Month: February 2010

Running Around

/ Katy / 8 Comments

“Authenticity has less to do with what I look like and more to do with what I say and do.” –Sarah

A while back there was thing called “Real Me” running around the “blogosphere.”  I kept intending to participate, but never ended up having a camera after those real me moments. Until tonight…

See, the real me loves to run.  I haven’t always. Back when I played tennis like it was my job, I loathed running.  But then, tennis season ended and I love the feeling of a good workout…

So, on a whim, I picked up running. I hit the pavement searching for cute little neighborhoods and found myself loving the mixture of music, God time, and the feelings afterward (from i hurt to okay I did that!).   Give or take about three years, here I am still running.

Now, as for the picture…I took this little gem right after my 16.1k (or 10 mile) run–sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself…  My legs hurt. I did not smell pretty. I’m pretty sure I had salt on my face. I had just listened to Battlefield on repeat 22 times to remind me to get my armor on (yes…I counted while I ran and I wanted to get my $1.29 worth out of the song I bought in part just for this ridiculously long run and check out Ephesians 6).

I’ve got my cross and heart necklace around my neck (I’ve worn the cross since high school and June gave me the heart last year–yeah…I never take it off…literally).  I have a watch on my right hand (and no, I’m not left handed, I just like that hand better for watches).  I’m wearing flip flops because that’s how I roll even in negative temperatures.

I’m missing my big earrings and sunglasses, but  just imagine they’re there because they normally are.  Oh, and yes, I’m taking a cheesy self-portrait hand out smiling style picture because I like documenting things like this and yes I smile in them…iPhoto has plenty of these stored away.

So, there’s a little glimpse into the real me. I’ll try to share more as these moments pop up, but I’ve written more than enough me…tell me something about the “real you” because I so would love hearing from you!!! (and yes, I use multiple exclamation points or question marks to emphasize that I really do want to know..I do) 🙂

Works for Wednesday

/ Katy / 2 Comments

Work=activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Ergon (Greek word): deed, doing, labor, work. From a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act — deed, doing, labour, work.

John 6:27-29

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

I read this passage and walked away wondering…Am I trying to make this so complicated? Am I trying to find a formula or isolate those areas that “work” for me rather than keeping it as simple as believing in Him? Maybe, just maybe, it’s more of a risk in trust to venture confidently with belief rather than reason, logic and oh, yes…experiences or what’s worked in the past. I don’t want to get what I’ve always gotten…I want to let Him take me places that go beyond what I can ask or imagine.

Just a few rough-edged thoughts…what do you think?

What IS working?

/ Katy / 4 Comments

Sure, I can go through my list of what has NOT been working (speaking rashly, going to bed way too late turned not getting up early to go running, getting places on time, being on the computer too much, and the list goes on), but where does that get me? Usually…discouraged, frustrated, trying to do it myself. Not a good place.

So, in the midst of my crying out, God gave me a little reminder tucked away in my journal written in orange highlighter:

And that,right there, is where I’m choosing to turn my focus today.

What’s working: journaling, days at work, seeing joy in the little things, adventures

From here, I’m going to keep finding out what’s working, do some more of that, fill in the gaps where I can, and mostly lean on Him to give me the strength because He sure does tell me that I can do nothing without Him.

And while I’m at it since I’m a words girl…I’ll keep singing:

“Cause even in the dark you can still see the light”

“I don’t want to go one more day without your all consuming passion inside of me. Just okay is not enough.”

“It’s joy unspeakable”

“Hey now, this is my desire, consume me like a fire cause I just want something beautiful to touch me.”

So, how are you doing today? What’s working for you? What are you listening to?

from “i hurt” to feeling beautiful

/ Katy / 1 Comment

Here we are again. Another week. Another post. Let me just say, I feel like each week, I notice more, I am inspired by more, I find more joy, I am more optimistic. And that alone, I love!  Here are some of the experiences of joy this week…and don’t forget to tell me one of your own!!

359. capturing a moment

360. chasing sunshine and clouds

378. The moment when the skating pair finishes well and locks eyes

380. feeling beautiful after getting my hair done

395. the “i hurt” after a run because it means i did something

397. helping kindergartners make paper penguins

408. being called miss tiger 🙂

417. naps in the sunshine with the snow just outside

419. a walk with my beloved

424. a kiddo on each leg

430. making veggie lasagna from scratch

437. scheduling posts

439. skype dates with tara

449. cake batter with oatmeal cookie batter…yum, I love coldstone

456. looking at Africa pictures with grandma at “christmas”

 

Repeatable

/ Katy / 2 Comments

The last week or so, or maybe most of my life, I find a few songs that I keep on hitting that repeat button over and over. Especially because certain bits and pieces of the lyrics hit a chord in my heart and either make me bust out a dance move or throw back my head in worship.  To end off the weekend with a bang and bring a little joy right into next week, here you go, for your viewing and listening pleasure:

“You Won’t Relent” sung by Jesus Culture (Found at 1:50 in this version of the song)


*this is doing a number on my view of God…
*and reminds me of this song that I even bought and which is still on repeat
*and yes, that is a quote in Afrikaans in my journal 🙂

And here is song #2 “Hold Us Together” by Matt Maher


*yes, if you were a fly on the wall you could probably find me dancing around to this upbeat tune, thanks for sharing this gem of a song, Lisa-Jo!

Trusting God

/ Katy / 3 Comments

In doing a little word study on trust, I found this definition…

(n.) To risk; to venture confidently.

Love it…and I’ll be mulling that one over for sure this weekend!

What do you think of about trust? How do you define it?

Or if you need a bit of a lighter mix, what are you looking forward to most this weekend?

I write because…

/ Katy / 3 Comments

I’m a learner at heart.

As I read and write…I learn about myself, about God, about others, about life.

When I write, I want to capture a moment, a feeling, a piece of truth staring me down, and share that with whoever is listening.

And just maybe, sometimes, the words might strike a cord with someone else’s heart like they did with mine. They might bring up a question, bring them back to a moment, touch them, make them feel alive, let us share life.

Because when I feel deeply, the words are part of the story and what I see.  I don’t want the moment to go unnoticed, to slip away.  So, I capture the memory in the words that portray beautiful truth.  And when this happens, how can I not share the painting?

As life truly is a work of art made up of brush strokes that move us along in the journey.  So, I splash words on paper to evoke inspiration, encouragement, freedom, and the simple every day moments.

Good writing changes me, deepens me, makes my eyes go big and sometimes makes them green with tears.  And good writing itself makes me want to write to stir up the paint to make something beautiful that expresses the abundant life in Christ.

Why do you write?