Life can chew you up and spit you out. Just when you think you're getting ahead, life comes to knock you back down to size. One morning you can awaken feeling on top of the world and the next you can barely get out of bed; the weight of the world has plopped itself onto your unsuspecting chest.
Jesus warned us of this very conundrum. "In this world you will have trouble..." He knew more than any other human being that life was going to get messy, uncomfortable, and be downright unfair. He knew we would face attacks from every angle and at times we would feel like throwing in the towel. But it's not about the challenges and roadblocks we face; it's all about how we react to them. When we hit an obstacle, do we lie down in surrender and defeat or gather the strength to stand up, dust ourselves off, and continue the fight?
The Savior of the world continued, "...but take heart, for I have overcome the world." This tangible existence we call "life" is just a vapor when compared to the eternal timeline being laid out before us. These potholes and flat tires constantly popping up in our lives are merely bumps in the road when we keep our thoughts right and perspectives pure.
Life is all about perspective; either the glass is half empty or half full. You awakened today, so consider that a step in the right direction. Sure those days will come when getting out of bed seems like the worst option, but we can face them knowing that this life is just the beginning. All of the hassles in our lives that seem so monumental right now will one day be a faint blip on the radar.
The most important thing to remember is that this day is a gift, no matter what comes. Focus on living in the present moment, instead of fretting about the future or mulling over the past. Entire lives are wasted stressing about things that cannot be changed and wishing for things that may never be achieved. The easiest way to lift the weight off our chests is to do the very best we can with each day we are given and leave the rest up to the God who gave it to us. Remember - He has already overcome everything we will ever face.
Standing Tall,
Katie Marie
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Sunday, January 1, 2017
2017 - THE GREAT UNKNOWN
Today is the awakening of a brand new year - a clean
slate, a fresh start. Each new year can bring with it so much hope of what is
to come; it can also usher in anxiety and concern considering the vast
mysteries that await.
I can't help but wonder what the upcoming year truly
holds when placed in God's hands, lined up with His perfect Will. If I allow
myself to peek too far into the future, anxiety and fear can quickly sweep over
me. I can't allow that. Jesus is my everything; He is the director of my
steps. Though I have no idea what this season of life will bring, I do know the
One who does.
While pondering the possibilities of several
unknowns, along with so many more I don't even realize, I am quickly reminded
how much I need my Jesus. I look all around me and all I see is
change...shifting sands and a chasm of possibilities. But when I look to Him, I
see the Rock - the unchanging, unwavering foundation upon which I have built my
life; and again I am at peace. In Christ alone I find consistency, reassurance,
and perfect Love. He is the one constant in my life and I am forever grateful
for that. Jesus truly is my all in all.
I decided this coming year I will not look to
the wind and waves in my life. Instead, I will look to my King; my unshakable
God. I will meditate on His goodness and surround myself with His mercies. I
will spread His love everywhere I go, expecting nothing in return (though it
will be hard at times). I will remember that Jesus is my source and supply, finding
my security, confidence, and stability in Him alone.
With each new year that passes, I realize more and
more that the great unknowns of the future are no mystery to my Creator. He saw
the end before it began; He knows my story in and out. He knows how everything
works out, and in the end, we win. This time, I am choosing not to worry
about the plot twists and turns. They are simply subplots interwoven into God's
Divine designs. Though the long, winding path of a new year stares boldly
back at me, I am taking my first steps of 2017 with my head held high, knowing
I am never alone. In fact, I am taking up company with the King of all Kings
and the Potter of my days. Will you join us on the journey?
Confident in Him,
Katie Marie
Thursday, June 30, 2016
MONUMENTAL LIFE UPDATE!!! / LOST AND FOUND
My incredible friends,
I know it has been many, many months since I've blogged, but I have good reason and amazing news! May 18, 2015, God brought the Prince Charming He fashioned just for me into my life! Within the first 5 nights talking on the phone, David and I knew that this was IT. We didn't get to physically meet until June 14, 2015, when I flew down to Louisville to see him for the first time. He picked me up at the airport and proposed to me within 40 minutes. We were married just 19 days later at the end of a private pier overlooking Lake Michigan. I married the love of my life right in my Jesus Spot where I had spent years pouring my heart and prayers out. God is beyond faithful! Now, some may think that is a fast courtship, but when you KNOW God is in it and you've waited over 30 years, it's far from fast. In just 3 short days we will be celebrating our one year anniversary on July 3, 2016. Wow, how a year flies! If I filled you in on all of the other miraculous things Jesus has done over this last year, I would be writing for days and you would be reading for days. Instead, let's just agree that the Lord of All is beyond incredible and move on. :)
Well, today was an interesting one, to say the least. I spent the better half of 3 hours this morning searching for one of my favorite pairs of earrings. They were given to me a few years ago by a friend who didn't want them anymore, so I suppose you could say they didn't have much monetary significance. However, I cherished them and wore them often. In fact, I wore them all day yesterday until I, at some point, took them off and put them who knows where...which leads me back to our story. Let me tell you, racking my brain for 3 hours, searching in literally every nook and cranny of my home, and retracing my steps over the last 32 hours can give quite a headache and flurry of frustration. My quest hit rock bottom as I searched to the bottom of the kitchen garbage where the rotten pineapple was just waiting for me. Yuck. It was at that sticky point that the Lord spoke clearly to me and led me away to journal about the situation.
Truly, for about 2/3 of my search, it was becoming apparent that God was leading me to draw a parallel between my hot pursuit of this mystery jewelry and my relationship with Jesus. It became perfectly clear how worthless it was to pour all of my energy and mental focus into such a frivolous thing. As I journaled, I began pondering whether I was pursuing that trinket more than the Lover of my soul. Trust me - it was quite a gut check. I asked myself, "Will you stop at nothing to discover the deepest parts of your Savior's heart? Do you relentlessly pursue His presence above all else?"
Perhaps God allowed me to misplace those earrings today to magnify the quality of my pursuit of Him. He may have even made them vanish just to make me realize how quick I am to drop everything in my day to search for something of such little significance. It quickly becomes far too easy to be busy and focused on other things instead of running after Jesus at the pace He deserves. Right there, I was reminded again what a flawed human I am. Still, He loves me. I fail Him in a thousand ways I am aware of, and a million more I don't even realize. And yet, He adores me.
I could beat myself up for days over the way I chased after a worthless trinket more than I pursued my God the first hours of this day, but all He asks is that I stop, breathe, turn, and run to Him. His grace is forever abounding and His mercies are new every morning. That tells me that His perfect mercy has already covered my shortcomings of this very morning.
Through this story, I am reminded of my humanity, but I am also reminded that in Christ there is no condemnation. The more I punish myself, the less able I am to come and be loved and nourished by the true Source of joy, love, and satisfaction.
I thank Jesus for loving me through my humanity; for loving me because of my humanity. I thank Him for showing me my endless flaws; without them, I could easily forget that I am desperately in need of my Savior. I thank Him for showing me that He is more than enough.
My heart is now at peace, knowing that even if I never find those favorite earrings again, I have already won. I have Him - all day, everyday. I don't have to work my brain into a pretzel, trying to recall where I left Him or how I could have misplaced my most precious Gift. Best of all, Jesus doesn't require me to scavenge through rotten banana, orange, and pineapple skins to find Him (though He is more than worth that). I am thankful, though, that once in a while He allows me to misplace something precious in my world to remind me how much more priceless His constant companionship is to me. His love for me is far more valuable than silver or gold. His Presence is infinitely more extravagant than the most beautiful diamond He has created. I pray Jesus continues to teach me how to pursue Him more than anything else in my life...because I know that having Him, I have it all.
In His Awesome Love,
Katie Marie
I know it has been many, many months since I've blogged, but I have good reason and amazing news! May 18, 2015, God brought the Prince Charming He fashioned just for me into my life! Within the first 5 nights talking on the phone, David and I knew that this was IT. We didn't get to physically meet until June 14, 2015, when I flew down to Louisville to see him for the first time. He picked me up at the airport and proposed to me within 40 minutes. We were married just 19 days later at the end of a private pier overlooking Lake Michigan. I married the love of my life right in my Jesus Spot where I had spent years pouring my heart and prayers out. God is beyond faithful! Now, some may think that is a fast courtship, but when you KNOW God is in it and you've waited over 30 years, it's far from fast. In just 3 short days we will be celebrating our one year anniversary on July 3, 2016. Wow, how a year flies! If I filled you in on all of the other miraculous things Jesus has done over this last year, I would be writing for days and you would be reading for days. Instead, let's just agree that the Lord of All is beyond incredible and move on. :)
Well, today was an interesting one, to say the least. I spent the better half of 3 hours this morning searching for one of my favorite pairs of earrings. They were given to me a few years ago by a friend who didn't want them anymore, so I suppose you could say they didn't have much monetary significance. However, I cherished them and wore them often. In fact, I wore them all day yesterday until I, at some point, took them off and put them who knows where...which leads me back to our story. Let me tell you, racking my brain for 3 hours, searching in literally every nook and cranny of my home, and retracing my steps over the last 32 hours can give quite a headache and flurry of frustration. My quest hit rock bottom as I searched to the bottom of the kitchen garbage where the rotten pineapple was just waiting for me. Yuck. It was at that sticky point that the Lord spoke clearly to me and led me away to journal about the situation.
Truly, for about 2/3 of my search, it was becoming apparent that God was leading me to draw a parallel between my hot pursuit of this mystery jewelry and my relationship with Jesus. It became perfectly clear how worthless it was to pour all of my energy and mental focus into such a frivolous thing. As I journaled, I began pondering whether I was pursuing that trinket more than the Lover of my soul. Trust me - it was quite a gut check. I asked myself, "Will you stop at nothing to discover the deepest parts of your Savior's heart? Do you relentlessly pursue His presence above all else?"
Perhaps God allowed me to misplace those earrings today to magnify the quality of my pursuit of Him. He may have even made them vanish just to make me realize how quick I am to drop everything in my day to search for something of such little significance. It quickly becomes far too easy to be busy and focused on other things instead of running after Jesus at the pace He deserves. Right there, I was reminded again what a flawed human I am. Still, He loves me. I fail Him in a thousand ways I am aware of, and a million more I don't even realize. And yet, He adores me.
I could beat myself up for days over the way I chased after a worthless trinket more than I pursued my God the first hours of this day, but all He asks is that I stop, breathe, turn, and run to Him. His grace is forever abounding and His mercies are new every morning. That tells me that His perfect mercy has already covered my shortcomings of this very morning.
Through this story, I am reminded of my humanity, but I am also reminded that in Christ there is no condemnation. The more I punish myself, the less able I am to come and be loved and nourished by the true Source of joy, love, and satisfaction.
I thank Jesus for loving me through my humanity; for loving me because of my humanity. I thank Him for showing me my endless flaws; without them, I could easily forget that I am desperately in need of my Savior. I thank Him for showing me that He is more than enough.
My heart is now at peace, knowing that even if I never find those favorite earrings again, I have already won. I have Him - all day, everyday. I don't have to work my brain into a pretzel, trying to recall where I left Him or how I could have misplaced my most precious Gift. Best of all, Jesus doesn't require me to scavenge through rotten banana, orange, and pineapple skins to find Him (though He is more than worth that). I am thankful, though, that once in a while He allows me to misplace something precious in my world to remind me how much more priceless His constant companionship is to me. His love for me is far more valuable than silver or gold. His Presence is infinitely more extravagant than the most beautiful diamond He has created. I pray Jesus continues to teach me how to pursue Him more than anything else in my life...because I know that having Him, I have it all.
In His Awesome Love,
Katie Marie
Friday, September 25, 2015
WHO ARE WE?
Friends,
In a world so full of distraction and chaos, who better to focus and pour all our attention upon than the very God who wove us together in our mother's wombs and even cares about every intricate detail of our daily lives? The realization of it is far too weighty to grasp. After all, who are we that God would be mindful of us? We are the children of the Light and the walking expression of Christ's love...that's who❤️
In a world so full of distraction and chaos, who better to focus and pour all our attention upon than the very God who wove us together in our mother's wombs and even cares about every intricate detail of our daily lives? The realization of it is far too weighty to grasp. After all, who are we that God would be mindful of us? We are the children of the Light and the walking expression of Christ's love...that's who❤️
"You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, oh Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." Psalm 139:2-6 ESV
Woven and Spun,
Katie Marie
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
TAKE A BREATH ❤️
Child of the Most High,
When was the last time you took a moment to breathe in God's beauty and soak up His creative perfection? Even if you only have a single minute today, consciously stop and allow God's breath to invigorate your lungs. Feel your heart beat and realize that you are the TREASURE of all treasures to your Divine Creator. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. As beautiful and intricate as a flower is, all of the flowers covering the earth cannot compare to the awesomeness that is YOU ❤️
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalms 139:13-16 NLT)
When was the last time you took a moment to breathe in God's beauty and soak up His creative perfection? Even if you only have a single minute today, consciously stop and allow God's breath to invigorate your lungs. Feel your heart beat and realize that you are the TREASURE of all treasures to your Divine Creator. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. As beautiful and intricate as a flower is, all of the flowers covering the earth cannot compare to the awesomeness that is YOU ❤️
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalms 139:13-16 NLT)
In Awe and Wonder,
Katie Marie
Thursday, May 14, 2015
TRUE LOVE
Dear Friend~
What if there were a love that was limitless, full of passion, and without end? What if this love could fulfill every desire within you and make you feel you can do anything? What if it were accessible any time of day, no matter where you are? In fact, what if it weren't just available to you, but actually sought you out, offering all it had? Have you dreamed of a love so perfect that it continues long after you have messed up? Have you been searching high and low for a love that truly satisfies?
This love won't be found in a new job, new house, or new spouse. No, this is a love that can be compared with no other. It won't be satisfied through likes on Facebook or Twitter retweets. It's a once in a lifetime love, and once you've tasted of it, you'll be changed forever. It'll shake you to the core and make you live to pour that love upon everyone around you, even the most unlovable characters in your path. Friend, if you've been searching all your life for true love, I'm here to tell you, it has been found. May I introduce to you: the matchless love of Christ…
In His Grip,
Katie Marie
What if there were a love that was limitless, full of passion, and without end? What if this love could fulfill every desire within you and make you feel you can do anything? What if it were accessible any time of day, no matter where you are? In fact, what if it weren't just available to you, but actually sought you out, offering all it had? Have you dreamed of a love so perfect that it continues long after you have messed up? Have you been searching high and low for a love that truly satisfies?
This love won't be found in a new job, new house, or new spouse. No, this is a love that can be compared with no other. It won't be satisfied through likes on Facebook or Twitter retweets. It's a once in a lifetime love, and once you've tasted of it, you'll be changed forever. It'll shake you to the core and make you live to pour that love upon everyone around you, even the most unlovable characters in your path. Friend, if you've been searching all your life for true love, I'm here to tell you, it has been found. May I introduce to you: the matchless love of Christ…
In His Grip,
Katie Marie
Friday, May 8, 2015
MORE OF YOU...
Jesus, all I want is more, more, MORE of You. This world is tasteless without Your spice. It is gray without Your color and lifeless without Your spark. To pull You out of the scene means a life devoid of all meaning. Help us to find You in the in-betweens of life ❤️
Surrendered,
Katie Marie
Surrendered,
Katie Marie
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