Santa Barbara I Miss You!!

I went and visited my friend, Christianne, in Santa Barbara this weekend! It was phenomenal! I am in love with this city! The beach, the mountains, the weather (70 and breezy), the people....I could get used to this!! =) Christianne and I hung out on State St a few times. It is kind of like the strand in Galveston but WAY BETTER! We ate lunch, people watched, and walked around. What is so fun about this street is that it has everything! Restaurants, movie theaters, shops (antique stores, well known clothing stores like Gap, Macys, Banana Republic, etc, and also little unique clothing stores.) Just about everyone has a dog, and the stores even encourage you to bring your dog into the stores by having dog bowls outside their stores and bins with doggie treats in them. There were so many people biking too. There was a bike lane on just about every street. With the perfect weather Santa Barbara has, who wouldn't want to commute by bike/walk!! We went hiking up in the mountains at this little spot Christianne knew. It was sooo much fun that we went back the next day too! I could so get used to this!!!

Uhhhh, why do I live in Houston again?!?!

Christianne and I on State St.

Hiking in Montecito.

Kim with Zuri (Christianne's Husky)

At one of the waterfalls

There was a snake in one of the waterfalls (shiver!)

I can't believe I actually slid down the waterfall into the water where the snake had been! I was totally peer-pressured into doing it! hahaha. Some locals where cheering me on "Come on, Texas!! Do it!!" As you can see I was in/out of that water in a blink!! haha!

"If You're Happy and You Know it...."

Look at what my sweet little niece, Ava, learned at daycare. My sister, Lisa, didn't even know Ava knew the motions until she randomly started singing it and saw Ava do the clapping. Soooo cute!
I love how proud Ava is of herself at the end!


Video: If you're happy and you know it

It was an itty, bitty, teeny, weeny Houston Project fitted tee....

We had our first Houston Project meeting this past Sunday at the church. I got to see my Becky Parker lead us in announcements and opening prayer. I had a "moment" in the back of the room when I realized that this was the first time in my 5 years of knowing Becky that I have seen her speaking up on stage. I was filled with pride - that's my Becky! Malcolm Marshall did a great job preaching the do's and dont's of urban ministry! We, then, got to break up into the different inner city church sites for some prayer and planning time. I am back at Farrington Baptist Church for my 4th year now. I absolutely love this site and our site leaders Cas and Gina Webster!! I signed up for evangelism this year! I'm sooo excited and feel stretched! =) It is definitely the one area of service that I don't think I could "wing it" so to speak. It is so far beyond me and my personality and my ability. So, I am excited about seeing the strength of God exalted in my weakness!

One funny thing that happened (or almost happened) was that we were issued our Houston Project t-shirt for this year (which are really cool by the way!) We are suppose to wear our t-shirt to church next Sunday and than all week at our site the following week. I picked up my size small t-shirt and, you know, it kind of looked small...like really, really small. But I just rationalized that it was the style - the trendy fitted tee look. I even thought as I held it up to me that I might have to wear a cami or long tank underneath just in case I was to raise my hands in worship so not to show skin. All I can say is THANK THE LORD that a storm came through and that left me stuck up at the church for a while before I could head home!! While I was walking around waiting, I ran into some friends in the hallway who were coming out of their Houston Project meeting carrying their t-shirts. I, thankfully, made mention to them that the Houston Project t-shirts were running small this year. I held up my shirt and my friend informed me that I had a CHILD t-shirt. I, quicky, checked the tag...yep, youth small!! Oh my gosh! I had tears welling up I was laughing so hard! I was going to wear that shirt next Sunday to church!!! to church!!! This cropped, fitted, super tight tee! I would have been walking around the church halls wondering why everyone else's t-shirt looked normal and mine looked like a tube top! I, mean, I know HFBC desires to be culturally relevant but this might be going a bit to far with the fitted tee! hahaha. After I told Laurie Johnson the story, she informed me hers was actually a halter top. haha...funny. When I went to exchange my child small for the adult small, Becky informed me that the child whose shirt I took came into the office just 5 minutes before I did wearing my shirt and it looked like a dress on them. haha. poor thing! What a pair we would have looked like next Sunday.

this is what I pictured the

Youth S looking like - haha

maybe a little shorter though - yikes!

An Unexpected Blessing!!

The Lord is good!! And He does, indeed, go before us! (Even before us to Home Depot!!!)
Let me set the story!

The background:
For those of you who do not know, I am about to venture out again in the remodeling world with my guest bathroom. Yes, I have apparently suppressed all memory of the kitchen remodeling nightmare of 2007 and have willingly signed up for another round. It all began a few months back when the air conditioner (which is in the ceiling in the guest bathroom) began leaking. The water leak completely ruined the ceiling causing it to peel and fall apart. We had to rip the whole ceiling out (there still isn't a ceiling to this day!) and replace the AC. Not fun. On top of that, the bathtub in the guest bathroom is falling apart too - it is peeling and rusting....and it just completely ruins the whole "bath" experience (you girls know what I mean). After much dragging of my feet, I decided it was past time to remodel the bathroom. But I must tell you all that just the thought of hiring a contractor, planning out what I want done, picking out the tub, tile, paint color, etc makes me want to curl up in a ball and hide in a closet. hahaha!

OK...now to catch you up-to-date:

I, finally, got motivated this past Saturday to go shopping to look at tile, vanity sinks, and bathtubs. To be honest, I was kind-of stressed about it. ...I don't know what to look for, what not to look for, what looks good together, etc. I don't have a "eye" for this kind of thing at all!

I did find this real pretty "antique looking" vanity sink that I liked ALOT at this one store....it was EXACTLY what I wanted! BUT...after some thought in the store - it was just too costly! blast! I drove home feeling defeated and discouraged. When I got home, I got on homedepot.com and looked through their vanities. I found 3 or so that seemed to look nice and the price was about half the price of the other vanity I had my eye on. I hopped in the car and drove a few exits down to Home Depot. I walked up and down the aisle looking at the pictures on the outside of all the boxes, but I didn't see any of the ones I liked on the website. Errr. I was just about to give up and I saw one of them sitting on a cart - it wasn't boxed, but saran- wrapped. Hmmmm....is it coming or going? Somebody beat me to it, I bet. What bad timing I thought! I asked a saleswoman - she informed me that it was bought back in January but that the buyer never came and picked it up so it was going back on the shelf. Oooooh. This could be promising!! This other lady that she was helping turned and looked at the vanity when she said that and commented on how nice it was. BACK OFF! It's mine! (Ok, I didn't say it, but I thought it!! hahaha!) The saleswoman told me to roll the cart up to the front and ask a manager to price it for me (it didn't have a sku #). The manager told the customer service employee to try to look up the customer's name and the delivery number written on the delivery tag to get the price that was paid for it.....but nothing came up. The customer service employee called the manager to let him know. When he got off the phone with the manager, he told me "ma'am it is your lucky day..............$50" WHAT?!?!?!? SOLD!!! ( I jumped up and down and squealed!) I think I said a few "Amens!" somewhere in there too! He had to find an item nearby that was around $50 so he could ring it up so he could charge me for the vanity....he ended up finding something that was $41 so with tax it rang up like $45.

Isn't that awesome!?!?! I was giddy and praising the Lord the WHOLE way home!! I know that unexpected blessing was from Him! I thanked Him over and over in delight and amazement! He does care about the big AND LITTLE things in our life and He honors when we cast our cares, worries, concerns, and fears on Him!

Thank you Lord for the sink vanity!

Project: Outdoors!

Kim's Outdoor Adventure Check List

The Lord has definitely given me an adventurous spirit! I love the outdoors! I, especially, am wild about mountains and water! Someday, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE (did I mention love?) to live where I can have them both! =) Any kind of outdoor play I am ALL about! There are times I'm confused as to why God would have placed such a thrill for the outdoors in the heart of a red-headed, fair-skinned body. hahaha. But praise Him for hats, sunglasses, and SPF 50 (seriously...the stuff is not even lotion...it is like paste!)


I had started making a list of all the adventures I've been on and all the adventures I still want to conqueror!



Adventures completed:

• Snow Skiing / Tubing
  

• Waterskiing

• Skydiving (Houston '00)

• White Water Rafting (Costa Rica, '01)
  
  
  

• Zip Line Canopy Tour (Costa Rica Rain Forest '01)

• Snorkeling (Costa Rica '01)

I can't find any pictures! =(

Guess I have to do it again! =)

• Rock Rappelling (Austin, '03)

• Horseback Riding (Costa Rica Beach '01, Yukon '05)
  
  

• Dogsledding (Alaska '05)

• Sea Kayaking (Alaska '05, Cabo San Lucas '07)

Adventures still awaiting to be had:
and YOU (yes YOU!!) still have time to join in on the fun!! Sign-ups begin NOW!

• Surfing (Santa Barbara, July '08)




• Indoor Skydiving




• Hiking




• Scuba Diving




• Windsurfing




• Sailing

• Fishing (haven't been since I was a little girl!)

• Parasailing (came so close to in Cabo....ran out of time. sniff sniff)

The list, by far, is not complete! But that gives me, at least, a start!

I was Tagged!

My 7 Things!

Well...I have been blogging for all of one week now - and I already got my first Tag! Thanks Tammie (I think?)

Here are the rules:
Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


My 7 Things:

1. I hate swallowing pills!

I, seriously, think I am going to get it logged in my throat and choke everytime. I'm weird, I know! If the pill is medium size or larger, I will start breaking out in a sweat just at the sight of it. It usually takes me more than one try. I will start to swallow and chicken out at the last minute with the water going down, but the pill (now soggy) still sitting in my mouth. Yuck! I try to stick with the liquid or chewable forms of medicine/vitamins. hahah...I have issues I know!

update: Recently, I have started to find freedom when my friend (a Respiratory Therapist) informed me that I would, in fact, not choke. I have to remind myself of her words everytime! haha. Thanks for freeing a sistah up Jules!

2. I am very fidgety!

I have the hardest time sitting still. Some body part will always be moving...either my bottom in the chair, my leg, my foot...something! haha. I have done this since I was a young'en. In face, when I was in elementary school, I used to wear out the seat of my jeans from wiggling so much in my chair. The bottom of the jeans would be "white"!!


The good side of this is that studies have shown that fidgeting can burn an additional 350 calories a day!


3. I thought my middle name was "Berly" when I was little.

The story goes that the mom of one of my friends had asked me one day when I was over at her home what my middle name was and I told her "Berly" very confidently! haha. My parents had to sit me down and explain to me that my FIRST name is "Kimberly" or "Kim" for short and that my middle name is "Ann". Poor thing! I was 5 years old and already having an identity crisis!


4. My lips will swell up if I eat raw carrots.

Not cooked carrots. But just raw carrots. So weird! No need to buy a lip plumper - just carry a few raw carrots around with me.


5. I am obsessed with "googling" things.

If someone asks me a question and I don't know the answer, I HAVE to google it before I go to bed that night. My co-workers call me "google queen". I can pull up google, google the desired answer, and have it printing to our department computer before they finish asking the question. I love having information right there at your fingertips! It's so fun!


6. I LOVE ice tea!!

What can I say, I am a Southern girl! I will pick my restaurants sometimes based on who has good ice tea! And I NEVER leave without my to-go cup of tea! Oh...Cafe Express, by the way, has the BEST black currant ice tea!
quick story: I was a little late meeting up with some friends for lunch one Sunday after church, and when I sat down at the table, one of the girls had my ice tea waiting with 3 Sweet-N-Lows next to it. I was delighted! Sometimes it is so refreshing to be known by someone!


7. I have 1 kidney.

Yep, the summer before my 8th grade year I had to have my right one removed. It was discovered after a month or so of doctor visits and testing that it wasn't working. They aren't sure if I was either born with it not working or somewhere along the way it just stopped...i got a pretty cool scar from it though.


Now I tag:

1. Jen Lewis

2. Melissa Wallace

3. Amber Slater

4. Cristina Martin

5. Corrie Cline

6. Dee Howell

"Risk"

Yes, that is the word that has been spoken to me by FOUR different people on FOUR completely seperate occasions in the last 2 weeks!

-The first time, I took it into thought...but definitely didn't seek it out any further.

- The second time, I thought "hmmmm, okay, what is this?" (allowing myself to become more open to the thought.)

- The third time, I was at FULL ATTENTION....yes, okay, this is a word for me! I get it!

- And than today in Sunday School class, when the 4th person spoke "risk" to me, I just had to laugh in amazement. Just in case I didn't quite get it the first 3x, the Lord saw fittin' to put it out there one more time for good measure! haha.

Well, I FINALLY brought the "R" word to the Lord TODAY during my time with Him (what can I say...I'm hard-headed!) I sat out by "the waters" (our condo pool), and responded to Him by journaling my uncertainty of what exactly He was asking of me. Risk what? Risk where? Risk with who? I found myself hesitant to ask Him to reveal it to me! I wasn't sure if I wanted to know! Why? Because, risk means stepping out in uncomfortable waters, risk means forsaking what might be logical with your mind and choosing to walk in faith, risk means putting yourself in a place where you are vulnerable. What it boils down to is that "risk" = UNCERTAINTY! The door began to open to fear and I had to IMMEDIATELY confess it to the Lord to give the enemy NO GROUND on my land! A friend spoke a word of truth over me right at that very moment (thank you Lord!) as I was feeling the oppressive hand of the enemy - to say "but Kim if God is speaking it to you so intensely. Its gonna be so good...SOOO good".

Yes! YES! I receive it! Lord, your Word says you have GOOD plans for me - to prosper me, to give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Let me not be afraid of your will and the plans and the purpose you have for my life! Lord, I beg you, let me be afraid of NOT doing your will and missing out on YOU and the plans and purpose your have for me on this earth! Help me to let go of uncertainty, fear, disbelief, and comfort...and grab onto You with both my hands and GO where you are leading me!

Lord - THIS I KNOW:

ANYTHING you ask me to give up for Your namesake, God, YOU WILL replace it with something far more amazing and wonderful and good (whether on this earth, or when I am in heaven).

ANYPLACE you call me to go or ANYTHING you call me to do - YOU WILL be with me! And YOU are faithful!

You led Moses and the Israelites to the edge of the red sea - to a place of absolute surrender! IN FAITH (help me have that kind of faith, Lord!) they stepped into the waters, and YOU MOVED!! They passed through the Red Sea on DRY ground. They saw YOU and experienced YOUR power. They witnessed a MIRACLE right before their eyes as you intervened for your children. I believe you will do the same for me Lord! I believe that anytime you ask me to "take a risk" and step out in complete faith and trust YOU that YOU WILL meet me there! You will show Yourself to me in a greater way than I know now! You will allow me to experience a greater depth of Your power than I know now! You will allow me to witness a miracle in my own life by your intervention on my behalf! I want it Lord! I do!

Holy Spirit, give me courage, give me boldness, give me strength, give me faith to do the will of the Father!!! I know that it is GOD who empowers me with His incomparably great power (Ephesians 1:19). He not only calls, He equips, He empowers, and best of all.....He goes with me!! Thank you Lord!!

I was thinking back over the fears I mentioned above that I had of "risking" and the Lord showed me His TRUTH in regards to those fears:

(1) Stepping out in uncomfortable waters

"DO NOT FEAR, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! "When you pass THROUGH the waters, I will be with you; And THROUGH the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk THROUGH the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you." ~ Isaiah 43:1-2

*Thank you Lord for your promise to bring me THROUGH any trial...that you will NOT leave me or forsake me in the middle. Thank you Lord for your promise to be WITH ME. For though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I fear NO evil...why? because YOU ARE WITH ME! It is YOUR rod and YOUR staff that comfort me!

(2) Forsaking what might be logical with MY mind

"However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" ~ 1 Cor 2:9

*Lord, let not my mind and its limited understanding hinder me from experiencing you and your plans for me in its fullness!

(3) Putting myself in a place of vulnerability

"Be strong and courageous, DO NOT BE AFRAID or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you....The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. DO NOT BE AFRAID; do not be discouraged."" ~ Deut 31:6, 8

"For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard." ~ Is 52:12b

*Thank you Lord that You go BEFORE me, that You go WITH me, that You go BEHIND me. Even when you call me to a place of vulnerability - I am not alone! Though people or things of this world may fail me, You promise that YOU will not fail me or forsake me. I cling to that promise!

I, still, am not any closer to knowing WHAT God is calling me to risk in...but I trust He will reveal it to me in His time. I am thankful He is preparing me, that He is faithful to speak this Word over me, that He is fighting FOR me, and that He is imparting His truth into me to strengthen my faith to press on towards the prize!

Bottom line: No matter what He calls me to risk - IT WILL BE WORTH IT!