Hello Friends

Talk about a blogging sabbatical....
Man have I been busy. These last few weeks, since Easter, have gone by so fast. As many of you know I am preparing to sit for my CPT exams next weekend. I am also rounding out my semester and rapidly approaching finals week (insert dramatic dum.dum.dum....) I am struggling a bit with keeping organized and calm and mostly my focus in the right place. Why is it when we need God the most, is when we tend to cut ties. Just this morning, as I was driving to class feeling beyond stressed out, it occurred to me, my life has felt out of control all this week.... and I really haven't prayed about it. You would think that it would be second nature, if you love Him and if you trust Him, that you would immediately go to Him when you are losing your grip, but it rarely works that way. At least not for me. So when it dawned on me that I hadn't talked to him this week about what was going on with me, I immediately turned the radio off and started in on a long conversation and an hour later, while I was sitting in my Music Apprec class - out of nowhere a sense of calmness and peace came over me and I just had to say out loud right in the middle of the class, "thank you". I don't think anyone heard me, but I know He did and the rest of my day has looked completely different. Man, how much easier would life be if we always went to God first instead of it being an afterthought. Anyway, there's my sermon.

So what else have I been up to. Well, I saw Wednesday's "Idol" and it was incredible. What unbelievable numbers. I read today that "ONE" has officially been titled the fastest growing movement in history. I have been getting more and more involved for the last couple of months via their website and some contacts I have made from it and have just today emailed someone else about information and beginning stages in hosting a "ONE" event. I am growing very passionate about this movement and have hopes of getting involved on a level where I could create/host an event sometime this summer.

I urge anyone who is not registered with ONE to do so at http://www.one.org/ and most importantly, spread the word. We all know that knowledge is power. We must pull people's heads out of the sand to see what is going on.

I will post more about a possible future event as information unfolds and I urge you to begin praying as to how you can and will get involved.

Have a great weekend friends.

Easter at GCCC

Well, our Easter services at GCC are all done. It was awesome and so much fun. It's kind of bitter sweet really. It was a lot of really long hours and still doing work and school and studying and babysitting too made for a very long week with very little sleep(I think I counted something like 34 hours in 7 days), but it was so worth it. (Especially since I slept 10 1/2 hours last night!)
I don't know what the official number is yet, but I know a lot of souls were won for Christ this weekend and I got to be a part of it! What an honor.

It is so much fun to be a part of a team so in love with God. I get so amazed by the talent and the gifts that God has handed out to some of these people. Even though I know I am doing it for God, I get so much too.

I became a part of the production team at GCC last summer. One of my favorite people in the world, Jay Pape, convinced me that I had to check it out. (Actually he coerced me with coffee, I wonder how he figured out my weakness, I usually hide my addiction so well!) Anyway, I will forever be in his debt for introducing me to something that has blessed me so much. It is an indescribable feeling to know that you had some role in bringing someone to God. Knowing that because of whatever small part you played, this person's life is going to be changed FOREVER!


I am proud to stand on the battle field next to some of the people that I admire most in this world. The Arts Team at Ginger Creek Community Church. Above are some pictures of the team during rehearsals. We look serious, but I assure you, many laughs were shared by all.

Sanjaya Be Gone!

I haven't watched last nights show yet but I heard on the news this morning that Howard Stern is now backing Sanjaya on his radio show. Is this really who we want to take musical talent advice from. What is going on here?

Maybe I have just gotten more invested than is really healthy into such a "pop culture phenomenon", but I am also a talent junkie and this kid doesn't have any. He is ruining my "Idol" experience.

Sanjaya Be Gone!!!!!

Quote of the Week- Happy Easter!

He became what we are that He might make us what He is.

... Saint Athanasius, 295-373

Wow!

Okay, let me just start of by saying wow, God is good!

My grandma fell and broke her hip, or actually the end of her femur, late Friday and so my sister and I and her kids went down to Indiana a few days ago to be there for her surgery. Of course things like this always bring the family together so I got an opportunity to see my half brother and sister while I was there which generally is reserved for instances just like this. Not that there is a bad relationship, just a lack of one.

Many of you know that my dad was an alcoholic for most of his life. After he and my mom divorced, when I was 6 months old, he got remarried and had 3 more children. Two boys, one girl. The oldest, Jacob, was killed in a car wreck several years ago.

My dad got sober and has been for 10 years. Shortly after he made the commitment, he and my sister Kellie began to re-establish a relationship, and the health of my family began to shift in a very positive direction. Now, 10 years later, my mom, my dad, my sisters and myself all have the makings of a healthy family connection and I see more positive changes with each passing year.

However, the relationship between my dad, and his two children by his second marriage, has been static. When the youngest of them, Jarod, showed up at the hospital, I told Kellie I wished an opportunity would present itself for her/us to have a heart to heart with him about dad. But, being the sinner that I am, I pretty much left it there. I didn't take it to God in prayer as I should have and thus didn't at all expect anything to transpire.

It so happened that dinner was mentioned in the 15 minutes that Jarod was there, and without thinking, I invited him to come with us. No premeditation, no ulterior motive, just a quick you should come as I was walking out the door. He said he would love to.

Later that day, we went to Mr. Gattis, (the best pizza joint ever), and the whole family came with. I don't know how except for divine intervention of God, but as most everyone was leaving, the subject of dad, one that is generally taboo around Jarod, came up. I don't even remember by who. But Kellie and I jumped on it! What transpired from there was totally God at work. About a two hour conversation between Kellie and myself and Jarod that went on even after I went home with the kids.

The conversation, according to Kellie, ended well but she wasn't sure what he thought about it. When he walked into the hospital room the next day, we all three, strangely enough, found ourselves alone and were able to talk again. Jarod was so exposed and real with us! He talked about how he got so much out of talking with Kellie and how he had even sought out shrinks after our brother died that didn't do for him what Kellie had done for him. And she was able to open his eyes about some things. He expressed some real receptiveness to our dad and mostly, a real interest in a more solid relationship with us.

Even as I write it all down, I can hardly believe how it all unfolded. God's hand was all over it. My grandma has the strength of ten women, and we almost considered not even going. And because we did, and for no other reason than we did, (meaning no prayer, no orchestrating, no manipulating) just merely because we were where God wanted us to be, where He had caused a series of events to make sure that we would be, some foundation was laid. Not only to further the healing of my family, but to open a door for Kellie and I to minister to the incredible, bright, handsome, driven, responsible young man. That we both love very much.

How incredible is our God! Even when we aren't doing anything to help, He is still working. I have been so blown away by His power this past year. It sets me on fire and I can not wait to meet HIM!

Thanks to you all that were praying for my grandma. She did so well. She is a rock. She was sitting up already yesterday and today they had her standing, she even took a couple steps. They are planning to transfer her to transitional care for physical therapy sometime today!
Woman is unstoppable.

Sharing a Special Anniversary

I fall on my knees today Father

And I know You're catching every tear.

You see my heart, you hear my thoughts

Today, it's been a year.

You were there with me weren't You?

I heard Your voice when I came to.

You must have called my name and touched my face

And whispered, Kerrie, I love you.

You put your hand in front of the dash didn't You?

You told Satan that's as far as you get to go.

I know he told You he wanted my soul,

But he heard You when You said no.

Thank You Father for saving a life that was tattered, lost and broken.

I hand it completely back to You as just a small token.

Quote of the week

Some people say they would want to live next to the Church,
But I would rather live two miles from hell on the rescue team.

My "Idol" vent

Okay, come on already! I don't mean to be insensitive. Anyone who knows me knows I am the total opposite. But does anybody but me think it is ridiculous that Sanjaya malakar is still not kicked off American Idol yet. I am watching week after week thinking, he has to go this week. And still, tonight, NO! He's still there. He is completely out of his league, and is taking a space from someone who deserves it.

So to all you other "Idol" freaks..... if you are voting for him. Please Stop!

Kerrie's Quote of the Week

I'm kind of a quote junkie. I like to hang out on a few different quotes sites when I get time. I find them interesting and often times a quick kick in the pants. So, I thought I would start sharing some that I find particularly interesting on a weekly basis. Here is the first...... enjoy!

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?

-Corrie Ten Boom

When God makes you go Hmmm

Isn't it incredible when you have an aha moment when you didn't even know that you didn't know. Okay, I understand how confusing that just sounded so let me explain. This week I started on my admissions essays for Wheaton College. One of the essays I had to write was on why I chose my field of study. Now obviously I have been asked that question before and I have my standard generic answers. "I want to help people. I want to be a part of giving unhealthy and overweight people their lives back.....blah, blah, blah," but I don't know that I had ever given it enough thought to really be able to answer this question. See what the question said and what I heard were two completely different things. The question was asking some 18 year old kid why they wanted to be what they wanted to be, ---but what I heard was why at 30 did you decide to uproot your entire life to study Kinesiology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. It was such an aha moment for me because even though I have answered that question a hundred times, this time it seemed like it was being posed not to get an answer out of me, but to give me an answer. I felt like God was beginning to reveal something incredible to me through this seemingly simple question.

So heres the gist of what I came up with..

When I am in a lab with a cadaver (keep reading even if I just grossed you out), I feel closer to God. Much like we feel closer to Him when we study His word. It makes perfect sense that we get to know Him better when we study His truth. But I didn't realize how much closer I feel to Him when I study His art. When I study the amazing design of the human body, I see His magnitude, I see His transcendent genius. If you have never held a human heart in your hands, you cannot understand the gravity. The first time I did, I literally trembled. The way it works, the way it was created. It helps me to see Him and I love that I can be slayed by His grace in such a seemingly secular environment.

So then I had to ask the follow up question. What happens after shool? After the studying is done, how does this fit practically into Gods plan for my life? Another difficult question that required significantly more soul searching. But again, I was given an answer. And it looked something like this.

God created this amazing design for one purpose. To serve Him. And he needs us to be at the top of our game to do this. Consider what your like after you have a long day, late night and early morning. When you get to work after that, you cannot possibly be at the top of your game, and when you are not at the top of your game, you let your company down, your boss down, your co-workers down, your customers down and yourself down. When we don't take care of our bodies so that they are at the top of their game, we let God down. God gave me a passion and a talent so that I could help and inspire people to be at the top of their game so that they are fit to do the job God has planned for them, so they are FIT FOR THE KING.

So I hope this has spoken to you. If God sees fit to keep you on this earth till one hundred only to do a specific job for him at the age of 99, I hope you are fit for the King. I know I wanna be.

And just in case you were wondering, no this is not a sales tactic, I'm not even training yet!!

Take care friends.