Kristin McLendon

Kristin McLendon

Saturday, February 21, 2015

The almost four year old



The almost four year old is independent.
He wants to wash his own hair.
Bathe his own body.
Pick out his own clothes.

The almost four year old can *almost* brush his own teeth.
Can ride his scooter and asks to do so as a Transformer
in February.
The almost four year old can
Dream big dreams.
Pray real prayers...
and believes God for them with every ounce of his being.





The almost four year old 
pauses long enough to say 
"mama will you snuggle with me."
Loves big squeeze hugs.
Loves to tickle, loves hide & go seek.
Loves fruit, veggies, and eggs.
And pancake picnics.

Pictures taken on a random Tuesday in February-courtesy of Emily Cathryn Smith.

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posted by Kristin @ February 21, 2015 0 Comments

Monday, January 26, 2015

McLendon Christmas Letter: Now that it is almost February...

Well...Robert wrote a Christmas letter this year and we failed to get it in the mail. It is too good not to share, so we are posting it here. For all to enjoy. So, now that it is almost February we are going to officially say good bye to 2014 and say hello to 2015. 
Does anyone else wonder where January just went?


 ~~
I hope this season meets you with merriment and diminished anxiety (whatever that means). Once again, we decided it was best to send you an update on our family through the written word rather than a picture-perfect portrait of our family sitting in wonderment at how organized we are. We would have done that, but we really couldn’t find one or pose for one long enough for the needed millisecond of camera flash. 

Kristin is still taking on the world one student at a time as the RiverStone Student Pastor. She loves what she does when she’s not drowning in kids. She took a lovely group of students to Costa Rica this year to work with an orphanage and a local impoverished community near the orphanage. She is really good at hitting teenagers over the head with selfless reality. The kids are really no problem for her at all. She is having a blast with her students. Kristin fulfilled one bucket list item this year – she ran from the top of Mount Hood in Oregon, through Portland, and to the coast of Oregon. She did it with several friends and had a great time. They finished the relay in 34 hours! What is currently killing her is her recent decision to go to Grad School!!! She just finished up her first semester at Asbury Theological Seminary where she is getting her Master’s Degree in Intercultural Studies with a focus in Church Planting – this really means she is studying missionary processes both domestic and international. As much as it pains me to say, her school seems to be harder than mine. 

Robert has also had an interesting year. In January of 2014 he started a counseling internship working with individuals who were court-ordered to go to counseling for anger/violence problems and alcohol/drug abuse problems. Whatever you picture in your mind when you read that is probably pretty accurate. He encountered lots or rewarding and heartbreaking moments over the past year. This internship was long and had some late hours, so Kristin was single mother for most of the year. Robert also continued to work at RiverStone as the Missions Coordinator helping missionaries and mission teams get their finances in order and counseling leaving and returning missionaries through transitions. Robert also went back to Scotland this past summer to work with kids and host a summer camp – And his dad went with him. Robert did take time off during the summer to drive a 15-passenger van from the top of Mount Hood to the coast of Oregon. He drove 34 consecutive hours and stayed awake for 42 consecutive hours (needless to say, Kristin had more fun than Robert did). With all the busy-ness, Robert looked at life a lot like Forest Gump looked at running across the country. “When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.” Robert finished his internship on December 12th, and started working with Kristin at RiverStone as a Student Pastor January 1st. A dream come true for the McLendons!  

Jude has been a beautiful behavioral challenge this year.  I’m sure after reading this letter you can probably deduce that he has been acting out because he has been the only child of a working single mother this year. Jude’s energy level equals that of the sun. He is either “all systems go” or asleep. It is not fair to say he has been all bad this year. We have shared so many sweet times with our boy. We took a road trip to Asheville, NC, Lynchburg, VA, and Charlotte, NC with Jude in October. He had a blast, and we had sweet family time. 4-6 hour car rides are not really his thing, but he managed. 

Top 10 Lessons Life Taught Us this Year

10. If you take your dad to Scotland, don’t let him buy a kilt.
9. Kristin can run longer than most people can drive.
8. Oregon has traffic jams at 3am. 
7. Jude can go through a “hungry-tired-angry-wired-happy-snuggly-screaming” cycle in 90 seconds. 
6. Three-year-olds are the worst.
5. Three-year-olds are the best.
4. Kristin’s bucket list will probably kill Robert.
3. If a 3-year old wants to walk the dog, you have to walk the 3-year old while he walks the dog.
2. Don’t promise a 3 year-old movies for a 5-hour car ride if the portable DVD player doesn’t work.
1. Only the McLendons can get photo bombed by a man in a kilt while picking out a Christmas Tree!


Happy 2015 friends!

**Disclaimer:  Letter was written by Robert**

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posted by Kristin @ January 26, 2015 0 Comments

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Why I almost quit writing... [a very honest post]

I almost didn't write yesterdays blog post because well-my Fresh Start was for April 1st and as you can now see I didn't write it till April 8th.  I looked back in my journal at April 1st in my Secret Place with the Lord and this is what I wrote, "Jesus.  Not only is it a new week, it is a new month.  I love when the first falls on a Monday.  There is a freshness to it.  A fresh start.  A newness.  A do-over.  Jesus, that is exactly what I am asking for today.  I just feel like I can take a deep breath in you.  Whisper your name and say let's do this."  (As I type that out of my journal I feel like I am letting you see a piece of my heart--please be gentle with it.).   I drank deep of this with the Lord and so wanted to share all of this with you...

The reason I didn't write it for a week is because my Fresh Start got further and further away with each new day last week (and do y'all follow Robert on twitter?  If you do you can see what happened after I posted yesterdays blog post!  Y'all-for real!!!  Sometimes all you can do is laugh!).  The reason I did write it is because it was a promise from the Lord that I feel like He whispered to my heart that I felt like some of you could relate to and I was being disobedient by not sharing it.

With that, here comes a very honest post--back in the fall I felt the prompting from the Lord to jump in with the Nester and do a 31 day blogging series and what the Lord gave me was Isaiah 32:18.  I didn't make it all the way through the 31 days because life hit, but it did stir something in me.  So much so a couple of months ago I spent time rearranging our blog and changing the name of it from "The McLendon Whereabouts" to "The McLendons" with the subtitle of "and their journey to an Isaiah 32:18 home."

I did a lot of rearranging of things on the blog--but never once wrote a blogpost once I did it.  The reality of it was I felt like I had to have it all together before I did so.  The same with last week.  I had a fresh start on Monday and lost it all on Tuesday.  The lie that entered into my mind was that I no longer had something to offer or to write about.  I know that is not true, but it's the fear of man that enters in--that we have to present ourselves as if we have it all together.  I'll just throw it out there--I do not have it all together at all.  Most of the time I feel like I am the full time wife, full time mother, full time youth pastor that isn't doing any of these things well.  Or at any given time, doing one of the three things well while the other two are being neglected.  And the one that doesn't even make it onto the list--house wife--I'm completely horrible in this area.  My house gets a good cleaning when we have company over and let's just say it's time for company to come over to kick my butt into gear (I said this was a completely honest post right--it's going to take everything in me to hit publish on this post and then I'm going to have to walk away and not come back to my computer and hit delete!!).

The beautiful thing is I know my little family is unique.  We are a family in full time ministry.  We are a family in full time grad school.  We are a family in full time two year old BOY toddlerhood.  I feel like we are the opposite of the "normal" (or whatever normal is suppose to be) family.   In the midst of this absolute craziness I do believe the Lord has set me on a journey of discovering what it means to have an Isaiah 32:18 home.  "My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places."  I almost quit writing because my journey is not pretty.  I don't have it all together....and somewhere along the way I started to believe the lie that I have to have it all together before I could write.  So here we go.  I really do want to write again.  It's good for me.  I am a writer.  I know I am.  (Thank you Dorie for reminding me that I am.)  The noon deadline every Tuesday for five years in Richmond Hill for my Hill Topper article almost drove me crazy, but now that it is gone, I miss it.

It's not going to be pretty--but I'm on a journey--1.  to offer my family an Isaiah 32:18 home.  2.  to write again.  I hope you'll join me....

**Side Note/Disclaimer--Not every post is going to be about Isaiah 32:18 as it was in the 31 day blogging series--I'm just simply going to start sharing our journey again and hope you'll extend grace, yet find encouragement in the beautiful calling we have on our family.

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posted by Kristin @ April 09, 2013 1 Comments

Friday, January 13, 2012

InstaFRIDAY & an Update!

I'm still here, I promise!
I've been enjoying a little down time
with my family!

I'm linking up for InstaFriday!
A fun way to share our mobile pictures from the week
(do you have the app?  If so, follow me there:  kamclendon)

I also thought it'd be a fun way to
catch you up on our little family!

Christmas was spent
in Richmond Hill/Savannah 
with my family and went by
way too fast!


Baby's first Christmas was everything I'd dreamed it would be!

Lots of snuggles with Nana and Grand Dad.  
Lots of playing with cousin Aniston.
Lots & lots of new toys!


Road trip for the day down to St. Simons Island with Nana and baby Jude!

The ocean air is good for the heart!


Caught up with old friends and 
had coffee dates into the wee hours of the night!


Highlights and a hair cut!  
Flying (appropriately) with Grand Dad!
Christmas break can be exhausting!


Visit with Granny!
Four generations strong!

Back in Marietta to bring in the new year.  
The hubs was playing football, so Jude and I took a stroll in the park!


We quietly welcomed in 2012....
then on January 2nd I headed to the Georgia Dome 
for the Passion Conference with my High School Seniors!
45,000 18-25 year olds.....incredible.
{Not to mention I got to see some of my favorite people...
Heidi Ho & the Sheehan Family!}


And did you know that there are currently 27 million people enslaved in the world?
That's more than ever before.  This generation took a stand and raised over 3 million dollars during the conference to go towards stopping modern day slavery.
{take a moment and read!}


Here's my baby.  He turned 10 months old while I was at the conference.  G-Nan spent the week with him and they got lots of snuggles!  I drove back and forth each day and got about 15 minutes each morning with my little man (not to mention about 3 hours of sleep each night).  I was grateful I was still the first face he saw in the morning...even if it was just for a moment!

We got new couches for Christmas!  
Here they are on delivery day (and not a happy baby!)
We LOVE them!


Hubs bought me a Kindle for Christmas.  I've spent every little extra moment I could find reading!  I'm currently reading "7" by Jen Hatmaker.  More on this over the weekend (and a giveaway, so stay tuned!)

Baby got sick (AGAIN) while I was at the conference.  Thankfully he's better---but now the hubs is sick!  Can. not. win.


Here's our pretty living room.  We completely moved things around and I love it!  We took out the coffee table and there's LOTS of play room for Master Jude!

So there's our update via Instagrams!
I hope to have the shop back up in the next week.
Lots of new things coming and I'm excited!

Do you have big plans for the weekend?
We're excited to have absolutely nothing planned.
We've had snow flurries already this morning,
so we are staying in and staying warm!

Happy Friday Friends!

life rearranged


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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posted by Kristin @ January 13, 2012 0 Comments

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Three Years Ago Today...

I married my best friend.


I absolutely can not imagine my life with out him.


I am grateful to my Jesus for this perfect partner


to live life with.


There aren't words to describe the adventure


we've been on the past three years


other than they have been God ordained


and beautiful.


I love you my hubs.


Cheers to three marvelous years....


And great, great things to come in year number four!


I love you!

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posted by Kristin @ December 15, 2010 2 Comments

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I'm so incredibly proud of my man...

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posted by Kristin @ May 13, 2010 0 Comments

Friday, May 7, 2010

I love my life

The mailbox has been a fun place to walk to and open here recently.  I love seeing our address being handwritten on an envelope.  That means there's something personal inside.  I'm a sucker for stationary and LOVE checking the mail everyday...so these past few days have been extra sweet.

It started with a college graduation announcement of a young man that was in high school when I first met him.  Granted, I knew this graduation was coming, but it came in the same weekend that he accepted his first job as a Youth Minister.  I've joked over the past few months as I've been doing phone references for him that nothing has made me feel older than a youth interviewing for what I do, but all joking aside, I couldn't be more proud.  I've watched this young high school boy grow into a mighty warrior for the Kingdom.  He passionately loves Jesus with all that he has and he will influence a generation in the days to come.  I am deeply proud of you, Michael Brian Winter.

Then came the high school graduation announcements from my first 6th grade class.  You heard me.  6th grade.  They were so young and innocent and tried to make me quit youth ministry before I even started, but God bless them, I am who I am today BECAUSE OF THEM.  I got down on my face before the King of Heaven and asked Him to teach me, mold me, use me, shape me into who He needed me to be for them.  I love these kids deeply.  They have a very special place in my heart and I couldn't be more proud as they are about to graduate from one season of their lives into another.  Jesus has called you Beloved--remember that my precious friends.

Now today the graduation announcements started coming in for my kids here and all I could utter was, I love my life.  The Lord has allowed me two years here so far to get to know these youth and be a part of their lives and I am deeply grateful.  God has marked this class.  They are radical lovers of the Almighty and they will bring Heaven to Earth.  I have been challenged to go deeper in my walk with the Lord since meeting them and I am eternally grateful.

Even bigger than all of the above, I have my very own graduate to be proud of.  Robert mastered all of his finals this past week--he even aced his senior paper and presentation.  I am so overwhelmingly proud of him.  I am grateful for this treasure that the Lord has given me and to say that we have been on a wild ride together for the past 4 years would be an understatement.  We've traveled through 4 schools together and there were times we thought this day might never come, but it is here and it is all we thought it would be.  Robert, thank you for not giving up when there were times we really wouldn't blame you if you did.  Thank you for thinking of our family and giving it all that you've got.  I know it hasn't been easy.  I know juggling a wife, work and school is more than most guys your age have to endure and you did it all with a smile on your face.  You are the most incredible man I have ever met and it is an honor to call you my husband!  Now let's celebrate!!!!

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posted by Kristin @ May 07, 2010 1 Comments

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The McLendon Whereabouts...

LITERALLY!

We've been here, there and everywhere over the last month.  I just posted pictures on facebook and thought  I'd be easiest to catch the blog world up on our Whereabouts by sharing that album.  So, grab a cup of coffee (or sweet tea), get in a comfy chair and dive into...our world for a little bit!

Thank you for sharing life with us friends!

Click here for our Spring Adventures!

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posted by Kristin @ May 04, 2010 0 Comments

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Consider it a gift...

Were the words of my Senior Pastor last week when he told us that at RiverStone we believe in family, therefore he was giving us all the week off to be with our families during Spring Break.  My immediate family still had work and school (hence why we took the week off of his Spring Break a few weeks ago), so he strongly encouraged me to head south to spend some good quality time with my family.  I have such an incredible husband don't I?

So, I've been doing things that are good for my heart this week.  I've been taking pictures, but I left my card reader in the ATL--oops, so I have a few pics I've taken with my phone (therefore not the best quality) that I can share with you now.

First on the agenda was a D.A.W.G. Day.  These were key for me when I was in ministry in Richmond Hill.  D.A.W.G. stands for Day Alone With God.  It's a day to just get away.  Step away from the office, the computer, the cell phone (yes, even the cell phone--although I did use it to take this picture!) and get away where no one can find you.  So, where did I go?  St. Simons Island.  This is where Jesus and I use to hang out---a lot.  I felt like I was going back, just Him and I for old times sake.  It was sooo good.  Weather was beautiful.  The beach was a little too crowded for my liking....Jesus and I use to go together on Fridays when the rest of the world was still at work, but this week I had Spring Break along with the rest of the world.  But it was still the beach...still the sand...still with my Bridegroom Jesus.  We took a walk together on the pier and then shared a really late lunch together.

I've had lots of good quality girl time.  You'll have to wait for those pictures...

I've had lots of sugar from this beautiful bundle of joy....




I was surprised by mom with an appointment to see one of my favorite people--Teresea--the lady who works wonders on my hair! :)

And I'm currently in this spot...
Yes, in one of my favorite coffee shops that has a view of Savannah in the springtime.  Doesn't get much better than this.  Hubby is officially on his way here now...sitting in 5:00 Atlanta traffic, in the rain...but he loves me that much, he's on his way now.  Dad flies in at 8pm.  The fam is gathering tomorrow.  Then on Saturday I get to watch a grown up youth of mine become a wife...it doesn't get much better than that!  Then it's back to the ATL we will go.  Life is good.  And what a beautiful gift I have been given this week to be with my family and to let Jesus minister to my heart.  Words aren't big enough to say THANK YOU!

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posted by Kristin @ April 08, 2010 2 Comments