Peeling an orange

Back in high school, I remember riding to an away basketball game in a van with some teammates and my coach, who was also our science teacher. My cousin (and teammate) asked loudly from the back of the van, "What do you think about when you eat an orange?" I'm sure you can already tell my coach was very pleased with this question. Not! I mean this was game prep time, right? :-) However, everyone in the van could not help but burst out laughing.

She later explained her thought process. We had come straight from our science class and she was thinking about all the complexities and bewildering processes that go into the creation of an orange. My cousin apparently thought our science teacher/coach would think about this every time he ate an orange? ;-)

I have come to love this question. I mean, think about it.... God created the world! He created oranges, apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, trees, dogs, stars, water and us!....It's so complex but yet so simple. It took Him just a few sentences.

This Christmas is Tyler and my first married Christmas together. I kept thinking, "It'll be so fun to start all of our own traditions." But now we are in December and Tyler and I haven't put up any decorations or done any of the "normal" preparations for the special day. I have to admit, part of it has been that we save time and money by not doing all the extras. But it has also been freeing to not have to think about those things and instead just focus on the reason for the day.

 While in Israel, we sat in this sheep cave (with poop all around us, I might add) and read the Christmas story. Our leader told us that this is a stable. This is the type of place Mary and Joseph went to give birth to Jesus. You can even see the black soot on the top of the cave from the shepherds' fires lit during the night. The picture below shows a manger. This is where they put water for the sheep to drink and similar to where Jesus (the living water) was laid that night. Not a complex setting at all, however, quite the opposite.

Christmas decorations, gifts, and parties are not bad. However, when life seems crazy and complicated remember how simple it all really is. God created you and I. We are blessed. He gave us His only Son, Jesus. Jesus told us and showed us that we are to love. Love God and others today and always. It's not complex, it's simple. 

Take time to be amazed at how complex yet simple our God really is. Maybe go eat an orange? :-)

Treasures Untold

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I memorized this verse my sophomore year of college and it always seems to just give me a little zinger reminder when I need it. In our culture today, everything seems to say the opposite right? I NEED more clothes, I NEED a better car, I NEED.....Blah Blah Blah... You understand what I'm saying. But how does this relate to earrings that I make? 

Shortly after making the jewelry for a couple of weddings, I had someone ask me to make her twelve pairs of earrings for Christmas gifts. It was fun to make her a large variety and just let loose with my creativity. My hope is that whoever receives these perishable earrings is challenged to remember to look for the more fulfilling treasures we receive in a relationship with Christ. As I make each pair, I also remember the same is true for my own life. 

As the Christmas season draws near, let's all remember to keep our treasure (hearts) in the right place. Seek first God's Kingdom! Be blessed!  

Shout out to Liza DeYounge, who designed my earring labels. :-) She's pretty talented, huh?

My Dash

1988 ---- ???

Life update: I'm currently working at Inspired Chiropractic. Our office is a part of a bigger movement called Maximized Living who are working to place God at the head of healthcare again. I love what I get to do. Each day we focus on teaching people more about how God created their body. We talk about what you can do to work with the way God (in His amazing design) and experience health and healing His way.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what I spend my time doing and how it can be purposeful for kingdom goals. I love the Lord and people and I want my life to show that..... I want that to be what people say Kristin was about.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you've probably often heard or even talked about the kingdom of heaven. I actually learned a few years ago that the kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God are synonymous. Matthew is the only book that uses "kingdom of heaven" and this was due to his audience, who were all most likely Jews. Jews often did not say God's name out of reverence to Him.

Have you ever really thought about what the kingdom of God/heaven is?? It's been something on my heart for the last couple weeks. At first you could claim the kingdom of heaven is exactly that: heaven. I would define heaven as God's complete rule over our lives, when all is perfected by Him and there is no longer any sin, suffering, or schemes of Satan at work. When I think about the kingdom of heaven advancing, I think of God's authority being more and more visible in this earth.

When Jesus came, He spent time proclaiming the kingdom, illustrating the kingdom (through parables), and demonstrating it through His actions. God put you on this earth for a purpose. Are you living in that right now? I'm praying that God may reveal to you how you can redeem more and more of your life and other's lives to the authority of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.

Each day I love getting to serve the Lord through revealing God's authority and powerful work in a person's body. Currently our country (including Christians), often see there body as something that doesn't need to be taken care of. As Christians, we often focus our minds and hearts on growing in the truth of our King. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. How can we love the Lord fully when the way we treat our body looks the same as the rest of the world? How much strength will we have to give to him when we're seventy if we treat our bodies like the world? God has permeated truth into all areas of our lives and our body is an amazing creation that deserves to be treated as such. It is a temple of the Holy Spirit! The Hebrew word for Holy Spirit is ruach (in Genesis God breathed the breath of life into Adam), which is also the same word for breath and also can mean life. God's plan is not death but life (spiritually and physically). Jesus calls us to redeem creation to God's plan of relationship with him. 

God is good. God alone gives purpose. He doesn't need us but He wants us. God loves you and I!! Remember to take time to reflect on your day and dash. Love you all!