Katelyn.. SLOW DOWN!

So, I was just itching to get back home to Salado, TX, early last Wednesday afternoon. I went straight from the pool at SWBTS to Grace Baptist Church, Salado, TX. I was already exhausted and I walked in the door to see surprised faces. It was as if they'd never seen me before... like I've been gone, to college or something? (Imagine that.) "How've you been?" "How's school?" "What are your plans for the summer?" All of these exciting questions are shuffled in my ears through my brain and the answers out of mouth, regurgitated to each person who so inquisitively asked. It seems that my answers were always the same, and the responses the same as every visit. It was beautiful, though, at some expense to see Daisy, an old friend who I've prayed for her salvation, seen her grow, and then not see her for a long time because God is using her as a missionary in Guam to the Chukese and the Palauans! God is doing so much in her life and she was in visiting for the month! It's beautiful to see how she's grown! Her hair is long and her heart is being so conformed to His image. So beautiful to see a girl lost in the darkness of her lonely lost heart be conformed and strong in His Word, rebuking, exorting, encouraging, edifying, etc. Then, behind her I saw my best friend from back home, Kortney. How beautiful to see the hands and feet of those who preach the good news. She has the same quiet, beautiful spirit, but things had changed. Her heart has been in the same sanctification as Daisy's (although by different means I'm sure... situations, etc.) (Obviously God is working in and through both of them) To see two women of God standing before me and reminiscing on the process that God has allowed me to be a part of is a beautiful thing.
Then, behind them I see Jonathan, Josh, and John Goodnight. Another wonderful thing to see. To see my youth pastor and mentor, and two young men who also are following his lead, questioning his every step and belief and lining those up with Scripture. I've seen maturing in all three of these guys over the years and to see them again is a blessing.
But also with the beautiful comes the ugly. The only place that I've seen such hard hearts was in Mexico or Ft. Worth. Even people on the streets aren't as cold as these. One of the saddest things I can think of is to walk into a church where everyone believes they are Christians (bondservants of Jesus Christ!) and they sit cold in the church pew cursing that someone is in church and they shouldn't be because of what they believe rather than listening to the sermon on forgiveness and boldness. Faith, availability, and teachability. My heart broke yet again, while all the while I was able to rejoice at the grace and peace God has worked in and through the lives of people at Grace that I only hope the unsaved and the lost will see. There is a remnant there, and as time goes by they will leave. Please, friends, continue to pray for the man of God that He has for His church to hear the gospel proclaimed and the people discipled to go proclaim the gospel here in this nation and across the globe.
I attempted to sleep that night, anxiously awaiting the next morning 530 to leave for the McClain's Ranch to work with the 8th grade girls from CTCS on their retreat. You know the thoughts that go through every teacher's mind, or at least I think so (I might be the oddball!) are: Lord, take me and make me available for You. Open my eyes to where You deem me a necessity to be used. That You make speak the gospel through me and that I might not be a stumbling block or a hindrance to these girls but that You would help me to trust You. That I would not speak out of place or remain mute when I must speak. Rather, Lord instill in me a fear to speak Your Word truthfully and rightfully. For if I do not, I must tremble at the thought.
I had one more girl in my group than all of the other leaders and with my group came several girls with beautiful faces. As a song I've heard "her face was clear, but her vanity's clearer." The weekend started off with the voices of several girls rattling of "I got his number, and he texted me this... and he's FINE!" and "Girl, where'd you get that?" and song lyrics that I haven't heard in over a year or two because of the conviction of the Spirit in my life about music "Kiss me through the phone.... blah blah blah" The unholy talk of 8th grade girls filled my ears as we loaded and unloaded everything. Did they not know that the leaders HEAR? We have ears!
When the baggage was unloaded and everything was in place, it was time to unload the truth and pray these girls would be knocked down by it. But not merely knocked down, broken, shattered, and that the Lord would pick them up and enrapture and captivate their hearts with none other than Himself. We rallied the girls together and I had the amazing blessing of an opportunity to pray over the girls before we started the weekend. We began by doing some icebreaker type things that would encourage the girls to see their tastes in musice, etc. and what society has stamped an "OK" to them listening to without them even noticing it. "Boom Boom Pow" "The Notebook" "Kiss Me Through The Phone" All of these very secular songs, and I can't even remember the rest, but this started the day off. We seperated and the girls did a bible study on their own. They came back and we started crafts (bracelets) my team was "THE BLUE SKY!" and this was because our bracelet colors were blue and what is blue? THE SKY! Obviously, coolest name ever. Anyways, as we were making our bracelets we began talking about music and how it affects us in the way we think, how that reflects in our lifestyles, etc. The girls were very open, and others were not so open to start with but they cracked towards the end of the weekend.

We had lunch (Subway!) and we then had our group discussions (this is my favorite part of the day because I had the opportunity to teach and hear what the girls had to say about the topics we were speaking about) Day 1 was Lies About Relationships: these encompassed how we often go to our friends before we go to God because "our friends are physically there whereas we forget that God is a reality sometimes.", "I am my own authority." This encompassed relationships with parents, teachers, coaches, and any other authority that is over them. This brought up several discussions including the authority a man has in a relationship with his wife. (Which was supposed to be saved for day 2, but we started early in my group!) Day 2 was Lies About Guys: these lies dealt with "I have to have a boyfriend" and "If we don't have sex, we're still pure". This was awesome because I got to explain to the girls the sufficiency of Christ (go through the gospel once more), and then go into what purity is, and biblical womanhood. :-) AWESOME! We then went into Christ and Him being head over the Church and how that parallels with marriage. Day 3 we talked about Lies About Media. This one was pretty much covered all weekend, but we talked about "I have to be a size zero" and it was really good.
We played Sh-ding-ding-wa. (Really fun Go Tell/ Camp game that works with your mind), and the next day we played another game that was really cool. We paired the girls up in couples and they were "dating" (scenario game), and we tied a balloon to each couple with a sin written on them "Sex, Drugs, Pornography, Lust, etc." and so often we have our own sin that we try and point out everyone elses and we tried and keep ours safe. So, we had the teams of two attempt to save their "sin" and all the while attempting to pop everyone elses.

The camp was really good. The girls made boxes for their husbands someday (to put prayers that they've written for them,etc. in) We also had them do a skit about something that they had learned about. My group did a skit about hypocrasy and gossip in their skit (school setting) YOU GIRLS DID AMAZING! Two groups did kind of an acting scene where several girls were sins "drinking", "drugs/depression", etc. and then one girl was Jesus and "He" demolished all of the other girls and saved the one affected by the lusts of her heart. The last group did commercials and insisted upon the stupidity of the media and how worldly it really is.
I had the amazing opportunity to lead worship for these girls. I will tell you this. The Father really did work in a way that I haven't seen ever before except at Redeemer Church where the Lord lead girls to praise Him on their own, and pray outloud and shout that they need Him. The desperate cries of a lost man are beautiful, and the the desperate cries of a saved man are beautiful still.


It was an amazing retreat and God really blessed it. I came home Saturday afternoon, went and picked my car up and came back home, fell asleep at 430, woke up about 830 and laid around in bed for a little while. I then woke up and hung out with my family.
Sunday I went to church , and then came with my family back home. We had a crawfish deal at my house (yummy! my favorite!) and we ate and ate and ate and fellowshiped and it was so amazing. Jonathan's girlfriend Ivonne came in and everyone got to meet her and her mom. It was a sweet time. I began feeling sick about Saturday afternoon and after we went shoe shopping and to church I was really feeling it Sunday night. I had heavy headaches ALL DAY, nausea, nose was bothering me, and at the end of the night my throat was killing me. This morning I woke up and it was so bad I had to bail out on going to Enchanted Rock with Jonathan and Ivonne and the Pucketts. So, I ended up waking up and then going to the doctor this afternoon. Praise the Lord it isn't strep! I do have an upper respiratory bacterial infection. So, I'm on drugs (again!) and praising the Lord for friends who talkedwith me for hours praying and laughing and getting my mind off of the sickness, and teasing me about how the medicine is affecting me. For my amazing parents who work all day and spend their evenings with me. For their love and their hearts. but mostly for our Lord Jesus Christ because of what He did on the cross and how that affects my life in every way possible.
I go back to Fort Worth tomorrow and I will start working on the Isaiah 6 song, Greek tutoring, and the bible study for the ladies at the Taqueria. Praise the Lord for rest. I pray for healing and discernment. He is a great and faithful God! Praise Him all the earth!