I am currently posting on my xanga account. If you are interested in reading up on my journey with Jake as we search out a new church to call home, please visit my xanga. Jake is posting on his own perspective on his own personal xanga. There is a link to that account in one of my posts.
Thank you all and hopefully I'll post something new and exciting on here someday soon.
posted by Katie @ 1:48 PM
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I find myself unable to post lately. Though I am busy, it would seem to be mostly due to the fact that I feel like I have nothing exciting in my life to post about. Life goes on as usual. School, Jake, work, social life, school. So, I will attempt to send my readers and update without boring anyone too much.
First quarter ended well. I pulled off a pretty decent GPA and felt very happy going into Thanksgiving break. I spent break mostly with Jake's family.
Second quarter has been much of the same. It's been pretty rough for me to find a good balance of time, but time management is a common struggle of mine. Christmas break came and went. It was nice to spend time with my family. I also started the "wedding season" with my good friend Brent getting married on Dec 30th. That was a really fun road trip for Jake and I. We saw some sights, spent some quality time together, and he got to meet some of the very important people in my life. The second picture above is Jake and I at Brent's wedding reception in Missouri.
Break was very busy after the holidays ended. We only get two weeks off, and the second week was half filled with clinical. The nursing program ran into some problems with scheduling clinicals at Children's, so my group was told that we had to figure out a different time than the scheduled last 4 weeks of the quarter. So, we were basically a pilot group, and our professor met with us for 8 hours of orientation on Tuesday, and then 10 hours of clinical Wednesday and Thursday before classes started and the Wednesday and Thursday of our first week back. I was a little wary of it at first, but it was probably the best clinical experience I've ever had. 48 hours in two weeks. It was tiring, but in the end it meant fewer write ups and really a lot more opportunity.
To end Christmas break, I was able to stand up in my two very dear friends' wedding. They were married on the 5th of January. The first picture above is me and the happy couple.
School after Christmas break is always difficult to get back into. It's not like semesters where the end of that break is the beginning of a new semester. I came back from break and started week 5, and the following week was midterm time. One thing I will say is, with clinical out of the way, I have a lot of extra time that I want to make sure to be extra careful with. I have papers to write and intern applications to fill out. It's really easy for me to say in my head what I should be doing during my free time, it's another thing to follow through with it.
Oh, and to finish out my "wedding season" I had another wedding on Jan 13th.
Other news: Jake and I celebrated our one year anniversary on Saturday. I can't even believe it. In some respects it seems like just yesterday and in other respects I feel like we've been together forever. He graduates in May, and I'm starting to really think about what direction my life is going to head in the next couple of years. I feel extremely blessed.
The final note I want to make is that Jake and I are on a very interesting "church tour" right now. In an attempt to really figure out what church we want to make our home, our mentor, Dr. Scheibler, has set us up on a journey through 11 weeks with 11 churches. He started us out with the most historic and subsequently most complicated church and is moving us through to the most simple. He's left out both traditional Catholic (Jake's background) and Assembly of God (my background). Our goal is to learn as much as we can about what the Christian denominations have to offer and try to honestly figure out where we would best fit together. Dr. Scheibler has commented about how he feels that if everyone committed to doing something like this, less relationships would have spiritual discourse. I would tend to agree, especially when a couple comes from such completely different sides as Catholic and Charasmatic Pentacostal. So far, we have gone to a Greek Orthodox church and a Melkite (Eastern Rite) Catholic church. Next week we visit a traditional Lutheran church. I would really like to blog my experiences because I have never been exposed to so many different types of worship and spiritual practice before. All I will say about my first two experiences is that they were very interesting. I struggle with connecting personally with Jesus in those church atmospheres. Probably because that is not the emphasis of the mass. I will also comment on how much I dislike incense, icons, and singing without any instruments to guide you.
I will be hoping to stay updated with my church journey. I am very excited to see how much Jake and I grow spiritually through this and how much we learn and understand about each other and God in the end.
posted by Katie @ 8:43 AM
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So, I just found these pictures on the bride's sister's facebook account. I had to put them on because I have been waiting for a wedding picture of this girl to be available to post. The one in the wedding dress, if you don't know, is one of my best friends, Stephanie. She got married this July in AZ, and I flew out for a week to be a part of it. Tim is the handsome guy on her right. The girl on his right (the one who looks like she's gonna burst) is Steph's sister, Melissa (also the maid of honor). And the lovely couple on Steph's left are her parents, Crystal and Dan. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Elegant. sophisticated. Did I mention beautiful? The only way Steph would ever have it. I loved Arizona. I spent the majority of my time in Prescott/Prescott Valley. The weather was beautiful the entire time. When I was in Pheonix, it was a little hotter than I would have liked, but beautiful nonetheless.
As soon as I get more pictures, including ones of me, I will post them.
posted by Katie @ 12:43 AM
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Our lives are constantly changing, improving
Like a block of stone waiting to be chipped away
Would that sculpture turn out if it was constantly moving?
Afraid the chisel would cause unnecessary pain.
But we know He is calling for us to step up on that block
He's ready to trim yet another part of the branch
Please find your courage in the knowledge that it is I
Who is praying He gives you the strength to stand
But I am praying for the same in me
That Christ will lift my eyes to Him
And help me to see
The wisdom of the way He sets the course of my life
And I'm ready for whatever is His plan
Cause I want to walk beside you 'til the end
Elisabeth Elliot wrote in her book Passion and Purity, "My heart was saying, 'Lord take away this longing, or give me that which I long for.' The Lord was answering, 'I must teach you to long for something better.'"
posted by Katie @ 12:23 AM
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So, I don't really get into the habit of bashing companies, probably because I'm not very business minded, but I have to take this moment to say that if you are thinking about ever using Alltel for cell phone service, reconsider. I am so frustrated, I don't even know what to say. I haven't really ever gotten angry with a customer service rep before; I almost feel like calling back and apologizing. How can a company hold you to a contract that you never agreed to or was even aware of. Nothing verbal, nothing written, no where explaining that I am "renewing" a contract. Well, now, because I guess I wasn't smart enough to ask or maybe just misinformed, I'm going to be penalized for someone else's inability to communicate. Oh well, I guess my venting is over (sorry for those who think it unnecessary). There's nothing else I can do but pay up and never deal with them again. I pray no one who reads this has the same experience I just had.
posted by Katie @ 9:59 AM
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This is just something I wrote down for someone I love. I thought I might share it...
You cannot by your own strength make it through what God has set forth in your life. It is only by His strength that anyone can endure the trials, tribulation, and testing that Christians suffer in this world. You never know why God is bringing something into your life or what lessons can be learned from it in the beginning. But, how are we ever to weather these storms without the divine means of our Creator?
[Paul speaking]
"Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalm 28:7
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
posted by Katie @ 10:52 AM
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Psalm 4
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The Lord hears when I call to Him.
Tremble and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.
Offer the sacrifice of righteousness,
And trust in the Lord.
Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?"
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord!
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
posted by Katie @ 12:21 AM
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Clear my head
Open my eyes
Show me Your will
With each new sunrise
Forgive all the wrong
Set my mind to what's right
I know love is in correction
I desire to walk in Your light
Decisions that seem hard
Make me want an easy out
I crucify my flesh
Give up to You my doubt
You've seen me from the start
Set my course before I knew
Mold me into what You desire
So that my life will mirror You
I wrote this sometime in April, and I'm not quite sure what state I was in when writing it. I know that it calls out for a desire all Christians should have a need and a burden for: the desire to be more like Christ, to live life in His image, to be "Christ-like."
The idea of "crucifying flesh" is one that Paul spoke about in his writing. In the book of Galatians, Paul writes about the fruits of the Spirit. Hopefully, you know some of them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In chapter 5, verses 24 and 25, he goes on from listing these 9 characteristics to say,
"Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."
Nothing more needs to be said.
posted by Katie @ 12:54 AM
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This is just a place for me to vent, post my writing, and my altogether silly, simple, or maybe, at times, profound thoughts. Enjoy!
Born and raised in Hazel Crest, IL. Moved to Wautoma, WI in 97. Graduated from Wautoma High School in 00. Lived in Stevens Point, WI until 04. I'm in my third year as a nursing student at Milwaukee School of Engineering. I love my Savior, my family, my boyfriend, my friends, and my job. I turned 24 this year, so the government finally recognized me as the poor person I am and I now receive enough financial aid to make me feel comfortable. I am a Senior RA, so I still reside in the residence halls(and absolutely love it). I love summer and fall, no humidity, playing volleyball, going for walks, singing as much as I can, and spending as much time with the people I care about as humanly possible.
