Mid-days With Lauree

What if I told you that the dirty dishes in your sin might have more impact than the trophies on your shelves? As I look back at my life and things that made an impression on me, I think back to the mentors that have allowed me to see their failures. Failure is something we try to cover up because we're ashamed of it. When we have people over, the last thing we want people to see is the dirty dishes in the sink or the unkempt bedroom. But why?Kirk Franklin, a well-known gospel artist, shared in a conversation recently that he can have a greater impact through the failures in his life than with the trophies he may have earned. It's because we can relate. We've all fallen short. What happens when we let people see those failures in our life is we have the opportunity to shine a light on the way that God has walked with us through those failures and forgiven us and God's love will shine so much brighter than where we've stumbled and gotten scraped up. If a friend is able to climb their way out of their valley of

One of the things I've learned since becoming a homeowner is when we have company over, I get intimidated being in the kitchen. Maybe you're with me in this struggle. If you're feeling the heat but don't have a choice of staying out of the kitchen, here are 3 tips I found from a line of tweets that went viral from chefs of their favorite kitchen hacks to help you impress your guests. 1. If you're working off of a recipe that you found online or in a cookbook, double the spices. Yes, double them! I tried this one out on a baking recipe and oh. my. goodness. It made all the difference in the flavor!2. This one is for all you garlic lovers like me. When you add the garlic makes a bigger difference than how much you actually put in. If you looking for just a hint of garlic, add it towards the beginning. But if you know you've got a garlic lover and you really want to pack a punch, go ahead and add it in the end, that flavor will really pop.3. Before serving the meal, pop your plates in the microwave or the oven f

This would never happen in DFW, but it did happen and I think it's a pretty great reminder to us this Christmas.A friend of mine is a pastor in a small town in southeast Michigan and a couple of Christmas's ago, they received almost a foot of snow. As he was driving through the town square he looked over to the nativity scene that was set up and he noticed something: because they got so much snow, the baby Jesus was totally covered up. So he got out of his car and brushed off the snow so Jesus could be seen.Something about that story is symbolic to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas season. The fun songs, the Christmas cookies, the gifts. But at the heart of Christmas is Jesus and I believe this is a lesson that we can take with us into the coming days in our own lives: uncover Jesus in every situation. If you ever find a moment that Jesus obscured, make room for him.

As Christmas approaches, we're probably all familiar with the Christmas story in Luke 2 but here's a reminder for you with an added point of emphasis that you may have not thought of before!As many time's as I've heard this story, something new jumped out at me. It's really interesting when God sent an angel to deliver the most monumental news to ever grace this earth, it was delivered to the shepherds. Not to the king or the high priest, not to someone who was obviously holy and was going to keep the law. No, it was delivered to the shepherds. In biblical times, a shepherd was a dirty, lowly profession. It was by no means a prestigious job and I think that actually highlights the point of the story of Christ. When God delivered the news, he went straight to the lowest because God created all people and is for all people. The Good News is for each and every one of us.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? Or what is a Christmas tradition that you can start this year?Sometimes it feels like we need to wait for someone to give us the green light to start something new or maybe you feel like you need to wait till you're in a different life stage, but I'm here to tell you no! You have the ability where you're at, no matter what life looks like, to start a tradition that you'll be able to look back on and say "I started something beautiful and important in a year that was, otherwise, full of chaos!"

If you love the Christmas classic Elf (and I mean, who doesn't?) then you love this story of a man from Boston who created a moment right out of the film itself!

It's an age-old question: Who are better drivers, men or women?Today we settle the score once and for all, thanks to a recent survey done by AAA. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said data shows men tend to speed, tailgate, and make rude gestures at other drivers. Meanwhile, women are more likely to run redlights. The survey found 79% of Americans drive aggressively- regardless of gender. Speeding is the most common behavior, followed by tailgating, making rude gestures or honking at other drivers, and running red lights.“Speeding, red-light running, and cutting other drivers off can kill you, your passengers, and others sharing the road,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy. “Driving aggressively isn’t worth the risk. When you get behind the wheel, be patient, be kind, and obey traffic laws so everyone gets home safely.”So whether you're a man or a woman, drive kindly!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to forgive somebody for something that did some real damage to you? Chances are, it's happened to all of us somewhere along the way. Knowing you have to forgive is one thing, but doing is a different ballgame. If you find yourself there right now, we've got a piece of encouragement from Pastor Andy Stanley that may help get you across that finish line of forgiveness. He said, " In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feels like a decision to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving soul to another." I know it doesn't make it any less painful or difficult to do, but because we have been given so much on the cross, we are called to extend that gift to others. Though it's tough, forgiveness really is freedom.

When we're shopping for Christmas presents for money we don't really have, for people who are going to love you regardless of the present you give them, maybe we're doing it wrong. I'm looking in the mirror on this one. I know I've felt the pressure to go out and get the perfect gift for someone so I can "win" Christmas with an impressive gift. I think one of the things that this year has gifted us is a little more freedom when it comes to gift-giving. Here is my suggestion: Be honest with those you love if exchanging gifts isn't in the budget, but the gift is quality time being spent well. And isn't that the heart of Christmas anyway? It's not about the gift-giving, but more so about celebrating with your family and friends the gift that we have in Christ.

If you are looking for special Christmas events for your family this season, I want to recommend the Festival of Lights at the Dallas Arboretum.  Over 1 million lights sparkle and dazzle and are a perfect setting with a hot cup of cocoa to wander through the 12 Nights of Christmas gorgeous displays. Can you name all 12 Days of Christmas...beyond 3 French Hens I get them all mixed up! But great scavenger hunts for kids to keep them engaged and plenty of photo opportunities to capture your loved ones and the pretty new scarf you've been wanting to show off!Don't miss the super realistic and charming Euro Christmas market that is modeled off of the Christmas markets in Europe. Plenty to see and do and the group rates make it affordable for you and your family!

When your loved ones are going through a stressful time, your first instinct may be to drop what you're doing and be there for them. Sometimes, that just not possible but you still want to be able to show them you love and support them. Here are 3 creative texts you send right now to that person in your life that may make a world of difference to them. 1. "Just about to drop off cookies at your door" Doesn't matter if you bought them or baked them, a sweet treat can always brighten someone's day and it's the thought that counts. 2. "Hey, I'm at the store. Can I pick up something for you?" The question "Can I do anything for you?" can be overwhelming when someone's mind is already being pulled in a thousand different directions. This text could be a variation of things, but the point to be specific in your act of service.3. "I'm proud of you." Coping with stress takes up a ton of energy for any of us, so letting your loved ones know that you're well aware of what they're facing and that you're proud of them co

What if we told you the answer to one question would make today a success? Would you want to know the answer? Of course, you would! Here the thing, you already hold the answer.Dr. Henry Cloud, one of the writers of the book 'Boundaries', proposes this statement: Ask yourself what is one thing I can do today that when I go to bed tonight, I can look back and say "I'm so glad I did that"? And then do it! It's that simple.

What an amazing Christmas tradition idea! As we celebrate an Advent season like never before, let's be reminded that as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we also await excitedly for his return as our Warrior King to our rescue! “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” - Revelation 22:12

What's something we all have in common? Neighbors. You have good ones, bad ones, maybe ones you don't know at all. But would you go as far as saying you have the BEST neighbors? I would!We are 4 months into living in our new house and I truly believe our next-door neighbors are the best neighbors ever. They have been so incredibly welcoming to both Brian and me, but their most recent act of generosity won my heart (and my stomach!)I was sharing with my neighbor that I would be hosting Thanksgiving at our house for the very first time, which included my in-laws, so this was a big deal! The next day I got home and my husband told me that our neighbors had brought over something. It was this little box of delicious butter biscuit cookies with a note on the side that read as follows:"Happy Thanksgiving! For the moment this weekend when you need to be alone in a closet and eat secret cookies." Isn't that the sweetest? It not only filled my heart with joy knowing that I live in a community that cares for one anothe

One of the things we try to do here at KCBI is pop into your life from time to time and remind you of good things. We all need that reminder because it's really easy for all of us to lose perspective of what is good, especially when hard times come. Sometimes we get discouraged by thinking that if you follow God, then your life will be relieved from all troubles but if you've spent any time as Christ-follower, then you know that's just not the truth. Author Watchman Nee has this quote "Good is not always God's will, but God's will is always good." When we are walking through those difficult things, God doesn't waste those seasons in our life. They are for a purpose and more times than not, they're used to draw us closer to him. So when we face difficulty and the waves of life are crashing down around us, let's keep our focus on God. When we're so locked in and singularly focused on him, we have the opportunity to walk across the water instead of sinking in the waves below.

From our family to yours, we want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!It's been a challenging year for all of us in 2020, and that's been no different for Doug Hannah and the Hannah family. Both Doug's wife and mother were in the hospital for some serious circumstances in 2020, but they're both here to celebrate this Thanksgiving and for that, we show thanks to God for his grace. We know that today may look different than you hoped and you be celebrating in a distanced or virtual way with your family, but our hope is that today you are able to reflect on the things that God has done and that your heart is filled with gratitude. We're so thankful you are apart of our KCBI family and that we get to serve our community right alongside you. Happy Thanksgiving!

We're days away from Thanksgiving which means you've surely seen someone on social media asking if it's too early to put up their Christmas decorations or listen to Christmas music. It commences the holiday season! Maybe you're the person who has asked and allows your friends here at KCBI to give you green (white and red) light on kicking off your decorating!

Self-Talk is something we all do, and for most of us, we can be pretty critical towards ourselves. Doug has a challenge for you: With God's grace, speak to yourself as if you were speaking to a child. I know this may sound weird or you may not think it would be effective, but hear us out. Ask yourself the next time you hear that inner voice of yours, "This verbiage I'm using, would I say that to a kid? Would I say that to a kid I care about?"The reason we bring this up is that there are so many people that get derailed by their own inner critic. As Christians, the way we talk should be edifying and uplifting. So if you wouldn't say something to someone you care deeply about, why would you say that thing to yourself? As God's child, it's just something to think about today!

Since we love to celebrate here on Afternoons with Lauree & Doug, we decided to recap everyone we featured during the 5 o'clock Celebration Hour this week! From people accepting Jesus as their savior to beating traffic, we're celebrating everything that God is doing in your life!If you'd like to be apart of the Celebration Hour here at KCBI, just give us a call at 214-787-1909 or text in your celebration through the KCBI App!

Lauree has a Texas-sized problem and she needs some advice on how to handle it!This morning she was at her house enjoying a cup of coffee when her husband walks in and just yells out "honey, there's a coyote in our front yard!" WHAT? In residential Dallas Country? Well, she goes out in her "Trophy Wife" robe and slippers. Sure enough, there's a coyote.That's where you come in. How should Lauree handle a coyote or bobcat if walking on the trail by her house? What is her best course of action.