I can't believe I bought this: true life of a SkyMall shopper

I flew to Kansas City last night, and I couldn't decide what to do on the flight. I didn't want to read or sleep and I couldn't turn on my iPod yet. So naturally, I decided to peruse SkyMall. If you're ever bored on a plane, just let me suggest SkyMall for entertainment. Not only can you get a huge kick out of it, but you can also play the price is right if your neighbor will cooperate (my dad wasn't feeling it).

Anyway, although entertaining, I'm convinced that SkyMall is simply a disastrous combo of American materialism and laziness. They either 1) try to sell you completely ridiculous and useless things that people convince themselves they need only after sitting for hours on a plane or 2) sell you things that actually look great at at least double the price. And the stuff never works. If it sounds too good to be true in SkyMall, it is. Although I can't claim to have purchased anything from this classy magazine, I hear that it only ends in disappointment. 

So the combination of boredom and hilarity I experienced while reading inspired me to share. Here is my list of the most outrageous items in SkyMall. If I ever see these things in your house, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from judging you.

 1. Monogrammed pool float. Yes! Please monogram my plastic float and sell it back to me for $200!

2. Porch potty. If you buy this, you probably shouldn't have a dog. 

3. Koozy Kaddy. The tagline for this is "never bend down for your drink again." Laziness at its finest.

4. Homegrown mushrooms. "I always dreamed of having my very own mushroom-in-a-box kit." Things people never say.

5. The healthiest deep fryer. Sorry, SkyMall, I just don't believe you.

6. Animated shark and raptor hoodies. "Use it to work your way through a crowd"?? No. Please don't ever buy your kids this.

7. Bedbug cocoon. I don't even care if this works, he looks ridiculous.

8. The Slanket. Taking the snuggie to a whole new level with the Siamese blanket, better known as the slanket.

Now, just so you know that I can also be lured into the SkyMall trap, here's one item that I would actually want in a world where people gave me awesome stuff for free...

This beautiful password protected video spy pen. It would be perfect for my double life as a secret agent (feel free to gather the community and purchase this for my next birthday).

Hope you enjoyed. If you didn't, it's okay that we don't have the same sense of humor... we can still be friends.

#bogo4lyfe

 (Everyone hates this picture because it is awkward... but I just like it. Can't help it.)

Three days ago I said goodbye to my home of three years (Waco) and moved back to Baton Rouge. Scary, excited, nervous, sad, happy, adventurous. These are some of the emotions I've felt over the last few days. But all of this has had me reflecting on how thankful I am for my experience in Waco. My life was radically transformed by Jesus, and I came fully alive as I walked in true community for the first time. Which leads me to the point of this blog... the Bogo (i.e. my best friends).

It is actually kind of pointless to be blogging about this because there aren't words to describe how awesome it is to have friends like these girls. But nevertheless, I will try. These women of God have seen every part of me (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and still they love me unconditionally. There is nothing better than being fully known and loved! What a picture of the heart of God. They challenge me to live like Jesus (even more with their lives than with their words). They are transparent and vulnerable before God and others. And the most beautiful thing about them is that they are each absolutely in love with Jesus. Living with them was one of the most fun AND craziest experiences of my life! So I guess I'll let you meet them (even though you probably know them already... 1-because we are famous or 2-because if you know me you probably know my best friends).

Anns, Annsley, Annikins, Anniepants. Many names but one beautiful face. Annie Howard is the most encouraging and nurturing person I know. She is tender, but she has the heart of a lion. She will definitely be a spiritual mother to many. And I can always count on Annie for a great dance party or Jbiebs sesh.

Sarah Neelley. What a gem. She is a loyal and faithful friend. Sarah is one of those people who has built her house on the rock. When the storms of life come, she stands on the goodness of God. Plus, she has a killer smile (that's why she gets two pics).

Stephie is marked by joy. Not only does she have the best laugh, but she can make anyone in the world laugh too. Mostly they'll just laugh at her laughing, but it still counts. She can ALWAYS lift my spirits. She is also an incredible listener and full of wisdom. People are drawn to her and she is friend to all. 

Chang, chang, changggg. Sarah was made to stand on the front lines for the kingdom. She is a go-getter for Jesus. She is a bold and passionate leader and I've learned so much from her! I love when Sarah is feeling extroverted because she is SO FUN. Many random adventures with this one. And she would hands-down always beat me in a dance off.

Linds. THE best friend. Not only is she my best friend, but she is the best friend because she is a great friend to so many. Linds is humble, selfless, and loves to celebrate people. She knows how to get behind people and lift their arms up. She is confident and secure. Overall, Linds is just a treasure. And our fav pastime is watching sad movies and bawling our eyes out (shout out to My Sister's Keeper). 

Ahhh Liz. DRAMA. A word that definitely describes her, and I love it. She was in France changing the world this past year, but she is still forever a member of the Bogo. Liz is a bold evangelist and she has never lost the joy of salvation. As my roomie for two years, you can imagine that we have some crazy memories together. I'm glad we got to be together as we got our lives rocked by Jesus freshman year. 

 They're the best. So most of all, I just wanted to say: I've had the time of my life and I owe it all to you. And...

See you later!

The Kindest

Namaste! I got back from India a little over a week ago, and there are millions of things I could say. I absolutely love India. If you’re ever thinking about going, just go. You won’t regret it! But as I was thinking about my trip and what was most significant, I realized something. I just traveled halfway around the world to be thoroughly convinced of this one thing: Jesus is the kindest person anyone will ever meet. He has the kindest face and the kindest eyes. He speaks the kindest words. These words sum up the revelation I received in India: “His eyes are dripping with love and His words are melting our hearts and His voice is unraveling and penetrating. All of creation just can’t look away” (Beautiful King by Laura Hackett). I am overwhelmed by His kindness. And I also got to watch as those who had never heard of Jesus became overwhelmed with His kindness too.

So, here is a story. One of the first days of the trip, I went out to share with Kate and Brandon. We ended up in this store, called Health and Glow. There were probably ten women working and not many customers, so it was the perfect opportunity to minister to people. We asked if anyone was sick, and two ladies said they were. Kate and I each prayed for one, and they both got healed of all their pain! That opened the door for us to share about Jesus. I was sharing with some other women, but as I joined Kate again, she asked if anyone wanted to see a vision of Jesus. A few of them said yes. We prayed and then asked what they saw. One woman held her hand right up to her nose and said, “He was right here!” Another one said she saw his face. The third woman said she saw angels and then she saw Jesus. She described what his hair looked like and his eyes. Then she said he had something on his head like a rope. She was motioning and struggling to explain it but we realized she was describing the crown of thorns! So we asked if it looked like thorns. She said yes, that was it! We then told her that Jesus wore a crown of thorns when he died. Kate explained that Jesus was showing her how much he loved her and that he died for her. She was definitely excited and overwhelmed. We shared the gospel again and a few of the women really considered saying yes to Jesus and having no other gods, but they weren’t sure yet. We went back the next day and talked with them again. Two of the women gave their lives to Jesus! Someone from our team got to go back again to disciple them, and they will continue to meet with one of our friends that lives there.

As I was watching this miraculous encounter unfold before my eyes, all I could think of was how kind Jesus is. These women had spent their whole lives bowing down before gods and making sacrifices and begging for answered prayers in temples. Yet, they had told us that they felt so far from God. But in the middle of a store, Jesus made himself known to them. They didn’t have to plead or bow down or make an offering, he just met with them. He healed their bodies. They experienced His tangible presence. He showed them His face. And for the first time in their lives, in one moment, God was near. His love awakened their hearts. His kindness won them over. And as I was standing there, He won me too. I fell in love with Him all over again.

There are many more things I could say about India (in fact, I’m sure I’ll blog about it again). But let me leave you with this. There is nothing better than living life from the overflow. As we sit at the feet of Jesus everyday and receive freely from the river of love and kindness pouring from his heart, we will be filled to overflowing. It is only in this place of overflow that we can truly love others as Jesus did.

Also, when you’re in India (or just in an Indian restaurant), eat the naan. It will change your world.

Adventuring to India

A dirt road stretches before me. It is along this road that Jesus has already walked. Actually, he’s also skipped, jumped and ran along the road. He has encountered people along the road. He has softened hearts. He has given people a desperate longing to experience eternal love. He has stirred dreams and visions inside their hearts. And his footprints still remain; he has truly prepared the way. This road is India. More specifically, this road is the unique path designed for my team’s short-term trip to India. Jesus has already carved out an inheritance for us, and it is a beautiful inheritance. The key to unlocking this inheritance is intimacy and friendship with Jesus himself. We must know him deeply and be in fellowship with him constantly to follow in his footsteps. He will take us by the hand and show us the way. As this road stretches before me already impacted by the presence of God, me and my team also walk, skip, jump and run along the road. We put our small feet into his big footprints. And as we do, we gain our inheritance and take back ground from the kingdom of darkness.

This is a beautiful vision that God gave me of what He has for our team on this short trip to Bangalore, India. We are a team marked by favor and intimacy. We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. And as we do, I would love for anyone who is reading this blog to partner in prayer with us!

So, here is how you can pray:

• Pray for grace and favor as we share the gospel with Hindus and Muslims.
• Pray for us to encounter people who are truly hungry for Jesus and not only desire salvation, but also discipleship.
• Pray for house churches to be started.
• Pray for unity on our team and for us to deeply love one another. We will only reproduce what we are.
• Pray that every morning each of us meets with God in a powerful way and receives everything we need to love others from his heart.
• Pray for safety in travels and favor in all the practical details of our trip.
• And anything else you feel led by the Spirit to ask God for!

I’ll post an update on all my exciting Indian adventures when I get back. See ya on the flip!

A few of my favorite things...

Today was my very last day on Baylor campus as a student.  I’ve been having a lot of “lasts” lately. My last lifegroup. My last day of class. My last time to see someone before I move. The funny thing about lasts is that I know it will lead to a whole lot of firsts. So even though they are sad, I am excited about all the firsts I have yet to experience. Its almost like I’m going to be a freshman all over again (and I LOVED being a freshman). Anyway, my journey of lasts got me thinking about all the things I have loved about going to Baylor and living in Waco. By the way, whoever said that there’s nothing to do in Waco was crazy and very sadly mistaken. So here are just a few of my favorite things, in no particular order. Enjoy.

1. Kolaches.  I didn’t even know what these were until I came to Texas. Sad to say I don’t think Baton Rouge has many kolaches. Czech Stop and Shipleys, you will be missed.

2. Going to Common Grounds. Walking in has this magical effect: I automatically feel way cooler and trendier than I actually am… and I love it. Cowboy coffee for life. 

3. I just love walking on Baylor campus. Not only because it’s beautiful, but also because I feel like I’m in a Disney movie. Everyone is always smiling at you. During my first week at Baylor I remember thinking it strongly resembled being at summer camp. And I proudly admit that I am one of those people who said “as soon as I stepped foot on campus I just knew Baylor was the place for me…”

4. The place I’ve lived the last 2 years affectionately known as the BOGO. I have loved living life and living the kingdom with these girls. There was never a dull moment.  

5. Kitok. An asian hole-in-the-wall known for its burgers? Weird, but awesome.  The food is delicious, but more importantly, I’ve had some of my best moments with Sarah Chang at this place.

6. Bubble tea at Outdoor Waco. It is very unfortunate that bubble tea made its debut in Waco right when I am leaving. Oh well, I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

7. Cameron Park (or cam park as us locals say).  Ok, the second largest park within city limits behind Central Park? What a gem! And jumping the fence at Circle Point or Lover’s Leap to spend time with God on a cliff is pure bliss. Try it sometime.

8. Living in Brooks (the textbook-loving, smart people dorm… which we didn’t know til we got there) freshman year with my wonderful roomie Liz Stovall. From racing everywhere we went to competing for who got the most packages to flooding our entire dorm, we have some priceless memories. Wouldn’t trade them for all the glam and glitz of Collins.

9. We will try, we will vie, we will never die! CHI CHI OMEGA CHI 2, 3, 4! This is the ultimate Chio pump up song sung only by Baylor Chios (I think). I’m never prouder to be a Chio than when I’m singing this song!! Sorry LSU, but nothing could ever beat try, vie, die.

10. Finally, Antioch Community Church. This community is the ultimate thing I’ve loved about living in Waco. My life was completely transformed and I will never be the same because this radical group of people chose to lay their lives down for Jesus and his church. Boom.

Jesus loves me, this I know?

Jesus loves me, HE LOVES ME. Think about that, I mean really think about it. Stop. Close your eyes. Let those words sink in. He. Loves. Me. As simple as it seems, this is my story, a journey of learning and grasping the meaning of these words. My life has been transformed by this revelation. And I believe that it is a revelation that I can search out for my entire lifetime. Get past the cheesy bible songs and Christian memorabilia that carry this phrase and consider every sinful thing you’ve ever done, will do, and think about. Consider even those dark secrets that you carried deep within your heart, the ones that you were afraid to speak out loud in a room by yourself. Now consider this, Jesus looks through those things, and He stares you in the face. He doesn’t look at you the way you look at yourself, with layers of dirt covering your skin. He stares into your eyes like you are the only person that matters in the entire world, and He says, “I love you.” 

While this may sound simple to some, I think this is something that most churches, most Christians have not really grasped. If we did, there would be no boring church service, no gripping the pews thinking only about what we are going to eat for lunch (guilty). Every time we had a chance to encounter God, whether in church or in our bedroom, would be pure joy, reckless abandonment, and wholehearted devotion. It would be like diving into a swimming pool on a blazing hot day or taking the first bite of chocolate cake after months on a sugar free diet. Yet this is the heart of God; we are robbing ourselves if we experience anything less!

My whole life I tried to be good enough for Jesus, I tried to earn His love. I thought if I went to church five times a week, led bible studies, had the perfect leadership positions, joined the right clubs, that maybe he would look past my laundry list of sins and love me. Oh, everyone told me He loved me, I must have heard it a million times. But I passed that off as an obligatory love, the “I know I have to love her but I don’t have to like her” type of love (yeah, admit it, we’ve all said that). Not the love that raises the hairs on your arms, captures your heart, and puts a fire in your bones. No, God could never love me like that; He’s seen what I’ve done. But, as much as I tried, I could never do enough to take away the guilt and shame that I drowned in every night as I laid still in my bed after a day of striving.

I came to college sick of trying, because I had been around the typical Christian block too many times. I said all the right things and did all the Christian things, but it wasn’t working. I was an abandoned mansion, beautiful on the outside but so empty and lifeless on the inside. And then Jesus met me, and I haven’t been the same since. I always relied on what people said about Him and what they said about me. For the first time, I heard what He said about Himself and what He said about me. They said that I was clothed in dirty rags, but He clothed me in a beautiful, royal gown. They said I could never be pure again, He said, “My blood has covered you, and I have made you pure.” Years of condemnation and shame and sin fell off of me, like clothes that were WAY too big. The lies did not fit me anymore, and I was free. The voice of Jesus had finally drowned out the voice of the world and all I could hear in my ears was, “Katie, I love you, I love you, I love you.”

His love set me free, His love healed me, and His love gave me indescribable joy. I was no longer an abandoned mansion, I was a glass house. Why? Because I finally realized something. He loves me. I didn’t have to try or strive or earn, He just loves me. He doesn’t love me for who I could be; He loves me for who I am. And His love is enough. When Jesus’ love is truly enough, guilt and bondage do not exist. They cannot exist. If I believe in a God who saved me at the cross, why would I try to save myself? If I believe in a God who carries my burdens, then why would I try to carry the burden on my own? If I believe in a God who sets me free, then how can I think I could set myself free? Because I didn’t know His love. But now I know. I pray that you, that everyone, would know deeply the intoxicating love of Jesus. And may we all waste our lives loving Him back. 

fear highlighted

A few weeks ago I took a walk on the wild side: I highlighted my hair from a box. Well, really, my friend Sarah Chang did it. If you’ve had your hair professionally highlighted, then you know what I mean when I say IT IS EXPENSIVE! So, I always wanted to see what would happen if I highlighted it from a box. I mean, it is so much cheaper and the girl on the front always looks fabulous. But there has been this other voice inside of my head saying, “Don’t do it Katie. Something will definitely go wrong. There’s a reason they have professionals for this.” I did not want to be the girl with the tiger stripes. So, although I’ve always wanted to take the risk of highlighting my hair from a box, I never did. Why? Because of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection (if it turned out really bad). Now, I’m not saying that if you prefer professional highlights, you’re wrong. In fact, I may not ever go the do-it-yourself route again. But here’s the point: fear is crippling. Fear keeps us from risking, and if faith is spelled R-I-S-K, then fear keeps us from walking in faith.
 There are actually a lot of things I haven’t done because of fear. I have a long history with fear. When I was two years old, my parents took us to Disney World, which I think they ended up regretting. I would scream and cry when I saw any character with a mask on. Who doesn’t like Mickey Mouse? My two-year-old self. I wouldn’t even talk to Belle because that dumb Beast was always with her. My options were very limited, but I ended up forming a very special connection with Jasmine. Also when I was really young, my parents took us to the beach. That was also a problem because I was scared of sand. You heard me right, I would not walk on the sand for the life of me. I was absolutely sure that the sand crabs were going to eat up my feet. And let’s not even talk about the ocean. Sharks and jellyfish, there was no way you were getting me in there. These are only two of my irrational fear stories - you can ask me about the other ones later. But here is the moral of them all: I have missed out on so much in my life because of fear. I didn’t get to experience the fullness of Disney World or the joy of sticking my feet in the sand all because of fear. And fear almost never makes sense; it is so irrational. How likely was it that a character with a mask was going to come after me? Or sand crabs were going to eat me alive? Do you see where I’m going with this? I think the enemy’s favorite weapon is fear because it steals the abundance of life. Fear says you better stay where you are because even if it isn’t a good place, at least it is comfortable. Fear may allow us to do our Christian duty, but it keeps us from risking for the kingdom. It definitely keeps us from dreaming with God. And the root of fear is a lack of trust. If I had trusted my parents when they told me that walking on the sand wouldn’t hurt me, I could have had so much more fun on the beach. Instead, I stood on a kickboard and watched everyone else playing and having fun. That is what fear does, it keeps us on the sidelines. God is calling us to adventure, and we can trust him. His voice is sure and His promises are good. He will never lead us astray. I have been experiencing this in the deepest way throughout my journey of moving to Baton Rouge. Over this whole process, I have been learning to trust Jesus and his leadership like never before. He is calling me to risk for His kingdom, and I have a yes in my heart. I have chosen to no longer let fear dictate what I can and cannot do. Jesus is loving the fear right out of me. Of course, fear tries to weasel its way back into my mind. Fear says you are out of your mind. You are crazy. What are people going to think about you? Who transfers to another college for their senior year because of church? But Jesus says trust me. The risk is worth it. And I think I’ll listen to Him. So, highlighting my hair, although a lot less eternally significant, was a risk. It was a step of faith. I didn’t know what would happen, but I knew it would be an adventure. Hey-o, just like my life. And for all you potential risk-takers out there, just so you know… I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on my hair. Looking pretty good, don’t ya think?