minneapolis it is!

as I sit down to write a long overdue blog post, I am flooded with conflicting emotions, making it difficult to express what is truly going on inside of me. now, that may make it sound like it's bad & that couldn't be farther from the truth. I think I'm just at a loss for how to paint a summary of the happenings of my...our life for the last couple of months.

last thing you've heard, at least on this blog, is that we were moving out of Colorado and to who knows where... maybe California? Maybe Kansas City? many people have had questions for us, wondering why it seems as though we have a different answer of where we're going or what we will be doing every other week. this is not an accusation we can or want to deny. it has been true. & we have hated it. 

inconsistency & transition ruling your life is the death penalty to any family system.

then why were you allowing it?

let me explain.

change hit us fast. and hard. it sidelined us. besides the Lord hinting at it the week before it hit, we had no idea. we almost bought a house in the Springs the week before, for pete's sake. when the change hit, two things came with it, the feeling of excitement for a new adventure & a huge "oh no, what are we going to do?!" moment. 

when you find yourself in this position it's hard to not grasp for what the answer to your current circumstance of unknown is. and we did just that. we grasped. we grasped for any prophetic word, dream or past divine circumstance we could to try to iron out the wrinkles of our suddenly chaotic life. this is why you heard us talk a lot about Kansas City and California.

here's where a big part of the problem lies: we are far too transparent.

we usually share with people where we are at in the midst of our process, instead of waiting to share our perfect, cookie-cutter plan at the end of our process. I see the wisdom in waiting until things are official, however, I'm just not that good at keeping things in... I guess it really comes down to that. I want to invite people in to our process & to be for real about it.

needless to say, it took us driving in to our favorite city of Minneapolis at 3am to have a moment of stillness to hear the Lord share His heart with us for this beautiful city. but that wasn't all; we had so many wonderful conversations that released us to believe that it was indeed "OK" for us to move home.  and as more conversations and divine happenings took place, the more we saw that it wasn't just "OK" for us to move home, but potentially God's best for us.

so, here we are. living in my parents, all-too-familiar, basement. we're looking for jobs, seeking God on next steps as they pertain to Minneapolis, and doing our best to love each other, our kids & jesus in the process of the unknown.

we should be getting good at this by now :)

transition.

transition can be very difficult for many reasons, but one of the hardest for me, personally, is the unknown. 

have you ever taken the strengths finders test? one of my top strengths is futuristic. it comes as a strength when you are getting vision for a task, or when you really should look beyond your current circumstances for the potential light at the end of the tunnel... but often times, I see this "strength" as a weakness. here's why...

I have a very difficult time living in the moment. even if the moment is wonderful, I find myself looking beyond it to see what's coming next. it's almost a curse.

in transition--where we seem to find ourselves...at all times, I keep seeing how this futuristic thing is both a positive and a negative. you see, it's positive because I'm able to look beyond our current unknown, and see what might be coming down the pipe later on. however, when our future IS the unknown, I get myself into some trouble.

since I'm always looking ahead, I don't do well looking at what's directly in front of me. this is a problem when my whole house needs to be packed up and put into storage "pods". I don't want to do the every day tasks, I just want to think and plan about the things ahead.

right now, we don't know what's ahead. it's been about 5 weeks of this now--far too long for this futuristic girl. so my goal for this last week in the Springs is to take each day as it comes & do all that I can to not think about what is next.

my desire is to soak up each moment with my little girls before their 2nd birthday; to cherish this time with my husband where we get to do the mundane of life together day in and day out--since he doesn't have to go to work. I want to enjoy my last get togethers with friends and family, not  being so consumed with the fact that we're leaving, but simply enjoying each others company. and most of all, I want to prioritize my time with the Lord, the one who actually does know what is coming. but I don't want to be with Him to get answers--I really just long to be with Him.

kk

our update.

TheKrehbiels UPDATE

soon!

as I left off in my last blog...

we are moving quickly for a number of different reasons. Do we have to? no. But we think we should.

our plan is to pack up our home & move it all into a storage unit here in Colorado Springs next weekend. Then, by Monday, September 10, it is our hope to drive home to Minneapolis to spend a month with family & friends as we transition to the next place.

"what is the next place?" you may be wondering... well, right now, we're wondering the same thing! Right now, we are looking between Huntington Beach, California & Kansas City, Missouri. We feel like we know which one it is, but are waiting on some things to click into place before announcing it publicly :)

while we are in Minnesota, we are going to be focusing on recording some of the music the Lord has given us as a couple. We don't know exactly what that will look like, but God has been pretty clear with us that that is what we are supposed to do! exciting!

we could definitely use your prayer as we seek to finalize our plans! we will keep you updated with what's next as soon as we know :)

I'll post our update letter as well--which will give you more information on what's up!

kK

moving.

I know, I know, once again, I haven't written in forever. Life just seems to get away with me sometimes. You know that feeling you get when it seems as though life is happening to you & you aren't the one doing life. That is exactly how I've felt over the last say... 4 years :) I think I'm beginning to come to terms with the idea that life may always look this way--non-stop, busy, with so many unexpected things popping up... daily. I think I just need to learn what it means to Carpe Diem, sieze the day, each day as it comes & not constantly be waiting for something that I've hoped or dreamed for to happen to me. It's much more likely that it will happen as you just make the most of each moment and truly cherish the season you are in.

wow... that's not what I was planning to write about... back to "transition"!

As you probably know, mostly through social media sites, our little family of four is packing up and moving out of Colorado Springs. We moved here nearly 2 years ago, knowing that it would be temporary, but having no idea it would be this temporary.

As of 5 weeks ago, things were going great, no bumps in the road, feeling confident in the possibility of "putting down roots" in the Springs. Josh had a solid job that he loved, we were close to family & hey, colorado is probably the best place on earth to raise your children :) We actually almost bought a home! We found a little place that was exactly what we were looking for and more for the right price. There was just something about it that we couldn't find peace over; so we moved on, believing God had something better for us.

3 days later is when the Lord began to encounter us & the possibility of leaving Colorado Springs came up in our conversation. 4 prophetic encounters and 5 days later, it became quite clear that our season in Colorado had come to an abrupt, yet beautiful, end.

no, Josh did not lose his job; however, what was in his heart to do at EHC was no longer one of the primary focuses of the ministry. We could have stayed, yet, God had other plans for us. And those were clear because of the way He had for-warned us 5 days before Josh's conversation with his boss/friend.

so here we are, 4 weeks later. approaching our final day of a huge moving sale, and preparing to pack up our home into what seems to be a million different boxes. I hate moving. yet at the same time, I have this quiet peace that keeps my heart excited and alive.

you may be wondering why we are moving so quickly... more on that later :)

kK

healing.

I have been sick off & on for the last few months... it has been awful! 


first a cold. then a vicious stomach flu. then random colds. then a sinus infection. now strep throat. 


Are you kidding me?


& to make matters worse, my daughters (& other roommates) have been sick too! (but still, not as much as me; fortunately for them).


I have decided that the ONLY thing worse than sick kids is being sick yourself WITH sick kids... this has been the story of my life the past few months.


just when we think we are better, we see the first sign of sickness in one of us-- runny nose, fussiness, sore throat, cough. or, we hear of someone we have been close to recently being sick.


at which point I feel a holy dread overtake me. I begin to disinfect the house, remind my roommates to wash their hands like fiends, & make sure to not let my girls around any other kids.


to be honest, I've realized that I'm operating out of fear.


not good.




since all of this sickness has hit my home, I've been asking the Lord a lot of questions about sickness & healing & what His heart is in it all. You see, I've gone back & forth on the healing thing. Is it always God's will to heal? At one point in my journey, I would have said yes, & if you don't see healing, you don't have enough faith. At another point in my journey, I would say that all sickness is just an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord as it is simply a trial & a way for you to lean on Him as your strength. 


today, to be honest, I don't know where I'm at on the subject. 


What I do know is that I want to believe God at His word, not by my experiences. 


experience does not over-rule the Word of God. I want the Word to dictate my experiences; in other words, I want to have such belief in my heart (by the Holy Spirit) that what the Word says truly stands as the authority & truth in my life experiences. 


does that make sense?


I'm on a journey of seeking out what the Lord's heart TRULY IS on the subject of healing.


here's a video my brother did for his church--it's challenging me. you always know it's the Lord prompting you when it pushes you to go back to the Word & weigh things to see what is right & true.


would love to hear your thoughts...


kK

here is another link to more info on this same train of thought.. http://spiritlessons.com/Documents/Healing/JGL/JGL_Ministries.htm

i'm thinking about Valentine's Day

Valentines Day (VD) leaves me pretty contemplative each year. 


three years ago Josh asked me to be his girlfriend on VD. I will never forget the morning leading up to our date. I knew he was going to make things "official" that night & I found myself having confusing, mixed emotions.


((if you know anything about our story, you'd know that I should have been nothing short of ecstatic to enter into a committed relationship with Josh)) 


I remember sitting in my personal prayer room in my house, journaling about this being my last VD as a single person. my heart sank at the thought. but why? why would I dread dating the man I had waited for? the one I knew was the man I would marry. 


I dreaded it because...


I was lovesick. not for Josh. but for my coming Bridegroom. this One had already pursued me & swept me off my feet; I was confident in this One's love & affection. I knew I was secure in Him & I longed for Him to return. all of my hope was found in this one Man. Josh had not yet won my heart, nor did I feel secure in his love. it was somewhat scary to think of moving from one Man's arms to another. 


the beautiful thing is that I didn't have to. by entering into a relationship with Josh, I was not saying goodbye to the Lord & the romance I had with Him. I could fully engage & give myself to both... because I knew that Joshua was who the Lord had set apart for me. 


I look back on that day & my heart burns. I want to be lovesick for the Lord all the days of my life; until He returns. & at the same time, I get to fully love the one He gave to me. what a privilege.






I'm so thankful for my history with the Lord before ever getting married, without it, would come much pain & confusion... of which I will talk more about in my next post.


kK

more? maybe?

today I'm thinking a lot about babies. 


Our plan, since the beginning, has been to have all of our kids really close in age... for many different reasons. One of which being that since we started having kids so young, we might as well have them all together & then be done sooner. I mean seriously, Emayah & Olivet will be in their first year of college when I'm 40! That's awesome! One of the biggest reasons is because we want our kids to be older as we approach the End of the Age. Some of you may be thinking... "did they drink some weird koolaid?!" and others of you may be "amen-ing" me.... But in either case, ask me more about what I mean if you'd like, and I'd be happy to share my heart with you. Lastly, another reason is because we'd love for all of our kids to be great friends (which I totally understand can happen between siblings spaced farther apart). 


So, here we find ourselves, Emayah & Olivet are approaching 1 very quickly. & originally, we would have planned to have me be pregnant again by now... but having twins, & a horrible pregnancy have both put a bit of reservation in us. 

You see, we also know that we are called to adopt. We preferably would like to adopt our next child, to inter-mingle our biological children with our adopted ones... ie: biological, adopted, biological, adopted etc...


Now you're probably wondering, HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?!


5 or 6


So... we find ourselves a bit stuck, not knowing if we should adopt or get pregnant next. 


We know the Lord is going to be clear with us on what's next, and we also know that we are not going to move forward with a plan unless He is the One who comes up with it. Having children is not something to just do, it's serious! & such a blessing! :]


We also know that we won't move forward with either plan until we are fully funded financially & know that we can support having another child, or 2 :]


thoughts?! I'd loooove to hear them!


kK

Sojourning to Zion

the other morning, I woke up with immense joy & excitement about Zion... I knew I must have had a dream. As I lay there, the Lord brought the dream to my memory & I was in tears as I lay there remembering how real my emotions were. Here's the dream...


I got on to a large boat & went inside with a friend. We rushed over to the windows & looked up & saw a huge, glowing city in the SKY! "Isn't this amazing?! We are finally going to Zion! We have given our WHOLE lives for this! & we're finally going to meet the Lord! We are actually going to that city!!!!" I said. The joy/excitement/anticipation was so intense, it doesn't even compare with anything I've felt in my life. 
The boat then proceeded to take us to a hotel. We got off the boat & walked down many hallways, up & down many staircases, escalators & elevators, & finally found our room where we'd be staying. It was very rustic & old & was jam packed full of bunk-beds . Each bunk had a pair of pajamas on it ready for us to put on. 
end of dream.


I was overwhelmed with the reality that we are truly living for the day where we are with God in Zion for eternity. To put my hope, anchor my life, in the age to come! 


The dream represents my life (all of our lives as believers) as a sojourner, one without a home, moving from place to place. This is not my home, my true home is in Zion with Immanuel--God with us. 


The last part, about the pj's on the beds unsettled me, but I wasn't sure what it meant. Then, the Lord reminded me of Song of Solomon 5 when the Shulamite woman is in bed, comfortable & when the Bridegroom (Jesus) comes to the door she doesn't want to get up to go to him. 


I was struck with the way our world is constantly lulling us to sleep, keeping us numb & complacent. & I take that part of my dream as a warning; to not get comfortable but to be ready, anticipating the Bridegroom's return! He really is coming back! & we are to live like He is! 


I want to be one who RESPONDS when Jesus put's His hand to the latch of my heart. I want my heart to be thrilled within me! (SOS 5:4) 


Oh Lord, awaken love in me! Keep my eyes steadfast on the day of Your appearing! Make me long for you! Awaken the ache of lovesickness!!


kK

#3 partnership.

Life's transitions can sometimes be beautiful & at other times they can drive you crazy. I currently find myself in the middle of the two extremes.


Josh & I finished orientation with Every Home for Christ & are now candidates to join staff-- so we are just now starting to work on Partnership. Because we will be full-time intercessory missionaries, we will be raising full time support. We are taking a leap of faith by going 3+months with no income while trusting the Lord to bring in the finances our little family needs. We move in to this season with a surprising amount of excitement. The Lord has set our hearts in deep wells of confidence that He is our provider & that because He has called us, He will open the doors of provision for us. We will be spending the next 3 months traveling & meeting with people to share the extravagant vision of Every Home for Christ. 
In case you didn't see my last post click here to see it!
Here is the latest video from Every Home for Christ & what they are doing in Nepal... check it out!




if you are interested in receiving our letters or partnering with us in any way PLEASE leave a comment or email us @ thekrehbiels@gmail.com


kK

#2 housing

As I wrote about yesterday, you now can imagine how full our little town home might be. It's been such a blessing to us in our transition to COsprings, but we're definitely feeling the itch to move. 


We have a few different reasons why this is important to us...


1. we have 7 people crammed in to a 2 1/2 bedroom town home, we simply need more space.
2. we'd like a yard, to be able to go outside with the ladies, even set up a mini pool for them
3. we feel called to be hospitable, both to people visiting us ((mostly from MN)) & to those from theWall community.


We realize that a bigger home will cost more money, but we believe that hospitality & cultivating community are two of the areas the Lord is highlighting to us in this season. 


So please, join with us in praying for the provision of the Lord in both finances & a home that is...
a. CLOSE TO THE PRAYER ROOM! ((we would save a lot of money on gas if we could just walk to work!))
b. CHEAP!!!
c. Nice Enough.. we would like a reliable home that isn't going to need constant repair


& yes... we're looking to RENT, not buy :]


Thanks for your prayers & support! & if you know of anything, PLEASE let us know!!


kK

#1 friendship

this is my first afternoon home by myself that I've had in a long time. I am an extravert in every sense of the word; but even extraverts need some down time. After putting the ladies down for their afternoon nap, I'm pretty sure I made an audible "sigh...". Peace & quiet. Rest. This is nice.


3 of my best friends arrived in Colorado Springs nearly 3 weeks ago. 2 of which were here to stay ((Mel & Annie moved here!)) and Aimee ((and her sweet little baby, Makhi)) were here to visit for two weeks. 

We had the BEST time together! It's not even so much that we did a lot of fun activities ((we were mostly at home with the 3 babies, really trying to get Makhi on a schedule-- he did awesome!)) but more so that we just got to be together. The last year & a half have been quite the road for our group of friends. So many changes, both good & bad, traveling, marriage, children, heart ache & pain... all of which should have driven a wedge between us so thick we never could have remained friends. But somehow, only by the grace of God, we remain friends & have more faith in the things the Lord has promised us now than we ever have had before. 

These girls are truly sisters to me... covenant sisters. It was such a blast to all live in the same house & do life together again... we know it is just a picture of what is to come. 

Aimee & Makhi left last weekend to go back to MN... we hope they come back soon! 


This week has been a week of rest & this weekend Courtney will be officially moving in with us! --Courtney is a dear friend I have made in COsprings at theWall. She was just one of those people who I connected with right off the bat & already consider her to be one of my closest friends! I love you Court!


So... our house is going to be VERY full... Josh, Me & the ladies, plus, Annie, Mel & Courtney... that's 6 girls!!! Special shout out to the most patient & loving husband EVER, I love you joshie! if you want to have a guys' night, PLEASE invite josh :] He will be needing a few nights out, if you know what I mean!


SO excited for this next season!!


kK

my tribute to you.

Today is the day someone very special to me was brought into the world. My big brother, Scott! While talking with him this morning, I found out that he is not 25 ((as I thought)) but he is 27! When I got off the phone with him & headed into the prayer room, my heart was flooded with many memories & deep gratitude to the Lord for giving him to me as a big brother. So today, I'd like to honor Scottie through some pictures & memories to go with :]

Just a fun memory of laughing with Heidi & Scott as my mom tried to get a good shot of the three kids... I have always had such a blast with Scottie, it seems like I can laugh harder with him than with anyone else... just that brother/sister bond & having the EXACT same humor! This is also the stage of life where Scott would teach me basketball in the driveway & if I was lucky, he'd come play capture the flag with me and my friends and be on MY team & we'd always win :] Ps... scott- I love the hair & glasses... they're comin back in style!!

This stage is one of my favorites... Scott was in a band called Eyes Wide in high school, & me & all my "cool" junior high friends were his BIGGEST fans... t-shirts & all! These were the precious years that I got to ride in the car to school with him every day, listen to his favorite music ((which of course became MY favorite music)) and try to connect with him in any way I could. I also joined the youth group this year & LOVED getting to see him on Thursday nights at church... I felt AWESOME that Scott Vanderwerf was MY big brother!

Since we've gotten older, Scott & I have gotten to connect in deeper things than just our humor, we have built a deep connection in God. One of the ways we connect with the Lord together is through music. He is probably the most talented/well-rounded musician I know & I love when I get to write with him. But he is not only talented, he is seriously an incredibly anointed worship leader-- so when I get to lead worship with him, it's always a joy! This picture is at my wedding reception, Scott & I led worship together-- just the way I like it :] & boy did the Spirit show up!!

Clearly, I am pregnant here, & Scott is being his "supportive" self, sticking out his belly to match mine... throughout my pregnancy I was always greeted with his "belly bump"! What a great brother, stickin with me through thick n' thin... literally :]

This is the day we got home from the hospital with the ladies. Scott helped Josh & I get out of the hospital & load the ladies in the car... it was a great comfort to have him with us on that day. He is an awesome uncle; Emayah & Olivet are blessed to have their "uncle Tottie" :] ((that's Becca, his amazing wife next to him!!))

Scott,

You are one of the most incredible men I've ever known. Your devotion to the Lord inspires me & spurs me on in a very real way. Your genuine pursuit is absolutely contagious & your zeal cannot be quenched, because it is given by God. I have spent my life looking up to you in many ways, but your raw consecration to the Lord trumps them all. I love who you are in the Kingdom! There is no one else like you! You were uniquely fashioned to love the Lord with all that is within you! I'm honored to call you my big brother. 

I miss you today in Colorado. Wish I was there to give you a big hug! 

Happy Birthday Scottie! this is my tribute to you. 

katelyn dawn katie vanderwerf :]

kK

the FOURTH.

The 4th of July has been one of my favorite holidays since I was little. Our family has always had boats on the St. Croix River & we'd always spend the day on the water, grilling out & then watching the fireworks in Stillwater while laying on the top of the boats. 


This year, we spent our holiday with the Krehbiel side. Their tradition is to do their OWN fireworks! It consists of a large family gathering, grilling out, intercession for our country, as well as lighting off fireworks. This year, there is a burn ban in Colorado, so they weren't able to do any of the aerials (the big ones :] ).


As I sat watching the fireworks, the little girls dance, & listened to James (my father in law) pray for our country with holy conviction & passion, I was moved. I could sit there, miss home, miss my OWN traditions, but then it all hit me... Who else is spending their 4th of July remembering what the Lord has done & asking for more. I am honored to be apart of the Krehbiel family. I love the heritage it carries. 


Here are som pictures of our day....

Not the most photogenic day for any of us, but you gotta take pics regardless... happy FOURTH y'all :]


kK

Every Home for Christ... WOW!

I just realized, the babies are sleeping.. QUICK! POST SOMETHING! :]

I feel as though most of my blog posts in the near future will simply be "updates" because our life is in some CRAZY transitions right now.

This week we started our two week orientation to jump on staff at theWall prayer room with Every Home for Christ ((in Colorado Springs)). Let me tell you, this has been such an eye opener to what an HONOR it is to be working for Every Home for Christ. I will explain what this ministry does, but it will not do it justice, so make sure to check out this video first!!!

This is just ONE EXAMPLE of what's happening in over 100 countries that EHC is ministering in! 



Every Home for Christ exists to serve the Body of Christ in equipping and mobilizing believers everywhere to actively participate in taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every home in the whole world, adding new believers as reproducing members of the Church to see the literal fulfillment of the Great Commission.


WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?? ((here is an over-simplified outline))
1. An indigenous EHC worker goes to local church to preach & vision cast about fulfilling the Great Commission
2. The EHC indigenous team map out the entire nation, home to home
3. He will partner with the local church to reach every home with the Gospel in their area
4. Upon receiving the gospel, the new believer will be plugged in to this local church
5. New believer will be discipled & trained up


but katie, what if there is no local church? what about the unreached people groups?
THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART!!


1. An indigenous EHC worker discovers an unreached area, gathers a group of people, & goes to every home
2. EHC workers will start something called a "Christ Group" which really is just a church
3. New believer will get plugged in to a Christ Group to be discipled & trained up
And the whole thing just SPREADS like wild fire! It's incredible... Here are a few of the statistics of what they have done in just the last 5 years!!! ((not to mention the last 65 years!))

2006	40,816,954	83,104,249	5,237,666
2007	60,933,172	145,168,128	8,495,101
2008	69,412,525	129,097,430	10,239,761
2009	66,574,603	141,289,138	12,579,523
2010	77,349,522	151,322,613	13,904,165
Total	315,086,776	649,981,558	50,456,216

THIS IS AMAZING TO ME!!!

We are just now getting a glimpse of how fruitful EHC truly is... to be honest, I can't think of another ministry or missions organization that is bearing this much fruit. PRAISE GOD!!

anyways... I'll leave it with that today, I really hope you'll check out their website to learn more about what EHC is doing in the nations of the earth! Next time, I'll explain what exactly Josh & I will be doing in regards to partnering with Every Home for Christ. 

kK

fathers day

Today was a wonderful day to celebrate what an incredible dad Joshua James is. I took some of my morning to just think about who he is & how awesome he is with our little girls. I realize how blessed I really am to have a husband who loves me & our babes SO WELL! 

We also had a fun skype date with my dad & then went over to Josh's parents house for a bbq! 

At the bbq we took some pictures of the girls with their cousins, Gracie, Lily & Christian... it's always hard to get a good picture of a bunch of kids under the age of 10 to take ONE GOOD PICTURE... but we definitely got a few treasures out of the bunch :]

then we took the opportunity to get some family shots... enjoy!!

kK

Testimony bout Jesus!

LOVING this old John Thurlow set  from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City! 


to watch more of IHOP's live prayer room feed go here!


Enjoy :]

kK

Almost 2 Months?!

I decided to make a little visit to my blog today & was shocked to see that I haven't blogged in nearly two months... I mean, I knew it had been a while, but had no idea I'd skipped out on writing for that long... I really want to be better about writing in here. 

today I'll give an update.... of the last 2 months...

Josh & I spent a month away, we were mostly in Minneapolis, visiting family & friends, but we also took our HONEYMOON!! Josh took me away for 5 days to Cancun! We stayed at an all-inclusive resort & it truly was an experience of a life time! It was such a precious time for us to recoup & just BE (together of course). We left the ladies home with my parents, and they did awesome! They had grown up so much by the time we came home, we almost didn't recognize them!

This is a picture of the ladies that my mom sent my while we were in Cancun...

they look SO big!!!

some honeymoon pics...

can I just say that Josh is the most romantic man EVER?! He made me this little box ((wedding picture surrounded with the Song of Solomon hand written, and 4 little jars with rolled up notes for EACH day of our trip! One of which was Mothers Day!))

yes.. this is where we spent our days :]

LOVE the beach

   

After our honeymoon, we spent a few more weeks with friends & family in Minneapolis. I looooove going back mostly because of my friends & family but also because I just LOVE Minneapolis in general. The Lord is doing something SO unique in the Twin Cities. I'm sad to not be apart of it but I am even more excited to be apart of what He is doing HERE ((in Colorado Springs)) simply because we are called here. Going home is such a huge reminder to me why I am living here now. Which seems pretty ironic, you'd think that going home would make me miss it, but rather it makes me appreciate it, hope to go back one day, but also to understand why the Lord has us in Colorado. It doesn't make sense in the natural... but, more on that another day :]


Now, we're back in Colorado, settled and getting ready to do orientation at theWall ((the house of prayer we're apart of)) we are SO excited!


This post is getting way too long now... Promise to write again soon!


kK

katie, shut up.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the power of my words versus the power of prayer. I love to talk to people & the Lord has gifted me in the area of wisdom & counsel; and in the past I would rely on that gifting to a fault. This weekend the Lord reminded me of some things that He taught me in the past & I felt compelled to write about it...

A good friend of mine came in town to visit this past weekend & before she got here, I was asking the Lord what He had for her & what things I could speak into her life about. I clearly heard the Lord say, "Do not speak into her life this weekend, let Me speak into her life", then He went on to tell me some things that He wanted to do in her heart & invited me to partner with Him in intercession for her to receive directly from Him.

the reality is that our words before the Living God are more effective than our words before man will ever be

But do I really believe that? Do I really believe that my prayers will shift things? So often I find myself speaking in to someone's life out of fear that God won't just tell them Himself. Do I believe that He hears my prayers? If I did, I would live in light of that. 

((not to say that receiving prophecy or wisdom from people is wrong... the Lord TOTALLY uses that!!))

This weekend, I watched the Lord speak to my friend about every single thing that He said He would talk to her about... Everything I prayed for happened & more!!! It was so exhilarating watching a dear friend come alive in God because of #1. His Voice & #2. His Word.

So I came away with this once again... His leadership could not be any more perfect. He truly is the Good Shepherd. I am honored to be His beloved sheep. Honored.

the words of the Living God to man are more effective than my words could ever be

kK

you haven't taken your honeymoon yet?

yeah... I know... It's bad! We still haven't taken a honeymoon! Here's the brief story...

We were planning on taking a honeymoon after our wedding, like normal people do... but then our engagement season took some unexpected (& quite unfortunate) turns & it became so busy & stressful that a lot of things had to be put to the side, including our honeymoon plans. We planned to take a trip within our first year for sure, but then, I got pregnant two months after we were married & we never planned the trip! BUMMER!

side note:: we also never took our wedding pictures as just the two of us... We made the decision to not see each other until the ceremony when I walked down the isle (which I would totally recommend by the way...) but that meant that it would be too dark outside to get good pictures of just the two of us that night... so in our wedding album, we only have a few of just us that the photographer took with lighting outside... I'm so glad those pictures turned out! Well, our PLAN (you see, there is a pattern here...) was to take picture the NEXT DAY... I know crazy! to get allll dressed & ready again & take pictures outside on a nice sunny day... well.. we woke up to a rainy, yucky day.. so then we get this GRAND idea, lets wait for the summer & take pictures when it's really nice out! great idea, right? wrong... I got pregnant & will NEVER be fitting in that wedding dress again :/ sad day..

anyways... back to the honeymoon...

The other day, Josh & I were talking & decided that right now seems to be kind of a "now or never" time for us to take our honeymoon. The ladies are just old enough to be left with my parents. I am for sure NOT pregnant. But we DO want more children & feel like the time may be coming soon to either have more or adopt. My parents watching 2 children is decently manageable, but 3? that's getting to be a lot of young kids for a whole week! soOOoooOOooooo....

our plan is...

we will be going to Minnesota (cannot WAIT!) on May 12 for my sister-in-law's graduation, then we have plans to be in MN for an undetermined amount of time... SO after about a week of being there, Josh & I will fly out to our (undetermined) honeymoon destination, leave the ladies with my parents, stay a week, Josh will fly back home to Colorado, and then I will return to MN for another week or so!

sounds like a FUN plan right?! I just hope it doesn't turn out like our other plans & just... not happen.

but here's the catch... WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO!!!
here is what we are looking for...
affordable.
all inclusive resort.
hot climate! beaches etc...

got any ideas?! please leave some comments!!!

have a great weekend :]

kK