FUNKY SOCK MONKEYS

Last year Promise and I started making sock monkeys, never ones to be traditional we added our own twist.  Thus Funky Sock Monkeys was born.  Our idea isn't really new we use knee high socks in all colors and prints, embroider on faces and then dress and name them.  The fun part is no two ever come out alike.  We have placed them in Todd's shop and sold quite a few there along with some custom orders.  This year we hope to branch out, putting them on esty along with some other crafts and maybe even opening our own vendors booth.  The hope is to find a way to generate some extra income and build our own business.  It is important to take the skills and talents that God gave us and use them for His glory as we build our home, praying we will not be foolish or wasteful with the resources we have but wise resourceful and a blessing to all around us.

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. Proverbs 1:14

Splinters

posted on Facebook December 18, 2011

Splinters

by Kristy Kay Murrell Deloach on Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 8:36am

I have been told most of my life I am the extremely hard headed.  A friend said this to me the other day when I was really in a dark place and they were trying to help me out and I wasn't willing to listen.  Those words, brought back a memory of my mother who was the one who said I was hard headed the most, and that led to some deeper thoughts.

When I about 10 I had a splinter in my finger that was infected and hurting.  I went to mama about it and she said it had to come out and went to get a needle.  I took off running, out of the house and across the yard, no way she was going to stick that needle in my finger.  Mama came chasing after me, and she yelled, "Kristy Kay Murrell you are the most hard headed girl ever".    Finally she caught me held me down on the hood of our car and quickly got the splinter out.  The whole time I was screaming.  Then it was over, just like that over, it did not even hurt as bad a the splinter itself did.  Once it was out the healing began and within a week I had forgotten all about it till now.

So I came to this place of realizing that I am running, fighting and screaming in my heart when God is just trying to deliver me from something that is festering and hurting me.  The fact is it is going to happen, it has happened for my own good, I can either be held down and scream and fight or rest in His arms trusting my Heavenly Father that he only has the best for me.   Let Him quickly get the splinter out so the healing can began.

What the future holds, I do not know.  I can safely rest in this, My Heavenly Father loves me more than my mother ever did.  He will never leave or forsake me, I can just rest in His arms while He takes care of everything.  It will hurt for a bit but in the end the pain will be forgotten, He is doing this for my best.  I can say "It is well with my soul".

Kristy Kay Murrell Deloach
12/18/2011

"Though Satan should buffet, tho trials should come, let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate and hath shed His own blood for my soul. "

Our Train

First Posted early today on Facebook but wanted to put it on here too.

Our Train
Last week on our way to my sisters home in Denton, Tx for Christmas we past a train rolling down the tracks along side the the highway.  Compassion my 11 year old daughter became excited and yelled "Look at the train Promise!" then sat back in her seat and with a deep sad sigh proclaimed, "I miss our train."   She and Promise spent the next few miles chatting about trains and the one that runs a block behind our old home.  I did not think much of it till this morning.

While taking my morning walk enjoying the crisp winter air, the only sounds were the birds chirping finding their breakfast & cars humming down the main road as people rushed off to work, and I alone deep in my own thoughts then I heard it "Our Train".   Two miles is the distance from our new home and old. The train track is one block behind the old house.  I could hear the whistle blowing and in my mind went back to sweeter days I had forgotten.

Promise always loved the train, she would hear it long before anyone else.  I remember her being around 2 years old she would stop, tilt her head break into a huge grin, the run to the back bed room climb up on the bed and duck under the blinds the there she would sit till the last car clicked by.  Once Compassion was old enough to get around a play with Promise, Promise would drag her along in this little ritual pushing her up on the bed before climbing up her self.  If they were in the back yard they would stand at the fence and watch chattering away in their own special sister talk about it.

Then were the days when Todd would say, "Quick lets go meet the train!"  he would pick up the baby, Compassion I would grab Promise's hand and with Patience running along side we would all race down to the end of the block to stand and watch the train roll by, click clack, click, clack counting the cars.  The engineer would see us wave and give the whistle an extra tug.  Then after last car rolled by we would walk home laughing and talking, Compassion swinging between our hands, Promise slowly walking behind picking up every "flower" weed she could find and Patience skipping ahead, with me telling her to get out of the middle of the road and Todd telling me not to worry she will be fine.  Making sweet memories together as a family.

The girls never really paid attention to any other trains, just the ones that ran on that track.  I never really thought about it much until last week when Compassion's deep sigh and sad voice told me how special it was to them.  It is more than the train, it was home, comfort, love, and family.  A time when the world was right side up and laughter flowed freely when they felt safe, secure and loved.  When family was who we were and it seemed forever.   So as I listened to lonely whistle fade off in the distance I thanked God for the sweet memory of my family Todd, Patience, Promise, Compassion and I standing there together holding on to each other in love as we watched Our Train.  

These days, these memories are what I hold close in my heart as I wait for what God has next for us.  The thing about love is it never dies, it may fade, we may forget the good days, bitterness, hurt may cover up the sweetness and hide it for a time but only for a time.  Truly Satan's lies can only stand for so long before light and truth shine through.   These memories, are God's little gifts to me to remind me to keep the faith as I wait for Him to do His good work.

Kristy Kay Deloach
December 29, 2011

 Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with trouble.
 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted ox with hatred.  Proverbs 15:16&17

Learning to Dance

Ah, life has so many different tunes, some are slow and lazy, some have a quick step, some a happy and joyful then there are the sad songs, the melodies that wrench your soul and yet we must learn to dance to each tune as it is played.  It is those sorrowful melodies that are the most difficult to dance to, we want to stop everything and hide from the pain, often confused as to which way to turn.

My life has been playing that tune for a couple of years now and this past year and a half have been the hardest. To sum it up quickly my Todd beloved husband of 20 years made the choice to leave us his family and move on in life without us. Heartbreaking is not the word for this sorrow no words can express it.

In the first months I prayed like never before in my life, prostrate before my Lord, asking all the questions, how and why.  I poured out my anger, my sorrow, my pain.  Then one day that still small voice whispered ever so sweetly in my ear, are you finished. "Yes, Lord", was my reply.  He then said listen to what I have to say. He brought me to his Word,  

Luke 15, 8-10 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. 

For the first time I saw a glimmer of hope. Could it be true that which is lost can it be restored?  A few days later I was lead to the web site Rejoice Marriage Ministries (http://rejoiceministries.org/) and there read the story of this couple whose story was so much like mine and Todd's in many ways yet God restored their marriage and gave them a ministry to encourage others.  I saw hope, a gleam of hope, yet my journey had just begun.  Even as God gave me hope for the end of this journey He also showed me it was going to be a long and difficult road.  

Journal Entry Dec 27,2010  God woke me early this morning from my sleep He told me many things.

1) He loves me, He sees my pain and holds my  tears.

2) He loves me Todd and sees his hidden heart.

3) He will take care of Todd and I need to leave him in His hands.

4) King David left God for his own sin and there was a time before God rebuked him and  there will be a time before God is ready to bring Todd back to Himself and me.

5) God has work He is doing on me, He is refining me to make me more like Him, The fire hurts and burns but in the end there will be joy.

6) He is working on Todd to refine him as well.

7) Todd is my husband and I should not resit him but obey and walk close to Jesus.

8) The new house will be a blessing, God is getting the perfect one ready for me.

9) Best of all "Now Kristy go get you daughters up go to you husband, I have much for you to do."

He did have much for me to do, the new house was found, move was made, so many other things I can't began to list this past year. This I have learned and am still learning when God says something it is a promise, a promise that will not fail, you can hold on to it.

For now the family is broken, new home for the girls and I and in many ways a new life that is strange and foreign. One of my daughters chose to live with her father, the other two with me.  He has moved on with a new woman and even a new baby.  Yet as a dear friend reminds me almost weekly we must dance on in life.

The music will keep playing and I Kristy must learn to live without half of me joyfully serving the Lord, mothering the girls, singing praises to God, trying new things and going on adventures until I see my promise from God.

A few weeks ago I was in a dark place and a wise friend wrote me these words. 

"And that thing about just live your life? I think you do know what it means. Until He leads you somewhere, do the laundry to His glory; feed the girls to His glory; clean your house to His glory; finish those cute sock monkeys to His glory; read the Word, fellowship with the brethren, worship Him in song - all to His glory. Do the shopping, get the appliances repaired, sweep the porch - whatever presents itself before you, do it all to His glory. Cry to His glory; laugh to His glory; bury your head in your pillow to His glory! I know, sounds crazy. But it's true. And know that you are not alone."

This is what it means to learn to dance. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24) And dance we shall we may fall down sometimes but we will get back up and keep going until we reach the end our journey and are home with Jesus.