Friends Are Forever
May I introduce you to my friend, Karin Naylor?
I’m pretty sure the year was 2000. Our family had moved to Edmond, Oklahoma with our family business. We leased a house since we didn’t know how long we would be there. It was a beautiful house and in a very nice neighborhood. I loved living in Edmond. The neighborhood didn’t seem too friendly, but I stayed busy with homeschooling, exploring the Oklahoma City area and trying to get situated in a new church. Other than the neighborhood, Edmond folks were very friendly.
Our daughter and I were interested in learning how to cook healthy and we found a co-op that you could order organic food from. When I made the phone call to get information, little did I know that the lady that answered my call would turn out to be a dear friend who has inspired me for the last 15 years.
I drove to Karin’s house to pick up my order and she lived several miles outside of town on a ranch. I was intrigued with her and her entire family. Karin and her husband Scott have 9 children. The talent in this family amazed me. Everything from cooking, gardening, horses, chickens, wood working and they even had a family band. We would go out and all the them would pull out their guitars and all kinds of instruments and do a concert for us.
I could talk forever about how amazing Karin is to me and all the ways that she has encouraged me with her life. I wanted to share her with you. Enjoy my interview with Karin Naylor.
Beverly: Karin, thank you for allowing me to introduce you to everyone. Can you share a little bit about you and your family?
Karin: I’m married to a wonderful Christian man, and I have 9 children and 3 grand-children. I started home schooling in 1985 when my second daughter was in 6th grade. We were not happy with several things that were happening at the school she was attending, and when my daughter brought home a very inappropriate book that her class was to read we confronted the principle about it. He stood up for the book, and consequently, we took her out of school in the middle of the year. The next year I also taught my son who was in 9th grade and my third daughter who was in third grade. I have never regretted our decision. Our family kept growing and we kept learning and in 1998 we started playing music together and traveled around sharing the gospel for about 10 years. My youngest son graduated from home school in 2008, and that is when I began learning to paint.
Beverly: Will you share how you became a Christian?
Karin: My story with Jesus begins when I was married the first time. I was not raised in a Christian home, but I had a very wonderful childhood. My parents were good to my brother and me. I was influenced by the “peace and love” hippie movement in the late 1960’s/ early 70’s. When I was 19 I was in Europe traveling with a band and became pregnant with my first child. We returned to the US and got married a month before I was due. I gave birth to a beautiful little boy. When I was pregnant with my second child, my father died,and we moved to Hawaii where my mother lived. There we became involved in the New Age Movement, and with another couple moved to the Big Island to rebuild an old Buddhist temple in order to house some Buddhist teachers who were coming from Tibet. It was here that the marriage began to break up and we separated. I went back to my mother’s house with my two children. This was a very tragic time in my life and I don’t know if I would be alive today, except for my two first children and what Jesus did for me. My neighbor gave me Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth …and after finishing the book I went to my bedroom and dropped down on my knees and asked, “Jesus, If you are real, please show me.” The whole room lit up and was glowing and I felt a warmth flood my body from head to toe. In front of me I saw a vision of Jesus’ face and I just knew that I knew that I knew that the Word was true. I went and found a Bible and could not stop reading it. A week later Hal Lindsey came to Honolulu and spoke in a large auditorium. My neighbor and I went to see him. When they called for the invitation to come to the front, I ran up to tell the world that I had been saved. This is how my journey began. There have been many ups and downs, but Jesus has always been faithful and true. He erased all the New Age religion from my mind and filled it with longing for Him and His ways.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalms 40:2
Beverly: What has been your greatest joy in motherhood and what has been the hardest?
Karin: I have always loved being a mother. My first child gave me a purpose in life. Each one is such a treasure to me. My greatest joy is seeing my children come to know Jesus in their own way, to watch and stand in awe at the incredible maturity they have spiritually. The hardest is when my children have turned from God. My first child turned 18 and told me he did not know if he believed in God or not, and to this day has refused Christ. One of my other sons was a prodigal for 6 years, and I am so praiseful that he has reconciled with us and with God. I began a ministry at that time called Mothers of Prodigals, and a blog Helping Hurting Parents of Prodigals. My heart goes out to parents with prodigals.
Beverly: Did you have a role model growing up of a healthy marriage, motherhood and family life?
Karin: My mother and father were great parents. My mom stayed at home with us. Being that my parents were not Christians my life was void of scripture, so I didn’t have a Christian role model in my growing up years.
Beverly: What are your hobbies?
Karin: There are so many things I love doing…gardening and art would have to be top on my list. I love picking bouquets of flowers from my garden and painting them. I also raise chickens and paint them too. 🙂 I knit and occasionally spin on my spinning wheel. I have in the past been a song writer and musician in our family band.
Beverly: When did you become interested in painting?
Karin: I’ve been interested in painting since the third grade when my teacher singled out a finger painting I had done and proudly showed it to the class. It’s amazing how much influence someone can have on your life. I remember trying out watercolors in my 20s after I became a Christian. I didn’t get serious about it though until my youngest child graduated from my home school which was about 6 years ago. I did take a watercolor class, then moved on to acrylics before I started experimenting with oils. Now I’m just really loving oil painting. I’m self taught, but some day I would love to take a class with the right artist at the right time and the right place. My goal is to glorify God with my paintings. As I am learning I have found that I love to be able to capture in art the joy of a moment in time, like a snowflake falling on an eyelash…
Beverly: What does a typical day look like for you?
Karin: I usually get up earlier than the rest of my family, so it is the perfect time to pray and read my Bible in quiet. We always have a Bible time together to start the day around 7:30 or 8. My husband started this when our children were little as we are told to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33 So whether it is all of us, or just the two of us, we begin our day this way.
We still have a lot of young adults living at home, so everyone makes their own breakfast and gets off to work or whatever they are doing for the day. I usually try to do some kind of exercise in the morning either walking at the lake nearby if the weather is nice, or doing stretches and a video tape exercise, or garden chores. After the house quiets down, I do my daily cleaning chores and visit my 95 year old mom who is living next door. We usually chat a while and have coffee. Oh, and I almost forgot my chickens, they need to be fed and have their water.
Twice a year January and September I participate in Leslie Saeta’s 30 Paintings in 30 Days along with hundreds of other artists. So these 2 months I paint everyday. The rest of the time I try and put Thursday aside for my painting day. This last year having my mom come live with us has changed my schedule a lot. It has been a time of adjusting for all of us, and I have to say that it has not been easy. There are times when I am too stressed or depressed to paint. But I know the Lord is working on all of us to be more selfless and this is a good thing.
We all usually gather together for dinner at 6. My daughter is a gourmet cook and loves it, so I don’t have to worry about cooking, and we have delicious healthy meals. In the evening I catch up with my blogs and knit, or we might watch a movie. We haven’t had a television in our house for over 30 years, but we do have a screen that we can watch movies on.
My husband and I typically wait up until all the young adults are home and safe, and then we go to bed. I don’t know why it is always easier to sleep knowing they are all safe.
Beverly: Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Karin: I love the mountains. My in-laws had a vacation home in Colorado, so we were able to go up there a lot. Unfortunately they sold it, but the mountains will still be my favorite place to go.
Beverly: What do you love the most about this season of life that you are in right now? And what is the hardest?
Karin: I think a year ago I would have answered this in a totally different way. Things were pretty mellow then, and I was really enjoying being able to paint when I wanted. Then when my step-father died and my mom came to live with us life changed dramatically. I would say the hardest thing right now is dealing with aging parents who have dementia.
My greatest joys are my grandchildren.
Beverly: What would be your best advice from your life experiences that you would like to share with us?
Karin: Everyone has hard times in their lives. One of the best things that I read years ago and still remember to this day, is from Elizabeth Elliott, “Do the next thing.”
Another great little saying to remember is to “Let go and let God!” His ways are not our ways… 🙂 Isaiah 55:8
I would advise every Christian to follow after Jesus. Don’t put preachers or teachers up on pedestals – they are just people like ourselves.
Don’t seek after material things, but put God first in your life and He will supply all your needs and more.
Be content with what you have… determine what are wants and what are needs. He will provide all our needs.
Give, give and give some more…
One of my favorite songs with an incredible message is Blessings by Laura Story . Take a moment to read these lyrics, or listen to the song online. I think there is so much wisdom in this song…
“Blessings”
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe
‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It’s not our home
‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
I love living the simple life… gardening, raising chickens, laughing with my grandchildren, walking with my daughters, having deep discussions with my sons, holding my husband’s hand as we walk through life’s journey, praising God for His salvation offered by the atoning blood of His son, Jesus. Jesus truly saved me from death – my life is an offering and these paintings are my praise offering of the talent that He has given me.
I think each believer is an epistle, a letter written by the Lord Himself. He is the one who orchestrates our lives. We can make mistakes, but He is there to turn those mistakes into good. Thank you, Beverly, for giving me the opportunity to share the epistle of my life.
My Website… https://www.karinnaylorpaintings.com
My Etsy Shop … http://www.etsy.com/shop/knaylorpaintings
My paintings and note cards are available on my website, my Etsy shop and Aunt Gertrude’s House in Guthrie, Oklahoma http://www.auntgertrudeshouse.com/
My Blogs…
Words of Life
http://shadowlilies.wordpress.com/
Helping Hurting Parents of Prodigals
https://helpinghurtingparentsofprodigals.wordpress.com/
Rosemary, Lavender, and Thyme
http://myhandsinfathersgarden.wordpress.com/
Simply Painting
http://30daystopaintinspiration.wordpress.com/
My Instagram…
http://instagram.com/knaylorpaintings
Beverly: Thank you so much, Karin, for sharing who you are. I am so thankful to have you in my life and will continue to pray for you and especially as you go through this time with your mom. What a gift you are to so many that are blessed to have you in their lives!
Inspiring interview! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome, Rhodema. Karin is an inspiration, isn’t she?
Thank you for stopping by!
Bevelry
Thank you, Beverly, for all the compliments and for doing this interview. And thank you for just being such a wonderful you. I praise God that we were able to meet all those years ago.
Hi Karin! You are welcome! 🙂
I’m thankful as well. You are a blessing!
Beverly
Wow, what a great interview, Beverly. Thanks for sharing! So much wisdom to be shared!
Hi Shenita!
That’s what I love about friends. We can all learn from one another!
Have a great week!
Beverly
Wow! what an interesting woman! Enjoyable interview.
Thank you, Lea! She is very interesting, isn’t she? I learned a couple of things that I didn’t know through the interview. I like the way we can grow stronger in our walk with Christ by getting to know where other’s have come from and seeing how God has worked in their lives.
Beverly