Reunited...and it feels so good!

I spent the weekend away finding a new home for our family. I had a wonderful time with a dear, dear friend; we shared a weekend of memories. We share a love of all things food. I spent the weekend introducing her to my favorite flavors in Colorado. It was excellent, but we are ladies that love our families. Home last night was a welcome sight. Our stomachs could not handle another meal, and we were ready for our own beds. More later on the trip. I woke up in fast forward. I had planned to have our family photographed. (slideshow soon to follow) Fortunately, we worked with the kindest, most gentle professional. We enjoyed an hour exploring a very cool old factory and just happened to have a few pictures taken. It was such a fabulous experience, I highly suggest anyone looking for some family pictures consider working with Jennifer Owens. She is so kind and patient. I am so thankful we managed to get this in before the big move. Things finally slowed down after lunch. We read our books, did our math, and I turned on the music. We enjoyed a dance party to The Cure and reconnected over our silly dance moves. I quickly wore out. I put Story in my lap and covered her face in kisses as I watched the others shake their tail feathers. Story proceeded to look at me and say sweetly, "you love me." I tell you I could have wept in that moment. I'm of the mind that I do, in fact, love to hear my children say they love me, but much more importantly, it is my job to love them. I did not have my children to fullfill some unmet need in myself. I enjoy these children, and understand it is my high calling to love them with the vast, and generous love that the Father has loved me with daily. She was at rest in my arms in my love, she looked in my eyes with such contentment knowing that love was overflowing with gratitude. How richly, richly blessed I am.

The hard truth of trust

I follow a good and trustworthy God. I daily face my own unbelief and weakness. I am about to enter a new season of life that will bring me face to face with my depravity. I am leaving what is known and comfortable and entering into the unknown. My exciting new and hard reality is one of faith and trust. I do not do this alone; I will be moving to Colorado Springs with my best friend and my four covenant children. Team Tippetts is about to enter a new season of life.

The next few days I'm heading to Colorado Springs with a most dear sister in Christ. We will get to have a weekend as a great final hoorah together. It will be sweet as we know the goodbye soon looms for us. The joy in goodbye among believers is that it will truly never be goodbye. Our daily activity in one anothers life will change, but our friendship will not. I have so many dear sisters here that have been such a blessing to my life. It is not going to be easy to leave such an amazing group of dear friends.

It is going to be very hard to leave this place. I have walked a hard road with trusted friends around me. My love has only grown through this past year. I rejoice that goodbye will be difficult as it is an indication of fondness and connection to Christ in a community. They are not bitter tears that I know I will be shedding, but rather, tears of love and gratitude in getting to know such excellent and amazing people through this season of my life.

As our family enters this exciting new season, I leave this place stronger from what I have learned here, richer than I could ever imagine in friendship, and greatful for the experiences in joy and pain I have had in my community. We have shared so many experiences in North Carolina we take with us. We came from the Rockies to North Carolina nine years ago young, naive, weak and ready to see what God had in store for us. We leave nine years later with more kids, more friends, more of Christ, naive, weak and ready to see what God has in store for us. We look to the future trusting Him to provide community for us in Rockies just as He has done for us in the Blue Ridge.

The hard truth of trusting God is that He is good all the time. Even in the pain of change. He is good in the providence that moves me 1,400 miles from what is known. He is good in the lonliness of entering a new place. He is good as He builds the community He desires for us in Colorado Springs. He is good, and trusting Him is my joy. Truly the hard truth is not hard at all. It is my thankful, wonderful, joyful privledge to follow Him as He has great things in store for this weak vessel that is Kara. I get to look forward with faith and backwards with gratitude.

Needful Truth

Psalm 73 21-28
When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me wit your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

Dazzle them with his love

He chose us out of his sheer grace and because he loves loving the unlovely. Because of his great love he deserves to be fully honored by us. This means that we transfer our entire trust (and keep transferring it over and over again) to him. This is faith. In the same way that you trust in him and not in yourself for your salvation, you can trust in him for the salvation of your children. You can give yourself grace, he's in control, he is loving, his plan is best. And you can give your children grace, too. Parenting with grace isn't another set of rules for you to follow. It's a story that you're to rejoice in. Share the story with your children. Show the savior. Show them Jesus. Dazzle them with his love. Elyse M. Fitzpatrich, Give them Grace


This book has been such a good book for my heart. It has reminded me of that first taste of grace I experienced. The joy of my salvation that had nothing to do with my merit. As we enter parenthood without guidance from our own upbringing, rules often feel safe and secure. We can easily slip back into the law with our parenting. This book has reminded me the Jesus is enough for today and all eternity. The law exposes our need for a savior, but it is the savior that will fulfill our hearts greatest longing. Jesus loves us specifically today. He loves my children more than I ever can comprehend. He will draw them with his love, not my pushing and prodding. I need to live transparently before my children in love with Jesus.

The law says, "do this," and it is never done. Grace says, "believe in this," and everything is already done. Martin Luther

Praise be...

A dear friend of mine called me yesterday to read me a quote from the bulletin of her new church. (paraphrase) Sometimes we spend so much time lamenting over a closed door that we forget to notice the door that has been opened wide. Oh, I have thought over that quote so much the last two days. It has convicted my heart and encouraged my focus. I need to leave the closed door to the Lord, only He can bring true peace to the hurt. But today, this day, He has opended amazing new doors to THIS day. For that, I'm thankful! Thank you for sharing that dearest Lois! It was just what the doctor ordered! I love you!!

life on the move....

there are moments in life in slow motion...
moments, seasons, you wish would pass quickly..
pain you would rather not feel,
moments that speed up without our knowing...
moments we meant to savor...
time we thought we cherished,
but just like that time passes...

even the hard, the hurt, the slow
is glorious..

life is speeding and at a crawl..
we live it here intentionally with kindness..
enjoying love...
Great, Glorious, Extravangent love
speed up you are going to slowly,
slow down, my head is spinning.

Constantly changing

The scripture says: "Do not be anxious about ANYTHING"

Anything? Truly, but what if you are? "In everything, with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

So, I'm not to be anxious, but rather pray. So simple, and yet so hard. We are in crunch time with various decisions to be made. I can hardly believe what the next six weeks could have in store for us. We simply have so many unanswered questions, but it's an exciting time.

Prayer, that's the key. And yet, I still feel anxious. It's an exciting time, I'm going to choose to embrace the unknown. But I will certainly rejoice when some of my questions are answered!