At it again!

So, we all know how bored I get and how I need little projects to keep me occupied. I have a new one I'm going to work on this summer.

I was talking with my friend Marsha about her organization, Amazing Gifts of Hope, fair trade and human trafficking. She was saying the organization's store is laid out so people can have parties and teach their friends about what many men, women and children around the world suffer through. The promote being aware of how our purchasing habits can effect others in the global community.

It was wonderful hearing her talk about this topic which has weighed so heavily on my heart for the last year. I was moved to do something. So, in true Kate fashion, I offered to pull together a concert to raise awareness. I'm hoping to do it for the end of July or beginning of August. I need to find some music artists to play, but I'm taking it one step as a time.

I'm excited to have another concert to plan. It's becoming one on my favorite things. I love music. I am so happy when something I love works together with my passions. People come to the concerts for the music and (I hope) leave with their eyes opened to the truly blessed life we have here in America. I am thankful that I am in this country of opportunity. I used to feel guilty that I have so much while others have so little. Now I realize I am here for a reason. God doesn't make mistakes. He knew I could use my resources to help people who are on the margins.

If you want to check out the Amazing Gifts of Hope store click here.
If you want to read what Marsha has to say, you can find that here.

Please, if you have a passion for something speak up. You will never know who shares that passion and what opportunities can arise from you teaming up with others.


"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27

Thinking of the Future

Well, I've been thinking about post graduation a lot. I have a couple of ideas. I'm not sure which to pursue.

1. Opening a coffee shop.
This has been a dream of mine for over a decade. I have been designing coffee shops as long as I have been drinking the lovely drink. Not just that, but I could make it a Fair Trade coffee shop. That way, I would be making money while improving the lives of people who are usually cheated. That is incredibly important to me. No matter what I end up doing in the long run, I want to help people.

2. Going to Grad School
This could be either seminary or normal grad school. I don't really know yet. Both sounds appealing for different reasons. I'm not going at discerning if I am being called somewhere, so I'm not sure about seminary. I am a logical thinker. I try not to go with my gut all the time. Because of that I am leaning towards normal grad school; probably at OSU so I can live at home and save money/help out.

3. Doing LVC/AmeriCorp
This can help me to pay for my loans and what not. Also, I would get some real life experience. I feel like this could be a really good chance for me to grow up. In some ways I feel like I am very grown up. In others I still feel like an infant. Plus, if I did the LVC program I could finally go to Seattle. I've always wanted to go there. I would also be living in a community house with my team. It would be a very neat to experience this.

4. The Peace Corps
When I was young I swore I would never want to go into the Peace Corps. But now I find that I was wrong. I really want to travel some day. I want to see the world. This seems like a good chance to do that. And I would be helping people.


At the end of my life I don't want to look back and see that I have accomplished nothing with my life. I want to have a family. I want to help people who need it. I have more than enough to give and still be comfortable. I have a long life ahead of me, I want to do something with it. I just need figure out what to do first.

I'm just sick of it...

I have never been a small girl. I've always been overweight. Even as a child I was one of the bigger girls in my class. But I'm tired of it. I'm tired of not really liking how I look and not feeling confident.

I think part of the reason I haven't done anything about the weight problem is because I don't want to get hurt in relationships. Guess what? That didn't work. I'm always getting hurt because I never have relationships progress beyond "just friends".

I'm done with that. I'm done not liking me. I'm done being lazy. I want to feel healthier. I don't want to have the health problems my dad has. Heart disease runs very deep in my family. So does cancer. I don't want to risk that.

All this to say, I'm hopefully going to actually do something about this. And because I respond to peer pressure I'm starting another blog. You can follow it here.

So, that's the deal. Hopefully I'll be in better shape in August and you all at school can see a difference. But we will see.

Summer

Whoa... where has the time gone? It's been over a month since I last posted and it's already summer break. I am now a senior at Wittenberg... which is crazy.

So much stuff has happened over the last month. I took part in the World's Largest Doughnut Hole Fight right before going to Heather's bridal shower. Steph and Matt got engaged. I decided I am going to do YKBS until I find a job. I've applied at like 10 places. I have been turned down at like 3 jobs.

I've moved back home and am going to be traveling back and forth between here and Springfield for work. It's going to make for a long summer, but I'm hoping it all works out. But being home has it's issues. I always have a rough time trying to become re-accustomed to not being able to make decisions for myself. The family needs to adjust to me being home too.

I really need to clean my room. there is so much shit in there and most of it I don't know where it came from. That is my project for the next couple days. Hopefully I can get up the gumption to do that.

OK, I need to get some sleep. I have to get Alex up and ready for school tomorrow morning.

House Concert

Tonight was really great. Steph, Kay and I went to a Jenny and Tyler house concert. It was so good. I've been pumped for like a week for this. It's part of what has gotten me though the week.

Well, we didn't really think that it would be awkward to go to someones house that we have never met before, however, when we pulled up to the house and there were like 8 cars in the driveway... we had one of those moment where we weren't sure if this was a good idea.  But being being the brave women that we are, we of course went in because we had driven 30 minutes...  we weren't about to leave before checking it out.

Once in the backyard we started talking with Jenny (from Jenny and Tyler) and Katie (the woman who's house we were at). It was nice chatting and making new friends. Later, we met Tyler (from Jenny and Tyler) and he said that is was cool that we just came even though we knew no one. He said that they have been having a hard time getting outsiders to come.  It was really cool how chill the atmosphere was.  Not only did it not phase the home owner that we crashed, but Jenny and Tyler we so cool to talk to.  They are one of the most down to earth, and cute couple I've met in awhile. 

They played some new music that was a fabulous as their earlier stuff.  I loved their song, One Eyed Cat  Also a lot of their music had a cool social justice message to it.  I really appreciate that.  If someone has an audience then they have the power to create change in the world.  I think Jenny and Tyler have realized that and are using their music to not only share the love of God but also to challenge others to do the same.  That is so awesome! 

No lie, if you haven't listened to their music you HAVE to check them out! I'll link to their albums at the bottom of the post.  They are so good, and totally worth it.  Also, if you sign up for their mailing list on their website will get a free Acoustic Album sent to your email.  They don't really email out too often, so it's a good deal.

But does it matter?

Easter was like 2 days ago. Because of this I've been faced with the story that we celebrate this time of year. It's taken me a couple days to really mull over what it is we believe. Pastor Marsha (the one from where I work) challenged us to really think about if we actually believe Easter matters. If I'm honest, it really depends on the day.

On the one hand, I think that if God is a loving God (like I KNOW He is) then of course Jesus' death and resurrection makes everyone OK by default.

On the other hand, if that were true, then why would Jesus have had to come out of the tomb? I mean, he beat death, whether we knew it or not and so once he came back to life he could have just peaced out. God could have beamed him up right out of the tomb... no heavy lifting necessary.

However, that's not how it went down. He stepped out of the tomb and scared the living daylights out of Mary Magdalene and the other women and later his disciples as well.

He stepped out and then had his disciples do the same. He could have stopped after he told his buddies that he was OK, but instead he had them spread the word. He said "therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19) And they did it.

It seems to me if this was all made up they would have done no such thing. Why die a cruel and painful death to protect a lie. Someone would have ratted them out... yet no one changed their story.

I know that I believe in Jesus, and a lot of these questions stem from a discomfort with evangelism and the fear of my friends going to Hell. I have a hard time thinking a loving God would send them to Hell, but maybe He would.

What do you all think? Is this a legit concern or am I over-thinking everything? Should I just believe what I was taught in Sunday school or should I continue to be critical of the doctrine I don't understand? Some feedback would be greatly appreciated. :)

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61. On the final show, the celebrity mucician they pair them with is Michael W. Smith = +2


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