Summer of Love :)

>> Thursday, July 30, 2009

"The world did not create beauty, the world cannot define it." -Mike Glenn

This summer has been one of the biggest blessings to me personally. I've mentioned a few times on here that some friends and I have been going to Kairos (a college ministry, not a Greek restaurant for those wondering:) every Tuesday night. I cannot explain to you how much of a blessing it has been for me. Mike Glenn is the speaker and has been doing a summer series on love, relationships, beauty and all that falls into that. Mike's style of teaching is so different from anyone I've listened to. He is straightforward, blunt and completely transparent with us. There is no beating around the bush with him which I've come to appreciate a lot in a world where it always seems to take people 10 times as long to say what they're trying to say. He tells it like it is and has an amazing passion for it. anyways....I just thought I'd share a little about what God's been showing me this summer.

The Importance of a REAL relationship with Christ.
We started out the summer establishing the real foundation for all of this...a true relationship with Christ. I so often fall into the category of Christians who come to Christ only on a "need" basis. When things start falling apart, I run to Him to fix them but when things are going fine, I tend to leave Him be. This is one really big area in my life personally that I need to work on. Mike real drove in a point when he started talking about how we say "God is a big part of my life." when we should be saying "God IS my life."

The Importance of embracing where you are now.
God has each of us exactly where we are right now for a reason. It's hard not to wait anxiously for the future. I, along with almost everyone else my age, need to embrace my "season of singleness". God is preparing each of us for what we will encounter in the future....but if we are constantly looking at the future then how can we learn what He has for us here and now to learn?

The Importance of finding a Godly man.
"If you cannot see daily evidence of his walk with Christ, Leave." <-- Talk about being blunt! It's not enough to find a man who call himself a Christian. There must be evidence of his relationship with Christ. I've always heard growing up from different people to "not be too picky" when it comes to guys but for one of the first times I actually decided that I need to make a list of things I will not waiver on when it comes to a man I will spend my life with. I want a man after God's own heart and nothing less.
-The night we spent talking about Godly men, we talked about Joseph (Jesus' earthly father) and then people from his lineage. A big thing I'd never noticed about Joseph was how much he really truly cared for Mary even before he realized that she truly was carrying the son of God...It says that he "decided to divorce her secretly". Joseph, thinking that his fiance has cheated on him, did not want to embarrass her by any means. He still cared enough for her to not want to cause her any more pain and embarrassment than was already present. I think that speaks tons about his character. Not many people have that much character, myself included, that we'd let it go quietly.)

The Importance of being a Godly woman.
If I'm going to hold my future husband to high standards, I need to hold myself to the same. In all reality, a man seeking God's own heart is going to want a woman seeking God's own heart. I need to use the time God has given me to be preparing myself to be the woman I need to be. If I spend all my time focusing on finding "Mr. Right" and not focusing on getting myself to where I need to be spiritually, I won't be ready when he comes along.

The Importance of recognizing real beauty.
This is kind of where the quote at the very top comes in. Right now, our culture is so infatuated with what they call "beauty". Size 0, flawless skin, 5'8'', shallow as get out beauty. The quote at the top is so simple....but so true. The world did not create beauty, the world cannot define it. Our culture is driving woman into their graves with eating disorders and depression because the standards they set for beauty aren't achievable. Real beauty is something that starts from the inside. As Mike put it...."True beauty is something you can see even in the dark."


I guess that pretty much hits all the main points God's been really teaching me this summer. I hope it blesses you as much as it has me. Please send up a prayer for Kairos on Tuesday nights if you think of it. God is doing some amazing things there....we even got mentioned on a major "non-christian" radio station a few weeks back and have since been literally overflowing with people coming. The last 3 weeks people have had to sit on the floor...over 1,300 people recently!
Feel free to come with me sometime too! We have a group that goes each week of between 4 and 8 people. It's so much fun :)

Hope yall are having a great week.

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Just an update :)

>> Monday, July 20, 2009

"No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath... We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and resolution. It would be a crime not to venture."
-Donald Miller-- "Through Painted Deserts"

-The book from which that quote came is one of my absolute favorites. It's been about a year since I've read it and I should really read it again. It made me want to get in my car and take off for a few weeks. To just live life for what it was worth...enjoying every minute, going where ever I felt like, sleeping under the stars and discovering God in all types of new ways. It STILL makes me want to do that just thinking about it. Such an awesome book.

A few thing on my mind tonight....
  • Dating/relationships- Goodness...I've discovered in the last few months that it just scares me to death. As much as I want to be in a relationship right now, I know I'm not because God is still preparing both me and my future spouse for each other. I just want to know if I know him yet... it'll be interesting to see how all of it unfolds whether it be soon or in a year or two (eep!). I need to be patient....Good things come to those who wait, right?
  • Health- I love love love the track at MT's rec center. Don't ask me what is so exciting about walking in circles but I find it so much more appealing than treadmills and the like. I do believe I'll head there some time tomorrow.
  • Reading- I don't know what has gotten into me lately but I cannot stop reading. In the last 2 weeks I've read 2379 pages. I'm about to need a new book/series. Any suggestions?
  • Redecorating- My room is in desperate need of some attention. It is both a wreck and utterly horrible in the design area. It's about to drive me nuts. I've at least got to decide on a color to paint the wall by the end of the summer. Then try to find a new idea for what to do with the furniture. Not to mention buy a new mattress. My back has been killing me lately....come to find out my mattress is as old as I am. Dear paycheck gods, send money quickly! :)

That's the end of the blog for today. I am completely aware that this was a completely pointless entry but I thought I'd give a little update to those who care. I hope everyone is having a blessed summer.

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Bondage through Religion; Freedom through the Cross

>> Sunday, July 5, 2009

"Religion and humanity bring nothing but bondage. It is only the Cross that brings freedom."

I am not a Biblical scholar by any means. I wish I understood the Bible better and could sit down with a 3,000 page book by some brilliant man who did but it's just not me. God teaches me through life. I learn by experiencing.

The quote at the top of this blog is one I heard in church this morning and it just stuck with me. The rest of the sermon on Repentance and Freedom was amazing as well and maybe I'll write something about that later on.

I've been so puzzled lately with religion. It seems like the last six months for me have been full of question and lessons about the church as a whole. Through it all, I've learned exactly what the quote at the top says...Religion brings bondage. Church too often becomes about going to a certain place at a certain time,seeing certain people, singing certain songs, and doing certain things. It's all just so messed up. Church is not a building. It's the people of God coming together to worship Him. So simple yet we make is so complicated. I've been so guilty of that. I realized that about myself when I was talking to a good friend the other day about how I left my old church. I was telling her about how hurt I felt that after I left my church of almost 15 years, only 2 people even said anything. I was hurt. But i've come to realize that my focus was all wrong. I was too focused on the people and not focused enough on finding my place to worship. Does it still hurt? Sure, if i think about it...but I'm trying my best to let go of that and remember that that is not what church is about.

Freedom only comes through the cross. Not through a certain denomination, not through a certain song or sermon....through the cross. I still struggle with completely focusing on Christ during church. Its hard to get my mind to slow down enough to really focus but I find that when I do and I hear what He is saying to me, I feel free. I feel like all the struggles that I carried into His presence have been thrown to the other side of the earth. Christ brings such freedom to those who open their hearts enough to let Him in.

So I don't know if what I said made much sense. Its just been something I've been thinking about lately and this mornings sermon made me think about it a little more.

On to other things... Life right now is good. I've been figuring out a lot of things...thinking too much for my own good. Just ask any of my good friends. haha. I've been picking at their brains about a few things the last week or so. I'm extremely blessed to have some of the friends I have. They are straight up with me... calling me out on areas I stumble in. It not always easy but I do appreciate it so much. Friends like that are worth more than words.

I believe that's all for today...I hope everyone had a great 4th!

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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