Awake and Alive

I am almost home. Well, I rather am already, considering I have two homes: Nashville and my sweet little bump in the road back in Missouri. I've lost count of how many days I've been gone. And really, it doesn't matter, because these past few weeks have been fantastic. The beach, the time with my family, the youth conference--everything has been incredible.

I really don't know how to sum up the past week, so I suppose a list will do.

1. I was called to the mission field at fourteen (but really, I'd been heavily burdened about it since I was about seven.) This week, God let me know that He wants me in creative access missions, possibly in the 10-40 window. This means I will be in a closed country, working as (possibly) an English teacher. It will be dangerous. He's already preparing me for it, and I am incredibly, incredibly excited. I have such a peace about it. I know that I could not be happy or content doing anything else. There are no more doubts in mind as to where God wants me.

2. I learned the importance of not burning bridges. My (no longer ex) boyfriend and I were able to reconcile. We realized that things hadn't been working because our focus was not where it should be. After lots of prayer, counsel, and discussion, we came to the realization that we should be together. He and I have a certain draw towards each other. We complete each others thoughts. We just work. And, honestly, we have the same call upon our lives. The crazy thing is, we were called to the same work at different times under different circumstances. It's great to be able to look at someone and know that they get it. They understand the utter heartbreak you feel when thinking about unreached people groups. They understand the willingness to give up a comfortable life so that others might find the enduring love of Christ.

3. I took a hiatus from taking pictures all the time. I've been feeling...uninspired. (I do have more vacation photos, but that's about it.) Although I do have a few ideas for shoots swimming around in my head, I just don't know if I'll have time to execute them before heading back to college in (exactly) a month.

4. I don't really care about Harry Potter. I wasn't allowed to read the books, so I never watched the movies. Sorry if I offend anyone but I consider Lord of the Rings far superior. Tolkien was a genius. Harry Potter might have been the childhood saga for most, but mine was LotR, The Hobbit, and all of the Narnia books.

5. I have some great ideas for stories. They aren't fully fleshed out plots, merely impressions. I'm going to try to expand upon these simple visions as soon as I find the time. Short stories have always been my specialty, anyway.

6. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. -Romans 13:11-14. This was the theme verse for our conference, and it's really beginning to change my life. (As the Word of God must, if we truly believe it to be infallible.) The theme was Awaken. Most of us are dead on our feet. We are not passionate, nor do we love those around us with the love of Christ. We have been called to be awake and alive. This all really goes along with points 1 and 2 on this list.

I have so much more I need to write about, but this is getting quite long. So without further ado, here are the rest of my vacation photos.

Jockey's Ridge

Wright Brother's monument

I love how creepy this is.

What could it be?

Oh, it's just a cat. :)

View at my grandma's house

Showing off my new Duke hoodie. It's an obsession.

xo,
Katy