{30 days} of thankful : day 13

there aren't many things i'm more thankful for than the people in my life, and certainly at the top of that list is my sweet mom. she celebrated her 60th birthday this week {she makes 60 look great, doesn't she!}, so i'd like to take a moment to share my heartfelt thanks for mom.

she is the kind of person who, when i called her on her birthday, was excited to be making sweet potato casserole for our christmas dinner, even though she doesn't really like it herself. she is a selfless person, who enjoys finding ways to help and serve all kinds of people: whether her family, her 6th grade sunday school class, her many friends, and the at-risk boy she tutors in reading. she is the person who waves and talks with every Publix employee, and befriends random neighbors whom she meets on her early morning walks. the kind of person that most people think of as one of their best friends.

my mom is hands down the best cook i know. famous for her sour cream coffee cakes and eager to bring a meal to anyone in need, she is also very patient with my phone calls with cooking questions about poaching eggs or baking times or, well, pretty much anything.

thanks, mom, for EVERYTHING, always.

with love,
katie anne

{30 days} of thankful : day 12

molly, this one is for you. you bring light to my life. you are a young woman of great beauty + strength, perseverance + courage.  i learn about trusting the Lord through your life.

to those of you who {sadly} don't know my sister, she is brilliant, compassionate, and hands down one of the funniest + cleverest people i know of. and it is in this spirit, that i say thank you for bringing laughter to my day, with re-sharing this ridiculously silly video.

also, if anyone needs another laugh, well, a monkey riding a dog {please read the short article!} just might do it.

- katie anne

{30 days} of thankful : day 11

"shalom is the presence of the goodness of God. it's the presence of wholeness, completeness"

                                                                                          {rob bell, velvet elvis}

this Christmas, this year, we have peace. not the absence of struggles, brokenness, or trials. it's not just about eliminating busyness and streamlining our schedules. as we were reminded at church, we can have peace because we can know the Person of Peace, Jesus.

when the angels appeared to shepherds on the night Jesus was born, they proclaimed peace on earth {luke 2.14}. Jesus healed a woman from 12 years of bleeding, and His words to her were "go in peace" {luke 7.50}. He desires us to live in peace: with God, each other, + within ourselves. and He has made the way: Himself.

but how easily i can forget. i get focused on my job or the things i lack {in the scheme of things, i lack nothing}, my state of being can feel shaken by circumstances, in spite of the reality that my life is rooted + grounded in the Prince of Peace.

i am thankful for this reminder, this truth. and for the freedom that i experienced today.

peace be with you.

katie anne

{30 days} of thankful : day 10

i am so thankful for renewed creativity.

maybe grad school took it out of me. or my deadbeat job. whatever the cause, it feels like the last few years have been pretty dry for me, creatively. but, during the last several weeks, i've been inspired. the vibrant, wild bittersweet growing around our yard lured me outside on chilly days, clippers in hand, with {successful!} hopes of making wreaths and decorative arranagements.

my knitting needles have also been busy, and i learned the hard way that stockings are far more difficult than i imagined. and today, i'm working on actualizing my vision for Christmas garlands. {next up: making the second stocking. fingers crossed it'll be finished by Christmas!}

- katie anne

p.s. if you are wanting some crafty inspiration, i am currently LOVING this site, which is where i borrowed the stocking pattern i used.

p.s.s. i also made a little something-something for my sister's puppy, which will be joining us for Christmas. but, for the sake of surprises... i'll have to keep it a secret for now :)

{30 days} of thankful : day 9

it's no secret that my job is a frustrating disappointment. i have unthinkable amounts of time without anything to do, and most of the work i do isn't actually counseling. more days than not, i'm thinking and trying to plan a way out of this job. and maybe even out of the profession of counseling.

and then, yesterday {for the first time in quite some time}, i actually got to do therapy with two sets of clients. and both sessions went really well. it felt good to dig deep and see that the skills and gifts are still there to help others in this way. to get a glimpse of why i chose this profession. and then today, i got an email from a grad school colleague, who shared a simple, but powerful affirmation of my gifting as a counselor. i can't quite put words to how much all this meant, especially in light of the months of doubting my career, my calling, myself in all of this.

for these reminders and the truth they contain, i give thanks.

i don't know what the future holds for me in my career and work situation. these events don't actually change anything, and yet, i am changed by remembering the hope + purpose i once felt. hold onto it.


katie anne

{30 days} of thankful : day 8

what i am about to write gives me the chills. and teary eyes. a miracle happened yesterday, is happening today. and it is great cause to give deep thanks. a baby boy is coming home to his family for the first time today. but first, let me give you some background, so that you, too, can marvel at the goodness and mystery of God this Christmas season.

amy was my discipleship leader my first year at Doulos. i remember meeting her for the first time in my interview, only to realize that i had been to her house before :) from day 1 of truly knowing her, she was a woman who spoke and prayed truth and grace into my life. she is one of the women who has lived out the difficult beauty of waiting on and trusting in the Lord, for many things near and dear to her heart. like having children.

although i haven't seen her in person in a few years, her story grabs my heart every time i hear and read it. after a few years of infertility, she and her husband adopted... and got pregnant at the same time! two miracles, two precious lives. fast forward a couple of years to 2011, she and her husband open their hearts to adopt again, only to soon find out that the same birth mother is pregnant again. God surely places His desires in our hearts. then something happened to actually take this adoption to court. for a few months, after this baby's birth. oh, i can only imagine the heartache. waiting on this baby, hoping in the Lord's promises, and ultimately letting go and entrusting this child to the Father. lots of disappointment, confusion, and raw honesty. and yesterday, this child was placed in the care and family of my friends, to grow up in a loving, Christ-centered home, and today he went home to his new family.

as i type this, i can't help but think of the Christmas story, of the gift of a baby boy, of God's steadfast love and faithfulness to His covenant.

truly there is much to be thankful for, including a glimpse of glory today.


katie anne

{30 days} of thankful : day 7

well, i missed a day. but, that's the beauty of doing this for myself, right? so, moving on ...

today i am thankful for ... a comfortable, warm home {and a repaired washing machine}.

   ... dinner in the oven

   ... and this man to enjoy it all with:

peace,
katie anne

{photo taken by our dear friend tahni from joyeuse photography}