Rise up!

This past Sunday I had the honor and blessing of joining over 2,000 members of my church to make known that Jesus Christ is risen and He is alive! Please share this video, as our prayer is to truly make His name known through out the world using this as a tool. It is titled, "Dance Your Shoes Off"because in the end we literally danced our shoes off and donated them to organizations that are in need of shoes to give to people that have none. Please watch, be blessed, and pass on.
Dance Your Shoes Off

Abiding

 I always feel the need to put a disclaimer out there that I am a pro at rambling so hopefully you will follow me and not get too confused during this post :)

I really thought I would be better at this blogging thing, and I firmly believe that I WILL be better once we have internet at home. Although, the internet does comes in handy and it DOES get annoying sometimes to not have it...or cable for that matter...I am WAY more productive with my time while home. Who knew I spent so much on the computer and watching TV? A little disturbing now that I've taken a step back from it..which has led me to be convicted over how much time I use to NOT dwell and rest in the Lord when I need a break from life. I mean seriously it doesn't even make sense...TV to be rejuvenated or the giver of rest and peace...the only one  who can truly satisfy and feed my soul. Oh, how Satan loves to deceive. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that all you TV-watching, internet feeding people out there are terrible each time you turn your TV on or get on your computer. This is about how I, Lana Kates, was, am- using the wrong things to be rejuvenated.

Last week there was a woman's event at my church called "Loving Well" and for me to describe what the Lord taught me and is teaching me would probably take a week for you to read. The main point though was abiding in God's love. Knowing...not a knowledge OF...but KNOWING His love. Staying in His love. Believing that he loves me..and you...because that's what he does! Not because of who I am, what I do or will do or what other people say about or think about me...the list could go on...but simply because he IS love. It truly has pierced my soul and transformed my way of thinking and living. Part of it was a realization that I have many fears in my life and I was reminded at this event that fear is the OPPOSITE of love. If God is love then in these fears of mine... I am not believing who God says he is. I am not abiding in His love but instead abiding in the opposite which are my fears. I mean seriously-why would I want to abide in my fears? Talk about stressful. I am not believing that the God who saved me, the God who created the heavens and the earth, the God who calms the seas..the list could on forever....loves me when things go bad or worse, COULD go bad...because I CHOOSE to let fear overtake me. I in an instant let my flesh win the battle and let fear overcome me INSTEAD of choosing to ABIDE in the Lord's love, ABIDE in His truth, ABIDE IN WHO HE SAYS HE IS.

 I have a choice... the first is to believe the Lord has a plan and remember that it is not my story to tell but that I am a part of HIS story whether I understand it or not. It is for His glory...not my own. OR the second is I can live in fear, discontentment and self pity. I have a feeling that this will be a daily battle and learning point for all of my days. Sure-there are things and will be things that have not gone the way I foresaw them happening and to an embarrassing amount I have chosen the latter way of thinking but I pray that my heart and mind will be transformed to where I am SO abiding in Him and his love for me that no matter what happens...I will just rest in my sweet Jesus.

One big heap

One big heap of stuff going on....

 In case you have not heard, in the past week and a half Justin and I have moved and got a new puppy whom we love and adore. Except when she licks my face...j/k I still love her but I am not a fan of being licked in the face by a dog even if it is the cutest puppy in the whole world. ANYWAYS-all this to say-we are still in the process of moving. I have never taken more than a day...maybe TWO to move because it stresses me out having stuff in two places and neither place is put together. Well friends....we are on day 8 of moving due to the fact that we had stuff going on all weekend long and moved little by little as soon as we got off work last week until about 11 or 12 each night. With that being said...my poor husband had to experience a 'minor' breakdown of mine last night after we had dinner. In the middle of putting our stuff away I began staring at everything just piled up in corners, our new wonderful puppy whining and thinking about everything that is STILL at the apartment. Whew...glad Jesus gave me someone who is WAY patient with me....he rocks. These things really are not that big of deal but its stressed me out to the max anyways.

All this said...I woke up this morning thankful that God's mercies are new EVERY morning and that, "My God will supply my every need according to HIS glorious riches". I was convicted...that I can NOT do it on my own even though I think I can and that I can NOT do things in order to please people or even my self but to please my GOD above all...these are constant growing points for me. So my prayer is that I would truly BELIEVE that he WILL supply my every need..according to HIS glorious riches..not my own... and recognize and give thanks when He does. That would I would not be so consumed with my own selfish desires and self pity that I lose sight of who God is and what he has called me to be. That I truly would be prayerful in all things at all times...not just the bad..not just the good but ALL THINGS AT ALL TIMES! Can you imagine how our hearts and minds would be transformed if we truly obeyed what His word says in 1 Thess. 5 when he says to Pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. All circumstances. All circumstances. WOW...

Are you prepared?

Quick post...strong message from , "My Utmost for His Highest"

 The Cost of Sanctification

May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely . . .

1 Thessalonians 5:23

When we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? We take the word sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God’s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? And after He has done His work, are we then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did? “For their sakes I sanctify Myself . . .” (John 17:19). The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God’s perspective. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God.

Are we prepared to be caught up into the full meaning of Paul’s prayer in this verse? Are we prepared to say, “Lord, make me, a sinner saved by grace, as holy as You can”? Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him, just as He is one with the Father (see John 17:21-23). The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him. Are we prepared to set ourselves apart for the Holy Spirit’s work in us?

Get Away!

Ok, don't literally get away from me. That's what Justin and I did this past weekend and it was such a fun and blessed time for both of us.  When we first got engaged we began going to a class at our church called, "Nearly Newlywed". If you are in the Houston area and get engaged or are newly married I highly suggest going to this class. God has worked in and through so many new marriages because of it. Anyways-one of the sessions they talked about getting away one weekend every year (which obviously you could do more :) ) But to have this one set aside for planning the year out, praying over your marriage etc. 


So we packed up and headed to a bed and breakfast in Brenham, TX. It was perfect.We started out by praying over the wknd, for focus and wisdom. Some of you might be asking, "what kind of goals did y'all talk about for an entire day!?" Here are some examples of ours....financial, serving, spiritual goals as a couple...these are just a few. We ended up a lot more of that. We also planned our year out..in pencil of course...so that we were on the same page with what the year holds. We also gave ourselves a "relationship diagnosis" where we talked about how we were doing, how we can encourage and help each other out more etc. After all of that, we had some good food, furniture shopping...dreaming ha and driving out in the country listening to some Jesus music. All in all-it was exactly what we needed and we were so thankful we did. Thanks to our friend Cori and Trent who did a couple weeks before and reminded us about it! If you are married, I highly suggest doing this!  


Um so on a very unrelated note...Houston is retarded when it comes to them thinking it is going to snow..I mean holy pete the whole city shut down before it even did anything! I am definitely not bitter about it causing me to not be able to go home either :) Don't worry...I am praying about this :)


Praying everyone has a blessed snow or non-snow day because they thought it was going to snow...day :)

Pretty please?

My amazing photographer from our wedding, Lissa Anglin, is having a contest until the end of January. Whoever gets the most votes wins a FREE 16X20 print! Help a girl out...you can vote once a day! Vote on your phone , your computer, your i-pad/nook whatever it takes!

Vote for #9 under the bridal category!
http://www.lissaanglin.com/blog/2011/1/23/best-of-2010-bridal.html

AND
Vote for #8 under the Bride+Groom category!
http://www.lissaanglin.com/blog/2011/1/26/best-of-2010-bride-groom.html

Don't judge me...

First, and foremost I am definitely not a great writer...in fact I'm really not even good and I probably rarely use correct grammar! Yes-I am a teacher and should pay more attention to these things...oops! Thus the title, "Don't Judge Me".

"This Little Light of Mine" by Addison Road is a new version of the good old one you probably sang when you were younger. The more I listen to it the more that it gets stuck in my head and the more that happens the more I find myself begging God for MYSELF to be removed so that HIS light CAN indeed shine. Some days in my humanness-it is just a "little" light and gosh lets be honest sometimes I don't think I allow His light to shine at all. People have been talking a lot lately about their "goals" or prayers for the year 2011. I never really have had a year goal or prayer for the year-but I believe this is what the Lord wants mine to be. That no matter what- good or bad, sad or happy, frustrating or easy, lonely or feeling loved by all...that I would remember I am not in this world for myself but I am in this world to be part of God's story and to glorify His name, shine His light, make HIM KNOWN. My prayer for 2011 is that in every circumstance-I would let my "little light shine"