I saw this website on Kisses from Katie and wanted to share! Happy Thursday!

http://www.incourage.me/category/bloom

Unashamed

This past week I went to a conference called passion along with 45,000 other students. I can't wait to share how AMAZING that was but I wanted to share this first. One of my best friends, Kelsey Chancellor, has been wanting a tattoo on her wrist for over a year that says unashamed. In reference to Romans 1:16 -For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Her tattoo's meaning is so perfect for Kels because she is truly unashamed of Jesus! But Passion was over on thursday so we went to the tattoo parlor on friday.We walked in the shop and first saw Mr. Mac, who was dressed inbiker gear from head to toe and then there was Ray. He was covered in tattoos and had those big gage earrings that kind of looked like this..

And of course there was scary rock music playing in the background. Just what you expect at a tattoo place. I looked at Kels and said alright who is going to share the gospel you or me. And we both decided to start up a conversation when he asked the meaning of her tattoo. Long story short we got into a spiritual conversation with Ray and every other word was a cuss word or something negative but as we kept talking he described himself as religious. After that he then said he had met the devil before. My immediate response was oh really? I would love to hear about it. So ray tells us all about his life from his parents hating and abandoning him at 14 to his life that involved heavy drugs, drinking, and wandering away from the Lord. As a young child he always wondered why God hated him and left him. He told us stories from his life that just broke my heart and I cant even imagine having to deal with those circumstances. Two different times during the conversation ray just stopped doing the tattoo and said whoa do you feel that. Look at my arm, I have goosebumps. I only get those when Im talking about God. I think its because y'all are here. I just smiled and was thinking yes that would be the presence of the Lord! He went on to say how he knew we were there for a reason that day and God does nothing by accident and how he has been needing some good people to talk to because he has no one. He also said that he would like to return to church but most people there don't accept him because of the way he looks. By the end of the conversation we were all talking about God's goodness and rays speech completely changed compared to the beginning. We exchanged numbers and hopefully ray will come to church with us! I am not writing this to bring attention to Kelsey or myself. I wanted to share this story because I was so convicted after I left the tattoo parlor of how many "rays" i have missed out on because I was scared. God revealed to me that people are EVERYWHERE EVERYDAY just waiting to talk about Jesus! Yes we will come across those who completely shut the door on the gospel but we will never know what God wants to do unless we have faith. The bible calls for us to share the gospel at every opportunity and to be fearless because it is not us working but His power working through us. We have no idea what God is doing in someones life and heart. I believe he always accomplishes his work and it is nothing but a blessing that we get to take part in that. I want to encourage everyone reading this to be unashamed and take steps of faith in sharing the gospel with a family member, friend, coworker, or a complete stranger. The whole world is waiting to be saved but how will they know unless we tell them?

Kelseys tattoo!!!

I always think well everyone already knows the story of Jesus and why he had to die. We live in America and everyone goes to church. Even if they haven't accepted Jesus yet they still know....right? I justify my fear with these thoughts and end up not saying anything. But one of my best friends, Emily who lives in Florida, shared with me on the phone a story about a conversation between her and her coworker. She said this girl loves to party and has even confessed that she hates to talk or think about anything dealing with Christianity. Which is kind of funny because my friend Emily looooves to talk about Jesus! Again, long story short her coworker had NO IDEA of the story of adam and eve and why Jesus came to save us. She truly believed if you went to church you were a Christian. If you did not go to a building then you were not a christian. She began asking Emily questions such as what do christians do that make them different than non christians? How do you become a christian? My point in telling this story is that we have to stop justifying our fears and proclaim the gospel!! There are so many around us that still don't know.

What if I was the one who still did not know? I would be longing desperately for someone to share the truth with me but would I tell them that? Most likely not so we cannot keep the gospel from them because we think they don't want to hear it. God is constantly working in everyones life and I don't want to miss out on any more opportunities because I am scared of people judging me. Why keep the best news ever to ourselves? It is called good news for a reason!

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

Romans 10:14-16

What is Love

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?^[

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

¹⁶ Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

¹⁷ A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

Bend Lower

I know I have talked about kissesfromkatie before but I just finished her book and I was looking through her old blog posts. This is by far one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy!! Oh and her book is a MUST read. It teaches what servanthood looks like and is a wonderful reminder of the Father's sweet sweet love for us. You can find the book here or at any book store! http://amazima.org/katiesbook.html Here are some quotes from her book:

“I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, let Him use me to change the world for one person.”

"Poverty is not a sin; it is a condition, a circumstance that allows God’s work to be displayed.”

"I am more more terrified of living a comfortable life in a self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus than I am of any illness or tragedy.”

June 2011

Around here, we live bent low.

Tuesday morning ladies from Masese stream through my front door. We have moved our weekly meeting from the slum of Masese to my living room because I have been up all night with new foster baby and can’t imagine getting all 14 of these little people out of the house. Excited about a change of pace and my sweet friends in my home, I enlist the help of darling Tamara and 13 eager little girls to give these ladies pedicures. We wash and we rub and we paint. I rub lotion into old scarred feet and think of the journeys they have traveled. I whisper thanks for the ways they have blessed me and the things they have taught me, and here in a puddle on the hard tile floor, Joy overflows.

It is on this same cold, smooth tile that I kneel hours later, face inches away from the burn on Makerere’s calf. The stench doesn’t even bother me anymore. And while it looks horrific to outside eyes, I remember what it looked like months ago and ever so slowly, I can see the healing. I can see the healing in the blood red life that spills out as I bandage and in the smiling eyes that tell me stories as I work. Laying on my belly with a surgical blade I scrape out the dead and do my best to preserve the new pink tissue that is starting to form around the edges. He laughs and says, “I have told you now all the stories I have! It must be your turn.” And I tell him a story of a Heavenly King born as a pauper and of a Body broken for me and for him and for each one of us. And I don’t even realize but there are tears on the tile and I sit astonished that messy, inadequate, ungraceful me would get to share such a story.

We sit in the dirt, not worried about the red stains and serve 400 plates of food to sponsored children on Saturday. I look into these faces and remember them nearly 4 years ago, destitute and hopeless and starving. Afraid of my funny white skin. We feed them lunch and we feed them God’s Word and we watch them transform. We feel like family now, no one noticing these skin differences. The suns rays beat down the glory of God and covered in mud and chicken broth I know that this is contentment.

Our family sits on the street corner down town sharing ice cream and laughter. My daughter bends low to offer a homeless man her popsicle and as he cries that no one cares about him she looks straight into his face. “We will be your family,” she asserts, and she means it. We kneel on the pavement and we pray and people stop to look but we hardly notice because we were made for this.

We bend.

I bend to sweep crumbs and I bend to wipe vomit and I bend to pick up little ones and wipe away tears. I bend over a big pot of stew and I bend to fold endless laundry and I bend over math books and spelling sentences and history quiz corrections. And at the end of these days I bend next to the bed and I ask only that I could bend more, bend lower.

Because I serve a Savior who came to be a servant. He lived bent low. And bent down here is where I see His face.

He lived, only to die.

Could I?

Die to self and just break open for love.

This Savior, His one purpose to spend Himself on behalf of messy us. Will I spend myself on behalf of those in front of me?

And people say, “Don’t you get tired?” and yes, I do. But I’m face to face with Jesus in the dirt, and the more I bend the harder and better and fuller this life gets. And sure, we are tired, but oh we are happy. Because bent down low is where we find fullness of Joy.

Praying for you as you bend today for whoever is in front of you. He will meet you there.

Video describing her book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfXgCx3f_1c

Her blog: http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Happy Tuesday

I cant remember how to upload this video so just click on the link. Its a two year old rapping, cutest thing ever

http://youtu.be/an_STKm-524

Where are you Christmas

This year has not felt like Christmas for some reason. Our house has been decorated since before Thanksgiving, I've watched numerous Christmas movies, and my Christmas cds have been on repeat for weeks. It even snowed in Oxford, twice, but still no feeling had occurred. Once finals were over I told myself, after this I can rest and then focus on baby Jesus. But I have been done for almost a week and still nothing....Until yesterday. I was at my home church, which I am obsessed with, and our pastor is doing a series called "Merry Christmas to Me" Its all about why Jesus came and what Christmas is about. But he is focusing on the intimacy of Christmas between us and our creator. I never really thought about it like that until now.

To be honest I have been focusing on my plans, friends, and family and haven't thought about Jesus at all. Of course its been the normal lets celebrate baby Jesus and sing Joy to the world but I haven't let the true reason of the season penetrate my heart once again because I have been so busy with life. Praise the Lord there is always grace and he forgives but He wants more from us then our leftovers. In some way each of us keeps caught up in the holiday rush and forget the main point of it all

LOVE

This Christmas its all about love for me. Like I said, I have been so busy with meaningless things I have forgotten the most important. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.- John 3:16

Going back to what my preacher is speaking on this month, the love and intimacy of Jesus Christ. We all know the verses but do we really believe them? God in his holiness, would take on flesh to enter into a sinful world to save sinners who had no hope. And when I say sinners Im talking about ME, Kailey Lauren Kemp. I get so caught up in the little things and forget about this astounding truth. I can even be doing good things like reading the word, praying, trying to reach out to someone, plan a bible study or whatever. but I have been missing the main focus of it all. I have been trying to do and do what I think is considered "good" and what I "need" to be doing. While these things are pleasing to the Lord he ultimately wants our hearts and our love. I make everything about what I think is best. I tend to forget I have a human mind and a sick sinful heart without Jesus.

So this Christmas I want to believe what the scriptures say. I want to return to myfirst love and get back to the basics. Our relationship with Christ isn't about our resume or our to-do list. Its about sacrificing our hearts to him and letting him love us. He is there and waiting to do this. Our works become an overflow of our love for Christ not the other way around. I pray that we can remember what Christmas is truly about. The ultimate display of love that the world has ever and will ever see.

Our pastor has challenged us to think what are we going to give Jesus this year for His birthday? It is slightly ironic how it is His birthday but we spend all of our timeand energy on each other. He definitely doesn't need a pair of socks, cellphone, or new car. He wants our time, love, affection, troubles, and worries. He delights in his children giving him these things. It still blows my mind that He is such a personal God. He cares about our desires, our feelings, and our happiness. The creator of humanity, wind, insects, and nature loves us. Each and every one.

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5

"Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”

Isaiah 49:15-16

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:1

I pray this Christmas will be different than any other because each year we should celebrate more the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I pray we can use our money, time, and love all for the glory of Him. If you are looking for something to give to this Christmas here are a list of some of my favorite charities:

http://www.worldvision.org/m/tt1

http://www.amazimastore.org/

http://ijm.org/

Each site has options from necklaces to buying goats for a family in need.

And my gift to you, my favorite blog- http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Lets celebrate the greatest love story ever told

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Done and Done

I am officially home for Christmas break and done with fall semester! I am looking forward to a lot of rest and trying to process through the semester since that really hasn't happened yet. But for now, catching up on my television shows and being lazy will work just fine...

Don't mind if I dooo