It's my Birthday!

Pastor Rife and myself
talking about my journey to
Uganda. I love my church family! Thank
you all for the support that you guys
have given me.

I was so lucky to be able to celebrate me 20th birthday before I leave to go to Uganda. However, this celebration was also a reminder that I will soon be leaving for a while. Dec 23 was not only my 20th birthday, but also my last day at my home church. Destiny Church has been a place of spiritual growth for me. It has also given me the foundation to be able to go out and spread the love of God with people I come in contact with. Walking into church I had no idea about what was going to occur during the moments leading up to service as well as service. Entering the church I was surrounded by people singing happy birthday, hugs, and kisses on the cheek from certain people. You don't just get that love at any church. Soon after I had made my way into the sanctuary, my pastor came up to me and asked me if it would be okay if I went up on stage and talked about my trip to Uganda. I was so excited to be able to share this with my church family. Service started and I was soon called on stage and asked to share about what I would soon be doing in Uganda. After I had finished speaking Pastor prayed for me and then told me that the church would be blessing me financial before I leave. Sometimes 'thank you' does not do justice for the gratitude that I feel. After that I had the privilege of having my church family sing happy birthday to me. I was so overwhelmed by the love of my church. That I had to fight back tears. These people who when I first met them I was a rude, know it all, selfish teenager. Have seen God transform me into a young adult who is living out the church motto of  Love God, Love People, and Prove it. I appreciate the love that my church family have shown me as well as the support they give me on a daily bases. But above all I am thankful that they showed me God's love, because it changed my life. It has led me to this journey.....

Lunch for my 20th birthday. So lucky to have an entourage
like this. 

In preparation for my journey to Uganda I have had people come up to me and say 'your the next Kisses from Katie' which is a book about a girl named Katie who travels to Uganda and ends up adopting kids and opening her house, in Uganda, to take care of children. I know that anyone who ever said that did not mean it as a negative thing. However, I do not want to be the Katie from Kisses from Katie! All I want to do is be the best Katie Cooper I can be, and show God's love to people. I want to live out the calling that God as given me, I do not want to follow other people calling. I want to live out mine. Whatever that looks like if that means that I will have/work in an orphanage in Uganda, I'll do it. If it means getting my PhD and teaching, then I'll do that. "But in all things give thanks to the Lord, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Acts 3 when Peter heals a lame beggar, has been the example to me of how I want to help people. Verses 6 and 7 "Peter says "Silver and Gold I do not have but what I do have I give to you, in the name of Jesus stand up and walk."then he took the beggar by his right hand and helped him up and he could walk." I do not have a lot of resources, but what I do have is the love of God. And that is what changes lives. Money does a lot of good and is needed in the efforts to help people. However money will not save lives. The love of Christ; however, changes lives and once someone experiences the love of the Father they are never the same. Peter also reaches his hand out. Which shows me that I need to reach out my hand and help people walk this beautiful journey with the Creator of the Universe, I have counted the cost, and now I am ready to be God's hands and feet to his children.
As my days here in the states wind down, I'm reminded that showing God's love is not something that I only do when I am in a different country; moreover, wherever I am I have the opportunity to share His love through buying someone a cup of coffee, a hug, or a prayer.

His love is sweeter then wine

Zoe and Blake about to begin worship. 

    I was attending Magnetic, my home churches youth group, tonight. I was asked to do part of the segment of the worship service. It is always such a humbling and exciting moment when I am asked to participate in the youth service. I love my church and I love serving whenever I can. Especially being away at college coming back and helping out wherever I can is always such a blessing for me, an encouragement as well.

Danielle and I teaching our last bible study about

the armor of God to children. God's word power surge!

Tonight was different though. I came in to church and I was overjoyed to see my friends who have been away at college and ministry school. It’s so exciting to see the transformation in people and in my own life. Where people were and where they have come from. God has placed this talents and these passion in people and seeing it come to pass it a beautiful thing. Worship began it was beautiful to see all my friends who were off in college come back and serve the church by leading the youth into worship as well as other aspects. After the message was over I went and talked to the special guest who came and brought the message. He actually graduated high school a few years before me, but we had a class together and we knew each other. The first thing that he said to me was ‘girl I remember from high school you were the sassy girl, you were always acting hood and defensive.’

All I could do was laugh I knew I WAS NOT that person anymore. Then he said, “God really changed you.” YES HE DID.  I realized that all the baggage I was carrying around by myself was pointless. I did not have to carry it at all or I did not have to carry it alone. The beautiful of having relationship with Christ is I was never alone. I did not like the way I was living I did not like how I felt so deciding to have a relationship with God, was hard but it was the best decision that I have ever made. I experienced His love and I will never be the same.

My father, brother, and mother. Our family picture that I was not in.

Its has turned into a family joke. 

 This church service was not just another night for me. It was a night of remembrance of the journey that I have chosen to take. Turning from a life of living for the world and choosing to live for the one who created the world. It was also a night of gratitude to my family, friends, teacher, and people that I have never meet who have had an impact on my life. People who have encouraged me to believe in myself and realize that God’s love and mercy are for me too. I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I have counted the cost of having a relationship with Christ, and I will not rest nor well I cease till with my eyes His face I see.

Rest in God?

Augustine once stated in The Confessions, that God has formed us for himself and our hearts will be restless until they find rest in Him. This semester has been challenging in the least. There been many ups and downs. Throughout this semester I felt like I was in the wilderness. I was in the middle of all these circumstance that were out of my control. Being in the middle of it I could not see the bigger picture I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. All I saw was the negative. Coming home and having a time to reflect on my journey at Judson, I see the beauty of this past semester. How many colleges does the president know your name, or your classmates make a slide show and sing to you before you leave for a semester? I can only think of one! One of the coolest things that happened this semester; I was in my room and a friend came over. She did something that really changed my mindset. She asked me to sit down in a chair and then she proceeding to wash my feet.  She prayed for me and my journey to Uganda then left. I was shocked that this event just happened. During this journey in the wilderness I wondered where God was, and if He had left me? I look back and I see where He was there every step of the way He never left me. The people that God has placed in my life, that I don’t even know, have shown me that God’s love, mercy and grace is for me too. I spent all this semester trying to find or make my own peace. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot make my peace or find it. My heart was restless. I thought I would find peace when justice was served. HA, I was wrong. Augustine statement is so true in my life. I was searching for all these things to give me rest, but it was not until I rested in God that I found true rest. A rest that shows me that its  ‘okay not to be okay’, but His love will not leave you in that broken place; however, it makes it in a beauty love story between a child and the Father. I’m thankful for this past semester even as hard as it was. God’s used all the hurt to reveal His love to me in a new way. His love, well, there nothing like it.

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God my hope comes from him.

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”   

                                                                                                                     Psalm 62:5-8

Find rest in Christ,

Katie