New Snow

:)

I love the snow. 

There's something about fresh snow falling at night that makes me pay attention to the quietness around me.  When you come across a fresh patch, left untouched by human, dog, deer, or snow plow, it's wonderful to see how you can shape it into something else. 

It's a winter wonderland outside my front door right!

I'm glad that God took the time to create snow.  I'm doubly thankful for warmth.  Mittens, scarves, heaters, blankets, houses, and socks (just to name a few) keep us warm during our fun in the snow.  I personally have a vendetta against the cold.  Once I'm cold, it takes a very long time for me to get warm again.  For that reason, I especially value warmth and heat.  It makes playing in the snow worth the while. 

When it snows, its almost as if everything is perfect for a while.  While everything is covered in white, laughter reaches people's faces quicker and a twinkle seems to brighten everyone's eye.....that is until the sky has not ceased, and in the middle of the night dropped two more feet. 

In my hometown, school isn't canceled unless the buses can't get out, or there are power lines down....needless to say, I didn't see more than maybe a dozen school days in my elementary through my high school years; living in a town that sees snow generally in October through at least March.

But I won't complain. :)  I genuinely enjoy getting to take part in this wonderfully unique creation. 

Good night, and be safe if there's snow out there for you!

The Most Unlikely of Places

Lately, I've been watching a tv series on Netflix.  It's called McLeod's Daughters.  The show takes place in the Australian bush, and is all about a ranch that is ran by two sisters and an all female staff.  I've fallen in love.  It's funny, serious, and all about family wrapped into one.  It also highlights the many facets of running a property... and I think that's my favorite part.  Lots of horses, cows, sheep, and even alpacas.  You never know what's going to happen on Drover's Run, the name of the ranch. 

My sister and I have been staying up way too late since we've been home watching it.. we just finished the 3rd season.  In case anyone is interested in watching, I won't spoil anything. 
What I do want to talk about tonight is difficult to put into words.  One thing that the McLeod sisters deal with throughout the show is death.  The women are actually half-sisters, brought together after a long separation by the death of their father.  The show was a long series hit in Australia, and religion isn't ever really mentioned. 

I guess this ties in with what I'm thankful for tonight because I am thankful beyond words that I know for certain where I'm going when I die.  I have a one-way ticket to Heaven...the boarding time just hasn't been filled in yet.  I don't fear death, because I know that being absent in body is being present with the Lord. 

One thing that's always hard is seeing people you love die.  No words fill the holes that have been left over in your life.  The only consolation is found in knowing that if they believed, then Heaven isn't too far off in any of our futures..not to sound morbid or anything.  Losing a sibling, parents, friends, and children is extremely difficult.  Unfortunately it's a part of life, and everyone will have to deal with it at some time or later.  The silver lining in this dark cloud is that there is hope that is only found in Jesus Christ.  For that I am thankful.

Keep moving forward.

I'm thankful that there isn't someone standing above me with a 20 ton anvil waiting to drop it on my head every time I fail.  Because if there was, I would've been dead ages ago. 
I thank the Lord today that there is forgiveness, which is found in the blood of Jesus Christ.  I'm thankful every day is a new day, with no mistakes in it yet. :)

We're all going to mess up.  Royally mess up.  But it's the step in what direction that we take next that really matters.  Do we keep going the way we've been off to?  Or do we take time to contemplate, pray, and just talk with Jesus to determine where the next step of our adventure will take us? 

I've missed 2 days of my challenge, but I won't let it stop me.  We all make mistakes, and thankfully we're all forgiven.  The price for my mistakes was paid for in full on Calvary.  What better Christmas present could I ever receive than that?

Nothings ever slow around here...

Sorry I missed a day!  I've kinda been under the weather though, in fact I may come back and delete this post seeing as I've been taking pain medicine and such for over 24 hours.  The good news is I now have no wisdom teeth!  The procedure went well as far as I know, and although I'm in pain, I'll be right as rain in a few days.
Thank you for all of you who were praying for me.  I think the only complication was that it took them awhile to find a vein to insert the IV in.  After making me inhale this nitrogen-oxygen stuff (which definitely made me more loopy than the Vicodin is) they ended up giving me the IV in the top of my left hand.

Today I have two things to be thankful for, since I missed yesterday. :)

The first is my Momma!
I know I technically already said I was thankful for my family, butttttt I think this lady deserves her own category!  She truly is the ultimate mom.  She has the best bedside manner, and can always tell when I'm lying about needing more pain medicine... haha.  She's also the first person to recognize a migraine coming on.  She gives the best hugs, and knows when I just need someone to play with my hair and not talk.
My mother is an amazing woman of God, and understands the deepest struggles that I go through.  She's been my best friend for years, and she's always there to pick up the pieces when I fall apart.  I love her so so much, and realize that this is another person I need to remind every day of how much I do really love!

The second thing I am thankful for is a free will.
I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few years, and at different points have come to different conclusions.  Sometimes I wish that I didn't have a free will, and that God would just make all of the correct decisions for me.. But I realize how big of a coward that makes me, wishing that.  I'm truly thankful for having my own free will because it means that there is at least one thing that I have done in my life that was right.  And that was choosing Jesus.  If I hadn't of chosen Jesus in 1st grade, would I be the person I am today?  I don't know.  But I thank God every day for sending the hounds of Heaven after me, and for not giving up on me even once.

I think tomorrow my sister is going to force my brother and her boyfriend to help us put up Christmas decorations.  Hopefully I'll be aware enough to take some pictures and post them.  Thanks for reading and being an encouragement to me!

Merry Christmas!  Always remember that Jesus loves you. :)

Mis Abuelos

Finals are over and winter break has officially started!  Hallelujah! Currently I'm at my grandparent's home in central Oregon.  Tomorrow I go into surgery to get my top wisdom teeth out... The bottom two have already been removed, and hopefully this will be a quick recovery!
Being in the home that I've loved since childhood brings back so many memories.  :)
My grandparents are precious to me.  They've always been here for me.  Whenever I just wanted to call and talk.  They remembered every birthday, every special event.
Every since I was 6 or 7 I've spent a week at my grandparent's during the summer.  It's generally a week of scrumptious homemade meals, library trips, and wonderful conversation.  I love listening to the stories that they have to tell.  Summers spent at Gammy and Papa's were the best!
Through my high school music career, they attended almost every single one of my band and choir concerts.  (Seriously!  My friends were always disappointed when they didn't get to see my grandparents if they couldn't make it to a concert.)  They've put many miles on their Jeep Cherokee for me, and words will never express my thanks.  My Gammy has always reminded me of some sort of royalty.  She doesn't put on airs or anything, but there's just something about her that makes you want to be the best you can be.  She's a kindred spirit.  My Papa has always been good for a hug, and his jokes and laughter make every holiday special.  I don't tell them enough how much I love them and appreciate them.  When I grow up I hope to be half the grandmother to my grandchildren as my grandmother has been to me.
I'm blessed beyond measure to have them in my life. :)
Happy Holidays!

Home

I've always wanted to be a cowgirl.  I grew up in the country, but my dad's a cop and we never did the ranching thing.  Maybe it's better that way. 
I love small towns.
I love being able to walk for an hour and not see another human being. 
I love the way that you know every person at the grocery store (and that you know who's there by just scanning the parking lot).
I love the fact that the 300 kids in my high school my senior year was the same number in my best friend's graduating class.
I love the way the air feels in the country.  Fresh.
I'm thankful for growing up in a small community.  I cannot imagine growing up in a place with more than 3,000 people.  Traffic lights and fast food galore and just the busyness wears me out.  I know some people love it though, so I'll leave it to you. :)

Simple

Tonight was the last night of my college group for this term, and it was a night spent in worship and prayer.  I love how God knows exactly what it is that we all need.  I struggled to enter into true worship for the first 3 songs, and then all of the sudden it hit me.  There was one line of a song that was exactly what I needed to hear tonight.  I love how God uses the simple things to sometimes bring the most impact on our lives.  During the time for prayer, it was sweet to share with some of my best friends what we all needed prayer for.  Spending the evening worshiping was exactly what I needed. 
Tonight, I am thankful for my family.  We have our issues, our weird habits, and our differences.  But I love them, each and every one.  They have helped to shape me into who I am today.  :)

#6

I'm thankful for the lazy days in life that allow you to just relax with no interruptions.  :)

♫

Worship is one of the sweetest things on this earth in my opinion.  Music has always been highly personal to me, and so sharing it with my redeemer and savior is precious.  I'm grateful for the fact that there are so many ways in which we can praise God and just communicate with Him.  It can be through singing, dancing, writing, or serving just to name a few.  I'm most thankful for worship through music.  There's something about being lost in the music and in the words that stirs my soul.
At church this morning, we sang two songs I had never heard, and it was nice just to sit and listen to the words, and echo them in my heart towards God.
I'm thankful for how accessible music is in this day and age.  I can engage in worship with God in my car driving to school or while walking through the park.  Worship isn't something that needs to be nor should it be contained in a building where people meet every week.  It should be taken with us wherever we go.  Worship is a type of prayer.  In 1 Thessalonians 5 we are exhorted to pray without ceasing.  For those of you who haven't tried to pray without ceasing for a day, I'll tell you that it is extremely difficult.  I'm glad that singing and worshiping is one way that I can try and be in constant communication with the Father. 

The Light in the Dark

This girly needs to go to sleep.

Jesus, thank you for being the light that shines through the dark!!  Thank you for never leaving us alone, and for being the Ultimate Protector!

-Katie :)

Tres

Today is day 3 of my challenge!  I'm going to do something a little different and explain three things I'm thankful for.  The one thing they have in common is that they are all my best friends on this planet.  I'll start off with my high school kindred spirit, Kari

I have SO many reasons to be thankful for this amazing woman of God!!!  She knows me like no other human being does.  We don't need words to speak ofttimes, and it brings me joy that we just understand each other.  Kari has been there through the thick and the thin by my side.  She's listened to my crazy ideas and thoughts and plans, and she gently steers me back on course when I'm drifting from shore.  Thank you, Kari!  This Christmas I have no words to say how much I appreciate your presence in my life!!

Next is my roommate, Mar.
I have a million days worth of thank yous to spend on my knees to my heavenly father for this woman!  It still amazes me that the day after I prayed for a friend in college, God brought us together! :)  Mar is the girl that I can be absolutely silly with at any time!  She's also the one that isn't afraid to speak the truth to me, and I am thankful for being convicted!  She makes me a better person. 
It's amazing to me how alike we are while being different in so many ways.  Mar, today I praise the God that brought us together for our wonderful friendship!  Thank you for being the person that I can talk to whenever and wherever!

Last but certainly not least is Toothless
By now, you may have guessed that I'm using code names for my dearest friends.  If you haven't seen How to Train Your Dragon, then this name probably doesn't make sense to you.  T is the girl that I spent every single day with for a term and a half.  We never went through the stage of becoming friends.  We just were.  We met in marching band last September, but we didn't even talk until the first day of basketball band in January.  Our friend Ty might be regretting the fact that he told us to sit by each other that day.  :)  T and I have a bond that I have seldom found in people.  We are closer than sisters, and T is the one that I pick up the phone in the middle of the night to call.  Thank you, T for being there and reaching out when I'm in need the most!


There are SO MANY more things that I am thankful for in these amazing women, but I feel like words would never do them justice.  We all share one trait:  and that is our belief that Jesus Christ died to save our sins.   For that shared trait I am more thankful for than anything else.  :)
    

Slowing Down Life

I have a confession to make.  I'm addicted to facebook.  There, now I've said it, and now I can move on from it.  Last night I had my roommate change my facebook password.  (This is how serious I am)  I want to slow down the pace of my life.  We're all about time efficiency and getting the largest possible output out for the smallest input.  My question is, "Why?"  There isn't a boogie-man chasing us everywhere we go, and there isn't such thing as the efficiency police leaning over our shoulders watching everything we do.  Slowing down seems silly, but in the end, I think it's absolutely necessary.
It's been less than 24 hours since I've taken my leave from facebook, and already I feel like I've accomplished SO MUCH!  I feel unconnected, and that ladies and gentleman is wondrous!  Just sitting and listening is worth the initial pain.

A few weeks ago, my college pastor said something that really caught my attention.
"Don't ever step outside that climate of being desperate for God."

W.O.W.  How I've totally messed up just that.  How many days have I gone through with 'just the motions'?  Seeking God seems tame compared to being desperate for God.  I want to be desperate for God, and I want to be in that place where I know true humility. Every day I want to start on my knees knowing that I can't make it through the day on my own, and I want to end every day desperately thanking God for His grace and another day to live. 

Speaking of thanks, here's day 2 of my challenge:

I am thankful for a real home to live in (not a college dorm!).  I'm thankful for the peace and quiet that living in a house allows, and also the girls who live here with me!  Sharing a bathroom with one of your best friends is much easier than sharing with 20 other girls. :)  I think I take for granted things like endless hot water, a washer and dryer, and windows!  For these things I am thankful!  How about you?

Hello Again

It's been a long time since I posted anything.  Right now I'm in the middle of "Dead Week" as they call it in college.  This term is almost over, and Christmas break is almost here!  I can't believe that I've been back in Corvallis for almost 10 weeks!   It just seems crazy.  My time has been spent studying, reading, hanging out with friends, and of course: marching band.  :)  This term has been very different for me.  First of all I switched my major from music (with a vocal performance option) to general agriculture during week 3 or something like that.  Secondly I'm only taking something like 14 credits this term, which has been VERY nice.
I'm still at that point where I have no idea what God wants me to be doing.  Well, in reference to the future.  Right now, I'm just living and trying to work on my relationship with the Father.  This term has been full of exactly what I've needed.  The only thing that I'm truly working on is just getting to know God.  In the end, the rest of the world and what they think of us doesn't matter.  Don't worry, I'm staying mostly caught up in school. :)

On a whole different not, it's DECEMBER!! Which is my Favorite month of the year!  :) I love Christmas.  Hot cocoa by the fire and a good book with family in the next room is one of my favorite things.  Don't get me all confused and backwards.  I love the Christmas season, but not the lavish gifts and fake parties and everything that the media turns Christmas into.  I do love snow, mittens, hot cocoa, family, the country, and simply free time.  This Christmas I want to try something.  I am going to post 25 things that I'm thankful for.  One thing for every day until Christmas.  I'm also going to be taking a leave from facebook, and to make sure that it's official, only my roommate will have the password.  I want this Christmas to be different.   I want to spend time really seeking God's face and slowing down my world.  Today is December 1st, and so here is the first thing I'm thankful for. :)

Numero Uno
I am thankful that God loves me infinitely the same Every. Single. Day.  No matter what I do or what I don't do, He loves me!  His love can't be considered in any league like we think of on Earth.  He's the ultimate lover and that brings me comfort.

24 days until Christmas.  What are you thankful for?