from empty to full, our true salvation

that person that said good things in life never come easy,

well.

newsflash. 

they were right. 

do you ever wonder 

"if i'm saved, then why i am sad?"

like there's this perpetual state of wired happiness that should be achieved 

because you're a christian

but you just can't seem to get there? 

and then start wondering 

"what does salvation mean if i still feel miserably lost?"

don't worry, me too. 

for so long i just considered salvation a one time deal.

prayed the prayer. boom. done. heaven bound. 

i never gave thought to the fact that once sealed with God's spirit,

I can still learn to live more fully alive

in Abba's sweet saving grace! 

so here's the thing i'm learning. 

Jesus SAVED me. 

He SAVED you. 

Abba has redeemed us,

but the crux of living into the life Jesus has for us

begins with a journey of working out our salvation

so that it is fully

EXPRESSED

 and 

ALIVE 

in our lives

so what's the key to living a fuller, deeper expression of salvation? 

well, i'm not a creepy preacher with a 5 step plan for happiness, 

but I am a girl who has been inspired by Ann Voskamp and her words which have so poignantly touched the depths of my weary soul...

so here it is, the beginning step of living into our true salvation,

via Ann.   

"Eucharisteo

charis: grace

eucharisteo: thanksgiving

chara: joy

the greek word with the hard meaning and the harder meaning to live- 

this is the only way from empty to full. 

we only enter the the full of life if our faith gives thanks

thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives.

Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our YES to His grace.

Thanksgiving is inherent to a true salvation experience; 

thanksgiving is necessary to live 

well,

whole

fullest

LIFE. 

Our salvation in Christ is real, yet the completeness of that salvation is not fully realized in a life until the life realizes the need to give thanks.

I would never experience the fullness of my salvation until

 I expressed the fullness of my thanks every day,

and eucharisteo is elemental to living the saved life."  

In the end, Ann is just like you and me. 

she writes

"...I wasn't taking everything in my life and returning to Jesus, 

falling at His feet and thanking Him....

this is why I sat all those years in church but my soul holes had never fully healed." 

are you living with holes in your soul? 

then here is what we do to knit those holes healed. 

we give thanks. 

now. 

we fall on our knees and cry thanksgiving to the one who 

truly gave it All for us. 

Salvation becomes more beautiful and fully realized,

when it's covered

saturated

blossoming

and soaked

with

eurcharisteo. 

lets

you and i

give thanks

and take a baby step towards the fuller realization of our salvation today. 

This week, I am thankful for:
- my sweet friend and her newest most precious baby boy benji
- gluten and dairy free apple crisp
- reading in bed with my husband, stories of incredible jesus followers in the muslim world
- the gorgeous sky on my drive home last night
- new and old girlfriends
-laughing SO hard my face hurts!
- my parents putting me on speaker at the airport and laughing and giggle with them before they left for italy
- my fake fireplace to snuggle in front of!! 

much love,

Katie 

ps- for more Thankful Thursday posts, check out 

Allison from A Nest Full of Love

Emily from Meme & He

Tara from A Brew of Blessings

Kristen from Love, Done Simply

travel log: hattingen, germany

ahhhh, this day was glorious! 

i can't wait to share with you all the many pictures! 

{i will not hold it against you if you don't make it through to the end, haha}

i will never ever forget Fall in germany.

my goodness,

the colors were spectacular,

not to mention the leaves were nestled around castle ruins,

and picturesque trails leading to gorgeous views. 

polly, myself, and our cousins lynn and victoria had the grandest time,

throwing leaves (can you tell we were just a wee obsessed?!?!?!), 

admiring the beauty, 

and laughing hysterically. 

we even stopped for tea at an old mansion in the woods. 

{tea at an old mansion in the woods? exactly. i felt like hansel and gretel!}  

leaving the forest, we headed for the quaint town of Hattingen. 

seriously, i felt as though i were on the set of a movie! 

every home was absolutely adorable....most of them dating back to the 14th century,

and people still lived in them! 

we ate at the coziest and most german looking restaurant we could find. 

i must say, 

in the moment,

eating my brats and sauerkraut,

and drinking out of a beer stein, 

i felt more german than ever! 

and it was glorious! 

enjoy! 

love Katie 

{sheer joy}

{our sweetest most dearest cousins}

 {cutest.thing.ever.}

 enjoy your week sweet ones. 

may abba be ever so near, and may JOY abound. 

love love love

Katie

thankful thursday

happy sweet thursday friends! 

it's november...and you know what that means? 

Thanksgiving! 

but who are we kidding here, 

is one month really the only time to live washed in the sacred practice of offering thanks? 

sadly I recoil at my tendency to block intentional gratitude off to one month a year. 

for 

i am slowly learning that the act of giving thanks

is also the act of freeing our spirit-

letting loose my selfishness which screams ME

and learning to soak in the gifts of the Father which are set apart for HIS glory. 

and so begins my journey back into Ann Voskamps 1000 gifts. 

i read this manifesto a few years ago, but am venturing back into this goodness with a few sweet lovely blogging friends....

Allison - A Nestful of Love, 

Emily - Meme-and-He

Kristen - Love Done Simply 

Tara- A Brew of Blessings

"thankful thursday" seemed appropriate to call it. 

and you are absolutely invited in to share this journey with us! 

you know what hit me as I dove in? 

this. 

that from the beginning 

{and i'm talking Garden of Eden beginning}

satan has been using the same old lie on us...

"God isn't good" 

ann says "it's the cornerstone of [satan's] movement. That God withholds good from His children, that God does not genuinely, fully, love us."

yuck. 

yuck because i've fallen for that darn lie.

over.

and over.

and over again. 

i just keep reliving that "garden story" 

which is utter ingratitude and mistrust. 

our fall, my fall, "has always been, and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in God and what He gives"

double yuck. 

but the first step is realizing that this particular ugliness is festering. 

to be conscious that it's seeping in and infiltrating our mind and heart. 

because it's pretty easy to sometimes allow that lie to take over our thinking,

which makes us pathetically entitled to things we're sure God owes us! 

{and i speak from personal experience, sadly}

but this season i want to press in to the TRUTH. 

the TRUTH that says 

God is LOVE.

the TRUTH that says

I can live FREE and AT PEACE 

in HIS presence. 

ALL wrapped in Thanksgiving! 

but I can't do that seeped in discontentment. 

and so Ann sets the stage for chapter 2. 

how in the world does one move from mistrust in God's goodness

to a life of refreshing praise? 

because i want that, i desire that. 

and so the story continues to unfold as we read for next week:) 

and as an addition each week I want to share a few things i'm thankful for: 

- an absolutely amazing sister bonding trip to germany and greece with my sister (and that I didn't kill us driving the rental car! Like really, that is a PRAISE!) 

- an incredible Life Group to live out the gospel with

- a sweet hubby that makes me laugh and encourages my soul

- Salad, sweet potatoes, and baked brussel sprouts, yum!! 

- the most adorable neighbor kids who draw us pictures and ring our doorbell every day. 

what are YOU thankful for today? 

love Katie