Meet Kristin Wall

Hi! I am Kristin . . . aka “Momma Wall!” So nice to meet you! I don’t like admitting it, but I am often attributed the role of “founder of Delight & Be.”  But the truth of the matter is that God is the founder. . . I just did my best to trust Him step by step & do what I felt He was asking me to do. We serve such a mighty and powerful God . . . I am daily blown away by what He has done in and through Delight! It is an honor and privilege to be part of such a beautiful ministry!

My section {Be Delighted}, is a place where I will be sharing the happenings in Delight & Be. So it might be a week that I share about a past or an upcoming event, it might be sharing the needs of Delight & Be, it might be all about the Delight House, or it might be me introducing some of our awesome leadership! It also might be a week where I just share what it on my heart! :) But no matter what it is, it will be real, raw and relevant because I don’t like sugar-coated words and because I like keeping it real!

Well.  .  . about me! First and foremost, I truly deeply love my Jesus. My heart’s desire is to spend my life with a heart that is surrendered and open to do whatever it is that He desires. That in itself is a glorious daily adventure. I didn’t say easy or “fun”, but definitely an adventure! ;) After that, I am wife to an amazing husband of almost 25 years! Yes, 25 years! I have no idea where the time went, but I am seriously more in love than ever. He’s an incredible man who has served and loved his family with excellence. I am proud to be his wife. I am momma to six beautiful children (1 married son, 1 married daughter, 1 son-in-law, 1 daughter-in-law and two awesome boys at home!).  Best of all, I am Mimi to Gideon who will be a year old this coming August and a new grandchild due on his birthday! I am truly blessed! I am also beyond thankful to have Isaac & Ethan still at home because when the house isn’t full of Delight girls, it is full of their crazy guy friends. Our house is NEVER dull!

Our daughter’s wedding. . . May 2015 

We live in the middle of nowhere in eastern Washington state surrounded by orchard and huge beautiful mountains on every side. Well, they aren’t quite as beautiful as they were as I was growing up here as a horrific firestorm devastated our community in July of 2014. That experience transformed all our lives and showed use powerfully & literally what God means by “beauty from ashes.”  It taught me that we are all stronger than we think, it taught me that life can be changed in seconds, it made me love and treasure my family even more than I did and it taught me the power and necessity of community.

This is an image of our family praying together is taken in our driveway as we were quickly figuring out where and how to evacuate. This is my entire side of my family. As the fire was raging 80 mph down the hill towards us, we had a decision to make. . . which way to go!  

I have been asked how Delight came to be. . . well, in 2009, I was diagnosed with PTSD. God gave me a camera and photography as a way to bring healing into my life. In the fall of 2009, I unexpectedly started a photography business called Lifesong Photography. In April of 2010, Emily (my daughter), and I shot our first wedding together. At a photography retreat in the middle of nowhere, Oregon, my heart radically changed in October of 2011. I had grown up in a Christian home, but can truly say that I didn’t know what it meant to give my heart completely to God until then. That was also the same time that God gave me the vision of what is now Delight! I ran our photography business until 2014 when I knew that God was asking me to full-heartedly put my time and effort into Delight & hand over Lifesong Photography to Emily.  Not going to lie. . .it was a grieving process. But I am now seeing why God was asking me to lay down what had brought me so much healing. I couldn’t be giving my best to Delight & Be if I was still concentrating on a business as well. I wouldn’t have the time to invest in workshops, retreats and community gatherings if I still was being pulled in a different direction. Even when it is a process of “stripping away” and it hurts, we can rest knowing that His plans are always perfect.

My life has changed a bit since my older two have gotten married the last 20 months. I am still in the thick of being a momma to my teen boys and I LOVE it!! Besides homeschooling, being a tennis, basketball and swim team mom, I really love reading & dream of writing a book someday. I also love snuggling up on the couch and watching TV with my husband and boys to unwind from the busyness of life. I am learning to love cooking again as my built-in-chef, Emily, got married last year and moved out! :) My boys are sure missing her Thai food!!

I had to include this image of me & my sweet hubby with our best friends!

These are friends  who’ve been through it all with us since before we were married!

Friendships like these are to be treasured! 

 

But when all that I mentioned above is stripped away, who am I? I am a daughter. A child. I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father. When I take away the responsibilities of my life, the things that weigh me down at times. . . I am a child. Think about that! Seriously, stop and think about it. It allows me to take a deep breath to think that I can rest in being my Abba’s child. With no “to do” lists, no “performance driven” accolades needed. . . because He Delights in Me. I am His Daughter. Because of His grace, I am saved. Because of His grace, I want to wholeheartedly surrender my life to Him. Because He is my Father, I can rest in knowing that I am loved, cherished and delighted in. . .not because of what I do, but because of who He created me to be.

 

 

And this is my whole entire awesome family!!!!  December 2015 

 

So there was a little peak into my story and my heart.  If you aren’t in our amazing Delight & Be online group of almost 700, and are between the ages of 16-22, and are passionate about the creative arts, please reach out to us!! We’d love to add you! If you are a woman who has a heart for teen girls & loves Jesus, we’d also love to have you part! Either way, just e-mail us info@delighthouse.org