Ha. It's been a LONG time since I've blogged anything.
I think blogging is great because I love to write. However, I also realize that LIFE happens, and writing (especially writing that you have to edit because the world could see it) takes a lot of time. Time away from other life commitments.
So anyway, if you're reading this, just understand that all prior posts are from a younger self ;)
With Love,
Kayla
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Saturday, February 21, 2009
PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SONG!
This song is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Please give it a listen!
Divine Romance by Phil Wickham
"The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied
For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love
A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied"
With lots of God's L-O-V-E comin' your way,
-Kayla <3 Love
Divine Romance by Phil Wickham
"The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied
For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love
A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied"
With lots of God's L-O-V-E comin' your way,
-Kayla <3 Love
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Contemplating Joy
I really have no intentions for this post--meaning that I really don't know what I want to write about today, but I know I want to write.
If I looked at myself today, and had to tell you how my life is right now I would use the words joyful and contemplacious (even though that's not necessarily a word =) )
I first say joyful because I look at where I am in life, and I am so happy that it is joy. I definitely think that happiness and joy are distinctly different. I think of happiness as short-term, meaning that things, people, circumstances can make you happy, but it's short-lived. Joy, however, is more long-term, and more of a sense of living. The values and morals I have established for myself make me so joyful because I am independently putting the pieces of my beliefs together. These last few months I have really been taking a step back and looking at each situation I am presented with. There are times that I could potentially be very frustrated, disappointed, angry, or sad. However, most of the time I look at the big picture, and really see every opportunity as a blessing--even if it's difficult. This definitely did not come easy because OF COURSE it's hard to be patient, and be slow to be angered, but I have really worked on being in tune with God, and understanding that NOTHING is in my control, it is all Him and His timing. I feel bad for people who can never seem to see the bright side of things, because how will they ever enjoy their time, their days, their lives? I have had a lot of little factors in my life that could potentially be very stressful, and/or disappointing, but I look at those situations and try to see what God is teaching me. It helps me connect with God, and be realistic in realizing that life isn't everything we expect it to be sometimes. These realizations, in combination with the lovely friendships that God has formed though me make me overflowing with joy and L-O-V-E.
The second "word" I used was contemplacious. What I mean by this is that everything I experience from day to day makes me think. I love contemplating why things happen the way they do and examining relationships with people. It's so wonderful--I love this stage of life!
Lastly, I just wanted to suggest a few songs because music is such a great form of expression!
1. Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca Battistelli. Francesca is a Christian artist, and all of her music is great in my opinion. I really like this song in particular because she sings about how God is making her life something that is beautiful. Check it out if you wish.
2. The second song is one of my favorite songs of all time. If you are reading this, you MUST go look it up and listen to it (and I mean REALLY listen to the lyrics!) It's called "Count on Me" by Default. It describes how I want to be there for each of you as my friends, and the song ROCKS!
I have SO much LOVE for all of you. Thanks for helping to make my life something beautiful that brings me SO much Joy.
Kayla <3 Love
If I looked at myself today, and had to tell you how my life is right now I would use the words joyful and contemplacious (even though that's not necessarily a word =) )
I first say joyful because I look at where I am in life, and I am so happy that it is joy. I definitely think that happiness and joy are distinctly different. I think of happiness as short-term, meaning that things, people, circumstances can make you happy, but it's short-lived. Joy, however, is more long-term, and more of a sense of living. The values and morals I have established for myself make me so joyful because I am independently putting the pieces of my beliefs together. These last few months I have really been taking a step back and looking at each situation I am presented with. There are times that I could potentially be very frustrated, disappointed, angry, or sad. However, most of the time I look at the big picture, and really see every opportunity as a blessing--even if it's difficult. This definitely did not come easy because OF COURSE it's hard to be patient, and be slow to be angered, but I have really worked on being in tune with God, and understanding that NOTHING is in my control, it is all Him and His timing. I feel bad for people who can never seem to see the bright side of things, because how will they ever enjoy their time, their days, their lives? I have had a lot of little factors in my life that could potentially be very stressful, and/or disappointing, but I look at those situations and try to see what God is teaching me. It helps me connect with God, and be realistic in realizing that life isn't everything we expect it to be sometimes. These realizations, in combination with the lovely friendships that God has formed though me make me overflowing with joy and L-O-V-E.
The second "word" I used was contemplacious. What I mean by this is that everything I experience from day to day makes me think. I love contemplating why things happen the way they do and examining relationships with people. It's so wonderful--I love this stage of life!
Lastly, I just wanted to suggest a few songs because music is such a great form of expression!
1. Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca Battistelli. Francesca is a Christian artist, and all of her music is great in my opinion. I really like this song in particular because she sings about how God is making her life something that is beautiful. Check it out if you wish.
2. The second song is one of my favorite songs of all time. If you are reading this, you MUST go look it up and listen to it (and I mean REALLY listen to the lyrics!) It's called "Count on Me" by Default. It describes how I want to be there for each of you as my friends, and the song ROCKS!
I have SO much LOVE for all of you. Thanks for helping to make my life something beautiful that brings me SO much Joy.
Kayla <3 Love
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Erik
God took a beautiful man today. I am sad to say that I didn't know this man the way that I wanted to, but in the ways I did know him, he was quite amazing. He carried joy in his eyes, and in his heart, although I'm sure he was always in pain while doing so. He leaves behind a beautiful family, all of whom had more love for him than they knew what to do with. It gives me a little relief to know that he no longer must suffer in sickness, but instead he may rejoice in the Lord's glory for eternity. However, death is a painful experience when we realize our own personal loss. I have no doubt that God will make this man into a beautiful, strong angel who will protect his entire family--especially his growing son. I just pray that his family may feel his presence, hold tight to his memory, and be wrapped up in his, and God's L-O-V-E every day.
May God bless the family of Erik Wallin.
Kayla <3 Love
May God bless the family of Erik Wallin.
Kayla <3 Love
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Updater
HAPPY NEW YEAR (almost)!!!!!!
I am excited about a new year, although I haven't really prepared myself for it yet--good thing I have about 11 hours to do so ;-)
So I haven't posted in a while, but SO MUCH has been going on, so I feel that it is necessary for an update.
First: Way back on December 16th I celebrated my 19th birthday with a few of my friends and my parents. We went to a place called Feed My Starving Children where we package up meals that will be sent to third-world countries. I thought it was a great thing to do with friends and family--and everyone had a great time, so it was fab! It was also great to see two of my friends from college--Chels and Mary! Then on the 18th (the actual date of my birthday) My family had free tix to the Celine Dion concert, and they were really good seats! I had a great time--she is a great vocalist. AND, I got the only gift that I asked for: a CD that both Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson sing on. It's beautiful and I loved it. So overall, my birthday was like 500 blessings rolled into one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Second: CHRISTMAS! Ah, the most wonderful time of the year. It was a great few days with family, and celebrating with God. I was so excited to go to church on Christmas eve, and the service was great. From there we went to my aunts house, which was kind of weird. We never really go there for holidays, we lost my G-ma earlier this fall, and a few members on that side of the family considers themselves agnostic, so it was a bit discouraging knowing that they weren't carrying true Christmas spirit with them. I thought I would be kind of down in the dumps while we were over there, but I'm coming to learn more and more how to not let outward factors affect my happiness or contentment with God, so I was just fine, and it was a pretty good time. Christmas day was even better! We celebrated traditionally with my immediate family in the morning, and then we went to my cousin's house in Minneapolis, and I got to see family that I don't get to see very often. It was very fun, especially since I got to see my four-year-old cousin, Ricky. He is so fun, and adorable of course, especially when he insisted on calling me his darling. Ah, I can hear it now, "want to play monster trucks with me, dawling?" (he can't quite say his "r's" perfectly, which just makes him all the cuter!) It was a nice time, playing games and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
Third: And that kinda brings us up to date. I have just been relaxing a lot, and working. It's been nice to earn a little money while I'm home, but being a cashier is BORING. Oh, well. I have also been changing in a lot of ways lately, and I will explain how. The first is that I have been reading the book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris. It is an amazing book by a Christian Author that explains the many defective patterns that almost everyone (including myself) exhibits in the way they choose to date today. I like the book because it doesn't say "dating is bad, and you shouldn't do it" but instead it points out that if we are consistently searching for someone to give our hearts too, we are becoming very distracted from serving God. It points out that singleness is actually a gift from God; a season in which we have time to serve and build our identity in Christ. Joshua also points out that when we date short-term we are giving our hearts away to many different people, and when it comes time to give our hearts to the one we marry, it's kind of like saying, "here's what's left of my heart, and that is for you." Also, short-term dating doesn't give us an example of a long-term, committed relationship, but instead gives us a template for a marriage headed for divorce. It has many good points, and I struggle ANY Christian who is struggling with the single life to read it. In fact, I joked the other day that it should be a pre-req to dating: you must read this book first! Haha.
The next thing is that I have been discovering a lot of new Christian music that is very soul-touching. Thanks to my friend's sister, I got a beautiful CD called "Paper Heart" by Francesca Battistelli--a wonderful Christian artist. Some of her lyrics really make me examine my relationship with God.
I have also been getting into my bible again lately. All I'm going to say is read Romans Chapter 12. I enjoy and value its message.
Lastly: I just wanted to point out PROJECT 2009. It's a vision that God placed on my heart, and I have been contemplating the idea a lot lately. You will hear more about it through this blog, facebook, and through me. I am actually going to approach me about it, and to consider it after we chat about it =)
I hope all of you have a very blessed New Year celebration! May it be everyone's goal to spread more L-O-V-E around in 2009!
Kayla <3 Love
I am excited about a new year, although I haven't really prepared myself for it yet--good thing I have about 11 hours to do so ;-)
So I haven't posted in a while, but SO MUCH has been going on, so I feel that it is necessary for an update.
First: Way back on December 16th I celebrated my 19th birthday with a few of my friends and my parents. We went to a place called Feed My Starving Children where we package up meals that will be sent to third-world countries. I thought it was a great thing to do with friends and family--and everyone had a great time, so it was fab! It was also great to see two of my friends from college--Chels and Mary! Then on the 18th (the actual date of my birthday) My family had free tix to the Celine Dion concert, and they were really good seats! I had a great time--she is a great vocalist. AND, I got the only gift that I asked for: a CD that both Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson sing on. It's beautiful and I loved it. So overall, my birthday was like 500 blessings rolled into one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Second: CHRISTMAS! Ah, the most wonderful time of the year. It was a great few days with family, and celebrating with God. I was so excited to go to church on Christmas eve, and the service was great. From there we went to my aunts house, which was kind of weird. We never really go there for holidays, we lost my G-ma earlier this fall, and a few members on that side of the family considers themselves agnostic, so it was a bit discouraging knowing that they weren't carrying true Christmas spirit with them. I thought I would be kind of down in the dumps while we were over there, but I'm coming to learn more and more how to not let outward factors affect my happiness or contentment with God, so I was just fine, and it was a pretty good time. Christmas day was even better! We celebrated traditionally with my immediate family in the morning, and then we went to my cousin's house in Minneapolis, and I got to see family that I don't get to see very often. It was very fun, especially since I got to see my four-year-old cousin, Ricky. He is so fun, and adorable of course, especially when he insisted on calling me his darling. Ah, I can hear it now, "want to play monster trucks with me, dawling?" (he can't quite say his "r's" perfectly, which just makes him all the cuter!) It was a nice time, playing games and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
Third: And that kinda brings us up to date. I have just been relaxing a lot, and working. It's been nice to earn a little money while I'm home, but being a cashier is BORING. Oh, well. I have also been changing in a lot of ways lately, and I will explain how. The first is that I have been reading the book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris. It is an amazing book by a Christian Author that explains the many defective patterns that almost everyone (including myself) exhibits in the way they choose to date today. I like the book because it doesn't say "dating is bad, and you shouldn't do it" but instead it points out that if we are consistently searching for someone to give our hearts too, we are becoming very distracted from serving God. It points out that singleness is actually a gift from God; a season in which we have time to serve and build our identity in Christ. Joshua also points out that when we date short-term we are giving our hearts away to many different people, and when it comes time to give our hearts to the one we marry, it's kind of like saying, "here's what's left of my heart, and that is for you." Also, short-term dating doesn't give us an example of a long-term, committed relationship, but instead gives us a template for a marriage headed for divorce. It has many good points, and I struggle ANY Christian who is struggling with the single life to read it. In fact, I joked the other day that it should be a pre-req to dating: you must read this book first! Haha.
The next thing is that I have been discovering a lot of new Christian music that is very soul-touching. Thanks to my friend's sister, I got a beautiful CD called "Paper Heart" by Francesca Battistelli--a wonderful Christian artist. Some of her lyrics really make me examine my relationship with God.
I have also been getting into my bible again lately. All I'm going to say is read Romans Chapter 12. I enjoy and value its message.
Lastly: I just wanted to point out PROJECT 2009. It's a vision that God placed on my heart, and I have been contemplating the idea a lot lately. You will hear more about it through this blog, facebook, and through me. I am actually going to approach me about it, and to consider it after we chat about it =)
I hope all of you have a very blessed New Year celebration! May it be everyone's goal to spread more L-O-V-E around in 2009!
Kayla <3 Love
Friday, December 12, 2008
"Test me and know my thoughts..."
So, I have this calendar that I bought from Northwestern Bookstore that has all different quotes/scriptures about beauty. Today's said:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
-Psalm 139:23-24
I really value this scripture because of the ways it makes me think. Like I said in my last entry, a lot of times we complain about the struggles we face from day-to-day, but that is life, right? I think it is a very important aspect of life; the true reason that we are all able to grow. I mean, just think of what it would be like if we didn't struggle. Would we even have faith? I think it would be too easy to trust God, and our faith would diminish to nothing.
Think about something that is challenging you in your life right now. Better yet, look back on your life and pinpoint a tough struggle that you have faced. I challenge you to spend some time really contemplating how that experience has transformed you into the person you are today. How much stronger are you? How has your outlook changed on life? How has your connection with God changed?
Personally, the more I struggle, the more beauty I am able to see in God's love, and in myself. I L-O-V-E in the scripture above where it says "test me and know my thoughts," because GOD KNOWS! He has a beautiful plan for all of us, but we must be tested in our faith. Doing so will strengthen our spirits, our faith, and our understanding of God's beautiful plan.
I would really like to hear any thoughts you have related to this post. Did the scripture make you all thinky like it did to me? Comment me back, or better yet talk to me!
With endless love for Y-O-U,
Kayla <3 Love
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
-Psalm 139:23-24
I really value this scripture because of the ways it makes me think. Like I said in my last entry, a lot of times we complain about the struggles we face from day-to-day, but that is life, right? I think it is a very important aspect of life; the true reason that we are all able to grow. I mean, just think of what it would be like if we didn't struggle. Would we even have faith? I think it would be too easy to trust God, and our faith would diminish to nothing.
Think about something that is challenging you in your life right now. Better yet, look back on your life and pinpoint a tough struggle that you have faced. I challenge you to spend some time really contemplating how that experience has transformed you into the person you are today. How much stronger are you? How has your outlook changed on life? How has your connection with God changed?
Personally, the more I struggle, the more beauty I am able to see in God's love, and in myself. I L-O-V-E in the scripture above where it says "test me and know my thoughts," because GOD KNOWS! He has a beautiful plan for all of us, but we must be tested in our faith. Doing so will strengthen our spirits, our faith, and our understanding of God's beautiful plan.
I would really like to hear any thoughts you have related to this post. Did the scripture make you all thinky like it did to me? Comment me back, or better yet talk to me!
With endless love for Y-O-U,
Kayla <3 Love
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sweetly Broken; an oxymoron?
“Sweetly Broken, Wholly Surrendered.”
Ah, the lyrics of that song are perfect.
Since accepting Christ as my savior, I think one of the biggest changes I have noticed in myself is my ability to deal with pain and/or disappointment. I must admit that I have had quite the temper ever since I was a little girl, however, now instead of getting immediately angry, I am able to see how God can mold us from our experiences—enjoyable or not.
That makes me think of another point though. So often we say that things “just aren’t going right” or they’re “too rough” or “God just won’t give me a break," but is that really the case?
In church on Sunday, our pastor, Rick, said something like:
People always want to know "why?", and they want to know now. They search for what God is trying to show them, and they may find every reason, except for the true heart of their issue at hand. Well, there are some things that God just will not show you because He doesn’t have to. God has your best interest at heart, and He will show you in His time, but there is a reason He won’t give you the answer RIGHT NOW.
I connected with that SO WELL because I am one of those people! I talked to a good friend about a problem that I want an answer to RIGHT NOW, and I swear that God spoke right through her and comforted me by telling me what I needed to hear. It’s like I got so wrapped up in my own issue that I couldn’t even see another perspective until I had that conversation, and everything she said totally put my racing heart to rest.
After talking with her more I came to realize this about myself: I have to STOP thinking that I am right all the time! Like Pastor Rick said God doesn’t have to show me the answer to everything right now, so instead of me coming up with “solution” after “solution” to my problem, maybe I should just trust that God has it all taken care of; trust Him the way I want to and the way I am meant to. The whole experience was a big “slap in the face” type realization when I realized that I wasn’t trusting God as much as I thought I was.
Anyway through it all I realized that I have been broken by painful experiences in my past, I am still dealing with the brokenness today, and I will be broken countless times in the future. However, now I can say that I realize how beautiful the brokenness is because 1.) I trust God’s plan for me, and 2.) I know I can always grow from the mistakes I make, people I meet, and the experiences that God places in my life.
I am wholly surrendered to God’s will for my life.
Ah, beautiful.
Peace, L-O-V-E, trust and joy,
Kayla <3 Love
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