This Is Kristin

“Every survival kit should include a sense of humor. “
— Author Unknown

~ I am a lazy launder-ress apparently, who doesn’t like to check pockets before throwing clothes into the laundry. Normally that doesn’t matter, except for the occasional tissue or chap stick that gets left. Today, about 2 minutes after I threw in my husbands recently removed jeans, he came running in asking,
~”My jeans aren’t in there are they?”
~”Uh… one of your pair of jeans are…”
~”Yeah, my ticket, my rental car and gas reciept are in my pocket… “

We quickly stopped the machine, fished out the jeans and carefully unfolded the sopping wet, very important pieces of paper out of his jeans. Thankfully I have a husband, who has a good sense of humor and thinks it’s funny that he’s got to send in his crumpled, barely readable ticket, and was okay with me laughing through the whole ordeal. I think I may start checking pockets from now on though.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

~Anais Nin

“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. “
— John E. Southard

~First of all, let me say that this section of my blog regarding parenting- intimidates me-, even though it’s possibly the topic I care most about. I feel so inadequately equipped at being a mom, and it’s the thing I want to be best at. If I fail at everything else, but my kids know that I love them and God loves them, I will feel I succeeded. I don’t feel like I have a bunch of tips and advice to give, because I am usually the one asking for help and advice. My constant prayer is that “through my weaknesses, he’ll be strongest,” in my parenting and now in this section of the blog as well. As always, you are completely welcome to comment, and share things that you know and have learned. I respect your opinion, and advice is heeded. This section will reflect things I have read, learned from other parents, or be questions to you.

I’ll start out by using this quote that I heard in a mother’s bible study:

“You are on assignment from God to pray for your children. You may be the only person on the face of the earth who is! And if you aren’t, then probobally no one else is!” ~ Elizabeth George

I picked up this book in a pocket size version, and it is full of paragraph long prayers for parents to pray for their kids. It’s a helpful guide, and easy to take along somewhere.

~What kinds of things do you pray for your kids?

“Weakness can take the form of strength
Like insecurity takes the form of pride
The setting sun can take the form
Of a full moon on the rise
Sand can carry out to sea
Evidence of transgressions like sandal tracks
But never has there been a wave
That could carry away the past
A tongue can take the form of a knife
Like manipulation masquerades as care
A pointed phrase can bleed the heart dry
Faster than truth becomes a dare
Sand can coat the wound
And dry the blood of severed things
But never has there been a grain
That could sugarcoat the sting”

Corrigan

“The constant pursuit of perfection drives us inward, leading us to focus on ourselves (and everything we wish we could change) rather than on God or others. And as much as we may think our efforts at fixing what’s “wrong” about us are going to improve our relationships, the truth is that the more we focus on ourselves, the less other people are going to enjoy being around us.” ~Constance Rhodes

“You can let the same force that makes the flowers grow and the planets move, run your life, or you can do it yourself.”
~Marriane Williamson

“During the 50 days of the Easter season culminating on Pentecost, Ignatius of Loyola encourages disciples to pray daily for the charisma of “intense gladness.” Clearly he does not mean a giddy cocktail party gaiety or a brave attempt to smile through the tears, but a deep seated joy in the ressurection triumph of Jesus Christ…
If this prayer is heard, I shall have found a source of Joy that is unassailable, for whatever happens, the Lord is always risen. Contingencies cannot suffocate this deep joy. Whether the day is stormy or fair, whether I am sick or healthy, whether I feel like a dirt ball or a butterfly, whatever comes cannot alter the fact that the Lord is risen.”
~Brennan Manning

” Tenacity is more than hanging on, which may be but the weakness of being too afraid to fall off. Tenacity is the supreme effort of a man refusing to believe that his hero is going to be conquered…. Remain spiritually tenacious.” ~Oswald Chambers