"Grace and peace be yours in abundance"

I miss blogging. I hate that I haven’t done it in a while- I can tell!

The Lord is so good and faithful right now.
Always teaching. Always leading. Always loving.

“…who through faith are SHIELDED by God’s power
…for you have been born again,
not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring Word of God.” 
I Peter 1:5,23

Mama and Daddy (as well as my Uncle this year!) arrived in Honduras today to share the gospel via a medical/dental mission trip. Praise God! Pray that they will be like the faithful believers mentioned in I Peter 1:24, and that they will share with the Hondurans "things that have now been told to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven."

But I also have a selfish request and confession right now- I need prayer. The Lord is currently UNDER CONSTRUCTION on some fears and attitudes I have right now:

It was about a month or two ago that I was just… slammed… with fear- Mama shared an article on her facebook reporting that Honduras was now the murder capital in the world,

with no other country in the world
having a higher rate of homicide.

The Lord called me into VERY intentional prayer all week for my family and the team. Without fail, spiritual warefare always seems to peak the week before a mission trip,
and it would be no different for this one.

Guys, this is where my selfish confession comes in. I was in my Ortho clinic’s break room pouring coffee Thursday morning, nonchalantly browsing the paper when I just felt sucker punched by what I saw: Honduras prison fire kills over 350+ prisoners, deadliest prison fire this century.

My heart seemed to fall out of my chest, and I’m pretty sure I broke out in a cold sweat. My selfishly horrible first thought guys?  “Hundreds of murders are now loose in a village my parents will be traveling straight through. A village in the vicinity of the one my parents will be staying in.”
And, you got it, ‘what ifs’… enter stage right…

The heartbreaking REALITY of the situation (what I should have been thinking that moment) is that the prison fire sent most of those 380 human souls into an eternal fire,
one of unending torment.

The conviction of that reality hit me later that night, while talking with the Lord. That’s the best part about intense seasons of prayer with the Lord- you plunge into it, bringing all the world’s cares before His throne room, when He (without fail) seems to stop me and:


“Wait. We work on you first.”

He chisels my internal yick first.

He is teaching me His way is better.
He is teaching me He only is in control.
He is teaching me He is my only, and true, hope.

And He is doing this through His WORD.  I shared in an earlier post how the Lord had led me to a I Peter Bible study that some sweet, sweet sisters in Christ were leading. It is SO EXCITING to actually have an entire chapter of the Bible stored in my heart, and I am so close to having I Peter 2 as well! Can't wait to have the entire book tucked in there!

Guys His Word is living and changing me! To the point where I feel like a 3rd-party-spectator in awe sometimes: "WHOE. Is this actually happening in me?" The Lord had led me to Ephesians 6:10-18 earlier this week in prayer time, and verse 17 has just taken on a whole new meaning: "...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Do you realize it's the only piece of 'armor' mentioned that is used for offense?

That's what it's been like this entire time while memorizing I Peter. Time after time after time there has been this, that, and the other spiritual battle raging over me (ESPECIALLY this week!) And the next thing I know I'm reciting Scripture ALOUD. And before it even seems to reach my very level of awareness- that moment of burden or oppression has dissipated ENTIRELY.

As it says in Matthew 4 during Christ's temptation:

"And the tempter came and said to Him...
But [Jesus] answered and said,

'It is written...

It is written...

It is written..'

...Then the devil left Him."


If you haven't joined this study, are looking for an area to study His Word, or haven't even considered joining a Bible Study- I want to strongly encourage you to join. What's really exciting is that this Bible study is just that- we are looking at and studying nothing but His Word.

And, I want to thank you again for lifting my family and I in prayer. May He bless you richly in return.

"With all prayer and petition
pray at all times in the Spirit,
and with this in view,
be on the alert with all perseverance
and petition for all the saints,
and pray on my behalf,
that utterance may be given to me
in the opening of my mouth,
to make known  with boldness
the mystery of the gospel."

Ephesians 6:18-19


"Rejoicing in hope,
persevering in tribulation,
devoted to prayer"

Romans 12:12



"Grace and peace
be yours in abundance."

I Peter 1:3



Blessings- Katie