James 1:22 and 27

This morning I finally got myself to have a quite time with God... now I don't mean that I sat and waited to hear His audible voice or anything like that... I simply put on some worship music and took out my notebook and wrote down a prayer. I thanked Him for things and then laid my needs in front of Him. (It helps me to write my prayers because I seam to be able to concentrate more fully that way.) Then I opened my bible and did a little reading. Today I read the first chapter in James. And there were a few verses that hit me.

The first was James 1:22 which says
 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

This hit me a little because I have felt the last few weeks that in many ways my relationship with Christ is more of an empty ritual filled religion. That I am simply going through the motions and perhaps missing a bigger point.

As I kept reading I felt that James 1:27 answered my question in many ways.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world"

God doesn't want us to simply study and read the bible. He wants us to DO the bible. To fallow its directions and to fallow the example that Christ has laid out before us. To be servants to those around us and to those in need.
I don't know how that is going to look in my life but I am going to be searching for what that could look like. So if you have any suggestions please let me know.



Alright, so I am sure that you would all love an update on my life as well. I have still been very busy with school. I have 2 weeks left until I have Christmas break and I can't wait for that break :D We got our Christmas tree set up and last night we put the ornaments on :D It is nice to have the house look a little more festive for the holidays :)
I have been sick with a bad cold and cough for the last two weeks but I am finally starting to get better so it has been nice to get some energy back so I can clean and cook real meals again.

The snow has been beautiful and I am amazed at Gods power; To think that he designed and made the clouds produce snow. Here are a few pictures from when the snow came :)

 If you would like to see my facebook albums of pictures even if you don't have facebook you can see them through these two links :)
Facebook - Fun with Photography
Facebook - O the work of His hands

Thanksgiving

This month has been busy.... perhaps a little too busy.... I'm sorry for the late update I had been doing so well :p

This last week has been a nice break. I only had school on Monday and I was able to go hunting with Andy throughout the week. Being in a 4x6 stand with someone who has a really bad cough might just make you get it..... So now I have a really bad cough and cold combination :( So instead of getting a big buck I've just got a big cough...

I have quite a bit of homework to get done today and tomorrow and then Monday it will be back into the full swing of school again. I recently signed up for spring classes and I am really excited because I got into a Photography class :D I can't wait to learn more about how to take good pictures and also learn more about my camera too :)

Christmas is coming soon. I can't wait to decorate the house and put up the Christmas tree :D I think we will be doing that sometime this week after I go shopping to get a tree stand, lights and ornaments. It is strange to have to buy everything that we will be decorating with. But it is also going to be a lot of fun :) And it will be fun to pick out new decorations :)

And here are some of the pictures that I've taken in the last few weeks :)

Just another week

       It seems like school has really kicked into high gear... I am loaded down with homework, but that realization is helping me work through my procrastination because I just can't afford to procrastinate anymore. With thanksgiving coming just around the corner it feels as if the next few weeks are mid-terms. All my professors want to have tests right before the break and I have several projects that are due right before break as well.

       Last week was a blur, I had several nights that I was up till midnight and up at 6:30, but this weekend with day light savings was a blessing.

      On Saturday I helped my grandparents move from their home to a new apartment. The new apartment is beautiful but I know it is hard for them to let go of their home that they have been in for as long as I can remember. It was beautiful to see everyone pitching in to help out and I am so thankful for my Uncle who came the whole week before and my Aunt who came the Wednesday to help pack things up. They had a lot to do as my grandparents can no longer do those things. I am worried about my grandfather as his memory is really starting to slip.

I had an interview on Friday for a summer internship and I am not sure yet how it went, I should be hearing back from them in a few weeks on whether I made it to the next round of interviews or not :)

Last week there were quite a few clear nights and I got a few different opportunities to take pictures of the moon and the stars. Here are two of the ones that I thought turned out really well :D

I hope you all have a wonderful week
-Kaitlin

More Stars!

Last night was the first clear night in a while where I actually had time to go out and take some pictures. So that is what I did... and I got some great pictures. However i didn't realize till near the end of my photo shoot that i had my ISO setting way too low for taking pictures of the stars so that was disappointing as I know that some of these pictures could have been way better. But here are a few of the good ones that I got.

Above is a 3.5 min exposure and below is a 11 min exposure. It took a lot of patients to not stop these pictures. I wanted to see what they looked like so bad! But I knew that for them to turn out I would need to wait. for the 11 min one I actually went back into the house and started supper while I waited.

It was fun to take these pictures and I can't wait for another clear night :)

this last weekend Andy and I were sick :( I missed school on Friday because of it but Andy isn't one to stay home from work so he hasn't rested at all. While I feel almost all better he is still fighting a sore throat and a cough :(

Friday night my Mom and sister Kalli came up from Milwaukee. We went out to eat and then to a concert by the Sue Orfield Band at the Mabel Tainter.

It was a lot of fun to see my mom and this band was really fun to watch and listen to :D

On Saturday I spent all day cleaning and then I was able to ride with Andy in the dump truck as he hauled corn from the field to his grain bin. While I cleaned I listened to my audio bible on my ipod. I cleaned long enough to listen all the way through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and part way into Deuteronomy! That’s 8 hours of the bible :) I love the fact that I can get into the word while doing other things. Of course I don’t get as much out of it as when reading it but it helps me to get some of it into my mind and soul.

I have another week full of homework and.... on Friday I have an Interview for a summer internship! I am so excited and so very nervous. It is with a company that would allow me to work as if I am already an engineer in many ways and I would be able to design things and work hands on with their products.

Also, tomorrow I am meeting with my academic adviser to talk with him about the possibility of me doing a quality engineering minor. This is kinda a big deal for me because it will most likely mean that i will have to push my graduation back a semester. My goal has always been to get done in 4 years so giving that up is a hard thing to swallow.

(feel free to comment below I would love to hear your feedback )

Women of Faith

This last weekend I attended the Women of Faith conference in the Twin cities and it was a lot of fun :) I went with Pam, Holly, Tara, Kelsey and my cousins on Andy's side. It was fun to see everyone and get to know them a little more. The conference was a lot of fun and an encouraging time. All the parenting stories made me glad that I do not have the busy life of a mother. But I must be starting to get the mothering bug because when ever I see a baby I look forward to when I have finished school and Andy and I can start a family of my own. (Hehe, for all of you that are hoping that will be soon, I'm sorry but I don't see it a few years yet)

So what have you missed in my life this last week?

1. Last week I found out that Pam has a tripod - she is now letting me borrow it that I might take pictures of different things. So Thursday night I went out at took pictures of the Stars in the sky. I still have to figure out the perfect focus point (as you have to manually focus when taking photos of the stars) But here is two of the best ones that I got that night.

I can't wait for another clear sky that I might try again to capture the beauty of the heavens that God has made for us. My breath was taken away as I stared up at the sky while waiting for the 30 second exposures to be completed.

2. Last week we got our new flooring in the Entry way and new paint on the walls :D and it looks so wonderful.

3. In my metals class so far I have made a metal box with lid out of sheet metal and last week I finished my spindle which isn't due for several weeks. 

There are several other things that I'm sure you've missed like my finally catching up on dishes and getting them all clean last night, my actually cooking a meal the last two nights (tonight is a noodle and ground beef hot dish), And that this last week I have felt closer to the Lord in many ways that I didn't expect. He has given me such joy and I got some unexpected time to spend in prayer with him Monday morning (8am class was canceled) which was an awesome way to start last week.

For this week my to do list is:

     1. Homework

     2. Find a thin bible concordance that I could put in the back of my bible (mine doesn't have one)

     3. Pray more than I did last week

     4. Memorize another bible scripture

I pray that you have a blessed week and I am sure you will hear from me again next weekend :)

~Kaitlin

A much needed weekend is finally here

It seams that I only have time to update this on the weekends. During the week I am very busy with classes, homework and when I can find the time cooking/baking. This last week on Tuesday I made Banana muffins and since I had made them once before I didn't check the recipe when the crumble topping only asked for flour butter and cinnamon. Instead of placing the brown sugar I put it the cupcake mix and when the muffins came out of the oven I knew my mistake. I bit into one expecting moist goodness only to be greeted by dry flour crumble topping. Needless to say my muffins now look a little strange as I cut the tops off of them to save everyone else from eating the dry flour top.

I had a Differential Equations test today. I studied for hours yesterday and this morning got up at 6:30 so that i might get some more understanding. I honestly have no idea how I did. I Answered a few of the questions without knowing how to prove my answer and when talking to one of my classmates afterword I had a few answers that were very different from his. I hope that our professor will have them graded by Monday but as he has 50+ students who just took the same test and it is Friday. I would be surprised if he had them done on Monday.

This morning when I was getting ready to sit down to study I looked out the window and saw a beautiful sunrise. It took my breath away. It was so brilliantly orange and pink. I went outside and took a few pictures of it. I have yet to figure out how to take good sunrise pictures with my camera. The colors seem to be a little different than what my eyes saw.

I still have a lot of homework to do this weekend :( And I am not sure when it is going to get done. Tomorrow Pam and I are going to paint the entryway as the underlayment for the floor was laid this last week and the new linoleum will be put in on Tuesday. I am excited to have the entry done. It is going to look so crisp and clean once we are done and the fresh paint is on the walls.

My sister Kristin may be coming up tomorrow evening to spend some time hanging out and the she would spend the night in our guest bedroom :) and head of to work on Sunday.

So this weekend should be full of the fun and the not-so-fun homework :)

until next time ~ Kaitlin

Ephesians 6:10-13

Finally be strong in the Lord and in the Strength of his might

put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand

against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against 

flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,

against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore,

take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to

withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand firm.

(this week's memory verse)

Taking pictures for others

This last week was very busy and I was ready to give up on homework on Thursday but I instead decided that I didn't want to be half doing it for the rest of the weekend. So buckled down and got most of it done Friday and then finished it up on Saturday morning. This meant that I had lots of time to spend with my beautiful Nieces playing in the leaves on Saturday, and today taking pictures for Angie, Jeremy and their son Eli; and ridding with Andy in the combine. It has been a busy week for Andy, harvest is under full swing now which for Andy means longer hours and not being able to see me as much. I am already beginning to miss him and harvest has only just started. I will be thankful for rainy days and more time together when December and January are here.

So here are some of my pictures from this weekend. Mind you these are a select few as I took over 600 pictures! (remember click on the picture to make it bigger)

It has been a wonderful weekend and I am sad that it is now Sunday night and tomorrow is a Monday full of classes and the start to another busy, homework filled week.

Photography

What a beautiful world our God has made, I have been swept away by his astounding creation this last week. On Wednesday there was fog for me to attempt to capture the beauty of, on Thursday I was up early and got some pictures of a corn field while the sun was rising and this morning I got up as the sun was rising and spent about an hour outside taking photos, I really am loving having a nice camera to try to capture the beauty that God has created.

So here are some of the pictures that I have taken this week, You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

This week was a lot of fun, on Thursday Pam and I went to Grandma James's and we made 50 pies in a little over 5 hours :P It was Don and Tara's birthdays this week so we had a birthday celebration last weekend and then went out twice this week with different people to celebrate. 

I am glad that it is the weekend though, Because it means that i will have time to do homework and maybe clean the house and cook Andy some real meals.

Tonight I made Banana muffins and for supper we are going to have twice baked potatoes and Tacos :)

I have been listening to the Audio bible that I bought last week and i LOVE it! I am mostly an audio learner so having it to listen to has really gotten it into my mind, I have been listening to the new testement and I am really it! I would highly recommend the version that I am listening to, it doesn't have the phony background music that some versions seam to have. I my bible called the ESV hear the word audio book at christianaudio.com.