God's "Little" Reminders

This week has not been the best of weeks but God has been putting random reminders in, to show me he loves me. My car that I took in to be fixed, I had to take back in to be fixed. My hot water heater decided to go out at home also. Nothing like working out to Jillian Michaels, then to turn around and find out you don't have hot water. Its a good thing after one of those workouts that all you need is COLD water. :) To top it all off on the way to Kansas to see a friend Megan Brenner, my car starts to act up again. I was pretty much devastated when this happened because I had to turn around and come home. Not going to lie, all these little things keep adding up, it "el stinkoes" (sp? Spanish class is doing wonders for me right?) and I really don't feel like being positive right now. However God's little reminders this week, from his word and others have made it bearable. He is always showing me that he is in control and I don't need to worry.

Watch this video and then, it will explain the story that will follow.

So I may be a baby when I'm fishing...I promise one day I will take a fish off a hook! 

Thanks Heather for being Amazing and taking the fish off before it Died!

I walk in on Thursday this week to find my desk at work, decorated with the most amazing surprise!! It seriously made my day and made a very appropriate blog post, Thanks Lori Sybert!

1. My Desk was decorated with Fishing memorabilia.

2. This is the back of my Desk which is just as sweet as the front!

3. The most awesome sign ever! Yes it is making fun of my height but that's okay. It says,"You must be at least this tall to work here." :)

4. The Glove is perfect, it will help me conquer my fear of touching the fish!

5. How about a "little" coke while you fish! Making fun of my height and last name...

6. My new fish Peggy Sue! She has managed to survive still three days later! She is a trooper!

7. Notebook, which will be very handy in the office.

8. My tackle kit, which is pretty sweet !!

9. Front of tackle kit.

Best Day at the Office Ever! Thanks Lori!! She even wrote me a poem, I will post this in a different post!

Thank you Lord for blessing me with random moments like this to help get me through this annoying week! I'm looking forward to new blessing from you! Best Dad Ever!

Perseverance

I've been running alot more these past few weeks to get in shape. It hasn't been easy and most nights I honestly don't want to run. In order to run I needed to have more motivation. What else should I need but getting in shape right? I started looking for running blogs and I came across a amazing one!

One of the first encouraging messages I came across in this awesome blog was "Running is more than being in shape – it’s a mental game. It was super encouraging to read this! If you want to check out her awesome blog do it! http://runningwithperseveranceblog.com/

Her journey is amazing and I love her passion for theLord. She ran the New York Marathon to raise money for 26 kids who have nothing in different countries. Here is a little section from her most recent blog. She was having ankle pain during the Marathon, just to catch you up. "Two nights before the race at the Team World Vision dinner Jerry, a local pastor and seasoned marathoner, told me to think of the cross if the pain comes during the race. I began to take myself to this state of mind knowing my pain did not compare to the pain Christ endured nor the pain that so many people go through daily just to survive in oppressed and developing countries."

I thought about this concept myself. I think running 2 miles is the end of the world and I want to quit. She is running 26 miles for kids who have nothing with sharp pains in her ankle, does she quiet? No, she thinks about the Lord and is encouraged! One thing that I love about this journey of me running is that its bringing me closer to the Lord. The process is teaching me so much about myself and about who I am in christ. I love it, just incase you didn't already get that!

One last thing to share, not only am I learning more about who I am and the Lord, but God is blessing me with people who are helping me stay focused. I mentioned to my friend shelby, whom is also super encouraging and loves the Lord, that she should have a running blog. She and I always used to run together when I lived in IL and when i go back she helps me to run. She told me she would not start a blog but she would send me inspiration text messages about running. So here is her inspiration text message:

"Personal running blog text #1: When you feel like you have to turn and go home, make yourself run as fast as you can, get your legs to go. Your legs won't collapse underneath you and you'll feel 1000xs the accomplishment with the same distance." "Thought for the week: God created you to move. Every movement your body makes is a testimony of the life that is within you and the One who created it. He will help you through this run and make you stronger for the next." I love having friends who will help me out along the way! So to anyone who is running or starting to run, you are not alone! I hope to get more of these encouraging little tips and I will share them with you.

I'll end with a sweet bit of knowledge I swiped from another blogpost, "Persevere: to persist in anything undertaken; maintain apurpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly."

Road Trip

I'm so behind in posting blogs! I love blogging and think about blogging often but I just don't seem to do it! Just like this blog, it's something I should have posted about 2 weeks ago! Oh well, I hope it still shows what I wanted to then!
I recently made a random road trip to KC/Kansas. My friend Amber asked me to come see a Cubs vs Royals game that she had an extra ticket for. I have not really been to many baseball games so I said why not! I got off from work on Saturday at 12 and drove to KC. I had tons of fun with amber! We first went in search for a outfit for the game. We decided to go for KC. We got our outfits finally after searching everywhere. You would think that in KC they would have stuff for the baseball team... but not really. They have more Mizzou stuff that KC stuff! Sunday was the day of the game. We got up and went to church before heading to the game. At church the pastor was talking about timing. This would have been the second time in two weeks that the sermon I've been sitting in on has talked about timing. I was thinking... hum, maybe God is wanting to show me something. The rest of the day was a blast. The game was so much fun! After the game i drove to Kansas to see another friend. I ate dinner with her and her family. It was really good to be around the Brenners again. They are really good friends. The whole trip was just amazing.
On my way home, i had alot of time to think and talk to God. I've been a little confused lately on what he wants to do with my life and I know I've been trying to take control. I decided that while i was driving to just give up that control. Believe me, I don't like not knowing, but God being in control is so much better than anything I could ever do/accomplish. All the sermons that I kept hearing, I felt like God was trying to reassure me that he could do this, that I didn't need to keep trying to do it on my own. I shouldn't have been trying to anyways. A few days later, a lady from Columbia College came into the Bank were I work. She asked to speak with me. I was a little caught off guard because i thought maybe something with my school had gone wrong. It made me a little nervous, not going to lie. She asked me about summer classes and then said she had a job opening. She said she saw me around the bank and said that I have great people skills. She said she wanted me to come apply for the job because she thought i would work out well there. I later found out that the job was a Administrative Assistant. It was actually her Assistant!! It was a huge blessing and a huge sign from the Lord. I felt like he was saying, "See, you let me have it and look what I did." How many times have I done this to God? How many times could he have blessed me and I've messed it up?? Seriously!!! It's not easy but I am trying to daily give the keys of my life to the Lord. I say daily because I know very much so that I keep taking them back. It sucks to say but I know I do. I have to remind myself daily, "Kayla, have you given him the keys? Have you given him control?" God is so amazing!!! I don't understand why I would ever try and do anything without him. So that's my rant for now... :)

P.s. I got the job, I start July 25. Its actually the week of my birthday. What's crazy is about 2 years basically on the same day I started working at the bank. God worked that one out too...He he beyond amazing. Here is a fun picture from the game!

Random Moments

It's become very evident to me, that I don't get away enough and just spend time with the Lord. I used to do that all the time when I was at Windermere. I honestly loved doing it, so spontaneous and random at times. I would randomly just drive down to the boat dock and sit under the stars and sing worship music, best time ever. It was much easier at the time because its just wide open spaces everywhere. Yes it was wonderful, but just because I had a huge camp then doesn't mean, I can't find random places where I'm at now. So I have challenged myself to once a week just taking a little time and going away from everything and everyone. I want to just be with the Lord. It will be good and different instead of just sitting in my room and reading like normal. I think I have an idea for my first place just need to make sure its safe for me to go to by myself :) I found a cute little dock by one of our swimming pools, should be fun!!

Park Day

While at home for my brother's wedding, I got to take my cousins to the park! In my small little town the park is pretty much all we have and they just put all new equipment in! It was way better then we ever had but i do admit I miss that mara-go-round (sp?). It was old but it was so much fun!! I took my camera when we decided to go and took a few pictures! I love those kids!!!They are so much fun!!

Logan and Keira checking out the new stuff.


Keira swinging! She loved it when I was taking pictures of her!



Logan sliding down the new slides. I tried to get all of him,
it just didn't end up that way. I thought it was cool anyways.

Logan didn't want to leave. He was having so much fun!!
I had alot of fun with them! They are just so stinkin fun and cute!!!

Fishing on My Day Off

My post's that are coming up, are going to be out of order. I just wanted to do this one first lol. Be prepared for one on my brother's wedding and one from my park day with me cousins. Now back to this post, Monday after coming back from my brothers wedding I had a extra day off. My friend Megan was here because she went to the wedding with me and we decided to go

fishing!

This is me fishing. Well my pole anyways. :) It was super fun!
Megan has several different ponds we could fish in, this was the best!
I caught a fish right away!!

This is him, little Nemo as I called him. I couldn't touch him!!
He was so slimy and I just couldn't!!! Megan kept trying to get me to put
my finger in his mouth to hold him but I just couldn't! Maybe next time! ;)

This is Megan holding my fish because I wouldn't! :) Poor guy,
he had to sit there for a while before i decided I didn't want to
touch him!!! lol

I loved the whole day and it really made me want to live in the country!!!
It just so much better in the country. You always have something
fun you can do and it just feels so much like a community!!! Fishing
was alot of fun, next thing I want to try...is hunting :)

Vanessa Hudgens - "Can I Have This Dance" From HSM 3

Am I a complete sap for listening to this and thinking...hum.... I think i want to play this at my wedding...whenever that may happen :)