March Madness is winding Down

I thought about starting my post with... "Well", but I've been told I start every post that way. So I won't. It's almost the end of March and an exciting opportunity is just around the corner. To say I'm nervous is an understatement of what I'm feeling, but I know that it will all be good in the end. On Monday I begin a two week long process of Ministry Team Roads. I know it's going to be challenging and I know I am going to learn a lot from it. I think it's the "it's going to be challenging" part that makes me nervous. But, I am excited too. If I go through this process well, I may be accepted to stay at Teen Mania for a third year. It would look very different than anything I've done so far, but I know it would be good. Even though I'm not quite seeing how everything is fitting together as I am going through it, as I look back over last year, and the things I have learned so far this year, I can see a connection in the process, and I am grateful to know I am not the same person I was two years ago.
Last night I helped my sister from last year with leading her Core. It was on compromise. She shared a great quote by C.S. Lewis from The Screwtape Letters:

 "Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one --the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts..." 

See, it's not the big compromises, you know, the ones that everyone calls us out on, that hinder our walk with the Lord. No, those are usually corrected quickly. It's the small ones, the compromise that goes seemingly unnoticed that leaves us wondering why we can't hear the Lord or why life seems to be going so bad. While I helped lead core, I always seem to get a little something for myself out of it as well. It challenged me to think about what areas I may be compromising in. I hope it does the same for you. 

VIDEO!

Well, it's time for round two on the video posts. I'm not sure if anyone actually enjoys them but, I have fun doing them and it seems a little more personal to get to see my face. :)

OH! I forgot to mention in the video... (and by the time I realized didn't want to go through uploading it all over again) March 1 was yesterday, which means I can officially date! The Lord is still working on a lot and so I'm content with the fact that I'm not dating, but there is a freedom in knowing I CAN when the right man comes along.

No Clever titles

Well, it's been a while, so what's been happening.... well, to work my way backwards... I'm super excited for tonight... but I can't say why yet or I'll ruin a surprise. This weekend the interns had their Fasting LTE.  Blaise Foret was here and it was amazing. One night he talked about the cross and had some really good things to say that reminded me of the reason I started the blog in the first place -- because I want the cross. I want to make that DAILY choice of Jesus and the life I have in Him.  A lot of lives were changed and it was so good to be able to be a part of that.
I have been reading through the book The Pursuit of Holiness and it has been changing my perspective and giving me profound revelation not only in the way that I look at holiness but also about how those around me see it and it's making a lot of things make sense.
The following are a couple of exerts from the book.

"To regard wickedness is to cherish some sin, to love it to the extent that I am not willing to part with it.  I know it is there, yet I justify it in some way like the child who says, "Well, he hit me first."  When we are holding on to some sin, we are not pursuing holiness and we cannot have fellowship with God."
"Whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind--that thing is sin to you. Susannah Wesley"

Another exciting thing is just around the corner... ok, well maybe not so exciting, but it seems to be a milestone in my life that the Lord is working me toward..... something that we affectionately call... MARCH MADNESS. No, I'm not talking about basketball. I'm talking about March 1st... the all important date when August Graduate interns (with some exceptions) are allowed to date! Now don't be overly excited, most of March madness is hype for something that doesn't really happen. Sure, you'll see a few people start to date, but they are definitely the minority. So... that being said why do I bring it up? Well, like I said, it is a milestone in my life. I'm not exactly positive what this milestone is, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with contentment. See, up til this point not dating has been a rule... not a choice, so all I had to do was submit to the rule. When March rolls around, that all changes. It's no longer a rule that I must submit to, but it is something that I will have to learn to be content with not dating. How do I know that I will not be dating? Well, I don't and there IS a longing within me to have someone, to know that I am being pursued by someone who will love me in the way that I have learned to be loved, and learned to love. So I am open, but looking at my friendships with guys, I just don't see it happening in 10 days. Guess we'll just have to see what madness happens when March rolls around.

Heart Cries

Well I finally have all the songs I've recorded up on a website called bandcamp. My link is http://kaylarichardson.bandcamp.com/  You will notice that I have what appears to be an "album title" as well as three individual songs up.  I wanted to give a short explanation of why I chose the album title that I did. If you look at the lyrics of each song they all have a common theme. They are all things that in some point in time in my journey to grow closer to Christ have been the cry of my heart. Vessel came out of a desire to be poured into more so that I would be more effective when I was ministering to others. Here I Am came out of a time of desperation, where the Lord was meeting me on a deep level and I was overwhelmed by what He was doing in my life. Along those same lines Words Can't Describe really came from an emotional time where I was so overwhelmed by the Lord's love that I didn't know how to say how grateful I was.
So that's just a little bit of my heart behind each song. Enjoy!

Exciting news

Well, I'm finally partially on my way to having my songs up. I am still exploring some options, but in the meantime check out this link with one song up. Here I Am This is just a sample of all that I am learning at the Honor Academy. If you would like to donate to my account you can follow the link on the right side of my page.

On The Road Again

Well, ok. I'm not on the road, but Ministry Team is getting ready to head out to the Spring part of the tour, and once again it is a bitter sweet moment. I am so excited for what the Lord is going to do in all of the cities, and yet, two of my best friends are leaving and I will not be seeing them for extended periods of time.
Now, it seems fit that after about a month, I fill you in on what's going on here (outside of Ministry Team leaving)
My Christmas break was good, though I didn't see any snow, and it's not looking promising for this year. I guess I can't complain too much when I'm getting to enjoy 70 degree weather in January, but an odd part of me misses the cold. Life in School of Worship is back in full swing. We played for Gauntlet and now our schedule is calming back down to its typical pace. I have a new roommate this semester, and there are 11 women living in my house. It's interesting... to say the least.
I seem to be in a random-jump-around sort of mood today. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from a "photo shoot" my Family Core from last year did, right before we went on Christmas break.

Standing by the recently re-filled fountain on campus

Yes... we are in the middle of a busy road... no, we probably didn't think it all the way through. :)

It brings joy to my heart to know that the memories I am making with the people I am surrounded by are the things I will want to tell my children about, not only because of the Godly people involved in them, but because these are the sweet memories that define the simple joys of my life now.

I'm hoping to update a post soon that has a link to the music I've been writing recently as part of my School of Worship experience. So keep an eye out.

But until then, wrestle with the Lord, and if you come out the other side with a limp... count it a blessing.

I'll be home for Christmas

What an exciting time. I am on break and home for the holidays. I have only been home for a little over a day and already I am reminded of what I miss about home so much.... no... there's no snow on the ground right now, but I'm sure there will be before Christmas comes. What I'm talking about is more than that, the family, the friends, the laughs and memories you create when you are around those you love. That is what I miss about home. Not to take away from the memories I create at school, they are just as important and precious to me, but once memories are created with someone, there is always that longing to create more. So, rather than sit here and write about it more, I think I'm going to go make some memories.