Remember What is Behind, and Looking Forward to What is Ahead

So 2014 is almost over and this year has really flown by. I am glad to have had the past two weeks off just so that I could take some time to breathe! To tell you all that 2014 has held and taught me would take up far too much room on this blog, but I can summarize it all into one word....WOW. This year has been so so exciting from finishing my degree, to my first year of teaching, to becoming engaged, and planning a wedding. At this time last year, I never could have even imagined all these things that were coming my way, it is absolutely crazy what happens when you just take the steps each day that God is asking you to take, look up! He is leading you to great things! 

2014 has been a year full of healing, full of restoration, full of powerful moments where I could do nothing else but stand in awe of how big my God is. 2014 has taken me to some great peeks and some low valleys, I have celebrated, rejoiced, and experienced challenge. 2014 has been a year to remember, it has held some life changing milestones, it will forever mark my life. But you know, I am really excited to put it behind me. That's crazy right?! Such an amazing year, filled with amazing moments, wouldn't you want to enjoy it? Yes, and I have, but the growth and lessons, and chapters of this year are over and as amazing as they have been, it is time to pick up what I have learned, take what God has shown me, and carry it all with me into the even more glorious adventures that 2015 will hold.

I could really say a lot about the various things I have learned in this year, but I will speak to the biggest lesson I have been experiencing. God's ways are so much different from our ways. His plans are so much better than any we could conjure up for ourselves. I'm a planner, I like to make plans, I like to know that things are going to happen, I like to know when they are going to happen. My life works in a schedule. And I like it that way. But this year, God threw my schedules and plans out the window and said, "trust me, let's walk." And I did. Sometimes not on my own, sometimes He was pushing me through, but we walked. You know what I discovered along the way? God is a very personal God. He doesn't just know things about us..He knows us. All of us. Every part, minute detail, deep concern, hidden secret, most precious longing. He knows. And when we are walking closely with Him, we get to experience how well He knows us, we get to know His great plans for us.

As 2015 comes, I want to continue this walk with my Savior. I want to continue to experience His deeply personal love, and His incredible plans for me. I want to know Him more, I want to learn to love Him better. 2015 is going to hold some more remarkable milestones, I'm getting married, changing my name, beginning a new life with my soon-to-be husband. 2015 will be another year to mark my life, but I don't want to make any plans for it (expect those wedding plans, they are kind of important!). I want to be available to walk with God alongside my husband, I don't want to miss out on the beautiful things He would have in store for us. I am stoked to discover them! Stay tuned to find out what they are.

Happy New Year my friends!
xo,
Kaity

The Lord bless you

    and keep you;

 

the Lord make his face shine on you

    and be gracious to you;

 

the Lord turn his face toward you

    and give you peace. 

-Numbers 6:24-26

Adventures in Room 416

I have been waiting for this morning for weeks now. The morning I could wake up with no alarm, throw a blanket over my shoulders, pour myself some Christmas coffee (it's really just regular coffee using a little bit of eggnog as creamer and sprinkled with nutmeg...mmmm...), and sit down in the quietness of the morning to write. No obligations looming in the back of my mind, no deadlines to worry about, no long list of to-do's to tackle.  Happy first day of Christmas break to me! My heart is happy.
This particular post has been working itself out in my mind for some time and I think it is time to put my fingers to the keys and type it out. In August, I began my first year of teaching. My assignment has been all-day Kindergarten in room 416. My co-teacher and I have a group of 22 precious students and each day they fill our lives with joy, challenge, and laughter.
I have had the time of my life teaching these little ones. Sure, there have been difficult days, even difficult weeks (warning: the first year of teaching your immune system really gets put through the ringer. Stalk up on vitamin C and clorox wipes.) there have been days I have felt maybe I'm just not cut out for this job, days I felt like I had failed each one of my students. But the good days in room 416 far outweigh the difficult ones. I have learned ALOT from my first five months of teaching. Those kids are showing me so much everyday, most recently, a few lessons on grace.

The first lesson: a direct reflection of the grace that God so lovingly and undeservingly pours out on me each day.
            I will admit it. There are days I just don't bring it. There are days I am just not as patient or gentle or kind as I need to be. But, it never fails in these days when I am selfishly feeling like a failure that one of my kids comes up, wraps their little arms around my legs with a tight squeeze and looks up to say, "you are the best teacher in the whole world!" I know. It melts my heart too. Every. Single. Time.
            These special little hugs show me how much grace my students hold out for me. These hugs say, "I know we can be a challenge, I know you are having a tough day, but I also know you are better than this and I want to give you another chance to show me." Over and over again, I am reminded of my gracious Heavenly Father, who shows this same grace to me all day everyday.

The second lesson: A reminder that I am responsible to reflect the grace of God to others. A reminder that God is so good to love us.
             So this is very similar to lesson #1 but I feel the need to give it a separate title. It's sort of the reverse of lesson #1 actually. To teach kindergarten, you really need to set your mind every day to serve. You walk into that classroom of course, to teach, but also to be a helper, to serve those kids so that they can learn how to do things for themselves. They are smarties, but they are also 5 and still need help tying their shoes, putting on their jackets, remembering daily tasks, and making rational decisions. Teaching math, phonics, and reading is the easy part. Helping, can sometimes be a challenge. "Tie my shoe!" "Fix my jacket!" "I'm telling on you for looking at me!"....ah the daily background music to my life! After reminding them to use their manners, and speak respectfully, I tie those shoes, I fix those jackets, I act as referee in the dramatic staring contest. And, after, very rarely receive a thank you, even a smile. They expect the service to be done for them. For a long time, it ate away at me. How do you not even say thank you?! I'm not a personal shoe-tier! But then, God gave me His eyes to see... "Kaitlyn, how many times a day do you say thank you when I tie your shoe, when I fix your  jacket, when I am the mediator of your trials?" (now of course, I'm not crazy, God doesn't really tie my shoes or fix my jackets but you catch the drift of conviction) It stopped me dead in my tracks. These kids need to be shown grace. The same grace they show me when I mess up. The same grace God pours out on each one of us EVERY TIME we spit in his face. These kids need grace!

I love my daily adventures in room 416. The marvelous thing about this job is that everyday is a different day and you never really know what exactly it will hold! I love everything I am learning, I love that I am growing as a teacher, I love that my kids are truly learning and learning a lot! And I love that God has used these kids to draw me closer to him!

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. - John 1:16 

Thank you Jesus.

xo,
Kaity

P.S. here is a look into Christmas time in my classroom, room 416 :)

   

Leftovers

Some people do a double take when I tell them Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Maybe that's because 99% of people say that theirs is Christmas. I understand, I LOOOOVVEEE Christmas too. In fact, later today I plan to put up my Christmas tree, and listen to Christmas music. But Thanksgiving ushers in this holiday season with the Macy's Parade, football games, delicious sights and smells of traditional foods, and loads of family fun. There's not a lot of decorating, no major hoopla in the media about it, no gift-giving, Thanksgiving comes in quietly and leaves us with warm memories of time spent with family and prepares us for a winter of holiday celebrations. It's fantastic.

My bias to this holiday may also be due to my extreme love of cranberries and stuffing, but we'll stick with what I was saying before. 

It's funny, because in all of my love for Thanksgiving, I don't love the leftovers. Well, that's not entirely true...I like leftovers but every time I eat them I'm reminded that they just are never as good as they were the first time around (with the exception of pumpkin pie, that is always delicious).

There's a connection to be made between thanksgiving leftovers and real life. It's something that I have been dealing with in my own personal life, and I'm sure I won't be alone in this. There are a lot of things to look forward to in life and I think God enjoys when we look forward to and anticipate the things He is going to bring us to and through next. He has created an exciting life for each one of us! However, I think trouble can easily brew with this when we spend so much time anticipating that we forget to be thankful and take joy in each day that leads us to those great things ahead. 

I'll be completely honest here and say that this is the place I've been living for a little while. I have spent so much energy and focus on all that is ahead, that I have forgotten to enjoy the whole road I have to take to get there. I have given my leftovers to a lot of people I love. My energy, my time, my focus, my joy, is all spent looking ahead at what is  right around the corner and the things that are happening in the everyday like, spending time with my parents and sister, enjoying my last few months at home, planning a wedding, the joys of my job as a kindergarten teacher, even just living in this season of engagement with my fiancé, they are all getting my second best, my leftover energy, joy, focus, and time. 

God's plans for us a marvelous, above anything we could dream up for ourselves, I know that full well. But He is also such a magnificent and loving father to never just make it about the finish line, He brings growth and blessings in the small, everyday experiences that can often seem mundane. So, next time you are focused on what is ahead, don't loose sight of what is happening in the process. Don't give out all of your leftovers, they aren't as good as the first serving. Find joy in the things that are happening everyday and be thankful for those small gifts (like tastebuds, because without them you couldn't have enjoyed all of that delicious food yesterday). Happy Thanksgiving!

I said yes!

It's a little overdue but, on September 13, 2014 in the quietness of the mountains, Joe got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I am engaged and God is so good and so very faithful. 

The Proposal: 
We had planned the night before to go on a hike, something we enjoy doing together and one of my favorite ways to disconnect from the busy city sights and sounds. That morning we grabbed some breakfast at the same place our relationship started, ironically, we even sat in the same booth. We made our way up the mountain and found a trail to take, it was a beautiful day and I had no clue what it was about to hold. We hiked for a while, taking several breaks (well, I thought they were breaks, really Joe was scouting THE spot) to enjoy the sights around us. We came to a place on the trail that overlooked a valley of trees, such a pretty view. Several hikers passed us and when it seemed like we were the only two people left on the mountain, Joe began so share with me his heart about our relationship over the past year. Each word was so carefully chosen and so genuine and everything he was revealing to me came at just the right time. I was so touched by his thoughtfulness and openness and a proposal was not even a thought in my mind, not even when I watched him get down on one knee. As he pulled out the tiny box, I was still having a hard time wrapping my mind around what was really happening. And then came the question, THE question, "Kaitlyn, will you marry me?"  

I never had expectations or plans of how I wished to be proposed to. Not because I wasn't looking forward to the day it might happen, but because I believe whoever God would place in my life to walk beside forever, would know and understand who I am enough to make the perfect plan. Let me tell you, Joe had the perfect plan. On that mountain, in the quiet creation, away from crowds of gawking strangers and busy life-sounds, it was just me, Joe and Jesus. And I said yes to spending forever with the most wonderful man I know. 

Before Joe and I began dating, I wrote this prayer in my journal, "Lord, you have created and crafted this heart of mine. You know every crack, every detail of it. You love me with a love that no one else could ever show. God, I trust you to hold my heart. I know that if you have created someone to hold onto my heart along with you, then you will be faithful to bring him into my life at just the right time." A few weeks later, we started dating and never once has the promise of God's faithfulness seized to be evident in our relationship. Joe pursues me, he takes the time to hear and understand my heart. He has demonstrated his ability to lead well. He takes the time to pray with and for me, he encourages me and challenges me. His love for God's people inspires me. He is gentle, considerate, compassionate, and strong. He treats me with dignity and care. I am so abundantly blessed by his presence in my life and so thankful that God has brought us together! 

I've got to say, being engaged is pretty awesome and every day I look forward to the promise of the rest of our lives, I am excited to see what God has in store for us together. I can't wait to be Joe's wife!  

Flaunt What You've Got!

I've been thinking lately about a post I wrote several weeks ago, talking about exercising not to keep ourselves looking perfect in the world's eyes but to keep our temples of the Lord in the best form possible to accomplish His will (if you missed it, read Summer, Sunshine, and Something to Think On). In contemplating what I wrote then, it caused me to realize just how many areas of our lives we sacrifice our "made-in-His-image" selves for the sake of fitting in and gaining attention. One of the most prominent areas is our wardrobe.
I'm not hear to preach "modest is hottest"...at least not in the way you're probably used to hearing it. In fact, I am not a huge supporter of that saying in general for two reasons:
1.) Who defines 'modest'? how do we measure it? Oh sure, we all know the feeling of modesty when we see another girl who we consider to be dressed immodestly. Or, to the opposite, we know what it feels like to receive the, "did you really wear that?! here?!" stares and glares. But I want a substantial, objectively measurable definition.
2.) I hate, yes hate. I hate associating the word 'hot' or in this case 'hottest', with a person. I think it degrades them. I think it takes away from the beauty and value of who they are and who God created them to be. Now I get it, it's just a cleaver saying someone came up with to send a strong message quickly. I'm not saying we stone its author or burn the saying out of our vocabulary, I'm just telling you why you'll never catch me uttering the phrase. 
But, getting back to the heart of the issue at hand, our wardrobes sometimes get in the way of people seeing our true character. I know it can be tough to dress any other way when things that are "cute" or "in-style" leave little to the imagination but I'd like to raise a point I made in that previous blog post I referred to earlier...you were fashioned and created by the God of this universe who breathed life, beauty, value, loveliness, and dignity into you as He formed you, and I think part of the reason we maybe don't always buy into the "modesty" campaign is because we don't understand the enormity of that truth. 
you are valuable. 
you are beautiful. 
you are dignified. 
And, you do NOT need to prove that by showing the most skin while still maintaining the boundaries of socially acceptable dress. In fact, that proves just the opposite. When we make those decisions to display our physical attributes first, we are making a statement that says, "I have no value, I am not dignified" it comes across as a cry for attention. 
I will say it again, when God breathed life into you He gave you value, dignity, loveliness, and giftings and passions that individualize each and every one of us. THESE are your true attributes of beauty. THIS is your character. And, the way you dress should exude these qualities because they are truly who you are and what you are about. 

So go flaunt what God has given you, a dignified and lovely spirit! 

xo, 
Kaity

Graduation, Career Paths, and God's Plan

So, we've got one more day of this squat challenge! I hope you've all challenged yourselves to stick it out and finish strong!! 

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for me. I started my LAST class to complete my BS in Kinesiology, this past monday. All of the time and effort I have put in to it is almost done. I'm excited to meet this milestone and achieve this goal that I have had to graduate.With graduation fast approaching, I started applying for new jobs a few weeks ago. It's always a strange feeling when you're watching a new season of your life approach, it's exciting and nerve wrecking all at the same time and as I began to apply for new jobs in the "real world", I was facing all of these emotions. I found a posting for a particular position and began to do some research on the employer. It took almost no time for me to get excited and passionate about the position, the company, and the opportunity. So, on Sunday afternoon, I sent in my resume and application. And by friday I was offered employment with them. It was one intense week!

Through these weeks the Lord has been so incredibly faithful to me. As the craziness of this week unfolded...actually the craziness has been happening all summer and just sort of came to a high point through this week...I was confronted by every fear I have, every negative thought I think about myself, extreme emotions and nervousness. I was mentally and emotionally weary, but every time one of these fears or negative thoughts or nervous breakdowns began to approach, I was covered by a Peace that surpasses all understanding. It was in these moments that God quietly and tenderly whispered the truth of His love over me, and reminded me of who I am in Him and that He is more than enough for me. I began to realize that my life is in His hands, that He has good things for me, and that if He doesn't open the door for this job then that just means that He has better things in store for me. It was remembering this truth, that gave me the confidence to walk through each opportunity knowing the Lord had gone before me, and the victory belongs to Him and Him alone. 

Beautiful things happen when we say, "yes" to God and allow Him to lead and guid (okay, sometimes drag) us through difficult and scary situations. We begin to see His hand at work, we are able to see that He really does protect, provide, and pave the way to His plans for us that are prosperous, that give us a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11 for the fullness of this promise). One verse in particular that the Lord showed me as I was spending some quiet time with Him this week, is Psalm 40:5 and it says, "May, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done and Your thoughts toward us, there is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count." This verse just solidified for me, the truth that God has a plan and a purpose for my life and with trust and faith and a willing heart to walk where He calls me, He will be faithful to complete that work and fulfill all of His promises. He is GOOD, He has good things for each of us, and wants to take us all on an incredible adventure of a life!

30 day fitness challenge

Hi friends! Yesterday we warmed up with a reminder as to why it is really important to take care of our bodies. Today, we put those words into action. I wanted to give you all something you could do anywhere, so we are starting our first challenge off with squats. I know...they're not my favorite either, but you don't need any gym equipment, you can do them anywhere and they are great exercise that helps strengthen your legs and core! 

Day 1 (that would be today, don't wait for monday to come!): 30 Squats

Day 2: 50 Squats 

Day 3: 75 Squats

Day 4: 60 Squats 

Day 5: Rest Day 

Day 6: 60 Squats

Day 7: 90 Squats

Day 8: 50 Squats

Day 9: 45 Squats

Day 10: Rest Day

Day 11: 120 Squats

Day 12: 40 Squats

Day 13: 75 Squats

Day 14: 125 Squats

Day 15: Rest Day (We are half way through this, keep going!) 

Day 16: 80 Squats

Day 17: 50 Squats

Day 18: 125 Squats

Day 19: 50 Squats

Day 20 Rest Day

Day 21: 145 Squats

Day 22: 80 Squats 

Day 23: 40 Squats

Day 24: 100 Squats

Day 25: Rest Day

Day 26: 75 Squats

Day 27: 50 Squats (3 Days left!!!)

Day 28: 150 Squats

Day 29: 95 Squats

Day 30: 175 Squats YOU MADE IT!

Okay so here we go, let's get to work! But just a few more things before we do; don't be discouraged if the going gets tough, remember this is a challenge. If you have to break the squats up into several sets, then do it, but the goal in all of this is to keep going. Also, check yourself, don't sell yourself short by deciding to break things up before you even try, push yourself, you will be surprised you are stronger than you think! Good luck, stick with it, I'll be challenging myself right along with you! 

Sincerely, 

    Kaity

Summer, sunshine, & something to think on

Time seriously flies! I cannot believe it's already been 2 months since I last blogged, my goal was to blog every week and I am kicking myself for not sticking to that, but life happens, and the good news is I am not quitting! So there, small victory :)

Summer is my favorite season and the official first day is saturday! Summer means a lot of happy things: watermelon, picnics, beach trips, warm weather, pool time, lake trips, bright colors, flip flops...oh I could go on for days! I love summer. But as summer comes there is this whole thing about getting ready for "swim suit season", and with that comes a lot of fears, anxieties and crazy diets. So I wanted to talk about fitness in this post but with a different spin on it then maybe we are used to. I'll try to keep things short, but I'm really passionate about this topic so if I get long winded, forgive me, and KEEP READING...I really want you all to get this :) 

I think it is SO important that we not only have knowledge of the fact that God has created us fearfully and wonderfully (hence the name of this blog), but that we also live that out! The Message version of the Bible puts it this way, "...I thank you, High God- you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration- what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit..." did you catch all of that? Tell me that doesn't just make you stand still for a second, in total amazement that God has especially crafted Every. Single. One. Of us! I don't think we celebrate this enough. The fact that though we are humans, in desperate need of the rescue from a Savior, we are still the Lord's creation, we are wonderful simply and solely because we were crafted by the hands of the Perfect Artist, Himself. Oh my goodness!

    So this all may seem a little off-topic of the fitness post I promised, but I needed to give this background information in your minds before getting to the nitty gritty. In a world that is so image obsessed, it's easy to get caught up the in the craze of trying to keep up with the latest and greatest. We need the latest fashion trend, the latest shoe fad, the most expensive purse we can find, even the brand of makeup we use determines how good we are at keeping up with the Jones'. It can be completely exhausting with things coming in and going out in the blink of an eye, and then there are the body image trends....most recently "the thigh gap". To even think about it makes me furious. We treat our body's like they are a fashion trend when really they are created in the image of the Sovereign God (I'll remind you to read the paragraph above, again). And with the pressure to look like everyone else, we often find ourselves in the gym, on a diet, juicing, fasting, etc. We treat exercise and fitness like something we need because we aren't good enough. Ick. 

    Now don't get me wrong, I believe exercise and a healthy life-style are absolutely necessary, after all I did say this would be a fitness post; and I am not saying that I have not found myself in the trap of striving after what the media deems as 'good'. What I am saying is this, we have the wrong perspective, people. The most important part of fitness, is a healthy perspective on what Christ has given us, so before we can get physically strong, we must first strengthen ourselves spiritually.  Exercise shouldn't be something we participate in to change ourselves (sure there is always room to get a little healthier but thats another issue), it's not something we should get into with the attitude of "if I can just fix this then I'll fit in better." What exercise and healthy living should be, is an act of worship and thanksgiving to God. Thank Him for the body, soul, and mind He marvelously created for you to live in...you've only got one. Worship Him through your healthy eating habits and exercise knowing that you are using that one body to get strong in order that you might be able to accomplish the good work He has for you in the best way possible. 

So, consider this our pre-workout warm up...tomorrow I am coming at you with a 30-day fitness challenge! Keep an eye out, and get ready ;)

My Strong God

Hi friends! 
The last couple of weeks have been, to be completely honest, some of the most exhausting weeks I've had in a while. Sometimes, I like to think I am Superwoman, that I can take on everything that comes my way. I'm even so silly as to not just think it, but to actually try to do it. I have a lot to balance right now, and I won't ever settle for giving things less than everything I've got. There is some twisted part of me that gets some sort of thrill over stretching myself to thin, and this is a problem because I'm focused on my own strength to see me through.What my flesh really likes about trying to juggle 27 different things, is the false sense of control I feel when I get things done that seemed impossible. 

It seems that whenever I get in these situations of "puffed-upedness" (I do believe I just created a word) that God finds a way to so graciously humble me and remind me that I don't actually have it all together the way I think I do. Usually, that comes in the form of all 27 juggling balls falling to the ground at close to the same time. I'm sort of in that place right now. I'm tired, I'm worn out, and I'm realizing that I'm not going to make it through everything I need to on my own. 

So, I love this verse in Psalm 73, it's in verse 26 that the author says, "my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." We are not strong enough to fight the battle, to defeat the enemy, to win the day. Our flesh will fail, our weak hearts will give out unless we go to the One, the Source, of all strength and ask Him to not only fill us, but also to take back control over the things we are holding on to.

I know that I am not alone in this, I'm sure we can all look back and find a place in life where we have all seen our flesh and heart fail. Let's face the facts, none of us will ever be Superwoman. Remember, the Lord is strong, He is in control, He is here to hold you up and pull you through...forever. It's exhausting to try to hold things together that don't even truly and fully belong to us, and I don't know about the rest of you but I am ready to lay all of my stuff down, to put it all in the hands of my strong God!

Sincerely, 
          Kaity

A Still Small Voice

              Remember the life of Elijah, the prophet written about in the Old Testament? In 1 Kings 19:11-12 the Lord is really wanting to get a hold of Elijah's heart, to speak to him about some important stuff. God calls him away, up to a mountain to get him alone, because there the Lord is going to speak with him. "Then He said, 'Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." 
                I really like this set of verses because it shows us some very important things..

1.) God desires alone time with us
     - Yep. You read that right. The God of the universe DESIRES to spend time with us, in communion and fellowship, alone with our hearts.It is in our selfishness and busyness that we reject Him of this time. Oh, how foolish we can be.

2.) Sometimes, God just wants to speak tenderly
    - Sure, there are times when God will and does speak through the strong winds and earthquakes of our lives, we expect Him to speak then. But often God wants to speak to us tenderly. In His still small voice that whispers to the corners of hearts and says, "I see you, I love you, and this is what we are going to do next". But too many times, the chaos we call daily life gets too loud for us to listen in for that gentle voice of love, and we don't take the time to get quiet before God to find it.

3.) When life gives you quiet minutes...GRAB THEM
     - Don't jump on Facebook for the 30th time today, or check your Instagram feed to see what your BFF is having for lunch, take that time and sit at the feet of Jesus. Maybe it's just one minute in between classes, or maybe it's an hour you've found on your lunch break...read a verse, a Psalm, send a prayer of praise to the Lord, thank Him for the day He has given you, or sit alone and do nothing...but whatever the time, however you chose to use it, practice quieting your heart before the Lord. You'll be amazed how much it will refresh you to reflect on the good gifts He has given you for one minute, or to remember who God is in your life, or even to sit quietly and listen to Him speak words of love into your heart. 

I hope that this weekend you make time to get alone and to get quiet, to listen for the still small voice of God in your heart. Remember, He desires time with you, He wants to be able to shower you with His love, to pour out His grace, to refresh your heart and guide your steps...give Him time to do just that! 

Sincerely, 
Kaity

Sundays in the Kitchen

I used to look at people who do food prep and think 'why would you want to spend the last day of your weekend cooking all afternoon?!' Well let me tell you people, food prep is the most underrated thing. It's wonderful, it saves me so much time during the week, and I am able to eat healthy meals! 
Here are my steps and tips to successful food prep:

1.) Have a Plan- my sister and I go through and pick some recipes we are going to make for the week. Usually they are dinner type meals that can make several servings and are easy to reheat. Make a list of the ingredients you will need for each recipe, along with your other usual grocery store grabs

2.) Time to shop- I love grocery shopping. Whole Foods has become my favorite Sunday hangout, I could walk the isles for a good couple of hours. But anyway, get what you need and don't forget your list! 

3.) Head to the Kitchen- once your shopping is done its time to cook! I like to start by preparing the big meals first. Last week we made a slow cooker stew and a slow cooker chicken recipe (links to both below). I also like to put a couple of salads together that are easy to grab for lunch, cook up some rice and quinoa (you can make these side dishes for just about anything), and cut up some fruits and veggies for snacks (I eat more of them if I can just grab and go!). 

4.) Ease Yourself Into it- if you are anything like me, then the kitchen can be a little bit intimidating. Don't worry about having every single meal for the week prepped, it can get overwhelming, and you can end up with more food than you can really eat. So start by trying to prep one or two meals. Maybe cook up some chicken for a lunch and dinner, or throw together some salad for the week.  Prep to the extent that works best for you and your schedule.

5.) Get creative and try new things- because we prep for the whole week, we eat a lot of the same meals. so for my sister and I, we try to find new recipes and flavors each week. Have fun in the kitchen and experiment.

Last week we tried three all new recipes we ended up loving them all! here are the links to each of the recipes. They are easy to make and may be a good starting point for you:

• Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken: http://www.emilylovesfood.com/2012/11/20/slow-cooker-sesame-chicken/
• Quinoa Egg Bake: http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Quinoa-Egg-Bake-Recipe-26947762
• New Mexican Stew: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-mexican-stew.html

I hope you enjoy! 
Sincerely, 
Kaity

T.G.I.F.

I don't know about you all, but this week I am especially thankful that it is FINALLY FRIDAY!!!! It's the second week of another spring semester for me and it seems that life gets real right around this time, and you find out what the professors and classes are really going to be like. I had a lot of hours at work to balance in between running to classes this week too, I just felt like I was playing catch-up from the beginning of monday morning on through today. It's weeks like this when it's easy to get overwhelmed and break-down (I'm not going to lie....I had my moment), but it's also in weeks like this that you set the tone for future weeks to come. Will you take the easy way out and decide to quit while you're behind, or will you dig deep and fight to catch back up in the race? This morning, the Lord reminded me of the faithful God that He is by putting this verse in my mind:  "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. We all will walk through tough stuff, we all will face various trials, God will require challenging things that will stretch us, but He will never push us past our breaking points. He is faithful to carry us through. 
And that friends, is a wonderful thing to be reminded of as I round out one crazy week! 
I hope you all have a great weekend and get plenty of R&R...and don't forget to cheer the Bronco's onto a Superbowl victory on Sunday!!! :) 

Sincerely,

Kaity


" I trust that since He was faithful in my past, He will be the same faithful God in my future." -Candace Cameron Bure 

Taking Time to Reflect

                       2013 was a full year! Here are some of my highlights:

-       Sight-seeing in New York with my best friend

-       Getting plugged into a new church (fresh starts, aren’t they the best?!)

-       Taking a missions trip to Ecuador  that absolutely rocked my world 

-       A new relationship with a great guy :)

-       Exploring San Francisco with some of my cousins

-       Promotion at work

-       Finding out I will be a college graduate..VERY soon!

It seems like every month of 2013 I was being stretched and challenged in new ways. I grew a lot through this past year, I learned a lot about who I am and what I am truly passionate about. Probably the biggest lesson I have learned though, is to trust the Lord, even when its hard…even when its confusing…even when it seems like nothing good could come of anything that is happening…even when everything is good…trust the Lord.

            I have seen in this past year, the faithfulness of God when we just lean on Him! In any season, He has shown me over and again that His plans for me are good and prosperous, that they far exceed anything I could hope or dream up for myself. And, as I look to what lies ahead of me…graduation, the beginning of a career,  a completely new chapter of life…I can see the Lord’s hand in laying a strong foundation of trusting and relying on Him. I know that I will still have challenges, trials, and joys to face down the road, but I also know that my God is faithful and totally deserving of our complete trust.

So, take a minute to look back at some of the highlights of the past year. I hope you’ll be able to see all the ways He has carried you through, all the times He has helped to make your paths straight. I hope that you will look back with a thankful heart and move forward in confidence, trusting the Lord in all of the new things He has in store for you. He is SO faithful, SO good to us, SO worthy of all of our praise and affection!

sincerely,
Kaity

From Pit to Praise

"He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord." -Psalm 40:2-3

         I read this verse and am totally struck by the goodness of God. David is writing this Psalm, from a place of experiencing the deliverance of the Lord and I think it is a great reminder that God is ready and able to do the same for us all.

         So let’s break it down…

                  “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay”, this is the grace of God. Whatever your “horrible pit”, whatever your “miry clay”, the Lord knows where you are at and there is no place that He is unwilling to go to extend His hand of grace to you, pull you out, and draw you into Himself. Ahh, He is GOOD.

                  “and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.”, this is the salvation of God. He pulls us out of the mess we are in AND sets us on a firm foundation..His firm foundation..His rock of love and security. He is our salvation. He alone, will establish our steps, if only we surrender everything to Him and let Him be our rescue! He is GOOD!        

                  “He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to out God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” Oh sweet redemption. Not only is the Lord ready to pull us out of our mess, rescue us and be our salvation, but He is also ready to put a NEW song in our mouths. He is ready to redeem our hearts, to fill us a fresh with a NEW spirit, and NEW attitude, a NEW way to praise His name. Oh man, HE IS GOOD TO US!

I hope you are all encourage today by these verses and reminded of the goodness and love that God has for us.

Happy Friday, friends!

Sincerely,

Kaity

New Beginnings

Blogging and I go way back…though, our track record of success is not so great. I’m hoping that in this new year, with a new blog, and a fresh perspective, this go ‘round will be successful!

Basically, to give you all the run down, I don’t think there are enough places for us to go and read things that are just good for our souls. So whether it’s a devotion, beauty tip, or powerful thought that is posted here, I want this to be a place that offers inspiration, encouragement, and draws us closer to Christ. I am passionate about this generation of young women, and I desire to see us all rise up and discover everything that God has created us to be, uniquely feminine, filled with purpose and driven by passion.

“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

            Psalm 139:14

Sincerely,

Kaity