In two weeks I will be going on a trip with 14 other people to Europe where a large number of women and children are being trafficked for sex slavery. The team I am going with will be helping with an awareness day in the city, going to rescue centers and researching what our church can do to aid in the fight against modern day slavery. Currently, my church financially supports the organization that we will be working with, but it is our heart to do everything we possibly can to free the captives.
One evening we will be going to the red light district of the city to see the brothels, so I am asking you that during the month of November, every time you pull up to a red light, pray for us. It is a simple reminder for you that the red light districts around the world are growing daily and in November I need your prayers!
Two weeks from today I will be there. It is hard to prepare for this trip. I am very familiar with mission trips, but most of the time when someone returns, I hear them talk of poverty, illness and lack of basic needs. If I was going to a village in Africa I feel like I would know what to expect based on what I have heard from family who has been.
This trip is about witnessing a vile injustice, treating someone like an animal and forcing them into a life of slavery. I have no frame of reference or idea what it will be like to talk someone who has just come out of that situation.
The unknowns of this trip are what scare me the most. I am very excited as I know this will be absolutely life changing, but as it gets closer I am taken back by the gravity of the circumstances I will witness.
A few months ago someone asked me if I was scared to go, and I said "I am more afraid of not doing what God tells me to do." I truly mean that, so when fear tries to rise up, I will be remembering that the best place to be in the world is right where God wants me. And, for two weeks of November that will be on the other side of the world trying to live this verse:
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8
- Katy
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Fully Present
Yesterday morning I was about to do ministry in a small group when my thoughts started drifting to the next meeting I needed to be at, the emails sitting in my inbox and so on. My brain was a good two hours ahead of me!
When I realized that my heart rate was increasing just thinking about my day, I stopped and asked the Lord to help me be fully present in where I actually was (not all the places I could have been). It would have been all too easy to think about the items on my to do list while in the group instead of fully engaging in what God was going to do.
This train of thought lead me to wonder how often we are not fully present because half of our present is in the future. Am I only partly in the season I am in now because I am worrying about what may be ahead?
I realized that in order for me to be fully present in my own life I have to work at it. You would think it would come naturally to be completely engaged in your own life, but really many of us are so concerned about the next step that we are missing the places we are passing by now.
I don't know about you, but I want to BE where I am. Not DO where I am, BE. See the difference?
I will be praying this from now on whenever my mind takes a step too soon:
Lord, please help me live my life on purpose. Fully present, fully engaged and not distracted by my own thoughts and agenda. Oh, and when I am "falling asleep at the wheel" you have full permission to awaken my soul!
- Katy
When I realized that my heart rate was increasing just thinking about my day, I stopped and asked the Lord to help me be fully present in where I actually was (not all the places I could have been). It would have been all too easy to think about the items on my to do list while in the group instead of fully engaging in what God was going to do.
This train of thought lead me to wonder how often we are not fully present because half of our present is in the future. Am I only partly in the season I am in now because I am worrying about what may be ahead?
I realized that in order for me to be fully present in my own life I have to work at it. You would think it would come naturally to be completely engaged in your own life, but really many of us are so concerned about the next step that we are missing the places we are passing by now.
I don't know about you, but I want to BE where I am. Not DO where I am, BE. See the difference?
I will be praying this from now on whenever my mind takes a step too soon:
Lord, please help me live my life on purpose. Fully present, fully engaged and not distracted by my own thoughts and agenda. Oh, and when I am "falling asleep at the wheel" you have full permission to awaken my soul!
- Katy
Friday, October 15, 2010
Life for the Weary
I had the privilege of giving a prophetic word at a ministry night for women last night. Prophetic words are simply something that God tells you for to you share with someone else to encourage, edify and comfort them. (1 Corinthians 14:3)
As we were worshipping, I felt God wanted to breath new life into the weary places of the women there (and now the blogging world).
Everyone has places in their heart that is weary. Some from a healing that they need, financial difficulty, a broken marriage or weary from just being tired for a long time. You may be reading this and a specific area has come to your mind. Then allow me to speak this scripture over you:
Genesis 2:7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The amazing, all sufficient, over the top, joyful, peaceful, healing, all powerful breath of life is in you. AND in every weary place.
- Katy
As we were worshipping, I felt God wanted to breath new life into the weary places of the women there (and now the blogging world).
Everyone has places in their heart that is weary. Some from a healing that they need, financial difficulty, a broken marriage or weary from just being tired for a long time. You may be reading this and a specific area has come to your mind. Then allow me to speak this scripture over you:
Genesis 2:7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The amazing, all sufficient, over the top, joyful, peaceful, healing, all powerful breath of life is in you. AND in every weary place.
- Katy
Monday, October 4, 2010
Caution: Construction Zone
I'm doing some processing.
Today I was thinking about destructive life patterns that sneak their nasty way into the back door of our lives, nest there until we can't even recognize them anymore, and cause us to think they are just part of who we are. I admit, that was kind of an intense sentence, but that is really what happens.
I was talking with a friend just this morning who told me to keep her accountable in the area of gossip. Now that is wisdom! Recognizing that you have something that needs correcting and asking a trusted person in your life to help you retrain your mind and tongue.
I want to be the kind of person that can receive the truth in love, and give the truth in love.
Wearing a mask so not to see your flaws is surrendering to a problem that you were not created to walk in. It is learning to live with your wrongful behavior, thinking "that's just who I am".
RED FLAG! That is not who you are! And when someone says "that's just who you are", graciously say that they are wrong and to not label you with ungodly character ever again.
Anywho :) I'm just taking some time tonight to ask the Holy Spirit to tell me what I am currently doing that is setting destructive patterns in my life. Whether it is having a judgmental attitude, gossiping, being quick to frustration or maybe choosing to be negative (yes, I said choosing because it is a choice) I want to be a work in progress kind of person.
Lord, please allow my heart to be a construction zone for the rest of my life.
- Katy
Today I was thinking about destructive life patterns that sneak their nasty way into the back door of our lives, nest there until we can't even recognize them anymore, and cause us to think they are just part of who we are. I admit, that was kind of an intense sentence, but that is really what happens.
I was talking with a friend just this morning who told me to keep her accountable in the area of gossip. Now that is wisdom! Recognizing that you have something that needs correcting and asking a trusted person in your life to help you retrain your mind and tongue.
I want to be the kind of person that can receive the truth in love, and give the truth in love.
Wearing a mask so not to see your flaws is surrendering to a problem that you were not created to walk in. It is learning to live with your wrongful behavior, thinking "that's just who I am".
RED FLAG! That is not who you are! And when someone says "that's just who you are", graciously say that they are wrong and to not label you with ungodly character ever again.
Anywho :) I'm just taking some time tonight to ask the Holy Spirit to tell me what I am currently doing that is setting destructive patterns in my life. Whether it is having a judgmental attitude, gossiping, being quick to frustration or maybe choosing to be negative (yes, I said choosing because it is a choice) I want to be a work in progress kind of person.
Lord, please allow my heart to be a construction zone for the rest of my life.
- Katy
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Love is a Battlefield
Imagine you are a 23 year old dancer with a little girl to take care of and the only dependable people in your life are your best friend and your brother's baby's mama. (I'm new at the baby mama slang)
So when I come in your strip club dressing room, introduce myself and give you a pedicure, you would be a shocked too when I refused to take payment or a tip.
Well, this dancer wasn't just shocked, she turned her head away and said "I'm gonna cry."
I'm sitting on the floor thinking, its just a pedicure? But what Kyle helped me realize later is, it wasn't that she didn't know how to accept a gift, she didn't know how to accept love.
In her world, love is a battlefield. You use people, they use you and you move on. Its is a painful gamble and it is easier to numb yourself and get used to it than remain open hearted.
In my world love is everywhere, my friendships, family, marriage, etc. So how do I bridge her life and mine? I don't know, but I'm trusting God to figure that out.
- Katy
So when I come in your strip club dressing room, introduce myself and give you a pedicure, you would be a shocked too when I refused to take payment or a tip.
Well, this dancer wasn't just shocked, she turned her head away and said "I'm gonna cry."
I'm sitting on the floor thinking, its just a pedicure? But what Kyle helped me realize later is, it wasn't that she didn't know how to accept a gift, she didn't know how to accept love.
In her world, love is a battlefield. You use people, they use you and you move on. Its is a painful gamble and it is easier to numb yourself and get used to it than remain open hearted.
In my world love is everywhere, my friendships, family, marriage, etc. So how do I bridge her life and mine? I don't know, but I'm trusting God to figure that out.
- Katy
Thursday, September 30, 2010
My Little God Box
In the Bible God clearly tells the Israelites not to build idols to worship. What I never realized before was God was including idols of himself.
Many "gods" require statues to be built of themselves to be worshiped. What is different about the one true God is He doesn't want a man made picture of himself worshiped, He wants the unknown worshiped also.
When we think we understand God and who He is, we get a "picture" of Him in our minds. What we have to understand that the picture we have is not God. It is our idea of who He is.
Are you following me? It seems like details but it is actually a pretty big deal. When you lift up a picture of God you begin worshiping only what you understand of Him. God will then shake up your image of Him to remind you that He is far far more that you can think or imagine.
To fully worship Him we have to have our understanding of God increasing all the time. If you have put God in a box... well, your life is now in a box.
- Katy
Many "gods" require statues to be built of themselves to be worshiped. What is different about the one true God is He doesn't want a man made picture of himself worshiped, He wants the unknown worshiped also.
When we think we understand God and who He is, we get a "picture" of Him in our minds. What we have to understand that the picture we have is not God. It is our idea of who He is.
Are you following me? It seems like details but it is actually a pretty big deal. When you lift up a picture of God you begin worshiping only what you understand of Him. God will then shake up your image of Him to remind you that He is far far more that you can think or imagine.
To fully worship Him we have to have our understanding of God increasing all the time. If you have put God in a box... well, your life is now in a box.
- Katy
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Who Do You Say That I Am?
I just read this quote from Rick Warren: "What you become on earth matters far more than what you do. You're taking your character to heaven, not your career."
Hmmm. So what if you make serving the Kingdom your career? Does it still apply? In my opinion, YES.
Jesus said to love others as yourself. To me this means, first learn how to properly love yourself, second you will naturally love others.
When we try to be world changers out of a broken place we are not helping anyone. Hurt people hurt people, even if you are doing something noble. You may disagree with me (which is perfectly ok), but until you have a complete revelation that Jesus died for specifically you, you cannot fully see how Jesus died specifically for someone else.
I have know my entire life that Jesus died for the world because He loves us that much. But it wasn't until I grasped that He would have done the same thing had it just been me, that I could fully see other people's value.
Once we allow that kind of love to overwhelm us, we can be overwhelmed with compassion for others. Not sympathy. Compassion.
I believe to properly love myself is to ask God "Who do you say that I am?" and then believe Him and adjust my thinking to align with His perspective. Then I can view the world and others through His eyes and not through a filter that is based on my experiences.
My hope is that you will take time to consider how well you love yourself before trying to give out what you do not have. A changed perspective and acceptance of your true identity is the first step to loving others as yourself.
- Katy
Hmmm. So what if you make serving the Kingdom your career? Does it still apply? In my opinion, YES.
Jesus said to love others as yourself. To me this means, first learn how to properly love yourself, second you will naturally love others.
When we try to be world changers out of a broken place we are not helping anyone. Hurt people hurt people, even if you are doing something noble. You may disagree with me (which is perfectly ok), but until you have a complete revelation that Jesus died for specifically you, you cannot fully see how Jesus died specifically for someone else.
I have know my entire life that Jesus died for the world because He loves us that much. But it wasn't until I grasped that He would have done the same thing had it just been me, that I could fully see other people's value.
Once we allow that kind of love to overwhelm us, we can be overwhelmed with compassion for others. Not sympathy. Compassion.
I believe to properly love myself is to ask God "Who do you say that I am?" and then believe Him and adjust my thinking to align with His perspective. Then I can view the world and others through His eyes and not through a filter that is based on my experiences.
My hope is that you will take time to consider how well you love yourself before trying to give out what you do not have. A changed perspective and acceptance of your true identity is the first step to loving others as yourself.
- Katy
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