by Kimberly | Jan 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
I know, I know, links only come on Monday, right? Wrong. Not when I’m so far behind. So I’m doing a special Much and Link Love on Thursday – and yes, there will be one on Monday next week!
1. My husband did a great job planning my birthday yesterday. Birthdays are always important to me – to celebrate the life you have been given by a gracious God – and to celebrate others. He took the day off and had a great day all planned for us. There is no better way I would want to spend ANY day then to be with my husband.
2. And today…its a blah day. I don’t know why. Maybe be the cold, the weight, the 35 sinking in, hormones. But, I got up, had a great QT with the hubs, healthy breakfast.
3. I hate it when you have money to spend and can’t find any way to spend it. I’ve been looking for a purse, flats, or a jacket to buy with some birthday money and can’t seem to find anything that fits the bill.
4. What free kindle books are you loading? I’m looking for some.
5. We saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol yesterday. So good. I don’t think there was a single cussword in it (maybe one) and no sex in it or make out scenes (just two dresses that didn’t fit the modest bill). Just action. It was great! It had to be the most intense movie I have seen. My poor husband’s hand.
6. We also rented UnKnown with Liam Neeson. Still not very much language and definitely one that keeps you interested to the very end and one you don’t even know if you understood it all by the time it got done.
7. I can either…stay the way I am, or change. Only I can make that call.
Links:
In what ways can you go green in 2012 and help your family to eat healthy?
Do you make any food resolutions? I am: make one new meal a week (a new recipe). Disclaimer: not if I am gone on vacation for the whole week.
How do you deal with failures?
E and I are a part of a small group that is starting this book in two weeks. And I can’t wait to hear them live on this subject in June at The Gospel Coalition!
My friend David (a pastor, scholar, husband, and father) gives you pointers on how to get the most out of your Bible reading
I just started a study on the psalms. My friend, Liz, writes a great post on the first psalm.
My friend Nick, helper with Treasuring Christ, and now on staff at CapBap in DC offered his top books of 2011. I just ordered the one on writing. Desperately need to improve that this year!
Its National Oatmeal month – here are some good recipes for you to try. I think we’ll do steel cut tomorrow at the campbell house
by Kimberly | Jan 3, 2012 | Uncategorized
What will this year hold? I don’t really know, but we will see. So, I can only make general guidelines for this year:
1. Memorize James (E and I are working through Dr. Davis’ method of memorizing.)
2. Study through the Psalms with Boice’s fabulous commentary.
3. Begin to cook meat again. I’m looking forward to trying new recipes – though I want to dig through my ever growing pile of tear outs of magazines. Maybe get through a cookbook all the way through this year. I love having someone to cook for.
4. Lose weight – like I say every year.
5. Exercise more consistently.
6. Blog more – I love doing this!
7. Take more photography on manual setting.
8. See stationery with my photograph cards (see the Snail Mail Happies tab at the top)
9. Love my husband more and better and less selfishly. This will definitely be the biggest area of sanctification in my life!
10. Travel!
11. Love my home more: be more in my home and hospitable.
12. Read more: can’t wait. I love to read – and actually feel like I have more time to read now that I’m not watching tv all the time!
13.
by Kimberly | Jan 2, 2012 | Uncategorized
Well, there went another year. Definitely the year that brought the most change to my personal life. Its been an exciting and challenging ride!
1. Accepted an invitation to a Super Bowl party
2. Met a guy. Liked said guy. Prayed about said guy.
3. Started hanging out with said guy.
4. Long story (well, not so long, really), married said guy.
5. E has been the biggest blessing EVER in my life and I look forward to many more year-ends and year-beginnings with him. E: you are a great gift to me.
6. The curriculum continued to bless others and we got great word of how it is going to be used in the future to bless thousands of missionaries around the world: can’t wait to tell you more.
7. Started going to a new church and am being challenged weekly by the preaching.
8. Read about 35 of the 50 I wanted to read. But, hey, I got married.
9. Gained only about 5 lbs – didn’t lose like I wanted to – but hey, I got married.
10. Took more pictures.
11. Traveled to Alaska, KY, TN, TX, VA, Canada, MA, ME, PA, RI, DC, NYC, FL.
12. My grandmother died in March. Sad time.
13. Football became less of an importance in my life: but hey, I got married.
So, maybe I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do in 2011, but I did a lot more than I ever expected to in 2011. So, sometimes plan change. The Lord directs the steps.
Tomorrow: what’s coming in 2012! Can’t wait for this post!
(Picture credit: Erica Soley Cooper
by Kimberly | Dec 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
I love how kind and gracious God is in teaching me exactly what I need to hear. It may take someone else pointing it out for me to come to realizations in my own life: but God’s Spirit is gracious and teaches me kindly and repeatedly.
What are the functional saviors in your life? I think, even if you aren’t familiar with that term, you know what I mean. I mean the things or people you look to to be your all, your god, your rest, your peace, your foundation, your everything. No one in this life is created to be your everything. Only God is that. Nothing in this life deserves the top place in your affection or time; only God gets that spot. In case you need some help pin pointing what those are (or what I’m talking about), here are some examples:
Your Spouse
Your weight
Your children
How you raise your children
The sins you DON’T struggle with like everyone else does.
How perfect your home is
How many pinterest things you get this week
How many followers or friends you have
Your job
Your church ministries
Your popularity
How well your kids are doing in school
Your wardrobe
Your husband’s job or skill set
How good your cooking is
How do you determine what your functional god is? What are the things that get you upset during the day or you find yourself focusing on all day long. I know my functional saviors and have spent the last 20 hours or so repenting of those and thinking what life will look like when those aren’t my functional savior.
We are given a perfect functional Savior. He came over 2000 years ago and was born in a dirty stall. His entrance was not grand or what is should have been for a King, but God made it that way. He gave us His Son. Immanuel: God with us. He is everything we need. All our hopes and longings and dreams and security must be found in Him
As you celebrate this Christmas: rest in the grace and peace that is Jesus Christ, God with us, Immanuel. Merry Christmas from the Campbell couple to you.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” – Galatians 4:4-6a
by Kimberly | Dec 19, 2011 | Uncategorized
And all through the house: we are not terribly busy and I love white space.
One of the prayer requests that I gave to my small group ladies is that E and I would not cram our schedules full this holiday season – and it is amazing.
We have had time to have people drop over (even on spur of the moment) – I love having a home to allow that to happen and time in my schedule to do that! Just being open and hospitable – just what I want our home to be!
No more holiday parties for us – which is a BLESSING!
We talked with a missionary couple via skype and that was so neat to talk with them, sing the wife Happy Birthday, since Christmas songs with them via the computer screen, see their house in E Asia all decorated for Christmas. What a blessing!
Anxiously awaiting the end of vegetarian year. January 10th!
Christmas is upon us – in full swing. This year I hurt for people who hurt. God is showing me compassion on those people and I cry more than I ever did before. I think of a man who just lost his wife to cancer – they have 8 children under 18. I think of a couple who is far apart (in different countries) for the holidays because one is trying to bring their adopted children home. I think of others who don’t know Christ or are so cynical during the holidays.
I have been applying the Gospel to my life and realizing I need it so much more than I thought I did. And I am glad my E pours into me the truth of the Gospel – every day!
How do you teach your children about God. here is a post about a popular breakfast cereal and the catechisms
Just Taylor with a post on how to become a better writer. I always need skills!
This really excited me. Thank you Lifeway!
My friend, Sharon Hodde Miller, writes on modesty. Good post! Thank you Sharon
I really want to make this Thai dressing salad.
by Kimberly | Dec 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
As I was finishing up the Broken-Down House book by Paul Tripp, I loved these questions in the closing chapter. I thought them very fitting for the end of the year, thinking about what is to come in the new year. We love reflection, don’t we? I was talking to a friend last night, also newly married, and talking about our expectations and if we really think that cooking dinner and cleaning the house will amount to anything. Encouragement came even as I spoke the gospel to her.
Here you go. Reflect away:
“Let me urge you to take thirty seconds to examine the investments you are making now and the return they are likely to leave behind. You can do that by considering the following questions: What have you poured your time and energy into today?
What have you invested in so far this week?
This month?
This year?
Where have your efforts gone, and what do you think will come of them?” (pg 206)
What are you doing that will benefit those you are with now and leave a legacy of Christ to come?
I know, I know, links only come on Monday, right? Wrong. Not when I’m so far behind. So I’m doing a special Much and Link Love on Thursday – and yes, there will be one on Monday next week!
