Blessings Aren't Always Objects

   I'm actually writing this post to thank some amazing friends on mine on the UG, you know who you are.
    Oftentimes when we think of blessings, or being blessed we think of finally being able to take that trip, or getting that job so we can pay the bills, or whatever other physical thing. While those are certainly blessings from God (isn't every good thing?) there are more blessings than we could imagine. This was made so clear to me recently. I haven't been going through the easiest time lately. I've been more than a little upset, and needed lots of prayers, and in requesting prayers from the UG members, I received not only their support, but something more. I went to my writing thread, and found that several UGers had posted links. So, I followed the links, and what I read next brought tears to my eyes, and joy to my heart. Lists of things they love most, or admire about me. Uplifting things about my faith, my heart, my words. These words,  which they spoke in what they found to be true were more of a blessing to me than many objects I've been given over the years. That these precious people would go out of their way to show me love when I was struggling. It truly amazes me. I would like to thank every single one of them, for their friendship, their prayers, and everything that they have said. These UGers, over the years have become some of the most important people in my life. They have walked with me through trials, and they have sought my help through trials of their own. We are all connected by Christ, and in our hearts. I love you all! <3

                                                      ~Katie

Cuppa Joe and a Good Book

Ever had one of those Sunday afternoons where it's a bit chilly outside, and you don;t have any plans? One of those days when you make a cup of coffee, and curl up with a good book? That is my afternoon this Sunday. Restful, and without all the worries of rushing off somewhere after church. 
 So here I am, drinking chocolate caramel coffee, and reading Revealed by Margaret Peterson Haddix. :) Peaceful Sunday to you all!

~Katie

Weary and Burdened

 Beloved, we are all burdened. Even today I find my heart heavily burdened. Perhaps you do as well. But we must always remember that God says "Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 God knows our every sorrow, and He is the only one who can relieve us of our burdens. He does not wish for us to walk this path alone, He will trade our burdens for His yoke "For My yoke is easy, and My burden light" Matthew 11:30 Did you know that He doesn't care how trivial our problems may seem? He always wants to hear from us. He always wants to help us. "Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know" Jeremiah 33:3 The truth is, we're never going to be perfect. We are never going to have the ability to bear our burdens on our own, and that's okay. God never meant for us to do this alone. It is the desire of His heart that we seek Him, and search out His help. He wants to help us. Also, always remember that he has given us our family, and our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us as well "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity" Proverbs 17:17 Never forget, my loves, that you are not alone. "Never Alone!" (The Door Within~ Wayne Thomas Batson)

                                                 ~Katie~

When the Going Gets Tough...

Ever have one of those days when everything is going wrong, and you're exhausted, and have a headache. You wrote a to-do list for the day, and didn't do a single thing on the list? I'm sure you know the feeling of going to bed thinking "I'm a failure" or "I'm just not good enough" I can't tell you how many times I've cried myself to sleep with those very thoughts ravaging my brain. If you've ever felt like this, listen now and listen close. You are NOT a failure. You're only human, you're going to mess up a lot. But God created you in HIS OWN image! He created you, he designed you, and called you good! Sometimes all the things we are trying to stay on top of are not what God asked us to do. He wants us to seek Him first, to communicate with Him, and praise His name. If we do these things, everything else will fall into place. Not to say life will be easy. Do not think that those days when you've done nothing productive, and have a headache, and it's raining on top of it all will go away forever. Life is never going to be easy. We only need to learn to keep our focus on God. It will rain, but we must learn to dance in the rain. I can just about guarantee that if you count all those little blessings, they'll outweigh your problems. So here's my challenge. Every day, write at least one thing you are thankful for. It can be as simple as "I'm alive today" to "I got a new job" to "My baby cousin was born safe and healthy. And at the end of the year, pull out that jar or bag of papers, read all those blessings of the past year (there should be 365 if you did it right ;) ) and remember that "In the end these three remain; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

                                                                         ~Katie~

School... It's a Love-Hate Relationship

    So, I just started school on Monday. I know what you are all wondering. Do you like it? How's it going? Well, here's the truth. School for me is a love-hate relationship. I don't know about you, but I LOVE to learn. If I can be learning new things and having fun at the same time, great! But sometimes, to learn, you have to do all the grunge work. I hate solving all those math problems, answering all those questions that I don't remember from my science book, and racking my brain for the 'right' answer on my theology worksheet. It isn't easy. But tonight I was reminded of why I love to learn. I was just sitting in church, watching a tape of Creationism when one of the professors said something I had learned in school last year. Something I had used to argue on point while debating. You can't imagine the thrill I felt as I thought "I knew that!!" If we don't learn, we see the world in black and white. What fun is that? But when we learn things about God, and people, and even math, we see the world in full color. It is a BEAUTIFUL sight to behold "God saw all that He had made, and it was good" Genesis 1:31a and He has given us the ability to see His creation which is good as well. We need only take the initiative to learn, and praise Him for this amazing opportunity. So think about this next time you are groaning over math homework, or procrastinating studying for that history test. I love you, and God does too!

                                                   ~Katie~

17,417 Words!!!

So, I've been working on a novel called Forgotten Dream for about 7 months now. I have taken it far slower than I originally planned, because I wanted to experience writing slowly vs. writing for NaNoWriMo. Anyway, you don't want to hear about that now, because I'm going to give you an excerpt from Forgotten Dream!

***Minor Spoilers***

The sun was relentless, and the dust kept kicking up, probably because I kept shuffling my feet. All the hope that had arisen when I saw that young tree had faded. Well, most of it. Pierre and I had been travelling for 2 days now, and had found no sign of an underground bunker. Every night we looked around our campsite. Nothing. Time was running out. For Adrien, for Pierre's friend. The hard truth was that Noelle was probably dead, and Adrien was not far behind. If we didn't find the recipe for, and make that cure within a day or two, Adrien would be lost. I didn't dare think on it too long. One worry led to another, until it came back around to my family. Were my aunt and uncle alright? All of the younger cousins? I wondered if Jerome was having any luck with  the government. Stubborn though they may be, we had a good argument, and once I got back, if I got back, I could tell them that the land really was fertile. Of course, I couldn't reveal Keenan's people.

"Rose." Pierre said

"No, we can't stop now." I grumbled at the boy

"I think you may want to. Look!" Up ahead was... something. It wasn't anything you would normally notice, but when you have been staring at the same terrain day after day, even the most subtle differences are glaringly obvious. Something was odd about the land. A bit of a mound where it should have been completely flat.

"Keenan, do you suppose?"

"It might be! Let us give it a look anyway."

We raced to the spot, and began digging with our bare hands. I coughed violently. The dust had always caused me more problems than anyone else I know.

"Just keep digging Rose. I see something!"

We raced to the spot, and began digging with our bare hands. I coughed violently. The dust had always caused me more problems than anyone else I know. 

*This writing is copyrighted by Katherine Stone 2014