Happy New Year 2012

Well, here we stand again ... saying goodbye to the current year and welcoming in a brand new one. And, I do love this time of year as we look ahead with such hope and anticipation! It's all so untouched and the possibilities seem endless. What will we accomplish? What dreams will be awakened or fulfilled? How will we grow and change, mature and deepen? How do we become more in the new year than we were in the old one? Because, you see, I don't believe we should leave one year and go into the next without some type of growth being evident. We like the kind of growth that comes to us easily but what about the growth that came through uncomfortable circumstances?

I've had a little of both during 2011 for it has been a year full of ups and downs for me personally. Mostly ups, but there were bumps along the way and some of it was, indeed, uncomfortable but I wouldn't change a thing. I wouldn't change one moment of it. In all things, God has been faithful to me and I couldn't have faced a day ... not one single day of the last year ... without Him.

I've laughed, I've cried, I'm been hopeful and also struggled with defeat and feelings of rejection. I've lost and I've gained. I've succeeded and I've failed. I've been afraid and full of courage. I've felt both devastation and great elation! I've been faithful and I've been faithless. I have loved and been unloving. I have been loved by others and been unlovable at times. And that's just a drop in the bucket! Anybody else?

But mostly, I look back on 2011 and see where I've grown in my dependence on my God, my Father, my Maker, my Savior, my King, my Friend. There's just no one like our God and He has been more faithful to me than I could ever have dreamed in 2011. He has met my every need, calmed my every fear, answered all of my prayers ... yes, even the ones where "waiting" seems to be the answer for the moment.

So, as we look forward to 2012, I feel confident in saying that I won't be able to face a single day of it without Him right by my side. So, it is my prayer ...

• That no matter what comes our way we will remember Who our Source of Strength really is.

• That we will remember to Whom we owe all honor and thanks. 

• That the God of all creation will fill our hearts with more hunger and thirst for Himself than we could have imagined. 

• That when we seek Him we will find Him.

• That when we surrender to Him we will be filled up to overflowing. 

These are a few of my Happy New Year 2012 prayers for you and me! So, be blessed in Him as we all walk into the new, untouched moments, hours, days, weeks and months of 2012!

Happy New Year, 

Cindy K

Ladies Conference - February 2012

Ladies ~ you're invited to join Leslie Nease for a weekend conference being held at the Narroway Productions Theatre and Conference Center on February 3 & 4, 2012. I'll be there, too, leading worship with a couple of my dearest friends. Here are the details ... Hope to see you there!
 

Be Blessed,

Cindy K.

Real Life!: Not Just Another Love Story Ladies Conference!

Real Life!: Not Just Another Love Story Ladies Conference!: Once our hectic schedules of the holidays are a thing of the past, it's time to take a well-deserved break and join us for a ladies weekend ...

Miami Man Memories 2011

This past weekend I traveled with Mark to Miami, Fla. where he participated in the Miami Man 1/2 Iron on Sunday, 11/13. Wow! I am so proud of him. Here's a pic of him crossing the finish line! I can't imagine pushing my body to that extreme. Let it be known that if it were me then this picture would have included a few EMS heroes in it! Ha!

5 hours, 38 min, 1 second

He finished the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run in 5 hours, 38 min, 1 sec! Yay! But, extreme sports weren't all we did while we were in Miami. We had a few days to be together and it's been quite a while since we've done that. Life, jobs, raising a family ... all of that gets in the way sometimes. We had a great time, just the two of us.

We arrived in Miami late Thursday evening but on Friday, we drove to the Keys with a couple of other TRI club members and spent most of the day in Key West. The keys are just beautiful!

Key West, Fla.

AT the Southernmost Point of the US

At Ernest Hemingway's Home

Walking the streets of Key West

  

(L to R) Cindy, Charlotte, Jim & Mark

After a few hours in Key West, we traveled back toward Miami along US 1stopping to spend some time on the beach at this beautiful place ...

Bahia Honda State Park

Finally, we hit the road again stopping for dinner at Islamorada Fish Company in Marathon. The restaurant overlooks the water and we had just missed the sunset. The colorful sky was evidence that it had been spectacular for sure. Felt alittle bummed by that because you see, I've never actually seen a Sunset over the ocean. Living in Carolina when I visit the NC/SC coast I always get the Sunrise ......

Sunset in Key Biscayne, Fla.

BUT... on Saturday, in Key Biscayne, I finally saw my first "over the water" Sunset. Here's the pic, taken with my phone, so the quality isn't the best but still ... I thought it was beautiful!





Earlier in the day on Saturday, I got to visit with my best friend from childhood, Sandra. Her family moved to the Miami area in 1978 but before that she lived right across the street from me. The memories of growing up together on Furman Place are endless and so sweet. She holds a special place in my heart.

We met for lunch at Monty's in Coconut Grove, Fla. Here we are 33 years later ....

Cindy and Sandra

What a great trip! I left there feeling so abundantly blessed. Tried counting those blessings but found myself overwhelmed by them all. God has been so good to me all of my life and I felt His continued goodness, His love & mercy, everywhere I looked. Did I mention all of my life?  It includes the tough times. It just brings me to my knees.

And it makes me think about you and those thoughts compel me to pray that you are feeling the goodness of our God in your life today as well. I realize that maybe your race is getting the best of you. I've had a few discouraging laps on my course as well. I realize that maybe the view from your day, from your surroundings, isn't too spectacular right now. Mine isn't always either. I realize that maybe the memories of past friendships and relationships are filled with regrets. I have a few of those myself.

But this I know ...this I have come to realize ....

Our Father loves us. He loves me and He loves you! He sent His Son to save us. He is Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Deliverer, Lord of lords and King of kings. And this King longs to walk alongside of you. He longs to meet your every need. He longs to make every moment count for His great glory and fame. He longs to show you a beautiful view of life ... one lived in Him. You see, apart from Him, we are only desperate at best! For "in Him we live and move and exist" (Acts 17:28)

He longs to be your everything. I pray that you will run to Him! I pray that you will be changed in His sweet presence! I promise that He will be ALL you ever need!

In His Grip,
Cindy K

Forever and Always

Well, last Sunday, October 23, 2011, I welcomed my first daughter into the family when Brad (my oldest) married his sweet Katelyn. I don't have the official wedding pictures yet but I am going to share the few that I do have with you.

First of all, before I get to the main attraction, which would be the bride and groom, let me just take a moment and show you my Mother-Of-The-Groom dress. The color is Espresso; the fabric is Taffeta ... I know, I know, Taffeta makes noise but this didn't and I just loved it! And the fabric had a sheen on it that made the color change. I loved it! Loved it so much, in fact, that I need to find somewhere else I can wear it! Ha!

Here it is ....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now on to the main attraction for the day by way of a little video that I've put together using the few wedding day shots I have and some earlier engagement photos. Of course, when I get more pics I'm liable to change it all! But for now this is what I have ... and it's all set to music ... a song that the Lord entrusted to me, as a gift to them, and I was privileged to record it and then sing it live at their reception. My heart was bursting with all that I wish for these two young people. I love them both so much! I believe in them and am so thankful for the blessing of their union. May God be glorified and honored in and through their life together ... Forever and Always!

Enjoy!

Blessings to ya!

Cindy K