Isn't it weird

How your whole world can fall apart in the blink of an eye?

I think it is very intriguing how fast life moves, how we think we can predict how our lives will go, and how life can change in the blink of an eye.
In the  last year my life has changed dramatically in ways I would have never expected. It has been the hardest year yet, but I am confident that after making it through this I am a stronger and better person.
All of this pain that seems to be never ending around me, not even in only my own life but those around me too, is honestly quite exhausting. I just want it to end.
But the good thing is that all of this is something to bring us hope, to grow us, a chance to keep our attitude in check, and a chance to rely on Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As you may or may not know, my life has not had much of "trials" you may say up until this point and has been quite uneventful in terms of bad things happening.
With the striking of some unfortunate events I have been angry, sad, depressed, and quite frankly a crazy person. Thanks to some people in my life I have started to find my way back to the hope I have in Christ and His overwhelming mercy.

It is such a blessing and a curse to be able to feel things so deeply because it is to know that you are human. I'm not wishing pain or despair on anyone but instead I am learning to treasure all stages of life: the good and bad.. to learn from them all, to test my faith, to make me stronger, and so maybe one day I can help someone else.
Our attitudes and our lives are all in our power to change and make the best of what comes our way.

Recently I read a book and it said this, " There are many things to be scared of in this world: a bloom of jellies. a sixth extinction. a middle school dance. [ loved ones dying, not paying bills, relationships failing, passing class, ect. whatever it may be...]  But maybe we can stop feeling so afraid... We may be plenty fragile but we are also the only ones who can decide to change." (the thing about jellyfish)

Life is what you make of it and if we decide to make it a good one, it may just turn out that way & we might just be able to change the world. 


-Kat

p.s. definitely read "the thing about jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin.

GRACE

Grace is a crazy beautiful thing... Because lets be real, not one of us deserves it. EVER. And quite frankly that is the beauty of it.

I am a believer in Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for YOU and I, for the sins that we commit daily.. so that WE can be in Heaven one day with our Lord and Savior. 

And for a second if you don't think that you or someone else in your life deserves this forgiveness than you are wrong and as I said before.. That's the immense beauty of Grace.  Not one of us deserves the Grace of God, but yet He loves us anyways and forgives us anyways.

This is not me trying to justify sin or anything like that, but I want to say this:

If we are believers in Christ and Christ forgives us, aren't we called to forgive and love those in our lives when they mess up too?

I would say as Christian's we are constantly called to love, serve and forgive others that don't deserve it. It saddens my heart that people are quick to say that they do these things, but when push comes to shove they don't actually do or believe it. 

This past week this has been laying very heavy on my heart. 

I'm not saying that forgiving is an easy thing, but if God can forgive us than how can we not forgive others?

No one should be defined by their past mistakes. I am sure glad I'm not. Our God is a God of second chances and I believe that I should be a person that gives second chances too.

I know if I mess up I would want a second chance and a little bit of Grace. 

-Kat

 Just a warning before you read.. This is a little mushy and biased.

This post is a little bit about my little knowledge about love & a little gratitude for Mike Ristrom. 

Love is a funny thing. I don’t think love is just a feeling but it is many things. And honestly I don’t quite understand love. Even though I don't completely understand it,and many of you may think I am naive, but I am in love and i know that I am very loved. I thought maybe I had been in love before, but I was mistaken. I mean I am no expert in love, that's for sure but if I could suggest.. Love makes you a little crazy.  Love makes you do things that you aren’t proud of (such as jealousy), takes you to new places, it makes you do things you never thought you would do, and makes you feel things you have never felt. But what if love is more than just a feeling between two people? Love is a commitment and words put to action. To love someone fully I believe that you have to be open and honest with that person. You have to show them parts of yourself that you didn’t even know existed. I hate when people give up on love.. There was a reason in the first place why you loved that person, so why did that change? Oh you don’t love them anymore because life got hard, they got fat, or they showed their moody side to you? Grow up. It is sad to me that people give up on the ones they have loved. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13.) The man I love loves me in all of these ways.

Mike treats me like a woman, he treats me with the respect I deserve, he talks highly of me to others, he comforts me even when he doesn’t know what to say, he respects my body, he tells me I am beautiful always, he listens to me, he is real with me, he holds me, he makes me laugh and laughs with (and occasion at me), he treats me like his princess, he is patient with me, he puts me first, he forgives me, he shares life with me, he encourages me, he leads me in ways pleasing to the Lord, he protects me, and most of all he loves me with all he has and makes sure I know it. 

Mike is generous, loving, kind, a gentleman, respectful, smart, handsome, hilarious, friendly, a leader, driven, adventurous, my best friend, and so much more. I am thankful for his love for others and his love for me. I am excited to see where life takes us both and I will choose not to give up on love through the highs and lows.

Every person deserves to be loved and to feel special. Life is too short to always be fighting and bickering. Everyone wants to be loved and to find that person for them. I hope that whomever I choose to marry, if that be Mike or someone else, that I can love them half as good as I have been loved and share a love like 1 Corinthians 13. 

-

Love Always..... Katlin

RA RA RYAAAAN HOUSE!

Many people have asked me about my experiences at Ryan House thus far and I get so awkward or emotional talking about it, so I figured I would write to tell y'all about it.
What is Ryan House you ask?
For those of you that do not know what Ryan House is, it is a place where kids that have been diagnosed with a terminal illness can come and give their parents a break for a few days (respite care) and hang out with all the cool people that work there, or where families can come to receive end of life care for their children. (For more specifics you can visit their website that the bottom)
anywayssss..
Ryan House is AMAZING.
You ever have one of those times when you are so incredibly humbled? That happened to me tonight.
Up to this point Ryan house has been quite the emotional roller coaster. It is the biggest blessing, but also causes the occasional heartache.
Every week I fall in love with at least 6 kiddos. They sure know how to love like no one else I've ever met.  The are brave, funny, love and act just like any other kid, except they have lived a majority or all of their life with a terminal illness.
Funny how we can live more time than many of these kids, but not live as much as these kids. Who says that we have to reach certain milestones in life to experience life. Yes getting our driver's license, graduating high school, getting married, having kids, and growing old are all great things, but who says that should be the norm? What if the norm wasn't about reaching these things but living a life of reckless abandon for our passions, being a best friend and listening to those to need it most, loving everyone, appreciating people for who they are instead of wishing they were someone else, and being honest and respectful of each other.
Wouldn't this be a crazy, awesome world? Well this is the world I go to when I enter Ryan House. They make me want to be a better person, they fill me with so much joy and life, and they continue to bless and teach me so much more than I imagined.
Yes, at times Ryan House is sad for the loss of a friend, but many times it is filled with games, laughter, walks up and down the halls, and snuggles as we appreciate each other.
I am so thankful to be involved with a place like Ryan House and wouldn't trade it for the world.
I know that the career path I have chosen (as a Child Life Specialist) is where God wants me regardless of the ups and downs.
Be you. Live fully. Love others.

Thank you for reading my post that is so dear and near to my heart. If you want to make a donation or see what Ryan House is all about here is their website.
http://ryanhouse.org/


-Katlin

Late night thoughts

I don't think anyone knows where they are headed. I was asked in a interview the other day where do you see yourself in a year? What an impossible question. A lot has happened this last year and a lot has changed in my life. People come and go, opportunities change, and life happens. 

Sometimes life just isn't fair. It's hard. And you have to work for the things you want. Nothing makes me more mad than someone who believes they are entitled to everything. 

This year ahead will be a busy one, that is for sure. But what I want to challenge myself to do is enjoy all the little things more, take every situation and make good of it. So many times I pass up memories and opportunities because I am enthralled in my phone, or stressed and worried about something else. 

Maybe the times that things don't go the way I wanted are because I need to know that I am not in control, and He is, and to maybe take a step back to just enjoy a moment and not have to control everything. 

As I look into what this next year might bring for me and what the future holds, I have a lot of decisions to make.. But I have peace knowing that God has me. He has the best for me. And whatever road I decide to take or any of you decide to take, to stop and enjoy the little things because they are oh so precious, and to trust that HE has a perfect plan for YOU (even when things don't seem so good.) 

my new pet peeve but old habit

I know, I know, this may come off as me being hypocritical but I am trying my best.
This new pet peeve of mine is judging someone before you know them, judging someone by their past, or well known as JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER.

Me, being a blonde, many people have the preconceived idea that blondes are "more fun" "dumb blondes" and as wikipedia put it "a woman that relied on her looks rather than intelligence"
And honestly for some blondes these all may be true, but I want to make my own name for myself not those that are set for me by society.
This is just only one example.

How come we are so quick to judge someone based upon word of mouth or looks?

 IT'S NOT WORTH IT. there is so much to learn from anyone and everyone, we all just want to be heard and EVERYONE deserves the chance to be the true them.

What if we were all judged by our outward appearances or our past mistakes??
What would be said of you?

Proverbs 31:30-31 says,
"30 Charm can fool you. Beauty fades. But a woman who has respect for the LORD should be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned. Let everything she has done bring praise to her at the city gate."

How awesome would it be if we lived in a society that did not dwell in the past mistakes, the outward beauty, but saw the heart.

what are you pouring yourself into?

A few weeks ago I got the pleasure of meeting a young boy that would changed my persective on things.
This young boy's name was Maxford Brown.
Maxford is a boy that can't be any older than 8 years old and he has Down Syndrome.
He greeted me the first time with so much love, joy, and was completely genuine. He was visiting the restaurant I work at and he was very anxious to meet me, find out my name, how I was doing that day and tell me all about himself. This genuine SMALL gesture made a huge difference in my whole day and attitude. Everytime he would walk past he would say "Hi Katlin" over and over again while he was eating. A few days later he came back to see me at the restaurant. When he got there he immediately looked around for me, when he spotted me he came sprinting to me saying "Hi my friend Katlin, can I have a hug?!" This sweet gesture may be small or insignificant to many to you but here are a few things that I draw from this:

Why am I not living like Maxford?
Maxford genuinely loved me for NO reason. He cared when he didn't know me. He had more joy than anyone I have ever met. He made me feel special and needed.

How come an 8 year old (or how ever old he was) can have this much impact on someone's life when more than half of us can look at our lives and have never made this much of an impact on anyone.
Looking at these two short moments with this sweet boy, I wonder as a Christian, why am I not doing this? If everyone just picked one person to make feel special, loved, and cared about daily this world would be a completely different place. God calls us to love like THIS.
As I go into the season of Lent and Easter I think of how God made the ultimate sacrifice of LOVE for his people, sending His son  to die on the Cross for you and me.
 JESUS calls us to love. love strangers, family, friends, enemies, coworkers, grumpy people, happy people, everyone we come in contact with.
Going ahead  I want to challenge YOU and I to make a difference in someone's life.. Make them feel LOVED. SPECIAL. CARE FOR THEM.  everyone deserve that.
40 days of encouraging one another
40 days of random acts of kindness
40 days of making those around you feel loved, wanted, needed and cared for.
I think we can do this. Be intentional, even if its small.

Love God. Love Others. No Regrets.

-Kat