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Sometimes you just need a refill…
I remember what it was like for Friday’s ….after my college class was over I would jump in the car and travel from Clarion, PA all the way to Norfolk, VA just for the weekend. 8 hrs in the car, arrive late Friday night, spend all day Saturday with Aaron and then hop in the car after lunch on Sunday and drive all the way back. Ya, it sure was a lot of driving, but sometimes you just need a refill. My heart was always with Aaron, even when we were apart. I never could figure out why I felt so empty when I wasn’t with him. I know, now, that I was searching for a love that Aaron could not give me and still can’t. A joy that would replace any pain in my heart. The Grace and Mercy Jesus has shown me, even through my failures, cannot be measured.
When I think back… 16hrs in the car just to spend a little over 24 hrs with Aaron…wow! that’s only for the young! Although far from God @ that point in my life, He was doing a mighty work in me. I always say I don’t want to share my testimony because I feel like others testimonies are more relevant…but here goes.
I was lost, brought up in a house that didn’t know Jesus. Maybe heard stories or knew who God was but didn’t share how to seek Him, know Him or bring others to Him. I met Aaron long before we dated. In fact, I was better friends with his brother who was 4 years younger than me. When I was 16 (almost 17) Aaron and I started dating. He attended church, so I did too. Anything to spend more time together! One Sunday night at Youth Group, while we were singing praise and worship music to an acoustic guitar and praying… I realized my life would be empty without a few select people in my life; first person that came to my mind – Aaron. How could I live without him? Krissy was the next person that I could never imagine going on without (my best friend at the time). This moment in my life was so significant but I didn’t know it then. (BTW, I was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, jean overalls (from the GAP) and socks with green strap sandals and fish hair clip in my medium length brown hair.) Like I said, it was a pretty significant. As I’ve thought over this night so many times, it has become more and more apparent that those people that I thought I couldn’t live without was God’s way of showing me that it was Him that I couldn’t live without. He was showing me Himself through people and things that I loved so much I couldn’t imagine going on without them. Over 10 years later I’m still struggling with being sure all I need is Him.
A few weeks ago, our church had a weekend of prayer. We are in a huge transition time (our Pastor retired) and our church is seeking God’s direction in a mighty way. While I’m on board with seeking what God wants in the life of our church, I wasn’t on board with what God wants in my life; due to the fact that my prayer life, non-existent… my bible reading/study time with God, non-existent. So how could I know what God wanted for me. Since then I’ve made changes; changes that better me and better others around me. If I’m to be looked at as a Christ follower, I should have His answers, His Grace and Mercy. I’m a work in progress and I always will be.
So after reading this back to myself (over and over) I noticed that my testimony doesn’t really have an end. It doesn’t share of some great baptism or earth shattering revelation where Jesus grabbed me, shook me and turned me around with a huge push and said “Go and sin no more” …..so….why not? CUZ MY TESTIMONY IS NOT OVER… I’m going to continue down this path that My Father has for me seeking Him all the while and pleading with people along that way to choose Him! Choose Jesus and forever LIVE!
Thank you God for your Grace and Mercy. I don’t express enough how You have loved me unconditionally and rocked my world with ENORMOUS opportunity and renewed faith. Lord, I am forever Yours!
And all God’s people said…
AMEN!
So… … I’m building a portfolio.
I never thought that a mere camera purchase would turn into such a passion… thank you to all my subjects, especially my patient children who FOREVER have a camera lens pointed in their direction!
There are many things I could say about the last 18 months…
Let’s just stick with, “that was fun.”
~Katie
Welcome to PA!
So the mission trip began on July 31st and ended with a BANG on August 7th…. a long week of God filled AMAZINGNESS! (if that’s not a word, it should be!)
We traveled from Norfolk, VA to Youngsville, PA… 29 students, 7 adults (one was 7 months pregnant), 4 babies and a golden retriever!
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- Welcome to PA!
Here is the Ranch we worked on… God is at work in the hearts of the people that make this ministry what it is and we were blessed to be apart of something so awesome!
Please visit their site to see how God is using them in a mighty way!
Pastor Rick welcomed us with open arms for the 2nd year in a row @ the church property in the middle of the Biggest Little Town on the Map! We camped in tents all week…showers were graciously provided by Aunt Cheri, Grandma and Buppa Dininny, Aunt Kelly and Grandma & Grandpa Bob Nearing…o! and the creek, many mid-day dips were key to cooling off after a sweaty soccer game. Our meals were prepared by Aunt Cheri. A few of the local church members chipped in also for a couple breakfasts and dinners. We were humbled by the serving hearts that surrounded us.
Sunday night, we pitched tents and slept in the cold; okay well it was in the 60′s… but that is cold in July even if you come from PA… I had my pants tucked into my socks COLD! Monday morning brought excitement and perspective as our leaders helped us dive into God’s word and work! We did some manual labor for a neighboring Youth Camp, Wesley Woods. Tuesday we worked our first day on the ranch; meeting the horses, stacking hay and cleaning out a nearby barn and sweeping the fields with our “Rock Star” skills and encouraging each other along the way. Wednesday was a “Free Day” and the kids and most leaders went on a 8 mile canoe trip down the very calm Allegheny River. Thursday, back at the Ranch 
we made even more “Rock Stars” appear and a few of the kids built a new horse stall in the barn. We saw the grounds where a water tank would soon be put in (the Ranch currently DOES NOT have running water) … we trust God will provide those funds for the Follets and their visitors soon! Friday we cleaned up our “campgrounds” and put in some much needed vamping to the property playground (free sand from the locate Concrete and Block-thanks to Whitmire Block), mulch for under the swing sets and setting up for a night of worship with neighbors and friends. Saturday was our last free day and we went hiking and climbing at Rimrock, a local attraction over looking the beautiful Kinzua Dam. Sunday, God hit a homerun as we worshipped with the congregation of our sponsoring church, Youngsville Free Methodist. The service was awesome and the response…overwhelming!
Thank you to all the parents, church members and family that supported us in God’s journey for us to Youngsville, we can’t wait to go back! Summer 2012, HERE WE COME!
okay guys and girls…. camp is just around the corner! If you haven’t signed up, do it! The bus seats are going fast!
Here are some pics and the infamous video from last year. If you need a good laugh, you catch my lil dance at minute 9 (and 25 seconds)….
Can’t wait to go! PA, here we come!
Show Aaron a little love too…
aarondininny.com
A nine hour trip with my husband driving, two kids in the back with nonstop talking and requests and my golden retriever lounging in the 3rd row of our Trailblazer can get a girls’ mind thinking. As we passed through a small town on the side of one of the many highways that shows us the way home from PA to VA, I saw a steeple. It caught my eye due to the background of a beautiful horizon. You know the kind of sky… pinkish-dusky whites and grays that show you the way into the best daydream…
ANYWAY;
The steeple’s presence in that sky made me think that He is just that close. Today there are churches everywhere you turn. We don’t need a church to know Jesus but we do need community with fellow believers and that steeple made me think; Jesus is everywhere too. He is right here. He is not off in the distance painted in a pretty sky whispering sweet nothings in our ears.
Right here.
And I am too… right here Lord, show me Your ways, show me Your will.
Just in case you didn’t see this on my FB page;
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/v/10150129995922892“>
~Katie
If your life wasn’t an up hill battle, would you still pursue it with such great determination?
Those of you who know me would definitely say; that question is something Katie will find the answer to. And for those of you who don’t know me; you may think that I’m a negative person. Let me break it down for you:
This past Sunday, my Sunday school class talked about Acts Chapter 7 (other scripture too) but in Acts, we see a man thrown out of a city, and stoned. He cried to God, “do not charge them with this sin.” I’m thinking that this was not one of Stephen’s best days. So, did he wake up knowing what God had in store for him, I’m going to go with “no” for this answer.
Do you know what God has in store for you when you put your feet on the floor first thing in the morning? (again, a “no” is gonna fit best here)
So my question remains; if your life wasn’t an up hill battle, would you still pursue it with such great determination?
By no means do I think I have it hard in my life, I have a God that loves me, a husband that loves me too, children that depend on me and a roof over my head and food in my belly… life is good… for me.
But what about the people that don’t believe their lives are good? The people that don’t know God loves them, or that their husband (or wife) loves them, that someone, somewhere depends on them? This is where my up hill battle begins. I want to tell them that God loves them, I want to help them see that their husband/wife/children love them and depend on them.
I have been charged; charged to hear the good news, accept that Jesus is Lord and show others and tell others how to find what I have been so blessed with-a life of everlasting.
Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is LORD!
(P.S. our service this past Sunday was so amazing and inspiring-it has set a fire in me that I pray will never burn out!)
AMEN!
So many things are communicated by word of mouth. The stories in the bible, our country’s history, our families memories and funny stories. Sometimes you need to be brought back to reality and the other day on the telephone with my Grandpap did just that.
I give him a call every now and then to catch up. Here’s a little background on my Grandpap; Born and raised in Northwestern PA, his childhood years were spent in the ways of the 1930’s. He attended school and was drafted into the Army at 18 years old, served and retired. Married the love of his life (my Grandma passed away in May 2007) and raised his family in Grand Valley, PA. I will say that I see my Grandpap as a simple man. He loves God, attends church and men’s bible study-but tends to not get too involved.
So, I give him a call the other day and he gives me the latest updates… weather, neighbors and the latest project he’s working on. (he fixes up gas engines and antique tractors) He told me that he’s grateful for this past summers projects, that they have kept his mind off of things (he means thinking about my Grandma; he misses her dearly) When he his finished working on these projects and he does not have any further use for them, he sells them. But in the world of today where we use Craig’s List, eBay and Amazon to move our products and make a quick buck-my grandfather uses the good ole Word of Mouth. While he was telling me his story, my mind started to wander-how does the world survive without all these “things” and new and improved ways of communication? Does any of it matter? Or are we just creating obstacles in this life that is as simple as a good ole fashion face to face relationship? Word of mouth… does anyone still use this as their main form of communication? Even in my marriage sometimes our main form of communication is email. Aaron and I both work, so when a random thought comes to mind, we just simply send an email so either of us can put in on our calendar. Don’ get me wrong here, Aaron and I do a good job with communication (most of the time)-BUT… where’s the simplicity? Has it gotten lost? Will we ever get it back?
So I’ll conclude this huge paragraph of thought with this…
My Grandpap doesn’t know about Craig’s List, eBay and all of the other ways we sell things and communicate in today’s fast pace world; nor does he care or want to know. He knows that there is a way to get things done, and for him that way is by word of mouth. For him, it builds relationships.
When is the last time you cultivated a good relationship with just talking?
here are my beautiful babies at the beach! This trip to the beach was so much fun… I’m usually behind the camera; this time Aaron volunteered. ENJOY!
