God is AWESOME!!!

One of my favorite things in the world is to be reminded just how AWESOME God is!!! How about You? The thing is though, sometimes I find myself forgetting the magnitude of His "Awesomeness"... That's the crazy thing!! After ALL He has done for me, how can I EVER forget??? Isn't knowing that God loves us the best thing EVER... I mean, He cares, forgives, forgets, redeems... He wants us to succeed, He wants us to be fulfilled, He wants us to be happy!!!!!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do ya, Do ya??

Do ya ever go through a drought with God?? It's not that He is not providing or there, rather your lack of willingness to accept and converse with HIM????? I HATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE times like this!!! Over the past three years I have come to realize I'm not alone!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!! I've learned that I'm pretty much just like most other Christian mothers... I'm not the only one who stays in pj's allday sometimes and I am certainly not the only one who suffers from a "spiritual drought" here and there... I'm bringing this up because I am there or here or WELL, ya know, in a drought... I need to prayed for and encouraged!!!! I LOVE my GOD and there is no reason why I should not want to spend ALLday EVERYday in HIS presence, praying, worshiping, admiring HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would you pray that God changes my attitude, and if you EVER find yourself in this same state of unwillingnes, please let me know... I'd LOVE to pray for you!!

MUCH love - Katie

Some serious STUFF....

Ha!!!! Well, you haven't seen stuff until you have seen our garage!!!!! We have 99.9% completed the renovation and downsizing of our Spa/Salon.... That coupled with downsizing homes 8 months ago has added up to some serious STUFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF! There is now an itty, bitty path through the garage. No kidding, it's about the craziest thing I have ever seen ;) With that said, we ARE having a garage sale this weekend!!!! Though I'm not even sure how to begin setting up for a garage sale when there is no room for tables... I told Duncan we should just open the door and let people dive in... You know they would!! :) Well, I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather and staying WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop on by Saturday morning; I'm sure you can find SOMETHING you need!!

Prayers!!!!

Dear God,

I want to follow your plan for me... Make your desires mine!! Breathe life into me and make me whole.. over and over and over agian!!! Forgive me!! Take away my greed and selfishness, take away the sin... "create in me a new heart" a heart that is pure, that is selfless that is whole!! God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am crying for you!! I am needing, wanting, needing, wanting, needing, wanting you!!!! Wrap me in your love and mercy... take me from this pit and show me your benefits!!! "Restore to me the JOY of my salvation"!!!!!! The unrelenting joy... the newness of it all... the fire that was once there!!!!! I am SEEKING you oh GOD!!!!! I am yearning for your guidance!!!!!!!!!!! Show me the way... show me the way... show me the way!!!!! Let judgement not be in me... let it flee from me... shape my heart!!! Forgive me for lacking compasion!! Forgive me for my laziness... motivate me... drive me... fuel me with your love and mercy!!! God I NEED YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Wisper, yell, shake me, focus my attention on YOU!!I want to be close to you... I want to feel your presence all day everyday!!!! I am undeserving, I am weak without you!! I am nothing but a shell... there is no heart unless you are there to fill it, there is nothing, just air!! Fill me... oh God!!
I desperately want to do the right thing, make the right choices, lead my children in the right way..................... make it CLEAR!!!!!!! Work out the details for me, oh GOD!!! I cry to YOU...I cry to YOU...I cry to YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! Oh GOD!!!!!! Hear me and answer... answer my prayers!!! Thank you for sparing me... for loving me... for securing me in eternity!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! Provide for us what we need...forgive ME for not managing money wisely!!! Thank you for your new mercies everyday!!! Thank you for your blessings and benefits!!!!!!! Thank you ............. THANK YOU who are HOLY, Almighty, all knowing, LOVE, Passion, strength, Perfect, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ONE!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankful for Desperation!!!

If you've read my blog from earlier this week then you know it's been a challenging week!!! Lastnight, as I was trying to go to sleep, which can be difficult to do this late in pregnancy, I ran across Beth Moore on TV... She said something that made me think!! She has a way of doing that ya know :) My interpretation of what she said goes something like this... We should be thankful for the times that we are desperate... it is at these times when we seek GOD and grow in GOD! She went on to say that people ask her HOW she loves GOD so much... she said, it was at one of those times when she was desperate... she was either gonna LIVE or DIE and it was gonna be all or nothing either way!!! She is living wholeheartedly... Thankfully she and God have become best friends ;)

One of these day's I'm sure I will wake up and realize that I need God even when things are going good... not just in those desperate times!!! Ever feel this way? It's sad when that is the only way God can get my attention, seriously!!!

On another note... pretaining to my previous post, I held a meeting with all of my employees today!!! I knew it was gonna be akward, but I also knew it was essential!!! Well, for the most part, the meeting was good... there were those moments that were quite tense though... YIKES!! I had to difuse a couple of bombs... but we made it through. At this point I am on the fence about letting a few girls go... Please pray that God will guide me in that decision!!! Also, pray that I will have the "backbone" to make the "new law" stick!!!!

Thanks for lifing me up in prayer!!!

Lots of love- Katie

Rough Day!!!!!!

You know it's gonna be a hard day when one of your staff tells you she thinks you "care more about making money then the people who work for you." Seriously!!!! OUCH!!!!!!! So what do you say to that???? I was at a loss for words... Then, she went on to say she wasn't the only one who feels this way... Double OUCH!!!!!

My goodness... tell me how you really feel!!!!! Well, lets just say I wanted to cry. If you only knew how hard I try to make the lives of my staff easier... Plus, if we don't make any money these girls won't have a job... how's that for caring??

So, what did I do?? Well I waited awhile and let her finish the appointment I booked her that she didn't want to do (the reason "I don't care"... I was giving her work) and we talked... We worked it out... It was a bit painful, listening to her criticize me and my methods. Clearly I'm not the best boss out there, but I'm learning :) Guess it's just part of it...

So, once again let's play the game "Where I WAS and where I am NOW" 1 yr ago, this would have destroyed me!! I WOULD have started crying, sobing, and completely let this ruin my day... NOW, I take it and learn from it!! What do I need to do to change the situation and turn it around for the better??? After our discussion, it is clear she doesn't really feel this way... she was just MAD!!!! I can understand that... I've said mean things out of spite and anger :) What I realized is that I have to change the way I do some things... basically, I have to get a "backbone" and be a BOSS!!! This will probably not be easy, but it's gotta be done :) JOY JOY... Tough love people!!!! TOUGH LOVE!!!! Of course, the one thing that has been holding me back from being this "BOSS" has been satan... FEAR... which we know is not of GOD... only of satan...

I'm needing prayer people!!! Lot's of prayer!!!!!!!! Pass on the word, PLEASE!!!!

Lots of LOVE...even if it's TOUGH...

Katie

No worries!!!

Oh my word!!!! Just in case you have forgotten....GOD is AWESOME!!! I tell you what, Duncan and I have been on a crazy ride for the last year, but God continues to deliever us day-by-day!!! I am truly thankful for what we have been through and even more thankful for where we are and will be!!!

As an update on the spa... the past few weeks just about "did me in" but God has carried me through!!! In the past two weeks, I have hired 3 new people... All of which have approached me about work!! What a blessing!! One is a massage therapist, one is a hairstylist, and one does it ALL (hair, nails, skin, massage)!!! This is a huge blessing!!! So, let me see, that is 6 hairstylist I have! That's the most I've ever had.... PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me just assure you I have come along way with worrying!!! Occaisionally I find myself getting anxious and letting satan try to wiggle his way into my mind... Not nearly as often as in previous years though!!! I have come along way with trusting in the LORD, turning things over to HIM and letting HIM work WONDERS!!!

I just wanted to give GOD a little PRAISE today...!!! He is my hope and fortress!!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Philippians 4:6 NLT

Much Love - Katie

Encouragement!!!

I receive K-Love's encouraging word of the day via e-mail.... Today's comes from Isaiah... "I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"

--Isaiah 65:24, NLT


What an awesome GOD we have!!! He knows our needs... problems... each individual situation, and He doesn't just sit around waiting on us to call on Him!!! While we are waisting time talking to everyone else about what we need and what our problems are, as I often do, He is already taking care of us!!!! If this isn't encouraging, I don't know what is!!!!!!

By the way, thanks to everyone who has been praying for me!!! The past two days at the spa have been GREAT; something I haven't been able to say in quite sometime!! I know God is working it our for us!!!

Much love - Katie

Help me GOD!!!!!!

So, this is my 2nd post in about 15 min....... I'll keep this one brief :) Back to the spa... Keep me in your prayers!!! PLEASE!!!! Why is it that when I am willing and trying to be a LIGHT it seems so much harder??? Satan seems to be pulling out all of his little tricks... URGGGGGGGGGGGH!!!! It is so hard to love these people sometimes... especially when there is NO LOVE in return! If you have a minute, just lift me up to Father... PLEASE!!!

Much Love - Katie

Who are we to CHOOSE??????

I'm BACK!!! So, how is everyone out there in "blog land"??? Things have been pretty good here, thanks for asking :) So, many of you know I own a day spa/ salon... which seems to be what I spend most of my time thinking about these days... Like I mentioned in previous blogs, this business venture has been both a blessing and a struggle. To be honest, it's hard owning a business sometimes!!! But, I know there is a HUGE reason I am in the position I find myself... God has a plan for me and He reveals it piece by piece, day by day!!! God has given me some huge opportunities to witness and shine for Him at High Maintenance... ALL of the individuals who work for me come from "CRAZY" backgrounds!! Each one has her own story, most which would break your heart. I know God has placed me here to share with them, to show them a piece of His Mercy, to be kind to them, to LOVE them!!! This past week my Sunday School teacher, or Small Group Leader if you prefer :), issued a challenge to us: "I encourage you to look around your life this week and see who God has maybe allowed to be a part of your life so you can be a light to them. And remember that we must be committed to the process of loving them over the long haul...don’t give up praying for them."

What a huge challenge this is for me... I can see who God has placed in my life, who needs prayer, who needs mercy, love, kindness... that's the easy part!!! Seeing them as "valuable people" and not as projects is where it gets difficult... AND loving them and not giving up on them whenever I want to just ring their neck...!! With so many "valuable people" here at the spa alone, not to mention others I meet during other parts of my life; I find myself trying to CHOOSE who I want to "deal" with and who I don't. Anyone else know what I'm talking about??? So, I'm asking for your prayers!!!! "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:12

What a challenge we have before us!!!

Much Love - Katie

Perseverance!!!!

Attempting to create my blog has been a reminder of a larger task (trial) present in my life... Though I don't need to be reminded of its relentless presence, it speaks for itself :) My business, High Maintenance Day Spa and Salon, has been and remains to be a complicated adventure... Unfortunately, I have often been a person to walk-away from things when the going gets rough. That is why I am so excited to have completed this blog layout!! I'm not much of a computer person, but with a little instruction from Jen and a lot of trial and error, I did it... Much like with this layout, there are moments with the spa that I want to quit and "give up"... BUT!!!! God is working on Me... He is working in ME... the GREAT things is it is REALLY WORKING!!!! The Bible tells us that we are to be greatful for the trials that we face... "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
This is where I am... in the middle of a trial... pressing through with GOD by my side!!!! When I reach the other side of this mountain and I have persevered the storm I will be rewarded!!! "Blessed is the man who peseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

This seemingly small task I have completed, the layout, represents so much more to me that an artsy creation on the computer... It is a demonstration of where I was in the past, one to quit, and where God has taken me!!! Though it hasn't been fun I AM greatful for this trial and I will keep pressing on!!!

Love to all

Help me JEN!!!!

New to the blogging community, I am trying to make a good first impression :) However, I'm just not sure how to make this thing work like it's suppose to!!! That's where I'm needing your help (Jen)... How in the world do I make this header appear in the header section?????? So, it's now almost 1 o'clock a.m. and I've been trying to make it work for at least 2 hrs.... I'm turning it over to you :)

Working on a silly header for 2hrs... that's another blog all in itself!!! To be continued!!!

Note to self: PERSEVERANCE!!!!!!!!!!!