Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Journey

Immanuel: God with Us

2012-01-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

I was looking for Jesus Culture music

when I came across a video of Kim Walker speaking about worship.

No, not just singing but worship. You may think,

"I know about worship. I don't need to watch a video talking about worship. I may not be good in all areas but that's at least one area where I'm good."

{And by you, I really mean me.}

If so, that's great.

But will you watch this anyway...?

Watch all the way to the end, please.

Please and thank you.

An Unoffended Heart

And then, after that, I found this.

I was really blessed by this song.

I hope you will be too.

I Love Your Presence

Overthrowing Judgement

2012-01-05T17:01:00.000-08:00

I have a confession.
I struggle with judgement.

That's pretty ridiculous given that
I have been extended so much grace in my life.
I have no right to judge anyone.
Plain and simple.

I will admit to having extended judgement on Ted Haggard and his wife Gayle.
Weeks ago when I saw that they were going to be on Celebrity Wife Swap
I remember thinking, "Seriously??"
I didn't watch the episode but I did read this interview
in which Gayle discusses their decision to appear on the show.
One thing that she says really stood out to me:

"I would not have volunteered for this path but I’m grateful everyday for what God has done as a result. In Proverbs, it says that the godly will fall seven times and get up again. It’s the wicked that are overcome by one stumble."

Wow. What a great perspective.
I'm thankful that God has given her that perspective
and I'm thankful that He extends grace even in the midst of my hypocrisy.

He could have come.

2011-12-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

Advent: the coming or arriving,

especially of something very important

[source]

The focus of Advent this week is peace.

I like this definition of peace from Justin and Tricia Davis's blog:

Peace = quietness of heart and a confidence in God

Peace is not an action;
it does not require us to do anything but rest in Him.

He who is able.
He who does not need us to take care of everything; He is fully capable.
He is mighty to work in us.

As the song says,
He who could have come as
a mighty might storm
or a giant wave
or a blazing fire
or a devastating flood.
But He didn't.

If you're struggling with peace today or in this season,

I'd love to pray for and/or with you.

Let's talk.

Father of Joy Designs Giveaway!

2011-12-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday!

I hope that your week has gone well and that you've been able

to take some time to reflect on the real purpose of this season.

I have something fun for you today!

The precious Abby from Life at Its Finest

has graciously offered to give one of you a piece from her Etsy shop

Father of Joy Designs!

Her shop offers so many adorable, encouraging, fun prints!

She does offer customized colors

{which she did for me in the above print!}

as well as customized designs.

Abby is so great to work with,.

she even made the envelope that it came in pretty and personalized!

To enter, go to the Father of Joy Designs shop

and then come by here and leave a comment telling me which print you most like.

For a second entry, you can tweet about this giveaway.

{Please make sure that you include @kjwallace7 and a link to this post!}

Go now because the giveaway closes Saturday, December 17 at 7:00 pm Pacific.

Additionally, Abby is offering 10% off all orders when you use the code EXTRAORDINARYJOURNEY

AND if you order by December 20,

you can still receive your order in time for Christmas!

Doesn't the print look so good hanging in my bedroom?

It is directly in my line in vision when I wake up in the mornings.

What a good reminder for me as I start my day!

Not just a baby.

2011-12-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

We have Christmas because God came down to earth in human flesh.

To be born as a baby.

To a virgin.

That's a miracle in itself.

But that wasn't it.

Oh no,

not it by a long shot.

That baby grew up.

And this is Him.

He performed more miracles.

He loved people,

especially those who weren't loved by others.

He imparted wisdom.

He was tempted in every way yet was without sin.

And then, because of His great love for us,

{for you, Beloved}

God

who came down in human form as a baby and then grew up into a man

died.

He paid the penalty for my sins and for your sins and for the sin of the whole world.

What a huge weight that was on His shoulders.

And then, after He his body had been in a tomb for three days,

He overcame death.

The tomb is empty.

Jesus, your Savior,

overcame death.

If He can do that,

don't you think

don't you know

don't you trust

that He can overcome whatever obstacle you are facing right now?

And the next obstacle and the next and the next.

He is able.

He wasn't just a baby.

Let Your Heart Be Light

2011-12-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

{Alternative post title:
I don't care if Flash Mobs are over}

How is your Tuesday going?

Are you feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities, commitments, events...?

"When Christmas begins to burden,

its a sign that I've taken on something of the world

and not of Christ."

Ann Voskamp

I don't know about you
but that statement was really convicting to me.
How many times have I let myself become entangled in junk
instead of enamored with the whole grounds for the season?
Way. too. many.

I can't change the past
but I can do things differently ~~in the future~~
right now.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Yes, your joy
{which is the focus of Advent this week}
has to come from Jesus but here are a couple things to make you smile.
1. A silly Christmas-afied picture of my shiny red shoes

{Don't you think regular Tuesdays need festive shoes...?}

And 2. A fun little video
My friend Cherri sent me this video this morning.

It really did warm my heart.

I don't care if flash mobs are over,

I'm adding it to my Christmas list.

I really want to witness one.

Don't be afraid, little warrior bride...

2011-12-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

...Victory is on the other side.

You're not alone.

Jesus Calling, December 12

Emma {Not Alone}

Don't be afraid baby don't you cry

Daddy's here it will be all right

You're not alone you're not alone

Don't be afraid when you're cold at night

I will keep you warm I will hold you tight

You're not alone you're not alone

Look beyond the window there

To the sky above to the open air

Look beyond what you can see

Close your eyes and just believe

The lion roars and the lamb lay down

They live together in a whole new town

They're calling me and they're calling you

From the cold hard facts that we're on our own

To the age old truth that we're not alone

Don't be afraid when you scrape your knee

I've got a band aide waiting and a kiss for free

You're not alone you're not alone

Don't be afraid of your blind belief

Because the more you fly the more you'll see

You're not alone you're not alone

Look beyond the window there

To the sky above to the open air

Look beyond what you can see

Close your eyes and just believe

The lion roars and the lamb lay down

They live together in a whole new town

They're calling me and they're calling you

From the cold hard facts that we're on our own

To the age old truth that we're not

Don't be afraid little warrior bride

Your victory's on the other side

You're not alone you're not alone

© 2004 Jason Upton & Key of David Ministries. All rights reserved

Beyond the Window
Take it real deep inside
Breathe reality inside now
Take a breath of the pure oxygen of heaven now

And just believe... just believe...
Just believe... just believe...
Just believe... just believe...

In the moment where it looks like you lost all your power
In the moment where you are all alone
As you wait for me... as you wait for me...
Sometimes, there's just nothing left to do, so you wait for me

When everybody, that you thought was your friend leaves you
I will never leave you...
I will come to you in the midst of your heartache
I will come to you in the midst of your pain
I will come to you in the midst of your lonliness
I will come to you in the midst of your rejection

And breathe new life...
Breathe new life into you
Breathe new life into you

Stay and wait wait upon the lord
I will renew your strength
They will run and not get weary
They will walk and shall not faint

I never leave you...
So as you wait
And you wait on me...
As you wait on me

Give you wings like the eagles
New wings, new wings
New power that you never known
As you wait on me

Your not alone...
Breaking off rejection...
He's breaking off rejection...

Look beyond the window there
There's a sky above, there's an open air
Look beyond the window there
There's a sky above, there's open air
Just, look beyond the window there
There's a sky above, there's an open air
Just, look beyond the window there
There's a sky above, there's open air
Yeah, just look beyond the window there
There's a sky above, there's an open air

Don't be afraid...
Your not alone...
Your not alone...

I never leave you
I never leave you
I never leave you

{Yes, October is waaaaay past but I want to fulfill the commitment that I made.}

First Saturday and a Second Chance

2011-12-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Every year my dad and I spent the first Saturday in December together at the mall.
It was Our Day.
We didn’t have the best relationship so, honestly,
it was typically the only day of the entire year that we spent together, just the two of us.
My dad wasn’t great at relationships but he loved us, me and my brother and sister.
And he showed that in the way he knew how.
He worked hard to make sure that we always had what we needed
and, sometimes, what we wanted.
He always wanted to give good Christmas presents to us and to our extended family,
which was the purpose for our annual day.
I picked out the gifts. He paid for them.
I wrapped them. He signed his name to the tag.

That had been our tradition for as long as I can remember.
Unbeknownst to me, 2007 was the last year that we would have Our Day.
As I've mentioned before, on June 5, 2008 my dad made the choice to end his life.
I don’t want my dad to be remembered as
“the guy who was bipolar”
or “the guy who killed himself”
or even as “the man who didn’t know how to have good relationships with his own children.”
Those things may be true but he doesn’t deserve to be defined by those things.
Those labels are lies and he was more than that.

In addition to wanting good things for his family,
it made him so sad to think that
there were children who wouldn’t get presents for Christmas.
As a tiny little girl I can remember him taking me
to pick out an angel from the Angel Tree.
When I got a little older he sought my opinion in
seeking out a family that we could anonymously assist.
He always made it a priority.
I want those things to shape his legacy.

I always want to do things to honor and remember my dad,
especially on days of significance.
Things are tight right now but although I didn’t have extra money to donate,
I do have time.
So, early in the morning,
before the sun had even come up on the first Saturday in December this year
my sister and I headed out to a local department store.
Because of the fundraising efforts of a local organization
we were able to spend a couple hours with a local little girl,
helping her to pick out clothes and shoes
that she might not have otherwise been able to receive this season.
I’m thankful that my dad instilled that desire in me.

Because he's not here to fight for himself,
I will keep fighting for him.
I will use this platform that I have to dispel the lies by
invalidating the labels that could be put on him.

I hope you know that the labels that others want to put on you are lies too.
You are not defined by what you did.
Click here to learn more about People of the Second Chance
and their mission to overthrow justice and liberate love.

Rescue is coming.

2011-12-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

Take heart, beloved.

Your rescue is coming.

Do you believe that?

I love you, LORD;
you are my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
The grave a wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the mountains shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
and rained down hail and burning coals.
The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded
amid the hail and burning coals.
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.
Then at your command, O LORD,
at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the LORD supported me.
He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
The LORD rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
The LORD rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.
To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.
You light a lamp for me.
The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.
In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.
God’s way is perfect.
All the LORD’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the LORD?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me;
your help has made me great.
You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.
I chased my enemies and caught them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
I struck them down so they could not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer.
I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
You gave me victory over my accusers.
You appointed me ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.
As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
foreign nations cringe before me.
They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.
The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he subdues the nations under me
and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.
Psalm 18, New Living Translation

He is in control
and He is bringing rescue.
In the meantime,
let's learn to rest in Him.
I'm right there with you.

He is The One.

2011-11-21T16:53:00.000-08:00

{...YES, I'm still doing this.}

He is The One who...
parted the sea
{Exodus 14}
turned water to wine
{John 2}
raised multiple people from the dead
{Matthew 9, Luke 7, John 11}
completely healed a woman who had bled for 12 YEARS
{Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8}
made the sun stand still (!!!)
{Joshua 12}
sent bread from heaven to His people in the desert
{Exodus 16}
provided a ram instead of a son
{Genesis 22}
protected His people from the fiery furnace
{Daniel 3}
made the chains fall off and provided a safe exit from prison
{Acts 12}
rescued his disciples from a storm
{Mark 4}
made paralytics walk
{Mark 2}
gave sight to the blind
{John 9}
cast out demons
{Matthew 8, Mark 1}
...and He is with YOU!

This morning I talked with my counselor* about how
even if it was just me
Jesus would have still sacrificed His life.
He wants to be with me that much.
I'll be honest,
that is a huge concept.
I'm not sure that I'm 100% there yet -
I don't know if I have fully accepted that
but I'm working towards it.
What about you?
Do you believe that to be true -
that Jesus loves you so much,
that you are completely worthy in Him?

*Oh yes, I go to counseling.
I am a huge proponent of it.
But you have to find the right person.
That can sometimes be a frustrating and expensive process
but don't give up.

to touch the hem

2011-11-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

The Bible tells us three times about a woman.
{Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8}
We don't know much about her but we do know that she was sick.
She had been bleeding for twelve years.
She was a social outcast.
Not only was she considered unclean
but so was anyone who touched her.
She couldn't participate in rituals or worship in the temple.
On top of all that she was poor!
{Source: Leviticus 15: 25-27}

She had spent all of her money in search of healing.
She had been to so many doctors.
I'm sure that each time she heard about a new doctor
hope would spring up inside of her...
only to have her hopes smashed by her continued bleeding.

We aren't told that she was in a lot of physical pain
but, let's be honest, a period that lasts for 12 years?
I will go out on a limb and make the claim that she was in physical pain too.
Achy, tired, probably irritable.
All the time.
Without relief.

One day Jesus came to her town.
People jammed into the streets to catch a glimpse of him.
This woman was no exception.
She believed that Jesus was the Healer that they had been waiting for.
Not just a
"I've tried everything, I might as well try this." belief.
Oh no.
She knew that if she could just touch the edge of his robe
then she could be healed!

And do you know -
He did heal her! As soon as she touched Him, she was healed.
But not "just" did He heal her but He knew her!
As soon as she touched Him, He knew it.
In the midst of so many people all pressed up against Him,
He knew her.
Here's where fear entered:
She was unclean and she had touched Jesus.
Her mind was probably spinning.
Would she be ridiculed?
Would she be thrown in jail?

No. Jesus called her forward,
He called her daughter and said that her faith had healed her.

Wow.
That that would be true of our faith.
That even though things seem hopeless...
even though we have exhausted every option...
even though we are alone and broke
that we trust Jesus to heal us
no matter what.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Matthew 21:22

Were You There When I Laid the Foundations of the Earth?

2011-11-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

{"You're still doing this 31 days things?? You know its ~~December~~ November...?"
You ask?

Yes, I'm still doing this.

~~Deal with it.~~}

One week ago I wrote a post {to myself}

about God not needing me to bear the burdens of the situation.

Well, guess what?

We're still here.

{Ask my husband and he'll confirm,

I'm kind of hard headed.}

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell me, if you know so much.

Who determined its dimensions

and stretched out the surveying line?

What supports its foundations,

and who laid its cornerstone

as the morning stars sang together

and all the angelsa shouted for joy?

“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries

as it burst from the womb,

and as I clothed it with clouds

and wrapped it in thick darkness?

For I locked it behind barred gates,

limiting its shores.

I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.

Here your proud waves must stop!’

“Have you ever commanded the morning to appear

and caused the dawn to rise in the east?

Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth,

to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?

As the light approaches,

the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal;

it is robed in brilliant colors.b

The light disturbs the wicked

and stops the arm that is raised in violence.

“Have you explored the springs from which the seas come?

Have you explored their depths?

Do you know where the gates of death are located?

Have you seen the gates of utter gloom?

Do you realize the extent of the earth?

Tell me about it if you know!

“Where does light come from,

and where does darkness go?

Can you take each to its home?

Do you know how to get there?

But of course you know all this!

For you were born before it was all created,

and you are so very experienced!

“Have you visited the storehouses of the snow

or seen the storehouses of hail?

(I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble,

for the day of battle and war.)

Where is the path to the source of light?

Where is the home of the east wind?

“Who created a channel for the torrents of rain?

Who laid out the path for the lightning?

Who makes the rain fall on barren land,

in a desert where no one lives?

Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground

and make the tender grass spring up?

“Does the rain have a father?

Who gives birth to the dew?

Who is the mother of the ice?

Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?

For the water turns to ice as hard as rock,

and the surface of the water freezes.

“Can you direct the movement of the stars—

binding the cluster of the Pleiades

or loosening the cords of Orion?

Can you direct the sequence of the seasons

or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens?

Do you know the laws of the universe?

Can you use them to regulate the earth?

“Can you shout to the clouds

and make it rain?

Can you make lightning appear

and cause it to strike as you direct?

Who gives intuition to the heart

and instinct to the mind?

Who is wise enough to count all the clouds?

Who can tilt the water jars of heaven

when the parched ground is dry

and the soil has hardened into clods?

“Can you stalk prey for a lioness

and satisfy the young lions’ appetites

40as they lie in their dens

or crouch in the thicket?

Who provides food for the ravens

when their young cry out to God

and wander about in hunger?

Job 38, New Living Translation

Pretty sure that like me, you can answer "No." to all of the above questions.

But the One who can answer "YES!" to all of those questions is available to us.

Available to you; available to me.

RIGHT NOW.

So my take away from this is that I can't grasp what He's doing right now.

I probably shouldn't even try to wrap my head around it

or keep myself awake at night asking, "WHY?"

But He knows what He's doing.

Jesus looked at them intently and said,

“Humanly speaking, it is impossible.

But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Mark 10:27, New Living Translation

He doesn't need you, Katie.

2011-11-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

Stop trying to "help" God by worrying.

Stop being anxious about what life will look like at the end of this season.

Stop saying with your lips that you trust Him

but saying something completely different with your thought life and your countenance.

He doesn't need you to bear this burden.

He has far more for you than what you've asked.

Tired of telling you, you have me
When I know you really don't
Tired of telling you I'll follow
When I know I reallly won't
Cause I'd rather stand here speechless
With no great words to say
If my silence is more truthful
And my ears can hear how to walk in your way

In the silence
You are speaking
In the quiet I can feel the fire
And it's burning, burning deeply
Burning all that it is that you desire to be silent, in me

Oh Jesus can you hear me?
My soul is screaming out
And my broken will cries teach me
What your Kingdom's all about
Unite my heart to fear you,
To fear your holy name
And create a life of worship
In the spirit and truth of your loving ways
-In the Silence, Jason Upton-

If we get wrapped up in anxiety about what is lacking in our life—even the very legitimate hurts and problems—and forget to be self-controlled and alert, we are prime targets for Satan to usher us right away from God. We start doubting God, doubting His ability to provide, and justifying our way right into sinful patterns. -Lysa TerKeurst via Proverbs 31 Ministries

Oh, by the way, this post was for me.

If you needed to hear it too then that's just a ~~cherry~~ cherri (per my friend Cherri) on top.

no matter what anyone says or thinks

2011-11-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

There are days when I want to give up.

I just want to abandon my responsibilities

and hide under my covers.

I feel confident that these feelings are not exclusive to me.

The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Honestly, on our own we probably don't have the strength to keep going.

But God calls us to lean on His strength.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31, New Living Translation

Wherever you are today,
you can go to Him; you can lean into Him.
No matter what you've done.
No matter your circumstances.
No matter how long it's been since you talked to Him.
No matter what anyone says or thinks about you.
Show me one place in His word where He says that
His strength,
His love,
His grace
is only for perfect people.

You don't have to do this on your own.
I don't have to do this on my own.
He is for you.

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

for you have seen my troubles,

and you care about the anguish of my soul.

Psalm 31:7, New Living Translation

My friend Jenilee's application of that verse is,

"God sees my broken heart. God knows my suffering and my feelings.
If no one else sees or understands,

God does."

Hide that truth in your heart, today.

Arise and Shine

2011-11-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

The LORD your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

[A victorious warrior.]

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

[With his love, he will calm all your fears.]

he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

Text in black is from the New International Version

Text in mustard is from the New American Standard Version

Text in purple is from the New Living Translation

"Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, “Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.” If God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?"

My Utmost for His Highest, November 1

Something to listen to: For Those Who Wait

Something to read: The Real Secret

He freely gives.

2011-10-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

While other bloggers are ending their 31 Days series,
I’m just now in the thick of mine.

I knew myself well enough to know that I wouldn’t post every day for a month,

Especially in the midst of a difficult season.

Rest assured that all of the posts I’ve shared this far come directly from
what God is teaching and showing me.

I’m thankful that He freely gives wisdom to those who ask.

Today’s post doesn’t really have a topic.

It’s more of a collection of things that have encouraged me lately.

I hope they will encourage you too.

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From this post :

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17 – 18, New Living Translation

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A friend introduced me to Jason Upton over the weekend.

Wow.

There is so much freedom in this style of worship.

Each time I listen to a new song I think,

“Oh okay, THIS is my favorite.”

I really like this song:

But I also like this one and this one and this one.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A jewel from this video:

How you respond to the crisis can be - and will be - a defining moment for you…God will allow suffering, unexpected crisis in order to detach our hope from other things and to attach it to himself. Honestly, I don't know why you're going through what you're going through...What I do know is that what God desires more than anything else is that you would find your hope in Him, in the midst of the crisis in the midst of the hopeless situation you would find your hope in Him even though there's no circumstantial evidence to have hope. It’s in the while we're waiting that God begins to transform our hearts. –Pete Wilson

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Erasing Hate

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It’s your job to pray. It’s God's job to answer. Leave it in His hands. -Stormie Omartian

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Believing Lies

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To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

in you I trust, O my God.

Do not let me be put to shame,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame,

but they will be put to shame

who are treacherous without excuse.

Show me your ways, O LORD,

teach me your paths;

guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.

Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,

for they are from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you are good, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful

for those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, O LORD,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?

He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

He will spend his days in prosperity,

and his descendants will inherit the land.

The LORD confides in those who fear him;

he makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the LORD,

for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart have multiplied;

free me from my anguish.

Look upon my affliction and my distress

and take away all my sins.

See how my enemies have increased

and how fiercely they hate me!

Guard my life and rescue me;

let me not be put to shame,

for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness protect me,

because my hope is in you.

Redeem Israel, O God,

from all their troubles!

Psalm 25, NIV

Out of Darkness

2011-10-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Source: designspiration.net via Elis on Pinterest

Tomorrow my sister and I will be participating in Sacramento’s Out of Darkness Walk*

to honor our dad who died in 2008.

I’ve written about my dad several times before.

{You can see a list of those posts here}

It is my hope that the underlying theme in those posts is that

God is faithful.

My dad’s suicide was a horrible, awful experience

But God never left us.

He took care of us.

He has and still is healing us.

I feel confident that you can look back to a time in your life when God has been faithful.

A season or a situation that He walked you through.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8, New Living Translation

“He was faithful before, He’ll be faithful again.”

{Watch this video from this band that I went to college with but – full disclosure – didn’t know any of the members...I did see them perform a few times though.}

God has given both his promise and his oath.

These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.

Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.

It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

Hebrews 6:18 – 20, New Living Translation

*84% of the funds raised support suicide prevention programs and research,

A cause that is near and dear to our hearts.

{16% is used by AFSP for administrative costs and fundraising.}

Did you know that

every 16 minutes in the U.S., someone dies by suicide and more than 20 million people suffer from depression each year?

[source]

I know that there are thousands of causes begging for your money

And I know that Christmas is right around the corner

So money is probably tight.

But if you feel so led to give a few dollars,

I would really appreciate it.

Money can be donated until December 31, 2011.

My Fundraising Page

Circled on His calendar.

2011-10-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a struggle it sometimes feels like the hurt will never end.

The enemy wants to do whatever he can to convince us that it’s true.

"This is forever. The hurt you feel today will be with you always. It will never go away."

That is an all-out lie.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 130:11 – 12, New Living Translation

The NIV replaces the word mourning with wailing.

What powerful imagery;

tears of grief replaced by so much joy that you have to dance!

Recently my friend Jenilee sent me the following text:

Don’t worry Katie –

This season of life and pain WILL be over eventually –

God has the date circled on His calendar.

{Thank you, Jesus, for Godly friends who speak truth into my life!}

Okay so maybe God doesn’t have an actual fridge calendar but He does see the future!

He knows what is coming and He knows when this season will come to a close!

Recently, Bloom Again by Charlie Hall came on my Pandora.

I really appreciate and can relate to these lyrics.

Crying seems to hurt me

But it's alright to cry

You have been so strong now

Your tears return to wine

And life seems so brittle

Landing upside down

It seems to make us fragile

And bares upon us now

Oh, the leaves are falling

Winter is now here

The spring is coming

And you can bloom again

The beauty of the ash of love

When you emerge

You are more beautiful

Bloom again

Some storms leave the beauty

Some storms leave the thorns

Compassion pours from heaven

Mercy every dawn

Somewhere in this whirlwind

Somewhere in this crowd

Hold up to His heartbeat

And push away the sounds

Oh, the leaves are falling

And winter is now here

The spring is coming

And you can bloom again

The beauty of the ash of love

When you emerge

You are more beautiful

And may be I should say your name

And may be I should say your name out loud

May be I should say your name

May be I should say your name out loud

The beauty of the ash of love

When I emerge

I am more beautiful

You will bloom again.

Trust Him; He’s bringing the healing.

{Edited to add:}

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,

it will become a place of refreshing springs.

The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

Psalm 84:6, New Living Translation

My other 31{ish} Days posts

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Do Life Together.

2011-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

When I was in college I started hearing the phrase

"Do life together."

all the time.

Cliché or not, I believe that it’s what we’re called to do.

Be in community with other believers.*

People to love, mutually encourage, laugh with, mourn with, pray with.

People to do life with.

Multiple times, scripture tells us that we need to be in community.

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2, New Living Translation

So encourage each other and build each other up 1 Thessalonians 5: 11, New Living Translation

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24, New Living Translation

More than ever I am realizing the value of community.

We need other people all the time but especially when we’re walking through a difficult season.

You need people of the same sex with whom you will be completely honest, held accountable.

You need people to encourage you.and who you can encourage.

You need people you can laugh with.

You need people you can cry with.

You need people you can be real with.

If you don’t have those women, begin to ask God right now that He would bring them into your life.

Be proactive. Join a small group. Serve somewhere. Invite an acquaintance for coffee.

Allow Him to work in you; allow Him to build that community for you.

If you do have that community already in place, thank Him.

Seriously, it is not something to be taken for granted.

*OF COURSE, we are not supposed to associate with believers exclusively. He has called us to be a light to the dark world; that’s our universal purpose. Love and minister to those who don’t know Him but let believers minister to you.

A few months ago I read the following passage on this blog. Go here to join the discussion.

‎

“More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.” ~ Henri Nouwen

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The Ugliness of my Sin

2011-10-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote an email to my small group girls

about our ability to stand firm against the enemy.

I included a lengthy list of biblical truths that we can use to defeat the lies of the enemy.

{If you email me, I’ll be happy to send it to you!}

Later, during my lunchtime, I read the introduction to

Angie Smith’s book What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms.

I marked these words on page 13 because they really stood out to me:

“We have a real enemy who thrives on our silence. He doesn’t want us to be in fellowship, sharing our heart and seeking wisdom on how to live lives that glorify God in spite of the darkness that we feel. I can honestly say that I’m not sure I have ever felt spiritual battle as keenly as I did when I wrote those words.”

The thought crossed my mind,

I wonder if I will come under attack for the email that I sent to my girls this morning.

Well, guess what - not two hours later, it happened.

I am sad to say that I fell right into it.

Someone in my life that I was close to recently betrayed me.

She hasn’t asked for my forgiveness but I know that Christ has called me to that.

{Matthew 6 , Matthew 18 and many other places}

Can I be honest and say that it is a struggle?

A huge, huge struggle.

Yesterday – and here’s where it gets ugly, y’all –

I lost it.

I absolutely lost it.

I started spewing out my hateful, negative, angry feelings to her…

{No, not about her but to her.}

And I didn’t stop for probably an hour.

It was really, really bad.

{And that is an understatement.}

After I calmed down I knew that – despite my shame -

I needed to confess what I had done to the women that hold me accountable*.

They prayed with me, they loved on me, they tenderly rebuked me.

What shall we say, then?

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Romans 6:1 – 2

Later, when I was alone, during the time that I would have been

in the Word and journaling,

I felt like I couldn’t.

My heart hurt and I was embarrassed about what I had done.

I was embarrassed that I had not walked

“worthy of the calling that I have received.” {Ephesians 4:1}

Childishly, I tried to hide under my covers.

Just like it was so stupid for Adam to think that

he could hide from God in the garden after he had sinned,

I was being ridiculous.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just

and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12

There was a time in my life that I could admit that

Psalm 103:12 t was a nice sentiment but I wondered if it was really true.

A really smart man once gave me an illustration of that verse.

Rotating his finger in a spherical pattern he said,

“So you’re travelling east…” as he made several rotations.

“at what point do you start going west? You don’t!”

His Word says in Hebrews 8:12 and Hebrews 10:17 that he will remember our sins no more!

Yes, it was wrong what I did.

No, it doesn’t matter what she did to me.

That is about me and God; not me and her.

I have discovered this principle of life—

that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.

I love God’s law with all my heart.

But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind.

This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

Oh, what a miserable person I am!

Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law,

but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Romans 7:21 – 25

In the coming days, I want to talk more about protecting ourselves from the attacks of the enemy.

In the mean time, email me if you want that list of biblical truths.

Ephesians 6:16 tells us that with the shield of faith we can extinguish all –

not some some but all! –

of the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Thank you, Jesus.

*If you don't have women who hold you accountable, I encourage you to get some FAST. It might seem awkward; you might not know who it should be.
Ask God, He will provide them.

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Choosing to Continue in the Struggle

2011-10-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

But consider the joy of those corrected by God!

Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.

For though he wounds, he also bandages.

He strikes, but his hands also heal.

Job 5:17 – 18, New Living Translation

Another version of Job 5:17(a) says, “how enviable is the man whom God corrects.”

I was prepared to write about God as Shepherd.

I’ve heard from more than one pastor that shepherds would
break the legs of a wandering sheep

and then carry the sheep on his shoulders until he could walk again.

Francine Rivers verbally illustrates the process in her book Amos.

{Which is a really good book!}

But as I was doing a little research this morning

I read in multiple places that it isn’t true;

That shepherds didn’t break legs because that would be too cruel.

But wouldn’t letting them die - possibly taking others with them -

be more cruel?

But then I am brought back to the reminder that He is a good shepherd. {John 10}

And that he rejoices
over finding just one that was lost more than the 99 who stayed. {Matthew 18}

So, my conclusion is that I don’t know.

But here’s why it doesn’t matter if I have clarity on this or not:

It isn’t about the hurting, it’s about the healing.

I visited a different church on Saturday night.

The last song that we sang (and sang and sang and sang and sang) said,

“All I want is just to know your heart

And would you keep me here until we’re one.”

What an incredible request.

There’s a good deal of faith involved in praying that, right?

One would have to desire closeness with Christ so much that

she is willing to continue to endure the struggle for the sake of refinement.

Because its easy to have a strong desire for him when we're desperate, right?

When you feel like you can't get through the day without Him,

you want to pray this prayer.

But what about when things are better...will we still feel this way?
It feels right to stay in the Word all day and to fast and to give Him big chunks of time
when you feel like your world is caving in....
but what about when things are "back to normal?"
Will you still start your day an hour earlier than required
just so you can get on your face before Him?

Praying this prayer is like saying,
"God, I don't know if I trust myself yet so hold me here longer until I finally get it."

Are you there yet?

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Where is Your Sorrow Leading You?

2011-10-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience

leads us away from sin and results in salvation.

There's no regret for that kind of sorrow.

But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance,

results in spiritual death.

2 Corinthians 7:10, New Living Translation

Where is your sorrow leading you today?

We have free will.

We have choices.

Your sorrow can lead you to try to fill it with something temporary, an escape.

Or your sorrow can lead you to Jesus.

He is your Healer.

He is the Lifter of your head. (Psalm 3:3)

He is your Deliverer; a rock in whom you can take refuge. (Psalm 18:2)

He is your Mighty Fortress, your Defender. (Psalm 94:22)

He will fight for you! (Exodus 14:14)

My other 31{ish} Days posts

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.the joy set before us.

2011-10-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about enduring struggles that may not necessarily be about you.

Today I want to talk about the flip side:

Sometimes we walk through struggles that are our fault;

Sometimes we endure heartbreak that we have brought upon ourselves.

Because God is a good God, he permits these experiences

not for retribution but for discipline.

He wants to better us!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.

How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:1 – 11, New International Version

I frequently listen to podcasts from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC.

Right now they are in a series on Hebrews 12.

{which I encourage you to listen to! You can do that here: Elevation Church Archive}

Something that really stood out to me from one of the messages was the focus on verse two:

The Word says that “for the joy that was set before him” Jesus endured the cross.

Pastor Steven reminds us that we were the joy that was set before Him on the cross

And then that Jesus is the joy set before us as we

“run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” {verse one}

I love that.

I’m thankful that He loves us enough not to leave us like we were.

He sees our potential and wants that for us!

My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline,

and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

For the LORD corrects those he loves,

just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:11 – 12, New Living Translation

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.I Have A Choice.

2011-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

I think it is very possible that sometimes struggles don’t have anything to do with us.
Struggles can be for a variety of reasons and purposes.
It is probable that among those causes is that sometimes our struggles are for someone else’s benefit or for someone else’s mistakes.
So someone else can learn something,
So our testimony can impact someone else.
Maybe you’re suffering because someone wronged you.
I won’t even offer anymore hypotheticals because I don’t really know
But I trust that its possible.

So, let’s say you’re walking through a struggle for and/or because of someone else.
That’s totally unfair, right?
What an unjustice that you should have to bear another’s burden, even if it is for his or her overall good.

I’m not going to lie, in my flesh and I would be inclined to agree with the above statements.
I was a waitress in college.
If you’ve ever worked in food service, retail or basically any customer service position
You know that people can be horrible sometimes.
On one particularly difficult night I texted my [then] boyfriend (now husband) that
I wanted to “accidentally” pour a drink in a rude man’s lap.
Did he respond with sympathy or validate my anger as I had hoped?
Oh no.
He responded:
Babe, Jesus was spit on.
Oh snap. Hello, conviction.
My flesh didn’t want to embrace that but in my spirit, I knew it was the truth.

Jesus suffered many trials, torture and eventually death
Because of someone else’s sin.
Because of our sin.
Because of my sin.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are--yet was without sin.
Hebrews 4:15

No matter the reason for your struggle
{or even if you have no idea the reason, which is often the case}
You have a choice.
Let me say that again because I want to make sure you don’t skip over that line.
You. Have. A. Choice.
{FYI, I’m saying this to myself as much as anyone.
We’re in this together.}

We can chose to love. It may not always be easy.
In fact, I can confidently make the statement that it will NOT always easy.
Sometimes there is NOTHING that we want to do less than love.
But His Word instructs us to do so.

{A note before you read: I have spliced together 3 different versions because I liked all of them. The bold words are from the New International Version, the italicized words are from the Basic English Version, the purple words are from Young's Literal Translation}

Love is patient,
[Love is never tired of waiting]
[love is long-suffering]
love is kind. It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud.
[love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride]
[does not vaunt itself, is not puffed up]
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
[it takes no thought for itself]
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
[Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.]
1 Corinthians 13:4 - 6

In the verses that preceed 4 – 6, Paul tell us that it doesn’t matter what we do –
If we do not love, our actions count for nothing.
He specifically says that we can have “faith that can move mountains” (verse 2)
But if we do not love, we are nothing.

I don’t know about you but the last thing I want to do is become nothing.
You can do what you want but I’m going to choose love.
It might be a ~~day to day~~ moment to moment choice
But I’m going to put one foot in front of the other and move forward in love.

My other 31{ish} Days posts

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.Like an IV.

2011-10-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last year my friend Jenilee went through a horrible divorce.
No one is ever without fault but the reasoning for the divorce wasn’t due to her actions.
In fact, the actions that caused the divorce didn’t just hurt Jenilee
A large community of people were affected.
My heart hurt for her a multitude of reasons,
one of them being that she was in a highly visible role so her struggles were on display for a lot of people.
I am thankful for God’s provision and protection in her life.

{Me and Jenilee, November 2010}

Jenilee came and spent Thanksgiving with us last year.
It was only two or three months after the collapse of her marriage.
She was still hurting of course but she had so much wisdom.
She displayed so much strength and grace.

Now, Jenilee is a great woman and I am so grateful to call her a friend
But do I attribute all of those things to her on her own?
Of course not.
I feel confident that all of those good things were the work of the Holy Spirit in her life.
She told me that she felt like she was hooked up to the Word like an IV;
She needed it and she needed Him to make it through.

I love that imagery.
Visualize with me for a minute:
Imagine being attached to His Word – to Him –
in such a way that he is your source of life; your source of strength.
You are dependent on Him.

And can you honestly think of a better source of strength than the God who created the universe? {Genesis 1-2}
The God who parted a sea to create a way for His people. {Exodus 14}
The God who caused the walls of Jerico to fall. {Joshua 6}
The God who saved a man from the belly of a whale. {Jonah 2}
The God who turned water into wine. {John 2}
The God who fed 5000+ with one boy’s lunch. {Matt 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6}
The God who sacrificed His own Son so that I could spend eternity with Him. {John 3:16}

That same God is accessible to you. Right now. And He is mighty to save you.

Other 31{ish} Days of Seeking God through the Struggle posts

I encourage you to visit Jenilee's blog.
I know for a fact that it is a desire of her heart for God to use her story to minister to others.

Check out the The Entire 31 Days Collection

.a firm foundation.

2011-10-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

The theme that we’re working with is seeking God through the struggle.
Thus far we’ve focused on how to seek Him
but I think we need to back up and lay the foundation that we WILL seek Him.
When times get hard, we will seek Him.
When our world seems to be falling in around us, we will seek Him.
When things that we never thought would happen to us happen, we will seek Him.
When it feels like there is no one, we will seek Him.
We will trust Him to protect us and provide for us.

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us…Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, ‘What comes into your mind when you think about God?’ we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.”
-A.W. Towzer, The Knowledge of the Holy*

Do you trust Him? Do you believe that He is able?

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your ways to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Psalm 37: 3-6

Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret [worry, express discontent, to become worn or corroded, to move in agitation] when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath [deep resentment, punishment as a result of anger];
do not fret – it leads only to evil.
Psalm 37: 7 – 8

The Lord makes firm [not yielding when pressed, securely fixed in place, not shaking or trembling] the steps
of those who delight in Him;
though the stumble, they will not fall,
for the Lord upholds them with his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24

{Amplifications my own}

Maybe you’re not in the midst of a struggle right now.
Maybe you have never encountered great struggles.
I’m sorry to tell you that you will.
Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow but at some point, you will.
If you are in the midst of a struggle right now, my heart hurts for you
but it also rejoices with you for this opportunity.
You have such a great opportunity to grow in your faith right now.
When we’re struggling or faced with horrible circumstances, we are faced with feelings of desperation.
You have options about what you can fill that desperation with.
But I urge you to be desperate for Him.
Learn from my mistakes and trust that He is the only thing that satisfies.
He is the only foundation that is firm in the midst of the storm.
Let Him reveal Himself to you in new ways.

But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The LORD knows those who are his," and "All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil."
2 Timothy 2:19

*Excert taken from Sun Stand Still, Stephen Furtick, pages 93-94

Check out the The Entire 31 Days Collection

.we will not be invalidated.

2011-10-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
-2 Corinthians 4:8 - 9, New Living Translation

Let's establish some things:

de•spair [dih-spair]
noun
1. loss of hope; hopelessness.

per•plex
verb
1. to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is notunderstood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strangeresponse perplexed me.
2. to make complicated or confused, as a matter or question.
3. to hamper with complications, confusion, or uncertainty.

de•stroy
verb
1. to reduce to useless fragments, a useless form,or remains, as by rending, burning, or dissolving; injurebeyond repair or renewal; demolish; ruin; annihilate.
2. to put an end to; extinguish.
3. to kill; slay.
4. to render ineffective or useless; nullify; neutralize;invalidate.
5. to defeat completely.

Therefore, the promise that this verse gives us is that
even when troubles come, God will not abandon us.
We may be confused as to why something happens
or uncertain as to how things will work out
But things are never hopeless.
Circumstances can {and will!} discourage us but
We will not be rendered useless;
We will not be invalidated;
We will not be wounded beyond repair.

I don’t know about you but
I needed that truth today.

Thank you to Delilah for {indirectly} leading me to this verse.

My other 31{ish} Days posts

Check out the The Entire 31 Days Collection

.I will fight for you.

2011-10-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a verse in Exodus that I really love.

"The Lord will fight for you, you have only to be silent." Exodus 14:14

Let me give you a little bit of context:
{PS: Not a Bible scholar, just someone who wants to know more and more of His word}
The Israelites have just fled Egypt where they lived in slavery.
Through Moses, God told them camp out in an area right by the sea.
Of course, the Egyptians are angry about losing their free laborers so they chased after the Israelites.
As the Egyptians close in on them, naturally, the Israelites start to panic.
They begin to yell at Moses, "Were there no graves in Egypt? You had to bring us all the way out here to die?"
{Maybe it's just me but I think it's so funny when I come across sarcasm in the Bible.}
Moses responds that they don't need to be afraid;
God is going to take care of them.
That's when verse 14 comes in,
instructing them to be silent and let God fight for them.

If your enemies are pressing in on you
and you literally feel like you have no options and nowhere to go,
maybe you should just be still.
Even when it seems like there are no options, He can make a way.
Wait for Him to guide you to your next move.

And for the Israelites, God did make a way
where the did not seem to be any possible way out.
He instructed Moses to lift his hand and stretch out his staff
And then- surprising all Israelites and Egyptians, I'm sure-
God parted the sea, making a passage for His people.
But the entire Egyptian army was swallowed up by the waters as they receded.

Source: popfi.com via Kate on Pinterest

I love this verse because it paints God as a protector, a rescue, a warrior on my behalf.
But I also have trouble with it because I'm a "doer," a "fixer."
When things are pressing in on me,
I want to take action to make it stop.
But as I continually learn, God doesn't need my help.
Sometimes He does call me to action
but other times He just wants me to rest in Him
and trust Him to fight for me.

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2)

I'm thankful that He loves me enough to fight for me.
And I'm thankful that He loves me enough that sometimes
He lets my enemies press in on me so much that I know the only solution is through Him.

If you're a "doer" like me,
I encourage you to be silent
{literally or figuratively}.
I'm struggling right along with you.

I’d love your prayers right now.
And If you're struggling with something, I'd love to pray for you.

There are a group of 500+ bloggers who are doing 31 Days of {insert topic}.
Although I didn't start exactly on October 1
I'd like to spend the rest of the month focusing on seeking God through the hard times.
I am in no way saying that we shouldn't always seek Him
I'm just choosing to spend the next few weeks focusing my posts on how to survive in Him when things are hard/overwhelming/unfair/etc/etc.

My other 31{ish} Days posts
Check out the The Entire 31 Days Collection

.unfathomable peace.

2011-10-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Source: google.com via Moriah on Pinterest

I really love the devotional Jesus Calling.
Today's passage especially spoke to me.
I don't ever want to give the impression that
I'm saying that my life is "perfect"
or that I don't struggle with things.
I'm thankful that God is faithful
to use my story to impart wisdom and help others
but I am not free from sin or from trials.
Today is a particularly rough day and I'd love your prayers, friends.

Since JC is copywritten material
I can't share today's passage in its entireity
but I do want to share my favorite parts.

"When things seem to be going wrong, trust Me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank Me. These are supernatural responses, and they can lift you above your circumstances...Cry out to Me in My Name! Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. Thank Me for everything, though this seems unnatural - even irrational.... If you choose supernatural responses this time - trusting and thanking Me - you will experience My unfathomable Peace."
Jesus Calling, October 3

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. - Psalm 13:5

...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:20

How often is that our actual response,
to thank God when everything seems to be going wrong?
{If it if yours, I commend you but it is not usually mine!}
We are encouraged to trust God, not matter how we feel.
While that's not always easy, that's my challenge for you and for me today.
His word says in Ephesians 3:20 that
he is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.
The dictionary defines "immeasurably" as "limitless" and "incapable of being counted".
So that means that God's power to work in us
and to save us is limitless; so big that it cannot be measured.
Let's trust Him for that today.
Let Him give you that unfathomable peace that the passage talks about.
Doesn't that seem better than the alternatives?

If you're struggling today too
I'd love to pray with you and for you.
Send me an email.

[Edited to add:] Right after I posted this Kari Jobe's Healer came on my Pandora. At one point in the song she says, "Nothing is impossible for you."
Yes! I claim that.
I hope this song blesses you.

My other 31{ish} Days posts

Check out the The Entire 31 Days Collection

. unlikely origins.

2011-09-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

{Alternative title: The second post that I’ve written about donuts in less than two weeks}

Apparently, it’s National Coffee Day.
Since donuts and coffee are besties
I’ve seen a lot of chatter on facebook and twitter about the sugary treats.
I’m not usually a “donut person” but I find myself sitting at my desk
lusting after the idea of eating a donut.
I’m going back and forth between
mentally thinking through all of the establishments
In a half-mile radius from my office
that might sell donuts
and
calculating the earliest time
I will have the opportunity to visit
The new Krispy Kreme by my house.
{10pm, if you’re wondering}

Since that seems too far away
I set out this afternoon
To find a suitable substitute.
I ended up at ~~old faithful~~ Starbucks.
The funny thing is that by the time I got there
I wasn’t really in the mood for a treat anymore.
Instead I got my black coffee
{with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
to give it fall flavor without the calories}
and claimed an overstuffed armchair by the window.

Things are kind of crazy
{read: busy, not bad}
in all areas of my life right now.
I don't always leave my office to take a "lunch break."
Definitely not saying I'm a Super Employee or anything like that
it's just - you know - sometimes the day gets away from you.

It felt good to just sit for a while.
I pulled out the book that I’m currently working through*.
I read.
I prayed.
I reflected.
I pondered.

What started out as a search to indulge my sweet tooth
Ended up being satisfying for my soul.
I'm thankful that God stole away those few moments with me.
And he used tweets about donuts to do it....
I love that we serve a creative and thoughtful God.

*As far as Sun Stand Still goes
I say “working through” instead of “reading”
because this is one of those books that you read a little bit
and then you process.
Don’t mishear me,
It is a great book.
But it’s rich.
You should read it.

~~Share |~~

.redeeming the time.

2011-09-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

Source: None via Sarah on Pinterest

I'm going to tell you something that probably won't come as a surprise.
My college years were not perfect.

There were ups, there were downs.
There was heartache but there was a lot of stretching and growing.
Some (not all but probably most) of that heartache I brought on myself
and I had to endure the consequences.

But God is faithful.
He healed me, He refined me, He taught me.
He brought Godly women into my life to pour into me.

I dealt with a lot of shame and regret but

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. -Psalm 103:12

Once I had accepted that truth for my life
{and trust me, that was a process...}
my prayer became,
"God please don't let everything be in vain.
Even though I don't have a perfect past,
I trust that you can use it for your glory."

A few weeks ago I started leading a college/20-somethings girls small group
and working with the College/20-somethings ministry at my church.
I am so humbled and thankful for the
opportunities that He has given me in this short time.
I've been able to make wonderful connections.
I've been able to impart some
"I've been where you are and here's what I learned" wisdom.
I've had to have some hard conversations where I basically
lovingly rebuked certain behaviors.
I've been able to share with girls how far away I was
and how God drew me back to Himself
and how He has blessed me more than I deserve.

I don't say that to say "look at me!"
I say that to say that no matter who you are and what you've done,
God can use you.

Maybe you're thinking,
"That's all well and good for you but you don't know my story."
You're right; I don't know your story but
I know Him and I know His character.
I spent too much time thinking that
He couldn't use me because I wasn't good enough.
No matter what you've done, God's grace is sufficient for you.
Let's talk.

He will redeem the time.

Share |

.i had to.

2011-09-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a brand new Krispy Kreme opened one mile from my house.
They offered free donuts for a year to the first 24 people in line.
People started lining up eighteen hours before they opened.
{I don't know if fall has arrived where you live but
here in NorCal, its still in the 90s.
So basically what I'm telling you is, those people are crazy.}
Through out the day, the drive thru line was consistently 20 - 30 cars long.
That's a long time to wait for a donut, y'all.

While I do enjoy the occassional donut every few months,
I don't crave them like, say, cupcakes.
So, given those things, it would be safe to assume that I avoided the Opening Day ridiculous, right?

Wrong.

I convinced Cody to take me and my sister at 11:00pm.
You can't tell from that picture but there were 14 people working at 11:45 pm,
which was what time it was when we actually go to the window.
Actually, 14 was how many I counted, there very well could have been more.

Here's the thing about me:
even though Public Relations is my career
I fall for marketing ploys and gimmicks all the time.
If there's a lot of buzz about a new product or its in high demand, I want it.
I want to be part of it.*
Now you know that that donut did not taste any better just because it was Opening Day
but I just had to be a part of the craziness.
I don't even really know why.
While we were in line Krystie tweeted to tell me that I was waiting in a long line just for a donut.
I responded that it wasn't even about the donut anymore,
it was about the adventure.

*Sidenote: In my professional opinion,
I think that's what happened with the new Missoni for Target line.
Don't get offended but that stuff is not cute, y'all.
Why did women storm Target stores across the country and why did the Target website crash over it?
Buzz.
Good PR.
But definitely not because its cute.

Share |

.how do you pray?.

2011-09-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Week of Waiting on God that my church did this week
included an event for women only.
At one point in the evening
we were asked to write a prayer request on a card.
We would put our requests in a bucket and then
take another woman's request and pray for her.

.oh.my.stars.and.stripes.

When I read the card I had pulled,
my breath sort of caught in my throat.
I felt so much sadness for that woman.
I won't share her struggles because that isn't fair to her
- whoever she is -
but let me assure you that she has a lot on her plate right now.
I wish I could hug her.
I wish I at least knew her name so that I could lift her up by name.
This is probably silly but I decided to refer to her as hannah.
This isn't for God's benefit, of course.
He already knows her and knows her situation.

Let me tell you, there is something
powerful and humbling
about praying for someone else.
I mean really praying.
I'm not talking about tossing up a
"Hey God, I said I'd pray about this thing so here it is..."
{Yep, I've been guilty of that too.}
I'm talking about really pleading with God on someone else's behalf.

Maybe you're not sure how to pray.
That's okay. It was a new concept to everyone at some point.
Here is the model that we used at the Women's Event.
Of course, you don't have to do this every time that you pray
but if you need some direction, this is a good place to start.
Let me note that I'm not really a big fan of anything that borders on being corny.
I know that acrostics can sometimes seem elementary
but here's the thing about prayer,
it doesn't have to be complicated.
{Click here to see what Jesus said about faith with "the simplicity of a child"}

Adoration - Psalm 103
Love Him.

Confession - John 3:20; 1 John 1:7; Psalm 51; Psalm 139

Make things right with Him.

Thanksgiving - Psalm 100; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 11:23 - 26

Thank Him.

Supplication - Hebrews 5:7; Romans 8:26 - 28; Philippians 4:6 - 7; Ephesians 3:20

I'll be honest, I didn't know know what supplication actually meant.

Oh, I've heard it in church 100 times.

I could probably bs my way through using it in a sentence

but I would have been lost if you asked me to define it.

Basically - as dictionary.com has educated me - its just

a big word for "humble petition."

I really like that description.

Maybe you don't want to follow this format.

That's okay too.

Just talk to Him.

In your own language and voice.

He'll talk back.

Maybe not in a way that you would have expected

but He will.

Share |

.waiting on God.

2011-09-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

If my people, who are called by my name,

will humble themselves and pray and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven,

and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

-2 Chronicles 7:14

My church is spending this week Waiting on God.

This morning we gathered outside for a few minutes to pray.

It was such a refreshing and encouraging way to start the day.

Definitely a good way to start the work week.

And, bonus, I got to work 20 minutes early.

{Early! That never happens!}

The scene from last night:

If you're in the Sacramento/Roseville/Rocklin/Lincoln area, join us!

Click here to see the schedule for the rest of the week.

Whether or not you're able to attend the events, I encourage you to check out

the devotionals that Bayside developed for this week.

I'll leave you with my new favorite song.

I heard it last Thursday night at The Shore

and I'm pretty sure I've listened to it 20 times since then.

Its long but listen to it anyway.

I hope that you have a great Monday!

Share |

Mr. and Mrs. De los Santos

2011-08-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

What I want to say: "Ughhhh...I'm tired."

What I'll say instead:

Happy Tuesday!

As I expected, our weekend was crazzzy...

and I feel like I'm still recovering.

On Friday I left my full-time job early to head

~~to my part-time job~~

~~to my freelance project~~

~~to my side job~~

{Let's just say that the jury is still out on how I want to proceed with wedding coordination}

out to coordinate a wedding rehearsal.

The rehearsal dinner that followed was a traditional Filipino feast.

I was excited to try new things but then I saw this

and it seriously killed my appetite.

In case you can't tell, that's a whole pig.

Most of the attendees were Filipino

so this was a common sight for them.

They thought it was hilarious that I was creeped out.

Most of Saturday was spent at the wedding venue.

It was a ~~HOT~~ gorgeous day.

Everything came together so beautifully!

This wedding was so fun and had so many personalized touches.

The Welcome Table

In lieu of a traditional guestbook the couple opted to have guests sign a photo of them.

The Photo Frame Wall that the Father of the Bride constructed

Family is very important to Stephen and Rachelle

so older family photos were hung around the wall.

A Second Photo Booth area with fun props

Dessert Table

There were actually three dessert tables.

Two chocolate fountains + marshmallows + pretzels + tons of fruit + candy bar + fruit tarts + mini pies + wedding cake

I was worried that it would be too many sweets but I seriously underestimated this crowd!

"Find your Table Number!"

The Dinner set-up

They're Married!

My lovely assistant for the day

He was a huge help!

Congratulations, Stephen and Rachelle!

We are so happy for you

and excited to see how God will grow and strengthen your marriage!

~~And only a little jealous that you're on the beach in Mexico right now!~~

Share |

.spinning out of control.

2011-08-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

I've heard a lot of good things about

Pete Wilson's book Plan B.

A few months ago it was on sale for Kindle

{I use the for iPhone version}

so I bought it.

Honestly, I haven't read very much of it.

I stepped away from the office for a few moments today

and read the first two chapters.

I am really looking forward to getting deeper into it but

already it is {virtually} highlighed up.

Here's something that especially spoke to me:

"Your dreams may not be happening, and things aren't turning out the way you expected, but that doesn't mean your life is spinning out of control. It just means you're not in control. It's in those moments you can learn to truth the only one who has ever had control in the first place."

-Pete Wilson, Plan B

I'd love to hear your thoughts....

Share |

.instafriday. {part 1}

2011-08-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

{Alternative Title:

Apparently All I Do Is Take Pictures of Food}

Happy Friday!

I'd love to say,

"Yes! We made it through the week! Time to relax!"

but alas, its been a crazy week and

I don't see any relaxation in my schedule until Sunday night.

This weekend our friends Stephen and Rachelle are getting married

at a beautiful vineyard in a town south of Sacramento.

Me and my assistant (AKA: my husband)

will be coordinating the weekend's events

and then its back to the same town on Sunday morning

as Cody will be guest speaking at a church there.

They're all worthwhile events, of course, but ~~stressful~~ work none the less.

After seeing it an other blogs for a few weeks,

I decided to participate in InstaFriday this week.

Here's what I've learned from this experience:

apparently, I only take pictures of food.

{Cody, if you're reading this - I know, I know

that you've been telling me this for years.

And you're right.}

1. Cookie Favors from Cherri's son's baptism

Oh how I love anything and everything monogrammed

2. Sugar-Free Coconut Iced Coffee made using Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee recipe as a base
{Silk's New Coconut milk + PW Iced Coffee + Truvia+Ice}

3. The new wreath I made

In LSU colors, of course - football season is almost here!

4. Tea from Origin Coffee in Rocklin

If you're in the Sacramento/Roseville/Rocklin/Lincoln area I highly recommend that you visit Origin.

All of their baristas work for free and all of their profits go to fight sex trafficking.

Click here and/or here to read more about

the problem, the work being done to stop it and to learn what you can do to get involved.

5. Cody and I were super excited about this self-service key making machine at Lowes

{its the little things with us}....

until we got home and our keys didn't work.

6. Pretty mason jar glasses set up for my small group which met for the first time on Tuesday.

If you're a college-age girl in the Sacramento/Roseville/Rocklin/Lincoln area

and are looking to be part of a small group community, let's talk!

Email me at xoxoOrdinaryGirl@gmail.com

7. Cake Mix Cookies that I threw together for our small group cookout

{that's a BBQ for those of you Californians who don't speak Southern}
*Recipe at the bottom*

8. Capital Park in downtown Sacramento

9. Maple Bacon Cupcakes from Icing on the Cupcake in Rocklin.

I don't want to be a brat but

a.) No matter the flavor, all of the cupcakes at IOTC taste the same to me and

b.) my own cupcakes are better.

Having said that, I do always like to try new things

so I was interested to try a cupcake that actually has bits of bacon in it!

The verdict: it tastes like breakfast

Cake Mix Cookies

2 eggs, room temperature*

1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix {I used yellow)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

flavorings, optional {I used vanilla and coconut extracts}

4-5 drops food coloring, optional

1. With an electric mixer, mix together cake mix, eggs and oil in a large bowl.

2. Make little balls with the dough and place on a greased cookie sheets.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

4. Let cool and enjoy!

*I don't guess you have to let your eggs come to room temperature

but ~~Paula Deen once told me~~

I heard of Paula Deen recommend it on her show a few years ago

so I've been doing it every since.

Abby recently posted some

alternate flavor combinations and gift ideas on her blog:

Cake Mix Cookies

So, what are your plans for this weekend?

.the big reveal.

2011-08-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

{Alternative title: Procrastination = Stupidity}

I love that gender reveal parties seem to be popping up everywhere.
Its such a cute concept to me.
I love surprises.
I love competition.
I love babies.

Since she lives hours about from most of her friends/family,
my best friend Delilah is having a digital gender reveal party.
She encouraged friends and family
not just to take a picture of themselves
wearing either pink or blue but
also to be creative in their presentation.

I was really excited to take part.
I had visions of an adorable onesie
with the appliqued message
"Aunt Katie Loves Me."
My guess is that its a boy
so the letters would be blue, of course.

I bought a onesie, I bough fabric.
I bought the iron-on paper so that it would be simple to cut out the letters with my Cricut.
I was all set to go.
In very typical Kate-fashion
I waited until about 10pm on Tuesday night to assemble my onesie,
which makes perfect sense because the deadline is Wednesday morning.
Well guess what?
My Cricut did not want to cut tiny fabric letters.
I guess I need a new blade
but - surprise, surprise - its near impossible to get new Cricut blades late at night.

Here's a super ghetto rendering of my vision:

Here's the consolation version:

The good news is that if its actually a girl
I can whip up some little fabric rosettes and sew them on before I ship it.

{Although I really can only imagine Delilah having a boy!}

So here's our official guess picture, sister.
We are so excited about meeting baby Phillips
and will LOVE that baby whether its a boy or a girl!

Click here to read my post about Delilah's journey to pregnancy.

And click here to read about Delilah's journey to pregnancy in her own words.

Share |

.looking on the bright side.

2011-08-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!
How was your weekend?

Here's a little perspective to get your week off to a good start:

Source: ohhellofriendblog.com via April on Pinterest

And a little pretty:

Source: etsy.com via Jackie on Pinterest

And a little pep:
I can't remember if I've shared this before
but even if I have,
its worth a second listen.
This is my
"Let's Get Motivated and Do This!" song.
What? You don't have a LGM&DT song?
Well, I'll let you borrow mine....

Let's make this week count, shall we?

<

Share |

.princess brunch.

2011-08-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday!

How is your day going so far?

Mine is off to a pretty lazy start.

I typically go to Body Pump on Saturday mornings but

sometimes you just need a morning off -

am I right?

My sister, Tifi and I had a lovely brunch on the patio.

Tifi licking her lips after enjoying a little egg puff.

Thankfully there's no real plans this weekend except a church and a cookout tomorrow

and maybe a date with my Mister tonight.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Share your Saturday Morning Scene here.

Share |

.distractions.

2011-08-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last week was a super stressful week.
{But I tried to make the most of it.}
Of course, life is never going to be totally free from burdens
but let's focus on the things that offer a nice little distraction...
shall we?

Create.
Sometimes it makes a world of difference to immerse yourself into
a world of spray paint, burlap and sand paper.

{Framed Keys inspired by this pin}
Keys from Evangeline's in Old Sacramento so
I'm going to tell myself that they're super old, like from the Gold Rush Days ;)

Get Physical

Source: google.com via Jamie on Pinterest

I love Zumba.
Its like my yoga.
Most of the time yoga moves too slow for me.
I end up trapped in my thoughts and not relaxing at all.
But with Zumba and hip-hop dance classes
its so fast paced that all I think about is the steps.

Celebrate Someone Else's Wins
Last week in my Zumba class
we met Sarah.

{photo shared by permission}

Sarah has lost over a 100 pounds by doing Zumba.
Doesn't she look incredible??
If you want to follow Sarah, visit her Facebook page Zumba with Sarah.

Surprise Someone

On her birthday last Thursday Danielle and I surprised my sister at work with cupcakes and flowers.

Get A treat.
Who doesn't love Starbucks?
Thankfully there are three (soon to be four!) within close proximity to my office.
Sometimes a nice walk to Starbies with a friend and a treat
are all you need to get you through the afternoon.

{thanks to Danielle for
a.) buying my drink
b.) taking this lovely iPhone shot of our drinks and
c.) letting me ~~borrow it~~ steal it from her blog}

What are your simple pleasures?
Think about it,
write them down
and then share them here.

Share |

.tell me something good.

2011-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

One day last week I managed to work myself into quite a funk.

You've been there right?

It starts with something small in the morning.

And then someone pulls out in front of you on the way to work.

You get to work and all of the coffee is gone.

And then you get a frustrating email.

The next thing you know, its 10:30am

and you're in a full-blown bad mood

complete with black cloud hanging over your desk.

Yep, that was me.
On that particular day I had planned to spend my lunch
participating in my imaginary version of MTV's Two-A-Days KW Edition
at the gym in my office building
but decided to ~~sulk on a bench~~ eat my lunch at Capital Park.
In "Please no one speak to me!" fashion,
I popped my earbuds in and
shoved my sunglasses on my face.

Of course, the first song that popped up on my Pandora
was a Glee song.

A poppy, upbeat, not-meshing-with-my-emo-mood Glee song.

Tell Me Something Good.

Seriously?

I don't want to think about anything good, I just want to sulk.
But then, on about Matthew Morrison's 14th round of
"Tell Me Something Good"s,
my mind started to wonder and I thought back to the first time someone had made that request of me.

Source: None via Olivia on Pinterest

When I was in Kindergarten, I hated it.
I was the first grandchild on one side and the first girl on the other so
I was used to getting lots of personal attention
and being around mostly adults.
Kindergarten totally cramped my style.
Every day I would tell my teacher Mrs. Greenwood that I didn't feel good and needed to go home.
Not joking, every. single. day.
Of course, she saw right through me and
would respond that she didn't want me to tell her that anymore
and moveover, she wanted me to come to her and confidently say,
"I feel good."

Now, on my list of priorities right behind getting
the h-e-double hockey sticks out of kindergarten
was my desire to please authority.
So one day I worked up my courage, walked up to my teacher and whispered,
"I feel good."

Did I really feel good?

No! I still hated Kindergarten with all of its

other kids, nap times, sharing and having to wait for it to be my special day.

{seriously, why didn't I realize a good thing when I had it??}

After that I realized that I really did feel better if I focused on feeling better.
And I never told my teacher that I felt bad again.

Okay, that's a lie.

The reason that I never told her that I felt bad again was because

she called me out in class and embarrassed me really bad.
Buuuuut as an adult, I do realize the truth of what Mrs. Greenwood tried to instill in me.

Even though there are frustrating and stressful things going on,
there are still good things happening.
I can choose to focus on the good and feel better.
Or I can choose to focus on the bad and be crabby.
Its my choice.
So, tell me, what helps you get out of a bad mood?
And, if you're in a bad mood right now,
my friend Kori recommends that you read THIS.

Share |

.art imitates life.

2011-08-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

{Alternate title: I Make My Husband Sick}

Have you seen Love and Other Drugs?

I mean, I haven't seen it, of course.

Because that would have been wrong.

{Okay, honestly, Cody and I did watch it last night.*

But we probably should have turned it off about 10 minutes into it.

In my very humble opinion,

it has way too much nudity and graphic sexual stuff

We try to guard ourselves against those things.

And really, no one's husband needs to see other breasts -

am I right??}

Buuuuut if I had seen it I would have really enjoyed the scene where

-spoiler alert -

Jake Gyllenhall's character has a panic attack while trying to tell Anne Hathaway's character

that he loves her for the first time.

The reason that I enjoyed this particular scene is because
it reminded me so much of
when Cody first told me that he loved me.

Source: roomtoinspire.blogspot.com via Cynthia on Pinterest

Oh, I never told you that story...?

Well, let's step back about four years, shall we?

Cody and I were 500+ miles apart for the first several months of dating.

This of course meant that there were lots of emails, texts and phone calls.

{And maybe, just maybe one $1200 phone bill that Cody would like to forget about.}

One night the following conversation transpired:

Cody: So, I um....need to tell you something.

Katie: {very nervously} Okay.....what is it?

C: Well, I've been thinking a lot, you know?

K: Uh huh...?

C: And you know, I really think that you really compliment me ministry-wise.

K: Right. Okay, thank you.

C: And I, uh, really...I...uh...I really like where things are going.

K: Okay, good, me too.

C: And I'm excited for what is in the future....for us.

K: Yes, me too.

C: And I, uh, well, I....I look forward to you meeting my family.

K: Yeah, me too. I mean, I'm nervous about it but I look forward to it.

C: And then, um, well, I....I.... I'm excited about things after that too.

K: Okay....me too.

C: And I just, you know, um...uh, like, really want to tell you something....and I, um, you know, have been thinking a lot and I um, well, you know......I love you.

So in the five minutes of stalling before he finally said it,

I had realized what he was going to say.

Even though my heart was pounding,

I wanted to say it back to him -

only I couldn't.

Because he had hung up on me.

So that I couldn't hear him throwing up.

Yes, ladies ~~and gentlemen~~,

apparently loving me makes my husband physically ill.

*Speaking of watching things that I shouldn't have,

take a look at this post by Jon Acuff.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

Share |

.just keep swimming.

2011-08-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

Source: tumblr.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Share |

.holding on.

2011-08-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

"...holding on to our memories

help us become deeper individuals with a better sense of

who we are and how we choose to live our lives."

— Ron Clark

Whenever we start hanging out with a new friend

my sister and I usually give the disclaimer that we can manipulate

almost anything and everything into reminding us of our dad.

And if we can't then we ponder how he would have felt about the situation/person/thing.

Admittedly, as I'm putting it into words, it does sound strange but

its our way of healing; its therapeutic.

I always feel like I need to warn people because

I can see how it could be perceived as us being sad

{and thus, make the person feel awkward}

but it actually we think its kind of funny.

I have no idea how this fits into the

5 Stages of Grief

but for us, it works.

_ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _

This weekend I passed a yard sale in the subdivision next to mine.

~~I'm on the market for an entryway table and from a distance~~

~~I saw that they had some furniture, so I decided to stop.~~

{Who am I kidding?

I don't really need an excuse to stop at a yard sale.}

They didn't have any tables but they did have a rolling bar cart that caught my eye

as well as a banana tree.

Cue soft violin music and warm fuzzy memories:

My dad always had a huge garden.

It was his pride and joy.

One summer on our annual beach trip

he bought a banana tree, brought it home

and ~~loved it like a child~~ nurtured it.

For years.

Yes, in Tennessee.

Every winter he dug it up, potted it

and gave it a new home in our den.

And every spring he drug it outside

and re-planted it,

usually - much to my chagrin - demanding my assistance.

He became the go-to person in our neighborhood for people who wanted their own banana trees.

I asked the sellers how much they wanted for their tree.

When they said that $10 would be fine

I was this close to telling them how

my dad gave away dozens of banana offshoots for free over the years

but I held my tongue.

I should also admit that I don't exactly have a green thumb.

{This is a story for another day but once,

while in the emergency room at 4am and under the influence of heavy pain medicine

Cody told the doctor that I couldn't be trusted to take care of him because I killed basil.

True story. This is my life.}

The dilemma:

one one hand, my propensity for killing plants

but on the other hand, my dad probably would have appreciated me wanting to have my own banana tree

Fast forward five minutes:

The banana tree nor the cart will fit into my car.

The solution:

Load the banana tree onto the top of the cart and push it to my house.

On foot.

{Did I mention that I had to take a particularly busy street to get home?}

Why yes, I was the girl walking down Pleasant Grove Boulevard pushing the 8 foot combination of tree and liquor cart.

I think my dad would have had a nice little laugh about that.

Share |

.read.watch.listen

2011-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

Something to Read:

Beware Romantic Pornography

Girls, please, please read this article.
Over the past couple of years, I have limited the amount of romcoms that I allow myself to watch.
This post articulated my feelings exactly.
I challenge you to test yourself and the amount of fiction that you let influence you.

How to Wreck Your Marriage with Social Media

Although these concepts are pretty common sense, I still think that this is a great read.

Jon Acuff is a great writer so even when he's writing about a non-funny subject, he always manages to throw some humor in there.

And sometimes its those this should be common sense things that hit us the hardest...

Something to Watch:
A great proposal

You know, just for fun.

Aaaand another great proposal

Something to listen to:
You be Jesus, Let God be God
{Scroll down, its the one from 5/7/11}
I was so, so blessed by this podcast by Holly Furtick this morning.
Thank you to my precious friend Jenilee for influencing me to start listening to Elevation Church podcasts.

I love David Crowder Band's cover of Deliver Me.
I popped up on my Pandora recently and it was like a deep breath in the middle of a hectic day.

Share |

.its the simple things. {v2}

2011-08-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

{alternate title: I love Sacramento, version 2987}

Happy Thursday!

How is your week going?

Mine is good but it feels like its racing by!

Let's take a moment to appreciate the simple things, shall we?

.the wednesday downtown farmers market.
Its at Cesar Chavez Park on J Street in downtown Sacramento
until 2pm every Wednesday through October.
I love, love, love that I can walk to it from my office.

Its become a summer Wednesday lunch staple for me, Danielle and Ashlee.

{Check out Danielle's post about our farmers market outing yesterday
and please admire her adorable outfit}

.yummy dishes made with farmers market goodies.
These zucchini pizzas are not only low calorie/fat/carb but they're delicious.
And seriously easy.

1. Slice zucchini into large chunks.
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. Remove from grill and place zucchinis on a baking sheet. Top with pizza sauce and mozzarella.
Drizzle olive oil across all slices.
4. Broil for 5 - 7 minutes.
5. Garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper.

Grilled white peaches topped with cinnamon

.girl time.
I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunity to have
girls night with both Kassie and Ashley lately!

What simple pleasures are you appreciating this week?
Share them here!

Other I heart Sacramento posts:
Free Cookies from a Truck
Our Sacrament-iversary
Swapping Stitches
Sacramento Girls who Blog
Open Doors
A Day in San Fran
{okay, so not technically about Sac but one of the things that I do
love about Sac is its proximity to so many great things!}
I love my church
I love my church {part 2}
The Star of Chick-Fil-A
A Challenge on J Street
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
We Made It!
You Got a Job in This Economy?

Share |

.visions of marshmallows and chocolate.

2011-08-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

It is currently 4:07pm PST and it has happened.

The afternoon crankies have hit.

The "I don't want to work anymore. I just want a treat!" crankies.

The craving du jour?

S'mores.

Probably due in large part to the fact that I keep seeing variations on Pinterest.

Like this:

Source: a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net via Ashley on Pinterest

And this:

Source: tolsonlassiterwedding.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

In a whining voice I turn to my ~~partner in crime~~ coworker Danielle

and ask her how probable she thinks it is that if I walk downstairs

someone will be have set up a fire pit on L Street across from the State Capital

and be handing out free s'mores.

She apparently has the 4pm crankies too so she simply says - very dryly, I might add -

"Doubtful."

"Oh really?" I shot back in my cranky voice.

"About as likely as coming upon a food truck that not only just has cookies but is giving them away for free??"

You see, my friends, that is exactly what happened to us on Friday.

Hilton Hotels, which is my hotel chain of choice,

was giving away free cookies to announce their new DoubleTree by Hilton location.

So, annnnyways, I say that to say:

It. could. happen.

I'll keep you posted about a S'mores on the Street sighting.

Share |

.Good from Awful.

2011-07-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

This afternoon To Write Love on Her Arms tweeted
about Amy Winehouse's father working to make something good out of something awful.

I'm thankful for this example of Good from Awful in my own life:

Yesterday family friend that I haven't spoken with in awhile called me.

She thanked me for all of the times that I've tweeted about

suicide prevention and the warning signs of depression.

With her voice full of emotion, she told me about the

emotional rollercoaster that her family has been on for the past year.

She told me about her young son's battles with anxiety and his recent threats of self-harm.

When she said,

"I honestly don't know if I would have taken action

[to take him to the emergency room]
if I hadn't read your posts,"

I couldn't hold back my tears.

That conversation made me feel overwhelmed/thankful/humbled.

I don't say that to say,
"Wow, look what I did."
Rather, I say it to say,
"Wow, look what God did."

There is nothing that can bring my dad back but

I am so thankful that God can use my experiences to help someone else.

Let me be clear,

God can use whomever/whatever to accomplish His will

and I am so humbled that He saw fit to use me in this way.

Thank you Jesus for making good from something awful.

Fittingly, tomorrow would have been my dad's 60 birthday.

For his 59th birthday, my sister and I posted

59 notes of hope and encouragement around Sacramento.

I don't know if any of those notes had an impact on anyone

but God knows my heart.

And I trust that He's is working this for good even when I don't know about it.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting,

God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along.

If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter.

He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.

He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition,

and keeps us present before God.

That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

-Romans 8:28 (The Message)

Share |

.fresh.

2011-07-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

Can I brag on myself for just a teensy second?

This morning I got up at ~~o'dark thirty~~ 5:35am

and went to the gym.

Not an earth shattering accomplishment

but its a step in the right direction for me.

Even though I was nervous to be

that uncoordinated girl in the back who's a step behind everyone else

because she doesn't know what she's doing,

I tried a new {to me} class called Bosu Bootcamp.

Who knew those little half exercise balls are calls Bosu??

Source: reuters.com via Kate on Pinterest

{Not me, obviously.}

I'm not gonna lie to you,

I was that uncoordinated girl in the back who's a step behind everyone else

because she doesn't know what she's doing

~~but there was one other new girl so I didn't feel as bad~~

but the point is that I did it; I tried something new.

And it really did get my Monday off to a better than usual start.

So, since I'm all about spreading encouragement,

I challenge you to try something new today.

Maybe for you, your new thing isn't going to be a new fitness class.

That's okay.

Maybe your new thing is maintaining your good attitude when I co-worker starts the day off by being a little snarky.
{Not that this, ahem, happened to me this morning or anything}

Maybe your new thing is swapping your junky snack for a healthier one.

Maybe its texting your spouse/parent/friend just to tell them you're thinking about them.

Maybe its adding a new, upbeat channel to your Pandora mix.

Maybe its buying a granola bar and bottle of water for the homeless person that sits outside your office building.

Maybe its answering the phone with a smile.

{I really do believe the person on the other line will be able to tell.}

Whatever.

Just try something out of the ordinary.

Just because.

What new thing are you doing to try today?

Share |

.i hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.

2011-07-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

{Huntington Beach, 7/12/11}

I hope I never "get over" the sacrifice that Jesus made for me.

I hope my love for Him is evident.

I hope I have twins.

Subsequently, I hope Cody passes out right as I give birth, allowing me to quickly name our kids
since he and I don't see eye to eye on names.

I hope I win the lottery so that I can pay off my student loans
and never have to deal with Sallie Mae ever again.

Although audacious, I hope no one else ever feels so hopeless that they take their own life.

I hope that no one else ever has to suffer through the loss of losing a loved one to suicide.

I hope I see my dad when I get to Heaven.

I hope my chihuahua lives as long as I do.

I hope good things for Haiti.
I won't pretend to know how to fix their problems but I hope to see an end to them.

I hope Cody and I are always "in love."

I hope that people always feel better after they've been with me.

I hope that I'm always a glass half-full type person.

I hope to do something in the fight against sex trafficking.

I hope my sister and I never live in different cities again.

I hope you have a great day.

What do you hope for?

Share |

.better and happier.

2011-07-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Source: google.com via Jodi on Pinterest

Let no one ever come to you without leaving

better and happier.

Be the living expression of God's kindness:

kindness in your face,

kindness in your eyes,

kindness in your smile.

-Mother Teresa

Share |

.When God says.

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

For the last two (plus) years my best friend Delilah Jane and her husband
have been trying to get pregnant.
It has been a frustrating process for them
filled with lots of doctors appointments and conflicting answers.
I am thankful that Delilah allowed me to walk through this process with her.

{Me and Delilah at her September 2008 wedding}

As you can imagine,
this process has had its share of valleys
but there have been some peaks as well.
Delilah is an encourager by nature.
Talk to her for two minutes and you'll know it.
God has given Delilah opportunities
to share with and love on other women through the journey.
I've told her more than once that I am so thankful that
she is allowing God to use her even when its painful.

Two months ago Delilah and I were discussing her upcoming doctor's appointment.
Yet another doctor's appointment.
Why wasn't she getting pregnant?
Why did she keep getting conflicting answers from doctors?
And then, it dawned on me.
It was so simple and yet completely complex at the same time.
It didn't matter what the doctors told her;
God is not constrained by logistics.
When He says that its going to happen,
its going to happen.
But not a moment before that.

Today you may be waiting for something.
A baby, a husband, a job opportunity, relief from a hurt.
Whatever it is, take hope in the fact that God knows it.
He knows you intimately.
Even though it may be painful,
God has a purpose for the season that you're in.
Trust Him.
Confide your feelings in Him.
Draw closer to Him through this experience.
I promise that you won't regret it.

Oh, and that conversation that Delilah and I had in May...?
She didn't know it then
but she was already pregnant.

I am so happy to announce that
Delilah and Jeff will welcome Baby Phillips sometime around January 25, 2012.
I am so excited for them and so anxious to be an aunt to that precious baby.
Even though we're literally on opposite ends of the country,
he or she won't have any doubts about whether or not
his/her Aunt Katie is crazy about him.

God is good, even when you don't know what He's doing, He's good.

{She's not showing yet but she has promised me that I can add a bump shot when she is!}

Share |

.simple pleasures.

2011-07-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

I adore simple pleasures.

They are the last refuge of the complex.

-Oscar Wilde

♥ We've been in the new house a little over a week now and we are loving it. It is so nice to be in an area that we love and to finally have space! And space I do have with closets galore: A walk-in closet in the master, a linen closet, a pantry and a coat closet and that's not even all of them. We feel so blessed.

♥ The other night we had dinner on our patio and it was just so nice. Cody made the comment that he doesn't want us to get "used" to this so that we forget to be thankful for what we have. My thoughts exactly.

Source: search.barnesandnoble.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

♥ I love this book. Its really short so it isn't really enough substance to use it alone but reading it each day is seriously like a breath of fresh air.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Abigail on Pinterest

♥Ice. Y'all, I forgot how wonderful ice is. I'm constantly drinking water or coffee or tea but at our old apartment our ice always tasted funny so I never put it in my drinks. Well, no longer.

Having a stressful day/week/month?

I encourage you to write down the simple things in life that make you happy.

I bet you'll realize that you have a lot to be thankful for.

For inspiration head over to Jesslyn Amber's blog

and read other people's simple pleasures lists.

.move closer.

2011-07-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Source: tumblr.com via Jenna on Pinterest

If you want to get warm you move near the fire.

If you want joy, peace, eternal life,

you must get close to what has them.

-C.S. Lewis

Happy Wednesday!
Isn't it nice to only be on the second working day and already be half way finished with the week?

Something to celebrate:
The White House has lifted the ban on military suicide condolences.
Although not a solution to reducing military suicides, it is a positive step. Now if we could get better mental health programs in place...

Something to read:
The best thing God ever made for a man

Something easy to fix to go with your dinner:
Mmmm Sauce

Something to learn:
Setting a Table

Something to apply to others:

Source: jennyanddukefamily.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest

I hope the rest of your day goes well.
Don't forget to celebrate your wins.

Share |

.three/four years.

2011-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today Cody asked me to be his girlfriend....

{Leogane, Haiti}
{Its kind of long but if you want to read Our Story, click here.}

...and then three years ago today I became his wife.

Quick? Yes...but we just knew.

What we didn't know is where our life together would take us.

If you had told me three years ago that we'd be living in Northern California,

that I'd be working for a PR agency and that Cody would be working in Marketing
and that we'd be doing ministry a little more informally,

I would have thought that you were crazy.

But this is where we are and I love it.

{Capital Park, Sacramento, California}
{Photography by Ashlee Gadd}

Looking forward to what comes next....

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