Isaiah 58:11 & 40:11

Let me infuse my peace into your innermost being. As you sit quietly in the Light of My presence, you can sense Peace growing within you. This is not something that you accomplish through self-discipline and willpower; it is opening yourself to receive My blessing.

In this age of independence, people find it hard to acknowledge their neediness. However, I have taken you along a path that has highlighted your need for Me: placing you in situations where your strengths were irrelevant and your weaknesses were glaringly evident. Through the aridity of those desert marches, I have drawn you closer and closer to Myself. You have discovered flowers of Peace blossoming in the most desolate places. You have learned to thank Me for hard times and difficult journeys, trusting that through them I accomplish My best work. You have realized that needing Me is the key to knowing Me intimately, which is the gift above all gifts.

The Priesthood

I really love taking a second to sit and see where God has brought me in the flow of His love the past year. I have never been through so much heartbreak and experienced so much love all in one year. I feel like my walk with God has been extremely transformed from thinking I knew everything about cultural religion to realizing that I know absolutely nothing and thats actually the best place to be.

A year ago I was a basket case, completely emotional and had no idea what I was going to do with my life and why God seemed to be ignoring me (which he wasn't). I was completely unwilling to be broken down anymore, especially on the one thing I thought I knew all about.

Through the next 8 months all I did was get broken down, down down down. Its funny how painful it is to let go of what you think you've got under control when it was never yours to begin with.

Sometimes I really wish I could convey to you what God has done for me, not what I have taught myself or "life lessons" or self-help books, but what my Father has taught his Daughter because he loves her, and longs to be gracious to her (Is 30:18). My God LONGS to do good to me, and continually keeps my best interest in mind (Jer 29:11).

I have gone from feeling so lonely and lost to now understanding this: because God loves me He brought me out of the depths of despair, He equips me with every good thing I need to be a part of the royal priesthood, that has the honor in working alongside Christ in his priestly work.

I encourage you, brother and sisters in Christ, that YOU are a part of this priesthood! You have been given the honor of working alongside Christ! And that every time you completely screw everything up (because you will) God has given you endless amounts of mercy and is SO patient with you! So take His hand and start running!!!!

happy halloween?

Whoever left me alone in the house with sappy love songs and a paintbrush was terribly wrong for it...

1 Peter

I decided to go through 1 Peter this week and discovered that it's pretty much full of gold. God has spoken a lot into my heart the past 24 hours about community and the priesthood, just to reaffirm it all with Peter. With so many things on my plate and new responsibilities coming up daily I often feel ill-equipped and unprepared to lead. But feeling that way is such a lie. God has entrusted me (and you), his beloved daughter with everything that I need to do his work. He has withheld nothing from me, He longs to do good to me, He showers me with everlasting life and is reserving a place for me in an inheritance that can never spoil or fade.

I desire to have a teachable heart, Peter says "like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."

I desire community, "Love one another deeply from the heart", "you also, like living stones (Jesus) , are being built into a spiritual house to be a HOLY PRIESTHOOD" (further described as us joining in with Jesus on his priestly work) "love the brotherhood of believers.."

So far the first 2 chapters have spoken so much to me about entrusting yourself to the Lord, setting your hope on the coming glory when Jesus reveals himself again, acknowledging that I am shielded through faith with God's power and "Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an INEXPRESSIBLE AND GLORIOUS JOY, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Later on Peter says "For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and the Overseer of your souls."

Rosewood

Started logo ideas for my new web project tonight. It's for a tradition furniture boutique in Savannah, Ga.

Mountains

I love the mountains in general, but mountains in this beautiful fall weather is even greater!

(not the best idea i've ever had)

Kisses from Katie.mp4