I know it's been quite a while, but I have something my heart feels worth sharing right now, so here it is.
But first, a brief explanation.
For my fundamentals of youth ministry class, one of our final presentations was to write a rule of life, based on guidelines given in one of our books from the semester, "Presence Centered Youth Ministry" by Mike King.
You'll soon see my rule, but ironically enough, its something I've been working on a post about ever since I left kamp in August. It doesn't directly relate to my time at kamp, but its something I spent a lot of time thinking about while I was there and all the time, really.
Without further rambling, here is my rule.
I submit to a rule of life in which I will LIVE ABOVE REPROACH. I desire to live a life that exemplifies my faith, and I will embrace spiritual values and practices to help me live in the presence of God. Colossians 1:21-23
As I live above reproach, I will value the following:
• Loving Unconditionally: Because I am loved in this way (1 John 3:1), and called to love the same, I will strive to love others without condition, as close to perfectly as I can and according to the definition of love as set in 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
• I will Embrace Simplicity: I must protect my soul from the business of life. I will focus on both the practical and impractical things that keep me in line with my Father’s continually unfolding will for my life.
• I will set an example to all believers, as called in 1 Timothy 4:12
• And I will rejoice in who I am, as the Lord has created me (Psalm 139:14). I will strive not to fall prey to abiding by an image that society portrays and demands. Instead I will be the most beautiful person as I have been fashioned by His hands, and I will let my perfection in His eyes be enough.
I will employ spiritual practices that will further help me maintain my values and strengthen my spiritual development:
• I will partake in daily, interactive prayer with my father. There will be open communication, I will speak, and I will listen, with my heart, soul and mind.
• I will commit to scripture reading 5 times per week and scripture memorization
• I will serve generously, in goodness, from the heart, in kindness, liberally, magnificently, nobly, in readiness of spirit, and unselfishly in love (Hebrews 13:1-2)
• I will embody my faith through journaling and fasting
• And I will commit to advocacy for evangelism and social justice. I will seek to care for those who are in need and living without. Not only do they deserve to know the love of the father, but the love of a human. The are deserving of the knowledge that they are created for a purpose, unique and beautiful, that nobody else in this world can fulfill, even if they seem more adequate or better equipped to do so.
Now that you have seen my rule, I offer the challenge that you will hold me to my rule! If you are a regular part of my life, or not, keep me accountable to living my life above reproach!
And, lookout for another post...sometime, hopefully sooner than later since school's almost out for the semester, about what I think it looks like to LIVE AND LOVE ABOVE REPROACH.
Peace and blessings from a worn out, over committed, almost crazy, loving life, doing great, joyful, pinterest obsessed, twitterific, college student! Y'all be in touch!!!
In Grace's Amazing Hands,
Katelyn Paige Hukill
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I'm Back...And I'm Still Not Sure How This Works
Not at all to anyone’s surprise, I’m terribly terrible at doing this blog thing right. I never believed I’d be one to post every day, heck, I even thought going for once a week would be a big stretch for me, I suppose my goal was to post just a couple times a month……
……..HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Here we are, 3 months later, and ironically—in the middle of the busiest summer of my life, where time for self is few and far between—I’ve reached a point where not only am I finding the time to post, but I’ve also got a story…and by story, I actually just mean an update about my possibly interesting life.
If you read my first post, or just know me at all, you remember that I’m in Branson, Missouri this summer working at K-Kauai Family Kamp, which is a part of Kanakuk. My journey to this place was interesting, to say the least, but it was most certainly well worth it.
Tomorrow will be a month that I have been at this place, and I cannot honestly think of a chapter in my story that is close to comparable to what this time has held. To say it’s been incredible is putting it minimally, and to even try and explain how it’s been can barely do it justice. So I’m not even going to try. But I do want to share with y’all some of my favorite moments so far.
I was honestly pretty worried about being so far from home for so long, but this adjustment couldn’t have been any easier. I live in a dorm style room with 6 of the coolest girls I’ve ever met. They’re such an encouragement every day and God is moving in all of our lives. Everyone on staff at Kauai has such a neat personality. We all get along great and our journey through this summer together is remarkable.
I love my job as an office girl. Being in this spot means I literally know EVERYONE at our kamp. I interact with so many people every day, parents and precious kiddos, on golf cart rides, during meal times, at the pool and during any free moments of my days.
The families are each so precious! Its bittersweet to have so many new faces coming and going every 7 days. But each group of kampers is so unique and fun and the sadness quickly fades as new relationships are formed and invested in. The stories of these families are unbelievable. We’ve had single moms and dads with multiple kids, families on the brink of their breaking points, families being restored from loss in the past and families that are full of joy and continuing to grow.
These folks come from all over the place and make so many sacrifices to have us invest in them during their vacations and the trust they give to us is so honoring! All bias aside, and once again to nobody’s surprise, my favorite families are ALWAYS the ones from Texas. They make me feel the most at home, it’s neat to see how similar we are.
Term one was the most difficult for me. I didn’t really get to spend much time with families outside of meals, and it was a lot harder for me to connect with them. I lost no heart, and had no fear that it would get better as terms progressed, and I was indeed correct!
Term two I met some very precious people. On opening night I got to bring in a family who arrived late and I was very intimidated by them at first. But these people became some of my favorites very quickly and they turned out to be so personable and outgoing. I never had to remind them my name or where I was from, and in the time we spent together, moments were never dull.
I also got to spend time with a precious, Alabama mom, raising two crazy and sweet children, one 5 and one 3, who has overcome the tragic loss of a husband not once, but twice. She was so strong, y’all! Had a heart of gold, and a genuine desire to know and seek us just as much as we were seeking her. She never tried to look like she was even close to having it all together, but her strength shone so much in every moment, and she was incredibly encouraging to many.
Now we’re in the middle of term three, and I’ve gotten to interact with more kids and families this week than ever. I have a precious 4 and a half-year-old named Maya, and she was adopted from Thailand 3 years ago. We clicked instantly, and she sought me first. It blew me out of the water, but as our bond has strengthened we’ve both been happy.
I’ve also spent a lot of time with the Berry family. Anita was our mom-helper for week one, and Jeffrey is our Kamp doctor this week. They have 4 kids who are so alike and different and its been a true joy to become a part of their family this week. Each of the three girls and I have spent moments together, and I’ve already been invited to “grown-up sit” them in Edmond, Ok. whenever I’d like. They’ve tried to pull me on every excursion with them, and if I were able to leave the island during those times I would have gladly joined their fun. They’re definitely a group I’ll be in touch with for the future.
But my favorite moment of the summer has been being asked to stay as a “lifer” even though it’s my first year on staff. Not only is this a huge honor, but a blessing to get to work with kids second term and to continue to build the relationships I have established.
I’m sitting at Panera Bread, which has become my favorite local spot with free wi-fi, and although they closed 30 minutes ago, these guys still haven’t tried to kick me out. However I’m beginning to feel the need to go to sleep, EARLY, for once, and so I’ll stop taking advantage of them and get on out.
But please continue to lift up my time in this season. I could not ask God to be growing me more or to bless me more richly than He already is. It’s definitely a fruitful season. I can’t wait to work alongside college friends second term, and to enjoy time off together. But most of all I can’t wait for the moments I know are to come.
It will be well worth waiting to see my family in August, when we meet for vacation in Panama City, Florida. I am so glad for their sacrifice of their time with me this summer so that I can be a part of God’s plan for me at Kauai! It reminds me every moment how much they truly love me!
I love y’all so much, and continue to lift y’all up, as I know you are for me!
Don’t forget to write, I’d love to know where you’re at!
in grace's amazing hands,
katelyn hukill
833 Lake Shore Drive
Branson, Mo. 65616
……..HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Here we are, 3 months later, and ironically—in the middle of the busiest summer of my life, where time for self is few and far between—I’ve reached a point where not only am I finding the time to post, but I’ve also got a story…and by story, I actually just mean an update about my possibly interesting life.
If you read my first post, or just know me at all, you remember that I’m in Branson, Missouri this summer working at K-Kauai Family Kamp, which is a part of Kanakuk. My journey to this place was interesting, to say the least, but it was most certainly well worth it.
Tomorrow will be a month that I have been at this place, and I cannot honestly think of a chapter in my story that is close to comparable to what this time has held. To say it’s been incredible is putting it minimally, and to even try and explain how it’s been can barely do it justice. So I’m not even going to try. But I do want to share with y’all some of my favorite moments so far.
I was honestly pretty worried about being so far from home for so long, but this adjustment couldn’t have been any easier. I live in a dorm style room with 6 of the coolest girls I’ve ever met. They’re such an encouragement every day and God is moving in all of our lives. Everyone on staff at Kauai has such a neat personality. We all get along great and our journey through this summer together is remarkable.
I love my job as an office girl. Being in this spot means I literally know EVERYONE at our kamp. I interact with so many people every day, parents and precious kiddos, on golf cart rides, during meal times, at the pool and during any free moments of my days.
The families are each so precious! Its bittersweet to have so many new faces coming and going every 7 days. But each group of kampers is so unique and fun and the sadness quickly fades as new relationships are formed and invested in. The stories of these families are unbelievable. We’ve had single moms and dads with multiple kids, families on the brink of their breaking points, families being restored from loss in the past and families that are full of joy and continuing to grow.
These folks come from all over the place and make so many sacrifices to have us invest in them during their vacations and the trust they give to us is so honoring! All bias aside, and once again to nobody’s surprise, my favorite families are ALWAYS the ones from Texas. They make me feel the most at home, it’s neat to see how similar we are.
Term one was the most difficult for me. I didn’t really get to spend much time with families outside of meals, and it was a lot harder for me to connect with them. I lost no heart, and had no fear that it would get better as terms progressed, and I was indeed correct!
Term two I met some very precious people. On opening night I got to bring in a family who arrived late and I was very intimidated by them at first. But these people became some of my favorites very quickly and they turned out to be so personable and outgoing. I never had to remind them my name or where I was from, and in the time we spent together, moments were never dull.
I also got to spend time with a precious, Alabama mom, raising two crazy and sweet children, one 5 and one 3, who has overcome the tragic loss of a husband not once, but twice. She was so strong, y’all! Had a heart of gold, and a genuine desire to know and seek us just as much as we were seeking her. She never tried to look like she was even close to having it all together, but her strength shone so much in every moment, and she was incredibly encouraging to many.
Now we’re in the middle of term three, and I’ve gotten to interact with more kids and families this week than ever. I have a precious 4 and a half-year-old named Maya, and she was adopted from Thailand 3 years ago. We clicked instantly, and she sought me first. It blew me out of the water, but as our bond has strengthened we’ve both been happy.
I’ve also spent a lot of time with the Berry family. Anita was our mom-helper for week one, and Jeffrey is our Kamp doctor this week. They have 4 kids who are so alike and different and its been a true joy to become a part of their family this week. Each of the three girls and I have spent moments together, and I’ve already been invited to “grown-up sit” them in Edmond, Ok. whenever I’d like. They’ve tried to pull me on every excursion with them, and if I were able to leave the island during those times I would have gladly joined their fun. They’re definitely a group I’ll be in touch with for the future.
But my favorite moment of the summer has been being asked to stay as a “lifer” even though it’s my first year on staff. Not only is this a huge honor, but a blessing to get to work with kids second term and to continue to build the relationships I have established.
I’m sitting at Panera Bread, which has become my favorite local spot with free wi-fi, and although they closed 30 minutes ago, these guys still haven’t tried to kick me out. However I’m beginning to feel the need to go to sleep, EARLY, for once, and so I’ll stop taking advantage of them and get on out.
But please continue to lift up my time in this season. I could not ask God to be growing me more or to bless me more richly than He already is. It’s definitely a fruitful season. I can’t wait to work alongside college friends second term, and to enjoy time off together. But most of all I can’t wait for the moments I know are to come.
It will be well worth waiting to see my family in August, when we meet for vacation in Panama City, Florida. I am so glad for their sacrifice of their time with me this summer so that I can be a part of God’s plan for me at Kauai! It reminds me every moment how much they truly love me!
I love y’all so much, and continue to lift y’all up, as I know you are for me!
Don’t forget to write, I’d love to know where you’re at!
in grace's amazing hands,
katelyn hukill
833 Lake Shore Drive
Branson, Mo. 65616
Monday, March 7, 2011
i guess we'll call this the catalogue of my heart...
It’s been quite some time now that I have toyed with the idea of keeping a blog. It’s been a while since I created it, but ever since, I keep trying to figure out what its supposed to be. I guess I’ve finally just come to the conclusion that this will in fact be a catalogue of my heart.
I was made to share my heart, and to let the love that fills it overflow to others. So I think that the best way for me to share that through this is just to share what is on my heart, and that’s generally a lot… At least, it is today, so I’ve decided the time has come, and I’ll kick this baby off, so here I go.
Two years ago, I woke up in the most foreign place I know. I was at New Generation camp in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, and though it was barley 6:30 a.m. I was drenched with sweat the moment the sun woke me. I had the most incredible week of my life at New Generation on that trip. I got to share the time with precious friends from home, and I got to build new relationships with incredible children of God, who will forever hold a dear place in my heart. We laughed a lot, and worked much harder than we would on a normal day at home. We ate very differently, to say the least, and grew slightly accustomed to many new norms. We sweat a whole lot, and bled a little, and came to know a very new definition of exhaustion. Most importantly we saw the hand of the Lord do marvelous works…well, at least I did.
I hated leaving that first time, and my heart ached for Jamaica, every moment of every day, for months. I wanted to drop everything I had at school and home, because all I wanted to do was be there and love the people. For the first time in my life, I wanted something so much, that no matter how long and hard I prayed, God didn’t take it off my heart.
My parents wouldn’t let me quit “life” so instead I changed my major and bottled up my feelings. I told only a small few people what was really on my heart, and I just prayed for Jamaica, and God’s will for me there…a lot.
Almost a year and a half later, after too many setbacks to remember, He finally took me back. The second trip was more than I ever dreamed my return to this place could be, and I was blessed by it far more than I had planned. I got the privilege to share this adventure with my mom, aunt, grandmother, a best friend and others who will remain precious to me forever, and it was on this trip, that God ignited in my heart what I am realizing could become a passion for Christian camping.
Before I left, a friend mentioned Kanakuk to me, and suggested that I look into it. On the trip another seriously encouraged it for my consideration and others mentioned how a camp would be great for my personality. I quickly realized that God obviously had a hand in this, and I began to pray for His will for my summer 2011. Three weeks ago, I found out that it is, in fact, for me to be at Kanakuk, loving on children and families for eight weeks.
I’m so excited for this time, and new adventure. But I am also torn. While I’m at Kamp, I’ll miss another chance to go back to New Generation. Until today, I was happy despite that, because I still fully trust that God has planned for me to return eventually. But my heart really misses it.
Since I’ve been back from Jamaica in September, God has shown me that I have a global heart, and I am 150% delighted in this! I don’t have any idea what it means for my long term future, or how my time at Kanakuk will play into that, but I know it’s true, and I can’t wait to see this aspect of my life unfold. But I do know, that there has never been anything that strengthened my trust in the Lord so much. Every day, I wake up and delight in the love of the Lord for me, and the love that I have to share with everyone around me. I’m overwhelmed with joy, to know that as little as I know about my future, He holds it all, and it will come together flawlessly in its time.
So for now, I love His children everywhere, regardless of the distance that separates us, and I dream of the places He will take me. My heart yearns for a time when I will share with brothers and sisters who see God’s love in such different ways, and when I will see how His love flows from them into my life while I love them in return.
Right now I wait, and I share with you this heart, and I ask for your prayer and encouragement on this long, ever-surprising road to His plan for me.
in grace's amazing hands,
love, katelyn
I was made to share my heart, and to let the love that fills it overflow to others. So I think that the best way for me to share that through this is just to share what is on my heart, and that’s generally a lot… At least, it is today, so I’ve decided the time has come, and I’ll kick this baby off, so here I go.
Two years ago, I woke up in the most foreign place I know. I was at New Generation camp in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, and though it was barley 6:30 a.m. I was drenched with sweat the moment the sun woke me. I had the most incredible week of my life at New Generation on that trip. I got to share the time with precious friends from home, and I got to build new relationships with incredible children of God, who will forever hold a dear place in my heart. We laughed a lot, and worked much harder than we would on a normal day at home. We ate very differently, to say the least, and grew slightly accustomed to many new norms. We sweat a whole lot, and bled a little, and came to know a very new definition of exhaustion. Most importantly we saw the hand of the Lord do marvelous works…well, at least I did.
I hated leaving that first time, and my heart ached for Jamaica, every moment of every day, for months. I wanted to drop everything I had at school and home, because all I wanted to do was be there and love the people. For the first time in my life, I wanted something so much, that no matter how long and hard I prayed, God didn’t take it off my heart.
My parents wouldn’t let me quit “life” so instead I changed my major and bottled up my feelings. I told only a small few people what was really on my heart, and I just prayed for Jamaica, and God’s will for me there…a lot.
Almost a year and a half later, after too many setbacks to remember, He finally took me back. The second trip was more than I ever dreamed my return to this place could be, and I was blessed by it far more than I had planned. I got the privilege to share this adventure with my mom, aunt, grandmother, a best friend and others who will remain precious to me forever, and it was on this trip, that God ignited in my heart what I am realizing could become a passion for Christian camping.
Before I left, a friend mentioned Kanakuk to me, and suggested that I look into it. On the trip another seriously encouraged it for my consideration and others mentioned how a camp would be great for my personality. I quickly realized that God obviously had a hand in this, and I began to pray for His will for my summer 2011. Three weeks ago, I found out that it is, in fact, for me to be at Kanakuk, loving on children and families for eight weeks.
I’m so excited for this time, and new adventure. But I am also torn. While I’m at Kamp, I’ll miss another chance to go back to New Generation. Until today, I was happy despite that, because I still fully trust that God has planned for me to return eventually. But my heart really misses it.
Since I’ve been back from Jamaica in September, God has shown me that I have a global heart, and I am 150% delighted in this! I don’t have any idea what it means for my long term future, or how my time at Kanakuk will play into that, but I know it’s true, and I can’t wait to see this aspect of my life unfold. But I do know, that there has never been anything that strengthened my trust in the Lord so much. Every day, I wake up and delight in the love of the Lord for me, and the love that I have to share with everyone around me. I’m overwhelmed with joy, to know that as little as I know about my future, He holds it all, and it will come together flawlessly in its time.
So for now, I love His children everywhere, regardless of the distance that separates us, and I dream of the places He will take me. My heart yearns for a time when I will share with brothers and sisters who see God’s love in such different ways, and when I will see how His love flows from them into my life while I love them in return.
Right now I wait, and I share with you this heart, and I ask for your prayer and encouragement on this long, ever-surprising road to His plan for me.
in grace's amazing hands,
love, katelyn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)