Kristy Dorminy

What a reminder I received this morning with The Lord. I have been alone for a couple of days, which is a rare and precious thing to me. What’s a girl to do with time alone? I mean, besides have chips and salsa for dinner and a waffle for dessert? She sleeps! She reads! She de-clutters! She may or may not stay in pajamas all day, take a shower in the evening, only to put on new pajamas for bed.

I also went for a walk this morning. Yesterday it rained and rained and rained some more. These spring-time rains are gifts from God; they wash away the pollen. If we aren’t careful here in Georgia, we will miss the grand beauty of spring because we have to endure so much pollen. We even feel the pollen making our heads so very heavy!
Ah-choo! (We are so easily swayed to complain, aren’t we?)

But the rain that was falling yesterday was a beautiful sight, and as I looked out the window I could just tell that everything was so much more green and lush. And so my walk this morning was fabulous. My eyes could hardly take in the beauty of God’s creation. The birds were chirping their little heads off. The trees were seemingly stretching up to heaven, branches raised in praise to God with their little blooms. And everything was alive with color!

Couple this amazing creation with a clear Word from My Creator, and I was overflowing with praise and thanksgiving. He spoke to me about something that I’ve thought about for a while and have had several conversations with some friends about:  this tension of really being used by God…making sure your life matters (as if this is somehow all up to me). And just like God, He showered down His Word in my heart and cleared up my thinking. And it was beautiful.  I could almost feel the growth happening as I spent time with Him this morning.

Here’s the scripture that spoke to me:

MARK10:43-45 “…but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slaves of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

I want to be great! I want someone to notice me and all my hard work, maybe even see a diamond in the rough in a certain area. I have dreams in my heart that seem to be going nowhere. So how can I be great? Are you great if you write a book? Are you great if your kids are genius kids that get a scholarship to school and go on to become famous? Are you great if you make Christian movies?  Are you great if you make a lot of money and are able to give a lot of money away? Are you great if you have a world-renown blog? Are you great if you make all your own meals from scratch and run marathons for fun?  It sounds quite shallow when I type it out: Am I great? But even the disciples asked some pretty presumptuous questions that I sure can relate to!  I believe that maybe they felt like I do…I want to do something great for God because I want to please Him.  I want my life to please Him.  I want to know that what I am doing matters.  Matthew 18:1 says the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the Kingdom.

Luke 22:24 puts it this way, “And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.”

Jesus speaks into the dispute, bringing clarity, but probably not what they were hoping to hear. When He first started speaking, I wonder if each disciple secretly hoped Jesus was about to set the record straight and tell the others that he was indeed the one who is the greatest. Instead, Jesus says, “..but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Bottom line? The way the world views greatness is the opposite of how Jesus views greatness.

“How to be Great” isn’t a big secret or formula for me as a Believer. Jesus was quite clear.

If I want to be great, I serve.  And when I serve others, I please God because I look a lot like His Son.

Ladies Night Out with my Sunday School girls happens the first Tuesday of each month.  The location changes, and we do different types of things together.   This past Tuesday we all gathered at my house to just talk…but with purpose.  I had a few ideas of topics and other gals brought up things on their minds.  It was a good night.  We even got to hear someone’s testimony, which brought us all a little bit closer to her and opened our hearts a little more to hers.  

Near the close of the evening, I asked each girl how long they have been married.  There were a couple of 16 years and 17 years, lots of 13, 14, and 15 years a 7 years and 4 years with a few others.  By no means was I sharing out of sooooooo many years experience, but for this room of gals, it was ok to simply share some things I have gleaned in my short 14 years and 2 months of marriage. And I enjoyed hearing their input as we talked through the list. 

So if you’re a newlywed wife and would like some advice on marriage, I hope you’ll read my list. It isn’t exhaustive, but I’ve hit some of the highlights.

1- Remember, you and your husband are on the same team!

Josh has used the “same team” analogy on me multiple times.  I suppose that’s what I should expect marrying a guy who played team sports his whole life.  I used to pout or get real quiet when I was bothered by something….I’d do anything except talk to him about it.  Well, he would have none of that.  He would have me sit on the couch, looking at him, and he would tell me we were going to talk. “We’re on the same team!” And he was right.  It’s so easy to let life’s circumstances drive a wedge between you and your husband instead of bringing you together.

2- Remember, you’re not always easy to live with either—forgive often, seek forgiveness and live humbly.

3- Never do anything alone that you couldn’t do with your husband’s ready approval.  It may put a damper on your Target trips, but it will keep you accountable!

4- Love believes the best about someone.  I remember a season when I thought Josh must be out to get me…he always had shoes in the living room, he would hang clothes on anything but a hanger in the closet, or he would leave his dish in the sink after I had cleaned the kitchen.  BUT, one day the Lord convicted me about my thoughts and sometimes my words about Josh.  I was NOT believing the best about him.  I was telling myself that he didn’t care about the work I did at home, etc, etc.  In reality, those thoughts weren’t true or loving.  

5- And connected with number 4, I also realized that I had started grouping my husband in with my kids.  “Y’all always leave your shoes everywhere.” “Does anyone know how to put their clothes away??!!”  See, it is indeed a lot of work to keep a house in good running order!  No one is debating that.  (But remember that it is also hard work for him to earn a living for his family!) Take caution not to let the line get blurry between our husband and our kids.  I’m training my kids to become independent and have less need of me. And as the kids get older, I can let them know that they can put away their own clothes.  They can put away their own shoes and clean that dish they just tossed in the clean, empty sink!  And I can serve my husband with joy.  I’m not his mother; I am his wife! 

6- Marriage is intended to be a picture of Christ and the church. What are you showing your kids, your family, your friends or neighbors about Christ by how you treat your spouse?  I want my kids to supernaturally see the gospel when they watch Josh and me. I don’t completely understand how that happens exactly, but I believe it does. They should see unconditional love, faithfulness, commitment through all types of circumstances, joy, encouragement, purity, patience, graciousness.

7- This may be just me, BUT a red flag goes up when I start a sentence to Josh with, “I feel…”  Now I’m not saying I never tell Josh how I feel, but many times that sentence goes on to be a bit dramatic, so for me it’s a red flag.  Is what I’m about to say true and sound or am I being overly sensitive? 

8- Think of your three closest friends. Is your husband one of them?  How can you be a better friend to your husband? There’s no one on the planet I love to spend time with more than Josh!

9- Intimacy is a good thing—a gift from God to be enjoyed all your married days!  I mean, not every single day, but lots and lots of days throughout your married life!

So there you have it.  My little list.  Marriage is hard work, but also the most fun thing I’ve ever been a part of!  I’m extremely thankful for the gift of marriage!

I hardly ever sell my stuff.  Josh and I don’t like clutter, so we are more apt to give it away than take the time to sell it. Plus, we have been given quite a few things, and we know what a blessing it is to give. HOWEVER, I have been organizing my list for curriculum needs this fall, and I just have to say that BOY OH BOY does it start adding up. Cha-Ching!$!$!

So, on this Friday when I am home alone (gasp!), I have been de-cluttering, and wouldn’t you know, I’ve found some decent items that I am going to try and sell. 

Take a look and private message me on facebook or call me if you have my number if you see something you could use. 

First up, a dollhouse that sits all alone at my house. Ruby has another one she plays with more. 

Next, a basket full of puzzles! 

Do any of your little girls like to play dress up?  Basket of a few outfits:

 SOLD!!!! 

Any American Girl doll fans?

 SOLD!!!!

And one of my favorites, felt boards to create different scenes with: 

SOLD!!!!

 These are boards and pattern blocks:

SOLD!!!!

I used these baskets in all three of my kids’ nurseries:

UPDATE: Josh says these  are priced too high. So the new price is  $40 for the pair!

And since my kids all sleep in the same room, we don’t use this Pottery Barn, Queen size duvet. It’s really pretty, especially when it is ironed!  

NEW PRICE: $60 for duvet, sham and bed skirt  

These are both twin sized Pottery Barn bed skirts, and I’m asking $10 each:

So there you have it. Either some people will buy this stuff or you will see it again at a Goodwill near you! 😉 Or if you know someone who really needs any of this stuff and can’t pay for it, just let me know.  

We spent the weekend with my family for Easter in Augusta and had a great time just hanging out together. 

How about some pictures?

Sweety with all of the grandkids (Ruby-10, Molly-9, Jud- 9, Vance- 8, Mack-8, Kaybeth- 7, Renn-6)!!

 Molly is only 9, but she seems more like 13 to me!  She was brave and took a dip in the pool. 

 Mack was not going to miss a chance to swim either!

 Josh seized an opportunity to fish.  Looks like fun!

Then, it was time to hunt eggs.

 Vance found the most eggs, so he got a cash prize. 

 My sisters and me with all of our kids. 

Cacy with Jud and Kaybeth

Marcy with Vance and Rennison 

My sweet family😍

Now time for dyeing eggs!

 Happy Easter morning!  We went to church to celebrate our Savior who is alive!  We were at West Acres Baptist with my family and really enjoyed being there. 

 Crazy boy. 

 This is my Kindergarten teacher!  She is in the same Sunday School class as my parents.  I first met her when I was 5 years old and she was about 24, I think. She helped teach me to read and write!!  Such great memories from 33 years ago!  She looks incredible!  Her name is Ginger, but she’ll always be Mrs. Richardson to me!!

I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Augusta. I especially enjoyed watching Josh talk about places we visited in Israel and how those places that we hear about in the Bible are really there!  The kids listened so well!

Thankful for some time with family. Hope everyone had a great Easter celebrating The One who matters most, Jesus!

The Lord has given me a gift that I didn’t know I needed. Her name is Kathy Litton. She doesn’t know she is such a source of wisdom for me. She doesn’t live anywhere near me. I’ve had a handful of conversations with her. (You’re probably wondering how this person can be such a source of wisdom for me. Trust me, she can.)

Our baby is 8 years old today. Not sure how that can possibly be, but it is. I walked the streets of Gatlinburg with this cutie hunting down a canteen. He found the Davey Crockett hat on his own. He still loves costumes, particularly Cowboy and detective paraphernalia. He is mastering his skills in his role as “little brother,” meaning he knows how to push his sisters buttons.  Bodily noises crack him up. And he talks more than Ruby and Molly combined….somewhat of a social butterfly, which totally cracks me up. His love language is unashamedly GIFT-GETTING. He can hardly stand the thought that there is a gift for him and he doesn’t know what it is (ie, wrapped presents under the tree at Christmas make him crazy!!!!, the surprise that is at home waiting on him is making for a long ride home right now…pictures to come later.) 

We absolutely love all that Mack brings to our family. Thankful to God for the gift of Mack!

He Speaks to Me {through others}

One evening I was sitting at a table at a restaurant with six other people;  my pastor and his wife, another godly couple we’ve gotten to know over the past two years, and two new friends that I don’t know extremely well were there.  Someone asked what we thought was the key to raising godly children. Considering the ages of our kids (only 10, 9, and 8 years old), Josh and I probably should have kept our mouths closed.  We did share our opinion, but we did more listening than talking. 

The conversation seemed to boil down to three main ideas. 

1) PRAY for your kids.   Take every concern or desire you have for your children to The Lord. I have really enjoyed using The Power of A Praying Parent by Stormie  Omartian as a guide. One of my favorite prayers to pray is that, as their parent, I would see their giftedness and encourage them in it in ways that give God glory.  

2) TIME with your kids. Look them in the eyes.  Spend one-on-one time with them. Listen to them talk….about big things or little things….let them know you want to hear from them about anything. 

3) HUMBLE yourself and apologize when you blow it…and you will blow it. Letting your kids know that you know you were wrong and seeking their forgiveness is HUGE. It gives them a picture of the gospel. God knew there would be times that we would mess up….yell…be impatient…respond selfishly….so He made a way through Jesus to be forgiven and made right with God and others. 

While I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere was delightful, I greatly appreciated the conversation. I hope I find myself surrounded with godly people often, and that while I am with them I will ask good questions and listen intently. God often uses other people to speak into my life. 

So we’ve been enjoying warmer weather. It’s beautiful outside, and I love it when the kids can just throw open the back door and go play. 

Inevitably, though, we quickly start to realize that most of our warm weather clothes no longer fit!  The flip flops (that we can find) are faded and a tad too small. The shorts are too short or won’t button, and even the dresses are proving to be too short!  

I spent some time on Old Navy’s website trying to figure out an amount to ask Josh to budget for the summer wardrobe overhaul for the girls. In the process I thought I would click over to the Women’s page and see what kind of deals were out there. And when this came up on my screen, 



I was SURE that I had clicked on the “girls” tab by accident. I mean, don’t these models look about 14 years old?????? Maybe 16.   But, nooooo, I had indeed pulled up the “women’s” tab.  

Ridiculous. That’s all I really have to say about that. 😁😁😁 

in March of 2011, our family was going through lots of change. We had been going through quite a little journey for months before, and I tried to share some of it on the blog because I didn’t want to forget!! And every March I spend some time remembering….so if you’re interested in reading a true story about God weaving His truth in a regular family’s life….

You can go here: https://kristydorminy.com/2011/03/30/what-a-difference-a-year-makes/

And then here:  https://kristydorminy.com/2011/03/30/what-a-difference-a-year-makes-part-two/

It’s partly painful to read, but also encouraging. I’m so glad we’re not at that particular point in life….though God is still teaching us so much day by day. The  journey continues!  And I still have so far to go. 



He Speaks To Me {hospitality}

A wonderful Bible teacher came to my house to speak to the ladies in our Sunday School class. Everyone who knows her loves her and spoke so highly of her. Many have asked me what I learned….so let me share!

She spoke to us on the topic of hospitality. When I first found out she was speaking on hospitality at my house, I got a bit nervous. I thought about all the things I may be doing wrong. Was I dressed appropriately?  Will I be friendly enough?  Do I have enough seating?  Are there enough food options?  Aaaaaaahhhhh!  I don’t want to break any hospitality rules straight out of the shoot!!!!!  

Pat Harley walked us to where the word hospitality is mentioned in the Bible. She gave us a definition of it— “love of strangers” (that has nothing to do with my outfit or my dated white kitchen cabinets).  Love of strangers. 

We discussed why we should be hospitable, what keeps us from being hospitable and the benefits of being hospitable. 

We looked at Romans 12, I Timothy 5:9-10, I Peter 4:9, Luke 14:12, among other passages. 

I spent my time with the Lord in Romans 12 for a couple of mornings after she spoke. There is so much in this chapter, and I felt drawn to spend some more time there. 

Verse 10 says, “ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.”

That is such a great truth that goes against human nature. 

Devoted to another in love.  Giving preference to another. 

My side note in my Bible says that giving preference to one another in honor could be translated, “outdo one another in showing honor.”

Not “outdo one another in how big your house is” or “outdo one another in who serves the most expensive meal.”  

Instead, how can I outdo someone in showing honor to them?  How can I give preference to them?  

This is the heart of hospitality…..showing love and honoring someone.

Verse 13 encourages the believer to contribute to the needs of the saints and practice hospitality. My notes say that it could read,”pursuing hospitality.”  Go after, be intentional, look for opportunities to be hospitable. Is there someone in my world that needs to be loved on and encouraged? 

Could it be there’s a strained relationship that could be relieved by sharing a meal together and showing honor to them?

Could it be there is a new family in our Sunday School class that could really use some time in your home to get to know you and to be known by someone?

Is there’s lady who is hurting and needs to meet over coffee and have someone listen to her?  

Loving others. Honoring others. 

When we understand God’s call to hospitality and we become intentional about pursuing people to love and honor, you better know there will be multiple ways Satan would like to discourage you from actually following through. 

“My carpet is so old and worn. I’d be embarrassed for anyone to come over.”

“What if my meal tastes horrible ??”

“What if their kids are rambunctious and ruin something?”

“What if we don’t have much to talk about?”

Those reasons are grounded in pride and fear, neither are from God.

Besides being called to be hospitable as believers, another huge reason for showing love to others in your home is YOUR KIDS ARE WATCHING!  I want to model hospitality for my kids. One evening we had a couple over for dinner and asked them to share their testimony with our family. They each shared how God rescued them from a life of drugs and lies. My kids were enthralled; I’m sure they won’t forget that dinner.  Another night we had a missionary couple from Iran in our home. We didn’t “shew” the kids away while the adults talked. We made sure the kids knew that this night was a night to listen and learn from this couple. One of my favorite hospitality moments was hosting the elementary staff in our home for lunch. All three kids participated and served and helped with the cleanup. Where else will my kids learn how to love people and honor them by showing preference to others?  

While I love opening up my home to people, I also got to thinking that if hospitality is “love of strangers,” then we certainly aren’t limited to being hospitable in our homes. I can show hospitality any where I find myself!  The grocery store. Church. Zaxby’s. The Post Office.  The neighborhood pool. The airport. There’s really no limit to where or when you can show love and give preference to someone else. What a gift we can give!  And trust me, it would be a welcome gift to most people. Have you noticed how lacking our world is of genuine kindness or helpfulness?  It’s become what is expected, so a warm, hospitable smile or holding the door open for someone can really go a long way. Who knows?  They may even ask you why you would be so kind and open the door for you to share Jesus with them. Because, honestly, without Him, we wouldn’t be able to give preference to one another in honor.  We would not be devoted to anyone except ourselves. 

Lets all pursue hospitality! Love a stranger today.