God's Timing

I highly recommend the book KING'S CROSS by Tim Keller. My favorite chapter so far is the one about Lairus. Remember him? He is the man who came to Jesus because his daughter was sick and Jesus delayed on the way back and she died. How heartbreaking that must have seemed for him -- if ONLY Jesus had hurried, maybe his daughter would have lived. But, as Tim Keller pointed out, he got more due to the waiting...He could have seen the Lord heal is sick daughter, instead he saw Him raise her from the dead. Both would make an impression on someone's life, but I bet the latter was even more impressive!

I have to remind myself of this all the time...how waiting actually can reveal God's glory more, can grow my faith more, can be a testimony, etc...how God would actually be unkind if He didn't make us wait. He does it because he loves us...

God's sense of timing will counfound ours, no matter what culture we're from. His grace rarely operates according to our schedule. When Jesus looks at Jairus and says, "Trust me, be
patient,"in effect hs is looking over Jairus's head to all of us and saying, "Remember how when I calmed the storm I showed you that my grace and love are compatible with going through storms, though you may not think so? Well now I'm telling you that my grace and love are compatible with what seems to you unconsciounable delays." It's not "I will not be hurried even though I love you, ", it's "I will not be hurried because I love you. I know what I am doing. And if you try to impose your understanding of schedule and timing on me, you will struggle to feel loved by me."

King's Cross, p. 63

GO READ THE BOOK. Its one of his best yet.

Jesus Sleeping

I love this blog post on Jesus Sleeping on the boat and the disciples waking Him.

I love the distinction it makes between waking Jesus due to a distrust that He would take care of the problem and waking Jesus because of a trust He will take care of the problem.

SIDENOTE:
I am a big believer in persistant prayer. I haven't always been, but the Lord has flooded my life over the past year with verses, quotes, articles, etc on praying persistantly and constantly and believing the Lord can answer. Often times in reformed circles we focus so much on God's will that I think if I pray once for healing or provision and it does not come, certainly the answer is no and I must accept it. I think that scripture is pretty clear that you must ask to recieve and that there is something that happens with persistant prayer. Surely God could give me the answer yes or no immediately. He could step in and solve all of my problems this very minute, but what I would lose in exchange for that is too great. The time I spend praying and coming to Him with petitions AND thanksgiving is a bigger blessing than the answer I seek. So while I want to accept God's no's, I try not to think every prayer that does not immediately result in a friend's healing, a spouse, salvaging of a friendship, overcoming of a certain sin, etc is a No...sometimes these answers come after years of prayer and sometimes the prayer changes us.

BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT...
In this article, the author makes the point that Jesus could have been rebuking them for the unbelief that led them to wake Him in the first place..or He could be upset not for the waking but the fear they showed once they awoke. I have no theological backing for this, but I believe its the latter. I think He rebuked them because they woke Him due to their fear and lack of trust. Andree Seu points out that the story could have been different...they could have woken Him because of the scary circumstances with the intention of having Him fix things.

At that point, maybe Jesus would have said to them that they came to the right person to calm the storm, that they had faith in the only person who could calm the storm. Thats not how the story goes, of course...but I think its an interesting thought in how we approach Christ....See, they were rebuked for little faith, not "no faith" or "nonexistant faith".

Isn't that us? Or more importantly, isn't that me? I have some faith. I pray for people and for myself believing God could possibly redeem, heal, provide. But, I often times pray, rather persistantly, but with a belief that it probably won't happen. I think I view it in percentages...maybe there is a 20 percent change that God will step in and save the day....so if I pray enough about enough things, then maybe one out of five requests will be answered...one loved one won't die. One relationship will be saved...but certainly God can't save them all.

I have little faith, some faith -- afterall, just like the disciples, I come to the right person, even if I come anxiously, with doubt and with fear. But Christ would rebuke me, too, for having too little.

The author states, "When I pray to God, I should never pray in an anxious He-loves-me He-loves-me-not way, but with confidence and anticipatory thanksgiving." That hit home. Thats how I pray...Lord, maybe could you provide healing for this relationship, if you are not too busy... Maybe could you heal ____ of this disease, if you so desire...

Why not pray boldly? Why not wake Jesus on the boat and say "There is a storm, please calm it. I know you can! I know you are the only person who can!"

I still understand that not every storm in life will be calmed the way I want or even calmed at all. Sometimes the Lord will help me through that storm BUT it will still remain. However, why wouldn't I come to the only person who can calm the storm in Trust and Belief that He can calm the storm? What good is my persistant prayer if I don't really believe the Lord will step in? Why am I praying at all? Just because I think its right?

Phil 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let yoru requests be known to God."

Ravioli Casserole

This weekend I made meals for two friends who had recently had babies. One friend has twin toddlers so I knew the meal needed to be kid friendly! I tried this new recipe from pinterest (you can find GREAT recipes on pinterest) and it was so easy that I will probably use it again. I added a bag salad and cookies and instantly had an easy, yet tasty meal.

Ingredients needed:

• one jar of tomato sauce
• one 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• Kraft 5 cheese mixture
• grated parmesan cheese
• 2 bags of frozen cheese ravioli
• frozen spinach (thawed)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix jar of pasta sauce, can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 c. water together.

2. Pour about a cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan. Set the rest aside.

3. Next, place frozen ravioli on top of the sauce.

4. Place thawed spinach on top of ravioli.

5. Place one cup of cheese on top of spinach.

6. Add another layer of ravioli. Then add the remaining sauce mixture.

7. Add the remaining cheese.

8. Bake on 400 F for 45 minutes -- 30 covered and 15 uncovered. At the very end, sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of parmesan cheese on the top and let stand for 10 minutes before eating. YUM!

One Week...

My Nephew Jack has something he wants to tell y'all....


Only one week until Kickoff! Hotty Toddy and War Eagle. I hope you are as excited as we are!

"Katy" weekend

I have had a very busy 5 weeks -- hosted 3 showers, attended a bachelorette shower and was in an out of town wedding, attended my nephew's baptism, went on a youth retreat, etc, etc...I have decided that BEFORE the craziness of football season starts, I am going to have a relaxing weekend. Therefore, sometime in the business of last weekend, I declared this Katy Weekend.

My friend asked me if this meant I was not going to see any or my friends, I told him that of course I would see my friends - if they were doing something fun and relaxing, but if they weren't then no. Katy Weekend is simple really - no parties, no celebration, no gifts-- just being lazy AND getting stuff done that I need to do - like laundry. I can't wait til 5 today, ha...

With football season and all the travelling that goes along with that starting next weekend, I decided I needed to have some downtime this weekend. I LOVE throwing parties, but even I need a saturday off.

So here are my Katy Weekend plans... of course, since its my weekend, I reserve the right to change these plans and sleep all day if I want!

1. Movies on Saturday night -- any suggestions of a good one to see? I have seen the Help recently but not the Change Up or One Day...maybe those?

2. Sunday afternoon, I want to drink coffee at barnes and noble and read magazines....or go to a coffee store and read a book. I used to sit at the coffee store all the time when I was in law school - studying/meeting with friends/reading. Now I never do. It seems so relaxing to just sit and read there!

3. Laying out Saturday afternoon.... headed to the beach next weekend and even this late in the summer I don't have a good base tan...due to mono and work...time to work on that and take a nap!

(and yes that is what my body looks like in a bathing suit....)




4. Saturday Dinner out at one of my favorites, Mermaid Cafe on lake Caroline. and what a perfect excuse to wear lilly for one of the last times this season :)

side note - I love when football season starts and when I can wear sweaters and boots again, but I always get a little sad when white, searsucker and lilly must be put away.

5. Drinks on my porch tonight with these lovely ladies and others.

6. Sleeping in saturday morning and doing laundry...I cant beleive how excited I am about this.

So, what would you do if you declared a much needed "free" weekend for yourself?

Fall 2011 trends....

Some of fall 2011's trends..from the runways to the stores. Obviously, the consumer versions are a lot more wearable.

1. Faux Fur

Piperlime

2. the feminized hiking boot

Nine West

3. Animal Print & 4. the tie neck blouse

Piperlime

5. Polka dots and 6. classic black and white

White House, Black Market

7. Feminine lace details

8. Simple and Preppy Cardigans

9. Mod "Mad Men" inspired pieces - like this 60's shift dress

Lilly Pulitzer

10. Granny plaids

Gap






AnthropologieJ. CrewLilly PulitzerAnn Taylor Loft

11. Mustard hues

12. Leather

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I have been eating lowcarb and its the same old food night after night, so I have recently become quite the little cook. I love discovering new recipes that are healthy yet different.









One of my new favorites is the cauliflower pizza crust.

Ingredients needed for the crust:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (I usually use 1.5 cups of riced cauliflower)
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley


other ingredients:
low carb pizza sauce
toppings including meat, veggies


INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
2. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press evenly on the pan. Sprinkle evenly with fennel, oregano and parsley.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).
5. go ahead and cook all your toppings including the meat.
6. Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then toppings and cheese.
7. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted.

TIPS:

• Because the crust is cheesy, you dont need much cheese


• if you are eating low carb, you may want to cut out the tomato sauce and just put the topping


• on my pizza, I put grilled zuchinni and chicken with parmeson sprinkled on top YUM
  

Extra cranberry sauce please

I am an INCREDIBLY practical person -- I love to see results. Currently I am dieting (losing those last 10-15 pounds) and I can fit into clothes I couldnt wear 3 weeks ago and I have lost inches but I have only lost maybe 5 pounds. I HATE THIS. I know part of it is that I have very little to lose so it goes slower. Part of it is that I am losing inches then my body drops the pounds, but I like to see the scale move down so I know I really am losing weight! I like the affirmation of a smaller number staring down at me each morning!

All that to say, I LOVE when you see God answer the smallest of prayers... I always find this as a small comfort that the Lord hears even my smallest requests for help... or for good things...if he hears those requests and can provide for small things - like a much needed afternoon off or when your money is tight for that month and you recieve a check in the mail for you old apartment's deposit. Little signs of God's blessings! Little signs he hears our smallest requests. Just like the scale moving down each day or week, its affirmation (that we arent guranteed and don't deserve) that God hears and loves us, that He can answer prayers and He can provide blessings...

I love to read Andree Seu at World magazine. She writes a blog almost every day and each day encourages me. One thing I admire about her is that she is involved in atleast one imate's life (maybe a couple more, I can't remember...) She corresponds with him and encourages him in his growing faith and he encourages others in the prison. One day he told her that his favorite thing in the cafeteria was "cranberry sauce" and while saying is prayers the day they were serving the sauce, he included the seemingly trivial request, "Lord, please can I have extra cranberry sauce..." He then thought nothing of it. Later that day, he sat down for dinner next to another gentleman. The man clearly did not feel well. He stared at his food then without touching it, got up and left. The inmate who had prayed for the sauce reached over and took the cranberry sauce from his tray. In a very real way, the Lord reminded him (and me when I read this!) that he can meet our smallest requests - so of course he can provide for our big requests too...

I have now begin taking the approach of praying for "extra cranberry sauce" most daily for myself, my family and my friends.

Sure, It would be nice if all my school loans were paid off - but just the small blessing of extra money one month is encouraging.
Sure, I would love to lose these last ten pounds quicker, but sliding into a pair of jeans that were too tight is encouraging.
Sure, some people are in pain with terminal illnesses that maybe the Lord has yet to heal, but receiving a weekend where the pain seems to be less is a small blessing.
Yes, I would love to have met the right man, but at times when I haven't been dating and am discouraged, a fun date (even with someone who turns out not to be Mr. Right) is encouragement from the Lord, an extra helping of cranberry sauce.

I also encourage you to read about Spurgeon's wife's request for a bird and an opal ring, made halfway as a joke, but God still stepped in and provided. I love this story.

Has anyone else seen extra helpings of cranberry sauce? furniture donated when they needed some? maternity clothes lent? a check comes in the mail at the right time?

God is good.

This post is more for me than anyone else. God is good and I know that. I can't claim that because I have seen a lot of answers to my prayers. Usually situations do not end the way I want. For some reason, I have and always will most likely be "unlucky" Dont be confused by this term though, I am blessed - I have many good things, but I am unlucky (although I technically dont believe in luck) -- I am unlucky in small ways - little things always fall apart and happen.

I was stuck in europe during the volcano and lost a week's worth of salary -- my dad said, wow Katy, you really do have a black cloud over your head. It's small things.

So, I have seen a lot of bad luck in my life. My life seems not to go as easily as others and a lot of dissapointments occur. But I am richly blessed- job, family, friends, a church, etc, etc... So please don't confuse my claim of unluckiness with a lack of gratefulness with the blessings I did not even ask for that I have received.

So, God is good. and not because he answers my prayers - but because when I look back, I see how He walks me through each battle. God is good because He has the power to answer my prayers and maybe one day I will be proclaiming how He did. But even if He doesn't, I know I am praying to someone with the power and strength to do so. God is good because even His no's are used to bring Glory to his name through me. God is good because he gives us things we never asked for -- friends, family, grace for each day. God is good because He knows what I need.

All this to say, God is good - and deep down I know that although I don't live it all the time and I certainly don't feel it.

But saying "God is good, simply trust Him" is something that must be said kindly and by the right person. I honestly think that this is the most improperly used phrase in modern Christianity. If two women were pregnant together and one woman lost her child, the woman who still had a healthy baby can be comforting and say I hope we soon see the Lord's power in this situation and how can I care for you, etc etc etc. But hearing her say "God is good. This is His purpose" falls on deaf ears. Of course you say He is good, He has been clearly and very wonderfully good to you.

I recently used a heartache from years ago to comfort a girl from my church. And although I can't look back and know God's plan for why this particular hardship happened for me and for her, I do know that God intended me to be the comforter for her. He commands us in His word to comfort others just as he has comforted us. Someone who had not been through the same trial could not have provided comfort. Hearing the words "God is good, trust Him" would have seemed arrogant and unencouraging.

This has (obviously) been a real source of frustration for me. Real heartache, real struggle is oftentimes painted over as "trust God" by people who don't understand the struggle. I have never lost a child so I would never be the one to say to a mother who has "just know God is good, trust Him" I might say we serve a great God who can redeem this. I might tell her how heartbroken I am for her, but I wouldn't tell her that this is for her good.

Is God good in that situation? yes of course. Is the situation going to be for her good and for His glory? yes. What was meant for evil (death), can it be used for good? The lord certainly said so to Joseph so it must be true. But it is incredible insensitive to tell this woman that her baby's death is good. She has to learn how he uses this for good on her own and with people who have been there. This will not come immediately. Her pain cannot be overlooked. When sensitivity is shown and when the wound is not so fresh, then the point can be made, then the lesson can be learned.

"God is good" is both the correct answer and the blanket answer. It is the true answer and it in the end, is the most comforting answer, but when used to downplay or overlook one's pain, when used by people who do not know pain in a particular way, it is a blanket answer that seems very insensitive.

I use this phrase incorrectly all the time and I am ineffective when I do, and I may even turn the person off to the truth that He is good because of my ineffectiveness. And, I have been the person tuning out that phrase as well. Possibly we should convey the same theme in a more concerned way -- remind the person that God cares for their pain, not only that their pain is good and for His glory. Because God is good is only half of the story. Pain may be His plan but it also breaks His heart to see our pain. And as I grasp that fact, the fact that the Lord of all creation, hurts for my hurt, cares for every need and dissapointment, I more easily see that He is good.

Blogging.

I am considering blogging again....although I am torn. I think it is a fun way to follow friends lives...but some blogs are overly chatty and detailed. and some are way too personal....

But some are honest fun and as my sister claims is necessary, full of pictures. I journaled for years but find in the computer age, i would rather just type things out...so maybe this could be fun.

No promises...because every time I claim I will "blog" again....I get bored and quit.
Any suggestions on blogging from my friends that are good at it? Topic ideas? etc?