Straightner keeper...Get'em at karenskidz etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42502362

Happy Birthday my sweet daughter!!!

At the age of 19 I had been married 6 months and 3 months pregnant with our first child. Oh my how the time flys!

Looking at our daughter...our 4th child and second daughter...she is such a beautiful girl inside and out. Today she is 19 and in no way near ready to be married or have a child. But I have faith that God has a great plan for her. She was the easiest baby out of all of our children...with 4 kids under the age of 5 God knew I needed her to be easy. She loves to make others laugh and finds joy in helping others. She has such a heart for the needy and the poor...that she jumps at every opportunity to serve. As a child she always said she wanted to be a missionary when she grew up. This summer I hope she has the opportunity to go on the short term mission trip to Guatemala...maybe this will pave the way for long term missions.

My dear sweet Sarah...I can not began to tell you how blessed I am to have you for a daughter. Your tender heart towards others has been an inspiration to my own heart. Who would have thought 19 years ago in Memphis ,Tennessee that this little bald headed easy going little girl would grow up to have such a servants heart? I pray that God will continue leading you down the very path that He has planned. That you will continue to seek Him as your source of strength and wisdom as you prepare for your future. I pray that your heart becomes so lost in God... that your future husband has to seek God in order to find you...may this next year bring you closer to your maker than you ever thought possible! For the day when He calls your name...I pray your ears are tuned to the one who made you in His image.

Happy Birthday Sarah,
I love you,

MOM

He knows my name...

I know when we had our first child...we were looking through all the name books for months! What a responsibility that is...and we have had the honor of repeating this 9 times...naming someone who will carry that name for the rest of their lives. A name that God will use when he calls...A name that will hopefully one day be written in the Lambs Book of Life! When naming our children, my first consideration was the combination of the first, middle and last name. How does it sound all together? Will he or she be teased? What is the meaning of the said name ? But the one thing that really stood out to me was...this is the name that my Lord has known before they were even a thought...a name that He will use one day to call them into His presence!

Have you ever thought what you would do if you meet someone with your same first and last name? I know when I meet someone with the same first name I feel somewhat of a connection. Our names are important ...they have meaning. Your name says a little something about you...just look up the meaning of your name. God knew our names before we were conceived! He had a purpose for our chosen name. I am so guilty of hearing a name and thinking...What were they thinking? God knew! He knows each and every name....no matter how many there may be. He knows us individually!

My husband recently did an experiment on Facebook....he friended all the people listed on Facebook with the same name as himself. At first I thought this was weird to be friending people he didn't know. But as I have seen the response and postings to his Facebook wall... it no longer seems strange. It's really interesting to see so many people with the same name. I laugh when I read his wall on Facebook...it kind of looks as though he's talking to himself! LOL!

If God knows me by name...how does he keep all the Karen Holcombes straight?

God knows my name...He knows the very number of hairs on my head. One day He will call my name...how many Karen Holcombes will come running? It will be exciting to see how many different mes there will be on that day!

Seven Sisters...party of 7 !!!

I keep asking myself ...Why would God bless me with 7 daughters? Girls are a lot of work!!!!! So many things,stuff, emotions....put them all in a room on a bad day and I just want to run away! Put them all in a room on a good day... we laugh until we cry. Each of them are unique with their own style and personality. When I look at them I see future wives...moms...aunts. I see women following after their maker as they serve Him wholeheartedly. Who knows what plans God has for our daughters? I just pray God will use them to share His love with the world. To be a light to other women...sisters...nieces.
May 2010 will change this 7 sister party...our oldest will be marrying her love. As she paves the way for her younger sisters,walking the road of grown married women with homes of their own , I pray they find ways to still connect with this ever so special party of 7.

Seeds of worship...

I found this website this morning and just had to pass it along. These are not just for kids! Great way to memorize scripture while praising the Lord! You can listen to all 5 CD's in full length by clicking on the airplane banner at the top.




http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net/about_familytree.html

Happy Birthday Honey!!!!

I love this man!

The 8th of 9 kids...Named after his Dad...born on his brother's birthday...former Naval Academy midshipman...builder and now the father of 9 married to his wife for 25 years . We met when I was 17 and he was 26. A decade between the two of us ....but a lifetime of love following after our maker.

Kelley is the smartest most patient man that I know...we have 7 daughters! I have seen him go from builder to Federal employee. We have traveled many places and met many people because of those career changes. A few years ago he received his Masters degree while holding down a full time job and raising a family...our 9th was born just 1 1/2 months after he graduated. God knew I needed Kelley to walk this road with me. I say the age difference is because God needed extra time to prepare him to be married to me!

As we step into this next phase of life ...I can't wait to share many more birthday weeks with the man who has brought to my life adventure and love!

I love you Kelley Holcombe!

To honor and respect.....

Respect and honor...two very self centered, proud, but humbling words. Do we deserve it,need it,desire it,expect it or even display it in our every day walk?

How do we obtain respect or honor? How do we show it to our friends,family and even strangers? My husband and I have been teaching our 1st and 2nd grade class on Sunday mornings. Honor has been a virtue they have been learning for the past few months. Kids are so honest...their answers to this question are so fresh. With our daughter 3 months away from her wedding day...I have been thinking about the meaning of these words a little deeper. She is about to experience respect and honor in a real way! I'm still learning after 25 years of marriage. Not only does marriage teach you...but children have a way of forcing you to learn! It's kind of like the saying.."In order to have friends you have to be a friend." Those things I desire from others...love ,honor, respect and friendship...I must first initiate in order to receive them.

1st Corinthians 13...4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails..................
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.