25 Things

From College Station...

Today I was thinking about when the big thing was to write those Facebook notes called "25 things" and then tag everyone you think would care to read it. The purpose of the exercise, as the title implies, is to make a list of 25 random facts about you that people may not know. I am always entertained to go back and read notes from a few years ago, so that's what I did today. That being said, I thought it would be fun to write a new list. Let's see how this goes...

1. I absolutely hate descriptive food words. These include (but are not limited to) tender, succulent, moist, etc.

2. Ironically, I probably watch Food Network more than any other channel. Despite my hatred for the words listed above, I could sit there for hours watching people cook food and then proceed to describe in detail how it looks/tastes/smells/feels. It drives me crazy, but at the same time it's so entertaining.

3. I am extremely sentimental. This has shown itself to be a blessing because it is very easy for me to be compassionate towards difficult people. This quality is also a curse because I tend to get my feelings hurt by silly things...I'm working on that one.

4. I love animals. I can't help but go to The Puppy Store every single time I go to the mall. The only thing keeping me from buying all of them is the fact that they each cost about $400. I have been to the animal shelter one time a few years ago...that was dangerous. I cried when I got home because I couldn't "rescue" any of them. I also cried when I ran over a squirrel. I sincerely pray I never become the crazy cat lady.

5. I spend more time than I should wishing I could go back to Alaska. It was probably the most beautiful place I've ever been.

6. I have recently been really into making crafts. I give all the credit to Pinterest. I catch myself buying canvases in bulk from Hobby Lobby so I can paint amateur works of "art" and proudly display them all around my house.

7. I find the 1960's extremely interesting. One time I sat and watched a 2 hour documentary on the Kennedy assassination because the whole thing was a compilation of news footage from the day it happened. I loved looking at all the outfits, cars, hair, everything.

8. I take partial credit for developing the Sonic dollar menu. When I worked there in high school, I would tell my manager all the time that it would be a good idea. His response? "Kristen, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. We will never have a dollar menu because between that and happy hour we would never make any money!" Right.

9. When I was little, I was terrified of Ken dolls. I had so many Barbies but they were sentenced to a lonely fate thanks to my irrational fear of their male counterpart.

10. In first grade I sang "My Heart Will Go On" for the elementary talent show. I opted to sing it A Capella. Not my proudest performance, but I'm sure my mom thought it was adorable.

11. Growing up we had an RV that we would stay in when we went on vacations. My sister and I would run around the campground trying to find a little group of friends for the week. Ok..actually...since I was an unreasonably shy child, my sister would be the one going up to kids saying "Hey! Want to be friends with me and my sister?!" as I watched awkwardly from a distance. Usually they would say yes.

12. I had to wear headgear at night in 3rd grade. It closely resembled a catcher's helmet. I don't think I went to a single sleepover that whole year.

13. In 7th grade I thought it would be a good idea to dye my hair with this stuff called "Sun In". It was a lemon juice based liquid that you spray on your hair and then blowdry it and it was supposed to give you natural looking highlights. If by natural they meant orange and brassy, then it was definitely natural. That stuff went into the trash where it belonged.

14. I have never been in a car wreck in which I was driving. I've definitely cut it pretty close, but thanks to my puma-like reflexes, I have narrowly avoided a few collisions.

15. I had my adenoids removed when I was 5. I used to be one of those mouth breathers who always sounded congested no matter what. Basically I was the girl version of that kid on "Hey Arnold" who always got punched in the face by Helga Patacki.

16. In 10th grade I called into the radio station to win Kelly Clarkson tickets but instead won tickets to see Mariah Carrey. I was really upset and didn't even want them so I gave them away to a random girl at the bowling alley. Now that I think about it I could have made some serious cash.

17. I played flute in the middle school band. I actually used the same flute that my mom played in high school.

18. In 1st grade I watched a movie called "The Indian and the Cupboard" in which there is a scene where the little boy has just recovered from a cold and his mom asks him how he is feeling, to which he responds "I feel pretty damn good!" Fast forward a week or so...we had an assignment where we had to read a story about this kid who adopted a dog and answer some questions about it. One question asked "How would you feel if you adopted a dog?" Of course I wrote "I would feel pretty damn good!" I had a long talk with the principal that day.

19. I have only won the crane game one time. I was 5 years old. I still have that little bear.

20. My grandma thought my name was pronounced "Kris-teen" until I was 2.

21. That same grandma lost her balance (and then regained it by grabbing my head) and pushed my face into our brick fireplace, knocking out my two front teeth.

22. I took piano lessons for 15 years. Every year we would have a recital and I hated it because I have the worst stagefright.

23. One time when my mom was cooking, she had a glass of chicken broth sitting out. I walked into the kitchen for some water, saw the glass, and thought "Oh how nice! My mom knew I was thirsty and poured me some water!" I am disgusted just thinking about it.

24. My sister and I each had a gerbil when we were little. We had to keep them in this closet type thing in our bathroom so our cat didn't eat them. Whenever mom would tell us to take a bath, we would lock ourselves in the bathroom with the water running and just sit there and play with the gerbils. She caught us one time and was pretty mad. It was hilarious.

25. I asked Jesus into my heart when I was about 6 or 7. It happened when I was in the shower. Best shower of my life.


That took awhile! I hope you learned something new about me. If not, sorry.

Have a good day!
Kristen

I'm so crafty

From College Station...


I'm sure by now everyone and their mom (literally) have hopped on the Pinterest train. I, like many others, have been guilty of pinning all these seemingly easy projects and never actually going through with them. This bothered me. The other day I decided to actually make something other than just gluing a few flowers to a canvas. I thought I would put my carpentry skills to work. Now this project I made was not an exact replica of something I pinned, but I had seen some other wooden crafts and thought it couldn't be that hard to make something similar. I started my quest at Hobby Lobby. Basically Pinterest Mecca. I found some stencils that I thought would be cute to use for painting designs since I'm not so great at freehand. Now the wood... I knew I had to venture to Home Depot. I have been in Home Depot a handful of times with my dad to pick up some things on the way to our farm, but it has always been me just following him as he knows that place like the back of his hand. I walked in and it immediately felt like everyone working there knew how uncomfortable I was. A few people asked me if they could help me find something, but I was determined to not be the typical clueless girl in the hardware store and figure it out on my own. I definitely assumed the wood would already be cut into small craft-size planks; however, they were all about 10 feet long. I thought, "I can either take this home and cut it with a steak knife, or I can ask someone to cut it for me..." I wandered around the wood section for a good 15 minutes trying to rationalize not asking for help. Finally a rather intimidating looking gentleman approached me and asked if I needing anything. I'm sure he could tell I was contemplating destroying my fine cutlery. I so bluntly answered, "Actually I have no idea what I'm doing." I proceeded to tell him that I needed some wood cut and when he asked me what I was making, I told him I was just making crafts. He replied by asking, "Let me guess...Pinterest?" Could it be?! A fellow pinner??? "YES!" I said. "How did you know?!" He replied quite frankly, "You don't understand. Girls come in here all the time asking us to cut wood for their "crafts". Pinterest is part of our everyday life, ma'am." At least I didn't feel so alone and stupid anymore. After he was done, I didn't dare ask where the wood stain was. I found that on my own after about 10 minutes of wandering around some more. Finally back at home I got to work on my long-awaited project. A few hours later, this is what I had made:







Fancy? I think yes. I even put it on Pinterest! Perhaps I'll share more crafty projects if I so desire to subject myself to Home Depot again.

Have a good week!
Kristen

Rambles and updates

From College Station

Updates:
It has been an incredibly busy month! Three Disciple Now's can really wear you out. All 3 were different yet awesome in their own ways. As tiring as it was, I can't think of a better way to spend 3 weekends of the month than watching teenagers serve and worship the Lord.

I have been back in College Station for about a month now, and I'm starting to get the hang of the whole grown-up thing. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by my first bill in the mailbox to which I quickly and proudly wrote a check and mailed it. Oddly enough, it was almost fun. I'm sure that giddiness of paying bills will wear off in time. To add to my adult-ness (if that's a word), I went to the bank yesterday and they told me I was approved for a credit card that is offered to recent college graduates. I had been talking to my parents over the break about getting one and using it for small things like gas and groceries, so I decided it was time. It is also very strange to have nothing but work now. No class, no tests to study for, no homework. While that is very nice, I am having a hard time finding productive ways to spend my free time. However, I am moving along quite nicely on my bucket list!

-My friend Katy and I have started going to exercise classes at the Rec every day.
-I have begun my quest of reading through the entire Bible (in chronological order)
-As I stated before, I have been paying rent, bills, etc. myself and have not gone broke.

On a random note, a few weeks ago Justin surprised me with tickets to see Needtobreathe and Ben Rector next weekend. I am so stinkin' pumped. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

Have a great week!
Kristen

Speechless

From College Station

For my grandma's 98th birthday, we decided to take her to County Line. She loves BBQ, as every 98-year-old woman should. To spare you the long story, my grandma has just recently become close with my family again. There was some family drama that caused us to not be too close to her for the past 15 years or so. Nothing she did, just unnecessary drama. Anyway, today we took her to lunch. When our food came, we said our usual pre-meal prayer and went on with our regular conversation. Towards the end of lunch, she started talking about this astronomy class she has been going to at her retirement home every week. She said a few things that caught my attention, such as "If you don't believe in God, or gods, or whatever, after hearing about all the other planets, I don't know what will convince you!" Had she not included the "or gods" part, I would have agreed with her. Here is how the rest of the conversation played out...

Grandma: There are just so many planets, it's impossible to believe that just one God created all of them! Kristen, what do you think?
Me: Well, I believe that there is only one God, and that He created everything and has power over everything. That's what it says in the Bible.
Grandma: You can't really KNOW that. That's just what the people who wrote the Bible say.
Me: That's what faith is. Believing even though you can't see Him.
Grandma: Then if you believe in Him, what is He like?

Not gonna lie...I lost it. On the inside anyway. My heart broke for her. So many things I wanted to say were silenced by my inability to form words. I am also heartbroken that at the moment when I needed to be the most bold, I was at a loss for words. God burdened my heart for my grandma, and I am praying He will give me another opportunity to share Christ with her. Please keep her in your prayers as well.

-Kristen

I can't sleep

From Denton...

I have been quite tired all day but as soon as I finally went to bed all I could do was toss back in forth in bed with my mind racing through so many thoughts and my heart aching in my chest...causing me to be more awake than ever.

The Lord is gripping my heart, getting my full attention on Him to open my eyes completely. This past week I have been in Atlanta, Georgia at the Passion conference where the Lord opened my eyes to all of the yuck in this world. He gave me just a glimpse of all that is going around the world every moment of every day...God's children who are precious and loved in His sight are being used, abused, starved, malnourished, neglected, killed, and hurt every day. I lay awake convicted and broken as I begin to experience the urgency of the Lord's heart for His people.

I have spent so much of my time holding onto my own desires and my own plans that I am grieving the Holy Spirit-keeping Him from having His way in my life completely. I worry about silly things and hold onto perishable items and relationships which hurts the heart of my Father. This last month has been a wrestling match with my flesh. As I draw nearer to Jesus, His Holiness reveals the yuck of my flesh and the desires it longs to pursue. All the while, my Lord is gentle and patient, guiding me down His narrow path and lifting up my face with His hands. God's word is clear. You either follow the world and the passions in the world or you Follow Jesus and pursue the things of His heart, while hating the things of the world. Anytime I sense my flesh trying to take over a thought, word or action I break and I weep because I hate the things of my flesh and I just desire to please my Jesus...crying out "Lord Jesus, please strip me of my flesh-I don't want it, even if it makes me bare...I know your grace covers me" His mercy engulfs me...moment by moment.

As I lay awake, Isaiah 58 is running through my mind...non stop. The Lord tells me that He desires for my life to reflect this scripture in worship to Him. He tells me that He desires for me to let go of things I hold onto-and be an extension of His hands and feet every day. He desires for me to humble myself and serve His people-bringing them the truth and love of Jesus Christ...salvation and redemption to their souls.

Father, I am weak and selfish in my flesh and so often my eyes are on worthless things. Jesus, You require me to drop all things to follow you; You require of me a sincere and surrendered heart. Following You takes a strength, joy, boldness, faithfulness, love and lasting satisfaction that can only come from a fulfillment of Your Holy Spirit within me. Jesus, I desire You and delight in knowing Your heart. I thank you for your unconditional love and grace. Please strip me of my flesh daily to follow You. I am desperate for You-desperate to bring Glory to Your name. May my life and body be a living sacrifice for Your glory, Lord Jesus. I love you. Amen.

"For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

The obligatory bucket list

From College Station...

I was reading a friend's blog (www.morganrainer.wordpress.com) and she had posted a little while ago about a singleness bucket list. Basically a list of things she wants to accomplish before she gets married. That had me thinking: what are some things I would want to do before I get married? Not like I have specific plans of marriage right now, but I would hate to get to that point and regret not having done something. Might as well start now. The first few are the same as hers, but here we go...

1. Read through the entire Bible

Having gone to private school and church all my life, I'm surprised I have yet to accomplish this. This isn't something I want to do just to say I've done it. I genuinely think it is important.

2. Be financially responsible

I find it very difficult to spend large amounts of money on myself. I don't think I've ever spent over $30 on a pair of jeans. I would in no way call myself financially UNresponsible, but I just have never truly been on my own. I am blessed to have parents who have supported me financially all throughout college, but since I am graduating I feel very weird still letting them pay for my rent and all that jazz. Starting next semester I want to learn how to properly budget my money and learn fiscal responsibility (Ew I sound old)

3. Learn to cook like a pro...or my mom.

Don't get me wrong. I am not the stereotypical college student who makes Ramen or Easy Mac every night. In fact, I don't think I've ever made Ramen. I am not a bad cook. I can follow a recipe like nobody's business. I watch Food Network on an almost daily basis. Basically, I enjoy cooking. I just find it difficult to motivate myself to make some elaborate meal when it's just me eating it. For that reason, I haven't really learned how to come up with ideas on my own. Everything I have ever made has been from a strictly followed recipe. I would like to learn how to cook the way my mom does. She knows what goes good together and can make literally anything. I would also like to get over my fear of crock pots...there's something terrifying about leaving one going all day while I'm out of the house.

4. Be ok with leaving the house without any makeup

Yikes...this is a tough one. I usually gag and roll my eyes at the "you're beautiful no matter what!" message, but this is something I would like to accomplish. Not saying I will throw away all my makeup and feminine beauty products of any kind and opt for the all-natural lifestyle, but I would like to be able to not be self-conscious leaving the house without any makeup on. With the exception of mornings when I go to the gym, before leaving the house I go through my routine of putting makeup on. It's not even the dramatic girl issue of thinking I'm hideous without it, because in all honesty I don't think I even look much different. It's just something I've been doing since 8th grade, and it's a routine that I need to be ok with breaking every once in awhile.

5. Live by myself

For my whole life, I have always lived with someone else. Obviously with my parents and my little sister, and then all through college I've had at least one roommate. Thankfully I have no horrible roommate-from-hell horror stories, and I have loved all of the girls I have lived with, but there is something I really enjoy about being home alone. I love singing at the top of my lungs without distracting anyone. I love dancing around the house looking like a complete idiot. I love building forts and tents out of sheets in the living room. I love cleaning. I love taking 30-minute showers. All of these things I can't do so well when living with someone else. Whoever I marry will have to get used to it, but until then, I look forward to living by myself and doing all of these things on a regular basis.

6. Work out regularly

This is indeed the most disheartening goal I've ever had. I swear, every time I tell myself "Ok, this is the last weekend I will eat like a pig. Monday starts my daily workout routine!" it lasts for maybe two weeks, only to be foiled by my not-so-secret love of Dr. Pepper and Sonic, usually at the same time. I would not call myself unhealthy or out of shape, but I definitely would like to be more disciplined in this area.


This is all I can think of for now. I'm sure I will think of more later, so stay tuned.

Have a good rest of the week!

Time flies

From Round Rock...

Last week marked my last day of going to class...ever. At least as a student. This Saturday is graduation, and I have many mixed feelings about it. The first thing people ask me when I tell them I'm graduating is "Are you excited?!" My initial reaction is something along the lines of "No...I've spent 3 1/2 years of my life studying information that I, for the most part, will never use again. I'm finally done. I'm not excited one bit" but I refrain and simply answer "yes". Along with this excitement come feelings of fear and uncertainty. I am a planner. Always have been, and let's face it, I probably always will be. Justin was correct in stating that if I could plan things out 37 years in advance, I would. But starting in May I have no idea what's going to happen, at least not past where my own plans will take me. My current plan is to move to Austin, start teaching somewhere in August (be that at another preschool or an elementary school, I don't know yet), and work out every day like I've been telling myself I would do this whole semester. I have experienced the pain of failed plans many times before. I hate it. In fact, it's one of the things I hate most in life. Obviously I grew out of the temper tantrum stage long ago, but it still makes me quite upset when something I was looking forward to is no longer possible. In times like those I have to slap myself in the face (sometimes literally) and remind myself that God knows better. Every time. Without fail. With that in mind, I suppose it would be appropriate to focus on the excitement aspect of this new adventure of mine. I am excited because despite all the changes going on that scare me, I have so many things to be thankful for:

1. My Lord and Savior, who will never change. Neva' eva'
2. Parents who love me and have sacrificed more for me than I will ever know.
3. Friends whom I love dearly.
4. My dear Justin. The Lord has truly blessed my heart over the past 5 months.
5. An education. Although I have complained about homework and tests, I am fortunate to have had a quality education that some are not able to have.
6. Good health. Besides strep throat here and there, I haven't had any life threatening diseases like smallpox or dysentery (both of which I learned about on Oregon Trail).
7. Never being in need. I also have, at times, complained about the amount of money in my bank account. Or lack thereof, rather. But I can't think of a single time when I have truly needed something and not had the funds to pay for it.

I could think of a whole day's worth of happy things I am thankful for, but you get the idea.

I shall update, soon enough I'm sure, about how the Lord shows me, once again, that my plans are silly.


Have a wonderful Christmas! Peace and blessings, peace and blessings.

Back from Nah-lins

From Round Rock

A lot of exciting things have been happening recently! Last week I was in New Orleans along with 40 youth and sponsors. That whole trip was such an incredible blessing. We split up into 3 teams, (originally 4, but we received news 2 weeks out informing us otherwise), and went to different parts of the city. Doing what, you ask? Well to be quite frank...loving it. Our jobs were all very different. One group did repairs on a house, one group did a sports camp for kids, and the group I was in did a VBS...kind of. Looking back I find it funny that we spent so much time planning what games we would play and what stories and crafts we would do, seeing as not much of that worked out the way we planned. But that's usually the way it works anyway. I've learned that when I tell God my plans, he usually responds with "Really? That's the way you think it should work?" and completely flips it around and shows me that his plans really are what's best for me. The kids that showed up weren't too in to organization. We ended up pushing them on the swings and running around the playscape for most of the day, which was absolutely fine with me. My guess is that the kids there probably aren't used to people taking time out of their busy lives to simply play with them. The look on their faces was a look of pure joy when we told them that we were there to love them. It was an awesome experience and it reminded me why I love missions and working with youth so much.

I hope you have a blessed week!
Kristen

Fun in the sun

From College Station (or Destin, Florida rather!)

You read correctly! I am on vacation with my family in Florida! It is absolutely magnificent. The water is crystal clear and the sand looks like sugar. I'm ready to embrace the inevitable sunburn that I will acquire during the week, and eat all the seafood I can get my hands on. The waves are much bigger than I've seen at Texas beaches. In fact, I got completely knocked over by a couple of them today! Quite embarrassing to say the least. I'm sure some other beach-goers had themselves a good laugh at my expense. (Can't say I wouldn't have done the same.) I digress. It reminded me of Psalms 93 where it says:

"The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the LORD on high is mighty."

How encouraging it was to remember that no matter how overwhelmed I may feel, God is always bigger. There is nothing I'm going through that he doesn't already know about. I saw a great picture of that today while I was getting my tan on. A little girl was standing on the shore looking out at the ocean with a boogie board in her hand. She looked very hesitant to go out into the water because the waves were so big. Then her dad picked her up and carried her out into the water. He lifted her over his head so that the waves couldn't touch her. They spent the next 30 minutes playing in the water and she wasn't scared at all because she knew her dad was there to protect her. Had she tried to take on the waves by herself, she would have been knocked over and completely overwhelmed. But when she relied on the protection of her father, she was taken care of. I often forget that my heavenly father is ready to carry me over the "waves" (if you will) and help me with my problems. But too many times I choose to take on these said "waves" by myself and get knocked down. What a perfect reminder I had today watching that little girl and her dad.

I hope you have a wonderful week! :)

Wedding Day

From Denton...

Last week, I was hanging out with my dear friend Blake and we were discussing the word. The Lord had placed 2 Corinthians 3: 16-18 on my heart:

"But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

So, I was talking it out to him and was trying to make sure I understood the context and what exactly it was referring to (Moses and the old covenant). Then, Blake also reminded me of the visual of a wedding day and compared it to the verse. "Ohhhhhhh" Well that makes perfect sense! Ever since that talk and he reminded me of that visual, I have not been able to get it out of my mind.

Being a girl, my wedding day is something I have thought about and dreamt about since I was a little. I know many couples who are getting married this summer, so weddings seem to be all over the place...I don't think I could avoid them if I tried (which I wouldn't want to...i just love weddings!)...'tis the season!! I will catch myself thinking about where I would get married, who I would want to be in my wedding, what my dress would look like, what my ceremony would include. I have dreamed up the greatest little wedding...everything is perfect in my mind...the only thing missing is the groom ha!

I love picturing walking down the aisle in my white dress with a veil covering my face...looking the most beautiful I have ever looked and probably ever will. I am facing my groom with a huge smile-getting giddy with butterflies, about to explode with excitement...not being able to contain all of the emotions rushing through me. As I am picturing this very precious moment that may happen one day, the Lord reminds me of that verse. If these are the emotions I am feeling just thinking about the moment, I can only imagine what it would actually be like. Now, I am sure my wedding day will be one of the most glorious days in my entire life here on earth...if so, I can't begin to fathom what it will be like to meet my bridegroom-Jesus-in eternity! I am now picturing myself walking towards him in a white gown with a veil over my face...probably weak in the knees and crying totally beside myself-for I am walking towards my creator! I am reminded of "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed...And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image..." When approaching the my Heavenly bridegroom, the veil is removed and HIS glory will be radiating-beaming through me...what a sweet and precious moment.What a day to live and prepare for! The Lord totally humbles me as he reminds me of that special day of unity!

It is so very easy to day dream about my wedding here on earth, to day dream about who I would marry and all of that good stuff. Although the Lord places those desires in my heart, it's easy to get carried away with them. Through this visual and verse, the Lord is very much reminding me that no day here on earth or no person here on earth will ever match or compare to that day when I meet my Heavenly bridegroom...and having a relationship with Him-falling in love with Him surpasses any love I could ever dream up. I am so thankful for the sweet love of Jesus- "Oh how HE loves us, so!" My searching stops and finds rest in the Lord-my heart leaps for joy for HIS name :)

Summer...finally!

From ROUND ROCK!

Greetings!
I am back in Round Rock for the summer starting my job as youth intern at Central. My dear friend Daniel will also be interning this summer so I am very excited about that! We have both been given a lot of responsibility, and as scary as that is, I am completely overjoyed to get to create ideas and run with them. To say that I am looking forward to all that I get to be a part of would be an understatement. God has blessed me tremendously in so many ways.

This weekend, Kristen and I (along with our good friends Blake, Justin, and possibly some others!) will be going to stay with Kristen's grandparents in New Braunfels. I am quite excited to get to relax and just spend some time with people that I don't get to see too often.

(Side note...Kristen also got herself a summer job! But I'm sure she will post about that later)

Anyways...since this is just the beginning of my summer, I don't have too much to write. I'm sure though as summer progresses I will have many stories and pictures to share!


Have an awesome week :)

How full are you?

from Denton...

Today I have been reading in John and the Lord's word is just too good not to share! In John 6, Jesus is speaking to a crowd at the Sea of Capernaum...the crowd had been looking for Jesus and when they found Him Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." The crowd of people were then asking Jesus questions about what they needed to do in order to do "good works" for the Lord...in which Jesus told them that they just needed to believe in the Holy one who was sent (Jesus) (vs. 29). Jesus continued in telling them about the "eternal" bread send from the Father which lasts forever and then they finally said "Sir, give us this bread always."

The crowd was seeking something that was lasting and would fulfill them, always. I am just picturing the crowd hanging on His every word, moving closer to Him as they are soaking in everything that He is telling them. I love that right after they said that to Jesus, He told them this; "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." I am now hanging on His every word...Jesus is simply and straight up saying that everything we need to survive is in the Lord, Jesus Christ...the Holy One who was sent from the Father. I immediately think of this scripture in Matthew, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am the gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matt. 11: 28-30. Throughout scripture, the Lord is constant in reminding us that, through Jesus, we will never thirst or have hunger pains again. As we continue to fill ourselves up with food from the world, we are left empty yet He is still faithful to us patient with us. Praising Jesus for his reminders daily and in His word to us, that as we live for His eternal glory He will provide every source we need to further His Kingdom! This brings me so much joy in my heart-truly confirming that as I seek Him with all of my heart, my soul, and my strength I will be FULL-completely satisfied...eternally stuffed...and so will you! :)

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:37b-38

God is just SO good!!! Have the most wonderful week-full of Jesus (no pun intended ;) )

God speaks...even at Mardel!

from Denton...

Yesterday, I had about an hour of time to kill before meeting a friend for dinner so I decided to go look around at Mardel Christian Bookstore. I have been there several times before but usually had something specific I needed and was in and out. This time, I had a WHOLE hour to browse around and take my time looking at all Mardel had to offer (which is A LOT, by the way). As I walked through the double doors it was as if there were Angels lined up on each side of me sounding off their trumpets...it was glorious! There were tons of nick-knacks, cards, journals, signs, books, bibles, and so much more...where do I even begin?!

After about 10 minutes of looking through some cards, I made my way over to the book/bible section! I got so excited to look around at books and maybe, just possibly, i'll find a new read! I approached the "Best sellers" shelf which was smack dab in the middle. The first book I noticed was "So long insecurities" by Beth Moore. I felt my arm reach out and grab the big hard back book with Beth Moore's beautiful face on the cover! I opened up the cover and started reading the first chapter, I was hooked. I thought to myself, "Lord knows I have insecurities...I bet this book will help me, Beth Moore...she's the woman and well I need this book." *sigh* I also saw the sale sticker right in front of my eyes, so I thought this must be a sign. I placed the book back down because the "For Women" section caught my eye...I scurried over. I immediately was drawn to a pink book that had a devotional attached which was all about giving our whole hearts to the Lord..."Well, I'm learning daily to give my whole heart to the Lord...this must be a great devotional to get...I need this one." I looked up to see another book with a girl dancing on the cover "OH, I love to dance!" so I grabbed that one. I looked to my right and saw the "single" section. "Well, I'm single!! Maybe there is a great book on waiting!" Finally, after a minute of wanting to just plop down in the middle of the aisle out of feelings of being completely overwhelmed I placed all of the books back in their place.

In the midst of being overwhelmed I started to feel a sense of comfort and what felt like an embrace. I started to feel the Holy Spirit surround me, like it was my dad about to sit me down to have a heart-to-heart...you know the kind. In the Lord's quiet and gentle whisper I heard the Lord say: "My Kristen, these books are wonderful. Infact, most all of the books that you picked up were books probably written through my Spirit, as I gave them words to speak and write down. BUT I have something greater for you than these books. They would be great books to read and be encouraged by but right now I have something greater for you. My Child, I have given you my Word, my love letter from me to you. All that you are searching for in those books...all that you may need "help" with...you will find in my Word, and oh so much more! Take just your bible (no other book, no devotional, and no commentary) and go to a quiet place. I will speak to you through my Word, I will meet you there and I will equip you with all you need. I love you and I have plans for you. I desire your whole heart-Seek Me and I will be with you...I will speak to you and provide all you need. I will totally fill your heart."

Wow, I can't argue with that.

Now, I am overwhelmed with so many different emotions. This might be kind of a weird analogy but I am going to take it there. I remember the first time I was kissed on the forehead. Something about being kissed on the forehead, a sensitivity and assurance...feeling deeply cared for and protected, especially from my dad! I was just kissed on the forehead by my heavenly Father. He spoke to me. He cares for me and He definitely has my best interest at heart. I just couldn't help but smile and do a little dance in the middle of mardel.

I walked out of Mardel with a joyful heart, a gentle glow, and a gift for a friend. By far, the BEST visit to Mardel...ever. Thank you Jesus :)

"Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart...with my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart..." Pslam 119:2; 10-11a

Jesus, You're the man!

from Denton...

I havenbeen SO encouraged by all the Lord has done for me and overwhelmed by His provision. So, I decided to jot down a list of a few of the things I am quite thankful for!

1. I am thankful for good food. Not only has the Lord provided clean water and food but He has allowed me to taste yummy and delicious food...food that taste great, is good for my body, and having choices and options each day.

2. I am thankful for knees. I am thankful to have knees that I can pray on, the place I feel the closest to the Lord is on my knees, face down in front of Him. I am thankful for knees to walk with and to bend down and pray on.

3. I am thankful for friends. I am so beyond blessed to be surrounded with many friends and brothers and sister who love the Lord and love others....constantly encouraging and challenging me in my walk with the Lord.

4. I am thankful for mentors. Oh, how blessed I am to have older women who take the time to love and pour into me, help guide me and speak truth in my life. I am thankful for the example they set and for opening up their homes, lives, and hearts to me and so many others.

5. I am thankful for parks. I love the parks here in Denton. I love how beautiful they look in the sunshine and when they are filled up with sweet kids and families. I love the trees, park benches, and offering me a place to have my quiet times.

6. I am grateful for "Just Dance 2" on the wii. I just love to bust out in super cool dance moves and the ability to learn cooler NEW moves through this AWESOME game (which i highly recommend). Yes, I look quite silly the majority of the time but it's okay :) (another reason I am thankful for knees and their versatility).

7. I am thankful for God's word. I am so humbled that the Lord exposes His whole heart to all His people through His word, never forsaking us and always guiding us.

8. I am thankful for smells. Now, not all smells are pleasant however the ability to smell fascinates me...especially walking outside and smelling something new every few seconds. I also feel grateful to own things that smell GREAT.

9. I am thankful for local coffee shops and frozen yogurt. If I haven't mentioned it already, Denton is the coolest city ever and part of that coolness are the many coffee shops. There are three that I especially love to go to meet people/study/have quiet times, ect. Denton also has many frozen yogurt shops and they are just excellent...all the time. ( I have had frozen yogurt three times this week...should I be concerned!?)

10. I am thankful for sleep. My goodness, sleeping and time of rest is just SO great. There is nothing better than having a long day then putting on sweats and falling asleep...especially when one gets to sleep in the next morning. I just LOVE sleep.

Those are just a few of the MANY many things I am thankful for/the Lord's blessings! What are some things you are thankful for?! I hope you all have the most wonderful weekend! :) May the Lord bless your socks off!

Spring break is near!!

From Denton...


My friends, it has been too long since I last posted so I figured it was time for an update!  I love school this semester.  The Lord has always made it clear to me how much of a blessing it is to be able to further my education but more importantly have an opportunity to be surrounded  by thousands of college students daily to love on.  However, this semester I have really been enjoying the things I am learning in my classes as well as my professors.  I have one professor for three out of my five classes and I quite enjoy her.  I have two other professors who I like as well, they are a challenge both in different ways, but it has been good!  


The Lord has been working in my heart quite aggressively these past few weeks.  He is pointing out areas that have not been surrendered to Him,  giving me passion where passion and brokenness have lacked, and has started revealing a more clear vision for my life.  I am truly grateful.  Vision is something I have lacked in pursuing the Lord's will for my life and i'm so grateful the Lord has so boldly pointed that out to me.  I am looking forward to spring break (which starts tomorrow WHOOT!) because I will be able to spend time with my family and sweet grandmother and some friends.  It will be a time of relaxing, visiting, reading, resting, and time in faithful prayer and meditation...listening to the Lord's quiet voice as I seek Him.


This semester has been one of stepping down where the Lord has shown me to step down and growing in leadership in the college ministry- God is doing some mighty things through the college students at FBCD and I am so blessed to be apart of it all! I can't wait for the summer and continuing growing in my personal relationship with Jesus-seeking His heart through His word and prayer...as I go into my last year at UNT and seek God's guidance for where I will serve next...exciting!! 


Jesus, You are Mighty and One who washes feet and serves His people.  Your Holy Spirit is a gift to me and I am grateful You choose to guide my days, my ways, and my heart in order to glorify your precious and Holy Name! Thank you for protection and healing and for covering my sins with your blood on the cross.  Thank you for life and for breath every day-You hold me together every day and I pray that through each breath, thought, action, and word I move through Your Spirit to bring Praise to You.  I love You. Amen.




I hope you are having a blessed week! :)

Winter Wonderland...a little late

From College Station...

Hello friends! Like Kristen, I apologize for the lack of blogging lately as well! I have many things to share.

Since right before Christmas break, my sister Kerry and I have been coaching a 1st/2nd grade girls basketball team for a church league called Upwards. We play a game every Saturday, and needless to say it is quite adorable to watch. We have been so blessed by our sweet little girls and they have really improved and come a long way. I also forget how brutally honest kids can be. During our practices, we take about a 5 minute break to have a quick devotion/Bible story. Well, we have quickly learned that this is not as fun as playing basketball, so it is a struggle to get them to pay attention. We usually get comments like, "This is boring...can we play now??" Ouch. I remember being a little more tactful at that age. And I wonder what response I would get if I said that during class. Anyways, overall it has been so much fun.

The past 2 weekends I have had the opportunity to be a leader for 2 different Disciple Now's. The first was in Gonzales for my dear friend Justin (who is the youth pastor at FBC Gonzales), and the second was this past weekend at my home church in Round Rock. Both were amazing, and God really moved in the lives of many students. I am so blessed to serve Him and serve others!

The weather this past week was quite terrible to put it nicely. Monday was alright, but from Tuesday through Friday I wanted to cry upon walking outside. I don't know how Napoleon Bonaparte led his men through the Russian tundra barefoot. Nor would I ever care to try it. I digress. It did snow on Friday which was awesome and exciting at first, until I had to drive in it. Then I wanted to cry again. But thankfully I made it safely to Round Rock that afternoon. Sadly, Kristen E. was trapped in Denton due to the awful weather, so she wasn't able to make it to Disciple Now, but her attitude about it was such an encouragement to me. She didn't complain, but instead committed to pray for all the leaders and students during the weekend. Hence why I love her so much :)

That's all I got. Have a wonderful week and stay warm!

Peace and blessings,
Kristen

Overwhelmed by God's glory

From Denton...

I have not been following through with blogging once a week and for that I apologize. I need to get back at it because there really is lots to be blogging about, just so little time to do it. Lord, please help me to blog more often about how wonderful you are and the wonderful things you are doing. :)

This past week was my first week back to school from Christmas break and it has been very nice getting into the routine again. I recently changed my major in october, from elementary education to development and family studies. Now, that I am in new classes I am with a whole new group of people and I am enjoying the opportunities to build new relationships and sharing the love and truth of Jesus with new people in my classes!

This week, I have been reading through the book of Acts. I have never read through the whole book all together (i am not quite sure why-probably laziness) and I am just soaking up all of God's glory and power through this book. Reading Acts has given me a new perspective of God's word all together...I am in awe that I am freely able to read about God's mercy and power through His apostles (the Holy Spirit alive in them) in general. I mean, it's GREAT stuff-God's showing us what He promised He will do through us if we surrender our lives to Him...not anything to skim through but to be changed by! I'm learning just how special God's word is to me and how personal it is...a book I used to let sit and collect dust that I would pick up every now and again-is now radically changing my perspective and my heart.

Well, Thursday night I was reading through a couple chapters and Acts 8:26-40 specifically stood out to me. This particular story was not one of the most profound stories from Acts(compared to the others in that book) but really gripped my heart. This was when the Lord told Philip to go "south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Garza." and once Philip left and followed God's command the Lord led him to a man on a chariot who happened to be reading through Isaiah and was not understanding. So Philip helped guide him through scripture and told Him the gospel, in which the man was changed by and Philip baptized him right then and there. After reading that story, I immediately prayed; "Lord, please open my eyes to those who specifically need help understanding your word and your gospel...those who are hungry and searching but need that guidance, because I pass over them every day."

The next day, my wonderful friend Kaitlyn and I went running through a neighborhood by Mckenna Park. We were finishing up our run and were making our way to our cars parked in the park parking lot (wow, there was a lot of "park" in that sentence haha). As, we were coming to a stop a man standing by the bball courts started making his way towards us talking. He approached us telling us he was new in town and wanted to know places that people hung out and where there was community. The first thing that came out of my mouth was "do you know where First Baptist Church Denton was?" he proceeded to ask me for directions and continued to tell us that he does not see many people genuinely pursing people to help "save their souls." I started to sense a desperation in him and a hunger for something more that he was not finding rest in. I started to immediately recognize Christ and thanking Him for this special meeting-allowing us to meet his man. I told the guy that Kaitlyn and I wanted to help him find community because we know how tough it can be to be in a new place and not know many people or find that place to be plugged in and serve together. I guess when he heard me say "community" he thought I said "communion" and got very excited! He said "Oh, I LOVE communion...I mean when I hear communion I run to the church...I want to break that bread and drink that wine...yes!" He continued to talk about being with brothers and sisters and helping others to baptism and taking classes. I chimed in and told him that communion and baptism were great symbols and examples of what Christ did for us and new life in him but a lot of times we overlook guiding people to an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and living a life that glorifies HIS name and goodness. Simply being baptized and taking communion or sitting in a class are not enough. He told us that his name is Michael and we asked if there was a way to reach him, so he gave us his brother's (Mark) phone number. We asked him how we could be praying for him and he told us that he has been lonely for his whole life and does not have a wife at 33 years old. He said that may not be God's plan for him and he is just lonely and needs some one to "help lead him out of the darkness and into the light." Kaitlyn and I then asked if we could pray over him right there and he said yes and we prayed together. Afterwards he said he felt relieved and had a big smile on his face.

PRAISE JESUS for answered prayers and for allowing us to meet sweet Michael and share God's love and truth with him. I was so in awe of God and his faithfulness and catching a glimpse of those who are so hungry for something greater and me knowing who that someone greater is. I pray that we are all able to recognize the power of the Holy Spirit and all that He is able to do through us-all to bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ. I pray that we have humbled hearts and open eyes to see all of those around us and intentionally seek them-loving on them and sharing God's word. God is so good ALL the time, He is so faithful and loving. :)

Please pray for Michael and Mark-for the opportunity to connect with them again and help guide them into community and a relationship with a loving heavenly Father. I hope ya'll have a wonderful and blessed week!!

Hiking, volleyball, and other activities

From College Station...

This has been a bit of a rough week so far. The Lord is really showing me alot about what to do concerning my future and I forget how hard it is to be obedient at times.

But on a more positive note, Kristen E. will be visiting next weekend! On Friday we are going to Bastrop State Park to do a little hiking and have a picnic. Our Saturday activities will be cut a little short since she must leave in the evening to get back to Denton. As she has previously mentioned, she teaches Sunday school there, so she needs to be back Saturday night. Nevertheless, it has been far too long since we have seen each other, and we are WAY overdue for some quality Kristen time.

Another thing I have had the opportunity to do over the past few weeks is play intramural volleyball! I always forget how much I miss playing until I get the chance to. And what makes it even more fun is that it's competitive (kind of) and so I get to play with actual rules. I've never really been a "let's just play for fun" kind of girl...I always get too competitive, no matter what it is, so I guess having enforced rules makes it better for me. Whenever I do agree to do anything "just for fun", I end up getting frustrated because I am following all the rules but some people don't...just sayin'.

Well I wish I had something super exciting to say...but alas...I don't. I'm sure after next weekend either Kristen or I will have something interesting to share, and maybe some pictures!
Have a great week and stay warm!

Stink clouds

From Denton...

So, I know I just posted but I just needed to post a few more cute stories. I am in Houston this weekend with all of my dad's side of the family. We are all at my grandmother's cleaning out my Poppy's workshop. He passed away in March and we were finally able to get everyone together to go through the workshop and organized all of his equipment and cleaned it up to sell. It has been a wonderful weekend and such a blessing seeing everyone come together to serve our Memi. God is very good! I have the cutest little cousins and they say the most precious things.

Cole is 7 years old, and I went to give him a big hug so i picked him up and...

me: (picking him up) "i love you cole!"

cole: (with a huge grin on his face) "I just made a stink cloud..."

me: (hugging him not so tightly anymore) "does that mean you tooted?"

cole: "hahaha yeeeessss hahha"

Needless to say, I put him down quickly and let him go on his marry way making "stink clouds"...where he came up with that? I do not know! haha

Mattie is another one of my cousins and she is 2 and a half and is very smart! She knows just about everything and can be quite sassy but is so stinkin' cute!

So, I am sitting at the dining room table working on organizing some picture we had taken of all of the equipment and cole and mattie decide to "spy" under the table while eating tortilla chips, as i'm working I hear...

cole: "Mattie, please be careful and don't make a mess...and make sure we whisper so no one can hear us!"

mattie: "I know cole, and don't make me tell you that again!"

I busted out laughing and they peeked their little heads out from under the table telling me to be quiet because they were "spying"...my B!

Have a wonderful week!!

The Joy's of working with children!

From Denton...

I am a leader for Cubbies which is the 3 & 4 year olds class, apart of the Awana program. It is such a blessing getting to serve the precious kids and helping them learn about God's word as they work hard to memorize scripture and write God's word on their hearts. Along with helping them learn scripture, I get to hear the innocent and funny things that come out of their mouths. I am dedicating this post to some of the cute things they have said so far!

This week, we had two new kids in our class. They are siblings (a brother and sister) and they are from Korea and do not speak english yet. Two weeks ago they came but were not comfortable yet so they left...but they came back this week and stayed the whole time and did a great job! Anyways, they had just arrived as the other kids were arriving and while all the kids were playing (about 10 of them) another little boy comes up to me and...

Caison: " Excuse me Miss Kristen, but do we have chinese in our class?"

Me: (trying not to laugh) "Well Caison, we do have two new friends Bonnie and Johnny and they are from Korea!"

Caison: "Oh! So, are they from Chinese?!"

Me:( I just could not hold it in anymore and busted out laughing then just patted him on the back)

Caison: "What is so funny?"

Goodness, they are so cute. I am learning how to respond to them instead of busting out laughing. Later on, we were all gathered around on the carpet having story time and...

Mrs. Julie: "What are things that we pray for?"

Debbie: "We pray to obey our parents"

Shelby: "The flowers and for water to come down and make rainbows and then we lay our heads on pillows and then the school bus comes to pick us up and then for backpacks and sprinkles!!"

Mrs. Julie: "Oh wow, those are a lot of great things to be praying for, Shelby. Anyone else have anything?"

Zeke: "I like chicken. I ate my sister's tacos."

I'm sure there are more but I just can't remember them all at the moment but I look forward to hearing all of the things that they come up with! OH and tonight the Rangers won their playoff series and are headed to the World Series for the FIRST time ever!! How exciting?! It is such a blessing to see and a blessing that Josh Hamilton was named the MVP! God is so powerful and has such a divine purpose...so awesome to see such a Godly man leading the team, not only athletically but Spiritually!! The Lord is moving in huge ways through that team and the men on that team!! Praise Jesus for humbled hearts and transformed hearts! :)

Have a blessed weekend!!