My windshield is so dirty...

So typical. I don't ever get my car washed until it's way past time. The other day though, after having a little moment in the car, I felt okay about my windshield that is now polka dotted with bird poo and smushed bugs.  Before I tell you about my "moment" I've gotta clue you in on something else. Hold that thought...

I absolutely LOVE sunsets. It's that natural element that I ALWAYS notice no matter where I am or what the weather looks like. Sunsets are like God screaming (please notice the simile ;), "I'm real. You will never know how much I love you. I'm bigger than what you are dealing with. I'm right here." at me. I am embarrassed to admit how many times I have almost wrecked trying to use my phone to take pictures of the sun getting eaten up by the clouds. I especially love Longboat Key sunsets like this one...

You gotta see a LBK sunset before you die. Have.to...it's a non-negotiable

Ok since you are on the edge on of your seats wondering about my "moment"...let me get back to it. So I'm driving around good ol' Norcross, Georgia... the land of milk and honey and the sun is doing this cool little thing where it's just bursting out of a cloud, rays extended as far as I could see, and it's light was giving the billowy cloud that glowy outline. Are you getting a visual? I hope so, because this is the one time I didn't get the faithful BB out and risk my life to take pitcha with my camera fone (that's some rap song...I promise.) So as I'm getting excited about how awesome it is, I suddenly get distracted by the nasty splotches covering my windshield. Just as quickly as I was able to "dodge" them with my eyes and continue adoring the sun spectacle, I was able to compare this to real life (like I often do in my own little weird way). It reminded me of life we get distracted and how sometimes our paths are unclear, our sight distorted, and our vision blurred...maybe by bird poop like my windshield but usually by something that is of greater consequence. I could give lots of examples but I don't wanna get negative, although it's reality. BUT no matter what, at the end of a dark tunnel, on the up side of a bad situation, shining THROUGH the dirty windshield is a loving God with arms wide open (now you are going to have Creed in your head). He's always there. His glory is always shining through, if we can only see past the distractions. If we focus on Him and Him alone, all the mess somehow fades and seems not so bad in His light.

Hope your day is full of sunshine and "seeing past the poop".

BIG love,
Kenz

This all made sense in my head but if it didn't in yours be sure of these truths...

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech...It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth" Psalm 19: 1,2,6

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:5

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:37-39

Mondays.

I feel like Monday is a cuss word in the average American's mind. Maybe I'm wrong, although I'm pretty confident I'm not the only hata' here. The weekends are just TOO wonderful. I always think how great it would be to just have Monday be part of the weekend. Then I quickly realize that Tuesday would just become the new Monday. Although that would mean only a 4 day week, I'm sure I'd muster up complaints about that too.

Attitude is EVERYTHING. How many times have you heard that in your lifetime? How many times have you wanted to punch the person telling you that in the midst of things not going your way on any given occasion? I've heard it a lot and I've wanted to throw a lot of punches (don't take it personally), just sayin'.  In my ripe age of 23 (HA!) though, I am starting to jump on the "Attitude is Everything" bandwagon. And honestly, I owe the 9 month transitional period as a post-grad for spurring me on towards this jump. I owe JimDaddy Miller and hundreds of other positive influences I was blessed with for teaching me this truth from the get-go. I grew up attending and working at Heaven on Earth. We were taught to "buy into Great Day Program". I realize you might not have a clue what I'm talking about...click on the link for starters and I promise I'll eventually be blogging about this place so much you'll think I have an unhealthy obsesseion (what gives, if I do?) Long story short, we woke up every morning at camp, sat up in our beds, clapped our hands, and said out loud, "It's gonna be GREAT day, and I feel TERRIFIC" (I dare you to try it for a few days!). The idea was to start off the day with a positive attitude making it much harder to allow small incidents throughout the day affect your mood. As I mentioned, I've been taught this my entire life, but it hasn't been until recently that I have started trying to put it into practice. And trust me...there are days when I still wanna throw punches. I've got a long way to go. Thank you Jesus, that when I am weak, You are strong. When my attitude is worse than a dirty diaper, You still love me and take care of me.

Now that I have gone on 20 tangents**....back to Mondays. Here's a few reasons why I have LOVED this Monday...

1. I have Terv to drink Crystal Light out of.  If you don't have a tervis tumbler, just invest. You will not regret it. To the stud that made this oh-so-kind purchase on my behalf...you know I love it now that I have blogged about it! Thanks again!
2. I get to go paint cowboy boots with Virg at Sips'N'Strokes tonight.
3. I get to go home, as in McDonough, tonight.
4. It was below 70 degrees on my way to work this morning.
5. I had a strawberry cookie at lunch from the Blue Rooster.
6. I get to run a few errands for some of my favorites after work.
7. I got up in time to spend some quality time with Jesus this morning and He continues to reveal himself to me in the most refreshing ways.

That doesn't really put a dent in all that I have to be thankful for today, even if it is a Monday. Maybe if I change my "Monday-attitude" things would be a little different. I want to be able to adjust my attitude to where I am always able to enjoy each moment to the fullest. That will be a lifetime project, but I can dang sure try.

Here's to Mondays...y'all do something fun tonight!

BIG love,
Kenz

**Bare with me. This whole blogging thing is way fun and way overwhelming. I start typing and I can't stop. I'm learning how bad I am at organizing my thoughts (I'm doing this in hopes that it will help, haha). While I want to proofread my posts, I don't want them to lose authenticity. Promise I'll get better, if you even care.

I absolutely do not know what I am doing...

Then again, that is pretty typical for me. This notion is about to send me into that "I've-secretly-been-wanting-to-start-a-blog-but-don't-know-what-I-would-say-or-feel-like-I-can-add-anything-of-value" disclaimer that I've read lately...on some of my new FAVORITE blogs, may I add. This is not to say mine will become your favorite by any means. I'm doing this because, well, I don't know why but it seems like a fun way to be creative and a good place to go when my hand can't move fast enough to write the k*aus (HA, witty I know) filling my heart, on the un-lined pages of my journal. Not to mention, having a cute template and the chance that someone MIGHT stumble upon it makes my cyberspace vent sesh's more fun. I must say I'm intimidated to mention having a blog after reading the greatness that is out there, but I decided to go for it after reading the blogs to the left over and over (don't leave here without reading theirs). Now that I have fairly warned you...read with caution.

I just have to give a little background on the ol' blog title so I don't seem totally self-absorbed. In case you haven't caught on it's the first few letters of my name... Kenzie AUSband. Let me spell it out for you...K*AUS. That's key-os, phonectically (thanks, Webster!). I somehow came up with that back in highschool when I was going to be a fashion designer and have my own label after training under Betsy Johnson, HA (a girl can dream, right?!). Anywho, I'm pretty sure my Daddy would have granted me the Nobel Peace Prize after I told him. Always believing in me Dad... and I love you so much for it! He constantly reminds me of K*Aus and asks what I'm going to do with it. Bet you never imagined a blog Daddy, but don't worry that studio is 'a comin'! So K*Aus stuck and honestly...I feel like it fits pretty well, in a weird sort of way. Not that I'm all that out of control but I tend to be all over the place, have a mishmash of hobbies, always wanting to go in at least 5 different directions, can be quickly talked into a new product or activity, love things that are reallll colorful and bedazzled with silva glitta on occasion...you get it or maybe you don't (which would further validate my point). Oh well.

Anyway...this is a boring post but things that needed to precede what is to come. Being the nut that I have made myself out to be here, I can't make promises as to what you might find if you can stomach reading a second post. I literally hope things posted here are real and raw, random and relatable. Those of you that are reading this because you feel like you have too to make me feel cool...I love you. Those brave souls I don't know that might possibly find this...I love you for reading. We should be friends. Here goes nothin'...Thanks for playin'.

Daddy...Since you were there since the beginning of K*Aus I figured it was only appropriate that this one go out to you. Even though you might not be familiar with blogs and probably think I am doing this instead of marketing SERVPRO (make sure you click on the SP logo to the left), I'm sending lotsa blog love your way tonight. Cyberspace, meet my #1 fan, Mista REA Jr.  I love you so much, Daddy! You sure are good-lookin' to be turning the BIG 5-0 in a week or so :)

BIG Love-
Kenz