It Must Be Video Wednesday...

I figured since its 22 degrees outside, it's perfect weather for a summer video. Ha. I was looking through some videos on my computer and realized that I made this video of our family vacation and never posted it. So here it is. I hope thoughts of the beach warm you up on this cold night.

Walden Family Vacay 2010 from Katie Walden on Vimeo.

Favorite Vacation Spots

So Kelly's Korner does this weekly thing of Show Us Your Life, and this past Friday was "Favorite Vacation Spots". And I was totally going to join in on the fun since this was actually one that wasn't geared towards "married folk" and I totally forgot.

So I'm doing it now.

I have two favorite vacation spots. And they are completely different. One is a long-time favorite, and the other is a recently acquired love.

1. Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.

The El Matador {also know by the Walden Clan as Pedro's Retreat (don't ask. long story.)}

We L.O.V.E. the El Matador. And I really think we've probably been there for at least 7 out of the last 10 summer vacations. It's close enough to Destin to enjoy all that's there but far enough away from of all the hoopla that is Destin. And the picture above features "our pool".

See there are two pools at EM. One is always, ALWAYS crowded with kids and obnoxious guests. The other one is serene and not so much crowded. It's "our pool".

And the best thing about EM is that it's at the beach. My favorite place in the world. I absolutely. love. the beach. It's so relaxing and I just love being around the water. I don't know what it is. I just love it. And I love how God is so apparent in the surroundings. There's just something about being that close to God's creation that makes me so happy.

Now, the second place is the farthest thing from relaxing. It is...

2. New York City (especially Central Park)

I love the hustle and bustle of NYC. I love what it represents -- the history, the present, the future. The mixture of cultures and well, BROADWAY of course. Broadway is where God looked down and said, "Let there be singing of show tunes and choreographed dancing." And then he smiled and saw that it was good.

But one of my most favorite places in NYC is Central Park. I've always me intrigued by Central Park. All that nature is the middle of the concrete jungle. It's just so cool. And I've always wanted to go to it.

So, this summer, on my third trip to the Big City, I actually got to go. Somethings worked to our favor on our mission trip and Mom, Dad and I got a guide tour/lazy afternoon in the Park with our tour guide/new family member Kumar. And I instantly fell in love. It's such a magical place. Really. There's a castle and all.

Here is some photographic evidence, put to a sweet little tune.

Central Park from Katie on Vimeo.

Now, this will probably be my last one of these "Show Us Your Life" thingies because the schedules says that the next few weeks all have something to do with babies or weddings or cooking -- three categories that don't really show off the fullness of my life. Ha.

Until next time...

Check It

I've just finished updating my mission blog with pictures and video montages/slideshows from my New York trip. Check it out!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Well, we finally got home last night around 8:30 p.m. I've never been so happy to see Jackson, Mississippi.

We got stuck in Detroit overnight because our flight from Detroit to Jackson on Thursday was cancelled. Let me tell you, Detroit was not as cool as I thought it would be. I tried looking on the bright side of things, telling myself and my family that it's just one more state we can check off our list but by the time Friday morning rolled around, I was miserable.

I'm not going to lie, while we were in Detroit, all I wanted was to either be in Mississippi with family and friends or back in New York with new friends and seeing more sights. Someone is going to have to convince me somethin' good that Detroit isn't such a bad place now because I'm thinking I don't ever want to go back there.

Over all though, it was a great week. I didn't go into the trip with any expectations because I didn't want to be disappointed if things didn't really pan out. I went in trusting God that he was going to work out what he wanted to be worked out and work in his own way.

God showed himself faithful all throughout the week, turning bad situations to good and bringing his people closer together to bring glory to His name.

My favorite part of the week was the Bowery Mission as I wrote about here as well as making new friends.

As we were finally on the plane headed back towards the South, I really became enamored with seeing God's creation from a different perspective.

It's really interesting to see Earth from above the clouds. It's kind of peaceful and you think how in the world could some of the things that are happening right now happening. But then I remember how God is in control and seeing His creation from a bird's eye view reaffirms that truth for me. And brings me to an awesome place in my relationship with him.

Stay tuned for some of my favorite pictures from the trip. It's going to be hard to pick just a few. I'm sure I'll make a slideshow with most of them soon.

NYC!

Day One

Day Two

Day Three and Four

Day Five

Travel Day Part One

We Gotta Pray Just To Make It Today

I"m a huge believer in the power of prayer. Prayer has undoubtedly saved the lives of several family members, healed sickness for just a little while and even forever.

Prayer has drawn me out of some of the most troubling times of my life and saved my best friend from an eternity in hell.

Prayer has built up churches all across the world and torn down governments and leaders who were up to no good.

In so many words, prayer works y'all.

See, prayer is this neat thing we Christians use to talk to our God. Some of us are good at it and some aren't. Me? I'm one of those that isn't really good at it. But you want to know some good news? God doesn't care if I'm good at it or not because in his eyes, elaborate words and fancy phrases aren't what make me or you a good pray-er. It's our honest and humble heart that we bring before him.

We all think that prayer is the "Dear God, Amen" type thing. The truth is, there should be no beginning or end. The Bible says to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). You know what ceasing means? Yeah, no stopping. Like never ending. It's a continuous conversation with our Lord. Our best friend.

And the awesome thing about it is that its unlimited. Free nights and weekends. No overage fees. No operators standing by. Because there's no need.

See, back in the day, like before Christ, people wanting to bring their requests to God had to take it to the highest priest in their church. They had a "go-to guy", if you will. But the neat thing about that is that when Jesus came, he totally put that guy out of business. Jesus said, "Hey dude, we're not going to be needing you to do that anymore. Feel free to stick around a help out with the people's needs and the clean up and stuff, but I got this whole praying thing covered. If people want to speak to my Father, they can just come to me (John 14:6)." Because you know what. The Father and the Son are one in the same.

(FYI, that's my favorite part of the Superman Returns movie. "The son will become like the father, and the father like the son." Brilliant.)

Anyway, so because Jesus/the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf to the God the Father, we can pray however, whenever, wherever, and however long we want to. And we don't even have to use words. He's our interpreter.

Romans 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

I'm seen God does some crazy good things as a result of his people praying. He's always faithful to answer our prayers, although they may not be in the way we want him to. See I've been praying for husband for about five years now and well I'm still as single as a one dollar bill. But I've come to understand that he doesn't just put desires in people's hearts for no reason and he's God. He's not a vending machine. He's not always going to give us what we want, when we want it. It's always in his perfect timing.

When I start feeling really pitiful and resentful about being single, I think on the things that God has allowed me to do because I wasn't single. There are so many ministry opportunities that I've been able to be a part of because I wasn't tied down to a significant other. He's allowed me to use my past and present experiences to minister to and bond with girls that are younger than I am that are thinking and feeling the same things I am. And most importantly, it's one less distraction that I have from Him. God has shown up in big ways in the last little bit and I can't help but think if I would've missed those appearances had I been focusing all my attention on some boy.

God wants me all to himself for right now, and I'm pretty okay with that. I mean, I guess I don't have a choice in the matter, huh?

Anyway, this post went from one thing to another but I got inspired after reading Jim Cymbala's book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. Cymbala is the pastor at The Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York and his wife is the minister of music.

This book is filled with stories from Jim Cymbala about how the power of prayer and Spirit of God took a rundown church in Brooklyn, N.Y., and transformed it into a body of believers who desire to live in the center of what God is doing in the community around them and the world. Through complete faith in God's provision and petitioning the Lord for their needs, The Brooklyn Tabernacle has transformed the lives of the people in their community and brought them to the heart of God.

So, I want to do two things.

Number one. I want to ask you first for prayer. My parents and I will fly out at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning (July 18) to join many others from First Baptist Church of Jackson, Miss., on a mission trip/choir tour to New York City. We will be there until Thursday and will be doing several concerts as well as mission work with the homeless, Bowery Mission and the New York Fire Department.

Here are several things I ask you to pray for:

- Traveling mercies (safety to and from airports, in the air and on the ground, no lost luggage and smooth journeys)

- Safety throughout the duration of the stay. It's New York, y'all. Although I've been there twice before, it's still New York, y'all.

- Good health. I'm nursing a head cold acquired from the beach and I have to sing a solo in one of the concerts. I'm significantly better than I was a few days ago but the voice is still a little rough.

- No distractions. This trip is different than say going to Honduras or Africa. There's a lot in NYC that can distract me from what I'm really there for. Pray that my eyes are focused on what God is doing rather then the "pretty lights and neon signs."

- Pray for the people that we will be working with as well as anyone who may hear us sing. Let everything we do be a reflection of God's glory and may the Lord prepare the hearts that he wants touched.

I will hopefully be blogging about what's going on during our trip. And I'll be doing it over here. I hope I'll have time to do it every day because I want to talk about it while it's fresh on my mind but that all depends on internet access and time.

Number two. I want to be praying for you as well. Whether you are a regular reader or just happened upon this page, it's not by accident. Please leave a comment or feel free to email me (KtJane726@gmail.com) with anything that I can be praying for. You don't have to leave your name. Just let me know what I can pray for. And I will.

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." James 5:13-18

Back In The Saddle Again...Only Until Thursday Though

So I'm back from the beach and I brought a little sumn' summ' back with me. Wanna know what it is? Nope. Not sand or seashells. Ok, ok. A few clothing items I picked up from the outlet but that's not what I'm talking about.

Give up?

I brought back some sort of string of the Bubonic Plague. Ok. Not really. But I woke up Monday morning feeling like I'd swallowed the fire of a thousand suns. And then I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been hit by a freight train.

So, I think it's safe to say that Katie is not in good health.

I knew this would happen though. And here's why. I'm flying out to NYC on Saturday for a mission trip with my parents' church. It's a choir trip. Which means there will be singing. Of which I will be partaking in. And I will be singing a solo in one of the pieces.

I always get sick before I'm supposed to sing somewhere big. Always. Examples? Don't mind if I do.

1. Tenth grade. First big solo in Colonel Classics. Had to relinquish it because I seriously could not get the notes out of my mouth.

2. Eleventh grade. Lead role in the school musical. Two weeks before I got sick and barely got my voice back by opening night.

I could go on. But I won't.

So, I'm pill-popping like tomorrow is the last day that the world will ever sell prescription or over-the-counter drugs. In moderation, of course. No habits here.

Whatevs.

On to the really good stuff. You people didn't come here to hear me whine about my sickness. You came to see pictures of the cuteness that is Sir William Charles Johnson, a.k.a, the nephew.

We got down to the beach (Orange Beach, Ala.) on Thursday evening and I left Monday evening to get back to work today. I got a great tan, bonded with the nephew and the fam, and relaxed somethin' big. I also found a new favorite place to eat. Ribs & Reds. Best royal red shrimp I've ever had.

Anyway, on to the pictures. I don't have any of me because I was too busy taking them of my nephew. I think my dad has a good one of me and William. Hope to get it soon.

This is my favorite thing ever.

This is such a classic picture. I used to love doing this.

This kid loves showing his teeth!

And of course, the beach picture. Please excuse the naked man at the bottom left. I promise he had shorts on and he totally crashed my picture party here.

Anyhoo. There ya go. I'll be back again this week with some bloggity goodness. Hopefully.

What is REALLY going on in Honduras?

If you've read this or this or this, or seen this or this, you know I've been to Honduras and what a life-changing event it was for me. And how much I love Honduras and the people there now.

Recently, Honduras has been getting a lot of media coverage lately with the craziness that is going on with the president. If you don't know, read here. The article will tell you that it was a military coup. As you will read below, this is not so. President Obama even came out saying that the "coup" was illegal and that President Manuel Zelaya should remain the president. He had no clue what he was talking about.

Please read the below emails that I receive from a friend, Emily, who is currently teaching in Honduras. Obviously, there is a lot of confusion going on down there but clearly the Honduran people know more than we will ever know.

Please pray for Honduras and do anything you can to help in this situation.

Please:
If you are receiving this email it is because we need your help.

There has NOT been a coupe in Honduras , The country is NOT in crisis. This all started over a year ago when our president Mel Zelaya with the help of Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega began shredding the Honduran Constitution and setting the stage for him to become dictator of Honduras . As we neared the November elections that would seat a new president Mel Zelaya became more ruthless. Zelaya was informed more than once that his actions were outside the bounds of the Honduran Constitution. Zelaya earlier this year denounced democracy and announced he would seed an Venezuelan style of government, he then began receiving large sums of cash from Hugo Chavez.

This last week tensions mounted as the National Congress after a ruling from the Honduran SUPREME COURT that Mel Zelaya has committed crimes against the Constitution. As Chavez and Ortega offered Military assistance the National Congress of Honduras, The people of Honduras and the Courts of Honduras did not flinch, They stood beside their Constitution and detained by order of the National Congress Mel Zelaya for crimes against the Constitution.

President Zelaya and a small portion of the population tried to highjack the country and destroy democracy in favor of a Chavez-style government. Zelaya was shredding the constitution he swore to protect in order to stay in power past constitutional limits and firmly align Honduras with Venezuela .

President Zelaya was clearly, and more than once, informed officially that his actions were outside of the constitution and law. Given his obedience to Hugo Chavez and Chavez’s money, Zelaya was a traitor to this country in the truest sense of the word. I am writing to you as an American investor living in Honduras to express my admiration and respect for this country and how its government handled this crisis. They were faced with a difficult situation that was only growing worse. This was NOT a coup, but a criminal arrest. Hondurans should be applauded for how they handled this! They used their Constitution and stood firmly in the face of Chavez, Ortega, Morales, and Castro and said no to this form of Government. You would think the US would be applauding the situation. The US will if not careful give Chavez and Ortega the fuel they need to invade Honduras and remove our democratic form of Government. We can not believe the news reports and the statements by our representatives. We need your help. All Americans and Hondurans are franticly emailing and sending information to the US . We need you to forward this email to your local news station, CNN, contacts that you may have at any level of government. Email your senator, congressman, etc. Please pass this along. If the US ushers Zelaya back into power they are condemning this country to a communist regime.

Has a deal been struck between the US and Chavez for Honduras ??????
Written by Kent Burns

-----------------------------------------------------------

No big surprise, but the media is getting it ALL WRONG on what is going on in Honduras. This is NOT a coup. A coup is when the military or others take over the government without regard for law and constitution. This is not what has happened in Honduras at all.

In fact, the military did not initiate any of what happened yesterday. The Supreme Court--constitutional civilian authority--ordered that the military arrest the president because of his illegal orders and activities. The military followed the civilian orders but took no control of the government nor took any unconstitutional authority. The Congress voted unanimously--and that includes the majority of the Congress which is from the Liberal Party (Zelaya's own party)--to remove him from office and to swear in Roberto Micheletti, the next in the constitutional line of succession for the presidency. Micheletti has been the president of the senateand is a member of the Liberal Party. It is clear that this was not a coup but was a clear commitment to the constitution and to the checks and balances that are there for just such a time as this. Gen. Vásquez, the chief of staff who was fired by Zelaya for refusing to carry out an illegal order, showed great courage and commitment to his country, as did all the members of the military, in standing for law and justice rather than doing the "politically correct" thing according to Zelaya.

We are really encouraged about what has happened in Honduras in these days--signs of political maturity, not a return to the days of the banana republic. They are actually showing the rest of Latin America how to stand up to would-be dictators and power brokers. Good for Honduras!

Most sincerely,

Karin Thomas

God Of This City

If you've heard of Chris Tomlin, the you've heard of the song "God Of This City". And if you've heard of this song, lately you've heard of Bluetree, the band that actually wrote this song that Chris Tomlin made so famous. Now Bluetree has come out with their version of the song.

My brother-in-law used this song in his church's worship service Sunday and told us the story of how it was written at lunch. He told us about a video in which the lead singer of Bluetree tells the story of this song's inception in his own words.

So much goodness, I needed share.

And because I love Kris (with a K) Allen, I wanted to show you this video that I found of the American Idol singing this song, giving God all the glory and honor and praise with the talent that He gifted him with.

We've been singing this at my church for a while now and every time I sing it, it hits a different part of my heart.

Of course whenever we sing it, it is my prayer over Birmingham. Although we in the heart of the "Bible Belt", I know there are so many souls here in Birmingham that crave the unfailing love of Jesus Christ. Souls that I come in contact with everyday but I'm not tuned in enough to what God is doing around me to be aware of it. It's my prayer everyday that God makes me aware of those people and those opportunities to be his hands and feet and his voice to those around me in a way that only He gets the glory.

Lately when I hear this song though, I think of New York City. I've got the opportunity to with my parents' church/choir to the Big Apple in mid-July for a concert tour/mission trip.

As most people know, I love all things New York City. It's such a big place with a small world feel. I love Broadway. I love the sights. I love the sounds. I even love the subway. It's' just such a neat place.

I've had to check myself several times, though, since I committed to going on this trip. I find myself getting caught up in the touristy distractions of this trip, wondering what shows we will go to and if I'll have time to find the Cash Cab.

But God whispers gently in my ear with a reminder that I'm not going for me. I'm going for His people. For His glory. Not for me.

In the next month and a half, my prayer is that God will show NYC through every person on that trip that they are His children too. I may be cursing myself when I say this, but I'm just going to go ahead and put it out there. Even if everything else fades away, even if all of my plans get flushed down the preverbial toilet, my prayer is that God is glorified in it all and my reminder is that God has a purpose in everything.

And his purpose for me is to love his people.