Monday, December 14, 2009

NOT Well Put Together



Karen

20 comments:

Amanda said...

Ha! I have to laugh... am I trying to live up to others expectations?? Uh, yeah. Insanely. So. And putting on a facade of who I really am. I want to blogging to be for CHRIST and I look back at my posts and they are all about ME.

Sad.

Thanks for the glimpse into your home sweet girl... I still think its perfect!

Blessings-
Amanda

gianna said...

this is EXACTLY what i needed to hear today. or everyday! the fact that my house is a mess drives me crazy because i think EVERYONE else can do it, why can't I? i'm not really trying to live up to other's expectations. i'm trying to live up to my expectations of other people. does that make sense.
this was the first devotional video that i got to see. seriously, karen, it's EXACTLY what i needed to hear, actually see!
thank you!

Larie Carlice Proverbs 27:19 said...

Y-E-S!!!

You are so awesome!!!

Hey everybody, my tub has a ring around it!!! :)

Way to go, Karen!

smooches,
Larie

Patricia said...

LOVE THIS POST!!!!
My laundry basket is sitting right smack in the middle of my floor...FULL of dirty laundry...my Christmas cards are COVERING the dining room table... ;)

Karen...you ROCK!!!
Thanks so much for this post...especially in the midst of all the craziness of Christmas preparations!

Heidi said...

You are a woman after my own heart! If I write a book, it will be titled "Trash Under the Couch"! Seriously. You are spot on with this video. Trying to measure up just kills me- literally.

Resting in God's grace, accepting that He is enough- this is the one and only thing we need to do and convincing ourselves of the truth of it each and every day is hard enough without trying to figure out where the rats will fit in best with the decor.

And, by the way Karen- You painted the walls!?!!! Way. To. Go. !!!!

They look fabulous.

My house looks almost exactly like this, only it's the 1970's version without the walls freshly painted. Hee hee....Long live the trash under the couch! Pressure's off.

Heidi said...

I found this message so applicable, I wanted to share it over at my place today. Are you okay with that?

Angie Muresan said...

Karen, although your family room is not so well put together at the moment, it shows there's promise. Great color and room bone structure!
Kind of like we are, isn't it? Work in progress? Loved your message and your tour.

Karen Hossink said...

Amanda - OK, you need to remember this post when I come to visit you in March. Sometimes I send my hostess a photo of my house before I visit, because I DO NOT want her (you!) running around before I arrive trying to make everything "just so." Trying to live up to an expectation I DO NOT HAVE.
Deal?
My house is not perfect.
So we can just relax and have fun when I come to yours!

Gianna - So glad you were able to watch today! God's timing is always right on.
And I totally get what you're saying about trying to live up to your expectations of others. For so long I thought I was the ONLY one who was not perfect, and I tried so hard to be who I thought everyone else was. Yeah. I get you.

Larie - I'm so glad to know about your tub. You're awesome!!!

Patricia - Yay for your laundry basket and Christmas cards! They'll get taken care of eventually. And since the pressure's off, it'll be an easier task to handle. *grin*

Heidi - "Trash Under the Couch"
I LOVE IT!!!!!
I would by that and read it. *grin*
I am so thankful for God's unending grace. He keeps reminding me of it, and I just keep on needing it.
Yes. I am totally okay with you sharing this post. Always am!

Angie - Thanks. I like the color, too. Been living with dirty white for over two years...It's good to have something new. And clean. *grin*
Yep. I am a work in progress, for sure. And so thankful God is patient with me.

Kristin said...

Right on! I have such a tendency to compare myself to others, but, you know, even if I did have a clean house and well-behaved kids and a fabulous meal on the table...if my heart is still grumbling, the rest is worthless. So thankful for God's grace!

Edie said...

I'm guilty. I love this video and I love the way Mindy was looking at you with that look of "Who are you taking to?" LOL! My Tobi gives me that look a lot and I'm not making videos. :D

I am so not put together. My house is way to cluttered and my brain feels that way far more than I would like too. Oh for the pressure to be off and that we would all stop trying to impress.

Love your heart!

Karen Hossink said...

Kristin - Amen to that! Our hearts are so much more important that our appearance.

Edie - Yeah, Mindy was a little confused with me when I was walking around with the camera. *grin*

"stop trying to impress" Yes!!!

Mari said...

I'm here from 2Thinks and I'm so glad she shared this. I can sure relate!

Karen Hossink said...

Mari - Welcome! I'm so glad you visited. Hope you come back again!

Merrie said...

LOVE the honesty and openness! Thank you for releasing us to be real and "not well put together". Unfortunately, we all have a facade and we want to be perceived as well put together.
I am not. I am a mess most of the time. Life is dirty - no matter how hard we try. Thankfully our Father can clean us up!
Blessings!

Karen Hossink said...

Merrie - Ah, yes. I would love to be well put together. Would love to have confidence in who I am. But just like you, I am a mess most of the time.
Even so, I have confidence in who God Is. I know He is good enough to make me "good enough." And so I'm trusting Him.
Blessings to you, too, my new friend!

km said...

LOL! I'm Supermom on my profile. Not because I'm a 'Supermom' but because when I started the blog I was really struggling with being the 'supermom' I thought I wanted to be (Martha...the Mary & Martha meets M.Stewart)...and being the mom I really could be and doing it with joy. I've been in the process of taking off the mask and letting others see the real me...and there's such freedom with that. Thanks for sharing.

Winging It said...

VERY powerful. We all know this, that we are each fallible, carnal at times, in grateful receipt of GRACE, but, it's the elephant in the room of Christianity. Thanks for shining the living rom lamp on an important issue we can all relate to!

love,
Maria

Karen Hossink said...

KM - Yes. That's right! There is great freedom in taking our masks off.
And when we all do it? REAL freedom!

Maria - Why is it sometimes so hard to admit that we need grace? Yeah, the elephant in the room - everyone knows it's there, but no one wants to talk about it.
Well, my friend, I'm saying it. I am completely and desperately in need of God's grace. Every.single.day!
And I am so grateful that HE is so faithful. Every day He has enough grace for me. And for you!

Julia R. said...

thank you for sharing this with us (me) . . . it is really nice to know that you are REAL like I am . . . and that God loves us anyway (thank God!!)

Karen Hossink said...

Julia - You're welcome. *grin*
There have been times when I have looked at my REAL self and asked God WHY He loves me. But I'm learning to stop the questions, and just receive His love with thanksgiving. *peaceful sigh*