The past couple of years have brought quite a few trials in my life, but everything is brought back into perpective from time to time. Today my trials seem soo.... so.... trivial compared to others.
On the way home from work today a Rascal Flatts song came on the radio. I remember when this song came out my friends and I tried to figure out who the "speaker" was supposed to be. My theory: the only person who can truly keep this promise.....
For anyone out there who might read this and need to be reminded that you are not alone in this life... He is by your side ready to catch you, hold you, love you, fight for you when you can't fight for yourself.
It hurts my heart
To see you cry
I know it’s dark
This part of life
Oh it finds us all
And we’re too small
To stop the rain
Oh but when it rains
I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
And you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I wont let you fall
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
Your gonna make it
Yea I know you can make it
8.24.2011
A Time for Change
Well, the last few weeks have been nothing short of insane! Assignment night has come and gone, graduation has come and gone and now I am getting ready to buckle down to start studying for my next test and Kyle is already about to head out for some trainings. Our life wont settle down until we move.
Assignment Night
I had one of the best weekends I have had in a long time the weekend of assignment night. I had ALL of my siblings and my parents in one place at one time (which is proving to be rather rare) and on top of that we had Kyle's parents here too! It was wonderful. I got to spend a ton of time with my sweet niece, we went out to watch some of the jets land over our heads, flew some simulators and just hung out. It was absolutely wonderful to have everyone here to experience this with us. Assignment night is such a unique night that I really wanted them to be able to experience all of the excitement. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
Assignment night was... well... shocking. We didn't really know what to expect going into it, but we definitely weren't expecting what we walked away with. Kyle and I had gone pretty far down our list of planes (you have to rank a bunch of planes) preparing ourselves for those assignments... never once even looking far enough down the list. I have learned that really "dream sheets" and "wish lists" are pretty null and void most of the time with the Air Force. It is all about what is available at the time... and not so much about your "wishes" lol. Needless to say.... that night Kyle and I found out that he will be flying the B-52. We are headed (rather quickly) to Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, LA for his 8 month B-52 training. And then from there we will either head to Minot AFB in North Dakota or stay in Shreveport.
After getting over the initial shock of "did that really just happen?" we really began to look into what our life is about to look like. There were moments of excitement and disappointment, but over-all we are both getting really excited about our move. Kyle is stoked about flying the plane... it has a pretty cool mission, and I am (obviously) excited about moving closer to home and to shopping and getting really excited about finding a job and doing what I love!
Graduation Weekend
We had so much fun graduation weekend... Kyle's parents and grandparents showed up Thursday afternoon and my parents came in late on Thursday. Friday was packed full of ceremonies and activities. We had a breakfast with the wing commander and then his graduation ceremony and pinning wings on and then we had "red carpet day" in the squadron. Everyone got to go see where he spent most of his days and check out some static displays of the planes and fly some simulators. Then (I snuck in a little name) and we had the formal banquet that night. So much fun! Saturday was a bit more relaxed, but still we enjoyed having family around. It's not that often that we get to see family so many times so close together! I could really get used to this! :-)
Where to from here?
Shreveport... at first I was not a fan of moving to Louisiana... all I could envision was Swamp People EVERYWHERE.... something like this....
I was quickly informed that we weren't going to be in the swamp, but in Shreveport. Slowly I became ok with it. lol. As long as I'm not surrounded by swamp people.
Seriously though, I know that the Lord has put us in Shreveport and with every day that passes I can see more and more blessings coming from this next assignment that would have never come other wise. To begin with, we are moving with some of our dear friends from Columbus, Hunter and Crystal Barnhill. Going through this next step with a friend along my side has made so many things easier. We now have 2 heads to figure everything out, which is a HUGE stress-level reducer! It's wonderful and we can't wait to continue on with them. We are also moving VERY close to home. Closer than we ever thought we would be. Even if we are only there for 8 months, its more than we would have had in any other plane. We also have a few family friends who are from the area who have helped us out already. Our family friend has helped to open several doors in my job search and I will forever be grateful for all of her help... even if none of them work out. I know that without her help, I wouldn't have had as much success as I have had already in finding job opportunities. We have also had many suggestions on places to live and churches to go to, which will help out so much when we actually get up there. We are blessed to have all of those things. Things we would never have had if we were given another assignment.
Needless to say... God knows what he's doing, even if I don't. I trust that he has something miraculous in store for us in Shreveport.
For now,
K&K
Pictures to come as soon as Mom posts them to Picasa...
Assignment Night
I had one of the best weekends I have had in a long time the weekend of assignment night. I had ALL of my siblings and my parents in one place at one time (which is proving to be rather rare) and on top of that we had Kyle's parents here too! It was wonderful. I got to spend a ton of time with my sweet niece, we went out to watch some of the jets land over our heads, flew some simulators and just hung out. It was absolutely wonderful to have everyone here to experience this with us. Assignment night is such a unique night that I really wanted them to be able to experience all of the excitement. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
Assignment night was... well... shocking. We didn't really know what to expect going into it, but we definitely weren't expecting what we walked away with. Kyle and I had gone pretty far down our list of planes (you have to rank a bunch of planes) preparing ourselves for those assignments... never once even looking far enough down the list. I have learned that really "dream sheets" and "wish lists" are pretty null and void most of the time with the Air Force. It is all about what is available at the time... and not so much about your "wishes" lol. Needless to say.... that night Kyle and I found out that he will be flying the B-52. We are headed (rather quickly) to Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, LA for his 8 month B-52 training. And then from there we will either head to Minot AFB in North Dakota or stay in Shreveport.
After getting over the initial shock of "did that really just happen?" we really began to look into what our life is about to look like. There were moments of excitement and disappointment, but over-all we are both getting really excited about our move. Kyle is stoked about flying the plane... it has a pretty cool mission, and I am (obviously) excited about moving closer to home and to shopping and getting really excited about finding a job and doing what I love!
Graduation Weekend
We had so much fun graduation weekend... Kyle's parents and grandparents showed up Thursday afternoon and my parents came in late on Thursday. Friday was packed full of ceremonies and activities. We had a breakfast with the wing commander and then his graduation ceremony and pinning wings on and then we had "red carpet day" in the squadron. Everyone got to go see where he spent most of his days and check out some static displays of the planes and fly some simulators. Then (I snuck in a little name) and we had the formal banquet that night. So much fun! Saturday was a bit more relaxed, but still we enjoyed having family around. It's not that often that we get to see family so many times so close together! I could really get used to this! :-)
Where to from here?
Shreveport... at first I was not a fan of moving to Louisiana... all I could envision was Swamp People EVERYWHERE.... something like this....
I was quickly informed that we weren't going to be in the swamp, but in Shreveport. Slowly I became ok with it. lol. As long as I'm not surrounded by swamp people.
Seriously though, I know that the Lord has put us in Shreveport and with every day that passes I can see more and more blessings coming from this next assignment that would have never come other wise. To begin with, we are moving with some of our dear friends from Columbus, Hunter and Crystal Barnhill. Going through this next step with a friend along my side has made so many things easier. We now have 2 heads to figure everything out, which is a HUGE stress-level reducer! It's wonderful and we can't wait to continue on with them. We are also moving VERY close to home. Closer than we ever thought we would be. Even if we are only there for 8 months, its more than we would have had in any other plane. We also have a few family friends who are from the area who have helped us out already. Our family friend has helped to open several doors in my job search and I will forever be grateful for all of her help... even if none of them work out. I know that without her help, I wouldn't have had as much success as I have had already in finding job opportunities. We have also had many suggestions on places to live and churches to go to, which will help out so much when we actually get up there. We are blessed to have all of those things. Things we would never have had if we were given another assignment.
Needless to say... God knows what he's doing, even if I don't. I trust that he has something miraculous in store for us in Shreveport.
For now,
K&K
Pictures to come as soon as Mom posts them to Picasa...
7.26.2011
Blessings
These last couple of weeks have been stressful to say the least. I have been studying really hard for the next section of the CPA exam, which was not coming as easily for me as I would have hoped. On top of that we are nearing the end of Kyle's pilot training here in Columbus and with that comes the most stressful time for Kyle at work. He has been flying an extraordinary amount in order to catch up to their time-line and stay caught up and because they were so far behind, they are cramming in checkrides and tests into these last few weeks of training. We have been ranking planes and discussing locations and putting together details for graduations. It has been... taxing for sure. I have been stressed and Kyle has been stressed. We have had moments of "I'm not sure I can keep doing this" and moments of "this is ridiculous" and moments of "is our house ever going to be clean again?" and moments of pure break-downs tears and all (mainly on my part and not Kyle's).
I was in Tupelo, MS this morning preparing to take the Regulation (Tax and Business Law) section of the CPA exam when I walked into Chick-Fil-A for my "Lucky Lunch". As I was standing there I heard this song come on the radio... a song I have heard many times, but for some reason it caught my attention. "What if blessings come through raindrops, what if healing comes through pain? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near?" I am sure it was due to my weakened mental state, but I began to get emotional (briefly, before I reminded myself that I was in chick-fil-a... a very public place and about to walk into an exam and I was not allowed to lose it). Immediately I began to think of all of the nights I have been kept up worrying about where we will go next, how I was ever going to learn all these stupid exceptions to exceptions of the tax laws, what kind of job I could get in the next place we go, what kind of a life we will be giving our future kids. Literally I had to take sleepy time tea before going to bed last night so that I would go to sleep and not worry about all the things on my mind. Although I know that God is in complete control of my life I have to be reminded at times. And he reminded me at exactly the right time. Instead of having to work to keep my mind straight in my test, I wasnt worrying... my mind was relaxed because I was given a beautiful gentle reminder standing in Chick-Fil-A that my God is in control of my life and my destiny... and I need not worry about what the future holds.
Laura Story - "Blessings"
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
-K
I was in Tupelo, MS this morning preparing to take the Regulation (Tax and Business Law) section of the CPA exam when I walked into Chick-Fil-A for my "Lucky Lunch". As I was standing there I heard this song come on the radio... a song I have heard many times, but for some reason it caught my attention. "What if blessings come through raindrops, what if healing comes through pain? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near?" I am sure it was due to my weakened mental state, but I began to get emotional (briefly, before I reminded myself that I was in chick-fil-a... a very public place and about to walk into an exam and I was not allowed to lose it). Immediately I began to think of all of the nights I have been kept up worrying about where we will go next, how I was ever going to learn all these stupid exceptions to exceptions of the tax laws, what kind of job I could get in the next place we go, what kind of a life we will be giving our future kids. Literally I had to take sleepy time tea before going to bed last night so that I would go to sleep and not worry about all the things on my mind. Although I know that God is in complete control of my life I have to be reminded at times. And he reminded me at exactly the right time. Instead of having to work to keep my mind straight in my test, I wasnt worrying... my mind was relaxed because I was given a beautiful gentle reminder standing in Chick-Fil-A that my God is in control of my life and my destiny... and I need not worry about what the future holds.
Laura Story - "Blessings"
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
-K
6.14.2011
You have to be educated to be a Quilter
Ok, so I have learned that you have to be educated to be a quilter! I have a hard time believing that someone without basic knowledge of geometry can quilt. My brain hurts from all of the sides and angles calculations I've had to do with these triangles! Ridiculous!
Anyways, so I have almost finished the "top" part of my quilt... and by top I mean the part that will be on top of the bed. I sewed 4 more large triangles on each edge of the quilt.
Afterward, I ironed out all the seams and viola...!!!
Now, this is by no means perfect, but I am rather impressed with myself! I did learn my lesson though... even though it seems to be a random pattern it is not... pay attention to the direction of it! haha. It would have blended in better had I paid attention to the direction, but it gives the quilt more of a "1st timer"'s feel. Ya know?
I would also very highly recommend forcing your husband to hold it up for you to take a pic of... and make sure theres a light behind him so he looks like a demon shadow...
Anyways, so I have almost finished the "top" part of my quilt... and by top I mean the part that will be on top of the bed. I sewed 4 more large triangles on each edge of the quilt.
Afterward, I ironed out all the seams and viola...!!!
Now, this is by no means perfect, but I am rather impressed with myself! I did learn my lesson though... even though it seems to be a random pattern it is not... pay attention to the direction of it! haha. It would have blended in better had I paid attention to the direction, but it gives the quilt more of a "1st timer"'s feel. Ya know?
I would also very highly recommend forcing your husband to hold it up for you to take a pic of... and make sure theres a light behind him so he looks like a demon shadow...
6.09.2011
Quilting!
Ok, so I've been wanting to make a quilt for a long time and finally have decided to do it! This is my first quit and really my first big sewing project in a long time, so pro quilters/sewers ... don't judge!
Let start from the beginning: this was my inspiration for my quilt... I know it seems a little granny-ish, but hang in there... the vision in my head isn't granny-ish. Or at least I don't think it is!
I learned that the center part is called a kaleidoscope block and that's what I've started working on so far.
First I found this pattern and used it to figure out the angles and dimensions I should use to create my triangles...
Then... I located the part of the fabric I wanted to repeat in a circle, traced a pattern (allowing a 1/4 inch seam) and began cutting... After cutting it all out I first pinned and sewed the small 90 degree corner triangles to 4 of the big ones...
Then I pinned one of the funny looking pieces to one of the plain large triangles and sewed those together...
I now had 4 3-triangle pieces assembled... I then took two of them and sewed one edge of each together...
LAST.. I was so excited at this point, because it was beginning to really look like something, I sewed the two large pieces together.
Now, they are definitely not perfect and both pieces didnt line up exactly, but that ok since theres so much going on anyways. I am definitely proud of the "finished" product... now lets see if I can make the rest of the quilt happen as smoothly!
Again, this is just the center of the quilt-to-be... refer up to the picture at the top of the finished quilt. Mine will look a little different, but some concept.
TO BE CONTINUED.... (when I have time to finish it...)
Let start from the beginning: this was my inspiration for my quilt... I know it seems a little granny-ish, but hang in there... the vision in my head isn't granny-ish. Or at least I don't think it is!
First I found this pattern and used it to figure out the angles and dimensions I should use to create my triangles...
Then... I located the part of the fabric I wanted to repeat in a circle, traced a pattern (allowing a 1/4 inch seam) and began cutting... After cutting it all out I first pinned and sewed the small 90 degree corner triangles to 4 of the big ones...
Then I ironed all the seams flat so I could sew over them...
LAST.. I was so excited at this point, because it was beginning to really look like something, I sewed the two large pieces together.
Now, they are definitely not perfect and both pieces didnt line up exactly, but that ok since theres so much going on anyways. I am definitely proud of the "finished" product... now lets see if I can make the rest of the quilt happen as smoothly!
Again, this is just the center of the quilt-to-be... refer up to the picture at the top of the finished quilt. Mine will look a little different, but some concept.
TO BE CONTINUED.... (when I have time to finish it...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
