Kisses from Katie

I want to introduce you to someone...



Her name is Katie Davis and she lives in Jinja, Uganda. She has 13 little girls that call her mama.

Her book "Kisses from Katie" is coming out tomorrow. I would encourage you to hear her story, look at the faces of her girls and the work she's doing there. Pray for her. And buy her book.

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Some days I wonder about this place, wonder if I'll ever end up there again. Wonder if that call on my life was taken away or if I'm just not listening. Wondering why I went there in January, why my heart doesn't long to be here the way it used to. I used to long for a life like Katie's, felt the call on my life to be in Uganda. Where did that go? Where did the faces and lives that were so deeply written on my heart go? Why aren't they there anymore? Was it because when I brought him there he became a more important part of my life than that place was, that I realized I'd choose him over Uganda, that I no longer needed my life to be tied to that one place, that I could go anywhere with him and love it? Or was it something else? Was he never supposed to be there? I'm trying to feel His leading, to let him pull my heart where He desires it. I'm praying that God can use this book to remind me of my heart's desire if it's still His. That I could listen if He asked me to go back there.

"And wisdom will honor everyone who will learn

To listen, to love, and to pray and discern

And to do the right thing even when it burns

And to live in the light through treacherous turns

A man is weak, but the spirit yearns

To keep on course from the bow to the stearn

And throw overboard every selfish concern

That tries to work for what can’t be earned

Sometimes the only way to return is to go,

Where the winds will take you

And to let go, of all, you cannot hold onto

For the hope, beyond,the blue

No one comes unless they’re drawn

By the voice of desire that leads em’ along

To the redemption of what went wrong

By the blood that coveres the innocent one

No more separation

Between us.

So lift your voice just one more time

If there’s any hope may it be a sign

That everything was made to shine

Despite what you can see

So take this bread and drink this wine

And hide your spirit within the vine

Where all things will work by a good design

For those who will believe

And let go, of all, we cannot hold onto

For the hope, beyond, the blue"

-Josh Garrels, beyond the blue

(You can download his entire album free HERE)

Dreams

Everybody falls sometimes

Gotta find the strength to rise

From the ashes and make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache

You think it’s more than you can take

But you're stronger, stronger than you know

Don’t you give up now

The sun will soon be shining

You gotta face the clouds

To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard

Impossible is not a word

It’s just a reason for someone not to try

Everybody’s scared to death

When they decide to take that step

Out on the water

It’ll be alright

Life is so much more

Than what your eyes are seeing

You will find your way

If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds

You don't have a chance

That’s what faith can do

When the world says you can’t

It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

And I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

-Kutless

Hope

My friend Tracey posted a blog about hope the other day and inspired me to do the same...

Right now I'm in a really hard place of trying to discern how to hope without getting hurt. I've never felt God speak directly to me in a way that I was so confident that I knew for sure that He was talking to me, but lately as I walk through this painful place I feel God's presence more than I ever have. I haven't heard his voice the way I've been asking for. There's been no clear, direct word from Him. But an overwheling sense that says, "have hope." It's come from deep inside me. It's come despite fervent prayer for this feeling of hope to be taken away, for an undisputeable word that says, "just let go." But it hasn't come. Instead I've been flooded with words from people saying "just wait."

I don't know that it's possible to hope without the possibility of hurt in the end. There's always a chance that things won't turn out the way you'd hoped for. There's always a chance of more pain. But the reason we hope is because there's a chance of something beautiful in the end. And I hold on to that because I believe with every fiber of my being that God is saying... "HOPE."