Unhindered. ♥

Last May, I was fortunate enough to have a girls weekend with my Momma and sister Kaitlyn in Boise, and go to the Beth Moore Convention! For those of you who don't know who Beth Moore is, she is a Christian author and speaker, who's main focus is on the hearts of women and enabling God into their everyday lives. I had read a book of hers and had heard a lot about her, so it was awesome to go to the Taco Bell Arena and hear the woman who had blessed my heart through her books speak live. 

Going there I had the assumption that I would hear some of her messages in her books and they would have praise music. But it easily exceeded that. She spoke about the word "Hinderance" and how to live a life "Unhindered". Looking back at some of the notes I took, I was once again in awe of the lesson. So I thought I'd share it with you lovelies :)

First of all to live a life unhindered,  you must know what exactly that word means.

》》HINDRANCE:  Something that provides resistance, delay, or obstruction to something or someone《《

Wow, what a powerful word. Another thing I found interesting was the synonyms behind this word.

》》obstruction, barrier, obstacle, difficulty, complication, burden, mass, trap, weight, tumor《《

 God tells us in His word that we are to throw off EVERYTHING that hinders us.

"Let us throw of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run the race mark out for us with perseverance." ~Hebrews 12:1

↑ I loved how she called this verse the "Forrest Gump verse" haha, because we are to throw off the things, people, ideas that hinder us, just as the movie depicted when his metal leg castings fell, and RUN FORREST RUN!! :)

When I went to this convention, I had someone that instantly came to mind.
I had been letting them "hinder" my life, by allowing them to be massive barrier I carried in my heart. This spoke right to my heart then, and now I see that it can apply in a multitude of ways thoroughout your life.

 Satan can hinder us, people can hinder us, heck, they can be hand in hand hindering us!  

No one quite knows the luxury of being unhindered like those who have been hounded by hindrance, meaning you appreciate the seasons of life where you aren't allowing things to hinder you because you know what it's like to be hindered!

Its amazing no matter what you are dealing with in your life, that if you eliminate the hindrance from your struggle, it can really enable you! 

You cannot live a life unhurt, but you can live a life unhindered!! Just look at what you can achieve from removing hindrance from a situation:

●Heartbreak-hindrance=depth
●Breakup-hindrance=break through
●Childhood Trauma-hindrance=testimony
●Disappointment-hindrance=faith
●Devastation-hindrance=trust
●My pain-hindrance=my passion
●My life-hindrance=my God ordained destiny
●What happened-what hindered=AN OVERCOMER

It's amazing to reflect on these equations and truly see what I have let "hinder" or weigh on my life. People,  relationships, friends, dreams, the list is endless. I cannot change the people that have came and gone, the heartbreaks, the setbacks, the come aparts, but I CAN change the fact that I let them weigh me down throughout my life. That is HUGE, my friend ♥

Has someone/something been hindering your heart throughout your life?

Have you let that become a massive burdening restraint??

Let GO friend.

Let GO and let GOD have it ♥

Throw off any and all those things that are hindering you, and run the race God has prepared for you in life.

The longer you wait, the bigger the weight and the strength you will need to throw it off.

Live a live unhindered ♥

Its much better that way. Its also the way God wants for you.

Xoxo, Kess

Momma, me, & Kait at Beth Moore ♥ May 2012

The Tuesday Ten {Vol 4}

Its time again for my Ten on Tuesday! :) (gonna keep it short and sweet this time)

1. Motherhood.
A little update on how everything is going! My baby is 4, yes 4mos old on Saturday, I can hardly grasp the thought! Wasn't it just December and I was holding him brand new?!?! I ♥ being a mom. For the longest time I've known that was something I dreamed of becoming. I'm thankful every day for my Henry; in the midst of a cranky meltdown,  or an off day I still find myself thanking God for him :) He is at a really fun stage, just beginning to laugh. He also has discovered he can make noise so he babbles a lot and sucks on his hands :)

2. PLL's.
My sisters have watched this show since it started two years ago, and although I had seen a preview or two, it didn't spark much interest to me. And to be honest I didn't know much about the storyline at all. One night while tending to Henry I found it on Netflix and OH.MY.GOSH. I am hooked! So intense and such a complex plot; every episode leaves you shocked on the edge of your seat! Can't wait til they update the newest season! I am now a proud Pretty Little Liars Fan! Haha!

3. 

4. Products.
This shampoo/conditioner combo is awesome :) It is natural ingredients based, with coconut milk and whipped egg whites! It leaves your hair smelling amazing, soft, and staying cleaner longer in between washes. I got mine at Walmart for $5 for each bottle!

These next two products are now an everyday favorite! I must admit, I love makeup. I love playing with different shades, different effects, and sprucing up my face :) The first one is a highlighting stick from Benefit called "Watts Up". Its a shimmering, bronzing, contouring, and highlighting tool; I love how it brightens up my cheekbones and luminizes my features! It is GREAT, I use it everyday. The second one is also a Benefit product, they have a new mascara called "They're Real!" My lashes are naturally long and thick, so I consider them a feature that I love to play up to the max! I've become picky about mascara. When I tried it, it did not disappoint. My lashes were FANTASTIC!!!!! I give it a 10 easily :) Now normally I do not buy Benefit Cosmetics because they are a little out of my price range (I signed up for their birthday club and every year you get a free product or two that's sample size on your birthday and these were the gifts this year) but if you want, you can purchase the sample size at the store, and they last a long time :) This is the products:

5. My life song ♥
Live Like That by The Sidewalk Prophets

 6. Poems. 

I've always liked to write poems. They are quick little stories and ideas, scattered on a page with rhythm, and I love that. I've started writing poems again, so maybe one of these days I'll post one if I feel brave ;) 

 7. I AM A GIRL.

This song is quirky and upbeat; I listen to it alot lately! Her voice is so unique:)

"I am a Girl" by Girls With Glasses

8. JCPenneys.

My mom had forwarded me a coupon from JCPenneys for a $6 Portrait Package, and since Henry hasn't had pictures since he was 2 weeks old, I thought it'd be nice to snap a few :) The ladies there ooed and ahhed over him, and he would flirt right back. It was hilarious to watch him look at the camera and flash; he was such a good sport! We went to take a nakey shot and right when I took off his diaper, he must've felt a draft, he peed all over! There was no stopping it, and all of the ladies and I giggled so hard. We got some good shots, I'll have to put some up once I get them back from the studio!

 9.Schedule.
 Hank is on a monthly schedule while he is in the training stage, and this month he has been working 3PM-1AM. Its been hard for both of us; he gives himself 45min to get there and it takes about that for him to get out of work and drive home. Since he gets off so late, he also sleeps in, leaving us only about an hour or so together on his work days :| Plus I hate being home by myself at night, so its hard to try to sleep. I'm just excited its only temporary!! He is really liking his job, and last week was Telecommunications Appreciation Week. I never knew how much behind the scenes and all that a dispatch officer does, its amazing! He also gets to ride in a police car for a day next week :)

 10. Post-Baby.
 I had a few critical and harsh comments from people during my pregnancy. Don't eat this, exercise, don't indulge, blah blah blah haha! To be honest, I didn't have a care in the world about that stuff. I was growing a baby, that was so special in itself that a weight gain DID NOT worry me whatsoever. I truly enjoyed my pregnancy and yes, indulged in my cravings (you want to tell a pregnant woman she can't have those Tootsie Rolls at the gas station that she is wanting?!) ;) Who cares! Of course I ate healthy as well, but I didn't let people get to me when they would make comments about how "big" I looked or "how hard it would be to lose it". Those people just like to fill the air with their own noise haha. Going in to give birth, I weighed 148lbs. After 6weeks, I was down to 128lbs. Now I'm down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 124 :) I haven't done much to achieve that, but I tell you what, NURSING WORKS WONDERS! I'm all for breastfeeding; it's good for you, baby, and its free :) So lean in and listen close...weight is just a stinking number. It doesn't define you! You are beautiful! When your pregnant, enjoy it to the full potential and don't worry about that stuff. Your growing your son/daughter, how special is that?! ♥♥♥

 There is my lengthy Tuesday Ten, haha short and sweet, oh goodness Kess!

Have a happy week, be kind to one another :) ♡Xoxo, Kess

Wordless Week. {Rainy Days}

 

To YOU.

To you. struggling. feeling like no one understands. 

So you tuck the pain even farther down.

To the one who stares at the white wall by her bedside as tears silently run down her cheeks, her husband and children asleep, she's drowning. She feels alone.

To you. Sleep deprived and exhausted.

To you, beating yourself up, wishing you looked like someone else. Or were someone else.

 To the girl in college searching for herself. The one who feels like she's facing this big world all by herself.

To the widow whose children are grown. And busy. too busy to call.

To the new mom who is trying to figure her own way in the midst of all the opinions being thrown at her.

To the women who hate who they are becoming or how their life is shaping out to be.

To the one who is afraid because your husband just lost his job and you have no idea how it will be okay.

To the ones fighting comparisons & jealousy.

To the women who want to feel like more. They want to feel special & wanted & treasured.

To the girls who are still searching for the one.

I hear you, friend ♥

...and He hears you too.

You aren't alone. You feel alone but there are others walking your road.

We have all been down a road. 

And although they often look different, although they often are translated in all different ways... most of us can identify with the hurt. and the searching. 

There has surely been a moment in each of us that changed us. 

That helps us give a bit more grace and a lot less judgment. 

I am sure of this. 

We all need grace.

We all need the extra encouraging and the two drops of extra mercy.

The only way to the other side is through. 

and while we take the journey, lets hope that we have the best surrounding us, the best of the best sending out that extra love. because we all go through a time and a season when we need the love. 

Xoxo, Kess ♥

Embrace ordinary.

We live in a world that glorifies celebrity. And that spills over into our daily lives.

That mentality tries to define us…

By how many likes we get on facebook.

How many people notice what we do.

How many successes we can count in our day.

The truth of it is we fear being ordinary.

What if our life doesn’t matter?

What if what we do doesn’t really count?

What if no one recognizes our efforts?

We panic and strive and end up exhausted.

Human souls are not made to prove themselves.

And yet in the middle of it all, there’s One who calls us to a different standard.

Instead of fearing ordinary, Jesus embraced it.

The one human being who could have walked into our world and instantly had fame, recognition and celebrity ran from it instead.

He chose a manger not a throne.

He spent 90% of his lifespan as a private carpenter and only 10% in public ministry.

He hung on a cross in a way that was even beyond ordinary, it was humiliating.

"And because of that…Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name." {Php 2:9}

Don’t fear ordinary because in the Kingdom, it’s the only path to greatness.

Yes, God may call you to have a platform.

Yes, you may find yourself in the spotlight sometimes.

Yes, sometimes people may even say “extraordinary” to describe what you do.

And you will have God-sized dreams.

But here’s the freedom: you don’t have to strive.

You can embrace where you are right here, right now and know that it is enough.

You are enough.

Because the One who lives in you turns every bit of ordinary into holy, glorious ground.

Have a happy weekend; be kind to one another :)

Xoxo, Kess♥

Bye Bye Busy.

I know Busy.

I spent years listening to her. 

I woke up to the sound of her voice in the morning, calling me from the too-full calendar.

 I drifted off to sleep with her whispering in my ear that it still hadn’t been enough.

Busy isn’t especially nice.

But I kept her around. 

For a long, long time.

Because she told me this: 

“I’m proof that you’re important. If you don’t have me in your life, what will people think?” 

So I put up with her demands. Her bossiness. Her accusations.

Then, over time and with lots of healing, I slowly stopped listening to her. 

My calendar got cleaner. My breaths got deeper. My life got better.

One morning, sitting over my journal with a cup of coffee in my hand (a luxury of time I denied myself often), I took a moment to consider what had changed. 

What had I started believing instead?

I realized at some point I’d heard Jesus whisper this to my heart…

Your work is not your worth.

And day by day, month by month, year by year, I’d begun to believe like it was true–and then eventually to start acting like it too.

On this morning, I asked quietly, “What is my work then?”

And I wrote this: 

My work is an expression of love for the One I serve.

Grateful tears welled up in my eyes. 

For who but Jesus can change a heart that much?

But somehow it had happened.

And it has changed everything for me.

Oh, I still struggle. 

You betcha. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you there were still days of being overwhelmed. 

But more and more of the time, Busy isn’t around.

When she’s not with me, I’m not sure where she goes…and I’m worried she may have snuck off to bother you.

So if she’s there, my friend, let me tell you: She’s not what she seems. 

And she can’t deliver what she promises.

 Escort her to the door and lock it behind you. You don’t need her.

You are loved, chosen, valued already and just as you are.

Say good-bye to Busy and smack her on the behind as she heads out the door just for me.

Silly Busy.

Don’t worry about her–she’ll find more to do.

And you?

Find that journal and cup of coffee.

Then sit down with the Author of life who’s waiting to write new things on your heart…and your calendar. :)

Xoxo, Kess ♥

Dear Kessie ♥

(If I could go back and write a letter to me)

Dear Self,

You’re 14. You have zits on your nose, an awkward string bean figure, and a metal mouth. You eat cookie dough right out of the package and you don’t care yet what it will do to your thighs. If I could take you out for coffee (well, maybe ice cream–you won’t start drinking coffee for a few more years) there are some things I’d say to you. First of all, it doesn’t matter that you’re not popular. I know you cry hard and tear yourself down, just like the people around you. I know you stare longingly at the cool kids table at lunch sometimes. I know you’ve heard a snicker or two when you walk by certain groups in the halls. I know how you stand in front of the mirror and tilt your head from one side to the other hoping the reflection improves. By not being popular you’re actually learning some pretty important things, Kess–how to love all kinds of people, how to have a tender heart for those on the outskirts, how to dream and explore instead of conform and confine. Your creativity is growing, although you can’t see it yet, and you’re not cool enough to want to crush it. Your older self thanks you. Also, you don’t have to try so hard. I know you want to get it right–the grades, the friends, the conversations by the locker. And when you don’t, you’re really tough on yourself. You are your own worst critic. Slow down, girl. Take a deep breath of grace. You haven’t quite figured this out yet…you’re human. You are going to mess up a lot. And it’s going to be okay. People want the real you–not the perfect good girl you think you have to be. You’re going to grow up and it’s going to fly by. You’ll trade that scooter for a car. Your t-shirts for pretty blouses. Your diary entries about boys for a real live husband and son. It will be good and hard and beautiful and like nothing and everything you imagined. You have time to get there. Savor the moments. Hold on to today. Don’t wish away the now for the not yet.Worry less. Laugh more. Stay up late while you can. Embrace grace and the Giver of it. Most of all, dare to be He who made you. You’re going to turn out just fine. 

Love, Me ♥

Peaks. Pits. Praises. Prayers.

Good evening lovelies :)

I have a little project that I'm going to start doing myself on a day-to-day basis, and I'd love it if you would try it too!

I've always thought the idea of journaling was wonderful. Picking up an old messy battered book and peeking back through the stages of your life; the stresses at that time, the people in your life, and the little things that you were blessed with along the way. It's also a great way to look back at how far you've come as a person, and a refresher on where you want to go. Anywho, instead of your typical journal, this is going to be a little different :)

Ya'll ready??

Take your journal of preference and write these words on the very front: 

Peaks, Pits, Praises, Prayers. Here is mine:

Now everyday you can sit back and reflect on these different aspects. But before you do that, let me give you a brief little definition of what each of these mean :)

PEAKS: The highlights, the good moments, something overall positive about the day.

PITS: The low point of the day. Rather than complaining, you can look back on it and see it might be a blessing in disguise.

PRAISES: Praising God for specific things that happened that day.

PRAYERS: Prayer requests that may arose from that day or have lingered on.

^I wrote these 4 definitions in the inside of the front cover to help me remember :)

This will change your whole mindset on a day-to-day basis, and will bring about more awareness to these things daily occuring in your life :) Happy journaling!

Xoxo, Kess ♥

Who am I?

I am...22 years old. A wife, mommy, daughter, sister, friend, and child of God.

I want...to be different, one-of-a-kind.

I have...so much to give. 

 I wish... and will travel the world. Preferably cruise style.

I hate...confrontation and negativity.

I fear...the state of our country and our world. 

I hear...others' cries for love.

I search...for Christ in everything.

I wonder...and over analyse a lot.

I regret...nothing because I am where God wants me to be.

I love...to laugh.

I ache...when friends go through hard times.

I always...aim to make one person laugh/smile each day.

I usually...live life spontaneously.

I am not...the wisest,  most beautiful,  or talented. But I have a huge heart.

I dance and sing...not well, but it makes Henry smile.

I never...could give up coffee. EVER.

I sometimes...laugh randomly.

I cry...when I think about those I miss.

I am not always...decisive about where to go eat.

I lose...myself when I'm at church.

I am confused...when people are mean for no reason.

I need...to always feel God's presence in my life.

I will...finish writing my books someday.

I should...never stop having faith.

I aspire...to be a blessing to everyone God places in my life.

♥

The Tuesday Ten {vol 3}

It's time again for the Tuesday Ten! Here it goes :)

1. Boise Color Run

I have always wanted to do a run, but I have doubted my ability to do it. I heard about the Color Run when I moved to Boise a couple years ago, and it seriously looks like so much fun! It's nice because its not really a "race", its more for fun and you can participate at any pace :) It's a unique paint race downtown where the only requirement is that you wear a white shirt, and along the course there's different paints; You are supposed to be a rainbow mess when you cross the finish line! It's not until August, but I think I'm going to jump the gun and sign up to run it with my sisters and mom :)

2. THREE MONTHS.

My baby is 3, yes... THREE months old! I am seriously in shock over here. I feel as if every morning when I pick him up to start the day, he has doubled in size since I laid him down for bed. He is growing like a weed! He is in such a fun stage right now :) He is cooing and smiling, and loves people's interaction and attention. He recently started liking sitting in his bouncy chair and watching Blue's Clues :) It's so cute! Hank is picking up on the show, and I've secretly caught him singing along haha!

3. Marriage.

↑Wonderful words to live by! I never thought of it that way but it is spot on.

4. Traditions.
I am so excited to have my own little family that I can start traditions with; I can make little impressions of memories that Henry will remember the rest of his life and reflect back on with joy :) That is so neat! I want to start creative different traditions of our own, and also incorporate traditions Hank and I grew up with! For example, for Christmas (Dec 25th) and Henry's birthday (Dec 27th), rather than opening up a dozen presents, I think it'd be fun to open an envelope and have a destination of a family trip inside! It's fun thinking up different things for our family, and Pinterest has given me TONS of ideas :)

5. Dresser.
Hank and I have not ever had our own dresser, pathetic I know! For the longest time we've just thrown together stuff in a crammed closet with little to no organization or space, and in my spring cleaning frenzy, I had to change that!! I went out looking for a potential fix me up in different secondhand stores, and came across this beaut!



Isn't it cute?!?! The only problem is that it had a sticker that originally said $50, then was crossed out to $40. Besides some normal wear and tear, and grime and dust, this dresser was perfect! But I just couldn't get myself to spend $40 on it. So I thought, what the heck, I'll ask the manager if the price is firm. I have NEVER done this, that's how bad I wanted it! The D.I. manager asked me what I could do, and we agreed on $18.99!!!! They even drove it over to my home after trying several times to manuever it into my car. I washed,primed, sanded, and painted, and TA-DA! Here she is:

6. Sleep.

 Henry and I have only had 2hrs of sleep...today is gonna be interesting!!

 7. Ernie.

Our little family had a rough Easter :| On Friday, I noticed Ernie had a small amount of blood in his stool. I called his Vet and she said to watch him over the weekend to see if it persists. On Sunday morning, sure enough, it did, and was MUCH worse. I woke up to find pools of blood all down my hallway, and saw Ernie being shaky and flighty, as if in pain. We rushed him over to a 24hr Vet ER in Meridian, where we discovered he had torn up the lining of his intestines (most likely from eating something he shouldnt) and was severely dehydrated. His pancreas and liver were very inflammed amd close to shutting down. We said our goodbyes and he was instantly put on fluids and an iv drip, and was admitted for an overnight stay. It was hard to go about Easter without worrying about him, but somehow we managed to put on a smile and snap some pictures for Henrys first Easter. I also made a brown sugar pineapple ham, rolls, tossed salad, and corn. Our little dog is now home and recieving lots of love and care. He's still pretty weak and will be on several meds for the next week, but he is alive ♥

8. Amazing.
Go to YouTube and search "Amazing" by Janelle. That is our new nighttime song:)

I know this is the Tuesday TEN, but I only have time for 8 today.
Xoxo, have a blessed week!
KESS ♡

Wordless Week. {Easter Weekend}