Check out the recording of the White House Hangout on Google plus I had the honor of being apart of with world leaders in this fight against Human Trafficking in the U.S. and all over the world!
White House Hangout on Google Plus : Human Trafficking!
Blessings & Eternal Love,
Kaity
Thursday, September 27, 2012
God is the Dream Weaver and Ultimate Believer
This past week has truly been a whirl wind to say the least. I am still trying to process it all mentally, physically, and spiritually. I really can't wait to put into words all that the Lord has spoken over my heart since I've returned to Boone, NC since the summer and since I've returned to Boone, NC just this Tuesday night from NYC after meeting Barack Obama and attending the Clinton Global Initiative.
Hang tight for more to come - all I can truly say for now is that God is beyond Good - He is elevating his children on behalf of the kingdom and I am humbled and blessed and honored to be a mouth piece for our generation on behalf of the fight against human trafficking! Justice is coming and Jesus' is the answer and freedom we all need.
Psalm 113
Hang tight for more to come - all I can truly say for now is that God is beyond Good - He is elevating his children on behalf of the kingdom and I am humbled and blessed and honored to be a mouth piece for our generation on behalf of the fight against human trafficking! Justice is coming and Jesus' is the answer and freedom we all need.
Psalm 113
"Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, you his servants;
praise the name of the Lord.
praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord."
May it all start and end with Praising the Lord in our lives.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
"The Kingdom is within you" Luke 17:20-21
Dearest Beloved's
here I am to blog a little blurb - there is no way I can pack into this one blog post all that the Lord has been revealing to me or teaching me but as I have this little life breather here in Boone, NC I thought to myself I shall update you slightly on the truth that God has so graciously made real to me most recently and how He has captivated my heart and mind and soul with His love and goodness.
I have been reading through the Gospel of Luke and as I got to chapters 16 & 17 this week I have simply been unable to get out of them. It as if God has sunk me deep into his generosity and grace and has daily revealed to me more and more about these scriptures - specifically the one that states in 17:20-21 that His Kingdom dwells in us. Yes as born again believers we know that in Jesus Christ and through His blood on the cross we are made COMPLETELY NEW and are actually new beings - but how often do we wake up and truly reflect on the truth that it isnt just our human-ness that dwells in us anymore it is the living, breathing, holy Spirit of God that lives in you and me. He has given us His Son Jesus Christ and His Son Jesus Christ gave us the Holy Spirit as the counselor and power house of faith to live in us and actively live on the earth as His ambassador. So WYLD! I am so greatful that every day this week God has shown me a little but BIG glimpse of His kingdom in me and in those around me. The words of encouragement from a friend, the sweet song of hymns and praise that I witness my brothers and sisters utter, the food that is graciously given to those who are in need through the churches and ministries we have here in Boone, NC the kind gifts of hugs, clothes, cards and so many more things I can't even list them all. It has been incredible to catch a glimpse of the King in each and every person I've meet or spent time with this week.
God made us each in His image - it is true that no matter what, whether the people around us know WHO's they are and WHOM they are in Christ they are still the beloved in God's eyes and how different would our days and our interactions with people be if we just simply remembered that the Kingdom of God is in us and we are to see EVERYONE as our brother and sister. They are God's and they are the closest thing we have to that which tangibly bears HIS glorious image. Not the sunset, sunrise, the mountains, the flowers or the trees - they cry out of his majesty and authorship but it is in each human being that was made in Christ's image that we are to see the depth of our Father's heart revealed.
Look at your neighbor differently today - this week. Let us pray that the Lord's will would be done on Earth as it is in Heaven - starting with looking at those around us with loving, intentional and gracious eyes - through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
-Matthew 25:34-40
here I am to blog a little blurb - there is no way I can pack into this one blog post all that the Lord has been revealing to me or teaching me but as I have this little life breather here in Boone, NC I thought to myself I shall update you slightly on the truth that God has so graciously made real to me most recently and how He has captivated my heart and mind and soul with His love and goodness.
I have been reading through the Gospel of Luke and as I got to chapters 16 & 17 this week I have simply been unable to get out of them. It as if God has sunk me deep into his generosity and grace and has daily revealed to me more and more about these scriptures - specifically the one that states in 17:20-21 that His Kingdom dwells in us. Yes as born again believers we know that in Jesus Christ and through His blood on the cross we are made COMPLETELY NEW and are actually new beings - but how often do we wake up and truly reflect on the truth that it isnt just our human-ness that dwells in us anymore it is the living, breathing, holy Spirit of God that lives in you and me. He has given us His Son Jesus Christ and His Son Jesus Christ gave us the Holy Spirit as the counselor and power house of faith to live in us and actively live on the earth as His ambassador. So WYLD! I am so greatful that every day this week God has shown me a little but BIG glimpse of His kingdom in me and in those around me. The words of encouragement from a friend, the sweet song of hymns and praise that I witness my brothers and sisters utter, the food that is graciously given to those who are in need through the churches and ministries we have here in Boone, NC the kind gifts of hugs, clothes, cards and so many more things I can't even list them all. It has been incredible to catch a glimpse of the King in each and every person I've meet or spent time with this week.
God made us each in His image - it is true that no matter what, whether the people around us know WHO's they are and WHOM they are in Christ they are still the beloved in God's eyes and how different would our days and our interactions with people be if we just simply remembered that the Kingdom of God is in us and we are to see EVERYONE as our brother and sister. They are God's and they are the closest thing we have to that which tangibly bears HIS glorious image. Not the sunset, sunrise, the mountains, the flowers or the trees - they cry out of his majesty and authorship but it is in each human being that was made in Christ's image that we are to see the depth of our Father's heart revealed.
Look at your neighbor differently today - this week. Let us pray that the Lord's will would be done on Earth as it is in Heaven - starting with looking at those around us with loving, intentional and gracious eyes - through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
-Matthew 25:34-40
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Psalm 116:7 - At rest once more
"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."
- Psalm 116:7
I am back in Boone, NC - it has been a whirlwind of an adventure and transition back here to the beautiful mountains. It has been one of the fastest transitions I've ever made. I am trying ever so much to take it one step at a time and truly abide in God's Spirit more than anything and I can honestly say that God is faithful and has met me with every ounce of strength, energy, and peace that I have needed as I zoomed back here after ending my Internship in D.C. on thursday evening and began the IJM AppState leadership retreat on Friday. God showed up in wonderful and mighty ways during the retreat - something I've never lead before - which is just testament to God and his strength in our weakness. The leaders are so excited for the year and I cant wait to watch God unravel their passions.
Anyways - I also have started my work at Gladiola Girls - the womens clothing/jewelry boutique here in Boone, NC and it was so fun and sweet. I can already feel and see God moving on my heart for the women who wil be coming to the store and just his heart for us as his disciples to live intentionally in community. So that is what I am doing. Thats who I am - His disciple. No matter where I go and what I do God is my security and my refuge and he calls me His beloved. So here I am now in Boone instead of D.C. being his beloved by the empowerment of his holy spirit.
I will have more to share soon - just awaking to a new day here in the High Country and so thankful for all God is calling me to here as it unfolds. Keep me in your prayers - please pray for me and my new room mates - Kelly Scott and Kelly Harry - they are powerhouses for the Lord and love him so much and I know he has great plans for all of us to minister together and to be servants and allow our apartment to be a place of refuge and shelter for those who are in need. Also pray for me and my heart as I hold loosely to my ideas of how God wants to use me and allow my hands to be just fully open and willing to do whatever daily deeds God prompts in me through his Spirit. I'm also praying Psalm 90:12 -
"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom."
Thanks for taking this journey with me. I am excited to see God as He moves in these next ste
- Psalm 116:7
I am back in Boone, NC - it has been a whirlwind of an adventure and transition back here to the beautiful mountains. It has been one of the fastest transitions I've ever made. I am trying ever so much to take it one step at a time and truly abide in God's Spirit more than anything and I can honestly say that God is faithful and has met me with every ounce of strength, energy, and peace that I have needed as I zoomed back here after ending my Internship in D.C. on thursday evening and began the IJM AppState leadership retreat on Friday. God showed up in wonderful and mighty ways during the retreat - something I've never lead before - which is just testament to God and his strength in our weakness. The leaders are so excited for the year and I cant wait to watch God unravel their passions.
Anyways - I also have started my work at Gladiola Girls - the womens clothing/jewelry boutique here in Boone, NC and it was so fun and sweet. I can already feel and see God moving on my heart for the women who wil be coming to the store and just his heart for us as his disciples to live intentionally in community. So that is what I am doing. Thats who I am - His disciple. No matter where I go and what I do God is my security and my refuge and he calls me His beloved. So here I am now in Boone instead of D.C. being his beloved by the empowerment of his holy spirit.
I will have more to share soon - just awaking to a new day here in the High Country and so thankful for all God is calling me to here as it unfolds. Keep me in your prayers - please pray for me and my new room mates - Kelly Scott and Kelly Harry - they are powerhouses for the Lord and love him so much and I know he has great plans for all of us to minister together and to be servants and allow our apartment to be a place of refuge and shelter for those who are in need. Also pray for me and my heart as I hold loosely to my ideas of how God wants to use me and allow my hands to be just fully open and willing to do whatever daily deeds God prompts in me through his Spirit. I'm also praying Psalm 90:12 -
"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom."
Thanks for taking this journey with me. I am excited to see God as He moves in these next ste
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
There is a time for everything...
Tonight I am packing up my room and getting ready for my last day at my internship with International Justice Mission.
The moment I am in is so bitter sweet.
I don't want to leave - if I'm honest it brings sooo many tears to my eyes. Each day this summer was full of the Lord.
The best part of it all is that I get to take the Lord with me - he goes everywhere with me and before me.
This truth I know but in these last few days I have simply been able to truly understand the depth and width of the love that God has lavished on me throughout my time here in D.C. as I served as an Intern at IJM.
All things have a time and place and so much has happened these past two weeks that I have yet to blog apot and I will as time presents itslef. Tonight my boss and I cooked dinner and celebrated the summer and all that God brought to us and brought us through. It was beyond sweet - Jaclyn Lesch Toscas has truly been one of the biggest blessings - this is a friendship that I know God is just beginning to use and grow. Last night was my last night with esther - the sweet friend that housed me in Alexandria - and her prayers are so powerful and our time has been short but yet again so intentional. I know God has so much in store for our friendship and I'm excited to always have a home in the D.C. area. She has given me more than i could ever repay in wisdom and joy - God is good and always provides.
I am going to leave you with these verses from Ecclesiastes 3 - they are everything that God is speaking to me and over me right now. Time is so precious and so purposeful. Please be praying for me as I transition back to boone, NC and as I start my new job at Gladiola Girls and serving with the IJM Campus Chapter at AppState and volunteering with The Hope House. I love each of you and thank you for your support and love this summer - I couldn't have done any of this without God leading me and y'all praying for me every step of the way.
The moment I am in is so bitter sweet.
I don't want to leave - if I'm honest it brings sooo many tears to my eyes. Each day this summer was full of the Lord.
The best part of it all is that I get to take the Lord with me - he goes everywhere with me and before me.
This truth I know but in these last few days I have simply been able to truly understand the depth and width of the love that God has lavished on me throughout my time here in D.C. as I served as an Intern at IJM.
All things have a time and place and so much has happened these past two weeks that I have yet to blog apot and I will as time presents itslef. Tonight my boss and I cooked dinner and celebrated the summer and all that God brought to us and brought us through. It was beyond sweet - Jaclyn Lesch Toscas has truly been one of the biggest blessings - this is a friendship that I know God is just beginning to use and grow. Last night was my last night with esther - the sweet friend that housed me in Alexandria - and her prayers are so powerful and our time has been short but yet again so intentional. I know God has so much in store for our friendship and I'm excited to always have a home in the D.C. area. She has given me more than i could ever repay in wisdom and joy - God is good and always provides.
I am going to leave you with these verses from Ecclesiastes 3 - they are everything that God is speaking to me and over me right now. Time is so precious and so purposeful. Please be praying for me as I transition back to boone, NC and as I start my new job at Gladiola Girls and serving with the IJM Campus Chapter at AppState and volunteering with The Hope House. I love each of you and thank you for your support and love this summer - I couldn't have done any of this without God leading me and y'all praying for me every step of the way.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain
from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen
the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in
its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Abba, I belong to you.
These two posts are direct journal entries from a few moments of stillness that I have had this summer during the morning hours at work - International Justice Mission HQ. Part of our daily rythms in the office include a 30 min. stillness time where we are encouraged and instructed to spend it with God in our own personal and intimate way - during this time we are to cease striving and really hand our hearts to God and humbly come before him knowing that we cannot do anything to earn or deserve his love, presence, grace and salvation. During this time I normally meditate on a scripture or two and write down a few words that God places deeply on my heart or that the Spirit speaks while I attempt to have ears that hear - I felt the Lord compelling me to share them with you this week so here are a few of those words and entries that have been birthed this sweet summer season!
________________________________________________________________________________
“Yet I call this to mind & therefore I have HOPE:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
I say to myself, the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.
The Lord is good to those whose HOPE is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke when he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be HOPE.”
-Lamentations 3:19-29
_______________________________________________________________________________
Abba I belong to you -
To fly as the birds, my heart is stirred by your word. In you I lay my love, the Holy One, God our Father above. Open handed, let down gaurd, I surrender to you - for I am Yours.
amen.
________________________________________________________________________________
“Yet I call this to mind & therefore I have HOPE:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
I say to myself, the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.
The Lord is good to those whose HOPE is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke when he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be HOPE.”
-Lamentations 3:19-29
_______________________________________________________________________________
Abba I belong to you -
To fly as the birds, my heart is stirred by your word. In you I lay my love, the Holy One, God our Father above. Open handed, let down gaurd, I surrender to you - for I am Yours.
amen.
The Source of Peace
My Peace I give
you, My Peace I leave you – the Holy Spirit
Allow my
transcending Peace to run through you Beloved, My children possess Peace.
A rushing ever flowing river;
The currents are strong, but know their direction,
The currents are choppy, sometimes smooth,
But always flowing because the source never runs dry.
Know your Source, take each day in stride.
Let the enemy never build up a dam in your Spirit that blocks the flow
And snatches the Peace that I have given you as my child.
Look to me with every breath and step of your day,
You belong to me, you belong to Peace.
- words that God inspired me to write through reading proverbs 12:20 & 25
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Indescribable
Today I realized that I have been out of town for the past 2
- 3 weekends and so that has lead to me not updating my blog recently. It is
incredible all that God has been showing me and teaching me.
I am in the final stretch of my internship here at IJM and
it is so painful to actually type out that I only have 9 days left here in the
D.C. area at HQ.
I am so torn because I long to be here in D.C. and so
intimately connected to IJM and it is almost as if now that I am finally
comfortable and getting the hang of it all and really feeling secure the Lord
is continuing in this summer's theme by removing me from an environment of
comfort and knowness and taking me to, once again, a new and unfamiliar place
where I can continue to be stretched, grown, stripped of any dependencies and
rebuilt on Him, the foundation and breath of my life.
I want to write so much - I really feel the desire to tell
you all of the "happenings" that have been taking place in my day to
day life, my heart, my mind, and here at IJM and all around the world through IJM.
But for now I am going to leave you hanging - I hope tonight
to be back on here and truly put up a couple posts that will be themed with
subjects that have been stirring in my heart and mind over the past 2 to 3
weeks that I have been absent from my blog.
What I will leave you with is the activity that my fellow IJM
interns and I did last week for our group stillness - a time that we meet every
Tuesday morn for 30 mins where we are able to share prayer requests and praises
and meditate and learn about God's word more. We take turns leading each week
and last week we were asked to state one attribute of God that had been
standing out to us during the summer and even just recently. It was incredible
to go around the room and hear each intern give their word and how it related
to their prayer requests and praises. I want to leave you with the words that
each of us said - there are 24 interns so be prepared for a little bit of a
lengthy list. The most incredible part is that no one had to reuse or repeat a word
- Our God is so indescribable and so infinite that there literally are not
enough words to declare who He is and His Perfect Character. Be amazed as I was
last week at God and the way he came to life through these words and my interns
-
God is...
my refugegentle
my maker
constant
steadfast
strong (psalm 62:11-12)
my security
faithful
my assurance
adventurous
exciting
my delight
present - "The present is the place where time and eternity touch"
all knowing
creator
healer of the broken
selfless
the orchestrator
powerful
mighty
our deliverer
Ultimate
our shepherd
I hope that these words will remind you of who God is and
who He longs to be in our lives every day as we surrender to his will and his
way and abide in His Spirit! I hope these words encourage you and make you
hungry for more and more of our dear Lord. They have made me hungry and have
lifted my heart in times of doubt even just over the past few weeks.
In Christ's Love,
Kaity
Sunday, July 22, 2012
When Dreams Become Reality - All Glory belongs to the King
I am sitting here at my computer as this sweet Sunday and great weekend comes to an end.
I am utterly worn out. I am completely bombarded and overwhelmed with the Grace, Love, Joy, Peace and Beauty that God is pouring out into my life and the lives of those around me daily. Whoa - not even daily but literally MOMENT by MOMENT. God is not kidding when he says to live step by step. I am simply thankful that God knows us better than we know ourselves and knew that if we took life more than a step by step we would not be able to handle it. I can barely breathe always without looking to Him, the one I can depend on and rely on in all things - Amazing and Hard. He is ever near.
You are probably wondering what on earth this week/ weekend has been full of as I start out with such a dramatic entrance to this post - the truth is it has been full of lots of Words from God, lots of promises, lots of conversations about God's direction for my life and the passions He has planted in me. Its been so great because God has grown an excitement in me for the future - which comes one step at a time, one moment at a time. It has been so sweet because God has knocked down so many walls I had up through this process of me having to be utterly honest with friends and family and loved ones about what God has set me ablaze for. He has broken my heart for the nations, for the lost, for the women who have had their identity tattered and torn. He has broken my heart for those who have yet to see faith expressed through love on their behalf. He has broken my heart for the one who dont know their maker yet, who have yet to hear that they are the Beloved. This call, to go, is stirring inside of me and I know that God is calling and I am now waiting on his perfect timing. It is a call and a dream inside my heart that is so close to becoming a reality and used to seem so far off - it is scary and exciting at the same time.
So here I am - in the Washington D.C. area - finishing my internship up with IJM and I am asking God some questions I never would have thought i'd be asking just a short year ago. I ask and hope that you will ask him these questions too, and I hope you will pray with me as I seek the next steps God has for me.
What are the gifts God has created me with?
What makes my heart race when I ponder it in my heart?
What makes my spirit stirr and get excited as I pray and as I look at the depths of the heart God gave me?
How can I glorify God above all things daily as I live?
How can I share the Gospel with others on a day to day basis?
Where am I willing to go in the name of jesus - and if the answer isn't anywhere He calls, Lord fix me and renew my perspective, because you are worthy of it all.
These are simply some of the questions that are welling up inside of me. My time at IJM has revealed a lot to me about the passions that are in my heart which God created. I haven't been able to go through this internship without thinking about our field offices and how the children, men and women in India and the Philippines are among those who are hurting and who are not free yet and how they are longing to hear that they are the Beloved. God is calling me. I am here to do my part - as I went through this week and heard the prayer requests in corporate prayer and met with the intern and fellow advisor it was just made all the more evident that God was saying "Let's go daughter, I have equipped you, I have set your heart ablaze and I long to use you to set free those who dont know freedom yet." I am applying for field fellowships and international positions not only with IJM but other organizations and I am feeling more than ever like a little child who is scared of the call but who is also excited to see all of the dreams that my Awesome God has woven in my heart come to be reality.
When we as sons and daughters begin to walk out the dreams God has knit in us I truly believe we will begin to make heaven a reality here on earth. When we walk in the ridiculous or simple things that God has created us each uniquely with and asked us to fully pursue for the glory of Himself - we will turn this world upside down. When we forget fear and we remember the Cross above all things and when we remember where we would be without the Cross and Jesus Christ - his life, death and resurrection - and we begin to live out the resurrection daily by calling that which is dead in this world to life - we will begin to tap into the Glory that God longs to inhabit the earth. We will begin to really become temples of the Living God. Let him arise in you, let him overflow from your heart to your feet and may your feet begin to move in the direction of the dreams that God has given you so that He may be seen, heard, felt, and nearer than ever for those you come in contact with. We as children of God have been set free by grace and we have been set free in order to live in complete unity with our Father - don't waste this freedom. Do not let this freedom go without being shared. Someone today needs to hear they are loved, they need to know that God has set them free. It starts and ends with prayer. Let your prayers then begin to take life as the Holy Spirit empowers you to move. Beautiful are the feet that carry good news. Go. Near. Far. Go. In Jesus' name.
Scripture to Stand on
Romans 10:9-15
I am utterly worn out. I am completely bombarded and overwhelmed with the Grace, Love, Joy, Peace and Beauty that God is pouring out into my life and the lives of those around me daily. Whoa - not even daily but literally MOMENT by MOMENT. God is not kidding when he says to live step by step. I am simply thankful that God knows us better than we know ourselves and knew that if we took life more than a step by step we would not be able to handle it. I can barely breathe always without looking to Him, the one I can depend on and rely on in all things - Amazing and Hard. He is ever near.
You are probably wondering what on earth this week/ weekend has been full of as I start out with such a dramatic entrance to this post - the truth is it has been full of lots of Words from God, lots of promises, lots of conversations about God's direction for my life and the passions He has planted in me. Its been so great because God has grown an excitement in me for the future - which comes one step at a time, one moment at a time. It has been so sweet because God has knocked down so many walls I had up through this process of me having to be utterly honest with friends and family and loved ones about what God has set me ablaze for. He has broken my heart for the nations, for the lost, for the women who have had their identity tattered and torn. He has broken my heart for those who have yet to see faith expressed through love on their behalf. He has broken my heart for the one who dont know their maker yet, who have yet to hear that they are the Beloved. This call, to go, is stirring inside of me and I know that God is calling and I am now waiting on his perfect timing. It is a call and a dream inside my heart that is so close to becoming a reality and used to seem so far off - it is scary and exciting at the same time.
So here I am - in the Washington D.C. area - finishing my internship up with IJM and I am asking God some questions I never would have thought i'd be asking just a short year ago. I ask and hope that you will ask him these questions too, and I hope you will pray with me as I seek the next steps God has for me.
What are the gifts God has created me with?
What makes my heart race when I ponder it in my heart?
What makes my spirit stirr and get excited as I pray and as I look at the depths of the heart God gave me?
How can I glorify God above all things daily as I live?
How can I share the Gospel with others on a day to day basis?
Where am I willing to go in the name of jesus - and if the answer isn't anywhere He calls, Lord fix me and renew my perspective, because you are worthy of it all.
These are simply some of the questions that are welling up inside of me. My time at IJM has revealed a lot to me about the passions that are in my heart which God created. I haven't been able to go through this internship without thinking about our field offices and how the children, men and women in India and the Philippines are among those who are hurting and who are not free yet and how they are longing to hear that they are the Beloved. God is calling me. I am here to do my part - as I went through this week and heard the prayer requests in corporate prayer and met with the intern and fellow advisor it was just made all the more evident that God was saying "Let's go daughter, I have equipped you, I have set your heart ablaze and I long to use you to set free those who dont know freedom yet." I am applying for field fellowships and international positions not only with IJM but other organizations and I am feeling more than ever like a little child who is scared of the call but who is also excited to see all of the dreams that my Awesome God has woven in my heart come to be reality.
When we as sons and daughters begin to walk out the dreams God has knit in us I truly believe we will begin to make heaven a reality here on earth. When we walk in the ridiculous or simple things that God has created us each uniquely with and asked us to fully pursue for the glory of Himself - we will turn this world upside down. When we forget fear and we remember the Cross above all things and when we remember where we would be without the Cross and Jesus Christ - his life, death and resurrection - and we begin to live out the resurrection daily by calling that which is dead in this world to life - we will begin to tap into the Glory that God longs to inhabit the earth. We will begin to really become temples of the Living God. Let him arise in you, let him overflow from your heart to your feet and may your feet begin to move in the direction of the dreams that God has given you so that He may be seen, heard, felt, and nearer than ever for those you come in contact with. We as children of God have been set free by grace and we have been set free in order to live in complete unity with our Father - don't waste this freedom. Do not let this freedom go without being shared. Someone today needs to hear they are loved, they need to know that God has set them free. It starts and ends with prayer. Let your prayers then begin to take life as the Holy Spirit empowers you to move. Beautiful are the feet that carry good news. Go. Near. Far. Go. In Jesus' name.
Scripture to Stand on
Romans 10:9-15
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Galatians 5:6
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Last Month to fully support Me :)
just a heads up too - This is the last leg of my internship and I am still asking for those of you who feel led to provide monthly support so I can do the will of God here in the Washington D.C. area with IJM! Thanks so much to those of you who have financially provided and been an answer to my prayers! God is faithful. I hope you get to join his call to justice!
Support IJM Intern Kaitlyn Ruhland :)
God bless!!
Support IJM Intern Kaitlyn Ruhland :)
God bless!!
The Call. The Command. Jesus Christ. Love in Action.
"And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true Justice; show mercy & compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."
-Zechariah 7:8-10
Late last night and this morning the Lord lead me to read in Zechariah, it's funny to me how I'll be reading in one place and the scriptures will mention the name or character of someone and then the Spirit leads me to that book because of my hearts desire to know that person and what their story is. That is exactly how I ended up in Zechariah - I was reading about him in the Gospel of Luke and it lead me to figure out where he came from and what he was about, so I headed to the Old Testament. This was obvisously in God's plan. This scripture speaks so deeply to my heart and the work that I have been doing all summer here at IJM. I am still in awe - yes with less than a month left to my internship here in Washington D.C. - at how God got me here, all that he has been teaching and all the greater things he still has in store for the little bit of time left here with IJM and the time ahead in Boone come mid August and then the time of sending me on into new and adventurous things. God's word is just so clear about justice and compassion and oppression and as believers its beautiful to walk out these commands that touch on these topics and not just here at IJM during my work day but as I daily commute on the metro and see homeless, fatherless, widows and the poor - it is the call of God on our lives as believers to stop to actually take the time to slow down and take notice of these, the least of these, the aliens and those who are outcasts - its not an option - it is a command. If I truly love God and I am actively seeking His face daily then I will be sensative to His holy spirit and see his children all around me and long to reach out to them. These acts of love are what bring forth the kingdom in the world, the broken, dark and lost world. God's plan to bring love and restoration and justice and compassion and mercy is carried out through you and me - that is his plan - no plan b - plan a, God's plan is to use those who have come to know him and believe in him with all there heart, mind, strength and soul as instruments of his love in the earth. We are the plan, if we do not allow ourselves to be used by God for the glory of his name and his kingdom this world may not see the light. I don't know about you but it seems pretty clear what my purpose is as a believer, as a daughter of God, as a child of the King and the beloved of Christ - my purpose is to love.
To first love God above all else & then to love my neighbor in the same way -
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul and all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself" - Luke 10:27
The beautiful thing about this plan of God's is that it includes us and it is a calling but there are promises that come along with the calling - God provides and promises greater for those who follow him, believe in him and walk in obedience to the commands he has given us:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who as faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command." - John 14:12-15
"See how the flowers of the field grow.They do not labor or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:28-34
God promises to take care of us and provide for us and to bless us beyond measure if we abide in him. He says this and affirms it so many times throughout scripture. We are to chase passionately after him and to love him first and above all things and then love those he is calling us to love in this world in order to reveal Him and his glory which are ultimately greater than all things in this world and ultimately more satisfying that any love or desire we think will fulfill our deepest longings. God is good and he lays it out pretty simply -
"Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me...If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be give you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:3&7-8
This scripture just continues to humble me and remind me all of this loving that God calls me to do is impossible on my own. I cannot see the Jesus in other people and I cannot love all others and my neighbor as myself if I am not remaining in Him first and foremost. I am not able to love so abundantly on my own, I am weak but He is strong.
So here I am writing to you to tell you to let your love grow into action. Let the Lord in and let His love take root in you heart so that it may grow deep down into who you are and begin to nourish your spirit and soul and bear much fruit for the glory and advancement of the Kingdom of God which we so desperately need to come forth and flourish in this dead and groaning world.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than you ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55: 8-11
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
Pray Always & Pray Expectantly.
He is able to do abundantly more than we know or believe.
-Zechariah 7:8-10
Late last night and this morning the Lord lead me to read in Zechariah, it's funny to me how I'll be reading in one place and the scriptures will mention the name or character of someone and then the Spirit leads me to that book because of my hearts desire to know that person and what their story is. That is exactly how I ended up in Zechariah - I was reading about him in the Gospel of Luke and it lead me to figure out where he came from and what he was about, so I headed to the Old Testament. This was obvisously in God's plan. This scripture speaks so deeply to my heart and the work that I have been doing all summer here at IJM. I am still in awe - yes with less than a month left to my internship here in Washington D.C. - at how God got me here, all that he has been teaching and all the greater things he still has in store for the little bit of time left here with IJM and the time ahead in Boone come mid August and then the time of sending me on into new and adventurous things. God's word is just so clear about justice and compassion and oppression and as believers its beautiful to walk out these commands that touch on these topics and not just here at IJM during my work day but as I daily commute on the metro and see homeless, fatherless, widows and the poor - it is the call of God on our lives as believers to stop to actually take the time to slow down and take notice of these, the least of these, the aliens and those who are outcasts - its not an option - it is a command. If I truly love God and I am actively seeking His face daily then I will be sensative to His holy spirit and see his children all around me and long to reach out to them. These acts of love are what bring forth the kingdom in the world, the broken, dark and lost world. God's plan to bring love and restoration and justice and compassion and mercy is carried out through you and me - that is his plan - no plan b - plan a, God's plan is to use those who have come to know him and believe in him with all there heart, mind, strength and soul as instruments of his love in the earth. We are the plan, if we do not allow ourselves to be used by God for the glory of his name and his kingdom this world may not see the light. I don't know about you but it seems pretty clear what my purpose is as a believer, as a daughter of God, as a child of the King and the beloved of Christ - my purpose is to love.
To first love God above all else & then to love my neighbor in the same way -
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul and all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself" - Luke 10:27
The beautiful thing about this plan of God's is that it includes us and it is a calling but there are promises that come along with the calling - God provides and promises greater for those who follow him, believe in him and walk in obedience to the commands he has given us:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who as faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command." - John 14:12-15
"See how the flowers of the field grow.They do not labor or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:28-34
God promises to take care of us and provide for us and to bless us beyond measure if we abide in him. He says this and affirms it so many times throughout scripture. We are to chase passionately after him and to love him first and above all things and then love those he is calling us to love in this world in order to reveal Him and his glory which are ultimately greater than all things in this world and ultimately more satisfying that any love or desire we think will fulfill our deepest longings. God is good and he lays it out pretty simply -
"Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me...If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be give you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:3&7-8
This scripture just continues to humble me and remind me all of this loving that God calls me to do is impossible on my own. I cannot see the Jesus in other people and I cannot love all others and my neighbor as myself if I am not remaining in Him first and foremost. I am not able to love so abundantly on my own, I am weak but He is strong.
So here I am writing to you to tell you to let your love grow into action. Let the Lord in and let His love take root in you heart so that it may grow deep down into who you are and begin to nourish your spirit and soul and bear much fruit for the glory and advancement of the Kingdom of God which we so desperately need to come forth and flourish in this dead and groaning world.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than you ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55: 8-11
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
Pray Always & Pray Expectantly.
He is able to do abundantly more than we know or believe.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Take From Me These Myths: A Prayer - Mark Sandlin
Good and gracious God,
Today, like the rest of the world,
when I woke I wrapped myself in myths.
They are comfortable and warming in what can seem like such a cold world.
Yes, they are old and worn but they are familiar
and even the most fashion forward find comfort in this thread-worn garb.
They tell me that while it may not be fair
that 1,600 children die from hunger everyday,
I can do nothing about it.
They silence my own judgment of myself
when I put a quarter in the cup of a homeless man
as I walk on by the lack in his life
to live into the abundance of mine.
They tell me that the rich shall inherit the Earth,
and that they will be beneficent rulers.
The myths that I wear tell me
that giving to the rich is better than giving to those in need,
so we as a nation heap blessings upon the rich
expecting 'trickle down' to make it rain on those of us below.
Yet, we remain drenched in our inability
to pay the rent,
pay for college,
save for the future...
at times, even believe we have much of a future.
So, today, like the rest of the world, when I woke I wrapped myself in myths.
They are comfortable and warming in what can seem like such a cold world.
Yes, they are old and worn but they are familiar
and even the most fashion forward find comfort in this thread-worn garb.
They tell me that violence, while abhorrent,
is inescapable, a part of the reality of life -
that violence is the path we must travel to find peace.
Religion reinforces this myth of Redemptive Suffering
suggesting that suffering builds character,
that you, O God, won't give us more than we can handle,
ignoring the realities of the families who have survived
the loss of loved ones through violent acts:
War, Domestic Violence, Gang Violence, suicide.
Even in the names we use,
we see how we believe this myth:
The world calls one of humanity's most violent acts
The Holocaust, which means 'sacrifice by fire,'
Suggesting that there might be something good
or even of God in it.
Those whose lives it destroyed call it
Ha Shoa — the calamity.
So, I wrap myself in myths.
They are comfortable and warming in what can seem like such a cold world.
Yes, they are old and worn but they are familiar
and even the most fashion forward find comfort in this thread-worn garb.
They tell me that the least of these deserve what they get,
that “But for the grace of God, there go I,”
believing that somehow God's grace falls more abundantly on me.
They tell me that I must shut off who God created me to be
and live into the image the world expects of me
because who I am on the inside won't be accepted on the outside.
They tell me that some are created more equal in God's eyes
and don't deserve the same rights as the rest of us
that they should be punished for being their own unique reflection of their Creator.
Loving God,
take from me this earthly garb,
for not only are they old and thread-worn...
but they reek.
They stink of the stench of power, money and greed.
They have the foul odor of prestige, self-importance and control.
They fill my nostrils with an offensive aroma
that smacks of a history of abuse, belittlement and pain.
They exude with the suffering they let me ignore.
They ooze with the memories of the blood that has been lost.
They smell to high heaven and point to my complicity
in the lies of this world.
Redeeming God,
take these Robes of Myth from me
and let me walk naked through this world if I must,
but I wish to walk through it blindly no longer.
I wish to breathe in the brilliance of creation
and leave behind the stinking myths of humanity.
Help me, my God.
Free me, my God.
Help us, O God.
Free us.
Amen.
Today, like the rest of the world,
when I woke I wrapped myself in myths.
They are comfortable and warming in what can seem like such a cold world.
Yes, they are old and worn but they are familiar
and even the most fashion forward find comfort in this thread-worn garb.
They tell me that while it may not be fair
that 1,600 children die from hunger everyday,
I can do nothing about it.
They silence my own judgment of myself
when I put a quarter in the cup of a homeless man
as I walk on by the lack in his life
to live into the abundance of mine.
They tell me that the rich shall inherit the Earth,
and that they will be beneficent rulers.
The myths that I wear tell me
that giving to the rich is better than giving to those in need,
so we as a nation heap blessings upon the rich
expecting 'trickle down' to make it rain on those of us below.
Yet, we remain drenched in our inability
to pay the rent,
pay for college,
save for the future...
at times, even believe we have much of a future.
So, today, like the rest of the world, when I woke I wrapped myself in myths.
They are comfortable and warming in what can seem like such a cold world.
Yes, they are old and worn but they are familiar
and even the most fashion forward find comfort in this thread-worn garb.
They tell me that violence, while abhorrent,
is inescapable, a part of the reality of life -
that violence is the path we must travel to find peace.
Religion reinforces this myth of Redemptive Suffering
suggesting that suffering builds character,
that you, O God, won't give us more than we can handle,
ignoring the realities of the families who have survived
the loss of loved ones through violent acts:
War, Domestic Violence, Gang Violence, suicide.
Even in the names we use,
we see how we believe this myth:
The world calls one of humanity's most violent acts
The Holocaust, which means 'sacrifice by fire,'
Suggesting that there might be something good
or even of God in it.
Those whose lives it destroyed call it
Ha Shoa — the calamity.
So, I wrap myself in myths.
They are comfortable and warming in what can seem like such a cold world.
Yes, they are old and worn but they are familiar
and even the most fashion forward find comfort in this thread-worn garb.
They tell me that the least of these deserve what they get,
that “But for the grace of God, there go I,”
believing that somehow God's grace falls more abundantly on me.
They tell me that I must shut off who God created me to be
and live into the image the world expects of me
because who I am on the inside won't be accepted on the outside.
They tell me that some are created more equal in God's eyes
and don't deserve the same rights as the rest of us
that they should be punished for being their own unique reflection of their Creator.
Loving God,
take from me this earthly garb,
for not only are they old and thread-worn...
but they reek.
They stink of the stench of power, money and greed.
They have the foul odor of prestige, self-importance and control.
They fill my nostrils with an offensive aroma
that smacks of a history of abuse, belittlement and pain.
They exude with the suffering they let me ignore.
They ooze with the memories of the blood that has been lost.
They smell to high heaven and point to my complicity
in the lies of this world.
Redeeming God,
take these Robes of Myth from me
and let me walk naked through this world if I must,
but I wish to walk through it blindly no longer.
I wish to breathe in the brilliance of creation
and leave behind the stinking myths of humanity.
Help me, my God.
Free me, my God.
Help us, O God.
Free us.
Amen.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Prayer Requests
I haven’t done an update on the prayers I need while I am
here in D.C. in a while – so here I am letting y’all know how I need your
support desperately daily to empower me through the Spirit to do the will of
Christ:
1.
Energy,
Strength, and Endurance – the office hours are long and my
passion is deep but without the love of Christ compelling me I cannot continue
to serve God daily in a pureness of heart. Please pray that God would empower
me and that I would be an empty vessel for his Spirit to fill in order to
glorify him more and more!“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” – Colossians 1:10-12
2. For the launch of 12 new IJM Campus Chapters across the U.S. on these specific university campuses:
àIndiana
University
àChristopher
Newport University
àBroward
College
àUniversity
of Utah (Salt Lake City)
àTexas
State University (San Marcos)
àUniversity
of Colorado (Colorado Springs)
àUniversity
of Pittsburgh
àNorth Carolina
State University
àGeorgia
Southern University
àCalifornia
State University (Northridge)
àCornell
University
àPortland
State University
àCarson
Newman College
àColorado
Christian University
àUniversity
of South Carolina – Upstate
Please join me in prayer for these college campuses – that they would be burdened with the desire to know God and his will for them as students and laborers for his kingdom.
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers
are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers
into his harvest field.” – Matthew 9:37-38
3. That the Lord would give me clarity, direction and wisdom about the next steps I should take after my internship with IJM here in D.C. – that I would have a pure heart in my prayers and discernment of where he wants to send me next. May His will be done & not my own.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
–Psalm 51:10
“Father if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
–Luke 22:42
“For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:15
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” -2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Thank you so much for your support and your prayers – they are felt and they are a blessing and encouragement to me! Please feel free to e-mail me at : katiyruhland@gmail.com if you have prayers you want to send me or snail mail me at : 318 Cannon Way Warrenton VA 20186 !
Also I
am always asking for those of you who are following along to financially support
the work of IJM here through monthly donations to my time here as a volunteer –
you can do so through this link if you feel lead - Support Intern Kaitlyn Ruhland through IJM!
Blessings,
Kaity Ruhland
Keep God in view, He is always thinking of you
“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy
safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of
your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He
will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your
cause like the noonday sun.”
-Psalm 37:3-6
As I continue to embark on the Journey of Justice there are
a few updates I want to throw your way! First – this scripture was so
encouraging to my heart and spirit as I started the work day today. Each and
every day at work is a step closer to freedom for someone – a brother or sister
– that I may never know, but who God has called us to serve. The way we can
serve others and the Lord is by seeking Him above all things. I have realized
more and more it’s not about how much I love IJM it’s about how much I am
pursuing my relationship with God and my passionate heart for him that will end
up overflowing and spilling into the work and service that God desires to use
me fore in this life to advance his kingdom. It is so easy here in such a
mission driven and thrilling place to get caught up in the work and make that
your priority. I am praising God today for the freedom he has granted me which I
got to celebrate yesterday, the 4th of July, and I am praising him
for loving me and not how well I can perform, I am praising God for the way he
looks at a man’s heart and not his appearance. I am praising God for his
character and the way he is so intimately concerned with who I am more than
what I am doing and where I am doing it. I am praising God because he is good,
he is faithful and I am learning that the more I commit my ways to him and
include him in the details of my day to day life he finds more and more ways to
show up and reveal himself. We must allow the emptiness in our lives be a place
that we acknowledge and ask God to move into. I am praising God for his jealous
zeal that he has for his children and that compels him to dig deeper into our
lives and ask for more and more space in our hearts.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Freedom to Fly
As i sit here this morning - on the 4th of july - i stumbled on this picture of a sweet little birdy in the open hands of its master. It has been an incredible summer so far here in the NOVA/D.C. area! I am blown away literally by all that God is teaching me and all that he is letting me experience and learn! Its been incredible and a season of growth and stretching that I will not forget.
I feel like this bird though - i feel and know that I have been given wings - i have been given this new life through Jesus Christ who died to give me life. I have breath in the morning and a sweet and full heart at night and I know that the Lord is taking me on an adventure. I finally feel like I’m at this place in my walk with the Lord, at this place in my journey of faith where it really takes a lot of FAITH. imagine that ! :) haha I am sitting in the Hands of my Maker and he has clothed me with these wings that are ready to spread and fly and He is step by step, wind by wind, showing me which direction to take off in next and all the while providing all things for me which is taking away all fear and increasing my excitement for this post college journey and life with God!
The Lord is faithful til the end. This i know. I hope and pray that you will let yourself venture into the wilderness of those empty parts of your life, of your heart, your soul just long enough to realize the only One that can fill them and satisfy them is The Holy One , our Almighty Maker and Savior - Jesus Christ. He is ready to fill you and ready to give you wings. Let me take you to new heights and new places in your faith. Its gonna be wild, its gonna be great.
Blessings,
Kaity
Kaity
Monday, June 25, 2012
My Daily Prayer
"Disturb us, O Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we have arrived in safety because we sailed to close to the shore.
Disturb us, O Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the Water of Life. When having fallen in love with time, we cease to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision for heaven to grow dim.
Stir us, O Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas, where storms shall show Thy Mastery, whe losing sight of land we shall find the stars.
In the name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes and invited the brave to follow Him.
Amen."
-A prayer from Sir Francis Drake, 1577
Disturb us, O Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the Water of Life. When having fallen in love with time, we cease to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision for heaven to grow dim.
Stir us, O Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas, where storms shall show Thy Mastery, whe losing sight of land we shall find the stars.
In the name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes and invited the brave to follow Him.
Amen."
-A prayer from Sir Francis Drake, 1577
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Where does your security lie?
The word security is a loaded one. It also is one that God has put on my heart a lot lately. Earlier this year - during the spring of my senior year - it was during worship at a prayer night we had in Boone that God began to tell me that He wanted me to be willing to surrender all for him. He began to impress upon my heart that he wanted more of me and my heart and that He longed for a deeper dependence between me and him. Ever since that night I have seen the Lord begining to strip me of earthly treasures and really fix my heart and mind on things above. This word security for me also is tightly paired with the word trust. God has asked for more of my trust daily since the end of my senior year in order that I would let my security rest only in him and not other things or people. This as you can imagine has been a test of faith and has definitely been a challenge and struggle at times. I have been learning how during a transition like moving from college to an internship and leaving behind what was and moving forward to what is and what will be is the absolute perfect time for God to start stretching my trust in him and my security in him.
This internship that God graciously gave me with IJM was not my idea it was God's. He brought me every step of the way and linked me with every person I needed to be linked with in order to fall right here in this place serving him. Also at the end of my senior year God brought a wonderful guy into my life and that was not my idea either. Jonathan, who is my boyfriend now, started pursing me back in February of this year and I never saw it coming - this was God's idea too. Also I never thought that I would move back to the VA/D.C. area after graduating college, let alone back in to my house with my family. I never thought I would wear a suit to work everyday. These were all God's ideas and he brought them into being and I have been reminded of a truth that God taught me earlier this year that comes from a scripture in the Gospel of John - here Jesus is speaking to his disciples and he says:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has FAITH in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even GREATER things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."
-John 14:12-13
And again when God says this in the Old Testament:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
-Jeremiah 29:11-13
This summer yet again the Lord is stripping me of things that I would cling to if given to me instead of clinging to him. He is teaching me how to live at the mercies of His provision when it comes to money, energy, creativity, and comfort. These are all things that I am turning to God for more than ever and I am watching him show up in big ways. It is so amazing how my time at IJM so far has definitely been filled with work and growth professionally but one of the biggest things I have learned is that God cares about my heart above my ability to serve and he loves me and wants me to be taken care of and he doesn't just want to use me for his work - he wants to grow me in the midst of my service to him, he wants to heal me of my wounds as I remain faithful to him, he wants to provide for me as I provide for his children who cant provide for themselves.
My God is incredible and He is your God too. He tells us to believe for GREATER because the things He is calling us to do or to be apart of are not our ideas, they are his and he promises GREATER. I am holding fast to these truths as I pour myself more and more into the depths of what God has for me here in DC with IJM and what he has for me in each step I take near or far. He has plans to give me a hope and a future - I am praying that he would reveal them as I continue to walk out what he has called me to this summer. Thank you for your love support and prayers. I can't do this without you.
Blessings,
Kaity
This internship that God graciously gave me with IJM was not my idea it was God's. He brought me every step of the way and linked me with every person I needed to be linked with in order to fall right here in this place serving him. Also at the end of my senior year God brought a wonderful guy into my life and that was not my idea either. Jonathan, who is my boyfriend now, started pursing me back in February of this year and I never saw it coming - this was God's idea too. Also I never thought that I would move back to the VA/D.C. area after graduating college, let alone back in to my house with my family. I never thought I would wear a suit to work everyday. These were all God's ideas and he brought them into being and I have been reminded of a truth that God taught me earlier this year that comes from a scripture in the Gospel of John - here Jesus is speaking to his disciples and he says:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has FAITH in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even GREATER things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."
-John 14:12-13
And again when God says this in the Old Testament:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
-Jeremiah 29:11-13
This summer yet again the Lord is stripping me of things that I would cling to if given to me instead of clinging to him. He is teaching me how to live at the mercies of His provision when it comes to money, energy, creativity, and comfort. These are all things that I am turning to God for more than ever and I am watching him show up in big ways. It is so amazing how my time at IJM so far has definitely been filled with work and growth professionally but one of the biggest things I have learned is that God cares about my heart above my ability to serve and he loves me and wants me to be taken care of and he doesn't just want to use me for his work - he wants to grow me in the midst of my service to him, he wants to heal me of my wounds as I remain faithful to him, he wants to provide for me as I provide for his children who cant provide for themselves.
My God is incredible and He is your God too. He tells us to believe for GREATER because the things He is calling us to do or to be apart of are not our ideas, they are his and he promises GREATER. I am holding fast to these truths as I pour myself more and more into the depths of what God has for me here in DC with IJM and what he has for me in each step I take near or far. He has plans to give me a hope and a future - I am praying that he would reveal them as I continue to walk out what he has called me to this summer. Thank you for your love support and prayers. I can't do this without you.
Blessings,
Kaity
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