Lessons

I am honored to be a guest blogger today for Marina's Featured Fridays Blog. Go on over and check out her blog!

Enjoy your families and your day!
Enjoy some food along the way!
Enjoy some rest.
Enjoy some peace.
Enjoy some lasting memories.

Recall the past.
Make plans for future.
Make every moment last.

Speak your blessings,
Say your thanks,
Pray for those with less.

Love, most of all.
Love your family.
Love your life.
Love your Lord.

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving Day!

November is National Adoption Month. Orphan Sunday was the first Sunday in November also.

Our family was called to adoption a long time ago. We knew while we were dating it was something we wanted to do.

If you have been following me for any length of time, you might have guessed by the pics that our little princess...well...may not have the same skin color as us. I wondered how long it would be before she realized that.

Two years ago she met a little friend who said to me rather curiously..."Are you her mommy?"

(Me) "Yes! I am!"

(Her) "She has brown skin."

(Me) "Yes, she does."

(Her)....(Pondering) "I have white skin."

(Me) "Yes! I see that."

(Her)...(Pondering) "My mommy and daddy have white skin, too!"

(Me)...(with a little laughter) "Yes. That's typically how people do it."

We went on to discuss that Mia was from China and she became our daughter when we went to get her.

Mia was 2 1/2 years old at the time. About a year later, at a school function, we passed by a little Asian girl and Mia said, "Mommy! She looks like me!"

She realized she looked different. It didn't make her sad or uncomfortable. She. just. knew. And yet, she called me mommy!

We speak often of her differences. Not to point out that she is different...but that God made her differences beautiful.

So many wonderful things have happened because of her. One of those things is meeting other families who have adopted. Another is getting to encourage others going through the process.

....

....

I wonder, in what ways do I resemble God? My Heavenly Father... Though I may not look like him do others know I am His Child?

I know...don't laugh...I tried something new today!

Kickboxing!!

Let me start at the beginning. My good friend, Abby, invited me to go with her! I'm all for new things, but I had one MAIN hesitation. You see, she goes at...hahmmm...6:00 AM!!! I shudder as I type it!

I am NOT a morning person and rarely see 6:00 am....or 6:30....I could go on. But, in order to be there at 6:00 am, gasp, I had to set my alarm for 5:30! (This is when I'm thankful for small town living and the fact that it takes less than 5 minutes to get anywhere!) Unfortunately I'd gone to bed at my "regular" time (late) and then my daughter woke me at 4:00 am...and there wasn't much sleep until 5:00. It would've been so much better for me to just get up! But I couldn't! My bed was too warm!!! Then it happened...

My alarm went off. I had fallen into such a hard sleep I couldn't figure out where the noise was coming from! I hurriedly hit the snooze so not to wake my daughter...and laid there thinking about all the reasons why I should send Abby a text and tell her I couldn't make it!

1.) I didn't sleep well....
2.) I had cheese tots with bacon at 10:30 pm last night...
3.) I will look like an idiot....

4.) What if I have to go to the bathroom?  Have you seen that bathroom? I went in there and obviously little boys had been in there. There were 2 toilets and both were stuffed with all sorts of things...every container was... "Kristi! Are you going to get up?!"

Oh my goodness I must have dozed off to sleep! What a crazy dream! I've never even been to this place! WOW, my body really doesn't want me to go!!

I grabbed up my stretchy pants and T-Shirt laughing about the goofiest dream of the dirty bathroom, threw myself together and headed downstairs.

I bundled up and thought I had better get some water...so I placed my cup under the ice machine...and apparently fell back to sleep because the next thing I know ice is all over the floor....seriously...me and mornings are NOT friends!

Then, I did what every good woman does...I went to the bathroom "one more time!" You know, just in case the bathroom there was actually as my dream had depicted! I laugh!

I have to say...I had fun, though I did receive a boo-boo from the gloves I had to wear! I didn't look any funnier than anyone else as they tried to raise their legs up to kick that "good mommy" bag! I got a lot of good punching in! It felt good! And I never had to locate the restroom!

I came home still laughing at myself...and starving after working off the late-night cheese-tots!

I started thinking about obedience! When God asks us to do something...do you find your "body" (flesh) fighting against that obedience? 


It's so much easier to stay in our "comfortable bed" and keep our eyes closed to all the work that surrounds us.  


Paul says of his flesh, " I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15) 


I knew that kickboxing would be good for me! 


We know to obey is the right thing to do...but do we? Obedience is so big to God that He talked about it a TON in Scripture! 


And, another thing...I came home hungry! And I'm not a breakfast person either!


I'm certain of one thing, once we begin to take in more of God we become more hungry. When we learn to obey and that becomes practice, we hunger increasingly for more of what God has for us!

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father'scommands and remain in his love. John 15:10.


When we are obedient as a habit, we learn that we can't get enough! And we are changed in some way...even if it hurts a little it's so good for us. (My boo-boo still burns.) You see, I don't obey God to receive blessings. But, when I obey God, I am blessed! It's a great cycle: love God, obey, change, blessings, love God more, obey, change, blessings...it continues.


I'm thankful that God doesn't give up on us after one missed attempt at obedience. 


He keeps persisting...just like my friend Abby! Now I have some others to work on...gotta run! 

A few friends have done this and I thought it would be a good way for you to get to know me!

So here goes...

10. I am most comfy in my pjs or "stretchy pants" (thank you Nacho Libre!)



9. I am a "messy!" I have piles....please don't mess with them, I know exactly where everything is...almost!



8. I have a LOT of books that I would like to read...some day!


7. I LOVE a Caramel Macchiato, thanks to my sister for getting me hooked several years ago. I wish I could truly duplicate this at home...but have not found a way...yet!


6. I have the ability to make new friends quickly! Much to the dismay of some family and current friends. They just don't understand there are so many people to talk to...so little time!
(Here are some of my friends...and various hairstyles!)




5. I would LOVE to take GREEK & HEBREW!!! I know...I'm crazy! I love word studies!



4. I have started writing a book & would like to be published...someday.  I would like to write several...they are already in my mind...now I just have to get them on paper. The first book I ever thought of writing was 50 Inexpensive Gifts to Get Your Wife!...wanted to help my hubby out!
(Can you tell what Love Language I am?)



3. On a cool day, like today, my favorite food would be a bowl of tomato soup with a bologna & cheese sandwich for dipping...but I haven't had bologna in many, many years, so I'll take a grilled cheese!



2. I try every few months to "come off of" coca-cola! I do a pretty good job until I lose all willpower and "hit the styrofoam" again!


1. I am secretly jealous of all my friends who have cute pictures on their blogs...so I thought I would be creative too. (I downloaded them from Yahoo! Images!) Seriously, though...I can't take a good picture to save my life!

That is me...today...I sit writing this in my pjs...I had to get up early today...and I haven't yet had my morning coke...and it's almost 10 am!! So, gotta run...

Dreaming Big-
Kristi

Taking time to absorb Psalm 119 is well worth it! I have read it before, but this time I see it from a different angle. I was amazed at the number of verbs in this passage relating to the Word of God, His Law, His Decrees.

When we read and study the Words of our God, we are not just to read and study! Let me throw some verbs out to you...

• Walk 
• Keep 
• Seek
• Obey
• Consider 
• Learn 
• Live 
• Hide 
• Recount 
• Rejoice 
• Meditate
• Delight
• See 
• Consumed
• Understand
• Choose
• Hold fast
• Run 
• Follow
• Long for 
• Trust in 
• Hope in 
• Sought out
• Speak of 
• Love 
• Lift up 
• Do not turn from 
• Remember
• Find comfort in
• Practice
• Promise to obey
• turned my steps
• Hasten to obey
• I will not forget
• Believe in 
• Have not forsaken
• Will Ponder
• Gain Understanding from 
• Have regard for 
• Stand in Awe of...

I'm a nobody!

I attended a writer's conference this past weekend, and had a great time! I met a new friend...Sarah...she's so talented! Sarah, my sister and I attended workshops and Sarah and I met with editors/authors as we both aspire to "get out there" with our writing.

The first one-on-one...well, I was incredibly under prepared.

The second one...way boosted my ego! He laughed! He loved my writing! (Of course, I'm just starting, but...) He really seemed to "get" me! He encouraged me not only to develop my writing, but my speaking. Funny thing, I didn't even tell him I'm a licensed minister. You know what it feels like when you talk to someone you don't know and you just feel--good--after talking to them! That was me on Saturday early afternoon! I.felt.good!

Later, super stoked to meet with an agent...one who's been around the block...I thought,  I.got.this.in.the.bag!

I thought...

As he read my "work", I could sense he wasn't getting me! My outward smile turned fake as I tried to keep my composure. How could things have gone so wrong in a short moment? How could someone like me so much and someone not?

How could something I feel so strongly, not have come across...

I think all three of the one-on-ones told me at some point...if your name doesn't come up in a google search...basically...you're nobody!

Now, I know that sounds harsh, but I completely understood what they were saying. They weren't saying it in a mean way, just realistic for people who seek publication.

So, first thing this morning...I looked me up on google. And.sure.enough...I'm nobody!

There were other Kristi Singer's out there...just.not.me.

I kept clicking to the next search page-----nothing. More and more sad with each passing page... "Nobody?", I wondered, "How could I be nobody?"

Then, God reminded me of people like Esther, Mary, Moses, and so many other "nobodies" in the Bible.

God has plans for each of us. We all start as somebody to some people...but our nobody-ness can get in the way if we let it. God wants to use you...me...

Philippians 1:6 " being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 


So, in the words of the old childrens' song, "He's still workin' on me."


I'm ok with my nobody-ness for now, so long as I am walking alongside the greatest Somebody there ever was!