Beautiful Things

Beautiful Things  

Mountain silhouettes against crimson sunsets

The sparkle in the eyes of those who are in love

Music that pierces the soul

The tears of joy and awe that grace the cheeks of new parents

Friendship. The kind where you know everything about each other, but choose to look past the flaws and only see the beauty.

A worn and tattered Bible

White,  fluffy snow

Contagious laughter

The tender look a bride and groom exchange at the altar  

Hands raised in surrender to God

New-born babies 

The wagging tail and glittering eyes of a well-loved dog 

A family that enjoys being together 

The aroma of sweet, cool air that only exists in the mountains or by the sea  

Married couples who happily grow old together in love 

The sacrifices parents make for the good of their children 

Rain storms 

Stars that glow throughout the night 

A friendly smile 

Hugs from loved ones 

Hand - written letters 

Musical instruments 

The peaceful expression of a sleeping cat 

Those times when you can feel Christ's literal presence 

Worship sung straight from the heart, no matter how on or off key the singer may be 

Honest compliments 

Old pictures

Parents who are in prayer for their children 

Innocence 

Bubbles being blown by little kids

And so, so many more.  

Life is short. Look for the beauty in it!

I went without the internet for two weeks and lived to tell about it!

No, the title of this post is not just some clever ploy to snag your attention-it's actually true! Two weeks ago, our internet provider accidentally turned our internet off,  and that's when it happened. The seed of certifiable insanity was officially planted in our brains.

The first couple of days without internet weren't too grueling- after all, it's nice to have a break from the technological world. But after a week had passed, we were all growing restless. Questions that were usually answered through internet access were left ignored, and consequently tormented our inquisitive tendencies. 

They were important questions,too, such as "I wonder if my inbox is flooded?"  or "What in the world could I make with these leftovers? If we had the stinking internet I could google a recipe!" and, of course, "I wonder if anyone has liked my last status? Dag-nabbit-someone had better!!! Not that I would know if they did or not because our internet is still down...hahahahaha! *twitch*" 

As you may have observed, with each passing day our circumstances became more dire. Eventually we all developed twitches and felt our minds slipping into the abyss of insanity. 

But just as my mom was on the brink of being sent to the loony bin, a repair-man came and linked us once again to the modern world! We could have kissed the ground he walked upon. 

 We even had a moment of respectful silence when one of us logged into facebook for the first time. 

Now, I am happy to report that our sanity was restored, and we're all back to normal now, despite the occasional twitch of the eye or mouse-clicking finger.  

And though it was a painful lesson, I learned a lot from this experience- the most important thing being this: internet isn't everything, but almost everything is dependent on the internet. Sadly, including most of our sanity. 

*This blog is mostly fictitious, though I do advise that if your internet gets shut down for more than 24 hours to invest in professional counseling, and maybe a straight-jacket.*  

Storms

Rain slipping down the windows...thunder rattling through the clouds. A flash of bright lightning here and there.


Summer rainstorms are so wonderful. Everything outside is cool and clean, and each blade of grass, every flower, and leaf seem to be a bit greener, and more alive.

But as awe-inspiring as storms are to those of us indoors, does it ever simply amaze you that God uses something as violent as a storm to rejuvenate, grow, and refresh His creation?

Sometimes when the rain is falling in plentiful sheets, it seems like it may never stop. And once in a while the downpours are so violent that trees are knocked over, and flooding occurs. But have you ever noticed that shortly after a raging storm, a beautiful band of colors appears in the clouds, and new growth begins to spring forth where old vegetation once was?

I think that the Lord uses the storms that form in our lives in a similar way. Maybe He allowed a storm to flood your life with more of Himself, or maybe He orchestrated it so that the weeds in your life that He wanted to replace with flowers were uprooted and washed away.

During the intervals of the raging storm when the thunder and lightning are crashing only ten feet from you, I've learned that that is when He is closest. When the torrents of rain pour down and you feel like giving up, He's right there, holding you. He gently whispers "Trust me. I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I love you, and you are Mine." 

And after the storm? You are more beautiful in Him. And, if you look closely, you may just see a ribbon of different colors gracing the clouds-a reminder that God is faithful, and will get you through any storm that may be placed in your path.

A Note From A Neglectful Blogger

Dear readers,
This is the first blog I've written in a very long time, and for this I apologize. I have been a neglectful blogger and I have missed the great feeling that comes when you pour your heart out onto paper-er, screen- and post it in order to share your convictions, musings, ramblings, etc. with others. With that said, I would like to announce that from now on, I am determined to post at least once a week! Writing is a joy-it's time to pick it back up again.
Yours truly, Katie 

16 going on 17

This week I will be turning seventeen. Some years your birthday comes and goes without much fuss, but this year I feel as if I am leaving the world of adolescence behind, though I will only be seventeen. Sixteen seems so young, but seventeen is almost grown up. How can such a big transition happen in just one year? It is probably similar to the transition that happens between your 12th and 13th year of life-child, to teenager.
Life changes so quickly, no matter what stage you're in. While each phase of life lasts, let's enjoy it, appreciating each moment before it vanishes.

Listening to His Still, Small Voice

Well, this is the first blog I've written in a while! This past month has been crazy-I went to Awana Summit out in Chicago, IL and God really blessed our team and we made many memories and built closer friendships. After Summit, my family stayed in Chicago along with another family to look at Wheaton College and Moody Bible Institute! We had a wonderful time, and God clearly showed me that I am supposed to go to Moody Bible Institute and devote my life to ministry! About a month or so before we went to tour the colleges, I was really praying and asking God whether or not He wanted me in full-time ministry. It was then that He gave me some verses in Isaiah that pierced my heart and that strongly affirmed that He wants me to serve Him through ministry. So even before we went to tour the colleges, my heart was leaning towards Moody, though I wasn't sure if that was what God had in mind.
But the moment we stepped onto the Moody campus, the Lord spoke to me in His still, small voice and said "This is it. This is where I want you, and this is where you're supposed to be."  This excites me immensely, but it also scares me-I'm the kind of person who doesn't really like change, but I am learning to trust in the Lord and give my fears and insecurities to Him.
God has given me a peace about going into ministry and going to Moody. I'm not sure exactly what capacity of ministry God has called me to, though I've felt called to be a missionary in China since I was 6 years old. I guess that I just need to keep on listening to the Lord, for He is faithful.

On a side note, I must say that after being at Summit, surrounded by other amazing Christian peers, I feel so energized and spiritually full! I am so thankful to be serving the Living God, and to be His child-redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. Though the future is rather daunting at times, I know that the Lord will go before me, and that He is beside me every step of the way.

An Early Start Could Make All The Difference

I've never been a morning person-I've always been a night-owl! But this morning, I decided to wake up around 7:30 (for those of you who are morning people, this may not seem very early, but it's practically the crack 'o dawn for me!), and my day has been wonderful! I've discovered that an early start can really energize, inspire, and motivate you like a late start could never do. And why not wake up a little bit earlier? The day itself is so gorgeous, and spring's warm, pink fingers seem to be gripping the environment-what's not to love? So, in a nutshell, I've discovered that as hard as it may be to drag myself out of bed before 9, it's truly worth it. Afterall, there is only one February 22, 2011 in the entire expanse of time-why not live it to its fullest?

Waiting...

During the time that I've been a teenager, it seems like I've been doing a lot of waiting. Waiting to be able to wear higher high-heels. Waiting to be experienced enough to get my driver's license. Waiting with much anxiety to see what my final grade is in math class. The list goes on. While all of this waiting is happening, I sometimes find myself becoming impatient and wishing that important events would just happen already! Have you ever felt like that? I especially feel this when I think about romance. I have made the decision not to date in high-school, and to save sex for marriage, though I do not deny that waiting in both areas is quite challenging. The waiting is worth it in every possible way, but difficult! Sometimes, after I've watched a chick-flick that simply oozes romance and dramatically amplifies the beauty of having a someone, I find myself yearning for someday! Someday, being the day when I, too, have a someone. Then, in my selfishness and impatience, I begin  to abhor the wait. But God is gracious, and I am reminded that His timing is perfect, and that He is writing my love story (and that, while I wait, I have much maturing to do!). 

Waiting on the Lord to reveal the future is also very trying. Over the summer, He showed me that I am supposed to pursue music in college, but He did not reveal all of the details, such as which college I need to be at, whether I am called to ministry or not, and what field of music I am to pursue. I trust that He will unveil these details in His timing, but simply abiding in this nugget of knowledge He has placed in my heart can be extremely toilsome! In my impatience and tendency to plan ahead, I want to know exactly where I'm going to college, the precise field I'm studying, and whether or not I'm supposed to pursue a Master's degree, too! But usually, that's not how things work. A quote from a book by D.C. Talk titled "Live Like A Jesus Freak" is very inspiring and truthful on this subject: "Faith is a lot like hiking on a trail at night, guided only by the beam of a flash light. You have just enough light for your next step."  God only reveals enough of His plan to us to enable us to take that next step, and we need to have the faith to believe that He will continue to do so. In the meantime, we must wait patiently and fervently, not squandering our time, but putting it to good use by serving God and abiding in His peace, remembering that good things come to those who wait!

~Psalm 28:14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing

For those of you who have seen the old movie "White Christmas" starring Bing Crosby, you may recognize the title of this blog from one of the songs in the movie! A few years back I learned how the waltz, which is a very elegant, romantic style of dance. Recently, some of my friends and I learned how to swing dance, which is very up-beat, fun dancing. I am not a wonderful dancer, but I enjoy it immensely!

  As the song that inspired my title was playing over and over in my head, I realized that it's true-some of the best things do happen when you dance. First of all, you learn team-work! If one of you is off-beat, then it totally throws the other person off and you have to stop dancing for a moment, feel the beat, and then start dancing again. In the same way, if one person steps the wrong way or is out of synchronization with the other person, it makes the dance very awkward. While dancing, you must become one in movement. One person must lead, and one must follow, making team-work extremely important.

Another aspect of dancing is emotion. Have you ever heard the saying, "Dancing encourages affection"?  This saying is true, but luckily, dancing doesn't always have to water the seed of romance-it can feed friendships instead! Something really wonderful about dancing is that when becoming one in movement, you draw closer together as friends, and end up having buckets of fun while doing so! Even if you're extremely clumsy like me, you can still laugh and have a splendid time.

Struggles

Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." I'm one of those in the "all" category-each and every one of us is! So that means that I'm not perfect. I never have been, and I never will be-just ask my siblings! Even though Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and I have a relationship with Him, in my human frailty, I still struggle with my old sin nature. Even the apostle Paul, one of the heroes of the faith noted in Romans 7:14-25 that he struggled with sin nature. The Bible doesn't promise or even hint that you won't struggle with sin once you've become a Christian, but it does say that the Holy Spirit will work in your life to help you fight the battle against the flesh. 
All Christians have struggles, and I'm definitely not exempt. Lately, I've been struggling with being independent. I've also noticed that my (and every Christian's) adversary, the devil, has also spotted my weakness very quickly.
Dear reader, the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil is our enemy, and he prowls about seeking whom he may devour. Well, I've learned that once the devil detects a vulnerable flaw in your life, he promptly attacks with lies that are both cunning and deceiving.
 Recently, the lies he's been feeding me sound something like this: "You don't need any body's help-you're 16, almost 17! You're nearly an adult...they all think you're still a little kid and you can't do it...they think they're more capable than you are and that you're not smart enough to do this...you don't need them, you don't need anyone! You are self-sufficient." And, dear reader, can you believe that sometimes I'm so dumb that I listen to these fibs? 
Thank goodness though for one of the strongest weapons against the devil-the Sword of the Spirit! I'm reminded through God's word again and again that I can't do everything on my own-I need other people and I need their help! But most importantly, I need Jesus. I can't do anything without Him, no matter what my old sin nature may say. Without Him, I'd be a useless, helpless, hopeless, abysmal wreck.
But do you know what's really cool about God?  He always gives second chances! Even when I reject His hand, thinking that I can do it on my own, He's always there with His strong, uplifting arm to pick me back up after I've fallen flat on my face into the slime of failure.
 I'd appreciate your prayers, and I'd love to be able to  pray for you as you wage war against your own battles! May we, through Christ, be victorious!