His Word

It's funny to me how God mysteriously works. By funny I mean God does something in my life at the perfect moment so I'm reminded He is in control... and not me. In the past few months the same scriptures keep popping up in my life. They've been in my devo book, church, other things I've read, and on TV programs multiple times. I know God has put them in my life to 'keep me in check'. They're reminders of what I need to be doing in my life and how I need to live. This post will include those scriptures. It may be lengthy but I hope you read through all of them. I hope they touch you in the way they touched me.

Matthew 6

Giving to the Needy

1--"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2--"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3--But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4--so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

5--"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6--But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7--And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8--Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9"This, then, is how you should pray:

"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10--your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11--Give us today our daily bread. 12--Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13--And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14--For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15--But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

16--"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17--But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18--so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

19--"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20--But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21--For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22--"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23--But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24--"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry

25--"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26--Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27--Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28--"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29--Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30--If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31--So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32--For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33--But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34--Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I don't know about you but verses 25-34 really got to me. Why do we worry? I'm guilty of this even though I try not to be. I just want to hit myself for worrying sometimes, especially after reading this. Because He knows our plans and is in control. God will take care of us.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

This look familiar? See my banner above... I just paraphrased it. God wants us to be happy and he will reward us for doing so. How great is that?!

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11 goes on to talk about how faith conquered all kinds of challenges in the Bible and I believe it continues to do so today. A little faith goes a long way to God.

Psalms 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

John 16:33

In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

I love the two above verses. It reminds me that God knows my pain, troubles, and my hurt. No matter how bad our situation gets God is right beside us. He is with us. He will help us get through.


I hope this post affects you in someway. Always remember, God loves you. He will ALWAYS love you. Joyce Meyer once said that God loves us even with our own personal weirdness... I think that pretty much sums it up.

Laugh about something today :)
--K

My love affair with water

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is be around water. Seriously, I find it so peaceful and relaxing. I've been fishing since I could walk but Nathan was the first to take me on my first lake adventure. We go to Lake Malone probably around 5 times every summer and I always look forward to it! This Saturday was the first time we made it down this summer. It was blazing hot... perfect weather for it! I may take the intiative to fish sometimes but usually I just ride in the boat with him, take in the water, and, occasionally, I take a book and read. It's heaven on Earth. :)

Lake Malone.

After our lake adventure on Saturday we decided we weren't tired of the water. After church we met up with two of his best friends to go Bowfishing. Ever heard of it? Well it's just like regular fishing except to get the fish you shoot them in the water with a bow... no fishing poles involved. Before you judge me as a redneck, inhumane, fish-killer try it out yourself. Nathan made me try it a couple weeks ago and I honestly had a blast. I was the one who wanted to go again. After meeting up with his friends we made our way down to the Green River at the Rochester Dam. It was blazing hot once again but that didn't phase them at all. The coolest thing happens when you ride around there. These huge fish just jump in and out of the water... and eventually one gets in your boat. That's right we had one fish (the bigger one in the picture) jump in the boat... after it slammed right into one of Nathan's friends. There was fish slime everywhere. We were a stinky bunch when we left there. I had a blast though... it was so fun to sit and watch them compete with each other. I took a shot or two myself hoping to show them what a girl can do, but it didn't quite pan out. ;)

The boys with their fish.

The fish (the one on the right jumped in the boat).

There's not much going on for me this week. I'm definitely not going out in the heat unless I absolutely have to. It is definitely summertime in Kentucky... gotta love it!

Laugh about something today :)

--Kaylyn

The Good Life

I'm living the good life... except for one thing. You know those mornings when you really don't want to get out of bed?! When it's raining and you're convinced your bed is your best friend? When you fall in love with your pillow? That was my morning today. I need a Diet Mountain Dew :)

This dog has the right idea... he's living the good life!

From my lack of blogging I hope you assume that I am still thoroughly enjoying my summer. I only have to set the alarm clock 3 days a week and it is AMAZING! I haven't done much of anything nor do I have anything big planned. My little sister and I are going to make our way to see Shrek 4 and Toy Story 3 this summer... and I can't wait!! Yes we are teenagers, but move out of the way little children. I have been waiting over 10 years for a third Toy Story. I will see it :)

I have to mention a book I recently read. "I Will Carry You" is a book by Angie Smith. She's the lady I have mentioned in my previous posts. I read her blog everyday. It's the complete story of her pregnancy with her daughter Audrey. It is amazing! I am not a big reader but I read this 200 page story in less than 3 days. I honestly couldn't put it down!! Words can't express how much I recommend this book. You can also read her blog HERE.

Tonight is the 2010 CMT Music Awards... you know I'll be watching and supporting Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean. I just wanted to post a video I found that deals with the show. The two 'tourists' in the video are Miranda Lambert and Laura Bell Bundy. Laura Bell Bundy is a Kentucky girl who made her way to Broadway and I can definitely see why. She just recently put out her first album. The whole point of the video is to put out their names so the fans will vote for them. They do an amazing job and I found the video hilarious!!! Watch it HERE.

I hope the rainy skies clear throughout the day and the sunshine wakes me up... until then I'll let caffeine do that job ;)

Laugh about something today :)
--Kaylyn

I Heart Summer :)

My summer officially began a week ago. If you didn't hear my joyous screams last Wednesday afternoon you need to get your hearing checked.

So let's see what's been going on in my life since I last posted...

After months of stress, homework, and numerous post-it notes I officially completed my first year of school -- HALLELUJAH!!

To start off my summer I spent the day with my best friend, Nicole, by eating at our favorite restaurant (Garcia's) and acting like two grown-up 4-year-olds at the Paint'n Place. I get to pick up our creations this afternoon so I hope they turn out well :)

The next day I tackled my unruly closet. You see during the school months organizing my closet consists of jamming clothes on the hanging rod then holding my breath while I quickly shut the door. I am known around my house for 'booby-trapping' closets, cabinets, etc. (which is ironic since I'm so OCD about things being clean). Anyway, this project took a good couple of hours but I am extremely pleased with the outcome. I took all the clothes I was wanting to get rid of to Plato's Closet in Bowling Green. They took a little more than half of my stuff and I got $70 cash in return -- SCORE! I'll probably put the rest of the stuff in a yard sale or take it to another consignment shop but I highly recommend taking your old clothes to this place for some quick cash.

The next few days consisted of pretty much nothing which was a very welcomed change. The only thing I can complain about is the muggy, cloudy weather. Last summer the weather was so unusual, in other words - not good, so I hope this one doesn't follow that trend.

On another note I wanted to share some videos I found on YouTube this morning. Some of you may read the blog "Bring the Rain" by Angie Smith. It started after she found out some serious complications while pregnant with her 4th child, a girl. I find her strength and courage to be amazing so I love reading it. Anyway, these videos detail her and her husband's journey. They also tie into a book their pastor wrote called "Plan B". (Read more info about it by clicking on the link.) Just had to share a little story that proves it's a small world. The pastor, Pete Wilson, is married to my 4th grade English teacher. Crazy, huh?! I hope you enjoy the videos as much as I did. Note: Kleenex should be nearby.


Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Find something to laugh about today :)
Kaylyn


PS - I hope you like the blog revamping... while messing with it I further confirmed my suspicions that I have OCD ;)

Blessings

I am counting my blessings this week....

Lily Ann celebrated her 2nd birthday on Saturday. I had an absolute blast watching her. She is such a good little girl plus some great entertainment. I can't wait to watch her grow up... but I'm not rushing it ;)
Here are some snapshots from the party...


The Gator -- Mommy and Daddy's present. She LOVED this as you can see. I also want you to notice Mommy's face as she desperately tries to stop Lily from running into everything... maybe I should move?! :)

She was so good at blowing out her candles and she loved it! We probably watched her do it around 5 times and each time she would just laugh and clap her hands -- how sweet!

Another picture of her blowing out candles -- my favorite :)

I also just HAD to post a picture of what I got her because I loved it so much! Happy Birthday Lily :)

Now to a not-so-happy note. The Flood of 2010. This is all so heartbreaking and amazing to me at the same time.

This is a view of a street in Morgantown. Just look at the signs to see how deep the water is.

This one is even more crazy to me because it's in front of my high school. I've never heard of flood waters backing up that far. This is also the Exit 27 ramp off of Natcher Parkway. Needless to say, school is not in session.

The Green River runs right through the heart of Butler County so I have seen my share of flooded fields. But nothing like this! I have never seen so much water before. However, I find the views to be almost beautiful. Almost. The stories of people losing their homes to the flood puts a nasty damper on the water. These stories devastate me. I can't imagine being put in a situation like that and I definitely can't imagine the hurt/frustration/anger/etc. they are feeling right now. I hope each victim gets the help and funding they need to begin the rebuilding process. Until that time, they will be in my prayers.

"In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." --John 16:33

I'm in LOVE with...

-- My boyfriend... duh ;) We celebrated 4 years quietly by staying in. Just how we like it!

-- Easter (and my Family). Another duh! I love that there are little ones in our family again. You see my sister was the 'baby' up until a few years ago and as you can tell in the pictures, she is NOT a baby. Anyway, they are so much fun to watch. Not to mention, they are completely adorable!!! Although, I may be a little partial.

My favorite girls :)

The whole family!

Me and Nate

LOVE THEM!

-- "Army Wives!!!" Start watching this show, ASAP!

-- The book of Ephesians. I noticed the past few weeeks that my devo book had a lot of scripture from that book so I decided to dive in and read it. The first 5 or 6 chapters have some of the best scripture I've ever read. So many things to apply in my life... I would highly recommend it!

-- DAMASK!!! My obsession started about a year ago when I redecorated my room with that inspiration. I am now taking it one step further by converting my purse. How cute is this?!

-- The weather. We have been some blessed people the past few weeks... I can't get enough of it. The pollen is a different story, however.


-- "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. The story of a professor who was diagnosed with cancer with only a few months to live. The book talks about his last lecture. He wrote it into a book for his kids to read when they were older. Such a touching and inspirational story!

-- ACM's. I was STOKED when Miranda Lambert won Album of the Year and Top Female Vocalist! She is so talented!




--School. Haha - did that surprise you? Let me clarify... the amount of time I have left of school. 2 weeks and 4 days. But who's counting?


-- Summer. Fishing, the lake, grilling, 4 wheeler riding, volleyball, great memories... the list goes on :)


-- The Pioneer Woman. Check her out... she's hilarious!!

-- my life. :)

Flashbacks

Hi, I am still alive. The past couple weeks have been crazy, and this week is no exception. I have two tests tomorrow and I can't wait to get them out of the way! I just have one thing to say, or actually share, today.
In my second post I gave a link to one of my favorite songs by Miranda Lambert. Well I saw the video for the first time today and wasn't the least bit disappointed.

So here it is.

Although I've lived in the same house pretty much all my life and haven't had to leave it, I still sit down some days and remember the days I used to sit in my Dad's recliner and spend hours playing with my Barbie's. That's what this song takes me back to, my childhood. I have to warn you that tissues may be needed. I have watched it 3 or 4 times already and get a little teary-eyed each time. I really hope you enjoy it!!

Take some time today to reminisce on your childhood :)