On the First Day of Christmas...

It's CHRISTMASSSSSSSSS!!!!!! Yayay!!! I am so so excited that it's December and officially Christmas time. And with Christmas comes December To Do's. Yes, I made a to-do list for Christmas Break- what can I say? I have lots to accomplish, and I make lists for everything. 

One thing I want to do is write a post every day of December through Christmas- like a written version of Vlogmas- we'll call it Blogmas ;) So I'm trying to think of things to do during break that I can share with all of you. Here's what I've got so far:

Sleep (past 8 o'clock) 

Decorate my room

Bake + swap

Build a snowman

Ice skating

Watch every Disney Princess movie (in one shot)

Watch every Christmas movie

Read, read, read

Sleepovers

Workout

Bonfires

Volunteer

Wash my car

Sew

Self-Spa day

Donate blood
Write posts about people in my life that really touch my heart and deserve to be recognized for theirs. 

I really just want to take time to recharge. School is weird because there's always something to do, and you can't really take time and not think about everything you have to finish. Like your mind is always going and going and going. Hence an entire month off. WOOHOO!!

I mean, obviously I need to get through finals first. And some of these are a bit vague, but like I said my goal is to post every day, and just share about my day. Hopefully I 'll be able to make it interesting. 

There's something so romantic to me about Christmas time; I think it's a time that people hold close to their hearts, a time of nostalgia and reflection for many; a time of magic and hope. This may be partly due to movies like It's a Wonderful Life- everything will be alright in the end, and family and friends are the most valuable things in life. I think it presents things that people long for at Christmas time as well as the rest of the year.


I am so excited for what this Christmas holds <3 Enjoy each day, and don't get caught up in the shopping and crowds, but take the time to remember your blessings.

Merry Christmas!!
xoxoxoxo,
Katie

There is None Stronger

Father to the fatherless 

Defender of the weak
Freedom for the prisoner...

You're with us in the wilderness 

Faithful to provide...

Sing out 

Lift your voice and cry out
Awesome is our strong God 

Mighty is our God
Sing out 

Raise your hands and shout out
Awesome is our strong God

Mighty is our God

There is no higher no
There is no greater no
There is none stronger than our God

(Psalm 68:4-5)

As we sang this song in church tonight, my heart was touched.

 I realized that this song, these words, are meant for the world: they are meant for the people of Paris, the Syrian refugees, victims and families of ISIS members, and people around the world who have to watch lives of the innocent be stolen at the hands of evil men. 

In the midst of loss and pain and evil, we must remember that there is none higher, none greater than the God we serve.  

Our God is our Father, He is our Defender, He is our freedom. He is with us in moments of celebration and moments of grief. 

For families of victims of the Paris terror attacks must grieve, children who lost parents - people now fatherless - are still being held by our Lord. 

For Syrian refugees fleeing from their homes, from their country, who are literally wandering in the wilderness. 

God is with them in their wilderness. 

For the victims of ISIS being slaughtered, powerless to the forces around them, God is their defender.

Psalm 34:18-19 tells us, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." And that He is "our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble" Psalm 46:1

In times of loss and fear, we cannot rely on our own understanding of a situation because we do not see the big picture. We must trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5), for victory rests in Him (Proverbs 21:30-31).

This song needs to become our declaration.
We cannot deny the power of our God. He is here, and there is none higher, none greater, none stronger.
God has already defeated sin and death.
We know how this war will end. <3

Fall-la-la

Days like today are so refreshing: Only one class in the morning, no work, rain all day, and time to check things off the to-do list. This is what I think of when I remember fall; fall is cozy and laid-back, and refreshing. Fall is tea, candles, cold weather, warm outfits, and happy. 

I got these candles from Kohls, and yes there's three of them. They are seriously the most relaxing, comforting scent ever- they totally put me at ease. The scent is called "Cozy Home" and is a blend of toasted chestnut, cinnamon, hickory wood, and vanilla. This smell is fall. 

Like I said, today was definitely fall weather- it rained all day. This is probably the lamest and yet hardest thing to deal with when going from class to class. But I pride myself in the ability to shift the placement of my umbrella depending on the direction of the rain. Seriously, when the wind shifts, the umbrella shifts. 

   

While I am not the type of person that is immediately ready for Christmas as soon as Halloween is over, I do like to slowly incorporate some festive accents to my room. I found this little Christmas tree at a yard sale this summer. It has battery powered lights, and I love it, but the cat also loves it and seems to think it tastes very yummy. 

And with cold weather comes fun outfits! :) First time wearing my hat today, and it just makes me smile (I feel like Mary Tyler Moore). Great thing about college is that you can wear hats in class, so if I want, I never have to take it off, which is great because *hat hair*. 

Hoping to post more frequently in the next several weeks, so I'm trying to get back in the writing-mode.

xoxoxo

Katie

The Moon and More

Sweet boy,

Are you ready? Are you ready for me and all my quirks and crazy? I am a girl after all- very different from you boys- so have you prepared yourself to handle me just as I am?

Sometimes I feel that the fact that I can handle myself means I can deal with anything. But that doesn't mean other people know how to handle me. If we think about it though, all people are the same: we need to be handled with care.

I know you have the very best intentions for me. God is keeping me away from those who don't care about my value, safety, and heart.

I want you to know I have very high standards. But I'm not high maintenance. Moments are more important to me than things- that's all you need to know. ;) I am happy sitting on the couch eating mac and cheese and watching our favorite movie while sharing life stories. You're already my favorite, so as long as we're together, what we're doing doesn't really matter.

Sometimes I get discouraged about waiting to meet you, and I feel sad in knowing it's not time for us to be together yet.  So to make myself feel a little better, I go outside and look at the moon. And I realize, even though we are apart, that wherever you are in that moment, if you looked up you'd see the moon too, and somewhere you are with me under that big sky. And knowing we're looking at the same thing, it makes me feel a little less scared, and even more thankful that someday we'll get to look up at the moon together.
And maybe we can even have some mac and cheese.

I know God is preparing me to handle all the boy-ness that you have, because again: you and I are very different. I want to love and understand you without questioning. I want to build you up, and encourage you in faith and love. I want us to love God, love each other, and do life together the best we can. I know God is shaping me right now, and working in my heart to prepare me for you; even if I think I'm ready for our relationship, obviously I'm not because God isn't giving me direction yet. I believe that you're almost ready to show up, and that when you do, it'll just work. We will just click, and we'll know. Because God knows my heart, and He knows I want your companionship. So get ready, because He is working for us. :)

I hope you know that I'm so excited for our encounter to happen. I'm learning a lot about myself as I am waiting for you to come along, and I pray that when we meet we will continue to grow together, and build each other up in love.

Have a great week, love. I pray that God will give you strength to handle the responsibilities and give you rest during your down time. I pray that He will guide us to each other, with peace and not confusion, with clarity and not doubt.

Lovelove,
Katie
xoxoxo