Psst ...

                                  
                                    this Saturday is downtown market
                   and for those those of you who know me well ...

                               you know that i am pulling all nighters

                                                                 i am 

cramming everything i should have been getting done last week

 into these next few days

*sigh*

i thrive on the last minute

it.is.out.of.control

how i thrive on waiting til the last minute

this Saturday i will be at a new location

on 5th street next to green square park 

stop by and see me  and be sure and stop by Early Bird for a coffee. 

because those Early Bird Folks ... well... they are just some kind of wonderful

xo

p.s ... tell everyone !


p.s.s ... to listen to my music click the play button at the bottom of the page

gatherings by kate ford

will be at the

downtown market

june 2^nd & 16th

august 4^th

sept 1^st & 21^st

reinventing found items not only recycles the old... but brings beauty to those pieces that possess a story.

for those of you familiar with the downtown

i will be located on 2nd street

the first two market dates in june

and on 5th street next to Green Square Park

the following dates.

you can view a map of the market here



the list ...

beds for four kids

a bed for mom

sheets

blankets

shower curtain

bathroom things

dishes

microwave

clothes for new born baby boy

car seat

living room furniture

soap

tissue

bleach

laundry things

laundry basket

throw rugs

pillows

pretty much anything and everything that makes a home

*sigh*

this was her list

the list of my son's best friend's mom

a mom who only days ago was homeless

shuttling her four children place to place

and she is 7 months pregnant

a lady who just yesterday ... stood in front of me saying 

i just do not understand why you are helping me?

and as tears fell down her cheeks

she looked at me and said

Kate i am nothing

you see i know a lot of you maybe reading this and thinking

well ...

stop having kids

where is the husband

why is this my problem

get a job

isn't this why there is Federal assistance

and as i stood there in this dirty apartment landing

in a less than pretty part of Cedar Rapids

holding the hands of a woman who described herself as nothing

i felt shame

IT IS NOT MY JOB TO JUDGE ... IT IS MY JOB TO LOVE

to show

HIS LOVE

and so i hugged her and as i did i whispered in her ear

you are not nothing

you are loved

you are desired

you are worth far more than all of this

and HE is gonna show you

1 Samuel 12 ...

now stand still and see the great things the Lord

is about to do before your eyes!

if you would like to contribute any of the items above or

feel it in your heart to give and help secure a place for her

and her family to call home

email me at kbsibed@aol.com 

once your eyes have been opened

you can not pretend like you do not see

God who knows your heart and weighs your soul knows that you know

and holds you responsible to act. Proverbs 24:12



Blessed ...

 

this week my eyes have been opened

...

it is so easy sometimes to get into your little routine

life is back to somewhat normal here in the Ford house

kids are healthy

husband home from deployment

we are starting on some home improvments

er...

finishing some home improvments that i started long ago

kids are doing well in school

paying debt off

adjusting ... attempting to adjust to life without my father

things are good.

really good

and then ...

one day last week my eyes were opened

you see my son Sib has a new bff

and by bff i mean ... joined at the hip ... belly laughing ... can we play everyday

kinda bff

and this child is the kind of child you dream of your child having

as a bff

beautiful manners

tells Sib to be nice to his sister

just brings this light to our home every time he is here

my kids adore him

i adore him

 then this week i discovered that this beautiful child

has no home

this beautiful child goes from homeless shelter to homeless shelter

with his mama and brothers and sisters

night after night

and yet despite his circumstances

despite the fact that he has said his mama gave away all his toys

despite that every time i drop him off he is staying somewhere new

he is joy

he has this beautiful light that just shines

and last night on our way home from dropping him off 

and after stopping to pick up our $90.00 worth of organic food ...

and getting in our perfectly running suv

and getting all my healthy kids buckled in their car seats

and sliding the expensive hand held video game off of my seat

i sobbed

how blessed are we ... how much we take for granted

 every.single.day

and i know this and yet ...

 every.single.day

 i take it for granted

a beautiful home

a solid husband

healthy children

food

money in our account

family

clothing options

we have been tithing to this family we have been praying for this family

this family

needs to feel love

HIS love.

and today i pray that He ... continues to guide

continues to provide

continues to open people's heart

including my own

to just showing HIS love.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." Prov. 24:12



35 and some goals ...

this past weekend
i turned
... gulp ...

35

yes ... i am now officially in my mid thirties

and I am ... okay with that.

but i was thinking last night of a few good goals ...
a few things i wanna become better at ... 
a few things that i want to focus more on ...

1. take more pictures

2. maybe give Pilate's a try

3. save my pennies for the beach

4. learn to sew

5. family comes first ALWAYS

6. write more letters

7.  HE must become greater ... i must become less John 3:30

8. read more

9. tell those who i love in my life why i love them in my life
10. God... others ... myself - in that order
11. be a better listener
12. when a friend stops over ... stop what i am doing and just enjoy the conversation
13. Answer all phone calls ... exp. from friends and family... never hit ignore
... gulp ...
i mean not that i ever do ... hit ignore ... gulp ...
14. Be still and know that HE is God
15. allow myself to be more in the moment
16. let my light shine
17.  tackle something new ... for instance today that would be replacing the whole inner part of my upstairs toilet... gulp ... good thing my mama is here and unlike me
good thing she tends to finish things until completed.
18. finish more projects that i start... er ... or maybe just finish the ones i have already started.
19. start each day in the word
20. just simply ... love.


xo

All in a name ...

i am in love with something i have been working on

it's a piece for my own home

a piece that is so personal ... so emotional for me

you see i believe that ...

 sometimes decorating your home does not mean

to fill it with items you have purchased

or items that hold no meaning

too often i feel you walk into someones home and you have no idea who they are

you get no view into the person who actually lives there

what their interests are ... where they came from... what they enjoy

and i am a big believer

in that your home ... well it should tell your story

your home should be made and not bought

a home needs to reflect your heart ... your loves...



and well this piece ...

a beautiful copy of my father's third grade

cursive handwriting skills

which also includes the month i was born

yes ...

this piece speaks my heart

xo



One day at a time ...

so today i woke up and as i started my morning

... after only a few hours of sleep

i was looking back on all that has been going on these past few months ...

my father passing away

my husband coming home only to leave again

meeting my new niece from Sierra Leone Africa

a good friend announcing that her husband and her are divorcing

my aunt getting news that the cancer currently in her bones is stable

er visits

re connecting with an old friend

and the list could go on and on ...

i thought of one of my favorite scriptures

... this is the day the Lord has made let us REJOICE and be glad in it

Psalm 118:24

 

did you catch that part ... REJOICE.

this is the day the Lord has made let us REJOICE and be glad in it.

you see regardless of what we may be facing ... regardless

of how hard it is or how much maybe we do not understand it

we are to REJOICE.

and honestly ... on certain days that's a tough one.

there are days that i just simply do not feel like rejoicing... days when

i do not want to hear about someones problems... days i long to be having

a conversation with my dad... days i just want to be able to laugh with my husband

days when i simply just want to say ... i m done

and yet there also are the good days...

the days when you see your daughter playing with her new cousin ...

a cousin that only months ago

 was close to death and living at an orphanage in Africa

the days when thru technology your kids are able to show their dad...

who is at war in Iraq ...  their new shoes over skype

the days when i think of my father and i simply smile without tears

yes ...

... this is the day the Lord has made , let us REJOICE and be glad in it

the good days...

the bad days ...

HE has made.

xo

p.s  back to decor soon. promise.

Simple ...

Monday inspiration ...

i love.

Happy week to you all

xo

( photo by Hem )

Orange

inspiration

i am in love with this orange perfectly imperfect chair

*sigh*

in love ...

enjoy your day!

xo

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it ...

Psalm 118:24



the Army Cot ...

i love ...

busy day here today ...

i hope your day is great

xo



Let's begin again ...

my thoughts have been consumed lately ...

my life has been busy

i have been checked out ... checked in and back out again

it's a one day at a time kind of time for my family and I

...

a lets just see what the day brings kind of time

...

but ...

He never said there would be no suffering... He said Rejoice in your suffering.







He never said there would be no times of feeling weak ... He said delight in weakness






He never said there would be no hardships ... He said delight in hardships.






When I Am Weak, He Is Strong !






Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

xo

( photos by me and Alice )

Saturday ...

                                                           

                                                          A lazy day here today ...

kids are playing ... i'm finishing up

re-arranging my bedroom

and we are heading to a movie a little bit later

have a great weekend everyone!

xo



A girl ...

there is a girl ...

and she is loved by me

she

in her own spirited way, brings to me what i have been needing

a friendship

a love

a soft place to land

an ear that can sift through my ramblings

a second set of hands with the kids

an eye for junk

an excitement over the perfect rescued find

honesty

REALNESS

a i am who i am kind of attitude

she can come visit on a whim

she can change my day with one comment

she is family

and today i miss her.

these images remind me of her ...

my Kelsey Rose

xo



all in the details ...

i could look at these photos all day ...

taking in every little detail

they inspire me so much

these images are from one of my favorite

Swedish blogs that i follow

i.love.them

have a happy day!

xo



Rejoice ...

i think ...

no actually i know

i am a pretender

i like to pretend that things are great...

i like to pretend that this deployment is all going to be good

that i will not be discouraged ...

pretend that we will not be affected

and yet ...

deep inside... way down i know the truth

we are going to go through ups and downs

we are going to have days of deep lows

days of nothing but heartache and tears

and that... is truth

you see God never says it will all be an easy walk

he says ...

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God... Not only so

but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know

that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character

and character, hope.

Romans 5:1-5

and today i continue on ...

rejoicing

in my kids ... in the fact that first thing this morning i was able

to hear my husband's voice on the line...

rejoicing in friendships

looking out my window last night to see a friend

scraping off my snow covered car ...

receiving a perfectly timed email of encouragement ...

neighbors shoveling my sidewalks

good girlfriends bringing pizza and Starbucks

friends stopping only to give a quick hug

yes ... today i will continue to REJOICE!

knowing that even on the days of suffering ...

 He is here

He is whispering in the ears of those around me, He is providing

encouragement ... He is doing just as He promised He would

demonstrating His love

xo





Admit one ...

it has been awhile ...

i am adjusting to this new life

and to be honest some days i feel like this is exactly what i need

or deserve ...

a admit one ticket to the 4th floor... the mental ward

but everyday ... i discover more about me

more about my limits...

more about digging deeper than i ever thought i could go  ...

more about my relationships with friends and with family

and

 everyday i learn more about this man whom i love

i have discovered just how much he carries for this family ...

i discover just how much light he brings to us ...

how everyday at 5pm the kids and i both feel this heartache

knowing he is not going to be walking through that door ...

at least not today

...for when i am weak, HE is strong

my intentions were not to turn this into a blog about deployment

or a blog about my personal life

and yet

right now ... it is hard to focus on much else

my thoughts ... my heart ... my days

they are consumed

completely consumed with what can i do today to make

the kids not focus on their dad being gone ...

what can i do today to keep my mind busy so i ...

do not focus on him being gone

and we continue on ...

TRUSTING

OBEYING

STANDING FIRM

on HIS solid ground ... his own words

the ones that say ...

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT

ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING

BUT IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM

AND I WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.

Proverbs 3:5-6

yes ... we continue on

one day at a time we continue on

xo

 ...

all wrapped up ...

wrapping 101 ...

think outside the box when wrapping your holiday gifts

this year ...

some of my wrapping favorites are ...

old brown bags

newspaper

twine

greenery off the tree

an old pillow case tied at the top

yes ... think outside the box!

stay warm today my friends

xo