Happiness.

Lovely.

Just the word to describe my vacation.

It was a vacation that had a rough start due to flight delays (I'm talking a 8 hours stuck in an airport with a very sleepy 10 month old type of start) but, as I told my sister in law on the first night as we walked the beach, just the smell of the ocean makes it all worth it.


My awesome Uncle Steven, Aunt Martha, and Cousins, Seth & Abi, were gracious enough to open their home and give us a place to stay for the week. They really know how to give the whole Florida experience in the short time we were there. One of my favorite days was the day we went to the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs. Lovely shops, delicious Greek restaurants and beautiful weather.

We also had a lovely afternoon at the beach. There's just something about having the sand between your toes and the smell of salt water that shifts you right into relaxation mode. It was also Carter's first trip to the beach...precious! He loved the sand and the water. He's quite the water baby!


And of course, best of all was getting to spend quality time with family that we don't get to see nearly enough. Our vacation wouldn't have had nearly as much laughter, good eats and fabulous memories if our Florida Clagg family hadn't been involved. We are so very thankful for them!


****


Summer is almost over. Even as I write that, I hear a little voice inside pouting away that it went by too fast, as it always seems to. Never the less, I must hush the inner child in me that doesn't want school to start and instead embrace the school year as another year filled with opportunities I'll only get once.

This summer has been one of the best and, as cheesy-Christian as this may sound, I only have God to thank. I came in to this summer extremely exhausted in just about every sense of the word. Thankfully I'm ending this summer rested. This summer has been so full of lessons, fun times, and good days that I can't even think of a single complaint. I would live this summer a thousand times over if I could.


***




Alright. I've got to take a moment and brag on these people right here. They are one of the reasons my summer was just so wonderful. Blogging world, meet my Kairos family. They are the most fabulous set of friends I've ever been blessed to have. This summer I've been so encouraged by them. Spend 5 minutes with us and you'll probably think we're crazy but spend a couple hours with us and chances are that at some time during that time, you'll hear some very passionate Christ followers talk about some way they're trying to change, become better, have a positive influence on our world. Just spending time hanging out with them usually ends with me being encouraged in one way or another, whether they realize it or not. I cannot tell you in words how much my Kairos family means to me but just know that it's a whole-stinkin-lot. I love each one of them so very much and can't wait to see what God does in each of their lives.


***


Well. On that note, it's time for me to end this post. I hope everyone that reads this blog has had just as wonderful of a summer. If not, you have a few weeks left...make it count!

Love. Love. Love.

Katie

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Beach Bound.

Hello there!

I've been writing a blog in my head for over two weeks. I just haven't typed it all out yet.

Yes I know I'm behind.

And no I don't care.

Why?

Because I will be on vacation in less than 24 hours.


Oh yes. Clearwater, Florida...HERE I COME!

I promise I will post a lovely update upon my return but for now...

Goodbye blogging world, Hello overdue Vacation!

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Summer Happenings.

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others.
For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness.
And for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.
-Audrey Hepburn

Summer is officially here and in full swing. Full of sun-drenched days and star-lit nights. Minus today, of course. So. Much. Rain.

Regardless, Summer thus far has been lovely. The days I'm not working downtown at the cafe, I'm usually watching one or both of my sweet nephews. Our fun thing lately? Feeding the Ducks.

Connor loves those ducks. The first time we went to see them he repeatedly said "I want to hug them!" Oh, little love, you are so sweet.

Carter loves those ducks too. He just grins and laughs at them the whole time. Sweet baby boy. I don't think he could smile more than he does now.

We made a trip to see my Grandfather this past Sunday for Father's Day. It was so nice. My favorite part? He still remembers me. I dread the day that my sweet Grandpa doesn't recognize me due to the Alzherimers that is slowly taking place. But for now, I treasure every moment that he remembers I'm his "Katie Grace".

Love him.

We returned home with enough time to have dinner and spend time with just the family (minus one). It was a fun relaxing evening and reminded me just how blessed I am. I'm convinved I have the best Father (and family) around.

My wonderful Father and two older brothers. Love them.

Any other spare time is spent taking walks at my new favorite place in town, trying new recipes, and writing letters. Lots of fun little moments all coming together to make one grand summer.

Tonight's Recipe: Homemade Turnip Greens. Made with greens fresh from our local farmers marker (my latest obsession). They turned out quite delicious, if I do say so myself.

A beautiful letter from a beautiful friend. I'm incredibly thankful for such a wonderful friendship that lasts over the miles and years.

Well friends, that's what life has been keeping me busy with since the semester ended. Somewhere in the midst of all of this my Savior has been teaching me so much about life. Learning to enjoy the little things in life, stop fretting over the little things I love to overthink, and let go of the situations that weigh me down.

I'm a happy girl. Life & I are finally starting to find our strides matching.
And quite simply, friends, It's a very good thing.

Now I'm off to enjoy this break from a rainy day and take a walk. Have I mentioned how much I love summer?

Love. Love. Love.
-Katie

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Summer Bucket List

Summer break is HERE.

Oh yes. It's here.

Like any other summer, There's lots on my "to do" list. So. I'm prioritizing. Here it is. A list of the things I must, must, must do this summer. In no particular order.

My Summer Bucket List:

1. Read.
Read a lot. Read until my eyeballs fall out. Okay. Maybe not the last one.
I love reading. Not like most people "love reading" yet never read. During the semester, I crave a good book. I hate not having the time to read. So this summer, I will read until my hearts content. and then some.


2. Spend time with my little loves.
Having nephews might be the best thing ever. Better than homemade red velvet cake, and that's good stuff. This summer I will get as much snuggling, hugging, giggling, frog catching, booboo kissing, and did i mention snuggling? in as possible. Connor will be 3 in November and Carter will be 1 in August. My sweet little loves are getting big so fast...and Aunt "Taytee" must get as many sweet moments in as she can before they turn into little boys and will have none of it.


3. Organize. Organize. Organize.
I'm a very organized person. I like to know where everything is and have a spot for every little thing. Now. If, per say, you were to walk into my bedroom or studio.....you would call me a liar. Currently, my room is a mess of laundry, books, and random items that need to find their place. My studio is even worse. and I kid you not....dangerous. Studio tac, xacto blades and projects are scattered everywhere and proof of a very busy semester. And then in the midst of it all, My "sick" corner consisting of my art desk pushed against the wall, a mattress in the floor, an empty bottle of sprite, and a tupperware container with remnants of crackers. Oh yes, friends. It's been quite the week. None the less, by the end of this summer, I'm determined to be so very organized. and to make it even better....I found a label maker the other day in a closet. Oh yes. It. Is. On.


4. Cook. Bake. Burn. What have you.
This, like reading, is something I miss in the semester. I love to cook. I love to cook for my family, friends, or just about anyone. Due to the before mentioned school craziness, there's just not enough time in the semester. So this summer, I will cook. Try new recipes, almost burn the house down (disregard that statement, mom and dad), add too much of one ingredient and not enough of another. But I will cook. and that's all that matters.


5. Avoid. At ALL cost.
You think I'm kidding? I would walk a route that was 2 miles longer just to avoid June bugs. Or Cicadas. *Shudder* I hate those creepy little bugs with their sticky little legs. Gross. Gag. Disgusting. Get the picture yet? No? Mk. One of my worst memories from when I was a child consist of june bugs. I remember sitting on the back porch of the first house I remember living in and there being June bugs EVERYWHERE. And I just cried. Until my knight in shining armor (Aka Daddy) came and rescued me from the evil monsters. (aka June bugs). Scarred for life. Yeah. I hate them that much.

6. Be Creative.
This category includes letterpress, craft, photography, or pretty much any other creative activity I involve myself in. Letterpress will be one of the key elements here. My friend Megan & I are planning on editioning a significant amount of our 2012 letterpress calendars this summer and selling them on etsy. Super pumped. Keep an eye out for them! In addition to that I have many other little creative projects I'd like to do this summer. Hopefully enough to get an etsy shop up and going by mid summer. If not, whatever. It's just fun to have a creative outlet.


7. Disappear.
For at least a day or two this summer, I want to disappear. Turn off the cell phone, turn off the internet, maybe drive to the lakehouse and just be. Yup. Completely disappear for a few days. Now. If I don't show back up within two days, you may want to check on me. The backroad crossville crazies may have left their porches and shotgun cleaning to get me. Eep. Maybe I'll bring a friend.

8. Spend time with my Creator
I'm so incredibly guilty of being "that" Christian. Claiming the name of Christ but not even spending time with Him daily. Who am I kidding? Even weekly. This summer I want to get back to the roots of my relationship with Christ. Fall back in love. Take long drives with my radio off and just pray. Sometimes getting back to the basics isn't all that bad.



That's it, Ladies & Gents. That's the list. Yes there is plenty more I want to and may do, but that's the basics. It's going to be a lovely summer. Get out there. Enjoy it.

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Happiness.

I often get out of the habit of blogging during the semester. I come to blogspot and catch up on all my blog reading but hardly ever have the time/mental energy to sit down and write an entry myself. In order to get myself back in the habit, I'm starting my "Ten" blogs. Short 10 minute breaks to write a blog about a ten list. I'm not sure how often these will happen...aiming for every other week? We shall see.

Starting with 10 things that make me happy.


1. Kairos.
·Two years ago this summer, I was incredibly blessed to stumble upon a unique ministry by the name of Kairos. It is a truly passionate group of believers that gathers on Tuesday nights at Brentwood Baptist. From the messages brought each week by Pastor Mike to the strong friendships I've built there, it is absolutely been a life changer for me. So thankful to be part of a strong & encouraging community of believers.



2. Bella Luna.
·I love the moon. Truly a love I learned from my mother. Nothing makes this girl happier than a beautiful night sky full of stars and a beautiful moon. Proof of a magnificent Creator.

3. Letterpress.
·Anyone that has spent any amount of time with me in the last year has learned of my new obsession. I honestly think I could set type and run proofs all day. I'm absolutely in love. Currently keeping an eye out for a good deal on one.


4. Snail Mail.
·I love getting mail. and sending it. I do believe this stems back to my childhood...growing up writing letters back and forth with one of my more-like-a-sister-than-a-cousin dearest friends, Tasha, in Oklahoma. I still have a box somewhere filled to the brim with letters from her. So thankful for such a wonderful cousin and even more thankful for a wonderful friendship despite the miles between here and Oklahoma/Texas.

5. Rearranging my room in the middle of the night.
·90% of the time when I rearrange my bedroom, it's between the hours of midnight and 3 am. No idea why, but it's just the way it plays out and I love it. I mean what else is there to do when you can't sleep? *Side note- Not my bedroom pictured above but I'm completely in love with it. So vintage. So cute.

6. Book Stores.
·I mean really...who doesn't? I could stay in one store for hours. Nothing like a good book.

7. Goodwill Finds.
·I love a great goodwill find. I'm still kicking myself for not buying a super cute vintage chair for 8 dollars the last time I was there. I mean for real, people...Goodwill always proves to be an adventure one way or another.

8. Change Jars.
·I think I currently have 3 change jars. I throw all my coins in there...and usually once a year I'll take them to a coinstar and cash it all in. It's my version of "saving money" Ha. But really...You'd be surprised how much money you could save in a year if you just throw your extra change in a jar for a year or two. Also, loving that phone in the background.

9. Wicked Soundtrack.
·I listen to this soundtrack on a semi-regular basis and I never grow tired of it. It's a beautiful musical, powerful story, and lovely soundtrack. Seriously. Go buy it.

10. My beautiful family.
·I have the most wonderful family. Amazing parents (high school sweethearts that are still head over heels in love), two brothers that have had more of an impact on my life than they'll ever know, two beautiful sister-in-laws that fit right in the family and are the sisters I never had growing up, and, of course, my two handsome little nephews pictures above. I seriously can't stop kissing on those two sweet boys. Love them all so much.


Love. Love. Love.
-Katie

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The Heart of Life is Good.

"Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good"
-John Mayer

While I'm not normally the biggest fan of John Mayer or many of the underlying themes within his music, I'm loving his newest song "The Heart of Life". It's been my go-to song this past month or so. Simple song, strong words.

It's been a little over two months since my last post. To say that these last two months have been emotionally charged would not be an understatement. Balancing school, work, & everything else in life this semester has seemed especially difficult this semester. I find myself more often then I'd like to admit spending more time on campus then at my own house. Such is the life of a design student, apparently.

None the less, exciting things are happening. Life seems to be falling into place. One thing I've learned the hard way though is that when life falls into place, some things break. It's only natural, I guess, for a few things to break after falling. Part of the process is accepting which things are worth fixing. Sometimes you can do something about it, other times, it's out of your control. You put your big girl panties on, push the pieces to the side and move on. I've done a little of both the past few months.

One thing that has had a huge "falling into place" impact over the last 6 months or so is a new found passion of mine. Letterpress. I ended up taking Letterpress 1 last fall semester in somewhat spur of the moment-needed another class- situation. Little did I know how much I would fall in love with the form of art. Over the past few months, I've grown extremely attached to all things letterpress. I'm now in Advanced Letterpress this semester, and in my spare time constantly find myself looking all over the internet in search of a letterpress at a decent cost. Sadly, it seems they are few and far between. It's an old process that, unfortunately, has been ignored by many. I've found several old posts of letterpress for sale that ended in them being sold for scrap metal...talk about breaking this girls heart. Makes me teary eyed just thinking about it. Nevertheless, I'm one determined red head. It make take time but things will work themselves out eventually.

Thats all for this post....time to enjoy Spring break.

Love, Love, Love.
Katie

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Labels

Here we go...first blog of the new year! Welcome to 2011, friends!

I've never been a huge fan of New Years resolutions...mainly because I've never been that great at keeping them (along with the rest of the world). But there was something different about this year. Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking. Over thinking, if I can be so honest. I've been over thinking this statement:

"Who am I?"

I'm so quick to label myself different things. My first reactions are listing all the labels that have been placed (some directly and others indirectly) on me. The world just isn't a very pretty place anymore. All the labels thrown on people are so harsh. We label people without having the slightest idea of who they are. (Notice the "we"...I'm completely guilty of this.) To keep on the honest track here, I'm so entirely over labels/stereotypes. I'm just done with it. So my new yew years resolution this year is this: To just be me. That's it.

The fact of the matter is that none of the "names" I've been given over my 22 years of existence even matter. Correction: Only ONE matters. Daughter of the Most High.

Let me just take a little pause and say: I'm not naive enough to know that everyone that reads my blog is a believer. I get that. But fact of the matter is that Christ is a very real part of my life. I often do a very poor job of showing that but truth be told, He is the only reason I'm here today. I apologize for the view of Christianity that the world has portrayed to you. The media shows God as being a horrible god who sits up on a cloud caring less about humanity and hating everyone. They could not be further from the truth. The God I know and serve loves the ones the world has named unloveable, forgives those who can find no forgiveness elsewhere, and work continuously throughout our world through anyone, regardless of race, sex, or social class, who is willing to serve Him.

So that's my new years resolution. Live my life in the best way I can to reflect that I'm a daughter of the Most High. I'm letting go of the labels that have burdened me for so long and embracing the once that holds the very fibers of my being together.


"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" , the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
-Romans 8:15-17


Love. Love. Love.
-Katie

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Back to Your Regular Scheduled Program.

Life right now is currently like a big breath of fresh air.

Why?

The semester is over, Christmas is almost here, and after a very long semester, the hard work paid off and I made it through Portfolio Review and into the upper division Graphic Design program. I'm telling you...months of freaking out and all-nighters took there toll but it was so incredibly worth it. I'm glad that it's behind me and I can move on now.


The past few days since the semester ended on Thursday have been my "catch up" days. Catching up on sleep, catching up on snuggles with the nephews, catching up on everything. Today was the ultimate though. Spent the morning with the littlest nephew Carter, the went to the store and came home and cooked dinner and enjoyed time with my wonderful parents. I haven't cooked in months and I was missing it...it's stress relief for me. So, naturally, I did it up big.

Two Corn Casserole

Poppy Seed Chicken

The Final Spread

It all turned out wonderful and it was nice to have the time to cook a full meal for the family.

On another note, I took a late night trip to walmart tonight and met a special someone. Readers....Meet Mr. Fabulous.


Indeed. He is a humidifier, but none the less, as fabulous as ever. This crazy winter mess has me all messed up. I'm talking nose bleeds and sandpaper skin every day. It is safe to say that in the thirty minutes he's been hooked up, I've fallen in love.

Alrighty. I know. This is possibly the most scattered post ever. From cooking to humidifiers, It's a jumbled mess. I promise a real thought out post is coming soon :) It's been too long.

Anyhoo. That's the end of this mess of a post. If I don't post before Christmas, Have a wonderful Christmas and remember the reason for the season <3

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Intermission.

Dearest blog readers-

I have not abandoned you. I will return in December.

This next month is full of reworking projects, mounting and organizing, and preparing for finals and portfolio review. Prayers would be greatly appreciated as this review dictates whether I can advance to the final stages of the Graphic Design program at MTSU.

Review is on December 9th... expect a post with the results soon after.

Until then....

Happy fall!

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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In You.

I've written two blogs in the last hour. But I'm not publishing them. Not yet anyways. I'm not feeling very...blog-ish today. My heart is heavy, overwhelmed, & in need of a good system restart.

I need to be here.

or here. Oh, what I'd do to be right here again.

"My soul is longing to find Your peace. Lord, I just need to rest."

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The Constitution & Cowgirl Boots.

I'm three weeks into the semester and have only had one "freak out" moment. Those who know me know that is quite the accomplishment. I thought this semester was going to...well...quite frankly, kick me in the rear. Four Studio classes is on the verge of insanity in the art & graphic design department. Five is suicide. Me? I chose insanity. Four studio classes it is. I think what's helping me is the fact that I absolutely love every single class. It truly makes all the difference to love what you do.

Here's a few photos of what I've been working on...I don't have any pictures from Illustration or Word & Image yet. We're moving at a little slower pace and are just now getting into projects.

Setting type for my first official letterpress project

Locking the type onto the press bed. So. Stinkin. Complicated.

First set of rough prints :) I'll be doing the actual edition printing sometime in the next week.
The quotes says "Think of these things: Whence you came, where you are going, & to whom you must account." -Benjamin Franklin.

Learning Book #2....Not quite done. but a start.

Learning book #3...first hardcover book. Not done yet. More pictures later :)

So that's what consumes my Tuesdays & Thursdays. and I love it.

In other news.

Happy Constitution Day! :)

I'm thankful I live in a country that grants freedom of so many things people in other countries don't get the chance to enjoy. It's so easy to take those things for granted.

Recently there has been much debate about whether all religions are to be granted freedom to practice. It's become heated and people on both sides have acted viciously towards the other. It seems 85% of the debate is between the Muslims and Christians. While I could easily post a long post about this topic I will limit it to a small little section. Here we go:

•America's constitution grants freedom of religion. It is not limited to the realm of Christianity.
•Both Muslims AND Christians have acted horribly to the other. but just as we must distinguish between the extremest Muslims and the non-extremest Muslims, We must also distinguish between the extremest Christians and the non-extremest Christians.
•A note to my fellow Christians: We are not called to prove people wrong and hate them if they don't agree. As I recall, Christ orders us to love our enemies. I guarantee that burning someone's Koran (or any other hateful act) has never brought a Muslim closer to believing in Christ.

That's all. I'll step off my soap box before I get carried away. Comment all you want on this topic. I'm open to hearing other's views.

Finally: This southern-raised girl bought her first pair of Cowgirl boots this past weekend. And I totally rocked them on Tuesday night. Just sayin'.
How on earth I lived in Tennessee almost 22 years without owning a pair of boots is beyond me. I'm completely in love. And currently looking for a cute fall dress to wear them with.

That's all for today.

Love. Love. Love.
-Katie

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A Lovely Start

Just in case anyone out there is wondering classes have started out marvelously. I'm absolutely loving each and every one of my classes. It's going to be one crazy semester but it'll be exciting. I can't remember if I've mentioned what classes I'll be taking so here's a recap:

Word & Image

The third in my series of classes on my way to being a graphic designer. Exciting stuff. My last class was typography (anything and everything you wanted to know about the alphabet, letters, and type...and then some). This class is marrying type with imagery. It'll be exciting. It doesn't hurt that I have one of my favorite professors for the class.

Digital Illustration

This is by far the class I'm most nervous about. Drawing isn't my strongest asset. I can do it if I really put my mind to it but it's just not...my thing? For instance: A drawing that would take some people 30 minutes takes me three hours. Regardless: I'm excited about the class. It'll be quite useful in the years ahead.

Book Arts

For some reason this class is hard to explain to people. Essentially it is exactly what the name implies. The art of making books. Sounds simple but there is so much to it. I'll be learing everything from designing my own paper, to learning about binding my own books, making covers and everything you could want to learn about the art of books. So exciting. We've lready started on out first book and it's marvelous.

Letter Press

This class is already amazing me. If you don't know what a letter press is, youtube it. It's fascinating. and. I'm already giddy about using one from the 1800's at the end of the semester. So excited.


That's the run down for the semester. I'm trying to remember to take pictures of projects so I can post them when I get a minute.

In other news:
I've been meaning to post a link to a blog that I've become addicted to.
Have a read:
Enjoying the Small Things.
This has been a favorite blog of mine for a few months. I'm fascinated by the pictures that Kelle takes stunning pictures of her not so average life and her two beautiful girls, Lainey & Nella. Someone sent me the link to this page. and I've been hooked ever since. It's the beautiful story of the birth of Nella. Read it and have tissues near by. Don't say I didn't warn you. Kelle's a wonderful writer and you'll be waiting for her next post.


And lastly:

A quote that I saw in one of the art studios this past week that's been turning summersaults in my head since I read it.

"I've been fighting for all the right reasons in all the wrong ways."

Easy to read once...but then I caught myself reading it again. and again. I feel a blog coming on completely devoted to that little quote.

But first: Your thoughts? Come on people. Scroll to the bottom...I can see your visits...and not a single comment. Sad stuff for this blogging heart, I tell you.

New, less scatter-brained blog coming soon. Not now though. Tis late and this red head is beat.

As always.
Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Summer turns to Fall

Growing up is a funny thing. There comes a point where you realize life is not anything like you expected it to be when you were younger. Where everything you were taught is questioned, for better or for worse. Where faith and your relationship with God takes on a whole new meaning.

I've hit that phase.

When I was little I believed that Church was only a Sunday thing and that that little circle of Christianity I was in was the only group that would be in heaven. Now, on the other hand, I go to church on Tuesday nights and feel God there more than I've ever felt him on any Sunday morning. My relationship with Christ isn't a "Be good, and God will love you" type of a relationship. It's a relationship that can't even be described. I don't deserve it, yet God is always sending reminders of how He loves me despite myself.

The beautiful body of Christ I'm blessed to call my church family.

I can honestly say I'm going into this semester tomorrow encouraged. Encouraged that my faith means that I'm never alone in this journey. Encouraged that I am incredibly blessed to have a wonderful family. Encouraged that I have an amazing group of friends that I also can describe as a beautiful example of the Body of Christ. Encouraged that life is so much more than I thought it was.

This semester will be a challenging one but I know it'll be just fine and work out exactly how it needs to.

So on that note, this summer ends. Classes start in the morning and I'll be back to my crazed state of being. I'll be blogging as often as I can but you know how it goes. Until next time...

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Aunt Squared

That's right, people. Carter Thomas has made his entrance into the world.

He's absolutely beautiful. He & Chass are both doing well.
More pictures to come :)

Love. Love. Love.
"At Taytee" (Connor's version of "Aunt Katie")

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Loyalties.

Sometimes inconveniences turn out to be the greatest "happies" in life. Last week I was informed that our house would be shown at 9:30 on Wednesday morning. I became slightly annoyed simply because that is right in the middle of when I'd be getting up and ready for work. That meant I'd have to get up an hour and a half earlier and out of the house by 9 when I didn't have to be at work until 11. Yes, It is safe to say that I was less than thrilled with the bad timing.

None the less, I woke up, got ready and headed out the door early with a commentary on the book of Romans by NT Wright and my Bible in hand and head to Panera for some coffee.

I walked in, ordered an iced mocha and found a table in the corner. Now, you see, I'm a people watcher. I kept trying to focus on my book but there were so many other conversations going on around me, it just wasn't working. So I listened. I heard conversations about work and business trips, Ben Stein and intelligent design, kids and a brand new school year. Everyone has so much to talk about.

Finally, I decided I needed to focus. I opened my Bible to Lamentations because a verse at Kairos had caught my eye the night before.

You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.
-Lamentations 5:19

It's a simple verse really. But it's just one of those verses that popped out. A good reminder of who is truly in control.

Long story short, It got me thinking about exactly who I follow....about whose name I am loyal to. It's so easy, especially in America today, to become wrapped up in politics and religion. To be completely honest, I'm tired of religion and politics. I'm tired of what America defines as "Christianity". Christians weren't meant to be Goody two shoes who act as if they live perfect lives and separate themselves from the world. I don't believe that's the life Christ called us to.

I believe we are called to a life of servanthood. A life of standing up for those whose voices can't be heard otherwise. A life of loving those the world has deemed unlovable. A life of feeding the hungry. A life of breaking down the barriers of racism and hate. A life that reflects the love of Christ to a world that is literally dieing to feel it.

I'm convinced God made me a people watcher for a reason. My prayer is that over the next few months I become more aware of the needs of people around me. That I not only hear their converstaions outwardly but also hear the words that aren't spoken. That my heart becomes more burdened for others rather than myself.

I pray that I am not loyal to a country or religion or political party first. But that I am first and foremost loyal to Christ. and that through my loyalty to Him, all other loyalties fall into place.

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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Baggage Claim

About two weeks ago, I heard a message that really hit home. It was like I was that kid in the outfield not really paying attention to the game and a ball hit me right between the eyes. I've been mulling over it for the last two weeks and I'm finally figuring out just how to put it into words. Here goes nothing:

We all have baggage. and a lot of it. Some small, some big. Not just sin, although that's definitely part of it, but also pain, secrets, relationships, etc. The list could go on forever. Me? I've spent my whole life trying to get rid of my baggage, so to speak. Shoving it as far away as I can, or searching for ways to make it go away, instead of facing it head on. Instead of claiming it.

That Tuesday night at Kairos, Pastor Mike shed a whole new light for me on it with just this one little statement.

"It's only through a relationship with Christ that you can have the courage to face your baggage in the correct way...claiming it & opening it up with Christ so that you don't have to fear it any longer." -Mike Glenn

I love those last eight words: "you don't have to fear it any longer". You see, spending our whole lives pushing it aside and not dealing with it never solves anything. It's only when we pull that baggage out from where ever we're hiding it and open it along side Christ and CLAIM it that we find healing. The sins, the lies, the hurt and pain, the regret. We don't have to fear it anymore. We were never meant to fear it. Fearing it only leads to it having control over us. Claiming it and facing it leads to freedom.

Claiming our baggage isn't broadcasting our baggage to the world. It's something very intimate between Christ and His child. A one-on-one situation. Christ opens our baggage, pulls out the mess that inside and an almost silent "Yes...that's mine" is murmured from the lips of His child. Then it's done. The past is faced...we have no reason to fear it any longer.

Don't you feel like that kid in the outfield now?

Me too.

Romans 8:15-18
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

So I'm on a new little journey now. Baggage Claim can take a little longer than we like sometimes. There's a lot of bags to sort through but the end will be worth it.

Love. Love. Love.
Katie

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