incourage — We are THAT Family

Six Quick Things

12:08 pm Bykristen

Two posts in one day?
I know. Cool.
I also have a tattoo. (My mother-in-law still doesn’t know. No Internet at their farm, plus there’s always socks.)

I wrote about shutting my big mouth over at (in)courage today. I’m on a word fast.
I spoke at a women’s event in Dallas on Monday about God-sized dreams. They blessed Mercy House with a God-sized offering and we nearly sold out of product. My big kids and hubby ran the table while my youngest ate people’s left-over cupcakes right off their plates.
We played hooky at the Great Wolf Lodge (our first visit-loved it!)
Mercy House t-shirts (women’s v-neck) are on sale for only $10 (while supplies last)
My Blessings Unlimited Store (sidebar) is having a very fun Spring sale (up to 75% off)
A few weeks ago, my hubby (@nascardad on Twitter) cashed in his Christmas Groupon gift from me and raced around the track at crazy speeds. He’s hot.

That is all. Y’all have a happy weekend.

Date night is happening for us. What do you have planned?

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How to Kill Joy

1:23 pm Bykristen

I wrote one of those “the truth hurts” posts over at (in)courage.

I don’t suffocate joy in my life on purpose, but I still do it.

Join this important conversation?

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For When You Don’t Feel Beautiful

8:32 am Bykristen

I stood in the baby aisle at Target, overdue with my first child. Every inch swollen with expectancy. I read labels of diaper ointment and rubbed the foot kicking my side.

Someone stood beside me. I could feel her staring at my profile. I pointed my belly towards her and smiled. She leaned in and said the words like I took her breath away, “Oh, you’re so beautiful.”

I looked down at my too-tight shirt and tugged it over my child. I couldn’t see my feet, but I knew the flesh pressed out of my sandals.

Me? I looked around the empty aisle.

I smiled shyly, smoothing my messy hair. How I longed to hear those words and not just because I was awkward and uncomfortable. I never felt like a beautiful girl. Cute, sometimes pretty, but never beautiful.

And then she tried to sell me Mary Kay.

(Click over to in(courage) to continue to read…..)

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On Community {Announcing (in)RL}

9:40 am Bykristen

[Today, I'm rounding up a month of blog posts from the (in)courage girls, a progressive blog party, so to speak. Melissa of The Inspired Room tagged me.]

Community has hurt me.

I have been wounded by gossiping women, friends who questioned our choices and walked away when they couldn’t dream with us.

When I started blogging four years ago, I was drawn in by the community. It felt like a safe place where I could interact, but still guard my heart.

Little did I know, God would use this community of strangers to heal me.

When I didn’t have a lot of real life people to count on, I had you. Not only did you dream with me, you jumped with me into the unknown. You are a huge part of this. You are a huge part of me.

God used my pain from community wounds to show me that community would also heal me.

In the last year and a half, He’s surrounded us with real life community. Friends who listen, support, serve along side of us.

Lately our family has felt maxed out: running Mercy House, working jobs, loving our kids. But our real life church community has stepped in and held up our arms. We are surrounded by our online community and supported by our real life community.

It’s a breathtaking place to be.

I think that’s why I’m such a huge advocate of (in)courage’s initiative to foster real community right where you are. It’s called (in)RL and it was created for you.

My online and real life friend, Lisa-Jo, explains it best:

So basically, (in) RL kicks off with a webcast for everyone to watch in their living rooms Friday, April 27 and then a dedicated day of (in)courage meetups on Saturday, April 28- imagine little beach house parties – all around the country and globe and a webcast for everyone to tune into. A local meetup on a global scale; friends will gather to watch live webcasts of (in)courage contributors and community, connect with one another, and discover new friendships they didn’t know were right around the corner!

Want to sign up? It’s simple: register here (it’s $10 and you get a t-shirt and card pack – awesome deal!) and then sign up here to host or attend an (in)RL beach house party.

Hosts also have the opportunity to purchase specially discounted beach houses in a box, which are chock full of amazing DaySpring products.

Don’t let your community wounds stop you from discovering the most meaningful community you’ve ever known.

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When Inadequate Is Adequate

7:04 pm Bykristen

She didn’t have much.

Actually, compared to what we have, she had nothing.

But her little was enough.

Imagine the bleak scene: a starving widow in a desperate famine, preparing her last meal-a tiny bit of flour and oil- so she could feed her child and die.

[I've seen pictures of the famine going on in the Horn of Africa today. It's not hard to recreate the horror of the situation.]

A stranger, a man of God, showed up and asked her for bread. She told him her situation. I can almost see the defeat and sorrow etched into the deep lines of worry on her face. Elijah tells her to step out in faith.

She did as he asked. She prepared the bread and gave it to the stranger.

She gave all she had, even thought it wasn’t much to look at. The flour and oil never ran out. He turned her little into a lot.

Her inadequate offering became adequate.

(click to continue reading at (in)courage)

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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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