incourage — We are THAT Family

For When You Let Others Down

6:21 pm Bykristen

I opened the mail.

In an instant, I was furious.

I’ve been having some medical tests run lately to try and diagnose the chronic pain in my neck. One of the tests was faulty and had to be repeated. It involved needles and electrical current. And tears. So, when I received an $800 bill from a doctor I’d never seen-the one who read and declared the test faulty, I was mad.

It was an insurance nightmare and on my fourth frustrated phone call, I lost it.

I ranted and complained and whined to the billing lady on the other end. It was ugly.

I was ugly.

I got off the phone and it took about 7.2 seconds for me to get the feeling. You know the one. Conviction.

Oh, but it gets worse.

{Read the rest at (in)courage….}

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This House Still Believes

1:07 pm Bykristen

Jesus is the gift.

We believe it and work hard to not let the childhood fantasy of Santa overshadow Jesus on His birthday. I’m talking about how it changed for our family a few years ago over at (in)courage. I’d love to share it with you…

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How to Turn a Bad Day Around

8:12 pm Bykristen

It’s possible, ya know?

I’m talking about it at (in)courage today.

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Just Beachy

10:54 am Bykristen

I fell in love with people on the Internet.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I spent this past weekend with many of them:

It was an awesome time of brainstorming, planning, dreaming:

Compassion Bloggers

A time to reconnect.

reflect & relax:

But something was missing.

It was YOU.

That’s why I’m so happy to tell you that (in)Courage is planning to bring the Beach House to you (in) REAL LIFE! April 27 &28, 2012. You can read more about it here.

It will be a fantastic global community event that you won’t want to miss, with a one-of-a-kind Beach Cast, fabulous content from your favorite (in)Courage bloggers and community. Real life fun! You can host or attend. I hope someone does it in my neck o the woods. Or I might have host my own and ask my inner introvert to step-aside.

P.S. I feel head over heels in ♥ with Dayspring all over again. We prayed over the meetings and invited God to lead and direct our efforts. From the President on down, I am in awe of this company. And no one is giving me a red cent to say so!

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Where in the World is Kristen?

8:30 pm Bykristen

This exact time last year, our family was all wrapped up in launching Mercy House and so I missed the first (in)Courage writer’s retreat.

photo by Dawn Camp

I’m not missing it this year.

Oh relaxation, how I’ve missed you.

DaySpring and Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce hosted the (in)courage bloggers for a long weekend of dreaming, praying, and planning for the (in)courage community, along with relaxation and fun. Resort Rentals of Hilton Head Island generously provided beautiful beach front accommodations. DaySpring took care of all the incidentals and meals for each of the bloggers. If ever you’re looking for a family vacation destination, this is it! Special thanks to Jessica Gardo from the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce for helping coordinate our trip and being simply fabulous the entire weekend.

P.S. Don’t forget to vote (if you haven’t) for the finalists in the Tempur-Pedic contest. It ends soon!!

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(in)couraging Africa

4:24 pm Bykristen

Two of my very favorite things- in the same sentence: (in)courage & Africa…

I’m over at my community talking about them together today.

Would love for you to read…

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Mourn With Those Who Mourn

1:01 pm Bykristen

One of my (in)courage sisters is facing the unthinkable: the death of a child. When a member of the body hurts, we all hurt.

Heather is hurting today. Will you join me in praying for her? Will you send some words of comfort her way?

On Good Friday at 7:15 PM, Heather’s daughter Emma went to be with Jesus. She had been sick, and we had been praying, and our hearts were broken when we got the news that Emma Grace had slipped away.

I know some people just don’t get it. These online friendships. But here you are. Online. And so I think that maybe you will understand me when I tell you I’ve met some of my dearest friends right here.

Like family.

We do life together. We rejoice with each other and we grieve with each other. Across miles. Over oceans. To continents we may never visit. It’s a beautiful thing. Even the grieving becomes beautiful when words of comfort travel miles to reach the heart of one whose tears are all they have to give.

You might already know Heather. Maybe you follow her blog, Especially Heather. Maybe you’ve read her posts at (in)courage. Perhaps you’d been praying for Emma, too. Maybe you heard the news and dropped to your knees right along with the women who write for (in)courage. We shared our grief in a flurry of emails that mixed up our weeping and our sadness with hope and with whispers of prayer.

And maybe – like us – you wonder how you can help.

The amazing people at DaySpring have offered to sponsor a card basket for Heather and her family. We’d love it if you’d participate. You don’t have to know Heather. You don’t have to follow her blog, or mine, or anyone’s. You just have to want to help…to reach out to a mother who has lost a child.

Because DaySpring is sponsoring the card basket, you can send a card to Heather at absolutely no cost to you. DaySpring will gather up all of the cards created for Heather, package them beautifully in a basket, and deliver the card basket to Heather’s home.

To create a card for Heather’s family, click here, or use the link at the end of this post. When you checkout, use HEATHER as your coupon code, and DaySpring will pick up the tab. We’ll accept cards until midnight on Saturday, and I’m sure Heather would appreciate your prayers.

Link to Heather’s DaySpring card basket: http://bit.ly/gxC0U3

*thanks, Deidra for putting these beautiful words together for us to share with our readers.

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Dear People Who Like Free Stuff

1:08 pm Bykristen

I’m giving away FOUR signed copies of my book today at (in)courage!

Click over to enter and tell me about your last quiet moment.

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(You) Were God’s Idea

8:17 am Bykristen

It’s a New Year.

And there’s a loud, unspoken pressure to create a whole New You.

Can you hear it? It comes from the media, maybe a mother’s wishes, or it might be a mantra within:

It cries for a prettier, smarter, thinner, taller, better you…..

Click to continue reading my post over at (in)Courage (and to see a picture of me standing on a scale!)

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The Pain of God

5:57 pm Bykristen

Sometimes I miss it.

The life I led before my heart was wrecked………

to be continued at (in)Courage

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How to Change the World

11:10 pm Bykristen

I’m talking about how to teach your children (and yourself) how to change the world over here today. Plus, I’m giving away FIVE copies of my new FAVORITE children’s book!

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Out on a Limb

11:44 pm Bykristen

God is speaking to our hearts.

He’s revealing bits and pieces of a beautiful plan and He’s asking us to step out on a limb.

I hope you’ll join us when the time is ready.

You can read more at (in)Courage.

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What I Want My Children to Know -A DIY Project

11:01 am Bykristen

“I believe I am here for a special purpose and that God has given me all I need to carry out His plan for me.”

I can’t remember where I read these words. But they impacted me so much, I jotted them down on the back of a receipt and held them close.

To see the little DIY project I created with these words, visit me over at (in)courage.

P.S. I’m taking the rest of the weekend for family. See y’all on Monday!

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What to do When Your Pants Rip

7:00 am Bykristen

I hurried and dressed quickly to get to the church early. I couldn’t afford to run late since I was leading the children’s program that morning. I quickly grabbed a pair of pants off the top of a stack, not remembering that the pile was supposed to go to the cleaner’s weeks before for repair.

That was my first mistake.

I got there just in time to open the classrooms and double check the list of workers. Kids filled the classrooms and I remembered I’d left my notebook in the worship pastor’s office. I slipped in quietly while he was on the phone and pointed to my pile of stuff. He nodded and I squatted to get my things.

That was my second mistake.

My pants ripped from front to back, leaving me exposed, literally. . .

Read the rest of this very embarrassing story and what I learned from it over at (in)courage

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When Her Life is Better Than Mine

6:59 am Bykristen

I have a friend. She lives in an amazing house. She has well behaved children and more than enough money for every need and want. Oh, and she’s beautiful. And if all that isn’t enough, she’s a wonderful person, who gives to the poor, defends the weak, serves others. She has an amazing life.

I used to think it was better than mine.

You don’t have to be a genius to realize that some people have it better than you.

You only have to be human.

[to continue reading, please visit (in)courage]

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Recapturing the Girl I Used to Be

12:01 am Bykristen

I had a certain reputation in high school.

I wasn’t a bad girl, or even known for being a good girl.

I was The Christian Girl. You know the one, don’t you? I carried my Bible in my backpack and when I felt especially brave, I put it out on my desk with my name boldly inscribed on the front in small gold letters.

I took my dates (the few I had) to church youth events, or to the altar if I really liked them. I started the first Bible Club on campus with my sister and I prayed for my lost friends.

On one particular night……..

(to continue reading about my dorky self and how God answered the prayers of a young girl 15 years later, please visit (in)courage.

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Touched by an Angel in Kenya

12:01 am Bykristen

Please read here to learn more of this beautiful story.

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Jesus: The Great Social Worker

7:32 am Bykristen

Today I walked the muddy streets of Nairobi, Kenya. I stumbled over the rocky path littered with filth and entered the home of a young mother, named Caroline.

She kept her small one-room-home tidy and greeted her guests with a warm smile, holding her one year old on her hip. She wiped the corner of her baby’s mouth with the edge of her dress as she explained how the Compassion Child Survival Program had made an enormous difference in her life.

She’s not so different from me, really. Sure, our worlds are like night and day, one American living in opulence, the other African, living in squalor. But there is a chord that binds our hearts together: we are both mothers.

(her daughter, Eunice)

Please visit (in)Courage to read the rest of her story….

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He Wants More Than Love

12:01 am Bykristen

“Is it true?” I asked in a hushed whisper?

He nodded his head yes.

I closed my eyes and tried to wrap my brain around this thought: My husband wants respect more than love.

We were on a long drive, the kids busy in the backseat, he and I, listening into shared ear buds, a book on CD.

He turned the words off and turned to me. “I know you love me, but I don’t always know you respect me.”

His words were gentle, his eyes warm. His beseeching, a sweet hug. But the words-they were like a knife. They cut deep because they were true.

[Continue reading my revelation over at (in)Courage]

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Her Name is Grace Because He is Amazing

12:01 am Bykristen

This is the day I met my third child for the first time. I held her one week later, attempted to nurse her two weeks after that.

After God did a miracle in my marriage, I started dreaming of having another baby. A third child. We were already blessed with a girl and boy and thought we were done.

But then, we fell in love again. And it just seemed right that a baby come from our new union. . .

To continue reading, please visit (in)Courage

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Forgiveness is a Part of My Story

2:00 am Bykristen

I don’t know where to start in the telling of the story churning in my heart.

It’s been four years since my marriage fell into pieces. It’s been four years since God put it back together. It’s different.

It’s better.

Four years ago, my husband confessed his private battle to me. He lay his struggle at my feet in tears and pleaded my forgiveness.

(In honor of my 15th wedding anniversary (today!) I’m sharing our story in prayer that it will help and encourage couples to fight for their marriage. Our story is not for the faint-of-heart or for those who carry stones in their hands….click here to read the story. I’ve disabled comments here, but would love to hear from you at (in)courage).

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Give Thanks {A Family Project}

12:01 am Bykristen

Thanksgiving.

Have you heard of it? It’s the non-revenue holiday hidden between the big money-makers, Halloween and Christmas.

(And it will be here before you know it!)

Marketing companies and toy manufacturers have made Oct. 31st and Dec. 25th every kid’s dream. Those are the days you get stuff.

And I’m not above it. It was my own child that answered the question: “What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?”

Answer: “Pulling out the Christmas decorations.”

But Thanksgiving isn’t about stuff. It’s not about hype or candy or gifts. It’s not even about pie. (Although….)

It is a day worthy of being celebrated. It’s a day to be generous. It’s a day to be gracious. It’s more than a day.

Thankfulness cures my children’s complaints. It stops grumbling in it’s tracks. Bickering doesn’t stand a chance with thankfulness in the room.

During this season, I’m giving thanksgiving a place of honor in my home with a Give Thanks Countdown Calendar. I think this can be a fun family project, the making and the doing.

I’m sharing it over at (in)courage today, so to see my Give Thanks Countdown Calendar (with printable inserts and Thanksliving activities, you’ll have to click over there.

(I’m disabling comments here because I want to hear what you have to say over there!)

Here’s a peek:

I am so excited about this project! Please take a minute and check it out! We started our countdown this morning!

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The Wet Cement

5:00 am Bykristen

There is a small park tucked in the woods at the end of our street.

We call it The Dinosaur Park, not only because the rusty, faded slide is shaped like a T-Rex. It’s archaic.

At the beginning of summer, we received a letter stating that new park equipment was going to be installed. (My kids were thrilled for obvious reasons, but I was glad for their [current] unbroken bones).

And it arrived the first week of school.

After dinner one night, we tiptoed to the edge of the yellow caution tape and spied the shiny new slide, rock wall, swing sets and play structure. It was impressive. But it wasn’t completed.

“Look!” my daughter pointed to the swings. “There’s wet cement!”

Sure enough, the cement securing the structure to the ground was fresh.

[Now this is probably where the rule followers should stop reading.]

To read the rest of this story that should be entitled The Day I was Nearly Arrested by an Elderly Park Ranger, click here.

What are you waiting for? I know you want to see me in handcuffs, so go!

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The Spring

12:01 am Bykristen

She leaned over the edge and peered into the deep, blue water. I could read the uncertainty and anxiety on her pudgy face.

She looked back at me for reassurance and I pointed to the fountain on the shallow shelf of the pool.

My two year old smiled. And she stepped into the water……

We were at my parent’s pool just a few miles from home. My toddler’s fear of the deep water kept her close to my side, but she loved the sparkling fountain on the pool’s ledge.

I smiled as I watched her try to stop the water shooting from the spring.

She used her bright green bucket to catch the forceful flow. She giggled and clapped.

The fountain was safe.

I laughed at the look on her face when she sat upon the rush of water.

She asked to go potty.

I pointed to the grass. (Oh, like you wouldn’t do the same)…….

to continue reading, please visit (in)courage!

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My Fathers are My Heroes

5:00 am Bykristen

After a recent trip, I needed to spend some serious time communing with my laundry room. It’s my least favorite part of vacation.

Well, that and the vacation being over.

I was chatting on the phone with my mom about the trip when I turned the corner to the laundry room. I stopped in my tracks. My declawed cat had cornered this:

(I’m talking about the snake coiled on my floor, not the hair and goldfish crumbs that my camera captured so beautifully).

I grabbed a nearby broom, urging the cat away and then, I SCREAMED LIKE A GIRL.

Because y’all, there was a SNAKE ON MY FLOOR.

{To read the rest of the story, please visit (in)courage. This is my first post over there among some amazing women and I need to feel the love, y’all. Especially since I’m probably the only one to show my dirty floor, among other things!}

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Living (in) Courage

6:00 am Bykristen

Some times good things happen and you know you’re supposed to be a part of them.

That’s how I feel right now.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m going to be a involved with a new project called (in)courage!

It officially launches August 10th at www.incourage.me!

But who knows, I might show up a day early.

(in)courage is a unique, one-of-a-kind site for women and I’m honored to be a part of the team of more than 20 amazing women! These ladies are some kind of classy. Let’s not tell them that once I superglued my baby’s lips together, m’kay?

Every day this week, the writer’s will be unveiled one at a time. Many of you are visiting today from The Pleated Poppy. I’m honored to follow such an adorable, creative woman! (And I smell a fantastic giveaway in the future…)

(in)courage will be a unique blend of fabulous product, inspired encouragement and gracious community.

And now, I’m happy to introduce you to a special lady who really gets me. We’re like two peas in a chaos-filled pod! Jennifer of Beauty and Bedlam is just as lovely in person as she is on her blog. She inspires me.

Please visit her here.

And mark your calendars for August 10th!

P.S. This is like an inspirational chain letter, don’t break the chain, keep it going and visit Beauty and Bedlam. It may save you a trip to the Emergency Room or not.

*UPDATE* If the Links for (in)courage are not working, it’s for an exciting reason – the site is about to launch. Please be patient and check back often!

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