COVID 19: Part 2 & Easter

Welp, turns out I have more thoughts to share.  No one is surprised.

First of all, something I meant to mention in my last post:

One of the things that makes me most sad about this whole pandemic situation is all the life events accompanied by large gatherings that have been put on hold or cancelled, all together.  Whether a large wedding, a milestone birthday party, a funeral, a months-have-gone-into-planning-this work event, a graduation – there are countless things that have had to be permanently crossed off calendars or postponed till who-knows-when.  As an Enneagram 2, I tend to feel other people’s feelings, and the disappointment/sadness/grief surrounding all these cancelled/postponed/changed life events can be a little overwhelming.  I so admire those who are making the best of these situations, whether it be a tiny wedding ceremony, a virtual birthday party, a drive-by retirement celebration, etc., etc.  Doesn't mean they can't be sad for what they're missing, though...and if they're not, I'm probably sad enough for us both - haha.

Moving on…

Thank goodness for Pinterest and smart/creative friends who share ideas.  Here are some of the ways we’ve been spending our days (or at least a few moments of them):

Starting our garden inside this year!
(But with old seeds, so we'll see how it goes.)

He really liked this activity ("painting" cardboard with water), but was very surprised to see his artwork had disappeared.
Not to worry - he was happy to draw it all over again.

Tried out Kinetic Sand for the first time, and it was a hit!

Thanks to a "hot tip" from a friend, I found this gem (sans accessories - we had all those, already) for free at the end of a driveway.  We were soooo glad for a couple warm days to try it out and are looking forward to more.  He was soaked, but was happily occupied for the better part of an hour!  The first day, I pulled weeds and did yard work in the general vicinity.  The second, I sat in the sun and leafed through a magazine in it's entirety - a small miracle!

Modified this Pinterest hunt, since the green leaves weren't on, yet, and the bugs were sparse. 
A success, all the same!

A friend turned us on to Cosmic Kids Yoga, and it's been really fun.  Jacob now requests "kids yoga," and though he usually watches more than participates, unless I do the whole thing with him, he's getting more involved (and involving more "friends") every time.

*not pictured: countless FaceTime dates, Marco Polo conversations, phone calls, and "fun" mail - so thankful for it all!

I know this is hard for everyone in different ways – some we can pinpoint and acknowledge and some we are unaware of.  My smart, sweet husband sent me out of the house to drive around while he was off work the other day, so I wrote some of this from my car in a sunny parking lot.  The peace and quiet did exactly what he knew I needed it to, though I can’t put into words exactly what that was.

I understand a lot of what I’m feeling stems from various forms of grief.  Our current life situation is not something any of us have schema for or previous experience with, so our brains and hearts are figuring it all out in real time.  Paired with all the physical/tangible changes we’re also navigating, it makes for some truly exhausting moments/hours/days/times.

Easter was an especially weird day for me – I don’t have any other word to describe it.  There were ups and downs, though no real high highs or low lows.  For one thing, it was dark and stormy, but with glimpses of sunshine – a true metaphor for my emotions.  

We had stretched out our Easter celebration, because Bryant worked the weekend (his work schedule has changed as a result of COVID-19 - 12-hr. shifts on a rotating basis...while the days get long, it is nice to have him more full days).  It was strange to not have him with us.  Of course, the no “in person” church thing added to the weirdness.  Jacob was sent to his room in the middle of the sermon, because he wasn’t happy with me for asking him to find something to do on his own if he wasn’t going to play nicely in the room where we were listening to the message.  Disciplining my child in the middle of an Easter sermon was weird for me.  Not meeting for church also meant not being part of the musical worship setting – something I’ve done in various ways for as long as I can remember.  Thank goodness for my hymnal and piano in the basement…it did my heart good to play/hear “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.”

All that said, here are some Easter-time highlights:

This was the most festive our food game got. 
Turns out, Jacob loves these nearly as much as his dad does.

The extent of our Easter morning photos.
Nanny Byers makes the coolest shirts!

Sweet "secret Easter bunny" friends hid eggs in our front yard Easter morning.  Jacob was so excited to go pick them up and see what was inside.  It definitely made the morning more enjoyable for both of us. 
Since I didn't have to take time to fill/hide eggs, we had time for a walk afterward.  Thank goodness for the somewhat-nice morning before the storms rolled in.
(We'd also had a special delivery the day before that included several pre-filled eggs.  We took turns hiding those around the house later in the afternoon.  Such thoughtful people we know. ♥)

A fun Easter craft (thanks to my Cricut).

Jacob invited lots of "friends" to church on Easter Sunday.
Like I said - Easter was a weird day for me.  I was feeling guilty for not having made a special meal, so decided to make the meal special by having a living room picnic while watching the Veggie Tales Easter episode.  It went over well. ☺

I've been missing Runzas, lately, so decided to make some of our own. 
Not quite the "real" thing, but still hit the spot...for everyone!

Praise God for Jesus and the hope we have in Him.  There is joy and comfort in that, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

On a lighter note:

A friend has been putting together a video summary for each day of the “stay home” order and asked for some “audience participation.”  So, I added a skill (video-editing – ha) to my resume, and put the following together: https://youtu.be/VuJa7rP4rHs.

I’m really glad to have been prompted to do this, because while this may not be the “best of times,” it’s something worth remembering…and really – there truly are parts of it that are “the best.” ☺  Hoping this will bring some humor to your day.  ♥

Hanging in there and hoping the same for you,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

all the creativity and content that's been emerging, lately

pre-Easter surprises from my husband (our designated shopper)

Surprise Easter delivery from a sweet friend

Life-giving/Joy-inducing

Happy mid-(late) February!  

For as excruciatingly long as January seemed, February is flying by - over here, at least.  Anyone else?

In the case that you're sitting at home on yet another snow(y) day, here's a lengthy blog post for ya!  In the case that you were hoping this would be a quick read, I do apologize.  I probably should've split this into two posts, but you'll see how the topics are related and can just read it in pieces, if necessary.  Or just skim.  Or just look at the pictures.  Or stop reading right here.  You do you.

For those still reading...

I recently listened to a podcast interview during which they discussed, among other things, the importance of Sabbath.  I'm not going to get into it all here (for now, at least), but the main idea questioned why we don't seem to place as much weight on this commandment as the others.  I doubt I'm the only one who sometimes forgets this is a true commandment, and though it's not punishable by law, it is right up there with "thou shalt not commit murder."  Not too long ago, I wrote about our fairly-new "margin" practices (here), and I think those relate to Sabbath, or count for something, at least.  But this interview also reminded me of a couple "bigger" life-giving "things" (for lack of a better word) I've been a part of in the recent past.

The first: stamping weekend.  I know I've mentioned this regularly-occurring event in my "favorites" several times, but I don't think I've ever explained it!  So, in a nutshell: stamping weekend is a long weekend dedicated to making cards using rubber stamps and many, many other card-making supplies.  It has also been designated as time to work on scrapbooks, though I've never done so, and many do not use it for this, anymore.  My aunt and uncle host the weekend three to four times a year and guests include a couple close friends, my mom, and whatever corresponding spouses and kids are able to be there, including myself.  (Whenever I attend, guests also include any of my friends who are able to stop by for a visit! ☺)  The ladies take over the kitchen counters, dining room, and extra tables with gobs of stamps, paper, special gadgets and tools, paper cutters, embellishments, etc., etc.  They take turns making meals, so only one person steps away from their progress at a time (though they usually all help each other out, anyway).  Everyone brings snacks and yummy treats to share.  Meanwhile, the men either work on outside projects (including, but not limited to, building a deck, cutting down trees, and mowing), watch sports, or watch movies.

This weekend has always been life-giving to me, because of the amount of quality time we're all able to spend together, the productivity that takes place, the creativity I'm able to unleash, the delicious food, and the lack of other obligations over the course of a few days.  It was especially life-giving this time around, because it served as a brief retreat from motherhood, some important uninterrupted conversation time, and a couple mornings to stay in bed as long as I pleased (I almost wrote "sleep in," but I wasn't that far removed from my "mommy schedule" - haha)!

I have next to no pictures of this most-recent stamping weekend, because we truly had our noses to the grindstone making cards!  Here are a couple, though!

One of my favorite Lincoln restaurants closed a few years ago, but they just reopened in a new location (closer to my aunt and uncle's), so you'd better believe we went for lunch...which included their amazing Brussels sprouts!)!

I made over 60 cards over the course of the weekend! 
Many were fairly simple or just assembling pieces I'd already created, but still - was well worth the trip/time!

Here's one of them - made for a sweet friend's second birthday!
All credit/props/kudos goes to my sis-in-law who designed Elmo and Cookie Monster. 
You know, of course, I just couldn't handle the tiny little cookie!  Haha.  Needless to say, we mass-produced some of these guys, so if you have a little one, you may be seeing them on a future card...

The second life-giving "thing" I was involved in recently was IF:Northside - a livestream of the IF:Gathering at our church!  There are several reasons this was life-giving for me:

-The "duties."  I was the first to say "yes" to helping organize this, so ended up sort-of heading it up.  This meant I was able to dust off some of my previous event-planning experience and administrative skills, and I have to say, it felt really good!  I haven't had (or maybe just haven't taken advantage of) a lot of opportunities to show these "colors" since living in KC, so I think my leadership may have come as a surprise to some, and perhaps a bit of a surprise even to me - haha.  I was really glad to be able to help out in this way and am looking forward to future events!

-The fellowship.  This was the first opportunity we'd had in several months for the women of our congregation to gather and spend quality, intentional time getting to know each other.  You know how I feel about building relationships, so this was absolutely life-giving for that reason.  It was especially sweet to not only build relationships with others, myself, but also to witness others doing so with each other.

-The snack pot-luck. ☺

-The (donated, so FREE) Scooter's coffee!

-The content.  I won't attempt to share everything that was meaningful, interesting, and important, because it ALL was!  There were speakers I'd heard from before (and looked forward to seeing, again!), as well as new faces and fresh messages.

-The worship.  Because I play keys on our worship team most Sunday's, I don't often have the opportunity to partake in corporate worship as a non-performer, if you will (please don't read into this term and think I see leading worship as just a performance, or anything like that - don't need to go down that rabbit hole...simply couldn't think of a better way to describe it in this instance).  It was also extra-wonderful to stop singing, myself, and listen to the other women's beautiful voices lifted together in praise.  ♥

I did a science experiment in the 4th grade that used flowers and colored water. 
Imagine my surprise when I ran across this as a decor idea!
(They didn't change quite as much as I'd expected by the next day, but were still pretty!)

Put my Cricut to good use cutting lots of circles!
(Special thanks to Joann's for having the perfect colors of paper on sale for 70% off at just the right time!)

The theme was celebratory and bright colors, so thanks to Dollar Tree party supplies and a little time, we created a corresponding photo backdrop.

Fun pens and journals for everyone!

We had close to 50 ladies in these seats over the course of the weekend!

♥♥♥

So thankful my mom and BFF (who was mistaken as my sister a couple times just this weekend) were able to attend the whole conference!

Obviously, there are other "things," both bigger and smaller than these two, that give me life and bring me joy, but these are the ones I'm sharing with you, today.  Perhaps you can relate.  What's "life-giving" in your life, right now?  Is there something you'd like to do that you could, but haven't, for some reason?  Do it.  Totally worth it.

Joyfully,
Kensy

P.S. After working on this post for a couple weeks, I'm starting to second-guess using the term "life-giving," but don't want to go back and change it all.  So, just know that by "life-giving" I simply mean these things have brought me great joy...or "sparked joy," if you want to get trendy.  ;)

Favorites of the day:

dark chocolate

"Snow days" that mean no morning library storytime, and instead, watching some of "The Price is Right" with a snack and a kitty lapwarmer.  ☺

♥☺♥☺♥

IF: 2016

Hey there, friends!

This past weekend, I got to take part in something pretty cool.  "Pretty cool" is an understatement - it was awesome.  Actually, I could use #alltheadjectives to describe it, but I'll just let it speak for itself.

The IF:gathering is an annual international Christian women's conference.  Yes, international.  It was held live in Austin, TX, and women/groups/churches around the world had access to it via webstreaming.  (I've said it before, and I'll say it again: technology amazes me.)

The IF mission is to "gather, equip and unleash the next generation of women to live out their purpose."  This idea had humble beginnings in the heart of a brave woman who found friends to come alongside her and make her dream a reality.  It's pretty amazing to see how God has moved and worked through the process and this year, brought thousands upon thousands of women together to partake in His word, worship, fellowship, and so much more.

So, moving on...

I got to attend one of these gatherings at a local church with about 20 women from our church.

I was so excited to hang out with and get to know these women better, and I was even more excited to hear and learn what God had to say through the speakers, times of worship, and conversations that were going to take place.  I went into it ready to focus and try my best to let go of all distractions.

And then, Satan showed up...in the form of a neck hair.

I know - probably the strangest sentence you've read today...and probably the strangest sentence I've written...ever.

But it's the truth.  Hear me out, here.

Yes, I get neck hairs.  I always thought they wouldn't be a thing in my life until my "later years."  I thought maybe the chin hairs would make their appearance first.  But, low and behold, I've been blessed with random, wayward hairs on my neck for a few years, now.  And here's the more embarrassing thing: once I am aware of their existence, I am obsessed with ridding myself of them until they've been cleanly removed from their unwelcome place on my neck.  I can't handle it.  It's a problem.

So, needless to say, when I discovered one of these feral follicles right before we began the opening praise and worship set of the IF:gathering, I was done for.  All of my hopes and dreams of going into this event sans distractions went out the window.

Yeah, this sounds funny and weird and may seem a little tongue-in-cheek, but honestly, I was really bummed about it.  I truly believe Satan used the open door of my neck-hair-distraction to let all the other worries, doubts, to-do's, and countless other distractions I was so desperately trying to keep out walk right in.

I tugged and pulled at that little sprout of a hair for a solid 5 minutes before discretely unsheathing the tweezers from the itty-bitty Swiss army knife I keep in my purse (yep).  Those didn't do the trick, either.  (I don't know if the ladies around me witnessed any of this, despite my discreteness, but if ya'll did, thanks for ignoring it. ☺)  I. was. so. annoyed.  And I refused to get up and go to the bathroom to take care of it.

So, in my discouragement, I literally prayed, "God, please help me get this neck hair out, so I can focus completely on you and your Word."

And guess what?  He showed up - in such a real, tangible way.  I got that neck hair out - with my fingernails, no less - a few minutes later and before the worship set was over.  I can't explain the sense of relief, joy, humor, and awe that came over me.  Seriously.

I know - this sounds so, so ridiculous.  And yeah - it's pretty embarrassing, seemingly trivial, and perhaps TMI.  But I wouldn't share it if I didn't think there was some merit in it.  It's just one of those times I felt so heard and recognized by God.  I don't always recognize or remember times like this, so I clung to the moment.  And I wanted to share it, because it meant so much to me...I can't really explain it.  But thanks for letting me try.

I still feel really silly about it.  You're probably thinking, "Really?  All this over a neck hair?"  But, yes.  That's what Satan chose to use and that's what God chose to use to, once again, reveal His power over Satan.  Mysterious ways, am I right?

And then, there was the rest of the conference!  So, so much truth was spoken through this gathering of amazing women (and a couple men) who shared their stories, their hearts, and the words to which God had led them.  I'd really love to share it ALL with ALL of you, but that would probably take a day or two.  So, maybe we can meet for coffee or lunch, or maybe have a phone date, and I can tell you what I learned.  And/or maybe I'll write about it someday.

For now, though, I'll leave you with this thought:

What IF we lived like Jesus did?  What IF we loved like He loved?

In Him,
Kensy

P.S. I just remembered I wrote about something similar a couple years ago here.  Satan fights a constant battle.  Aren't you so glad God is on our side?!

Favorites of the day:

building relationships with church friends

(building relationships, period - haha)

Zumba!

delicious strawberry poke cake from two of the sweetest boys I know

What a wonderful...weekend

Did anyone else have an above-average weekend?  We sure did here!!  The weather played a large role in making it so wonderful, but so did some great people and end-of-summer activities.  : )


After teaching lessons, Friday night was spent with my Bible study group for desserts and s'mores around the fire pit.  Such a beautiful evening weather-wise, and opportunity for some great conversation...and treats!


On Saturday, I subbed for a teacher at the studio, worked out for a bit at the Y, used coupons for an almost free lunch at Arby's, sat on bus stop benches while enjoying our Jamocha shakes, and went to see "Crazy, Stupid, Love" with my roomie.  If you haven't seen the trailer for the movie, watch it here.  It was sooooo good!  Of course, there may or may not have been an actor that enhanced the goodness of it, but the movie itself really was well done and enjoyable.  : )  Afterward, we came home, made a special housewarming gift for a few friends, and went to deliver it and hang out. 


Today, we went to church, then downtown to RibFest where the church's band was performing.  Got in some good sun time and enjoyed the music and food!  We also found out that there's a single women's Sunday school class starting next week.  Guess who'll be in attendance...these girls!


Now, it's time for some reading and nap, then the last Lincoln Municipal Band concert of the season.  Hope to see you all there!  : )


Thanks for reading,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

playing fetch with Charlie (yep - it's happening right now)

not using the A/C

fresh tomatoes from the

A few points for contemplation and discussion

Hello again!  I know - you're shocked that this post is in such close proximity to the last.  There are some things I'd really like to share, though!  The following topics have been on my heart, lately, and God has addressed them in very clear ways.  I'm in awe of the timing and clarity of these answers, and thought I'd share with you all!


Fasting: This is something I'd seen/heard about others doing through various groups in college.  It was never something I felt called to do, though.  Plus, my-mother-in-me had me convinced that it was not a nutritiously smart thing to do.  Recently, however, I've been looking for things to challenge and grow me spiritually.  A family member mentioned that he'd participated in a 5-day fast and how much it had strengthened his faith and changed his perspective on life (and food) in many ways.  So, I started considering it, and mentioned it to a friend.  As it turns out, she had been planning on fasting sometime in the near future, but wasn't sure when or how long, or if she'd even have the strength to do it on her own.  Me bringing it up was a clear push for her to go ahead and do it, and I believe the fact that she'd been planning on it was my call to participate, as well.


Tithing: Because I'm not actually a member of the church(es) I've been attending in the recent past, I've been wondering where my monetary offering should go.  I was recently reminded, however, that the money is God's money and He will use it for the good of His kingdom no matter where I give it.  Then, in church this morning, it was announced that the next few weeks will be a campaign to get the church out of debt.  Normally, people (including myself) groan at stewardship messages.  The fact that this had been on my heart, however, really drove it home that God can and will use my money no matter where it goes, AND He gave me a clear picture of where it is needed right now (in my little part of the world, at least).


Contentment: Lately, I've been hearing from various sources that it's dangerous to be content in life.  According to these sources, if you're content, there's nothing in your life that can only be handled by God - if you're content, you're not really relying on God to take care of the "unknowns" in your life.  This is some of what the Bible says about contentment, though:   

• Philippians 4:11-12 - "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
• 1 Timothy 6:6 - "Now godliness with contentment is great gain."
• Hebrews 13:5 - "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"

So, I think being content is perfectly acceptable and to be admired, HOWEVER we shouldn't become complacent.  Here's some of what the Bible has to say about complacency:

• Zephaniah 1:12 - "I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem's darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad."
• Revelation 3:16-17 - "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." 

I think it's very easy to confuse these two words, and we should be careful not to do so.  Being content with life (what we have, where we are, who we know, etc.) is very different than becoming complacent in our faith (i.e. thinking we don't need to show God's love to EVERYone around us, not living like Christ outside of going to church on Sundays, living by our own power rather than by faith in God's, etc.).  May we all be content with the life God has granted us and be able to fight the complacency that can so easily accompany the blessing of this contentment.

I hope this didn't get too deep for you all.  : )  I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of it!

In Him,

Kensy

P.S.  Charlie's appointment/shots went very well yesterday!  He weighs 10 lbs. (5 more than when I got him), and it a healthy kitty!

Favorites of the day:

not having to go somewhere else (or having to pay) to do my laundry

crossing things off my to-do list(s)

Mysterious Ways + Salt of the Earth

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!  I just made puppy chow to take to a get together in a few hours.  I'm not rooting for anyone in particular, in case you're wondering - I'm one of those people who are just in it for the commercials and company.  : )


Thought I'd share a bit about my weekend thus far:


Late Friday night, I woke up with the flu (the throw-up kind).  I can't remember the last time I'd had the flu, or even thrown up...had to be early high school or even jr. high...?  Anyway, I was SUPER bummed when it didn't go away by morning, because I was supposed to go to my grandparents' 60th anniversary celebration on Saturday.  I was the only cousin not in attendance and missed out on spending the day with my immediate and extended family.  (I'm not looking for a pity party, by the way.  I had a pretty good one here by myself on Saturday morning.)  Instead, I spent the day on the couch with Charlie.  Can't remember the last time I did absolutely nothing for such an extended period of time.


Sorry if that grossed any of you out.  The reason I'm sharing this is because all day I was trying to figure out why God had me all cooped up on such a special day.  My answer came this morning:


I'd been asked to baby-sit for some friends this morning, but told them yesterday that it probably wasn't a good idea for me to do so, just in case, and they found someone else to help out.  When I woke up this morning, though, I felt 100% better!  I hadn't set an alarm for church, because I thought I should let my body rest as long as it needed to, but still woke up at a decent time.  A couple minutes after turning my phone on for the day, I received a call from a church music director asking if I was available to play this morning with the church orchestra - his 2nd trumpet player was sick.  I said yes, of course (playing in church is my favorite way to use my God-given talents)!  


It was such a wonderful service to be a part of!  Not only was the music amazing, but the guest preacher was awesome!  Her message about being the "salt of the earth" was funny, historical, relevant, and refreshing.  She spoke about a recent news special she'd seen about salt and how there are four kinds of it, each with its own special use (seasoning, ice melt, etc.).  Also - did you know that in Jesus' time, there were community ovens along the streets that were fueled by animal poop that had been dried out using salt?  Yep, it's true.  When the fires had died out, a clay-like substance was left, and thrown on the streets for people to walk on.  SO, that's what Jesus was referring to when He said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." in Matthew 5:13!  


We, as the salt of the earth, are called not to make icy walks safer, not to make French fries tastier, but to be a catalyst for the fire of the community of Christ.   


So, even though I was so very sad to miss out on a day of family and fellowship yesterday and baby-sitting for a sweet girl this morning, I feel so blessed to have been a part of today's service.  


God is good.


In Him,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

feeling better!

friends

budding relationships (no, not my own, but very happy for someone else!)