alright...the much anticipated...uhm, triquel? what comes after a sequel?...:-P
so 2007 has begun. God really began to move in my heart at the beginning of this year. i was definetly in a new season, and i really began to understand more of what God's love is, and decided to fully fully surrender this desire to be in a relationship to him. and it was such an amazing time. i've always been close to the Lord, i was saved at the age of 7 and God really gripped my heart at a young age and got me captivated with him early on, which is part of the reason for why i'm who i am today. God's grace has been and still is the most puzzling, incomprehensible, and magnificent thing to me...i can honestly say that i don't think i would be alive today if it weren't for Jesus Christ. my life was SO drastically different before God gripped me at a young age...hmm maybe i'll make that into a post, just sharing my testimony of how God has changed my life...how would you like that? praise God, sounds good...
anyhow...so i'm committed to Jesus, going to wait til he drops someone in my lap, not going to look around at all, etc. so spring break rolls around, and ENCM is going on a mission trip to help boost Georgia Tech's branch of ENCM. so instead of going to the beach, or just chillin at home, i gave into the "missional mode" of me and signed up. and it was AMAZING. the ride up with amber, torsha, ferrel, and kimberly i think it was, was so much fun. just being around other women is so much fun for me. i've been in a home with three other women and usually pets of the female persuasion my whole life, so i'm used to it being just girls, and i love it...so much fun. we listened to corey russell's "ancient paths" cd, and that was powerful. i was Messed Up. at some points during the drive i was tearing up in the backseat, my heart and spirit silently crying out to God for more of him...i was so desperate for God to fill my heart and take away the desires for a relationship...and he did.
that week was SO MUCH FUN! i already knew it was going to be a blast, mission trips ALWAYS are, and being around my friends and great people like our campus ministers was a sure win to a great week. we got alot done during that time, i got to lead worship on some of the mornings before we went to campus, and i really felt like i was coming out of my shell. as you'll find out when i blog about my testimony, my life before Jesus was very very fearful, and it's still something that comes back to haunt me every now and then. going on a mission trip where i'd have to spark up conversations with people was going to rock me for sure. but God moved! it was so great, i was like a new person. i met stephanie bent that week for the first time, and i told her that i'm actually a shy person. she said something like, "really? i can't see you being like that at all..." because God helped me come out of my shell and become more outgoing, and more like the woman he created me to be. susan and i even did role playing on the GA Tech bus...so funny. she pretended to be an athiest, and i was a christian friend she "met that day" and we started talking about ENCM, and got some other people involved in the conversation...fun fun.
and dave was there... :-) but don't worry, we were totally holy, just being friends. i hardly got to speak with him at all, and i wasn't thinking about him for the majority of that week. until the last day. he told me about this trip to israel he was thinking about...now you have to understand, i've ALWAYS wanted to go to israel, that's the #1 place i want to go to before i die. and to think that this amazing man of God wants to go to the same place i want to go...wow. i was pretty happy and excited to hear about that...
the day after i get back from the trip, renee hill and i decide to have some girl time, so we went to the beach, had some good talks, then came back to tallahassee for the special school of the prophetic they were putting on at the church. and that night i got a prophecy! it was great, a real blessing and confirmation of what God was doing in my heart. matt root was breaking off curses and demonic stongholds from the past, lots of people were prophesying other stuff and getting some sweet visions...lauren ayala had a vision of me on one side of a bridge. the side of the bridge i was standing on was nice, like my life was satisfactory at the moment, but that the other side was even better, and God was wanting me to trust him in crossing that bridge to get to the better side...little did i know that summer would be the bridge crossing, and the better side would be coming in the fall of 2007 and 2008!
after that we all went to campus harvest. it was amazing in 2007, i had a great time. CH just keeps getting better and better. while there dave and i and some other people went to a prayer meeting on saturday morning at some ungodly hour like 7 AM...he still wasn't really on my mind, i was praying about him though...we went to starbucks afterwards and he let me know that he was thinking about taking up guitar...and katie swoons...:-D
when i came back from CH, jim lafoon was in town! so i got another prophecy! wahoo! if you want to read the full prophecy, it's on my facebook, one of the first notes i've posted. the whole prophecy was really great, really encouraging. but something that really stuck out to me happened when jim said, "it's going to be a blessed man that marries you." right after he said that, i lifted my eyes and the first person i saw was dave. we just stared at each other for a moment, like a scene from a movie when the two long lost loves see each other for the first time, and then i blinked and looked away, hoping that he didn't think i was thinking something. :-)
after that everyone was mingling, and after several attempts to chat with me, dave asked me how i was doing and what my week ahead was looking like...hoping that he was wanting to talk more, i said, "oh actually this week is really open, my classes are pretty easy and i'm ahead on my work..." :-) it was true! someone else grabbed for my attention, or i had to go or something, so i said a quick goodbye and that was that...
until i got home! i got in the door and was chatting with my mom when my phone rang. i had never called dave before or anything, but i did have his number saved in my phone. :-) so when the caller id came up, i gasped, looked up at my mom with a surprised expression on my face and ran into my room to answer the call. it went something like this:
"hey katie this is dave hess how're you doing?"
"hey dave, i'm doing great, you?"
"doin' good, hey i was just calling to see if you would like to get coffee some time this week to talk some about your prophecy and missions."
"yeah, that'd be cool...(realizes she's talking to DAVE HESS, the man she's admired for so long and can't believe that he called her...)...actually, i think i have something going on during my free day, can i call you back?"
"ok sure"
"alright talk to you later"...
so i hang up the phone, stunned...now i wasn't weirded out at all at the fact that he called me, and he was so purehearted in his intentions, he really did just want to hang out and encourage me as a student from a campus minister's perspective to go for the mission field. but to me, this was Dave Hess....THE Dave Hess...the one man i've ever set as a genuine standard of what i wanted a future husband to be...the one man i've respected more than ANY other man i've ever met. the one man that i have ever had a crush on, i don't care how 4th grade that sounds...:-)
so i paused there on my bed, stunned and so elated...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
how dave and i became dave and i part 2
ok, so before i begin, i have some major praisin' to do...
first off, the mission trip to budapest was AMAZING. God did so much. we made alot of contacts, got alot of people out to english conversation classes, Bible studies, and the battle of the bands that campus crusaders for christ put on...it was amazing. and one of the best parts of it all was the calling and burden that God put on the hearts of us all that went to continue to go to the nations and reach people with the hope of the gospel. it was great. there was so much more that God did too, it was just all together wonderful.
secondly, when we came back to tallahassee my parents met us at the airport to take some of us back home. when i was loading my luggage in the car my mom told me there was some mail in the backseat of the car. i peered in the window and saw a rather large envelope and when i looked closer i saw it was from FSU. i opened it up and in it was a ton of paperwork with a letter of acceptance to the college of nursing on top! i made it! :-D i've been praying about this for so long, and working sooo hard just for that letter, and i got it! they only accept about 50 or so students out of the hundreds that apply, and i was chosen!! :-D so all my studying, all the work that i and my teachers put in, all the help that i've gotten from friends and family, and the 3.7 GPA that i've upheld has paid off! :-) praise God!
alright...back to "the story"...where was i?
oh ok, so that was february of my junior year in high school. that was the beginning of the crush. haha! well, i didn't tell anyone about it, except my mom. she can testify to it all...nothing much happened after that, we'd see each other at church, but he was in campus ministry, and i was involved with the youth group...so we weren't really in the same circles. nothing of significance happened between us, but i do remember seeing him at a new years eve party just before 2006 rolled in. he was hanging out with some other people, and my heart fell because he was having such a good time with other people and even though i barely knew him i was sad. i even had my mom go home with me because i couldn't stay there and not be able to talk to him. i was crying in the car and i was so confused as to why i was so upset! i hardly knew dave hess, why was i so sad that i couldn't be around him? i know, kinda melodramatic, but looking back on it, i can see that God was beginning to put him on my heart, that dave was such a "kindred spirit", i didn't even know it. and i had never had a crush on anyone before, so that just added to the confusion. but it only takes one. :-)
so from then on nothing really happened until my graduation. i invited him to my graduation party and we chatted a little bit there. here's a picture of some of the people that came...notice i'm standing right next to him, and we have the same pose:
i told him that i was going to be going to TCC in the fall, and he said something like, "oh that's interesting. i was thinking of leading a lifegroup there in the fall. maybe you could give me a tour of the campus sometime?" now, don't worry, his intentions were absolutely pure, that life group was a blast and was really fruitful. but when i did give him a tour of the campus we got to talk a little bit more. we found out that we both wanted to and felt called to world missions. he said that he wanted to go to China and israel, the two nations that i've wanted to see for a long time.
craziness. so we both led this lifegroup in the fall of 2006, it was alot of fun, but nothing really transpired. later that year we both got into different relationships, but they both ended very quickly, God was not calling us to those people...but to each other! although, we didn't know.
so up to this point, he was thinking about me, but the timing wasn't right. and i was crazy about him, but i was guarding my heart and giving all my crazy feelings back to God...i remember praying and journaling prayers to God, asking him to remove all my thoughts of dave because i couldn't handle it, and i knew that it wasn't the right time. i told God over and over again that i wanted to trust him and surrender everything in my heart to him...even my crush on dave.
2007 then came around, we were both single again, i was still conflicted about dave, and was praying about him alot...and he was on the verge of committing to chastity for the rest of his life...but i was still in the back of his mind...so 2007 came, and little did we know that the conflicts we both had about each other were about to unfold...
here's another picture from my graduation party...guess who i'm lookin at! :
first off, the mission trip to budapest was AMAZING. God did so much. we made alot of contacts, got alot of people out to english conversation classes, Bible studies, and the battle of the bands that campus crusaders for christ put on...it was amazing. and one of the best parts of it all was the calling and burden that God put on the hearts of us all that went to continue to go to the nations and reach people with the hope of the gospel. it was great. there was so much more that God did too, it was just all together wonderful.
secondly, when we came back to tallahassee my parents met us at the airport to take some of us back home. when i was loading my luggage in the car my mom told me there was some mail in the backseat of the car. i peered in the window and saw a rather large envelope and when i looked closer i saw it was from FSU. i opened it up and in it was a ton of paperwork with a letter of acceptance to the college of nursing on top! i made it! :-D i've been praying about this for so long, and working sooo hard just for that letter, and i got it! they only accept about 50 or so students out of the hundreds that apply, and i was chosen!! :-D so all my studying, all the work that i and my teachers put in, all the help that i've gotten from friends and family, and the 3.7 GPA that i've upheld has paid off! :-) praise God!
alright...back to "the story"...where was i?
oh ok, so that was february of my junior year in high school. that was the beginning of the crush. haha! well, i didn't tell anyone about it, except my mom. she can testify to it all...nothing much happened after that, we'd see each other at church, but he was in campus ministry, and i was involved with the youth group...so we weren't really in the same circles. nothing of significance happened between us, but i do remember seeing him at a new years eve party just before 2006 rolled in. he was hanging out with some other people, and my heart fell because he was having such a good time with other people and even though i barely knew him i was sad. i even had my mom go home with me because i couldn't stay there and not be able to talk to him. i was crying in the car and i was so confused as to why i was so upset! i hardly knew dave hess, why was i so sad that i couldn't be around him? i know, kinda melodramatic, but looking back on it, i can see that God was beginning to put him on my heart, that dave was such a "kindred spirit", i didn't even know it. and i had never had a crush on anyone before, so that just added to the confusion. but it only takes one. :-)
so from then on nothing really happened until my graduation. i invited him to my graduation party and we chatted a little bit there. here's a picture of some of the people that came...notice i'm standing right next to him, and we have the same pose:
i told him that i was going to be going to TCC in the fall, and he said something like, "oh that's interesting. i was thinking of leading a lifegroup there in the fall. maybe you could give me a tour of the campus sometime?" now, don't worry, his intentions were absolutely pure, that life group was a blast and was really fruitful. but when i did give him a tour of the campus we got to talk a little bit more. we found out that we both wanted to and felt called to world missions. he said that he wanted to go to China and israel, the two nations that i've wanted to see for a long time.
craziness. so we both led this lifegroup in the fall of 2006, it was alot of fun, but nothing really transpired. later that year we both got into different relationships, but they both ended very quickly, God was not calling us to those people...but to each other! although, we didn't know.
so up to this point, he was thinking about me, but the timing wasn't right. and i was crazy about him, but i was guarding my heart and giving all my crazy feelings back to God...i remember praying and journaling prayers to God, asking him to remove all my thoughts of dave because i couldn't handle it, and i knew that it wasn't the right time. i told God over and over again that i wanted to trust him and surrender everything in my heart to him...even my crush on dave.
2007 then came around, we were both single again, i was still conflicted about dave, and was praying about him alot...and he was on the verge of committing to chastity for the rest of his life...but i was still in the back of his mind...so 2007 came, and little did we know that the conflicts we both had about each other were about to unfold...
here's another picture from my graduation party...guess who i'm lookin at! :
Thursday, March 6, 2008
how dave and i became dave and i.
i know i had a little rant in the previous blog, but...
patty marshall gave me the GREATEST idea for some major blog posts. i know most people don't know the FULL story of how dave and i became dave and i so that's going to be the topic for my next few blogs...we'll see how long it takes me to lay out all the amazing, sappy, God-orchestrated moments and milestones in our relationship. :-D marianne said that she wanted to hear the story and i told her i'd have to go to lunch AND dinner with her just to tell her part of it. so patty suggested that i blog about it so it'll be in writing! so here goes! thanks patty!
Ok let's start at the very beginning: the day we met. Thank you Lord for letting remember this day. what a wonderful day.
It was February 9th, or 16th of 2005. i can't remember exactly, but it was a wednesday night somewhere around valentine's day. every nation's youth group met that night, and because it was the month of february the topic was love and relationships (what church group doesn't touch on this subject in february?). dave and torsha were guest speakers, and i remember pastor jean giving the introduction for dave. he went on and on about how dave was a campus minister at FAMU the biggest HBCU, a white guy, and the campus ministry was blowing up in size and God was doing some amazing things. so i was hooked IMMEDIATELY. this guy was faithful, passionate, loves God, and he looked...very handsome. i'll just say that. :-)
so dave and torsha share a little bit about their lives, etc. and i come to find out that dave was a 25 year old virgin, staying holy for his wife. i was amazed. i remember that very night when i was listening to him i thought in my mind, "that is the kind of man i would want to marry. i know that he is too good for me, but he has all of my respect and that is going to be my standard for the man i want." i distinctly remember saying that, no joke.
after they finished sharing they allowed us to write in some anonymous questions about relationships for them to answer. so i sent in a question. at the time i was a junior in high school and there were these two young men who were just really being disrespectful to me at school, were hitting on me, and kept asking me out. and it was really getting to me! so i explained the situation on the notecard that we were given and i asked "what should i do? i don't have any strong Christian guy friends who respect me and will stand up for me." dave took on my question.
he said (and i remember this plain as day, and he'll testify as well), "well first of all, let me say those guys are jerks. For all I know my future wife could be in this room, so i treat women with respect at all times." i might be paraphrasing a little, but that phrase "for all i know my future wife could be in this room" DEFINITELY came out of his mouth. and i was astounded.
needless to say, that was a memorable night. and i "officially" met him after the meeting. he had heard of me at church through jean who told him that i was a single high school student, really passionate about God, wanting to go to the mission field after i get a degree in nursing. and being that he had a mission field calling on his life too, he was looking foreward to meeting another future international missionary :-)
ahh it was an amazing night. my heart flew and i had my first crush. i'm serious! i have NEVER EVER crushed on anyone before, not even celebrities. not even the guys i've dated in the past, not any musicians, nobody.
and i crushed on dave hess SO bad...it was terrible sometimes. like there was this one party on new year's eve that he was at that i went to...well, that's another story for another blog, but as you'll find out next time i post, i went home CRYING because i saw dave hanging out with some other people and i didn't get to talk to him...and in my mind, i was like "what the heck?! i hardly know this guy, he's an amazing campus minister, just so much better than me...why am i thinking the way i'm thinking about him?!"
to be continued...
Question: did you like this post? i know alot of people don't know the full story so i want to provide it to those of you that want to hear, but i don't want to be one of those obnoxious bloggers who goes on and on about the most monotonous things in life you know? so tell me if you're hooked on our story and i'll keep blogging! thanks! :-D
patty marshall gave me the GREATEST idea for some major blog posts. i know most people don't know the FULL story of how dave and i became dave and i so that's going to be the topic for my next few blogs...we'll see how long it takes me to lay out all the amazing, sappy, God-orchestrated moments and milestones in our relationship. :-D marianne said that she wanted to hear the story and i told her i'd have to go to lunch AND dinner with her just to tell her part of it. so patty suggested that i blog about it so it'll be in writing! so here goes! thanks patty!
Ok let's start at the very beginning: the day we met. Thank you Lord for letting remember this day. what a wonderful day.
It was February 9th, or 16th of 2005. i can't remember exactly, but it was a wednesday night somewhere around valentine's day. every nation's youth group met that night, and because it was the month of february the topic was love and relationships (what church group doesn't touch on this subject in february?). dave and torsha were guest speakers, and i remember pastor jean giving the introduction for dave. he went on and on about how dave was a campus minister at FAMU the biggest HBCU, a white guy, and the campus ministry was blowing up in size and God was doing some amazing things. so i was hooked IMMEDIATELY. this guy was faithful, passionate, loves God, and he looked...very handsome. i'll just say that. :-)
so dave and torsha share a little bit about their lives, etc. and i come to find out that dave was a 25 year old virgin, staying holy for his wife. i was amazed. i remember that very night when i was listening to him i thought in my mind, "that is the kind of man i would want to marry. i know that he is too good for me, but he has all of my respect and that is going to be my standard for the man i want." i distinctly remember saying that, no joke.
after they finished sharing they allowed us to write in some anonymous questions about relationships for them to answer. so i sent in a question. at the time i was a junior in high school and there were these two young men who were just really being disrespectful to me at school, were hitting on me, and kept asking me out. and it was really getting to me! so i explained the situation on the notecard that we were given and i asked "what should i do? i don't have any strong Christian guy friends who respect me and will stand up for me." dave took on my question.
he said (and i remember this plain as day, and he'll testify as well), "well first of all, let me say those guys are jerks. For all I know my future wife could be in this room, so i treat women with respect at all times." i might be paraphrasing a little, but that phrase "for all i know my future wife could be in this room" DEFINITELY came out of his mouth. and i was astounded.
needless to say, that was a memorable night. and i "officially" met him after the meeting. he had heard of me at church through jean who told him that i was a single high school student, really passionate about God, wanting to go to the mission field after i get a degree in nursing. and being that he had a mission field calling on his life too, he was looking foreward to meeting another future international missionary :-)
ahh it was an amazing night. my heart flew and i had my first crush. i'm serious! i have NEVER EVER crushed on anyone before, not even celebrities. not even the guys i've dated in the past, not any musicians, nobody.
and i crushed on dave hess SO bad...it was terrible sometimes. like there was this one party on new year's eve that he was at that i went to...well, that's another story for another blog, but as you'll find out next time i post, i went home CRYING because i saw dave hanging out with some other people and i didn't get to talk to him...and in my mind, i was like "what the heck?! i hardly know this guy, he's an amazing campus minister, just so much better than me...why am i thinking the way i'm thinking about him?!"
to be continued...
Question: did you like this post? i know alot of people don't know the full story so i want to provide it to those of you that want to hear, but i don't want to be one of those obnoxious bloggers who goes on and on about the most monotonous things in life you know? so tell me if you're hooked on our story and i'll keep blogging! thanks! :-D
superwoman or just plain crazy?
Well i've got about 13 hours until i have to be at the airport to catch my plane to budapest. the team and i are really excited about what God's going to do on this spring break mission trip, and i'm especially excited to see all my friends that i met and spent so much time with this past summer...
wow. it's crazy to see where God has brought me since i was last in budapest. i was single and content with just me and Jesus, and now i'm engaged to be married. wow. even when we were planning this spring break trip i wasn't engaged. God is good. so much happened last summer, i learned so much...and now it's showing fruit. and i get to go back! wheee!
i love going to other countries. the smell and feel of an international airport is so cool. people look so different, sound so different, but we're all people, part of God's glorious creation.
but i know...i'm getting married in a little over 2 months (72 days!) and i'm crazy enough to go to europe in the midst of all the mayhem of planning my wedding...don't worry, i'm not too crazy. i think God has given me a special grace to go back, to serve again, and see His kingdom advance, all while ironing out details, nearly freaking out that one of my bridesmaids hadn't gotten her dress until this last week, and being a full time student!
crazy? no. superwoman? no. God's grace? yes. " From the fullness of grace we have all received one blessing after another."
i am so blessed. God is so good. can i just brag on him a bit?
not only does he bring Dave into my life, God brought him in the PERFECT timing, he orchestrated everything perfectly, my family adores him, and as for me?...well, he is most definetly everything i have ever wanted. every single dream, every single wish, every single desire for a husband is all fulfilled in that man. not that he's some perfect being mind you, but God is so good to make some one so perfect for me. i can literally tell you time after time when i prayed for my husband, asked God for a certain attribute for my husband to have, dreamed about him, wished for crazy things like brown hair that i could run my fingers through one day and was styled "spikey" like...i'm still reminded of those dreams, wishes, etc. and God is so good. he made dave just for me.
ok i'm sorry. i could go on and on about how amazing dave is, and how INCREDIBLE God is for making him and putting him in my life...
wedding things are going well, i've gotten my dress (alterations in a week! they're taking it from a size 8 to a 2...i don't know how but they are!), the bridesbabes have theirs, the men have their tuxes, the reception is good to go, so is the ceremony location, as well as the musicians, the rehearsal dinner, did marriage counseling...
now i have just under 72 days to twiddle my thumbs and read more books on how to be a great wife. :-)
question: is the electric slide the only song that everyone knows the moves to that isn't as obnoxioius as "YMCA"? i need more dancing songs for the reception...any favorites?
wow. it's crazy to see where God has brought me since i was last in budapest. i was single and content with just me and Jesus, and now i'm engaged to be married. wow. even when we were planning this spring break trip i wasn't engaged. God is good. so much happened last summer, i learned so much...and now it's showing fruit. and i get to go back! wheee!
i love going to other countries. the smell and feel of an international airport is so cool. people look so different, sound so different, but we're all people, part of God's glorious creation.
but i know...i'm getting married in a little over 2 months (72 days!) and i'm crazy enough to go to europe in the midst of all the mayhem of planning my wedding...don't worry, i'm not too crazy. i think God has given me a special grace to go back, to serve again, and see His kingdom advance, all while ironing out details, nearly freaking out that one of my bridesmaids hadn't gotten her dress until this last week, and being a full time student!
crazy? no. superwoman? no. God's grace? yes. " From the fullness of grace we have all received one blessing after another."
i am so blessed. God is so good. can i just brag on him a bit?
not only does he bring Dave into my life, God brought him in the PERFECT timing, he orchestrated everything perfectly, my family adores him, and as for me?...well, he is most definetly everything i have ever wanted. every single dream, every single wish, every single desire for a husband is all fulfilled in that man. not that he's some perfect being mind you, but God is so good to make some one so perfect for me. i can literally tell you time after time when i prayed for my husband, asked God for a certain attribute for my husband to have, dreamed about him, wished for crazy things like brown hair that i could run my fingers through one day and was styled "spikey" like...i'm still reminded of those dreams, wishes, etc. and God is so good. he made dave just for me.
ok i'm sorry. i could go on and on about how amazing dave is, and how INCREDIBLE God is for making him and putting him in my life...
wedding things are going well, i've gotten my dress (alterations in a week! they're taking it from a size 8 to a 2...i don't know how but they are!), the bridesbabes have theirs, the men have their tuxes, the reception is good to go, so is the ceremony location, as well as the musicians, the rehearsal dinner, did marriage counseling...
now i have just under 72 days to twiddle my thumbs and read more books on how to be a great wife. :-)
question: is the electric slide the only song that everyone knows the moves to that isn't as obnoxioius as "YMCA"? i need more dancing songs for the reception...any favorites?
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