2010 RECAP

WOW- God has been exceedingly good to me over this past year! 2010- I certainly am a fan of you!!!! God seriously answers prayers. This time last year, I prayed for God to abundantly bless 2010....and let me just tell you- MY CUP IS OVERFLOWING!!!!!
Top 10 highlights of 2010 in chronological order:

1) One of my best friends got married!!
2) I met the man of my dreams!!!!
3) I graduated college!! WHew!
4) Went to my brother's high school graduation!
5) Strated a new job!
6) Started graduate school!
7) Went to my grandfather's 80th Birthday party!
8) GOT ENGAGED TO THE MAN OF MY DREAMS!!!!
9) Holidays and birthdays with my family and my fiance's family!
10) The COUNTLESS fun times that God has so strategically tucked into my life with family, friends, and my man!!!

Now to end this year off right, a blessing for whoever reads this:
"May the Lord bless and keep you, may His face shine upon you, and give you peace" this year in 2011!

And a little New Year's Ever Tradition: The Times Square New Year's Eve BALL!
"The actual notion of a ball "dropping" to signal the passage of time dates back long before New Year's Eve was ever celebrated in Times Square. The first "time-ball" was installed atop England's Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833. This ball would drop at one o'clock every afternoon, allowing the captains of nearby ships to precisely set their chronometers (a vital navigational instrument)." (From the official Times Square New Year's Eve Ball website).


The "ball" as it is seen now.




The "ball" in 2007- can you believe that was almost 4 years ago!?!? This ball was made by Waterford Crystal.




Back in 1978!



If you want to learn the history of the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball here is the official website:


Now I'm off on my last "HOO-RA" of 2010!
Kate

The Next Step

I heard a quote from one my best friends yesterday that I feel I must blog about in light of a current situation.
The quote is as follows "The most important thing God tells you is the next step."
Spoken by one of her family members, this quote has had some divine impact on my thought life since hearing it.
Life and death are two things we have no control over. God is the only one that can give life and take it away.
A friend of mine and her family recently lost their son/brother and his wife in a plane crash. Trying to make sense of this tragedy proves difficult, especially for the young and full of life. Such shocking news has sent me into much deep contemplation of my life. I must confess that my initial reaction sent me into a sort of panic and fear. Fear for their family and the hard times ahead of them and fear for my own loved ones. But the quote above made me realize something: No matter what occurs in life, the good and the bad- it all has to first pass through the Lord's hands. God is in control, each step of the way. End of story. He looks after those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and trials are given to us to bring us closer to Him (Romans 5:3-4, James 1:3-4).
So what I am getting at is the fact that I cannot worry about tomorrow, or weeks from now, etc. etc. I can only deal with the next step that God places before me. I can only work with what God deems sufficient for me to know right now. And I have to trust that that is enough. God specifically tells us that we cant handle knowing ahead of time what is going to happen to us and occur in our lifetime, both good and bad. (Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.")
Therefore, my thoughts conclude in realizing that I will miss out on "the next step" God places in front of me if I keep worrying about things I have no control over in the unknown future. We are not meant to live our lives in fear. We are meant to follow the everlasting God as He leads us each step of the way. I resolve to whole heartedly follow the Lord and to not miss out on the abundant life He has given me and intended for each of us to live.
God is in control of both life and death. I figure He gave me life for a reason and I must do with it all that I can to honor, serve and love Him until He determines that its time to go home. Life is meant to be lived in light of eternity.
I must remember that Christ's love not only conquered death but my fears with it.

Be blessed as we prepare for a new year.
Jesus makes all things new.
Kate

Slightly sleepy, but much more fulfilled

Life has many changes, people change , circumstances change- and though I see most change as a good thing...some changes take a little more time to get used to than others. My quiet time is good example of this.
For years and years since I have become a Christian, I have done my quiet times with the Lord at night, and for years and years that has worked wonderfully. It was a way to walk through my day with the Lord, and though traditionalist like to suggest "morning time" as the best time meet with the Lord, I staunchly stood in opposition. I was not, and still am not a morning person. And I'm begining to think that aspect of my life will never change (even though I would love to be a morning person, it just seems so much more efficient,the morning is just beautiful).
Still with that being said, I'm watching my well worn habits change during this time of prepartion in my life. Now as I get ready for bed at night, I still love praying and walking through my day with Jesus, but it seems that my brain just kind of shuts down when it comes to advanced though. So when I read its like I'm reading to finish so I can go to bed instead of reading to be changed and let Christ's word wash over me and sink deep into my soul. I read, turn out the light, and fall asleep...and thats just not ok with me. Because I love Jesus, and because I want to know Him more and be like Him more- if my body decides its going to change, then I will change my habits in order to persue my relationship with the Lord!
So while I still cant make my brain turn on and comprehend advanced thought first thing in the morning, I can still spend time with Jesus, after the fog has cleared from my head! :)
I dont think it matters though when you spend time with Jesus, as long as you spend daily time with Him. We cant let legalism rule our hearts, only our love for Jesus should do that.
Here are a few pictures of people doing their quiet times in some cool places.

-of course :)

haha I love this one!

...for the real early birds




this is probably the truest one of me...minus the fact that its a picture of a guy...








This is quote from Rob Bell I saw, and though he isnt my favorite person, this quote is very true: "God is always present. We're the ones who show up."


Kate

Thank you House with all the Christmas Lights, YES, THANK YOU FOR SAVING CHRISTMAS!

SO the other evening my fiance and I (oh I just love saying that...and typing it!) went on a date night! We went to "The Gospel According to Scrouge"--which was quite adorable and afterwards, we were fully in the Christmas Spirit- so of course, we went on an impromtu drive looking at Christmas lights. Quickly to our dismay we realized that Christmas lights seemed to be a dying art-form.
REDICULOUS, I never got this memo! When did we stop putting lights up on our houses at Christmas?! Who decided that was OK?! -Certainly not me.
I would much prefer at house all lit up circa "The Griswolds" then no lights at all. Goodnight people! SO with that being said, luckily our drive was saved when we came to a few lone houses shining in the darkness. They were BEAUTIFUL and I dearly loved them.
With all that being said, to the few families that were SO brightly lit that they make up for the darken homes next door, your climb into the trees, upon the rooftops and out into the cold was WORTH IT!!!

SO to you, House with all the Christmas Lights, I want to give you a big- THANK YOU, MERCI BEAUCOUP, and DENADA (I dont speak spanish)! Jesus is the reason for the season, but YOU my bright and dear friends, You have saved the Christmas spirit, by shining your light in the empty darkness all through the season! So take that all you scrouges!

Also, may it be said, that last night Fiance and I vowed to forever make sure we had Christmas lights up during the holidays, AND PLENTY OF THEM!
See you next Christmas- house next door with no Christmas lights on...we're movin' in!!! :)

Lastly, IT IS OFFICALLY CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! YES, TODAY IS MY FIRST WHOLE 24 HOURS ON CHRISTMAS BREAK AND THIS GLORIOUS MONTH AHEAD HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!!!
How did this day begin? BY SLEEPING IN!!! thats right friends, fair warning- do no be jealous, but I didnt even set my alarm!!The rest up on today's agenda you asked?!
-workout
-hangout with a dear friend
-cook and bake
-wedding plan
-and have Christmas with my Fiance!
YAYAYA!!!!
Also, last evening I finished all my Christmas shopping! Glorious! :)

-Kate

Christmas Extravang ZA

So most of you probably know Dave Barnes, BUT do you know about his hilarious youtube videos?! Dave is captial F-U-N-N-Y, FUNNY!
I've been listenin to Dave for a few years, but never knew how hilarious he was until one day, my dear friend Noel posted her favorite youtube Christmas video on her blog
Talk about funny! I was rolling!
Here is the video link now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfrhFkz0hrs
If you're not in the Christmas spirit after watching that, try this video instead:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk0GPu6JuGo
also by Dave, this shows his "normal" stage presence...He's got a great sound!

And, if you havent guessed it already, why yes I am listening to his Christmas albumn as I write this...

Finally, did any of yall hear the weather report for the last two days here in the South? "Freezing Fog"- aka, the "South's version of snow" as my friend Heather calls it...funny but all too true. Hits a little too close to home... speaking of...
I miss the mountains and snow and skiing!!!! OH HOW I MISS IT!!!!! Its been TWO WHOLE YEARS since I've been "back home" as I call it- with no end in sight! Can you believe that?! Not I. If it wasnt for future hubby keeping me sane, I would of packed up and left by now.

This is where I want to be:

(minus the snowboard at the bottom of the pic)



But this my reality/the closest I'll be coming to the slopes for awhile:


Always hopeful,
;) Kate

A few thoughts...

A few thoughts I've been "mulling" over the past couple of days:
1) Almost congratulation-ed out, ALMOST- It seems that in the span of two weeks, four couples I know have gotten engaged! Not to mention my best friend found out she and her husband will be expecting their first child in August (Praise the Lord!). It seems good news has decended upon this Holiday season and I can't even begin think about how many people will get engaged over Christmas and New Years...this years wedding season is going to B-U-S-Y, with my own wedding included!!! But seriously it is such a fun time to celebrate the gift of marriage...and later this year, LIFE!!!

2) "Car Antlers"- has anybody seen these?! I mean really y'all? REALLY?!

Haha, secretly, I wouldnt mind having a pair of these myself for a few laughs because the way I see it, this years "Car Antlers" are the "Tacky Christmas Sweater" of the Holidays. :)

3) Branson, MO: Good ole' Branson. I am quite fond of the name myself. ;) And if you've never been there, its the hillbilly/blue hair capitol of the South. Well this past weekend some friends and I made the treck up there. We really had a great time! No much left to say about it except for:


Finally, the wedding plans are going going going and I'm loving every minute of it! Cant wait to marry MY MAN!!!! :)

With Love,
Kate

2 Changes

So there are two things I want to add to my blog:

1st) I want to blog more, and even if I dont have anything deep and meaningful to say- but just random thoughts will do. I hope you think so too. :)

2nd) I want to add WAY more pictures to each post. Lets face it, pictures are just fun.

With those two resolutions out on the table, thus my 1st new and improved post:

TODAY IS FRIDAY! OH and what a happy day it is! Praise Jesus for weekends!!!! And speaking of, Praise Jesus for fiances who encourage you and continuously point you back to Jesus daily! I cant wait to marry such a God fearing man! And how blessed I am to be marrying such a spiritual leader! :)

Life update:
my time currently is spent wedding planning, and paper writing (which I should be doing right now...)
UMMMMM its hard though to efficiently write a paper when planning a wedding is SO MUCH FOR FUN! Whatever professors thought that paper writing was an effective use of our time- WERE WRONG!! SO VERY WRONG!
This picture describes perfectly how I feel about the whole research paper writig thing:


And this is how I feel about wedding planning:


There are some things words can't express. :)
Farewell for now!
-Kate

Top 10 Love Quotes

So interestingly enough, I was looking at shoes online (ha!) and somehow came across a web page with a list of 75 quotes about love. Here are some of my favorites, for different reasons.... ;)

1)Love is friendship on fire.- unknown (but totally a favorite of mine!)
2)My wife tells me that if I ever decide to leave, she is coming with me.-BonJovi(haha!)
3)The first duty of love is to listen. - Paul Tillich
4)Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. - Albert Einstein (haha!)
5)I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry. - Rita Rudner (this is funny, but I disagree! ;)
6)If you’re in love, show me! - My Fair Lady
7)The best romance is inside marriage; the finest love stories come after the wedding, not before. - Irving Stone
8)Kisses are a better fate than wisdom. - e.e. cummings (not true, but funny if you think about it)
9)Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. - Erica Jong
10)Its not about finding someone without flaws, its about finding someone who's flaws you can live with the most!- unknown (also a fav. of mine!)

:)

<3 Kate

Soon.

Occationally I will find a song that just seems to say exactly what my soul cant.
This is entitled "Soon" by Hillsong United:

"Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness
And crowned with love
When I see Him, I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I'll be going to the place He has prepared for me
Then my sin erased, my shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders round the throne
At His feet I'll lay
My crowns, my worship
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb, the Lord of heaven

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul with be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon"
-Brooke Fasier, Hillsong United.

Also, I just wanted to post a sermon by John Piper that my fiance and I watched the other day. The subject matter was 100% by coincidence, but God knew I needed to hear it. Not that I was struggling with this (because I'm not married yet)- BUT it was great to watch in preparation of our marriage and it was definitely something to
"chew" on ! I want to learn everything God shows me concerning marriage because I so desire to be a Godly wife that honors my husband and my sweet Jesus!

Here is the link:
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-beautiful-faith-of-fearless-submission

More to come on probably random life stuff :)
-Kate

Engaged!!! 10/08/10

Ohh its definitely that time again.
Update anyone?

I'M ENGAGED TO THE MOST GODLY AND AMAZING MAN I HAVE EVER MET!!!!!! OH HOW I LOVE HIM WITH ALL OF MY HEART!!!! HE IS THE MOST PERFECT MAN FOR ME AND I AM SO SO SO EXCITED TO MARRY HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!
OUR ENGAGEMENT WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!!!!
OH JESUS KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS DOING AND HIS TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!
MY HEART IS OVERJOYED AND OVERFLOWING. I AM BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF!!!! OH HIS GRACE IS ENOUGH!!!!!
-SPENDING THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH HIM MAY BE THE BEST THING I CAN THINK OF!!!!


-ok, I'll stop, for now.

-Kate <3

Happy Fall Y'all :)

Wow, it's been awhile since I last posted on this blog! Much has happened! A little recap of how the summer ended, plus an outlook of what's to come- in no particular order!
First, I got a job!!!! Praise God!!! After fervently searching all summer- Jesus, in His perfect timing has given me the perfect job!!! He is faithful!!!
Second, I started Graduate School!!!! :)) Also another day I never thought would come! It's intense but has been SO affirming that it's exactly what God and I want to do with my life! I'm so excited to see how He is going to use me in the lives of those I'll come in contact with!
Third, Ive gotten to take some fun and quick trips to Louisiana, Kansas City, Shreveport, Texarkana, Houston and the lake with the best boyfriend ever to see families and friends!!
Fourth, Ive gotten to hang out and spend some awesome time with some of my best friends before they head off on their next big God adventures! (Molly, Caroline, Abby, and Macy!)
Fifth, made a new and dear sweet sista friend! (Katlyn!)
Sixth, just good ole' plain summer fun...baseball games, a little sand volley ball, cookouts, long talks outside late into the night, walks, pool parties, hiking Petit Jean, late night swims, swings and dinners with friends to name a few.
Seven, is self explanatory :) And what an amazing seven its been!
Eight, encountering God in a whole new way and seeing Him use some of the hardest and toughest situations in my life for His glory and for some intense time with Him during my extremely free schedule. Praise Him for bringing us to His heart and setting not only us apart to be with Him but for also setting time apart to seek Him in relationship and hear Him speak. He has taught me ALOT this summer, and I mean ALOT- but not all of it is something I will divulge on this blog.
Needless to say, its been an incredible summer filled with a TON OF FUN! I'd venture to say its been the best summer- so far! Goodness, I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for it all. God has richly blessed me indeed. And even though the end of summer meant sending my younger brother and two of my best friends off to college, my cup is overflowing. Talk about feeling humbled. I dont deserve this. Not one bit. Grace is the only way to explain it.
Grace, what a big word. We throw it around often (cough*my car*cough) :) but to truly understand its vast and deep meaning?! I would totally win that game of "Never Have I Ever."
With all that being said; I'm ready for fall now! God is so cool (no pun intended)- He made four different seasons each with their own excitements and perks. Football season has now descended upon us, and every good Southern girl is excited about it- even if she isnt a huge sports fan. Cooler temperatures, brightly colored leaves, weddings, festivals, hiking, the Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving with families, bon fires, church events, birthdays, pumpkins, warm smelling candles, blue jeans, country music and possibly cowboy boots.
**As a side note-Yes, I said possibly. I’ve recently been wanting some cowgirl* boots for this fall. I want them every year and every year I go shopping for ‘em and never find any that I really like …so I have yet to own some. But I’ve got a good feeling about this fall. This is going to be THE ONE! I’m going to finally have my first pair of cowgirl* boots, even if I have to search high and low (ok not really)- but I just think they’re really cute y'all!!! So we’ll see…. I mean, I am a "Pioneer Woman" in training!
Alright, I see you September 1st! In the spirit of football season, lets kick the Fall season off right and early! !

So let me be the first to tell you: HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!
-Kate

Ephesians 3:20 & Psalm 27

Praise God for knowing me better than I know myself. He fills me with hope and encouragement exactly when I need it. He sets my feet upon the rock, makes my heart steadfast and turns my mourning into dancing. He gives me a renewed thirst for His word and passion for His truth. He has set my heart free, continually, and never ceases to fill me with faith, hope and love for Him. When my “love tank” fills empty, He draws me into His arms and overflows my cup. I swim in His grace.
Jesus knows, He just knows- what I need to hear and when I need to hear it, even if I don’t fully realize it. Oh that you were tangible Father, I would run into your arms and never let go. One day Lord. One day soon.
This is what God spoke to me this morning. (Oh Praise Him!- His mercies are made new every morning!)
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20
Beth Moore:
“God appears to thoroughly enjoy doing ‘immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.’ You see, if we don’t ‘ask or imagine’- then what does God have to out-do?
God has answered you above and beyond what you asked on some of the very requests you assumed He answered negatively. You have no idea how many times you’ve prayed and God answered affirmatively but is awaiting the proper time for its revelation.
-and sometimes, when the revelation does comes, we don’t even link it with what we originally asked because we don’t recognize the super sized Ephesians 3:20 answer.”
The Lord does not lead us into despair.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14
(How many times have I felt Him speaking this verse into my heart?!- Many many and today is no different. The funny thing is that I have never even tried to memorize this verse.) :)
Maybe someone else needed to hear this same thing today. Just thought I’d share.
Here is all of Psalm 27, its just incredible. I think I could read this Psalm everyday and never grow tired of reading it. I can’t help but identify with it. Praise Him for giving us this scripture.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD."

And of course I have a song that summarizes my thoughts as well. The lyrics: “Oh Lord my strength You’re my Redeemer, forever I will love You (x3)…No one whose hope is in the Lord will ever be put to shame, You are the Rock that is higher than I (x2)… for Your Name is above every other name!”

Singing my heart out to Him with thankfulness and praise,
Kate

A Youth Group's Trip to the Beach

*This is a story about a youth groups' trip to the beach as related to me by some of the senior guys on that trip and told in my words. :)

Recently a youth group went on a trip to the beach. They were originally headed to Gulf Shores, AL., but the 69 day strong oil spill re-routed them to a little place called Corpus Christi, TX. Now, not to knock the beaches of Texas, I myself have had some incredible experiences on those beaches; but the students of said youth group seemed to of been expecting beaches that resembled a little more Florida and a little less not. The first day they arrived in Texas, a series of unfortunate materialistic events occurred that they fearfully hoped did not set the tone for the rest of the week. They were not in condos- as they had been told, they were in hotel rooms. They did not have a view of the beach, their rooms looked out onto the street. They did not have a balcony to harass locals, but had a 5 foot double-pained window. The TV in their room was made in 1979. And to top it all off, the beaches weren't sandy, it was blazin' hot, and the water wasn't cold or as blue as they had expected. In fact, they couldn’t even walk on the beaches without wearing shoes because instead of sand, the beaches were covered with shells, and to walk barefooted on the shells would leave one's foot cut and bleeding and no one enjoys having bloody feet while at the beach.
There was one glimmer of hope that shone brightly that day though, they had been told that residing in their same hotel that very week were some Varsity Cheerleaders. Finally, they thought, this trip is going to be fun! After hearing the news, they wistfully climbed into the elevator to "check out" the lobby and hopefully get a glimpse of some ponytails, pom poms or ribbons. When they arrived though, all they found were 12 year old girls-with their mothers. They decided to check and see if the Cheerleaders were outside, practicing maybe. Still, all they saw were more 12 year olds with braces...and pom poms. Their hopes were dashed, dashed like the shells on the dangerous beaches outback.
With their shoulders slumped and their heads hung low, the senior boys of the youth group sauntered into the hotels' ballroom cheerleader-less for an hour or two of worship with the rest of the students. Who they didnt expect to join them in the crowd that night was God. Not only did God show up around them, but He came and impacted each of them in a way they never expected. It was powerful and perspective changing. His presence made them realize that the beach and all its materialistic aspects were only the second reason they were on that trip. The first reason they were there was to meet with God- and meet with God they did, He had just helped them out along the way by getting rid of some of the distractions that would keep their minds off Him.
Many of those boys walked away from that week-long trip in the presence of Jesus, changed, and changed for the better. His love and truth are written on their hearts and evident in their lives. There has long been a saying that goes: You know when someone has encountered the Holy Spirit because when they walk away, they are never the same again; they're changed forever. Those boys opened their hearts and allowed God to work in, lead, and heal them. Yes, the God of the universe met with those boys face to face and I dont think there are enough words in the human vocabulary to express the praise and thankfulness God deserves.
Personally, I hope my next beach trip looks cruddy on the outside, but is filled with the power and presence of God in every quiet and joyous moment.
Life's a beach,
Kate
*and I mean that to relate back to the story saying that Life can be hard but God is work in the cruddy situations for incredible amounts of blessings in His timing. :)
Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your throughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Perfect, Never Changing.

Hey blog, Hey!
I just cant find it in me to finish this blog. I began by writing about the past, about going through old letters and cards last night and about going through old pictures tonight, but honestly- none of it seems or feels relevant so I erased it all. Yes, its true, I tend to look back on the past a few days before my birthday every year, and yes my birthday is in a few days -GET IT!- and I'd love to tell you all about the past two nights of reminiscing on ma vie!....but not on this blog. This blog isnt for rambling...which is what I'm currently doing...so I'll get on with it. ;)
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Bible tells you that over and over again, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end- compare 1 and 2 Kings to the Gospels and you will find many similarities. Praise God for His word, written right before our very eyes, BUT also praise God for being the same in our own lives. Look around you, God is there. Look at your life, really look at it. The ups, the terrible downs, the crazy fun ups again and yet the downs one more time. God was there, every single time- always loving you. He never stopped, He loves you now, and He's going to love you tomorrow. Does that give you hope? It sure gives me hope. I certainly dont know what tomorrow will bring, or the day after that or really what my life will look like past going to bed here in about an hour or so, HA! BUT I dont have to worry about it because Jesus isnt going anywhere. Praise Him for leading us in this life and never leaving us.
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
Sidenote: being in this place of uncertainty concerning my future might be one of the most blessing filled times in my life because, as a planner, not knowing what in the world I'm doing --well for the rest of my life at this point, quite frankly scares the heebie geebies out of me BUT it has caused me to rely so much more on Christ step by step, day by day- literally in all things that I cant help but be joyful about it! And honestly- I've now begun to bask in all this uncertainty with pleasure!- Thats right, I said it! Number one planner extordinaire just told you she is uncertain where her life is going and she's ENJOYING IT but its because I know Jesus is the one leading it! I once asked Jesus to take me on the rollercoaster ride of life with Him--and well He's doing it! ha! But Praise Him for orchestrating circumstances that draws us closer to His heart!!! What a glorious God that wants us, all of us-even with our ups and downs.

Finally, I want to close with a poem that sadly, I did not write because its great! And interestingly, how perfect does it fit into this blog?!

PERFECT, NEVER CHANGING
One time you told me
That you feel God is just angry at you
But I wanted to tell you that is not true

I know what you mean
I feel it myself too
How could God love me
In spite of all that I do?

Yet His love is perfect, never changing
For He has always been and will be
The Sovereign God of great compassion
Forever showing mercy to you and me

He gave His One and Only Son
To take away our disgrace
To bear every sin
To stand in our place

Great and small all our sins are forgiven
Every wrong we have ever done
What an amazing gift received
By believing in God’s Son

Friend, you are His
His beautiful child that is now grown
He has always been with you
He will never leave you all alone

He will never not know you
And never be too far away to know
You are His child
Through Him washed whiter than snow

He desires for you to have everything
That is why He has given you His All
His Son, Jesus Christ
Salvation to all who call

For this life is so short
And eternity so long
Our days but a whisper
And then they are all gone

But God has chosen to love you
He has given you this day
Every morning full of new mercies
And every evening talks and prayers to say

-Anonymous

Happily Uncertain,
Kate


-And for everyone who reads this and is still up late at night- and you know who you are- I just want to say: I'm still praying for you. God is making me- :) Hopefully this was a little encouraging in some way.
GoodNight All.

James 5:13-16
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in FAITH will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE."

- the word speaks for itself. It doesnt need my thoughts to go along with it. Praise God for His words and thoughts written to us.
- more later. If you read this post please pray for a friend's dad's healing. God is sovereign in all things. Praise the Lord for His is the glory and the power Forever!

Breathless with praise, prayer and petition with thanksgiving,
Kate
(Phil. 4:6-7)

Its not about me.

Hey there, it’s been a few weeks. Summer has officially began for me! PRAISE THE LORD! I want to begin this post with a quote that I think is incredible.

"The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you- your personality, your willpower, your gifts, your talent, your money, your courage, your wisdom, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything-then although you may have the 'Christian life', you aren't yet living it."- Ian Thomas.

-If your life isn't 100% completely and solely centered on Christ, if He isn’t your everything, the One you run to when times are bad, the One you rejoice with when times are good, and the One you talk to til’ you're blue in the face when there's a lot on your mind- then you're missing it, you're missing Him.
-We can say all the right things, we can do all the right things, but the ONLY thing that matters is Jesus Christ. He's it. He’s the only reason you’re even here. To know Him and to make Him known.
He's our everlasting hope, and our ever present help in times of trouble.
Do you know Jesus? Have you met Him?
He is powerful.
He is the ultimate healer.
He is in control.
He is abounding in love for you.
He is honorable and full of integrity.
He is forgiving and merciful.
He is full of grace.
Jesus is the ultimate rescuer.
He is the Prince of Peace.

Jesus, my God, my Savior, my Father, my Best Friend; He is all that and more, more than I can even comprehend. In the following weeks to come, I want to study the nature of our Savior. Who He is, in depth and up close. I want to know more about the man who sacrificed Himself- bloodied and ripped to shreds, to die for me and for my sins; all for the sake of the most perfect love relationship I have ever experienced, or will.
Don't you agree that this beyond our comprehension love from this man, the Son of God, deserves more than just a passing acknowledgement on Christmas and Easter when we tell His story? And I'm not even just talking about hanging out in the gospels- although they are a great place to start, knowledge of our Savior, the Holy Spirit, and God our Father- the Trinity, is found throughout the Bible. Jesus is the physical representation we are given here of God on Earth- He’s His Son.
Anyways, I want to end this post with a story I read about a week ago. It’s about Elijah.
"Elijah went before the people of Israel and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing." 1 Kings 18:21

-No one I know of worships Baal anymore these days, but what if we replaced the word "Baal" with the word "you." Then the verse would read, "If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if you are God, follow him."---take a look at your life today. Would you find yourself standing in front of Elijah in silence? Is your relationship with Christ centered on you? or on Him? Are you daily dying to yourself, to your wants, to your fears, and dropping everything in favor of His presence and His abundant grace and love? It’s time we stop wavering between the two options, we don’t have real true life to the fullest without Christ pumping through our hearts and our thoughts moment by moment, every day.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:19-21

"If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5


It’s all about Him- and not about me,
Kate

P.S. If you don’t know how the story with Elijah and the people of Israel ends, you should check it out. I mean we’re talking straight fire raining down from heaven, aka = stinkin’ awesome God smack down over His people. Get it!

Facebook Fast

Hey friends! I just thought I'd tell y'all, I'm fasting from facebook for the next few days...a week to be exact. I hadn't planned on it until I got home tonight and God just struck me with this umm call? I guess you could say. How many times do we get on facebook or maybe some other site to just "check" it but end up spending hours engrossed in "stalking" and the like, dont deny it- we've all done it.
God struck me with this thought- and I use the term "struck" because God literally stopped me in my tracks- but I thought, "What would my life look like if I took all the times I looked at facebook and instead, spent time with Jesus?" -I'm not a big "stalker" and I dont spend hours on facebook in one sitting, but I do check it frequently and I bet if I added up all the little times I checked it- it would be an hour or so.
Also though, a second thought I had was, does facebook encourage me with Christ? You know, God can and does use social networking sites for His glory- I 100% beleive that, BUT currently, for me, I just dont feel as if its encouraging me enough- if at all, to keep me from this fast, that God has called me to in the first place.
Anyways, I wanted to tell y'all whats up.
Oh, and can I tell y'all one last thing? Maybe this will be a bit of encouragement to some of you out there, and it ties into this "fast" I'm embarking on because God's timing is always perfect, but let me just tell y'all this last thing God spoke to me tonight.
GOD IS ON THE MOVE!! HE IS AT WORK IN THE HEAVENLIES RIGHT NOW AND HE IS ON THE RISE!! GOD IS KING OVER ALL AND NO ONE CAN MATCH HIS MIGHTY POWER AND STRENGTH!!!! CHRIST IS SHINING HIS LIGHT IN THE DARK PLACES OF THIS WORLD AND IS EXPOSING THE EVIL THAT HAS ENSLAVED MANY OF US. HIS WILL AND PURPOSE WILL NOT BE HINDERED! HE WILL LEAD AND GUARD HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR TRIALS AND CAST OFF ALL EVIL THAT TRIES TO BLIND OUR EYES AND DEAFEN OUR EARS TO HIM!!!!! BE ON YOUR GUARD, KEEP WATCH AND STAND READY FOR HIS COMMAND!- HE IS SPEAKING TO EACH OF YOU- HE IS HEARING EACH OF YOUR PRAYERS, HE IS READY TO MOVE AND HE IS ABOUT TO SHAKE THIS WORLD WITH HIS GLORY!!!
PRAISE HIM! HE IS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS!

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

I encourage all who read this to take a few minutes and read Isaiah 40 today. God is the ultimate encourager.


Boycotting Facebook for the next 168 hours haha! =)
Kate

Jumbled lines of Poetry

So.....I write a little poetry here and there- its never planned and ALWAYS impromptu/ and I'd like to think, lead by the Spirit, and well, I felt as if I should blog tonight but the words just wouldnt come. So this is what I ended up writing. Think of this as a blog post in poem form.....with each stanza representing a thought/paragraph I was going to write about. :)
If anyone is reading this blog for the first time, please refer back to older posts...I promise I'm not a weirdo.


My heart is full
My life is free
He reached into my world and carried me.

When my world was threatening to crash around me
while gripping to all those fears
I clung to His promises, knowing He'd never leave me here.

I may think my problems are big
I may think I'm broken beyond repair
but Jesus is the ultimate healer and all my burdens, He'll bare.

Though life gets tough and heavy
though life feels like more than we can take
We can hold fast to His purposes because He died for our sake.

God is who He says He is
but satan will try to hide
every light that shines before him
be it ever bright.

Yet, Jesus is my redeemer, my Father, my best friend
No one can shut Him out of this world
He'll be here til the end.

Next time you hear that threatening voice
you know, the one that brings you down
bring it into submission, remembering the One who wears the Crown.


Thats all I have. No, this is not a regular thing.
Goodnight.

Not a poetry slammer,
Kate :)


**Note: Poetry Slam= a place/time where people read their poetry to one another.
Also, I'm not hatin' on anyone who likes to write/read poetry, Beth Moore writes poetry. "Further Still" is book of poetry she's written...for anyone who wants to know.

Selfish Christianity

A last thought of the weekend before the work week offically begins tomorrow. Really, I guess I'd call it a warning and a call to action to all followers of Christ.
-Selfishness. We know all about it. We've been told that its bad and wrong and that the world doesnt revolve around us since most of were about two years old, but theres a new concept I've recently learned about and its called 'selfish Christianity'.
The definition, as explained to me, of 'selfish Christianity' is to use God as our own personal source of good fortune and in your relationship with Him- its very one sided/all about number 1 with the person treating God more like a genie than God. I beleive this is something every Christian fights daily- because of our inherent fleshly nature. But let me sound the alarm now, this way of thinking and interacting with Christ is wholly unrighteous of us- as real Christians seeking to constantly be more like Him, we need to rexamine the very nature of our Savior. He was the most unselfish human to ever walk this Earth. He bled and died for us, yet do you know who He was praying for as He hung upon that cross? Amist all His pain-which is usually when we are the most selfish- He prayed for us. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they have done." Luke 23:34
*disclaimer: Jesus does care about us and what is going on in our hearts and lives, I'm not saying to not talk and pray to Him about yourself. I'm saying Jesus doesnt want ourselves be our only focus- He can handle our problems, and other people's too. :) *
However, the most important point I want to make tonight is that I think this form of "selfish Christianity" is yet another scheme used by Satan to blind us to other hurting people. You see, his plan is brilliant, because we never have to take our focus off ourselves and yet we can rationalize our self-centered perspective by throwing God in the mix. You see, when praying for only ourselves and praying for others in ways that benefit us we end up taking ourselves out of the fight and off the battle ground of the war against satan. There are injustices occuring around the world right now that must be stopped, but the powers of darkness wont vanquish themselves- we must come together as Christ's church, raising up our hearts and our prayers and calling and crying out on the behalf of the oppressed to the One who covets our prayers and can destroy satan with the stroke of his finger. Dear reader, whoever you are, Jesus is pleading for us to follow in His footsteps to stand in the gap for the sex-trafficked, the hungry, the lonely, the hurting, the dying, the violent, the abandoned, THE LOST.
They are all around us, the battle is all around us. You have a choice reader, no longer allow yourself to be taken out of the battle- we cant act as if there aren't millions of people who need Christ with every fiber of their being. We have righteous and powerful prayers that the Father can barely wait to answer on their behalf- the same love abundant love that He has for us, He is yearning to pour over the wounds of the millions of other lost on this Earth. And dont let the vast need for Christ discourage some of you, our Savior has OVERCOME THE WORLD (John 16:33)- no we personally cant reach every person on the planet, but Christ can- a million times over, and the best part is, HE's DYING TO DO IT! Your prayers are urgently needed.-if I knew a more desperate term for "need" I would use it.- Have you seen the state this world is in?! THE WORLD NEEDS JESUS AND WE'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN GIVE HIM TO THEM!
We must turn daily from our self seeking nature and pour our hearts out to the One who can bind up the wounds of the many victims of evil. Who are we church if we aren't loving others as Jesus loved us?

"By Our Love"- by Christy Nockels

Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love

Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us
We will come reaching, with a song of healing
And they will know us by our love!

The time is NOW
Come Church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love

Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we’re gone,
And they will know you by your love!

"The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective." James 5:16

Battling in prayer,
Kate

Trials, Faith, & Praise- You know, the Usual :)

OK- is anyone out there experiencing a time of waiting or just experiencing a time where you are in need of great faith in our Mighty Savior?! Is anyone else just crying out to the Lord for not just more of Him but for a Holy anointing of His presence to blanket you and fill your every thought!? Is there anyone else crying out for our Father to set you free of different strongholds in your life?! If so dear friends, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I'm with you 100%.
This song has been particularly on my heart and on my lips this past week.

"You'll Come" by Hillsong

I have decided I have resolved
To wait upon you Lord
My rock and redeemer shall not be moved
I?ll wait upon you Lord
As surely as the sun (or Son) will rise
You'll come to us
As certain as the dawn appears
You'll come let your glory fall
As you respond to us
Spirit reign flood our hearts
With holy fire again
We are not shaken we are not moved
We wait upon you Lord
Our Mighty deliverer my triumph and truth
I'll wait upon you Lord
Chains be broken
Lives be healed
Eyes be opened
Christ is revealed

-I am praying that everyone who reads this blog post is filled with divinely righteous faith and trust in our Savior to heal, to move, to be in control and to consume each and every one of you. We need it. Our city needs it. I have always felt that the best place to be in my relationship with the Lord is smack-dab on my face in desperate need of Him. I never want to forget the depth of my need for Him and to never stop crying out to Him with my whole heart. Forget being in control, forget walking through the valleys of life, I prefer to be ever climbing the mountain and praising Him for every big and small step He fills me with strength to take. I hope this post is meeting some of you where you're at right now and I want to tell you- I'm there with you friend. This is the place you want to be, this is the place where Jesus is refining you into the man/woman He desires you to be, to look a little more like Him and to give you faith to walk out on the water before you.
You know the "mustard seed" parable? Well, the Holy Spirit keeps replaying this verse over and over again in my mind for the past few days. "He replied, 'Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20
And then it hit me, I want that mountain MOVED! No more talking about it, as we have for the past few DECADES- lets put some action to our worn out words and MOVE IT! But where is this faith that can move mountains? Well, its right in the palm of Jesus' hand- waiting, just waiting for us to humble ourselves and ask for it. He's the best sharer. I'll leave you with Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
- I think God is most pleased when our prayers match up with His desires and often I pray that if my prayers and my desires aren't matching His- that He would change me to desire what He does. As I've been praying this- faith has been a huge topic on my heart, and my friends- He will give you the amount of faith you ask Him for. It most certainly pleases Him that you are praying for more faith and trust. He's in total control and He would love for you to realize it and stop trying to do things your own way. HE IS IN CONTROL. HE CAN MOVE THE MOUNTAINS WITH ONE BREATH. IF YOU DESIRE TO GLORIFY HIM AND YOU ASK HIM FOR MORE FAITH, EVEN FAITH THAT WILL MOVE MOUNTAINS- HE WILL TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN AND DO IT!
Praise the Father who desires us to be more like Him! Praise Him for always being in control- even when we feel like everything is in utter chaos! Praise Him for moving mountains in our lives EVERY DAY! Praise Him for listening to our prayers and loving us above our understanding! He is the God of the universe! He holds every star in His hands, in fact- He's named them all, He doesn't need us, but He sure does want us. PRAISE HIM!
Praying for everyone who reads this blog. Let us all just take a second and PRAISE HIM today, in this very moment, HE IS SO WORTHY OF AFFECTION!- I can barely stand it!

Breathless with Praise for our Magnificent Savior,
Kate

Praying Lyrics

Just a thought this evening.
Praying scripture is a must. Ever thought about praying song lyrics? No they're not the inerrant word of God, but if they describe what you are sincerely wanting to say to Jesus, I dont think He minds if we offer up someone else's words as our own. It doesn't make them any less your words if that's truly what your heart is wanting to say to Christ.- someone else just beat you to the punch line and wrote them down first :)
Maybe you do this already. But I don't want to just sing a song during church, I want to make the words my own and cry them out to the One who so desperately wants to hear us sing them to Him. He doesnt need our praise to feed His Holiness, but He so desperately wants to see and hear His sons and daughters loving Him back.
Here are five songs I've prayed numerous times to Jesus; hopefully they'll clarify what I mean.

1.) Desert Song -by Hillsong
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God You're a God who provides
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God You're my victory and He You are here
And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be empited again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

2.)
Worthy of Affection - by Shane and Shane
Deliverer you brought me out of the miry clay
You set my feet upon a rock and you made me say
Holy is the Lord
I would declare your thoughts about me one by one
It'd be too many to count so I simply come
And sing of your great love
So I sing..I lift my hands and sing!
You are worthy of affection
Your the radiance of all of His glory
Let adoration fill this place
You hold everything together
By the word of your immovable power,
I sing a song of praise!
I am the broken down and I am the beaten up
But what could stop me from a song of unending love?
Holy are you lord
You are a treasure, the hope, the bright and morning star
You are the lover of our soul and you've won my heart
I sing of your great love
So I sing
I lift my hands and sing!
Worthy are you Lord
Worthy are you Lord
O worthy are you Lord
Of all Praise
All Glory to you Lord
All Glory to you Lord
All Glory to you Lord
Forever More
Forever More

3.) Still by Hillsong
Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know that you are God
Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust

4.) Everything Falls by Fee
You said You’d never leave or forsake me, when You said this life is shake me. You said this world is gonna bring trouble on my soul. This I know.
When everything falls apart, Your arms hold me together. When everything falls apart You’re the only hope for this heart. When everything falls apart and my strength is gone, I find You mighty and strong. You keep holding on, You keep holding on.
When I see darkness all around me, when I see tragedy has found me, I still believe. Your faithful arms will never let me go. Still I know
When everything falls apart, Your arms hold me together. When everything falls apart You’re the only hope for this heart. When everything falls apart and my strength is gone, I find You mighty and strong. You keep holding on, You keep holding on.
Sorrow will last for the night, but hope is rising with the sun, it’s rising with the sun. There will be storms in this life, but I know You have overcome, You have overcome
When everything falls apart, Your arms hold me together. When everything falls apart You’re the only hope for this heart. When everything falls apart and my strength is gone, I find You mighty and strong. You keep holding on
When everything falls apart, Your arms hold me together. When everything falls apart You’re the only hope for this heart. When everything falls apart and my strength is gone, I find You mighty and strong. You keep holding on, You keep holding on.

5.) Reign in Us by Starfield
You thought of me before the world began to breathe
And you knew my name before I came to be
You saw the very day I'd fall away from you
And how desperately I need to be redeemed
Lord Jesus come lead me
I'm desperate for your touch
Oh Great and Mighty One, with one desire I come
That you would reign, that you would reign in me
I'm offering up my life, a living sacrifice
That you would reign, that you would reign in me
Spirit of the Living God fall fresh again
Come search my heart and purify my life
I need your perfect love
I need your discipline
I'm lost unless you guide me with your light
I'm desperate for your touch
I cry out for your love to refine me, I cry out
For your love to define me, I cry out
For your mercy to keep me blameless until you return
That you will reign in me
So reign, please reign in me
Come purify my heart I need your touch
Come cleanse me like a flood and send me out
So the world may know you reign, you reign in me.

-This is specifically the prayer of my heart today, tonight, tomorrow, forever, for so many reasons.
Goodnight all.

Desperate that He would reign in me,
Kate

Rain Down Your Love on US

Hello there! Here I am, posting again. God is speaking and I just have to tell you what He's saying to me, mainly because He's telling me to, but I'm not going to lie, its kind of hard to open my heart up like this on a blog. I'm only doing it because Jesus told me to so He can encourage some of you who read this. But ask my close friends,and they'll tell you its hard for me to open up my heart to just anyone, but who ever is reading this blog- God wants you to know that you're not just anyone. Oh and this might be more a girl-ish post, but I believe God can use it in the masculine soul of some of you men out there!

I love how God brings teachings and lessons back around full circle, and connects them in new ways. Let me explain. So last week- during Bible study, we studied Ephesians 3:16-21, but verse 17 is what I want to focus on this morning:
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"

- All through-out this evening of studying God's word, when I looked at this passage, I only saw what Christ wanted to accomplish through us, to empower us to love others the way He loves us, and I still think its a very imporant message in this passage to us as believers in Him.
Yes, we have His love in us (check!); yes, God's love is more vast that we can even imagine (check!), now lets go out and share this love that Christ has put in us with others! They NEED IT!!- and to be honest this train of thought is so like me, it drives me crazy to just sit around and talk about how great God is and then go about my daily life after a conversation like that, as if nothing happened. I've always been an "actions speak louder than words" kind of girl- and that same way of thinking has not escaped my relationship with Christ. - I definitely dont believe in works salvation, but I often I find myself asking, " Lord if I love you like I tell you I do, what am doing to show you that? You see my heart and how I feel about you and what I believe about you, but if from love springs action, where is my action?"
And the message in this blog is so fighting my nature, because I wish I could just turn this post into a call for action!!! A call to rise up as a generation and serve the poor, the hurting, the lonely, the widows, the orphans, and to break the human sin cycle that so many lost souls cant find their way out of! "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John 1:11
OK- now that I've gotten that out of my system, back to the point of this post! Focus, Kate. So this whole night, that's all I saw from this passage, I need to love others, we need to love others. Jesus doesnt fill us with His love for nothing.- it must be so we can completely pour ourselves out for others. Sounds Christ-like, right? Wrong. Over the past two days Jesus has been teaching me in His quiet way, gently nudging me, and it wasnt until this morning when I woke up that I could even put the words together that my Spirit has been hearing from the Holy Spirit. It goes a little something like this: "Daughter, my love for you is deeper than you can comprehend. Sometimes I just like to rain down my blessings on you. Dont move, dont act, just be still and welcome them with an open heart. Let me cover you with my love. Let me blanket it around you and hold you. Soak in my presence, enjoy my love, for I love you in a way that truely surpasses all human understanding."
WOW- I now fully know what Zephaniah 3:17 was talking about, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."
- I have memorized this verse since high school, but I always saw this verse as a means of shutting me up when I was trying to take control of situation. Once again, wrong Kate, wrong! It doesnt mean that one bit!-ok maybe sometimes ;) But truly it's just a verse about God wanting to love on us! He is the most loving God- I mean He stinking sacrificed HIS SON FOR US!!! Talk about not being able "to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." It is the ultimate kind of love, self sacrificing, but that doesnt always mean, that He is calling us to act. -oh that sentence is hard for me to type. But we cant forget the romantic side of Christ; the side that sometimes just wants to rejoice over us with singing, embrace us with His love, and quiet our souls so we can soak in His presence. He wants to fill us up to the brim with His love and let it run over the sides of our hearts and seep into every nook and cranny of our souls!- I think this is the kind of fullness of God that Ephesians 3:17 is talking about!
Dear friends, I hope this has reached your hearts this afernoon. Spring break is just around the corner. Take some time out of this fun filled week that is upon us and just soak in His presence. Let Him consume you with His love. God, didn't JUST come to save you, but He wants to love on you, right now- regardless of if you feel worthy of it. Thats what is so wonderful about Him, none of us are deserving of His love, and yet He is desiring to cover you in it, this very moment. He wants to quiet you and wrap you up in His arms. Dont get so busy that you miss that, that you miss Him yearning to bless you. Take time to thank Him and to open your heart and allow Him to fill the empty and calm the crazy places of your soul.

Praising Jesus for His unceasing love,
Kate

An Army on its Knees

Warning, this post is not for the faint of heart. If Spiritual warfare is something that frightens you, then read on dear reader; this is for you.
This topic of warfare has been repeatedly pressed into the forefront of my mind over the past several days. Satan is attacking and I know its because God is on the move. When there is major revival going on among Christ's church, you know satan is going to fight back- but JESUS is THE KING OF THIS EARTH! In fact, just writing this blog is giving me butterflies, but I press on because I know Jesus wants to reach some of you through this. Listen up, He has something to say- and I'm praying as I type that He fully conveys His message and my flesh doesn't stand in His way.
Warfare comes in many different forms. We do battle in our minds everyday-taking captive every ungodly thought and banishing it from our minds (2 Cor. 10:5). There is oppression of our Spirit that feels as if all hope is lost, and its usually accompanied anxiety dread and fear. Another tricky form of spiritual warfare is numbness and complacency.- it keeps us lukewarm, knowing about Christ and doing nothing, NOTHING.- Revelation 3:15 cries, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!" Finally, there are also physical events that can be only described as wholly unrighteous attacks of warfare. But take heart- we have all been there and God has been faithful to bring each and every one of us out of these times of oppression. He fights for us!
Psalms 55:18 states, "He ransoms me UNHARMED from the battle waged against me, even though many oppress me."
Yes, there is a battle raging in the heavenlies around all of us, but Jesus didn't come for nothing! He came to rescue us all from satan, and from sin, and bring us into the perfect peace of salvation with HIM. When- not if, but WHEN- we are attacked stop and praise Jesus, because it means you're doing something right. You're furthering God's kingdom in some way and satan wants it to stop- but press on! We have no need to fear in 2 Chronicles 20:15 and 17
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's......You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you." Though the context of this passage relates to the people of Judah and Jerusalem- I honestly feel that it perfectly applies to spiritual warfare- and I will explain further. You see, we cant see this battle, but God can. He knows every move the enemy makes- He's the ultimate war general because He knows every move and every trick the enemy will try. Nothing escapes Him. The battle is in the palm of His hands. The battle is HIS. All we need is to stand firm and take our positions as His army, on our knees.
Yep, I said it- ON OUR KNEES. This may feel like an elementary teaching- but we're going to talk about it, prayer. James 5:16 says that "the Prayer of the righteous is, powerful and effective." Prayer is our weapon of choice. In 2 Corinthians 10: 4 "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they (prayer) have divine power to demolish strongholds." That is our position: smack dab on our knees in prayer.- God is listening, and He's ready for you to sound the battle cry, because when you do- He will go to war, commanding His angels to surround you and fight to the finish! 1 Peter 3:12 states "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Membership of God's Kingdom has its benefits, we're on the winning side of this battle and God is against those who do evil. The Greek word for evil in this passage is "kakos," meaning specifically in 1 Peter "those who do evil, cause damage and harm." - aka. they're on God's hit list. As soon as we sound the alarm of prayer- they're toast, seriously.
Ephesians 6:10 commands us to "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This is God's draft for us to go to war. In this world, it is important to seek Christ daily asking for discernment to identify the devil's many schemes so that we may pray in power. In Colossians 4:2 Paul urges us to "devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Key words: being watchful.- We much be on our guard against the devil's schemes, and when we recognize them, we have to hit our knees.
A song called "I Put on Christ" by Laura Hackett states these words that pray over and over again: "Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil land. The battle is raging, The devil is raging, I don’t want to be sleeping, While the battle is raging, For my spirit is willing, But my flesh gets tempted, Rise up, my soul, and start praying, ‘Cause I don’t want to be defenseless.
I don’t fight as one who beats the air, Give me eyes to see and ears to hear, I put on Christ, make no provision for my flesh, Put on the whole armor of God, Leave no open door to darkness, And I take the scroll, I eat the scroll, I open up my mouth and speak forth Your word, And I take the sword of the Spirit, Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for battle, who trains my hands for war."
- look it up on itunes.

To encourage you farther, let me tell you of a hardcore, real life, RECENT story of God listening to the prayers of the righteous, breaking down strongholds, and banishing evil.
**Ok serious warning, this story contains hard and real life situations that are not suitable for children. Just in case there are any children reading this!
Topic: Sexual Slavery.
"Belgrade is an infamous stop on the new middle passage.-the new middle passage, is somewhere between where a girl is first lured and where she will be sold for sex night after night, its usually the slave auction. Here is where the slave-trader meets slave-buyer and decide together the worth of their human cargo; the buyers then transport the women to a sex-market. Thousands of women from Eastern Europe and Western ex-soviet states have stories that start when they are whisked away across the majestic Danube river and into the dark underworld of Belgrade to be traded to a slave buyer. But Belgrade is more than a trading post. Belgrade is the breaking grounds."
-side note, I'm apart of a group called Exodus Cry (http://www.exoduscry.com)that prays for the ending of sexual slavery. The spiritual warfare that goes on around this is intense. Ok now the recent breaking news.
"03/12/2010
BELGRADE, Serbia -- The interior ministry announced on Thursday (March 11th) the arrest of Milivoje Zarubica-Puja, the notorious "Balkan king of human trafficking". Zarubica-Puja, 45, was detained in a village near the town of Kursumlija, in southern Serbia, carrying fake ID documents. Zarubica-Puja was initially arrested in December 1999, during a police operation in Resnik, where 46 girls about to be trafficked illegally were found and about 180,000 Deutsch marks were confiscated. Several charges were filed against him in that case, including human trafficking, and he was sentenced to four years in prison. He failed to appear for sentencing and has been wanted ever since."
You need only to pray and Christ will break down strongholds, cast out evil and wage Holy war on satan.

Romans 6:19 says, "Be excellent at what is good be innocent of evil and the God of peace will soon crush satan underneath your feet." He will crush satan, but He wants to use our feet to do it.

Free up your feet and get down on your knees,
Kate

The 2010 Winter Olympics- Vancouver

Sadly, this post is not deep nor shall it be life changing- but some could definitely call it spiritual if you love the Winter Olympics and all that it encompasses like I do. =) (If you've never been skiing- its entirely a God experience- and I dont want to hear any arguments against it- you know who you are ;)
- SO here is my critique per say of the Winter Olympics thus far.

Curling:
= rediculous. Have you EVER watched a curling match? Its like watching someone play golf. It might be the slowest most uneventful game I have ever witnessed.- and I say that from experience. I sat down to watch a game for the first time yesterday that took TWO hours- two WHOLE hours of what, sliding a 'stone' across some ice?....Rough.

Cross Country Skiing:
Hands down the hardest sport at the Olympics. The amount of strength it takes to ski UP a hill- is intense. Now, imagine skiing up a mountain as fast as you can for 9ish miles with the altitude and the air pressure working against you....intense for sure.

Alpine Skiing:
is INCREDIBLE!!! I'm a girl that likes speed - not the drug- but the thrill of pointing your skis down hill and the wind in your face- well, there's just nothing like it. Anyways, I envy these few that can race down the mountain at speeds I can only dream of. Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller- I love ya'll. :)

Free Style Skiing:
EASILY IS GUTSIEST SPORT OUT THERE!!!!! From Ski jumping to aerials where these people just launch themselves up four stories in the air and then proceed to twist and flip multiple times and THEN try to land on their skis successfully....ummm ya, I cant even imagine putting my life at this kind of risk. Hats off to you my friends, hats off to you!

Hockey:
Men's Hockey is just a little too "hands on" for me and women's hockey....well it just makes me wonder...otherwise not much too say about this sport, and to be honest not too much I wanna say (to be quite frank.) =)

Snowboarding:
Ok I'm going to admit something no skier should ever have to- BUT I'm an honest girl, so here goes. Snowboarding is my FAVORITE sport at the Winter Olympics. Yes, yes I said it. ITS JUST THE BEST TO WATCH! My snowboarding experience is limited to one day of torture back in the Spring of 2006- which therefore makes me look up to the likes of Shaun White and Hannah Teeter all the more. And dont even get me started on Shaun! Not only is he the best at snowboarding BUT he works throughout the year making up new tricks on the superpipe- not only placing himself as a master of the board but also furthering the young sport and taking it to heights the pioneers never thought possible! (Snowboarding began in the early 1980's as a take off of the monoski-or skiing with just one larger ski- which is now a dying form.)

Figure Skating:
is cool- when its a girl - and even sometimes its cool when its in pairs; but I'm sorry I just cant get into men's figure skating. Something about a man in a unitard just seems wrong!- Even if its the now gold medelist, USA team member, Evan Lysacek, who some claim is cute, its just not ok with me. No matter how much you claim he can pull off that uni- you should take a second and realize what you just said. We need to check ourselves people. THIS IS NOT OK!

Speed skating:
is a notable sport. Its just like a normal race, but on skates. And after watching the race with Apollo Ono and seeing those two rib-jabbing Koreans fall and colide with the wall- I realized that its much more of a contact sport than I originally assumed. And yes, there is unitard involved for the men- and NO I'm still not ok with it, but at least they look like men while wearing it. I mean they have to wear a helmet for goodness sakes and they're at least racing; while ole' Evan is wearing sequins and feathers. I'm just sayin'.

Luge and Skeleton:
I recently found out what "Skeleton" is. It's when you throw your body down the luge track (where-stating the obvious here people- one has already died this Olympics) HEAD FIRST. This sport get's my DUMBEST SPORT award. If anyone is thinking about becoming a luge-st or a skeleton-ist, can I plead with you to just throw yourself off of a bridge instead?! its much safer.

Sidenote: While letting my mother read this blog, she exclaims- "I LOVE HOCKEY! HOW CAN YOU NOT?!" So there you have it people. Gena loves the head-butting, body-slaming, teeth knocking, shin-hitting, known as Hockey. Oh Gena, you never cease to surprise me. ;)

So like I said- not a deep blog, but hopefully its been entertaining.
Wishing I was in Vancouver,
Kate

Love Letters

So in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I just felt that I needed to share this story with you. I read it in a book a couple of months ago called, "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Eric and Leslie Ludy. If you've never read this book- I encourage everyone to go right now and buy a copy of it- this very instant! :) It is amazing and it will change and shape the way you view your love life forever! Ok so moving on to the story: *the names have been changed because I forgot them ;) but this is the same story told from my memory.

Set during World War II, this true love story begins- not with boy meets girl, but in a little library in a small town in Florida. Jim was stationed there right before being shipped out overseas. He was wandering aimlessly amid the rows of books until he found his one of his favorites. As he began to flip through the familiar pages, he noticed little scribbled handwritting in the margins. As he began to read them each individually- he realized that they were very insightful notes about Jesus and the resurrection. Reading on, he found himself enjoying each one more than the last. Finally, he made it to the end of the book where he saw an inscription that read "Sorry for all the notes, Ellen Walters, New York City, New York." Impressed by her intelligence, godliness and insightfulness, Jim knew he had to meet this special woman. Sadly with his departure looming, he set out only to find Ellen's address in New York in hopes to write her a letter. A few days later, he found it and immediately sat down to write. He thanked her for her notes in the book, inquired about her righteous insight and reassured her of his innocent intentions. After sealing the letter, he placed it in the mailbox and left the next day for the dangerous trenches of Europe.
Weeks later, he received the first of many letters between the two. With each note, Jim fell more in love with Ellen. After months had gone by, Jim was due for a leave of abscence and he was desperate to meet this Godly woman. Ellen, being a little hesitant, wrote him her concerns about meeting. She was afraid he would be like everyone other man- completely focused on outside appearances. She wrote telling him that she was looking for a man of honor and integrety- who considered others before himself. After a little coercion from Jim- assuring her that he had the utmost respect for her and every woman; Ellen agreed to meet. They were to meet in the lobby of Grand Central Station in New York City at 6:30pm. She told him to look for a woman carrying a single red rose.
When Jim finally arrived back in the States, he could hardly stand his excitment. Getting off at the train station he walked, more like sprinted, to the lobby. He arrived at exactly 6:30pm., and with his heart pounding in his chest. He began to search for a woman with a red rose. As few seconds later, a group of people got off a train and began to make their way through the lobby. A beautiful slender brunette in a pale green suit that matched her eyes began to make her way through the crowded lobby. His heart stopped as she made eye contact with him. He began to take a step toward her and she coyly inquired, "Going my way, soldier?" ;) Thats when he realized she wasn't carrying a red rose. Before he could respond- he saw over her shoulder a hunched over, grimy, old woman with grizzled hair, a few missing teeth and single red rose in her hand. She seemed as if she was looking for someone. At this moment- Jim knew he had to make his decision- would he turn around and follow the beautiful brunette out of the station or would he muster his honor and walk over to Ellen. With the promise of dinner from their last letter still ringing in his ears, he sauntered over to old woman and introduced himself. The woman looked up at him and replied in her raspy voice, "Honey, I dont know what this is all about, but that gorgeous brunette that just walked out of here gave me this rose on the train and told me that if a soldier named Jim came up and introduced himself- then I should tell him to meet her across the street at the Sidewalk Diner. Oh and I'm supposed to tell you that you passed the test."
Thanking the old woman warmly, he told her to keep the rose and raced out of the lobby to find the real Ellen. After his eyes had adjusted to the sunlight and he had crossed the street, he saw her sitting at a table in the front window. They made eye contact and she smiled the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He swung open the diner doors and the rest is history. :)


- I love this story because it is a true story of love based not on physical appearance but on one another's love for God, integrity and honor.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Kate

Steps of Faith

So, Jesus is keeping me up late tonight. Sometimes He does that, but its never without a very good reason. =)
The source of this post is Matthew 14:28-32 and Romans 8:28.
Matthew 14:28-32
"Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water.'
'Come,' Jesus replied. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' He said, 'why did you doubt?' And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down."
This of course led me to ask God, "How many times do you ask me to follow You out on that water?" "And what does that kind of request look like from You?- how do I identify such a big 'walk on water' step of faith?"- the answer seems obvious- its whatever pushes us out of our comfortable -*insert part of life here*- and asks us to lean solely on Christ. Now to the topic weighing most heavily on my heart.
I am mainly concerned with the topic of fear, doubt and how to prevent it and if necessary- which it usually is- how to find my way back to trusting only Jesus. While I am willing to follow the Lord out on the water, just as Peter was, how many times does my fear hold me back in the boat? Or what about when I begin to take those first few steps out on the waves, but I let that all too familiar cloud of doubt come and overshadow "this little light of mine" (a reference for all you Sunday schoolers out there) as I begin to sink into the ever deep pool of complacency that continually threatens to force me to swim back to the boat?
What I feel God showing me is that, if we keep our eyes continually on Jesus, the focus of our mind and our heart will be directed entirely on Him. While, at the same time, by keeping "eye contact" with Jesus- the protector, Savior and creator of our very lives, we will never even notice or worry about the problems and situations that only threaten us, cause us to worry and pull our attention, along with our trust away from Jesus. Which, of course, consistently leaves us struggling amongst the waves of hardship that could of been avoided in the first place. (by keeping Jesus at the center of our mind and trusting that the Ultimate Rescuer will come to our aid- if ever that time should arise.) Many times though, this fear and worry alone causes us to never even get out of the boat of security and walk out on the waters that lead us to Jesus' heart.
In Romans 8:28 Paul states, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Consistently throughout the Bible, God reminds us over and over again that He will not let His purposes nor His people be thwarted ( yes I just said "thwarted.") =) In the very story of Jesus' birth, He protects Jesus-and probably the wise men as well- from Herod by sending them a dream and therefore preventing some impending doom. Then later in Acts 12, Peter is put in prison and God, with His mighty purposes, wakes Peter up, releases him from his bondage (as if he was bound by thread)and gives him a heavenly escort right past the first and then then second guards, smack into the middle of the city, all within enough time to rouse the praying saints to lead him out of the city gates and deliver him to safety from Herod. These are just two examples of many times God has worked good for those who love Him way back in Biblical times; but ironically God isnt saying in Romans 8:28 that God "worked good" or "thought about working good" NO, He clearly states that He "works good" - that means RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, HE IS WORKING GOOD!- whether we see it or not! I know Peter certainly did not see God working while he was asleep, and the saints after him didnt and the many others experiencing God's protective power even as I write this post. But they all trusted that God is working good for those who love Him and have been called to His purposes. And if you love God, He is calling you to His purposes.- He tends to work that way. =)
And for those- like myself- who have to find their way back to trusting Jesus, time and time again, from my own personal experience, I have one word of encouragement for you, Grace. Jesus didnt die on that cross to leave us the way we are, but through His grace, He can and will change you; yet only if you let Him. It is at times like these- when we are desperate for God to change us, if we ask we shall receive, and if we knock -He will always open up for us. =)
So I guess to wrap up this post, how is God asking you to get out of that boat of security, all the while keeping your focus on Him instead of the things of this world, and walk on those waves of uncertainty to where Jesus is leading you?
As the words to the popular hymn state, "On Christ the SOLID ROCK I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND."
Jesus will provide the firm foundation- but if you want to walk on water- you HAVE to get out of that boat. The first step is always the hardest, yet when you hear your precious Savior calling, you have to make a decision- is your life going to be about Him- or is it going to be about feeding into your comforts and your fears?
-I hope this encouraged some of ya'll out there. =)

Forget swimming lessons- I'm walking on that water,
Kate


**There is a book out by a popular Christian author, John Ortberg, entitled "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat." Interestingly enough, I have never read this book- though I own it, it covers in much more detail what God has been placed on my heart in this blog.- So if this is something God is placing on your heart as well- this book would be a great place to continue reading. =)