Gotta Live Like We're Dying

Sometime we fall down and can’t get back up
We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough
How come we don’t say I love you enough
Till it’s too late, it’s not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won’t come
We could make a feast from these crumbs
And we’re all staring down the barrel of a gun
So if your life flashed before you, what would you wish you would’ve done

Yeah… gotta start
Looking at the hand of the time we’ve been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start thinkin’ it
Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin
Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
To turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we’re dying

Well if you plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbyes
Should be so careful who we live out of our lives
So when we long for absolution, there’ll be no one on the line

Yeah… we gotta start lookin’ at the hand of the time we’ve been given here
This all we got and we gotta start thinkin it
Every second count on a clock that’s tickin
Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
to turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we’re dying

Like we’re dying oh…
Like we’re dying
Like we’re dying oh…
Like we’re dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
to turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we’re dying

You never know a good thing until it’s gone
you never see a crash until its head on
All these people right when we’re dead wrong,
You never know a good thing till it’s gone

Yeah… we gotta start lookin’ at the hand of the time we’ve been given here
this all we got and we gotta start thinkin it
Every second count on a clock that’s tickin
Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
to turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we’re dying

Like we’re dying oh…
Like we’re dying
Like we’re dying oh…
Like we’re dying

We only got 86 400 seconds in a day
to turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em while we got the chance to say,
Gotta live like we’re dying

Spring Cleaning...in the Winter!

Spring Cleaning would be an understatement. This cleaning would be classified as moving, without switching homes. I have spent the past three days with my parents organizing, purging and giving tons of stuff away.

How much? Well I'm glad you asked.

All together we gave away 54 bags to Goodwill, 32 bags to the local trash dump, 11 bags to a local family and 2 laundry baskets to some great friends of mine. The bags given were full of clothing, shoes, toys, suitcases, coats, etc. Now, the bags given to the local dump were full of trash of course but that's still considered giving, right? :)

What an eye-opening experience this has been. I realized how blessed my family is and how we need to re-think the way we use our money, our storage and our thought process. I mean can you imagine how many people all those bags are going to bless?

A LOT!

I am very proud of my parents for letting me come in to their home, talk them into working over the Thanksgiving break, allowing me to re-organize their house and all the while being good sports, cooperative and encouraging.

Now, we rest! And take some Advil cause all our backs hurt, ha ha!

Give thanks and give to those in need!

It's Turkey Day!

And I'm going to eat!

What shall I eat?

Hmmmm.....

How about Turkey, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, collards, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, succotash and rolls...Wash it down with some sweet tea and finish it off with a piece of lemon pie(made with real lemon juice squeezed by my niece Summer).

Yep, I think that's what I'll eat!

Yum :)

Sounds Like Life to Me

Life continues to bring new challenges... I mean, my parents had always told me that but I just thought that one day everything would run smoothly and challenges, dilemmas and tension would dissolve. That doesn't really happen!

I am reminded daily that life is a constant work in progress. Just when one area seems to be perfect, another presents tension. Maybe I'm just a little too emotional or I worry about things that are beyond my control but I seem to have all these concerns and thoughts swirling around in my head that never go away. Things that I'm trying to juggle but feel as if I'm doing a horrible job at it.

One thing I've always prided myself on is how I keep up with friends. I love to be in the loop and to know where they are, how they are, what's going, etc. This is what I feel creates a strong bond between friends. It's what "Relationship" is all about! Investing in people is how friends are formed and bonds are created. And since I'm two states away from the people I consider to be some of my best friends, phone calls, emails, text messages, Facebook comments, etc. are required. The problem is I can't balance my time well enough to use these social media outlets, ugh! My friends call and 4 days later I am still thinking about the fact that I never called them back. What the crap is wrong with me? It's a challenge to keep up! Juggling the job scene, my friends, my boyfriend, my family, my passions, my goals and just the odds and ends of everyday life is a struggle right now.

Emails keep pouring in, time is crunched, the things I WANT to do get pushed back because of the things I HAVE to do, sleep takes a back seat and QT, well sometimes that's not even in the equation. I mean I spend time with people but sadly my mind is most of the time somewhere else...mainly on when do I get to go to bed.

That's just plain sad!

Now, I know it sounds like I'm complaining... but I'm really not. I am blessed! I am blessed to have friends and jobs and such. Chaos and challenges, well that's just life. I guess, I'm just apologizing. Apologizing to my friends who get forgotten about until days later. Apologizing to my bosses for not being able to give 110%. Apologizing to Kevin for always being tired and most of the time whiny. Apologizing to myself for not taking control and spending more time doing what I WANT.

There's a song by Darryl Worley called 'Sounds Like Life to Me' and I need to listen to it cause I'm sure everyone goes through moments where they can't keep up or things seem off track or challenges creep in. There's a part in the song where he's describing everything that's going wrong in his life... Read:

I say hey man, what’s going on
He said I don’t know where to start

Sarah’s old car’s about to fall apart
And the washer quit last week
We had to put momma in the nursing home
And the baby’s cutting teeth
I didn’t get much work this week
And I got bills to pay
I said I know this ain’t what you wanna hear
But it’s what I’m gonna say

(Chorus)
Sounds like life to me it ain’t no fantasy
It’s just a common case of everyday reality
Man I know it’s tough but you gotta suck it up
To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy
It sounds like life to me

Sounds like life to me too!

Moral of the post...sorry to all I've neglected. I'll do better but in the process, I'm going to do better at doing what makes me happy :)

LovE, LOve, LoVe

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance...
~ 1 Corinthians 13:7

...And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.
~ 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Make Every Day Count

Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
—Job 14:5

Back in the 1950s and 60s, there was a lot of talk about the future. There seemed to be a utopian dream here in America in which we thought things in the future would be better and that technology would solve our problems.

Well, we have lived long enough to know that this is not going to happen. Technology won’t save us. No manmade solution will deliver the answers we are looking for.

As Christians, we are here on this earth with a task to fulfill and a job to do. So how should we be living in light of that fact? What all of us should desire to be doing is to live our lives well.

If you had one year left to live, how would you live? Would you live your life any differently than you did the year before? This is something we have to come to grips with as believers, because we want to deal with reality. We want to face the facts of the brevity of life on Earth and the reality of life in the future. It isn’t morbid to think about death; it is realistic. It is the Christian who understands the brevity of life and the reality of eternity.

The tragic thing is that many today are living shallow, wasted lives. Daniel said to King Belshazzar, “You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting” (Daniel 5:27). On God’s scale, Belshazzar was a lightweight. And like Belshazzar, there are a lot of people today who simply waste their lives.

Even more tragic than a life that is not lived as long as we would like to see it lived is a life that is largely squandered and wasted. So don’t waste your life. Don’t waste your year. Don’t waste today. Make every day count.

by Greg Laurie

God Lives under the Bed

As story about a boy who has faith figured out!

I envy Mark. My brother, Mark, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Mark's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Mark lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Mark realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Mark to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Mark shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Mark is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Mark knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Mark is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Mark seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Mark has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Mark comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Mark won't be surprised at all!

Really love

Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

~ Romans 12:9

Halloween Party with a Purpose

Halloween through the eyes of Kris Triplett...

So. I volunteer weekly at the Open Door Community (www.opendoorcommunity.org) down in the midtown area off of Ponce de Leon Ave. It is, in my opinion, one of the best soup kitchens in Atlanta.

Anyways, for a couple of weeks they had been talking about needing blankets since the weather was starting to turn a tad bit colder. They give out blankets on Wednesdays and they usually give out around 80... each Wednesday.

Since Halloween was coming up and I knew that we were going to throw a party at the house, I figured why not make it a cover charge. It made more sense to me especially after I went to the girls party and they were taking can donations along with a cover/dollar amount.

So it just made sense to make BLANKETS the COVER charge, which I thought was a cool play on words : )

Honestly... I knew that we were trying to make the party a huge success as far as amount of people attending, but I wanted so badly for people to bring blankets and they were MORE than generous. For the people that didn't bring blankets, they gave a $5 donation to go towards blankets... which I had decided to just give straight to the open door community, since they are non-profit.

The next morning I was refolding all the blankets nice and neat and counting cash and we ended up raising $187 and 120 blankets!

It was VERY exciting to see. People were more than generous. Some bought 2 or 3 blankets and some gave $10. I was really the only one mandating it, and I would have let everybody in becuase I wanted to have a HUGE party, but everybody did their part and contributed to something much larger than ourselves.

Dave McCall and I went down Monday morning to serve and took the blankets and cash and they were very gracious. They wanted to know how I got all of that and I told them... Threw a Party : )

Dave and I reorganized their blanket closet and we ended up filling over majority of the whole closet with the blankets we took.

God is so good!

With Love,
Kris

Open the door please

Knock Knock....

I'll be standing at a new door in a few hours, waiting

anxious and nervous!

Thinking about tonight has created butterflies in my tummy... and I don't think playing a JayZ or Brittany song is going to make them fly away ~ Sorry Miley.

Pray that God will open a door :)

I need a hair cut!

OK... I've waited long enough! It's time for a hair cut.

Seriously, how do people grow their hair out without completely going crazy from the uneven layers, the pieces that flip on the sides, the mushroom that the hair creates in the back from all the weight, the flatness that occurs every single morning after styling and praying that it won't fall? How???

Ughhh... I want extensions or a wig that looks awesome (maybe like Kim's from The Real Housewives of Atlanta). Granted both of those options are way more expensive than a trim but it would give me the instant long hair I'm wanting ... instant gratification! And that ladies and gentleman is my stubbornness coming to the surface! I want, I want, I want!

Did you hear/see the childishness in my voice/typing? ha

OK so I need suggestions on what to do. I'm giving you two haircuts and I want you to vote on your favorite! Participation is greatly appreciated :)

Option #1 - short & asymmetric

Option #2 - longer & trendy

Vote it up!

Throwing in the towel

It's amazing how many emotions can come to the surface at one time. It's seems like just when you get one part of your life going in the right direction, another part seems to crumble. Now, I have nothing to complain about... I have a great job, an awesome church, a wonderful boyfriend, amazing friends, opportunities galore but yet at the end of the day I still feel like somethings missing. That's definitely not the way I want to live my life.

Here's the thing... I do try to accomplish everything! I try so hard to please everyone and to not let anyone down. I will go above and beyond for anyone I come in contact with and sometimes I will do this to the point of wearing myself out emotionally. It's amazing how many times one person can get upset in a single weekend. I will take the brunt of whatever is wrong and make it my fault if that fixes the issues. I've done it so long that it just comes as second nature...to put blame on yourself so that everyone else doesn't have to. Jen tells me it's not healthy and one day I'm going to break... Today I believe her and everyone else that has told me that very thing along the way.

The overload has set in and I no longer can juggle everything. I'm giving in because I can't please everyone and I can't do everything that I once could. I would love to fix every one's problems, I would love sit down and talk with any and everyone who is feeling down or has an issue to talk through but I think my time with fully dedicating myself to that is over. I'm throwing in the towel and picking up a new towel...this towel will be blue(because that's my favorite color and this towel has a little more to do with me, therefore I will choose). Selfish? Maybe...but I like to think of it as treating myself after a few years of not!

My goal through this process is the know what it feels like to not feel bad about choosing something I think is right. To know what it feels like to make a decision and stick with it because I believe in it not because it benefits everyone else. To learn how to suppress anxiety and stress and to learn how to understand what time management really means. It's not going to be easy because I am naturally someone who wants to help, someone who wants to fix and someone who doesn't want anyone to be mad at them for a choice or decision. I'm done with the crying and the constant worrying. Time to start a new resolution. I know it's not New Years yet but this girl is starting her resolution early.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get
worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you
deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes"

~ Matthew 6:34 The Message

Fall

It's Fall Y'all :)

And that means beautiful leaves, cool crisp air and breaking out the jackets!

Bring it on.

Help Others

Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way
to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.

Philippians 2:3 (The Message)

Baby Ansley is here

Baby Ansley has finally arrived!

Born October 30 2009 at 10:50 AM, weighing 7 lbs, 13 oz and completely adorable!

We've all been waiting...or at least I have... I mean, I'm pretty sure Sara's been a little more impatient than me but I seriously have been excited since the day Sara came to my desk and said "I have a secret, I'm pregnant!"

Can you imagine how hard it was for me to keep that one secret?

Yes! Very difficult!

You what's fun though?! Being around as your friend falls more and more in love with the little tiny person that she carries around for 9 months. Hearing her talk about her experiences like the baby kicking or having hiccups. Hearing about her husband and how he talks to her belly and of course, watching her go from someone concerned about having a child to someone who'll to do anything for the little person that she hasn't even met yet. Sara fell more and more in love with Ansley each day and her excitement was written all over her face with smiles about ribbons and giggles about little baby shoes... Tiny Toms shoes that is :) Ahhh, what a joy!

You see, I've never actually gotten to be around a friend through their whole pregnancy because of distance. I got to hear stories and see pictures of Janis and Downey while they carried their precious little boys but didn't get to walk daily with them and watch them grow, not only belly wise but grow in their love for their babies. Seeing Sara, talking with her and walking through the halls of NAMB with her daily was a blessing!

"She is the best surprise blessing that we have ever gotten. I never knew how much you could love such a little person," says Sara.

I'm excited about the next chapter of her life which is now complete with a tiny little gift wrapped in pink(but not too much) and sealed with a bow!



Happy Birthday Ansley! Welcome :)