…and the winner is of the super hip glasses that make you feel good and look good while you wear them is… I was so encouraged by all of your definitions of LOVE. I am so grateful for you all!
Category Archives: Personal
Today my Dad surprised me with a visit! We went to lunch at a quaint cafe here in Nashville NC and then we took a drive. As we were sitting in his red chevrolet truck, you know the kind that are so big that people automatically respect you when they see you coming, he took…
thank you love. I hope you are doing well. Maybe we could see each other in the coming days! I would love that!
Love this! <3
Thank you! I know…who knew?! Name changing runs in the family 
great post! Really great post! Loved every word and photo. cooke… who knew!
Aw……………so sweet!
Love gives and it gives and it gives. This month’s one for you, one for me has completely humbled me. I have been so inspired reading all of your comments. I am amazed by love. It is a mystery to me and I think as long as I live I will be in awe of…
I gave up facebook for lent, but when my husband showed this to me last night, I had to log on to share. Bonnie is my daughter and I had no idea she had done this untill my husband ran across the story. Can you imagine how proud I am of my daughter? WOW! I cried with pride and joy when and each time I have read this. But I am not surprised. Bonnie is such a loving, caring and God fearing person. and Kia is as well. Kia is the sweetest and kindest person you could ever hope to come in contact with. I love both you girls! My cup runneth over!
This could not have gone to a more deserving person! Congratulations Kia, you are truly a gift from God for our Ryan. Thank you Kristin and Bonnie for honoring our sweet Kia.
This tiny little box, smooth and black with the smallest press of gold letters detailing where it is from arrived on my step on Saturday. I twirled this little box between my fingers. Around and around. Give a little love by Rilo Kiley, playing in the background, (good music enhances the experience of everything) I pulled the…
I am so inspired by your response and your heart is so beautiful. I have no doubt that you are shining bright. This is a real struggle I believe for many women and I respect your honesty to say… I am going to receive where I am, and soak up every minute of it, love my days and who I am in them. Time expands when we receive with gratitude. This is a lesson I too am learning. Press on in being so radiant. You truly shined some beauty into my cold wintery head!
I am with you on this one. God hears and He is the one that has the power to act, intervene and change lives. He raises the dead!! Love you girl!
I am for fostering strong marriages and I love this display of fighting for what matters in your relationship. To get away, woo and adore each other. Beautiful!!
Im so sorry to hear that kia if there is anything we can do to help let me know i would be happy to help you are family and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for family. Have you gotten the ring yet.
Miss you, Kristin Shyla Cook!
I am bringing a meal over to a friend who just had a baby. I am, also, slowing down to laugh and love on my kids more this week.
I don’t know if this is how you enter. So I thought I would give it a try 
Such a sweet idea and lovely ring! We are having a couple over for dinner tomorrow night that we met in our adoption classes… and I’m cooking… which will hopefully be loving… Ha
Well! It’s true.
This made me cry, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
If I win this ring, I will give it to my dear friend Kia Rieber whom also entered the contest. Her love for her family, friends and daughter are amazing! The love that she shows her family, and supporting her husband is the kind of love we should all have for one another. This is how I would share my love.
I am going to continue showing my love to my dear husband. He is back in the hospital due to a complication that arose after having a nerve stimulator implanted that is supposed to help his seizure activity. I have been asked time and time again how I am holding up and all I can think is how painful and frustrating this has been for my husband. I am also going to show love to my 2 year old daughter who does not understand why daddy hasn’t come home yet. If I won this ring, I would use it as a reminder that no matter how difficult these next few months will be for us, love will get us through it! I am currently holding my husbands hand while he silently weeps for time and memories lost to this unfair disease. I wish everyone the best of luck on winning something as beautiful as this ring and thank you Kristin for reminding us all about how important love is.
I’m showing love by sending notes of encouragement to a few people in my church. I also will show love, if I win, by giving this sweet ring to my youngest (19y/o) daughter. I makes me think of her and I want her to know she has my heart.
I have a chance to show love to my husband by going on an overnight getaway with him (our last before baby #4 arrives!). He has made it a priority to take time off to go out of town, so I want to spend the time fully focused on him, listening to his heart, talking with him, being quiet with him, laughing and sharing and kissing and more He loves me so well, and has cared for me so well during this pregnancy that I want to bless him in return, without being distracted by kids or facebook or anything else.
This week I’m going to love on someone by praying for them to be able to overcome the obstacles they have in front of them and hope that one day they will find the unconditional love and support that Jesus has for them.
I want to LOVE this week by choosing my words more carefully and intentionally with my husband, kids and friends. So often I flap my mouth and say things that are not gracious, kind or thoughtful. It is from out of my heart in which my mouth speaks, so I pray that my heart would be filled up with reminders of God’s love for me and that it would flow out unto others via my speech!
We just hosted some folks from baptist global response to figure out how to best go forward in loving the battered/abandoned women and children in our community that are reduced to begging and death. Community transformation is a long, slow, hard process that we are endeavoring in to empower them to help themselves.
I want to show more love by spending more of my ‘chore’ time playing with my son. I always feel the need to be doing things around the house, when all he wants to do is play trucks! I’m going to make a more conscious effort to put off those chores a little more, because one day he won’t need or want to play with me anymore!
I want to show more love by spending more time with my child. I feel like I’m always trying to get things done around the house when I’m off, but all he wants to do it play with me! I’m making a more concious effort to put those chores aside, because one day he won’t need me to play with him anymore!
Well, I still walk thru Moore Square Park quite often at lunch time to talk with the people there; I love talking with the regulars. There is one woman who always sits in the same spot; she looks like she’s in physical pain. I offered to buy her a Subway sandwich, but she said she really needed some rub on pain ointment for her legs and so we walked together to the nearest drug store on Hargett, but their debit card machine was not working and so we walked back to the park; I walked to the nearest ATM machine to get some cash; went back to the store to buy the ointment; and then brought it back to the woman in the park, along with a ginger ale. Maybe she’ll visit our church soon. Please don’t share this. You are the only person I’ve told. When I first saw this cute ring, I wanted to give it to Matt to give to his wife (her visitation visa was denied and so they may be separated for several months; Matt will be in the States soon looking for a job). Anyway, just wanted to share this with you because I think we both share a tremendous love for the poor and those who survive on the fringes of society! Love, Cathi
Amen sister!!! <3 this!
I just ordered a potted orchid for my Gma who was admitted to the hospital yesterday. I can’t be there with her in the hospital right now, so this was my way of sending her a little loving!
This week I want to love who I was made to be, and not the perfection that I try to aspire to. In loving myself, my curves, my stretch marks, and my flaws I love those around me. My husband receives grace and a wife who sees herself the way that he sees her. My children see a mama who can laugh, cry and be authentic in weaknesses and my friends see a woman who wants more than anything for Jesus to shine through in conversations instead of insecurities and prideful attempts to make myself feel better.
I have struggled for awhile with how to love well the impoverished, beaten and abandoned that daily approach my door. Today and tomorrow I am hosting some folks from the Baptist global response organization to talk through what I and others can do here. I am thinking about a safe house for battered and abandoned women and kids that trains them and enables them to find employment and care for themselves and their children. Who knows what will come but hopefully ideas will grow feet, answers will be given and eventually the lost will be found. Wrestling through what being the hands and feet of Jesus looks like on a daily basis here to those around me…the need is great, our God is greater still #rememberinghisfaithfulness
I will pray with you. He is the reason for the love that I have. He will do it. Let me know how it goes!
You are a loving MACHINE!! Go Go Go! You have certainly put in your time loving me…tea room!
Can it be me You are a champion at loving those that God places in front of you. Praying for wisdom for you today regarding all your’s love and where to invest your time. I love you!
This reminds me of Isaiah 61 and Jesus mission in our lives everyday. You are reflecting that to her. I will be praying that she will feel the greater freedom of running into Jesus. He will give her beauty…the lasting kind out of this. Press on sis! You are living for something greater!
That is a beautiful honest real mommy heart! I am so proud of you for saying NO to something and YES to what matters!!
<3 All this spreading!! Glorious!!
I am so thankful that you were reminded how much you love and inspired to think through how to love your husband and were chatting with friends about it. I LOVE IT!! I want to whole world to fight hard to LOVE fervently others around them so your response blesses me so much!! Casey is right. Everyone has a starting point and your husband was honored by your heart behind your service…esp when it isn’t something that we prefer to do.. it not only shows your love towards him, but shows God off in a HUGE way!! Let me know how it went love!
I am going to make corsages for a father/daughter dance at our church that, unfortunately, our daughters are too old for. I am also going to be serving some friends dinner and I also gave a friend’s daughter a book of poetry by her favorite poet because the fact that she loved his writing was one of the first things I found out about her when I met her a couple of months ago.
I am going to meet with a lady I don’t know to talk about adoption. Lowering my expectations for my children and giving them grace instead. help a friend make some white flowers.
this is the BEST comment EVER!! You truly read Kristin’s heart in this post. I love your heart sweet Rachel!! And even the best cooks started at a point where they didn’t know how to make anything but meatless pasta as well.
Your question made me think all morning. It never crosses my mind how I will love someone, just how much I am loved. After talking with a coworker about your question we started talking about the different love languages of marriages, and how more often than not they are different. So I decided I wanted to be of a servant attitude for AJ today (since that is how he loves, and loves to be loved). I came home and made a killer dinner. I am not a cook! I can bake bread but if I try to make anything besides meatless pasta I lose my mind. I went out on a limb because your question challenged me. We shall see how it goes over when he gets home.
I’m staying with my very special Nannie in the hospital this week!
I want this ring!! So cute!!
This week I am going to love by bringing the homeless man on the corner food from the store. He stands there every week and it breaks my heart. It’s something small but to him it’s the difference between a day of hunger and pain and a day of joy (and a full belly!).
i love you all!!
I want to make dinner for my mom!
Beautiful ring with beautiful meaning
I plan on sharing love this week with my students. I have been able to discuss with them our strengths and weaknesses, which then allowed for me to talk about faith, prayer, morals, and so much more. Additionally it has been amazing to share with them the Love that Christ displayed on our wedding day with the incredible rainbow that displayed itself as I walked down the isle. I want to share the peronsal and intimate love of our Savior.
I want to share Christ LOVE with someone, because He gave His life for us so that we can live forever with Him, and that is the greatest form of love that no human could ever give to another. I’m praying the Lord gives me the opportunity to share His story very soon.
Nothing big, but I’m sending a little note in the mail, to let someone special know that they are appreciated. I really need to do this more often.
I’m going to court with a woman I know and love as she seeks to extricate herself from a bad situation.
My love shown is to get down on the floor with my kids more this week. I spend too much time up and getting things done. I want to show them that they are loved and take that time. I love those crazies!
I’m finally having some friends over this week even if my house isn’t perfectly unpacked yet!
I decided over the weekend, actually, that I was going to think of a few different friends in my life and plant a little gift in their day. Just something small, or maybe even just something that they like a lot, and a note expressing my thankfulness for them. Giftee one already received hers first thing this morning on her desk at TCC.
I have been pushed to love my sweet kiddos by having fun sitting on the floor playing. I get really caught up in things like cleaning, cooking, writing, thinking, etc and I forget to get down to the floor and play. It’s a hard thing to do as an adult especially for longer than a few minutes, but when I get myself there and my mind off myself I allow myself to enjoy them!
Yay! I think it should be all for one since its about love!
I am over the moon and want to hug whoever is next to me. I am simply inspired and there is an abundance of things that I am looking forward to in the coming days, weeks months chapter of life. I felt that my blog needed a fresh look that would reflect the changes happening…
As always…………..well you know! I love you.
I just love you! Thanks for sharing your awakening moments with us. You rock!
Today in Central Market I met a woman who had been married to her husband for 43 years. She then proceeded to tell me that her parents had been married for 76 years and soon after their anniversary, in the same month, her mom died on the 9th and her father followed on the 18th….
“Carolina one day I’ll, someday I’ll come home.” -The Avett Brothers Breathe in. Here is the news, the dish, and the scoop. I am moving to North Carolina. I am moving in 2 weeks, heading out around March 5th. I am selling my things, my sister, Renee, is flying here and we are…
Thank you love. I am thankful for the time that we were able to spend together. God is good and you never know when our paths will cross again in the near future
I know right?! It would be rad to hang out in Greenwich Village in NY! eeeeek!
Thank you for your super sweet words!! I know we will stay in touch and if you ever need anything, please let me know love!
I’d say sad to see you go but as you know I’ll be leaving as well! So I’ll just say it was wonderful to cross paths with you, I hope you never change a thing about yourself or your beautiful perspective because both are inspiring. NC was already a beautiful state but apparently it’s a lucky one too! God bless you, happy travels & see you on Fb!
Gah…maybe that meet up that fell through will be revealed as a HUGE meet up!! EEK
Sad to see you go friend! Excited for what the future has in store for you! The East Coast will be lucky to have you back! =)
Yes!! I am excited and little by little plans are unfolding. Many are the plans of a mans heart but God is the one who directs his steps, and a high five that I am not in control although I want to be… Can’t wait to come to NY. I love the east coast. It is only 9 hours from Raleigh.
God is moving and so are you!! Excited to see u document;)
This Sunday is my birthday. I will be 33. I am planning a stay-cation with my sisters. This is the first birthday in I can’t even remember when that I have celebrated with them. We are going to drink dark beer, eat cucumbers and goat cheese, give each other facials and ice-skate in our socks…
So Amazing! Really Beautiful images! Could we share the images on Sola Coffees Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? And certainly crediting and highlighting you! would love to share your art!
I still want to have brunch with you, we can wear our sunglasses the whole time. Love you!!
absolutely! @[730830651:2048:Casey Nichols Chappell] has taught me everything I know about makeup, she is the fabulous gal that introduced me to this!! I am happy happy to teach!
Happy birthday my rad friend! Maybe I shall make you a mug that says batman on it
ok, but you will have to teach me how to use it! i have never, ever applied eyeliner with a brush before. that is a foreign concept to me!
“I do love hipsters.” You crack me up, and I love you. Can’t wait to see you!
Oooh! I’m so doing this! I already have my picture and story planned out in my head:)
It is the best, add a little tomato on top. Delish!! Thank you!
yes Vee. Do it!! With those beautiful asian eyes of yours!! Wowowoweeeee!
I am totally going to get in on this! I remember that you let me use your MAC lipstick once (that nude-colored one) for our Beloved session. I loved it!
yum! Cucumber and goat cheese… happy birthday!
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is January. The time our world gets rewritten. It is the beginning of the new year, the start of setting goals, making promises, and purchasing planners. During this epic time of start overs and settling into your chair with a pencil in hand, it seems like the road has become my closest friend. It…
Thank you love! I hope you are doing well!!
Pray. Write. Do. Be…. Love that!