SimplistiKate

Today was a perfect fall day with Lane. My favorite part was walking the trails of Prairie Lakes. When Lane got out of the car she immediately turned to the water and said "wa wa" as she hobbled to it. She was fixed on the ducks paddling and bathing in the water. I was trying to get her to walk the trails with me, but she was more interested in picking up the gravel from the parking lot and putting it on her stroller seat (she later repeated this with dirt). Finally, after I coaxed her to some hide and seek behind a big rock, she forgot about the gravel and we began to walk amidst the tall trees and prairie grass. Lane then resorted to picking up the leaves on the trail and putting them into the stroller. Her little world is so beautiful, as I watch her I think, she is totally in her own realm. We just walked, mostly me leading and her trailing along at her own speed and leisure. The simplicity of today was what I needed... being in God's creation at this beautiful park, ...

I am reading "The Fred Factor" and a few quotes jumped out to me, one at the beginning and one to end my writing purge... pg. 14- The truth is that we compete against our own potential everyday. And most of us fall short of what we are capable of doing or being. An excerpt from my journal on Sunday July 8th: I am not an interior designer, or a qualified, registered Interior Designer with the testing and certificate to back me up. But I am an aspiring interior designer that can achieve this status quo starting with my education and work experience. I get down in the dumps because I am not doing any of it right now. Like I feel like I am just procrastinating, missing opportunities, being lazy, not putting myself to use!! I get excited to help people with projects, but don't know how I can fit that in right now. I believe in patience and that I am at a transition period that is not permanent if I don't wish it to be. I think of, why do I have such an exciteme...

As I am reading through Ezra, these verses were referenced (in the foot notes) through out the reading. They are encouraging verses that aid in my perseverance. It makes me think more simply, like I may not be called to some grandiose thing where people acknowledge and praise me for my intelligence, I am more called to the simple act of displaying kindness, and displaying it well. Or the gift of encouragement, and encouraging well. I know people in this world need Christ and his gift of salvation to transform their life, but I also understand that people also need the simple acts of kindness and encouragement to realize there is people that care for them and are rooting for them!! That's all:) Below are the verses that struck this thought. 1 Peter 4:10-13 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift o...

I am currently in the process of reading the book of Ezra. I was motivated to do this because at Orchard, we have been doing a brief overview of the Old Testament events that lead to the coming of Christ, in perfect timing for Easter. Last Sunday Doug Tenson spoke about the "Silent Years" and focused on the book of Esther. The book of Esther is almost like a fairy tale, but what we focused on was that not once was the Lord's presence or name referred to in the book. BUT as the story plays out, his hand is completely involved!! The idea of "The Silent Years" intrigued me, so that's why I decided to look into it further. In doing so, I am intrigued with the book of Ezra (which is located before the book of Esther, but involves happenings during the book of Esther's time). There is so much history to it. I realize I really need to brush up on my understanding of the previous events in the Bible to understand more of its significance. But that is what I love...

Tonight I sat in the grass with Laney as she sat still gazing at the passerbyers, the trees, the squirrels, the wind, etc. as she gripped her apple slice in her hand. I watched as she dropped her apple slice and traded it for a large pine cone that she delicately examined and cooed at before she tasted the piece of nature. She is so funny. Then I watched as she eased in comfort and began slobbering all over the pine cone and waled her voice and hands in excitement. Finally crawling towards a pile of leaves. She loves leaves, especially in this season because they are dry and they tear apart easy. She crawls right towards those leaves, grabs one, maybe tastes the stem, and then rips them apart and throw them behind her. Again, she is so funny, so funny to watch and observe. I love it when she talks. All she says is duhduhduhh, or daadaddda, or squeals, or growls. She is one day over 9 months old. I can't believe she is in my life, I thank the Lord for her, she is so beautiful and en...