Give Away!!! (Through Aug. 1st)

This year I've spent a ton of time in the coffee shop next to our school. I love going there because it's a great place to just sit and talk with your friends (and God), or read the new book you got. Since I love doing this so much, I thought I'd give you all a chance to enjoy it to. I'm giving away a $5 gift card to Starbucks. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. If you don't have a blog, leave your email so you can be contacted if you when.
Best Wishes,
Kaytlynn

P.S. Please pass this along to your friends and/or mention this in your blog. Thanks!

Want more giveaways? Check out http://www.donttryit.com/bloggy_giveaways/2008/07/the-bloggy-give.html

Now that your back to reality

You go to camp, get little sleep, have loads of fun, and get so close to God.
You come home, you are constantly witnessing to all of your friends, read your bible everyday, and even get up early to pray.
A month later, school starts.
The demand to look a certain way increases. The extra time in the morning you spent praying is now spent doing your hair.
The homework starts pouring in, and you slowly stop reading you bible every day.
Homecoming comes along and your invited to a party by the one who you have a crush on.
You go, after all, He's so hot, and end up drinking with the very same people you were witnessing to less than a month ago.

We've all been through times like this. We go on a mission trip, to camp, or attended a conference and get on fire for God. Then as time goes on, we slip further and further away. How can we keep this from happening? Well here are a few tips:

Write it down- Write down any new goals or convictions you had. By writing it down it will help you remember and you can't talk your way out of it.

Get an accountability partner- This will give you someone who you "report" to. This is also a great way to keep in contact with the people you met at camp.

Display it proudly- Write down the goals you have made for yourself. Then put it somewhere you will see it often. The bathroom or your closet door is a good place.

Pray- Pray that God will help you keep your goals.

As the school year approaches, and the stresses that come with it, hold fast to your faith and keep striving to grow closer to God.

My Trip to Hollister

My trip to Hollister was amazing!!! I learned to do many things and also got to see Branson. Here are some pictures:

In front of the old church. It was burned to the ground two years ago.

Drilling holes
Driving the Duck. We got free passes
My grandma
Me on the lift. In Front of the new church.

It's my first time!!!

Nicole (http://wwwvictoriousheart.blogspot.com/) tagged me, so here goes: (it's my first time)

The tag rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let ech person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.



6 Random Things:

1) I love to travel, and if I could would spend my whole summer away from home

2) know how to run conduit, mc cable, and make boxes as well as run wire

3) learned to tile last year on a mission trip. My friend and I were told to tile parts of the floor and were given a 30 how to, the rest was on our own.

4) the only color I paint my toenails is red

5) I'm a huge KU face (Rock Chalk Jayhawks!)

6) I got to drive the "Duck" today. It'a a boat/bus. It goes on land and sea. (or lake in my case)



Okay, so for 6 people to tag....

Emily Cummins http://emilybcummins.blogspot.com/

Emily Rhoades http://www.littlefishinabigsea.blogspot.com/

Nancy Douglas http://oliveleafministries.blogspot.com/

Bev Brandon http://beverly-brandon.blogspot.com/

Tracy http://blessingsoverflow.blogspot.com/

Kevin Slater www.kbslater.com

Where is the open door?

Sitting in my bedroom, I heard the phone ring. "I'll get it" I holler as I dart down the stairs. "Hello" I said, unsure of who it was. "Hey Kaytlynn, this is Mallory. I was wondering if....". Ever sense this moment four years ago I have been constantly working with the bible clubs at school. Through FCA and Club 121 I've spent hundreds of hours preparing lessons and growing closer to God. It has also landed me several trips to the principals office (crazy times). But now, for some reason or another the Lord has closed the door. I prayed really hard about doing FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) this year, and the answer was No. This has been a big part of my life all of my middle school and high school years. I know Christ has a plan for me, and He will revile it in His own time. And until He does, I'll keep living for Him, day by day.


Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."

Hollister Bound

Hello Follow Bloggers,
Tomorrow after church I leave to spend a whole week in Hollister! (No, not the store for those of you who were wondering :), the town in MO). Their church burned down, so I'm going to help "rough-in" as they call it. I won't be able to get Internet so this will be my last post for a week or so. I also want to apologize to those of you who I haven't gotten back with. I've been so busy this week and the Internet has been acting really funny. Once I get back, things should calm down and I can go back to spending more time blogging.
Have a blessed week.
In Him,
Kaytlynn
'

A lesson from the slaves

This weekend I was reading in Titus about what to teach to different members of the church. I got to the part where it talks about they slaves, and was shocked (it was a light-bulb moment). It says in Titus 2:9-10: "Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."
In other words, by how the slaves would act, it would create appeal to being a Christian. This is something that I think we all need to do better on. As Christians, we haven't been acting like our Father, this is causing so many people to run away from God. This really hit me hard when I began to think about it. It's because of my actions that someone may or may not want to look into become a Christian. Mohandas Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." If I look just like the world, and I'm a "Christian", then why would someone want to become a Christian? It doesn't make sense, it has no appeal. However, if I'm full of joy, honest, and I'm trustworthy, people are going to want that. They will (hopefully) notice something different. We need to take a lesson from the slaves and start being more like Christ. People's souls are at stake!

It's what we all do

Today on the way to my grandpa's house I was listening to the Radio. It was some talk show about Nascar and people were calling in. I am personally not a Nascar fan, so I wasn't paying too much attention, but that quickly changed. A caller made this statement, "He's just doing what we all do in the end do What's best for us." I sat there, somewhat stunned at this statement. As Christians we shouldn't be looking out for ourselves, but look to what the Heavenly Father wants us to do. Unfortunately, that's not what most of us do. The caller was right, we mostly do look out for ourselves. We are constantly thinking about "me". As a nation we are constantly demanding rights, demanding more freedom, and have shaped our media to send out one message, "It's all about me". Galatians 5:13 says "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." We live in a "Christian" nation, but we're acting just the opposite.

See you Later

I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was hot and sticky, just like any other summer day in New Orleans, but I was okay with that. I was so excited to finally be here and get to meet the people I had heard so much about. Melissa and I stepped out of the plane to meet my grandparents and head to the church. At the church we settled into the kitchen behind a trap, the place we would call home for the next week. After we had gotten enough unpacked to satisfy my grandparents we got to go start meeting the people. First stop was Potche's house. We arrived, and started walking towards the FEMA trailer. My excitement grew as we neared the door. My grandma opened it up, and BOOM there he was, tank top and all. Smiling as bright as even because we were there to help.

The first time I got to meet Potche was last summer on a missions trip to New Orleans, and unfortunately it's the last time I will have seen him here on this earth. I found out today he died. As sad as this is, I know there is reason to rejoice. He is now celebrating in Heaven with our Heavenly Father.

That's the good news when a believer dies. It's not really a goodbye, more a "until we meet again". I know I will get to see Potche again one day, and it will be quite the reunion. He will no longer walk with a limp, but rather be able to jump for joy because of the love of our Lord. See you soon Potche.

Dear Diary,

Note: This is not my own personal diary. I had a good friend that got pregnant this year. I wrote this from what I experienced through that, and from what I had read from other teen girls.

January 23
Dear Diary,
I'm 15 years old, this isn't supposed to happen, at least not to people like me. It's not like I'm sleeping around, it was a one time thing. After all, he said he loved me. That was then, but now I'm pregnant with his child, he doesn't want to see me anymore. This isn't the type of love he spoke about. All he loved was my body and what I could do for him.

April 28
Dear Diary,
My belly is staring to show more and more each day. People are starting to talk, and where is the baby's dad? He's out partying with his friends. He's probably getting drunk and romancing another girl with persuasive words telling her how much he loves her. If only she knew what he meant, if only I would have known.

June 1
Dear Diary,
Summer is finally here. I made it through the end of the school year. I could only take so many days of walking down the hall knowing everyone is talking about you, but no one is talking to you. I went to the doctor yesterday. He said the baby is healthy. I can feel it kicking, especially at night. It's a wild thing. Now, I keep saying "it" because I want to wait to find out if it's a girl or a boy. Thought it would be a good birthday surprise. Oh, I didn't mention that, did I? I'm due on my birthday. A baby shower isn't exactly what I would have imagined for my sweet 16, but then I never imagined I'd ever go so far with a guy either.

August 14
Dear Diary,
I couldn't take it anymore, I had to know. I'm going to have a boy! I asked when I went to the doctor this week. I'm kind of glad it's a boy. I always wanted to have a boy first. I've been trying to come up with a good name. I thought maybe Solomon, since he was so wise, at least that's what my mom says. I don't read the bible much, but I do want my baby to be wiser than I was.
I got a call from the baby's dad yesterday. He said he was moving to Oregon. I get so mad at him. He help make a baby, and now he's ditching him...and me.

September 16
Dear Dairy,
Stephan Solomon Slater was born today at 9:17am. He is as cute as can be, and healthy too. My whole family is here, and they even brought cake to celebrate our birthdays. As exciting as all of it was though, I couldn't help but be sad too. I know the next few years are going to be some of the hardest years of my life. Last week I had coffee with my friend and there at the coffee shop, while drinking Chi Tea, I accepted Christ. Even though Dave has ditched me, many of my friends won't speak to me, and half of my family hates me, I know I won't be going through this alone.

Will you wait for me?

I don't want to be just a mother to your boy,
I want to be your friend, lover, and the one you enjoy

I don't just want to be a passing someone,
I want to be the one

I don' want to be a one night stand,
I want to be the one you can't stand to go a night without

I don't want to walk down the aisle knowing I'm the second or third,
I want to be the only one you say your vows to, knowing I'm the first

I don't want to celebrate a anniversary with a gift of gold,
I want to still be celebrating on our golden anniversary

I want our relationship to be special and unique,
so I'm asking you to wait for me, week by week.