Trainer Notes: It's the little things!

It's the little things in life that make me happy!  What about you?

I went to Walmart for groceries last night.  (That's always fun.)  Guess what I found?  Major clearance items!  Nothing can truly beat tank tops for a mere $3.  I loaded up my cart.  I found a pair of pants and a cotton dress too!  Jackpot!

It's amazing how good a new $3 tank can make you feel! :)  I'm not sure if it was because it was new or because it was a good deal.  I won't lie, the thrill of a sale is pretty awesome.  Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to become a hoarder.  Not the dirty, "won't take the trash out kind of hoarder".  More like the "crazy old lady who has 20 lbs of flour in her pantry even when she doesn't have kids at home anymore" kind of hoarder.  (That may or may not be me now, I'll never tell!)

Like I said, sometimes it's just the little things in life that can bring a smile to your face! It could be a $3 tank top, a big hug and "thank you" from your son because you bought him Duck Dynasty folders, a snuggle with your four year old while watching "UP" for the millionth time,  scratching your 5 year old's back at bedtime because that's the only time it's itchy, letting your baby scratch up your face because that's his way of loving on you, and sharing your life's story with new friends with laughter after tears.  Those were my little things yesterday!  I pray that I always remain thankful for those little things.

These little things bring so much joy do my day!  I think that God blesses me with these "little things" as a reminder of just how much He loves me.  I just have to remember not to become so focused on the "big things" that I miss the little blessings that pop up in my day.  I just might miss out on some of the "best things"!

What are some of  the little things that bring a smile to your face?
What are those little things that God places in your day as blessings?

If you look, I bet you can find some! :)

~Kristee

Trainer Notes: Why I love having little boys!

My little men!

I ran across this article on Yahoo the other day and it really bothered me.  It's titled "8 Reasons Why I Love Having a Little Boy,"  I you read through the author's list, 4 of her 8 reasons, have to do with clothing or appearance.  That's half!  So half of the ways this woman is publicly expressing her love her little boy is based on his outward appearance.  Not just his own physical appearance but also how she's able to dress him.  Anyone else find that a bit disturbing?

I remember when Eli was first born, having fun changing him into all of his little outfits.  It was fun.  I'd change his clothes "just because".  Fast forward to #4, Micah, I change his clothes because he's spit up on them.  WAY too much laundry to play dress up! :)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's wrong to make sure your kids look nice before you leave the house.  Clean and presentable is good for social reasons.  Nobody wants their child to look like Pig Pen!  But I think you have to look deeper.  I think we have to ask ourselves:

• What is our motive for having such rigid standards of appearance?  
• As the parent, what message are we sending when such importance is placed on appearance? 
• Are we sending the message that to be accepted you must look and dress a certain way?  
• Are we intentionally teaching your children how God sees them?

I think first of all, kids need to know:

We are chosen and created by God!

1 Peter 2:9 

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light

Ephesians 1:4-5 
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Colossians 3:12 
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Genesis 1:27

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Psalm 139:13-16 
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Ephesians 2:10 
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are dearly loved by God!

1 John 4:10

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:16-19

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:38-39 

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

God tells us that He sees our heart, not our appearance!

1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

1 Samuel 16:7
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.


Romans 12:2  
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Proverbs 31:30 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

These are just a small sampling of verses. But I encourage you to write them on note cards and place them around your house and read them to your children everyday.  We have to make sure will fill up those little brains of theirs with God's truth rather than the lies of the world!

Alright back to the article:

I guess I might expect this type of thinking from a mother of a girl. I'm told it's quite fun dressing girls up and fixing their hair, etc. But I was a little surprised that this came from a mom of a boy.
It's no secret, I would have loved to have been the mother of a little girl. (I'll admit I shed a few tears in a couple of different ultrasound rooms, especially this last time!) Sometimes I forget that indeed I am a momma to a precious little girl! My little gal is just waiting for her momma in heaven! Someday, my sweet Chara! :) But as much as I miss her and wonder what it would have been like raising her, I can't even imagine what life would be like without my little boys!

So I started thinking, what is so special about having little boys?  What do I love about my boys?

1. First of all, they are a gift from God.

He gave me these boys! So how could I NOT think that they are perfect!

Psalm 127:3 (NLT)
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

Even on my most frustrating days, I KNOW that God gave me 4 better gifts than anything I could have ever picked for myself.

2. I get to see life through a completely different lens.

My experience with little boys is very limited since I grew up with only sisters. It is amazing at how differently they see the world. Everything is a competition, a weapon and is either on fire or about to explode. It confuses me a little, but I love it.

3. Their hugs and kisses are the best!

Don't let their tough exterior fool you! As hardcore boy as they all are, they are still incredibly sweet and loving.

4. They are so funny in a completely weird way and that's OK!

These boys are cra-azy funny and the best part is half the time they don't even know it! The stories they tell, the make-believe they play, even the toot (we don't say fart) jokes and poop, they some how make it all hilarious. Yeah I know potty humor-not funny-I know, BUT sometimes the gut busting belly laughs it produces, is well worth it! Lighten up Mommas! :)

5. As their mom, I get to be their first love! I hope! :)

It's a little frightening to know that I'll be the one who they will compare their future spouses to. They'll either want to marry someone exactly like me or completely opposite of me! :)

6. We get to teach boys how to be men.

Teaching them how to be Godly men, men of integrity, and men who love and lead their families. The hugeness of this job is a little overwhelming, but I know it's what God has called us to do. I can't wait to see who they are in 20 years.

7. They are great problem solvers.

Even as little boys, they possess that manly trait of "wanting to fix the problem."

8. They will never be Jr. High girls!

Jeff & I joke about this all the time. We will miss out on all of the hormonal girl drama! Instead we get smelly feet, squeaky voices, and bottomless pits to feed. We will be taking food donations for that! :)

Oh how I love my little guys!  I couldn't ask for anything else!  Sometimes, when I'm in the middle of a frustrating, chaotic day, I forget just how blessed I am!

~Kristee

Team Transportation: Thankfulness x 2

Remember this?  Remember how I said we were bummed that some of our "free" monthly money now had to go toward the new van and not debt?  Well, God is SO good!  (Of course you knew that!)  He has blessed us yet again!

Last night we made the decision to put our 2000 Ford Ranger on Craigslist.  We bought the truck brand new, when we lived in Texas.  We were just curious if we'd get any inquires.  So we listed it last night around 6:30.  By 7:00 we'd had 4 different people contact us about it and 1 person set up an appointment to come and look!

Well this morning we sold it!  Get this...we are now able to pay off-COMPLETELY, the debt we wanted to pay down.  AND that frees up about $80/month to put toward other expenses!  God is good and we are so very thankful!

James 1:17  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

How timely that one of daily Psalms devotions this past weekend included this verse:

Psalm 107:8  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love    and his wonderful deeds for mankind

That verse is actually repeated 5 times throughout the whole chapter!   I'm SO thankful that I followed through on God's promptings to get out of bed and read this on Saturday morning up in Prescott.  (Getting out of bed early is such a struggle for me!)  Even with 30+ people there,  I had the entire patio all to myself in the cool, quiet!  Just me & God. (A squirrel, hummingbird, wood pecker, and the biggest/creepiest beetle I've ever seen, also joined us!)

Again... God's plans are far better than mine could ever be!! :)

So long, Farewell!

Here's the entire Psalm.  I encourage you to read it and think about how much God loves you and how good He is!  What's your story?  :)

~ Kristee

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.[a]

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
    finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
    and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
    to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
    prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
    and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
    they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
    and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
    and cuts through bars of iron.

17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
    and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
    and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
    he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
    and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23 Some went out on the sea in ships;
    they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,
    his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
    that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
    in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
    they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
    the waves of the sea[b] were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
    and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
    and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 He turned rivers into a desert,
    flowing springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
    because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water
    and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
    and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
    that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
    and he did not let their herds diminish.

39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
    by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles
    made them wander in a trackless waste.
41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
    and increased their families like flocks.
42 The upright see and rejoice,
    but all the wicked shut their mouths.

43 Let the one who is wise heed these things
    and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

Team Transportation: Thankfulness

Well, it's official!  We are now the proud owners of 2 mini-vans!  We are so incredibly thankful.  It was getting pretty difficult to coordinate transportation arrangements for our team with just a 13 year old Ford Ranger as our backup vehicle.

Our racing Sedonas!  They are 7 years apart in age!

It's a new-to-us Kia Sedona!  While it's not the Nissan NV that we would LOVE to have (evidently there is a law about feeding your children), it was a complete God-thing!  The timing, the price, everything...such a GIFT!

We've been having some problems with our current van for several months and have spent a small fortune trying to get it fixed.  We've had bad parts, bad mechanic, you name it!  It's still not quite right.  But it is paid for!  In fact, we just recently paid it off!  We were so excited!  We had plans for our "freed up" monthly car payment.  It's called vacation, paying off debt! BUT alas all of the car problems!

We really wanted to see how long we could get without having to buy one, but it became clear that our current van was becoming less and less reliable.  Well this deal popped up and we really couldn't pass on it.  We were bummed that our "freed up" money was no longer "free".  While we were sad about that, we quickly remembered how thankful we were!  Thankful that because our other one was paid off, we now had the option to buy.

How many times are we SO focused on what WE want to do with God's blessings that we become frustrated that it doesn't work out the way that WE had planned?  Sometimes just changing our perspective can be a game changer.  Instead of focusing and complaining about what God says no to, we really should really step back to see what he IS saying YES to.

For us, His gift was that our other van was in great working order until we paid it off!  How can we complain that it's having problems now?

My hope is at some point in my life my FIRST thought will be of thanks rather than a complaint.  I won't lie, it's a struggle.  God has proven time and time again, that the greatness of HIS plans far outweigh mine!

Psalm 9

1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.

What do you need to be thankful for today?  :)

~Kristee

Coach's Meeting: Happiness vs. Blessedness

This past weekend we kicked off our Psalms study at church.  I'm super excited about it.  I love the Psalms. It's where I go when I don't know where to go, ya know? :)

We had a guest speaker to kick off the series, Gary Zustiak.  He's a professor from Ozark Christian College, where Jeff & I both went to school.  Jeff got a Bachelor's of Christian Education and I got a MRS.  Get it?  MRS. as in Married!  That's a joke among Ozark students! :)

He covered Psalm 1 and his title was "Do you want to be happy?"  He challenged us to look at what happiness really means.  His whole message was on my mind all week, so I thought I'd share how it spoke to me.

The word "happiness" comes from the word "hap" which means luck or chance.  So by definition of the word, happiness really depends upon luck or chance, not on anything we do.  Chance implies that it still may not happen!  Worldly happiness is really temporary.  He gave us a statistic that stated "according to one study it has been scientifically proven that money, love, and health, combined, can only increase your happiness up to 10%."

It made me think of the Declaration of Independence. Our forefathers wrote:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The pursuit of happiness...hmmm...they didn't say life, liberty, and happiness....they said the "pursuit of happiness."  They seemed to know that happiness isn't just a given, happiness isn't a "right" but rather the pursuit or chance of happiness is a right.  Maybe happiness isn't really "happiness"....

The world tells us that we have the "right" to forsake or sacrifice anything to gain our own personal "happiness".  That it's OK to sacrifice our morals, our family, our relationships, as long as it makes US happy, right?  To heck with the consequences of our actions!  That doesn't matter, because I am happy!  The world also tells us that we should move on to that next great thing because that will bring us happiness.

It's really easy to fall into that trap.  We tend to justify our actions by saying, "Well, God wants me to be happy.  God doesn't want me to be miserable."  No he doesn't.  But I think he'd rather "bless us" for our obedience than let us be happy.

Zustiak defined blessedness as being Biblically blessed, "a lasting joy in spite of the circumstances that surround us."  Wow, to possess joy in spite of what goes on around us! To be happy without having to compromise our principles! Lasting joy not temporary happiness.

That is what I want!  I want a lasting joy that is not dependent upon anyone or anything else.  That sounds so much better than a "chance" at being happy!

How can we be blessed?  Well first, we turn our life over to God.  We acknowledge him as our creator and have a desire to honor him with our obedience.

There are some days I look around me and can't find a reason to be happy.  My long-term happiness can't rest in the latest and greatest gadget, biggest or best house, or most fabulous vacation.  Don't get me wrong it's not wrong to have those things, but it is wrong to LIVE for those things. If my happiness depends upon those things, I'll always be left wanting more. But if I look at the ways in which God has blessed me, I can find joy AND contentment.

He HAS given me an amazing husband who has a desire to love and serve God, who loves me in spite of my selfishness, who works so hard to support us so that I can stay home to raise the boys.
He HAS given me 4 amazing boys to raise.  For years we didn't think we'd have any children, but here we are, 4 beautiful and healthy boys!  I'm still unsure why God made them ALL boys!   There must be a lesson in that, somewhere...ya think? :)

So I challenge you, if you don't "feel" like you are happy, try looking for the ways that God has blessed your life.  I guarantee you, you can find some joy and more than likely a reason to be content!

If you'd like to watch the sermon here it is:  Do you want to be happy?

I pray that these words may help you in some way! :)


~Kristee