I Like You

9:22 pm Bykristen

My in-laws celebrate 50 years of marriage next week. We are throwing a big party in small-town Oklahoma with BBQ and gold latex balloons.

We are all about The Fancy.

I’m in charge of the table centerpieces and a few other things. I’m going with mason jar decor since my in-laws are farmers and they make their own food, seed to table.

[black pictures of them dating and their wedding party 50 years ago, tucked into mason jars, with a little gold bow and cupcake picks I got off Etsy]

My parents just hit their 46th year.

I believe we have what you call A LEGACY on our hands. It’s a heavy mantle.

This December we will celebrate 18 years of marriage. I love that guy. I share my life with him. We are in this thing for the long haul. We’ve been to hell and back and we are committed for life.

But do you know how I think you get to 50 years?

You’ve got to do more than love your spouse, you’ve got to like them too (at least most days). Let’s be honest, that line between crazy passion and white fury can be fine. One of the things I love most about my in-laws and my parents is they generally like each other. They enjoy eating together, talking and just being together.

I know it may sound simple-minded, but I know a lot of couples who airquote love each other, but treat one another pretty badly. It’s sort of like the way people feel about extended family sometimes– you probably wouldn’t have chosen them, but here they are.

But we did choose are spouses and that choice is for the good, bad and ugly times. Making a conscious choice to hush when we really want to say something negative or thank them when it cost us something or putting our plans and dreams aside temporarily to make theirs come true–that’s what makes this whole thing work.

I texted my husband this picture while he was sitting in a two day meeting on the other side of town last week.

I love him.

Even more, I like him.

And most of all, I choose to do both even when I don’t feel like it.

Get the Shirt. Tell the world you like them.

Funny side note: I wore this shirt to the airport the other day. I got flagged for a security check because the guard wanted to get the website. Plus, I kept getting “thumbs up” from random men. At first, I was confused (thinking I must look really good) and then I remembered the t-shirt

Disclaimer: My friends over at Union28 sent me this shirt and this post is part of a joint initiative we have to make our marriages rock!

Filed UnderI love my hubby 22 Comments

Into the Light {Giveaway}

10:00 pm Bykristen

UPDATE: The winners of this giveaway are Michelle, Daina, Jennifer H., Sarah and Tonya. And the grand prize package goes to Sha’rrell. Check your email – if you are a winner a note has been sent your way.

I love a good story.

I mean, love.

I think and learn and work through stories. And when we let God become the author of our lives, he rewrites us and turns the hard parts into unexpected beauty. And that always ends up being the best part of the story.

Matthew West’s new album, Into the Light is filled with God-stories. Watch and Listen.

Today, I’m excited to giveaway some music! Life-changing, God-inspired, music to inspire and encourage those hard roads you might be traveling…

Today, 5 winners will receive a copy of Into the Light and a cool journal and One grand prize winner will receive ALL SIX of Matthew’s albums and a journal.

Leave a comment as your entry. This giveaway ends on Tuesday.

Happy weekend, y’all!

Filed UnderGiveaways 145 Comments

Cultivating Gratitude {Family Resource}

9:18 pm Bykristen

It’s the one thing I long for my family to learn, live:

Gratitude.

It’s the one thing I teach by example (or lack of), a heart full of thanksgiving, overflowing on my husband, surrounding my children. They are watching, waiting. Not just for the outward, polite, mandatory “thank you.” But the grateful heart that spills out and is contagious.

Gratitude is the one thing that gets me through a hard day.

It’s about choosing to be grateful, when I want to complain, opting for thanksgiving when I long to whine, it’s looking for the good when it all feels bad. The best kind of gratitude is when I don’t feel it at all.

It’s not just the gratefulness for new things, a comforter on sale for my daughter’s bed brings praise, “thank you, Mom!” It’s thankfulness in the trials, the hard times, the difficult spots we find ourselves. These are the moments that define us: digging deep when gratitude isn’t easy.

Thankfulness isn’t inherited. It often doesn’t come easy. It needs to be practiced, made a priority.

Gratitude is what will change our home.

How to Stir Up Thanksgiving in Your Family:

Record your gratitude-write it down!
Read past entries aloud
Reflect on the day, the good and bad. We “play” highs and lows. What is your high for the day. How can we encourage each other in the lows.
Reinforce-no gratitude is too small.
Resolve to give thanks, in all things

As we head into fall, I’m excited about this new family resource to help cultivate gratitude as we move towards the Thanksgiving season. It’s called the 12 Day Holiday Countdown by Dayspring.

I believe it has the potential to be a very meaningful family tradition. I love it because it’s perfect for the entire family, from the smallest to the oldest. It’s multi-functional and it’s designed to be used at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter with corresponding story blocks and scripture!

Each small box holds a card for the day and corresponds with the included guidebook. You can add a slip of paper or small treat to the box as you countdown to Thanksgiving (Christmas and Easter).

Sample Text from guidebook:

THANKSGIVING

Day #1 FRIENDS
We’re thankful for friends.I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his

master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I

learned from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 NIVGod is a friend to us.What does it mean to be God’s friend?

And get this, for the next 4 days, the Holiday Countdown is on sale for ONLY $10! Reg. $24.

Dayspring sent me one to try with my kiddos. It came yesterday and before I could hide it, they saw it and are begging to celebrate something. I just know your kids will love this intentional time together too.

Get one today at a great price!

*I’m a Dayspring affiliate and the links in this post are affiliate links.

Filed Underdeals, family, Holidays 11 Comments

WFMW: Top 10 Favorite Chalkboard Projects

9:49 pm Bykristen

I love chalkboard paint. I still have 3/4 of a can and I have been itching to pop it open and apply. I’m thinking kitchen island or piano. How cool would that be?

Here are my 10 all-time favorite creative chalkboard projects I’ve seen or done (so far):

TOP 10 CHALKBOARD PROJECTS

1. My Kitchen Table

2. Photo Prop

3. Practical Workspace

4. An Entire Wall

5. Inside door

6. Framed Sign

7. Headboard

8. Labeled Jars

9. Piano!

10. Kitchen Island

What’s your favorite chalkboard project?

Filed UnderWFMW 25 Comments

Don’t Be Afraid of the Light

10:35 pm Bykristen

When I was a teenager, my parents took a stained glass class. It was random and sort of embarrassing as a kid, but they became experts on fitting broken pieces together to create a new beautiful picture. Then it was cool.

They would come home from their time together with bandaids on their fingers and art in their heart. One-by-once pieces of their work begin to show up in our house. A stained glass rose hung in the kitchen window, glistening glass angels on the Christmas tree.

All these years later, I love seeing these pieces of art still hanging in my parents home. I didn’t know then I would see myself in the broken pieces, I didn’t know God would use the shattered remnants of my life to create a brand new picture. I didn’t know he would use my brokenness to let his light shine thru and reflect Him.

I think that might be one reason I love Matthew West’s new album so much. God used the broken stories of people to change Matthew’s life and his music reflects this so well.

The story behind my favorite song on his new album Into the Light is “Forgiveness.” Get ready, it will move you. I promise.