Cleansed Maiden Necklace

This summer I talked about a jewelry project and now I am ready to advertise and show it.  It is the "Cleansed Maiden Necklace".

The white shell represents God cleansing us white as snow. The butterfly represents us being a new creation in God.
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."  Psalm 51:7
"Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor 5:17

The price is $15 and from January 11 2012 to March 11 2012, I am giving 40% of the proceeds to the Rapha House.  It is a house that provides help to women who have been subjected to human (sex) trafficking.

These make great gifts!

I take check, paypal and money orders!  I must receive payment before ordering any materials.  I will order materials every Friday evening.  I do not have any pre-made.  Please allow 2 weeks for delivery and I will notify you when your piece has been sent out to you.
Please contact me katiebeth926@yahoo.com for any questions and/or orders
Thank you!

Fear

I think fear has been a big part of my life and I have just realized that within the past couple years (and I am almost 32) when I was diagnosed with anxiety. God put me in a work atmosphere where I was always so fearful-so panicky and I didn't know why. He then showed me that I have anxiety.

It hit me then that I probably have had anxiety for most of my life. It all made sense to me and I didn't know why I hadn't connected anxiety with how I was feeling before. It has stopped me from doing things(missed opportunities), hanging out with people, speaking up etc...... and I really wanted to break free from this Fear that anxiety has brought into my life. Anxiety is still there but I recognize it (with discernment) now.

Have you heard that song "Our God" by Chris Tomlin
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against

I love this song. I mean I have heard this verse before but when this song came out this verse had more meaning to me. If God is right there with us and for us then why should we be afraid? (I know it is harder then it sounds-I am not trying to make it sound easy).....but it is something that I think of when I have some anxiety going on.
Romans 8:31 "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

One thing that happened in the past few weeks is that I started a new job. A job 2 1/2 years in the making..hehe! And always on the first day you are always a little nervous and maybe a tad fearful. I have been doing retail for the past 2 1/2 years and now I am doing Data Entry at a well known facillity. I haven't ever had an office job-I have always been in customer service type jobs. So this wa s a brand new professional experience.

Within the first week I was like whoa am I really going to be able to do this should I go back to my old job which I knew i was good at (pricing in the fashion dept)? Then I was like NO. I wasn't going to let fear get to me. And now that I have been there for a few weeks I have realized that I don't really have a lot of anxiety there. I do work retail mon and wed nights and I notice right away that I am panicky there.

I have been on meds for a few weeks and I have noticed that my panickyness has gotten better and then I think of that song/verse. And I tell myself-what am I so afraid of? And honestly I think that it is because I am afraid that a customer will come up to me and ask me questions that I don't know the answer to and I panic (sounds dumb I know)......and I don't like cashiering and sometimes I get called up to help-I do have anxiety up there.....

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" Deuteronomy 31:6

God is bigger then anything. And if God is giving you a passion for something then you shouldn't let fear get in the way of it or any insecurities you may have. If God is for us then who could ever stop us? If it is God tellling you to do something don't be afraid because the only one stopping you is probably yourself.

Sidewalk Prophets - You Love Me Anyway

This song really touches me whenever I hear it. There are some things in my life that I probably shouldn't have done (haven't we all?) We disobey God all the time and yet He love us NO MATTER WHAT! I mean we seriously were those people who were yelling "crucify him" and yet He still loves us, gives us grace, and blesses us. It gives me chills just to think about that.

Loneliness

Feeling lonely is never a fun thing. Whether it is about being single or feeling like you have no one to talk to. I know for me I'm one of those people who can feel lonely in a crowded place. It has been something I have struggled with and today as well.

And when we're lonely it is always a common thing to throw a pity party. We tell ourselves "No one cares about me" or maybe "why does everyone else have a boyfriend/girlfriend but me?" The truth is we never should feel lonely, because God is always there. He doesn't want us to feel lonely. He wants to use us for His Glory and if all we do is throw "pity parties" we aren't allowing Him to do that.

Relationships:
In 2007, I got a divorce and I became single after 5 1/2 years of marriage. I felt like I was going backwards in my life. All my friends were falling in love, getting married, and having children I was now single. And 4 years later I am still single. I'll be honest I have had some "pity parties" in these past years. But at the same time God has grown me a ton also.

My divorce ended because of emotional abuse (even though he would never admit that) and because of that kind of abuse I had a lot of baggage. God knew that I needed some "healing time" from that and He also knew that I needed some alone time with God. And if I had someone in my life I wouldn't have had the healing that I needed and the awesome moments I have had with God these past years.

God has shown me a lot about myself. He is teaching me about my strengths and has laid some awesome things on my heart. The guy in my life would have been a possible distraction and God wanted me to Himself for a little while. And honestly I have really treasured these past few years focusing on God and healing and growing. I know that it is all in God's perfect timing that He will bring that special person into my life.....tomorrow maybe?(hehe).

Focus and Serving:
One thing I have learned is that when I am lonely I get held captive by the thought of loneliness. But I don't have to be trapped by the thought I am lonely. That thought is from the enemy. God places things on our hearts and He wants us to do these things.

So the next time you are lonely ask yourself "what is my passion?" What has God placed on your heart to focus on? Is serving on your heart? Are you the type of person who likes to work with kids?

This blog is on my heart. I have always loved to write and I haven't in a long time but since I started this blog my love for writing has resurfaced. So the next time you have a "pity party" and feel like you have no one refocus on something that God has laid on your heart.

"Each one of us should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1Peter 4: 10,11

This is a reminder that God is always there and He know you:
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139: 7-10

Faith

I wrote this back in December and I thought I would share it :)

Hello! I read "My Utmost for His Highest" a devotional by Oswald Chambers every morning and there have been a couple days that have really stood out to me in the past couple weeks. I thought I would share.

They have to do with faith.

As for me I am really saddened when I hear people losing their faith in God. I am not saying I have perfect faith all the time or anything. Right now I am struggling with some things and I of course get frustrated, but I know that God is there. He really truly has shown me that He loves me and He is guiding me through some things I am working on in myself. He teaches me things everyday by reading His word and prayer.

There are some things right now that I don't understand or situations I am in that I get upset about, but I do know that I am growing in these situations and that all God wants is for us to come to Him in these situations that cause us sadness or anger (as well as in happy times of course).

I don't know everything or understand everything but I do know that God doesn't want to bring us harm. He wants to give us abundant life and we have to learn to Trust instead of pushing Him away. And trusting God isn't always easy-believe me. It's a day to day process-a daily surrender. But by this surrender even in the darkest of times God will bring you joy. I know that first hand!

"my utmost..."
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right standing relationship with Him and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn't God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation but I have not entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn't God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is-will I step into that covenant relationship with Him. All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.

Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won't do it because that is not the basis of the God-and-man-relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God just as God goes beyone Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God-a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. Ex. "I don't believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand so that I know I have it." Then I say, "Now I believe" There is not faith in that. God says, " Look to Me, and be saved......" Isaiah 45:22

When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal acievement-no human ingredient in it at all. Instead there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.

"my utmost......"
Being faithful to God is the most hardest thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else, but when it comes down to being faithful to God it is the most hardest thing-don't ask me to do that. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us. The goal of faithfullness is not that we will do the work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us.

Katie: I am not here to judge other people-I have no right to do that-I have plenty of plank in my eye-I am just here to share and perhaps bless you with these words.

Jewelry Project

Hey all! I know I haven't written in a while but that is about to change :)
Right now I am working on a jewelry project. I am creating some necklaces to help raise money for an organization. Sex(Human) Trafficking is really big on my heart and I want to help get those girls(and boys) out of that situation. My contact person is out of town this week so hopefully in the next couple weeks I will get some information on where to donate and ways I can help out. Please be praying for this and I will be blogging again very shortly. Thanks!

Stronger by Mandisa (From the Upcoming Album "What If We Were Real")

This is my theme song right now. Every circumstance we go through God uses to make us stronger even though it might not be fun at times.