New Beginnings

Hello everyone!

I'm moving my musings onto a new blogger platform. If you'd like to follow along with my journeys in a new land overseas and don't know my new blogger address, comment on this post with an email address and I'll send you the link. While the musings will be in a more ambiguous instead of direct form, I still think they'll be worth your time. :)

Thank you all for your support! Love you all!

Katie

Summation

Grace.

Family Lake Weekend Video Recap

Here is a video of day 1 of our family lake weekend. Kids and adults alike had a blast! Enjoy!

Photo Blog

Instead of a vlog (still don't understand those), I thought I'd post a p-log (I just made that up) with a few scattered photos from the past few weeks. These are for you, dear friends of mine, who each uniquely shows me a display of the image of God that blesses my socks off. I love you!

This is not of a "friend" but in lieu of not having a picture of my brother, this is dedicated to you big brother! I love you!

We did it Caitlin!

Aims, you brighten my days!

Roomies and dear friends.

FPO is going to be ridiculous. I'm so thankful for you!

Have a wonderful day blog world. If I didn't have a picture of you to post it certainly doesn't mean I'm not thankful for you! I love you equally.

End of p-log. :)

Hmm...

A Beauty of Central Asia

Wow.

It's been awhile since we've hung out.

I'm sorry for being such an unfaithful friend blog world. I'm so very sorry.

In short, here is the quick version of what has happened in the last couple of weeks:

-I've been able to spend time with a wide variety of people I love. Whether it has been game nights, "spending time" catching up through phone dates, or any other form of interaction that has taken place, I've cherished the moments and grown increasingly thankful for the incredible people in my life. Thank you friends, old and new alike, for your profound presence in my life.

-I've written my last undergraduate paper ever and officially become a grown-up by graduating college. (Sidenote: I just randomly counted the number of papers on my computer that were written during these last 4 years. Ranging in length from 1 pg. to 47 pgs. I counted 124 papers written for classes [and that's not even all of them]. Ridiculous? I'd say so...)

-I've regained the upper hand in the mono wrestling match and am laboring to put the final smack-down on my testy opponent.

-I've announced that I'm moving to Central Asia this fall. If you didn't know that already, well, now you do. I'm sorry I stink at informing you of major life changes in the same severe degree I stink at being a faithful blogger.

-I've rediscovered my love for Missy Higgins, Shane & Shane, and Jazz music and acquired new loves like Gungor and Jonathan Acuff (listening to his oh so brilliant audiobook "Stuff Christians Like" is a perfect utilization of your driving time).

-I've reread old favorites like Hosea, Jonah, The Circle Trilogy, and Redeeming Love and have been reminded anew of the pursuant and patient love of Jesus.

-I've struggled with much, figured out some, and realized I have a long way to travel in many arenas of life.

-I've written a blog with "I" in it far too often.

That is all for now I think. Thank you for reading.

Friendship

Here is a link to something that has blessed me more tonight than words are adequate to describe. God is such a master of weaving lives and hearts together. I'm so thankful for the gift, joy, and laughter He has provided in my friend Melissa. She makes me, and everyone around her, better reflections of Him. Thank you for the sweet words my dear. You are so beautiful and I love you dearly!

My Jesus I love thee, I know thou art mine...

Sovereignty

The lens of the cross: the view by which life must be considered and understood

(Photo: Ephesus ruins in Turkey, January 2010)

On a day like today, a day in which I slept about 15 hours in a mono-induced state of uncomfortable slumber, I am joyful. While our word may see my attitude regarding my physical state as strange, I see it as the glorious reality available to all those who call Jesus Lord.

We can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:28, MSG). Don't you just love God's attentive sovereignty? Sometimes life is tough. Sometimes circumstances flat out suck. All the time, being sick is appropriately described as "not fun." BUT, the beauty of walking with Jesus is that my Bridegroom has not only promised that there is a purpose behind my suffering, but also that He would be WITH ME through it all. Some of the sweetest moments I've had with Jesus in quite awhile have come in the last week when, with no energy to stand, read, sing, or speak I have just quietly rested in His arms of love.

He is jealous for me. (Ex. 20:5, all of Hosea). He is jealous for you. What sweet mercy that He would allow this sickness to come that I might be forced to stop and rest in Him. What tender love that He would bring circumstances into our lives that leave hopes disappointed, but expectations exceeded as He works things in only the way He can. What inestimable sovereignty when I recognize that what I thought was the worst set of circumstances for this period of my life were actually the perfect circumstances to draw my heart to His own.

So as I rest in His sovereignty today, I pray that you would do likewise in your present set of circumstances. We serve a God who is not only all-knowing and all-powerful, but also One who is loving, tender, and jealous for your affection, attention, and worship. Give whatever it is that is weighing you down to the One that is big enough to bear the burden. Please let me know how I can be praying for you and, if you've read this far, please pray for me as I seek to recover from my mono and still graduate from college and complete my job. Balancing rest and trust with prayer and action is still an element of faith I'm seeking to understand within the encompassing boundaries of His sovereignty.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Medieval Mystics & Practical Wisdom

In the last 3 weeks, I've enjoyed reading through the writings of 3 quality Medieval Christian thinkers. Each work has brought about thought, challenge, and, in their own ways, an encouraging reminder that relational intimacy with Jesus is everything no matter what the circumstances..

The first mystic I've "hung out with" as of late, and the only female in the group, is Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510). She's the most emotional of the group (shocker since she's a lady right?) but the charitable quality of her life and her obvious passion for relational connection with God are beautiful. I won't bore you to tears with a summary of her life and work but leave you with a small sampling of the wisdom she's passed on to us today: “They (insights of the soul acquired through suffering) are seen in God, in whom they are more absorbed than in their own suffering, for the briefest vision of God far surpasses any human joy or suffering.” If that's not a helpful perspective in working through our guaranteed encounters with suffering in our lives, I don't know what is.

The next mystic with whom I'm been spending my time, the most time of the 3 in fact, is Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471). Thomas is the author of The Imitation of Christ which is a classic work of Christianity in both the Catholic and Protestant traditions alike. Reading a sentence of his book which spans over 200 pages was often like trying to read another book in its entirety. So much practical wisdom is contained in the pages of Thomas' work because it is truly filled with Scriptural references, analogies, and quotes that shed light on the Word of Truth in challenging and beautiful ways. While, as mentioned above, I know you could care less about me summarizing the work and life of this particular mystic, I hope that this section of his devotional guide where he gives 4 steps towards inward peace and rest (spoken from the voice of God) resonate within your spirit and encourage you today:

"Endeavor, my child, to do the will of another rather than your own.
Choose always to have less rather than more.
Seek always the lowest place and consider others better than yourself.
Wish and pray always that the will of God be completely fulfilled in you.
Behold, such a person enters into the realm of peace and rest."

Finally, the last and most well-known mystic I've been learning from is St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). Since he needs no introduction, I'll leave you to his prayer for peace that I've been praying over my own life over and over and over (did I mention "and over?") again.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Hope you gained some quality encouragement and practical wisdom from these random musings on some long-gone mystics. We can certainly learn much from these passionate pursuers of Jesus. As you seek our beautiful Savior and the Lover of your soul this week, in the words of Paul, I trust that, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

An Enduring Legacy & Joyous Homecoming

I just finished a multiple-hour long Skype chat with my brother and cousin in which we laughed and shared stories about our beloved grandfather as we tried to summarize the legacy of our wonderful, Jesus-loving Pa-paw. My heart is so full at the privilege we all have enjoyed in knowing and learning from a man who was, in every sense of the word, extraordinary. Following are the words of farewell we jointly penned in his honor and I share them with you in this medium in the hopes that reading the short account of a life well-lived will spur you on to strive to do likewise. Jesus is worth it. Lord, thank You for a Pa-paw who for 22 years, I was able to look at and simply, see You...

"Noel Leon Kyle met his Savior and Life Sustainer face-to-face on March 12, 2010. Loving husband to his wife Jo Kyle, devoted dad to his kids Steve Kyle and Jacki Richards, and “Pa-paw” to his 5 grand and 7 (soon to be 8) great-grandkids, he was loved by all. For 60 years, he tenderly walked side-by-side with his best friend, beauty, and source of strength, Jo. He served for decades as a deacon and head of his Sunday School department at Portland Ave. Baptist Church in OKC. His compassion for people and his community was expressed professionally as he assisted people in stewarding their finances as a Senior Vice President and Board Member at Coppermark Bank. An ardent outdoorsman (with a special affection for fishing, hunting, and golf) and clever storyteller, Noel was a joy to be around and a man who was truly larger than life. An enemy to no one, a friend to everyone, to meet him was to encounter wisdom, patience, humility, and selfless love personified.

A man of faith, Noel’s all consuming passion in life was knowing and glorifying Jesus Christ. To know him was to want to be like him as everything he did and said were a testimony to the way Jesus had captured his heart beyond return. With the Word of God as his rock, his life and ministry touched innumerable lives and his will be a heritage that will resound in power for a thousand generations to come.

Services will be held on Friday, March 19th at 10:00 am at Portland Ave. Baptist Church in OKC. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery."

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21

Promises

"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise...Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life...The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever - do not abandon the works of your hands." Psalm 138:1,7-8

"Praise be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Thank you Jesus for being a solid hope upon which we are able to stand. Thank you for your precious love. Thank you for being the author of life, the preserver of life, and the reward of life. Thank you for being Life. Thank you that the day to day trials we face are never beyond your ability to shepherd us through as we hide in the shadow of your wings. Thank you for allowing us to be refined in the fire that we may be able to pour out the love we've received into those hurting, lost, and broken in this world. Thank you Jesus. Thank you. I will cling to your promises all my days...even those when all I can do is stand.

The Fine Line Between Fun and Fanaticism

Gallagher Iba Arena filled with the orange-clad faithful

Today, I had the fun privilege of attending the basketball game pitting the #1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks against my unranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. My OU loving roommate, Liz, attended with me as a fun way for us to spend the day together and also, as a means of showing her the "other side" (the best one in my opinion) of state athletics.

The game ended up being an incredible experience as we got to witness a historic upset, sustain hearing damage from the roar of the crowd, and take part in doing something I've always wanted to do...rush the court after an upset win. It was a cool experience to stand in the midst of the mosh-pit of ecstatic university students who were overwhelmed with joy at their team's unexpected victory and take part in the post-game celebration.

However, during the experience and all evening, a nagging thought has been present in the back of my mind, "What does Jesus think of all of this?" Know that this post is not some effort to lambast those faithful athletic fans (of which I am often included) but simply an attempt to ask an honest question of the nature of our hearts within the confines of a common activity in American popular culture.

How is it that we constantly glory in and exalt the athletic prowess of individuals (and the outcomes of their ventures) beyond the level of respect it is due? Why don't we worship the Creator who imbued them with their abilities instead of exalting mere men?

I certainly don't know the heart attitudes of my tens of thousands of fellow fans today but I wonder how well we as a group toed the line between a fun activity and a fanatic worship offering to the modern American sports god. In many respects, any half-awake observer with no prior knowledge of the circumstances could have observed the basketball game and easily labeled it as a worship service of some sorts. We as Christians have a word for such activity: idolatry.

Believe me, you'll never hear me make the argument that the Lord has called us to live in boring religious boxes where athletics and other fun activities are off limits and our time should be solely utilized in religious activities and prom songs for Jesus (thank you for your phraseology Mark Driscoll). Such a life sounds disgusting to my adventure prone heart and my music-loving ears. Plus, I'll be honest and admit I totally loved storming the floor after the win today.

However, I do think our motivations must be examined as we move about and seek to be the set apart, Beloved, Body of Christ within our idolatrous and sin sick world. We've got to be in this world but not of it but clearly, that is easier said than done. I pray that we live lives of such freedom in Christ that we are the funnest (yes, I did just use the word "funnest") people at every cultural crossroads the Lord allows us to incarnate Him in. I pray that we faithfully toe the line of enjoying the victories of our fellow humans whilst never straying to a heart devotion to a team, person, or event that robs our Savior of the worship He alone is due. As cheesy as it sounds, let's choose to be Jesus fanatics first and foremost.

What do you think? Do you see athletic (or any other cultural activity) "fan-ship" as a problem?

Hear You?

Sunset in Turkey

Hello blog world,

I have an activity to inspire your participation today. It won't take long! Simple click "comment" and respond. I'd love to hear from you!

1. If you could suggest 1 movie to watch, what would it be?
2. If you could suggest 1 song to listen to, what would it be?
3. If you could share one piece of advice, what would it be?

Feel free to answer one or all of the questions. I'm looking forward to your fresh, serious, humorous, or completely random insight!

What A Glorious Day

On this cold and freezing rain filled day in Oklahoma, I'm sitting here warm inside at the many recollections and meditations upon what Jesus has done for me. Jesus is not only a means...He is the end. Isn't that just too much (in the positive sense) when you really think about it? Not only is He the end but He lavishes into our lives more than we can imagine and certainly, more than we possibly deserve.

Don't others deserve to know this same mercy and love that has me more amazed today than the first time I realized it was available to me?

The picture you see is of a beautiful woman I met on my recent trip to the Middle East. I couldn't speak her language and she couldn't speak mine, yet, through the barriers we were able to communicate in a profound way. Even though our encounter was brief, I left loving her in a way that almost pains me when I let the full weight hit me. She lives in a village where, to my knowledge, no one is available to tell her about Jesus.

Who's doing to tell her that He is the end of every desire, purpose, and want she has experienced throughout her long time on the earth? Who is going to tell her Jesus is Life? She doesn't have much time remaining.

So on this cold day, I pray you will be filled with warmth and gratitude that comes in knowing Jesus as the end but also, that you will allow the weight of the reality that so many others fail to recognize Him as the reason for existence hit you square between the eyes. Rejoice and weep beloved friends for today is a day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and take advantage of every opportunity to invite others to do the same.

I love you.

Do Something Please