Great Are You Lord
So I am finally back from a little over two weeks at St.Leo's and can I tell you that I feel better than ever?
You know ...before I went there I was in my whole I-don't-want-to-go-to-church mode I didn't ever really feel like praying and I didn't take enough time to really appreciate all the people I cared about. I had turned into a little bit of what one would call a hypocrite....and the first week I was there I felt like I wasn't supposed to be there....like I was out of place and out of touch with the kind of faith I once had.
God really works in the most awesome ways if you let him though and you know I dont write this in hopes of changing people but I write it just because I want to share with you how great of a feeling that having faith gives me. I know so many times people say how can you believe this? or that? You have no proof. But I don't need lots of proof if any because my proof is in every single person God has out in my path.
Being there and having structured schedule and prayer time and fun time and liturgical dancing and praise and worship and watching stubborn hearts break open and really let others in is such an amazing experience. And the mistake I made when I first got there was thinking that I had nothing left to learn in faith. I felt llike now that I was no longer a retreatant but a counselor and team leader that my job was to mimister and not experience. And you know when I finally allowed God to really do what he wanted and work through me I learned so much from so many people. And I really allowed myself to see beauty in everyone and everything no matter how simple.
It also helped that the campus of St.Leo University and the surrounding area is so BEAUTIFUL....like I can't tell you how much that place takes my breath away- I wish sometimes that I was going there for school.
But continuing on... I would just like to take my time to thank God for the time I had there....I am not too sure if he reads livejournal but in the event that he does I hope he knows how much gratitude I have for being able to stay the second week and for all the lives that I might have impacted by showing them God and by all the lives that impacted me and continue to even if they aren't aware. I wish I could explain this feeling in words but even to say that I feel like my heart is bursting with love and I have such happiness and peace would not be enough.
I hope everyone is doing extrememly well and your summers are awesome and I really hope that even if you don't have faith in the same things as I do - that you really just take time to chill for a second if you haven't in a while and think about what things are really important to you and just allow yourself to enjoy things and seek positivity in everything and everyone and maybe you can experience more of a peace and inner happiness wherever that comes from for you because it is such a great feeling. I wish I could like...inject everyone with faith and assurance and love and JOY and all the things I feel right now but I can't so I am just sharing with you- and thanks for everything -all of you.
GOD BLESS!!!!
-katie
ps. If you can find this song listen to it because it is so like....UPLIFTING!
How I love Your works
My God, My King
How I love Your works
My God, My King
Your Name rings on the plains
Like a not so distant train
And Love and history are near
In the flowers that you make
The flowers that you make
CHORUS
Because I'll never hold the picture
Of the whole horizon in my view
Because I'll never rip the night in two
It makes me wonder
Who am I, Who am I, Who am I
And great are you
How I love Your Word
My God, My King
How I love Your Word
My God, My King
Your love cuts through these pages to my heart
As you grieve our sins, right from the start
And sacrifice and paradise are in
The plans that you made, The plans that you made
You know ...before I went there I was in my whole I-don't-want-to-go-to-church mode I didn't ever really feel like praying and I didn't take enough time to really appreciate all the people I cared about. I had turned into a little bit of what one would call a hypocrite....and the first week I was there I felt like I wasn't supposed to be there....like I was out of place and out of touch with the kind of faith I once had.
God really works in the most awesome ways if you let him though and you know I dont write this in hopes of changing people but I write it just because I want to share with you how great of a feeling that having faith gives me. I know so many times people say how can you believe this? or that? You have no proof. But I don't need lots of proof if any because my proof is in every single person God has out in my path.
Being there and having structured schedule and prayer time and fun time and liturgical dancing and praise and worship and watching stubborn hearts break open and really let others in is such an amazing experience. And the mistake I made when I first got there was thinking that I had nothing left to learn in faith. I felt llike now that I was no longer a retreatant but a counselor and team leader that my job was to mimister and not experience. And you know when I finally allowed God to really do what he wanted and work through me I learned so much from so many people. And I really allowed myself to see beauty in everyone and everything no matter how simple.
It also helped that the campus of St.Leo University and the surrounding area is so BEAUTIFUL....like I can't tell you how much that place takes my breath away- I wish sometimes that I was going there for school.
But continuing on... I would just like to take my time to thank God for the time I had there....I am not too sure if he reads livejournal but in the event that he does I hope he knows how much gratitude I have for being able to stay the second week and for all the lives that I might have impacted by showing them God and by all the lives that impacted me and continue to even if they aren't aware. I wish I could explain this feeling in words but even to say that I feel like my heart is bursting with love and I have such happiness and peace would not be enough.
I hope everyone is doing extrememly well and your summers are awesome and I really hope that even if you don't have faith in the same things as I do - that you really just take time to chill for a second if you haven't in a while and think about what things are really important to you and just allow yourself to enjoy things and seek positivity in everything and everyone and maybe you can experience more of a peace and inner happiness wherever that comes from for you because it is such a great feeling. I wish I could like...inject everyone with faith and assurance and love and JOY and all the things I feel right now but I can't so I am just sharing with you- and thanks for everything -all of you.
GOD BLESS!!!!
-katie
ps. If you can find this song listen to it because it is so like....UPLIFTING!
How I love Your works
My God, My King
How I love Your works
My God, My King
Your Name rings on the plains
Like a not so distant train
And Love and history are near
In the flowers that you make
The flowers that you make
CHORUS
Because I'll never hold the picture
Of the whole horizon in my view
Because I'll never rip the night in two
It makes me wonder
Who am I, Who am I, Who am I
And great are you
How I love Your Word
My God, My King
How I love Your Word
My God, My King
Your love cuts through these pages to my heart
As you grieve our sins, right from the start
And sacrifice and paradise are in
The plans that you made, The plans that you made