Wednesday, October 28, 2009

YOUR BLOG DESIGN STINKS!

That, my dear friends, is a paraphrase of what MY OWN HUSBAND said to me this morning! Can you believe it? I told him this was going to be my blog topic for today but I don't think he believed me.
Am I hurt or upset? Goodness NO! He says things like that because he KNOWS what I'm capable of and he pushes me to do my BEST!
So, keep looking for a new blog design!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FALL

Fall and winter are my favorite times of the year! I get happier...my mood lifts and stress decreases. It's all because I cannot tolerate South Georgia heat and humidity so by the time we actually experience fall I am past ready. Here are some other reasons why I love fall:

1. Falling leaves. I LOVE driving/walking outside when the wind is blowing and leaves are swirling all around. It's almost romantic.

2. Mums! I love them but Scott doesn't care for them too much so we don't have them. I love the various colors and designs in the petals.

3. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Scott patrons Starbucks almost daily. My heart smiles when I get that phone call or text: "PSL has arrived at Starbucks today."

4. Fall Porch Decor. Women in the south who have an eye for all things fashionable are experts at fall porches. Since we do not have the blessing of watching leaves change colors here in the south we have to re-create the process. Oranges, browns, reds and greens adorn most house fronts.

5. The fair. Complete with a hot dog and elephant ear. When I was younger I would go on all the rides that turn you upside down and inside out but I can't do that anymore. I guess it's just part of aging.

6. The morning sky. It's different in the fall. I love waking up to crisp, cool air and a purple and pink sky. God paints those for us, you know! Isn't He good?!?!

7. The nighttime. I love the time around 4pm when the sun falls slightly to cast shadows in my home that only happens in the fall. Then, it becomes dark much sooner than the summer. It almost slows life down. For the Kavanaugh family, slowing down is a welcomed thing!

8. Turtlenecks & Sweaters. Most people around the country pull these out in September. Not us! In the south you might be lucky enough to pull them out in October. I love turtlenecks and sweaters!

9. Cornbread Dressing. I grew up loving cornbread dressing and we only had it twice a year - Thanksgiving and Christmas. When I got married that was one of the first dishes that I had to learn to make. At first I followed my grandmother's and mother's recipe but eventually I made it my own. Scott says it's the best he's ever had...even told my Grandmother and Mom that....can you believe it!?

10. Pumpkin Pie. This is an indulgence of mine that can only occur a few times a year or I'd be bigger than a house! You know the Philosophy brand of shower gel? The Pumpkin Pie shower gel has a recipe for Pumpkin Pie on the bottle....go try it! I'm just sayin'! Granddaddy Kavanaugh had a saying when he ate something good......Pow Budduh!

11. The Today Show. This is weird, I know. But honestly, the show is more interesting to me in the fall. Maybe it's because they have segments that pertain to my favorite time of year...comfort foods, fall fashion, etc. At any rate, it's more enjoyable to watch in the fall.

Monday, October 26, 2009

I HAVE AN ADDICTION!

It's official...I'm addicted! If my husband would have been with me he would have died of embarrassment...just hearing the story almost did him in! I was in Sunday School by myself yesterday. EK is feeling a bit under-the-weather and Scott stayed home with her. Like all good Southern Baptists we eat each week in Sunday School...and where there is food there must be beverages. While I was in the beverage line looking at my options my eye was caught by the big black and hot pink......BOX TOP! It was calling my name from the Juicy Juice bottle...just staring at me, begging to be torn off! Of course, I couldn't just rip the thing off because it could have been brought in by another mom with a Box Top addiction who was planning to clip it and send it into her child's school. So, I tried, with as much discretion as I could to ask around..."Do you know who brought this Juicy Juice in?" Well, discretion only lasted for so long...people wanted to know WHY I wanted to know! When I told them, I was amazed to find that the other moms understood my plight! Eventually, I found that the bottle belonged to a friend whose child is in preschool. So, I ripped that box top right off and stuck it in my Bible!


Is that sad?!?!.....wait, don't answer that! :)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Uncommon!

I was visiting one of my favorite blogs tonight and found this post by Lysa TerKeurst, founder of Proverbs31 Ministries. Having two daughters, a lot of these things are already on my prayer list for them.

Rise above the girlish chatter and gossip. When people talk about others in hushed whispers, they are saying nothing but how insecure they are about themselves. Be uncommon sweetheart.

Rise above the daily beauty contest. You can't see it now, but you have the makings of a gorgeous woman inside and out. Be uncommon sweetheart.

Rise above the incessant need most teens have for someone else validate your worth. No boy will ever be capable of truly making you feel pretty, witty, and loved. Let Jesus fill up those spaces in your heart and eventually show you a boy worth your time. Be uncommon sweetheart.

Rise above the talk about first kisses and stolen moments. Realize how precious and priceless your purity is. What a beautiful thing it is that you still have the gift of a first kiss to give. Be uncommon sweetheart.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

THE GOD WHO SEES ME!

Have you ever felt insignificant? Like people seem to look past you and never know you are there? There have been times in my life that I have felt invisible. Dismissed. Not good enough. Ignored. Disliked. Uncared for.

Remember Hagar? God had promised Abraham that He would bless him with descendants that outnumbered the stars in the sky. When a child didn’t come immediately, Sarah took matters into her own hands. The result was a child fathered by Abraham through Hagar. The Bible tells us that Hagar became embittered with Sarah because Sarah had used Hagar to get what she wanted. Ultimately, Sarah treated her so badly that Hagar fled into the wilderness.


Let’s pause here for a moment and look at a few things. First, imagine what Hagar must have been feeling. She had been used and disregarded. Has that ever happened to you? A friend or loved one uses you for the sole purpose of their own good? It’s not a warm feeling is it? Second, scripture doesn’t tell us just how far along Hagar is into her pregnancy. At any rate, she is in the wilderness…alone…maybe even feeling insignificant given the circumstances. But what happens next captures my heart.


The Angel of the Lord appeared to her and asked, “…where have you come from and where are you going?” Hagar says hat she is fleeing from Sarah. The Angel of the Lord tells her to return to Sarah and submit to her. He also said that He would make the number of her descendants too many to count. Her son would be called Ishmael. He also described Ishmael’s temperament and future. What Hagar says next is the most worshipful and meaning statement to me… “You are a God Who sees,” or “You are the Living One who sees me.” Can you imagine feeing insignificant and dismissed and suddenly having an encounter with your Creator that lets you know beyond any doubt that you are significant to Him?


I don’t have to imagine it…I know first hand. I remember the day. When His love for me became so personal it was overwhelming. I realized that God…loves…ME. He sees ME. I’m not just an abstract thought in His mind or a blip on His radar. He’s active in every moment of my life. Like Hagar, the encounter left me changed forever.


How glorious is our God!
Genesis 16 and Psalm 139

Monday, October 19, 2009


R.I.P my dear fuzzy slippers! Anyone who has worked backstage with me at any event is well aquainted with them. They have served their purpose well but much to my husband's delight they have bitten the dust. Now, I must find a new pair to carry on the job!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

This morning I am sitting at my computer wearing my comfortable robe. I am minutes away from brewing a wonderful smelling pot of coffee. I have gotten my children ready for school and sent them off on their way with my husband. On my agenda today: finish some design work, go to a hair appointment, run school play rehearsal and work on the details of the Spooky Goulash Bash for over 200 children. Somewhere in there I may even get a chance to have lunch with a friend. Oh, and there is a certificate in my wallet for a pedicure...if I felt like cramming that in as well.

Do you know what breaks my heart? There is a girl in Cambodia right now who is locked up and sitting in a dark room waiting in terror for the next man who will come in and rape her. Minutes, maybe hours after that, the next one will come in...and the next...and the next. That is her day.


I sit here free...in every sense of the word. I am free to do all of those things I mentioned earlier. Free to hug my children and my husband. Free to get in the car and drive to see a friend or just to be pampered at a salon. I also have the ultimate freedom of living in Jesus Christ.

I've been extremely burdened over the last few days for these women who are experiencing the darkest, most vile evil I can imagine. As a Christian, I am heartbroken and moved with compassion. As a woman, I am infuriated. The problem of human trafficking is so much bigger than me but God has spoken to my heart that I can do something. From where ever I am, at any point of my day, I can pray. Is my faith so immature that I have forgotten that is the MOST powerful thing I can do? Is my unbelief so big that I forget at any moment Jesus Christ can make a way of escape for these women and children? In the midst of the tragedy God IS good! He alone can reach the women that I cannot.

Please pray! Pray for their salvation - physically and spiritually. Ask God to burden your heart. Ask Him to remind you of their plight when you have forgotten.

"Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked."

Psalm 82:4

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The bow on the Package!

I love fine things. I’m not sure what events fostered this in my life as my taste has always far out-weighed my wallet. I love rich colors. I love fine fabrics. I love rare flowers. I would walk over hot coals for diamonds and sapphires. At the perfume counter, you can bet I’m going for the most luxurious smell with the highest price tag. I don’t set out to want the most expensive…it just happens. I’ve figured out the reason I love finer things is mostly because they have a quality that sets them apart from the rest. My favorite line is they have a quality that is the bow on the package.

That’s another thing I love, by the way – gift wrap! I’m a sucker for it. Cute gift bags with brightly colored…or better yet, patterned tissue. Uniquely shaped giftboxes with just the right design just makes my heart happy! But my favorite thing by far has always been the bow! Each Christmas this is evident. I drive my husband and children nuts trying to determine what our gift wrap theme will be so that I can find the perfect ribbon. These can be tense moments because my hubby leans toward non-traditional colors (think blues and even black) while I like to stick with more traditional (reds, green, lime green, etc). We both agreed a long time ago that when the Kavanaughs give a gift to someone the wrapping was going to be a force to contend with! Our first Christmas as a married couple was my favorite! We had no money for the kind of wrapping that we wanted…ribbon was a luxury. We disliked (and still do) the premade, shiny, sticky bows. So, I spent hours cutting the wrapping paper into ¼” strips of paper and curling them into ribbon which I sewed together with a needle and thread. It was the prettiest bow I had ever seen! Thank goodness, our budget has allowed for real ribbon for the past several years…and each gift gets one ( a handmade bow). Why go to so much trouble? Because the person receiving the gift is worth it!


I was in a meeting a few weeks ago with a very good friend and a new client. The friend called the meeting together to discuss design options for the new client’s Christian newsletter. My friend said, “The secular world is driven by excellent packaging/ marketing of their products. They work to have the best designs, colors, prints, etc. As Christians shouldn’t we want the best packaging for our ‘product’?”


So, I’ve made that question personal over the last few weeks. What does my “packaging” of Christ look like to the world? Do I give it my personal best or do I make do with shiny, sticky bows? Can the world tell from looking at my “work” that there is a Creator bigger than me? Can they look at my actions and my speech and know that I am walking in such a way as to give glory to God? Can they look at my home and tell that the Lord of my life is a God of order and worthy of my best? Can my husband and children look at my packaging and know all of these things? (ouch!)


Why go to so much trouble? Because the gift that I display to the world is the most valuable, most expensive gift they could ever possess. He is worth the finest packaging. Don’t you agree?