A Katie's-Eye View

The World the Way I See It

Archive for category God

Blessings

Feb 9

Posted by Katie in God, dream, honesty, life, love, mission, truth, world | 1 Comment

Sometimes, I feel like life is a real challenge. Then I remember how blessed I am. Even on the days where I’m sick and have to go to the doctor for the third time in two weeks, I realize that I have it so. good. There are people right now in Dallas who only wish they could go to the doctor for their sicknesses. That’s just in Dallas. There are people all over the world who have never been to see the doctor. Who have never imagined the day that they will be healthy. I am blessed.

There are days when I have to take a test after feeling like I’ve learned very little on the subject. On those days, I try to remember that I am getting a college education while there are little girls around the world who would cry tears of joy at being told they are allowed to go to school for the first time in their lives. I am blessed.

There are days when I feel like I don’t want to get up and go to work, when all I want to do is stay at home and read. I am so blessed to have a job I like, much more so to have a job at all.

On days when wedding planning overwhelms me, I realize that I am blessed in getting to have a wedding where I not only know the groom, I love him and he loves me. Many women around the world are denied this pleasure. I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

I do not claim to know why I am blessed with all of these things and why others are suffering daily, but I do know that I want to help them. Where women, girls, men and boys are denied these blessings, I want to be the one God uses to help them. I know that God created me for this reason–to share his love and blessings with those around me and those across the globe. I can’t save the world, I know. But I can most definitely try to make one little difference. That is my goal. Make a difference.

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Considering Lilies

Dec 13

Posted by Katie in God, truth | 3 Comments

Finals are this week. Another semester is over, practically before it started, it seems. I cannot believe that next semester is my last full semester. After that, it’s one summer semester, and then…real life. :) / :(

I seriously go between feeling super excited about the future (I’m getting married in 300 days!!!!!) to kinda worried (what will life be like after school? What will I do? Where will I live?). It’s been a semester full of rollercoastering (it’s a word(now)) emotions. I’ve had some of the happiest moments in my life to date, but then again, I’ve had some moments where I felt like the only thing I could be sure about after I graduate is that I’m getting married. And that’s all. Really, I’m getting worried about my future about one year in advance. Lame? Yes. Unnecessary? Yes.

Although I’m anxious to know what the future holds after I graduate next August, when I really sit back and think about it, I’m not worried at all! I’ve got the best insurance in the world in God, and I’ll be starting the best chapter of my life thus far. I have nothing to worry about. Not where I’ll live, not what I’ll eat, not what I’ll wear. Jesus says:

“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” Luke 12:27-31, NASB

So whenever I start to think about the way that I have never before stepped into such an unknown, I’ll consider the lilies.

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The Final Countdown

Jul 20

Posted by Katie in God, South Korea, awesome, learning, teaching, update, world | 2 Comments

So, in two days I will be headed to Suwon, South Korea. I’ll be there for 3.5 weeks, teaching English, leading VBS and learning a ton about Korean culture. The last time I went to Korea (last fall break), I learned a lot in only a week. The increase from this experience should be astronomical!

Our game plan has changed somewhat over the past few months, but as of today, it looks like we will be flying out of DFW at 10:10 Wednesday and landing in Tokyo around 1:05 on Thursday. The flight lasts 13 hours! Then we have about a six hour layover in Japan, and we will head to Seoul, where we will arive two or three (I can’t remember) hours later. From Incheon International Airport, we will have about an hour-two hour drive to Suwon, my home for the next month.

I am definitely excited, but I feel so unprepared/overwhelmed when I think about it. I have never been so far away for so long, which is exciting, but still challenging at the same time. I know I will miss my family and friends, and Mark, and American food, but I have my team, new places to see, new foods to try and, of course, God. :) I will be just fine, I think.

One thing that does have me slightly on edge is the fact that we might be staying in host homes, maybe even by ourselves. on the one hand, this is a really great, once in a lifetime, worldview shaping event that will be the best way to experience Korea. On the other hand, I do not know Korean, am kinda creeped out by several Korean foods, and a little worried that I may end up offending some nice people due to my lack of cultural knowledge. I think the pluses are undeniably better than the minuses are bad, but still, I am tad worried. :)

I don’t know how much internet time I’ll be able to snag, but I’ll do my best to keep you updated on everything.

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What’ve you been doing lately?

Mar 10

Posted by Katie in God, South Korea, awesome, learning, teaching | 1 Comment

Lately, I haven’t had the urge to blog, which is kind of strange. I guess it’s been because nothing really exciting has happened. At least, nothing that can be of any interest to anyone besides me.

A few days ago, though, I got some news that definitely got me excited. I found out that I am going to be going to Korea for a little less than a month this summer to teach English. Whoa. I still can’t believe it. The process was crazy, consisting of me wanting to go on this trip as soon as I found out about it in November, then deciding I didn’t want to go anymore after asking that a couple letters of recommendation get sent in (and not sending in the application), followed by receiving a call like last month asking me to set up a time for an interview (and please, fill out your application), to interviewing twice and then finding out I’m going. To South Korea. To teach. For three weeks. Again, whoa.

I am super excited about the whole shebang, but I am a little scared, too. I mean, what if I mess this up? What if I somehow get lost? What if someone wants me to eat fish intestines again? The thing is, none of these things are viable fears (except the fish guts). God has this totally under control, and I expect to learn a lot about trusting in and depending on him. So I guess you can say I am confident in my fears, because I know that when I am weak, he is strong.

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A Statement Worth Making

Feb 23

Posted by Katie in God, life, love, prayer, truth | 2 Comments

This is my personal statement of what I believe. It is really quite lengthy, and most definitely incomplete. It is, however, the best I can do. Leave me your thoughts if you would like to do so. :)

Let me give you some background. I was not raised in a Christian home. I didn’t start going to church until I was in eighth grade, and even though I accepted Christ in fifth grade, I didn’t know what that really meant until ninth grade. I have since seen many people in my family come to church for the first time or return to church after a long absence in the past several years. I attend Dallas Baptist University, where my faith is strengthened and challenged just about every day. In no way am I a saint, and in many ways, I am a sinner. Without Jesus, I would be nowhere.

My faith is the most important thing in my life. Call me crazy if you want, because I am okay with that. I love Jesus with all my heart because he has done so much for me. Seriously, I don’t want to know where I would be right now and what I would be doing if I didn’t have Jesus to guide me. He is the only one who is always there for me no matter what, the only one whom I can trust entirely, the only one that I can depend on when times are good and when they are bad.

I struggle most days to do what I am supposed to do as a Christian. I mean, I genuinely have a hard time loving my neighbor at times. I have lied, been completely lazy and entirely too eager to skip church to get more sleep. When I see someone in need, I too often turn a blind eye. These things aren’t that bad by the standards of the world, but I know I am made to do better. But no matter what I do, I know that at the end of the day, God is there to love me. Because Jesus died for my sins (yours, too), I can confidently rest in knowing that no matter how many times I screw up, I am loved. Isn’t that amazing?

There are things that I love about going to church. For one, I get the chance to praise my amazing God with other people. There is just something about being surrounded by people who feel the same way you do about God and who want to praise him, too. Another thing I find fascinating is the great support system I have. When I was in my youth group at home, I had lots friends, but I wasn’t really involved, and didn’t form many deep bonds. A few, but not many. There are people that I know will be a part of the rest of my life, though, and I am so thankful for them. Now, I’m considered a “college kid”/ adult, and I have a lot of good relationships with really godly adults who can teach me a lot about life and Christ through their example. Having them to turn to when I need to makes a world of difference in my life.

The Bible is way cool. No bones about it, I really look forward to seeing what God has to say. I try to read a chapter every night of whatever book I’m working my way through, and to be honest, I can go nights and nights without any big revalations. But sometimes, just when I need something, God gives it to me. Example? Okay, glad you asked. The night before I go to Korea for a week, I ask God to give me something to hold on to while I’m there. I’m reading Isaiah, and he gives me a verse in chapter 56 that says “my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” One of the most important things I learned/experienced on that trip was that God moves in such big ways across cultures nothing like ours. Another example for you is this: I was discouraged about how a ministry I am involved wasn’t exactly going the way I wanted it to, and I felt like it was never going to get better. God’s answer? 2 Corinthians 4:1. “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” I’m telling you, God speaks through the Bible.

Another important thing is prayer. I will be the first to admit that I am not very good at praying solemn prayers. My mind tends to wander and I just find myself thinking of what I need to do next week, and wondering if I can learn how to make enchiladas. Instead, I prefer to just talk to God. Tell him what I’m thinking and feeling, ask him things, just omment in general. He doesn’t really talk back, so it’s not really a conversation so much as a verbalized (in my head) letter. I really feel close to God during these times. Especially in the mornings walking to class when I can see his wonderful creation all around me. Nature is a big connecter between God and myself. Listening to birds singing or a flowing river, seeing a beautiful flower or sunset, I am so at peace.

Sure there are some things that I definitely have a hard time with when it comes to politics. It is so very difficult to know where to draw the line at what I believe is right and should be made law and what I believe is morally wrong, but can find no legal basis for denying. I am against abortion unless the mother will die, or in cases of rape and incest. I do not believe that a woman has the right to chose. However, while I personally do not support gay marriage and would not vote for it, I cannot vote against it, either. I think that it is a desicion that is best left up to the states. I definitely subscribe to the view that we can hate the sin (as we should hate all sin), but we must love the sinner. As long as we remember that no person is better than another person, we’re on the right track.

I don’t want to shove my personal views down anyone’s throat. After all, you have a right to believe what you wish. My objective, then, is to be able to present to everyone (with love) my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the only one who saves. I may argue my views with you in a civilized way if we don’t agree, and you can argue yours with me. All I want to to is tell the world about Jesus. It is entirely up to the world how they take the news and what they do with it. I think this is fair.

I strive to live my life for Christ, to fulfil the plan that I know God has for me. Knowing what I know, how can I do less?

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Round Two

Feb 2

Posted by Katie in Creativity, God, fun, language, learning, mission, refugee ministry, teaching | 3 Comments

Last time I told you about the beginnings of Ariel and I’s encounter with the Bhutanese refugee ministry that we joined. This time, let me take you in a little deeper…

On Thursday night, Ariel and I went to Target to get some things for the kids we would be teaching. We went through aisle after aisle finding things we thought would be useful to us. We got some cute stickers to pass out, some brand new crayons, paper to draw on, highlighters for prizes, neat pens, Play-Doh, and more. we also got a cool box to put it all in. We’re quite professional, Ariel and I.

When we got home, Ariel began to work on our lesson plan (she is an expert there, after all). we decided to teach about Jesus feeding the 5,000 people with only two fish, five loaves of bread and a major miracle. She created a whole curriculum, including a lesson, questions and appropriate craft. We definitely felt prepared.

Saturday arrives and we pack up our box, our Bibles and our lessons and head of north Dallas. We missed a turn on the way up, so after about a ten minute detour, we got there a few minutes late (but there really is no late here!). We sang some songs with the families all together (one song in Nepali that we knew the chorus to (no idea what we’re saying, though), a couple of songs where all we could do was clap, and a song in English that the missionaries taught the refugees). Now was the time. We took our three children into a separate room and began teaching them. Things didn’t really go as planned, though, because they had already heard our story on TV! We quizzed them on it and then started coloring, allowing them to teach us!  Ariel and I began to ask them how to say different words and phrases in Nepali, ensuring their continual amusement as two white girls tried desperately to wrap their tongues around polysyllabic words in a language where cloud and monkey apparently are said in almost the exact same way. What an adventure! I do remember how to say “black,” and we are definitely going to study some words before we go back so that we can impress them! Haha! we definitely had a wonderful afternoon with the kids. In the end,  few more boys came, giving us a total of five silly boys and a wonderful girl (as well as a very amused mother who sat in, too!) ranging in age from six to fourteen. We were promised that more children would come next time, so we are looking forward to that challenge.

Next weekend, Ariel will be attending a cool conference, so it will be Mark and I attempting to cross cultures and share Jesus with some new found friends. I love this job. :)

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Meeting Bhutan

Jan 25

Posted by Katie in God, learning, refugee ministry, teaching, world | 2 Comments

I have always loved meeting people from other countries and getting to share in their cultures (see many posts here for more details). I recently got a chance to become involved in refugee ministry here in Dallas. Yesterday, my roommate Ariel and I went to house church with some people who minister to Bhutanese refugees. It was an amazing experience that I will always remember.

We arrived after the apartment full of people had already begun singing in Nepali. Talk about being thrown into the culture! The language is complex and beautiful, and I really enjoyed listening to it. It was interesting, though, when they requested that Ariel and the missionaries and I had to sing a couple of songs. Talk about stepping out of my comfort zone! Hearing new believers talking about how they wanted to give their lives and trust to God was amazing as well. They have been through a lot, from being kicked out of Bhutan for speaking the wrong language (Nepali) and being the wrong religion (Hindu) to being relocated to Dallas, so it is amazing that they have decided to become Christians and begun following God with a great desire.

Next week, Ariel and I are going to start a children’s ministry so that the eleven or so kids can get something out of it as well. I’m looking forward to watching that develop into something great! I know it will be difficult, but the reward will be greater than I can imagine. We are definitely going to need God’s help, though! Oh, and prayers would be greatly appreciated!

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Beauty at DBU

Dec 23

Posted by Katie in God, Photography, clouds, sunset, weather | No Comments

 
I took this picture at sunset earlier this month at DBU. I think that it is really beautiful! I love how God creates such beautiful sunrises and sunsets for us to enjoy. No matter where you are in the world, you can see them and enjoy them.
This is from a storm at DBU. I really like the way the clouds sort of roll together. They brought a huge rainstorm!

Love

Nov 26

Posted by Katie in God, love | 2 Comments

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is such a huge topic, but I have wanted to do a post on it for a couple of days now. It seems like love has been in the air lately. My friends Brad and Rachel just got engaged on Monday, and it is so wonderful to see their love for each other. Have you ever seen a couple who you can just tell that they are going to make it? They are one of those. When they are together, you see how happy they are and it makes you happy. :) They have such a good relationship with each other, but it is clear that they both love God with all their hearts. That is really the key to their relationship.

Another example of love is brought up by Tia from one of my favorite blogs. She talks about how in a good relationship, it is the little things that mean so much. I have to agree that heartfelt gestures that are really nothing are really everything. Tia is married to a man who knows this, and as she says, “Little things. Big difference.” Speaking of the little things, Mark got me roses for no reason at all this week. They are beautiful and remind me how lucky I am to have someone that loves me so much.

Love is something that is so hard to define. Even in 1 Corinthians, Paul doesn’t tell us what love is, but tells us what it does. I think that by taking a closer look at what love does, we can discover what it is. Love is patient and kind…being patient has never been one of my strong suits, especially when it comes to other people. I tend to think that my way is the best way, and have little patience for people who don’t want to do things the best way. Clearly this is a problem that can only be solved by love. I don’t struggle too much with kindness. I try to be kind as often as possible, but sometimes I’m not. Usually, these times are surrounded with sarcasm and blatant, tactless honesty. I love being truthful, but my delivery needs work sometimes. And as for sarcasm, it is part of my sense of humor. I try hard not to use it in a mean way. All in all though, I usually have good intentions, and it really pains me when I do something to disguise that fact.

Love isn’t envious, boastful or prideful. Come on, we are all a little of these things every now and then. I’m pretty sure that everyone has been envious of someone, and I know that boasts and pride are a part of life that we all deal with. No exceptions here.

It is not rude, self-seeking or easily angered. This area is one that I struggle with as well. Sometimes I get pretty angry with Mark, and this verse really helps me to put things into perspective. I love him, I think to myself, so I should not be so easily angered by him. When I think about this, I usually calm down fairly quickly. The part where love keeps no record of wrongs is not helpful in an argument. Basically, it gives you no past you can use in a battle when all you need are a few good examples to prove your point. Sometimes I bring things up just for this purpose, but I try had to keep from doing this. After all, it isn’t loving.

Love rejoices in the truth. A pretty clear statement, I think. If you suspect that there is something wrong between you and your loved one, ask. Mark is really great about this. If he thinks there is something wrong between us, he finds out what it is. Sure this makes me being angry about little useless things and keeping to myself so that he won’t think I’m crazy pretty difficult, but several issues have been resolved thanks to his application of this verse.

Love protects, hopes, trusts and perseveres. This part of the verse is so important. In a relationship, all these things are key. You need to be there to protect one another, you can’t let go of hope and trust, or your relationship will be full of secrets. And perseverance is so important. When things are tough, don’t just give up. Keep fighting through.

The last part of this section basically says that love, to quote Brad Paisley, “is never-ending.” Even though all of man’s achievements will fade away, love is perfect and will never do so. Why is this? Because God so loved the world. God is the driving force behind true love. Without him, there would be no love. Sure, there would be plenty of lust, plenty of relationships where people thought they were in love, but there would be no perfect love.

So what is love? Well, my best guess is that love is doing what you don’t always feel like doing because it is the right thing to do. Love is putting yourself second so that you can put someone else first. Love is, as the saying goes, a commitment, not a feeling. We love others because they are important to us. We value them and treasure them above everything else that we have. In this same way God loves us. How cool is that?

Honestly

Nov 5

Posted by Katie in God, prayer, truth | 1 Comment

Warning: This post will be an honest one, and may offend some people. If you would rather not feel offended because you can’t handle it, feel free to tune in next time.

Okay, I’ve had it. I am sick and tired of all the Facebook statuses that now say something to the effect of “Obama is not my president,” and “I hate Obama, he is a Socialist who will ruin America,” and “Obama is the Antichrist.”

As a student at DBU, it doesn’t surprise me that people have, in the past week, begun praying intensely for God’s will to be done with regard to the election and the direction in which our country is headed. I not only support this, I encourage it wholeheartedly. We should pray for our leaders and our nation every single day.

However, I vehemently disagree with those who have proudly proclaimed to be praying for the will of God in this election and who are now complaining at its outcome. To me, this is evidence of a very serious lack of faith in God’s ability to correctly decide just who it is he would have lead us for the next four years.

How can you honestly claim to have desired God’s will when, as you see the results of the election, you assume that his will hasn’t been done? 1 John 5:14-15 states that “this is the confidence we have in approaching God:that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.” That is pretty clear to me. What Christian can honestly say that after all of the honest and fervent praying for God’s will to be done through this election, God’s will hasn’t been done. He has heard us, and “we have what we have asked of him.”

Therefore, let us continue to ask for God’s will and guidance in the affairs of our nation. Let us pray for the man who was elected president tonight in accordance with our requests for God’s will to be done in this election. Let us be a people of true faith who do not balk when we discover that God’s will and our will are not always perfectly aligned.