Saturday, November 29, 2008

The low down.....

I hope that you have had a great Thanksgiving weekend so far! Today we tried to get some of our decorations up, but since I am such a freak about them, they didn't all get put up. This is when my control issues really haunt me! I want everything to be perfect! I even went so far this year to get my children another tree that they could decorate on their own! Problem is, they did decorate it and it is killing me not to fix it!

I will not touch their tree.
I will not touch their tree.
I will not touch their tree.

Now, if the tree happens to lose all it's ornaments when I shake it fall to the ground, does it count if I place the ornaments back on in the way that would be how I like it suitable for the kids?

I'm just asking, that's all.............

Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that this week is gonna be crazy for me. I have 3 finals this week, so I didn't want ya'll to think that I had fallen off the face of the earth. Please say a prayer for me on Wednesday, as I have 2 on that day, and then on Saturday I have one.

Feel free to say a prayer for me on the days in between also, really just because I need all of the prayer that I can get!

I hope to post maybe on Thursday. I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Blessings,
Kim

Friday, November 28, 2008

Why yes, I am that crazy.....

Today is an annual event for me. I am one of those crazy intelligent people who try hard to get the best deal possible. I search high and low to see if anything that I need is at a bargain so low that I can't pass it up. I truly enjoy all of what this day entails.

Getting up so we can leave at 3:30.........beating the rush, or trying to at least! Making the always needed stop at Chick-fil-a, and shopping to our hearts content and til our wallets and credit cards simply can't take any more!

It is more than just the shopping for me, it is about tradition. I have been going with my BFF's for years now. It is alot of fun and something that I look forward to every year!

I was able to get some good deals, and had a great time in the process!

What did you get today? Or are you a home body on Black Friday?

Blessings,
Kim

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Turkey day!


Throughout this last week, I have been sharing things that I am deeply grateful for. I am sure that some of you are thinking that I didn't say the things that we have come to expect everyone to say. Truth be told, I tried not too. It is very easy to say the good ole' standbys.....and not that I am not thankful for those things, but I was trying to think outside the box! But since today is the big day, I saved the best for last!






There are many times that I realize God has blessed me beyond measure. I know that while He loves me unconditionally, that He gives me way too much for my own good! I know that I am undeserving of all that He has entrusted me with.......but am so thankful that He gave it anyway.






The first on my list today are my kids. Have you seen them? They are absolutely the best things since sliced bread!!









I cannot imagine my world without these kids in it! They are the light of my life! I know that I don't do a whole lot of great things in my life, but Kevin and I always say that we did real good with them!! I am thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to raise such smart, beautiful and kind children. I pray that as they grow, their faith grows also.



I am also thankful for my husband. He has put up with me when I am not at my most "Christ-like" days. He knows me and all of my quirks and usually just smiles and nods! He is a great provider and does his job well! I am thankful that we have not thrown in the towel when the going has gotten rough...and it has gotten very rough at times! I am glad that God chose him to have alongside me in this journey of life!

(okay, there is supposed to be a pic here, but for some reason it got stuck up at the top and won't let me move it!)

I hope that you are surrounded by family and friends today and remember all of the things that God has given you to be thankful for!

Blessings,

Kim



Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thankfulness......

I am excited that tomorrow is actually Thanksgiving! It seems as though we were just celebrating this a few months ago. Wow, what a difference a year has made!

Throughout this year we have faced with a number of different obstacles. The most traumatic would have to be that Kevin lost his job.

Without warning, on a March day, his manager walked into the office and said that they were shutting the office down. Everyone was out of a job.

I remember getting the call like it was yesterday. He told me that I had to come and get him. He drove a company vehicle so he had no way to get home. I knew what happened as soon as he said it, and my heart fell all the way to the floor.

As soon as my heart came back to my body, I remembered that God is in control and is still sitting on the throne!

While I knew that we would have to make some significant changes, but I knew that we would be taken care of. I was clinging to the Bible and all of the promises that God has made us.

We had some tense moments and boy, did I think that Kevin and I were gonna kill each other at times. But I do truly believe that it made us stronger, better people. And made us appreciate what God had given us so far.

So as I post today, I am very grateful for the fact that Kevin has a new job. He was without a job for almost 7 months, and it can truly take an emotional toll on a family.

He loves what he does, and is very good at his job.

My heart goes out to those who those who may be unemployed at this time of the year. It is hard enough to manage without the holidays looming over your head.

Job security is something to be thankful for! In this economy you never know when you could be cut loose.

God truly sustained us during that time. Truth is, He always has sustained us and always will!

Blessings,
Kim

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thankful for......

Today, I feel an extreme gratefulness to some wonderful friends. God has more than blessed me in this lifetime with people who I hold very dear to my heart. I have been fortunate to have some friendships since grade school. Others been cultivated in my adult life.

But any way that you slice it, there is alot to be said for a true friend.

I have had tons of friends, but only few have stood the test of time or trials. I am a people person and have always devoted myself fully to those who I thought would make my life better in some way. But you always know that when the going gets tough that there are some who simply won't cut it.

I am so blessed to say that I have some great, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, giving, friends.

Women that make me want to be a better person.

Women that challenge me in my walk with the Lord.

Women that encourage me along the way.

Women that through thick or thin have the uncanny ability to stick by me.

Women that make me laugh so hard I cry.

Women that know the real me...........and love me anyway.

Women who know that I love to laugh and to make them laugh so hard they pee on themselves...now that is funny.

Women who know secrets about me and would not ever spill the beans.

Women that can allow me to cry on their shoulder, and give me an opportunity to be that shoulder for them.

Oh, how I wish for each and every one of you to know the love that I feel for these women. To know the sheer joy that they bring to my life.

I would love for you to know them and get a chance to be their friend.........but I am selfish and want them for myself.

They are my friends......go get your own!

Blessings,
Kim

The aliens have taken my child.......

I have been invaded by aliens.....that is the only explanation that I can possibly come up with to justify what is happening in my house, right now.

You see, Beatrice is 11. She likes to live in her own special world...one where she is the queen and has full reign of all things.

But today, she is cleaning.

cleaning.

I really feel like I should check her skin and see if the alien has taken her body fully or just occupied her brain for a while. Either way, there is no way that this is my child.

You see, Beatrice sees a very different meaning of the word clean than most folks. Her idea of personal cleanliness is that she has bathed at least 3 days ago.

Seriously.

So as I am typing this, she is cleaning her bathroom and organizing it. She has just gotten done vacuuming the back porch and her brother's room.

I am giddy.

I also realize that she can now really help me out with the housework, which honestly makes me more excited than I can stand!

I actually heard her say to Gertie that they should help me out so that we can relax tonight as a family.

AWWWWWWW!!!!!!

How sweet is that?

So I must go now, and revel in the fact that the alien has abducted my daughter.........and pray that they come back and replace her only when my house is clean again!

Blessings,
Kim

Sunday, November 23, 2008

More blessings.....

During our church service today, our pastor reminded us that we have alot to be thankful for. I knew that I was one step ahead of him when he told us to count our blessings. He said that one lady decided to write everything down that she was thankful for and came up with over 800,000 things that she was grateful for. Now that is true thankfulness!!

*I am thankful for my church family. There have many times where my church family has been a true rock in time of need. I have grown to love and depend on these people greatly!

*I am thankful for some awesome people that God has sent into my life at the time when I have needed them the most. I can remember a poem about how friends are there for a reason, season, or a lifetime. At this moment, I am thankful for my reason friends. Those are the people that were there for just that, a reason in my life, and they may not have been heard from again....but they served their purpose! I am glad that they were obedient!

* I am thankful that God has placed us right where we are supposed to be at this moment. I am enjoying this time in my life where my kids are happy, Kevin and I are happy, and we are all growing closer to God in the process!

I am hoping that today has found you in the house of the Lord!

Blessings,
Kim

Blessings........

Since I missed blogging yesterday, I figured that I would give you a two-fer.

In order to keep up with the them for the week, I wanted to share some other things that I am thankful for.

I am thankful for:
*I am thankful that I am healthy.
*I am thankful that my family is healthy.
*I am grateful for the ability to take my children to a quality pediatrician who cares about their well-being.
*I am thankful that within my family.....immediate and extended, there is no one facing a life changing illness.

I know that health is fleeting and that your world can be changed with one phone call. My prayer is that you and your family are healthy this Christmas season.

Blessings,
Kim

Friday, November 21, 2008

More to be thankful for......

After the post on yesterday, I decided to ask my kids what they were thankful for. Beatrice said that she was thankful for:
*a roof over our heads
*food on the table
*that we have heat

Gertie said:
*thankful for drink-cause if we are eating something and choke, we have something to wash it down with. Can't say I have ever thought about it that way!

Today I am saying:
*I am thankful for my church. If you love your church, hear God's word every Sunday, this is a rarity. I know this to be true, churches are trying more and more to be politically correct. I don't remember anywhere in God's word where it says, "Sugar coat all that is in this book, it can be hard to hear!" Quite the opposite actually......anyway, you get my point! Perhaps this is a post within itself-I'll have to remember this one!

*For my Bible. It has gotten me through some very dark times and has seen me have immeasurable joy.

I am gonna continue this until next week........I will post everyday on the things that I am thankful for!

Blessings,
Kim

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Today I am thankful....

Over the next week, I would like to share a few things that I am thankful for. We take so much for granted, and it is nice to know that we are truly appreciative of what God has entrusted us with. I realize that this may be a bit cliche'd but I really want to acknowledge all of my blessings for Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for:

*My salvation
*My ability to serve and worship my living Lord
*That I have been born in a time that allows me such freedoms in my country
*That freedom, although not free, is paid for daily by such giving and amazing men and women every day.

There is many more things that I am thankful for! I will continue to post some new things everyday until Thanksgiving.

What are you thankful for?

Blessings,
Kim

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Excuse me, what........

Yesterday, I decided to buy a new pair of hair clippers. I did this because I am the one who cuts everyone's hair in the house.

I know, how multi-talented am I?

Anywho, I decided that Mr. Man needed a haircut and opened up the package and left some of the contents on my bed. I cut his hair and realized that he needed to have his nails trimmed also. After all, when your hair is so freshly coifed you should look perfect from head to toe, right?

I put Mr. Man on my bed while I looked for the nail clippers.

Remember that I said there was stuff on my bed from the clippers?

He found the oil that you use for the blades, opened it and spilled it all over his hands!

I grab the oil put the lid back on and found another place for safe keeping.

He then was smelling his hands.........when I asked him what he was doing, he replied,

"my hands smell like a jellyfish"

Ya'll I can't make this stuff up! I have no idea that he even knew what a jellyfish is, much less what it smelled like!

Barrel of laughs, that boy.

Blessings,
Kim

Monday, November 17, 2008

God's prompting.......

Okay, remember back when I posted this http://cogdillfamily.blogspot.com/2008/09/why-do-i-do-this.html

And I said that I would blog sometimes about things that would be painful or not shed a favorable light on me?

Well, I have one to share.

I share not for any other reason but to say that it hurts God's heart when we are not obedient, and I am proof of that today.

A few years ago, I had a friend that was going through some rough spots in her life. We were not best friends, but she became someone that I enjoyed talking to, and sharing about what God was doing in each of our lives. I went to church with this woman, and she was an active member. I grew to care about her and her family deeply.

When the rough patches hit, I tried to be there for her, but she was a private person, and had a hard time sharing about the intimate details of her life. I vowed to pray for her and her family, and would listen when she needed a ear.

Over the last 2 years or so, she became very wrapped up in the events of her life and began to slowly move away from church and eventually even stopped coming. I was greatly saddened by this, and kept feeling that God was prompting me to contact her.

Did I?

I am ashamed to say, no.

I even got a phone call from a family member.
I told them that I would call or go see her.

I didn't.

What has happened next is something that I will forever have etched in my mind.

I received a phone call from the family member on my home from church this evening. I spoke to this person about how their life is going and was absolutely thrilled to hear from them! Then, God prompted me to ask about this dear woman. What I heard broke my heart.

Not only does this person not live in my hometown anymore, but her marriage has crumbled.

Devastated could not be a more appropriate word for what I felt at that moment.

I missed it.

The opportunity that I had to be there for this woman, I totally missed it.

God spoke to me, and I ignored Him. He gave me a chance to minister to someone and I blew it.

As I spoke to the family member, all I could do was cry.

And apologize.

But somehow, the apology doesn't matter much. It is just another word that flows from my mouth that ended up being an empty promise.

How ashamed I feel right now, knowing that this lady needed someone to be there for her, and I choose to not be there. After all, we are all adults here..........when we don't listen to the prompting of God, we are choosing to be disobedient. I mean, lets call it what it truly is! We are saying that in spite of all He has done for us, that our work that we have planned for ourselves is of greater importance than what He is asking us to do.

As I type this, I wonder........what were my reasons for not reaching out when I was told to.

Was I too busy?
Was it a little too inconvenient?
Was I a little uncomfortable?

Whatever the reason that I gave at the time, I guess it seemed to be good enough for me to have been completely disobedient.

How wrong I was.

I guess that you could say that the purpose of writing this post is simply this.

Follow God's prompting.

We may not understand the reasons that God has behind it, but we should never second guess God.

I am now left in a place of shame and guilt. How could I have done this to another Christian? How could I have been so blinded by my own life that I didn't care that someone needed me?

Here's the neat part, this is where the good stuff kicks in.

God's forgiveness and grace.

In a world filled with bitterness, anger, resentment and unforgiveness, I can turn to my Heavenly Father and know that:
-I am forgiven
-He still loves me
-He will never leave me, nor forsake me
-He will always be there to hold me in His arms and tell me that He is still in control!

See, I am so thankful that God loves me enough to give me that spiritual spanking when I need it, but then turns around and gives me all the love I will ever need.

As for my dear friend, I am going to contact her and ask for forgiveness. I know that she will forgive me, cause that is the kind of person she is!

I can honestly say that I don't know how people who are not saved get through this life. I tried to make it on my own for 27 years and didn't do a very good job. The last 6 years of my life have been the best ever! I am thankful that God didn't give up on me!

Please listen to the prompting of God. You may not understand, but the important thing is to be obedient!

Blessings,
Kim

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Tis the season.....

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I have been trying for many years to get organized enough to start early and finish early. I have had better luck this year. I have gotten a few gifts for a couple of people and wow......I sure feel a sense of relief! I am one of those people who wait until the last minute. Not purposely, but it seems as though there is always a reason why I cannot go sooner. Money, time, money, money, did I say money?
I ran across this the other day, and thought that it has a great message behind it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

I am not sure of the church behind it, but I do know that the message definitely rings true. There are many other things that we should be focused on. We have lost the sense of the true Christmas spirit, and what that means for us as Christians.

As we enter into the season, let us not forget that Jesus is the reason for the season! Let your focus be on the miracle of His birth and His life. But never forget that He died to set you free so that you may be able to live and live abundantly!

Because God has given us so much, share some of the goodness that God has provided you with! Invest in some extra gifts for children that may not be as fortunate. If will make your heart smile and bless that child!

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php

This organization is a wonderful way to give to children around the world. Check out their website and you will find yourself wanting to spread the Christmas spirit.

I hope that this day has found you in the house of the Lord!

Blessings,
Kim

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Want some change?

I know that it has been a week since I last blogged. To be honest, I have had a hard time trying to finds words for my feelings about the election. I hope that this simple statement will allow you to hear my heartbeat in this situation.

I am sad that the person I voted for did not win the election, however, I respect the office of the Commander in Chief and will continue to pray for the office. It is my sincere hope that President Obama will lead our country with lots of prayer and discernment.

That is my 2 cents, in case you were wondering ;0)

Blessings,
Kim

Monday, November 3, 2008

Your right to vote........

Tomorrow is a big day for our country. As we finally get a chance to have our voice heard, it is so important that we take the opportunity to do the right thing. As I wouldn't want to turn this into a political forum, I thought that I would give my reasons for going and casting your vote tomorrow:

My voice truly does count!
cause many have fought for this privilege that we have freely
Christians should unite together and make sure that the issues that are important are
at the forefront of our choices.
it is important that we are informed about the morals of the candidates.
not letting the media give us a false representation of what they want us to believe.

Praying for the candidate of your choice,
and feeling confident in that decision.
learning what each candidate stands for
in all areas of the election
not just the ones that the media wants you to hear about!

If you read between the lines, you will hear my heart in this election..........
I pray that all of you will go and exercise your right to vote-if you choose not to-don't complain!

This country is the best in the world! I am proud to be an American and love my country! Don't take this responsibility lightly,

Please vote!

Blessings,
Kim

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Because all are created equal.....

After the last few posts, I realized that I have only been talking about Mr. Man. It is not that he is favored, it is just that he does some pretty priceless stuff!

I mean after all, I think that I would be a little upset if Beatrice or Gertie came to me with a can of opened soup and a bucket full of the soup!

So I decided to ask Beatrice if she was offended. She quickly told me no. That made me feel better...........then I replied-

"You really should do some funny stuff, then I could blog about it!"

Enough said.

I truly do love my girls and all of their interesting personality traits.

I realize that Beatrice has my sense of humor, and the older she gets that she is alot of fun to hang out with.

Gertie marches to the beat of a different drum all together, and wears her heart on her sleeve. She is my most giving child, truly wanting for everyone to be happy.

So as of today, I have nothing to share with you........except that they fight alot, but I am sure that you don't want to hear about that anymore than I do!

I pray that tomorrow will find you in the house of the Lord!

Blessings,
Kim