Valley of Vision, pg 118

"True Religion"

Lord God Almighty,

I ask not to be enrolled amongst the earthly great and rich,

but to be numbered with the spiritually blessed.

Make it my present, supreme, preserving concern to obtain those blessings which are spiritual in their nature, eternal in their continuance, satisfying in their possession.

Preserve me from a false estimate of the whole or a part of my character;

May I pay regard to my principles as well as my conduct, my motives as well as my actions.

Help me never to mistake the excitement of my passions for the renewing of the Holy Spirit, never to judge my religion by occasional impressions and impulses, but by my constant and prevailing disposition.

May my heart be right with you, and my life as becometh the gospel. May I maintain supreme regard to another and better world and feel and confess myself a stranger and a pilgrim here.

Afford me all the direction, defense, support and consolation my journey hence requires, and grant me a mind stayed upon thee.

Give me large abundance of the supply of the spirit of Jesus, 

that I may be prepared for every duty,

love you in all my mercies,

submit to you in every trial,

trust you when walking in darkness,

have peace in you admidst life's changes.

Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief and uncertainties.

-Valley of Vision, Puritan Prayer Book.

This is my prayer for my LIFE.

People Watching

People watching is one of the incredible activities that allows you to zone out, soak up the life around you, learn about yourself through observation of man kind, and appreciate the beauty waiting to be uncovered in each person passing by.

It's also creepy when you accidentally zone out while making eye contact with someone...oops - it helps the creepo factor to not be absent minded like myself ha!

Anyway I've been people watching this weekend in various locations around my town.

FIRST: contra dances at the apple barn

Amazing! I love being apart of them for sure, swirling and smiling and swingin' my partner! but of course I'm not quite brave enough, yet, to ask a dude to dance, so i get to obverse some of the time. Love it! Some friends are completely turned off by the B.O., dreads, and funky mixed match style. I however soak it in and just love watching the individuals express themselves so vibrantly on the outside! i love the country/hippie/mountain culture here in Boone. Its artsy and free and open. One day I pray for opportunities to speak truth into their openness, so that their beautiful outward expressions can be wrapped up with their true love for the Saviour of the earth, not the earth itself.

(And it's my goal one day, to be asked by this man named Doyle?  not quite sure, but in a hiking magazine i read he's the guide to something like annual 3 month treks of the Appalachian trail. he's a character bc he's got this giant pot belly, wears huge Hawaiian tshirts, what looks like nurses baggie pants, and has a santa clause beard. I'd just like to chat with him about his hiking and love for exploring the WHOLE Appalachian Trail!! thats impressive. he may be a tad on the odd side, but he's intriguing, you gotta give him that!)

So  SECOND: the farmer's market in Boone

Saturday morning bright and early, go get your coffee, cinnamon bun, fresh bread, beautiful flowers, sweet as art work, bunnies, etc etc etc. Not to mention - more hippies and farmers and mountain folk! Lovely, so lovely! They are hard workers, sharing their love for gardening/baking/coffee with the community. I got to talk to so many people I hadn't seen in years, as well as have the most enlightening conversations about all sorts of things and make new friends. For me, this is a little slice of heaven. Idk why exactly. I really enjoyed getting to tote around my little nephew and support a local artist, and drink a delicious cuppa joe and expose Judson to the friendly community of watagua county locals.

THIRD: Nail salon

I meet a very kind young man from Mongolia when Betty took me to get a manicure. When I was younger I thought the men doing your nails and their the tiny little mustaches where creepy and it was incredibly awkward trying to decipher what they were saying while they were massaging your hands haha! But i was totally wrong! and this little guy told me he all about himself. That he like Boone bc his family lived here, but he did not like cold weather or snow, that he liked hot weather the way it is back home. He even laughed at my jokes! haha He seemed to have a lot of life in him and I prayed he'd have a God honoring journey here in Boone and that he's find fulfillment in Jesus.

FOURTH: Cafe Portifino

So I went out for my birthday the other night with my dear friend Sarah. Good times. I didn't even bother changing out of my work out clothes. Which was a good choice since when we were walking to the car in downtown Boone there was a mouse! a tiny mouse that i cornered in the middle of the road, but then screamed and lost him when he lunged at us and a car honked rudely hahaha Anyway! the people I observed that night were all about freaky eye contact.. yikes! but they were all obviously searching. and then there was a dude passed out in front of the car when we left and I wanted to just, I don't know, pray for healing for being intoxicated for him! haha! it was sad to me though, bc his friends were enforcing the excessive, mindless, humiliating activities and they were clearly all feeling bad by making light of the vulnerable state their friend was in, but it wasn't good enough a facade. People do that all the time, but it seems like such a obvious display of emtipness and deep hunger for something meaningful. My heart broke for them. I didn't know how to reach out. Situations like that, I think God shows me to think through, process, pray about and then ask Him for insight into how to show love, truth, and joy by having a personal relationship with Jesus. One dude looked about ready to cry, and I just wanted to hug him with a supernatural Jesus hug! hahaha Not sure what that would be exactly, but I'm sure it was be a God moment to touch the soul of the recipient. ANYWAY! That encounter saddened me, and some how i want to know, and I will read and pray to Jesus about how He'd go and show true love, and real answers, and supernatural contentment to every soul there.

Jesus, teach us how to see people the way you see them, and speak to them the way you want to speak to them, and love them unconditionally the way you yourself love us unconditionally.

Happy Mother's Day (#2)

I remembered last year I wrote a Mother's Day letter to Momma. I feel like keeping up with that.

Hello there Momma,

I'm at the beach! We're a little North of Beaufort, where we lived summer 2004. The waves look prime time for sailing, and we saw a family of dolphins the other day, just like the ones we'd see together off the dock of our little cottage. I'm thankful for that summer. We had lots of adventures. 

Guess what? Jesus is taking me on epic adventures these days! He knew you instilled something inside of me and when I talk to Him He's always nudging me to dream bigger and venture further into the exciting unknown. Through your legacy I believe I received your open curiosity, your love for discovering as well as your determination. Dad says I'm a lot like him, but I really feel like I have your endearing stubbornness. Stubbornness endearing? Yea, yours' got us traveling all over the state, and our nation, and it enriched our childhood. Eliza has your love for teaching and sharing with children. Mrs. Meyers even gave us your old lesson plans that she kept from your college class she taught! Your hand writing is lovely. You were so creative and such a go-getter. It's neat to learn things about you know, and evaluate them on an adult level. I feel like we were becoming friends, even at my young age. I don't remember you drinking wine, but I'm having a bit now and I'd pour you a glass so we could sit and talk and pretend to be wine critics! That's always fun:) 

I understood tonight, though, after sitting in the sand and soaking in the wind and the waves and the nearness of God, that in the grand scheme of things, loosing you at 13 doesn't even matter. Spiritually speaking, my concept of reality and family and God will be splintered once my spirit is released to be with God. My inheritance for eternity is with Jesus and in heaven and everything I know now will no longer matter. 

I love you. Yes, I miss you presences a lot these days, making grown up decisions and all. However at the end of my talk time with you and Jesus tonight I realized, above all Pops (God) is always, always with me and he's the lover of my soul.

Love,

Your Creative Kathryn

UFOs

Aliens are not my thing... never really had any interest in them, or watching movies about them... E.T. was kind of cute and weird and awkward looking and creepy all at the same time. I never got spooked by midnight campout stories from girls in my cabin at camp...and flying lights in the sky, to me, were probably satellites, shooting stars or who knows, angles or demons! I haven't ever cared.

One night in Morocco Abby, Kent and I came tramping into our hotel to find our British friend chatting with the front desk clerk. She was looking for some company. So we decided to sit for a while and talk to her. She never ran out of things to say. She's very hippieish living half the year in Morocco and half in England. I love her accent, and her free advice was humorous. She about had a heart attack when we fixed bacon for dinner one night with our eggs - she made us air out the kitchens and fry it quick before the Muslims came and shot us! It wasn't that big of a deal...after all we did buy it legally at the grocery store! haha Anyway!

I was just getting to the point where I was disinterested in the topics of conversation and wanted to take a shower, call it a night and get ready for child care the next day. That was when she started sharing with  us about a UFO encounter she had at home with her son. Apparently they were outside in their back yard when all a sudden a green orb floated around them for a bit and then flew away back up into the night sky. She said it entirely eerie and promptly asked for our opinion and any personal experiences we had had with UFOs. That about did it for me. I was about to politely sneak up the stairs and call it a night when not two seconds later Kent's comment kept me still. He said he's never seen UFO's but that he had had visions of Jesus. She was intrigued. So was I. He asked if he could share with her and she vigorously nodded in assent. It was an incredible story, and for me I was encouraged and moved by the power of God, who choses to speak in various, creative ways to His children. Well, she seemed to just be soaking it all in. Surprisingly she asked Abby the same question...I had assumed she'd jump right onto another topic since she was very flighty most days. But the Holy Spirit opened the door so that Abster could share about her dream God had given her in New Zealand. Again, our friend was exposed to how God loves to share with us about ourselves and Himself in a personal manner. That God speaks in unique, gripping experiences so even the retelling of the dreams and visions moved Abby and Kent as they remembered God's goodness and intimacy. 

Low and behold she swiveled around to me next and I didn't feel very equipped with any dreams or visions to share. I had been praying for Jesus to speak to me in that way every night but He was speaking to me through our worship time a lot more. I shared with her how when I would worship every morning (to her it sounded like a party bc of our loud music and singing and sometimes dancing:)) I would often see Jesus coming to me and dancing with me. All sorts of dancing! Sometimes He'd watch me, sometimes I'd watch Him. Other times we would twirl and swirl around together, so joyfully and peacefully. That was all I could share with her. After that she talked some about her faith and spending loads of time in India becoming confused by all their gods and religions and rules. Kent and Abby were able to share the Gospel and that night we parted with a warm, heart felt hug and kiss. 

God showed me that night that even the most uninteresting, pointless topics of conversations can abruptly be redeemed to speak on God's might, power and goodness. I am so thankful God used Kent to turn that around, and I know that God is continuing to cultivate and grow the seeds we planted in her life. God bless her!

Cherokee Coooooove

I am so blessed.
I am SO blessed.

God's adventure for me is unbeatable. My expectations get shot down frequently, and my pride gets squashed, and my selfishness unveiled... but truly that's the beauty of it. The redemption of my sinful nature through Christ, combined with God's creativity and humongo imagination in the personal relationship He loves having with me...it all mushes together to make one big super duper escapade!!!

It's up and down, but I believe God's heart for moody people like me, is to create stability in their lives. I'm still on that journey of surrendering all thoughts of idolatry, of low self esteem, of unbelief, and doom (ha) over to Him. The last thing, I've realized, that I want to be is a rain cloud that gets introspective in a negative way and shuts people out, shuts the truth out, and turns everyone's day sour. Been there, done that...and Satan had a hay day. Anyway! That is a constant battle which God is strengthening me through.

So! My plan for the summer: Cherokee Cove!
Yea-ah!
I think this is now summer #5!

There are a ridiculous amount of stories that I've accumulated over the years at that place. Oh my. haha! Some highlights:

Summer #1(2008): Trauma from a giant wolf spider, getting stuffed into a freezer, and using the boys who crushed on me to clean out the dish sink where all the nasty mushy food collected after dish duty:)

Rebecca, Michael and Eliza chillin on
 the  driveway

Summer #2: Being the Uphill youth Girl Counselor - STRESS! Got my licenses and two weeks later drove to Kentucky with a car load of girls. First time ever on the interstate, second week ever of driving, 4 loud adolescents crowding around me.ahhh haha!! Also the epic Appalachian trail hike where we thought we were making our two day trek over 13 pleasant miles around Watagua Lake. Ended up being 26 miles climbing up and down the ridge-line, and 22 of those miles were completed in one day(and in chacos, bad idea)

Middle of the Hike! Still Smiling!

Summer #3: The dawn of "Pantry Meetings" with Hunter, Hayden and I escaping to the pantry to eat snacks and giggle! Also ripped my pants on the buddy swing in front of an ROTC group doing their Bible Study. haha! Also invasion of the ants in the girls cabin...we camped out in the guest cabin...while my poor pet frog Pumba was left with the ants and the ant killer fumes....R.I.P.

This is when Zak saw the rip...

This is me sprinting while they were
laughing hysterically

Summer #4: I was the office assistant! I got a GIANT spot light flash light from our friend Carlos who came with Carpenters for Christ group. And I mean giant, theres a picture on my Heavens to Betsy page. haha! Also another great moment was when Libby, Sam and I rescued a baby skunk: "mr. Flower" and the health inspector came and I hid him upstairs in my office. :)

Mr. Flower died 2 days later.

So this summer I'll keep you posted about epic stories...and this year I'm Stu's assistant in the Kitchen so! There will be PLENTY to tell, like the exploded boiled egg that literally blasted a three foot radius with its insides when I merely poked it.... ha, this will be fun!:)

The kitchen is the place to be!

Chirs and Hayden

Listening to Stu's instructions

The Buddy Swing is so fun!

and it's never dull

Trust me there are tons more! So maybe come visit Cherokee Cove yourself! And there's my sales plug for the day:)

God has blessed me SO much with providing Cherokee Cove, and the Stephens family for me during this time of transition and decision making.

And thanks to their generosity and little Libby's caring gift, I am now a proud parent of a Beta Fish named LeRoy Squishy the 3rd. Again...so blessed:)

Or(d)inary

This picture is one of my favorites, and I wrote on it "Ruined for the Orinary." Yes, I forgot the D in ordinary. Haha, kind of annoying since it is my favorite juxtaposed piece from my 2D design class freshman year at ETSU. You see, for that particular assignment we were required to create 6 juxtaposed photo pieces. Some of them I used photo shop and overlaid, recolored, resized etc. I also practiced with modge podge and magazine pictures and ended up creating 10 pictures. For some reason this one ended up being my favorite, however I never turned it into the critic. I did keep it and have had it hung in my room for a number of years. 

When I came home from New Zealand of course I crashed that first night. I snuggled all cozy in my many pillows and fuzzy blankets, then drank in the familiar smells, sights and feelings of home. I immediately noticed this picture on the wall though! Lizzy and I were talking and dozing off and I totally changed the subject and was like AH!!!!!!! I know why I kept this photo! This is slightly, strangely, a very prophetic piece! 

You see for me, Lecture phase in New Zealand was full of serious talk times with God, and I got a word from my good friend Katelyn one afternoon, that God wanted to be my fat cat! He wanted to be my comforter and  even from the time I was 13, He wanted me to come to Him. Seems like He wanted so badly for me to realize the immensity of His love, understanding and comfort towards me, His beloved daughter.

BAM! There's the cute fat cat on the bench in front of that lake. That cat's yawning, but it kind of looks like it's laughing, esp to me when it's put beside the laughing women. The laughing women represents the outreach to Morocco. I don't remember the origin of the photo, but it looks very similar to Moroccan women sharing a joyful time together. Out reach was a joyful time for me personally. I felt like God had comforted me and built me up, spoke words of life and identity to my heart, and that outreach was a time where I began to step into those truths. Through loving on Moroccans, connecting with Back packers, worshiping, praying, sharing life with my team, and experiencing many new, different, hilarious, annoying cultural things together, I'd say all of Morocco was full of laughter and closeness with the Lord. 

Since that YWAM experience I'm restless to continue the world traveling. God has confirmed desires and passions in my heart and I'm learning to be patient. I'm learning to wait on the Lord. I'm learning I need to actually wait, try to understand God's time line and be patient. It's gonna be good! One of my new favorite lines from a song is "If I could die of Happy, baby I'd be a goner!" Even though it seems like a loooooong lesson, learning patience, its still full of joy, happy encounters with God and people, and also adventures! So I'd say its safe to say, I'm ruined for the "orinary" life. ha! Peace out cub scout.

A Poem