What's to come....

It seems that I don't stay on top of this very well...it helps to have internet though.

For those who read this, there has been a lot that has happened to me since being back from Fiji! For starters, RIDICULOUS confirmation that I need to work with High Schoolers(who ROCK btw)! The last year I would say the most rewarding thing in my life is The Edge! A year after God said that I should work with HSrs I was in Trinidad with them, helping others. We paired up with another HS ministry in Trinidad and helped with projects around their church, in their congregation, and community. It was such a rewarding experience and so many of those kids spoke to me! God is SO real and amazing! (it's great to say that even as I am struggling at this moment with life)

God has been so real and prevelant in my life to where I continued my walk with God and got baptized! What an amazing experience. I had two of my favorite students baptize me and am so grateful for their love and support throughout this last year. They have been amazing!

He continues to seek me out and carry me to the next chapter of my life.

My summer has been filled with road trips, weddings, camping, and mission trips. It has been such a fun summer I hate to see it end. One last trip to CO/WY coming up over Labor Day. It'll be a doozy! Please pray for Nina and I as we take this 10 day excursion. From amazing weddings to backpacking the bear back country, pray for great weather, phenomenal adventures, and patience....

For those of u I haven't seen in awhile, I miss u, love u, and hope all is well! Much <3!

Give it Up!!

I swear, Life without the internet is difficult! That's one of the reasons why I haven't written. Here's a little update:

I've moved out of the folks place and into a cute little condo in downtown Libertyville. Everything in walking distance; Train station, resturants, movie theater, bank, caribou...it's a prime location! I look forward to the summer living downtown with the farmer's market and picnic in the park all of a black away. Life will be fun!

As for work, I work at a local gym in the area. Everyday I saw God move there. Now I feel as if it's time for me to move out of there. On to bigger and better plans he has foe me. So exciting.

To be honest, Fiji 'wrecked' me, as a friend kindly said. Everyday I walk with God. Everyday He speaks to me, walks with me, and sometimes carries me. He is so amazing! Every person I meet I wonder how God has impacted them and how much more He has for them. I just want them to experience ONCE what I experience daily. God is ridiculous and I look forward to what He has for me.

God is amazing! God is Grace! God is Love! God is Real!!

Regularity...

This whole blogging idea is new to me, so bare with me as I embark on trying to novel my life...

It seem as if life has just been going and I'm along for the ride. Has anyone else ever felt that way? My week seems to be all planned out for me. Whether it's work, ministry, or play. It seems as if I'm more running around than I am actually enjoying what I'm doing. Being on a different schedule doesn't really help. Life is pretty chaotic right now and I'm trying to get ahold of it before it spirals out of control.

Even though I work at a gym, you'd be surprised as to how much I actually workout there. It's just hard to find the time. I recently have started working with a personal trainer which has been AWESOME! It's made me feel better to be in there and actually feel a workout, which I haven't felt in a long while, probably not since those college soccer days. Its given me motivation, drive, and a peaceful mentality to know I'm on some sort of track and I don't have to worry about it.

November 1st was the first day of being 'on my own' technically, but I am still at my parents place for now. I will be moving out of my house sometime in the next couple weeks to good ol' downtown Libertyville. All of two miles away from work. Awesome! Now I have to make time to paint my room. Once that is accomplished, THEN I will be moving in.

This weekend was fun. I hung out with new friends and saw Relient K in concert at the House of Blues. That was definetly a good time. I also fell in love with Ludo. A band that opened for them. It was a great, fun, and busy weekend as usual... The plan for this week is to paint the room. The plan for next week, is to move in. Lets hope I stay on track...as you look at the time you'll see it's 2am. This is how I live...

Bored? Enjoy some Ludo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCU1JYmGxcA

Obedience

And life goes on...



I've begun work at the gym. Boy..It is neither challanging, motivating, or rewarding, and makes me question as to if this is where God is really calling me. I initially went in with the intentions of working with people one and one with personal training. Currently I'm working front desk with the promises of working my way up into management. The longer I work there the less I see that as an option and I wait for God to move. In quiet time today I received a response from God just to be patient and trust Him, just like the Isrealites. (Numbers 9:17-18) They moved with the cloud and trusted Him with the path He had for them. I feel I need to do the same.


I've been praying about this. Everyday doubt clouds my judgement. Everyday I work, one more excuse comes up as to why I shouldn't be working there. I have a list infact...but in life we make sacrifices for Him to do His work. I'm wondering if these sacrifices are worth it. OFCOURSE they're worth it for His Kingdom. Anything is worth it for Him! But each day the 'con' list grows longer and longer, and the will to 'obey' becomes less. I have to continue to remember that, "It is a pure joy, my brothers, whenver your faced with trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance." James 1:2-3

Recently I have fallen into another situation. I work hourly, which means the days I take off I dont get paid...So should I be fighting to make up those hours? Or trust in God that He will provide the end to my means?

Flash Back

I came across an old blog today that I would like to share.

DATED: NOVEMBER 8, 2006

Ever feel like you have to move on and get away? Lately I have. I'm going to apologize to my friends that I have neglected recently. 'It's not you, it's me...'

It's been really hard trying to make my life decisions, sometimes you have to move on. It's been easier to push people away to try to focus on what's really important, such as life.
I feel like I've been missing out on something more important than just me. I could be doing more. Even being in a job for the last 11 months has been crazy. I get blinded by monotany and routine and every so often it'll drive me crazy. Through the months I have learned to supress it and mask it with, activities every night of the week: MNF parties, Karaoke Tuesdays, Bowling Thursdays, Party Friday, Party Saturday, Football Sunday, and it starts all over again. And oh how much fun we all had!!

It's difficult to fit something important in there. Trying to volunteer, work out...does anyone else feel that they get bored of the routine of life? Does anyone else feel that something more should be happening than just working, having money, partying, and drinking? I feel like I'm just wasting away waiting for something to happen. Waiting for my life to begin, but life is happening all around and I'm not taking advantage of it. I think about all I want to accomplish; getting back into my faith, trying to find my way, trying to help others instead of myself, and trying to be a better person.

I realize some people might not understand my thinking, but if we all thought the same way, we would have such a boring world. I have learned a lot from everyone, and love everyone for it. I knew where I stood in HS. I knew where I stood in college. I see where I stand at work. Now I have to find where I stand in this big world of ours. It might just be time to see what else this world has to offer me....


Wow! It's pretty amazing to read this and to actually know how far I have come. Four months after I wrote this I went back to church and began my search again for what is right. Knowing where I'm at now and knowing where I was at when I wrote that I can honestly say that I've come SO far. Can even go as far as Fiji! Never in a million years would I believe someone if they told me that I would be going on a missions trip to Fiji to share the gospel with hundreds of people! 2007 into 08 has really been absolutely ridiculous! God has really showed me grace and for that I am thankful! I am thankful that He never gave up on me and that He's loved me through my journey. He is such an amazing and loving God and for that I am truley greatful!

Abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me. Moses 6:34

The second half of 2008 into 2009 should be a true sacriment to Christ as I step in faith and follow the path to which I feel He's guiding me. Even then I felt the pull to help others, and that is exactly what I will be doing. Leading others to Christ. What better help than that? Life is too precious to waste. For the first time in three years I will be on my own, but not alone, as I will be abiding and walking with Christ. I will never be alone.

God is love.

A New Beginning..

I haven't updated lately. My apologies...

A lot has been happening; First thing is a job. I came back from Fiji trying to figure out my next step. Where to work? Do I go back to be a Missionary in Corporate America or do I make a step in a different direction? In the beginning of the trip we took a class to figure out what our strengths are. What are you gifted at? Naturally sports, by default God gave me the gift of athleticism. What's something you can do for hours and be happy with it? UH...play sports.

Well, apparently this wasn't the right answer. They're looking for something more corporate structured. I like competition, organizing, communication... I kept seeing sports and naturally athletically gifted. I'm sorry if that's not what you're looking for, but that's what I keep seeing.

I didn't think anything of it then, but coming home and by the end of the trip, God filling my heart with the love for kids I've decided that I needed to work with people, coach kids, and get involved with youth. I have excepted a position with Xsport in Libertyville where I will be working at the Front Desk. In the meantime I will also be working on getting a certification in Personal Training so I can work with people and invest in people, but this decision hasn't been easy.

Last week my previous employer called offering me a position, which could be temporary, to help them the next six months until they can find someone to fill the position. It was tempting. I could still work those six months to save money, pay down more debting, work on my personal training certification, and gain more experience in corporate America. I seriously considered it. But I got to a point where I needed to step out in faith. I could very well get stuck there again. Happy with the money I was making. Stuck again. Not persuing what God called me to do. Stuck in routine and monotany and happy with it.

I realize that I need to step out in faith and know that God will take care of me. I will be taking a huge pay cut by changing careers but if Fiji taught me one thing, it was how much a dollar is worth in Heaven. Souls are worth SO much more.

Last Tuesday I called my previous employer and gladly declined and am now stepping out of the boat, in Faith and I could't be happier!

Another update to come soon! Hope all is well. Much love. CAT

I Once was Blind....

Before I left people would come say to me, "Cat, this will be a life changing experience." or "Your life will be completely different when you get." I even had one person say, "I hear these trips are life changing, why would you want to do that?" I didn't quite know how much this trip would change me, but but all of my senses have changed.

Since I've been home I've been struggling. Struggling with how life is in America. Of course the culture shock was extremely difficult to get over. Americans are never satisfied and ALWAYS want more. We're always looking for the next best thing and never seem to be happy. Where as Fijians don't have much. A 30'x30' home, steel walls, matted floors, and some rickety wooden doors. Not much for material possessions. The clothes they have they share. We had to be careful, because in their culture if you compliment something of theirs, they will give it to you. They didn't have much, but they would give you the shirt off their back. They didn't have much, but they had faith in God, and that is all they needed.

I admit that I lose sight of what's really important. In fact I felt guilty that I lived in a nice home and had my own car, a good job. God has been working on that side of my heart for awhile now and I realize that I don't need much. Enough to live and survive but those material possessions don't mean much when we're six feet under. What really matters is where and what we're putting or time and money into.

If we look at our checkbook and see where most of our money is spent, is it for God driven purposes or self driven purposes? Is most our time spent in the word or with friends, TV, or work? I was shown the truth this summer. Fiji put life into perspective.

Television/movies/media, friends, Internet, drugs/alcohol, celebrities, work, money, and love are just SOME of the idols of today. I didn't realize how prevalent all of these and more are in our society, and how much weight our society places on these fallacies. No wonder why people are blind to our God. No wonder why we can get pulled away from church, quiet times, witnessing, prayer, or God Himself. We are bombarded by false idols hourly and need to recognize them as that. Being away from all of that this summer and being thrown back into America, I got a FRESH perspective of how our world runs, and it's scary.

Where are you spending most of your time and money? If we love God why aren't we spending that time with Him, in prayer, in word, in conversation? The next time you have time to sit and watch TV, could you be using your time in a better way to honor God? When you reach for that People magazine, could you be reading something to honor God instead? When you're driving in your car, could you use that time to honor God?

When I went to blog tonight, I had something else in mind, but apparently God has His own motives. I admit that I have changed. Fiji has changed me. In one sense I have changed...For I once was blind, but now I see.