Here are the main 5 things you need to know about me:
1. I am the youngest of 6 children.
This will explain a lot about me… I have always had big shoes to fill and I have spent a lot of my life trying to keep up with everyone else. For a long time I felt like I was walking in their shadows, but now I see they were just paving the way for me. I am very good at sharing and I'm comfortable with hand-me-downs. People who know me might describe me as loud, but I blame my siblings… I was just trying to be heard over the other noise.
2. I have never met a stranger.
I share this trait with my mom and I'm proud of it, but for some reason it tends to embarrass other people. I don't think it is strange to strike up a conversation in the checkout line at the grocery store or in the dressing room at Macy's… I 'd much rather be interacting with other humans in person than texting/poking/e-mailing/etc. I think in today's world we are all hook-up and plugged-in to the wrong thing… we should be investing in people and relationships. Also I'm nosy and like to ask questions… or as I call it… inquisitive.
3. I am adventurous.
I will try anything once… remember… I am the youngest of six. Because I was the youngest, I was often the guinea pig…"make Kristin go first." I guess they figured if I didn't get in trouble or die, they would try it too. I would climb to the highest branch in every tree in my neighborhood, ring doorbells and run (ding-dong ditch), and jump off roofs into swimming pools. These days I scuba dive, rock climb, and skydive… I guess because it makes me feel alive and that I'm taking advantage of every opportunity while I still can. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Henry David Thoreau…"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life… and not when I had come to die discover that I had not lived."
4. I am a servant/helper.
I have always had the desire to help others. In elementary school, I was the teacher's helper and I was a girl scout… both are probably considered quite nerdy, but it made me feel important and like I was doing a good thing. I college, I worked with Habitat for Humanity building homes, I was the Philanthropy Chair for my sorority, I volunteered at the Austin State Hospital helping with art therapy, and I spent time at A.W.A.R.E. (Always Wanted A Riding Experience) which allows mentally and physically disabled children an opportunity to ride horses. After college, I got involved in Young Life, which is a non-denominational program that reaches out to high school students. It's about meeting kids where they are and bringing God to them… showing them His love and just being "real". If you think about it, it was kind of like a three year mission trip… I was in a foreign land with people who were from a different culture and sometimes it almost felt like they spoke a different language. (Needless to say I do NOT miss high school.) But it was amazing to see God at work at that high school and how he was working in the lives of the not only the students, but also the staff and teachers. God has blessed me with a big heart and I find joy in serving others. My mom is just scared that I'm going to adopt a child from every country that I go to…
5. I have a heart for the Lord.
I grew up in a Christian home and have always known Jesus was my savior… but it took me a long time to figure out what a real relationship with Him looked like. I kept trying to listen to what the world had to say about who I was and that was getting in the way of my identity in Christ. The world is full of lies and for a long time I wanted the world to accept/approve of me… but all that brought me was pain and suffering. I wanted freedom… and the only way to get that was to let go… I realized I couldn't please the both world and God at the same time. I have endured a lot of "growing pains" and hard-times, but nobody ever said it would be easy… and it has made me into the person that I am today. I want to bring glory to God in anything and everything I do… I want others to see Him in me… I want others to know the joy of having a relationship with our Creator… I want to be a light to the world… I want to live abundantly.
LIKES:
- green… in any and every shade
- taking naps
- useless information
- running in the rain
- getting a new set of colorful pens
- playing card or board games
DISLIKES:
- pessimism
- posers
- confrontation
- the word "moist"
- knots in my hair
