Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Think about your favorite memory, the best day of your life. My most recent one is the last night I spent at Camp Lighthouse, the camp I was a counselor at this summer. That night, we sat at the lake and looked at the stars, went to Quick Trip and bought trail mix, made buttons at midnight, and stayed up until 4 playing cards. But what makes that memory so special to me? Sure, the activities were fun, but it is the people I was with who made it one of the best nights of my life! I’m sure the same would go for everyone- you’re favorite memory isn’t necessarily associated with what you did, it was more the people you were with. Because life is better with other people.

For example: Who would like to do a group project (with people you like) instead of working by yourself? Why? It’s because you can get more work done that way and spend time making the project really good. Other than at school, maybe you want to be a great runner, so you run with someone who also has that goal so you can work together. Maybe you are really bad at math, so you work with someone so they can help you understand the problem. Maybe you had a really bad day, so you talk to someone so they can encourage you.

“Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

There are 4 advantages to having someone with you.

1. Productivity (they have a good reward for their labor). Two people can get more done together than one could on their own. This is like the group project, where you divide the work to get more things done.
2. Help in need (If they fall, one will lift up his companion). This means that another person is meeting your basic needs or coming to your aid when you need it most.
3. Comfort in life (they will keep warm). Having another person can bring you joys and make living much better. Spending time with people adds value to life.
4. Safety and security (two can withstand). This allows for two people to protect each other and look out for one another.

Find people who want to rejoice with you, want to mourn with you, want to share their stories, and want to hear yours. We talk a lot about having a good relationship with God, but we also need to have relationships with people. And it is fine to have non-christian friends. But, you need to have friends, have people in your life, who can encourage you in the way of the Lord.

How I Structure my Quiet Time

We all want to have a good relationship with the Lord, but how many of us feel like we really do? Most likely, that is because you are not spending any time with him! The only way to build that relationship and see him working in your life is to take time each day to be in his presence!

I have always had a lot of trouble sticking with a consistent quiet time because I thought it had to be first thing when I get up in the morning or the last thing I do at night. But that never worked for me! Recently, I began doing my quiet time around 3 in the afternoon when I get home from school and it works so much better for me! I also do it outside a lot of the time (hence the eno picture)! You can have quiet time with the Lord anytime and anywhere you want- just make sure you are making time for him!

These are the steps to what I do in my quiet time! It is very hands-on, very artistic, because that is who I am as a person! Make your quiet time fit for you! The way I structure mine will not work for everyone, but hopefully it can give you some ideas!

1. The first thing I do is play 3 or 4 worship songs on my guitar. This helps me to phase into my quiet time and puts me in a very peaceful mood. While I am reading, though, I put on a worship playlist on my computer!
2. Then I pick the verse or passage I am going to study that day. It might be based off a devotional, blog, sermon, instagram post, or line from a song that I saw recently.
3. I look up that verse on the Blue Letter Bible using the David Guzik study guide. I really love this version and it goes really deep into the history and meaning!
4. As I read, I write down any notes that I find interesting or important in my study bible.
5. After this, I get out my journaling bible and illustrate the main verse for the day.
6. I close out with prayer. Some days this is just spoken and some days I make a list or letter in my prayer journal. It depends on how much I have going on and how much has changed since the last time I journaled.

And that’s it! That’s what my daily quiet time looks like! I know it is not typical, but I never was good at getting up early or following along with a devotional! This works perfectly for me and I want to encourage you to try new things in your quiet time, too!  

My Favorite Worship Songs

Hey y’all! I just wanted to do a quick post today about some of my current favorite worship songs! Life has gotten crazy lately, but listening to rocking tunes like these helps to keep everything in perspective and puts me in a super good mood! So, in no particular order, here are my favorite worship songs!

1. Come to Me by Bethel Music
2. Glorious Day by Passion
3. Salvations Tide by Kristian Stanfill
4. You are Faithful by Carrolton
5. Be Lifted High by Elevation Worship
6. King of my Heart by Sarah McMillan
7. It is Well by Bethel
8. Brokenness Aside by All Sons and Daughters
9. Gracefully Broken by Matt Redman
10. Oh How I Need You by All Sons and Daughters
11. Beautiful Things by Gungor
12. Help Me Find My Own Flame by United Pursuit
13. When the Fight Calls by Hillsong Y+F
14. Street Called Mercy by Hillsong United (Of Dirt and Grace Version)
15. Rescuer by Rend Collective

What is your current favorite worship song? Comment down below because I would love to hear from you!

Dear Younger Me

Dear Younger Me,

I know you. I was you. I know your struggles and your trials. I know how they change who you become. I know your joys and your sorrows. I know your hopes and dreams. But, I also know that everything works out. I know that you grow up to have real friends, real passions, real joy! You might not feel beautiful, but you are! You are precious and so dearly loved! These are all the things I wish I could tell you:

It is okay to be happy. It is okay to have fun. You are such a stick in the mud! You always have been! Laugh when it’s funny! Play and dance- not everything needs to be taken seriously! You rarely break out of that sad little shell of yours, but just a small smile can crack the surface. Someday soon you will dance down the halls for the sake it, laugh at the very worst moments, and always have a smile on your face. It is so much easier, so much better to live life like this!

Get involved in things! Join the random clubs, play a sport, do something! Not only are you a stick in the mud, you are a bump on a log! Don’t quit things when they get hard (you’re really good at it...) Try new things and keep trying until you find something that makes you happy!

Make friends! I always talk about how I never had any friends, but let’s be real: You were in your own way. You held people at a distance, never letting them close. Let me tell you, you break down those barriers eventually and find yourself surrounded by the most amazing friends to ever exist! Friends who support you, who make you laugh, who get you to do crazy things, and who love you for the person you truly are!

Don’t worry what other people think, they don’t care about you. They just want someone to laugh at and then they move on. Don’t consider them! Get unabashedly excited for things! Pick up that rock, listen to the same song 5 times in a row, pet that dog! You might look stupid, but it so much better than crying yourself to sleep because there is nothing to look forward to any more.

Don’t hold grudges! There is a period of time when you become bitter and grumpy and you are no fun to be around that way! Holding grudges does nobody any good and you are only hurting yourself. And in retrospect, it wasn’t even that big of a deal. The grudge always becomes more of a problem than the original action was.  

Cut unnecessary people out of you life. Okay, I know I just said to make friends, but there are some people who need to go. That is good! It means you are growing! You are not meant to be friends with everyone forever. If they are no longer bringing them joy, you don’t have to spend so much time on them.

Share your passions. They aren’t yours to keep, they are for sharing! You get jealous when people like the same things as you- which is so stupid! Passions are not for locking up, they are for showing the world. And so what- someone else does that too?! It doesn’t make what you do inferior!

Don’t try to be the idea of yourself. You will find that there is a way people perceive you and a way that you really are. Be who you really are, don’t live up to those false expectations people have for you (or that you have for yourself)!

Just remember, God has you right where he wants you. He will carry you through it all and you will come out so much better in the end!

So dance without shame! Jump around! Laugh loudly! Sing with all your heart and soul! You are so loved!

All my heart, Slightly Older (and maybe wiser?) Katie

My Journaling Bible

For about a year now I have been bible journaling. I have been pouring my heart out onto the pages of my bible through art. There are pages that I love, pages I never finished, and pages I don’t like all that much. It has come to represent my faith, the seasons I go through in life. I began in September of 2016 and since then, I have completed over 100 pages. 100 pages of faith, of love, of JOY!

I began this whole thing because I was in a rut with my faith. I needed something to express how I was feeling. I have never been able to commit to a devotional or bible reading plan, but I could commit to doing a journal page every other day! I find this fun and it has become the best part of my day! I read the passage on the page and then I begin with the art! It gets me into the word and allows me to create beautiful things with the talent God has given me!

My bible is a scrapbook of my faith- there are pictures taped in, letters written, notes transcribed from bible studies, and quotes that spoke to me from devotions, blog posts, or songs! I don’t have a special journaling bible- it is just a normal bible I got from my church. In it, I use acrylic paints, water colors, sharpies, colored pencils, crayola markers, stamps, stickers, washi tape, ball point pens, and watercolor brush pens! I don’t want it to be perfect, because I’m not. It is beautiful and messy, just like me! I’ve inserted lots of pictures below of pages I have never shared, some are pretty, some aren’t done, some are really ugly, but that is just like life. Some people see incomplete, unorganized, messy, unplanned mistakes, but I see my hard work, my love, my faith, and my source of joy! I see beautiful!

The cover and title page of my bible!

Some incomplete pages!

Some pages I don’t like that much!

Some pages I taped things onto!

Pages based around songs!

Watercolored Pages!

Pages that look REALLY similar!

Pages I actually journaled on!

And some other assorted pages!

This is just a fraction of the pages in my bible! To see more, check out @undeniable.joy on Instagram! Have a lovely day!

Why Your Testimony Matters | My Story

This past summer I was a camp counselor for kids in transitional homes from downtown Atlanta. We took them hiking, taught them to swim, and showed them the love of Jesus! Part of that was that each counselor told their testimony to a group of kids. I was the last counselor in my group to share and as I’m sitting there, thinking about what to say, I’m listening to the other testimonies. The first person to share sounds a little bit like me: They grew up in a christian household, starting going to church at an early age, and doubted God sometimes, but never strayed too far. Then the second person went. And the third. Then the fourth. They all sounded the same to me. The same story, the same experience. Then it was my turn. I thought, “What’s the point in sharing- these kids have all heard this story before.” At this point in my life, I had never lost a loved one, been incredibly angry at God, done anything awful or had anything awful done to me. These kids had been homeless. Most of them had to take care of their siblings at a young age. They had been through so much in their 8 years, I had been through so little in my almost 16. But, I shared anyways. I told them my story.

The testimony I told went something like this: “I was born into a Christian household and started going to church when I was 2 months old.  When I was 5 or 6, I went to a camp and I heard the gospel message. I accepted Jesus then. The following 7 or so years were full of going to church on Sunday and Wednesday, church camps, and retreats. When I got into middle school and high school, trusting God became harder, but the people around me held me accountable to my relationship with him. Then, this past summer, I went on Chrysalis, a retreat where you learn all about Christ. I have never felt more loved in my life than when I was there. And now we’re here and that’s where I am.”

Nothing very special, right? Well, that’s what I thought, at least. And I really struggled with that. When I was in 6th grade I felt a call into ministry, to be a youth pastor, and that is still what I want to do with my life. It was incredible because I had never known what I wanted to do with my life. You know how all little kids say they want to be an astronaut or veterinarian? That was never me. I had never had any idea of where I wanted my life would take me. In being a pastor, I thought I had to have this epic comeback story. Something like I was abused or did drugs, but then Jesus saved me. That isn’t my story. And because of that, I felt unqualified. I thought God didn’t really need me because I didn’t have some terrible backstory. That is crazy! Never, ever think that God doesn’t need you! He doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. So maybe my past isn’t like everyone else's, but God can still use it.

One way God is using my story is at this very moment. I am in a unique position to be able to write this blog post. Someone who has some crazy story wouldn’t think their story doesn't matter. Therefore they wouldn’t be able to encourage you because they don’t know what it feels like. I’ve been there, I’ve thought that God was unable to use me. And that is a hopeless place to be. I thought I was living for the Lord, but then I thought he doesn’t need me. Not everyone has felt that. But because I have, I can help other people who have as well.

Let me say this: I am grateful that I never went through anything terrible. I am blessed beyond all measure to be surrounded by people who love and support me. I am blessed to have been walking with the Lord for as long as I have. He has been doing great things in my life, things that never would have happened if I had not known him.

There will come a time when something does happen to me. Thankfully, the Lord has been working in me. He has been preparing me to handle that. People who are hurt and don’t have the Lord to fall back on may never heal. But, since I have God on my side, nothing that comes against me will stand. I will be able to weather the storms because he has taught me what it means to have faith.

There are still moments when I doubt if the Lord can use me. But I have seen his work in my life. I have been given countless opportunities because of the person he has made me. My story may seem like everyone else’s, but it is unique. It is my story and I would not trade it for the world.

Christian Girl Tag

The other day I was snooping around on Youtube and I found this awesome channel called Coffee and Bible Time! They had a video called The Christian Girl Tag, and next thing you know, I’ve spent the past half hour watching people do this tag! The questions were so fun, so I decided to do it for myself! The questions will help y’all get to know a little bit more about my faith and don’t forget to comment your answers below!

1) How long have you been saved, and when did you become saved?

I have been saved for 10 years now! I was first introduced to this idea when I was 5 years old at a summer camp!
2) What's your favorite Bible verse, and what does it mean to you?

My favorite bible verse is Exodus 14:14. “The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still.” I have a whole blog post about what this verse means to me! Check it out here!
3) What's your favorite Christian song and why?

This is so hard because I only listen to christian music, so I’m going to name a few! Street Called Mercy by Hillsong, Come to Me by Bethel Music, When the Fight Calls by Hillsong Y+F, and Amen by Matthew West. I have a blog post about my favorite worship songs coming up, so stay tuned for that!
4) What is your favorite Christian book?

Let’s All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs or AHA by Kyle Idleman!
5) What's your favorite thing about church?

My favorite thing about church is all the people I have met there!  I made a lot of my closest friends at church and there are so many good memories I associate with being there!
6) If you could meet Jesus right now, what would your first question/action be?

I firmly believe that when we get to heaven there will be no questions asked, only worship. The second I see Jesus, I will fall to my knees and sing his praise for all of eternity!
7) Oddest place that you have ever prayed?

I don’t really think there is an odd place to pray! Prayer is simply talking to God, and I talk to him 24/7. So, on the school bus, when I’m hiking, in the middle of the ocean when I think my boat will sink (literally), walking to class, driving, and everywhere else! I’ve prayed in all those places!
8) Are you ready if Jesus were to come tomorrow?

SO READY! There is nothing on this earth that would make waiting another second worth it. There is still good work to be done, but it all leads to him in the end!
9) How do you openly share your faith?

I share my faith incredibly openly. I answer every question I can and I try to speak life and truth to everyone I know!

What is your favorite Christian song? Comment down below because I would love to hear from you!