Transformed!

I am a woman who is a living breathing example of the transforming power of the blood of Jesus Christ! I was reading some of my PPM training material and re-read this quote,"God uses men who are week and feeble enough to lean on him." (Hudson Taylor, missionary to China)
When I read this, amungst many other profound quotes from missionaries and other leaders in the religious community, it wasn't one that jumped off the page and grabbed my attention! When I first read it, we were to pick out which quote (of many) had a profound affect on us. There were others that I thought I was touched by much more!! But, tonight, as I read this again, God spoke to me. He reminded me of a time when I was trying to make it on my own...and failing miserably! Interestingly enough, I have been reminded of that time in my life quite a bit lately. I have reconnected with several old friends who knew me when I was a total disaster! Some of these friends knew that I was a wreck, and some really believed the lie that I was living. It was truly exhausting! I knew that God was there...I was constantly crying out for Him to save me from myself, while still refusing to surrender my sinful nature! What a terrible way to live! I knew no peace, whatsoever! From the time I was 15 until I was 20, I walked in total darkness...walking into the light only long enough to see what a mess I was...and running back into the dark, to hide, again! My selfworth was completely dependent on how the "man of the hour" viewed me! More often than not, I saw myself as worthless. I was so broken. It was really as bad as it sounds, but it isn't a sad story...not at all! I finally got to the point where I was "feeble enough" to lean on Him! I finally let Him begin to cleanse me from the inside out! I was able to see my life for the mess it was...accept it, because He had accepted me, and surrender every single ugly part of my old self! I was finally "weak and feeble" enough to quit running, hiding, and playing games! God rescued me from me! He didn't just take me as I was and send me forward! He took me as I was and began changing my heart, my desires, and conforming my will to His! It wasn't pretty, as we wrestled our way through this transformation! Not that I am in any way compltely transformed...it is a continuous, daily, process, FOR SURE! But, when I finally realized that I was dying without Him...that I couldn't live one more day without Him in the driver's seat...my life was forever changed!!
It really just amazes me that when I was that lost little girl, He knew that I would be where I am right now! I am so humbled to know that He had my precious husband, sweet boys, and my future in missions all lined up for me...He was just waiting for me to surrender! He was waiting to make me pure and righteous through His Son's blood! He knew that I would be here, this day, MADLY IN LOVE WITH HIM!
Transformed by the grace of a patient,kind, gentle, persistent, loving, faithful, Father!

A Come Back,The Cowboys, The Fiddler, and John McCain

Today has been a great day. The Colts made an incredible come back and won. I LOVED that! The Cowboys won...It certainly wasn't pretty, but it still goes in the win column! Our resident "FIDDLER"...(Violinist), Melissa, was AWESOME, today! Seriously, I was just waiting for her to break out into some"Devil went Down to Georgia!" Okay, that may have been a little inappropriate for Sunday morning, but she was "getting down"! The song was "Dancing Generation" so it was only appropriate that it was rather upbeat! I was so glad I was on the other side of the stage, today! It was cool to watch my fellow worship minisrty peeps go crazy! Anyhow...I was very inspired! I wish I could play the fiddle! =)
And to top off an already great day, Jake settled on his 2008 Halloween Costume! He is going to make generations of Republicans super proud...He is going to be a 4"8' (or 4"6'...I can't remember!) John McCain! He got the mask today. He has really never been more excited about a costume before! We have raised him well!
Thus begins a new week, and I am ready for a good one!
May God bless each of you this week! Let me know what I can be praying about...I mean it!
Have a SUPER DUPER Week!
Kristi

My Old Buddy Isaiah Introduced Us...

I was reading tonight, and was really moved by what I read. Like so many times before, I was reading something that I had read SO many other times...yet affected in a whole new way!! Isaiah knew exactly how precious my Jesus would be to me. He was a prophet, as you all know, and he was telling the world how amazing our Savior would be, in Isaiah 9. At the end of verse 6, he says this...
"And he will be called Wonderful,* Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(In some translations they combine wonderful counselor, but it appears to be two seperate names...Wonderful and Counselor)
We have all read and heard this a million times...it is often printed on Christmas cards. But, as I read it this time, it meant more than ever before. This prophet told the world that Christ would be all these things to us... more specifically, to me. When He said this stuff, Christ was still dwelling in Heaven with God, the Father, at that time. It would be quite sometime before he would be born as a human baby, live as a man, heal the sick, raise men from the dead, show compassion to the woman at the well, dine with tax collectors and prostitutes, love the unloveable, die a cruel..criminal's death, be raised from the dead, and ascend back into the presence of our Father! (Oh, He did SO much more...I didn't even get started!)But...Isaiah knew who was to come, and he was telling us what Christ was going to be in our own lives!! How COOL!! Even COOLER, I can Look at my life and see when Christ has been each one of these things for me...when I have called Him by these names that Isaiah called Him, so long ago...That gives me chills! So, I thought I would share one of the many examples that I came up with for each...I am sure that I could go on forever(but, don't worry, I won't)...He has made Himself available to me, has persued me relentlessly, and has been much more than I could ever ask or imagine!

WONDERFUL- Most recently, a walk through the jungle/rainforest in Belize. He showed me just how WONDERFUL He was and always will be, by the beauty and majesty in nature. The beauty that I experienced shouted praises and adoration for its WONDERFUL creator!

COUNSELOR- I was such a wounded soul when I married Jason. (I was the girl that the song"Beautiful Disaster" was written about, I am sure of it...) Christ healed so many wounds. He taught me how to love and be loved. He was my Counselor. I was healed by His word and the ministry of His spirit, directly to mine! He taught me, throughout many years, to surrender all of my burdens to Him, and how to rely on Him as new cares arose.

MIGHTY GOD-I have seen Him work in so many MIGHTY ways...to pick one example is hard! In August, I saw Him work in such Mighty ways through two very different ministry teams, in two very different parts of Belize. I saw Him break down walls that Satan had well fortified! I saw him change the heart of a man who HATED white people...truly, right before my eyes...during a conversation between him and myself...I hear that he is still doing well, too! That kind of change only happens through the power of a MIGHTY GOD!

EVERLASTING FATHER-He is the Father to the Fatherless. I claimed that for years, when I felt very far from my own daddy...actually I feared my dad. I needed a father and God was always there. Now, I am blessed to know MANY kids who live in a Children's Home/Orphanage...I have gotten to sit and hear the testimonies of many of those precious kids. Their ages range from teeny-tiny to 18 and "aging out"...These kiddos know the need for an EVERLASTING FATHER...You know what else, most of them know that they have one, and cling to Him for dear life! I have been reminded of just how precious my relationship with that Father is. I thank God for putting such great examples, of faith, in my life!

PRINCE OF PEACE- Every Single Day!! That is when He shows Himself to be my Prince of Peace. I couldn't possibly travel to Belize, to serve Him and to do what I love to do...leaving my husband and babies behind...without clinging to my Prince of Peace. In this crazy time when my health, and the health of so many that I love, has been under attack, He has been whispering words of PEACE in my ear. He is constantly calming my Spirit and giving me peace in the midst of total chaos!

How cool is that, My bud, Isaiah, knew just how precious my Jesus would be to me! I love that...That is some serious prophecy!
Blessings!
Kris

It's Hard to Be Humble!

(This is what I was originally going to post today...I am really switching gears here, but I feel like God really wants me to share this...)
I love when God shows His strength through our weakness...His glory is seen so clearly when we allow him to use our struggles to show how wonderful He is. If we will let Him, He matures us and teaches us so much through those times where we stumble, or totally fall flat on our faces. So often, non-christians get such a horrible taste of what "Christianity" is all about, when we refuse to humble ourselves and let Him work out our mistakes for His glory. Nobody likes to be wrong ,or to have to humble themselves...really, if you are totally honest! I don't know anyone who just LOVES apologies! As humans, we really enjoy being right...but, we learn and grow SO much when we just admit that we are wrong. Not only can we learn a lot from it, but as a Christian...the world is watching! Even in the small things...people notice, good or bad...they do. And if you are in any kind of leadership role...EVERYONE is watching. A precious, dear, sweet, friend of mine had a chance to let God work in this way, in his life, this week. He screwed up...I can't think of a better way to say it than that! He lost his temper and others were around to witness this. It wasn't anything earth shattering, but he was wrong. He knew it and he was sorry. He could have just been sorry, or just said, "I'm sorry!" Most of us would have been concerned with how it made US look and what others thought of US! He wasn't. Yeah, he was embarressed, but his concern had little ,if anything to with himself. He is such an incredible example of true repentance and humility. He was so humble in Spirit and the way that he handled it prompted me to examine how I handle situations that I may face. I encourage each of you to do the same. You don't have to know my sweet brother or the situation, to follow his incredible example.He made sure to "make it right" with any and everyone that his actions may have affected! His concerns were so pure hearted. He wasn't concern with how his actions made him look, really. He was VERY upset that he had reflected so poorly on His Father, Savior, and the Body of Christ. If we all considered this, and nothing else, when we examined our actions, what an amazing world this would be! It is hard to be HUMBLE. I will be HUMBLE enough to admit that, but I am going to really do my best to follow the example of this very dear friend! And my friend, you know who you are...I have never had more respect for you ..as a brother, friend, leader, man of God, etc. I am so proud of you! You are a great example to all of us! None of us is perfect, but His Grace is Enough!! I Love you, My Brother!! I really will do my best to follow your example!

Update on Carri.

Well, Carri is on her way home. Mom just called and is going to go home with her and hang out with her for the day. Her blood is SUPER thin, but the doctor didn't want to put her in the hospital...she was given a vitamin K shot and told to be super careful, like not to even shave. Crazy. She needs lots of prayers and even more encouragment!

I Know That God is Still on the Throne!

I am just claiming that fact today. I am holding tight to that to that truth. Satan is attacking my family from all sides, but God is and always will be bigger than he is! I was about to blog about something entirely different...I will get to that later today...and then I called to check in on my mom and sister during Carri's dr.'s appt. She was getting her blood checked, and due to the fact that she knows the signs now, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be normal. Well, she does know he body well. Mom just answered the phone, while juggling Layton who was getting tired of waiting for Mommy...Carri's blood is WAY too thin...it should be between a 1 and a 2(as most of you know, b/c you follow the ups and downs on her blog...and will likely hear this on hers later :)) IT IS AT AN 8! That is VERY dangerous. Many of you probably don't realize how little she actually makes out of all of her health issues combined, but she is a pretty sick girl. She is at risk of some pretty major things and talks about her blood levels like we would talk about what we would have for dinner! God has given her a lot of peace and has taught her to trust in Him, despite all human logic! She has come a LONG way in a very short time and I am SO PROUD of my baby sister! Anyhow, they remain at the doctor's office waiting to hear what the next move should be. Mom said that they are considering putting her in the hospital over night. There is a huge risk of bleeding internally with blood that thin. They checked her urine and there is some blood in it...which isn't good!!! Then there is the matter of getting it thicker, without causing it to get too thick and causing a stroke...it is very tricky. I am not saying anything that Carri isn't aware of...She doesn't talk about it, but there are some serious risks, with all of this. It is scary and I think it is important that her friends, and sisters in Christ, know the gravity of the situation. God has been so faithful to manage all of this, so far...So please pray that He will continue to keep her healthy-ish despite all that could happen to one with her many conditions! She actually doesn't share nearly all that must weigh on her mind...neither of us do...Thank you God for giving us eachother!
That only covers one of the MANY attacks that we have been under...BUT, one is enough! God is STILL in control and still on the throne...And in the famous words of the VeggieTales..."God is Bigger the the Boogie Man" :) That gives me comfort, too! Well, it makes me smile! And, He still continues to throw in those unexpected blessings, just to let me know that He is still there...That really makes me smile and strengthens me, daily!!

A Quick Update...before I actually blog!

I had my sonogram yesterday, and wanted to tell you guys what I do know...which isn't much! You know, the technician isn't supposed to tell you anything...you just have to wait until your doctoer gets around to reading it. But...I am pretty good at reading them, so she confirmed what I saw. As soon as she pointed to my rt. ovary, I could see a pretty large dark area...which I knew, from past sono's and ovary trouble, was a cyst. I asked her if that was what it was and she said, "Yes, are you having a lot of pain?" I was thinking," Well.. DUH, I am certainly not here to enjoy your company, or to see the cute pictures of my reproductive system!" (which I am no longer blogging about! :)) So, that is all I know...aside from gross stuff that even I wouldn't write about!! I will let you know when I know something! Certainly this will all come to a conclusion soon! Until then, please be praying for my mom..she is having a heart cath tomorrow @ 9:30.

My Strangely Great Week, so far!

This has been such a strange week and it is only Tuesday. It hasn't been all bad...not at all...just strange. Actually, some of the strangness has been good-strange. I think God has provided some little "make-up blessings" since I was so sad about having to miss church on Sunday, and still don't feel well. Okay, so that sounds goofy...but hey, you never know?? First of all, I have actually felt like a married woman this week. Not that I am not always aware of this fact, but one might wonder if you were at my house for long. Jason and I see very little of one another during a typical work week. This week, though it is only Tuesday, I have seen more of him than I have the rest of the month. It has been quite a nice change...the boys have been so excited, too! Last night, he was home for dinner and had over 2 hours before he had to leave for his 9:30 softball game. And...thanks to a member of the PCF "J-Crew"..who will remain nameless...the game was cut short and he was back home at 10:30! (Come on boys, we really don't need to be getting ejected from our church league softball games...no matter how out- of- line the umpire is!!!:) but thanks for sending my "J" home early)
Another strange, but nice, thing was a longer than normal conversation with my friend, Juni, from Belize, yesterday. He is so funny and gives me such an interesting perspective on life. I love our friendship and how similar our lives are...while being totally different, all at the same time! It is nice to feel so connected to Belize, the home of my heart, even when I am so far away!!
Jake has been refreshingly cooperative, too! He got home from school yesterday and was SO helpful. He has had a bit of an attitude problem since beginning 3rd grade. He has been a little too big for his britches...Not yesterday though...Nope...he was my sweet Jake again! He came home, fixed him and Jaxsen a snack, and played whatever Jaxsen wanted to play. As if that wasn't plesant enough, when I asked him to do his homework, he got right to work...THE FIRST TIME I ASKED! I am really praying that that is the kid who I pick up after school today.
I have had several other things happen...I have gotten "random"emails from old friends, phone calls from precious people, who love me and just wanted to check on me, and have had some really cool and entertaining dreams! (okay, so that last one may be the pain meds, but they have been really cool and vivid dreams)
So, while I am still feeling really crummy, God has surprised me with many unexpected blessings! Oh, and there is atleast one more blessing still to come...Karen Talley called to check on me and is bringing me dinner on Thursday....YUMMY! She is SO SWEET, and a GREAT cook, too! That is going to be a huge blessing...My mom is having a heart cath that day and will be coming home to my house...With me still hurting, she is a huge help...now I can aviod the grocery store for a few more days...Yippee!
So...Here's to a continued really cool week...full of more unexpected blessings...and hopfully some much needed answers to my sono and blood tests! Let me know what God is doing in your life...He is blessing you, too...even if you have to look past some of the crummy stuff to see it!

I think I was born in the wrong place.

Let me preface this entire blog with several very important points...
1.You would be hard pressed to find anyone more patriotic or more interested in our government than me!
2.I love my life and family and know that I am truly blessed.
3.I am not naive, and know that the grass is not always greener on the other side!

Okay, with that said..I wonder why I was chosen to be born in the US, in this advanced time period!?!
I would assume that many of you are still lost and have no idea what I am talking about.
It is just that I was thinking last night, and today, that so many of the things that I have...I would be just as happy without! I spend a lot of time on the phone with my friends in Belize. Our lives are SO different!! I am always talking about things that just don't translate and sound tivial and silly...I know this! The thing is, I long for the life that they speak of. Many times, when I talk to my friend, Juni, he has just come from bathing in the river. He has such interesting stories to tell of his daily life. To most of you, it would seem crazy, and undesireable...Me, I cannot seem to find true happiness here, like I do there! I really think that I could live in a remote ,in the jungle, and be happier than I ever have been here! I know, I am crazy! I look at my "Belize pictures" everyday, and everyday, I long for HOME! Life is so easy here...I think I must be totally crazy, because it isn't near as appealing to me, as the life that I hope to live as a fulltime missionary, in Belize...someday!
Maybe I will just build a hut in my back yard, until God calls us there, fulltime! :)
Hope you are all having a great Monday!
Kristi

I am pretty sure I will stay confused all week long!

Not only am I a creature of habit...to an extreme(..that may or may not be totally healthy),but Sundays are my time to get my head on straight for the week ahead. With that said, I am pretty sure that my whole week is going to be out of whack! I know, I ought to think positively...and I am, to an extent...I am thinking this week is bound to be better than last week, anyway! BUT...I wasn't able to go and be with my church family, this morning. I missed my last week to sing for the month, and I haven't seen my friends/family, today! For me, church isn't something I "do" out of obligation...it isn't something that I "do" at all. My church is my family...often times, my lifeline...most of you who read this know exactly what I mean! So, since I wasn't there with y'all this morning...I am having a hard time convincing myself that it is even
Sunday, and that you guys went ahead and met w/o me...What nerve you all have...worshipping God, w/o me! :)
Seriously though...I love that it bothers me so much, when I have missed out on an opportunity to meet with my brothers and sisters, to worship and fellowship. There was a time in my life when I didn't think much about it! That day has certainly come and gone!
So, for all of you Plum Freaks...I missed you this morning(and at bunco Friday) and look forward to seeing you on either Wed. or Sun.!!
Love and Blessings!
Kris

A Few Quick Things!

First of all...I really need some help (Melissa) with this blog...nothing on here matches or is cute or anything! I never even remember what colors are on here! HELP!
Next...Jason was so freaked out that I actually blogged about my uterus and my IUD and stuff! He was totally freaked out that I wrote about that for all the world to see. He was in utter shock that I was so candid! I am pretty sure that we have been married and living under the same roof for over a decade...And my last 2 blog posts surprised him? Does he not know me at all? So, after being reprimanded...not really, he was too appalled to reprimand...I feel the need to share that I will no longer be blogging about my reproductive system in such detail...I would certainly not want to attract any crazies who may be on the net searching for talk of women and their uterus! :)
I, Kristi, will from now on blog about things like boogers and baseball, and all of the other fun things that are relevant in the life of a mom with 2 boys!

Update on My Alien Body!

I really think that my sisters and I were all part of some weird, top secret, government science experiment! Really, Come on now! If it is a remote possibility then it has happened to one of us...I have come to a point where I have to laugh about it or I will loose my mind!! You know when they list possible complications or side effects with a medication or surgery...Well I do believe that our family "hand book" was missing the word"possible". Like I said...I just have to laugh! So, Yes, I gave birth to an IUD! Strange, gross, unbelievable, STUPID, ridiculous, BUT...nonetheless...TRUE! I have been lying on my couch ever since. I feel like crap. Excuse the use of that word that so many think I should trade in for one more becoming of a "missionary"...sometimes "crap" is the only word that is suited to describe ones state of being!!
So, anyway...I am FINALLY going to see my OBGYN today at 11:00. I don't want to be too graphic, but things aren't where they should be! I am very concerned that I may trip over my uterus! :) No really...I am concerned that the muscles supporting "all that" aren't doing their job! I guess that is the most "non-graphic" way to describe it?? I am just going to pray that it is only my girl friends reading this...or atleast guys who aren't easily disturbed! The good Lord knows that I am not shy! It is what it is! If you are reading this male or female...just pray that my doctor figures out why I am hurting and decides that he will give me some pain medication that actually works...before I loose my mind....or before my family disowns me!!
More to come! Stay tunned...unless this is TMI...if so...this is probably not the blog for you! :)
LOVE AND BLESSINGS!!
Kristi

The Strangest Thing Happened Today!

This is really weird and pretty gross, so if you are easily grossed out then stop reading now! But, aside from being gross, this is also informative and it may keep someone else from thinking that they are loosing their mind!
It all started with really bad cramps! That isn't totally out of the ordinary for me, but they were REALLY BAD! Saturday they were normal cramps, but by Sunday evening, they were getting pretty bad. All day on Monday, they were almost more than I could stand. Then came Tuesday...I felt like I was in labor. I know what labor feels like, I've done it twice! I was having severe pains in regular intervals...I really thought I was loosing my mind! I stayed in a fetal position most of the day, fighting back tears! I alternated advil and Tylenol, still no relief. Just as things got to the point where I was ready to call my OBGYN, I went to the bathroom and realized (I won't go into detail here) that I had, in fact, given birth...to my Mirena IUD! I then called my OB and talked to the nurse...there are some other big problems that we need to check on. BUT...I really was laboring.OH MY GOODNESS! Somehow my body decided that it needed to get rid of the "foreign object" and the only way a woman's body knows how to do that...when that "foreign object" is in the uterus...is LABOR!!! So, needless to say, I am exhausted and in pain after a long day of labor! This was certainly the strangest thing that has happened to me in a while! (and I don't even have a sweet baby to show for it!)

Miracle of all miracles!

This is just CRAZY! I just signed on to create a new blogspot account, because my password would not work....not just once or twice....For months and months! I had given up on blogging! Now that I have this handy new laptop, I decided to give it one more try...Well, my goofy password...the same one that I have been using forever just worked! I guess God was telling me that I need to keep my thoughts to myself for a while! So, now y'all are in trouble...He has released me from my blogging slumber! Look out blogging world!
I really mean it this time, Carri, I am going to be cool like you! Not AS COOL as you, just cool LIKE you!
More to come soon!

Melissa,Michele,Martha,and Me!

Well I have come to the conclusion that when God was handing out those neat "crafty" talents", I must have been in line for the bathroom! I stayed home from church last night with two very painful ear infections...it wasn't so much my ears, but the dizziness and nausea associated with them, that kept me home...So that was really irrelevant...My friend Melissa had been working on a baby gift for Justin and Kristal Hodges new baby girl, Jordyn...She FINISHED!! I LOVE IT!! She made a Texas Tech diaper bag for Justin, with Jordyn's name on it, and 6 beautiful burp clothes that are all monogrammed! I am SO impressed!! Not only am I impressed, but a bit jealous! Any time I go thinkin' that I am crafty, I end up with a crooked scarf (really, it happened) or ugly jewelry! And for any of you who haven't seen my nephew, Layton's bedding...ADORABLE! Our friend, Michele, made it! Really, Martha Stewart has nothing on these girls! So, as I sit here admiring their talents and being SO grateful that MY friends are SO willing to help the talentless, I am saddened, once again by my crooked, sad, ugly, scarf...BUT, I am thinking that I am going to try knitting, once again! I REALLY want to be crafty! Oh...and did I mention that Michele's daughter, Maci, (who was 14 or 15 at the time) was the one who was patient enough to teach me to knit, in the 1st place! I am pretty pitiful, indeed!

(Thank you Melissa...I will pay you Sunday...I LOVE both, the BAG and BURP CLOTHES! AMAZING!!!!)
Blessings!
Kris

You Gotta Have Faith!

Faith is stronger than fear! this is a quote that Jake repeats before every baseball game! Honestly, I can't remember who said it, but it is a nice thing to remember! I can honestly say that over the past 3 or 4 years my faith has grown immeasurably!! God has used so many things in my life to grow my faith! The biggest things have been Jaxsen's miraculous recovery from crazy illnesses and the life of my baby sister, Carri, and her husband, Lance! If you are reading this and you don't know them, then you are missing out! They are amazing! They don't pretend to be perfect and finally realize that they don't have to be to be loved! I love watching God working in their lives! They have such a powerful testimony and I am so blessed to watch it constantly evolve!
Over the past week, God gave me a new, and very powerful, lesson in faith! My friend Jessica's daughter, Aaris, had open-heart surgery! She is Jaxsen's age! It was quite a faith journey for anyone who witnessed it! Aaron and Jessica were incredible! They kept a blog on a care page through the hospital, keeping everyone informed of Aaris's progress and what we could all be praying for! It was just incredible! Each time they posted a specific request, the message board lit up with prayers and well wishes for Aaris and her family...and as God tends to do He pulled through in Mighty ways! The next post would be how He had answered our prayers for that specific thing! I can't imaging how many people were touched through their great faith, in such a difficult and stressful time! I was blown away, once again, by the power of our MIGHTY GOD! He is SO GOOD! Props, also, to all of my precious friends~ who don't even know the Denningtons~ who fasted, have been praying, and have been calling for updates! You are all so amazing and Jess appreciates you more than you will ever know!
Just a brief history...Jessica lived 2 doors down from me in the dorm @ Lubbock Christian University! She was someone who I looked up to and adored! I reconnected with her on My Space and could not be happier to have her as a friend! She is a woman of great faith who is totally beautiful on the inside and out!
Thank you God for caring for sweet Aaris...and for growing so many people's faith in the process!
All Glory and Honor and Praise to Him!
Kris

I've been Tagged!

I have been TAGGED...What fun~I haven't played tag for months!! (I know, most of you thought I was going to say that I haven't played tag for years...I have boys...you'd be surprised at all of the goofy games we play!!)
So, my sister tagged me and shared some FUNNY stuff about herself. Now it is my turn to share "little known", fun facts about Yours Truly!!
Here are the rules...
1.Link your tagger. Post the rules.
2.Share 7 facts about yourself (the more random and stranger, the better!)
3. Tag 7 friends...if you have 7 friends! :)
4. Leave a comment letting then know that they've been "tagged"! (I have no clue who I am tagging b/c all of my bloggin' buddies have been tagged!)

Here Goes....
1. Like my sister...I have a very irrational fear of birds! I can't begin to tell you how creepy i find them! There isn't anything more repulsive to me than a HUGE flock of birds! If I am outside and a tree is totally full of birds, I have a bit of a panic attack and throw up in my mouth a little!
2.I wanted desperately to be a boy until I was about 10 years old! I was SUCH a tomboy and had very little use for girls. I had 2 good girl friends, but we had NOTHING in common! I was the only girl on my tee ball team when I was 5. I had boy hair, by choice...so the other parents and coaches would yell, "GET HIM..GET HIM.." when I would run bases! I loved it, but my mom must not have, because she made me start wearing pink high tops when I played! HATED THOSE STUPID SHOES!!
3.I am somewhat obsessed with AMERICAN IDOL! I love to sing and am fascinated by watching those who are far more talented than I am! I don't like the early ones...the tryouts kill me! There is no way that those people think that they are really good enough to make records! SO ANNOYING!! I love the shows from top 24 on! This season I am totally blown away by Carly Smithson and David Cook!
4. I am still friends with my first boyfriend...His name is Tony Armstrong and he still lives in Houston! I had my first kiss with him, as well as, my first broken heart! We were close friends, even when we weren't "going together" but I had a crush on him until I was a senior in high school...We were together in junior high, and still found ourselves together on and off until high school began! Now, we are fiends and still talk a couple of times a year! I pray, often, that he will find someone to marry (he is still single at 32) that will make him as happy as Jason makes me!
5. I LOVE TO FISH!! I hate to eat fish...I mean HATE!! I don't eat any kind of seafood, but love, love, love to fish!! I am still a bit of a tomboy, I suppose! Give me camping and fishing over shopping ANY DAY!!
6.I really want to live in Belize, full time, someday! I pray that my new job will be the door to a future in full time missions! I loved the poor little village that we worked in last summer! I loved being there and needing nothing! I really loved the simplicity of their lives and the genuine joy that I saw in them! I long for a life that is simple and only about sharing God's word~
7. I married my best friend who proposed to me on our first "real" date! CRAZY!! Jason and i had never been on a date until the night that he asked me to marry him! We had worked together and become the best of friends! I had been helping him plan dates for other girls...secretly jealous, of course! Our first real kiss came after we were engaged! Crazy, huh! All of our co-workers thought that we were INSANE and placed bets on how soon we would divorce! HA HA...they ALL lost! Nobody gave us more than a year or two! We will have been married for 11 years on July 26 of this year!!

To Blog or not to Blog...that is the question~

I am not off to such a great start~ Finding time to sit down and put together my thoughts...in a manner that can be interpreted by others...has proven to be much more difficult than I thought! It seems that my sitting down and attempting this, is a subliminal invitation to all who know me to call, or for my boys to need my undivided attention~ I have much to say...(shocker, I know) but can't seem to find the time to say it! So...starting today, I am going to schedule in some blogging time! I don't seem to accomplish anything without carving out a specific time to do it! So, soon you will be able to read my nightly thoughts...I plan to spend 15 to 20 minutes in front of the computer, every night around 9:30...just after putting my little boys to bed and just before tucking my big boy in...Jason goes to be much earlier than I do, so I often use the late night hours to study and journal. Right now, I am doing an amazing study on healing~ It has been so enlightening!!
All of that was to say that I want you all to stay tuned...I am going to be more consistent starting tonight!! Stay tuned!!
Love and Blessings!
Kristi

Let the Blogging Begin!

Well, I just didn't feel cool without a blog of my very own! I found myself coviting my "neighbors" blogs....After having to ask Melissa and Carri how the heck to even get this up and running...I have achieved success! I have no idea what I will do with this new found coolness :), but time will tell~
In all seriousness, I am excited to have a place where I can share what is on my heart! I am about to begin one of my life's greatest journeys and I look forward to taking you all along for the ride! I have been given a great gift, by being added to the Praying Pelican Missions team. I will be in Minnesota, for a retreat and training, May 2-4. I am so excited what God will do through this opportunity! I know that He will continue to stretch, grow, and mold me into the servant He needs for me to be! It is sure to be a very interesting and life-changing summer....I can't wait to share!
Blessings!
Kristi