by Kimberly | Apr 11, 2017 | Books
One of the best things we can teach our children is to be children of faith. That may seem like a strange thing to say, because faith is a gift, but we can train them in that way.
Faith, saving faith, is indeed a gift from God. But, throughout Scripture we are encouraged to be faith-filled, faithful, and men and women of faith.
In her book, Unsinkable Faith, Tracie Miles encourages us as women to develop a game plan to be women of faith. For me, most of it has to do with a combination of mind and heart – especially when things aren’t going exactly the way that I would like. When we combine how we feel and how we think – it will change the way we live.
Romans 12:1-2 is a popular verse to use about how we live our lives for God. And not for this world. And really it starts with two things: worshiping God (knowing that we aren’t everything in this life) and training our minds by reading the Word of God.
Belief is an active process. We need to read what the Bible says about us, God himself, and the world around us. Actively believe it – repeating it to ourselves, memorizing it, embarking on a journey to apply it, and then acting upon it.
When this world doesn’t go exactly like we want it to, when our instagram pages don’t look as perfect as others, then we tend to start going down in our belief of the Word. Did God really say something and is that really true?
This book is a good read to encourage you to build your faith on something solid – the only unchanging thing in this world – God.
by Kimberly | Mar 29, 2017 | Books
Mondays are typically the day of the week that gets a bad rap. I mean, just because its the start of the week and most people are coming off a fabulous weekend.
This past Monday our apartment complex booted us out of our parking lot for the day. So, instead of sitting inside all day, we ventured to Senioa, a little town south of Atlanta. We stopped by the Varsity on our way down there, eating chicken nuggets with paper hats on, and talking with the car hops.
Then we drove about 35 minutes and had the greatest afternoon. We played with puzzles at the local library, we chased the ducks on the boys scooters, we threw pinecones in the lake, we played King of the Mountain. It was finished off by some Baskin Robbins and dancing in our local store after eating Hulk ice cream!
This past month has been difficult for our preschoolers because we have moved yet again and they don’t always handle the unknown well. I mean, they are 3 and 4. Adults don’t often handle change well, much less kids. We’ve tried to keep much of their lives the same, but still, we have had some difficulties.
I was first introduced to David Thomas and Sissy Goff on Surviving Sarah. They are so practical in their counsel to parents. I love them. They have been super helpful in what I’ve heard. I got their new book (along with Melissa Travathan) from Bethany House to review. It is ideally for older children, but I found some of the topics still helpful for parenting my boys.
There are no SET guidelines for parenting – man, I wish there were. But, as the perfect Creator God has designed every child perfect and unique – every one will develop differently. My boys are no exception.
Are My Kids on Track is a tool to help parents know how their children are doing in the areas of social, emotional, and spiritual growth. Maybe you are wondering why your child is behaving a certain way in school, or why they don’t want to sit down and listen to family devotions.
Some parents would chalk this up to sin and discipline them. Maybe in some cases it is. But, the authors get to the why your kids might be acting in the ways they are.
Definitely a good practical read for parents!
by Kimberly | Mar 27, 2017 | Coffee with..., creatives
There is so much wrong with this world, that when you come along something that makes things right, offers hope, and changes the way things are – you want to share them with everyone you know!
I’ve never been to Nepal, and probably never will be, but I know people who have loved that country. And one way a friend of mine has loved that country is by The 213 Shop. Listen to their story, visit their site, support them by buying beautiful jewelry (I wear my bracelet every day), and read to the end for a special giveaway!
Can you tell us about 213 and what’s its mission is?
The Two Thirteen Shop: Her Skillful Work – Your Purposeful Purchase – Their Impacted Lives
The Two Thirteen Shop was established in 2016. After spending 10 years overseas and seeing firsthand the talent and creativity of so many women, even in the remotest parts of the world, and the benefits of women being given good, wholesome, creative work and skills development opportunities, it is my desire to do all I can to help them get their beautiful products into the hands of people around the world.
The Two Thirteen Shop seeks to provide people in the US with a place to purchase beautiful, handmade, above trade products made by hard working, talented women around the world. Purchases help sustain jobs for women artisans in developing countries. The more we sell, the more jobs are created and the more lives are positively impacted with love, hope and truth. When we impact the lives of women we impact their family and the community they are a part of and when that happens there is no limit to all of the great things that can be done.
How did 213 get started, where is it now, and where is it going?
About 4 years ago, while I was living in Nepal, I had the privilege of helping 3 of my closest friends, all women from Himalayan mountain villages, start Blessed Hope (the business that makes the jewelry that we sell at The Two Thirteen Shop). It started out as an idea and has since grown into a full business completely owned by local women (it is the first business owned by women among their people group). Last year our family returned to America for my husband to finish his PhD studies and I wanted a way to sell and promote Blessed Hope jewelry and products made by other women’s organizations around the world so I started The Two Thirteen Shop in June of 2016. I wanted to stay connected to the women and continue to do all I could to promote their beautiful creations, highlight their story, help create more jobs for and enriching opportunities for women. I am not 100% sure where The Two Thirteen Shop will go. I have big dreams and visions for it but I am taking it slowly, pursuing opportunities as they come and trusting God to lead the business to the places He desires it to go.
What is your favorite piece of jewelry and why?
I love our Pangden Bracelet because it was designed after the colorful, handwoven apron (Pangden) that Himalayan women wear. Wearing the bracelet is a way to appreciate the beauty of the Himalayan culture and I love the way it mixes Western and Himalayan fashion. Each of these bracelets that are sold include a card telling the history behind the Pangden and a picture of one of the Blessed Hope Nepal ladies wearing the Pangden that the bracelet was designed after.
Can you share a personal story of one of the ladies who works with 213?
Sangjung Bhote is one of the original ladies from when we first started Blessed Hope (BH). Before working at BH and making the crocheting the beautiful jewelry we sell at The Two Thirteen Shop she worked on a pig farm and made rice liquor to help make ends meet. Her husband works overseas and she has one son. After the devastating April 2015 7.8 earthquake in Nepal, her BH income helped pay for her son’s school fees, food, cooking gas and other household needs when her husband was unable to send money home. Her job at BH continues to be a reliable form of work and income in an unpredictable country with very few opportunities for women.
When people buy 213 jewelry, how does it impact the lives of the women involved?
Most of the women who make the jewelry that we sell are uneducated. There are very few good, wholesome opportunities for women in Nepal and especially for those that are uneducated. Although many of the women are uneducated in the traditional sense, they are some of the smartest women I know. They are very good with their hands, very creative and extremely hardworking. Working at BH gives them an opportunity to be creative and use their talents to produce something beautiful while also helping to provide for their family. Every item purchased at The Two Thirteen Shop helps continue to provide more and more work to the women. The women are paid per piece that they make so the more pieces equal more work and more work equals a better, more stable livelihood for these women and their families. Through the money these women make they are providing the basic necessities for their family like flour, vegetables, meat and oil, paying school fees, buying clothing for their children and paying for transportation to get around town.
Can you talk about justice ministry and what it looks like in your world?
As a Christian, I know that God values each and every life and it is a privilege to invest myself in work that strives to help women see their value and worth to God and give them opportunities to grow and thrive in the place that they are in. I love watching lives transformed. It is awesome to watch as one women’s life is transformed how it spreads and impacts so many others.
If we were sitting down for coffee, what would you be having and what would we be talking about?
What I’d be drinking…..it depends on if I am choosing the healthy option or not….my favorite healthier option at coffee shops is an almond milk latte without sugar. I LOVE the nutty flavor and I can always use all of the caffeine I can get (and it’s low in calories!). If I am splurging I would choose a mocha (without whip cream) because I love the foam on top and I LOVE LOVE LOVE chocolate.
What we’d be talking about….probably about all of the things God is teaching us and having us walk through. As a verbal processor I love to talk through the things God is teaching me and showing me with friends. It’s a great way for me to process it and I love hearing from my friends how God is at work in their lives. I am sure our conversation would also include some discussions about parenting and how being a wife, mom and woman in ministry is often a lot to balance but is also such a privilege. And I’m sure I’d talk about Nepal. God has engraved that place and those people on my heart forever. It would be hard to have a conversation without talking about it.
Ok – here is your chance! To enter to win: go over to the shop and tell me what is one thing (or 4) that you would buy! I’ll choose a winner later this week – and so thankful for the 213 Shop for hosting
this giveaway! (And the set of bracelets above is what you will receive!)
by Kimberly | Mar 16, 2017 | Uncategorized
Food is definitely one of my loves: and definitely a love language of mine. Comfort food is definitely a food group – and I love to eat anything I can eat with a spoon. I love to cook and I love good food. And I love what people think of me when I’m thinner and I hate walking around in shame when I’m heavier. And its a topic that no one will ever mention in the church because gluttony is not near as bad as pornography or lying. We live in an odd society. But, sin is sin and sin is dangerous.
And unfortunately, it has been a difficult love to master all of these years. I do not remember a time when food: and the power of it, has not played a significant role in my life.
Some things that we love we can do without (especially if they are an idol in our lives). But, we have to eat to survive. And then if I’m on a diet I think about food too much, how much I’m consuming and of what – then all I do is think about it.
Catch 22 huh?
Well, Asheritah Ciuciu has tackled this issue and has done it in a winsome, gospel-centered way. It is encouraging to find a book about food and your heart: not about chemicals, calories, and protein shakes and exercise.
She addresses by her own story, truth of the Word, and effective communication the freedom that we can have in Christ when we bring our need for help in this area to Him.
“The trigger isn’t isn’t bad, but it can derail our efforts to find fullness in God by lulling us into old bad habits. When facing one of these situations, we have the choice to either turn to food or cry out to God to fill us instead.”
She talks about triggers (stress, baking for others, shopping), and she talks about our need for the Holy Spirit to be our “Dietician” who can help us more than any diet plan can.
If you have ever had a poor relationship with your heart and food, or know of someone who could use this – please just leave a comment and Side Door Communications is giving one away to one of you. And they sent me my book for reviewing, all opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Mar 13, 2017 | Books
I need to learn some things about reading. You think I’ve been reading for decades, I’d have it down, but my reading brain needs to be retrained.
For about 10 years now, post seminary, I’ve been reading mostly for review purposes, so it is hard for me to read for fun. I’ve read books that I love and adore, but most of those aren’t the ones I’m reviewing (there are exceptions of course). And when I read for review, it is hard for me to read for enjoyment.
And it is hard for me to read fiction, because it is hard for me to think that this will affect my heart and life.
Insert: why I don’t read much fiction anymore. I don’t know why it is so difficult.
Carolyn Miller, in her new book The Elusive Miss Ellison, has so many important things about life.
“But although she prayed and tried to believe things would somehow work out for good, the mortification continued to ebb and flow, the questions whirled, and heaviness of heart made sleep impossible.” – Carolyn Miller
Pride, love, family troubles, societal obstacles – you’ll find them all in this book.
Thanks Litfuse for this book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Mar 13, 2017 | Books, parenting
I’ve never counted them, but I would assume the parenting section at your local bookstore is probably one of the largest sections on the floor. You can easily find a parenting book to help you through and part of the parenting journey. From attempting to conceive, finding out your pregnant, how to birth the baby, how to swaddle your baby, how to get your baby to nap, get on a schedule, eat solid food, potty train, learn their ABCs. All of these books can be helpful to some degree.
When reading parenting books, I often say read whatever you can get your hands on, write down some notes that seem likely to work in your given situation, with your kids, or ones that you would like to try, talk it over with your husband or the people who help you parent, maybe run it by a group of other moms that you meet with or hang out with, and then try it. If it doesn’t work, move on. Don’t get so flustered. Not everything you read in every parenting book is going to be the right thing for your particular child or family.
Parenting with Grace and Truth, a new book by Dan Seaborn (I always think of West Wing when I hear the word Seaborn), is filled with practical help. To me, though, I felt it leaned more toward behavior and actions, rather than to the heart of your children, growing them with hearts that were pleasing to God. I know that there needs to be right actions. And at any stage of parenting you are working to get your kids to act right (we are working on manners right now, as well as many other things.
“Forgiveness was at the heart of Jesus, and as such, it is the foundation of the entire Gospel. God sacrificed His only Son for the forgiveness of our sins – past, present, and future.” – Dan Seaborn
He helps families work through many different things likes crises or trying to become a healthy blended family. He wants to help you discover what your kids talents and abilities are – it is helpful to know what drives them and what makes them tick and what they are good at. I did appreciate the questions that he gave his readers to think through at the end of each chapter. When reading any book, if you are given questions, at least take the time to think through them – it will help as you digest the book and try to implement what you are reading.
If you would liked to find some great tips in this book, just leave me a comment. I’ll be choosing a winner soon – and thanks to SideDoor Communications, you can get a copy of it!
Thanks to SideDoor Communications for the book. All thoughts are my own.
by Kimberly | Mar 11, 2017 | Books
I have learned one thing in the last few years: there is no such thing as balance in life. If you are doing one thing – then you aren’t doing another thing. And so many of us women try to spin about 1000 plates.
Whether we are mommying and working, or mommying many, or doing a ministry at our church or teaching bible studies in our home, or being involved in creative communities, balance is hard to get right.
When I was younger I wasn’t very good at the balance beam in elementary school PE, but now that I’m older I have gotten better at the tree pose in my yoga practice.
Lisa Pennington gets the life of balance. In her book, Tightropes and Teeter-totters, she doesn’t appear to have it altogether, but instead, through humor and great tips, she helps us all maybe not fall completely off.
She hits on marriage, parenting, having a peaceful and clean home, all done with humor, personal illustrations, and biblical truth. Its a quick read and one you can for sure pull some tips from.
Thanks to Litfuse for this book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Mar 4, 2017 | Books
I remember making my first trip to Amish country. I was attending a wedding of some friend’s in college…and the bride lived in Amish country of Indiana. It was neat to see a culture within a culture. One so different from normal American culture, yet nestled in the quaint neighborhoods outside of the city. The food was spectacular and the people were friendly. The horse and buggies were iconic.
Now, I read Amish lit because it is fun. Most of the books are filled with a culture I don’t know very well and are in some form religious. Most of them are about romances. Most of them have some form of “coming of age” story.
I think as I get older though, I’m realizing that I’m more removed from young adult fiction. I love a good story, don’t get me wrong. But, I have sensed that most YA fiction is filled with a little drama, but not much. So much of it doesn’t tend to hit on the real hard stuff that hits most of American families.
Home to Paradise was slightly different: stories of God’s acceptance, forgiveness, family, heartbreak, and friendships. Troubled hearts are clearly in this book. If you like Amish lit, you will like this third book in a series by Barbara Cameron and you don’t even have needed to read the first two books. It draws you in and gives you enough of the backstory. Hey, it might even make you go back and the first two.
Cultures are always intriguing.
Litfuse is hosting a giveaway (and thanks for the book). If you would like a chance to win, enter here.
by Kimberly | Mar 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
March is here. March has some hard memories in it for me, but also some wonderful celebrations. Here are some of my goals for the month that holds time change and season change.
Creative Goals: I have many book reviews coming up and I’ll be blogging some creative events and photo sessions too. I’ve got an infant photo shoot, and possibly some more creatives shoots to show you soon. I’m working on a big wedding invitation order right now and I’ll get to set up my “office” (our hutch in our dining room) now that we’ve moved into an apartment. And I’ll get to create (make order from chaos) from all of our boxes, setting up neat little areas in our home.
Health Goals: Not gain weight. I’ve done very good at that since last January – and I need to see a downward spiral happen! For that, I will be drinking more water, eating more whole foods (we moved, so I’m still getting my kitchen organized), and drinking fewer diet drinks. I’m thankful for getting to try Blue Apron meals next week – that will make cooking dinner easier and give me and the mister special meals at night once the boys are in bed.
Reading: I’m currently diving into three things: Words Worth Noting Lent Study, You Are Free by Rebekah Lyons, and Adorned by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth.
Family: We just moved, so my in-laws are coming soon which is always so good because they are such servants and they get to play with their grandsons. And that means the mister and I will get free babysitting for a date night, and I want to take time to read to my older son at bedtime when my mister is home at night because I’ve been having to spend more time with my younger and by the time I’m done the older is asleep. And keep going with our taco nights. I love those. Even if Sundays are hard, we usually regroup and enjoy couch and taco time.
Spiritual: Journal more. That is something that is super helpful. Not only for me but also for my sons. And I’m working through the Lent study. Wanting, and needing, more time in the Word. For my heart. For my marriage. For my boys.
What are your goals for March?
And yall – how do you say no to good things so you can say yes to best things? You need things that fill you up and allow you to give. How do you do both? This lovely shiny print is one that I won from The Brumby Nest. You know me and my love of stationery, so head over and check them out. I won it through a Flourish&Co giveaway on instagram. Yall should check her out too – full of grace and encouragement!
by Kimberly | Feb 23, 2017 | marriage
This past weekend my mister and I got to head just a ways out of the metro for an overnight date which we only get about once a year.
I know to some of you that is extravagant because you never get to for different reasons. To some of you, that isn’t enough, and you go lots more whether its because you have more money, more babysitters, or less children.
Either way, I think little getaways are crucial to good marriages (not necessities, but really really good ideas!)
But, just in case you can’t go on an overnight trip, don’t get many out of the house date nights, here are some ideas for loving your spouse well every day. Just like I’ve told girls getting married and my top piece of marriage advice (besides love Jesus first): study your spouse!
So, maybe these ideas might not be exactly what you would do, but hopefully they will spur you on to loving your spouse well in meaningful ways that will affect your marriage!
- Leave little love notes. I love leaving little notes to my mister throughout the house or in his car. It doesn’t need to be a special day. It doesn’t even need to be a special card. Just a dry erase marker to the mirror, a sticky note, or a nice card you bought. Even write it out in blueberries. The card featured above is by Instead of Ashes, a little Durham designer that I love!
- Pray for your spouse. You probably do this every day, but maybe one day, specifically ask your spouse how you can be praying for them. It might surprise you what they say. And then, go pray for them. Make sure to follow up with them and ask how God is answering the prayer. You might be surprised how short the time is for answers like that (uninterrupted conversations with my mister are hard to come by).
- Drop by their work with lunch or a drink. It doesn’t have to be expensive, since I know budgets are tight. I will sometimes run by with a CFA milkshake in the middle of the afternoon. Today, we took my husband a Zaxby’s salad. Know their favorite drink and drop it by. Sometimes, you might not even need to see them, just have their receptionist give it to them.
- Do the one thing that he loves. Ok – so my mister has always wanted a peaceful house. And in the 5.5 years we’ve been married, I think it would never be defined as peaceful. With 5 moves (6 for me, moving into his house), 2 kids, change of jobs, etc – that doesn’t sound peaceful. But, maybe sometimes you can have the kids in bed, tv off, couch cleaned off, kitchen sink cleared, and just chill and talk. We like to unwind after the weekend with taco night couch nights on Sunday nights.
- Ask them what they need done for the day. I did this a lot more when I didn’t have kids. I would ask my mister what was one or two things that he would like for me to do during the day. Now that I have preschoolers, its just survival mode, maybe an occasional thrive mode! But, sometimes I am reminded that I can love him well by asking him this simple question. Maybe its ironing his favorite shirt for a big meeting the next day. Maybe its cooking his favorite meals. Whatever it is, just say ok honey! And don’t argue. It kinda ruins it!
Loving well takes intentionality and purpose. Don’t let a day go by when you aren’t striving to love your spouse well.
