To the one who is just trying to be faithful…

/ Kat Mills / Leave a comment

It seems like the only thing people agree on is that these last two years have been trying, difficult, stressful and overwhelming.

There is little else.

As we ended this past year and look forward to a new one, can I remind you of the whole and simple Gospel as you do too?

This world is unbelievably broken. And without the life, sacrifice and resurrection of Christ? Utterly hopeless.

But if you have been redeemed and made new? We have abundantly more than we could ever imagine and everything we need….no matter what the year may bring.

The noise around us seems to be louder than ever. And in a time where we can unwisely and all too easily hear from voices who are not at all interested in the care of our souls, but rather only self-interested…let’s get back our focus to hearing from the One who brought our dead souls to life.

The Lord is a roaring lion, but He often chooses to speak to our souls in a still small voice.

So we must quiet the noise around us.

We must be intentional about getting quiet. Getting still. Getting small.

This verse comes to mind…“He must become greater. I must become less” (John 3:30)

In a world where we are encouraged to be the loudest, the most knowledgeable, the biggest and most successful….might I suggest it’s okay to be small?

To pray hidden prayers

To seek obedience where no one else will see it

To seek a lifestyle of repentance

To be willing to serve rather than to lead

To be quick to listen rather than to speak

To seek obedience, even if you feel alone in it

To build the church rather than our own platform

To use our talents and gifts for the good of others rather than for ourselves

There have been places in my own life where I feel the tension between all of the above. And if I’m honest, I still wrestle with that tension more than I’d like to

But I’m just like many of you…all I want to do is be faithful.

So this year? I’m going to be willing to play small.

To ask the Lord to restore the joy of my salvation

To ask the Lord to make much of what little I have

To ask the Lord to meet me in every small yet significant place where He’s called me to

Because really… “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?” Mark 8:36

The Secret of Ordinary

/ Kat Mills / Leave a comment
It seems that last year was molded and awareness heightened centering around one word:  O R D I N A R Y
Late last year, I shared what I was learning in coming to terms with the fact that real life is just beautifully ordinary…not necessarily always filled with bigness or stage presence or being involved in big, loud things.  (you can read that blog post here)  I also shared that I was finally able to complete a very ordinary resolution that I had in reading more. (click here to read about those books)  Ironically and unplanned, it seemed like almost every book that I read carried an underlying theme:  ordinary people being marked by ordinary means of faithfulness and obedience–but oh the influence that their lives produced!!  I read books about Corrie Ten Boom, Darlene Diebler Rose, Jennie Allen–every woman seeing their current seasons and situation and displaying simple, yet beautiful, and in hindsight, pretty extraordinary obedience considering circumstances.
This is what I have come to learn and desire to walk boldly and happily into this year:  my own ordinary.  And I believe that it is good and right for us to do that:  “So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.” 1 Corinthians 7:24.  Our obedience and the way we follow Christ will most likely not look extraordinary in the moment.  In both easy and hard times, it will look like treasuring Scripture, taking Christ at His Word and trusting the Holy Spirit to enable you to walk in righteousness, picking you up when you are unfaithful and giving grace in the moments you need it.
I’ve learned that in hindsight, our faith can look quite extraordinary, but banking on every piece of obedience to look grandiose is only elevating ourselves and therefore stealing glory away from Christ–and that is not obedience at all.
I’ve learned that it is okay to say no to extraordinary opportunities in order to be faithful with what we have been given–so we can be good stewards and treasure our lives of quietness and gentleness.
I’ve also learned that in order to sustain any type of ministry, it requires ordinary and private discipline of obedience and repentance.  You have no ministry, you say?  But aren’t we all called to be ministers of reconciliation?
For our faith, ordinariness can be one of the GREATEST assests we have-I can’t always say I’ve personally seen it that way, but I’m beginning to realize the great benefit it is-to be small and ordinary-that we can see the magnitude and strength of our God.  For didn’t He promise He uses the weak things of the world to shame the strong? (1 Corinthians 1:27)  and therefore, when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10).
I do not have to be big, put together, strong, extraordinary for the Lord to be good to me-to be glorified in me-to delight in me…I just have to be, well, me–because I am His.
So here’s to a year to embrace that.  To not make resolutions or goals that center around elevating myself or working to gain validation.  Here’s to embracing the small, unseen faithfulness.  To loving others.  To giving when no one knows.  To fellowship with my Savior–in all the ordinary, mundane moments of my life.

2017 Book Recommendations

/ Kat Mills / Leave a comment

This year has been a big year for me, in many different ways. I became a wife by marrying my greatest friend, moved into the city and finally reached my goal of reading at least one book a month. It is a goal that I have had for a number of years and have never been able to complete. I’m not quite sure how I was able to reach it, but I’m thankful I had a chance!

I have been so incredibly encouraged by the wisdom I received from the books I read, and wanted to pass them along, as I believe they would be an encouragement to other women!

Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

This book was given to me by a sweet friend, an older sister type, who has such a beautiful ministry of presence. I was newly engaged and really wrestling in my heart about the implications and the transition. I was so grateful for her intentionality in listening to my heart and not only giving me this resource, but constant encouragement. This is such a fantastic book that I would recommend for ALL women, no matter the season, but especially those maybe in college and after.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie Ten Boom quickly became another spiritual hero to me as I read her story. She had such a deep faith in the Lord even despite her circumstances and what she endured through World War II—opening her family’s home to Jews to take shelter and then a concentration camp after they were found out. She even somehow smuggled a Bible in the camp in order to continue to treasure scripture and tell all she knew of the God she served. Truly a remarkable story and woman!

Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom

A continuation of her story, this was after she was released from a German concentration camp and returned home. Her love and work for the Lord did not rest. She was a disciple on a mission, and this book recounted occasion after occasion of the Lord’s providence and grace as she sought to serve Him and those around her as best as she could for the glory of God–even the soldiers who had held her captive.

Anything by Jennie Allen

I had followed Jennie on social media for quite a few years and had followed her by listening to IF:Gathering conferences online. I tend to shy away from new fads going on, but there was something about the way she spoke: tenacious, determined, fully convinced that Jesus is the God He says He is in scripture. I LOVED listening to each IF:Gathering and finally picked up this book—all about a ‘simple’ prayer that changed her life completely: “Lord, I’ll do ANYTHING for you”. It was encouraging and thought provoking, motivating and encouraging.

Ordinary by Michael Horton

I read this book on my honeymoon per the recommendation of my husband. I LOVED this read. It took me awhile to finish as I often had to stop and digest what I read, but it spoke to the wrestling in my heart. As a newlywed, I was living a normal life—but that seemed so at odds with the messages we are inundated with about being “extraordinary” and doing “big things for God”. This was such a fantastic read for my soul and I was able to have so many conversations with other women wrestling with the same thing. This book encouraged me by coming along the command we have in scripture “…and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you…” 1 Thessalonians 4:11, and reminding me of the power of ordinary.

Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman

This book had been on my list for quite a few years and I finally was able to get my hands on it. This book was such a breath of fresh air. It can be easy to be overwhelmed in the day to day of running a home and accomplishing all the “to-dos”, but Gloria did a beautiful job sharing  how to look upon these tasks with enlightened eyes of the Gospel and seeing grace even in the most mundane moments of our lives.

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin

Hands Down the first book I would recommend to women who want to learn how to read the Bible. Jen is thoughtful, bold, reasonable and passionate about God’s Word and people knowing it, handling it appropriately and loving it. I may read this one once a year as well as put it into the hands of every new believer I know to encourage them to treasure God’s Word in the way He intended it to be treasured.

The Lucky Few by Heather Avis

This is such a beautiful story of adoption. After walking through infertility and wrestling through every emotion that comes along that road, Heather and her husband decided to look towards adoption—but that road led them down a very different path than they could ever imagine…making them “the lucky few”.

Simply Tuesday by Emily Freeman

Written as an ode for one of the most ordinary days EVER, Emily reclaims this day and all of its ordinariness and calls for delight and worship. It’s one of the longer books I read this year, but I just love her writing, her honesty and her words. This book went along with the unintentional theme of ordinary daily obedience and delight in the Lord, and I so enjoyed it!

Steal Away Home by Aaron Ivey and Matt Carter

I’ve always enjoyed anything about Spurgeon. I often read “Morning and Evening” authored by Charles Spurgeon along with my daily time with the Lord. This is a historical fiction book about Spurgeon, who was living across the pond, and his friendship with a former slave whose life was deeply changed and influenced through his writings that had been sent to America. This book was absolutely fascinating and so well written. It was a quick read but deep. I definitely recommend it!

Humility by C.J. Mahaney

This is a short but full read. C.J. starts the book by recognizing the insufficiency one has in writing about such a weighty subject, but he does such an amazing job in talking about the humility of Christ and how we can seek after it—the joy and LIFE that comes from it.

Dance, Stand, Run by Jess Connelly

I had the opportunity to be on the launch team for this specific book. I had followed Jess online for years so when this opportunity arose, I definitely wanted to jump at the chance. This whole book is about the holiness of God—where we’ve gotten it wrong and where we have forgotten about it. She writes with deep conviction and seeks to bring our faith to an applicable level. This book was easy to read, but thought provoking. I was really thankful to be able to read it even before it was launched out into the world!

Free of Me by Sharon Hodde Miller

This was also a book I had the opportunity to be on the launch team for. And truly, EVERY WOMAN SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! I tell everyone that this was probably the most influential book I’ve read this year. Sharon takes different places of our lives and explains how our temptation to make it about ‘us’ steals our joy and rob the Lord of massive glory: church, family, appearance, jobs, etc. She is so honest about her own journey in discovering this Truth and how the tendency to “heighten our self-esteem” doesn’t fix the heart of the matter and overall does more harm than good.

True Beauty by Carolyn Mahaney

There is one subject that I honestly thought that I was past learning about…until I read this book. Initially this one was on my list so that I could honestly recommend it to a girl I was discipling, but this book ministered so deeply to my own heart. This side of heaven, I believe that women may always struggle with the subject of beauty—so much so, that we need to constantly and consistency remind ourselves where our lasting beauty comes from : a gentle and quiet spirit, found in confidence from the Lord.

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Glorious Power of Prayer

/ Kat Mills / Leave a comment

The implications of prayer and all that it means has been gripping my heart-so much so that I haven’t been able to get over it-something that, truly, I hope never to recover from. The realization of the actual power of prayer has been laid anew-how it is gloriously so because of the One who receives them.

The other day I received a text message from someone letting me know they were praying for me.  I was at first simply thankful for the gesture, thankful to have heard from them and was encouraged by the reminder that others were praying for me.  Mere moments later, however, I was pierced with what this meant for me and the posture this person was taking on my behalf—my whole spirit was moved, literally feeling a weight for what this meant and why it was just so dang sweet.

I’ve grown up learning how to pray by hearing “Oh, it’s just a conversation with God”, I admit as well that I have used this same phrase in describing what prayer is in it’s most simplest and concise form.  To a degree, yes, it is an exchange of words to God, but to understand and wrap your mind around the truth that prayer is the ordained, designed and given way for sinners to speak to their Heavenly Father, are facts that move me to worship, mouth gaping wide open, eyes stunned, left in awe.

And Jesus had to die in order for this free communication to happen—for this fellowship and relationship to be made possible.  Our sin separated us from God our Father, and Jesus came to restore that relationship—no longer us needing to sacrifice a perfect animal before approaching the Throne of the All-Knowing God–we can speak to Him because we are made perfect through His Son.

When we pray, it is more than just us simply talking,

It is running to the foot of a Savior—

It is admitting that we cannot do anything for others that that would be enough

It is allowing the Holy Spirit to unite you with other believers

It is humbling ourselves saying we are not sufficient to meet our own needs

It is knowing we don’t have the right answers

It is acknowledging we know God has a plan-purposeful, laid out before we were even in the womb of our mothers

It is saying “I am at the throne of the King-who holds tomorrows and gives breaths, commands winds to blow and raises the sun every morning.  You are all powerful and only You can do anything about these requests.”

I can come to the throne in c.o.n.f.i.d.e.n.c.e knowing that He gives more and more grace-not in moments before I need them, or seconds after, but specifically in the midst of my time of need.

And I don’t have to be anxious about anything, because I am told to cast, shed, throw my worries on the shoulders of my Savior because He cares about me, about my needs, about my heart.

And the greatest thing is—that at my core, He knows my motives too.  I can paint my prayers with the prettiest language I know, but the Lord knows my heart, my need, my want and my incentive for coming to Him, and I can’t get away with it.  I can’t manipulate Him or talk Him into giving me what I want…and as frustrated as my selfish heart can get over this, in His timing that is literally nothing short of stunning-He gives me what my heart really desires.  And oh how I know when my spirit is yearning to make appropriate words to communicate what exactly I am feeling—the Holy Spirit takes over when I cannot find an adequate string of words and I am thankful.

Often I find myself like Hannah, tears drenching the floor and if it weren’t for the secret and quiet of my room in the alone apart from others, I may had been taken as a girl who has gone crazy in her distress and I know that I am heard.

I find myself sometimes like Mary even, totally overcome in thankfulness, praise, worship and adoration of how a perfect God could use and even look upon a girl as insignificant and lowly as me.

And then again, there are times I take the posture of Joshua, my face literally on the ground, looking for instruction, looking for what to do next—how to follow Him, knowing that His presence was so precious that I must linger in that place longer-paralyzed, unwilling to move.

Prayer is powerful.  Gloriously, wonderfully, divinely so.IMG_1321

Beauty in the Fragile

/ Kat Mills / Leave a comment

In the times I feel most fragile, the Lord is gentle. Holding me with the lightest touch as so I don’t crumble in His majesty, yet instead am healed in His presence.  I come to the throne and drench His footstool in my tears and He strokes my head softly as the Holy Spirit in me groans the deepest corners of my heart that my lips cannot form into words.  It is when I am gripped with unworthiness, brokenness, confusion and desperation that the Lord is most beautiful to me–as He gives more grace. He gives infinitely more grace.  He is beautiful that way, isn’t He?  Knowing that it is GOOD for us to be near Him (Psalm 73:28)–He allows the restlessness in our hearts until we bear ALL to Him–run to Him confessing all the way that I am poor and needy in spirit, that I cannot take one more satisfying breath without being totally dependent on Him alone. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt.5:3)—We are needy, poor and decrepit— I am a beggar girl in need of love and affection of Love, Himself. Blessed are we that we have the Sustainer.  The one who is enough who literally allows me to take a breath of air, makes my heart take the beats that my body can continue on.  I am a dependent creature, yet my Creator delights in sustaining me and further allows me to more thrive than survive in the midst of His grace.

I echo David, saying “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4).  Who am I? Other than a sinner, who can produce nothing of good on my own—my best efforts still only dirty, filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).—polluted and unclean because I am a dead, lifeless girl in my sin (Ephesians 2:1).  Who am I other than a wayward daughter, not unlike the prodigal son—thinking I know better, that I owe nothing to anything other than my happiness (Luke 15:11-32).  Who am I other than a Pharisee, praying vociferously at times, judging the other sinners, walking too proudly in the head knowledge I fool myself into thinking I understand and live by.  Who am I other than a rich young ruler—blessed in too many ways than I can count, who refuses to find life in someOne other than possessions? (Mark 10:17-22).  Who am I other than Peter who can speak my loyalty more eloquently than they rest, yet deny Your name before the rooster crows in the morning? (John 18:15-27)  Who am I other than Judas, betraying my Savior and covering my deceit with a kiss? (Matt. 25:49).

Who am I, Lord, that you are mindful of me, that You care for me?

It is in these moments.  In the moments that say that I am worthless.  The moments that help me identify with Paul when He says, “of which I am the worst of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15).  These very moments are when my Lord holds my head in between those gentle, pierced-scarred hands and says, “You, my daughter, are who I have chosen, whom I have died for.  You are one who I desire a deep and rich relationship with.  You are more than what you were or do because You-are-Mine.”  In these moments I come undone.  I weep.  Like the woman soaking Jesus’ feet in her tears, He says about me “I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—“ (Luke 7:47).

The lies that surround me and threaten to choke me fade away as the faith of even the smallest mustard seed allow me to move mountains of worry, anxiousness and fear away (Matt. 17:20-21).  It is in the vulnerable state on my knees crying out that I believe that I am more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37) as my Jesus has already sat down, proclaiming “It is finished” (John 19:30).  There is beauty and strength that is found in the fragile state of my being.  The deceiver that tells me “You are not enough”—I hear the truth from my Father “on your own, no, you aren’t—but I AM more than enough and you stand with me.”

I stand confident with the Great I AM.

For most, fragile means weak.  Fragile means pathetic, lazy, done, scared.  But at the foot of the Cross, fragile means beautifully humbled and dependent on the One who calls me His own.  Fragile means treasured and looked after.  Fragile means secure.  Fragile means that my heart is swollen with grace and gratitude.  In my fragility I can “ give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness…” and “Sing praise to the name of the Lord most High” (Psalm 7:17).

True, it is hard not to be jaded in a world full of hurt.  It is hard to bear my heart and to trust—at my core I want to be in control—but the One who holds my heart, says to me “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”…”For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9).  In my fragile state is where I find how loved and treasured  I am.  In fragileness I find a beauty that is unable to put into words and in that silence I find rest. In that stillness and quiet I find my strength. (Isaiah 30:15)

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Waiting, Writing & Our Presence Online 

/ Kat Mills / 1 Comment

I have wanted to write again for awhile, but definitely needed to take time away to process some things out first-certainly needing to confess and repent of others, and required time to be really honest with myself.

I would definitely say that I have a love/hate relationship with the internet and social media. I love the connections and the creativity. I hate how fast it moves and changes. I love all the resources and connections to be made, but hate the feeling of not being able to keep or measure up. I love hearing what is going on with people around the world but I hate finding myself inevitably comparing myself or circumstances to well-curated snapshots.

There is a sacredness that I believe can be found in genuineness and authenticity of our presence online, but I am not naieve to the fact that there is a tough battle to be won. There is a delicate balance between being authentic and not airing our dirty laundry. There is wisdom to know when to speak up and when to abstain.

I understand that authenticity does not mean showing our lives as put together and lovely all of the time, yet often, that is what we find on the internet. Unloveliness tied up with a bow.

We read and consume, analyze, size up and compare, but we don’t often sit and think. To be still and think deeply is one of the most powerful forms of fighting sinful tendencies, yet the continual pull of consumerism and information input-no matter what kind it is- distracts and prevents stillness and time’s sacred work.

In writing and sharing too, there is a fight between speaking to be self-justified, and speaking kindly and in humility to a situation or audience. Am I writing and posting to be validated by others, or to humbly come alongside and encourage? While I genuinely desire the latter, truth be told, I have been motivated by the former. But that is my sin. And I must fight my sinful nature.

In my first post back, I said that I was just an ordinary person, an ordinary girl. And I am. I don’t know that I have ever felt more ordinary in my life…and so glad to be. I don’t at all desire a pedestal to stand upon and ardently believe our souls aren’t made for fame. But I desire to bridge gaps between comparison and feelings of lack–a hearty “oh girl, me too” when speaking about trying to run hard after the Lord and navigate the bunch of grey we have when it would be easier to have a black and white life.

There is a lot that I know I have limited perspective on, and much I have to learn, but with Timothy’s encouragement, I do also believe that I have things to say to encourage others, to encourage women, to encourage my sisters in Christ especially– because I have His Word, and His Spirit is alive in me.

And you have His Word too, my friend. For it to be a reflex we turn to though– it takes training, it takes learning, it takes intention…and if we’re honest–that takes practice, time, effort–and that sounds hard. There’s forces working against us and it doesn’t take a lot of looking to see what they are…easy distractions, schedules, unforeseen circumstances, feelings of discouragement, inadequacy, anxiety, being overwhelmed– needing to take care of the needs of our families, our homes, we have carpool and school and work…….

and that’s precisely why we need others, who are facing the very same regular, inevitable obstacles, to be honest about our own struggles, coming alongside of each other to encourage, to help, to understand and to be compassionate. This is discipleship. This is being the church. This is unity.

This is also messy and takes dying to ourselves everyday.

I’m in the middle of reading a book, Free of Me, and in it Sharon Hodde Miller says this: “In our culture of image, Christ’s humility is our example. If we want to resist a culture that makes women feel small because of how they look, if we really want to challenge that message and love women well, then it’s not enough to affirm our sisters without changing the way we live. No matter what we say, no matter how passionate or heartfelt, we can’t reverse the cultural tide while also playing into it. Jesus knew this. He couldn’t overturn worldly power by playing into worldly power….We have to choose compassion over comparison and compassion over competition.”

So basically this is a really long way of saying this: Pretty pictures are great, sharing what is on our hearts and updates on our families with friends is enjoyable and fun, a unique blessing to do so at the touch of a couple buttons! But if there is any place in our lives where our motives are different than the purity of heart may we confess and repent. Confess that we have used others as a means to an end to ‘feel’ justified. Confess that we have not sought to find our identity and security in Christ and instead traded it for temporary affirmation. Confess that we’ve carefully cultivated our online presence as one who is put-together all the while fighting insecurity and loneliness and isolation. And let’s repent–asking for wisdom before each post. Being honest with ourselves before we share. And even deleting what wouldn’t be honoring or glorifying to our Lord–no matter how popular or good of a response we find. As women and sisters in Christ, we are doing ourselves a HUGE disservice, isolating each other in inadequacy all the while longing for a friend to come alongside to whisper in our ear “oh girl, me too” while we take a step back from our messes. Let’s be those kind of women and let’s be those kinds of friends. It’s a deep abiding freedom to not rely on others to justify you. It’s hard to resist, but it’s freedom.

Ordinary Disciple

/ Kat Mills / Leave a comment

I’m the most ordinary person in the history of, well, ever. When you think about it—you are too. Not saying that condescendingly, it’s just the facts. Being ordinary, rather, being okay with being ordinary is a harder reality to sit with in this time we live—one that is inundated with movements, new trends being shared every day on social media, ‘big things’, people caught up in ‘changing the world’ and having the mindset that the only thing worth doing, is making it big. B.I.G.N.E.S.S. –we’re obsessed with it. Often times its impressive- it catches people’s eye—but more than that, it elevates our pride.
I had been wrestling greatly in my heart on this subject, and found the wrestling especially present during my recent season of engagement before marrying my husband (excuse me while I still squeal about that!) The closer we got to our wedding day, the more we got our first home together set up, the closer we got everything put into place—reality of what was to come was ever present. After we would kiss and dance awhile, I knew that our lives would look pretty ordinary. We both work ‘normal’ 9-5 jobs, we are covenant members of a local church, and we are both close to our families who live locally. Our days were going to consist of work, serving, bill-paying, apartment cleaning, visiting family and friends just to start all over again.
Don’t get me wrong-that life sounded amazing to me! The stability? A DREAM! But because of fallen humanity, because of our sin—we are always looking to meet the expectations of others, of being enough, of rising to every occasion, of doing all of the things and not skipping a beat. I KNEW I wouldn’t be able to measure up in all of the different roles I would have—I knew I wouldn’t be a perfect wife, a perfect career woman, a perfect homemaker and a perfect church member. I couldn’t offer a glamorous life. I was ordinary, and messy, and I’m sure, the least put together person. I’m incredibly clumsy, ungraceful and forgetful and here I was still just trying to wrap my brain around the fact there was a man choosing me in spite of all of my shortcomings! Because I knew me, knew that I wasn’t one of those women who could “do it all” and “do it well” (or pretend to) I struggled with anxiety of the impending failure to rise and meet unrealistic expectations that, if I had a correct perspective, no one person actually had on me, rather the perception of expectations were present and society said so via wonderful things like social media, pinterest, etc….
The day we left for our honeymoon, my husband (!!!!) suggested I bring the book ‘Ordinary’ by Michael Horton—and it was one of the biggest encouragers to my heart as I finally had time to process all of my feelings and process those feelings against Truth rooted in the scripture of God’s Word. I highly recommend this book for everyone, and in it he says:
“We are growing bored with the ordinary means of God’s grace, attending church week in and week out. Doctrines and disciplines that have shaped faithful Christian witnesses in the past are often marginalized or substituted with newer fashions or methods (pg. 16)…The problem is not that we are too active, but that we are recklessly frenetic. We have grown accustomed to quick fixes and easy solutions. We have grown accustomed to running sprints instead of training for the long distance marathon. We have plenty of energy. The danger is that we will burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations (pg.18).”
Since reading it, I have had quite a few conversations with other women who have felt/are still feeling the same way:

–Knowing that trends & ‘Movements’ do just that—they move in and move on out, while we’re still sitting in the same house, town, job, season of life wondering what that means for our lives, now that that particular trend is done, leaving us exhausted in trying to keep up.

–Questioning: why should we be wrestling or struggling to accept this when a quiet, ordinary life is exactly what the Lord has called me to? “and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you” 1 Thess. 4:11

–In addition, being focused on ‘changing the world’ often prompts us to overlook our actual, practical neighbors who we are called to love-denies the call to faithfulness in the local church, leaves us lonely and tempts us to use others as a means to an end.

So how do we find satisfaction/encouragement in an ordinary life?
1. God’s Word
2. Being covenant members of a local church
3. Obedience unto God in all things—even when and especially when it costs us

I’ve come to deeply believe that being extraordinarily great at ordinary things is what actually changes our lives. Slow, consistent growth is what lasts. Same as in our walks with the Lord. I need other women who are completely ordinary like me to come alongside and encourage me, hold me up in prayer, speak Truth in love, study the Bible and apply it practically—not in the ‘Bless Your Heart Southern Bible Belt’ kind of way, but in the “I Actually Believe What The Bible Says and I Want To Treasure The Lord and His Word In All The Mundane, Ordinary Ways Because Those Are The Only Kind Of Moments I Have, But Our Faith Is a Practical One and So I’ll Keep Pressing On” kind of way.

For about 5 years, I’ve been writing on my own blog katnienow@wordpress.com – but I’ve decided to change it up a little bit, starting over here on katmills.org It’s just a pretty little simple thing, but I wanted to change the focus from updates on my own life to it to having a space of deep, abiding, Truth filled encouragement for other women who are just pressing on in the day to day. I want it to be a place where Gospel-centered resources are shared, equipping done and no pressure of ‘measuring up’.
Thanks for stopping by!

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