I'm a Grandma!

I became a grandmother in September of last year, and my grandson Brody has entered into the world… I am woman who is still young as far as the age of a typical grandma is and am not of the retirement age. That makes it hard to be available… My heart aches to be able to be around him more, and at the same time my heart leaps with joy as I watch in amazement the incredible parents my daughter Kellie Ann and her husband Chase are!

I truly do stand in awe at the beauty of it all. I am blessed and I know it. I am soon to become a grandparent again with our daughter Tabby and her husband Gerald, they have been on quite a journey, they have been ready to be parents for many years, and God has then on the path of adoption! They have just been approved by the adoption agency, by going through all of the classes, home inspections and all of the many things they must do before they can become parents!

SO… it’s just a matter of time before we meet our next beautiful member of the family! With this adoption, Gerald and Tabby have left the gender, the race(s) the placement decision all up to God and we are excited to see who God chooses for them! I can hardly wait!! So fun!! Join us in prayers for this new child, join us in prayers for the birthmother as well, we know she must be frightened and we also know she will be choosing the parents and none of this will be easy for her either.

I pray that God reaches down into her heart and grants her His love and His peace as she makes her decision. I pray that the rest of her life she will feel the closeness of God… I will keep you posted on this as we progress and meet our newest grandchild!

Prayers Rising...Rising... Rising...

Prayers for each of us as we continue our journey, as we each follow our God-given calling upon this earth. Prayers for each of you as you see God in action, praying that you become a witness in your very own faith story of the miracles of our God, how He moves you to tears, moves you to laughter, moves you to action, moves you... moves you physically, moves you spiritually and moves you emotionally.

Prayers for family, prayers for new life, for my soon to be here grandson, my very first grandchild, prayers for my daughter Kellie Ann as her delivery date is drawing nearer and nearer. Prayers of thanksgiving for my daughter Tabitha rising… rising… rising… Prayers of thanksgiving for my sons-in-law, Prayers of thanksgiving as my wedding anniversary nears and for all the years of love I have shared in my marriage.

Prayers for each of us here reading as we continue on in our very own prayers. Our Lord knows your needs, I am praying that we all find ourselves closer to our Maker with each passing day, that we cling to His love, that we surrender all.... that we walk away lighter each day, walk away brighter at the end of each day. I pray that we are filled with joy because we have helped another in need, knowing that we can make the world a better place each day for those in our circles.

Let us sleep with smiles on our lips, and dreams of love and peace and difference be ours. How I love each of you,how I praise God for each of you... I am blessed to be walking the path with each of you...
Love, Love, Love and Jesus.
AMEN :)
Love,
Kathryn

SACRED LISTENING WOMAN

I painted my "SACRED LISTENING WOMAN" and I don't know if you can see it in this photo or not but I also painted two muted trees "underneath" her face symbolizing New Life and Growth. Her eyelashes are sacred wings...

This is my very first painting using acrylics and I must confess that I didn't feel "ready" to paint on my precious canvas, still needing to learn the way the paint brushes feel, how much to use... etc... so I used my big water color tablet :) Felt safer to start that way for me. In the end I took my Iridescent Gold and washed the entire painting with it. I might have muted the painting too much in doing so. I didn't realize how it would mute it, I thought it would make it more sparkely and shiny. But here it is! :)

ROOTED & FREE

MY VERY first watercolor painting ever.
It's elementary... but I love it... I like the trunk of the tree... Like the colors... I was at peace in the painting of it... thinking of my friend since 4th grade, Karen's sister Debbie who just passed on to be with God. Thoughts for her as I painted... she's with our God now... I felt like I painted her Spirit in the painting as I painted with the blues...

"SPIRITCLOUD"

God had prompted me to do a study of all the Scriptures regarding CLOUDS and it is truly amazing how God shows up in the clouds! He is amazing! He was a Pillar of Cloud during the day and a Pillar of Fire by night, at the baptism of Jesus out of a cloud came the voice of God announcing to all those who where there "This is my son, whom I'm well pleased, LISTEN to Him" [emphasis mine], and that the clouds are the dust beneath His feet... The list of the majesty of the clouds goes on and on... This is my painting depicting the sky, the waters, the light and the clouds are filled with His awesome presence.

GOD IS LOVE

This painting is my 2nd one to do ever I call it "GOD IS LOVE" from 1 John 4:8,16.

GATES & DOORS --- Devotional

"The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, it's gates and its walls." Revelation 21:15

"The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass." Revelation 21:21

Oh Lord, to see the vision of this angel---

This angel talking with John!

I picture this and even can experience it in a seemingly smoky kind of way. I know that this is something extraordinary - yet not to You God - not to You at all.

Gold, glorious gold, the angels measuring rod - obviously yielding powers of You God - with abilities far beyond our earthly comprehension. But you have shown us throughout your Word what power you can bring forth - what amazing acts and mighty power can come through a simple stick - or a staff- even a snake.

So... I know that this Golden Measuring Rod was used in Revelation 11 to ensure protection and here in chapter 21 to be used for measuring.... -- mmmmmm.... mmmmm... I soak in your power and majesty. I soak in awe - and joy- and holy fear of all that you are capable of.

Measure me my LORD - let me grow taller and stronger and more powerful through you to be used for You. Grow me, stretch me, let me "measure up" let me in my own unworthiness take on and be cloaked in Your worthiness. Keep me within the bounds of your Holy Walls and Gates, let me not step outside of Your will or Your protection. Protect me with Your rod, keep me within Your gates so that I remain always focused on You - serving You - through Your power.

Let me have every bit of the power You want me to have through the Holy Spirit - let me be fully surrendered and keep measuring me. Allow Your Angels to speak to me. Allow Your Angels to measure me. Keep the Angels that You assign to me ever present, let me hear their words, let me respond accordingly. Thank you my LORD for Your amazing protection - for Your amazing love and your amazing creation!!

With love and devotion,

Kathryn

(the photo above is an actual picture of my journaling devotion taken by me of these particular Scriptures)

Our Daughter Kellie Ann Is Married!

It has been a while since I have posted on my blog! Not because I haven't wanted to, but because I have been so busy with work, church, my book, and ALL of the MANY details of our daughter Kellie Ann's wedding. Above is a picture of where she was married. You may find this rather comical, but the people in the photo are not my daughter and son-in-law! However, the photo is where she was married. At this point I do not have any photo's of them yet. The photographer won't have photo's to us for several weeks. I am ready for them NOW :) There fore I simply went to the website where they were married and borrowed a photo :) When I have actual photos I will upload them and share them.

It was a beautiful wedding, and we truly do love our son-in-law. What a blessing that is for us. We know that Chase will take such great care of Kellie Ann, that gives parents such peace. Chase and Kellie Ann have committed their marriage to Christ and that is HUGE! It's the best way to begin the biggest commitment of your life. We are proud of both of them, in so many ways. I give thanks unto our Lord God for uniting them in Holy Matrimony!

My husband (Kellie Ann's dad) married them and said so many profound things during the ceremony as he spoke to them and to the congregation. One of the things that struck me that he said was that "He watched Chase from the window as he opened up the car door for her, and picked up the tree branches from the front yard (we'd had a heavy storm that broke some of the branches from the trees). He said that when I saw him do those two things, not knowing that Bruce was watching him from the upstairs window, that he knew Chase would be a good provider, and that he was a hard worker, and that he took pride in things.

All of that is very true of Chase. He also talked about the patience that he exhibited with Kellie Ann, and how he taught her more about finances, and how he had bought her a puppy for Christmas several years back. We are blessed!

We have turned a corner of sorts, now that both of our daughters are married to wonderful guys. We are now through "raising" them, and will be in prayer for them until the day of our death, and until then, we can now be "friends" together. There is something truly glorious about this! Something to celebrate! They made it, they are full fledged adults! Wow, it's truly amazing, truly wonderful!

I pray that the Lord blesses both of you with abundance, joy, laughter, love, grace, forgiveness!

Kathryn

Prayers of the People we prayed in church today

I pray that you truly experience the prayers below in their fullest. We prayed them in church today and I was moved with the depth of who each of us is, what we are to be, and how our Lord moves through us for His glory...

PRAYER
God of all that is good, in this season of Pentecost You fill us with Your Holy Spirit. In scripture You give us Your vision for the world. In love You give us Your grace. In wisdom You give us each other. We are Your presence, Your power and Your body in the world. For this we give You thanks and, as one body, offer ourselves and each other we pray.

Holy Spirit of community...
RESPONSE
Bless Your holy people

PRAYER
We praise You for the possibilities that come from Your imagination, and for the gifts that we offer to fulfill the vision of ministry and mission You set before us. We pray for all who minister in the church.

Holy Spirit of servanthood...
RESPONSE
Bless our mission

PRAYER
We pray that we may see the sacred in our everyday lives, believing with our brothers and sisters in faith that we can make a difference through You.

Holy Spirit of life...
RESPONSE
We remember the promises made at our baptism.

PRAYER
We prayer for the world around us. For other nations and people far away. For their hopes and fears, and for those who weep and those who dance in every part of the world.

Holy Spirit of diversity...
RESPONSE
Open our hearts to both strangers and friends.

PRAYER
We also pray for our own nation, that we may learn Your vision of freedom, and that our privilege be blessed in how we use it to benefit those around us.

Holy Spirit who works in everything...
RESPONSE
Open our eyes to Your compassion.

PRAYER
We pray for the courage to learn the names of those around us, to honor the beauty of their gifts, as well as the urgency of their needs, and that we may boldly speak the truth in love to our neighbors.

Holy Spirit who makes power of powerlessness...
RESPONSE
Make us channels of justice and peace.

PRAYER
We pray for those who suffer and for the gift of being companions with them. Bless those in our midst who are tired or hurting, and those who trust us to pray for them.

Holy Spirit who comforts us...
RESPONSE
Open our hearts to know the healing power of Your love.

PRAYER
We pray for those who have died, that we may know the presence of the cloud of witnesses around us. Bless those who mourn and those who, in their grief, know the sure and certain promise of eternal life in You.

Holy Spirit of forever and from before time...
RESPONSE
We praise You for the wonder of eternal life!