1000 Gifts Plus 366-29 & 30

This week went super fast....
We seem to be adjusting more and more to our new home.
The Lord has blessed us in so many areas.  We spend much more time together as a family because we are not as busy outside of the home.  Before we moved, we would often be out of the house almost every night of the week because of different ministries that both my husband, myself and even my teenage boy were in.  Now, because of change, the Lord has slowed us down.  I am so thankful for that!
Please, don't get me wrong, I know we are supposed to serve. But, my first ministry is my husband and children.  So many times, I would shove food down the kids mouth, kiss my husband quickly on the cheek and run out the door.  Not seeing him all day and then all night! Our priorities got a little out of whack. We were spinning our wheels.....
I have heard an acronym about being busy.  BUSY stands for Being Under Satan's Yoke.
This all to say....
We will serve again in some ministry in the future.... only by the Lord's guidance.  I have learned my lesson.  I will not be out of control and do too many all at the same time.

The pictures above are from a trail we go to on Fridays. I run on the trail and my kids tag along with their bikes.  My boy goes much faster and ends up doing 6 miles while my girlie girl and myself do 3.

I love this trail... It is mainly flat, so no hills! And I love that we do this together!

Continuing with my count to 1000 Gifts....

266. The trail....

267. My kids getting exercise with me.

268. The sunshine.

269. Simple Sunday afternoons.

270. New friends invited us for dinner.

271. Great conversations and a blessed evening : )

272. New friends for my kids that are strong in the Lord.

273. Monday mornings... fresh week.

274. New chair for my bedroom.

275. Completing some things on my to do list.

276. Framed art work.

277. Time last week with my friend Chris and her sweet girls.

278. Looking forward to Sally Clarkson's conference at the end of the week.

279. Finishing up the book of Hebrews with my kiddos and starting Ephesians.

280. Time with my sweet family.

Many Blessings,
Kim

366-28 Scripture and a Snapshot

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2

P52-4 Self Portrait Plus 366-27

This is week 4 of the P52.  Our assignment, if you choose to accept, is a self portrait.  So, I took this shot
in front of the mirror.  So here it is....

Blessings,
Kim

366-24-26

It rained the other day and I loved it! I did not want to leave the house....
Took my camera in the back yard and took some pics of the rain.

Blessings,
Kim

366-23 Plus 1000 Gifts!

This is my girlie girls picture.  She is having fun with my old camera.  I passed it down to her when I got my new one.  She loves it!

256. Quiet weekend...

257. Prayer....

258. My boy on his bike.... did a 20 mile ride yesterday!

259. With his new friend! Praise Jesus!

260. My girlie girl always doing something creative! Thankful!

261. Fun week coming up with our friends :)

262. New Friends...

263. Old Friends...

264. Rainy day today... loving it : )

265. Can't wait to see Chris and her girls.....

Please pray for my girl Denise's foster baby girl.  She found out yesterday that she has to have a heart transplant.  You can check her information out on her blog.The New Yorker That Loves Jesus

Blessings,
Kim

366-22

	Study to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

P52-3 I Had A Dream Plus 366-20 & 21

I had a dream.....
God answered my prayers and blessed me with not one but two beautiful babies.  Five years of praying, crying, getting tested, doctors appointments and finally God answered.  First in 1995 my boy and then four years later in 1999 my sweet girl!
God is so good to me!
When my kiddos were little, I used to tell them "How in all the world did I get the best little girl/boy and they would say excitedly "God."
These are my kids babies shoes.  My boy now wears a size 14 and my girlie girl wears my size.  Wow! How time flies!
God always keep His promises!
He is so good!

So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. Ezra 8:23 NLT


Blessings,
Kim

Running....

The above picture is of my girl Denise and my Army girl after a 10k (6 miles) Circa June 2010.

So I went on a run at lunch time.... yes, lunchtime...
Oh where oh where did my runs go? My early morning (6:30 AM) at least 3 miles a day run? Usually four times a week... Where???

We have lived in our new state for exactly 5 months now....
My runs have been hit and miss since about 2 weeks before the move. One big part, well, she is really not big, but one of the reasons it has been harder for me to run is because I left my running partner back home in the FLAT desert! Which, brings me to another reason running has been harder... HILLS!!!! Lots of hills! Okay, I call them mountains! It is not easy running up mountains... Oh, how I long for those long flat runs of the desert and the small New Yorker yelling at me to keep going!!!

I got a text from the New Yorker today... seems she is having the same discipline problem and has asked me to hold her accountable? ME? Uhh humm.... sure I tell her! I'll call you
at lunch in the morning!

So with that... I WANT to have a new resolve....
I want to get out and run!
Four times a week!
At least 3 miles...
Up hills...not really, but that is the only choice I have.  Other than the dreadmill....

Blessings,
Kim

366-19

This is taken by my girlie girl.  It is sooc.  One evening on our way home from Art class, I thought the sunset was beautiful so we went back to the house and got my camera.  Well, she wanted to try my camera and this is what she got. It was a beautiful sunset..... and she captured it perfect!

Blessings,
Kim

365-18

Loving my camera! Bokeh from my hotel window....
Blessings,
Kim

365-17

Beautiful Flowers for our daughter...
Blessings,
Kim

366-16 Plus 1000 Gifts!

Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him. Proverbs 14:31

We just recently finished a great book by Frances Chan called "Crazy Love."  I am not sure if any of you have read any of his books but I would say this book is so worth it! The book or the message in the book is definitely not a fun read.  It is hard core, get in your face, and really look at your walk with Jesus.  I mean come on, we only have a few short years on earth, what are we doing with it?? We read it as a family and it brought up many discussions about our faith, theology and of course some tears to.  

I want to be sold out for my Jesus! I don't want to waste this life feeling very COMFORTABLE!!! I can see how for many years I have been very comfortable and I feel the Lord nudging me "to get out there and show people who I Am"!

So, this week, I am going to live intentionally, and have my eyes open for opportunities that He gives me to LOVE!  Not just in my comfortable home, but EVERYWHERE!

Pick up the book.....

It is a good one....

So with that... I am still counting my 1000 Gifts!

246. My new grand baby

247. Eyes to see

248. Ears to hear

249. Holy Spirit in me to direct and use me

250. Four weeks at the same church... getting somewhere...

251. My children's laughter

252. Fun bike ride yesterday after church...

253. God's Word.. God's Word.... God's Word... We are so fortunate to be able to pick His word up and read it anytime....

254. My hubby...

255. My life...

I am ready Jesus!

Blessings,

Kim

365-15

Some of the old streets of Seattle.....

Blessings,
Kim

366-11-14

My trip to Seattle....
What a fun city! We did a whirlwind trip.  We went there for a couple of days to see our daughter and new grand baby. I was up all night watching my grand baby come into the world  then the next day instead of sleeping I went out to see the city.  My hubby has a job out there so he went to work.
We will be going back in about a month.  So, I will see more of the city then.  What a beautiful city and it was SUNNY!!! I heard that it rains all the time but not this time!

Blessings,
Kim

366-10 P52-2 Made With Love

Made with Love.....
I have been a couple days behind because of this little beauty!  We have a new grand daughter!  Here she is!  I was able to fly to Washington and see my grand baby come into this world! God is SO AMAZING!!!!!

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; 
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

1000 Gifts! 366-9

236.  A New Year!

237.  A cleaned out filing cabinet... 

238.  Starting back to school and getting back on schedule...

239.  A winner in our house this week : )

240.  Remembering my blessings in my children....

241.  A new grand baby coming next week... anticipation!

242.  Back on track with my running...

243.  Time in God's word with my kiddos...

244.  Finishing a GREAT book!

245.  Getting my home back in order...putting all the decorations away...

Always remember to count your blessings! It is so easy to be so busy and to forget what the Lord has done.

 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
      Let the whole world know what he has done.
1 Chronicles 16:8 NLT

Many Blessings,

Kim

366-8

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains
and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and
all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."
Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)

My Girlie Girl in Action

My girlie girl has been taking art classes since the end of October. Her art teacher told us about an art competition in our city and we entered one of her pastel drawings.  Out of 800 students she was picked as one of the top 20!  We were so honored for her to be chosen.  We went to the ceremony to see if she would be chosen as "People Choice."  We made an evening of it.  Went to dinner, walked around, looked at the art and then waited for the announcement.  As we were waiting, my girlie girl whispers in my ear "Remember Mom, it is an honor for me to even be in the top 20!" Umm, yes, I know... I am thinking... I am the one that is supposed to be saying that to you! Anyway, they announce the winners for 1st through 4th... and then onto her age group 5th-8th... AND SHE WON!!!!  Both her daddy and I got teary eyed! I could not even get my camera out fast enough! We were so excited and proud of her!  She is so talented!

Blessings,
Kim


Psalm 113:9 He gives the childless woman a family,
      making her a happy mother.
   Praise the Lord! NLT

366-7

We have had Spring like weather here.....
Yesterday, on my run, I was HOT! I wore pants and thought for sure I need to wear shorts today.  Shorts??? January 6th? Crazy!
Blessings,
Kim

366-6 Resolution P52 Week 1

DISCIPLINE....
That sums up my New Year's Resolution.
And it all starts here.... in His Word!
Without it...everything we do is for nothing.
When God is first, everything else will come to order...

Blessings,
Kim

366-5

SOOC...

Blessings,
Kim

Happy Birthday My Sweet Friend!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.” (NIV)

Happy Birthday My Sweet Friend Lisa!

God is so good to me!  I have some of the best friends ever!  My girl, Lisa, is one of them!  We have been through thick and thin together.  Literally!  She was one of my first running partners... uh hum...
We did a 5 k back in the day : )

God put her in my life just in time.... He used her to help me through some difficult times when we were facing infertility.. ugh, that was hard.  When my husband could not go to the doctor's appointments with me, she was there.  Right next to me asking all the hard questions.  When I got the call that I was not pregnant AGAIN, she was there for me to cry on her shoulder.  One time I was actually at her house for an annual cookie exchange that we have done for about 20 years when I got the call.  The picture above is of my girlie girl with Lisa making her home made italian cookies at our last cookie exchange.

Now, we are raising our kids together...the Lord answered our prayers. Our boys are the same age and have been best buds for life.  I always go to her when I need to talk about what to do with our kiddos.
Oh, and did I mention, she is the reason I started home schooling? And on good days I am thankful for that... but on bad days, I blame her.  (Keeping it real!)

Most importantly, Lisa is an awesome example to me! She is a wonderful wife, incredible mother and is SOLD OUT to Jesus!

Can you tell I LOVE HER???

I AM BLESSED!

oh, and by the way, Lisa can you watch my kids???
Just saying!

Blessings,
Kim

366-4

This is it! No more Christmas stuff!
Blessings,
Kim

366-2 & 3

Taking down my decorations but had to try bokeh again!  Just one last ornament on the tree and had to try to get it in focus...

Also, using my 50 mm lens to get an up close and personal view of the last two M&M's.
Yum!
Now to diet and run! Ugh! I have put that off long enough!
Blessings,
Kim

365-1 2012!

Happy New Year! 2012!