The Modern Christian Bride

Books, books, books...that I read this month!

2012-01-31T06:56:00.000-05:00

I finished December and started January by reading this book that I was given for Christmas:

People have always had strong opinions about Sarah Palin, and I feel like she is one of those people (like Glen Beck) who others (even some Christians) feel that it is okay to hate (even though Jesus said not to hate, ya'll). Even though I don't always agree with everything that she says or does, I've always had a sort of fascination with her, and I very much enjoyed reading this book. In the book, Sarah Palin reflects on a wide array of issues that shape her thinking and way of life, as well as her goals for the country. She is frankly honest in this book, and I can tell that it is her voice throughout the chapters.

Next I read a Grandma Doris loaner:

This book was the kind of book that I enjoyed curling up under a blanket and reading each night--it was so cute and real and witty! The characters were refreshingly real people, and they experienced real problems and real challenges. The book is about a woman named Lucy who runs a non-profit organization that had its funding pulled. Enter Alex, a former professional football player who needs a fiancee to win his bid for Congress, and a suggestion that she poses as his fiancee and he gives her the money for her organization. This was a sparkly romance, a real treat to read!

Seth had been wanting for me to read this book ever since I gave it to him for Christmas in 2010 and he enjoyed it so much:

Oh. My. Word. As a fan of VeggieTales, I was very interested in this book. I wasn't sure if I could follow all the tech and geek terms in it, but I learned a lot about things that I had no idea about. No Big Idea about. (grin) Phil Vischer really was incredibly innovative and far ahead for his time, and his telling of his story--how a young, Bible college dropout became responsible for one of the world's biggest hit kid shows, and then its spiral into bankruptcy is incredibly raw. Business owners and tech lovers alike will enjoy and learn from this book. I know that I did.

And finally...I literally read this book in like 20 minutes (it is only about 50 pages). It had been recommended to me, and when I stopped by Barnes and Noble to pick it up, it was all sold out! I ordered it off of Amazon and read it while I was in my sick bed this weekend (LOL):

I would say that this is a must read--one of the big, influential books of our times. Andy Andrews asks very powerful, right questions as he provocatively explores the number of people killed by the Nazi regime. This book is a wake-up call--not intended to point fingers at Republicans or Democrats--but rather for each one of us to become informed, passionate citizens who desire honesty and integrity from our leaders. I thoroughly, highly recommend this book. Especially because it has quotes like this:

"It is a fact that fewer than 10 percent of Germany's population of 79.7 million people actively worked or campaigned to bring about Hitler's change. Even at the height of its power in 1945, the Nazi political party boasted only 8.5 million members. So the remaining 90 percent of Germans....did what? Stood by? Watched? Essentially, yes....Incredibly, there are currently 545 human beings who are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for every problem America faces....To be clear, that's 545 of them and 311 million of us. Can 311 million Americans ever hope to wrestle the power away from 545?"

So, whatcha reading this month?

Complimentary, my dear Watson

2012-01-30T06:48:00.000-05:00

Do you take time to compliment your spouse? And, I'm not talking in the gushing flattery kind of way where it sounds fake either.

For instance, our elderly neighbor often asks Seth to come and help her fix things or move boxes in (and sometimes if Seth is walking in and notices that she needs help, he just does it). Don't get me wrong, I help her out as well when she needs it (if I can. I stink at fixing things) and take her little baked goods now and then, but Seth is stronger and better at fixing things (and he is home more than I am), so he usually does the big tasks. Last night she knocked on our door and asked if Seth could fix her VCR, so he went over and did it. Later that evening as we were both puttering around, I stopped and hugged him from behind, kissed him on the back of his shoulder and said, "I love how kind you are."

Or, sometimes Seth will look at me and just out-of-the-blue say, "You are so beautiful on the inside and outside." He melts my heart, let me tell ya!

Words are so important in any relationship, but they are especially important in a marriage (even if your spouse's love language is not words of affirmation). We all know that words can build and words can tear down. Let's find some way to compliment our spouses today! And give it a little more umph than, "I love how you finally cleaned up the kitchen today."

Grin.

2012-01-28T07:28:00.000-05:00

Six years ago, I led a women's Bible study at my church for career women. In spite of the fact that we span about 12 years in our ages (I am the baby of the group, lol) and are all at different stages of life (some of us are married, single, have kids, don't have kids), we all got along so well that we decided to periodically get together to catch up and connect over dinner or baking days or things of that nature. We don't need to see each other or talk to each other every week (although some times we do), so we don't feel bad or feel slighted or get angry if we are busy. We just enjoy getting together when we can (and we almost always close down the Thai restaurant that we like to go to because we gab and laugh...especially when I walk through the front door of the restaurant and see this randomnity:

...and encourage each other for so long and so late). I don't need to tell you how dear these women are to me. We have such a sweet time together and each time I leave, I feel like my soul has been fed and encouraged. And, without a doubt, I know that everyone else feels the same.

Last night I was reminded as to exactly how much we had been through together when one of the ladies said, "Kirsten, I'm reading this book called Visioneering by Andy Stanley, and I have thought of you through so much of the book."

"In a good way?" I questioned with a smile.

"Yes, yes," she said, "I just remember when we first met you and you said that your dream was to own a Christian dance studio, and now here you are, doing it!"

Six years ago, when the dance studio was just a whisper--a dream in my heart--that I could not even fathom, these ladies knew about it and encouraged me through it. It dawned on me that they have been through so much of it with me through their prayers and encouragement and support. Carri's daughter takes classes there, Chris is my accountant, Karen is such an encourager and prayer warrior, and Kristen and Michele have run concessions and been room mothers and hostesses throughout the years of recitals and events. They all have the hearts of servants and encouragers and cheerleaders. And then, as I reflected on it even more, I was (and am) so thankful because as women we are really not meant to walk this journey alone.

God is so faithful to give us meaningful friendships. How about you? Do you have a special group of girlfriends?

Light

2012-01-26T06:49:00.000-05:00

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

-Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

The Past Few Weeks in Pics

2012-01-25T07:01:00.000-05:00

So, I've been meaning to write several blog entries that have to do with these pics, but apparently I could not make the leap between getting the cord thingy that attaches the camera to my computer to make the magic of downloading happen. Or is it uploading? I have no idea and Seth is in the other room. So, in no particular order, here are some pics from the past few weeks....Photo Dump Friday is featured on Wednesday this week. ;)

At the beginning of January, Dad and I took our annual father/daughter date to the Farm Show, which is a big deal in these parts, and we love it!

The Don King of Ducks:

The famous butter sculpture:

Dad entered this sweepstakes. Oh yes, he did!

My little buddy Nolan turned two, and Seth and I went to his birthday party:

Nolan is very much into construction, so here was his cake, and it was super yummy!

This is the one non-blurry pic I got of Nolan. His grandmother made him a little futon that he loves with Cars characters on it, and one of the gifts Seth and I got him was a Cars blanket that he loves to have while he sits on his futon throne.

This is a blurry pic, but it was one of my proud wife moments when Seth, Dad, and Andy sucked the helium from the balloons and sang "Happy Birthday" to Nolan. We all could not stop laughing!

And lastly, here are a few pics from my weekend in VA Beach....

April's Mom (who passed away two years ago) made this diaper cake for April's sister's baby shower, and April's sister saved it to have at April's shower.

Yummy cake...don't you love that pea pod??

Me and April.

April and Aric opening a gift from their friend Anna...a sweet homemade blanket!

The parents to be!

Road Trip Conversations

2012-01-23T11:12:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend I road-tripped down to Virginia (and I'm going to try to put pics up tomorrow). I stopped in Fredericksburg to visit one of my dear friends (and Geneva college roomie) Tiana before heading down to VA Beach to visit my long-time best friend April. Seth had to work and was not able to come with me this time. When he called me when I was half-way down, he said, "Are you listening to your praise music, baby?" Because that is usually what I do, and he knows me well. My car is not nicknamed by the studio kids "The Praize-yes, with a z- Mobile" for nothing. This time, however, I decided that I was going to pull out the entire CD set of "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place" (taught by Beth Moore) that I have and listen to the entire thing.

I needed to take time to be fed on the journey, so sometimes I listened to the CDs and other times the Lord and I had some conversations. Sometimes I turned off the noise and just listened and looked at the scenery as I drove. I needed a rest, a reprieve, and apparently God knew I needed a fresh word from Him (I love how He works like that). Because He gave it to me. I can't share all of it with you at this time, but I soon will. For now, it is marked down in my journal. No, I did not write while I was driving...but later! (grin)

And then I realized how often God uses the time that I am traveling alone to speak to me. Whether it is by giving me words through road signs ("Caution: Expect Delays") or using other folks to give insight along the way, or even by stopping the middle of a movie on a plane trip back from Israel to tell me "Now is the time to open your dance studio!", He tends to use my travel time to give me a fresh word. I'm pretty sure it's because I am confined to a seat and not able to move for hours, and He has my full attention.

This time, one of His messages was clear: DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO SPEAK UNBELIEF TO YOU. I so needed to hear that. Praise Him.

How about you? Is there a specific place where God most speaks to you?

Life is a Disney Movie

2012-01-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

The movie character that I am most compared to is Amy Adams' character Giselle in "Enchanted." I sing and dance and have a general optimistic outlook on life and people. Life is much more fun that way. Yesterday I delivered a piece of mail to a coworker with a song and she said, "Life is not a musical, Kirsten." (grin)

I am a huge fan of Disney movies. I can quote most every line and sing every song. Since they are rereleasing them into the theater in 3D, I was excited to see "Beauty and the Beast" come out because that is my all-time favorite one for many reasons (I have always loved the story from the classic before it was a Disney, Belle gets to wear a beautiful dress, and the Beast proves his love to Belle by giving her the library. I keep threatening Seth that we are going to have a library like that when we have a house someday and he keeps threatening to get me a Kindle!). I love "Mulan," and my Mom always used to say that I looked like "Cinderella." Apparently when I was little, my brother and I used to watch "Sleeping Beauty" over and over and over again until our VHS wore out.

"Life is NOT a Disney movie," the jaded among us might say. Pain happens, bad things happen, the Prince does not come riding in on his horse--rather he sits on the couch eating Doritos.... Somewhere along the way we lost our princess crown and became just a wee bit cynical. And I don't blame anyone. It just happens. Earthly people, earthly princes, earthly situations and circumstances let us down. We stop seeking adventure and we close our hearts and our souls to life and love.

So go ahead...put a little dance in your step today. Sing a little song. Enjoy the wonders of life. Love richly and fully. And remember, girls, there is a heavenly Prince who is perfect and will never let you down.

Underqualified

2012-01-15T18:53:00.001-05:00

You are underqualified.

And you know what the worst part was? I believed that lie. I sank down into that pit. And, like an animal that rolls around in its own dirt, I stayed there nice and long, keeping company with my morose thoughts.

Why is it easier to believe lies than to face the truth? Lies destroy relationships, careers, lives. The truth sets us free, restores, and gives hope. Yet, we choose to face the severity of falsehood over the freedom of truth because we're comfortable there. We're okay with the fact that we are never expected to be better than we are--to live a life worthy of the calling we have in Christ. We're okay with mediocrity, with not having to resolve broken relationships, with not having to step outside of our comfort zone--especially when the truth calls us to do all of the above and often in the most unlikely of ways.

Labels are especially hard to shake--especially the ones we give ourselves.

And as I was in that place of self-pity for some time this fall, the Lord snapped me out of it by saying:

You're right. You are underqualified.

"Uh, excuse me, Lord? That's not very Dr. Phil-like of you," I said back.

But I will qualify you, just as I have always done for you and for all those who serve me.

Just that morning I had read the story of Noah, and I reflected back on the other "greats" in our faith--how they were the most unlikely of people, but had the greatest adventures with God. They were all underqualified as well, but God used their weaknesses to make Himself known. So I guess that means you and I are in good company.

Will You Stand?

2012-01-11T06:56:00.000-05:00

Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States. I had an entire blog post, pre-written over the weekend and dedicated to this day, but I was really feeling like my post did not do justice to the abolitionist cause or to the millions of victims of modern day slavery. So instead, I'll let these two facts speak for themselves and invite you to read and formulate your own opinion:

*Human trafficking is the second largest global organized crime today, generating over 31 million dollars annually.

*It is estimated that over 27 million people have been trafficked in just the 20th century.

When we read the facts, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the large numbers of victims, and it is even easier to see them as a lump sum instead of individual victims. But as long as there is just one victim of human trafficking, we need to keep working for justice. There are three organizations that I would like to highlight for you to read about and get involved in, if you so desire. They have even more facts and more information on their websites:

A21
Love146
International Justice Mission

We as Americans have been trained to feel like we are victims of injustice every day, but injustice in the Bible was a particular type of sin--an abuse of power, to take from people that which God intended for them--their life, their liberty, their dignity, and the fruit of their labors (Ecclesiastes 4:1). God did not intend for us to hold our fellow men and women in slavery, but rather to do justly by them, to love mercy for them, and to walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).

Will you stand with the victims of human trafficking?

Along Came a Spider

2012-01-10T07:14:00.000-05:00

Prince Caspian and I do not particularly care for spiders. He's not one of those cats who will hunt them (he will hunt other bugs, just not spiders), and I am not one of those women who appreciates the finer qualities of spiders. I will squash or transplant them if I have the necessary equipment, but I don't really like to.

Seth and I both had a very long day yesterday, so when my alarm went off first this morning, I quietly slid out of bed so as not to wake him up. A few minutes later I sat down at my computer to do some work and PC plopped down on the floor next to my feet. We were both very tired and sort of bleary-eyed, when what before our eyes did appear? Not a miniature sleigh with eight tiny reindeer, but a huge spider.

Ick.

I was barefoot. Caspian was bare-pawed. Seth would be mad if I threw my laptop at the wall to kill the spider. The spider was quickly moving across the wall and I had no weapon in sight. Wide awake, I told Caspian to keep an eye on the spider and then hustled back to our bedroom and opened the door. Seth did not stir. Poor man. I felt a little guilty.

"Baby," I tentatively whispered. Still nothing. I tried a little louder this time. "Baby!"

"Yes, baby?" he murmured.

My sad tale of woe came out in one sentence: "I was at my computer and there's a really big spider on the wall and it's going to come and get me and Caspian and can you come out and get it?" As I said this, I hopped from one foot to the other as if the spider had followed me from the other room. You think I kid. It's happened before.

My man is my superhero. He rolled out of bed, put on his glasses, grabbed a tissue, and came out. "Where is it?" I pointed it out. He didn't make fun of it's size and say that it wasn't big. He didn't lecture me on waking him up. He swooped in and got the spider and said, "Got it! No spider comes after my baby."

Are you a spider friend or a spider foe?

In the Lesser Role

2012-01-08T08:34:00.001-05:00

One of my young friends auditioned for a play--her first time auditioning in this particular theater group. She had a wonderful audition prepared, and she did such a fantastic job at this audition that she felt that she was a shoe-in for a particular role. The director and producer, having seen all the other wonderful auditions for the show decided that this young girl needed a chance to mature in her acting and learn the ropes of the theater before being given a large part, so they cast her in the show and placed her in the company (meaning that she would be part of the cast, but relegated to the role of townsperson X). Her mother (who had never been in theater before either) asked for my advice as she said to me, "She really wanted a large part, so I don't think she's going to do the show. What do you think?"

I think that my young friend is in good company. Don't we all feel that way at times? We are so ready for the next big thing or the next stage of life (no pun intended) that we do not take time to enjoy where we are at.

Oh, but there is such value to being in a small role. And I explained this to the parent (and to all parents who come to me with this particular problem)--the great lessons that her daughter would learn as a company member. She would learn what it means to work together as a team. She could take this as an opportunity to study those who earned a larger role and to really improve on her craft. She could learn that every single part in theater is valuable and necessary to producing a show. She might discover that she has a knack for something that she didn't expect such as costuming or stage lighting or even a different style of acting. She could learn to be a servant.

Whenever we are in a lesser role on the stage and in life, the possibilities are endless. Because we give Him the opportunity to become greater.

Inconceivable!

2012-01-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

I am a huge fan of movies and movie quotes. I like to sprinkle them at random, appropriate (or inappropriate) times in conversation. My most quoted movie in conversation is A Knight's Tale, but I love to quote many many movies. So when a friend was having trouble with her voicemail and asked me to leave her a message to test things out, I knew that there was no other recourse than to leave this classic, classic movie quote on her message:

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

I sat and waited for it to pop up on her phone. When it did, her laughter rang out loud and clear. Our other friend said, "You are a one-woman circus show, Kirsten."

What's your most-quoted movie quote?

Shana Tova (Happy New Year)!

2012-01-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012!

Before I shelved my 2011 journal yesterday (or last year...heh heh, I never get tired of making those jokes. For instance, I'm glad I ate this morning. I haven't done that since last year. I crack myself up), I took some time to reflect on the year 2011. It was a typical year for Seth and me which, if any of you know us well, was not a typical year at all. But through it all, God taught me some great lessons in patience, humility, perseverence, and those are the things that I can just share publicly . In the process of allowing Him to change me, He worked to get rid of every single ounce of me, thus giving me amazing freedom served with His amazing grace.

The old is gone.

And now it's 2012. Twenty twelve. Two thousand and twelve. The year of our Lord two thousand and twelve. A new year and time for a new start.

Don't we all welcome one of those? A new start? A clean slate?

The new has come.

This morning I cracked open a new journal that I was given for Christmas (I love doing that every January 1), and as I stared at all the blank pages waiting to be filled and this part of my story that is yet to be written, I thanked God for new beginnings and the opportunity to let Him write the pages of my story.

What are you celebrating on this New Year's Day?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation! The old has gone, the new is here!"

-2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

It's Birthday Time (for Seth!)

2011-12-30T07:32:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to my one and only, the marvelously talented, endlessly patient, loving, generous, funny, charming, and creative Seth.

Here is my 2009 birthday post. We celebrated with his family by having them all over for make-your-own-pizzas, and my parents took us out to dinner later in the week.

Here is my 2010 birthday post. He turned 30 last year, so I threw him a big party at the beginning of December, and then, in lieu of gifts at his request, took him to Jim Thorpe for a fun, overnight getaway. If you've never been to Jim Thorpe and you like to hike, you should totally go. It's a small, cute little town in the Poconos. Seth and I definitely got lost and took the long way up the mountain:

But were rewarded with extreme beauty once we got to the top (Seth took this pic and I love it!):

Which, I must say, has been much like our separate lives before marriage and our life together.

When I asked Seth how he wanted to celebrate his birthday this year, he decided that he wanted to relax and enjoy some good food. And, if you have known Seth for any length of time you know that the man loves to eat good food. So, his birthday week has been centered around food this year! My parents took us to Fogo de Chao, Seth's parents took us to Lily's on Main, and I am taking Seth to a new Asian restaurant in our area tonight. Mmmm....my man has been in heaven! Do we all know him well or what? :)

Happy birthday to you, Seth, my beloved and best friend. There is no one else who I would rather be with in this journey of life, and no one who holds my heart like you do.

I love you, babe.

Always and forever.

The Christmas Cat

2011-12-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve is traditionally Seth's and my time together. We will go to church with family and often have people back to our place afterwards for dessert amidst Christmas music and the glorious lights of the Christmas tree. After all, your hospitality is as big as your heart and not your home. Then, once our tiny home clears out, Seth and I will pop open a bottle of sparkling grape juice, relax together, and open our gifts to each other. We've always done that. It's a chance for us to be romantic and relax.

The Fur Child also joins us, for he gets some Christmas gifts as well...

Prince Caspian is a cat who is, sort of, well...unique and carniverous. And we love that about him. He usually demolishes his toys very quickly, so at Christmas we get him a few new ones to enjoy. It's really hysterical to watch him. He gets excited when Seth and I open our gifts, and he especially gets excited when I say, "Okay, Prince. It's your turn."

He pulls the gift out of his stocking...

Daintily shreds the tissue paper...

When that doesn't work, he rabbit kicks it open (we have to make it semi-challenging for him or else he gets bored and walks away. He is so like me! Yep, I rabbit kick things too!)...

And then finally, relaxes with his "kill."

Whew. It's hard work being a cat at Christmastime...

A Year of Simplifying and My New Word for 2012

2011-12-27T07:20:00.000-05:00

Last year I decided that my theme word and goals for 2011 would revolve around one word: simplify. Throughout this year I've been focusing on simplifying all aspects of my life to allow more time to spend with the Lord, spend with my husband, and give myself some margin time. (I am automatically a better person when I have all of these things in my life, and it reflects in the other aspects of my life.) I'm not going to lie, it was hard to simplify (hey, I'm a poet and I did not know it!) at first. But once I started cutting out, I realized that I was gifted more room for much more of what really matters. And, I lived a more fruitful 2011 in the process.

What did I do to simplify?

I cut out: As often as I could, I took the Sabbath to rest and worship the Lord and spend time with Seth. Yes, there were definitely some weeks where I had to work on Sundays, but I tried to resist the urge to get a jump start on responding to emails on Sunday night. The Lord moved Seth and I out of a church plant that we were a part of, and into a church where we could just sit and worship Him. I de-cluttered our home this summer, and it was so nice to find homes for things and actually use things instead of shoving them in my closet or cabinet x. I made the decision to turn off my computer and phone at a certain time each evening no matter how much work I had left to do, and even though there were still times when I had to pull late nighters, it felt great not having to every single night.

I made changes: During the school year, Seth and I came to realization that we do not have to make gourmet meals every single night of the week. Instead, we might do a big, creative meal (because my husby likes to get crazy in the kitchen--mess and all) once or twice a week, and small three-ingredient meals every other night. We simplified our Christmas shopping this year by getting together with friends for a game night and baked potato bar rather than buying each other gifts (and it was so much fun, too!).

There were many other things I did to simplify this year.

It's been a challenging year, but in the process...

My marriage has become stronger. I experienced the freedom of having more margin time in my life. I learned that it is okay to say no. The Lord refined me in ways that I never imagined He would because I made more room for Him.

It has been awesome.

And so, over the past several weeks I have been reflecting on what God would like me to focus on in 2012. What would He like to teach me in this new year? Several words flitted in and out of my mind: connecting...grace...listening.... All of these are good words and things that I would like to improve on in the coming year, but just last week as Seth and I were sitting in a show, the Lord impressed one word on my heart:

Launch.

As in rocket ship????? I questioned the peculiar word.

"Launch," He said again.

Stay tuned for the ride to come....

A Christmas Memory

2011-12-22T07:29:00.000-05:00

The weatherman said that the last time we had a white Christmas (where it actually snowed on Christmas Day) in this area was in 2002. I remember that Christmas well because it is one of my favorite Christmases of all time....

I had graduated high school that spring and just completed my first semester at Geneva. After working hard with my classes and in the fall theater production (and having so much fun with my friends as well), I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my family and a nice, long break. My grandparents drove two hours to join us on Christmas Day. My Mom, always the hospitable sort, had invited some of their friends to join us as well. We had a lovely morning and afternoon of opening gifts, eating yummy food, chatting, and playing games when it started to snow. Our friends left to head home, but my grandparents stayed. And then, due to the eight inches of snow and fierce winds, our power went out.

Because it was a stormy, winter evening, our entire house and neighborhood was shrouded in darkness. Light exploded into our house as Dad built a roaring fire in the fireplace and we all gathered around it. We played games, shared favorite Christmas memories, and did lots of laughing. Even the family cat, Copper, gathered close so as not to miss any time with his family. I remember going to sleep that night around 8PM and getting a wonderful night's sleep. The power had come on some time during the night, and yet, when I woke up the next morning the magic of the day before still lingered. It was truly a special Christmas....

As an adult I have found each Christmas getting better and better, in its own unique way. There was that Christmas Eve in 2005 where I choreographed a Narnia dance (complete with a splitting table borrowed from the Messiah College theater department) and the fledgling dance ministry performed it at the three Christmas Eve services at our church. Alas, all my pictures from Narnia are not scanned in (I wish they were because Suzannah's Aslan make-up was awesome), but here is one of me, Suzannah, and Deb...

One year, Michele, Sherri, Cyndi, Mom, and I took a trip to NYC to see the Rockettes (love them!). This trip was Sherri's infamous comment to Cyndi, "I know someone who would be perfect for you, but he's married. Well, he's filing for divorce." And this was also where Mom decided that the sidewalk was too crowded and walked up the street. In NYC. At Christmastime. Haha! So many great memories! Here Michele, Cyndi, and I pose in front of Rockafellar Center...

And one of my favorite pictures of Gramom, Popop, Josh, Emily, and I from Christmas 2006....

Of course, in 2008, my first Christmas with the studio and with Seth....we had just gotten engaged and he had just been laid off from his job. We were so broke, but we were so in love. It didn't matter what the future held because we would be going at it together. I should also mention that this Christmas we saw God's provision in a fantastic and awesome way!

Our first married Christmas in 2009...so great!

Our second married Christmas, in 2010...This picture of us with our "nephew" Nolan cracks us up because he was clearly NOT into having his picture taken for posterity.

Here I am with some of my dancers who performed at the Navy Depot Holiday Program:

Each year our Christmases get better and better. It's so much fun to celebrate with treasured family, friends, and fellow dancers. We look forward to having many more memories!

A Prince and His Half Wall at Christmastime

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our apartment has this lovely little half wall that Prince Caspian loves to hang out on (and survey his kingdom from, of course). 46 weeks out of the year, I do not do too much with the half wall because it is his and he likes to walk around and lounge around on it. See in the picture below how I even have a quilt draped over for decor and for him to hang out on. (And, Prince Caspian also has a penchant for knocking things off of high places for the distinct pleasure of watching them fall and crash on the ground.)

But at Christmastime, I love to decorate the half wall with greenery, baubles, and the first few of our Christmas cards that arrive.

I am especially a fan of this adorable, old-fashioned lamp that I found last year....

We also hang our stockings from the half wall with care. Many people ask me why we do not have matching stockings and the answer is...I do not care for things to be too matchy matchy. I like things to be eclectic and distinctive and come together on their own. Plus, Santa would be confused if they were all alike. ;)

But alas, the Prince does not understand why the half wall is his for every other week out of the year except during the Christmas season, so he often scrambles up onto the half wall and wreaks havoc. He knocks cards down and greenery off, and more than once we have found a graveyard of half-chewed fake berries on the ground beneath it. So Seth pulls out ye olde squirt bottle...his nemesis.

And then Prince Caspian has a choice to make.

Giving Peace

2011-12-19T07:18:00.000-05:00

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and when He was born the angels announced, "Peace on earth, and good will to all men." So why is it that we experience anything but peace during this time of year in our homes, relationships, and seasonal activities? How can we give peace to our fellow sojourners in the journey of life?

1. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart first (Colossians 3:15). Do you ever notice that when you are not feeling at peace with yourself, you are 100x more sensitive to other people's quirks and way more difficult to be around? When we allow the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, that peace flows from us and to those around us--no matter the situation that we are in. And, we become less sensitive to what someone said or how they acted toward us because we are at peace with who we are before God first and foremost.

2. Promote peace, as far as it depends on you (Romans 12:18). This verse has been especially poignant to me over the past two years. I have a lot of friends and close family members and generally tend to get along with everyone, but there are a few people who do not care for me and thus make life a little more interesting at times. :) And, after I have done everything that God has called me to do in restoring or repairing a relationship, sometimes I just have to let it go. Be kind and polite and cordial to people, and as far as it depends on you, promote peace with them. But, recognize that it is not your fault if they do not respond in similar fashion. Give the relationship to God, and who knows how He will restore things down the road?

3. Remember that "blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9), not peacekeepers. I have always found it interesting that God calls us to make peace, which is definitely not passive (or passive aggressive) in nature, and not merely keep peace. We have all got into conflict with people in our lives at one time or another, but making peace is not a call for retreat during those times (yes, even those times when we would feel more peaceful if we walked away and ignored the situation!). Sometimes it requires taking a stand in a tough situation, going against the popular tide, and yes, sometimes it requires loving, but firm confrontation.

As we move into the final week of the Christmas season this week, let us keep peace first and foremost on our minds and our hearts as we interact with family, friends, coworkers, and random other people who cross our paths. When our lives become less about us and more about HIM and more about others, we promote peace and make our heavenly Father proud. Why don't we all give some peace this Christmas season?

"...for they shall be called sons of God."
-Matthew 5:9b

Giving Joy

2011-12-18T06:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas is one week away, and as many of us are still finishing up our shopping, starting our baking for the holiday gatherings, and debating about how much we need to clean of our home to prepare for the relatives coming to town, I wonder if we've given thought to a great gift to give (and not just at Christmastime, either) strangers, acquaintences, coworkers, friends, and family....

The gift of joy. A most beautifully packaged gift to give, indeed.

You can give it with a touch of humor.... To make the seemingly long eight counts that my five and six year old ballet students have to hold their passe' at the barre go a bit quicker, I say in a singsong voice, "Hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold!" To which they always giggle at the end. Last week I started singing to the tune of "O Christmas Tree" :

O holding tree, o holding tree,

How lovely are thy passe's!

The kids fell out of their passe's because they were trying not to laugh, which caused me to giggle as well, and brought joy to all of our faces and a sense of merriment to their last class before Christmas break.

You can give it with grace.... Sometimes unreturned texts, phone calls, Facebook posts, or emails are just that and nothing else. We never know what another person is dealing with or going through--especially at this time of the year, so sometimes giving joy means giving grace as well--EVEN IF THEY DO NOT EXTEND THAT SAME GRACE TO YOU AND ME.

You can give it with encouragement.... Encouraging the people in our lives requires joy. When you are at a good place in your own life before God and with yourself, you can freely give encouragement to others without feeling the ugly feelings of bitterness and resentment. Some people have the gift of encouragement, where it just flows freely and genuinely from their lips, and others have to work to give it. But we should all give it. It is a lifeline.

How will you give joy in this crazy, busy, fun, wonderful week before Christmas?

Not my Gumdrop Buttons!

2011-12-15T06:42:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, Seth and I took a trip to Longwood Gardens with his parents and brother Devon. If you live in, live near, or are visiting Pennsylvania and have never been to Longwood Gardens, particularly at Christmas time, you are in for quite a treat because they do it right. Each year, the gardeners and designers spend hundreds of hours changing the gardens over to a different, spectacular Christmas theme.

If you visit Longwood Gardens at Christmastime remember...
*They have timed ticket entry to limit the number of people who are enjoying the gardens at the same time. Due to traffic issues, Seth and I were about 45 minutes late to our ticket entry time, but they still let us in. Whew! ;)
*Wear sturdy walking shoes and your winter gear. You have to walk a lot indoors and outdoors. Seth and I were actually directed to a different parking lot in a giant field and then bussed over and dropped off right at the doorway to Longwood Gardens. It was great for us, but you do need to walk a lot if you go into the gardens!
*Purchase your tickets in advance. Way in advance.

The theme of this year's decor was Gingerbread Men...

They had an entire room dedicated to Gingy (we were making Shrek references all day). It smelled heavenly! The houses you see below are different buildings at Longwood Gardens made Gingerbread-style.

Longwood Gardens has a pipe organ, and they have someone there giving carol sing-a-long concerts, so we went to that. Here's Mom and Dad K warming up their vocal chords:

And Devon and Seth posing like Gingy.

We walked among many of the beautifully decorated indoor rooms at Longwood Gardens....

Last year when we visited Longwood at Christmastime, it was pouring down freezing rain so we weren't able to enjoy much of the outdoor decorations until this year....

And here are some of the people pictures that I took...

Devon with the old man cacti...

Seth and I jokingly refer to this hat as my Russian princess hat. I love it and it keeps me so warm! :)

It's always fun to see the beauty of God's creation creatively organized into a fun family experience. Do you have gardens like this in your area that you like to visit? If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Giving Hope

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Looking for a last minute gift idea this season? Give the gift of hope!

*Note: All the organizations listed below are ones that Seth and I have personally donated to and trust. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all the wonderful charitable organizations out there, but rather an idea-giver to get you thinking. Last year a crazy person anonymously wrote some nasty things about some of these organizations on my blog, and I would ask that if you have any personal issues with these organizations that you keep it to yourself or contact me privately so that we can engage in a discussion and not destroy the integrity of these organizations. Thank ya! :)

Heifer International and Compassion International are two wonderful organizations that allow you to purchase animals to send to people in developing countries, and they teach the recipient how to work with the animal and best use it for their family. One Christmas I purchased a hive of bees from Heifer for my grandparents, and I wrote a special poem for them to open on Christmas Day. They LOVED it, and your family and friends will, too. Compassion also has other areas for donation such as sponsoring a child or donating money to their work to stop the drought in Africa.

Mercy House Kenya is a safe, guarded house that gives women who might have chosen abortion a safe place to deliver their babies, and the opportunity to live at the Rehema (Swahili word for Mercy) House for 2-4 years so that they learn how to nurture their babies and earn a sustainable, healthy income to support themselves. It's a great organization that desires to "do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God" and teach the women of Kenya to do the same.

Think locally as well! Consider giving a donation to your local Pregnancy Center, Salvation Army, or youth center to help a child or family in need. This year the ladies in my 9-5 office decided that, instead of purchasing gifts for each other, that we would adopt a senior through the Salvation Army. It was great fun and gave us the opportunity to focus on others instead of ourselves! Also, consider giving to your church. This year some of the studio kids donated some money in my name to a women's safe house in Jordan. I loved it. There are so many opportunities right in your hood. :)

Also, think of your friends or family members who might be adopting a child and trying to raise money. My college roommate and dear friend from a lifetime ago at Geneva College is in the process of adopting a child with her husband. They are raising some of their money through an organization called Just Love Coffee that sells Fair Trade, organic, and shade-grown coffee beans. Not only do they sell delicious coffee, but in just two years of business they have donated so much money to adoption funds, non-profit organizations, and the arts.

And finally, this is an organization that I have not personally donated to, but have been hearing a lot about this year...Krochet Kids! You can check out their website for some great info.

When Jesus was born in a dirty stable to poor, unexperienced parents, He brought hope and fulfilled God's promise--that one day a Redeemer would come and save the world. How can we celebrate that hope this Christmas? By giving to others...in Jesus' Name.

Blessed is She

2011-12-12T06:50:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been reading and studying and meditating on the prophecies that foretold the birth of Christ in Scripture, and for the past several days I have been reading the different accounts of Christ's birth in the Gospels. It's been a total and complete God-thing how I have been touched by fresh encounters with familiar stories each and every day. What a complete and total reminder about how God will continue to reveal Himself through His Word to hearts that are focused and ready to listen!

On Sunday morning, I woke up very early and could not go back to sleep (I'm thinking God was trying to tell me something). I was so tired that my head felt like it was spinning, and yet I could not go back to sleep. So as not to wake Seth up (and the Fur Child had already heard me tossing and turning, so he was ready for me to get up), I grabbed my Bible and journal and headed out to our living room where I could snuggle under some big blankets and hear from God with the glow of the Christmas tree lighting His Words.

I was at the passage in Luke where Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45), and Elizabeth's words in verse 45 really stuck out to me:

"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

God doesn't call us to know the answers to life's questions, stresses, and problems, but He does call us to trust Him and believe that He will fulfill His promises to us. These things we know are true:

He will not abandon us.

He will not stop loving us.

He will always keep His promises.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could be the type of woman whose friends and family say, "Blessed is she who has believed God?"

My Favorite Christmas Decoration

2011-12-08T06:41:00.000-05:00

When seasons and holidays come throughout the year, I try to have a few decorations out to reflect that season. But when Christmas comes? The day before Thanksgiving I transform our apartment into pure Christmas Awesome.

Seth and I traditionally love to decorate our tree together (this is our third married Christmas--I cannot believe it!). This year I made Cinnamon Rolls and we snuggled on the couch while watching a short Christmas movie before decorating the tree. We collect ornaments throughout the year to represent places that we've been, and we love reminiscing about years past together.

(My friend Sarah's mom bought us this ornament the year we got married, and we love it!)

(I like to change out this bowl that I got from Ten Thousand Villages with seasonal decorations. At Christmastime, I put brightly colored and different shaped Christmas ornaments in there.)
This year I did a different, simpler centerpiece for our dining room table so that I could move it around as necessary with all the entertaining that we do in December.

I have collected snowmen since I was in high school, and I love to add a different one to my collection each year. I do not have a picture of this year's yet, but I will try to post it at some point. I like to leave the snowmen out all winter long. All of my snowmen are meaningful because they were either gifted to me by someone special, or they represent a particular time in my life.

This snowman was the last Christmas present I received from my Grandma (my Dad's mom) before she passed away.

My Great Aunt Susie found this snowman at a craft fair and gave it to me one year. I love the country feel it has to it!

These snowmen were gifted to my Mom and me (we each have a set) when we hosted our ladies family Christmas tea (from the time I was in middle school through my last year in college, the women on my Mom's Dad's side of the family used to get together for a Christmas tea, and each woman used to take different turns hosting it). My Mom and I hosted it when I was in high school, and it was such a great and cherished memory.

I am deliberately not posting the decorations in our stairwell because I'll post on that at a later date, but let's just say that it tempts Prince Caspian immensely and is also a warm and cozy welcome to our place.

I love all of the things above and the many other things that I did not picture, but my favorite Christmas decoration is...

My Nativity Set!

When I visited Israel in 2007, our guide took us to a shop where he said we could find Nativity sets carved out of real olive tree wood by Bedouin shepherds. He said unfortunately a lot of shops offer "olive wood looking sets that are really made in China," but these were the real deal. I wasn't sure when I would have the chance to visit Israel again (although I would really like to go back there at some point, and bring Seth along!), so I knew I had to purchase one right then and there.

And I'm so glad that I did. I love it.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of December and the entire Christmas season, it is a reminder of what Christmas is really about: the birth of the Savior of the world (my Savior). The Word who became flesh to dwell among us.

What's your favorite Christmas decoration?

Encourage Your Sisters

2011-12-07T06:54:00.000-05:00

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

-Philippians 2:1-4 (The Message)

We've all seen it happen--and many of us have been recipients of it--those times when our sisters in the faith band together and encourage one another. And it is a great thing, indeed. When women choose not to fall into that trap of comparison, and instead choose to offer grace and hope and joy to each other, they have the ability to give such gifts to their friends.

Humility is a beautiful thing.

Pride and jealousy are a barrier to beautiful friendships.

What would happen if, instead of promoting ourselves--our blogs, our businesses, our ministries, our children, our homes, ourselves--we promoted each other?

What would happen if we truly lived out the words from the Scripture listed above?

You see, when we find that place of contentment...

...in who we are in Christ,

...in who He created us to be,

...in the place in life where we are,

...in being a humble servant to those around us,

...we are more apt to truly encourage and truly be friends to those around us. And, when women band together in the name of Jesus, they become an unstoppable force of joy in the world around them.

Back to Back Christmas Parties

2011-12-04T16:38:00.000-05:00

I started a student leadership program at my dance studio (and we are now in the third year of it) so that pre-teen and teenage students would have the opportunity to grow in their leadership skills and assist in our ever-growing dance classes. The program started out with five students in 2009, and this year it exploded to have fourteen students! They do such a wonderful job and are such a big help at the studio that I throw them a Christmas party at my place each December. This year it was on Friday night and only one student was unable to make it.

Seth said, "Thirteen girls at my apartment? I'm outta here!" He went and saw a movie and left us to our fun. We had a lovely time chowing down, playing games, chatting, and I led them in a Christmas devotional. I always enjoy hanging out with them--it's one of my great joys to be a mentor and teacher to those sweet young ladies.

Saturday morning Mom and I threw our annual Ladies Christmas Brunch for our mutual friends and family! This was our 7th brunch (we started them in 2005 with a small group of ten or so ladies). This year we had 24 people in attendance (22 ladies, my niece Josie, and my friend Karen brought her baby Tyler. I also need to point out that throughout the noise of all the ladies gabbing and laughing, the two kids were absolute angels!) This year's party theme was "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Here Mom and I are by the punch bowl (a family heirloom!).

We ate some yum-o food...

We chatted...

One of the activities I came up with was a show and tell of sorts...everyone was supposed to bring something that represented one of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." It was so great! People got really creative, funny, and meaningful! I had two things...everyone would expect me to bring something dance related, so I brought a ballerina cookie cutter that Seth's Mom had gifted me for my birthday this year and...drumroll...I also brought our Lord of the Rings trilogy that has the one gold ring to rule them all on the cover. Because, at heart, I am a geek who LOVES LOTR like some people love "Twilight."

Cindy's gift was extra-creative...she took a branch off of their pear tree and put a picture of Danny Bonaducci on it to represent a partridge in a pear tree. We all got a good laugh!

Emily made two turtle doves, which everybody thought was cute. I took a picture of them on the table, but they were sitting next to a different day...oops!

Josie brought one of her drums to represent one of the twelve drummers drumming...

We continued to play some more "Twelve Days of Christmas" themed games. Here is a picture of me with my Mom, Gramom, Emily, Josie, and Emily's mom Linda.

Before we knew it, the time had come for the brunch to be over! I just love all the ladies in my life--they are such a blessing. Mom feels the same way and that's why we do these brunches every year. Now it's time for a relaxing Sunday evening!

The Shot Heard Around the World and the Newport Cliff Walk {Sunday November 20}

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

On the Sunday of our New England trip, Seth and I had to once again change our plans, but it was well worth it because we drove through the little town of Concord, Massachusetts (I expected Marmie to be just around the corner, for all you fans of Little Women and Little Women). What a charming town! It transported me back to the Revolutionary and Civil War eras for sure. We would have loved more time to explore the town, but we decided to visit Minute Man National Park to see where the famous Revolutionary War battle of Lexington and Concord took place.

As you can tell, it was semi-flooded from all the rain that New England has gotten this year...

Minute Man National Park is a wonderful park to walk through, relax, and enjoy yourself. There are some neat things to see along the way...

(Above I have pictured the bridge where British and Colonial troops faced off. If you recall from your days in school, the shot fired at Lexington and Concord was called "the shot heard around the world.")

We left Massachusetts after a wicked good time and drove to Newport, RI (both Seth's and my favorite stop along our journey). Newport is only about 90 minutes away from Boston, so it is very easy to get to if you are visiting Boston and looking for a good day trip (or if you are visiting Newport and looking for a good day trip to Boston). Seth and I actually stayed in Middletown, RI, which I would highly recommend. It borders Newport, and our hotel was only about 5 minutes away from the famous mansions, close to many great restaurants, and a quick scenic drive away from the beach. It was also significantly cheaper to stay outside of Newport.

After checking into our hotel and realizing that we did not want to waste such a beautiful afternoon inside, we did the famous Newport Cliff Walk on Sunday afternoon. If you ever visit Newport, you should definitely do the Cliff Walk.

With the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the beautiful Newport mansions on the other side, it's a great view!

At some portions of the walk, there is a little fence to keep you from falling off the cliff, but on other parts there are only warning signs.

We finished up our walk just as the sun was beginning to set, and it was absolutely gorgeous!

Sweet November Reads

2011-11-30T07:27:00.000-05:00

I started re-reading Embrace the Dawn, a novel by one of my favorite historical fiction authors (Kathleen Morgan) at the end of October, but I didn't finish it until after "Triumphant" so I am counting it as a November read. The book is about an American colonialist named Killian Campbell who escapes a violent marriage while visiting her husband's kin in Scotland. She is forced to seek safety with Ruarc MacDonald and finds herself in the middle of a clan feud. I always recommend any of Kathleen Morgan's books to historical fiction readers because they are so strongly written, epic, and have wonderful faith content that will captivate readers. I've personally loaned these books out to many people, and everyone loves them!

I treated myself to two new books this month....

I am a fan of Susan Page Davis (if you recall, I devoured her book Crimson Cipher earlier this year), and sometimes I enjoy reading some sweet western romance books. When I saw her latest book The Lady's Maid (part of her Prairie Dreams Series), I decided to pick it up and give it a try. It took me several weeks to read because of everything that was going on this month, but it was enjoyable. It is about two British women traveling to the United States in the 1800s and joining a wagon train to seek the Lady Anne Stone's lost uncle, David Stone (the new Earl of Stoneford). You will love it if you enjoy sweet romance, and it is fascinating to see the wagon train from the perspective of two British women. Overall, a good read!

And, lastly...Seth wants me to let you all know that it took me a matter of hours (over a two day span) to read this next book. I have been anxiously awaiting the latest book in the Bailey Flanigan series by Karen Kingsbury, and it came out while we were on vacation. Vacation = major reading time for Kirsten. Seth and I went to Barnes and Noble and I looked all over the Christian fiction section and I couldn't find it. "I think it's sold out," I pouted to Seth. But, my man was the hero of the day because as we were on our way up to the register to pay for another purchase, he said, "Is this it?" It was just laying on a table. We looked around and no one was hovering to claim it, so I took it (and bought it, of course). When Seth went to work later that day, I started reading it and, ohmygoodness, it is so good! If you have ever read Karen Kingsbury, you know that you can't put her books down. This was no exception. If you have enjoyed the Bailey Flanigan series, you will most certainly enjoy Longing!

Happy reading this month, friends!

How to (Again) Avoid the 12 Pains of Christmas

2011-11-28T06:43:00.000-05:00

We've all heard and laughed or commiserated with the song The Twelve Pains of Christmas at some point in our lives. After all, not only is played multiple times a day on any Christmas radio station, but it also rings true to the added stress that the holiday season may cause. Any counselor or therapist (or fake counselors like me who have taken courses and are certified in listening, counseling, and peer mediation, but don't actually have a doctorate) will tell you that the holiday season is the worst time for people to experience depression, anxiety, money problems, family drama, and general crazymaking. Today, I'm here to tell you how to avoid those twelve pains and celebrate what the season is really about! :)

Pain #1: Finding a Christmas Tree

Resolution: Don't buy one. Just kidding. Actually, Seth and I (and a lot of other folks we know) avoid the hassle of finding a Christmas tree by getting an artificial one. When we made the decision to do that two years ago, I thought the Christmas Elf was going to zap me with a lightening bolt for not going real (as we had our entire lives), but it didn't happen. This way we can set up our tree and leave it up as long as we'd like without having to worry about needles littering the carpet, the cat drinking the sugar water, or spending tons of cash. Instead, we can set it up when we want and bend the branches to hang up our Christmas ornaments.

Pain #2: Rigging up the Lights

Resolution: Buy pre-lit. Or, grow a sense of humor. It's not the end of the world if a string of lights goes out--or even just one bulb! The first step to being relaxed this holiday season is learning to laugh. Laugh, clown, laugh!

Pain #3: Hangovers.

Resolution: That's an easy one for me. I don't really imbib. But, if you do...remember...everything in moderation, nothing in excess. Say it with me: Everything in moderation. Nothing in excess. Think about the possible consequences of five tequila shots at your office Christmas party: embarrassment, unprofessionalism, kissing the office geek, and that killer hangover in the morning. And, of course, never EVER drink and drive. It's one of the most selfish things you could ever do.

Pain #4: Sending Christmas Cards.

Resolution: Do them in advance! My grandmother makes her Christmas cards in the spring because she is the most organized and efficient woman you would ever meet. I typically make mine in mid-October (however, this year I had to make them in August because of the studio schedule this fall). I can take my time and make them look nice and they are all done when I'm super busy around the holidays! If you don't make your cards, there are tons of other easy options like buying them, getting that cute postcard with your family pic on it, and addressing a few cards/night. This year Seth and I are addressing five each night so that we can take the time to write a thoughtful note in each one.

Pain #5: Five Months of Bills.

Resolution: Buy year round and set a limit. I start buying Christmas presents in the spring/summer, and carefully tuck them away in a container until it's time to wrap them. That way, I am not rushing around, I can still take the time to buy a thoughtful gift, and I'm not spending money all at once. Many people make gifts, do name drawing, or set monetary limits with family members. Those are all great ideas as well! Excessive spending is part of what got our country into the situation it's in now, so take care. People may not always remember the gifts you give them, but they will ALWAYS remember the thought behind them.

Pain #6: Facing my In-Laws.

Resolution: I'm just going to generalize this to family in general. Family drama is the worst because, let's face it...you're stuck with them forever! They have seen you at your best, your worst, and, for the most part, still love you anyway. But still. They are either bugging you to get married, have kids, buy a house OR still see you as that cute little five year old kid who used to do the Stocking Dance (true story. My Dad claims that my brother and I used to do a stocking dance and we have no recollection of it.). Really, isn't that why we also love our family? They are the only people who have been around your entire life. They are, for better or for worse, part of you. They have their struggles, heartaches, and hopes--just like you do. Always treat them with respect, even if you have to wallup them over the head with a roll of wrapping paper while you're doing it.

Pain #7: Charities

Resolution: It's hard for non-profits right now because, in a down economy, people always get rid of their charitable giving first. And I get it. If the choice is between paying your mortgage or giving to Charity _____, pay your mortgage. I also know so many people who, even though they are down and out, keep giving, and God blesses. That sentence sounds very strange, so hopefully you know what I mean. Pick a few charities (or even just one) and give joyfully to them. That way when you are in line at the cash register and the clerk asks you for the 100th time if you'd like to donate a dollar to _________ and you are in the midst of controlling a screaming, grabby toddler on your hip you can also say with full honesty, "I already donate to the charities of my choice." Because you did-- with a cheerful heart.

Pain #8: The Latest Toy

Resolution: All I have to say is thank goodness it's not Zsu Zsu pets this year! Those things are like the furbies of this decade, and they remind me of those weasels on a ball. Start teaching your child at an early age about the true meaning of Christmas: celebrating the birth of our Savior and giving to others. Then, they won't be crying and screaming if they don't get what they want. I know parents who let their kids pick two toys and that's it. Or, like my parents, we never got everything on our list because they always wanted us to be grateful, never selfish. Live and shop within your means, so you don't regret overspending. :)

Pain #9: Finding Parking Spaces

Resolution: I prefer the stalk method. If I've driven around the parking lot multiple times and no spaces have cleared up (and I mean NO spaces--I don't mind walking from far away), I wait like a huntress for a friendly consumer to come out of the store and I follow them to their spot, sit for a few minutes with my turn signal on while they take FOREVER to load their one shopping bag into their trunk, and then I take their spot. I'm pretty sure this is Biblical.

Pain #10: Batteries Not Included

Resolution: Go to the store and buy batteries. They are, like, two bucks. Don't cry about it. Or, always keep batteries on stock in your refridgerator because they get a longer lifespan that way. My husband says this isn't true. I say it is. ;)

Pain #11: Stale TV specials.

Resolution: Come over to my house and I will make you watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" over and over again until your heart grows three sizes that day.

Pain #12: Singing Christmas Carols.

Resolution: Sing anyway. They are fun, meaningful, and a wonderful tradition of Christmas. My coworkers love it when I'm at my desk humming "Feliz Navidad" or "Joy to the World" around Halloween.... If you sing off-key, sing anyway. If you sing on-key, sing a little bit louder than your off-key neighbor. Have a dance party in your house. Live your life and be yourself--especially at Christmastime!

Plimouth and Salem {November 18-19}

2011-11-27T15:16:00.000-05:00

Our next stop in our New England adventure was to the great state of Massachusetts. After seeing our last lighthouse in Maine, we drove to our hotel in Woburn (a suburb of Boston). Our hotel was in a perfect location--close to inner city Boston, right by a mall and great restaurants, and close to tourist attractions outside of the city like Salem and Lexington and Concord. After eating at Duckfat earlier that day, our stomachs needed some relatively normal eating. There were two Chinese restaurants near our hotel, and the one served weird things like jellyfish. Seth looked up the menu on his phone and said, "Baby, there is no way that I'm taking you to this restaurant." (Be still, my heart, he knows me so well.) So we went to the other Chinese restaurant, which had some yummy food. We had a wonderful night's rest and then set out on our Saturday....

How fitting! We saw turkeys at the entrance to Plimouth Plantation. I may or may not have shouted out the window, "Run, you feathered friends! Run for your lives!"

The destination was Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

We arrived, purchased our tickets, watched an introductory video, and then went to the Indian village they have set up there. I'm not going to lie...Jamestown, VA's Indian village is a lot more expansive to see. But, as always, Seth and I found some ways to amuse ourselves. We got into one of the Indian canoes that was just laying around. Not sure if we were supposed to?

Overlooking the bay...

Unfortunately, while we were on our way up to the English village, one of the village houses caught on fire and burned to the ground. The Plantation staff told us it would be a half hour before we could get in. Yeah right.

So Seth and I went to a very offensive exhibit. No really.

It was revisionist history at its finest. This exhibit attempted to completely discredit the oral traditions passed down by the Pilgrims and instead focus on the oral traditions of the Indians.

And before you yell at me, yes, yes, yes...I know. Just like within any society, the English had people who were corrupt and evil, who removed American Indians from their homes and forced them into slavery. That was a very awful part of Early Colonial history that should most definitely be told. But, the exhibit succeeded in removing all aspects of God from the historical lesson, which I did not care for. And, they hardly talked about Squanto.

An hour had passed, so we wandered to the Craft Building where you can view artisans making 17th century crafts. That was cool. Then we joined the others outside where the centuries were brought together.

When it became clear that we weren't going to get into the village any time soon, Seth and I asked for a refund on our tickets--which the plantation happily gave. We went to plan B which was a visit to Salem. To warn you...unfortunately, Salem is most definitely capitalizing on the witch aspect of things. As a Christian you do get an eerie feeling when you visit, even though the ones who were hung at the witch trials were not really witches. But, God is stronger and bigger than all of that. Seth and I both feel that it is important to remember that portion of our nation's history--especially since one of my ancestors was one of the 19 people hung at the witch trials. (Note: she was pardoned in the 1960's...a little late, but pardoned, nonetheless.)THAT's why we went for the afternoon.

Salem had some beautiful foliage going on...

A must-see if you are ever in Salem is the Witch Dungeon Museum.

They do a wonderful reinactment of one of the trials (when we visited, they were doing the second trial of Elizabeth Proctor). It is great for any middle school aged and up students. After the trial, you are led through a recreation of the town's dungeon. That's where it gets a little gruesome, so I definitely do not recommend it for the faint of heart.

Afterwards we went to the Salem Pirate Museum. That was cool. The tour guides dress like pirates and regale you with tales of New England pirates as you walk amonst the museum. I had no idea that New England even had pirates, so I learned a lot on this part of the trip. Yo ho, yo ho...a pirate's life for me.

Next we walked along the waterfront. Salem still has a port, but back in colonial times it was a big-deal kind of port. Hence, the pirates, I suppose.

We ended our afternoon in Salem with a walk by the famous House of the Seven Gables. As a literary geek, I make sure we visit those kinds of places. It really is a neat house!

I tried to get a picture that had all seven gables in it, but it was starting to get dark. Le sigh...

And then we went to the nation's oldest candy store which happens to be right across the street! Yum-o!

Thankful...

2011-11-24T07:15:00.000-05:00

Good morning, you sweet friends-

When I woke up a short time ago, I noticed that Prince Caspian was looking mighty guilty. His morning routine is to wait outside of our bedroom door until I wake up (and if I don't wake up at the time he thinks I should wake up, he yowls rather loudly), follow me as I continue my morning routine, and leads me out into the living room so that I can spend some time petting him. I noticed that he did NOT lead me into the living room, and I discovered it was because he had been playing with our Christmas garland so much that he knocked it completely off the stairwell. I can't be too upset at him...in some ways he's just like me: constantly at conflict with his angelic side and mischevious side.

Seth and I are getting ready to begin our Thanksgiving rounds in just a few moments, but I thought I would jump on the blogosphere to write a Thanksgiving note. I'm really thankful for so much this year, and when I've been reflecting on it throughout this month, I've been noticing that my heart is just full to the brim and overflowing with thankfulness.

I'm thankful for...

*My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
*My beloved husband and best friend, Seth
*Our home together
*The Fur Child, Prince Caspian
*The opportunity to do what I love and what I had dreamed about for so long: dance, teach dance, and run my own business
*God's provision
*Ministry opportunities (in public and behind the scenes)
*The opportunity to give
*Laughter
*Precious family and friends
*Freedom
*Peace
*Creativity
*For grace, undeserved but oh-so-amazing

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." -Psalm 100:4-5

A Holiday Heart Check

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

What is the status of your heart, my friend? It's important for you to know....

The holiday season can drudge up a myriad of emotions for every single one of us. In addition to being thankful for much and celebrating stories from our faith, desiring peace on earth and good will to all, and loving our friends and family with a festive sparkle, we can feel so much more: Depression. Anger. Jealousy. Sadness. Thanksgiving and Christmas are linked with some of our most very distinctive memories and we need to be prepared for the emotions that are tied to those memories to return in full force.

The enemy of our souls loves to catch us off guard--it's one of his favorite schemes! But, God's Word tells us to be prepared for what comes (Ephesians 6:13). How can we be prepared for an onslaught of emotions during the holiday season?

#1: Remember that your emotions can bear good or bad fruit. Paul describes the acts of the sinful nature in Galations 5:19-21 (envy, hatred, discord, and so much more), and warns us against those emotions. However, in verses 22 and 23 of that same chapter, he writes about the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As a woman who is incredibly passionate, I constantly have to remind myself to think about what kind of fruit I am bearing through my emotions before I unleash them.

#2: Let them come, but don't let them control you. It is healthy and normal to feel things and to experience emotions. When we bottle up our emotions and do not allow ourselves to feel, we become angry and tired and hopless. Our emotions become unhealthy when we allow our them to consume us and influence how we deal with other people. To be honest with you, this is one of the reasons why I keep a private journal outside of this blog. There are many things that I think on and go through that are between me and the Lord, and not for public eyes.

#3: Consider the cost. We have all said things that we regret. Think before you allow your emotions to ruin a relationship. Can you be edifying and uplifting instead of jealous or hurtful? And, as Thumper says, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." There are times that I have specifically prayed that the Lord would shut my mouth so that I do not say anything that I will regret, and He answers that prayer in a number of creative, ironic ways. :)

#4: Forgive, forgive, forgive, and move on! If you have made every effort to reconcile with a person and they do not reciprocate (which happens more often than not), it's time for you to forgive. Whenever I was going through a particularly hurtful and challenging time in a relationship, I decided that it was time to get over it and move on. Even though the person who had hurt me did not ask for forgiveness, I forgave them before the Lord. Yet, even after that, I felt the seeds of bitterness and anger continuing to take root in my heart. Well, that's no good, I thought, Lord, didn't I pray for forgiveness once already? And He specifically said, "Daughter, I didn't ask you to forgive just once. I asked you to do it seventy times seven." After that, whenever I felt those bad seeds starting to sprout, I squelched them with forgiveness. And then I moved on--even though the person who hurt me did not.

#5: Fill your heart and your soul with God so that bad fruit cannot take root. Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on whatever is true, right, noble, pure, admirable, and lovely. When we are feeling down on ourselves or backed into a corner, we are not able to focus on the truth. God's truth.

Why in the world am I writing this when ya'll are focused on turkey, trimmings, and travel? Because it is important to check in with yourself before the holidays so that you can be full of joy before the Lord regardless of your circumstances, and so that you can be filled to the brim and overflowing with God's grace and joy and truth towards others.

Maine {November 17-18}

2011-11-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

Seth and I took a vacation these past 6 days, and headed to New England. We had a wonderful time with each other, getting some R&R, and seeing some cool sights. Here is the first part of our trip...

We left on Thursday November 17 and drove up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. On our way to Boothbay Harbor, we stopped at the huganic LL Bean store. (Did anyone know that LL Bean's name was Leon Leonwood Bean? No wonder he went by LL! That is quite the mouthful! Anyway...)

The LL Bean store had this fish tank that you could stick your head up inside. We didn't have to think too long about doing just that...

"You rascal! I asked for one fish, and you brought back two fish and a sedated child!" (this was my loose interpretation of this Leon Leonwood Bean ad)

I really wanted to see some meese while we were in Maine, but this was as close as we got...

We ate a scrumptious meal at the store cafe, and then headed on to our hotel. As usual, TomTom took us on an urban safari, but we made it in good time! (Just a note...like most of you, Seth and I are on a budget, so when we travel I look for really good deals on hotels. That is one of the reasons we travel in the off-season of November!)

After feeling rested the next morning, we ventured on to Pemaquid Point. Pemaquid Point holds a very special place in my family's history. It was on that beach that one of my ancestors and his family crash landed when they were coming to the new world in the 1600s. The moral of the story is...if you think that strange occurrences are not hereditary, think again... :) A lighthouse was erected at Pemaquid Point, so we went to see it...and wandered around for a while. It is a beautiful area! During the tourism season, you have to pay to park and for a tour of the lighthouse, but on the off-season it is free to park (the lighthouse tour is closed).

No wonder they crash landed! Look at all those rocks, yo!

The rocky area at Pemaquid is open to walk around on (unlike many other lighthouses), but it is, of course, at your own risk! Seth and I walked all the way out to the tip of the rocks. It was actually so windy that we got windburned! The seaweed is always greener...

Dance picture...at Pemaquid!

Me with my fella...

Next we headed further south to Cape Elizabeth to see the Portland Head Lighthouse--highly recommended to us by many people!

A very windburned Seth and Kirsten...

This lighthouse was at a very nice little park. We really enjoyed walking around and getting the different views of the ocean and lighthouse!

The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was good friends with one of the lightkeepers, and it is believed that he wrote one of his poems about this lighthouse.

Another interesting note is that, during World War II, a US submarine was sunk about 7 miles offshore from this lighthouse by the Germans. This was a major Coast Guard base for about 100 years. One of the main major dudes was named Seth, so here is a picture of Seth power!

Whenever we are on vacation, Seth and I like to eat at places that are local. Seth found this place called Duckfat. I thought it was just a cool name, but apparently it's for real. Almost everything on their menu is made with duckfat. No joke. I'm not a fan of duck, so I got one of the few things that was not made with duckfat...the butternut squash soup!

Seth got a sandwich...

And we split their famous fries...they were huge! We definitely could not eat them all.

They came with this fabulous dipping sauce that minimized the grease from the duckfat. The restaurant is pretty cool--a pubstyle atmosphere that is fun to eat at! But, if you go, take your Tums with you! :)

To be continued...

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

2011-11-15T07:12:00.001-05:00

Long story short, Seth and I had a giant, blank wall in our home that we needed to fill. But, I'm not about filling up with the wrong kind of things in life or in decor, so we waited until the right thing presented itself. And it did. In the form of a giant mirror that my Dad carried out to my car from my parents' house, me saying "Surprise, honey, we now have a mirror" (teehee...just kidding, I asked Seth first), and Seth carrying into our place and laboring to hang it on the wall. I love it. It looks amazing and makes our living room look a lot bigger. However, I have to say that it startled me when I got up from our couch last night and immediately stared into my tired, dance-sweaty reflection. That is enough to startle anyone, I say! Until, I got closer....

You've often heard that the camera doesn't lie, and us ladies know that unless we're looking into one of those carnival wacky ones, that mirrors don't either.

But so often our perception does. I think that I look like a hot mess when I come home from a night of teaching dance because I'm sweaty, I have sloshy day-old make-up on, and tendrils and wisps of hair have escaped my once careful hairstyle. Seth thinks that I look beautiful, and he says that to me the moment he sees me each night. Go figure!

And yet, it is always my goal to be transparent and real with everyone who I encounter. I read this great quote by Emily Freeman:

“When I am wearing a mask, not only can others not see me, but I can’t see them. I see everything through a thin veil of perception…. What would it look like if I allowed Jesus Himself to determine my comfort zone? What if, instead of walking into a room with a wall around me, I was able to walk into a room and move toward others in freedom? Before I am able to do that, I have to be convinced that I am safe. And that is exactly what Jesus came to do.”

What if we truly mirrored Christ? If we allowed ourselves to forget ourselves, and live a life that was outwardly focused--tempered with grace and truth and hope? What if we took our perception of other people and threw it out the window until we truly got to know and see them? What if we allowed others to see and know the real us?

Renewal. Restoration. Freedom.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the....

You know what? It doesn't matter...

Hubris

2011-11-12T09:10:00.000-05:00

Hubris (hju:bris): extreme haughtiness, pride, or arrogance; often indicating a loss of

contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own capabilities,

particularly when someone is in a position of power.

I learned the word hubris when I was in my high school Latin class. My teacher used it quite frequently as we studied The Illiad, describing Achilles (and many others in the story), one of the greatest and most handsome warriors in Greek literature. His mother was a nymph who tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the river Styx. She held him by his heel, and that was the only part of his body that would become prone to a mortal wound. The rest of him was invincible. And honey, did he ever know it!

Achilles arrived at Troy with 50 ships of Myrmidons, and fought on the side of the Greeks. He killed thousands of Trojans, and most epicly the Trojan Prince Hector. As they fought Hector, knowing he was going to lose, begged Achilles to honor him in death, but Achilles attached Hector to the back of his chariot and dragged his lifeless body around the city of Troy.

Eventually Achilles was killed by a mortal wound to his heel. That's where we get the phrase "Achilles' heel," a spot of great weakness or vulnerability. But we can learn a lot about pride from his story and, more importantly, what the Bible has to say about the dangers of pride....

"First pride, then the crash--the bigger the ego, the harder the fall." -Proverbs 16:18 (The Message)

"Arrogance and pride--distinguishing remarks of the wicked--are just plain sin." -Proverbs 21:4 (The Message)

"In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't." - Romans 12:4 (The Message)

Hubris has brought about the downfall of great men, great women, and great organizations. Can we take pride in our work? Yes! Can we take pride in our families? Yes! Can we take pride in being children of God? Yes! But the moment that our pride becomes hubris and we start believing that WE are the ones who did this, or that WE are more powerful than God--in any aspect of our life--we hit the danger zone.

Take heed, my friends, lest an arrow from the enemy find it's way to your Achilles' heel....

"He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning...." -Daniel 2:21 (NIV)

For Freedom

2011-11-11T06:55:00.000-05:00

(this is me at the WWII Memorial in Washington DC)

Before I continue writing this post, I want to let you know that I am practically the non-Mason, non-treasure hunting, female version of Nicholas Cage's character in National Treasure. I love my country. I love to study its history and take the early founders' ideals of heritage, honor, integrity, ingenuity, faith, and justice to heart. When Seth and I were visiting DC this spring, we made sure to visit the Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, and many of the other famous early American documents that are a part of our nation's history. I got goosebumps when we saw the Declaration, and I contemplated stealing it to protect it...just kidding!

We also made sure to visit the war memorials in DC because, even if there are some who disagree why our nation has entered wars, it is so important to remember the brave men and women who fought, sacrificed, and gave their last full measure of devotion so that we and others around the world might be free.

Be sure to thank the war veterans today, of all days, and never stop thanking them. Teach your children to do the same.

"...that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."

-Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

There's No Present Like The Present

2011-11-08T06:37:00.001-05:00

God provided the Israelites manna (they referred to it as "bread from heaven" - Psalm 105:40) when they were wandering in the wilderness. It literally appeared on the ground every morning. At first they were thrilled, but eventually they got tired of eating the same ol' thing every single day. They began to drool for the things in their past, the past of bondage that the Lord had brought them out of. It's easy for those of us who know the end of their story to criticize their complaints...until we start to sound just like them.

But, God often provides in ways that do not make sense to us, and His timing is often very different from ours. And His "gifts" to us (like the infamous prayer for patience???) usually are a lot more...colorful than we prayed for. It's during those times that we need to remember that manna IS His provision!

Have you ever prayed for something and received the complete opposite? What is your manna at this moment?

Weekend in Review Again Again

2011-11-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

I am currently sitting on our couch, watching some of my grandparents' Christmas movies that they taped off TV years ago. Seth has been working on converting the VHS tapes to DVD, so I have been having fun "making sure everything is okay with the DVDs" this afternoon and evening. Candles are lit, laundry is whirling in the machine, and the time change is really hitting Prince Caspian. Seriously. Out of all the kittens in the litter, I picked the diva cat... :) I just love that big guy though.

Our home was filled with the creative chaos that consumes us the days before a show. I'd show you a picture, but... here's a cute one of Prince Caspian attempting the "casual look" in Seth's camera bag instead:

My man got me some beautiful flowers to celebrate my work in preparing for the performance:

Triumphant went great on Friday night! Thanks to those of you who prayed for me and the dancers--we truly felt the Lord's presence. We raised a nice chunk o' change for Love146, which was awesome. The evening was filled with great dancing, great speaking, and all the humorous things that are the DNA of live performances. The audience loved it and God was glorified. I really could not have asked for a better presentation.

Because of the snowstorm last Saturday, I had to push back some things that I needed to accomplish to yesterday. And then, the moment arrived...

Time to say goodbye to the original studio dance floor. I know it's just a floor, but it has seen a lot of blood, sweat, tears, prayers, and throw up (as one of my dancers reminded me yesterday, haha). Goodbye, old floor! I have loved every shoe mark on you. :)

Hello, shiny new awesome floor!

It is ALMOST done. Of course, nothing ever goes perfectly on schedule, and it will be ready for the students to dance on tomorrow. But...it won't be completely finished until tomorrow night after classes. Still...as the owner/artistic director of the studio, I had to christen the new floor with some turns and leaps.

Last night I visited with my grandparents and we had a good time (lots of laughs, as usual). Today held multiple trips to the studio for Seth and I to re-hang pictures, rehook up the sound system, and make sure things were ready for classes tomorrow. Can I just say how much I love and appreciate Seth? He has been by my side every moment and has done soooo much behind the scenes for the performance of "Triumphant" and the studio, in addition to his regular schedule.

I wrote out my "to do" list for the week ahead and marveled at its simplicity. Halleluyer.

Next weekend I am taking a giant nap. :)

Divine Dance

2011-11-04T08:18:00.000-04:00

Throughout this whole journey of starting and running Reverence Studios, I have learned a lot about The Divine: Divine math, Divine intervention, and Divine dance.

As I wrote earlier this week, I never dreamed that I would have to cancel the students' final dress rehearsal because of an October snowstorm. We couldn't reschedule the rehearsal. I made a commitment to keep the Sabbath holy, and try my best to live by that standard in my business practices. And, the studio is booked every evening of the week until late at night. Some of the students in "Triumphant" are homeschooled, but some of them are not. There would be no way we could have a daytime rehearsal either. So, I said, "Okay, Lord. You've been in this production from conception, through everything, and I know that You will be with us to the performance." I felt a peace that surpassed all my understanding fill my heart and mind. He knew that the snowstorm would come. He knew that I would have to cancel the rehearsal (and even if I didn't that the power would go out making it impossible to dance anyway). The students would be okay. And so would I.

In talking with the dancers this week, I can sense the excitement mixed with nervousness in their speech. In the encouragement that I've offered them, I can feel the Lord's presence. I have never (not once, not ever!) seen the Lord abandon Reverence Studios. And sometimes I think that He allows these things so that we are not focused on the performance, but on the ministry. It's always a risk for the students to perform in front of an audience, but I encourage them to perform for an audience of One. It's always a risk for me to put my name and the studio's name and my choreography out there, but ultimately I put it out there for His sake.

Whenever people see my dancers perform or hear them speak or even see them interact with each other, they always come up to me and say things like, "Your dancers are remarkable," or, "They just glow when they perform because they are enjoying it," or "We have never seen a group of teenage girls come together and not gossip or be catty. They are always so encouraging." Praise the Lord! Compliments like that make my heart sing because...

Divine dance is not about the performance. It's about the ministry (on and off stage).

Divine dance is not about making a name for ourselves. It's about glorifying the name of the Lord.

Students dance at my studio for many reasons: for exercise, for fun, for worship.... Tonight they will dance for a cause: to stop human trafficking. Join me, if you please, in praying for us all tonight....

Two Book 'Tober

2011-10-31T06:48:00.000-04:00

I never in a million years would have dreamed that I would have to cancel our final dress rehearsal for "Triumphant" due to a OCTOBER SNOWSTORM on Saturday. I know that other parts of our state and country get October snows, but it is certainly a rarity here! Seth went with me to pick up the costumes that the dancers were going to wear, and I honestly felt like we were Christmas shopping. In fact, I had to stop myself from getting out the Christmas decorations later that day because it would have been a perfect day to decorate. But it's only October, Kirsten....

As much as I hated to cancel the dress rehearsal, it was a safety issue--especially when I have people who drive over 30 minutes to get to the studio on Saturdays. The students know the dances and, truthfully, God has been in this show from conception until now, and I know that He will work things out for His glory for the performance on Friday night.

Instead, Seth and I had a really relaxing "snowed in" day together. Normally Seth gets called into work on snow days because we live so close to his work, but on Saturday he did not. We were able to snuggle in, light some candles, and watch some movies together (even some Christmas flicks!). Seth went out to shovel snow later that evening when things had simmered down. I am one of those strange people who likes to shovel snow (and normally it is me who shovels since Seth is typically at work), but since we only have one shovel he said he would not feel right about me shoveling while he stayed inside. So he shoveled our sidewalk and parking spaces, and our elderly neighbor Norma's.

Here is the snow coming down on our cars...so lovely!

Snow couple!

Prince Caspian did what he does every day, regardless of the weather,...lurk in the shadows...

We ventured out on Saturday night to have dinner with my parents. On Sunday we met our friend Angela for breakfast, went to church, and went to see a movie. It was definitely a wonderful weekend!

Alas, I have been so busy (I've been on the go-go-go on lunch breaks and weekends and weeknights, of course) and tired this month (i.e. falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow) that I have not had much time for reading. October was a two book month, which is fine with me! Seth says that he has no idea how I read so much anyway...but it is a form of relaxation for me. :)

I started out the month reading Mississippi Weddings by Janet Lee Barton. It is a book of three short stories about characters who are trying to revive their dying hometown of Magnolia Bay. A very enjoyable, light read!

And then I read A Necessary Deception by Laurie Alice Eakes. This book is the first book in The Daughters of Bainbridge House series, and I must say that I highly enjoyed it. It was a little slow at the beginning, but the best way to describe this author's writing style is "Austen-esque," because the plot was very character oriented and character driven. And I do love a good Jane Austen. This book begins when Napolean is waging war all over Europe, and a young English widow helps a French prisoner escape prison...

Did anyone else experience the October snow? What do you all do on snow days?

Always a Journey of Faith

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

As I have written before, the studio has been in desperate need of a new dance floor this year. And, my friends, when I say "desperate need," I truly mean desperate need. This floor has been pounded by hundreds of feet over the past three years. It has fought the good fight, it has run the race.

When I started exploring different flooring options in the summer of 2010, I realized two things:
#1: I forgot how big of a project looking for new flooring is.
#2: The price of dance floor had gone up in the past three years. Way up.

So, I began to pray about it and see if there was a way that God would fund the new floor, because it is necessary to what we do at the studio and at the time I did not have the resources to take care of it....

Fast forward a few months to when I started planning "Triumphant," our fall performance that will be happening next Friday. I really feel that God has blessed Reverence Studios so much, so I am always sure to tithe and use Reverence Studios to bless others. As a Christian business owner, that is a very important aspect of how I do business that I do not choose to share often with others. When I was praying about the performance, I thought to myself, "I could use the money we make off of 'Triumphant' to put in a new studio floor!" Maybe THAT's how God would provide? But God very clearly whispered on my heart that I was to give the money we made off of the show to a ministry that needed it.

So I am obeying. Every cent that comes in for "Triumphant" is going to Love146, an organization that raises awareness and resources to combat child trafficking. It is a cause and an organization that is near and dear to my heart. The staff of Reverence and I are always challenging the students to use their dancing as worship and ministry, rather than performance, and the students who are dancing in this show are especially excited to be dancing for a cause. I'm excited too. It's going to be a great evening, and I am confident that God will work out all the crazy details that always have to come together for a show.

And you know what else? God provided the exact amount of funds that I needed to put in the new floor next weekend. Every single penny. Praise Him. Can I get an "Amen?"

Weekend in the Burgh!

2011-10-23T22:29:00.000-04:00

Did ya'll have a fun weekend? :)

Seth and I had the opportunity to travel to the Pittsburgh area this weekend, and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect Autumn weekend for traveling. We were invited to see our niece Evie get baptized this morning and decided to make a weekend out of it.

Saturday morning we toured the grounds surrounding and the house that is known as Fallingwater. It was designed by one of America's most famous architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, for the wealthy Pittsburgh Kaufmann family in the 1930s. Seth had been to see it before, but I had not, so we purchased tickets a couple weeks ago (note for travelers: if you are going to Fallingwater in the Spring, Summer, or Fall be sure to purchase your tickets in advance). It was a gorgeous, crisp morning for sightseeing...

The woods surrounding the house are beautiful to walk around in, so we spent some time exploring!

Seth brought his tripod and camera along to get some nice photos of the two of us. He is still uploading them, so I will have to post them on another day....

I got my traditional dance picture...this one was slightly dangerous! We decided that my dance pictures are becoming more and more like planking. Seth said he would not let me take a dance picture on top of the Empire State Building some day.

Photo Op spot! We were there so early that it was not crowded, and I snapped these gorgeous pics of Fallingwater:

The house tour was very interesting! Let's just say that Frank Lloyd Wright was a verra VERRA particular man....We were not allowed to take pictures inside, so I do not have any to share. After our tour, we headed to the much recommended Ohiopyle State Park. We didn't have too much time to hike, but we wanted to check out the waterfall.

This scene reminded me of the song "Just Around the Riverbend" from Pocohantas.

We then met up with our friends, Molly and Chris, at Mad Mex to eat some delicious Mexican food...so yummy! They even had Pumpkin Hummus, which was awesome. It was so great to visit with Molly and Chris. Here is a picture of Molls and I outside the restaurant. Ignore my windblown hair.

After that we headed to Seth's brother Joel and his wife Laure's house for a baptismal cookout. This morning we went to their church and saw Evangeline get baptized.

All in all, spending 48 straight hours with nothing more than a room separating me from my fella, was wonderful. Just what the doctor ordered before we finish out our Fall busy season in the next two weeks.

What I'm Loving (October 2011 Edition)

2011-10-19T06:42:00.000-04:00

There are so many things to love about Autumn, are there not? Beautiful colors, cooler temperatures, cozy gatherings.... Here are just a few things that I've been loving lately:

Disney Family Fun Magazine: This magazine randomly started coming to the studio and to our home, and I read it cover to cover. There are really cute craft ideas, family activities, and great articles. They even have some coupons and recipes as well! It's actually a magazine that I do not mind leaving out at the studio for parents waiting in the lobby to read because it is all clean all the time. I don't have to tell you...I throw the free issues of Seventeen magazine away immediately.

Pan Am: I love that show! The 60s fashion is super cute and fun, and the plot is definitely more interesting than I dreamed it would be. I do not stay up to watch it on Sunday nights because I have to get my beauty sleep, but I watch it On Demand later on in the week (or over the next weekend) if I have time.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition THIS FRIDAY! I need to give a shout out to my husband because he worked as part of a behind-the-scenes film crew when Extreme Makeover was building a home for a family in our area. You should watch it this Friday! A ton of folks that I know from our area were involved.

Pumpkin Pie Yankee Candle: I love burning this scent in the fall. It makes our home feel warm and cozy, and it smells di-vine.

Princess Stickers: The girls at the studio love their Disney Princesses. Okay, I love the Disney Princesses too. My favorite has always been Belle because she loved to read. I always tell Seth that when we buy a house I'm going to make one room a library like the one the Beast had in his castle. :) Anyway. I brought in Disney Princess stickers this week for the girls in the Creative Movement and Intro to Ballet/Tap classes, and it was, needless to say, very exciting for everyone.

Terra Nova: Seth and I decided to give this show a shot because it looked interesting, and it is! We really like it. We are not able to watch it on Mondays because I'm at the studio until late, but we catch up on it at some other point during the week. It's nice to have a show we can get into together. It reminds me of Lost...only this time I do not have to ask so many questions.

So those are just some of the things that I am into this month. What have you been into lately?

Full of Possibilities

2011-10-14T06:25:00.000-04:00

When Seth and I were meandering around downtown Easton last weekend, I saw this sign hanging in the window of a building that had been up for lease for a very long time. Of course, I just had to take a picture because it struck me in multiple different ways:

#1: It was funny. I had never seen a sign like that hanging in an open building before.
#2: It was random. Story of my LIFE.
#3: It rang true to my spirit. That's how Christ sees us.

One of my favorite Bible stories growing up was the encounter that Zacchaeus had with Jesus in the Book of Luke. I always sort of imagined Z looking like Danny DeVito. Don't ask me why. Anyway. Zacchaeus wasn't the small, cute little man of our Sunday School days. He was wicked. He swindled his own people, living a wealthy life at the expense of others. But he wanted to see Jesus. So, he climbed a tree to get a better view which, as a person of small stature, I totally get.

When Jesus came to the place where our man Z was hanging out in the tree He noticed the outcast immediately, as Jesus always did. Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down because He needed to stay at his house today. Zacchaeus had an immediate change of lifestyle and change of heart, and the story ends with Jesus saying this, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10 NIV)."

And it wasn't just Zacchaeus either. It was the adulterous woman. It was the lepers. It was the blind man. It was Peter, James, and John. It was Nicodemus. It IS you. It IS me.

Christ has the ability to look into each of our hearts and see us for who we are. He knows that we are not living our fullest life stuck in the mire of sin. He sees our potential and that we are full of possibilities.

The Couple that Plays Together...

2011-10-11T06:59:00.000-04:00

Seth and I love to play together. Our lives are so serious, focused, and often stressful throughout the week that, when we find a chance to tickle one another, laugh hysterically over something strange, or do something fun and childlike, we take it. Seth was in charge of planning our anniversary weekend, and he did an awesome job at it!

He surprised me with a trip to Easton, PA. Easton...you may be wondering. Yep, Easton! When Seth and I first met and for the first 11 months of our relationship, he lived in Easton and worked out of North Jersey. There were some things that we had wanted to do as a dating couple but could not because my trips were so limited out there. More often than not, he would drive out to see me--especially when our relationship got serious and we decided that we would have more time together if he stayed the weekend with my parents.

Seth took me to The Melting Pot in Bethlehem, and it was sooooooooooo yummy! One of the things I love about The Melting Pot is that, not only do they have great food, but it is relaxing and slow. So often our live consists of rushing around and going from one thing to another--especially this fall. It was wonderful to sit down and eat a relaxing meal with my guy, even if in typical Seth and Kirsten fashion, it was an adventure to get there. We love adventures. Here's Seth chowing down....

The next morning, Seth took me to this quirky coffee shop/bookstore for a late breakfast. I love places like that and love when we can get off the beaten path to enjoy them. Look how awesome it is inside:

Debating on what to order...I settled on a delicious smoothie and some eggs! Seth got french toast and some coffee. MMM!

Easton is a fun, charming little town...

We visited The Crayola Factory...

This is the Crayola Color Wheel that was used on a Food Network Challenge. The chefs had to spin the wheel and make food that matched 8 different colors (I believe he said the number was eight).

But apparently, everyone's favorite color is...

We had fun wandering around and playing with chalk...

And we used our tokens to get some prizes!

Then we went upstairs to the Canal Museum where we got to test out how a canal works with minature boats...

We saw these creepers on the top of the fake canal boat...shady!

Seth came up with a creative name for the boat...

And we just had an overall good time! We walked around Easton a bit, visiting an antique shop and Seth's old apartment building. Good times!

What's a fun thing you like to do with your man? (Keep it pure and holy, please!) :)

Mawwage Bwoght Us Togetha That Day

2011-10-10T06:55:00.000-04:00

Two years ago today, I married my best friend and love of my life. We celebrated over the weekend, and I will post some pics sometime later this week. But for today...

I just want to celebrate us.

We watched our wedding DVD last night, and it was so much fun to watch our beautiful wedding ceremony--all the meaningful aspects of it, all the funny aspects of it, and all the romantic aspects of it. Of course, things did not go completely perfect on that day, but we enjoyed our wedding day so much because it was about joining our lives together.

Prior to our wedding day, Pastor Ric had asked us to separately send him things that we loved about the other person. On our wedding day, he reminded us of those things and admonished us to never stop letting the world know what we loved about each other. Those are the things we still do love about each other--although now they are deeper versions of those attributes.

He also reminded us that marriage is about sacrifice, and that Christ is the greatest example of sacrificial love that we can follow. Our rings are a symbol of our love and that sacrifice. Every time my ring sparkles in the light and I notice it's beauty, every time it might accidentally catch on something, I remember that.

It was also fun to watch our wedding reception again. We ran into DJ Bob a couple weeks ago and he jokingly said, "Seth, are you going to let go of Kirsten's hand long enough to shake mine? If this is any indication of how your marriage is going, I'd say it's going pretty well!"

And it is. Two years ago today, I took your hand and we walked down that aisle into forever. The future was (and still is) uncertain, but we somehow knew that it would be okay because we could finally be together. Happy anniversary, my beloved. We have each other, but most of all we have HIM.

I'm thinking back...

2011-10-07T06:56:00.000-04:00

To the night of our engagement, in November 2008...

To when we moved you out of your apartment two hours away and into this area...

To Reverence's very first dance recital when we were still engaged...

To celebrating my 25th birthday...

To my bridal shower...

To our engagement photo session...

To when we signed the lease on our first apartment and moved you and our shower gifts in...

To that special day in October when we finally became husband and wife...

To all the good times we've had since then...

And to all the challenging times we've had since then.

And I realize...

Every moment that I spend with you is golden. It's magical. It's precious.

One Person's Trash...

2011-10-06T06:25:00.000-04:00

...is someone else's treasure!

Always, Sometimes, Never (2nd Anniversary Edition)

2011-10-04T09:44:00.000-04:00

Seth and I will celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary on Monday, and so in honor of that and of all the things that we have encountered in our first two years of marriage...

We Always...
...tell each other "I love you." Multiple times throughout the day.
...make time for one another. Because of our busy schedules, if we need to say no to something that might be good so that we can be together we do so without hesitation and without feeling guilty.
...laugh together. We must.
...take care of each other.
...support each other. Seth and I are a team. Team Awesome.
...grow together...whether it be in our relationship with the Lord, with each other, or in our individual lives, we make sure that we grow together and do not drift apart.
...work to make our home and our relationship a safe haven.
...play together.
...are thankful.

We Sometimes...

...wonder about our neighbors. And then wonder how often they wonder about us.

...get frustrated with each other and then always work it out.

...call each other strange nicknames.

...refer to the studio as our firstborn child, but then Caspian gets jealous.

...make a scene (like the whole fire department incident).

...cause a ruckus without meaning to.

...look back to the sweetness of our first 9 months of marriage when we were in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment.

We Never...

...talk ugly to one another (i.e. "How could you be that stupid?").

...lie to one another.

...feel that we need to spend some time apart.

...allow any one to get between our relationship.

What's an Always/Sometimes/Never that you experience in your marriage?

Bumbershoots

2011-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

(Sorry, I really, really love the 19th century term for umbrella.)

(That is me in London on the River Thames with my bumbershoot)

It has been raining practically non-stop this entire week, and many of us around here are lamenting and wishing that we could send the rain to Texas where it is really needed. I love rain. It is relaxing and refreshing and nourishing, making me want to savor a warm cuppa tea or curl up with a good book. When Seth and I lived on the first floor, we missed hearing the sound of rain falling as we fell asleep.

On Tuesday when it had just torrentially poured down rain the entire afternoon, I sat down with my Intro to Ballet/Tap students to take attendance and pray before we started class. Ever since I asked a few weeks ago if anyone's house flooded after the Great Flood of 2011, one of the kids always asks everyone in the class that question. So cute. So everyone agreed that their house did not flood this time, and I asked as I was marking them as present in class today, "Do ya'll like rain?"

One little girl said that yes, she did love rain. I asked her why and she answered, "Because Daddy got me an umbrella to carry."

And then it struck me that it really is all about your perspective.

What I Read in September...

2011-09-30T06:59:00.000-04:00

"Don't join the book burners. Do not think you are going to conceal thoughts

by concealing evidence that they ever existed."

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

In August I heard of this wonderful book and immediately wanted to read it. It took me a full month to read (I finished it in September) because it was so jam-packed with wonderful, heroic, and often tear-jerking accounts of the women who made up Christian history. Starting with Mary Mother of Jesus and ending with the amazing women of the 21st century like Joni Eareckson Tada and Ruth Graham, this book had me from start to finish and made me so honored to be one of the feminine threads that make up the tapestry of Christianity. It was also especially meaningful that the author, Diana Lynn Severance, mentioned the women who, while not famous in the world's account, influenced her own Christianity: her babysitter who first read to her from the Bible, her Sunday School teacher who encouraged her study of history, her grandmother who never ceased to pray for her (this brought tears to my eyes because my grandmother is the same way), and her mother who did not come to Christ until later in life but became a woman of great discernment after. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

"A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy."

~Edward P. Morgan

Let me just say that while I was initially excited to pick up this book because it was about a missionary going to Alaska, I was just a little disappointed with it.

"No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books."

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I have been thoroughly enjoying the "Ladies of Summerhill" series by Cara Lynn James, and this one was no different. Wonderful read, and it made me anticipate the vacation Seth and I are taking later in the fall to New England (we are planning on spending time in Newport)!

"Books are humanity in print."

-Barbara Tuchman

Seth's parents had given me an autographed copy of the above book for my birthday in June. I love poetry, but I find that I cannot read it straight through like a novel. Instead, I have to read a little bit at a time and savor each word, each line. The author wrote in her note to me, "To inspire you--dance on." Oh, how I love that line. And what exactly is the line dance that she refers to in her book? Life itself--the beauty of slaying the dragon of despair. The beauty of hope.

Dance on, my friends! Dance on.

Google's a Teenager, Ya'll! That makes me like...

2011-09-27T06:43:00.000-04:00

I had a completely different post in mind for today, but had to change my mind when I opened Google to search for something related to that post and saw that it was Google's 13th birthday today. I'm just a go-with-the-flow gal like that.

When Google first came out I was a 14 year old freshman in high school. That makes me feel incredibly old. Kind of like last night in ballet class when we were talking about how the original, non 3D Lion King came out in 1994 and one of my students/teachers said, "That was the year I was born. I am as old as The Lion King."

I remember in my high school classes how the internet was still considered an untrustworthy source. Okay, maybe it still is. But, my teachers had the forsight to teach us how to use Google wisely. We started saying things like, "I'm going to Google this," and our teachers would say, "Google is not a verb." But I think now it is?

Oh, Google.

Before Me

2011-09-26T06:45:00.000-04:00

On two separate, out-of-the-blue occasions last week, two different people said two different, very nasty things to me and about me in front of other people. It wasn't just constructive or destructive criticism that I took the wrong way, or them trying to joke and me being super sensitive, but rather something said to deliberately wound me. They were purposely trying to take me down and discredit me. I was away this week, away from Seth and friends and family, away from my normal routine at the studio--and consequently feeling very alone. And isn't that when the enemy always strikes? When we are in isolation?

As I wept in a bathroom stall later, I felt the Lord's presence with me, comforting and calming and speaking peace. After I had cried my last tear, I felt Him saying that it was time to go back out there, and that He would be with me. I was never alone and never would be alone.

The Holy Spirit brought to my mind some things that Jesus had said when I was in that moment:

Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

-Luke 6:22-23 (The Message)

I did not want to walk back out there. And I told the Lord that. Then He said, "I will go before you."

And He did. And He will.

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

-Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Beautiful Feet

2011-09-20T06:51:00.000-04:00

After teaching a full night of dance classes one night last week, I came home, kicked off my shoes, sprawled out on the couch, and rested my weary bones (haha, that phrase makes me sound like I'm about a year shy of a hundred years old). Seth sat down next to me, picked my bare feet up, and put them in his lap. Even though we've been together for nearly four years and married for two, I was slightly embarrassed. Why?

My feet are beautiful from a dance perspective. Years of training have turned them into muscled feet, accentuated arches, and callouses from 24 years of constantly pounding the dance floor. I can stand with my feet in a perfect, turned out first position and perform turns, leaps, and tricks with my feet as a launch pad. My feet are tiny and I spend hours pointing and flexing them as part of training. When I took a professional workshop a little while ago, the instructor said, "You have such beautiful feet" (which is a high compliment in the dance world).

But back to my husband and I. Even though my feet are beautiful for what I do, they are not necessarily soft feet that you want your husband to touch. They are calloused and my toe nails (while healthy) break off. I have some blisters on them and, as most dancers know, our feet are considered "old" because of the amount of work that we focus on them. I gently, nonchalantly tried to slide my feet off of his lap, but he grabbed them and said, "I love your feet. They are beautiful."

And so are yours.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

-Isaiah 52:7

Book Review: Radical Together by David Platt

2011-09-18T07:52:00.000-04:00

I finished out 2010 by reading David Platt's wonderful book Radical. It literally rocked my world, and left me reminded that, as a Christian dance studio owner, I have a huge mission field to serve. But, it also re-stirred my heart for foreign missions, something I believe God doesn't want me to give up on yet. (When I was younger, I wanted to be a missionary teacher to the wilds of Africa. I thrived on reading books about David Brainerd, William Carey, Amy Carmichael, and other modern day missionaries.) Needless to say, and Seth can attest, I was very somber after reading it. I was convicted. I was astounded. I was changed. And, I made some changes in my personal life.

When the opportunity to review this book came up, I jumped on it with trepidation. What was God going to convict me of THIS time around? After all, the tagline on the book is: "Unleasing the people of God for the purpose of God." It sounds like my world was going to get rocked again.

Chapter 1 is titled "The Tyranny of the Good," and talks about how good things in the church might be the church's worst enemy, and one of the first paragraphs in Chapter 1 says this:

"The last thing you and I want to do is waste our lives on religious activity that is devoid of spiritual productivity--being active in the church but not advancing the kingdom of God. We don't want to come to the end of our days on earth only to realize that we have had little impact on more people going to heaven. Yet if we are not careful, we will spend our lives doing good things in the church while we ultimately miss out on the great purpose for which we were created."

This book is an awesome book for pastors, church leaders, or any person who wants to see the church united for good. I highly recommend it!

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

What I Realized (Again) This Week

2011-09-16T07:07:00.000-04:00

We are now three weeks into the school year at the studio, and despite the flooding in the area last week and the other challenges that I typically work through, it is going extremely well. I'm so thankful for my awesome staff--they are truly the best. I'm so thankful for my sweet students--they make my day every day. I'm so thankful for the studio families--who bring encouragement, humor, and the blessed offering of their friendship to the studio every day. There was no holiday this week, no flood cancellation, no sicknesses, no first week push...it was a week of me really getting into the groove of things. And you know what I realized for the umpteenth time this week?

No, I am not referring to the studio families (although they are delightful and I enjoy being around them). I am referring to the wide, colorful array of other folks who do not pirouette in and out of my daily life at the studio, but make their catcalls and heckles from the sidelines of my life. They typically are not intentionally funny. They also are typically not my friends, but rather people who I encounter on a day to day basis. And some weeks they really get to me and I have to remind myself that Jesus loves them too and that my worth is found in Him alone. But some weeks, like this one, they make me laugh. Seth too.

Light a Candle

2011-09-15T07:02:00.000-04:00

I have always loved the warm, inviting mood set by lighting a candle.

I light them year round. When the school year starts, I bring out the fall scents. Pumpkin Pie, Apple Cider, Caramel, Warm Vanilla Sugar… As I bring out the Christmas decorations around Thanksgiving, I light the Cranberry, the Gingerbread, the Evergreen… In the Spring I light my Lemon Lavender candle. Summer? Watermelon, Cotton, Sea…

A cozy feel permeates our home as the flickering flame dances.

We women, single or married, were given an incredible gift by God. We were gifted the opportunity to make our home a peaceful haven. Lighting a candle is one wonderful opportunity to do just that. Unless you are allergic to scents, that is. Then you probably shouldn’t.

Whenever I light a candle I use the time to…

*pray a blessing over our home and household
*say a prayer of thanks for something good that has happened

The Bible tells us in so many verses how important it is to pray for one another, to be thankful, and to remember what God has done for us. One of my favorites is Psalm 143:5 :

“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.”

What are some ways that you make your home a haven?

Let God Speak

2011-09-13T07:14:00.000-04:00

Many believers today just aren't used to God speaking. In fact, when someone tells us that they have heard from the Lord, we get really...uncomfortable. We give excuses.

"God doesn't speak like that today."

"Why would God choose to speak to you and not to me?"

I will never forget four years ago when I announced that God had told me, "Now is the time to open the dance studio." Many people were delighted, encouraging, and supportive to this dream. Many others were shocked, confused, and distant (like I had chosen to open a br-thel instead of a Christian dance studio). The first year of the studio I even had someone come up to me and say, "Sometimes God allows ministries to fail so that He can take the glory." Which is true. But not necessarily something you should say to your fellow sister in Christ at a time like that.

Don't get me wrong. It wasn't some pie-in-the-sky spiritual experience that I had. I didn't see Jesus' face in my grilled cheese sandwich or anything like that.

God had placed the dream of using the arts to glorify Him on my heart six years prior. I did things that I thought were accomplishing that dream, but He wanted more. Here's how I checked that it was God's will for my life and how I let Him speak to me:

1. God's absolute truths and standards are written in Scripture. The Bible definitely does not say anything about opening a dance studio. Trust me, I know. I've looked. But God will never call you to do anything that goes against His Word. You should always check what you think you hear with Scripture. And, there were so many Scriptures that He brought to my mind that verified what I was called to do. Ministry is my priority. Dance is my tool.

2. God will give you peace when you follow His Word. It's not always easy to do what God asks you to do, but it is always worth it. When we walk in God's will, He gives us peace as a means of letting us know that we did the right thing. I felt peace about opening the dance studio, and I feel peace when I am there to this day. Even though there are days when it is rough and challenging and I cry (true story!), I feel at peace with doing what He has called me to do.

How do you listen for God's voice?

In a Post 9/11 World

2011-09-11T07:57:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago this morning I was sitting in my highschool AP English class when another teacher ran in and said, "The World Trade Center is on fire." At that point, no one knew what was going on--that it was actually a terrorist attack on the United States. My teacher flipped on the TV and we watched in silence. Then we saw the second plane fly into the tower and heard the reports of the Pentagon being hit, and the plane going down in Western PA. Like the rest of you, I was glued to the TV for days until I had to force myself to turn it off. It was too much. Too horriffic.

I was a senior in high school that day and I knew that our world had changed forever.

In the weeks and months that followed, we heard stories of sadness, of bravery, of courage. We heard stories of hope, of loss, of triumph. The United States had changed. In our grief we banded together. We flew flags from our porches, we put "Proud to be an American" bumper stickers on our cars, we came together to donate blood, to donate money. We volunteered more. We stood up and applauded our troops, our policemen, our firemen. Yes, the terrorists had destroyed thousands of lives on that day, but ultimately the United States won that day because we did not let them destroy our hope, our sacred honor.

A post 9/11 world saw us, as a country, increasing our security measures. We were no longer allowed to bring liquids of a certain amount onto flights. We had to go through more security, more background checks. When Seth picked me up at the airport three years ago, he was not allowed to wait for me at the gate. A post 9/11 world saw the United States go to war. The terrorists had awakened a sleeping giant and we were ready to fight to make sure they did not come to our shores again. I have had friends and family fight in Operation Enduring Freedom. And now a decade has passed. In the years that followed, many of us who had not lost someone in the attacks were able to return to life as usual and to forget about what had happened on that dark day in history--the worst attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor.

I'll never forget visiting England in 2006. Our tour guide told us that one of the few times the Queen had cried in public was on September 11, 2001. What happened that day touched the entire world.

But many of us have found our way in this post 9/11 world. We let it shape us into the people that we have become today--a people not afraid to fight for our ideals and for what is right. We pray more for our country than we ever have before. We teach our children that it is wrong to hate, but it is right to stand up for what they believe in. We have felt the need to contribute to society more, to join the military or to enter a job field where we can exercise our values, even if it is not a monetary paying job.

Yet, today is not about politics, even though it has been made to be about politics by some.

Today is about remembering.

Today is about honoring.

Today is about prayer.

Today is about reflection.

Today is about hope and what you place yours in.

"And the lantern of hope from the harbor still shines..."

I Remember

2011-09-10T16:52:00.000-04:00

In Memory. September 11, 2001.

Update from Yesterday

2011-09-09T08:19:00.000-04:00

Hershey Park and Zoo America released the following statement on their Facebook page:

"As many of you know, today has been a very difficult day at ZooAmerica. First and foremost, the Zoo staff cares deeply about the safety and well-being of the animals in their care, and truly considers them members of their extended families.

Today the Zoo experienced unprecedented flooding, more than we experienced with Hurricane Ivan or any other severe weather event in the company's memory.

The Zoo team began flood preparation two days ago by moving all animals to higher ground. Recognizing the likelihood of serious flooding, the team activated our animal evacuation plan at noon today to ensure that the animals were out of harm’s way. This plan has been in place and effective in all other weather-related emergencies that the Zoo has experienced.

Unfortunately, no one could anticipate a weather event that went from inches of rain to feet of flooding in a matter of a few short minutes. While we were able to ensure the safety of the vast majority of the animals in the Zoo, flood waters rose too quickly in the area occupied by two of the Zoo's bison and we were not able to rescue them.

Faced with the prospect of watching the extended suffering of the bison and their eventual death due to drowning, the Zoo staff chose the most humane path possible and euthanized the bison.

This is a very sad day for us, as we've built strong bonds with all the animals in our care. We can tell you that each of us feels this loss very deeply."

There is so much devestation going on amidst the flooding in Central PA. Let's move past the devestation of the past several days (and what's to come today) and into rebuilding....

I am Appalled

2011-09-08T07:12:00.002-04:00

When did euthanasia become an acceptable answer to anything?

If you live on the East Coast of the US of A like I do, you are experiencing a continuation of three days of heavy, constant rainfall and lots of flooding. Folks needed to be evacuated from their cars, homes, and local businesses (sometimes by boat) to a safe, higher ground. I'm hearing reports that this is the 8th worst flood in Pennsylvania history. And it is still raining this morning after I've woken up. Thank the Lord that the studio did not flood and that Seth and I, my family/close friends are okay (some having experienced flooded basements). I have not yet heard of any human casualties in this flooding (praise the Lord), but my thoughts and prayers are with those who have damage to their homes and businesses. People do not often realize that effect that a natural disaster has on local businesses, so please continue to support your local businesses through this time. And help each other out, as well. People need to band together during a time of crisis.

Last night when Seth and I were watching the news and checking Facebook, we started to hear reports that the bison at Zoo America had been euthanized. I started to feel sick to my stomach and get tears in my eyes. I love animals and I loved those big lugs at the Zoo. Seth put his arm around me and said, "Baby, I don't think that happened. That would have been on the news." And it wasn't.

Until I woke up this morning.

All the other animals at the Zoo were saved, but because the bison were too big to move, the zookeepers made the decision to euthanize them humanely rather than allow them to drown inhumanely.

I get it. I appreciate that they did not want the animals to suffer. And Lord knows that I wouldn't want to be in their position. The zookeepers love their animals, and I have no idea how fast the water was rising or how quickly they had to make that difficult decision. But still...

When did euthanasia become an acceptable option for our society? I can't help but wonder why, knowing the predicted rainfall we were going to get and that flooding was an option, the zoo did not begin to move the animals yesterday? Was killing them really the best option? I'm having a hard time believing it was the ONLY option in this case.

When my cat Copper was almost 18 years old, he started to lose control of his bladder, muscles, and he did not groom himself as well. My parents finally took him to the vet and discovered that he was in a terrible amount of pain with cancer throughout his entire body. The vet only gave him a week or so left to live. My parents brought him home and we all said our tearful goodbyes before taking him back to the vet several days later. As we each held him for the last time and my tears soaked his fur, he put his paw on my arm and started purring like he knew and was okay with the situation. He was ready. My Dad held him as the vet euthanized him (I'm bawling right now as I'm writing this and dreading the day--hopefully in the far away future--that we'll have to do this to the Prince) and he fell asleep instantly. That was humane. That was the only option for an animal who was in such pain. He had lived a good, long life for a cat and died peacefully in the arms of someone who loved him and who he loved back.

But killing an animal in the prime of its life just because you can't think of a better option? I'm having a very hard time with that. They were able to save all the other animals in the Zoo, which is highly commendable.
People are more important than animals. Animals do not have souls. I know this. And, again...I'm sure the zookeepers were wrecked about their decision. I tried to put myself in their position and can't even imagine what they had to deal with.

The fact is that our culture continues to devalue life. It sickens me. Babies are aborted, elderly are disrepescted, reality shows celebrate Darwin by praising the strongest who outrun the weakest, and animals are needlessly slaughtered (no, I am not talking about hunting for food--that is perfectly fine in my opinion) or discarded.

Call me young and naive, but that is not how the God I serve operates. He KNOWS when every sparrow falls. He brings justice to the poor and needy and He blesses the poor in spirit. I believe He weeps over the brokenness that exists in our world today and the choices that we have to make because He didn't intend for it to be like this.

How about you? What are your thoughts on this?

An Afternoon in Gettysburg

2011-09-06T06:37:00.001-04:00

Before the rain set in yesterday afternoon, Seth and I took our annual back-to-school drive to Gettysburg to do some walking/climbing around on the rocks/driving around/meeting weird people. We started going to Gettysburg together in 2008 when we were dating and needed something free to do together. It turned into a tradition that we enjoy doing together.

It had poured rain on Sunday evening and the woods were still damp. I love being in the woods after a refreshing rain. Everything is very ethereal and rich looking.

When we came across this point, it made me think of my favorite Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken."

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

When we got to Little Roundtop, I had to take a dance picture. If you are a dancer, you know what I mean. We take dance pictures everywhere. Just because it's cool. Unfortunately, we didn't have Seth's camera that could take motion shots, so we had to keep trying and I had to hold my leg up in grand battement for a while.

Wait for it...

There it is!

Seth took a dance picture on top of one of the rocks at Devil's Den:

If you have never been to Gettysburg, I would highly recommend going. It's a fascinating place. And this time around we ran into some Ghost Hunters. No, not from the show. Amateur ghost hunters. I will comment no further except to say...well, nevermind. ;)

Seth likes to climb up to the top of the Pennsylvania Monument. I only needed to do it once. The steps are scary! He is just to the right of the tall statue.

Seth and I always have to take a cannon shot:

PS- Do you like my new header??? Seth designed in ten minutes what would have taken me five hours and lots of frustration to do. I love him.

Three Day Weekends are Glorious!

2011-09-05T09:34:00.000-04:00

I love that after a month of gearing up for the new school year, a wonderful first week of classes, a week of being horribly sick, and a month of Seth working evenings and weekends...we had a long weekend together!

Just to take a moment and rewind...
*Saturday August 27 was the first day of classes at the studio (and the first rehearsal for "Triumphant"). Monday morning I woke up with a horrible cold and the fever that I always get the first day of a cold. Yuck. I pumped myself with medications and prepared to take on the week ahead. There was no way that I could miss the first week (and I sanitized so that I did not spread any germs around). Yes, it sucked having a cold the first week of school. I was tired and achy and could not speak some days. But it was a wonderful, awesome first week of classes! It was so much fun to see returning students and a joy to meet new students. It's going to be a great year.

*Friday September 2 I got to help Seth tape a wedding for two of his coworkers. I fell in love with my groom all over again as I watched him do his "thang" and heard his coworkers say such wonderful things about him. I always enjoy helping Seth out, and it was a lovely wedding. Here we are at the Hershey Hotel (omg, they gave us chocolate hazelnut soup for the soup course--yum!):

We got home around midnight on Friday/Saturday, and slept in the next morning, ran some errands, and went out to lunch together to celebrate a wonderful first week of classes and a wonderful job that Seth did on the wedding. One of our errands was to Petsmart to pick some things for the Prince...including this year's dress-up outfit (more pictures will come later).

*Our living room has been devoid of a wall clock forever, and I had finally found one several weeks ago that fits our ecclectic/French country/artsy/modern/cottage feeling home. After this incident when we first got married, I let Seth hang things up in our place now. It came in the mail on Friday and Seth put it up on Saturday afternoon before he had to go into work. It's an Eiffel tower clock! Isn't it awesome?

It fit perfectly over our table!

*Saturday night I went over to my friends/neighbors' place for a movie night. It was fun to relax and hang out. We watched "Two Weeks Notice" and ate frozen custard.

*Sunday we overslept (oops!) and missed going to church. Yes, I will admit it. We went to go see "The Help" (I saw it for the second time and Seth for the first) and loved it! It definitely is among the top movies I have seen this year--loved, loved, loved! We went to the grocery store and relaxed for the rest of the day while the thunder boomed outside. It was perfect.

Today we have some plans to go for a hike before the rain hits and then prepare for the week ahead. Seth and I both feel that in marriage, you have to take time to recharge together, so we enjoy having fun little weekends like these. What did you do on your three day weekend?

August Reading Fun

2011-08-31T07:22:00.000-04:00

Reading is one of my favorite relaxing past times. Ever since I was in elementary school, I always carried a "fun" reading book or two or three in my backpack or purse to read if I had spare time on the go, after a test, and well, you get the picture. I am a geek, and I wouldn't trade all the fun that I have had reading for anything. I'm able to read a lot more during the summer because I'm not at the studio nearly as often, so my August reads were many:

I started out the month re-reading a favorite book of mine from early highschool. The book, Faith, is part of Lori Copeland's "Brides of the West Series," and I love all of them dearly. Lori Copeland has a way of making me giggle and feel the sweet emotions that the mail order brides must have felt. Faith is about a young woman who leaves her little Michigan town to marry a wealthy rancher (Nicholas Shepherd). Sparks fly between the tomboy-ish Faith and her prospective husband Nicholas, and then there is Nicholas's mother Liza who is not pleased with Faith at all. This is a very charming story (as are all in the Brides of the West series) that I would highly recommend!

Next I read a Susan May Warren book called Undercover Pursuit. I love Susan May Warren, and this book featured some of her characters from my favorite series of hers (Mission: Russia). I like when authors do that because, if you're like me, you wonder what happens to the characters after the book ends. Anyway...this story is about a woman who is in the Carribbean for her sister's wedding. She is on her way to the festivities when security agent Luke Dekker mistakes her for his contact. After about five minutes when he realizes that she is NOT his contact, they are already linked and falling for each other. This was a Gramom Doris loan to me...

And then, I finally purchased the new Karen Kingsbury book (well, it had come out in June, but I am a little behind), book #2 in the Bailey Flanigan Series called Learning. It was so good that I read it in three days. No joke. I love reading about Bailey because she is into the arts and, in this book, performing in a role on Broadway. There is still the whole love triangle between Bailey, Cody, and Brandon, but I have to say that I am a fan of Bailey and Brandon together. Cody is sort of wimpy. I talk about these people like they are my friends in real life...haha. Anyway, like all Kingsbury books, this one is fantastic and I could not put it down!

Next, I continued my journey through the Gilded Age by reading Book #2 in the Lake Manawa Summers Series by Lorna Seilstad called A Great Catch. I loved the first book (Making Waves) and was anxious to read this one. It was sparkling, funny, and endearing--everything that the first book was. It is about a woman named Emily, a suffragist, who meets Carter Stockton, a pitcher for the local baseball team. Emily devises a plan to bring a Bloomer Girls baseball team (which are historically true) to the area to play against the men's team. It was neat to read about the Bloomer Girls because I had no idea that they existed. Apparently they were very serious athletes whose names should be household names, but were not taken seriously because they were women. On a side note, can you imagine being a suffragist and then, after tirelessly working most of your life, feel the excitement of going in to vote for the first time? Whoa.

And finally, I ended the month with book 3 in the Broadmoor Legacy Series by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller called A Surrendered Heart. Seth bought me book 1 when we first started dating over three years ago (that's one of the other reasons that I knew he was meant for me...he bought me books!), I got book #2 for Christmas that year when I was scraping pennies together for the studio's first year and could not afford to buy books, and then I did not get book three until just a few weeks ago. Oh was it good. It deliciously finished up the series by telling Amanda's story. And, there was some redemption in there as well...no one is ever too far gone to come to Jesus. Amen.

Read any good books this month?

No Questions Asked

2011-08-30T07:17:00.002-04:00

I have the world's worst cold (my traditional beginning of the school year cold) a week early (which I will write about more at the end of this week), so after my dance classes and private lesson last night, I stopped by CVS to get some medicine. It was 9:10PM and all the creepers were out to be sure and, I must have a friendly face, because they all ignored the Rudolph nose and tried to engage in conversation. Normally, I do not mind an interesting conversation with a stranger because I am a woman and we like to walk, but last night I was like, "Just give me the precious--I mean, the NyQuil." I know that I looked a little strange with my shorts and tshirt over my tights and leotard, but still. Just give me the precious.

That's one of the many reasons I enjoy being married to Seth. He doesn't ask questions about my random behavioral patterns. He got home from work after 10PM last night and I had originally said that I would make dinner after I got home last night. But I was sick and just felt like not eating, laying on the couch, and watching the rest of "Bachelor Pad," so I didn't. Thankfully, the sandwiches that I had ordered from my friend Jess came in yesterday, and Deb and Jess brought them to jazz class last night. Problem solved!

When Seth got home (knowing that I was sick), he gave me a kiss on the forehead and I said, "I'm sorry I did not make dinner tonight, but there are sandwiches in the Victoria's Secret Bag on the counter in the kitchen."

And he didn't ask questions out loud (he may have been asking them in his head) because even if he did not remember that Deb works at Vicky's and would bring something like sandwiches in a pink striped bag, he knows that I am a girly girl who would have sandwiches in a Vicky's bag just because it's pretty. Oh, how I love that man.

But he did remember that I do not like taking pills (that I prefer the liquid DayQuil/NyQuil), so he asked why I had purchased the pills.

It's because they were on sale, honey. Duh. ;)

A Spritual A-quakening

2011-08-27T07:46:00.000-04:00

Comparing it to the earthquakes that have happened in South America and Asia over the years, as well as the earthquakes that happen on the West Coast practically every week, the earthquake in DC was minimal with (thank the Lord) minimal damage. It really freaked a lot of people out. The last major earthquake (major being over a 5.0 on the Richter Scale) we had on the east coast was back in World War II, according to the nervous newsman. So, even though it did not last very long, it was kind of a big deal to all of us.

I have heard many jokes about why the earthquake originated in DC (Obama blaming it on Bush's fault line, the forefathers rolling in their graves about the status of the country, the national debt finally breaking the country), and I laugh at every single one of them (what? I think they're funny. And true.). But, I have also have heard many people say that it was no accident that the earthquake originated just outside of DC and was felt along the entire east coast. And, I have to say that I agree.

Virgina sits on what is known as the "Stable Continental Shelf," due to the rarity of the earth movement. That is why the earthquake that occurred there was felt over such a large part of the country. The earthquake that happened on Tuesday is extremely rare. Say it is coincidence all you want, but I believe the earthquake was a physical part of something spiritual going on in our country. There's a lot of fear chatter amongst folks, so I wanted to take the time to address some things regarding the earthquake.

It could be a warning...
*One of the things we know about God is that He will speak to His people, and if they don't listen the messages keep getting louder and louder until He eventually removes His presence. He's God. He doesn't have to make sure His microphone is plugged in before He makes His point.
*The United States is coming dangerously close to forcing Israel to give up its land for the promise of security. The United Nations will attempt to force Israel to capitulate to a resolution that promises a Palestinian state at the expense of Israel. The Bible is full of warnings to those who turn against Israel, and the United States has generally heeded those warnings until now.
*The United States has become a modern-day Babylon filled with greed and licentiousness and pride. As a nation, we have turned away from the Truth of God and to our own devices. The earthquake could be a warning in that regards. The frequency of earthquakes that have happened has increased over the centuries, and this could be a sign of the birth pangs that will be felt in the last days. I'm not a doomsday prophet or anything...just stating what the Bible says.

It could be a call...
*As a nation, God could be calling us back to Himself, and He has the ability to use nature to do it. It's no mistake that prayer focuses for this week (even prior to the earthquake) have been for a spiritual awakening in this country.
*This earthquake could be a sign that something big is happening for God in this country--a revival like none other. Some friends of mine were down in DC for Project: Dance (a wonderful organization started by a former Rockette to bring healing and restoration through the power of God through dance) the weekend before the quake, and we were teasing them that they must have danced REALLY hard before the Lord over the weekend.

Those are just some of my thoughts...what are some of yours? Regardless,

"The Lord is in His heavenly temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; His eyes examine them."

-Psalm 11:4

A Week in Weird

2011-08-26T07:16:00.000-04:00

I had originally intended on taking my bloggy break for a full week (coming back today), but that fire department story was too hilarious NOT to record on Tuesday. Thanks for your affirmations and empathetic comments. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has experienced something like that!

My week away from blogland was fun and busy...we had a work day at the studio on Saturday to touch things up (we added chair guards because every summer I paint where people lean back into the wall with their chairs, and within a week the paint is stripped from the walls from where people lean back into the wall with their chairs). Every year I get smarter. :) We did a bunch of other things as well. Here is the chair guard on the purple wall that my Dad and Seth put up:

I love that purple wall so much--it makes me happy every time I go into the studio! The studio logo colors are purple, rust, and teal, so that is how I decorated the studio three years ago. You know, that whole branding thing. Anyway, I was really thankful for those who came out and helped. I couldn't do anything without them!

On Sunday Seth and I went to the Cirque du Soleil act that was performing in our area. I got a call on Thursday afternoon from a sales rep that frequents our office offering me two FREE tickets to the show! I didn't have to think too long before agreeing. When the sales guy dropped off the tickets on Friday, he also included a free suite parking pass. Seth and I got to live the high life by parking directly next to the arena in a small private lot before being escorted into the arena privately. The show was amazing. No pictures allowed, so I have none to post, but we loved it!

I also did some shopping for the weddings and birthday parties that we have coming up in September (I like to get it done in advance because I don't have a lot of time to shop during the school year). While I was looking for a gift for my niece Josie who is turning one in September, I stumbled across this gem of a gift:

Is that not one of the most frightening toys you have ever seen? Why on earth would any one want to buy it for a child? Of course, I had to take a picture of it to send to Seth who was not with me at the time and to record in blogland. No, I did not buy it for my niece. I just got a good giggle at the strangeness of this toy!

Oh, and I have to show you these pictures... Prince Caspian is constantly competing for my attention while I am trying to eat breakfast and do my devotions. I know that he is preparing me for motherhood some day. He was on the move so I didn't get a good picture, but you get the idea:

Yes, that is his hiney.

Yes, he is preparing to leap off the table in this picture.

He also loves to play and sleep in boxes, and I had received a package the other day and left the box for him to play in. He promptly fell asleep after a few moments of playing, only opening his eyes after I gently said "Caspian" for the 100th time.

So then we had that weird earthquake on Tuesday. That was a very strange sensation. Everything started rattling and I thought it was a large truck or something like that passing. Nope. Then my phone filled up with texts and Facebook filled up with posts and I realized that it was an earthquake. Now we are waiting for Irene to hit.

But this is one of my favorite pictures from the week ever. I started decorating for fall because it's not something I have time to do during the school year, I love fall and want to keep the decor out as long as possible, and because...I felt like it. :) I like to call this picture "His Brotha from Anotha Motha."

My Mom bought me this Longaberger black cat basket as an early Christmas gift several years ago and Prince Caspian likes to sit next to it in the same exact way. Seth and I were cracking up because it was just weird and sometimes, ya just gotta laugh at life. In all its weird glory.

What was your weird event of the week?

Sorry I Called the Fire Department on You. Love, Kirsten

2011-08-23T19:17:00.000-04:00

Too bad Hallmark does not have a greeting card for THAT occasion.

Seth came home for his dinner break this evening and, while he is eating, we notice smoke billowing out of our across-the-street-neighbor's roof. We live in an apartment complex where everything is connected and fire's have the potential to do great harm in a short period of time, so we watched it for a few more minutes. Seth went to check and see what was going on, and no one was home in their apartment. No one was even outside or around. So I called 911.

Within several minutes, three fire engines roared into our neighborhood along with three fire police trucks (they passed our building the first time, lol). Neighbors started pouring out of their places and people were taking pictures and videos of the whole event. Our kind elderly neighbors reassured us that we had done the right thing and that they were thankful to have such good neighbors. Our neighbors who are our age said the same thing.

Firemen walked out with their axes and around to the back of the building.

After ten minutes of telling the same story over and over again to our neighbors and to the fire police, we found out that the cause of the smoke was...

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

The downstairs 20-something guys who decided that it would be smart to cookout on their front porch with the screen down, causing smoke to filter through a small crack and escape through the roof. We were so embarrassed, but the firemen were really cool about it and were smiling and joking around with us. They reassured us that we had done the right thing. The guys who were cooking out didn't seem mad either. We hope. If I come home to find a charbroiled burger on my porch I will know who did it....

When all the trucks had pulled away and only one police truck remained, one of the fire policeman walked over to me and good-naturedly said, "So, how about some steak?"

Bloggity Break!

2011-08-19T06:37:00.000-04:00

Taking my annual August blog break! See ya'll next week!

A Car Conversation...

2011-08-18T06:53:00.000-04:00

(We were driving home from errands and a stop at Bruster's last night when Seth reminded me that he was doing a video project with a runner who is running a LONG distance for a local charity in our area.)

Me: Do you need me to help you get ready for the shoot?

Seth: Well, you're good at coming up with interview questions. What's a good question to ask a runner?

Me: What are you running from?

I am oh-so-helpful sometimes.

Project Simplify: How Goes It?

2011-08-16T06:55:00.000-04:00

And 228 days into the year later, my Project: Simplify is still going strong. On December 27 of last year, I determined that my theme for 2011 was going to be simplify. You can go back and read the post if you would like to, or you can read the short version below:

*I wanted to make sure that my year would not pass by in such a whirlwind that I wouldn't remember any of it.
*I wanted to make sure that I made time for what really matters in my life: God, Seth, the studio, and margin time.

Just a few highlights of the year...

*This year I was asked to take on a role in an outside-of-the-studio organization that Seth and I were involved in. I didn't feel peace about it at all, but I wanted to help so I said, "Yes." Project Simplify: Fail. Needless to say, I learned my lesson in a matter of months when it turned out to be really stressful and adding unnecessary frustration to my life. So I resigned from it. Project Simplify: Win!

*Seth and I ended up saying "no" and leaving something that was very near and dear to our hearts. I can't really go into too much detail, but God has moved us on to something that is a much better fit for our little family and thus making our lives slightly less stressful.

*I instituted the 8PM rule. I don't take any calls after 8PM and before 8AM during the school year now, unless they are emergencies. Seth and I realized that we had to set boundaries with our time or we would continue letting other people control OUR time. Sometimes we will still work late into the night during busy seasons without complaint, but for the most part we keep that boundary.

*And speaking of boundaries...I have been trying to keep the boundary of not working on Saturday afternoon/evening and Sunday. Sometimes I win. Sometimes I lose.

There are definitely more examples of things that we cut out or simplified, more organizational tips and tricks that I have learned to keep our household running smoothly, and tough lessons that I have learned this year. Unfortunately, I cannot share them all due to a lack of time and the desire to keep some things private. I have noticed, as I have cut and simplified, that I have been finding more room for margin time, and more space to just be. It's been difficult because, like all of the rest of you who are hardworking guys/gals, I enjoy doing. But it's been worth it and I have found time to focus on the things that really matter. But there ya have it...Project Simplify continues!

What are some of your simplifying tips and tricks?

Social Media and Our Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health

2011-08-14T17:56:00.000-04:00

It’s easy to see the physical health effects of spending too much time on the computer. It effects your eye sight, your posture, your weight, and if you know a computer programmer over the age of 40, chances are that they are headed towards surgery for carpal tunnel, if they have not had it already.

It’s also easy to recognize, but not so easy to combat against the negative mental health effects of spending too much time on the computer. We live in an age where it is easy to get sucked into the snares of the media and be forced to trudge through the mire of right vs. wrong. And, unfortunately, cyber-bullying has grown into a HUGE problem amongst youth and adults that has extreme effects on the mental health of the bullies and the bullied.

And finally, it’s not always easy to recognize until later on how social media effects your spiritual health negatively. It’s easy for people to become bitter, envy, and jealous over things that they read on Facebook, Twitter, Bloggy Land, or any other form of social media and allow those feelings to take root. And anytime something becomes an idol—that takes the place of your worship with God—that is very dangerous. Social media included.

As we struggle to walk the fine line between enjoying and using social media for ministry and yet not allowing it to control us, I would encourage you to keep the following things in mind:

1. Everything in moderation, nothing in excess. Aristotle’s mama didn’t raise no fool. In fact, it lines up with the teaching of Scripture. Ecclesiastes tells about how there is a time and a season for everything under heaven, and I can’t help but feel that verse applies to every aspect of our life. If we make sure that we spend time on social media to connect with friends/family or to minister, we should also make sure that we spend time taking a walk. If we invest time in our blogs, we should make sure that we have invested time in our relationship with God and with our families first. When we do things in excess we tend to let them control us.

2. Don’t allow the seeds of bitterness, envy, and jealousy to take root in your life. When we allow things that are not of the Lord to take root in our lives, we give the devil a foothold. Having a good grasp of reality and what the Lord has given YOU before you wish you were in someone else’s place.

3. Know who you are in Christ FIRST. Your relationship with Christ is first and what drives your physical, mental, and spiritual health. When you are secure in who you are before Him—you will make sure that you make time with Him, that you are treating your body as a temple, and that you aren’t worried about other people and what they think of you: you’re focused on Him.

Your health is defined as the condition that you are in. And, I would challenge you to consider your health and where you want it to be this week, and how social media effects your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Today I'm linking up with Women Living Well's Media Mondays!

Enemies of the Heart

2011-08-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

I was very excited to look through my Blogging for Books queue and see a book by Andy Stanley. I am a fan of his, after all. But...I was disappointed that it was a repackaged version of an old book of his. I just don't like when authors do that--especially so close to their original release. But, without further adeiu and dots and dashes, here is my review:

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley
(originally released as It Came from Within)

Andy Stanley digs deeper into four emotions that have the power to control you for the worse (guilt, greed, anger, and envy), and how those emotions, if left unchecked, have the power to ruin your relationships and destroy your life. He offers sound Biblical counsel on resolving these emotions and practical advice about living a life of freedom in Christ.

You should not read this book if...
*You don't like repackaged books that you've already had.
*You do not want to be convicted.

You should read this book if...
*You are looking to be challenged.
*You are looking for a good read.
*You're a fan of Andy Stanley.

Overall I give it a "good read" grade. :)

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Photo-Dump Friday

2011-08-12T06:52:00.000-04:00

This is the first Photo-Dump Friday on my blog! Hooray! I'm always impressed by those people who do the Project 365, and I aspire to be like them. But I forget sometimes....

(I was away at my annual stamping weekend with my grandmother and when I got home, Seth--who had to work--had surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers! I guess he missed me...)

(This is floor shopping for the new dance floor at the studio. I don't think this is the option I will be choosing, but you get the picture. Haha, get it?)

(I stole this picture from Seth's iPhone. Last night he and his dad went on a hot air balloon ride for his dad's birthday.)

(We slept with the windows open last night because it was a heavenly 58 degrees, and Prince Caspian kept his post at our dining room window the entire night. He loves to look out.)

Guilt: I Owe You

2011-08-11T07:14:00.000-04:00

For my latest Blogging for Books review, I have been reading Andy Stanley's Enemies of the Heart (previously released as It Came from Within). I'll be posting my review about the book this weekend, but I have to say that I let this book convict me and it really impacted my life. So...I decided to end my Summer Pruning Series by taking the next four Thursdays and focusing on one of the four "enemies of the heart" that Andy Stanley writes about. (And yes, I realize that it will take me through September 1, but I always consider Labor Day weekend the true last weekend of summer anyway. Even though it's really not until the end of September. Humor me, people. :))

"Guilt says, 'I owe you.' Guilt is the result of having done something we perceived as wrong. Every wrong we do can be restated as an act of theft...." (Page 51)

Last I checked, none of us is perfect. We all make mistakes (large and small) and we all have, at one time or another, impacted someone's life through our mistakes and choices that we have made. Of course, Christ offers forgiveness and hope and a safe harbor, but too often we don't see Him when we are burdened by ourselves. And of course, there are people who do not have Christ in their lives who don't know where to turn to with their guilty consciences. So we try to pull ourselves out of the miry pit.

"Have you ever noticed that you rarely see the guy who owes you $50? He just never seems to come around...That's the power of debt. We don't seek out opportunities to expose ourselves to those we owe. When people are in a relational IOU position brought about by poor choices, they look for any excuse to be absent rather than face those they owe...." (Page 53)

A friend of mine is fond of saying, "What happens in the dark will always be brought to light." And it's true. Wounds that we have inflicted, things that we have done wrong, and poor choices that we have made even while we think that no one is watching build up inside of our hearts. I still love the old Steven Curtis Chapman/DC Talk song "It's Got 2 B Tru" where one of the lines says, "It's got to be true, even when nobody but Jesus is watching me." No amount of working off a debt, trying to make up for a debt, or trying to pay off a debt will work because there is One who knows the true state of your heart. It's time to confess.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:8-9 (NIV)

This verse is not just speaking of owning up to your sin (although that is certainly a step of confessing). It's more than just "Yes, I did break your Pampered Chef Pizza Stoneware, honey." (Ahem!) :) It's about changing your ways.

"But in the Scriptures, confession is associated with change. Confession is just one step in a sequence of steps that lead the guilty out of darkness and into the light; it's simply the beginning of a process that ultimately leads to a change in lifestyle or behavior...." (Page 97)

God doesn't want a half-hearted apology or a lame attempt at changing your life. Yes, He may allow you to take baby steps towards change (or, if you're like me He will make you take big, giant leaps towards change), but He wants all of you.

Confession is also clearly associated with repentance, restitution, and restoration. This is where it becomes tricky. We don't need to just apologize to God and ask for forgiveness. We need to make things right with the person that we have offended. Our relationship with God seems to be hinged on our relationship with other people (Matthew 5:23-24). The truth is that you cannot resolve your differences with God until you resolve your differences with other people.

"Part of walking with God is making that call you dread making; setting up that appointment you know will be incredibly awkward; writing that letter that you should have written long ago. It means humbling yourself, owning up to your part of the problem, and doing everything within your power to make those relationships right...." (Page 102)

Christ paid the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross and victoriously rose from the grave. That part is done and over. He will forgive us when we ask and He will cast our sins as far as the east is from the west. But we still have to live with the consequences of our sins...

"God's forgiveness doesn't exempt you from the responsibility for confession and restitution. On the contrary, his forgiveness is the very reason to confess. God paid a high price to reconcile you back to him, and now he's calling on you to pay the price to reconcile yourself back to others...." (Page 111)

At some time along your life's journey, God will call on you to turn and make things right (even things that happened in your past). It might be embarrassing (or downright humiliating) or annoying, but the consequences of confession are far less severe than the consequences of living with your guilt. Start living with the habit of confessing...it will change your life.

Good Seeds

2011-08-09T06:32:00.001-04:00

“You’re in charge of what?”

I had just informed my Mom that, as part of my new receptionist position (my first “adult” job as a 20-year old college graduate), I had been placed in charge of caring for all the plants in the office. Naturally she was incredulous, because I am known for my notorious black thumb. The office had about 30 plants, some of which had been passed down from the original president of the company. The pressure was on, and as I stood there and realized the hopelessness of the task before me, my hopeful smile wilted. Just like those plants soon would.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to look at plants and flowers and I enjoy fresh produce, but I am definitely not good when it comes to caring for them and nurturing them. My mother and grandfather are the complete opposite. They both produce beautiful gardens every year! How did I not inherit even a tiny smidgen of their proverbial green thumbs? The Lord knows I do try though and He's helped me to be at least a little bit successful in planting our balcony garden over the past two years. Regardless, I just love the idea of gardens and their origins. The very thought that one of the first tasks that God put Adam in charge of in the Garden of Eden was to work and cultivate the land is just so fascinating to me. The Lord was just brilliant to create mankind with the ability to work to grow both beautiful and necessary things, and then to gift us with satisfaction as we enjoy the fruits of our labor.

In his great work As a Man Thinketh, James Allen writes, “A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will bring forth life.” The more we allow thoughts of God and worship of Him to permeate our heart, mind, and soul, the more we will produce good fruit: thoughts, words, and deeds that are of Him. But, when we allow the seeds of bitterness, envy, and deceit to infiltrate our lives, then all we produce is bad fruit.
What kind of seeds do you produce as a Christ-following woman? When others see you, how you respond to others, and how you live your life, do they see the Lord?

Today I'm linking up with Titus 2sdays over at The Time Warp Wife's Blog!

How to be a Lady with your Facebook Friends

2011-08-07T19:55:00.000-04:00

Today I am linking up with Women Living Well's Media Mondays to talk how social media effects our friendships...

I'm sure if we all went out for a cup of chai we could spend hours sharing examples in our own lives or in other people's lives of how social media was the catalyst for a horrible breaking in a friendship. We can also share the amount of people we are able to connect with, new friendships we are able to make, and the ministry we are able to do for God's kingdom because of social media (and if you talk to my friend Brittany--social media helped her get help after a traumatic experience). And so, because :

I'd like to present to you:

How to be a Lady with your Facebook Friends
#1: A lady never writes hidden meaning messages to her Facebook friends. A general rule of thumb that I go by is...if I wouldn't say it to a friend's face, I won't write about it on Facebook. Alluding to things that your friends have done so that you do NOT have to say it to their face is just as bad. It leaves everybody else wondering if they have offended you too...

#2: A lady never posts embarrassing photos of her friends. 'Nuff said. Friends respect other friends' privacy.

#3: A lady never gets angry if a friend does not log in to respond to her messages or posts immediately. Friends respect other friends' time. Even though I can check Facebook on my phone, I limit my time on Facebook each day so that it does not consume my life. ;) Many of you are the same. Try to be patient with your friends about responding to messages.

#4: A lady never reveals her entire life to the internet world. I reveal quite a bit about myself for a variety of reasons on Facebook and my blog, but I don't reveal everything. My life is rich (experiencially) and full and some aspects of it are private. Now lest you think that I am covering up skeletons in my closet, that is not the case. However, I don't feel the need to share everysinglethingthathappenstome on the internet world. Ladies always leave a bit of mystery...

#5: A lady encourages rather than discourages on Facebook. I cannot tell you the number of times when a person has written about something exciting going on in her life only to have twelve of her Facebook friends write something negative in response. The Bible commands us to encourage and love one another. That means in every aspect of your life.

#6: A lady uses Facebook for fun, friendships, and ministry--not for ugly talk. I loved what Courtney wrote in her blog post..."One rule of thumb I follow for the words I type on the internet is this: If your pastor put all the words you said on-line this week, up on a screen for your entire church to view…is there anything you’d be embarrassed of? If something comes to mind…delete it…and remember Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” Always be aware of how your words impact others.

I am so thankful for my friends--they are a gift from God! Especially my girlfriends. We can laugh together, cry together, have five hour counseling sessions, have fun, and pray together. Being aware of the above tips helps me to remember that they are a gift...in person and on social media.

My Buddy

2011-08-05T07:15:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from the gender role posts to show you a picture that is so adorable you're going to want to go put on some pink polka dots. Prince Caspian is my buddy. He follows me around begging for treats and vanilla yogurt lids. He sits on our coffee table and watches me watch TV. He protects me. He races me places. He snuggles with me when I'm reading at night.

When I'm blogging or working at my computer, he is one of two places: directly next to the computer, ocassaionally putting his paw on my arm, but mostly watching my fingers lightly twirl over the keyboard; OR he's underneath my chair sleeping. Isn't he super cute? Cats are the best!

THAT Gender Role Post: Part 2

2011-08-04T06:58:00.000-04:00

If you are a homemaker (a stay at home wife/mom, stay at home wife, stay at home mom), you are blessed... Many women wish they could have your life because they feel that it's easier. You know that it's not. Too often YOU are the one dealing with sick children, meal planning, school work, and laundry. You crave adult conversation at times, while you're sitting and having "tea" with your three year old, but overall? You wouldn't trade your role for the entire world. God has given you this great opportunity for a season of life to invest in your family 100%.

If you are a career woman (one who is single or married and focused on her job or ministry), you are blessed... You have this window in time to impact the world--through teaching, through serving, through working together. You may have gone to college and are now actually able to use your degree and do what you've dreamed about since you were a child. Now, you have the unique ability to focus on working hard, moving up in the company, or even going back to school to finish your degree. God has given you this great opportunity to do what you love without having to sacrifice a home life to do it.

If you are a combination homemaker and career woman, you are blessed... You get the best and worst of both worlds. You get to do what you love (Lord-willing) or at least have time to earn an income. You get to feel that you have a purpose that includes everything from speaking at seminars to changing diapers at night. You get to feel that you are having a hand in providing financially for your family. You get to be both Mommy and Dr. ___________. God has given you this time in your life to do both, to be both.

And yet, for all of the above there are times that...

...the grass looks greener on the other side.
...you feel like you've made the wrong decision. Again.
...guilt creeps in and you try to make up for your lack of time with your family by giving them the best money could buy.
...you wish someone would ask you about politics or anything really that is going on outside the 1500 square feet of your home.
...you feel desperate for someone to take care of YOU for a change.

It's a trap that both men and women experience, that feeling of inadequacy, that feeling of jealousy, that feeling of guilt. But women feel differently than men. So how can we live with purpose in our role as women?

*By having an attitude of thankfulness. Stop wishing you were at a different season of life and be thankful to where God has placed you: at home, in the workforce, or both.

*Respect other women for the choices they have made. I find it very distateful when career women look at homemakers as stupid or lazy because you and I both know that they are some of the most hardworking, multi-tasking, intelligent women you will ever meet. And, I also find it very aggravating when homemakers look at career women as uncaring or unnurturing because that is a generalized statement. We all know that many women love their careers and families equally, and that God can give the energy for both to be invested in. And sometimes women have no choice but to be career women for a season so that they can help provide for their families.

*The grass is never really greener on the other side. Each role has its own set of unique joys and challenges.

*Help each other. So often we women try to compete against one another or give the illusion that we are "super women" to our friends and family. As a homemaker, you have the ability to give of your time or your ability to cook to help a career woman who needs a meal or a babysitter. You might be able to invest your time in praying or driving someone to a doctor's appointment. As a career woman, you have the ability to get your friend out of the house for a girls' night out or treat her to a pedicure for encouragement. Every woman works hard and needs a friend to lean on, and there are, of course, many other ways that you can help one another.

Finding joy in your role as a woman means finding joy and peace in Christ first, and as a woman you have the ability to influence your family to do the same. You have the wonderful privilege of making your marriage and home a priority and place of peace, no matter what season or situation you are at in life. You have the hope of Christ as the anchor to your soul in life's storms. You are a daughter of the King of Kings. Embrace it. Live like one.

Okay, so I'm thinking that I need a Part 3 tomorrow for...

Those times that God calls you to use your womanhood, but step out of your current role. Stay tuned...

How do you find joy in the role that you are currently in?

THAT Gender Role Post: Part 1

2011-08-03T07:24:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: I know many women who are very happy living in their gender role, whether it be as a homemaker, career woman, or a combination of the two. I also know many people who "abuse" gender roles, and turn them into something where one person controls the other. Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Today I want to write about living out your gender role, in Christ, in freedom.

* * *

*Gender roles start with having an identity in Christ. The Lord blessed me with wonderful parents who encouraged me that my identity is found in Jesus Christ. My worth is not found in what others think of me or what I do, but in who I am in Him. While I dated casually and seriously in high school, college, and after college, I was blessed to have a few years of self-imposed singleness before I met and married Seth. Those single years were difficult at times because it seemed like EVERYONE around me was getting married, but I look back on them with joy because I learned so much about who I am and what I desired in a mate (and I was able to have lots of fun traveling, opening a business, doing ministry). I learned to rely solely on God as my source of strength, and not a guy. That way, when God brought Seth along, I did not have to use Seth as my source of strength (because while he is a terrific guy--he is also human, after all), but rather was a teammate and someone who represented the greater picture of what Christ is to the church: the protector, the provider, the passion, the servant leader. Seth and I were complete as individuals first. Now we are complete as a marriage.

*Gender roles only work if they are done the Biblical way. Yes, the Bible commands wives to submit to their husbands and for husbands to love their wives, but it also commands everyone to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. To often people focus on one or the other and lord it over their spouse (or other men and women). But when we see them as linked, as a means for us to serve one another, it does not become about submission but rather humble service. I've often said that submission is not submission if you feel like you're submitting. Once it becomes about who rules who and people feeling like they're losing their identity, it is no longer submission. And, it is interesting to note that the same Hebrew word used to describe Eve as Adam's helpmeet in Genesis is the same word to describe God as Moses' helpmeet later on in Scripture. Does that mean God was lesser than Moses? Of course not. God created Moses, and He allowed Moses to take on a greater role of leading on Earth for that time as part of HIS greater plan.

*Society has twisted submission into subserviance. Women are not lesser human beings then men, and yet we all know many marriages where men misuse their authority and treat women as such. We also know about that in church settings, in the workplace, and in the world at large. This stems from many emotions such as insecurity, but has led men to believe that they deserve more than women in the workplace and in the home. On the same note, women will respond to that and feel that they have been enslaved and need to break free, that they too deserve more than men. It's part of that tension that exists in this world, and both genders are guilty of using it to lord over each other. Ultimately we are all called to submit to Christ--the greatest and most challenging call a person will ever receive.

*Gender roles only exist if both parties mutually respect one another. Seth esteems me above all other women and above himself. He will open the car door for me to get in. He will hold my chair out for me to sit. He loves the woman God has created me to be and he knows that God has gifted me with leadership abilities, and he encourages me to use them. He's not fearful of me taking over, and in giving me this freedom to live out my God-given calling as a woman, as a business owner, as a homemaker, as a wife, he makes me feel more like a woman than ever before--never less of one. In the same way, I encourage him to be the leader of our home--he consults me on every decision, but I give him the freedom to make them because I trust him. I encourage him to use the gifts that God has given him, and I respect him above all others. We both take turns cooking, depending on the other person's schedule, we both clean, we both do laundry and we do these things because we are a team, a partnership. If I am cooking dinner, I don't cry about it or feel like less of a woman. I do it joyfully because I love him and I want to serve in my marriage.

Living the Christian life is about living a life of freedom. When you are truly free, you can live out your gender role with confidence and grace, and not be ashamed. Whether you are a homemaker, a working woman, or a combination of the two, that is what it is about. Freedom.

Because this post is very long and I could go on and on forever amen, I have decided to turn it into two posts. Tomorrow I will conclude with how to live as a strong homemaker, a strong career woman, or a combination of the two. I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this matter, but please let your comments be full of grace and seasoned with salt...