lovetheunlovely

2009-09-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

I am on a new adventure. While I was in Australia, God laid it on my hear to go to New York City. This is where I am now. I'm studying politics, philosophy, and economics in the basement of the Empire State Building. The Lord is growing me and stretching me in this new environment and I pray that He will use me to change this incredible place, one person at a time.

2008-05-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

We're in our last week of outreach in a town called Mount Isa....a mining town.

I don't have time to write much but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm alive and well since my last post. I'll be getting back to the base in a week so I will post a big update when I have easily accessible internet all the time.

Please pray that our week here will end with a bang! We're helping some people pioneer a YWAM base and Youthstreet program.

number2

2008-05-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

Gladstone:
We were in Gladstone for a total of 10 days and they flew by incredibly fast. As soon as we got there, we put on an Auslife training for the local volunteers on Sunday evening (April 20th). We did a total of 5 Auslifes at the different schools on two different topics: Goals/Values and Relationships. As a small group leader, I met some really cool kids and was able to encourage them and challenge them to think for themselves by asking questions about things that really matter. I was amazed at how many kids don’t know anything about God and haven’t even given it a second thought. It’s a blessing to see kids leave the Auslife day with questions of their own and the motivation to seek answers. At the end of the day, we have them fill out a “React” card which gives them an opportunity to write down their comments and check some boxes. At the end of the day, we usually have about 5-10 people check the box that says, “I would like to know more about having a personal relationship with Jesus.” (The chaplains at the school follow up with the students and since we’ve left Gladstone there has been a few that have become Christians.)

I stayed with an incredible couple, Graeme and Lynda Stephens. They have been hosting YWAMers for 12 years in their house. They were such an encouragement to me and I learned a lot by staying with them. For our day off, they took us knee boarding in the river. After knee boarding a couple of us used the surfboard behind the boat. We have some awesome videos of that.

Blackwater: (very small town)

In Blackwater, we stayed with a family who was re-pioneering a church. On Friday we did an Auslife at the highschool in town. It was the smallest Auslife we’d ever done, with about 30 kids in total. With the small group, it ran a lot smoother and we as a team felt like the kids grasped more than some of the other ones. We were supposed to leave on Saturday but instead we decided to stay another night to help them with some yard work. With 14 of us helping, we got a lot done. We probably saved them a couple months of Saturdays in just a short afternoon. (working in the garden made me want to have one of my own)

Because their church is just starting, they only had two people who attended. Those two people weren’t Christians but were going to give the whole “church thing” a try. After church was done, Kathy (the wife) said that she thought one of them became a Christian on that day. God is already starting to grow this church and develop it into a bright light in the community.

Emerald: (Emerald city in the land of Aus : )

In Emerald, we did lots of Religious Education classes in the primary schools. One day we did some yard work at a family’s home because it was damaged by a huge flood that came a few months back. We visited an elderly home and gave some testimonies and sang some old hymns. The SOMM (school of music and missions) stayed with us at the PCYC (basically like the YMCA back home) and it was really nice to touch base with them again. On Saturday the girls went to a garden party at the church to celebrate mother’s day. That was interesting to say the least…women in big hats, weird skits, and a plumb pudding auction.

Now we’re in Longreach. BEAUTIFUL outback town. We’re staying in a sheep sheering quarter with cows, sheep, and kangaroo everywhere! It’s fantastic. On Tuesday and Thursday we did two Auslifes in the school and last night we had a bbq with small group from the church.

Sunsets and Sunrises are out of this world.
More to come<3

LoveLoveLove, Kaitlyn

Current location - Yeppoon

2008-04-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick update for you:

Last week we were in Cairns and Pentland. Lots of driving in a 12 passenger van. We were only in Cairns for three days and while we were there we did a lot of evangelism and ministering to the backpackers. We put on a couple free BBQs which were a great way to get conversation flowing. In Pentland (population=400 people) we stayed at a small sports center and put on a two day youth camp. About 10 kids showed and we had a great time showing God's love to them through games, testimonies, and small group sessions.

We arrived in Yeppoon on Saturday night. Since then we've been partnering with the church on a couple of outreach projects. Tomorrow -retirement center, Wednesday - highschool, Thursday - undecided, Friday - Highschool, Saturday - skate park.

-->Right now Helen and I are staying with a lovely couple. It feels so good to finally sleep in a bed agian!

I don't want to stay too long on their computer, so its goodbye for now! Hopefully I'll be able to find an internet cafe where I can type some more in detail.

Love,Love, Love<3

Outreach - rapidly approaching

2008-03-31T00:28:00.000-07:00

Only Five More Days till our two month outreach! I don’t feel 100% ready but I know I will be by Saturday. I’m really going to miss it here. The base has become my home away from home. I’ll miss sleeping in my uncomfortable bed, staying up late chatting with my roommates (two of them are on the Vanuatu team), going to base worship and intercession, and doing my work duty as receptionist. But I know that outreach is going to be phenomenal! Our team has really come together and I can see us becoming like a family while we’re out.
--Our first stop is Cairns where we will be ministering to backpackers and doing night evangelism in the markets.
-- Please continue to pray for our outreach time. Finances still need to come in. Team unity still needs to be kindled. I want more of a vision for our time and divine appointments with the people.

Last week was our final week of lectures. Justin Claypool spoke on the topic of missions. It definitely was a challenging week and God really spoke to me through the teachings. I can honestly say that I am ruined for the ordinary. My mindset about life has changed. I know longer need to do what everyone expects me to do or be who everyone expects me to be. God has specific things for me and only me. I don’t want to miss a single opportunity because of fear of man’s opinion.

This week is “Outreach Prep.” We’ll be working on dramas, sermons, testimonies, games, Auslife training, and tons more! I’m preparing a sermon on the topic of “missions.” It will be my first time giving a full-on sermon. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time.

I’m also packing up all my stuff. I’ve accumulated so much while I’ve been here. Books, papers, letters, packages, and more and more clothes. It feels like I should be packing up to go home, but I still have another TWO months!

And that’s about it for now,
-Kaitlyn

ps
Thank you for being part of my great adventure!

lovetheunlovely

2008-03-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

2008-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Voice in the Dark:
Last night we put on a benefit concert to raise money and awareness of female injustices going on around the world, specifically in Thailand. The money that was raised will go directly to the Tamar Center, an organization that brings prostitutes off the streets and helps them learn life skills so that they can support themselves and their families. The Tamar Center needs $500,000 to build their new center in Pattaya.
Here’s a link to the Tamar Center video:
http://www.ywamthai.org/pattaya/tamar_video.html

Prostitution, human trafficking, and sex slavery, have become issues that have burdened my heart. My heart breaks for the women and young girls who are trapped in these situations with little to no hope. I’ve been reading this 30-day prayer booklet, where there is a personal story on a different issue for each day of the month. It’s opened my eyes and given me a bigger picture of what the world is actually like. It’s not the peachy place I once thought when I was younger. I’m angry, heart broken, and ready to take part in the solution…helping one person at a time.

You can go to this website if you would like to buy a book. It’s only $5 and all the proceeds go to Voice for the Voiceless cause.
http://www.voiceforthevoiceless.com.au/30-days-of-prayer/

2008-03-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog about all my adventures here in Townsville, Australia! God has been doing so much in my heart and He’s been using me in awesome ways. As some of you know, I am heading to the Outback in a little over three weeks with a team from Reef to Outback. God has blessed me with great prayer and financial support since I’ve been here. However, I still am in need of my outreach fees. As some of you know YWAM is completely volunteer, from the DTS student all the way to the founder, Loren Cunningham. We all rely on relational support.

With this in mind, I have come up with a strategy that I call, "Operation 100/20." I am looking for 100 people to donate 20 dollars each. $20 on its own is not much, but when 100 of them come together it can truly make a difference! Hopefully by the end of this operation, I will have 2,000 dollars for my outreach! I ask that you would pray about coming alongside me as I continue to serve God in the area of missions.

You can donate online at this site:http://www.reeftooutback.com/mypage.aspx?profile=2679

3 more weeks...

2008-03-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Outback, here we come!
In about three and a half weeks, 12 of us are setting out for out two month outreach throughout Northern Queensland. We will be stopping in several towns for 1-2 weeks each. Our main focus for outreach will be youth, as 85% of Australia’s population is under the age of 25…the largest youth generation in history! God has given us an incredible opportunity to share His love with His children through many different avenues.

What will we be doing?
In Australia, Christianity IS allowed to be taught in schools and because of this, we will be doing several different school programs. One of them is called Religious Education classes where we will explain the truth of the gospel in way that is relevant. In the past, Reef to Outback has seen a lot of fruit come from these classes. We are also running an all day program called “AusLife.” AusLife is a fast paced, interactive seminar designed for grades 8-12. The goal of Auslife is to get students thinking and talking about different life issues. Peer Management, Self Esteem, Goals and Values, and Relationships are the four seminars we run that help address many of these issues. At the core of the seminars students are challenged to evaluate how a relationship with God is relevant in their lives. We will also be doing lunch programs, camps, and after school programs, where we will have the opportunity to share testimonies and build relationship with the kids.

In Mount Isa, our final destination, we will help pioneer a Youth Street program. Youth Street is an amazing program that I’ve gotten to be a part of here in Townsville. It’s a place where kids can spend a Saturday afternoon getting active, developing talents, making friends, and learning what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. It provides kids with a safe and positive environment, somewhere where they can feel free to be themselves without fear of judgment and criticism.

When we are not doing the things mentioned above, we will be serving the local churches and poorer communities through practical ways: yard work, building, cleaning, cooking, etc..

I hope that this gives you a glimpse so that you can get excited about what’s happening in the Nation of Australia!

camping

2008-03-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

I’m home from camping, alive and well! We got in late Friday night extremely exhausted and I’m proud to say, with only 4 bug bites! Its great that God cares about the small : ) We stayed at a boy scout camp called Blue Water Creek. It was a quaint little place with an eating area, kitchen, roof covering (for lectures), and complete bathrooms. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone, but it definitely wasn’t “roughing it.” The only wildlife we saw was lots of bugs, a couple of snakes, a kangaroo, and TONS of tree frogs. The frogs pretty much overtook out bathrooms. Seriously, on some nights there were up to 5 frogs staring at you when you showered.

God did some serious stuff in my life during camping. I had heard from all the staff on base that its one of those pivotal check points in your life where things are never the same. I believed them, but didn’t know what to expect. (That’s one thing God is teaching me. My expectations are too small. When I place my own opinions about what should happen, its limiting what God can actually do. I’ve found that when I dive into something without expectations, just a desire to have God move, He is faithful to meet me. And its beyond what I could ever have expected.)
^that was a little side note for you guys.

However, at the beginning of camping, I went aside and asked God if He would give me insight into what He was going to do. And the only thing He told me was, “Kaitlyn, you are going to fall in love with me all over again. You are going to listen and obey me not out of obligation, but out of a love response for me, your Father.” And God is certainly good at keeping His promises. I have a new heart realization of His incredible love for me, one that compels me to love Him and His people. I have recognized Him as Lord over my life and have been brought to my knees by His pursuing love. God showed me His intimacy through speaking to me often and answering several of my prayers. He wants to know what on my heart. He cares for me like a daughter. We have a new relationship. He speaks. I listen. I’m also learning that I have to commit myself to Him on a daily basis. It’s not a one time, mountain top experience. It’s a process. And I’m ready for it!

Other things about camping:
-Swimming in the river, rope swings, jumping off bridges : )
- Worship and good conversations by the camp fire.
- Looking at the stars for hours (they look so much closer and brighter over here)
- Being on Supper crew with Caitlin (supper = dessert) and making some amazing cinnamon rolls.
- Playing in the rain. (which was basically a monsoon)
- and NOT getting wet in my tent! Praise the Lord. (most of the guys and some of the girls were flooded)
- playing “take two” for hours upon hours

It’s hard to believe two months have gone by. I miss everyone a lot but I’m also at peace with knowing that this is exactly where God wants me at this time in my life. Love you guys! Three more months to go : )

Here’s a cool but random thought to leave you with:
When you sin, don’t get down on yourself. Get on your knees. Because Jesus didn’t come for the perfect, he came to seek and save the lost. He came for the sinners. Jesus is not far from you when you sin. He is the closest. (Mark Parker, our 2nd week speaker)

2008-02-14T19:06:00.001-08:00

We're heading out on our camping trip for TWO WEEKS! I can tell that God is going to stretch me and grow me in this time.

I don't have time to write a big update right now, but I just wanted to let you know that I won't have my computer for two weeks to update.

Please pray that I won't get eaten alive by bugs : )

-God is Good.
,kait

2008-02-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

Week three lectures:
…were all about “Identity.” I thought I was pretty confident in knowing who I was but God pricked my heart and revealed some awesome things to me. There was definitely a lot of crying and a wide range of emotions, but the week ended up being just plain awesome!

- I am a beautiful person…inside and out. And that is NOT a prideful statement! If I say that I’m anything less, I’m dissing God because He made me. (Yes, I know that is a very elementary concept. But God meets me where I am.)

Youth Street:
…is going a lot better than the first and second week. Obviously they didn’t know us at first, so it was really hard to even talk to them and try to get to know them. I personally felt very out of my element. But now I’m putting names and faces together and they are actually opening up. I think they just needed some time to realize that we actually care for them and want to be their friends.
- We had an alter call tonight, and a few of them gave their lives to the Lord! It’s encouraging to know that what we are doing has eternal value.

Friday Night Evangelism:
…every Friday night we go out to the club strip for two hours to talk to people about Jesus. Needless to say the first week was very intimidating and I was in constant prayer for courage and boldness. The first week, Rachel and I talked to a lot of people but none of our conversations were about Jesus. We felt like we didn’t really make that much of an impact but later on God comforted me in knowing that showing God’s love and kindness to people does not go unnoticed by Him.

This is what happened the second week: (I wrote this for our school website)

Before we left for evangelism on Friday night, Ashley and I prayed that God would give us a specific person to talk to. We felt like He was saying to look for someone who had short brown hair and was wearing a work uniform. About an hour into the night, we noticed a girl sitting on a bench by herself and sure enough, she had exactly the characteristics God spoke to us. Knowing that this was a divine appointment helped us get over our immediate fear rejection. With the Lord’s, strength we approached her and just asked a few initial questions about Christianity and the church. Her view of both of them was very negative, but she was open to discussion and debate. We debated evolution and atheism for quite a while, and managed to get her questioning her beliefs and conceding with us on a few of our beliefs. One of the main things we wanted her to see is that not all Christians are judgmental and arrogant. We made sure she realized we valued her opinions and that we weren’t going to immediately right her off. The more she knew we wanted to get to know her, the more she opened up. It was a real give and take conversation that lasted for over an hour.
Even though she didn’t come to the point of conversion, it was cool to see God tug on her heart about a few issues and bring her one step close to Him. Ashley and I were really encouraged by her openness and her desire to talk about deep issues. Seeds were definitely planted and we are trusting God reveal more of Himself to her. We can’t wait until next Friday when we get to do it again!

And this past Friday:
...Rachel and I talked to these two guys for an hour and a half. The one was an Atheist and the other was very open. They both thought that Christians were great people and they were really encouraged that we didn’t judge them. (they were Goths) The Atheist said that if he were to join a religion, it would be Christianity. We invited them to our Family Barbeque on Wednesday night and they are both coming! I’m continuing to pray that God will break down some of the strongholds that have been built up in their lives. I also pray that through the relationship we build with them, they will be more open to accepting Jesus.

2008-02-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

here is the link to our school website. Mindy (one of my school leaders updates it on a regular basis)

http://reeftooutback.com/school_report.aspx?school=99

2008-01-24T02:59:00.000-08:00

Ashley, Me, and Rachel
This is what I see every night.
Getting ready to try skateboarding on the ramp.

Wenesday

2008-01-15T23:13:00.000-08:00

1) Today we are actually running on a normal schedule. I woke up at 5:50 this morning to exercise, ate our normal breakfast, which includes: cereal, toasted PB&J, and for some people “vegemite” or “marmite.” I have yet to try either of the latter two. Andy (who is from England) really wants to try marmite, which he claims is far better than vegemite. There is a lot of debate over this topic.

2) We had our first class today, which was taught by one of the leaders here on base. Her name is Joanne and I really like her. She gets straight to the point of the issue. She taught on “Hearing God’s Voice.” I was convicted that sometimes when I ask God to speak to me, I’m unwilling to actually listen and act on what He has to say. In the end He doesn’t say anything and I get frustrated. Yeah…I have been totally wrong in that area of my life. I shouldn’t get frustrated with God for not speaking to me when I don’t even want to know the hard truth of what He has to say. Also – “Don’t treat God like a vending machine…going to Him only when you need something.” That stuck out to me too.

3) Everyone has chores to do throughout the day. Some people help with meals. Some people clean. And others do yard work. I’m working at the reception desk answering phones and doing some minor office work. I really enjoy it so far. My shift is longer than other’s but I will be able to get some writing done during this time if the phones are really slow. (My mom has already mentioned that I haven’t updated enough…Sorry guys! I’m really busy here.)

4) Tonight we have “Family Barbeque.” This is a dinner where everyone on base eats together and we are allowed to invite people from the community to come and eat with us. When some of the girls and I went to the movies, we met a really nice lady who worked there. I might go back sometime and invite her to come.

They are all about relational evangelism here which is stellar. (they use that word a lot here ; )

5) This Saturday we have our first Youth Street! Youth St. is a youth program we run for 12-17 year olds. We invite them to come and from 2-5:30 there are different tracks they can be a part of: skateboard, sports, dance, and music. It’s like a Crosswave in the sense that we are discipling them and encouraging them to be all that God created them to be. I was assigned to help lead the dance team. Hopefully I will be able to use some of what I learned in CW to help me.

Anyways, my shift is almost done here at the reception desk.
I would love it if you guys could continue praying for me. Pray that my body will get used to the very little sleep we get here along with the amount of activity we do throughout the day. Its like one big Crosswave weekend night after night after night. Very intense ; )

Love you guys,
Kaitlyn

p.s. I learned how to play rugby yesterday. We played for about 3 hours. My calves are killing me. I Love it!

Sunday

2008-01-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today is my third full day here. On Friday (Thursday for ya’ll) me and the two guys who were here went to “the strand” (AKA the beach). The ocean is very pretty but its not like the Caribbean blue everyone thinks of. We rode our bikes around which was very scary because we had to ride them in the street along side the cars. My bike was too big for me so every time we came to a stop light, I would fall off. Most of the attraction are free here in Townsville. There’s a kiddy water park, ocean water pool, fresh chlorine water lap pool, and amazing rope jungle gym thing. We were at the beach for about 6 hours and surprisingly I didn’t get burned at all.

Most of the girls came later that evening so I got to meet all my roommates. I’m in a room with Ashley (Canada), Rachel (California), and Helen (English Channels). They are all really nice and really sweet. I feel like I’ve known them for a really long time.

On Saturday the whole group went to the beach again which was really cool getting to know everyone and their personalities. Later in the evening some of the girls and I went to PS I Love You. We all cried.

I think I’m going to get in very good shape because I either have to walk, ride a bike, or run to a destination in Townsville. Sometimes when we’re lazy we get a taxi but they are quite expensive.

-The bugs are terrible. I even wear bug spray to bed.
-The humidity is killer. Walk outside for 5 minutes and you’re sweating like a pig. - The food is pretty decent. Rachel, Caitlin, and I went grocery shopping today to get essentials: peanut butter and jelly sandwich supplies, ice cream, cereal, milk, and orange juice.
- We have a pool in our backyard!
- Ashley, Rachel, and I are planning on going skydiving.
- Orientation is today.

I’ll write more later.

Much love,
Kaitlyn

I wrote this while I was in Brisbane

2008-01-10T02:50:00.000-08:00

I’m here, safe and sound! Not in Townsville yet. I’m actually in Brisbane which is about a 2 hour flight from Townsville. I missed one of my planes due to luggage complications so I had to take a different route. (The Australian airline workers are so nice compared to the ones in America. They really give you the time of day to help you with your problems and questions.) This is the first time I’ve been able to chill in an airport without literally running to make my flight.

So, after the first two flights, (from RDU – Chicago – SanFran) I was already very tired. I tried to stay awake for those flights so that I would be ridiculously exhausted for the long 15 hour trip to Sydney. My plan worked because I slept about 10 or 11 hours. I had the window seat for all my flights so it was easy to curl up into the fetal position and rest my head on the window.

I met a really nice man on the flight from Sydney to Brisbane. He works in the construction business and so we talked about that for a while. (It’s good that my dad does that kind of stuff so that I could actually sound somewhat intelligent about what I was talking about.) He gave me lots of advice about living in Australia. He echoed what Miss Casey has been telling about not accepting any drinks from guys I don’t know because of the whole date rape problem. He told me some of the different words they say and when to swim and stay out of the ocean. He also gave me his email address so that I could email him if I ever needed advice. Very nice old guy.

Everyone really likes the way I talk: soft, feminine, slightly-southern, (Three people who I sat next to said that.) The Australian accent very rough and choppy. Not sing-songy like American’s.

I’ll update a littler later when I get to the base. I’m going to hunt for some food now.

Love to everyone,
Kaitlyn

2007-06-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

My family leaves for Peru on Sunday! I am so excited and the Lord has given me an expectant and passionate heart for the people living in Lima. Last night I stayed up till 4am praying and preparing my testimony that I will be sharing with the Peruvians. I wrestled with what to share for a good hour, all the while racking my brain for MY perfect words and MY perfect testimony. But as I lied there in bed, the Holy Spirit convicted me that I wasn't listening to what He wanted me to share. I believe God has shown me and given me the exact words to share with these people that I already love so much. Isn’t that amazing how that works? I can love other people, perfect strangers for that matter, because God first loved me. God is good!

My Prayer Requests:

Divine appointments in my communications with the Peruvian people.
That I would be in tune with the Holy Spirit and sensitive to his voice.
That my family would grow closer together as we draw close to Jesus.
Even more of an expectant heart.
Miracles

kaitlyn's escapades:

2007-06-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

1) On Wednesday I got my first dental filling. I freak out over getting shots in my arm so it wasn’t a surprise that I would freak out over getting one in my MOUTH. Before the dentist even walked into the room I was crying and gripping my mom’s hand as tightly as I possibly could. (I think my ring inflicted partial damage?) Thankfully the woman was very understanding and gave me a gas called Nitris…God’s gift to aichmophobes everywhere. Now, I’ve never been high on drugs before, but if I could guess what being high feels like, I’m sure it would feel something like Nitris. My whole body tingled, my vision got really blurry, and all I wanted to do was fall asleep. (which I think I did) Anyways, I don’t remember anything about the procedure but apparently I made a fool of myself (so says my mom). She’s threatened to bring the video camera next time to show my future husband before the wedding, just in case he wants to back out. This certainly causes a girl to brush her teeth 5 times a day… : )

Directly after my trip to the dentist, I had a job interview at Lifetime Fitness to be a swim instructor. I feel sorry for the woman who had to watch my drool my way through my answers. Thankfully they were very understanding and I have a second interview next week.

2) A few days ago my friend wrote, “GET A REAL JOB and clean out your car!” all over my driver’s side window with paint. I didn’t have a chance to wash it off and so I’ve been driving around getting the strangest looks from fellow drivers. Today I took my sister shopping and we came to a red light at a busy intersection. Sitting directly beside us was a homeless man with his Bible verse sign and starving dog. I felt sorry for him so I almost gave him my French fries but then he read my car and started yelling and cussing at us. I quickly locked my door of course, but he started banging on my window. When the light turned green, I squealed my tires for the first time, trying to get out of there as fast as my little car would let me.

When we got home, we told my dad and he laughed and thought it was funny. My mom on the other hand called the cops when she found out. "It takes a psychopath to do something like that to two young girls. And I don't want a psychopath on the streets of Cary. We're NOT Durham yet!"

Both of their reactions make me laugh.

kids.

2007-05-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

^ my all time favorite.

2007-05-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

oops?

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/hitnail.asp

2007-05-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have , and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?
Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells , and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!
Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative. "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

-Jay Leno

ice cream cone delight

2007-05-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

We often go to this little ice cream shop that makes the best homemade ice cream. Seriously, it is THE best. Pelican Snoballs has really cute ice cream cone shaped trash cans along the sidewalk.

Tonight we were casually sitting on the benches, eating our "cup of blissfull paradise," (description thanks to jessica) when we saw this adorable little girl licking the trash can. Yes! LICKING the TRASH can. The parents laughed it off and called it the "cutest thing they had ever seen."
"....Aww look, she thinks its an ice cream cone!"

I was disgusted to say the least, and threw the rest of my ice cream in the trash can, the one with the saliva all over it.

Please, tell me. What are parents thinking these days?

the college search has begun:

2007-04-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

1)Last week my mom and I visited Campbell University, which is only 30-45 minutes from my house. I never considered Campbell as an option until I toured the campus and met some of the students and faculty. It’s definitely one of my top choices right now. The only thing I don’t necessarily like is the campus. It’s rather dingy. Tonight I went with Mrs. Custer to see Les Fourberies de Scapin (otherwise known as Scapin)...great play by Moliere. If you ever get a chance to read some of his work, do it. Campbell seemed to have a really good theatre program, a plus in my book.

2)Yesterday we visited Catawba College, which is about three hours away. The campus is absolutely beautiful with brick, castle-like buildings. However, when I sat in on one of the communications classes I was not impressed with the caliber of the students or the teacher. (One would think that an 18 year old would know better than to throw a soccer ball around the classroom, hitting students (ie - me) in the face.) Honestly, I felt like I knew more about publice speaking than the teacher did. It was evident that it wouldn't be a challenging environment for me to be in. Another negative: The spiritual counselor on campus was a Muslim.

3) Last Sunday we drove to Deyton Tennessee to visit Bryan College, a small college with only 660 students. I was hesitant because of the size, but I have come to believe that good things come in small packages. The campus was beautiful, sitting in the valley of surrounding mountains. I saw a lot of people I knew from the NCFCA and other speech organizations. It was a very warm environment with strong emphasis on spiritual growth. The professors were very very very welcoming and it seemed like a place where I could fit in easily.

We still have many more colleges to tour...
But during this time I am fervently praying that He will direct my path and lead me to the place where He wants me to be.

Next stop: Wingate University on Monday.

NY, NY to Paris, France

2007-04-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Go to Google.com

-- Click on Maps.

-- Click on get Directions.

-- From New York, New York

-- To Paris, France.

-- And read line # 23

Kaitlyn's UPDATE:

I just met with the President of Special Guests for my training as an intern publicist. As part of my training I got to deliver a booking pitch to the producer of Bill O'Reilly's tv show, "The O'Reilly Factor." It was pretty sweet to say the least. I am so looking forward to this opportunity and hope that it opens some doors for me in the future. Here is the link to Special Guests' webiste : link

Other than that, I'm looking forward to going back to work as Lead guard/manager for the pool this summer. I need to make some serious cash if I want to go to Australia in January. It's just hitting me that I really don't have much time to get my life in order.

Prom is coming up! I'm looking forward to that as well : ) What girl doesn't love to get dressed up in a pretty dress and dance the night away with a charming young man. (cough cough) If any of ya'll are interested drop me a comment and I'll send the info. As of right now, a few people from TCC are going but we would love to have more!

Here are some Easter Pictures:

As for my other grandpa, the one withthe hip problems, he is getting surgery at the beginning of May. They will be staying with us for two months while he recovers in bed. My grandma is staying in my room for the time and I get to move up to the attic. ::joy:: I'm praying for a good attitude because by the end of even a week long visit, I am ready for my room back.

Hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
kaitlyn

2007-03-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

*edit* NFL = National Forensics League
lol

........ps, i'm fabulous at football ; )

yesterday at the NFL district tournament (3rd place by the way), i noticed a girl was wearing white cotton socks with black dress shoes. i mentioned something to my sister and gave a little chuckle under my breath.

we went to crosswave late last night and i realized i forgot my tennis shoes. because of this, i had to wear my sister's black dress flats with white socks to ensure that i didn't get blisters.

i sat there in church, staring down at this horrible site, and i realized....God sure has a sense of humor.

please pray.

2007-03-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

Some of ya'll know about my grandpa and the infection he has in his hip. Unfortunately he got some bad news the other day at the doctor. The man who did his last two hip replacements did a crummy job and thats the reason for the infection. As of right now, my grandpa has two choices:

1) The doctor will have to remove his hip and he will have to be bed ridden for two months without a hip....(yeah without a hip? i have never heard of that before. sounds awful) This will allow the infection to totally go away.

or

2) He can continue with antibiotics and live through the pain. Unfortunately he will grow immune to the medicine after a while and something else will have to be done.

please pray that my grandpa would have the courage to do what needs to be done, that my grandma will find peace, and that my family would help out in any way we can. With the first option, my family has offered that they could live with us for two months but we're not sure if they are going to accept the offer. It would be hard but I think it would be the best thing.

Thanks guys! Ya'll are so dear to me.

And I'll see everyone on Friday (for those that are going to the debate tournament)
<3kaitlyn

p.s. I won 500 dollars cash for my essay!

<3

2007-02-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

-My parents came home from their cruise vacation today. I drove to the airport all by myself for the first time : ) I feel very accomplished for not a) getting lost b) crashing and c) getting lost.

-My grandfather has been in terrible pain lately and so he went to the doctor a few days ago to have some tests done. The doctor called today and informed him that he needs to have emergency surgery because of an infection in his spinal cord. He went into pre-op today and will have the surgery tomorrow. Please pray...

-I can now say that I am a real highschool senior now. I have the ring to prove it! My mom picked it up today and it fits beautifully. I love jewelry to begin with, not to mention jewelry that signifies the completion of highschool : )

-I entered an essay contest sponsored by CW22 tv and hosted by NCCU a few weeks ago. The essay was entirely too easy as it only had to be 2 minutes (about 1.5 page double spaced) with the following prompt: What Makes a Great Society? A man called tonight telling me that I am one of the top 4 contestants out of 700 accross the state. I will be delivering the speech on Feb 28th along with the other three contestants to determine who wins 1,2,3,4 place.
1st = 1,000 scholarship
2nd = 500

- I am making my friend a framed collage for her 18th birthday/graduation. I hope she likes it : )

with love and lollypops,
kaitlyn

a trip down memory lane:

2007-02-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

blurry...

^This one is for Lauren and Graham.

Even the smallest things can bring joy to God's heart.

2007-02-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

"Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me."

...I'm sure Jesus would have liked his face painted every one and a while.

i write with tears.

2007-02-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

a very dear and precious friend of mine had something done to her that no girl should ever experience. i pray for healing and renewal on the whole family. i also pray that everyone would be able to forgive the man for his sick action.

God will redeem the situation and He will be glorified.

*edit* if you would like to hear my exciting news, i wrote a post on my xanga.

www.xanga.com/amorningsunset

that one person.

2007-02-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

i like drawing stars.

2007-02-06T17:52:00.001-08:00

isn't great how the smallest things can make you smile?

here's my list:
baby pictures and home videos
old artwork my sister and i made in 2nd grade
vacuuming a clean room
painting my nails
reading the penciled notes in my Bible
a new pack of hairbands
having enough paper and ink in the printer
hikes
hockey games with my dad
all day shopping trips with my mom
late night talks with my sister
being on time
writing with the perfect pen
rascal flatts and casting crowns
emails from my grandma
antique shopping
playing with glue between my fingers
being the first one to use butter or peanut butter
trying to use my spanish at mexican restaurants and ending up making a fool of myself
memories of biddle/gray family trips
seeing an older sibling put their arm around a younger sibling
being prepared and confident
VFW men and women
watching little girls play with baby dolls and little boys play with trucks
blonde jokes
Pastor Davey's sermons

and finally...my senior class ring, which should be coming in a few days.

i choose to question.

2007-01-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

It saddens me that Christians have received the stereotype of being prideful, but it doesn't surprise me. Because we are Christians and we have the truth, we have been told to have an answer for everything. However, often times we give our answer without being asked. Becuase we have become so answer-oriented, we have been labeled as prideful or arrogant. So how can we break this stereotype? I believe that we have to look for ways in which we can be humbled. One of the best ways for me to do this is to ask questions.

(I really don't like the common idea that if one asks a question, it shows weakness or stupidity. I think that asking good questions is one of the greatest forms of humility.)

So what does this have to do with being proud or arrogant? It has everything to do with it. Asking questions of one's opinions or beliefs is often times the best way to prove a point...but its achieving the end goal with a humble and non-threatening means. (Socratic Method)

Example: I was talking with a girl the other day and she mentioned that an acquaintance of hers had an abortion not too long ago. Instead of me telling her my beliefs about abortion, I asked her what she thought. I suspected her answer, "I haven't really thought about it." So I asked, "Well do you think the baby is alive?" And she answered yes. Just by her realizing this fact alone, she resolved that abortion was wrong.
((of course there was more to this conversation : ))

If I had told her my opinions about abortion, they would have just been my opinions. Sometimes people need to feel like their figured something out for them to actually believe it.

*another side note, when you ask questions, the only common and natural thing is to be asked questions in return. when this happens, you have been given a foundation to give an answer.

I don't want to be viewed as prideful or arrogant. I want to be a begger that has received bread, ready to share it with everyone.

my best friend.

2007-01-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

my best friend lives 30 minutes from my house.
we don't spend as much time as we used to together. but our friendships lasts just the same.
my best friend tells me the truth, even if it hurts at first.
she takes part in my joys and offers a shoulder to cry on when i'm sad.
we pray for each other often and grow in the Lord side by side.
we harmonize christmas carols together and then laugh about it later.
we've had one big argument that lasted a day.
she encourages and believes in me.
we have different goals for our lives and support each other in those goals.
she is a special person and i mean that in both senses : )
i never have to worry about her judging me.
she is quirky and some people view that as an immature thing, but she is who God made her to be. and i love her <3 style="font-family:georgia;">

2007-01-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

I figure since I have about everything else on the internet, xanga, myspace, facebook, I might as well join the blogspot world. Afterall, its not likeI'm busy or anything.

Last night I spent a wonderful night with my dad. My plans to go to a basketball game with a friend were quickly canceled when he called me with front row tickets to the hurricanes game. Though my one on one times with my dad are few, they are without a doubt the best!

To conclude my very brief entry, I would like to say that I have a new love for reading the Bible. I seem to go through ebs and flos when it comes to this topic. I guess that's natural. But I would like to thank God that I am on an eb ;)

<3kaitlyn