Am I fulfilling the purpose God has for me?

(Source)



You know those times in your life when God just really convicts you and shows you some things that He wants you to change?

"Then they can urge the younger women to

 love their husbands and children,

 to be self-controlled

 and pure,

 to be busy at home,

to be kind,

 and to be subject to their husbands,

 so that no one will malign the word of God."

Titus 2:4-5

The Lord just really amazed me with this verse within the last few weeks. Yes, I had read it before but you know that 21st time time you read something and it just seems as though the Lord put it there just for you?

Well, I really starting thinking about being busy at home. And the Lord began to convict me about some things. Things like how I manage my time, moving to a more natural way of living, making my home a haven etc.

Because of these things I have been stepping out and trying new things. Is it because I am radical that I am moving towards a more natural life style? No. Is it because I think I am better then others. Absolutely not!

My desire from that comes from previous experiance. I lived an unhealthy life style and as a result was extremely sick for a year. I wrecked my body from poor nutrition etc. So now I KNOW what certain foods do to me and the effect they can have on the body and yet-I had started eating them again. WHAT? It didn't make sense!

Then the Lord showed me that not only am I responsible before Him for myself but now for my child as well! Whew. That was a revelation! Not really but in a sense it was!

So, I have been making that transition (once again) to more of a natural way of living. I already have stories and will be sharing more with all of you here.

Something was still missing though.

Then, once again I realized something. I have been trying to live for the Lord but without HIM in the picture. What? Honestly, I have really been struggling with making time to actually spend time with my Savior. To go before HIM and seek HIS face. To spend time in prayer and meditation on His Word. The excuse? Well, I am busy. The problem is-when this baby comes I will be even busier! And I do not want to sacrifice my relationship with Jesus! He needs to be FIRST! Priority. Over all things. Even...ministry. Facebook and blogging (huge distractions for me sigh).

In the Word we are called to do all things to the glory and honor of God. Well, I am realizing all things entails-laundry, house cleaning, cooking, etc. The little things that may seem so mundane and yet God wants us to do them for HIM!

I am a paper keeper. Especially in my Bible (much to my husband's chagrin!) and a few days ago I found a paper I had saved that had a bunch of notes from a sermon.

It is dated August 16, 2009:

Am I fulfilling my duty? Am I an unworthy servant who is just doing what I am told to do? Has God told me what to do with my life (yes I am to be a wife and Mama right now serving God and ministering alongside my husband)? If He hasn't-why?

We are servants of Christ...we need to do what He tells us to do. If we can not hear Him...if we do not know what His will is...we need to spend more time with Him. Am I investing the talents God has given to me? I need to be using my gifts for God's honor and glory alone.

Am I walking with the Master? Am I spending time with my Master so that I know His will for me and also His love for me. Am I allowing my hands to get weak instead  of asking God to strengthen me and stopping and putting my hands together and asking God to help me.

Funny how just random thoughts from years ago God can use to convict once again. I want to live my life for Christ. But I have just been trying to fit Him in it when it is convenient for me. It seems as though this is a continual battle for me to center my life around HIM. But I believe that is part of the journey.

Oh how thankful I am that my Heavenly Father is so patient and forgiving. How thankful I am that He receives me with open arms.

I want to be all I can be for my Master-Jesus Christ. Right now that involves being a keeper at home and soon being a Mama to my child. Trying to do all that though without Jesus-does not work.

Give me Jesus...truly I just want Him once again.

I feel as though I am at the beginning of yet another journey! I am thinking about possibly starting a new blog as I feel I am moving into a new chapter of my life. What are your thoughts?

Also, if you have any fun tips, advice, favorite blogs about healthy, more natural living I would LOVE to hear them! :)

May the Lord richly bless you!



No way.

Ever had one of those times

 when you said:

 "No Way"

 to God?

I had one of those yesterday.

Actually, I have been having one of those for months.

So this whole weekend I have been really struggling.

I had been holding on to things.

I had been refusing to surrender.

I had been relying on my own "strength."

I had not been in the Word or in prayer.

I had allowed myself to get completely overwhelmed.

Then yesterday I got angry.

Now, I am not the type of person that tends to get really angry.

I get frustrated.

I get stressed.

But I don't often get super super angry.

Yesterday I did.

Why you ask?

Well because Jason and Danny had the audacity

to suggest that I delete my facebook.

*Insert look of shock and horror here*

Delete it?

What?

So I tried to laugh it off but then I started to get annoyed.

See, they wouldn't let me laugh it off.

They wanted to know why it was so important to me.

Why I just couldn't live without it.

So I started to think.

And steam.

And think some more.

And suprisingly I really could not think

of very good excuses I mean reasons.

"Ministry"

was the best one I could come up with.

Now, I am not in any way trying to bash facebook.

I believe that you can most definitely minister through it.

However, when it starts to consume you and your time

when do you draw the line?

So, I was just miserable.

I have realized something.

When you know that you are not doing the Lord's will

and yet you are fighting

what you know He wants you to do.

Well.

It is painful.

So this morning I woke up.

And I just felt dead.

No joy.

No peace.

Nothing.

Just spiritually dead.

So I texted Jason and asked him to pray for me.

And he called me.

As I was talking to him the Lord just put this thought in my head.

"What is an idol?"

Now, I love this definition of an idol by Leslie Ludy:

"An idol is ANYTHING

 that claims our ATTENTION

 and AFFECTION

 above Christ."

As soon as I thought about that another thought popped into my head:

"How do I know that something is an idol in my life?"

Here is another quote I think sums up the answer to that quite nicely:

"One way you can tell if

 something is an idol

or another lover in your life

 is that you are unwilling to let it go.

You can't picture living without it.

 Most of us,

 if we were honest,

 would have to admit that

we are unbelievably attached to worldly entertainment.

 Life would seem empty and bleak

 if we didn't own a TV

(or a computer, cell phone, again: fill in the blank)...

Even though we have everything we would

 ever want or need in Christ Jesus alone-

we still look to these other means

 for the peace, joy, excitement, and refreshment

 that HE HIMSELF desires to give us.

 All we have is the counterfeit version

 of peace and joy because

we aren't willing

 to let Him give us the real thing."

 (Leslie Ludy)

All the sudden I knew what I needed to do.

"Jason," I said,

"I need to delete my facebook."

As soon as I verbally spoke those words

I can not even explain the joy and peace that just flooded my soul.

It was as if I had been holding facebook up between me and God.

I would let Him have everything else except for that.

Why?

I guess just because of the status.

I mean I got to share my accomplishments with the world on there.

It was all about me.

Selfish ambition.

Pride.

Now maybe you remember this post that I wrote a few months back.

I didn't remember until just today.

I am going to share a few excerpts from it (in italics).

To view the complete post click below:

An Idol.

Do I think that facebook is bad?

NOT AT ALL!

For me personally however,

 it has become an idol

 and because of that it needs to be taken care of

 which is why instead of just deactivating it

I am completely surrendering it to the Lord

and deleting it.

 It had come between me and the Lord.

 Time spent on facebook was more

 of a priority in my life

 then time spent with my Savior.

 It is so shameful to admit that but it is true!

What about other forms of entertainment?

 Movies, internet, magazines, books, cell phones, fill in the blank.

 Are they necessarily in and of themselves wrong

 (well, within certain boundaries of course)?

 No.

What are the things in your life

 that maybe the Lord has been asking you to surrender to Him?

What do you think would happen if,

 instead of spending hours doing

*fill in the blank*

we used that time to get to know our God?

What if we treated our BIBLE

 like our cell phone

 or the internet

or the television

 or movies?

What if THE BIBLE

 was one of the first things

that we turned to in the morning?

What if we had to check THE BIBLE

 at least once every two hours a day

so as to not go through withdrawals?

What if, when we have been away from

 THE BIBLE

 for any amount of time we felt

we had to check it

and then re-check it?

What if we had been away from home

 and THE BIBLE was the first thing

we went to when we got home?

What if THE BIBLE

 was one of the last things

 we thought about at night?

What if we let go of those idols

 that have control of our lives and

instead threw ourselves at Jesus' feet?

What if?

This is something that is between each of us and God.

 No one on earth can make these decisions for you.

I want to live a 110% Surrendered life

 for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I read today in Galations 3:13:

"Christ has redeemed us

from the curse of the law, having

become a curse for us

(for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who

hangs on a tree.')"

To think that He willingly became a curse for you and for me!

He died on that tree...for you and for me!

The least I can do is live for Him.

And I want to.

Oh so desperately.

For Jesus Christ alone.

I want Him to be my everything.

I want Him to be my all.

I want people to see Jesus Christ in me.

So yeah.

Things are going to be changing on this blog.

Like, I am going to be posting a lot more.

The Lord has been teaching me so much and I

 just have so much to share with you all!

So stay tuned for some exciting things!

And to sum up:

Am I a super spiritual person just because I am deleting facebook?

No.

Do I think that people that have facebooks are sinners?

Uh no.

My challenge to you would be this:

really ponder what priorities you have in your life.

What are the things that fill up your time?

What do you turn to for refreshment, fulfillment, and satisfaction?

Is it the world?

Or is it JESUS?

Is Jesus Christ worth YOUR ALL

(even the little, seemingly "insignificant things")?



Failures.

 

Do you ever feel like a failure?

Do you ever feel like no matter what you do 

or how hard you try you just can not meet expectations

or fulfill duties that you feel you need to?

Do you ever have a time when the Lord seems far away?

He is still right there beside you but it just seems as though you can't reach Him?

Do you ever wake up one day and get a good look at yourself 

and realize that you are needing to get some new priorities.

Do you ever get tired of always appearing like things are fine

but in reality you are struggling?

Do you ever get tired of you?

Last night night I was in tears and as I started praying

all the sudden I stopped and looked at myself.

Have I mentioned I am so thankful for a gracious Heavenly Father?

Have I mentioned that we serve an awesome God?

Have I conveyed lately the depth of my appreciation for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Have I told you how in awe of the fact I am that He loves me in spite of me?

I have been sick and discouraged lately so that is what the lack of posts is all about.

Last night I had a revelation (once again) and it was this:

It is not about me.

That's it.

End of story.

Or at least it should be.

And yet, it is a lesson I have to learn over and over and over again. 

So what is the point of the rambling, not really making sense, random post that is late.

I want you all to stop and take a look at Jesus.

No really.

Have you really considered Him lately?

Have you taken the time to just go and spend time communing with Him?

Have you told someone about Him lately?

Not out of a sense of duty but just because you can not keep your love for Him in?

Do people see Jesus in you?

I have been convicted once again by the fact that it is so easy to become self-absorbed and introspective. 

Jesus needs to be first! 

Then others.

Then me.

Last.

So yeah, that is a little bit of what has been going through my head lately.

Please pray that I would keep Jesus the center of my life.

That I would surrender my all to Him everyday.

He is worthy!

An idol.

What comes to mind when you think of an idol?
To most people it is this:





















(Photo Credit)

The past few weeks ,however, the Lord has been challenging me in many different ways and oi many different areas of my life.
It all started 2 Sundays ago.
My friend had invited me to a Bible study with a bunch of other young people and I had decided to go just because I really wanted to be fed spiritually and also interact with other young people.
The leader of the Bible study was teaching on a passage in Mark 4: 11-19. The parable of the Sower. Now, I had read and re-read this passage I do not know how many times but when Jason read these verses he asked a question that I had never thought about before:

"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
Mark 4:18-19

Here is a paraphrase of the question he asked based on those verses:
What is in my life that I am allowing to choke out the power of the Word and spiritual growth?
For some reason, I could not stop thinking about that question!
The Lord used that question to start to open my eyes to some things in my life that I was starting to realize needed to be disposed of because they were taking the place of my King.
I was starting to realize.
I was not quite there!
Then, last Friday, at Bible study I read a quote to the girls and asked them to ponder what it meant for a week and then come back with thoughts the next Bible study (which was last night).
I know that I already shared this quote with you in another post but please bear with me and just read through it again:

"God created us to experience vibrant, daily intimacy with Him and to constantly pursue even greater depths of relationship with Him. But too often, once we scratch the surface of knowing Him, we pitch our tent. We stop pursuing Him. We stop seeking Him. And instead of having a daily, passionate relationship with our God, we settle for an imitation. We become trapped in the shallowness of the Christian game. We sing songs about His love and read books about His grace, but we rarely experience Him in our daily lives.
To experience that something more that each of us longs for, we must put away the Christian game; reject our imitation of Christianity, pack up our tents, and embark upon the adventure of, TRULY KNOWING GOD. We must shake off the settler's mentality and become pioneers, passionately pursuing more and more of our King."

-Excerpt from "When God Writes Your Life Story"

I started to think.
Wondering what was in my life that was holding me back from experiencing Christ in an even deeper, more intimate, more passionate way.
Thinking about the compromises in my life that I knew were there but I did not want to give up.
Then the Lord REALLY started convicting me.
The tool He used was this video (once again, I know I JUST posted this but please bear with me and watch it again):



(Yes, the video is chopped in half and I can't figure out why on earth it is BUT I think that you can still listen to it and be really...challenged...like I was!)

IDOLS.
I started thinking about what idols I might possible have in my life.
*Katy commences squirming here*
I thought that I was pretty good.
I mean, REALLY!
I have devotions.
I spend time in prayer.
I even have a ministry.
I am all set, right?
There is no way I would have idols in my life.
WRONG!

1 John 5:21 says this:

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

Well, what are idols?

Here is a definition by Leslie Ludy that I found really opened my eyes to what idols really are:

"An idol is ANYTHING that claims our ATTENTION and AFFECTION above Christ."

This past week the Lord has been knocking on my hearts door, asking me to surrender something to Him and I have been fighting Him with all my might.
One way I knew that this something the Lord had been asking me to surrender to Him was an idol in my life is because I had been so unwilling to give it up.
What is this idol you may ask?

Here is my answer:









(Photo Credit)

You may be thinking: Well, what on earth is the big deal? It is just facebook!
The problem is that I am on facebook hours upon hours a day! It is one of the first things that I think about during the day, I have to check it at least once every two hours a day, when I have been away from the computor for any amount of time I have to check it and then re-check it, if I have been away from home it is the first thing I go to when I get home, and it is one of the last things I think about at night. I am CONSUMED by it...but NO MORE.
I realized last night that this obsession with facebook is holding my back from having a deeper, more intimate walk with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If I would only devote those hours upon hours I spend in a day on facebook to JESUS-how much would my life change? How much ore would I be free to be used by my Savior?
I desire to bring honor and glory to my Savior with my whole life. But, this IDOL (anything that claims our ATTENTION above Christ) was holding me back.

I was trying to fit Jesus into my life INSTEAD OF centering my entire life around Him.

Last night I KNEW what the Lord wanted me to do but I could not imagine giving up facebook even for a week.
I went over to prepare for my girls Bible study and was SO overwhelmed by what the Lord was asking me to do: Give up the HOURS I spend a day on facebook and instead devote those hours to getting to know my Precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on a deeper and more intimate level.
Oh I fought. I watched that movie about the three questions and was convicted even more. I was almost in tears. I knew what I needed to do BUT I DID NOT WANT TO SURRENDER! I didn't want to GIVE IN.
The girls got there and I had one of those moments were...the light bulb just seems to click on. I realized that I could not live a double standard. I COULD NOT teach these girls about living a 110% surrendered life to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while I was not living one myself.

So, I chose.
I chose to surrender.
I chose to not only beg my Father in Heaven's forgiveness, but also, take extreme measures to getting the idols that I have allowed into my life OUT OF MY LIFE.

Do I think that facebook is bad?

NOT AT ALL!

For me personally however, it has become an idol and because of that it needs to be taken care of.
What about other forms of entertainment? Movies, internet, magazines, books, cell phones, fill in the blank. Are they necessarily in and of themselves wrong (well, within certain boundaries of course)? No.

When do they become a problem?

"One way you can tell if something is an idol or another lover in your life is that you are unwilling to let it go. You can't picture living without it. Most of us, if we were honest, would have to admit that we are unbelievably attached to worldly entertainment. Life would seem empty and beak if we didn't own a TV (or a computer, cell phone, again: fill in the blank)...Even though we have everything we would ever want or need in Christ Jesus alone-we still look to these other means for the peace, joy, excitement, and refreshment that HE HIMSELF desires to give us. All we have is the counterfeit version of peace and joy because we aren't willing to let Him give us the real thing." (Leslie Ludy)

What are the things in your life that maybe the Lord has been asking you to surrender to Him?

What do you think would happen if, instead of spending hours doing *fill in the blank* we used that time to get to know our God?

What if we treated our BIBLE like our cell phone of the internet or the television or movies?

What if THE BIBLE was one of the first things that we in the morning?
What if we had to check THE BIBLE at least once every two hours a day so as to not go through withdrawals?
What if, when we have been away from THE BIBLE for any amount of time we felt we had to check it and then re-check it?
What if we had been away from home and THE BIBLE was the first thing we went to when we got home?
What if THE BIBLE was one of the last things we thought about at night?

What if we let go of those idols that have control of our lives and instead threw ourselves at Jesus' feet?

What if?

This is something that is between each of us and God. No one on earth can make these decisions for you.

My challenge to you would be this: really ponder what priorities you have in your life. What are the things that fill up your time? What do you turn to for refreshment, fulfillment, and satisfaction? Is it the world? Or is it JESUS?

Is Jesus Christ worth YOUR ALL (even the little, seemingly "insignificant things")?

For me-my journey started last night.

I have decided to take a week hiatus off of facebook. Not because I think that facebook is a horrid, wicked, sinful thing BUT because I know for myself PERSONALLY I need to re-prioritize my time.

Note: For my facebook friends-I will still be twittering so the status updates throughout this week will be from there. I will not actually be on facebook updating my status'.

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." (1 John 5:21)

Is there anything you are holding back from Jesus today?

3 Questions.

(Yes, the video is chopped in half and I can't figure out why on earth it is BUT I think that you can still listen to it and be really...challenged...like I was!)

Investing TIME

Lately the Lord has really been working on my heart.
You know those things call priorities?
Uh yeah.
Working on them!
One of the things that the Lord
has been really laying on my heart
is how important it is to DAILY spend
time in the Word and in prayer.
I have realized that if I am to get
to know someone then I need to spend
time with them.
That is how relationships are built.
Nothing is more important than
our RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ.
Sadly, often many people do not know
what a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus is
because
THEY DO NOT INVEST THEIR TIME
in getting to know Him.
So here is a question.
Is Jesus worth you investing time?
Time in the Word.
Time in prayer.
TIME WITH HIM.
I had to answer that question.
And my answer is this.
Yes.
Of course He is worth it!
He is worth my all!
I want to know Him on not only
a personal level but a deep, intimate
level.
I want all my thoughts to be CONSUMED
with my
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So what am I doing about it?
Well, start by making a consciousness
effort to spend more time with
Him each and everyday.
I have time to get on facebook.
I have time to blog.
I have time to talk to my boyfriend.
I have time to text my friends.
I THINK I CAN MAKE TIME TO SPEND
WITH MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
After all, He chose to come
to earth and die on that cross FOR ME!
I think I can choose to spend time
with Him!
I have been thinking alot about eternity.
So often I think that we tend to get
caught up in the here and now
and forget that this life on earth
is like a blink of an eye compared to
eternity.
I want to start investing in my eternity.
I want to KNOW my Savior.
I want Him to be on my mind all the time.
I want people to see HIM when they look at
me. I want it to be obvious that
I am in love with my Savior!
I want Him to by my #1 priority.
I love this acronym:
J.O.Y.
Jesus first.
Others second.
Yourself last.
That is how I want to live my days.
When I die I want to leave a legacy.
I want that legacy to be Jesus Christ.
HE IS SO WORTHY!
Just something to thinking about :)

An eternal perspective

So just to warn you ahead of time I can barely see this screen as I am typing BUT I really really wanted to share with you all what the Lord just taught me.

I just had one of those sweet times of fellowship with Jesus that is too wonderful to even try to put into words but I am going to try to just because that is what you do in blog posts! :)

I am going to actually include a little part of my prayer journal entry from my personal devotions today:

Sitting here thinking over this past year to date I just feel as though something isn't right...I just really cannot put my finger on it. Maybe it is the realization that I have allowed my walk with You to grow stagnant. Lord. Why? I am sitting here trying to think of the reasons.
I guess a part of it was that last year was SO difficult physically that I HAD to be completely dependent on You alone. This year (to date it really hasn't been that long of a year yet!) I really have not had to deal with anything like that. Lord, I don't think that is a bad thing necessarily but I am just realizing how I have gotten to the point where You are not the #1 thing in my life anymore.
Even today Lord. I could have spent so much time with You but instead I just...wasted the day away. I really don't even remember what I did today and a huge part of that is because I did absolutely nothing of TRUE LASTING IMPORTANCE...


I have been thinking about looking at things through an eternal perspective. If I had been today I know I would not have done many of the things I did. Not that any of those things were wrong but from an eternal perspective it really doesn't matter how many people commented on my facebook status. From an eternal perspective it really doesn't matter how much traffic I had on my blog. I could have spent that time with Jesus and instead...I wasted them away and I can not even remember the point of it. If only I had put my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ FIRST today. If only I had CHOSEN to spend time in the Word and in prayer and THEN gone on to do stuff like facebook and blogging (NOTE: I am not saying those things are wrong. I just know in my life that I really need to be careful that they don't consume me).

This time that I wasted ,not only today, but this year to date.

I CAN NEVER GET IT BACK.

On some days...that is a really sad realization.

So I am sitting there in my chair pondering and praying and repenting about these things when I opened my Bible and started reading my daily reading.

Here are some AMAZING things the Lord showed me from Colossions:

"As you therefore have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
rooted and built up in Him and
established in the faith,
as you have been taught,
abounding in it with thanksgiving. "
(Colossians 2:6-7)

I (and any one of you that have been brought to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) have received Jesus Christ and because of that I am told to walk in Him and to not only walk but be rooted and built up in HIM.
Because I am to be so rooted in him I am also to be ESTABLISHED in the faith. When I think about what that means I definitely think that the way I will become so rooted is through spending time getting to KNOW my God through prayer and the reading of His Words. How else will I expect to be established? I need to put forth some effort when it comes to getting to know Him just as I would in any other relationship I was trying to grow.

"For in Him dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily;
and you are complete in Him,
who is the head of all
principality and power."
(Colossians 2:10)

I am complete in Christ and ONLY in CHRIST. No one of nothing else will ever bring me complete and total satisfaction, completion in my life or will fill up that void inside me.
ONLY JESUS CHRIST!!
So why do I still persist to try to find my satisfaction in other people and in other things aside from Christ? What is the point? Truly, I think life would become so much simpler if I would stop trying to find fulfillment in other things and in other people. Instead, I should start to just gaze only at my Savior looking to HIM alone for my fulfillment.
He ALONE is worthy!

"And you, being dead in your
trespasses and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, He has made alive
together with Him, having
forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting
of requirements that was against us,
which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross
(Colossians 2: 12-14)

When I read those two verses and realize all over again all He has done for me...WOW! How can I NOT give Him my all? How can I NOT strive to live a 110% Surrendered life for HIS honor and HIS glory?

He died for me...the LEAST I can do is live for Him.

Why?

Because HE IS WORTHY!

Wow...I am hoping that made a little bit of sense! I told you I was going to TRY to put all He taught me and made me discover yet again in words :) Honestly I copied almost all of this from notes I made during my devotional time!

May He alone be glorified in our lives!

Some Recent Lessons

Hey all!
Wow, it has been five whole days since I last updated *GASP*.
I just wanted to share some things that the Lord has been teaching me lately.
Since being in a relationship with Kelly (3 weeks today *insert smile here*) we have started going through the book of 1 Peter.
Last night we were studying 1 Peter 1:10-21:

"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'
And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

So I started thinking about the fact that I have been redeemed by the PRECIOUS blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Then I started thinking that if He was willing to lay down His life for me what should I be willing to lay down for Him?

And THEN I started thinking about what it means to be a LIVING SACRIFICE for HIM.

And then...
I got convicted.

Who am I to ever think that anything He would ever ask me to surrender to Him would be too much?

I have realized that He is truly worth our all! It is so easy to say that but to live it...therein lies the challenge.

So I have started purposing in my heart to begin offering my life as a living sacrifice to Him. To start dying to myself daily. To start living each day as though it were my last.

So what has the Lord been teaching you lately?
Blessings to you all :)

And...she's back (and talking in 3rd person)

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
As my title has already announced (but I am going to say it again just in case you did not get it the 1st time) I AM BACK!
Ok, ok, so I know I really was not gone all that long but some of the lessons that God has taught me (and is STILL teaching me) have made these last few weeks seem quite long.

*WARNING: At this time Katy gets real up close and personal*

I am going to shoot straight with you all. These past few months I have really struggled in my Christian walk. By struggle I mean I started to allow a lot of compromise into my life. I had fallen into this sickening, vicious circle of compromise, mediocrity and lukewarmness and the scariest part was that I reached a point where I did not really even care anymore. The ironic thing is that the stuff that I was dealing with is not even necessarily bad YET in my heart I knew it was wrong. Attitudes, the way I related to my family, pride, discontentment with where God has me...you name it, it was there!

The longer I allowed these compromises to continue the more I began to struggle. Then one day I realized that I could not be posting on this blog about being 110% surrendered while I was allowing these attitudes and compromises to take root in my life. One day I just could not stand the hypocrisy of it anymore and that is why I declared a blog hiatus. God began to work on me even more once I made that first step towards living a life with NO COMPROMISE. Part of that work was taking me to a place of loneliness and solitude so that I would finally get my eyes off of pleasing other people and instead started to focus on just pleasing HIM.

Throughout this journey I realized that this blog had become something that defined me as a person. If I had a ton of followers/comments I was so happy but if I did not have as many I would start to worry that I was not ministering as much as I should have been or I was not making a difference. Over time it seemed as though I became invisible and I really struggled with not being the center of things as much anymore (gotta love that pride that pops up in ones life just when you are LEAST expecting it!). I struggled with these feelings on inferiority and discontentment for a few weeks. Then I got a call from my adopted older brother and after listening to me pour out my frustrations and feelings of inferiority and not knowing who I was anymore he got really quiet. Then he asked me a question that went something like this (not exact but this is what I got out of it): WHO IS THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE DEFINING WHO YOU ARE? WOW! In that moment I realized how far off my focus was! In a split second my eyes were opened to how I had allowed discontentment (more about that later) and compromise to HINDER my ministry and the reason was because instead of looking to my Savior for what I thought was my worth I was looking to others. NOT GOOD! As Christians GOD is the One that defines us and without Him we are NOTHING. So why do we think that we are something in and of ourselves?

I have been pondering that for the past few weeks. So what am I doing about this?

1st of all I decided that I needed to re-surrender my life to my Lord with the intent of NO COMPROMISE and living each and every day 110% SURRENDERED to MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

2ndly I decided to re-surrender this blog to the Lord. Please know that I do not want this blog to ever be about me. Whether you have been reading for awhile of have just found me my deepest desire is to be a mirror...of my precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When people look at me I don't want them to see Katy-I want them to see Jesus Christ shining through Katy. As a part of that I have decided to start a new series which Lord willing will last ;) and my new theme is NO COMPROMISE not only in the big things but in DAY-TO-DAY life.

Ok...whew! I think that is it...what are your thoughts? What has God been doing in your life lately? I would love to hear about it :)

Blessings to you all!

There comes a time...

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
I am going to be completely truthful.
These past few weeks have been incredibly
incredibly hard. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally
and physically. With school and work and
trying to keep up with different ministries and working
through surrendering some things to the Lord
I have just been being stretched to the
max.
So, after talking to my Mom last night, I have
decided to take a hiatus from blogging for
a little bit. I will still be around
but right now I need to focus on my Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ and then schoolwork.
If you could please pray for me that I would be
able to bring honor and glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ and also that I would be able to use my time
wisely. Also, that school...I really need to make top grades
to get into the program that I really feel the Lord is leading
me too and I am really struggling with one of the classes.
I want to hear from you still! If you have anything that you
want to talk to me about and don't want to leave it on a comment
feel free to email me: surrendered110@yahoo.com
. I will probably still be posting at least once a week so
keep visiting :)
Praying for you all and talk to you soon!