I Kiwi NZ

SO! Everyone should be receiving support letters from  me with in the next week or so. If you do not, let me know/send me your address and I will gladly mail you my hand written and designed letter!

Well, in the mean time I have been brain storming different shirt ideas. You see, I was told to look into fund raising through selling personalized t-shirts and for Lizzy's friend, it worked reallly well. I thought, hey why not, I love cool shirts, so does every body else, let's try!

Then I started drawing out designs...and quite frankly every hand drawn doodle in my journal was just not working for me. I showed Jamie some of my scribbles and we googled popular New Zealand art etc. The ideas started flowing better and by the end of the evening she had down loaded a trial of Adobe Photo shop programs and kept my journal to stay inspired. Today she called me and had FOUR  designs ready for presentation - secretly I just know she will have some sort of career, maybe mini maybe major! in graphic design :) she is a-mazing!

Here are the final products... you'll just have to wait and see, and be invovled in my life,  to see which design is mass produced for t-shirts and postcards etc! woo!

r.e.a.l.i.t.y.

So it's been almost a month since I've blogged. A lot has filled up my time, it's nice! Although I do love to write. But today I'm going to be introspective for a little while. I'll let the goods time roll down the page of another post.

Well, I got excepted to YWAM in Oxford, New Zealand. You would know that if 1)you read the blog avidly or 2) you know me. :) WOOOOOOO!
It's actually taken the last three weeks for it all to soak in. I've begun the process of fundraising....$9000. whoo-ie big numbah. Actually, I have a goal to send out my letters this week. I have work to do before that gets done.  But! It will be finished this week!

The thing is, as exciting as the whole thing is... I've recently been sobered by this new adventure. Life will be full of joy when following the Lord, but it's also a serious matter, and the seriousness of real life is setting in. The money isn't too much of a worry. God is never limited by money and I have many testimonies from friends to back that up. Now it's a matter of being wise and creative with my time and resources to allow the money to flow in.

The fact that I'm living out of a back pack for 4 and 1/2 months isn't too daunting either. I just have to whittle my clothes down to a weeks worth and some layers and fit it all comfortably in my pack - i'm kind of excited about the challenge though! haha how few things can I actually live on and feel cute wearing 5 days in a row! :)


But then, we just went on a 16 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail over 2 and 1/2 days and God reeeeally humbled me. I was so sure I would be strong, never out of breath and always funny, and fun to be around. HA! By the second day God had slammed in my face that I am not as strong as I think I am, and that I need to learn patience and perseverance when dealing with people. It was a fun trip all in all, but it was definitely the nessecary wake up call that I needed to get me out of the awesome-DTS-dream-world-that-its-going-to-be -heavenly- and- perfect-all-the-time! I'm very good at making my own ideas reality for myself, instead of being aware of what is actually in front of me.

Last year I was learning how to live in the moment and not yearn and worry, now I'm learning how to be realistic with myself without gettin myself down. Being a dreamer... reality seems like the world is coming to an end and  that I should be depressed. But thats totally not true - reality just means that I have to make the most of my situations I guess, and continue to find joy in the Lord. Back packing is not always fun. It rains and clothes get heavy. People get annoying. Your feet fall asleep in your hammock when you're trying to sleep through the night. Don't forget the sweat either! It's enjoyable if you have the right personality, and lets face it, if your in shape too. Basically I have to get in shape between now and October - that is def. high on the priority list bc I really hate wheezing in front of strangers(esp ones with cute accents.) haha


I know that God had GREAT things in store - days like today remind me that I have to push through the "mire" of reality. I can't really muscel through it though, I am acutely aware that God has to help me. He has to help me through my selfishness, my impatience, my grumpiness, my moodiness, my well selfishness.


I am super stoked though! How amazing will it be to travel halfway around the world to talk about Jesus to people I meet hiking through the beautiful mountains of New Zealand?! Yea-ah! Woo!  Pray with me though as I prepare. God is definitely molding me, I can feel it. I'm not really resisting it - but it is not comfortable that's for sure. Its a great journey and I pray that I can glorify my Poppa in heaven through the highs and lows.


Whew, told ya I'd be introspective today. Praise Jesus for encouraging friends, family, and a reality in Christ that is far better than anything I can imagine!

Sappy the Love Song

This week at Cherokee Cove is the 4th annual Song Writer's Camp!
I love this week, it is so inspirational, and touching.
I always try to squeeze out some musical  creativity with the constant ho and hum of instruments filling the air.
Two years ago I taught my self how to whistle, and last year I tried to compose a camp song to a T-Swift tune (that was lameo) ha. This year, Hunter said she would sing a song that I write so the pressure's on!
But also this year I have had a flash back to when I was 13.


Rebekah Ford(Garner), Eliza and I were driving around town one day and it was raining. Some how we got to talking about love songs and were inspired to pen our own!

Sappy the Love Song was born.

I only really remember the first verse and chorus - it's hilarious!

"Down came the rain, it was so wrong.

Your glance your smile, all so long gone.

Stop my tears with your smile

and I'll be yours for a long long while!

Cause the the sun is gone

My heart is dark!

My life is bleak 

and my car's in park!"

We also had something about a shark and washing 'him' out of our hair like shampoo. I wish we had recorded a video or something! Or even written it all out because Rebekah played it on the piano so we should have written out the chords. Oh, yes, good times. :)

My Adventure!

Hello Friends and Family!


 What do you think of when you hear someone say "New Zealand?" Maybe you think of the beautiful landscape panoramas from "Lord of the Rings" and "Narnia." Maybe you think that would be a nice vacation spot. Well I think of back packing, and Youth with a Mission.


  Youth with a Mission - YWAM is an international mission organization who aim to "Know God and make Him known." There are YWAM bases all over the world and the Lord led me to apply to a base in Oxford, New Zealand. I will be apart of a small group of young people spending 12 weeks learbing about the character of God, then immediately followed by 8 weeks of outreach, back packing across the country. Back packing DTS's vision is to reach out and evangelize to back packers, as well as disciple and edify missionaries on our adventures.


Lecture phase starts October 2nd, and outreach phase ends February 17th. I would love your prayers, advice and support. I ask you to begin praying with me for this exciting opportunity, and will keep you posted as the time grows closer.


By the Grace of God,


Kathryn

J.L.B.

Every time I miss someone... guess what I do? I blog. Oh yea.

So I'm missing Jamie Leigh Barbee.
She's in Liberia for about 5months.
She is a wise, godly friend.

If I write too much I might start crying. So! Here are some favorite pictures of this lovely lady, and myself! :)
Oh and I feel like writing you a song Jamie!

"Oh oh oh, JAMIE!
J-A-M-I-E!
You're the only one for MEE
J-A-M-I-E!
You're face is so preeety!
oh oh oh JAMIE!
I love you sooooooo MUCH!
J-A-M-I-E!"

Haven't picked a tune yet, but I'm sure you can imagine my fantastic voice singing to you. haha!

Thank you for celebrating my 20th birthday with me!!

This is where I kissed you, for no real reason, and then felt awkward haha!

Right after this we made that Hey Mickey video - SO FUNNY

 And our beach trip!! That was the worst burn of my LIFE. I'm glad we suffered together and had to watch "An Englishmen went up a Hill and came down a Mountain" baha

 The RubyK Designs was a pretty fun endeavor too. You make a great business partner.
And I love how you appreciate my absentmindedness and word usage... and incorrect pronunciations.
I esp, love how we could read books out loud, discuss deep topics, and have the best time being nerdy! :)

Cuties

We have a promising modeling career.

 God blessed me this spring with exactly what my soul needed. A friend to deepen my faith and be a companion through hard, dark moments. I would've never guessed this would happen - but I praise God.

See you soon then!
xoxo

I don't know.

I. d. k.

Does anyone like to hear that phrase?

Where are we going to dinner? - I don't know.
Where is the cash I gave you? - I don't know.
Where are we?? - I don't know.
Do you love me? - I don't know.
Are you going to do something about it? - I don't know.
What do you think? - I don't know.
Why don't you know? - Dunno.
Where did that baby skunk come from? - I don't know.
Why is the tail light broken? - I don't know...well actually..
What's your plan? - I don't know.

aaaahhhhhh
It'll drive you CRAZY!

Except for the last question. That question "What's your plan?" as in long term plan, I think it is an acceptable answer to reply with "I  don't know.
"
This answer has been coming up so much in my life I'm convinced God has that as a theme for this season of life. Maybe it's going to be a theme for the rest of my life! I would be okay with that.

I would be okay with not knowing because I believe the Lord shows you your direction one turn at a time. Not like a GPS with a creepy automated voice that doesn't know syllables and usually gets you confused. The GPS shows you the big picture of streets and intersections, but I think God likes showing you the intimate details of your surroundings as you go along. Because this life is so short, seriously why would we not stop to smell the roses? What would possess me to want to be in control of my whole life plan 50 years in advanced? I used to want to be secure in my own ideas, but clearly, oh  so clearly God has proven this a selfish and foolish path. He striped me, this past year, of constant fellowship with people. I learned to be still. I learned to truly find peace in just being with God... for more than 30mins.

Learning to be alone is so hard. I know now though that He just wanted to teach me to stop freaking out. I could get SO stressed and wound up about my future before my "alone season". God said "Hun Bun shush! I know where you're going, who you'll be around, how you will be loved, and I want you to chill out and let me take you!" "oh" This was so weird to me. (it is freeing!) Even Christian Culture still expects you to have a 10 year plan, get your degree immediately and work in a secure environment. I don't think this is a true calling  for very many believers. For some sure! For myself, no.

Well, not falling into that track leads me into the "I don't know" path.
So,watching all the Katherine Heigel chick flicks is fun, and she's a good actress and she's funny, but she usually plays a control freak who falls in love with someone who un-winds her. I've discovered I really don't want to be that wound up ever, and its not cute, not even for her.haha
I also believe that being a control freak is offensive to God because you are blatantly telling Him you are self sufficient and in no need for his omnipotent design for your life. Thats pretty bad... I fell into that though. Now I pray that I will always surrender everyday to the path set before me and to be able to be aware of my surroundings enough to "smell the roses" aka: talk to the little children, play cards with a group of teens, wash dishes with a mom. Its actually very fulfilling.

I really don't know how I'm going to  get my art degree. I don't know where I'll go to school and what job I'll end up with in a year. I'm uncertain of my plans this fall, but those are falling into place by the grace of God and I am very sure I will led to the next destination by clear open and shut doors.

I don't want to hinder myself from hearing God by making long term plans of my own. I have goals and things I want to do with my life. The order of those adventures are in God's hands. I talked to a family yesterday who are in a "scary" situation by the world's eyes. There answer to "What job will your husband try to get now?" and "are you going into full time missions?" is "I don't know...yet." But to me its exciting,  and to God I believe it's pleasing and glorifying because they have laid everything down at His feet and are waiting for His direction. Beautiful.

I love Psalm 51:17
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; 
   a broken and contrite heart 
   you, God, will not despise.


He will use a broken heart.
And I pray Psalm 90:17 for those I know who are working in the will of the Lord:


May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
   establish the work of our hands for us—
   yes, establish the work of our hands.

Mr. Flower

Ever seen Bambi?
It's been a while since I've seen it.
Well, the other day I was sitting in the office when Libby Lou comes frantically up the stairs telling Sam and I "there's a baby! a tiny baby skunk! it was right outside laying on the driveway!" we were like what?! a baby SKUNK? i wasn't really sure about that one. I haven't really ever seen a skunk except road kill. Thus began the rescue mission of baby skunk. He was named Flower, thanks to our childhood movie Bambi! He  was the tiniest little guy, and SO cute with his little ears, black fur and adorable white spots and stripes.  Since his eyes weren't even  open yet it never occurred to me to dispose of him just because he would potentially grow up on day to spray anyone who threatened him. People kept curling their noses at the report of a baby skunk, but seriously, if you had seen him, you would have cooed. haha!

Libby looked up Skunk Care websites and when they went into town Sam got some baby electrolyte fluid for him. It was really pathetic while they were gone though, because I was babysitting him in the office...and he started squeaking at me!! Naturally I had to hold him and clean him off. Well that's when I found a huge gash on his back probably from where the dog found him and started "playing."

Oh it was sad. It was a huge tear in his lower belly area and so I got a very nice lesson on skunk anatomy. I almost dropped him in the sink when discovered it though - so gross! Eventually everyone at camp found out about him and where pretty pessimistic towards the little guy. Sam, Libby and I were pulling for him though. No one thought he'd make it through the night... but! That morning when I went downstairs I was sitting on the couch reading my Bible, enjoying the view and listening to the birds chirp. One bird in particular was pathetically whining and wailing.I was still half asleep so it took me about 5 minuets to realize it was Mr. Flower squeaking in his cozy pencil box and slowly crawling his way to edge. He was a fighter! He pretty much didn't stop wiggling the whole morning.

I was babysitting him again that morning and left him the car for 30 mins before he was going to ride with me to the mailbox. After breakfast I found him  out of his pencil box trying to snuggle into the vinyl seat!
 For a while he kept us company in the office... he kept wiggling and squeaking til we just couldn't handle it anymore. After his active morning we knew it was his last fight against death, so we softly spoke encouraging words to him like "go toward the light!" "go, Flower, go be with Jesus!" He finally did. RIP Mr.Flower 6/10/11.

So that's my skunk  story. I feel pretty proud of it :) who else can say they've nursed a baby skunk? Maybe I didn't quite nurse him back to life... but that's just  a technicality. jk!