One of the things I love about Easter is that it invites us to stop and reflect on the cross. Some years my reflection turns inward to my own sin. Other years I become burdened for all of those who haven’t made Jesus their Lord. This year my eyes were turned to those who were closest to Jesus while on earth - His disciples. I identify with their confusion about His teachings, their fear when He was killed, and the hope they must have felt when He arose from the grave. As I began to think about them, I noticed two things I had never seen before. We Don’t Always Understand What God Says As I read the gospels, I can imagine the disciples following Jesus with a confused look on their faces. I ... read more
Fear – 4 Lessons We Can Learn From Psalm 18
"Momma, will you do something for me?" She whispered making sure no one else could hear her request. "I forgot something in the basement and I am too scared to go by myself. Will you go with me?" I smiled and told her, "of course." As I took her little hand, I could visibly see all of her fears melt away. She smiled, and without a sense of hesitation or fear, we set off to retrieve her favorite stuffed animal. That moment stuck with me for the next few days. The confidence my daughter walked in once she knew I was with her was drastically different than her fearful and embarrassed state before. All fear was gone the moment I took her by the hand. What a reflection of Christ and ... read more
The Double Bar Line
"Think past the double bar line." That is one of the rules my children have to follow when performing a song. If you have ever looked at a piece of music, you know there is a double bar line that the arranger or composer places at the end of the musical score. It signals to the musician that the end of the song has occurred. When my children don't maintain their focus through the entire song they can ruin a song they have worked hard to perfect. If they follow the rule and think”past the double bar line” they provide beautiful moments in which the listener is caught up in the song. Time will seem to stand still as the listener focuses on every note, every beat, and on every word ... read more
When You Marry Your Opposite – 4 Tips To Help You Thrive!
He was a small town boy, a member of the honor society in medical school, a lover of routines, and extremely neat. I was a city girl, thankful just to graduate with a decent GPA, adventurous, and didn't mind a mess. God brought us together and love grew. We got married and life began. Two opposite people headed in the same direction. If you give my husband and I a personality test we will score completely opposite from one another. He is an introvert and I am an extrovert. I love surprises and he hates them. He wants to know every detail before making a decision. I am a learn as I go type of person. He is a night owl and I am an early bird. The list of differences could go on. If ... read more
He Didn’t Need A Room Full
Snow had hit our area, and our family had been homebound for a few days. Temperatures were finally above freezing, but another snowstorm was coming. I along with the rest of our town, headed to the grocery store to stock up for the next few days. It was 2:00 by the time I arrived back home with more firewood and groceries to get us through the next few days. No one had eaten lunch and we were starving. Just a few minutes from our house is a fantastic Mexican restaurant we all love, and since it was my husband’s birthday, I asked him “Do you want to go out to eat for your birthday?” My husband questioned if we should go since it would be a lot of money for all 8 of us to eat there. ... read more
When Christmas Was A Mess – Or At Least I Thought it Was!
Earlier this month our family, along with my parents, boarded a plane on vacation. A few hours after returning home from the wonderful week long trip, I received a text message from my father. “Kim, I just want you to know how much I thoroughly enjoyed spending the week with you, Trent, and the kids.” These words were more than just words in a text message. They were words that God used to speak to my heart in a very real way. Why would the fact that my father “enjoyed” spending all of his time with our family touch my heart so much? Perhaps it is because life with six children, ages twelve and under, can be a little “messy”. In our family, you can guarantee that someone is going to ... read more
The Stain That Pointed To Christmas
I moved the bin from under my child’s bed and saw it. The bright red stain on the carpet glared at me in all its glory. “You’ve got to be kidding me” I thought to myself. When we moved into the rental house, I had several rules to help us keep the light colored carpet clean. “No food or drink outside the kitchen” was one of those rules. However, now I could clearly see that one of my children had disobeyed that rule. Even worse, I had no idea how long the red liquid had been sitting and soaking into the carpet. The chances of it coming out were slim to none. As I got the carpet cleaner out and sat down to begin the battle, I thought to myself, “I bet this is going to cost me.” I ... read more
Who Are You Listening To?
“Have you been listening to a good recording of this song?” asked my daughter’s piano teacher during her lesson this week. My daughter looked up at her with a sheepish grin. “I haven’t, ” she replied. “Well you need to find a good recording of the song and listen to it, and watch videos of professional piano players so see how they play,” her teacher instructed her. As I sat there listening to their conversation, I had one of those moments where I just shook my head and thought, “Why do I keep forgetting to do this?” This is not the first time I have heard this advice from one of my children’s teachers. It makes perfect sense. Whether it is the piano, cello, violin, or harp, you must know ... read more
When You Feel Helpless
I will never forget the morning I woke up screaming to my husband, “Trent he’s gone!” I was 34.5 weeks pregnant and my usually rambunctious little boy would not kick, roll, or move inside me. Quickly I did all the things you are supposed to do to encourage movement in utero. Still, I felt no movement. I felt helpless. My husband grabbed his stethoscope and began trying to locate his heart rate. Thankfully he was able to locate his rapidly beating heart, a sign of life amidst our nightmare. An ultrasound verified our suspicions. My little boy was still alive, but something had affected his movement. The OB physician looked at me with a deep look of concern and said “It doesn’t look ... read more
The Bike Ride of Fear – Overcome Fear One Peddle at a Time
"You have to peddle, I can't push you all the way around the track," I said. Her little feet would slowly push, propelling her bike an inch at a time. She would then overcome fear, regain her confidence, and begin to push the peddles a little harder. Suddenly she would remember what happened a few weeks ago and yell out, "Momma I am scared!" I can't blame her. Two weeks ago she had an accident that made my heart stop! It looked like someone had tossed her little body up into the air, only to slam it back down on the hard concrete below. I just knew she had broken something. She got up laughing! At first, I thought it was nervous laughter to cover up the pain. However, she had no ... read more
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