Running the Race for Eternal Glory

Revelation of the Spirit #62 - Time Well Spent

2010-02-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

So I decided to make some changes in my life yesterday. I first deactivated my facebook account, crazy right?! Then deleted my myspace account and disable my twitter and finally I deleted 20 apps from my iPhone..I left some apps like solitaire, phase 10, some photography apps and my bible app of course. But I'd like to think that I somewhat cleaned out the things in my life that sadly I spend the most time on. My roommate will tell you that every morning that I get ready I spend my daily 20 minutes on facebook before doing anything else. How sad is that? Pretty sad if you ask me.

I realized I could be doing things far more productive with my time than stalking people on facebook. I've been one day without facebook and I went to all my classes, practiced my cornet for an hour, finished my theory composition project, ran a mile and swam laps. Productive? Yes! But most importantly I had a productive time with Jesus. Yeah!! Definitely my favorite part about giving up facebook haha. He reminded me of the Jeremiah 29:11, yeah yeah, I know you always here that. But it didn't really apply to me the way I usually find it. I usually cling to that verse when the future seems so unsure and as a college student I've gotten used to an unsure future. But the Lord reminded me how that verse applied to my past. He reminded me of how I was desperate to get out high school and how unknown that time of my life was and how much I prayed to go to Asbury. God was faithful and brought me. He delivered me. And what have I done since I've gotten here? Not practiced or focused on my studies nearly as much as I should've and I've neglected my devotional time with Him for facebook.

I really want to take this season in my life to soak in every second of laughter, happiness, worship and contentment. He brought me and now I owe it to Him to not waste my time here and focus on school and my devotional life. So that's what I hope to do by ridding my life of these unnecessary distractions.

So that's where I am now. Trading the entertainment of the world for the love of a wonderful Savior who has set me free and wants only the best for me. I am blessed!

Praying for you all!

Blessings,

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit - #61 Resting in His Will

2010-01-03T18:04:00.001-08:00

Hey! Sorry it's been such a long time since I blogged last but my first semester of college has been crazy!

To top the list of amazing experiences I've had in life thus far is the trip I just returned from. I had the awesome privilege of representing the Salvation Army int he Tournament of Roses Parade 2010. It was such a blessings to meet new people and representing Christ to the world. It was truly a needed trip. Just to get away and take a step back and look at the life I've settled into the past couple months. I've really struggled on settling on a major and life direction in general but slowly with a lot of prayer and time I am confident that I will find exactly what the Lord wants me to do.

But overall what my trip to California taught me is that I am in the will that Christ has for me. Besides the little mistakes of my everyday life, I am living in the center of the will that Christ specifically planned for me and now I am settled in that. I am simply trusting in the Lord day to day to see me through and show me which step is next in His will.

I have many New Year's resolutions but to sum it all up they're just simply to live a more Christ-like life. To laugh more, love deeper and rely on God with all I have. I've decided my theme verse for 2010 will be Psalms 105:4 "Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually"

In all I do this year I want to rely on the strength of the Lord and no matter what I do or where I am I want it to be for His glory and done in His presence.

I challenge you all to do the same and I pray a blessing on your year and all your years to come :)

God bless!

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit - #60 His Strength is Perfect

2009-10-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone

He'll carry us when we can't carry on

Raised in His power, the weak become strong

His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9

How true these words ring in my heart tonight. I've found the true beauty of these words this week. I was confronted with a great struggle this week that put in me a position where I had two choices. Ultimately it came down to was I going to be Christ-like or was I absolutely going to ignore everything I've been striving toward the past 17 years of my life. And for the first time I feel like I actively made the choice of Christ. I chose Him and I chose what He wanted me to do but couldn't do on my own.

I remember thinking, "goodness, Lord how the heck am I supposed to do that". But I did, in my weakness of just simply choosing what He wanted, His strength became perfect. He truly worked through me because not only did I begin to just get by with the bare minimum of doing what a Christian would but I began to deeply act on behalf of Christ and to love where there seemed to be no room for love of any sort.

His strength is perfect and I rely wholeheartedly on His strength this hour but not to just make through, not to just live on the edge of barely getting things done. His strength takes me to the deepest level of commitment to Christ and draws me deeper in relationship with Him.

Jesus, in this hour Your grace is more than sufficient for me, Your strength is more than perfect for my needs and my weakness is no more.

God bless.

Revelation of the Spirit - #59 Laughter

2009-08-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't even begin to explain how I feel right now.

On saturday I finished my time working at camp swoneky and can I just say that it was nothing I expected it to be. But at the end of the summer looking back I can truly say I've had the best summer of my life - by far (: I can for sure say I've never laughed so much in my life than this summer. The experiences and lessons I had with never leave me, that I am certain of. I made new friends abundantly who have each left a great impression on my heart and added greatly to my life.

By far this summer presented the biggest challenge of my life. I was a counselor- haha, yeah me, I was a counselor. It was a hard, challenging and very tiring job but very rewarding. I had great co counselors who supported me and stop me from going insane all summer (:

God has truly blessed me with a wonderful, exciting start to this adventure of my life. I look back on the summer and miss everyone so much but I know that God brought us all together this summer to send us out in to the world to change it. To the staff of camp swoneky '09, I love you all! Each and every one of you made such an impact on my heart that will not be soon forgotten.

As for me, I'm off to Asbury on Thursday the 20th. I'm excited for college and the new adventure it presents. I leave with this verse of praise to God.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter

and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

Psalms 126:2

Revelation of the Spirit - #58 Change is a part of life

2009-06-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Woah.

That's me finally getting a chance to take in the events of the past couple months. First I should apologize for not keeping up with this. I mean i've been pretty horrible at that. The last time I wrote was in November and life has been ever changing since then.

I'm officially a high school graduate (: It's such a ridiculous feeling, that I really haven't been able to wrap my head around it yet. I graduated June 1, 2009 around 8pm and before that I had a little graduation dinner with my closest friends and family (that could make it anyway). It was such a lovely day, really. It was nice to fellowship, laugh and sing karaoke with people that I won't see for a while. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention I moved? Yeah, right now I'm in Ohio. Camp SWONEKY to be exact, working as a general counselor for the youngest little girls that come to camp. We're just about wrapping up our week of orientation and are expectingly waiting for campers to arrive monday morning for Musicamp.

Life has been crazy ridiculous, scary, exciting, fun, boring and every other word I can't think of right now (: But the Lord has been faithful and carried me through it all. He's leading me on a life of true adventure and whole hearted servant-ship toward Him and His people. But as the Psalms remind me everyday that I am "fearfully and wonderfully made" and that in "His book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me". These scriptures have been my strength the past couple months. And today I feel very safe and secure on them today.

I was reminded of the joy I have in life when reading my new bible I found a verse highlighted which is Psalm 20:4-5

May he grand you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up banners!

May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

The Lord wants to fulfill my biggest hopes, desires and dreams and do more than I could ever dream of and I know he will do just that. My prayer for all who read this today is from Psalm 31:23-24

Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all who wait for the Lord!

I am patiently waiting on the Lord to relieve His plans for this life He has given me. So as I grow here at camp SWONEKY and continue on my journey to Asbury in the fall. I know my days have been written in his book and ordained and planned to every last detail.

I stand strong in the faith of the Lord.

Blessings to all!

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #57 My Love is His

2008-11-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

About six weeks ago I started a new devotion routine with a book called Disciplines for the Inner Life and so far this book has helped me grow deeper with the Lord.

I apologize for not blogging for over a month but I just needed time to grow deeper with the Lord and tonight I felt a deep connection with the Lord and I felt him saying I needed to share my heart. I can't possibly share all I've learned, struggled with and conquered over the past six weeks but I feel as though tonight's devotion really sums it up the best it can.

My first reading selection of this is all i've been able to read so far because it has caused me to meditate on it for hours and I'd really like to share the reading with you...

"In solitude we can slowly unmask the illusion of our possessiveness and discover in the center of our own self that we are what we can conquer, but what is given to us. In solitude we can listen to the voice of him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone. It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts. In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared. It's there we recognize that the healing words we speak are not just our own, but are given to us; that the love we can express is part of a greater love, and that the new life we bring forth is not a property to cling to, but a gift to be received."

- Henri J. Nouwen

The whole passage sends shivers down my spine and moves my heart and spirit in a way I've never experienced before. I can' specifically point out what about this moves me but I love the way it moves me. One week in my devotions the Psalm was Psalm 139. It was a great week of growing in love for my creator. He who created my inmost being and knows me better than I know myself and loves me no matter what. I memorized the chapter and recited it through everyday experiences that week and continue to now and it has really just helped me grow in love with the Lord. I love in this passage how it says how the Lord loved us before we could give love to anyone. If he loved us first how dare we love something or someone more than him? He created my heart to love him and the love for Him comes before any other.

Our life is not a possession. It was bought a price...by blood shed. He died for our lives, so that we may be free. Why do we turn from Him and ignore His love for us? He truly wants to captivate us with His love and gives it freely. My love is His. His love is unconditional and no matter how hard I try I can never do anything to truly deserve that love on my own. We are worth more than our efforts....THANK GOD! If I was worth just the amount of my efforts I wouldn't be worth much at all. My efforts however heartfelt and true are little and weak. But God sees me as worth more than gold or silver and would give His life for me and my love. My love is His.

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name."

Psalm 91:4 (NIV)

Because my love is His, He will protect me and rescue me. The passage goes on to say...

"He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him and show him my salvation."

Oh my. Do you see all you get for love? The Lord treasures your love higher than anything, I believe. He wants your undying love and He wants to love you, protect you, He wants you to call on Him and be completely dependent on Him. For this He will deliver you from evil and show you His salvation...

I want to see His salvation, I want him to be with me in my times of trouble and I want to be completely His. I want His love.

My love is His.

Come, Jesus, come, You the only object of my love, the center and supreme happiness of my soul.

I love you Lord.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #56 My Lifesong

2008-10-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, and make staright the paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become staright, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "
Luke 3: 4-6

This is what my life is about. To prepare the way for the risen Lord to return to His people. This is my lifesong.

I've been called to be a preacher of the good news. A preacher, yes. While I was thinking about this tonight is what I like most about preachers. I really love when preachers are relatively informal with their preaching. I like when they're real with you. When they put the gospel bluntly before you. But what I love most is when they give a sermon that is based on their testimony. I realized why I love this so much tonight. It's because Jesus have put the gospel in each and everyone of us by every experience in our life. Our testimony screams the love of Jesus! It shows others proof that He lives and He has power and He is love.

So when I preach I want my testimony, my lifesong to show that yeah I've had struggles, yeah I've strayed a time or too and yes I've sinned and been forgiven but through it all I prevailed through satan's trap and have followed God's will for my life. That, that day I will stand before people and say "Haha satan you can't stop me from telling what God has done for me! Your plans have failed!" My heart is filled with joy to even think about that.

So preachers out there when you're a little stumped for a sermon....search your heart. Remember what the Lord has done for you and maybe just share a little bit of your personal testimony with your congregation. I know that is when I am most blessed by a preacher of the good news.

Thanks for reading guys. Sorry if none of this makes sense but this is what the Lord is speaking to me.

Bless you!

Revelation of the Spirit- #55 Memories

2008-09-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight while I was laying bed trying to sleep the Lord kept bringing back such found memories of my childhood. So I wanted to share a few and really just say how thankful I am for such great memories.

So one of my earliest memories was when I was in kindergarten. I lived with my grandparents and my great grandfather, Pap Coles. Pap Coles and I were so close and I loved it. He'd take me to kindergarten everyday in his old cadillac like car with leather seats. The seats were always freezing cold in the winter and burning hot in the summer haha. After kindergarten he'd pick me up and take me to the grocery store. He'd tell me to pick out whatever I wanted and would get me it. Most of the time it was just a new box of fruit loops or lucky charms. His room was the greatest. He had boxes of three musketeer bars and gummi bears. I still to this day absolutely love gummi bears...but not so much three musketeer bars haha.

The house we lived in was huge. 4 bedrooms 2 baths 3 porches and a swimming pool. I remember one of my chores when I was little was to sweep off and run the sweeper on our front porch. It had that fake grass carpet haha. So I would first sweep it off so I could get the acorns and stuff that couldn't go up in the vacuum off and then I would run the sweeper. I thought it was so cool how I'd see it go from covered with all these little different sticks and leaves and such to this fake pure green carpet haha. I was always so proud of the job I did.

Our pool was so the greatest thing ever. It was a 5ft above ground pool with these green brown panels on the side. Then one summer Nana decided that she wanted to change the panels haha. So for about two weeks there wasn't anything around the side of the pool. So one day while my brother was walking around the pool he fell through where the panels would've have been and scraped his ribs. He bruised them pretty badly and had to go to the hospital. Then about two days later I was walking around the pool deck I fell through the open panel spot and I didn't get nearly as hurt as my brother but I just think it's so funny looking back. It definitely wasn't funny at the time but now it is.

My favorite memories have to be with my Pap Foreman. I love that guy so much. When me and my brother were younger we were always riding our bikes outside. My grandparents had about an acre of land with their house so we quite enjoyed riding our bikes all around, playing cops and robbers haha. Then one day my brother broke the seat off his bike and he couldn't ride it anymore. So he thought it'd be a cool idea if we hooked my little red wagon up to my bike (my barbie bike) and I could ride in my wagon. Seemingly innocent plan haha. Then the next thing you know my wagon flipped over and I was on the ground crying. My lip was busted and both my knees. My Pap kinda just laughed at me and then put band aids on all my boo-boo's.

My favorite all time memory has to be the one where my Pap tried teaching me how to play football haha. My Nan was out at home league or something for the afternoon and Pap was watching the football game. I told him I wanted to learn how to play. Now keep in mind that my grandparents house was in no way child proof. They had little glass figurines everywhere. So my Pap used one of the couch pillows as the football and just as I hiked the pillow under my legs to pass to him it went to high haha. It knocked a glass figurine off the top of the TV. My Pap tried gluing back together the piece that broke but it never worked. It was quite a few weeks later til my Nan noticed but nonetheless hilarious when she heard the story of how it was broke.

Lord I thank so much for these beautiful memories of life you've given me. It's something, that no matter what happens, no one can ever take away from me. Thank you for all these people that made my memories so great. I pray that memories would just grow from here on out. Thank you.

I pray you weren't bored by these. Thanks for reading.

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #54 A heart at peace

2008-09-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

"A heart at peace give life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

Proverbs 14:30

I read this verse in my devotions on Wednesday night and I found it stuck with me. My life has sort of been quite hectic lately. All I have time do anymore is school work. And if and when I ever have time off I don't do the things i'm supposed to. I'm tired. When I read this verse it struck something in my spirt: I desire a heart at peace. I want peace of some sort. I also found that a large part of me not having peace was envy. Always wanting what someone else has. Their shirt...their phone...whatever it was, I wanted it. My spiritual bones are rotting.

My prayer tonight is that I would have peace. The Lord has blessed me, abundantly. He has blessed me more than I could've ever imagined or deserved. I pray I would not envy others and just be thankful for what the Lord has given me. He has blessed me with certain things for a reason. He gave them to me knowing I could do something with those blessings that no one else could.

Secondly I pray that my heart would be at peace. That I wouldn't worry about college, school work, family, corps activities or just life in general. The Lord loves me and will carry me through these things. I want to just be at peace and know that the Lord is my King and He loves. I want the peace of his love to flood my soul tonight.

I pray this for everyone who reads. I pray you would have a heart at peace with the Lord. Bless you.

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #53 Sure Salvation

2008-09-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

So I don't know how far off I am this post but I just ask that you would read and give me feedback because I really feel as though I'm supposed to learn more from this post.

This is kind of what goes through my mind when someone stands up and says " I know I'm going to heaven" or " I know that I will see such and such relative again someday in heave".

Do any of us really know if we are fit for heaven? Can any of us truly be sure that we will be in heaven one day?

Well I can't answer those questions for everyone but I can answer them for myself. I am never sure that I am fit for heaven or that I will be in heaven one day. This isn't because I doubt that there is a heaven or that I doubt God's love for me and desire for me to be there. It's my self. I doubt my own sincerity of my confession of my sins everyday. I feel that if I ask for forgiveness everyday in my devotions it becomes routine. Especially on the days when I look at what I've done and say " well all I did was tell a little lie" or I feel as though my sin is insignificant.

So being unsure of my place in heaven is what keeps me desperate for the Lord everyday. It's what keeps me asking for forgiveness even over the little sins. If I stood up for one second and thought my ticket to heaven was sure I'd be a lot worse off.

I'm not sure I will be in heaven. But I know everyday I come to the Lord desperate for His forgiveness and mercy. I plead with him for my salvation and that one day I might see His face in all His glory. I can't say this makes sense to anyone else but in my heart it does. It's what keeps me running this race for His glory. For the crown of life.

Revelation of the Spirit-# 52 Jeremiah 29:11

2008-08-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited about this post and have prayed about for the last three days :)

On August 27, 2006 I started this blog with an entry about how nervous, scared and excited I was to start high school. That was such a crazy year for me and I really was feeling all those things that night. I had just come home a great summer. My first year at TAM, second year at TMI and just full of fear about returning home. And here I sit two years later the night before I start my senior of high school still scared out of my mind haha. Not the same fear as that night but still fear.

I ended that post with one of my favorite verses to date.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

I haven't lived my whole life yet but the truth of this verse rings in my heart tonight. 2 years ago as a scared 14 year old high school freshman I had no clue what this verse really meant and I probably still don't the whole truth of this but I know that God has transformed my life the past two years. And through it all I doubted him many time but in the end the Lord has prospered me. He has given me a bright future.

I'm really scared for tomorrow morning so I just ask that you would say a little prayer for me. Thanks for reading. It means a lot.

Blessings

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #51 Faithfulness

2008-08-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Ah! Such big things are happening and I can't wait to tell you :)

I'll just start by saying the Lord has been soo faithful to me! Let me just say that Psalm 37:4 has become truth in my life.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

So first bit of exciting news....I am officially graduating this May or June 2009. This is a year early than I'm supposed to. It was officially passed this week and on Monday I start school as a senior. Praise God! After such uncertainties on this subject the Lord really prevailed and His will I truly believe is being done. So in tradition of your senior year, I got my senior pictures done today :) It was the greatest feeling ever and really was an answer to pray to be able to get them done this late into August. I pick up my proofs on Tuesday and will post them :)

And last but not least after years and years of prayer on my part I have finally come to a decision on a college and a major in college. First off at the end of September beginning of October, after my ACT test, I will apply to Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky as a Pre-Seminary Theology with a minor in Music. My long term goal is to get a Master of Divinity. Thanks to Colin for sparking my interests and pointing me on my way :)

So I have a very long year ahead of me. But I have no doubt that the Lord will get me through, with great experiences and His love never leaving. I just ask that you would keep me in your prayers. My class schedule this year is the most difficult I've ever had. 1 AP class and about 4 honors classes, so I definitely cannot do them with out the Lord. Just please keep in your prayers that I would rely completely on the Lord and not try to do things in my own strength.

This is such exciting news and i'm so happy to share it with you all!

Bless you!

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #50 A Changed Heart

2008-08-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

So let me just begin by saying TAM was amazing. The Lord poured out His Holy Spirit that entire week. My heart was changed. It was changed and I finally saw things so clearly. I felt the pure love of a Savior in my heart. Ezekiel 11:19 explains what happened...

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Not only do I believe that this happened to me but it happened to every student at TAM. The Lord gave us undivided hearts. He took our love for arts such as dancing, worship, drama, video, tech and much more and brought it together with our heart for fighting the injustices of this world. He showed us how to join these things together to use them both for His glory. And isn't that what he put us here for? So we can glorify Him! And those of us who had never heard of some of the injustices of the world were shown them and the Lord placed in them a heart for these things. He took their heart of stone, not knowing about these things and placed a heart of flesh that now cares for the people who are affected by these different injustices.

I believe TAM Conservatory Chapter 8 was blessed in a special way. I believe every single person walked away a different person. Each person felt the out pouring of the Holy Spirit. The Lord showed us so much. He gave us undivided hearts of flesh.

Personally my heart has become so much more sensitive to the injustices of this world. To the things on TV. To recycling and preserving our earth. To doing all I can to help every injustice happening.

I pray that someone you know went to TAM Conservatory this year and you would be able to chat with them a little bit about how TAM was. I promise you will be blessed by the message the Lord has given them and it would mean so much to them that they would be able to share with you.

As for my fellow TAMers I pray that you are continuing in your relationship with Jesus. Never forget what the Lord did you in your heart at TAM. Bless you.

Thanks for reading :)

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #49 Joy

2008-08-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

What can be said about joy? Well I can say that joy is not easy to have all the time, is it? Joy is not just happiness. Although happiness is a big part of it, I believe joy in truly Christ working you. Finding joy in every situation in your life is not easy at all. To in every possible situation in this world find joy seems to be impossible but there is a savior here to tell us it isn't.

Having joy while being persecuted for your faith is Christ. Having joy while you're heart is being torn apart is Christ. Having joy while the devil has attacked in every way possible is Christ. Having joy while you are being beat to death in a prison camp that no one will believe even exists is Christ. Christ is our joy.

No matter what situation we're in Christ loves us. No matter how hard the trials we go through Christ still sent His son to die for us. No matter how much we want to give in Christ is there beside us, pushing us to persevere. That is our joy. That Christ will always always love us. That His son died on a cross to save us and that He will never leave or forsake us. That is our joy.

Philippians 2:1-2

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Blessings.

Revelation of the Spirit- #48 Burning, Burning

2008-07-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Burning, Burning is a Salvation Army Song Book song. When most of us young people in the army think of a hymn tune from the song book, we think boring. But the truth I been discovering lately is there is such power in the words of the old hymn tunes. My favorite being Burning, Burning. The holy spirit truly anointed these words.

Burning, burning, brightly burning,

Brightly burning fire divine,

Satisfy my spirit's yearning,

Fill this empty soul of mine.

My spirit is yearning to be filled with you're burning holy spirit. Yearning to be burning.

Burning, burning, always burning,

Holy Spirit, stay with me;

To your will my will is turning,

What you will I want to be.

Burning, burning! The Holy Spirit is burning today. Burning in my heart. Burning in this lost and broken world. He is the light burning for us. In the dark and broken world HE IS BURNING! Holy Spirit stay with me. Let His will be what is done.

Burn in the hearts of every believer today. You're holy spirit burning across the nations. You're holy spirit is here and here to stay and you will never leave nor forsake us.

Continue to burn for Him.

Revelation of the Spirit- #47 It is NEVER too late

2008-07-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

Wherever you've gone My grace has followed you.

Whatever you've done My blood has covered.

Those are some of the most powerful promises the Lord has ever made. I read that in one of my devotion books the other day. I can't even begin to tell you how I felt when I read them. My was penetrated with the love of My Savior. An everlasting love that will never leave me. A savior who will never forsake me. His Grace has followed me. It has followed me through the sin, the shame, the hate, the pain and my return. His Grace brought me back to the heart I belong to. His Grace carried me through. Even when I thought I was shoving Him away, He stayed. And after I returned with my sin and shame weighing my heart down like an anchor, He offered His blood to get rid of it. He set me free. He washed me clean.

He set me free.

Wherever you've gone My Grace has followed you.

Whatever you've done My blood has covered you.

Revelation of the Spirit-# 46 Grace Alone

2008-07-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Grace alone, which God supplies,

Strength unknown, He will provide

Christ in us, our cornerstone;

We will go forth in grace alone.

I absolutely love this song. It is so wonderful. I love Mrs. Davis singing it on the new Pendel Brass CD.

This is a good reminder that we don't do anything on our own. But it's also a good reminder that the Lord is always there. It was such a great comfort to me and just felt the Lord touch my heart with these words.

God supplies grace. He never runs out and it's there for us whenever we feel like taking it. Lord knows there are so many days when I feel like I don't need it and then fail with out it. But He supplies it everyday and that's so important to me. Then the strength....Oh Lord the strength I have asked for day after day after day. There are countless days when I have not even the strength to get out of bed. But strength unknown, strength I didn't even know I had access to comes to my heart. He provides it.

Everything we do, say, pray about, and dream about is through His grace. We are only alive today because of His grace. We don't feel the full wrath of sin because through His grace He sent His only son to die on the cross. Grace.

Lord, thank you for you're amazing grace. The grace you supply, the strength you provide and the grace we go forth in everyday. Praise you Lord! You're amazing grace.

In His grace,

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #45 Run to Win

2008-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was honored, along with almost a hundred or more staff members to teach children in our division about "Running to Win". How perfect was this theme as it applied to my own life? Run to Win was the theme for PENDEL Musicamp 2008. The theme verse happens to be one of my favorite.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us....

Hebrews 12:1

I couldn't help but absolutely love every minute of the week. I was surround by all the best people. It was the absolute greatest feeling to be surrounded by others who are helping you along the way in this race.

Most of all it was so great to minister to the children. I taught devotions everyday and it was probably the highlight of my day. I absolutely loved it. I remember so well being that age at camp and now looking back I want to help them so much. I want them to get started right. To be prepared to stand against all evil. They truly are the future of our army and I feel as though we need to build them strong and surround them in a loving, protected atmosphere even just for one week.

I hope you would join me in praying for these children all year long. They need others looking out for their spiritual best interest 24/7/365. They are not only the future of our army, they are the future of our world. When I am getting ready to retire, this is the generation that will be running the government and making important decisions. Christ needs NEEDS! to be implanted in their hearts, souls and minds.

Thanks for reading. Glad to be back here.

Blessings,

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #44 I'll always be His baby

2008-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

In the sunlight or the rain

Brightest nights or darkest days

I'll always feel the same way

Whatever road you may be on

Know you're never too far-gone

My love is there wherever you may be

Just remember that you'll always be my baby

This is a country song by Sara Evans. I love country music and when on a long road trip with a friend today this song came on the radio. She sings about how she's let her earthly father and how she also let her heavenly Father down. I thought of how I have too often let Him down too. But these words came to such comfort of me. No matter what I do to disappoint Him, He'll always feel the same way for me. He'll always love me. I've never wandered too far from His heart and I will always be His baby. I'll be His daughter and will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

I pray you find as much comfort in these words as I did this day.

Love to you all.

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit-#43 And you came to my rescue

2008-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

So I've had a pretty rough week. I made a big boo boo on thursday when trying to put a game program on my iphone I completely ruined the phone so it doesn't work anymore and on top of that crashed my computer. So you can say I was in pretty much the biggest trouble of my entire life.

The last couple days my heart has really been in turmoil and just felt so uneasy. But then just a couple minutes ago I got a call from my cousin saying her friend could completely fix the phone and make it like brand new. Just when I felt defeated, the Lord came to my rescue and praise to Him is due. But praise should always be due to Him. In the midst of turmoil or in the happiest moment of your life. He is always the Saviour of our life, not just when we're happy.

This is a lesson, I think with life experience will be learned.

Lord I praise today and everyday for being the Saviour of my life. For being the fireman that saves the burning building that is my heart, everyday. Thank you Lord for the life you've given me.

Bless you all!

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #42 What A Friend We Have in Jesus

2008-05-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ah, so I have to say that What a Friend We Have in Jesus is definitely one of my favorite hymn tunes. We sang it on sunday in church. Church was absolutely packed because of it being divine service sunday. But praise the Lord our chapel has been almost completely full this entire month. But as a result of the extra people we ran out Hallelujah chorus book. So as we sang this song I saw an older woman in our corps hand her chorus book to a girl just a little bit younger than me. Then as we sang the song she sat there with her eyes closed singing. She knew every word to like all five verses of this song. You could tell what she was singing she meant with all her heart. You could see that her heart knew exactly what it meant to have a friend in Jesus and that she not only knew him as her savior but as her best friend. And by passing those words on to the young she was giving her testimony. Saying I no longer need the words of this song they have been planted in my heart.

I just pray when I reach that age and by God's grace even before that with all my heart I can sing about what a friend I have in Jesus. My heart's desire is that.

Jesus I desire to know you more and to know you as the lover and friend of my heart.

Blessings to you all!

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #41 Taking time to breath

2008-05-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

So I apologize for the lack of posting the last couple weeks. It's the end of the school year and everything has been soo crazy. Between band concerts, preparing for star search, working papers for camp, family stuff and school finals it feels like I haven't even taken time to breath. Today when I came home from school I realized I had not too much to do tonight so I took a nice nap. It ended up being too long of one but I think definitely a well deserved. It's felt nice to rest in the peace of the Lord after being so crazy the last couple weeks. I'm pleased to say that after Friday I am done everything for school and only have star search to worry about haha.

A quick prayer request, a mission team left yesterday from division to go to Romania. The army is fairly new there and the team has gone to go spread the news of the Lord in a new area. I just ask that you cover them in prayer and support them in the mission the Lord has sent them on. Some of these people on this trip are my best friends and when they left I felt like a part of my heart left with them. It is such a hard thing to go on a mission trip and I've wrestled with the thought of one for the last couple years, which leads me to my next prayer request.

Secondly, and I think lastly is this month the new Pendel Brass was released. It's called Prepare the Way of the Risen Lord. It's soo great.(and i'm not just saying that because I am on it.) As well as selling a great cd, this cd is also the beginning of fundraisers to support our trip to South Africa next May. (May '09) I have plenty of them at my house and they are only 15$, If it's not too much to ask and affordable for you, just ask and I can have it in the mail to you by the end of the week. As well just be praying for the Pendel Brass that even now the Lord would prepare our hearts for a great mission to South Africa.

Thanks for reading :) Blessings to you all!

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #40 God Will Make a Way

2008-05-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

After much needless worry and countless bitten nails I have finally found God's way of letting me return to TMI for the fourth year in a row. Praise the Lord! Scholarships were given out on Saturday and I didn't recieve one and I figured that was the end of it but the Lord made a way. To make a long story short I am going to TMI with a fully paid trip! God made a way for me and I truely believe he wants me there. I'm more than excited.

I praise the Lord for his faithfulness to my heart this day because he has given me the desires of my heart. My challenge to you is to be patient and wait upon him. He will be faithful. This he promises.

Praise the Lord!

Love abundantly,

Kathryn

Revelation of the Spirit- #39 Accepting a Call

2008-04-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

'While women weep as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, I'll fight; while there yet remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight - I'll fight to the very end.'
William Booth

When William Booth spoke these words years and years ago not only was this his personal testimony, I believe it was a challenge to every soldier, officer and person that attends the Salvaiton Army. Every time I walk into my corps, put on my uniform or go to camp I feel the Lord challenging me to live up to William Booth's words.

Today when I put my uniform I felt so much. I felt pride for being a soldier in the army of the Lord. I felt peace. I felt when I put that uniform on I was putting on the armor of God and He would protect me.

Today was just a build up of the past couple years. I knew at the age of 13 God was calling me to full time ministry in the Salvation Army. In other words I knew then I was to be a Salvation Army Officer. For two years I accepted this calling. I stood up every year at youth councils when they called for officers. I dreamed of one day going to the SFOT. Then last year I found my own plan. I started dating someone who had no intention of every being an officer. So I forgot about my calling. But this weekend changed my heart. I was asked to go the Future Officers Fellowship dinner saturday night at youth councils. It was great. I felt at peace in the Lord with the people there. We laughed and had such great fun. Then today during church they did the call for officership a bit differently than other years. Captain Hickman had a list of names. Some of who were at the FOF others who weren't. As he read this list I just remember thinking dear God let my name be on there. You see they had a cross on stage, in the middle of the stage with the Salvation Army flag draped across it. And as he called the names up each one knelt around the cross. Last but not least my name was called. I went willing up to stage and knelt before the cross. The Lord said I have given you a calling....do you accept? And I said yes.

I learned there's a difference between being called and accepting your calling. By saying, "Here I am Lord, send me!" By trusting and obeying. I have not a clue where my life is to go from here. What college I will go to, who or if I will ever marry, and the list goes on. But it's about letting go and trusting the one who has the way marked out.

Today I accept my calling to be an officer of the Salvation Army. My challenge is to find what God has called you to do. He has a calling for each of our lives. I pray when you hear His calling that you accept.

It is my declaration as it was William Booth's so many years that while women weep as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, I'll fight; while there yet remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight - I'll fight to the very end.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit- #38 My Gaze is Fixed

2008-04-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army beseige me, my heart wil not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:1-7

Days of great testing have come upon my soul. Days of great suffering are testing my faithfulness. But my declaration this day to the Lord and all who read this is that my gaze is fixed upon the one who gave me life. Not one person will be the cause of me not seeing the beauty of the Lord. The Lord is my strength the stronghold of my life and my heart will fear none but him.
My life is dedicated to him and I will remain faithful til the very end.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit- #37 Taking A Step in Faith.

2008-04-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I was part of a small group devotions in Pendel Brass and we talked about a devotional life. We spent two rehearsals together and on our second time the leader of our group informed me of a retired officer in our territory who reads through the entire bible every month. He has done this as his daily devotional for many years. I was amazed at this because when I think about reading the entire bible I think about it taking about a year. But I felt the Lord laying this on my heart to atleast explore. The truth of my heart is I desire nothing more than to know the word of God. To understand with every part of my being the love, grace and sacrifice of the Lord.

So tomorrow I will start on my journey of faith. I will read ten pages a day and that will allow me to read through the bible in about three and a half months. I felt such a call from the Lord this weekend to explore this with all my heart, to be faithful to this for a good part of my life. He has promised to bless me greatly.

My request to all of you is that you pray for me. This journey is going to take extreme faithfulness, patience and great love. I know there will be days when what I am reading won't interest me or really have much of an impact but I know the Lord has much great blessings in store for me. I bless all you for stepping out in faith with me. Thank you.

Lord, this marks a great day in my life. A day when my faith is so strong I am putting all I have in you. I have nothing else but this life and it is yours. Everything I am, all my hopes, dreams and desires are yours. Lord, I love you with every facet of my being. Use me as your instrument of praise.

In His unfailing love,

Amen.

Youth Holiness Advance

2008-04-11T03:54:00.000-07:00

I request that you pray for myself and countless other young adults and teens travel to camp ladore for the Youth Holiness Advance. I don't really know much about it myself, I was just asked last weekend to sing the in the worship team but i've heard great things about it. Just keeps in your prayers this weekend.

Thanks.

Revelation of the Spirit - #36 When the heat comes

2008-04-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and rests his confidence upon him. He shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, that streches its roots along the stream. When heat comes it has nothing to fear.
Jer. 17:7-8

I read this is my devotional tonight. I was truely moved today by my devotional by Elisabeth Elliott.

I have for the last couple of weeks been starting to drive and let me just say I've never been in a more stressful situation than driving. For some reason driving does not come easily to me. I often shake nervously as I drive. I feel very unsafe and just reckless everytime I get in the car. But today I drove over to the bank with my nan just right around the corner and as I walked out of the bank I pleaded with God to help me. And I believe for the first time I fully trusted in the Lord with every part of my being. I cannot explain the feeling when I drove before today but I knew I had never been more terrified getting behind that wheel from day one. But today after pleading with the Lord to protect me and guide me and that all I wanted to do was worship him, when I got back in the car I felt at peace.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord...

I was planted today by God's living waters. I am fixed upon his river banks. I will drink of his living flowing loving. And when the heat comes upon me I will not fear, but I will trust him and bathe in the water of his unfailing love.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #35 My Reward

2008-04-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

" I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
2 Timothy 4:7-8

I long for his appearing and to see his beauty and my life will be focused on this day. I will stand before the Lord and recite this verse on judgement day when the Lord places the crown of righteous upon me. Praise God! We have a reward.

Amen!

Revelation of the Spirit - #34 A wedding to come

2008-04-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's all about a wedding to come.
It's all about God who's a lover.

And He will not relent until He has a pure and spotless bride.

Amen!

Revelation of the Spirit - #33 Knowing You're Not Alone

2008-04-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

The above picture is of me and my good friend Erin's promise rings. (Mine is the heart one her's is the other.) I celebrate our friendship so much because we experienced OneThing together and it's always nice to have someone to recall such found memories with. But we both have used these rings to signify purity in our life. Both have made a commitment to stay pure until those rings are replaced. It's really nice not being the only one although I would have gladly made the commitment again if I was alone.

I praise God today for Erin and for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ that make this journey just a little bit easier.

I love you all!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #32 Where Faith Falls Short.

2008-03-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

"Help me where faith falls short."
Mark 9:24

Today has been a day where you have so much to do there's no way you can get it done in 24 hrs. I have just been going going going since 630 this morning. And when I read that verse tonight it struck my heart with a deep warmth I haven't had in a while. I knew it was the Father speaking to me through His love.

This verse is truely awesome. Our faith cannot be measured. Because every time we are to measure it we would come up less than empty handed. But I truely thank God that our faith can be as small as a mustard seed but we can move mountains. Amen.

I just want to praise God today for being there even when my own faith falls short day after day. That even though I may not always be sure of things, He is.

Please pray for the PENDEL Brass this weekend as we travel to Boston and Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Love to you all!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #30 The Way Appointed

2008-03-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

"My appointed time is near."
Matthew26:18

I read about Jesus speaking of His appointed time at the cross. Jesus knew what was going to happen but He also knew for not one second was His life in the hands of those people hanging Him on that cross. Not for one minute did He question the will of His Father for His life. Lord appointed a time, date and place for Him to die. Jesus knew it and He knew whatever happened between now and then was at the will of His Father.

My prayer today for myself and for those who read is, in our everday walk we would remember our way is appointed just at Jesus' was. The Lord has set a path and a will for our life and we are never at the mercy of those in our life.

So the next time your in a situation when you feel you are at the mercy of another person, pray to God. Lord my way appointed, let the will you have for my life have it's way. You're Spirit shall be comforted by His perfect peace and knowing His will be done and none other.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #29 Power and Love

2008-03-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

"When Lazarus died the crowd of mourners was divided when Jesus wept. Some took it as evidence of how greatly He had loved the man. Others thought it a hypocritical gesture, since one who could heal a blind man certainly could have prevented this man's death.

Jesus did indeed love Lazarus, and Mary and Martha. He could have prevented his death. But certain things, in a broken world, must be allowed to happen. None of the, however, in the hands of a loving and powerful God and Savior, are beyond redeeming. Resurrection is a far greater evidence of the power and love of God than the mere aborting of catastrophies. God, help us to rememberthis triumphant hope when we, too, stand weeping hopelessly."

That was a little bit of my devotional today from Elisabeth Elliott in The Music of His Promise. Love this book. Such lessons to be learned of the Lord everyday. I love the word "love". When I read the word "love" I cannot tell what it does to my heart. It moves me in a way I suppose the Lord designed it to. But this passage Elisabeth talks about moves my heart in the way love does, because the story of Lazarus truely expresses Gods love for us. The moral of that story is sometimes God has to let us die before we can be saved. We have to learn to die of this world, to learn that the things of this world cannot compare to the things the Lord has to offer.

But while we're so to say"dying" you must know that your suffering is not beyond the power and love of the Lord. Anytime we choose to call on His name in our suffering is when we truely begin to understand a part of the Lord we probably haven't before. We begin to understand His sufferings. Most of all we begin to experience a little bit of the relationship between the Father and the Son.

Before I get off on another tangent. Just know how far you may feel from God, no matter how much suffering you think you're in beyond God's reach, know you're not. Know you can call upon His name and through His perfect power and love He reach down to the depths and seat you at the right hand of the throne of God.

In His power and love,

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #28 He's waiting with open arms

2008-03-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's good to be back here again. I've truely missed this, but I needed to find out for myself if God was really still in me. I had quite a big test. For a week I went to Disney World in Florida with my high school marching band. And can I just say I've never been more tired in my entire life. We never stopped going and going and going. It was up at seven to eat breakfast and off to the parks til 10 or 11 that night. So it was a test to see even if I wasn't doing a daily devotion if the Lord would really shine through my heart. And I can't say I passed but I can say I know for a fact that the Lord My God and Savior is living in my heart. I had more struggles that week than I've ever had before in my life, physcially and mentally. I was so exhausted and wanted to give up completely. But then as I saw around me the wonders God had made and how present He was, though others could barely see him, it was like I was staring him straight in the face.

My favorite things about Disney weren't the beautiful rides, princess, the giant Cinderella castle or the wonderful firework spectacular they put on every night. For me it seeing the sunset everyday. To feel the warmth of that sun on my face every day kept me going. Feeling that warmth was like feeling his love. He kept me knowing he was there and that I could go on. And every time I needed him, he was waiting with his arms of love open wide. He was ready to embrace me with an embrace never known in this world. That sun on my face and arms and feet everyday was his embrace.

The Lord is always waiting for you with his arms wide open. Even if you've been away from him for years and years. He's waiting for you and to remind that his love is always there no matter what we go through.

P.S.
I have two prayer requests :) First on March 27-30 the Pendel Brass is taking a ministry weekend trip to Boston. And I ask you keep the band as a whole in your prayers and for me on Sunday morning. I was asked to give my testimony and I just ask you pray that the Lord would speak through me that day and that at least one person would see Christ in me. The second request is on May 1, 2008 at 730 pm in the Pottsville Area High School Auditorium I will have the biggest performance of my short music career and I just ask that you begin praying now that the Lord would prepare me for that day. And most of all that that day would be for His glory and not mine or anyone elses. That he in that high school auditorium would be honored with our offering of music.

I really missed blogging on here. So glad to be back!

Love to you all!

Kathryn

Time Off

2008-03-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning I leave around 4am for Disney world with my high school marching band. So for the next week I won't be posting. But even after I return I will not post again for a while. I have come to a crictical time in my own faith when I feel so far from God that I cannot even pray to him. I feel very weak and vulnerable to sin and need time to spend with God. I really just want to completely disappear but that's a little hard when you're 16.

I ask for prayers and support during the next couple weeks.
Thank you.

P.S. I will not be accepting phone calls or text messages.

Kathryn.

Revelation of the Spirit - #27 Finding Rest in Him

2008-02-29T16:48:00.001-08:00

Come unto to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

After a long day of school, pit band rehearsal, homework, packing for Disney, and getting ready for rehearsal tomorrow I am thoroughly exhausted. It is always nice to know the Lord has his arms open wide for me to rest in. That verse and a picture of the Lord with arms open wide are by my computer. I found such rest in reading that just now (the first time I've had to sit down tonight).

I pray you can find rest in the Lord.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #26 Changed in the Twinkling of an Eye

2008-02-28T18:19:00.000-08:00

When I came home from school today I was feeling quite destroyed by sin. I felt I had just sinned far past forgiveness. My soul was in anguish. I found myself once again praying Psalm 6. How long Lord? I am in agony, have pity on me. When I got a text message from my dearest friend Erin informing she could go to STI (Summer Teen Intensive) at IHOP, which I was planning on attending but I wasn't allowed to go unless I was traveling with someone I knew. Praise God it was an answer to both our prayers. But it was amazing that in " the twinkling of an eye" I was changed. I went from feeling such agony in my soul to feeling the joy of the Lord fill my heart.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery; We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

The Lord is amazing and you must perservere through the suffering. I felt like I was in the truest sense the words, wasting away. I felt as though my sins were eating away at me.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far out weighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

This is the prayer of my heart today. That I would not grow weary and lose heart. Though I may feel as I am wasting away, the Lord renews my strength everyday. These troubles are only momentary and the glory that awaits me in heaven. I fix my eyes on You, Jesus. Heal my broken and weary heart and prepare me for the glory you want to give me. May my life be a living sacrifice.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #25 How long?

2008-02-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

This is the cry of my heart this day...

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. Away from me, all who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.
Psalm 6

Revelation of the Spirit - # 24 Let Thy Music of His Promises Be Heard

2008-02-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

I started a new devotional book. It's a book by Elisabeth Elliot called The Music of His Promises and there's a daily devotional for a whole year and I didn't realize that at first, so I kind of cheated and read like three months worth of devoitionals tonight :). But I decided to go back and do them everyday now. So most likely most of my posts for the next year will have to do with this book.

Today's devotional just really talked about the music of His promises. As I have not really discovered even in the slightest bit what it means to hear the music of His promises, I am very excited to find out what it may be like. But today as I read the devotional a certain verse came to mind. I have truely been struggling with God's will for my life as the whole and have a hard time trusting him. But today when reading this devotional Jeremiah 29:11 came to my heart.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I never had that verse mean so much to me as I did today. It brought such comfort to my heart. It was like God whispered to me those words. I truely believe this day that the Lord has great things in store for my life. To bless me eternally and give me things I could never imagine.
All I have to do is trust him, love him and serve him with all my heart.

Hear the music of His promise this day.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - # 23 A Cry For Our Generation

2008-02-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

I was searching on Iwillworship.com where I get all my sheet musci for worship for free I might add :) when I came across the song Give Us Clean Hands. It's definitely one of my favorites. But I never realized the power of these words until tonight when I sang it during my time of worship.
If you don't know them here they are..

We bow our hearts, we bend our knees
O Spirit come makes us humble.
We turn our eyes from evil things
O Lord we cast down our idols.

Give us clean hands, give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another.
Oh God let us be a generation that seeks,
that seeks your face O God of Jacob.

Such power reeks in these words. To bow our hearts and bend our knees to make us humble before God. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Prov 3:34). Turning our eyes away from the things of this world.

It is the cry of my heart tonight that myself and this generation ask God for clean hands and pure hearts. That only one thing would fulfill the longings of our hearts. For us to be a generation that seeks the face of God. That seeks his beauty and that we will not rest until we have seen the Lord in his beauty and dwell there for all our days.

One Thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4

This is the cry of my heart tonight and I know and have firm faith that the Lord has heard that cry. My request of you all tonight is that you join in this cry and that you would seek him and not rest until you have met the Lord face to face. That you would not look to the things of this world. That you set your heart, minds, eyes and every part of you on things above this world. There is more to this life. Do not rest until you see the Lord in his beauty, in his temple. I promise the reward is more than you can ever imagine.

This is my prayer for you all tonight that you would seek the Lord with every part of your entity. That you would understand the reward of seeing the Lord in his beauty and dwelling there all the days of your life.

Lord mark hearts this day. Give them a taste of your love that they maybe hooked on you and never look to anything else to satisfy their hearts. That only one thing, your love, will satisfy them.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - # 22 The Crown of Righteousness

2008-02-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have often found in scripture that life is referred to as a race. In Hebrews 12:1 it is refered to as the race marked out for us. For me this understanding is a great one. The Lord has just stressed on my heart so much this race he has marked out for me. While reading in 2 Timothy I came over a couple verses that made apparent that this race doesn't continue forever and that we have a prize at the end.

" I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Much is being said in this verse that makes me happier than I can ever express through words or mere human actions. I want more than anything on judgement day that I have fought the good fight, that I have finished the race the Lord marked out for me and kept faith of seeing him. And my mind cannot even begin to imagine the joy to overcome my soul the day the Lord crowns me with the crown of righteousness. I cannot imagine what the crown of righteousness exactly is but what my heart hopes for is his love, glory, beauty and holiness to the fullest I can recieve them.

But the good news is this is not just for me. It is for you all to experience. It is for all of God's children whethere believers or non believers to run the race marked out for you. And to live faithfully to him and to recieve the crown of righteousness. Accept his offer of love and righteousness.

He promises it will not be easy.

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
2 Timothy 3:12

But the crown of righteousness is your prize for running the race. The reward of living with God forever. Having his beauty and glory and love bestowed upon me. To live with him in heaven. That is our prize.

My challenge to you is to run this race with faithfulness to the Lord. Fight the good fight. Love him with all your heart, mind soul and body.

Blessings to all who read!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #21 I am Ruined by the Love of God

2008-02-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

As I lay my heart of the altar I cannot help but feel his love. At OneThing I believe truely tasted the love of God for the first time. When I tasted that love I was ruined. My heart was no longer satisfied by the love of any other. No longer loving music, playing cornet, singing, loving family, friends or anything else truely fill the desire of my heart for love. One thing fills that space for love...that is the love of God.

Many churches today believe that they read scripture, spend time with the Lord, and do ministry out of their duty for God. "Oh he died so I guess the least I can do is read something once a week, do some outreach ministry and tell others about him." It becomes such a burden when looking at the Lord that way.
1 John 5:3

This is love for God: to obey his commands.And his commands are not burdensome.

His love was not meant as a burden for us to carry as he did the cross. His love was meant for us to enjoy and to truely live by having our hearts desires fulfilled through his love.

Once you experience God's love you are determined to live a life of holiness to experience that love again. To be pure and blameless and to live out his commands is what the Lord asks of us, but you have no idea it is all worth when you experience the love of God.

Song of Solomon 1:2
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth-
for your love is more delightful than wine.

His love is better than wine. Better than the material things of this world.
Today I feel so lovesick for the Lord and I long to experience his love the way I experienced it at OneThing. But whether or not I experience it the same way I always feel it with me. Every part of my day I feel the love of God with me. For me it serves as a reminder that I need to be pure, blameless and holy so I can someday experience the love of God to it's fullest extent. My heart yearns for that day.

My prayer for you all is to have the Lord set before you, with the reminder of his love be your motivation to live a pure blameless and holy life.

In His Love..

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #20 Upon thy altar I lay my heart

2008-02-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

I don't I've ever had a more serious matter of the heart than out that what I've done today. I'm currently reading Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. This book is basically the book that put her on the map so to say as a writer. Her story is one that I have to admit, I fall in love with everytime I hear it. This book I'm reading now is about her falling in love with her future husband Jim Elliot but waiting on God for the right timing. They come to a time when they are graduating college but both feel as though it's not God's time to seek any further relationship. They often go on long walks and talk for hours, but when it came closer and closer Elisabeth realized maybe they should "cool it" so to say. So Jim making a reference to Abraham when he offered up his only son to God, said he was to sacrifice his love for Elisabeth. "So upon the altar I lay you" are the words he says to her.

I realized that God was calling me to lay something upon his altar. My heart. My hopes, desires, fears and dreams. I offer them to the Lord. I offer them up as a sacrifice that they may be used for his Kingdom. I am pouring out my heart to him as Mary of Bethany poured out her ointment on the Lord's feet. With all my heart, soul and mind I desire to serve the Lord.

I know I am sharing a deep part of my life with the Lord but I feel as though it is necessary. I feel as though someone who doesn't believe in the Lord or doesn't know how serious the Lord is about offering our everything to him needs to know that there are people out there living and running hard for the Lord. I don't know if I'm the best example but this is my life and the real fact of all our lives is that we are not perfect.

My prayer for this post is that when someone reads it they would feel the conviction of the Lord to lay upon his altar that last part of their life the enemy has a stronghold on. Whatever it maybe, your love life, your addiction to food, internet, masturbation, pornography or whatever part the enemy still has a stronghold that when you read this you would feel the conviction of the Lord on your heart. That you would pour out your heart, soul, body and mind to the Lord and serve him with every inch of your entity.

I pray for each and everyone of you that read and I pray the Lord's grace upon each of your lives.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #19 Grace Greater than all our Sins!

2008-02-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have to say this has to be one of my favorite revelations of the Spirit so far. I'm reading Quest for Love by Elisabeth Elliot (my favorite author :)) Today I read Chapter 27 Grace Greater than all our sins. This chapter was basically about a couple people who had wrote to her about how when they were younger, were foolish and given away there virginity but through God's amazing grace still recieved amazing spouses and realized in the flesh what it means to be truely forgiven by God.

This chapter couldn't have come at a better time :). About a year ago I started dating someone, I hadn't dated for about three years and was pretty excited. I must admit I fell pretty hard for this guy and he for me as well. I guess you could say we got carried away with our feelings. Thank God we never did anything physically compromising for either one of our standards but I still knew I sinned. It's been a slow and painful recovery but today I read in this chapter a verse that I think completely healed my broken and sinful heart.

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10:22-23

Not only has the Lord forgiven me but he has washed my heart and body with pure water so that I may remain pure in His sight. This is verse is exactly what I need. The funny thing is I just read it last night in my devotions. I underlined, which means it caught my attention but when explained further through the eyes of a woman who had been through something similiar as I, it opened my heart to God's healing through His words.

God has forgiven me, and I think i've forgiven myself also. I don't know if the boy I dated will ever forgive me but that's not the point. I pray he will but he has moved on and it's time I did too. The Lord is the focus on my life and I need to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with perserverance the race marked out for me (Hebrews 12:1).

My eyes are fixed upon Jesus the author and perfecter of my life and will be set there all the days of my life. He gave his life for me so nothing is acceptable except my entire life. I give all to him, I surrender all to Jesus.

Through Jesus grace you can be forgiven, washed clean with a clear conscience and move on serving the Lord to the fullest of your hearts desire.

I challenge you today that if you are struggling with past sin whatever it may be. Be washed with the pure water of Christ and start over and live for Him and only Him.

In God's Amazing Grace...

Amen.

Just to let you know :)

2008-02-18T13:58:00.001-08:00

I just want to let you all know that I cancelled my facebook and myspace accounts. I don't know whether this is temporary or permanent but I need to completely focus on the Lord and both were becoming addictions that were hindering me from serving the Lord to the best of my ability. You can always email me at KatL014@gmail.com.

Love and blessings to all who read :)

Kathryn :)

Revelation of the Spirit - # 18 Faith like Abraham

2008-02-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

So I've been reading through Hebrews in my devotions and today I came to chapter 11, which if you're familiar with Hebrews, speaks about faith. I was amazed by how many examples there were of mostly men through out the the bible whom God commanded them to do very dangerous and selfless acts, and only through faith obeyed. In verse 17 it talks of Abraham.

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had recieved the promises was about to sacrifice his only and only son, 18 even though God has said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did recieve Isaac back from the death."

So stirred by this passage I went back and read the story of Abraham. Wow was I astonished. Abraham had such faith in God. He obeyed him even when he believed God might take away one of the people he loved most. Talk about surrending all to God.

Tonight my prayer is that I can have an ounce of the faith that Abraham had. My prayer for you is the same.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1

Lord I pray tonight for one ounce of the faith Abraham had. To just trust you with my future, my hopes, my desires, my entire life. I pray for those who read this blog. That you will give them faith as I ask for.

Blessings to all who read.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - # 17 He is Lord of my Sinful Heart

2008-02-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

This song was sung in the prayer room.

Sing to Jesus
The Lord of our Shame
Lord of our Sinful Hearts
He is our Great Redeemer

Sing to Jesus
Honor His Name
Sing of His Faithfulness
Pouring his life out on us

Lord of our shame, Lord of our sinful hearts...I don't about you but those words rend my heart each and ever time I hear this song. My heart is rended because though sin and shame surround and attack my heart He is Lord of my heart. He is my Great Redeemer, He is faithful and poured out His life onto each and everyone of us. I can't explain the power I feel in my heart right now. The Love I have has never been strong and I wish I could share it with each and every one of you in person. The Lord loves your shameful, sinful heart. Offer it to him. Although it maybe broken, grief-stricken what ever the case maybe, offer it to Him and He will heal your broken heart.

Sing to Jesus
His is the throne
Now and for ever
He is the King of Heaven

Sing to Jesus
We are his own
Now and for ever
Sing for the Love our God has shown

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #16 Jesus is the Ultimate Interecessor

2008-02-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

At IHOP they emphasize interecessory prayer alot. It's really great and i'm learning what it means.

You are standing in the gap for a country, a person, or a group people. I really believe great change has been made and will be made in this world through intercessory prayer. But in saying this, I realized while reading scripture a great intercessory has already come and gone and will be coming back.
"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
Hebrews 7:25

I've known as long as I've been a believer that Jesus died for me on the cross. But here is the only place i've heard it called intercession. We are saved completely through this intercession. And Jesus has become the Ultimate interecessor for all time. He stood in the gap for us. On the cross he said

"Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."
Luke 23:34

That's the ultimate prayer of interecession and the ultimate sacrifice was offered up that day.

I just find that mind blowing. Praise God that Jesus set the example for interecessory prayer and that we may stand in the gap for those who do not know what they are doing.
I challenge you to try intercessory prayer in your daily devotions. It doesn't have to be for another country but it could be for your best friend, or mother, father, sister or brother. Just try it, you will be connected to the heart of God in way maybe you haven't experienced yet.

Blessings to all who read!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - # 15 Although it may not be apparent now I am sowing seeds for the Lord!

2008-02-11T19:33:00.001-08:00

I am not sure of how many people actually read my blogs and I'm not sure how many of my blogs make sense. But I do know that everything I write is what I am learning of God's Spirit. Last night while doing devotions the Lord truely brought reassurance to my heart that although I may not see the the purpose of this now He is using this blog as a seed for His kingdom. He is using me to sow seeds that one day reap of great glory for the kingdom of God.

I offer my own prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord that I have been chosen as a vessel for him. I challenge you all to find how the Lord wants to use you. More than likely it's in more than one way :)

One of my favorite songs from the prayer often sung by Justin Rizzo talks about sowing seeds..I'm not exactly sure of the title but here are some words...

I will not despise the sowing of seeds...For I know in due time I will reap..
I will not despise the sowings of seeds...For I know in due time I will see..
The fruit of my labor for all of eternity..
The fruit of my labor so I give myself holy to thee...

Not much can be said after that..

Blessings to all :)

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #14 God's Word is living

2008-02-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and amrrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12

In case you haven't noticed by a couple of my last scripture references I am studying Hebrews. I thought it wise to study a book of the bible a little more achievable for my spiritual maturity. I tried Psalms but I think I need to wait a bit on them, not that I didn't fall in love with them though :)

Boy, I am feeling so lovesick for the Lord today. I love the feeling. But today I had a bad day at school. Nothing big to make it a bad day but just one of those days. But what I found so helpful is when you're falling under attack of satan, you have a sword. I read this verse after school but I realized that through my struggles today I was referencing some verses I had read earlier. And what a joy it was to read when I came home that God's word is my sword against sin. When someone is putting you down, think of a scripture that gives you strength. Often there are worship songs that are scripture as well and they help to sing them.

But Praise God that he has equipped us with a weapon against sin. God's living word which was true 2000 years ago is still true and 2000 years from now it will still be true. He is with us through his holy spirit always and through his word he is always with us.

My challenge to you today is when you having a rough day at work or school or wherever it maybe just recite your favorite scripture verse or your favorite worship song that helps you feel as though the Lord is near you.

Blessings to you all!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - # 13 There's a mansion in glory waiting for me!

2008-02-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Today in church we sang one of my favorite hymn tunes. Number 990 Victory in Jesus. My family used to sing this alot and I love it. My favorite is the third and final verse.

I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory, and I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;
And some sweet day I'll up there the song of victory!

There is a mansion in glory waiting for me in which God built for me. I can walk the streets of God. There's is a crystal sea of beauty waiting for me to gaze upon. And some sweet heavenly day I'll sing to God my song of victory. The victory I will have over the sin and shame of this world. The victory is mine!

O Victory in Jesus my Savior forever!
He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew him, and all my love is due him-
He plunged to victory beaneath the cleansing flood.

The victory is in sight. Cling to Jesus for the victory and just wait for our mansion in His glorious kingdom.

Blessings to all who read!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #12 He's been there already

2008-02-10T09:51:00.001-08:00

This upcoming week is the second anniversary of my father's death. It was a rough experience but I got through it with God at my side. But one thing I really hated was when people would say " Oh I'm sorry, I know how you feel" or "I understand exactly what you're going through". After so many remarks I just want to get up and yell you have know idea what i'm going through! I hated people saying that it just didn't make sense how they knew how I felt or how they understood what I was going through.

I feel often like that when i'm with God. Like how can God expect us to be sinless? He hasn't been there He doesn't know. But He does. For He sent his son to this earth to understand and endure more pain than we will ever have to.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin."
Hebrews 4:15

That's right. Jesus was here and the devil tempted Him with sin just as he does us. But Jesus knew that His life was to be an example that sin is not the way. That is Father is the way and sin is not easy to be resisted but can be.

Isn't that great? He knows what we're going through. He knows exactly what we're going through, He does more than sympathize with us. He takes our burden, our struggles and died so that we wouldn't have to bear them. I'm sooo happy he did that :)

Praise God that He knows what we're going through!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - # 11 God wins our hearts through the little things :)

2008-02-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

In the last week we've been in the process of getting a new youth pastor at corps. It's the first one we've had in like three years. Last week she finally started. Her name is Trish and she's a really great person. She's a super good singer and piano player and today in church she led worhsip. We've been singing to tapes and as much as I love a tape just as the next person it was sooo good to have a live piano playing and a real person standing in front me singing. The Lord truely wooed my heart this morning. Just listening to the people in my corps praising the Lord all in one accord. It made me think of the day Jesus returns when the whole earth will sing to Jesus. I can't wait.

Blessings to all who read :)

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #10 When You Live Whole Heartedly for God there is No Such Thing as Spiritual Boredom

2008-02-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

I can't say I've actually had a revelation of this yet. But more what I've realized is that I'm not living whole heartedly for God. As you've probably all noticed I haven't done one revelation a day. As I am human I struggle. At this time in my walk I feel very alone, I feel very far from God. I remember in one of my past posts saying that when you struggle you're going back to the person you were before you were reborn in Christ. I feel as though I am hanging on to the Lord by a string. But I learned why I am spiritual bored so to say. Just a little bit of God cannot satisfy our souls. We need all of Him and without all of Him to satisy us we get bored.

I often find myself doing the minimum in devotions anymore. But the Lord does want the minimum of us He wants all of us. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Pauls says,
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

Christ died so that we may die of ourselves, and so that we may only live for him. Only living for him means living whole heartedly. As stated in 2 Corinthians 11 He requires pure and sincere devotion. God has promised us to one husband. And the best one I should add. He needs our full undivided unattention and affection.

This is really hard. There is so much that God ask us of us don't you think? Well yes He does because He paid the highest price for us. But God also says one thing will set all of these in place. God's first commandment.

Jesus said to him, " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 22: 37-40
Loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and body makes everything else fall into place. I guess what I'm trying to get across is try to get sometime in your day as busy as you are to spend time with God letting him know you love him with all your heart. As the writer of the Seven Longings states " People who love God whole heartedly are happier and more cooperative." So maybe make it first thing in the morning so He can help you cooperate with others. Whatever it maybe. Love God with all your heart. It's my prayer for each and everyone.

P.S.
I'm trying to figure out a good devotional life for myself and haven't found one that works yet. I was wondering if those who read could email me some suggestions or examples of what you do in your own devotion life so I can find something that works for my heart to commun with God. Thanks. Email is KatL014@gmail.com

Blessings to all who read :)

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #9 Becoming a Woman of God can mean many different things!

2008-02-03T17:43:00.001-08:00

When I think of some of the great women of God in my life I think of their obedience to him. How they read his word, obey his word and love him with all their hearts. But what I love most about God is his great sense of humor and just sometimes his randomness to help do things we never thought we could.

One desire of my heart has been to be able to cook a decent meal haha. I want to be able to eventually be able to cook for my husband and family. I never thought of it before but the Lord said to me "this desire to cook is part of the desire to be a woman of my word". And I was kind of in awe when he said that to me because I thought it foolish to cook was part of his will for my life :) Awesome isn't it?

Well today I took on my biggest cooking endeavor and made meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas. My nan said it was pretty good! What do you think?

Blessings to all who read :)

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - 8# God fascinates our hearts better than any electronic :)

2008-02-03T11:52:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I spent all day at a trumpet fest at WCU. It was so amazing. Although I didn't know it would the whole experience went along with my devotions very well. I've been reading in the book the Seven Longings of the Human Heart how God created our hearts to long for fascination and so that the only thing that would truely satisfy that longing would be fascination from him. In the world we live in there is so much artificial entertainment there's tv, cell phones, video games, computers and much more. But as I watched these trumpet players play their fast runs and high licks God truely fascinated my heart. They may not all know that their talent is from God but the Lord gave it to them and I saw his beauty in a secular world of music and my heart was captivated and truely fascinated.

My challenge to you, on the biggest day of the year when everyone is planted on their couches watching tv, to focus your heart on the Lord and be entertained and fascinated by the one gave us such a longing.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #7 We can trade our Ashes in for Beauty

2008-01-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

In my reading of the Seven Longings of the Human Heart I came over a great revelation. Sometimes I feel as though my life is in the pits in neither worth God paying attention to or me contiuing on the track I'm on. Life can feel so stupid sometimes and worthless. And when I try to find entertainment and fascination in TV, Movies and other stupid things life feels worthless. And when the world has told me just how ugly and fat and whatever lies it and Satan and have reached my heart life feels worthless. And without a Savior through all of that it is worthless because we're seeking pleasure else where then the one who gave us these pleasures. But there's hope. When we seek the Lord as Our personal, living-in-our-hearts Savior he makes a trade with us. He takes our ashes(our burnt out worthless life) for His Beauty. Isn't that truely amazing?

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor, to give them beauty for ashes.
Isaiah 61:1-3

God takes our good for nothing worthless ashes of a life and gives us His Beauty. The Lord has beauty like none of us can imagine and to have His beauty is like none other. I don't know about you but I want beauty and the Lord wants to give it to us and I'm going to take it. My challenge to you today is to lay your ashes before the Lord and say "Lord I have nothing but ashes to offer" and I promise the Lord will you his beauty for those ashes.

Be Blessed by His Grace!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #6 We are the Ambassadors of Christ

2008-01-23T19:30:00.001-08:00

This will sort of be a short post. But I've never really understood the term Ambassadors of Christ til just about five minutes ago. I'm reading this book called Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting given to me for the price of free at OneThing :) Lou Engle recommended this book because it was what struck up the Lord's fire in his heart to start the solemn assembly out of Joel 2 which is now TheCall which I attended in Kansas City.

So i'm reading Chapter one about christians being the salt of the earth. Giving the Lord flavor to have mercy and grace on the earth instead of judgement and wrath. I get to the last page of the chapter when it says. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 used the metaphor Ambassadors for Christ instead of salt. Derek Prince goes on to explain what exactly a ambassador is and he say in Philippians 3:20 "our citizenship is in heaven". And what struck my heart like a ton of bricks is this.

"Before one government declares wat on another, its usual action of final warning is to withdraw its amabassadors. While we are left on earth as heaven's ambassadors, our presence guarantess a continuance of God's forebearance and mercy toward the earth. But when heaven's ambassadors are finally withdrawn, there will then be nothing leftto hold back the full outpouring of divine wrath and judgement upon the earth."

He stresses alot of divine judgement to come but what I was amazed at that we have a Savior to look forward. We don't have to see the divine judgement or plague or anything that will be brought upon the wicked. We have our citizenship in heaven waiting for us. Isn't that amazing?! God is coming and I believe soon! He is coming to rescue us, He is coming to SAVE HIS PEOPLE! Praise God! He's coming to save me :)

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #5 The Enemy tell us our Love for God is not sincere.

2008-01-21T14:59:00.001-08:00

Ok so I think that God has been waiting my entire life for me to have this revelation. I have always felt as though my love and caring for the Lord has been so insincere. I felt not worthy of even trying to love the Lord. But today I was reading a book called The Seven Longings of the Human Heart, and I'm only on chapter one and it's entitled The Longing to be Enjoyed by God. I'm almost at the end of this chapter really enjoying it and loving the feelings i'm getting from God knowing how much He enjoys me and loves me when I come across these lines.

"The enemy accuses us on two fronts. First, he tell us that we're rejected by God rather than beloved.(Get ready for this next one!) Second, he says we're not sincere in our lvoe of God because our love is weak The enemy tells us that our weak love is pitiable and diluted, and even that it is completely false. When we finally understand that neither of these precepts are true, the enemy loses his ability to accuse us in these areas."

I was flabbergasted in reading this. I can't tell you how many times I sat before the Lord in worship and I tried and tried so hard to prove to the Lord that my love was sincere and wanted so badly to feel God accepted that sincere love and knew it was only for Him that I felt that love. When in fact the Lord knew my heart all along and knew how sincere my love was and is. And the enemy was there lying to me telling me my love is not sincere and not true.

Praise God! This revelation has truely changed my entire perspective and my heart more than I can explain. There's a song called Shout Unto God that makes want to sing now. Here are some words.

The enemy has been defeated.
And death could hold me down.
I'm gunna lift my voice in victory.
I'm gunna make your praises loud.

Shout unto God with a voice of triumph
Shout unto God witha voice of praise.

I have the victory in Jesus and the last stronghold of the enemy in my heart has been defeated! Praise God! I am in true love with MY SAVIOR!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #4 We Are God's Purchased Possesion

2008-01-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

This kind of goes along with my last revelation. With that crucifixion the Lord bought our souls our lives everything that comes with us. We were sort of a package deal as I like to look at it :)
But with Jesus shedding His blood that day wasn't done for nothing or to prove that God likes to put His only Son through pain. He bought our sin and He took and bore that sin so that we would never have to suffer through it.

1 Corinthians 6: 20
" You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

1 Corinthians 7:23
"You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men"

2 Corinthians 1:22
"He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our heart as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

Scripture is screaming at us that we do not belong to our selves, this world or this age. We live for another time and for another Spirit. The Lord owns us. We are His people. He loves us and shows His ultimate love by sending His only heir to the throne of glory, and bought each and everyone of us. He gives us all the chance of inheriting his throne and experiencing His love.

Isn't that amazing? I could never imagine giving up my only son or brother or anyone in my family to die a painful death to at some point or another be betrayed by the people who I sent him to die for. The Lord did and because of that I love him and adore him and will all the days of my life.

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #3 The Crucifixion is so Powerful

2008-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

As Christian one of the first bible stories you hear is about how God sent His only Son to die for us on the cross. I've heard this time and time again. I've watched the movie the Passion of the Christ. But I don't I've ever had the understanding of what happened that day on the cross in Golgotha.

Jesus was crucified. He fulfilled scriptures that day. He did what His Father sent him to do. He died a selfless death. In John 19:28-30 it says...

"Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.' A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had recieved the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

First point I have is Jesus was human. He was completely man. He was thirsty just as I feel sometimes. He thirsted He felt the way we did. Every whip the ripped open His flesh that day felt like we would have felt if we would've gotten whipped. He bled. He died.

Verse 30 is the most powerful scripture I have ever read. Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit. The only thing we have worth anything in this life. Our spirits. Because He gave up his spirit we never have to give up ours. We have eternal life.

This revelation absolutely blows my mind. And my heart is in love. I'm in love with a Savior that gave me the best gift ever. He gave me life. Praise God!

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #2 We have the Holy Spirit

2008-01-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

I listened to another teaching from OneThing today and the speaker was Brent Steeno. He's a 25 year old man who's been at IHOP for 6 years and just recently got married. He explained how simple christianity is, what having the Holy Spirit in us means and many other things that can't be put into words.

The Lord has given us life abundant. Do you understand what that means? I didn't until tonight. The Lord has given us the advantage to live above the things of this world. We are not citizens of this world.

1 Peter 2: 11
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul."

We make saying no to sin so hard and such a struggle. But the moment we accept Jesus as our Saviour, the moment we breathe the breath of the Holy Spirit we become a new creature in God. And when we struggle all we are doing is going back to the person we used to be. But all we have is a choice of life and death. Life is choosing good, choosing God and turning from sin. Choosing death is choosing sin, choosing evil and wicked, turning away from what the Lord has given us. We all have the life, nature and wisdom of God. You have all authority over your life and your body.

1 Corinthians 9: 26-27
"Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

The Lord gave us his spirit. His holy spirit.

John 16:7
"But I tell you the truth: It is for you good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you"

The Lord left, but sent his Holy Spirit to give us strength. To live life abundantly to live above and away from sin. WE ALL HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. We all have the authority over sin to win the prize the Lord is waiting to give us.

It's a simple choice.

Life or death?

Amen.

Revelation of the Spirit - #1 Everyone Ravishes God's Heart

2008-01-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a teaching from the recent OneThing conference I attend, Erin and I split the cost to buy an mp3 of all the teachings. And this one was a little about Song of Songs. The speaker said many things but one thing in particular stuck out to me. Many times in Songs of Songs the Lord speaks the truth of our beauty to our souls.

Song of Songs 4:7
" All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you."
Song of Songs 4:9
" You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes."

Truely the Lord loves the beauty in every single one of us. Now I realize it may be a struggle to understand that YOU ravish God's heart. But how about thinking about others? The speaker challenged us to look at others around you and say to the Lord "they ravish your heart."
Well Today I did just that. And let me tell you, my heart was impacted in a way it never was before.

Each and everyone of us ravish and captivate the Lords heart. My challenge to you is to look at your worst enemy, a person you'd rather not care for and just say to the Lord "they ravish your heart" and see how the Lord impacts your heart!

Blessings,

Kathryn

Revelations of the Spirit

2008-01-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well i'm kind of stealing a little idea from my mentor, Tawny. She has what are called smiles of God. And everyday she blogs about something that has made her smile that day from God. So since I've begun a deep devotional life with the Lord I want to start what I'd like to call Revelations of the Spirit. I want to make a new revelation on the spirit of God each and everyday of my life. And I believe the Lord has put it in my heart to share these things. So I pray you will follow along with my revelations and maybe God will speak to you through these things!

Blessings,

Kathryn

OneThing - IHOP

2008-01-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

Just let me begin by saying a prayer. Jesus I love you and I pray that my words would be nothing without you and that whosoever reads this will be touched by your love and that I will write the exact words you want them to read.

Anoint me Lord Jesus and come now. Amen.

Well my trip to the OneThing conference in Kansas City was absolutely life changing and I can go on and on about my special experiences and just how amazing that weekend was but I have a feeling it wouldn't affect you as much as I would like. You see I went to OneThing not knowing or expecting much and every expectation I had happened within the first night.

I learned so many things there and I worshipped like never before. I went straight into the heart of God and experienced his jealous firey love for me. I realized that because of his jealous love for us He will rip our lives apart until we pursue him whole heartedly.

I learned I have the "Anna" calling. Luke 2:36-38 says " There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying." It would be my greatest joy to pray, worship and fast night and day as my occupation and the Lord has shown that is possible and just where my heart belongs.

The Lord provides His wonderous grace that will give me strength and perservance and that at this time gives me a willing heart to pursue this dream and hope of my heart. Anna was commissioned by the Lord to prepare His first coming and it is the cry and plea of my heart that the Lord would commission me to prepare his second coming in the house of prayer.

The Lord has truely opened my eyes to an entirely new lifestyle of fasting praying and living only for Him. I serve a loving, powerful and merciful God and I wanted to share this revalation of the Holy Spirit in my life. I ask now for your prayers for the Lords will for my life to unravel.

The Lord be with each and every person who's reading this and I pray these words of which are not mine have touched your heart.

Blessings,

Kathryn

Carried in His Arms

2007-12-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well Wednesday was my high school christmas band concert. It was super big too because I had a ton of solos. Over all it went great but I just want to give you a glimpse as to how I got through the night.

First off I thought it I went home to practice my solos a bit that my lips would be fine for the concert. Well was I wrong. It came time to play and after the first song I could feel my lips becoming tired. By the third song I was done for. I tried fluttering my lips but it helped very little. Then I remembered the saying on the front of my new bible case. It says " The Lord said: My precious child; I never left you during your time of trial. Where you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." I asked the Lord in the middle of my concert to please carry me. And just as He always does. He came through. The concert turned out a success and everyone is still talking about how good my solos were :)

Thank you Jesus for grace and for your strength to carry me in my time of trial.

Blessings,

Kathryn

Sweet Sixteen :)

2007-12-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while :( been busy!

Well last Thursday was my 16th birthday :) Very exciting! I didn't have school and I really didn't do much of anything haha......such a good birthday :)

Then Sunday was my party :) It turned out so amazing. My aunt and uncle did what in the salvation army is called a love feast which is like communion, then we each take a big enough piece of bread to share with others and give kind words. Then my aunt Martha(my godmother) said a pray for me but not before reminding everyone just how our extra special bond came to be. You see when my mom was in labor the doctors were a little slow and my aunt was the first one to hold me :) She referred to me as her angel and reminded me that she has prayed for me every step of my life :) Then my mom chose a song to played as a prayer. It's called A Living Prayer by Alison Krauss. I want to share the words of the chorus with you.

In your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me
A living prayer
My God to thee

I ask the Lord that every day. That my would be a living prayer.

I thank God for the beautiful family He has blessed me with. I am so loved :)

Thank you Lord for your Son, Jesus Christ. Who died for my sins and love me still.

Blessings,

Kathryn

Prayer Request!

2007-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

I ask for you to please pray for the family of Brigdaire Henry Baker. He passed away this mornn at age 86. He and his first wife Ruth, were my moms godparents. He was such a great man and a faithful christian. I pray now in he is in the presence of our glorious Lord, which I believe is the reward he had worked his whole life for. I ask for prayers for my family as well, the Bakers were very good friends of ours. Thanks.

Blessings,

Kathryn

Catching up with a close friend!

2007-11-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

I've been having a rough week or two. So it was so nice to get to talk to Erin B last night =) We talked for close to 2 hours and had some good laughs. Thanks Erin! And thank you Lord for knowing exactly what I need!

Blessings,

Kathryn

=)

2007-11-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

I got first chair =)

Please Pray!

2007-10-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

On sunday late my grandmother was admitted to the hospital and this week hasn't brought good news at all. I ask from the depths of my heart that you pray whole heartedly that the Lord keep her safe and in good health. Thanks.

Kathryn.

My Inspiration...is it for the wrong reason?

2007-10-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well I find myself once again thinking deeply about my musicianship. I think I may a pretty serious problem. I find myself striving to be the best at my school. I either take my instrument home everyday and practice or stay in the bandroom after school to practice. Trying every bit to stay in front of my competition. See in the coming month we have concert band auditions and our spots in concert band pretty much prove who is the best. I'm in the top three trumpet players at my school but I find those behind me striving as well and those in front also striving. I have planned on the next couple weeks to be deeply focused on my goal of being the best. But when I stopped to think about it today I realized I had lost all my real gift. My gift of playing was to worship the Lord with my playing and I feel as though I don't incorporate time to just sit down play a nice hymn I know from memory and be in the presence of the Lord. This thought brought me to tears. For I know that if I don't use my gift for the right reasons I am in danger of loosing that gift. I pray with all my heart that with the help of the Lord I will find my way back to worshipping him with my gift.

I ask now for your prayers in this specific area of my life. I thank you all for reading this. It means so much. You're all in my prayers as well.

Blessings,

Kathryn :)

Pleasing...sacrifice.

2007-09-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to please some one so badly that it tore you up inside? Well that's been my life for the last week. My director at school is a very esteemed man. He's very awesome and is just a person you never want to let down. I'm a currently a sophomore and one of the best trumpet players at my school which very unusual. It's a very good thing but it also puts alot of pressure on me. I feel for the first a deep dedication to someone. Which is definitely not a good thing. I've wanted nothing more than to please my band director. To get that pat on the back when you walk off the field means everything to me now. And things get worse and worse from there.

I realized how much a problem this was. I realized that if I kept taking this gift that God gave me for granted it would be taken away from me. So wednesday night this week I had had enough. I couldn't take the things in my life anymore, and I couldn't take the pressure of being perfect. So I sacrificed my gift to the Lord. I gave it up and said I can't do this with out you. I feel on my knees and begged for forgiveness. My life was renewed.

I still really struggle with trying to please people of this world and I would just ask you all to pray for me for that : ) I ask that with great meaning. I truely need help with this. Thanks for reading : )

Blessings,

Kathryn : )

Music = My life! ( No seriously it's like all I do)

2007-09-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

So today was the final day of signing up for anything musical at my school. And i'm proud to say that I am indulged in everything musical at my school...EVERYTHING! Let me give you a glimpse into what my week will be like the next school year. First the groups I am in. Marching Band, Concert Band, Stage Band, Brass Quintet, Wind Ensemble and eventually Christmas Brass. Then I'm auditioning for County Band. I'll let you know that goes. Then there's vocal. Concert Choir and Chorale. Then I'm also auditioning for County and District Chorus. So my week will be as the following...

Monday : Corps Activities ( once private lessons start)
Tuesday : Stage Band before school from 7:45- 8:15 and Stage Band 6-8 pm
Wednesday: County Chorus audition practice and eventually Chorale. Wind Ensemble either before or after school.
Thursday: Stage band before school from 7:45-8:15 and Brass Quintet after school (most likely)
Friday: Pep rally in the morning Football game in evenings til the end of November.
Saturdays: Twice a month Pendel Brass rehearsals, parades and some stage band concerts :]

I'm glad i'm busy and I know that I will just continue to grow as a musician. Today I played in Stage band this morning, a sectional around noon and marching band for about 40 mins in the afternoon and I've made it a habit of practicing at home every night but i didn't get to tonight because of family visiting and I noticed just how irritable I was from not practicing. I really praise God for giving me this motivation to move on in music. I felt for a long time like I didn't have the drive to be a dedicated musician anymore but I feel as though I really am now.

Please pray that I can keep this schedule up :]

P.S. I'm getting straight a's and i'd like to keep it there :]

You're in my prayers :]

Blessings,

Kathryn :]

Prayer Request!

2007-09-14T19:55:00.001-07:00

Can I ask a favor of you all? I am asking for you to pray a prayer of healing for my grandmother. On monday she starts the first week or six weeks of kimmo and radium treatments. She is a faithful servant of the Lord and has layed down her life for him. I love her alot and she means more to me than you can ever know. Pray for healing, strength and perserverance.

Even the littlest pray will be appreciated!
Thanks!

Blessings,

Kathryn.

Amazed.

2007-09-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

There are alot of things in life that amaze me. But there is one thing ( or shall I say many) that cease to amaze me as a christian young person in my walk with the Lord.
To some this may seem like absolutely nothing but for me it is truely a blessing from the Lord. It's the simple people who go to every corps and without being made to and sometimes with out any influence at all, lay down their lives for the Lord and live for him obediently. It's the sinners who live life unknowingly of the Lord until their late 30's and 40's and accept what their told sometimes without even seeing one other saved person live a good christian life. I praise God for the strong Christian examples i've had in my life and I can't say that I would've stuck with my walk without them.

Seeing these examples in my corps today reminded me of a verse of scripture I came across this week in devotions.
" God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people"
1 Peter 5:5, TM

I thank the Lord for the examples these people have been in my life. And I thank the Lord for their willingness to continue their in spite of those who may live around them.

Thank You Lord :]

Blessings,

Kathryn

Summer '07 Part III

2007-08-30T06:18:00.001-07:00

Well the last part of my summer was probably the most amazing :]

I spent two weeks doing territorial camps in my own territory haha. I first to TAM which was absolutely amazing and then the famous SLMC, which was also very amazing.

First let's start with TAM. I was proud to be part of the first ever worship track at TAM. I had the privelge of worship 2-3 hrs a day (sometimes more) with amazing instructors and my best friends :] Our worship team truely had an annointing on us by God. My voice teacher was Ray Livingston. He was so awesome to get to know him and his personality haha :] Our other instructors were Bill Rollins, leader of the worship band as a whole. Mark Hood, guitar instructor, Jon Knaggs, assisted Mark. Phil Laeger, piano instructor, and Andrew Garcia assisted him. Captain Jon Jackson did percussion, and Matt did our sound. I roomed with great people :] my roommates were of course Erin, Sara Mattern and Ebony :] It was pretty awesome haha. On wednesday night we went into the city for a prayer walk and to see Mary Poppins. The entire trip was absolutely. The prayer walk made me step out of my comfort zone. I loved it :] And the show was absolutely amazing :] Overall TAM was absolute life changing experience :]

Me and my wonderful roommates :] Me and Em being our crazy selves :]Lucas and I :]

Mary Poppins billboard :] It was awesome :]The whole TAM conservatory at Time Square Corps :]

My last stop of the summer was at the Famous Star Lake Musicamp. I wasn't very found of going there. My previous experience wasnt' very pleasant. In fact it sucked haha. But I'm pleased to say this year was much much much better haha. I played in Hilltop band on first cornet and sang in Star Lake Chorus. The guests were absolutely amazing :] Graeme and Neryl Press became my friends by the end of the week and truely people I look up to in my christian walk. It was a great pleasure to listen to his devotions every morning, and watching his cute, but lesson giving cartoons :] I loved hanging out with like the greatest people on camp. Neal, Carissa, Evie, Andrew, Allison, Seth, Isaac, Derek, Felix and Dave all became some of my good friends after that week. And I must say I truely look up to and admire Neal, Carissa, Evie, Andrew and Dave. They're all great examples of christian young people in college living the way the Lord has asked of them. They're amazing. My previous posts have all told of lifechanging experiences this summer but Star Lake was very different than those. I didn't kneel at the altar with my own selfish sin to repent of. I knelt before the Lord bringing my friends and family to him and asking him to bless them and becoming selfless. I think that every experience before that had brought me to that moment at the end of my summer and it was more amazing than I could ever explain. It's indescribable:]Star Lake Chorus :]Dave's weird/hilarious pose haha :]Erin and I at Dairy Queen :]Isaac, Derek and I :] Me playing Delilah in the History of Sampson haha :]

All I can say is the Lord has blessed me with a truely amazing summer and I couldn't have asked for better :]

I am blessed :]

Kathryn :]

Summer '07 Part II

2007-08-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ok so the second part of my summer was spent in two different places. First was TMI and second was at home at my family reunion.

I'll start with TMI. It was my third year going. And it was awesome. Erin, Brittany, Jon and Brad all came with this year. So far the largest delegation to ever go from Pendel. I also got to see my best friend Morgan :] which made me happier than you'll ever know haha :] I met sooo many new people it's not even funny. I played in TMI band and sang in TMI chorus which was an absolute privelge. I was under the instruction of the guests which were the Krommenhoek's. They were amazing. I had the privelge of taking one dance class with Mrs. Krommenhoek is jewish folk dancing which was like so awesome haha. God changed me alot there and I certainly will never forget it :] I also injured my foot while I was there. It's sort of a funny story as to how I did but you can ask me that personally haha. But I hurt my foot and as soon as I did Erin and Tab prayed healing over it. We didn't think it was really healed because it continued to swell up and turn black and blue. When I finally returned home and went to the doctors for it. He took xrays and said my foot had been broken. I had walked on my foot all that week and he was absolutely amazed at that. He was also amazed that my foot healed the right way on it's own and so quickly. All I can say to that is the Lord is the Wonderful Healer :]
My broken/healed foot haha :]My best friend Morgan and myself :]

The Pendel Crew :]

The whole crew :]
The Krommenhoek's, Dr. Holz and Myself :]

The second part of my second part of my summer (haha :]) was spent at my family reunion. This year was special because just about everyone in my family was there with the exception of my mom, and three of my cousins. It was so awesome to see all the little ones in my family. It helps me feel older knowing i'm not the youngest anymore. This year alone I gained three new baby cousins :] Yeah I know my cousins have been busy haha. It was great reminder of the base I have at home and that I think everyone in my family can atleast say they know the Lord. I love my family more than anything on earth and it was so great to see them and give them hugs and kisses and spend time together. The Lord has truely blessed me with an amazing, talented, loving family and I couldn't have asked for better :]

My cousin Ellie and myself :]My Nana and my cousin Davey :]

My cousin Sarah and my Aunt Kristie :]

My girls :] Ellie, Sarah and Arianna :]

One of the newest additions. Leela whose three weeks old :]

Bless you :]

Coming Soon : Summer '07 Part III

Kathryn :]

Summer '07 Part I

2007-08-28T16:56:00.001-07:00

This is Part I of my summer :]

First thing I did this summer was attended Ladore Music Conservatory for the 4th year. It was absolutely amazing. I had such an awesome time. I also spent there with a couple of my best friends. Emma, Amanda, Kayla, Evie, Emilee,Leia and Ronda. I learned alot in leadership with Harold. I sat first chair in conservatory band. Dave Laboss and Ronda led band. I had theory with Amanda and sight singing with Priscilla. Enoch came back for a second it was soo awesome to see him. Emilee was my private lesson teacher which was totally awesome :] Leadership kids were the greatest. It was me, Kayla, Leia, Emma, Chris, Ian, Mike and Brad. We were pretty much the best ever. Over all conservatory was absolutely amazing :]

Enoch doing the crazy straw thing haha :]

The girls :]

My favorite small group :]

Crazy nights in the counselors room :]

Next was Divisional Musicamp. I taught musicmakers and theory to Seneca 3 and 4. I also helped Priscilla with Senece 6-10 chorus. I took bike rides everyday down to my special spot by the dam. I spent amazing time with God there. Probably that was the highlight of my week. Another highlight was watching the staff kids while the music staff went out to eat. I watched David Caled Childs. He was soo cute and would run up to me and say " does your face hurt? Well it's killing me" just to hear me laugh haha. I played first chair in Ladore Band under Charlie Baker. We played the chief musician and i had lots of solos haha. It was such a great week. I fell in love with the Lord. Here's a couple pictures.

David Caleb and I walking to dinner haha :]

Emma, Kaitlyn, David Caleb and I. We seriously love them :]

Me sitting on my rock by the lake :]

Well that's all i'm going to write for now. Part two later :]

My chains are gone!

2007-08-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well the past two weeks have probably been the greatest of my summer. From August 6-12 I spent at the training school for tam conservatory. I was proud to be part of the first ever worship track at tam. It was amazing. I loved worship the Lord for 4-6 hours a day. Although that was very amazing it wasn't the most amazing part of my summer. Suprisingly the part I was not looking forward to ended up being the best ever. I cried on the wasy to slmc from tam. I thought I was going to loose everything I had worked toward in the past week. Well I lost alot but not what I was expecting. We had great devotions everyday with Graeme Press. One day during the week they passed out these rubberbands to put on our wrists so that when we think sinful thoughts we could snap the rubberband. Throughout the week that rubberband became a real reminder of my sin. It came til the last day on sunday. The comissioner spoke amazingly as always. But for the first time in forever I didn't feel convicted to go to the altar. Instead I felt very convicted to pray for the person next to me. It was quite a weird conviction. I ended up praying for that person after the meeting as well as my best friend emma. I don't know what happened during those prayers. But emma and I walked out of the tabernacle and my rubberband fell off. My chain was broken! Praise GOD!

There is a song by Chris Tomlin that we sang in worship a couple times at Slmc. It's called Amazing Grace / My Chains Are Gone. Here are the lyrics to chorus. May the Lord bless you with these words as He has me.

My chains are gone, I've been set free.
My God, my savior has ransomed me.
And like a flood, His mercy reigns.
Unending love, amazing grace.

Blessings,

Kathryn

Father's Day

2007-06-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well this for sure is one of the hardest days of the year for me. Today is father's day. And it is no way a bad day. I loved celebrating father's day. It's just hard to do with out a Dad. I think back on days like this and remember my dad and wish he was here. Some days I really feel like he's with me and last year on father's day I felt as though he was, but the same is not true this year. I think lately I've definitely neglected thinking about him at all. I've been so wrapped in all my problems, I forget him. Which saddens me more than anyone can know.

Anyway I'm not writing this so that anyone will feel bad for me or tell me how sorry they are for my loss. I'm writing this so I can constantly look back and remember my dad. And to tell everyone just how much I miss and love him. My dad was the best dad I could've ever asked for and wouldn't have wanted another one if I could've picked.

I miss you Dad and I hope you're in heaven smiling down on me and I pray that I will make you so proud one day :]

Love you Daddy

Me and My Dad :]

God bless
Kathryn :]

Congress 07

2007-06-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Well last weekend was congress...it was a great time!
Friday at 230 we had a rehearsal in the Giant Center for JOY! that was fun and confusing lol...then after that Emma , her parents and I went to Fudruckers...it was only my second time there and that was fun. Then we went back to the Hershey lodge and hung out there til the meeting. The meeting was great. Then after a long day I headed back to the Simmons Hotel and eventually went to sleep :]

Saturday...well it was crazy lol. First Kayla and I were late for JOY! in the morning haha...then we did JOY! and it was amazing! The meeting was great.. I love the general he has such a great way of keeping your attention and his jokes are pretty funny. Then I found Emma lol. Emma, her mom, Liz and I went back to the Hershey Lodge and got lunch at this cafe place...I got this roast beef and swiss sandwich and it was..well..disgusting haha :] Then we went back to Emma's aunt and uncles room to take a nap...but i couldn't take a nap so I went and roamed around. I first went down to star seach and I got bored so I went outside and hung out with Patrick for awhile then with Jamie and then I got bored there and I went to the main lobby and hung out with the Lyles, Louie and Nick for like a half hour or so..then they all had to leave to drive Rebecca St. James and Vicky Beeching to their sound check at the Giant Center....so then I hung out with Erin til we had our concert at the Giant Center...

It was sad because we had to say goodbye to Tom Tom ...

Then after the brass concert..Emma, Erin, Liz and I went to the Phil Laeger, Vicky Beeching, and Rebecca St James...and let me tell you that it was absolutely amazing!

Phil playing at the giant center :]

Rebecca St James :]

Then Sunday it was comisssioning it was pretty awesome too...except that Jon- Erik went to Canandaigua, NY which was saddening...and I had to say goodbye to Emma and Er I was sad but over all it was a very amazing weekend! I'll write more later :]

Kathryn :]

Pendel Brass- St Thomas and St Croix missions trip!

2007-05-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well let me tell you how wonderful God is! He's amazing! When we first arrived in St Thomas the first thing you notice is the beauty. God is truely a wonderful artist and has such an eye for beauty. God is truly amazing! I love him forever and a day!
After arriving we're all so hot and sweaty so first thing we headed to the pool! The hotel we stayed in was amazing and the people were so kind! Friday night we sang in the hotel. Erin, Ashley and I sang our trio "Right Now" and the people liked us so much they called us the Dixie Chicks..haha :] It was all in good fun though. Saturday morning we had a concert in Emancipation Garden before heading off to march down Main Street. The concert was great and although there were not many people there the ones that were felt the prescene of God. Then after the concert we headed out for the march. Heading it off was of course the Army flags then the Comissioners Moretz and the Carlsons, the Craigs (STT Corps Officers) and Tom Bolt (Advisory Board Chairman in STT). The parade was great. Then Emma and I headed back to the hotel to go to the pool and work on our tan.
After that we went shopping and bought purses and matching rings...we had so much fun :]

Then Saturday night we played at a Civic Gala at the Frenchmen's Reef Mariott Hotel...(the most beautiful hotel i've ever or ever will see(n) in my life) After that we all went back to the hotel to swim for a bit then off to a good night sleep :] Sunday there was combined church services at the St Thomas Reformed Church (which was the first church to be on the island of St Thomas). Although it was hot and the space was little we praised Jesus and enjoyed a very loving mother's day message from Mrs. Comissioner Nancy Moretz. Must say I very much enjoyed hearing her speak. Then later that day we all headed off toi Magen's Bay for a picnic with the corps and I must say I got the cutest picture of Harold and Priscilla eating lunch.

Monday morning a select group of us got up early and headed to the second most beautiful beach in the world on St John...Trunk Bay. There we went snorkeling found the best shopping and enjoyed one last day off before going to St Croix.

Trunk Bay...

Emma, Erin and I on our way to St John...:]

Monday night we headed to St Croix...there's only one thing I can really say about St Croix...it's amazing there. Life hits you when you're there. There are hardly any white people there and you see how differently you're treated there. Wednesday night a group of the guys headed to Wendy's which was not to far from the YWAM ( youth with a mission) training center we were staying at. They wanted to order burgers and things but the man at the window said they were only serving chicken sandwiches. Then they served the people behind them (who were dark skinned) burgers, fries, frostie's and such. None were really upset by the fact but it just showed the bondage the people were under in St Croix. The corps officer there Capt Lynette Gallamore explained to us there were spiritual conflicts on the island. Such as witch craft and other marijuana related religions that held the people of St Croix in bondage. And everywhere you went you saw these people. The people and places on that island will forever be instilled in my heart. Capt Lynette Gallamore and two soldiers at the corps Nichole and Sheldon really became close with our group that week and I am super excited to see all three of them at Congress in two weeks.

Nichole, Sheldon and Capt Lynette Gallamore at the Blue Moon...:]

The sunset in Fredriksted, St Croix....God's beauty is amazing!

The thing I loved most about both islands were the sunsets...they were sooo amazing. I truely found God's presence everywhere. I fell more deeply in love with my creator because He showed me the beauty He created and told me that beauty is in me too :] God has forever instilled in my heart the lessons I learned through this trip and I will never forget them.

The sunset over St Thomas...:]

Love and Prayers,

Kathryn

Who am I?

2007-05-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Well the past few weeks i've realized i really don't know who I am. I don't know what I like what I prefer in things, what I like to do all that much. I just don't know...and it worries me a bit.

Tomorrow after school I will be leaving to head to philly and join the Pendel Brass to travel to the island of St Thomas. I'm hoping while on this trip I can really learn something about one person on this island and really get to know their heart. But then I began to think " how can I get to know someone elses heart when I don't even know my own?" I think that's they key to why my last relationship with a good friend didn't work out. He wanted to know so much about me...but I didn't really know myself. And fact is I still don't. So as much as i'm prayin on this trip that I get to know someone elses heart well, I am really praying God would reveal to me my heart. I feel like i'm very much alone on this but I guess there are other people struggling with this. At least I hope others do.

But then I was thinking what does it really mean to know your own heart? When you know what food you like and what your hobbies are and things like that, is that really knowing your heart? But to tell the truth I don't want to know those things..in fact i'm sure I know those but when asked what my truest desire is I have no idea. I don't know what my dreams are. I don't know what my hopes dreams or desires are anymore. Part of me feels like I should give up on ever having unrealistic dreams anymore because I know they won't come true...that's how many times my heart has been broken..that I don't even bother to dream anymore...I hate it. I asked God for a dream the other and prayed it would come from him and it was the most amazing dream I'd ever had. It wasn't about the guy I was going to marry...it was about my future daughter. I invisioned making her my entire life and never letting her go for one second. I dreamt we got christmas card pictures taken together every year and I dreamt singing to her.

I pray now that God would give me all my dreams and that He would truely let me begin to know my own heart, and His.
I pray if you're having the same problems that you would pray this too.

" Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"
Psalm 37:4
Kathryn

Dependence..

2007-04-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Dependence is pretty simple.. You should simply depend on God. Although it sounds simple it's so not...

Alot of people depend on earthly things...friends, family, lovers. Things that eventually will let us down in one way or another because they can't give us everything we need. I depended on my mom for almost absolutely everything and I was let down and very hurt..

God is truly and simply our lover of our souls in and out and cares for us like no other..
Depend on God for everything and I promise he will give..

Depending on God for everything is just another part of giving him your wholeself...

After all He has sacrificed for us the least we can do is give Him our lives..

I encourage you to give God your everything..

I also wanted to share a new song.. it's called Your Holy Love by Phil Laeger it's on the new transMission cd.. here's the lyrics...God Bless..

I don’t know what to say to You
I have been such a fool, dear Lord
And I need Your forgiveness now
To flood my soul
Let me wash Your feet with my tears
Let my cry of “forgive me,” reach your ears
And I will sing “hallelujah” through the years
For Your Son’s blood
I don’t ever want to take in vain
Your holy love

Love

2007-02-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

As many people have wondered what love really is, so do I.

I think lately I've figured out what love really is.
Well I've figured out what romantic love is for the first time. It's truely amazing when you fall in love with someone and even more amazing when they love you back. I found when I love someone I care for them more than I've ever cared for myself. I found myself not being able to say goodbye to that person without bursting into tears. I found that when you love someone it's so selfless. It's not the love I can get from that person it's the love I can give that person to make them happier. But you must know love isn't a fairytale. Most times it's better because when you try to make everything perfect or like a movie you end up worrying more about then actually meaning the things you do. Love is what ever you make it and for me I've made love pretty much my everything. I love with every part of me.

When you've found the person you love, words can't express the way you feel. And all you can ever do is think, and dream of that person with you if they're not. And when you're apart you can hardly concentrate on daily activities. When you're with that person nothing else matters, you don't care if there's war or hatred or anything else going on around you they just make it go away. And when they wrap you in their arms you wouldn't rather be anywhere else in the world but there.

This isn't expert advice about how you feel when you love someone it's a little but of how I've felt.
My love is true and genuine and I hope and pray this person I love now that he and I will love each other forever.

When God begins to talk about love in 1 Corinthians he says "And now I will show you the most excellent way"
Here are verses that pray my love will be one day and will work at until it is.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. Love never fails."

Kathryn

Personal Happiness?

2007-02-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well I'm not sure how this blog is going to turn out, I'm finally just going to hand my writing to God and see what he does with it, so bare with me here.

Before the last few weeks I hadn't felt personal happiness in a long time. I had gone through a long series of tragedies. It first started when my grandfather died. I didn't want to continue what I started with the army. With music and such else. I felt like I couldn't go on. And I had just began a strong relationship with God at the time so, I thought this was his way of saying he didn't even want me to begin a relationship with him. It hurt alot. But not long after that a woman at my corps talked me into going to prep band and keeping up with what I had started. I ended up going to Jr. Conservatory where I learned so much. And alot of people learned alot about me. It was there where I finally came to like a truce with God and reconciled. It wasn't til about a year later when I went to Mid-winter Musicamp when I really devoted my life to Christ. I remember just kneeling on the ground and God saying to me that it was time to come to Him.

For awhile I thought I had real happiness, I thought I had found the boy I was going to marry. I filled my life with alot of drama, and was worried about what was going on with everyone else and once again lost God's guidance in my life. Fortunately I never made any real bad decisions. But other than that life seemed pretty good. Then two years ago when I was first asked to go to TMI I didn't know what a life changing experience it would bring. My first year at Territorial Music Institute was pretty amazing. I learned what it meant to really depend on God alone. There were times where I felt so alone and did nothing but cry and cry. Eventually it got alot better and my relationship with God was renewed and stronger than ever. The trip turned out to be one of the best I've ever had. On the way home in the Cincinnati airport I was informed I was accepted to the Pendel Brass. A band I've wanted to be in since I was a little girl. It was definitely a dream come true. I thought I had really found true happiness.

About six or seven months after all that a devastating event took place in my life. My Dad had suddenly died of a heart attack. To be truthful I hadn't talked to my Dad in almost five months because of everything that had been going on. The guilt I felt after he died was unbearable. I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't blame anyone else for this except myself. But I still tried blaming God. I became very angry with him, in fact I hated him. I made very stupid decisions that I will regret for a long time. But even after I had reconciled with God I still felt the heaviest load of guilt anyone will ever feel. I had tried countless times to give the guilt to God and move on. But it never seemed to work.

Summer had rolled along and I believed I had dropped all the guilt, when in fact I had just hid it in my heart. Conservatory started and it was the first sunday there when our leaders gave us a paper and told us to write down what we thought was keeping us from having the perfect relationship with God. I then realized how much guilt I still had. Over the next few weeks I had really given to God all the guilt I had and our relationship became stronger than ever.

Then out of nowhere I was asked to go back to TMI for a second year. I eagerly agreed and was ready to go in two days. The trip was even more amazing than the year before. I realized the gift God had given me to lead worship and realized I was good at it. I began to think of this as a future career but still wasn't sure.

Life took a very confusing turn during the summer. My Mom started dating again which for me wasn't as hard as the first time she started. But at this time instead of me wanting to get closer to my Mom I pulled away and pretty much learned to live without a Mom or Dad. I had my grandmother who had taken care of me for almost my whole life and she was all I needed. Her and God.

So my family was pretty messed up but I still seemed to be on the right track. I had joined marching band at school and every friday night we had football games which were fun. I finally had something to do which kept me busy all the time which was good. Also Pendel was having a busy year too so everything was pretty exciting.

Then about a month ago another devasting event occured in my life. My mom tried committing suicide. It was pretty devastating. I had already been struggling with not feeling good enough and then it was like the Devil was once again reminding me that I wasn't good enough. I wasn't even good enough to keep my own Mother alive. It hurt. But God helped me see the whole truth of the situation and just see it was the Devil's way of trying to bring me down.

It was a very delicate point in my life. But God decided to bring me a really good friend and use the friends and family I already had to get me through. Well I must say everything with the situation is not settled yet, but i'm dealing with it just fine.

I guess the main idea of this post shouldn't be personal happiness or how to find it. But it's to know that with God you can always be happy! I know that more than ever. And I know now that I don't necessarily have to sit down with someone and tell them my whole testimony but for just someone to see the smile on my face can be a personal witness. God uses everyone in a different way and I encourage you to find that.

God Bless!

Kathryn

In rememberance!

2007-02-12T04:01:00.000-08:00

Well today happens to be a year since my dad passed. And boy do I miss him. I can't even begin to tell you everything he was to me. But I can't help but know he's in a better place. I was thinking last night of everything I've gone through this past year. The good and the bad. And although there was a lot of bad things that happened. I still think the good still come out on top. I wanted to say thanks to everyone whose helped me through it you've been amazing! Thanks

<3 Kat