Thankful

The past few days, I feel as though God is showing me all the amazing things I have to be thankful for. Tonight, I’m feeling especially overwhelmed by how blessed I am. I don’t say this to brag or boast in what I have materially, but to boast in what God has provided for me.

• An incredible husband – who makes me feel loved, protected, confident, pretty, important, and valued
• An amazing family – the Hoods and the Lindstedts
• An amazing “extended” family – all of the incredible friends God has given me
• A beautiful home, that has provided many memories for us – all the way from getting ready for our wedding to selling in a short 6 weeks… all by the hand of God
• A loving church family
• A sweet little Fran
• A great job, with a great boss and coworkers
• A beautiful vision for the city of sin – and a way to get there and carry out that vision

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.  (Psalm 57:9-11)

Not the only one

This weekend I had the privilege of playing keys and singing for our worship services at church. The lyrics from the Crowder song, Come Awake, have been bouncing in my head for a while now, and I feel like someone needs to hear them today:

You are not the only one

Who feels like the only one

Night soon will be lifted friend

Just be quiet and wait for the voice that will say

Come awake from sleep, arise

You were dead, you’ve come alive

Wake up, wake up open your eyes

Climb from your grave into the light

Bring us back to life

So often, we feel like we’re the only person who has ever dealt with the struggles we encounter, but the truth is that we’re never alone. As I have learned through countless great conversations with friends, strangers, and small groups, you can almost always find someone who has “been there.” And if you can’t, there’s always one person who won’t ever leave you lonely – Jesus.

This past weekend, we mourned the death of our Saviour, then celebrated the great truth that He is risen. It was a great reminder for me that our Saviour LIVES. He is with us wherever we may be, no matter what crosses our path.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

[image found here]

Spring

There is something so redemptive about spring in Minnesota… especially this year.

After record amounts of snow this winter (literally the most snow MN has seen in our lifetime), 77 degrees seems like a little slice of heaven today. We took Fran on her second walk since coming home, and I couldn’t help but smile as I walked through our neighborhood, holding my husband’s hand, feeling the warm wind on my face, and watching our sweet pup run through green grass. Our lily bushes are starting to turn from brown to green, and tulips are starting to come up near the entrance to our development.

I love that Easter always falls in the spring – it just seems so fitting – the most redemptive holiday we celebrate during the most redemptive time of the year. As the weather continues to get nicer, I hope you will remember to be preparing for the celebration of our Saviour’s rising. If you’re looking for a place to celebrate, join us at Crossroads Church for our service called Awakening. It promises to be a meaningful day.

We’re watching the Masters for the first time ever, and I must say there is something very relaxing about watching golf with the wind blowing in the windows. Maybe I’ll just stay on the couch a little longer… those errands can wait, right?

Some inspiration for a new season

Thursday Morning Update

So… a week from today we’ll be in September. I only have one question: Where did AUGUST go?!

I really feel like life has been flying by. I’ve had some great opportunities over the past month, but it made time go even faster. I’ve still been trying to process… I’ll give you a little snapshot into my mind.

Jordan and I left for Castaway Club on August 1st and were planning to stay until the 6th as adult guests (a.k.a. the nicest, most relaxing, and spiritually challenging vacation ever). We spent that week going to various planning meetings, spending time on the beach, reading on the deck that overlooked the lake… just soaking it all in. We also spent time getting to know the staff that was at the camp for the month of August. After making some great connections, I ended up staying through August 12th to work at Castaway for a WyldLife week. (if all of this seems like Greek to you, check out www.yl.org)

[note: please don't hate me after reading this. this is called pure, unfiltered honesty...]
Throughout the first week, Jordan and I were faced with materialism, which forced us to reevaluate our priorities and values. I’m still processing, but it was clear to me that stuff is a barrier in my ability to have freedom in life through Christ. I find myself comparing what I have to what others have and always wanting more. I have a list a mile long of all the things I want – when does it get to the point that that list starts to control the person I am?

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:7-10)

I have a birthday coming up, and my mind naturally drifts toward my wish list of gifts (this is where that “don’t hate me” thing comes into play). I could easily rattle off 20 things I’d love to receive for my birthday… and they’re all material. On Twitter, I follow a great organization called Charity Water and I’ve been seeing their marketing to give up your birthday – meaning to ask for donations to their organization instead of gifts or money. Welcome, conflict. As much as I’d love a heaping pile of gifts and money, I can’t help but remember that there are people all over the world who have much less than I do – even down to suitable drinking water. So I’m stuck in the tension of what I want vs. what other people need. The answer should be clear, but sometimes it seems hard to discern… mostly because I’m human and sometimes the right thing just doesn’t seem as fun for me. I can sit here and justify the reason that I need money (trip to NYC, trip to Vail this winter, we’re “poor” newlyweds, etc., etc.), but I have a pit in my stomach. People don’t have water. I already have two trips planned (that we can afford… any extra $$ would just be for fun spending… of more stuff that I really don’t need). Anyway. Hopefully I’m not the only person who gets stuck in this tension – Jordan even said he thinks it’s a good tension to feel. It means that I’m actually processing the “in this world, not of it” part of being a Christian. Tough stuff.

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. (John 15:19)

 Our Young Life experience was incredible. An amazing vacation – mostly because it combined relaxation with great times of ministry and spiritual growth. We were challenged personally and as a couple, and I’m so thankful that we got to have this experience.

Much more I could write, but this is getting long. I’ll leave you with this fun picture of us parasailing (gotta love the windblown look).

Reverting

*written on 2/18*

So I have one pair of black pants. I have been washing them more in the past months due to a new job that doesn’t allow comfy, casual attire, and when I put them on today I noticed they seemed a bit shorter than they used to. I figured they’d stretch themselves out throughout the day, so I wore them anyway and kind of forgot about it… Until just a few minutes ago I noticed I’ve been pulling on my pants all day and having weird middle school memories…..

When I was about 10, I was taller than my third grade teacher and kids were beginning to notice that I was one of the tallest people in the class… and soon, the school. That’s right – the school. I distinctly remember going to a high school basketball game with my parents and one of the cooler, much more stylish high school girls pointing and snickering to her girlfriends about the girl with the highwaters. As if that wasn’t enough, she went out of her way to ask me if I thought a flood was coming – because I was wearing right pants if there was one! Mortified, I swore to myself that I would never again have short pants. This lead to scavenging through piles of jeans and pants at various stores looking for “long” or (even better) “EXTRA long” pants. Now I never buy a pair of jeans unless it says “35 inch inseam” on it.

Now, I have been walking around, all self-conscious today, all because of my stupid highwater experience. My initial reaction is that it’s time to go shopping for some new pants (plus, it probably wouldn’t hurt to have more than one pair of black pants). My secondary reaction is, “Kristen, get over yourself.” I think that’s what God’s been screaming at me the past few weeks… I’ve just been ignoring Him. Until now.

I’ve found myself caught in this world of self-judging (is that a term?… well, it is now). I’m constantly thinking about how I can make myself better and how I should lose 25 pounds and get a new, cooler wardrobe, etc., etc. Somehow, I’ve only recently realized that maybe I should start focusing on how to make myself better, but in ways like reading the Bible more, praying more consistently and more meaningfully, bettering myself physically for the reason that my body is God’s temple, not for all of the vain reasons I usually think of. And now you see my new path: Taking the focus off of me and starting to focus more on God. Doing things because they will glorify Him… not because my friends will tell me how great I look or how cool I am.

So, friends, let’s see where this gets us.