time is life, and a new beginning for me

time.

i think about it a lot. 

how much time is filled and brimming busy with chaos

that i forget to

stop

enjoy and 

savor. 

it's like we're all running around in madness trying to stuff as many activities into our calendar,

and then we are so drained of energy that the busyness is not enjoyable but just distressing. 

Ann Voskamp says 

"hurry always makes us hurt...hurry empties our souls." 

so yes. I think a lot about this. which is why I had this epiphany last year that I wanted to be Amish, and it was my goal. 

but guess what? 

I didn't raise any barns and I didn't make any Amish friendship bread or wear a bonnet. 

but slowly, ever slowly, i made changes to soak in time. 

Kev and I made a vow that our home would be filled with relationships. 

we got rid of tv, iphones, ipads

because we wanted all attention on our guests, not on a distraction. 

so as I read chapter 4 of "1000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp, I was steadily reminded that time is life. She says

"They say time is money, but that' not true. 

Time is life.

and if i want the fullest life, i need to find fullest time" 

this past year I was overcome with a yearning, almost aching

to be more present. 

especially in my neighborhood. 

I had kids texting me all the time to hang out, and as our busy scheduled filled,

i constantly was trying to cram small spaces to deepen my relationships with these precious kids. 

clearly, very cleary

i felt Abba calling me to consider leaving my job at Empowering Lives International. 

leave? i love my job.

I get to mobilize people here in the US about what God is doing in Africa! 

I get to hear stories of transformation daily! 

but then it became so evident. 

as i looked out into the wounds and pain of my neighborhood

i saw that the gospel must take root, alive and active. 

the good news that FREEDOM is available for all. 

that Abba calls his people out of darkness and into light.

it hit me like a ton of bricks that I wouldn't be true to my calling if I didn't step out to be a messenger of this 

good 

news.

and not just to share it once and run away,

 but to live it alongside these friends i love. 

because discipleship isn't just a one time deal.

it's TIME. 

it's daily walking,

surrendering,

and battling together. 

so friends, i quit my job. 

as of december 31st, i will not longer have a desk job

but a love job. 

as in i get to love as jesus loved, 

and roamed 

and told stories 

and cried

and struggled

and celebrated when those who were lost became found. 

i'm not sure if kev and i will have enough money. 

but i'm realizing this. 

time isn't money. 

time is life.

and the only way to live it is soaked in thankfulness 

when i am thank-full

i am time-full. 

pray for me dearest friends.

i'm scared

and pretty unqualified,

but when we are called to create time for others,

we are called in the right direction. 

i am sure of it. 

because jesus was. 

enjoy your weekend! 

love Katie 

Emily from Meme & He
Tara from A Brew of Blessings
Allison from A Nestful of Love
Kristen from Love, Done Simply

life. group. {as in people i walk with}

the day kevin and I returned from our honeymoon

we were greeted with 2 homecoming gifts:

1) a flooded home 

and 

2) a small indonesian man that wanted to say with us for 2 months 

let's just say i cried a wee bit. 

{that is a story for another time!} 

anyway.....

we also came home to a community that had virtually moved away. 

living in southern california has its advantages, but one disadvantage is that it is a very transient place. 

people come and go like nobody's business. 

so kev and i felt a tad friendless when we were first married. 

i seriously stalked married people at church, like it was my job. 

ring? CHECK! 

gotta get to KNOW them. 

a little pathetic, i know. 

in light of realizing that being a stalker wasn't going to cut it, 

 kev and i got on our knees and began to pray. 

for a group of people that we could 

DO

LIFE

WITH. 

and not just meet once a week and never see each other, but like live, and breathe, and talk, and WALK through everything with. the messiness. the JOY. the heartache. the celebration.

and the mission. 

we prayed for people with hearts that broke for 

the poor. 

the forgotten. 

the marginalized. 

and over a year later, we're living in IT. 

we never advertised our group, God just brought everyone of us together by word of mouth. 

and it's freaking awesome. 

we are called by God to live in community. 

community is a place that SHINES bright the love of Christ. 

like a taste of heaven, now. 

people can actively and tangibly see Christ's love

through people,

when they are living breathing LOVE to each other. 

in John 13:35 it says...

"This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

isn't it beautiful that our love for one another is a powerful witness to the Gospel? 

and truly, I feel so blessed to be a part of a community that does love one another. 

and deeply. 

as I was scrolling through some recent pictures, I realized that almost everything I was doing in my "life" involved someone from this group. That every inch of my life was lived with one of these precious people. 

so here are a few life moments with this crazy group that God has gifted me with. 

{at the grand opening of James and Amanda's new store}

{girl pile on our kitchen floor at life group} 

{watching the dance performance that Meki's student's put on}

 {attending an essential oils workshop at Amanda's store!}

{us wifey's cheering the boys on at their basketball game!}

{thanksgiving! after we raided the closet at the beach house, of course}

 {Hillary came to join us Cooks for Thanksgiving! LOVE HER} 

{brotherly love} 

{this man is in my life group forever and amen} 

praying sweet community surrounds you today:) 

and if you don't have a community, pray for it! 

i guarantee you praying is a lot more effective than stalking! 

love Katie 

thankful thursday {on Sunday, whoops!}

"Thanks is what multiplies the JOY and makes any life LARGE, and I hunger for it"

- Ann Voskamp

this thanksgiving has been utterly beautiful.

a true miracle.

on the Sunday before thanksgiving, my life group hosted a thanksgiving dinner at my house as a love feast for all of our neighbors. Kev and I made these really awesome lame flyers with a turkey on them, inviting all our beloved friends to come and party with us to give THANKS.

and party we did {which is my opinion is worship to the Lord!}

35 people stuffed into our sweet home,

from all different backgrounds,

lifting up hands in praise to say thank you.

of course we ate delicious food,

and talked and laughed till our bellies hurt.

{and, as an epic side-note,  Kev and I made our first turkey!! whoop whoop!}

but then something rather magical happened.

i told kevin i wanted to have a time of sharing, where anyone who wanted to could say what they were thankful for this past year.

in all honestly, i thought about 3 people would share {more out of obligation from me giving them the death glare, than wanting to!}

but the holy spirit just stepped in,

and i kid you not, EVERYONE shared.

lovely hopeful chills ran down my spine, and i felt so alive to be there,

with all those people, in the midst of a holy fog of eucharisteo surrounding us.

JT was thankful for "balls, because they are bouncy"

and izze was thankful for "jame's mustache"

and I was thankful for my "handsome husband"

it was like we were lifting heavenly voices up

to the gift giver

in thanksgiving.

and i was stuck in a moment  that i'll never forget.

and when the last guests left at almost midnight,

kevin and i crawled in bed,

smiles wide,

overwhelmed with a good tired

that comes when you've spent all you've had

for the kingdom.

yes, I am thankful for Gratitude.

it warmed my home that evening.

it multiplied our JOY

and made our life LARGE.

Happy Thanksgiving!

love Katie  

 

 

Emily from Meme & He
Tara from A Brew of Blessings
Allison from A Nestful of Love
Kristen from Love, Done Simply

travel log: elafonissi beach, greece

greece. 

where do i even begin with thee? 

seriously, polly and i had to pinch ourselves repeatedly. 

it was THAT charming. 

worked its spells on us, that's for sure! 

on our first full day in Crete,

{which by the way is an AMAZING island!}

we took our sweet little rental car 

on an adventure to elafonisi beach. 

we had heard it was absolutely stunning,

and we were not disappointed. 

after ditching our useless gps,

and enlisting the help of a man selling cigarettes,

we finally made it to the road we needed to be on. 

{which in itself was a freaking miracle!}

we curved through the quintest hilltowns,

marveling at the absolute raw and untouched splendor of the 

rugged mountains, ancient olive groves, and colorful buildings

hanging along sides of cliffs. 

honestly, we felt like we were in a movie.

two small girls, singing, laughing

and rolling through the hills of crete

with no idea where they were going. 

getting lost on an island is fun, because at some point you'll find your way back. 

that was our philosophy anyway, haha! 

we made it to the beach, and were seriously stunned at how gorgeous it was. 

turquoise warm waters,  pink sand, and hardly any tourists. 

perfection. 

we walked, swam, talked, and read on the beach. 

then we packed up and found a gorgeous monastery on the side of the road, so went exploring! 

it was so much fun...we were the only people there {which is quite the rarity in europe}

{besides about a million cats! yikes!!!}

and were amazed at how beautiful and old the building was. 

on our way home, we saw the sweetest old greek woman on the side of the road,

selling home made olives and olive oils. 

how in the world could you NOT stop? 

so we did, chatted it up with this sweet lady, and even bought some olives!! 

so the moral of this story is:

1) go to greece

2) rent a car and get lost

3) find a beach 

4) eat locally, yum! 

happy tuesday friends! 

love Katie