So this past week, I was in Minnesota for vacation with a friend and her family. Best part of the trip (besides getting launched out of a four-person tube and losing a chunk of my knee)? Listening to a four-year-old girl sing her heart out to "The Best of Both Worlds" by Miley Cyrus. Now, I'm not a huge Hannah Montana fan by any means, but it made me smile watching this little girl sing her heart out with reckless abandon. What made it even better was the fact that the two teenage boys in the van with us joined in the fun too. I only wished I had known the words so I could have sung along! How awesome would it be if God's people could rock out to Him like they do to Hannah Montana? According to Matthew Henry, "Praise is a duty in which we ought to be frequent and abundant." What if that was true of all of us? I think people would have a lot more smiles on their faces, and God would have a pretty big one of His own! Imagine the possibilities!
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn -
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Wonder of of the Cross
KK!
That last post was powerful. God Soverignly revealed Himself in that situation and continues to. May it point us back to the precious cross - John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. but take heart, I have overcome the world." Christ overcame the grave, bearing the full wrath of God on our behalf and clothing us in His righteousness, not because of anything we've done, but because of His own purpose and grace - that He may be glorified. May we take heart in Him.
Here's some lyrics to a song, "The Wonder of the Cross." It's beautiful and challenging.
O Precious sight, my Savior stands,
Dying for me, with outstretched hands.
O precious sight, I love to gaze,
remembering salvations day,
remembering salvations day.
Though my eyes linger on this scene,
My passing time and years not steal
the power with which it impacts me,
The freshness of its mystery,
The freshness of its mystery.
(Chorus)
May I never lose the wonder,
the wonder of the cross.
May I see it like the first time,
Standing as a sinner lost.
Undone by mercy and left speechless,
watching wide eyed at the cost.
May I never lose the wonder,
the wonder of the cross.
Behold the God-Man crucified,
The perfect sinless sacrifice.
As blood ran down those nails and wood,
History was split in two, yes
History was split in two.
Behold the empty wooden tree,
His body gone, alive and free.
We sing with everlasting joy,
For sin and death have been destroyed,
for sin and death have been destroyed.
(Chorus)
May we continually live in view of His mercy and in awe of the cross. Keep fighting for the gospel, KK. "Gurad the good deposit that was entrusted to you; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." 2 Timothy 1:14.
That last post was powerful. God Soverignly revealed Himself in that situation and continues to. May it point us back to the precious cross - John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. but take heart, I have overcome the world." Christ overcame the grave, bearing the full wrath of God on our behalf and clothing us in His righteousness, not because of anything we've done, but because of His own purpose and grace - that He may be glorified. May we take heart in Him.
Here's some lyrics to a song, "The Wonder of the Cross." It's beautiful and challenging.
O Precious sight, my Savior stands,
Dying for me, with outstretched hands.
O precious sight, I love to gaze,
remembering salvations day,
remembering salvations day.
Though my eyes linger on this scene,
My passing time and years not steal
the power with which it impacts me,
The freshness of its mystery,
The freshness of its mystery.
(Chorus)
May I never lose the wonder,
the wonder of the cross.
May I see it like the first time,
Standing as a sinner lost.
Undone by mercy and left speechless,
watching wide eyed at the cost.
May I never lose the wonder,
the wonder of the cross.
Behold the God-Man crucified,
The perfect sinless sacrifice.
As blood ran down those nails and wood,
History was split in two, yes
History was split in two.
Behold the empty wooden tree,
His body gone, alive and free.
We sing with everlasting joy,
For sin and death have been destroyed,
for sin and death have been destroyed.
(Chorus)
May we continually live in view of His mercy and in awe of the cross. Keep fighting for the gospel, KK. "Gurad the good deposit that was entrusted to you; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." 2 Timothy 1:14.
Friday, July 23, 2010
In the storms of life...
Hey KK!
Well the last few weeks have been a roller coaster. Don't know if you heard anything about the Pella FCA camp, but there was a tragic accident at the swimming pool and two boys drowned. I worked camp all week hanging out mostly around the basketball courts. Met some amazing men and women who love the Lord and was deeply encouraged by the response from coaches and huddle leaders after the accident on Wednesday night. It was one of those things that you never expect to happen, but when it does, at a camp like FCA, people respond in incredible ways and the Lord continued to be present in very real ways the rest of the week.
It's been super hot in Iowa lately and tonight there was an incredible thunderstorm. Storms are one of my favorite things in nature. They remind me of the awesome power of God in the thunder and lightening and pouring rain. This might seem strange, but storms calm me down. I seriously feel completely relaxed and at peace in the midst of a storm.
I wonder if that feeling of calmness and peace is God trying to show me how to respond during the real storms and struggles that occur in life? That I can trust that He is taking care of things even though rain is pouring down so hard that I can't see a thing and lightening is striking all around? Tonight's storm was especially amazing because the clouds were huge and full of lightening. Then I saw the moon popping out from behind one of the biggest, darkest clouds in the sky. It was really an amazing sight...I wish my description gave it justice...
It was an incredibly powerful moment for me to watch this. It reminded me that light exists despite the darkness that seemed to "cover" it during the storm. The moon never stopped shining because of the storm, it was only hidden for a short time - and it was only my finite vision that could not see it. Often I forget during the difficult times in life to look for the light! The light exists always - Psalm 139:12 says, "even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you." I think about how many times in my life I let the darkness of my trials consume me and forget that light overcomes the darkness! I worry about trying to tell people about the Lord for fear that they will reject me and never hear the truth. But the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5)! I pray that the Lord empowers you to speak truth as His light will overcome the darkness. May the Lord speak through you in incredible ways during your camps, your practices, and your travels!
Last week was probably one of the hardest, most emotional times I've experienced in my life. FCA is my second family and my heart broke for the families of these kids, the staff, the lifeguards, and everyone close to the situation. But the stories coming out of this situation and the way that God has worked would make your jaw drop in awe. Your former coach, Micah Parker, was the speaker, and his messages were painfully applicable to the week. The night of the accident, he spoke about how to overcome tragedy. He talked about losing his first wife to a sudden heart attack and how we needed to ask God, not "why did this happen?", but "how are you going to use this?" And that night, the sister of one of the boys took that message home to her grieving parents knowing that there was truth and hope in that message. Amazing stuff, truly amazing.
To end this, I wanted to share something with you from the week that I thought was pretty cool. :) Coach Parker told the story of the Drake Women's team the year that you made it to the NCAA tournament to play Tennessee. He passed out a scouting sheet with information about each of the girls on the team that year and went through all the players that ended up injured or out for the season. As he described you, he said he hoped his girls grew up to be like Kelsey Keizer. I thought that was an incredible testament to the way that you live your life and how much you have impacted the people around you! I hope this can be encouragement to you in your race - that you will continue to impact those around you through your actions and words as you shine the light of Christ into the darkness of our world. May the Lord bless you in the place that he has called you to share the Gospel!
Love and prayers,
KPax
Well the last few weeks have been a roller coaster. Don't know if you heard anything about the Pella FCA camp, but there was a tragic accident at the swimming pool and two boys drowned. I worked camp all week hanging out mostly around the basketball courts. Met some amazing men and women who love the Lord and was deeply encouraged by the response from coaches and huddle leaders after the accident on Wednesday night. It was one of those things that you never expect to happen, but when it does, at a camp like FCA, people respond in incredible ways and the Lord continued to be present in very real ways the rest of the week.
It's been super hot in Iowa lately and tonight there was an incredible thunderstorm. Storms are one of my favorite things in nature. They remind me of the awesome power of God in the thunder and lightening and pouring rain. This might seem strange, but storms calm me down. I seriously feel completely relaxed and at peace in the midst of a storm.
I wonder if that feeling of calmness and peace is God trying to show me how to respond during the real storms and struggles that occur in life? That I can trust that He is taking care of things even though rain is pouring down so hard that I can't see a thing and lightening is striking all around? Tonight's storm was especially amazing because the clouds were huge and full of lightening. Then I saw the moon popping out from behind one of the biggest, darkest clouds in the sky. It was really an amazing sight...I wish my description gave it justice...
It was an incredibly powerful moment for me to watch this. It reminded me that light exists despite the darkness that seemed to "cover" it during the storm. The moon never stopped shining because of the storm, it was only hidden for a short time - and it was only my finite vision that could not see it. Often I forget during the difficult times in life to look for the light! The light exists always - Psalm 139:12 says, "even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you." I think about how many times in my life I let the darkness of my trials consume me and forget that light overcomes the darkness! I worry about trying to tell people about the Lord for fear that they will reject me and never hear the truth. But the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5)! I pray that the Lord empowers you to speak truth as His light will overcome the darkness. May the Lord speak through you in incredible ways during your camps, your practices, and your travels!
Last week was probably one of the hardest, most emotional times I've experienced in my life. FCA is my second family and my heart broke for the families of these kids, the staff, the lifeguards, and everyone close to the situation. But the stories coming out of this situation and the way that God has worked would make your jaw drop in awe. Your former coach, Micah Parker, was the speaker, and his messages were painfully applicable to the week. The night of the accident, he spoke about how to overcome tragedy. He talked about losing his first wife to a sudden heart attack and how we needed to ask God, not "why did this happen?", but "how are you going to use this?" And that night, the sister of one of the boys took that message home to her grieving parents knowing that there was truth and hope in that message. Amazing stuff, truly amazing.
To end this, I wanted to share something with you from the week that I thought was pretty cool. :) Coach Parker told the story of the Drake Women's team the year that you made it to the NCAA tournament to play Tennessee. He passed out a scouting sheet with information about each of the girls on the team that year and went through all the players that ended up injured or out for the season. As he described you, he said he hoped his girls grew up to be like Kelsey Keizer. I thought that was an incredible testament to the way that you live your life and how much you have impacted the people around you! I hope this can be encouragement to you in your race - that you will continue to impact those around you through your actions and words as you shine the light of Christ into the darkness of our world. May the Lord bless you in the place that he has called you to share the Gospel!
Love and prayers,
KPax
Monday, July 19, 2010
Fireworks, Harry Potter and Insanity
You never know what can happen when you get K Pax, Wert, and I together....
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ApeITwduo4
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ApeITwduo4
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Brief Update
Hahaha, get it... brief?!
As you can tell, its been a long day of work. :)
As I'm getting ready to leave the office and realizing that the neighbors internet hasn't been working lately (yes, we steal and I'm unashamed) and yesterday was my day to post, it hits me that I need to get in gear!
Update on life.
1. Work is going awesome. I am officially a 1 job employee as of last Friday. It doesn't feel much different but I'm pumped to no longer have to use the glove box.
2. I had a great 4th of July with Sarah B. and KPax. My favorite part was almost shooting Kpax and B. with a bottle rocket. I don't think they were nearly as amused as I was.
3. Nathan and I are planning a camping trip for the first week of August with our friends Eric and Michelle. We're going to the black hills and various places within them.
4. I went to 3 wedding events this past weekend. A high school friend, Goph's and one of Nathan's high school friends. Lets just say I'm weddinged out and that 3 dresses in 3 days is a stretch for me. (Although I had a blast at Goph's wedding and we once again made B. dance to Apple Bottom Jeans. It was so great. I also ate entirely too many skittles and gummy bears from the candy bar.)
5. While in the Des Moines area I stopped at your old house. I briefly pondered how such a tall person could use the short shower in the basement. I then cuddled and talked with Dayna and Jenna (separately) and pondered how fortunate you were to live with 2 incredible friends like them.
6. I'm trying some new recipes. I will make them for you sometime but for now they are secret. (Mainly because I'm not sure if they will be good or not.
7. Katie Dewitt was at Goph's wedding. I forgot how inappropriate we can be while in the same vicinity.
8. I have not stopped missing, praying and being thankful for you and your cause.
9. I'm super excited for September and being able to hug you at the lake party.
That is it... or at least all I can come up with on the fly.
Love from the cube with high walls,
Katie
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
And you thought fireworks were only on July 4th...
Hey KK!
Well, I just got back from a fun filled weekend in Lincoln, NE hanging out with Wert and Sarah B. Being from Iowa, I've never been much for fireworks and I definitely haven't ever set off my own. Alas, a time comes in a person's life where change is a must. So Nathan gave me some little firework things that you light and it just makes a popping noise. Don't ask me what it was called 'cause I am far from well versed in the nomenclature of fireworks. :) Beside those little things, sparklers were about as "dangerous" as I got. Wert had some neighbors who invested a LOT of money in a bunch; however, and we were able to watch a great show from the backyard.
All-in-all, it was a great weekend. On Tuesday, I was able to meet with a good friend from Omaha (who I played ball with in college) and then hook up for lunch with Sarah B who was picking up Anna White from the Omaha airport. It was pretty much the perfect day - no rushing between friends and not much downtime to wait around either!!
Now I'm back in Des Moines. I took some pictures of our fun times in Lincoln but my camera cord is still at my parents house, so I'll get them up when I can...also the reason I haven't updated my blog recently (haha). ;)
Tonight I'm headed to AllPlay in DSM to Goph's bachelorette party!! Can you believe she's getting married already this weekend??! I feel like the time has just flown, so I can only imagine how it has for her. Yep that's right, sparks will fly two weeks in a row!! So there's been great celebrations this month and it's only getting started. I have my roommate's (from college) wedding the weekend after Goph's. I'm definitely pumped for the CAKE (and I think I'll probably use my bum hips as an excuse not to get my groove on, haha)!!
Anyway, just thought I'd share the excitement that is happening this month. FCA camp is all next week, so I'm pretty pumped about that too!! Maybe I'll just cut and paste this entry to my blog...just kidding. :)
Hope you're enjoying the summer and all the camps and excitement you have going on over there!!!!
Love ya,
KPax
Well, I just got back from a fun filled weekend in Lincoln, NE hanging out with Wert and Sarah B. Being from Iowa, I've never been much for fireworks and I definitely haven't ever set off my own. Alas, a time comes in a person's life where change is a must. So Nathan gave me some little firework things that you light and it just makes a popping noise. Don't ask me what it was called 'cause I am far from well versed in the nomenclature of fireworks. :) Beside those little things, sparklers were about as "dangerous" as I got. Wert had some neighbors who invested a LOT of money in a bunch; however, and we were able to watch a great show from the backyard.
All-in-all, it was a great weekend. On Tuesday, I was able to meet with a good friend from Omaha (who I played ball with in college) and then hook up for lunch with Sarah B who was picking up Anna White from the Omaha airport. It was pretty much the perfect day - no rushing between friends and not much downtime to wait around either!!
Now I'm back in Des Moines. I took some pictures of our fun times in Lincoln but my camera cord is still at my parents house, so I'll get them up when I can...also the reason I haven't updated my blog recently (haha). ;)
Tonight I'm headed to AllPlay in DSM to Goph's bachelorette party!! Can you believe she's getting married already this weekend??! I feel like the time has just flown, so I can only imagine how it has for her. Yep that's right, sparks will fly two weeks in a row!! So there's been great celebrations this month and it's only getting started. I have my roommate's (from college) wedding the weekend after Goph's. I'm definitely pumped for the CAKE (and I think I'll probably use my bum hips as an excuse not to get my groove on, haha)!!
Anyway, just thought I'd share the excitement that is happening this month. FCA camp is all next week, so I'm pretty pumped about that too!! Maybe I'll just cut and paste this entry to my blog...just kidding. :)
Hope you're enjoying the summer and all the camps and excitement you have going on over there!!!!
Love ya,
KPax
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