Open hands

Wow....it's been awhile since I posted. Anyways I had a thought I wanted to share with you all :)
I've come to realize that when you give your life to God, you have to continually do so. It's not just a one time thing. I realize that this might be kind of confusing so I am going to attempt to explain it better by using an analogy(an area of Jason's expertise :) ).
When you hold out your hands to give God your life, you must keep them open. As humans we want control and so we will hold out our open hands to give our lives but through wanting control we begin to close our hands and pull back.
I've noticed this a lot with my own life. I thought that when you gave God your life, that was it. You gave it to Him and were allowing Him to have control. But than I look at my life and realize that I have started to pull back. It is a constant decision. One you make everyday that you are alive. 
What decision have you made today?
"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
In His Name,
Karis

Convicted and guilty

So today after I finished my Thursday morning kid's time at a local woman's bible study(mom's go to study, I watch and teach their kids :) ) I headed over to the CEF office to work for the afternoon. On the way I was thinking maybe I should go up to the college to figure out some problems with my college schedule and just get to the office a bit later. I decided to just call the college instead and just head to the office. Ha ha that was part of God's plan for sure. So I get to the office and the first thing I noticed was that a familiar looking car was parked outside. It wasn't until I walked into the office that I figured out why it looked familiar. The pastor of one of the churches I did a VBS at this summer was in talking to the ladies. I seen his car at the VBS a few times. The first thing he says to me is "so October 6th from 2:30-4:00pm at my church. You already know the kids so teaching good news club shouldn't be to much of a problem". I protested and told him that that wouldn't work because in a week I will be going to a ceramics class on Tuesday's and Thursday's from 1-3:50pm. He than goes on to convict me by asking if I was going to give up a chance to tell kids about Jesus to flip some mud. I told him I was already signed up to "flip mud". He looks toward the ceiling and starts talking to God for me saying "sorry God. I'd rather flip mud than tell children about you". By than I was feeling bad. He continues to tell me how I should get a refund on the class and teach the kids instead. Than I felt worse. He stayed for awhile longer and talked about other things but I couldn't stay focused on the conversation. My mind kept going back to what he said. That I would rather flip mud than tell kids about God. 
Most people don't know this about me but I feel really guilty really easy. So this guy was pushing button's that he didn't know I had.
I was thinking about how it would be really hard to do this. I would have to change my major, give my boss a new schedule of when I would be available to work, register for a different class so I would have two credit classes and than make time to study to teach a lesson every Thursday afternoon on top of the one I am already teaching the kids at bible study on Thursday morning. That is a lot to change! 
Is this stressing me out? Yes! Does God have a plan in this? Yes!!! 
I think that through this man, God was showing me that even though I thought I had given Him control of my whole life, I hadn't. By not wanting to give up ceramics I was guilty of being selfish and holding on to what I thought I had already given Him. 
Jason is always saying how we should make plan's with open hands, that way God does not have to pry our hands off of them to change the plan. I made a plan and than was holding very tight to it. 
I think I know what I am going to do. Because I know I will forever regret it if I don't. 
I was also listening to a song right after the guy left and it also convicted me of holding on to much. Here is just the chorus: 
When life doesn't go the way I thought it should

Sometimes it's because, God is good

And when plans fall apart though I never dreamed they would

Sometimes it's because, God is good


-John Waller- Because God is good


Wow! Longer post than I thought it would be. Oh well :)


In His Good Name,


Karis :)

(Not my picture)

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Scraps to masterpiece

I was sitting at my desk today at the CEF office doing some of my work when I hear the door open. We don't get many visitors but when we do they are usually very good! So I leave my small desk in the paper room and go check it out. This lady brought in this box with at least 50 small wooden crosses. This one man makes them and it gives him something to do. What might have been the most surprising about these cool little crosses was that they were made of scrap wood! After the lady left Julie, Jackie and I stand around this box of crosses marveling about how beautiful they are. Than the thought hits me. These crosses are another picture of Jesus in our lives. You may be thinking "why of course Karis! It is rather obvious it's a cross. Jesus died on a cross!" Yes, that is true but that is not exactly what I was thinking about. Here it goes:
We are scraps. Life bruises and scars, people take what they want from us not caring how it hurts until there is nothing left but a beat up piece of wood with not much to offer anyone at all. Than Jesus, this wonderful carpenter picks up those scraps and carves and sands away what He needs to to make us beautiful and new :) 
Jesus is the only one that can turn something that seems completely useless into something beautiful and an amazing tool :)
So anyways that was my thought about scraps and beautiful things today :)
Thanks for reading!
In His Name,
Karis

I'm gonna sing

Chris August- I'm gonna sing


I'll lay it out for all to see
What You my God have done for me
I'm not holding back now
Oh, ohh

I got my heart on my sleeve
No lies in between
I'm not holding back

I'm gonna sing
I'm gonna dance
I'm gonna praise You
Like I never had the chance

And I'm gonna run
Like I've been set free
I'm gonna live
All for You my King

Oh, I'm gonna sing
Yeah
Oh, I'm gonna sing
Yeah

Here it is, inside out
All will know what I'm about
I'm not holding back now
Oh, ohh

I won't deny what You have done
You are my saving one
I'm not holding back

I'm gonna sing
I'm gonna dance
I'm gonna praise You
Like I never had the chance

And I'm gonna run
Like I've been set free
I'm gonna live
All for You my King

Ohh, I'm gonna sing
I will not be silent
I'll become even more dignified than this
Ohh, oh, ohh
I will not be silent
I'll become even more dignified than this

I'm gonna sing
I'm gonna dance
I'm gonna praise You
Like I never had the chance

And I'm gonna run
Like I've been set free
I'm gonna live
All for You my King

Oh, I'm gonna sing
Oh, I'm gonna sing
Oh, I'm gonna sing
Oh, I'm gonna sing
I'm gonna sing


One of my new favorite songs :)
In His name,
~Karis

Psalm 93 :)

Psalm 93

 The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;
   the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
   indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
Your throne was established long ago;
   you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, LORD,
   the seas have lifted up their voice;
   the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
   mightier than the breakers of the sea—
   the LORD on high is mighty.
 Your statutes, LORD, stand firm;
   holiness adorns your house
   for endless days.

Just thought I'd share this psalm with you today :) Is anything to big for my God? No! :)
In His Name,
Karis

Blessings :)

Something really big happened in my life (and is happening) as of late. Some of you know from my recent Facebook status updates that God has been doing some major changes in my life. One of them being my becoming an intern at the local CEF office. And another big one is that God has brought someone really special into my life. One Jason Talbert that I am extremely blessed to be courting :) I don't really know how to say how blessed I feel about my life right now.
God is so awesome!
I almost feel overwhelmed. He has given me exactly what I don't deserve! A forgiving savior more than anything! But I am thankful :) very very thankful!
Here is a picture of Jason and I :) I'll do another post later about everything leading up to the relationship :)

In His name,

Karis :)

I've been....I've become

This is something I wrote two years ago. I recently seen it again as I was giving some old notebooks to my little sisters and I actually liked what I wrote. Usually I will write something and than decide later that I really don't like what I wrote but that was not the case this time. Bear with me as it's not very good.

I've been....I've become
I've been called....amazing, lovely, nice, sweet, a rock star, honest, cool, awesome, loving and giving.
I was....greedy, selfish, a liar, dead, mean, sick, jealous, cruel, broken, ugly and wicked.
I've been shown....love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, patience, kindness gentleness, peace and comfort.
But though the grace and mercy and mercy of my savior, Jesus Christ....
I've become...accepted, a child of God, redeemed, loved, justified, a friend of the King, complete, adopted, living and healed.



There it is. A little bit of my life. I wrote this at a time in my life when I wasn't happy. If you read other things I wrote at that time, they were pretty depressing. But I think this has to be the best thing I wrote at that time :)
In His Name,
Karis