favorite quote!

Hi friends!

Today, I was filling out end of the year paperwork for AmeriCorps (check out what I'm doing next here) and on our check list of items to submit to Pat, my AmeriCorps supervisor, was an item that said: your favorite quote. I love fun things like this, and I love quotes--probably because I just love words so much. Have you noticed I'm pretty wordy?! :) Anyways, it was fun to think about.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice at the end of the saying, "I'll try again tomorrow" --Mary Anne Radmacher

"When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased." C.S. Lewis


"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39


I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. MLK Jr.


Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light. --Hellen Keller

An artist is not a special kind of person. Rather every person is a special kind of artist.

-Meister Eckhart

I'd love if you'd share some of your favorite quotes with me. Feel free to leave them in a comment, it'll make my day :)

Love,

a new place to call home...

Hi Friends!

After some clues here and there, and probably a lot of word of mouth, I am finally going to go into details about my plans for post-AmeriCorps. With less than 3 weeks of AmeriCorps left, it seems only appropriate that I go into all the mushy-gushy details, as Seattle will soon be a lovely place I used to live.

Are you ready?!? Well, friends... I am moving to New York, NY!

Empire State Building

After lots and lots of prayer and uncertainty, God opened up an incredible opportunity that has far surpassed my expectations! I was surrounded by prayer as I flew out to New York for an interview mid-May and was blessed by news about a week later. I received an offer that I happily accepted for a Program Coordinator position with the organization iMentor.

Chrysler Building

iMentor is a really unique and wonderful organization that utilizes technology to create greater access for mentor-mentee relationships to form. Based on a very thoughtful and intentional curriculum, iMentor high school participants email weekly with their mentors who are NYC professionals. Monthl, the mentors and mentees meet up at various types of gatherings.  My role in this organization will be to manage and facilitate 100 of these mentor-mentee pairs. (iMentor has 1800 pairs right now, and is continually growing!) I am so excited for the opportunity to work with this organization, to have my first big girl job, salary and all, and for the opportunity to build relationships will all sorts of people. More than anything, my goal in life is for people to know their inherent value and to see how lovable they are. I truly believe this type of one-on-one relationship is incredibly valuable--not only is it key to creating greater access to opportunity it also shows these high school youth that they are important and that others care about them and are invested in their futures and their lives.

High Line Park

I am a huge advocate for mentoring relationships, largely because of my experience as a mentor. I completely believe that mentors have as much to learn as the mentees do. Check out this post if you want to learn about Kenia and Jose, two wonderful not-so-little kiddos who John and I have the pleasure to mentor :)

Ready for some more details? My first day is August 8th--less than a month and a half away! I have booked my one way ticket for July 30th. I will be working in lower Manhattan (a block from Wall St.) and living in Brooklyn. I will be living with my dear friend Sarena (who I studied abroad with) and her current roommate, Tomi.

Beautiful Sarena is the in the blue, to my left :)

And let's not forget about one of the most exciting things about my move--NO MORE LONG DISTANCE! John, my sweet love, will be living in Brooklyn (he moves into his apartment on Friday!). I can't wait to have a normal dating life and see how that allows our relationship to grow in beautiful ways. Distance has been a wonderful season in our dating life, where we have learned a lot, but it isn't quite sustainable ;)

All the Places I Call Home seems like an even more fitting title to my blog, as Seattle really has become my home. I have loved it here. All the gray winter days, make for perfect and enjoyable summer ones. The funky and quirky people create room for me to be myself. My work with AmeriCorps and New Futures in particular has brought incredible people into my life. I've had the beautiful chance to be closer to many friends, family and other loved ones. Seattle is a place I have loved to call home. New York is next, and though I am sad to say goodbye to the west coast, and Seattle, I am so excited to create a new home in New York.

Goodbye, Seattle....

...Hello, New York!

Thank you for sharing in this excitement with me, friends. I am so glad to be able to share this with you!

Love,

PS If you are looking for ways to support me through prayer, I'd really appreciate prayer surrounding finding a good apartment in a good location without much additional hassle. Thank you :)

Thankful Thursday: 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

When words seem few and far between and I can't seem to wrap my mind around all that is going on, this hymn often sings sweetly to my soul. Today, on my Thankful Thursday post, I am thankful to be able to trust in Jesus and pray for grace to trust Him more. Happy Thursday, friends. 


'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord. 

    Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
    How I've proved Him o'er and o'er,
    Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
    O for grace to trust Him more. 

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me,
'Neath the healing, cleansing flood. 

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life, and rest, and joy, and peace. 

I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end. 




love,
Kate

Dinosaur Attack!

Here is a typical day with my Colorful Hands kiddos.

I love the progression of this dinosaur attack...

Wednesday is our Colorful Hands preschool graduation. I sure am going to miss these kiddos :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and in some way or another are celebrating your fathers today!

My dad on the beach with Gracie :)

This weekend I went to Anderson Island to spend the weekend with my brothers, dad and stepmom. It was a special time together. We met up just in time for the 7:30 ferry over to the island and enjoyed a relaxed evening with the boys showing me their secret fort in the woods that surround the cabin.

Saturday we went into Seattle for the day where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Seattle's well known Ivars. We left full of fish and chips and headed to the Pacific Science Center. The Pacific Science Center had a lot of really great exhibits, but my personal favorite was the Science of Fear!

We left the Pacific Science Center and headed back to the island where we enjoyed hamburgers for dinner, followed by watching the Pink Panther Strikes Again. We had a great time together. It sure is wonderful to be silly with my brothers :)

Today, was probably my favorite part of the weekend. After all the kids had woken up we started making all sorts of cards for my dad. It was really fun to see how industrious and committed my brothers could be. It was also fun to teach them about pop up cards and other fun card creations. They all created beautiful things which my dad so appreciated. It was also nice to just sit there around the dinner table and  create together, I love those quiet moments.

Carol created a delicious breakfast, and my dad came out of their room just in time to see the feast and the pile of cards.

After a delicious breakfast and some downtime at the cabin, we headed back to the ferry dock, where we parked our cars and enjoyed the low-tide. The boys found clams, crabs, sea anemones and lots of perfect skipping stones. It was a wonderful time.

I sure am going to miss my family when I move away from the Northwest. This weekend was perfect. I am so glad that I got to spend Father's Day with my daddio. It was a sweet time together, and I am so thankful for that.

love,

endings...

Well, friends, as this week comes to a close, many other things in my life are also coming to a close. Some of these things are exciting, others are sad. I think with all endings, and good byes, there is always a sense of sadness. Coupled with this sadness is the excitement of the journey that's about to begin around the corner.  That's where I am right now, and I have to say, it's pretty bitter sweet.

Here are some of my endings...

My term of service with AmeriCorps is quickly coming to a close. I have less than a month left.

half of our team :)

working hard...

Can you guess who is in that Eager Beaver suit, bustin' a move?

painting at the White Center Food Bank

I said goodbye to the After School Program that I tutored at before I left for the wedding. It has been strangly quiet (yet remarkably busy) around the community center. Thankfully, the kids still drop in the  often, and I've been giving a lot of standardized reading tests to close out the academic year, so I still get to see their sweet faces. I will miss these kiddos a ton. They have touched my life and have taught me so many things.

sweetest smile around!

nothing can beat this picture :)

Soon, I will also be saying good bye to Seattle. I'll be leaving shortly after AmeriCorps is over to head home to Portland for a few weeks. Then, I'm off on another adventure--more on that later ;)

With saying good-bye to Seattle, I will be also be saying good bye to dear friends, a wonderful church, and a lovely family I have so enjoyed babysitting for.

I also say good bye to my car, and most of my furniture. A couple huge garbage bags of clothes I am taking to Good Will, after I try to sell them at Buffalo Exchange or Cross Roads.

What I'll miss most about leaving this area are my wonderful family members I'll be leaving behind. My sweet grandma will no longer be a 3 hour drive away. Nor will my precious brothers, my dad, or step-mom. Nor will my sweet cousins or my lovely momma. I will miss my family enormously. I have enjoyed this brief season in my life that has given way to opportunity to spend time together.

I'll also be saying good bye to the northwest (for now at least).

Next week, I'll share with you what's coming next. It's pretty exciting, and I've been dying to tell you guys :) Here's a hint--one more thing I'll be saying goodbye to is a long-distance relationship...

Happy weekend friends! I hope you have a good one. I get to spend this weekend my daddio to celebrate Father's day and I am oh-so-happy about that!

love this picture of my dad--laughing so hard he's crying :)

Love,