Beginning disclaimer: Yes, I am working on a paper while I write this Random. Thoughts. blog. For some reason, I write better papers when I am multi-tasking.
First snow, today! Epic-ness! Really cold, but okay! I felt like Dorothy after she gets out of the poppy field, I was covered in SO MUCH SNOW!!
Haha, wizard of oz refrence. Didn't even realize it. I blame it on Matt and Tyler giving me a trillion relations to my living in Kansas and the wizard of oz this past weekend.
Past weekend. Matt and Tyler drove up to see me, and we had the best time ever! When I first moved away, I often said that the Oklahoma friends helped me remember how to breathe. Now that I've been here awhile, I've learned to breathe on my own. But it's still nice to have a breath of fresh air in the form of my "pseudo-brothers". Feeling very blessed that God saw fit to give me two heart-brothers :)
This point leads me to my constant discovery that God's ways are, in fact, bigger and better than my own! I don't know why this is so surprising to me when I so often discover this. Never in a million years did I think I would ever leave Purcell, much less Oklahoma. I planned on spending my whole life with Mattyler and Alyssa, going to Sunray till I died and only moving out when I got married to a guy who would live in Purcell. Absolutely none of my life plans happened. And life is better than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. Jeremiah 20:9!
Owl City has infiltrated America. It is impossible to go anywhere without either hearing Fireflies or a reference to Owl City. I'm listening to the CD on playlist, and not understanding the fascination.
Best quote ever:
Lady at the movie theater: "Do you have a student ID for a discounted price?"
Tyler: "No. But I promise you I do go to college, if that helps you any.
Lady at the movie theater: "well..."
Tyler: "But it's a college in Oklahoma. We have IDs though! My ID is just in Oklahoma. Where I go to college."
Lady at the movie theater: "I'm just going to give you the discount, okay?"
Alyssa Laura King makes me laugh every single day through ridiculous texts. This is why I am driving to Stilly this weekend to see her! :D
Trust God with your dreams. You have those dreams for a reason.
Want to wake somebody up? Put the song Rawkfist by Thousand Foot Krutch at top volume. Not that I would ever do this... hehe
I am in love with my future husband. I don't know who he is, but I love him already :)
Is anyone else COMPLETELY STOKED that Disney is making a new princess movie?!?!? :D
For two weeks I have been craving oreos. This is no thanks to Andy.
I'm beginning to think "cute" is overrated. I get told that my truck is cute, my happiness is cute, my random quotes are cute, my thoughts are cute, etc. Cute makes me think of little girls in frilly pink dresses singing songs and playing with their dolls or something. Not of an 18 year old girl living on her own in a dorm in Lawrence, Kansas.
Jon Foreman has a beautiful musical soul.
Mother Machree just came on my ipod. Go Irish music!
Been having the most bizarre recurring dreams. They almost always involve MDA/MPH camp, or the A-Team days with Capn Andy and Morgan. Told you it was weird.
I've got to go help my therapy friends with this paper. As always...more random thoughts to come.
God bless
Katie
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Win My Heart
I am one of those girls who will not date until God brings my future husband to me.
If you aren't my future husband, don't pressure me into dating you. It will only destroy our friendship and put a sour taste in the beautiful love story God has prepared for each of us separately. Protect my heart.
In order for me to consider dating you, you must fit my standards. If you beg me to tell you my standards, you probably won't fit them, because then you will be trying to measure up instead of letting your true self shine through.
If you think you are falling for me, stop. In any relationship, you should first go to God and find His heart before seeking the heart of a fellow human. Human emotion changes with the rising sun; He won't steer you wrong.
If you have prayerfully gone before God and believe that it is in His plan for you to pursue my heart, go to my parents or other spiritual leaders in my life and ask their permission. I know, old fashioned. But they are much wiser than I am, and they would know what is best for me.
Don't expect me to initiate anything here. Old fashioned again, but I believe that the guy should take the initiative in relationships. I deserve a guy who is willing to swallow pride and step forward, even in the possibility of failure.
Not all girls are shallow. I would rather have Cyrano than Edward Cullen. Outward beauty fades. True beauty resides in the soul.
You have to win my heart. It may be hard, but I promise I am worth it. I am only a meager human, as I'm sure you are too. I will hurt you, disappoint you, and not always be the most graceful person in the world. But I'm sure the same could be said of you at times. Forgiveness and compromise are necessities. Every girl deserves a knight in shining armor, not a loser in tin foil. My heart is a treasure, and you have to realize this in order to truly love me.
Some might think I'm crazy to wait for God to bring my husband to me. After all, why should God be concerned with such a simple matter as the heart of a human? Fact is, He is my creator and King. He knows my heart better than I do. I want to guard my heart, for it is the wellspring of my life (Proverbs 4:23) and lean wholly on Jesus to guide me in His perfect ways.
No matter what may occur, God will be the number one in my life. Whoever I may marry, they will be second in my heart. No one can take the place that is required from God in my life.
And if it is better for me to stay single, I will pursue a life of purposeful singleness and trust God as I fall more in love with Him every single day.
If you aren't my future husband, don't pressure me into dating you. It will only destroy our friendship and put a sour taste in the beautiful love story God has prepared for each of us separately. Protect my heart.
In order for me to consider dating you, you must fit my standards. If you beg me to tell you my standards, you probably won't fit them, because then you will be trying to measure up instead of letting your true self shine through.
If you think you are falling for me, stop. In any relationship, you should first go to God and find His heart before seeking the heart of a fellow human. Human emotion changes with the rising sun; He won't steer you wrong.
If you have prayerfully gone before God and believe that it is in His plan for you to pursue my heart, go to my parents or other spiritual leaders in my life and ask their permission. I know, old fashioned. But they are much wiser than I am, and they would know what is best for me.
Don't expect me to initiate anything here. Old fashioned again, but I believe that the guy should take the initiative in relationships. I deserve a guy who is willing to swallow pride and step forward, even in the possibility of failure.
Not all girls are shallow. I would rather have Cyrano than Edward Cullen. Outward beauty fades. True beauty resides in the soul.
You have to win my heart. It may be hard, but I promise I am worth it. I am only a meager human, as I'm sure you are too. I will hurt you, disappoint you, and not always be the most graceful person in the world. But I'm sure the same could be said of you at times. Forgiveness and compromise are necessities. Every girl deserves a knight in shining armor, not a loser in tin foil. My heart is a treasure, and you have to realize this in order to truly love me.
Some might think I'm crazy to wait for God to bring my husband to me. After all, why should God be concerned with such a simple matter as the heart of a human? Fact is, He is my creator and King. He knows my heart better than I do. I want to guard my heart, for it is the wellspring of my life (Proverbs 4:23) and lean wholly on Jesus to guide me in His perfect ways.
No matter what may occur, God will be the number one in my life. Whoever I may marry, they will be second in my heart. No one can take the place that is required from God in my life.
And if it is better for me to stay single, I will pursue a life of purposeful singleness and trust God as I fall more in love with Him every single day.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Tell Me the Story Again: God is With Us!
We all know the story. Have been told it a thousand times over until it is drilled into our very core existence and we could recite it in our sleep: God sent Jesus into the world. During His time on earth, He healed those around Him and then died so we could make it into heaven. Then He rose again and lives in heaven where we can go someday if we put our faith and trust in Him.
Admit it. This is the summarized story you know inside and out. Often, when retelling the story, it sounds just as exciting as the above example. But as Christians, shouldn't we be excited to the point of absolute rejoicing at the story of our all-powerful God? Why do we so frequently find ourselves in a pitfall of indifference?
Lately, I have personally been in an indifferent trap. During church, my soul cries out for more God, but after the service is over, I go back into my routine of homework, facebook, doing everything in the universe except giving God the time He needs to speak to my heart without the chaos of the world getting in the way. I do alright by myself for a while, but gradually I realize that my life will be unraveling over the most insignificant things. I put self before my Savior, and those truths I have known to be black and white begin to fade into a haze of grey. I can't save myself from my apathy, this much I know is true. My only relief comes from turning back to my Father and just resting at His throne, allowing Him to speak to my heart according to His ways.
He always refreshes my soul and provides exactly what I need.
About a half hour ago, I read through the gospel of Mark. Honestly, read through this book a couple dozen times in my lifetime. Never thought it was anything significant. God chose to show otherwise. Really, the book is just an extension of the typical Christian summary we've memorized. But I challenge you to go read it, or any of the gospels, and truly meditate on the steps of Jesus's life.
God used an average, everyday girl to bear the Savior of the world. He was God, but He was also just a normal boy. This boy became a man. He showed the world His love through His actions. He WAS God, yet He spent His life in servitude to the least of the people, showing compassion for their needs and their hurts. He could have been flashy, showy, "Look at me, I created you!" towards the multitude. Instead, He lived a life of humility and taught through His wisdom and actions, all reflecting God's character. Even the smallest of children were encouraged to come sit on the lap of the man who had created them, given life to them and everything else on the planet, and just be loved by such a person.
Did those children remember that moment, being held in the arms of the Creator, for the rest of their life? Did those who had been healed of their diseases ever think back upon that ordinary man, obviously not so ordniary? Or did the actions of Jesus just become commonplace, good stories to tell to friends, but that was it? One man touched so many. Yet during one certain Passover, witnesses came forward in an attempt to end His life. The Master of the seas stood within their very reach, and they took His life away as though it was nothing.
Today, we tend to view the story of Jesus as "nothing". Maybe not literally, but it is one of those stories we know, remember for church services, then abandon until it is next needed. We go through weeks of self-living, seemingly forgetting that our lives were bought with a price and that, as Christians, we should live lives that would be pleasing to God.
God is very real, God is here, God is with us. When He walked on this earth among men, they lost sight of the fact that a personal, loving God was in their midst.
Let's learn a lesson from them and not forget that He is still God of the present tense.
Admit it. This is the summarized story you know inside and out. Often, when retelling the story, it sounds just as exciting as the above example. But as Christians, shouldn't we be excited to the point of absolute rejoicing at the story of our all-powerful God? Why do we so frequently find ourselves in a pitfall of indifference?
Lately, I have personally been in an indifferent trap. During church, my soul cries out for more God, but after the service is over, I go back into my routine of homework, facebook, doing everything in the universe except giving God the time He needs to speak to my heart without the chaos of the world getting in the way. I do alright by myself for a while, but gradually I realize that my life will be unraveling over the most insignificant things. I put self before my Savior, and those truths I have known to be black and white begin to fade into a haze of grey. I can't save myself from my apathy, this much I know is true. My only relief comes from turning back to my Father and just resting at His throne, allowing Him to speak to my heart according to His ways.
He always refreshes my soul and provides exactly what I need.
About a half hour ago, I read through the gospel of Mark. Honestly, read through this book a couple dozen times in my lifetime. Never thought it was anything significant. God chose to show otherwise. Really, the book is just an extension of the typical Christian summary we've memorized. But I challenge you to go read it, or any of the gospels, and truly meditate on the steps of Jesus's life.
God used an average, everyday girl to bear the Savior of the world. He was God, but He was also just a normal boy. This boy became a man. He showed the world His love through His actions. He WAS God, yet He spent His life in servitude to the least of the people, showing compassion for their needs and their hurts. He could have been flashy, showy, "Look at me, I created you!" towards the multitude. Instead, He lived a life of humility and taught through His wisdom and actions, all reflecting God's character. Even the smallest of children were encouraged to come sit on the lap of the man who had created them, given life to them and everything else on the planet, and just be loved by such a person.
Did those children remember that moment, being held in the arms of the Creator, for the rest of their life? Did those who had been healed of their diseases ever think back upon that ordinary man, obviously not so ordniary? Or did the actions of Jesus just become commonplace, good stories to tell to friends, but that was it? One man touched so many. Yet during one certain Passover, witnesses came forward in an attempt to end His life. The Master of the seas stood within their very reach, and they took His life away as though it was nothing.
Today, we tend to view the story of Jesus as "nothing". Maybe not literally, but it is one of those stories we know, remember for church services, then abandon until it is next needed. We go through weeks of self-living, seemingly forgetting that our lives were bought with a price and that, as Christians, we should live lives that would be pleasing to God.
God is very real, God is here, God is with us. When He walked on this earth among men, they lost sight of the fact that a personal, loving God was in their midst.
Let's learn a lesson from them and not forget that He is still God of the present tense.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A Hawaiian Proverb (my class of 2009 graduation speech)
All my life, I have imagined what I would say if given the chance to speak at my high school graduation. I always wanted to thank those people who had meant the most in my life for their love and support, but the truth of the matter is that there are too many people I would have to thank and simply not enough time in which to do so. I will summarize it by saying this: to those people who have played key roles in my life, whether you are teachers, band parents, church members, or fellow classmates, you know who you are. I thank God everyday for your influence, and I love you with all my heart. Without God, I would be nothing, and all the praise in my life is due Him.
With my thanks being said, I would like to share a story from my first Weekend of a Lifetime in 2007. Weekend of a Lifetime is a Key Club leadership retreat in Texas that has helped shape me into the person I am today. During this first retreat, I was put in a group under the care of Mrs. Luana Billings. Mrs. Luana was a native Hawaiian and shared many heart-touching proverbs from her home state throughout our time together. Her parting story was the most influential story I have heard in my life; I have kept it with me through every goodbye. Now, on this night that will probably be the last time our entire graduating class of 2009 is together, I want to share with you Mrs. Luana’s tale.
Each of our lives is represented by a sandy white beach, stretching as far as the eye can see against the deep blue ocean waters. All across these beaches are scattered shells of various sizes and shapes. These shells make up the experiences of our lives. Some of these shells, we have shared together, whether they are shells of good times, sad times, or in-between times. Each individual shell holds a distinct, precious memory. And while the shells shared between us are many, the beach of your life is still filled with innumerable shells that make up who you are and what you will become. While I would like nothing more than to immerse myself into your lives and learn and know and cherish everything about you, I know that fate will not allow this desire to become reality. Instead of mourning over the shells I will never get to have, however, I will hold the shells we shared close to my heart forever, memorize their distinct pattern and place in my own life, and set them free again in the beach of your memories so that, no matter the distance between us, we will always be connected by the memories of our beautiful time together. Congratulations, Class of 2009. Because of you, my life beach is filled with beautiful shells that I will never forget.
With my thanks being said, I would like to share a story from my first Weekend of a Lifetime in 2007. Weekend of a Lifetime is a Key Club leadership retreat in Texas that has helped shape me into the person I am today. During this first retreat, I was put in a group under the care of Mrs. Luana Billings. Mrs. Luana was a native Hawaiian and shared many heart-touching proverbs from her home state throughout our time together. Her parting story was the most influential story I have heard in my life; I have kept it with me through every goodbye. Now, on this night that will probably be the last time our entire graduating class of 2009 is together, I want to share with you Mrs. Luana’s tale.
Each of our lives is represented by a sandy white beach, stretching as far as the eye can see against the deep blue ocean waters. All across these beaches are scattered shells of various sizes and shapes. These shells make up the experiences of our lives. Some of these shells, we have shared together, whether they are shells of good times, sad times, or in-between times. Each individual shell holds a distinct, precious memory. And while the shells shared between us are many, the beach of your life is still filled with innumerable shells that make up who you are and what you will become. While I would like nothing more than to immerse myself into your lives and learn and know and cherish everything about you, I know that fate will not allow this desire to become reality. Instead of mourning over the shells I will never get to have, however, I will hold the shells we shared close to my heart forever, memorize their distinct pattern and place in my own life, and set them free again in the beach of your memories so that, no matter the distance between us, we will always be connected by the memories of our beautiful time together. Congratulations, Class of 2009. Because of you, my life beach is filled with beautiful shells that I will never forget.
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