Sunday, December 19, 2010

John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.




And that's the main theme of today.

peace, love, and humility.
kaeli

Monster, pt. 3

The buzzing of my fan ensues,
White noise to block you out;
My eyes glance around the room,
My heart is beating doubt.
A single lamp is flickering,
I clench a pillow to my chest;
My thoughts cannot stop bickering;
Will I ever find rest?
Footsteps resonate from down the hall
And my pulse is gaining speed.
The rhythms sync, then suddenly halt;
I've sunk down to my knees.
Under the door, a shadow lingers.
My hands clasp together,
Finger intertwined with finger,
And I begin to finally remember:
The door is locked and I hold the key;
Sorry, Monster, for you cannot enter.
Because of Him, I am now free.
Of my life, He is the center.

peace, love, and late-night poetry.
kaeli

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Letters from the heart, pt. 2

Dear Beloved,

I know I can always count on you. You've known me for years and years and years, and no matter what I do or how much I irritate you, you love me all the same. There are often times when we get under each other's skin, but there is a love that runs deeper than that. A forgiving love. I remember when I was younger how we used to make blueberry muffins on Saturdays and I would lick the bowl. I remember you helping me with the many times I thought I couldn't do it. I remember falling asleep on your lap in "big church." Don't think you have played your role in my life incorrectly. I couldn't imagine you doing a better job than the one you've already done. You taught me to love music, which has become a big part of who I am, and you taught me to love who I am. You have your downfalls like everyone else, but you are a wonderful example. I love you, Beloved.

Love,
KGR

Friday, December 17, 2010

Dependence Day

It is important to remember that God will not give you or I anything we can't handle with His strength. This means that alone, we will most likely fail. But when we are relying on God and trusting Him with our lives, which includes our troubles and our joys, we will make it through. God has made a way.

1 Corinthians 10:13.

peace, love, and resonance.
k-a-e-l-i

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Letters from the heart, pt. 1

Dear Beloved,

You are an amazing human being. Your face is never left without a smile upon it. You are so young, so innocent. I pray that God will one day become a major part of your life. I pray that nothing will hold you back from running to Him and trusting in Him. Child, you are so precious to me and my Father. I will always love you for who you are and who you are becoming. I pray that Darkness will never have a hold on you, that you will be protected from the Evil One. I know you will be great; you already are. I pray that God will use you in a mighty way and that everything in your life will glorify Him. As you move through this world, do not be afraid. Nothing can stop you when God is on your side. Life is difficult, but there is nothing you cannot handle with His strength. I love you, Beloved.

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
-1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV)

Love,
KGR

This present darkness

I feel like lately I've been noticing a lot more spiritual warfare in my life than I have in the past. It could be the cause of a number of things, really: My walk with God is solid and I'm positive that that displeases the Enemy; life is going well and Satan might think he needs to shake things up a bit; I have more knowledge on a certain subject than I did before which has caused me to analyze things a lot more.

God is faithful. I know that He will never give me anything I can't handle with His divine strength. Praise God. I trust in my Savior and I am learning new ways to do that every day. Praise God. He is revealing Himself to me more and more each day and I am continuing to learn and grow. Praise God.

I think I'm going to reread This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. It's a christian fiction novel; I read it my freshman year of high school, and I think it's a really great idea of what spiritual warfare looks like. Might be interesting to read it again.

Yesterday was a good day. I started it off by sleeping in til 10:30am, and moved on to watching television for a bit. Then I got ready and went over to FSCC to practice for a fundraiser and few of us are playing at in January. Practice went really well and the songs are really coming together. After that, I was able to go home and chill out for a bit before going to pick up Chris for a guitar lesson at Panera while we waited for Josh to meet us there. Contrary to what he thinks (because he's too self-critical), Chris is really improving with his guitar skills. The three of us ventured over to Jes's to meet her and Aaron there and watch Ong Bak 2.

I probably should've gone to bed earlier last night, because I'm definitely feeling it now as I wait for my first final of the week to start. I'm nervous, which has caused my acid reflux to act up, which means my chest and throat are burning. It's not the most comfortable feeling in the world. I hope you all are having a wonderful December. I'm going to go read my bible now.

peace, love, and anxiety.
kaeli g. riccardi

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Perfect darkness

A few years back, I went on a tour of a few caves somewhere up north. The guide brought us way far back into the cave, then started to tell us a story of two boys that got lost in that very cave and when their flashlights eventually died they experienced perfect darkness. Perfect darkness is a complete absence of light; they weren’t even able to see their owns hands if they were an inch from their faces. Because of being in perfect darkness for so long, they eventually went blind and were unable to find their way out of the cave. They died there. It was then that the guide turned off his lantern to let us experience perfect darkness, but only for a few short moments.

In perfect darkness, it is impossible to know whether or not you have gone blind because you can’t see anything anyway; unless light is shining, you will never know. So it is for the Lost. People might not even realize how blind they are unless we are the Light to help them see.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

-Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)

Be a light.

peace, love, and light.

kaeli

Monday, December 13, 2010

Nails in the wall

Today I had probably the most boring day ever. It started off by sleeping in til 11am. Then I decided to watch a movie, which means I was in bed until like 1:30pm. Then I got up, made myself some eggs and toast, and watched TV for a bit. I got back in bed and spent some time on the computer. Then I showered and cleaned my room a little. And right now I'm watching a movie on TV after just eating a sandwich and I might go hang out with Jes shortly if Chris doesn't call back for his guitar lesson.

I have a love/hate relationship with days like this. I like them because it's a nice break from constantly going, but I don't like them because I accomplished nothing today. Nothing worth noting, anyway.

I hung up the crosses from this little collection I started. They are all from different states and countries around the world. I haven't gotten any new ones in about two years, but I'm going to start looking for more. I also hung up the three 7-inches I bought from the thrift store a few weeks ago.

Time to do nothing again.

peace, love, and boredom.
kaeli

Epic fail'd

Brushing your teeth takes about 150 times longer when you're also typing a blog.

I have sort of fallen short on my personal challenge of blogging every day, but I will try to redeem myself.

There is a guitar pick resting on my windowsill.

I only got four hours of sleep last night, but that is entirely my fault; however, totally worth it.

Praise God for strong friendships.

I started coughing tonight and drank a cup of organic tea (I can't remember exactly what kind off the top of my head) and almost immediately felt better.

My iPod is charged for the first time in twoish months.

The newest episode of The Office is HILARIOUS.

I haven't worn real deodorant in about three months (I use a salt stick) and my pits don't really stink very often.

I am going to start writing a series of letters and posting them on here, maybe even my tumblr.

Good night.

peace, love, and zzzzzzzzzz...
kaeli

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Be a moon

I think the main thing we hit on at bible study tonight is that we, as christians, represent Christ. Everywhere we go, everything we do, we are representing Him in some way.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NASB)
"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

2 Corinthians 5:20 ish (The Message)
"God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ Himself now: Become friends with God, He's already a friend with you."

We should be reflecting Christ in everything we say and do because we are always representing Him. He is using us to reach the lost, to plant seeds. Because of that, we should be aware of our attitudes, the things we say, and our actions. Although God can use us in any state, we should be growing with Him daily and keeping Him numero uno in our lives.

peace, love, and just something that was on my heart.
k.g.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Blanket fort

I would've typed this for you guys last night, but honestly, I was beat.

Yesterday morning I woke up and it just felt like it was going to be a great day, and it was. I went to class and had my last big sign language project before our final and ended up with a 98% on it, praise God. My prof even said I should consider interpreting.

Then I went grocery shopping, which is something I've always loved doing. I've been trying to eat more organic lately (and you should too, just trust me on this one), but of course, that adds up. So until I'm raking in the dough, I'll just have to deal with half of my groceries being organic.

After grocery shopping, I went home and made myself some food and relaxed a bit until bible study. I had the chance to meet a really cool guy from the band Abandon Kansas, Jeremy Spring. I watched his acoustic show at Beth and JJ's the night before last. I think the thing that really attracted me to his music is how real the lyrics are. Yeah, the melodies are cool, but it's the lyrics that get you thinking. He isn't afraid to share with you where he is in life or what questions he's asking. He's just honest. All of this to say, he played a show in Tampa last night, but I couldn't make it, which kind of bummed me out. Next time, I suppose.

Bible study ended and a few of us went outside in the cold, mainly because we had guitars and Panera doesn't let us play them inside. I was just thinking a lot as I was sitting out there, about life and music and pretty much everything. I've realized I sometimes don't give myself time to think. I like to be distracted so that I don't have to think because when I start thinking, who knows where it's going to go. I think I'm going to stop distracting myself with mundane things and let my mind explore different thoughts and ideals. Maybe then I'd actually be able to figure out which direction God is directing me.

I've been at Jes's house since after bible study last night. We built a pretty awesome blanket fort in her room and ended up falling asleep to a movie last night. This morning we made ourselves some breakfast. Eggs, toast, and blueberry muffins. Yumtown, USA. I have no idea what we're doing for the rest of the day. Adventures, most likely.

peace, love, and allergies.
kkkaaaeeellliii

Thursday, December 9, 2010

"Nonconformist" is a conformist's word

I should most definitely be sleeping right now. But, I can't give up on this challenge only eight days in. That'd be pathetic. I'll tell you more about today, tomorrow. For right now, I'm just going to tell you about something we briefly discussed at Journey Groups.

John the Baptist was a bit of an oddball. He was hairy, and he ate locusts dipped in honey. (Sounds... yummy?) But he was an oddball that pointed people to Christ. Something that my mom and I have sort of been battling against lately is my individuality. Normalcy's not my style. It's not a bad thing, it's just not for me. It never has been. I don't fit into the box most people try to put me in and I'm okay with that. I love who I am and who God created me to be. But it's a bit much for my mom to handle sometimes (I'm putting that into nicer words than what's been said).

I get that there is a generation gap between my mom and me, but God created me to be different. And He created you to be different as well. There is nothing wrong with that. Stand out. Be the oddball God created you to be for Him. That's what I learned tonight. Now, I'm not hairy, nor do I eat honey-dipped insects, but I'm not afraid to be who I am and you shouldn't be either. Accept who you are because, honey, that's how God made you and you're awesome.

peace, love, and Romans 12:2
kay lyric hardy

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Mind bottling

I know this is a crappy excuse for a blog, but I just had one of the deepest and most revealing talks of my life tonight. I'm still processing everything. Just know that the Enemy has been defeated. We've won. God ultimately has it all under control. Everything happens for a reason. Everything. Never stop trusting, never stop believing, never stop hoping. Words to remember:

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?

peace, love, and shivers.
kaeli riccardi

Monday, December 6, 2010

Hot tea

I'm really thankful that God created us to be relational people because without that, I wouldn't be able to have the amazing friends that I have.

After class today I went over to Jes's house and we watched Charlie St. Cloud. SUCH a good movie; if you haven't seen it yet, go rent it. Now. I'm not kidding. Then we took my fisheye camera and went for a walk around her neighborhood. It was actually really cold today. I was shivering, and I loved it. Gretchen made me an awesome scarf that I've been wearing a lot lately, and it has easily made it into my top two favorites. The other one being the one I got in Sweden.

Jes had to go to work at five, so I went home and ate some dinner and just relaxed a little. Then Chris called and wanted to meet at Panera for a guitar lesson. We sat outside. It was cold. Our hands were numb. (If you've ever played guitar with numb hands, you'll know it is no fun.) There was a little boy probably around eight years old that was watching from inside. He had a wide smile on his face and would knock on the window to get our attention, then applaud for us. It was super cute. He then moved outside to hear us better. Even his parents came out and heard us play a song. After about an hour we went inside to warm up and drink hot tea. Chris and I met a guy that was sitting at the booth behind us who also played guitar. We let him play one of ours and he was very talented. Definitely showed me up.

And that brings me to right now, as I'm laying on my bed typing this. My hands are getting dry from the approaching winter winds, and my cheeks are getting rosy. I've discovered really like blogging every day. It helps me to reflect on everything that happened, and because of that I'm really able to count my blessings. I'm able to see how God is in every little aspect of my life and that just gives me even more reason to praise Him.

peace, love, and warmth.
kaeli riccardi

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Got my list

I'm suuuuper tired right now so I'm not going to type a whole lot. Here is what I did today in list form:

-Woke up
-Got ready and went to Relevant Church
-Called Chris a few times to wake him up (didn't work)
-Met some deaf people
-Worked a few hours
-Booked it to Keswick to make it to praise band practice on time
-Movement Church shenanigans
-Hung out after service
-Gave Jes her glasses back after having them for a few days (sorry)
-Went home and ate leftovers
-Talked on the phone
-Read Batman comics

Things I am about to do today:

-Take contacts out
-Brush teeth
-Spend more time in the Word
-Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Hope you all had as amazing of a day as I did! Love you guys.

peace, love, and rockets.
kaeli

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Homemade cheesy potatoes

Today was a pretty decent day. Started it all off by waking up, then proceeding to use the bathroom because my bladder was pretty full. Then I got ready for flag football, picked Chris up, stopped at Fray's, and went down to Walter Fuller Park.

Unfortunately I only got to play a little over a half an hour because I had to go home and get showered for work. I had the closing shift, but I really enjoyed work today. Not the actual work portion (although the $10 tip was a nice bonus), but the conversations I had with my coworkers. I'm not really a huge fan of that word. Let's call them 'work friends.'

Jason has been talking a lot about discipleship over the past few months and how we need to be pouring ourselves out into other people. I've always liked that picture in my mind - us, as some sort of container, being filled up daily by our personal time with God and various fellowship opportunities, and pouring ourselves out into other people. Then they get filled up and then pour themselves out into other people. And those people get filled up and then pour themselves out into other people. And it just keeps going from there. (JJ also talked about that a lot when he was youth pastor at FSCC, and it's always stuck with me.)

There is a girl I know who I love dearly and she's about 14 and attends the youth group at my old church. What is awesome is I've been able to be there for every key moment in her walk with the Lord. Praise God. And since the beginning I've been trying to pour myself out to her and teach her to do the same.

But something I noticed today is that there is another girl I've been discipling, and I didn't even really realize it until moments ago. One of my work friends, who is an absolute sweetheart and about 17 or 18, started working at Planet Jump probably six months ago. In one of our first conversations she mentioned that she went to church and then I asked what she believes and all these questions about her faith. She revealed that she was kind of a new christian. Since then, we've had some amazing talks.

Today we had another one of those great talks. She was asked to stay an hour later than her shift because we were short one person and she was asking me what she should do about it. She admitted that she really did not want to stay, so I simply asked her if Jesus was in her shoes, would He stay? It was then that she said she really appreciated that and how I always ask her the hard questions. I was able to share with her all that God has been teaching me lately about being a servant and humbling yourself so you can sacrifice your wants and needs for someone else's. I mean, we're called to be like Jesus, right? Didn't He do all those things?

It's just been really awesome to see God reveal Himself in different ways in my life. And how He's been showing me that I'm not wasting my time anywhere. Praise God.

In other news, my mom made homemade cheesy potatoes that I am going to partake in right now. Goodnight, kiddos.

peace, love, and delicious flavor.
kaeliii

Threshing floor

I got to spend some awesome time with one of my best friends today. Jes and I took most of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon being lazy and getting ready for the day. We ended up going thrifting, which is something I love but haven't done in a while. I found some gems: a Harry Potter board game, a Carol Burnett vinyl, and some other random 7"'s that I'm going to hang in my room. To top it all off, I didn't spend more than $5.

Afterwards, we went over to Pathways for the Deaf Church lesson/service. I got to sign with some really awesome deaf people, and I even had a little interpreting experience because Jes didn't know any sign language. Needless to say, I want to do stuff like that all the time. I need more deaf friends =)

Okay, so at bible study tonight, God laid something on my heart. It's something I learned about a few years ago when the Gawlowicz Gang was at FSCC, and for whatever reason, God placed it back in my life.

In our various small groups, we've been talking a little bit here and there about love costing us something. I'm sure most of you have heard the three types of love before, but this particular type of love referred to here is agape. In 2 Samuel 24, we learn that David clearly recognizes he is being judged by God for his sins and needs to repent. Because of him, the Lord put a plague in the land, then took it away. (I'm summarizing here.) Gad told David to raise up an altar to God, more specifically, with the threshing floor that Araunah had, because the angel of the Lord was near it when the Lord stopped the plague in Jerusalem.

David finds Araunah and wants to buy the threshing floor, oxen, etc to make a sacrifice to God. Araunah, recognizing that David is king, offers those things to him for free. But this is David's reply, and the whole point of all of this:

"But the king said to Araunah, 'No, I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.' So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."
-2 Samuel 24:24 (ESV)

David refused to make a sacrifice that didn't cost him something. In fact, it's not really a sacrifice at all if it doesn't cost you something. Jesus showed His agape love for us when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. True love is sacrificial. What is your sacrifice?

peace, agape, and old bands.
kae

Friday, December 3, 2010

Pickles and pumpkins

Okay so don't think I've already given up on this. I haven't had time to blog for today, and because it's so late now, I'm technically blogging "tomorrow." Whatever. I digress.

I actually had a productive day today, which doesn't happen often during the week. After class I decided to finally wash my car and clean out the inside. I haven't done that in... too long. Elvis looks pretty good. Granted, there are still some bug guts that are permanent additions to my car from the many summer trips up to North Carolina and me forgetting to wash them off afterwards, but that's no big deal.

We have these bible study groups at Movement that are called Journey groups. Basically we study a chapter of the bible throughout the week and split off into age groups that meet together on their respective days and then talk about what they learned and what God revealed to them. So that was tonight, and it was pretty good. We started off talking about John 3, then ended up taking a tangent and talking about a bunch of different things, all stuff I'd heard before, but all stuff I needed to hear at that moment in time. Everything mentioned had something to do with what's going on in my life. It's neat.

Then Jes, Aaron, and Chris went back to my house for our weekly movie night. We watched one of the greatest movies ever: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World! They ended up liking it which made me really happy, considering that was a good portion of what I talked about around them.

The boys left and Jes is staying the night, so I'm going to go make a blanket fort with her now.

peace, love, and youth.
kaeli grace

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Remember December

I have decided to issue myself a challenge. A challenge that will hopefully break some portion of my laziness. A challenge that could potentially annoy a good amount of you. I am going to blog every day of the month of December in an attempt to actually use this thing more often.

I can't promise that this will be interesting, intelligent, or inspiring, but it will happen. Even if it's something as boring as updating you on my day, it'll happen. If I have to tear this universe another black hole, it's going to happen. It's GOT TO... MISTER!

Sorry, got a little carried away.

So this is blog numero uno. Here's what I did today:

Woke up at 6am to take Tracey's boys to school. I'm pretty sure this'll be my last week because I can't take getting up that early anymore, plus my whole schedule will be changing after this semester. After I dropped them off at school, I started coughing (believe it or not, I just spelled out the name of the pokemon "Koffing" instead of the actual word before I caught it). I checked my throat and I found a white spot. I hope I'm not getting sick. All measures will be taken.

I was able to take an hour nap before I had to get to class. Comp 1 was okay, but after that I spent my time catching up on my math homework before my math class started. Unfortunately I failed my first test this semester. Yeah. That sucked.

After I got home, I spent some time reading Batman comics and finishing sign language homework. Then I talked with my mom for a bit. But NOW I'm watching my favorite TV show eeevvveeerrrr. Yep, you guessed it: Psych. This whole episode is one big reference to Twin Peaks. Gonna go watch it now...

peace, love, and 90s television.
kaeli

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thanksgiving, community style

My mom and Denis just left a few days ago to spend the next week (including Thanksgiving) up in North Carolina with all of our family up there. Why am I not there, you ask? First off, SPC is dumb and only gave us two days off. Secondly, I can't really afford to take off from work for too long right now. Therefore, I'm still here in Florida, famililess for the holiday.

However, around 7:30 pm ish, anyone and everyone is invited over to my house to come together as a community and celebrate Thanksgiving. I will be cooking a few things, but it would be great if you guys could maybe bring something to help out. If you'd like to know what is needed, send me a text or call or something and I'll let you know. I'm kind of hoping we'll have food left over so we can maybe go out and feed the homeless with it or something. I'd love to see you all there!

Also, during the day, I will not have much to do, so if you'd like to have a vegetarian over for Thanksgiving, I'd greatly appreciate that =) No worries, though.

peace, love, and community.
kale lyric hardy

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Ninety nine

Here is a random assortment of things I may or may not have completed in my life. (I stole this from Beth. The ones in bold are what I have done.

1. Started your own blog - Obviously.
2. Slept under the stars - Sooooo amazing. I'd do it every night if I could.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World - Many a time.
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child - I will one day.
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - I walked as high as they'd let me. It was after 9/11 so the actual statue part was closed
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - Two, and they were not that great.

21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - I walked by them so many times, but they were too dang expensive.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - Does kickball count?
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - I started to...

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I hate money, so I'd be satisfied without it.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Visited the Alps
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - Really wanna do this.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - Do home movies count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia - Spring 2011! Lord willing.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - I helped my step sister. I was not a girl scout.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - I was going to in Poland, but plans changed.
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - Missed it by one day.
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - No, but I've had a poem published.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - Probably never will. Not worth it for me.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve - Just on the cheek. Nothing incredibly romantic or anything.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - I saved a child from getting seriously injured at my work.
90. Sat on a jury - Been called up for jury duty, but I've always gotten out of it.
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo - Haha, yep. More than one.
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Monday, November 1, 2010

We're all baby sea turtles

Today was an off day for me. My heart was heavy with a lot of things, and I honestly didn't know what to do about it. I had band practice with Tim at five, and I wasn't really looking forward to it because of everything I was thinking about. Soon enough the time to head over to Tim's approached and I made my way over there. En route to practice, for whatever reason, I had the urge to go to the beach and just spend some real alone time with God. So as soon as practice ended, I went straight to one of my favorite beach spots with my bible, notebook, and blanket.

At first I didn't really know what to do, or what to read, so I just sat and watched the sunset. I observed birds flying and then suddenly diving into the water in hopes of catching dinner. Then God laid Psalm 139 on my heart. For some reason I've just been continuing to come back to that Psalm. So I opened my notebook and started writing it in my own words.

When it got dark, I called Gretchen and we had a good conversation. She told me about her day and how she was in the middle of steam-cleaning her carpets and I told her about my day and that I was sitting on the beach. I love calling her. I know she'll always answer whether I'm crying, laughing, or calling just because I want to say hey.

Afterwards, I started singing some songs to my Savior and then talking to Him aloud. Then I remembered my experience watching baby sea turtles hatch and then head towards the ocean to start living their lives. When baby sea turtles hatch, they will go towards the brightest light, assuming it's the moon, to find their way to the ocean. Because of the light from a lot of hotels, they sometimes get turned around and start going the other direction. If they continue that way, they will eventually die, and that is why volunteers are there when they hatch to turn them around when they go the wrong way.

In a lot of ways, we're like baby sea turtles and Jesus is our Moon. When we are brought into this world, we're all looking for the Light, however some are misguided by other lights and that eventually leads them to death. But if we follow the True Light, it is there we will find Life. Sometimes along the way we can get turned around, and it's then when we need to repent from our old ways and turn to God.

After talking this over with God, I continued to pray and thank Him for all He'd shown me while I was out there with Him. I just thanked Him for whispering in my ear that I needed to hang out with Him on the beach and if I hadn't listened, I would've never heard Him speak. It was then, as I was taking in the vastness of the night sky, that I saw the most amazingly brilliant and bright shooting star I had ever seen. Immediately, tears of joy ran down my face and I was laughing; I could not have smiled any bigger.

I wish I could put into words that would accurately describe everything that happened today, but I can't. I tried, but the truth is, you guys won't ever know how this day was for me, but that's okay. It was for me and God, but I just wanted to share a piece of it with you.

peace, love, and baby sea turtles.
kay lee rick hardy

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The narrow path

One of my favorite poems EVER is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. I'm sure most of you have read it before, but I'm going to post it for you anyway:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This poem talks about how there are two paths in life: the one most people go down, and the "narrower" path which is overgrown and grassy because not many people take that path. Often times, we like to try out both paths in life, but we know we can't do that. So we come to the conclusion that we need to pick one. It's often easier to take the path everyone else has taken because you probably know more about it.

But most of the time, the right thing isn't easy. So you let out a sigh and head down the one that not many people have traveled. Sure, you have no idea what lies ahead, but you trust that you made the right decision by taking that path. (This was a very short analysis of the poem. If I would've spent more time on it, I would've given you more.)

Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) says this:
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Luke 12:34 (ESV):
"Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Psalm 16:11 (ESV):
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

John 14:6 (ESV):
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

peace, love, and rockets.
kaeli

Friday, October 22, 2010

Leaving it all

Lately I've been reading through Matthew, but I don't just mean reading over it. I've been really trying to study it more and God reveals something to me each time. That's one thing I love about God's Word. You can read it a million times over and still get something new out of every time (if you're willing, that is).

"Immediately they left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus." Matthew 4:22 (NCV).
This is something God has laid on my heart recently. I think that when God calls us to do something, we should follow this example. (
Read v. 17-22 for the full story.) If God is telling you to go somewhere, go! If he's laying on your heart to talk to someone, do it! If God is commanding us to something, shouldn't we be obedient? I mean, our whole purpose in being here is to bring glory to our God. So what is God calling you to do?


peace, love, and rhetorical questions.
kaeligrace

Monday, October 11, 2010

People, places, and things

Names you should probably remember (for I will be using them a lot):

- Michelle (loves Star Trek)
- Jordan (the tech guy)
- Gretchen (everyone's mom)
- Jesse & Anthony (aka "the twins")
- Jes (dating Aaron, loves Harry Potter)
- Aaron (dating Jes)
- Chris (smells amazing all the time)

After that night at Chipotle, I was invited to join them every Wednesday night at Parkside Panera for some fellowship and praise & worship; every Thursday night for Bible study at church; every Friday night at Jordan's for Bible study; every Saturday morning for flag football at Walter Fuller Park; and every Saturday night at church for the main shindig. Of course I went to everything I could, work permitting. I just wanted to be around these amazing people and their incredible love for the Lord. There was so much I was learning from them and about them, and I just wanted to be around them all the time. Their love is contagious.

I have loved spending time with all of these people, so much so that we've begun our own little traditions and the like. Every Tuesday night is now movie night at my house with Jes, Aaron, and Chris. Lately, we've been going through the Harry Potter movies. On random nights, a bunch of us will go watch the sunset or star gaze. Michelle and I got into going to see the sunrise over by the Skyway.

I've had the privilege of getting to know all of the people from Movement over the last month and a half. But even more so, I've been growing so much in the Lord.

For the last three months, I've been absolutely consistent in spending time with God every day; in fact, it's something I once dreaded, but now look forward to. He has been opening my eyes to amazing things I was too blind to see before.

You see, God is teaching me to trust Him and only Him; to look past my independence and rely solely on Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). He's teaching me how to be love (there's a reference here, but I can't remember it off the top of my head). He's teaching me how to live weak (2 Corinthians 12:9). He's teaching me to wait on Him (Isaiah 40:31). And I wouldn't have begun to learn any of this if I had stayed where I was.

God has been providing for me in my life in so many different ways, and what I love most is that I can't take any of the credit. No one can; it belongs to God. And I could get into so much more about some of the aforementioned things in this post, but I think it's too soon yet to post them.

One more thing: this is no mountaintop experience that I'm explaining. This is my love for God growing more and more each day and me rejoicing over how evident He has been in my life. Not that He wasn't before, I just wasn't looking.

peace, love, and nouns.
kaeli

It all started when...

On Wednesday, September 8th, I ended my time at Feather Sound Community Church. I'm not gonna lie, it was a difficult decision, leaving behind everything I had known and grown up with. I literally spent my life in that place. But God was calling me elsewhere, so I went.

It wasn't but shortly after I had even pondered the decision to leave that Jason and Kristin approached me and talked to me about what God was calling them to do - plant a church - and what they wanted me to be a part of. We talked about it over Subway (because contrary to popular opinion, I like to eat fresh) and I told them I would be in prayer about it. Over the next few days/weeks I prayed about where it is God wanted me to go and was reading through the Old Testament in my devo time. Every part of Scripture I read, every message I heard was about being obedient to God and what He is commanding you to do in your life. I took that as a "Go!" from God. So I started attending the Movement Church; the church Jason and Kristin were planting.

I remember my first service there which was a week or two after my birthday: I had just gotten off work around 7:30 pm and I was able to sneak in for the last part of the service, still in my work clothes. Jason and Kristin were obviously there, along with Ben West and John & Gina Pask. What blew me away however was that as soon as church ended, people I didn't know just started coming over and introducing themselves to me. I'd never experienced that at church before. They genuinely cared that I was there and wanted to get to know me. There were a few people that stuck out to me, people that I had no idea were going to become amazing friends of mine in the near future.

Afterwards, people from the Movement were going to Chipotle for some food and invited me to join them. Initially, I declined. I was short on cash, and no one I knew was going to be there, so the introvert in me didn't want to have any part of that. I said my goodbyes and nice-to-meet-yous and went on my way back home. However, there was something inside me saying I needed to turn around. I started to make a U-turn, but then hesitated. "Kaeli, you don't have anything better to do. You're going," I convinced myself. So I ended up turning around and going to Chipotle. As soon as I walked in, people seemed to be excited about the fact that I decided to go and hang out with a bunch of strangers. And to be honest, I was too.

We sat outside and talked about anything and everything. Hair, tattoos, clothes, church, backgrounds, and cockroaches. I had a really good time. There was just something about them, something that made me want to come back. Maybe it was their lovingkindness, or their ability to include anyone into their family. Maybe it was their genuine and absolutely real love for Jesus Christ. Little did I know how much God would teach me through them and my leaving Feather Sound.

peace, love, and movement.
kaeli

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Bittersweet

Tomorrow, which is actually today, is my last day at Feather Sound Community Church. I'm not gonna lie, it's going to be a tough time saying adios to the youth group. I've been at that church for 20 years, grown up in the youth group, and watched it go through many changes. So much of my life has been invested in it, but it's time to open a new chapter in my life.

I can only hope I've impacted those kids as much as they've impacted me. I mean, they are so amazing. I have had the privilege of leading them over the last year, but for the most part I feel like they've taught me more than I could ever teach them.

But even though it's going to be difficult to leave, I know I'm doing the right thing. I believe God is calling me to The Movement Church, so that's where I'm gonna go. Being obedient has always been a struggle for me because of my independence, but I'm going and I'm trusting God that this is the right thing to do.

I've attended a few services already and I've never been so welcomed by strangers before in my life. These people are so real and honest and they love God with all their being. It's incredible. And I am so excited to be a part of this.

In other news, Tim Wagner and I have started a band called The Exceptions and we had our first practice today. It went really well. We almost have one complete song and we're probably gonna record a rough track next week. All we need now is another guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer...

peace, love, and high hopes.
kaeli

Friday, September 3, 2010

Five Question Friday?

So I guess there's this thing every Friday where we can answer questions about ourselves so you guys get can to know us better. Here goes:

1. What do you do when you have time to yourself?
I mostly just hang out at home, chill on the computer, or do whatever I can think of with friends. Sometimes I like to read or lay out but I mostly like spending my time with people I love.

2. When you look out your kitchen window, what do you see?
The inside of our front "patio." There's a BBQ out there, some plants, and a table and chairs. I can also kind of see the houses across the road. Oh! And I can't forget the daily 4:30 pm rain.

3. Who/What would you want to be reincarnated as?
If reincarnation existed, I would probably want to be reincarnated as Ellen Page because I like the roles she plays in movies and it'd be super fun. But I'm golden with one life on earth =)

4. What is your biggest pet peeve about other people's kids?
I work with kids a lot, so I see kids do a lot of things I wish they didn't. Like, when they're rude or don't listen when we're trying to explain why they can't do something because they could hurt themselves. Or when they beg and beg and beg their parents for something they don't need and their parents cave. I'll stop there.

5. Regular or Diet soda?
Regular. Always. First of all, it tastes better. Secondly, I'd rather not add more chemicals to my body that could be cancerous than I already do on a daily basis. Just sayin.

peace, love, and fives.
kayleigh

Saturday, July 31, 2010

I like hammocks

Hello.

This is my 100th blog.

Thanks for reading everyone (even though I'm terrible at this)!

peace, love, and telescopes.
kae dubz

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Prayer

Hey everyone.

A lot of crazy, scary stuff has been happening in my life recently and I could really use some prayer. I can't really say anything on here, but some of you already know the situation. Just please pray for me and the people involved. Bah. Thank you.

peace, love, and rockets.
kaeli

Sunday, June 13, 2010

April 15th

I have sort of always struggled with doing devotions daily. Sometimes I would get into a good habit and do them every day for a few months, but then I would forget one night and it would knock my whole schedule out of whack. Then I would go for weeks before I would pick up my bible again. It is a constant battle for me, but I've done them pretty consistently for the last few days.

Tonight I did my devos out of a book by Oswald Chambers called "My Utmost for His Highest." Some of you may have heard of it before. On the April 15th page, Oswald called me out on something. He says, "You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating...God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes' effort."

What my buddy Oswald is saying is that relationships take lots of time and work, so why would our relationship with God be any different? And putting a lot of time and effort into my relationship with Him is something I haven't been too great at lately. God should be our number one love in life, so why wouldn't we want to spend time with Him?

I think for me, I always "have something I need to do" when really I just don't feel like sitting down and putting everything aside for a while to talk to God and hear what He has to say. I really admire those of you who wake up at like 6 a.m. to hang out with Jesus for an hour or so. I hope to get to that one day.

peace, love, and April 15th.
kaeli

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Monster, pt. 2

If I could sleep the day away
My dreams would provide some escape
From a painted reality
To what's really inside of me
I passed you on the street
Choking on words stifled behind my teeth
My smile, acting as a disguise
Unable to reflect my inward demise

This suffocating "day-to-day" is wasting away
To something smaller than rot and decay

If you could see through the surface
You'd be the only one
To know what you're really dealing with
The monster I've become

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Useless Information

Here is a list of 100 things you may or may not know about me. I did this a few years ago, but some of them have changed.

Enjoy, or dont...

1. I love rain
2. I am afraid of growing old
3. I know what to do with my life, but don't know where to start
4. I want to learn to box
5. I played "Midget Mustang" basketball
6. My mom helped me learn how to play the flute
7. I used to prank call all the time
8. I go on Facebook almost every day I'm near a computer
9. I now have a desire to read my bible
10. My first real job was my worst job
11. I want to learn how to ride a street bike
12. I love olives
13. San Diego is my favorite city in the western half of the US
14. Black Mountain is my favorite town in the eastern half of the US
15. I've always wanted to surf but am too afraid of sharks
16. I like fishing, but not touching the bait or the fish
17. I can't wait to get out of Florida
18. I never knew either of my grandfathers
19. I played soccer in middle school
20. I have bad luck with guys
21. I had braces
22. I used to sleep with a piece of silk. I'd rub it and go right to sleep
23. I also used to sleep with two "blankies"
24. My tent had Barbie on it
25. I also had a Barbie sleeping bag
26. I used to build lego bases in blanket forts
27. My favorite movie is Hot Rod
28. I am addicted to Japanese food
29. I prefer coke to pepsi, but feel guilty after drinking one
30. I can't have my food touch other things on my plate, unless I think it goes togather
31. It has taken me about thirty minutes to get this far
32. I accomplish more in the hours before 10 am, and if I sleep past 10, I feel like the whole day is worthless
33. I love water
34. I prefer Figi water
35. I hate reality TV
36. I went through a huge plaid phase
37. I even bought plaid skirts, shirts, and pj's
38. My first job was bagging groceries
39. I miss having a dog
40. My hair has been at least ten different colors
41. I used to want to act (I still sort of do)
42. I think NyQuill tastes disgusting
43. My first pet was a hamster
44. I used to bite my nails all the time. I don't do that anymore
45. I have never lived alone
46. The oldest friend I have (we went to preschool together) is Caleb
47. I am somewhat okay at ping pong
48. The first movie I saw in a theatre (that I can remember) was Polly
49. I consider myself unique
50. I am a vegetarian
51. I love watching hockey
52. I really love watching soccer during the Fifa World Cup
53. If I was going to be a guy, my mom was going to name me Zach
54. I rarely get eight hours of sleep a night
55. I have several email addresses
56. My favorite cereal is Reese's Peanutbutter Puffs
57. Jim Carrey is one of my all time favorite actors
58. I love sushi
59. I wish I was on a flag football team
60. I hate golf
61. I love staying home and watching movies with all my friends shoved on my couch
62. My best friend died of cancer a year ago
63. I consider myself neither Democrat nor Republican, nor liberal or conservative
64. I would never vote for a person based solely on their political party
65. I wish that fried food was good for you, I would eat it every day
66. I consider myself a connoisseur of cheese sticks. I alternate each dip from marinara sauce to ranch dressing
67. I also love honey BBQ boneless buffalo wings from Applebee's
68. My mom makes some of the greatest food ever
69. I lived in Europe for a year
70. The worst movie I have ever seen was Balls of Fury
71. I hate humidity
72. I know all the words to a lot of my favorite movies
73. My sister and I used to watch the Mickey Mouse Club
74. We also used to eat cucumbers with vinegar (it's a pickle)
75. I often regret major purchases, soon after I buy them
76. I wish I would have never stopped taking piano lessons. I will probably be the sort of parent who makes their kid do that sort of thing
77. I don't mind sweating, as long as I can shower soon after
78. I did marching band for six years when I was in school
79. I am secretly jealous of Hayley Williams' voice and her writing ability
80. I say something at least once a day to get the response, "Are you serious?"
81. I am in fact, serious
82. I enjoy people-watching
83. I enjoy walking around by myself
84. My car is a stick shift. Most days I like it, sometimes I don't
85. I have never liked baseball
86. Most nights, I fall asleep watching something on Netflix
87. I can type 75 words per minute
88. My dream car is a restored '69 Dodge Charger
89. I hate money
90. My first bi racial crush was Jordan (Jeff's cousin)
91. I am against plastic surgery, for the most part
92. I want to excel in all things music
93. I have never owned a new car
94. I am thinking about going back to Sweden
95. I have wanted to be a "rock star" since I was ten
96. I truthfully don't always like who I am
97. I have only been in a minor car accident, and it wasn't my fault. Really
98. My favorite hockey player is Martin St. Louis (Lightning)
99. I don't play guitar as much as I would like to
100. I wish I was more athletic

peace, love, and more info than you probably wanted.
kaeli