tidbits

Well I am blogging from an iPad.
I am leaving for Big Sur tomorrow and I am so so excited!
I love my new job...I work at an amazing dance studio now incase you didn't know. More on that lata.
My 12 year old brother just informed me and my sister that he knows where babies come from per the reproduction chapter in Science. And he quotes, "I made a hundred on the test". Kids say the darndest things.
Me, brother, and sissy are all three sitting on the couch together waiting on Mama and Daddy to come home.
God is so good to me. I feel so humbled that He has chosen me as a recipient of His provisions.
That's all for now.

Make a difference this weekend. Kenz

(refreshed)

So supposedly I'm running a half marathon in Big Sur this coming Sunday. Supposedly the views are outrageous and just scream of God's glory. Pretttty pumped about this...assuming I make it all 13.1 miles without getting picked up.

Anywho, today I don't have to go into work for another half hour so I have had the morning to get stuff done. I figured a run mightttt be a good life choice. I'll be honest, I'm a little bit over the whole "running because I have to so I make it through this race" deal. Today though, I knew I had no other option. Anyone who runs, knows just like most things in life, some days are just bad and some days you are just "on it". I had my iPod, was dressed warm, laced up the Nikes, and just hauled down Peachtree. There.was.not.a.cloud.in.the.sky. The fact that my chest was experiencing the brutality of the wind was irrelevant. Running by myself is usually not my forte, but today was awesome. I enjoyed just reveling in God's glory. I'm guilty of taking advantage of things like running through an amazing city on the perfect day. Today, I was made aware of how selfish that is. What a privilege!! This run, that I really had to talk myself into, turned into just good ol' time with Jesus.  God's good like that.

If I can find Him amidst the hustle and bustle of Atlanta traffic and Lenox Mall, I'm banking on straight goodness when I run the coast of Monterrey this weekend.

Hope you too, can revel in His glory today. It's all around, just up to us for the taking.

I'm off to carbo-load. (Not really, gotta go to the studio but I wanted to sound like a disciplined and hardcore runner)

Big Love,
Kenz

P.S.
Mama...Hope you are geared up to hand out jelly beans.
Daddy...Hope you have your master race-chasing skillz fine tuned.
Shel...I'm banking on your smile and hilariousness to get me through this thing.
Tripp...Will you run a part of it with me again, this time? Please?

And to my 2 partners in crime... Austin-I know you will probably run ahead since you have trained hardcore... but it would be more fun if you wouldn't because I'll need your comic relief. Patrick...I ran fast today so that I can keep up with your gazelle-like stride. KMSMMB. Glad we get to dominate the Cali coast together!

THISISGOINGTOBEAWESOME!!!

Glitz-N-Glam

Based on my blog template you can probably tell I love glitta (that's the swanky way to say glitter). How could you not love it? Besides the fact that when you use it for art projects it gets everywhere and stays there for-almost-ever, it's awesome. It's so fun and sparkly. It makes me envision dancing my heart out on a stage somewhere, audience or no audience, it doesn't matter. For those of you that know me, you know that would be one of my "happy places". Not to get all deep about the stuff you used to make Christmas ornaments in Sunday school at age 5 but think about glitter as a verb for a second. Glitter shines. According to Webster (this whole blog thing is cultivating quite a relationship between the two of us), it means to reflect light with a brilliant, sparkling luster. To get right down to it, I want my life to glitter (or glitta, whichever you prefer). But really, I do. I wanna make a difference in this world, just like glitter makes a difference on anything you dare to glue it too.

I would  not be telling the whole truth if I didn't admit to you that I have been called a "diva" before. I'm not sure how that is even possible considering a diva is a "highly distinguished female singer". We all know what happens when I attempt to sing. I've come to the conclusion that when I am referred to as a diva, the name-callers are referring to my girly, glitter-lovin', dramatic self. I can't help it that I like to be girly. Maybe I can help the fact that I'm ocassionallllly dramatic. That's beside the point. Today, I'll own that diva status though, because when I saw these shoes the first thing I thought was "DIVA" and you better belive they immediately got added to the Christmas list.

Take a minute. Soak in all of their glittery, diva glory. I love these shoes. For a glitter-lover, these are ideal. Annnndddd, when purchased, I will be supporting a good cause. Big thanks to  Tom's  for making my day and giving me inspiration to write a new post (as I know my readers were anxiously anticipating). Check 'em out...you'll fall in love!



Boy, do I hope Santa Baby pulls through with these. More than that though, I pray I make a difference in this world. I want that more than anything. I love when God uses awesome, ordinary, earthly things to remind me of incredible, extraordinary, eternal treasures. "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" Matthew 5:16.


Shine! Make 'em wonder whatcha got...
Kenz

Changes

Life is full of them. As Tupac, himself, states, "That's just the way it is.". So wise, Tupac. SO.WISE. I'm pretttttty sure life always will be full of 'em. That's pretty exciting to me. I will say though, some of the changes I have gone through since graduating have been some of the hardest yet. Oddly enough, they have also been the most rewarding. These past few months I have felt myself growing up...it's one of those "hurts so good" kinda things. Some big girl decisions and responsibilities have gotten me so down, while some occurrences in the past few months have made me the happiest girl in the world. Do I sound like a basket case yet? I'm going somewhere with this. I promise.

Here's the deal. I wouldn't give up the not-so-fun parts of "growing up" (the quotes imply the use of that phrase lightly) because of the pure Grace Jesus has showered over me. I get it just a little bit more. Do not hear me say I have it all figured out. I'm still so far, but I'm closer. God's Love is the one thing that hasn't changed and the one thing that isn't changing and the one thing that will never change. Read that sentence again. The warm fuzzies should set in. God's Love is the one thing that hasn't changed and the one thing that isn't changing and the one thing that will never change. Even when He feels far away because I have let trivial things rob my thoughts or have chosen to try to do "it" alone, He doesn't change. He's still the same.  Even when I think things couldn't get any better, He makes them better and reminds me they are from Him.

So...while everything else around me plays musical chairs, comes and goes, morphs into something else, gets harder, defies my expectations...you know, changes....I am reminded by Paul,

"...just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, CONTINUE TO LIVE YOUR LIVES IN HIM, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6,7)

This is my only Hope. He makes the tough times joyfully bearable and amazing times unbelievable. I've realized that no matter what, if I just get on my knees and give up control it will all.be.ok. Well, not even just ok, wonderful. So here's to embracing change amidst some of the greatest years of my life thus far. Bring it on, world. He's got my back.

Now, if I can only get this whole "living my life in Him" thing down, every second of my day...

BIG love,

Kenz

A little trip down Memory Lane...

When I was in Elementary school I begged my Daddy for a treehouse. I don't really know where that desire came from but I wanted one..something serious. Now that I'm old and forgetful the actual timing of when he built it has slipped my mind. I wanted to say 5th grade, but the childish experiences that occurred in that little tree home seem too immature for my already-prissy-in-5th-grade self. When you start wearing lip stick at age 3 (I have picture proof), you mature faster I guess. We'll call it 5th grade for the story's sake.

I was mesmerized at Daddy's skills. I never imagined he would actually BUILD one. In my young age, I thought heroic, professional people built treehouses. Then again, Dad, you are perfect and all. Annnyway, Dad builds this treehouse, nothing too swanky, or complicated. Don't think I didn't cram about 6 people up in there on the reg. That might have been dangerous. It was literally a thick piece of  retangular plywood with a high railing that sufficed as "walls" and cool yellow ropes that were tied everywhere for support. Oh and I cannot forget to tell you, it DID have a homemade dumbwaiter. I used a woven basket from inside and some extra yellow rope. Is a treehouse really even legit without a rope basket pulley thingy?

I would literally move half of my belongings up to the treehouse on any given day. The more I could bring up the better, because that meant no leaving the treehouse. I didn't forget snacks, don't worry. LauraJae and I wanted to be Harriet the Spy so bad so we practiced by camping out for the day up there and spying on our sisters. Too bad we were clearly visible most of the time. I'm almost certain, also, that we "played" every imaginary scenario in the world up there. I loved this treehouse so so so so much. I played in it until it got unsafe to do so. One day, my kids are totally having a treehouse(because I refuse to let game systems take over their lives) maybe like this...

So sweet and simple. ANDDDD it doubles as a play house. I guess if I have boys things will need to be a little different. Good thing I have a real long time to decide.

Well, that was fun. Thanks for letting me reminisce on sweet times of childhood. It was good for the soul. Hope this gets you thinking about a favorite childhood memory and then just makes you happy and refreshed wherever you might be today.

For the love of cool treehouses,

Kenz







God's Providence...

"God has a simplicity about Him in working out His plans and yet He possesses a resourcefulness equal to any difficulty...His faithfulness to His trusting children is unwavering and He is steadfast in holding to His purpose...Difficulty is actually the atmosphere surrounding a miracle, or a miracle in its initial stage...And it is the clinging hand of His child that makes a desperate situation a delight to God."

-Streams in the Desert

(This quote just makes me wanna jump and squeal with joy. If I was on my computer I would implement a picture of me jumping and making a goofy excited face...maybe next time.)

I believe in miracles. It makes me real excited to know I could very well be in the midst of one. It humbles me to think God would choose to make me a part of one.

Jesus, help me to be a good steward of this precious time in my life....

Preparin' for Rain...Kenz

moving forward

Why so often do I feel like I have to have it all figured out? And by sometimes I mean pretty much all the time. I've got big dreams, people. Those of you that know me well know I'm not very patient either.

                                                  Big dreams + no patience= bad combo.

Sometimes even "taking the next step" is hard because I don't know what it is or I don't want it to be the wrong next step. Being scared to take risks isn't going to get me very far either. Afterall, I know and am learning to love the One who promises "to make firm the steps of those who delight in him" (Psalm 37:23) and the One who promises to go before me and never leave me and never forsake me (paraphrased, Deuteronomy 31:8). So what the heck am I waiting on?? Like sweet Virg* told me the other night, "Keep moving forward, if God doesn't want that for you He will make it very obvious".  Amen.

So here's to moving forward. That doesn't necessarily mean huge life altering decisions at this point. I'm at this place in my life because God put me here. Like John Fisher said, "David wasn't thinking of being King when he was tending sheep; he was just doing what God sat before Him". Boom. I like to think I'm still "tending sheep" but who knows. He has a perfect plan that is coming in His perfect time. I believe it y'all. Believe it for me. Believe it with me. Believe it for yourself. He's going to blow us all away with tailored perfection for each of us individually.

While I may not be BFAB (that's born from a boombox for those of you who haven't seen Step Up 3D...losers :) I wanna be doin' this kinda K*Aus for the rest of my lifeeeee....                                                                 



Except maybe not in cargo pants...



And if it isn't something amazing like that little picture, then it'll be better than that. "...Be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." (Hab. 1:5) Whew! God is good. All the time.

Blessed by the Best and anticipating the rest...

Kenz

*Virg is my amazinggg roommate. Praise the Lord for friends that love Jesus!