reflection of Him. James 1:2-4 is a perfect passage for this -- the end of the verses say this, ". . . perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Wow! I want to be mature and complete! But to do that, I must persevere. I haven't done the greatest job at that. I have back-tracked, side-tracked, zig-zag-tracked, and every other kind of off-track you can come up with. I am however, determined to keep on. I must clean out all of my closets, one at a time. And not go back and dwell on what a great job I did -- but to keep moving forward, knowing that He wants to finish a work in me.

Cake Anyone?

This past week I've planned, lived and breathed (literally- but we'll get to that later) - a wedding cake. Joe and Kendra are about the sweetest young couple I've met and they are like family to us. Little did I know what an adventure their cake would turn out to be.

This particular cake reminded me of the body of believers. The analogy of the "body" - and all of us being different parts and given different talents is one of my favorites (i.e. - You may be a hand, I may be a foot - but we are all important parts and useful- it's in the Bible guys, go look it up!) Anyway, as I was making this cake I thought of all of us. Twenty different layers of cake had to made, cooled, leveled, iced, and smoothed. All the buttercream icing had to be made (and I inhaled so much powdered sugar it's not even funny). Hundreds of roses were made by hand, petal by petal, dried and then placed precisely in their spot surrounded by 400 piped in leaves. All the tiers had to be placed on special boards, and packed in separate boxes to make the arduous journey up a winding mountain highway and then a dirt road to the mountain resort. Hours before the wedding - came the daunting task of assembly. One by one, all seven tiers took their place. Lots of icing was used to make the final border on each tier - ribbon, butterflies and petals were added. It all came together to make a beautiful creation.

As Christians, we should be doing the same - coming together to be beautiful and do beautiful work for our great God. When you are making a cake, icing can fix just about anything. Sometimes, some of us need a little more "icing" than others - meaning a little more encouragement to hold us up and keep us from falling apart. :)

So, my question is this: What can we be doing for each other that would help us come together to make the beautiful creation He has intended us to be? Maybe we need to spend a little more time encouraging one another. Maybe we need to spend a little more time praying for one another. And maybe, we need to spend a little more time loving one another.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate chip pancakes, homemade strawberry syrup, fresh whipped cream . . . Are you hungry?

Every once in a while, I go all out and make this ooey-gooey, sweet, chocolatey breakfast. The kids love it and we all enjoy piling up the plates. This picture is actually from July 4 - not only a special day, but one that holds special significance to me because God taught me another lesson.

We have a rule in our house that there is no whining, grumbling or complaining. (There's actually a 5 cent fine for the kiddos!) Well, on the morning of July 4 as we were preparing to have our "indoor" parade and fixing up all of our goodies for the day -- I watched Holly as she ate her chocolate chip pancakes. She enjoyed every little bite, closing her eyes as she savored the flavors, licking her lips and sighing. (Did I mention that she's an adult?) I chuckled as I watched her and was reminded that God gives us so many of these experiences. Every moment of every day should be an act of worship - and we should cherish every little thing that He so graciously gives us -- even something as small as eating a plate of chocolate chip pancakes. But . . . do we?

How many adults do you know that whine and grumble and complain? I know quite a few - and I'm ashamed to say, myself included. Oh, you may not hear it - it may just be that I'm whining in my head - but, I'm whining just the same. Chocolate chip pancakes that day reminded me of the rule I have for my children. I would never let them say, "Why does she have more chocolate chips than me?" or "My whipped cream isn't touching all the pancakes!" But - Wow! Have you listened to some of the adults around you lately? How about yourself? Ouch.

The Bible tells us to do all things without grumbling or complaining. (Don't you like my emphasis?) How are you doing on that one? Maybe we should all make signs (like the one in my schoolroom) - and fine ourselves for whining, grumbling or complaining. We have SO much to be thankful for and yet, we focus on what we don't have or what we can't do or how hard life is!

What kind of examples are we being? And what do others see in us? Are they going to walk away from us and think, "Whew, she sure is a complainer!" Or will they see that we can worship and glorify God even through the tough times?

I'm challenged to work on this, how about you? And suddenly, I have a hankering for chocolate chip pancakes.

Running... out of time

I'm always amazed at how time flies! Our beautiful daughter had brain surgery 11 months ago; it feels like it was just yesterday, and it also feels like a lifetime has passed since then. Where did the time go? My kids were babies just yesterday . . . weren't they? My beautiful sister reminded me that my son will be a teenager soon . . . let's just NOT go there! :)

In the midst of homeschooling and everyday life (and all of the chaos from the past couple of years) -- I actually have people who think since we are home all of the time that I have lots of time on my hands! To this, I have to laugh. Yes, we don't go anywhere and we don't get out of the house much - but, we CAN'T. Our lives are different from everyone else. Kayla must live in a constant temperature - to change that could put her life at risk. Our world is inside our home. And our lives are VERY busy. Homeschooling takes up a huge amount of time, but we love it.

Well, I digress. I'm a musician and I love music and all my training, but I feel the Lord has called me to write. I have been writing for about 10 years now - but for the longest time was afraid to even tell anyone! I basically thought it was a good outlet for me - you know for all of this creative energy and thought that we "artsy, creative" types have. :) (My husband teases me about my "wheels" always turning and that I can't shut them off- I try, but I fail . . . every time.) Anyway, several very influential people helped me to see that I was hiding in my fear. So, I ventured forth. Tracie, Jim, Heather, Mary, Polly, Carrie and many others have been there to encourage and are ready to prod me along-- even to give that occasional "kick in the pants" that I really DO need! :) God is so good to provide just what and who we need at the right times.

My title for this was: Running . . . out of time. Aren't we all running? Shouldn't we be running? Hebrews 12:1-3 says this, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart." (NASB)

So yes, I'm running. And I'm running out of time - we ALL are. I'm running the race set before me and as the enemy tries to steal my time (especially my writing time, it seems) I'm going to keep ON running. How many more people will God place in my path? I don't know - because I don't know how much time I have left -- but I DO know that He wants me - and all of us - to be lights for Him, use the gifts that He has given us, and keep running the race.

Throw off those encumbrances, get rid of that sin, fix your eyes on Jesus and let's run with whatever amount of time we have left.

Legacy of Love

I'm working on a story idea that is inspired by my grandparents. I wish you all could know them because they are incredible people. They have been married 65 years and pass down a legacy to us that could never be duplicated. (We can try, mind you, but we'll never achieve it.) Every morning - and I mean EVERY morning - for all this time -- they have prayed for each member of our family and our needs. (And let me tell you, that is no small feat as there are more than 50 of us now.)

So, as I am working on a contemporary Alaska series right now - this idea keeps popping in my mind and I've added more and more to the file - Legacy of Love. (David Phelps - my favorite Christian Artist - has a song entitled by that too.) It brings me to this question: What are we (you and I) passing on to our children? ... to others around us? Are we just going through the motions - doing just enough to make it through the day? Do we look back at the past days, weeks, months, even years and say, "Where did the time go?" And to those of you who know us and all that has gone on in our lives the past few years understand how easy it would be to just keep saying, "I just have to get past ______". It's true, I've said it many times!

Personally, I desire so much more than that. I'm praying that I will keep my focus. That I will concentrate on things of eternal value and not those that are wood, hay and stubble. And as I bask in HIS amazing Grace and Love - to be reminded that I am forgiven and need to run the race that is set before me.

My Grandparents have been a true and living example of that. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa.