FOCUS CONFERENCE!

Holy cow. i don't even know how to begin to explain this week except for the fact that if anyone out there does not believe in God, or has doubts...please find your way to this conference next time we have one. being surrounded by thousands of people your age...wanting, desiring, thirsting for the same thing you are. for God, for His love, His word, His entire being.

How beautiful is that?! How stinking incredible?!

I have been so blessed with this trip. God has given me more than I could have hoped for. I have learned so much more about Him, and the more I learn, the more I want to learn. I feel like this week has shown me that the most beautiful type of love is sacrificial love. and how fitting? seeing as God sacrificed His ONLY son, for us -- for our sins.

Jesus took on all that suffering. for us! so when we are asked to do the same, when we are given challenges in life, when we are asked to give of ourselves when we do not want to...those are the moments when we need to pick up our cross and walk. because it is the most beautiful kind of love out there. when we can physically give up ourselves for the well-being of another. i feel so blessed. God was so present at this Conference....He was working through and in the hearts of so many, and I know they are forever changed. I love being a witness to this, seeing hearts and minds and most importantly SOULS change right before my eyes?!

this was so much more than a conference to me....i'm just still amazed and in awe of God's constant presence and work in the lives of everyone around me.

the theme of this Conference was "made for more" -- and what a necessary reminder for college students?! i know i for one get so discouraged, so let down, so defeated. there are constant outlets in our society today that tell us we are not good enough. we need to do this better, or change who we are to get what we want. but that is not true. God created us for GREATNESS. and as long as we stay on the path He has provided for us, we will achieve that greatness. no matter how far we think we are, no matter where we are, God is bigger than it all. He is bigger than anything we can imagine. even if you think that you are not worthy of His love (which none of us really are) -God loves us anyway- no sin is too big in His eyes.

Just think, if God stopped thinking about us for ONE SECOND we'd cease to exist. why do we worry about anything when our lives our in such huge, gentle, loving, hands? we have nothing to fear. nothing to worry about.

I feel so thankful for this week. I feel so thankful for God, for the missionaries, for the students that said yes to this week, and for everyone who made it possible for me to get to Florida for this life-changing experience.

ALSO!!! Super exciting: i finally got to meet up with EMILY! from show me Your way i was so excited for us to meet IRL! she is such a beautiful sister in Christ, and I am so excited to see all the work that God does through her and in her. i can already see it happening. she's such a sweetheart! :) Emily - we definitely need to visit each other sooooooon!

"I have come that they might have life; and that they might have it to the FULLEST."
-John 10:10

i just want to go tell the world about everything i learned this week. :)

CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas everyone! May your days be blessed and your hearts be filled with love & joy as we celebrate the birth of our wonderful King! :)

i'm about to head to mass...wayyyy early, because i feel like it's going to be packed - and i really want to be in the actual church, not some auditorium. haha that doesn't exactly sound like fun to me. what's the point of being with Jesus if you have to watch him on a big screen, rather than up close and personal! :) i prefer up close & personal thank you very much. i really wanted to go to midnight mass, but as much as i want to... i KNOW i'm going to be way too tired. i'm like an old lady!

i hope that you all enjoy your day no matter what you are doing!

MERRRRRRY CHRISTMASSSSSSS!

so tired!

oooof! break is so tiring! hah! i just have so much i want to do, so many people i want to see...and just not enough time. it's a blessing really. however, i just want so badly to be able to see all the people i want to see and who want to see me.

which leads me to another realization i had. the Lord wants us to have peace in our lives, and yes we are supposed to love everyone, and be there for others - while being Christ to them at the same time. and i think at times i confuse that for 'i need to be there for everyone at every moment.' which gets VERY tiring. emotionally and physically. and let's be honest, it's just not possible, let alone healthy. i am learning to not spread myself too thin.

peace is not always easy to acquire in the busy day-to-day moments, but we have to look at our days, and see what we can place in them to give us joy. and to rejuvenate us. i'm learning it's okay to not always want to be with everyone all the time. that doesn't make me anti-social. it's just me learning to place God first and to do what will be most pleasing to Him. and sometimes what is pleasing to Him surprises me. i feel that yes of course He finds joy when i pray, and go to mass, etc. but He also finds joy when i take an hour or so out of my schedule to just relax in my pajamas while drinking hot chocolate. sounds silly, right? but if that's what will bring me the most joy & peace in that moment - it will in turn bring Him joy too.

i guess it's just something i've been thinking about because sometimes i have a hard time saying 'no' to fun plans, even though i'm tired and really would just enjoy an evening in. :) it's a good lesson to learn!

---- on another note

my friend and i went to the mall today and HOLY COW. it was so stinking packed. i couldn't handle it! i was completely overwhelmed, and knocked over a couple of times i think. so we quickly bought what we needed to and peaced out haha. the mall is notttt a very relaxing place during the holidays!

Also, my favorite day of the whoooooooole year is THURSDAYYYYYYYYYYY! WOOHOO!! any fun Christmas plans?!

Good news!

it's winter break, i raised the money for Conference almost completely (God is SOO good and people are so stinking giving, it touches my heart in so many ways), i've met some new, amazing, God-loving girls to pray with, and i just got back from mass with my disciple...and am now sitting, watching tv & eating puppy chow with my dog. :)

Does anyone know anywhere i can get a cute, business casual dress...for not too expensive? or perhaps even a cute skirt?

yes i know this is a short post. but really i just have nothing else to say right now! i'm so tired! i think i got about 4 hours of sleep last night...i'm having such a difficult time sleeping lately. :(

It's ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

Finals are OVER!

oh my gosh! i am freeee from first semester junior year! today i had my last final, and i feel pretty great. except now it is somewhat of a nasty night, so i have locked myself in my apartment for the evening! today as i was walking to my final -- the wind knocked me over.

and i'm talking completely - wiped out - knocked me over. it was really humiliating to say the least! and then i went to my car and my doors were frozen shut. hahaha thank goodness our "mr. fix-it" at newman, came to help me yank my car doors open!! man oh man. God was totally telling me to stay inside tonight. haha so that is exactly what i did.

speaking of God...He is so funny, and so good. so you all have heard me mention FOCUS conference quite a bit, right?! well, i am having a really hard time coming up with the money to go. I registered, even though i couldn't afford it because you don't understand how much i LOVE conference. and for that matter how much i LOVE FOCUS. it's like my heart has been pre-made to love God, my family(+ chip), my friends, & FOCUS. haha, sounds sort of intense, but it's completely true. so i thought, i would figure out a way no matter what. well...now conference is a little less than a month away - and i haven't exactly figured out a way yet.

i've been getting somewhat discouraged...because i don't like asking people for money. it's just not in me to really ask for much of anything. but, lately random bits of money have been making their way to me. a ten here and there. a twenty. so on, and so forth. granted i still have a lott of money to raise for conference. but it's just very encouraging. God is showing me that He is finding a way for me to get there...little, by little and through the enormous generosity of people i know and people i don't know. the other day i found a twenty in my purse with a note that said, "use this for conference. love, kris kringle" like seriously?! people are so beautiful. they are so willing to give, and so willing to help. and i appreciate it way more than i could ever express. especially since i do not know who gave that to me. now i would be lying if i said i'm not a little nervous about raising the rest. -- but i'm trying SO hard to trust. haha...easier said than done. it's something i really struggle with. but i'm trying. really, really hard.

i'd just really like to stop worrying about this, any ideas for raising.... umm, about $350.00 by december 29th? ;) i'm open for any and all suggestions!!! i should have thought harder about this way sooner. it's totally OKAY to ask for help. i need to remember that every now and then. :)

The joys of finals week..

since it is finals week...i have come to a few conclusions.

1) i can eat whatever i want and not feel disgusting. for instance: fudge covered oreos + chocolate covered donuts? definitely a good side dish to my dinner of (orange roughy, texas toast, & corn).

2) naps are a must! i can nap as long as i want whenever i want. so if i decided to go take a quick cat nap right now at 6:15 in the evening, that would be okay.

3) i am allowed to complain and to feel sorry for myself for this week!!

4) sitting in the chapel and laughing hysterically from feeling delirious is totally acceptable. God will understand.

5) random dance parties should probably happen every 23 minutes. yes, 23.

6) seeing the people that keep me sane as much as possible is okay, even if i have work to do. if i'm not sane i can't study...and if i can't study i can't pass junior year.

7) tea is my new best friend!

8) showering is not absolutely necessary.

9) taking time to do fun, random & ridiculous things should be a regular occurrence. :)

10) basically anything goes this week. because it is finals week of junior year. and therefore, we are allowed to do whatever we want. whenever we want.

off to go eat more donuts! :)

soo i am finally going to blog.

i am such a slacker with this poor blog of mine! i barely take time anymore to write, and i really do enjoy writing- and reading others blogs...but i just haven't been able to get myself to do it lately.

to be honest, i haven't been able to get myself to do much of anything lately. this week i've just been feeling like i had nothing left to give...i was a car running on empty. there was just nothing there. i felt void in everything i was doing- like i was lacking the extra oomph to make my responsibilities really count. i realized i wasn't doing anything in love. i was just doing.

so then after a semi-freak out in prayer the other night, i realized it's okay to be empty. in prayer i kept feeling so alone, so empty. and so i kept asking mary, "where are you??" and the instant i let myself be, i saw her. i knew she was telling me that she was there. and that was all i needed. then i kept thinking about the nativity, and all of the shepards who came to see the birth of Jesus. my discipler explained to me that i probably was thinking about the shepards because i was like the shepard that day. i had nothing to give, nothing to bring, yet i still came to prayer, i still came to see Jesus. Jesus wants us even when we have nothing - he wants us to bring out nothingness. how beautiful is that? how blessed are we? our Father is SO good. He loves us so much.

then yesterday i had a wonderfully-prayer filled day. it's so funny, because last year at this time -- praying for an hour once or twice a week was difficult for me. holy cow did it seem like a long time to sit in the chapel! and yesterday has just shown me how much i love to pray now. i make it a point to go to the chapel everyday - and because i want to. that is such a strange feeling for me. a strange feeling that i think i could get used to. :)

well, anyways, yesterday i was able to pray. a LOT. it was so wonderful. i was even able to go to a religious community not too far from here and pray with some very holy brothers/monks/priests! it was such an incredible experience. the chapel we were in was so simple, and empty-ish, yet humbling. because it brought me back to the realization that we don't need all of the extra stuff. Jesus is the main attraction there, so we should be content. (Mary was there too of course!) but i could have sat in that chapel for hours. i love it. adored it.

& after i got home, i was sure that i would be far too tired, far too distracted to study. but no! my focus was better than ever. it was as though suddenly 4 extra hours had been added to my day. i got all of my work done, and even had time for some amazing phone conversations with my friends. it's really true that when you spend time with God, he multiples that time abundantly. :)

it was just the filling up i needed, and now i am able to give again.

After all,
"It is better to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

but, when it comes down to it - we all need to realize when we are running on empty and need to receive. because if we don't allow ourselves to receive -- we simply have nothing to give. :)

Happy Friday everyone. :)

oh school, i did not miss you.

i am feeling soooo unmotivated right now, to do much of anything actually. the only motivation i feel is to climb into my nice, comfy bed and curl up for a nap. although, i know if i do this i will never sleep tonight. and i also know that i should be studying right now, and editing papers, and prepping for projects.... but alas, here i am. blogging.

i've started to develop a little obsession with a fabulous place called Medjugorje. :) my heart has felt completely drawn to it ever since this summer, but lately i'm falling more and more in love with it.

http://www.medjugorje.org/

i don't even know how to begin to explain this beautiful place, so if you want more info go to their website :) here are some pictures from there!



it is such a powerful place from what i've heard, and i am definitely going to find a way to get there if it is up to me! :)

so funny story...

last night my friend jen and i decided to go to olive garden for dinner! i was pretty excited (i always am when i don't have to cook, i love cooking but sometimes i am just so lazy!) so we get there and i decide to get my favorite, fettuccine alfredo. literally probably 5 or 10 minutes after we started eating our waiter came over and started packing up our food in to go boxes!

he asked if i was done (which i obviously wasn't) i replied (jokingly) with, "well...i guess i can eat out of the box.." i don't know if he took me seriously or was ignoring the hint of sarcasm in my voice because he packed up my pasta without even thinking twice! then he brought the check and said, "dont feel like you need to rush!" ummm right, after you already packed up our food. sure mister waiter. we won't rush.

it was so awkward! i'm sure he wouldn't have done that to us if we were our parent's age. boo. it was aggravating. oh well, it made for a great lunch today!!

oof, seriously, please pray i findthe motivation to get some work done. :) i should go at least pretend i'm studying. toodles!

oh how i love break!

it feels so good to be home! i can't even tell you how much i'm appreciating the little things like my bed, home cooking, baking with my parents, car rides to anywhere, and any form of procrastinating my work that i can find -- and let me tell you i've found a lot!!

tomorrow though. tomorrow is the day that i make myself do homework. heh... this better really happen.

so this weekend and today were good! friday i just relaxed at home with the fam. saturday i babysat my dog while these guys came to replace our furnace, then did a little shopping, mass, and reunited with some friends from home. we basically sat and talked all night long! it was great. then sunday i woke up early and went shopping once again with my mom - it's a little tradition of ours, waking up early and shopping together! then i came home, took a nap, and went galavanting around our town with my friends. we started off the evening with a gab-fest like usual, then went driving around taking pictures with christmas lights and drinking starbucks! then tooooday. i went to the dr -- blech! but it actually wasn't as horrible as i thought it would be. my mom had to go too. after we went to the dr., we stopped in the little chapel that was at the hospital and guess who i saw! st. therese of lisieux ;) in statue form obviously, but still pretty exciting.

after we left the beautiful little chapel my mom said one of the nicest compliments i've received in awhile.

mom: kate, it's amazing how much you have grown in your faith.
me: what do you mean?
mom: you just have this absolute peace about you that is so refreshing, it makes me so happy to see.

ah, i truly feel that peace lately more than i ever have-- even through the bumps in the road, so i am extremely happy that God is allowing me to radiate it as well! what a gift. i hope it sticks around for awhile. ;)

after that we grabbed lunch, i took another nap (bahaha did i mention i love being home??) then did a litttttle homework. then my fam and i watched dancing with the stars! i'm so tired so i think i'm heading to bed early tonight. i have these great new christmas books to read!

i love christmas! but i love thanksgiving, too. i'm so thankful to be home and to be enjoying my time with my family. my dad and i are going to try to cook some corn souflee this year. i'm sort of in love with it lately.

my brother comes home wednesday! i haven't seen him since august, holy cow!! he better be excited to see his fave (only) little sister. speaking of wednesday, my mom and i are having a "mother-daughter day" not sure what we're doing yet but i am excited!...i'm assuming shopping & food will be the main factors of the day.

did i mention i have the cutest dog in the world??

and did i mention i looooove being home??

;)

I AM HOME!

it's thanksgiving break! praise the lord that i survived till now. hahaha, sounds dramatic, but i've just been so overwhelmed with work! i still have a ton to do over break...but, the fact that i'm home for a week makes up for it.

i want to update, but, i'm just too lazy to be very creative right now -- so here's a little survey i stole from katie over at Loves of Life

1. What is your current obsession?
mmm.. let's see.. pearls! i've always loved them, but recently i've taken that love to a new extreme. also donuts. yes, donuts. oh and any fun scarf! :)

2. What are you wearing today?
a grey tank top and a light pink sweatshirt, skinny jeans and black boots.

3. What's for dinner?
well, i was absolutely craving wendy's! so i had that. a burger, chicken nuggets, and a baked potato. :)

4. What's the last thing you bought?
well, dinner. but... aside from that a smoothie yesterday!

5. What are you listening to right now?
my parents talk, and the tv...sort of.

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
well, i didn't get tagged. i stole it. haha - but! i just love reading katie's blog! - she has great stories about teaching, her little bundle of joy that's on the way, and just life in general!

7. If i could have a house, totally paid for, fully furnished, anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
i definitely think in the south - like north carolina, tennessee or georgia. i've always had a desire to live there. :)

8. what are your must-have pieces for the summer?
flip flops and skirts! :)

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you like to go?
i'm content just where i am!

10. Which language do you want to learn?
gee, i don't know... i'd love to be fluent in every language. i know a little of sign language though and would like to know more.

11. What's your favorite quote?
i love every quote. i'm a huge quote fan. but... i think one of my faves lately is:
"I know God will not give me anything I cannot handle, but sometimes I wish He didn't trust me so much."
-Mother Theresa

12. Who do you want to meet right now?
ummmmmmmm, i don't know actually.

13. What is your favorite color?
pink!

14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
this lace shirt i have - it makes me feel like a bride! ;)

15. What is your dream job?
being a FOCUS missionary. :)

16. What's your favorite magazine?
mehh i don't read magazines much anymore.

17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
i would put it towards conference!

18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
mehh.. people are entitled to their own fashion choices, but, anything completely in-modest is a big frown in my book!

19.Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon?
errr i honestly don't have the slightest idea.

20. What kind of haircut do you prefer?
well, since i have curly hair - long hair! but if i had straight hair i think i'd want a cute little cut. not sure. :)

21. What are you going to do after this?
maybe get together with some friends! or bake cookies. or both?

22. What are your favorite movies?
I have sooooooooo many.

23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without?
hmm, mascara, blush, eye-shadow?? idkkk.

24. What inspires you?
my faith. my family. my friends. :)

25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you?
haha i really don't know. you can pull off any style if you love the person working the style! baha so cheesy, but so true.

26. What do you do when you have nothing to wear? (even though your closet is packed)
try-on tons of outfits till i create something new!

27. Coffee or tea?
i'm not a huge fan of either! hot chocolate all the way!

28. What do you do when you are feeling terribly low or depressed?
pray. go shopping. talk to my friends. cry. eat.

29. What is the meaning of your name?
Kathryn means pure one

30. Which other blogs do you enjoy visiting?
hmm, i'm bad about reading too many blogs - but basically any that i can relate to!

31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
hahahaha try EVERYTHING. i have such a sweet tooth. but probably cookies. :)

32. Favorite season?
mm, i love them all, lately i've been loving Fall. but there is something special about each season!

33. If i come to your house now, what would you cook for me?
uhhh, haha, as long as i have a recipe i could probable manage...but i'd prefer to bake for you. :) maybe i'd make fish.

34. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
love them. it's all we can do. maybe they need the love more than we realize. and if it is really hurting us, confront the person and talk it out.

35. How do you calm yourself down when you are agitated or angry?
definitely talking to my friends! they are so good at listening to me. :) i give them credit for putting up with me sometimes. haha

36. Who is the modern ideal girl: the one who knows how to shop, dress, and enjoy, or the one who is simple but manages the house, kids, and herself well?
i think the modern ideal girl is everything now adays. shes all of this and more. :)

alright, well that's all for now! i'll write again soon.

Blog Award!

Thank you so much to Emily over at show me Your way for this Blog Award!!! I just love getting these and really do appreciate them! :)



The directions are to post the award on your site, write 10 interesting things about yourself, and then pass it on to 10 other bloggers.

my ten things are:

1. I am extremely punctual. To the point where I am too punctual and am the awkward person sitting in the car because I'm a half hour early. It really bothers be when people are late, or when they cause me to be late for something. The other day I had to meet my friend at 2 for something... and i ended up leaving my apartment at 1:45 -- we were meeting 2 min away.

2. I absolutely adore my dog! He's part of my family (who i also adore!) I don't know what I would do without my little furball. He brings so much love into my life!!! Not only this but i love ALL dogs. I am a softy for every single one I see! :)

3. I am probably one of the most sensitive people you will ever meet. Everything effects me in some way. I am one of those people that feels emotions with all I have in me. This can be a downfall sometimes... I can be verrrry emotional! ;)

4. Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorites! I love her movies, her quotes, her style -- she is simply fabulous.

5. I'm a tad obsessed with weddings. I dream about the day when I'll finally get to plan my own, but for now I am content helping my friends plan theirs! I get so so SO excited for every little detail.

6. I set my alarm clock for strange times. 7:04, 4:47, etc. I feel like I am getting extra sleep that way.

7. Throughout the course of my day, I tend to change my clothes a lot. I get bored easily and like to change it up! People probably think I have a twin wandering around because when they see me multiple times in a day - it's always in a new outfit.

8. I am falling more in love with my faith and with our God every single day. I can always count on Him to challenge me, to love me, and to show me my way when I am lost.

9. Sarcasm is something I have a hard time understanding. Usually when people are sarcastic, I genuinely don't understand - and think they are being mean. :) Unless I know someone really well and understand their use of sarcasm... I don't suggest using it with me!

10. Cookies & hot chocolate can make my whole day better! I just love them. If I could I would have an endless supply at my fingertips all of the time.

I nominate...everyone reading this! Go ahead and do it. :)

"The Words I Would Say"

Best. Song. Ever.

Three in the morning,
And I'm still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing,
Just what I'd say,
If we were face to face,
I'd tell you just what you mean to me,
I'd tell you these simple truths,

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got his hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,

Now the last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
Love will find you where you are,
I know cause I've already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got his hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,

From one simple life to another,
I will say,
Come find peace in the Father,

Be strong in the lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got his hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
Thank God for each day,
His love will find a way,
These are the words I would say
~The Words I Would Say (Sidewalk Prophets)


Seriously...youtube it right now! ready set go! i'll write a real update tomorrow sometime :)

Gifts. :)

last spring, one of my very good friends asked me, "katie...what do you think your gifts are?"

this question has made me think a lot ever since she asked me it last year. God gives EACH OF US, so many gifts. and it is up to us to acknowledge His gifts. when you give a gift to a friend, you want them to use it. right? you do not want it to just go to waste. that's how God feels about the gifts He give us. :)

So i remembered how i answered that question... "oh you know... i don't really know."

which makes me sad. i SHOULD know what my gifts are. it's not being prideful or bragging. it's just acknowledging what God gave me. what God gave YOU. :)

so. i think tonight, i am going to write about my gifts. please don't take this is a "YAY ME!" moment. just a me..being thankful moment.

Some of my gifts are:

I am kind to everyone - no matter who you are, I will see the good in you and be kind to you.
God blessed me with a HUGE heart. Sometimes I wonder if it is too big, because I worry so much about everyone, and care with all my heart's capacity and then some.
I am a good listener. I like to listen. people seem to come to me with a lot, and sometimes it is hard...but i really value that. i value what people have to say and do not like to break people's trust.
I know what it means to be a true friend. i feel like i have known this from a very young age.
I am very bubbly and friendly. Some may consider the 'perkiness' a bit much sometimes, but it's just who i am.
I have compassion and understanding.
i love to love.

what are your gifts? i'm challenging each of you to sit down and write a list of a few of the wonderful gifts God has blessed you with. we were all given some...so go ahead and figure out what yours are! :) here's the hard part though, once you figure them out -- start using them! after all, God wouldn't want us to waste them, right?! right!

Night everyone!

7 am?! Really?!

oh. my. gosh.

So, last night i was spending some time with my friends...i can't lie i feel a lot older than i am because i really enjoy going to bed early. however, last night i knew that i could sleep in this morning -- so i figured i'd take advantage of that and stay up late! :) keep in mind, this is my only day to sleep in during the week. so i value saturday mornings a LOT.

well, apparently my neighbors had something else in mind because they have definitely been blasting rock band for the past few days. so of course that is what i woke up to (scratch that, what woke me up) this lovely, saturday morning. but seriously... at 7 am?! they were(and still are) blasting it extremely loud.

goodbye morning of sleep. however, i have already taken my shower- and begun to get ready - so maybe it will be a productive day?? the sun is shining! it's going to be the warmest day we've had in awhile... i'd say there is potential!

last night my friends and i played this ridiculous game called: marry, date or dump? -- you pick a card with the names of 3 guys (for the guys there are girl's names) and you pick which one you would marry, date and dump. then the group tries to guess who you'd pick.

the first card i got said, "the beast, aladdin, & the hunchback"

Sooo. seeing as i have an obsession with the beauty and the beast, i naturally chose to marry the beast! (he turned into a sweetie at the end!), i chose to date aladdin (he can sing me beautiful songs, we can go for rides through the sky on his magic carpet, and he wears sweet pants), and i chose to dump the hunchback (only because i've never seen the movie, i have nothing against his hunched back like my friends accused me of!)

it was pretty funny...especially seeing the guys' choices.

Ohh.. also,
yesterday i had to go perform an assessment on a student i've been working with about 40 min from here. well, i had to pull her out of gym class to perform this test. in my head i was thinking, 'she is either going to love me for this, or hate me for this.' i personally would have jumped at the chance to skip gym when i when i was little... but for some it's the highlight of their week!

i found out very quickly how she felt.

m=her, k=me

m: I WAS IN GYM CLASS!!!!!
k: oh! so you must be excited then to leave so we can hang out!
m: well, NOT TODAAAAY. It's push-up day!!!!!!!!!!!
k: push-ups? and you like those?
m: they are my FAVORITE. *said with absolute frustration*
k: well... when we finish our test, we can do push-ups if you would like.
m: in the library?
k: why not?!
m: okay.

hahaha. she forgot about the push-ups. thank goodness! i can't even do one! it's more of a push-DOWN for me. seeing as i can never get back up. plus idk if her teacher would have appreciated us working out in the library...

well, i am off to finish getting ready... Hope y'all have a fantastic weekend! :)

thank you!

thank you ladies for all the encouraging words and WONDERFUL ideas. you all are so sweet. :) i am feeling a little better! but i still feel a little down, it will get better though -- i am sure of it.

so halloween was this weekend! did everyone have a good time?! mine was pretty good. friday night my church had a hoe-down -- complete with a square dance caller! it was a lot of fun. square dancing is HILARIOUS. and line dancing is a blast. i seriously want to do it again...pronto! i was going to be belle for halloween, but at the last minute i decided to dress up as a 50s girl! it made me realize how much i'd LOVE to live in the 50s! they had such fun outfits. plus, everything was just sweet and innocent back then; people just had genuine fun. i think we could use a little bit of that (a lot of that) in today's world.

saturday was pretty fun too. i spent some time in the chapel which was good. then i went to my friend's halloween party. i didn't dress up this time. i just felt like being me! :)

then yesterday was ALL SAINTS DAY! pretty much a fantastic day in my book.

guess what! my tuesday and thursday classes got cancelled for this week...a much needed break! too bad i don't really have time to enjoy it. i have so much work! although i'm not gonna lie - today was a beautiful fall day spent in prayer, pointless driving(we all could use that once in awhile, right?), a little bit of homework, a walk & hot chocolate with a good friend! pretty much a great day.

now onto that homework... maybe. :)

the other day i learned that my little first grader i tutor is "testing my authority." i need to learn to be more authoritative before i actually have my own classroom. that is definitely going to be my downfall as a teacher! sheesh!!

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!
*edit*
yes justine is right..SUNDAY was all saints day. i keep thinking today is monday hahaha. thanks justine! :)

how to get out of a rut?

i feel like i am just stuck in a rut lately. i'm so grumpy! and i feel very......distant. from everything. i wish i knew how to explain it.

any suggestions on how to get out of a rut? haha.

i don't feel good still, maybe that's what it is. :)

help!

lalalala

i am back at germville, USA. feeling really sick still...but my fever is finally gone. i should be working on homework right now, but, i just can't get myself to do it! please say a prayer i get caught up on all of my homework this week! i feel so nervous and stressed, i really don't like being behind!

random sidenote: i had corn souflee tonight! it is DELICOUS!!

random sidenote again: i have been so lonely in my apartment lately! i was honestly dreading coming back to my apartment from home. i miss the dorms.. (only a little) because there were always so many girls around to hang out with whenever you needed a break from homework. i miss that atmosphere. but i do not miss sharing a bathroom with sooo many people! sharing with one person is enough for me. :)
-------

so tonight i was reading through my Bible, and i was feeling a little unsure of what to read. nothing jumped out at me, and nothing really was sticking with me either. so finally i decided to pray and ask God to have me open to the verse I needed to read.

Well, i opened straight to a passage all about death! yikes! not sure what that was supposed to mean, hah - God has a strange sense of humor.

but then, i opened to a reflection page, (i was using my devotional Bible) and found something a woman wrote about being too busy for God. and how sometimes we are SO busy, that we don't have enough quiet time in our day to hear God speak to us. or maybe the quiet times we DO have with God we are filling up with our thoughts, our wants, our fears - which is good, obviously He wants to hear those. But, sometimes we just need to let HIM speak to US.

the last few sentences said, " The voice of God is always speaking to us, and always trying to get our attention. But His voice is a "still, small voice," and we must at least slow down in order to listen."

ah it's so funny, because, remember how i am crazy about St. Therese of Lisieux? her whole message is to LOVE, and also to appreciate the little voices out there - because the little voices have so much love to give, so much joy to spread, so much to offer the world. they are forgotten about though, because they are small & meek. But God completely chooses these specific people to work through the most!

who ever thought that God's voice would be still & small? it makes so much sense. i think i always picture it to be loud and booming. like a huge speaker projecting from the sky at me. but no! how silly of me. of course God would not be like that. God is gentle, and kind, not big and scary! and what He has to say is so valuable that we have to listen extra carefully to hear it. that's why He is so hard to hear sometimes. He is training us to hear His voice. His still, small voice.

"This is what the Sovereign Lord , the Holy One of Israel says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength..."
-Isaiah 30:15

we can find God in all the quiet little moments of our day, because that is where He resides. that is when we can fill ourselves up with His love and strength. we are never too busy for Him! :)

it kind of takes on a whole new meaning to "be still and know that I AM" don't ya think?

finally my temperature is below 100!

i think it's really funny.. i was thinking this morning, how when i was little i was totally that little kid who would do anything she could to stay home from school! i would love when i was sick, mainly because i could just stay home ally day long. literally...i would sit and hope so much for a day off school. i really did not hate school that much, i just really loved being home.

i would sit and take my temperature and load myself up with lots of layers so it was higher. or sometimes i would blow on it (because of course that would make my temp. higher?!), or i would force myself to cough a lot. missing school was like the ultimate prize in my book.

now, however...

i check my temperature frantically just HOPING it goes down. because missing one day of class is like missing a week! it's horrible. i've missed so much class this week because of this gosh darn (swine?)flu. not to mention i have missed out on a lot of sleep. i think one of the worst things about being sick for me, is not being around people! i really need to be around people - almost always. so being locked up in my apartment has been torture for me.

thank goodness i have discipleship this morning! i am so excited to leave my apartment. and i think i am going to try and go to my afternoon class. :) hopefully i don't over-do it. i'm also considering going home this afternoon...haha. i feel like if i don't i'll just hang out with people all weekend and run myself down too much. at least at home i know i'll rest and get caught up on work. hmmmm.

so it has rained almost every thursday since i have been at school. it's very strange.

okay, well, off to go rest. it's almost the weeeekend!!!!

being sick is no fun!

i'm sick! i'm sick! i'm really, really sick.

this is the most sick i've been in a LONG time. this is the first time in a few hours i've even been able to sit up long enough to check my email and do some work so i don't fall too terribly behind in class.

our campus is germ central right now. they need to cancel classes, and disinfect. not even kidding! everyone is sick... we have everything from swine flu, to regular flu, to colds, to strep to a combo of all of them! not good!

i'm wondering why i had to get sick now?! i am at the busiest point in the semester!

i can't wait to eat food again.... :)

where to begin?

i feel like so much is going on in my brain right now, i feel like i've been talking so much lately. i just kind of want to sit for a little while, relax, and not think. don't you wish when we needed a break we could have an off button for our brain? i feel like it would come in handy!!

oof. so this weekend was just sogood. it was filled with a lot of prayer. a lot of wonderful conversations with fantastic people, shopping and good food! yet i don't feel very rested. but sometimes we need that i suppose.

tonight my friend from home and i were talking about good friends. and how hard it is to truly find people you can rely on. how many friends do you have in your life that you know you will stay friends with forever? as in you are 100% certain. you can call them at any hour of the night sobbing your eyes out like a crazy person, and they are right there with you. you can tell them your fears. your insecurities. you can vent. be ridiculous. & they bring out the best in you. or the ones you look at and think, "how the heck does she/he know EXACTLY what i am thinking right now?" how many of those do you have? and do you appreciate them? sometimes i think we take those the closest to us for granted, because we know they will always be there. but if anything we need to be EXTRA thankful for them. because they are the ones who God places in our lives to keep us sane, to keep us happy. :) good friends are like a good pair of socks... comfy, cozy, and even with a few holes -- they are still your favorite ones. ;) baha. that is the conclusion we came to.

---- on a completely different note

today is world missions day! go hug a missionary! no but seriously. do it. oof. so, i haven't really shared this - but i am discerning whether or not i want to be a missionary after i graduate college. i am feeling extremely called to it, but it makes me nervous...because i am always practical. i always choose the practical choice. but i'm feeling so called to be not practical for once. today our priest gave a homily about missionaries and i kid you not, i felt like the whole time he was just talking to me. i did not feel anyone else in the chapel with me. no one at all. it was just me, father, and Jesus. it was like my own personal message from God being like, "katie, if you don't get this you are really dumb..." haha. not that he'd call me dumb. ;) but it just felt SO obvious. so RIGHT. so.... sent straight to me. it was like God hit me in the head with a brick. ouch. it was as though in that moment i felt completely at peace. more at peace than i have ever felt. and it scares me. a lot. who knows though, i still have awhile to think about it - it is just something that has been on my heart lately.

i better go get back to my lesson plan writing. i hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!