what i'm learning lately

Between the chaos of school and work and a social life, I am actually learning something {what a concept!}. And what i'm learning is good, because my fragile heart needs to know these truths and drink deeply in them. And conversely, how pathetic would I be if I went through life and didn't learn anything, haha, sad.

A few weeks ago on FB I asked people what books have impacted them in their faith. And I got a bajillion incredible answers from amazing people, and then started ordering a boat load of books on amazon {books are my forever weakness}. So far, I've read one, and started a second…

Here is what these books, awesome people, and an ever greater God are teaching me these days:

1. There is beauty in the Waiting: I found myself on more than one occasion being frustrated at the fact that I have to be in one place (California) for the next two years while i'm in grad school. My adventurous heart longs to be back living abroad. And yet, i'm reminded that there are hidden gems in the "waiting" seasons of our lives, that give rise to a blessed expectancy of watching God move in more powerful ways than we can even imagine. It's in these seasons that we can dream, and pray, and be consistent with trusting God in our lives. When I was single, I often felt frustrated with that status. But all those years of singleness only gave me a richer and deeper appreciation for Kevin, and in the meantime God was doing something special inside my heart. Isaiah 30:18 says, "blessed are those who wait". Yes ma'am, you can be blessed in your waiting season. My Amish Devotional {that i'm obsessed with} says this, "Wait in Prayer, With with Expectation, Wait in Faith that the Lord sees your need and will provide. Are you willing to turn your attention away from the 'thing' or 'action' you desire and instead turn your desire to God?" If you are in a "waiting" season, rejoice! Find beauty in the small things, dream and lay those inspirational desires before the tender heart of the Father. Fill up on his goodness. Be encouraged that your waiting will be met with a tangible expression of God's love for you.

2. Listen to your Inner Self: I just finished "Let Your Life Speak" by Parker Palmer. In it, he shares how for most of his life he followed the path of what he thought he "ought"to do, what society told him was prestigious and advantageous for his career. It wasn't until he listened to the voice inside of him that he realized he wasn't cut out for the work he was doing. What stuck out most to me was the revelation that we are all uniquely made, and that God has given us both gifts and limits Listening to your inner self is to become aware of your skills and your limits. Palmer says, "there are some roles and relationships in which we thrive and others in which we wither and die". For most of my twenties I thought my future would be in the international development world. I worked for some incredible development organizations all around the world, but it never felt fully "me". I always felt like I was one step behind what I "should" know, never good enough, or smart enough. And then last year in Nepal, God gently whispered to me that He made me to do counseling. Since entering this grad program, it has been completely clear that my soul was made for this type of work. I am not fighting my limits, I am exercising my strengths, finally.  Are you in a season where you feel like you are "withering" or "dying"? Considering spending some time with the Lord, asking him to show you the depths of how he made you, where you will thrive and where your limits begin. And limits are not weaknesses, but rather guidelines and boundaries to the way God created you. Embrace them friend, and you will be led to the work of your soul.

3. Let the Giving be your Reward: It's a painful truth to realize that so often we give in order to "get-back". I'm guilty party numero uno, friends. I was quite stopped in my tracks the other day when I read this quote from Dorothy Day, who poignantly says, "Do not give to the poor expecting to get their gratitude so that you can feel good about yourself. If you do, your giving will be thin and short-lived, and that is not what the poor need; it will only impoverish them further. Give only if you have something you must give; give only if you are someone for whom giving is its own reward". Zing to the heart, right? But such a good word to ponder and treasure, and let God work your heart over in a hot mess:)

4. InstaGram is so incredibly awesome: As you may have seen, I bit the bullet and got me an instagram!  I'd put it off for a while in my failing quest to be Amish, but let's be honest, this thing is FUN TIMES! For some of you readers that don't have blogs, I want to get to know you through your instagram! And for all my readers, I want to get to know you more! You can follow me @hopeengaged and please leave a comment so I can get to know you better:) Yeah for connecting!!

Have a beautiful filled week my loves,

Insta This!

I have more travel pictures than I even know what to do with! In the past few years Kev and I have traveled and lived around the globe, adventuring and exploring the most incredible, vibrant and beautiful places! I then come home and am lucky if I even blog about my adventures, much less put the images up in my house somewhere!

So, when brothers Nate and Josh Larkin from InstaThis contacted me, I knew in a heartbeat i'd soon get some of my travel momentos into my hands and onto my walls! I was thrilled!

InstaThis takes any image (iPhone, handheld camera, and DSLR pictures) and puts them on 1 of 3 items. They offer wood and aluminum matting for photos, or you can choose to have your photos put onto coasters!

I took some of my favorite images and tested them out. Here is a look at how they turned out:

COASTERS: 
I chose some of my favorite prints from our SE Asia trip last year, one from Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I seriously am over the moon about these coasters! The pictures quality is GREAT, the colors vibrant, and the matting impeccable! I'm already scheming about how I can start giving these coasters as gifts! The amazing thing is that they are only $5 a coaster!! So affordable!

Aluminum
For the Aluminum matting, I picked a pictures I took in Greece on the Island of Crete. My sister and I stumbled upon this old monastery and explored. I seriously LOVED the aluminum matting. It was very clean, glossy, and vibrant. I actually think if I had to pick between the wood and aluminum {while it's SO close!} I would choose the Aluminum for further pictures!

 Wood: 
Even though I loved the Aluminum so much, the wood was a very close second. I loved the way the grain of the wood added an extra texture to my pictures! I chose an image of a romantic street in Paris that was just too dreamy to keep hidden on my computer! The wood has an old world charm about it that I just love. Maybe I like the wood better? haha…see, it was just too hard to decide!!

So the verdict is that I LOVE InstaThis! I've already planned out a few birthday gifts I will be giving to friends and family using some of my travel photos:) Everything was clean, professional, and just a fun touch to add to your home!!

And in other BIG news…

I finally caved and got my own instagram! Feel free to follow along @hopeengaged

Happy Week Friends!

Credit Card Miles for Travel: A word of caution

You all know I sing the praises of using credit cards to explore the world {see here for living proof!}. However, the other day, a reader sent me a message asking me if Kevin and I just rack up credit card debt in order to get miles. The alarm bells started tolling, and I knew I needed to address this issue.

Our stance on credit card debt is a NO TOLERANCE rule! We never ever spend what we don't have in the bank. Debt is one of the worst things you could possibly get yourself into {for many reasons!}, and we have been lucky enough to avoid debt at all costs!

Kevin and I have 3 different miles credit cards. However, we have paid off every single credit card statement we've ever received. This is key. If you are in debt now and are tempted to get another credit card, don't. Pay off the debt you have, and then think about ways you can keep yourself from falling into debt in the future. Our policy is "if we don't have it, we can't spend it". Kevin keeps a tight watch on our bank accounts so that at all times, we know what our capabilities are.

Traveling is wonderful, but not at the expense of debt.

If you are interested in what credit cards we have,
how we pay for each credit card,
and where we've flown using each credit card,
see my post here!

Happy Wednesday friends:)
love Katie

ps- a month till we fly to Turkey {using our Chase Sapphire Preferred Card!} 

love wins

I love Easter, and this year was so special spending it with my family. In our house, there are traditions galore; we dyed easter eggs and had a lovely breakfast before Church. Even though all 4 of us kids are grown and out of the house, my dad still writes a scavenger hunt for us all to find out easter baskets. My mom suggested that once we hit 30 maybe we don't get an easter basket {ie: me!}, and I was quite horrified! haha! I love traditions, and i'll never be "too old" to outgrow them. My dad was so cute hiding all the clues, and then all of us "kids" in our twenties and thirties darted around the house looking for the next clue. Good times:)

That morning at church there was a song called "love wins". And as I reflected that day, I thought about how Easter is the pinnacle of love winning. Love that conquered death and sin, and covered a blanket of grace over our hearts. A love of Jesus that is so personal, so tender, so kind and warm, that stands in our place, takes away death, so that we can have life.

I owe him my all. I'm thankful that darkness doesn't win in the end, love does.

Here's to living like Love has won, because is has:) He has won.

Happy Monday friends,
love Katie

 {Kevin was over the moon about his See's egg!}

 {my sisters Easter masterpiece…a fruit salad bunny!} 

 {my sweet mom and her hilarious sisters…they have far too much fun together} 

some spring bling

If you knew me in person, you'd know i'm pretty simple when it comes to make-up. Honestly, I wish I was better and knew all the tricks. But I guess i've just never taken the time to learn! haha However, i'm still a woman, and I love a little shimmer and shine, especially when spring turns the corner into summer and I crave a fresh and beachy look!

Sweet Fannie contacted me about some of her products at Mary Kay. Of course we've all heard of Mary Kay, but I immediately had this misconceived notion that they were super pricey. But when I started looking over their website, I noticed how truly affordable their quality products are!

I had so much fun trying out these new products, and i'm over the moon about how it gave me a little extra glow and pop!

I ordered:
Mineral Eye Color in Sweet Plum {$7} which I used to line my eyes. The purple color gave my green eyes an extra pop!

Creme Eye Color in Beach Blonde {$10) I'm obsessed with this smooth and shimmery cream. I loved how it wasn't too glittery ala 7th grade, but gave me a real glow.

Brunette Definer Pencil  {$10}

 I honestly loved all these products, and plan to restock when I run out. I think the eye cream was my favorite, and am looking at adding the apricot color to my collection!!

As a special gift for you readers, Fannie is offering a 25% off coupon if you order your products through her Mary Kay website.

Here is what you need to do:
1. Go to the site {here}
2. Register and shop
3. Send Fannie an email with your order, and my blog name, Hope Engaged.

an easy peasy way to add some fun glow to your spring and summer look:)

Happy weekend friends,
I hope your Easter is filled with love, laughter, and a beautiful awe of our Savior's resurrection.
He has risen! He has risen Indeed!

love Katie