Growing myself in God.

Ever since I was a baby, Mum and Dad have always taught us, the value of having God and Jesus as our Lord and savior. Here is a part of my story from recent times....

For a while now, I have been putting off writing. Normally day-to-day, I write. Some may call it a journal, me- I call it my Journey book. It's where I write out my feelings, say what I've done during the days, what temptations and situations I have faced. I become raw, with myself. I haven't written that book in a while, and I think it is because my mind is trying to keep its self, from its self. Which my mind its-self can't exactly understand. Confusing huh? In other words I think the mind can be most frightened of its self.

I'll try and explain it. Every time, I say to myself "Okay, today I am going to write" I think up a bunch of things I can say. And then,  get distracted. Example: Tonight after contemplating writing, I sat down, and actually started to. About three lines in of writing this, I then needed to go and drive my sister to a friends house, in the pouring thunderstorm of rain. So it, of course took a lot longer then expected. So my mind didn't exactly get to end or write what I wanted to. So here I am making the most of it..

Have you ever felt a spiritual and emotional low before?
Well now it's my turn to be raw with you (who ever reads this).
It all began with a book. Something so simple, yet powerful to the mind. Words can change how we see things, situations, and can change how we see people. And this book did that for me.
I have many stories over the past few weeks that can relate to this. But I'll start from the beginning.
So this book- it was filled with wisdom and encouragement, on relationships, the heart and God. Basically after reading this book, my heart was changed for the better. To be honest I did in fact see my life differently, I saw people in different ways. Wanting to respect them for who they are and where they were at, just wanting to love them, for them. I no longer saw people in categories, everyone no matter who they were now could impact me just as much as I could impact them. after all we all have a story.  . I saw this world differently too, how love in this world can be low in love in some aspects.. But most of all, I saw God differently. In a good way of course. I saw God as the creator of all things good, more then ever before. And so though I have done it many times, this time, with all my heart and soul I gave every single corner of my heart to God, even the ones I didn't know about. And I tried my best to not leave one door shut, realizing that though I had still given my life to God, being human I still had control of certain things.. And with a breath of exhaustion and relief, I opened every door, and let God into every corner. Dark or not, he was going to be the center.
It started there, as far as I can tell life has been great ever since then. Family life was getting better, I felt better about who I was personally and in God.
Somethings are hard to explain and certain things I won't explain, but I felt as if God had taken the broken pieces of my life, the ones people didn't even know I cared for, the pieces of my life that were fragile and disturbed and didn't even know it..  and HE put them back where they should be. slowly but surely everything was coming together again. Family situations, friends, they were all becoming why I was happy. I put every bit of me and invested into relationships. Building others up.
Little did I know that when I was most happy the devil would use temptation, pain, hurt and guilt against me, and I was weak for it, because I was so happy. I would doubt. Suffering is still in this world, and will always be That's one thing we can't change, no matter who we are.
And all of a sudden, I became aware. More aware, of the sufferings, more aware of the pain and hurt the world brings. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. I'm not just talking about 3rd world countries, or where war happens. I was seeing war at home. Where we live, in a society that cares more about what they wear and how they look to the world then to themselves.

Like I said before how words can change how people see things. I saw the pain and hurt of words. Though the book I read gave me a positive experience on this, imagine what the opposite can do to someones heart.
I've seen lately that a simple " I don't like you" can turn someones world upside down.
Judging people, saying negative things about people, what good is that going to create? Yet we are stuck in a world where as humans we naturally do this. Why? I will never know.

I didn't really want to bore you with all this, It does sound a lot more intense in my mind.
Going on....
By this point,all I felt I could do was support, encourage and love everyone. In doing this, I then was getting annoyed at people way to easily. Seeing the flaws they had even more then what I did before, I began to become frustrated with them, finding it hard from where some people were coming from with their own ideas and thoughts. Though I still accepted and respected their thoughts and beliefs, I was gaining frustration towards people, and taking some things personally, which lead me to feel either betrayed, hurt, lost and discouraged.  All at once, again I was reminded, and I was aware of the emotional, physical and spiritual battle that goes on in each persons life. That there will be times where we clash, where we face crossed roads, and where the hearts of people won't always be content.
Realizing now that my love for God, and letting him work in my life was breaking my heart, because I did see the bad, the hurt and the suffering that people have, big or small. I was getting upset at the hurt that didn't have to be created, and was unnecessary. This for me, was emotionally, spiritually and physically draining. (As it would be for anyone).
Somehow through all of this, I have seen Gods strength in myself. The salvation that I have is beyond amazing, and the grace that I have been blessed with is incredible!

As for now, today, all I can do is keep trusting in God. There is defiantly always going to be though ground, bumpy roads and lows in this world. But God will always and forevermore reign over all things good and bad.

Finding it hard to know where to begin with this blog. I think trying to understand life and where I'm at is hard because though I know myself, I know that there is always room to grow, to understand, there is always going to be time, to take more to heart, to learn and to figure out where I am meant to be. Like my blogs name "there is a time and a place". we all have different times and places where we grow, love, hurt, suffer and endure the good and the bad. It's finding that balance in life where we are in that place, where we find peace. My peace is with Gods grace.
Tonight, I was challenged in ways I don't like to be challenged. Questions were brought up that I don't normally like to think about. Questions that are out of my hands, and only in Gods. These questions brought up things like death, hell and what is going to happen to us when we die. What I got out of it? Though we can pray for those and hope for those who don't have that relationship with God, and have a peace of mind that maybe one day they will choose for themselves to accept God and their Lord and Savior. That They will know Jesus. a mission in life that God has placed us here, to be the disciples in his name, and glory. That through us, others can find the salvation and accept and know Gods grace.
I think the part that got to me the most is that, people we know, people we love, will one day not be with us. That this life is in fact shorter then we realize and that while we have time we should share Gods love. I heard a quote once "How much can we hate someone, not to share or show them God and his love". It's so true, how selfish must one be to not share Gods love. After all it's the best thing anyone can experience.
So ill leave you with that thought streaming through your mind, as it gets to me every time.

Just remember, not matter what, one day, those clothes you wear, the hair cut you get, or even what kind of car you want, wont even matter anymore. All the earth will one day fall from our eyes, and we will be gone to this place. But our heart and soul, rests in the arms of Jesus. He is the only one who can save us from sin, he is the key to eternal life. Knowing him, accepting him, is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can only hope and pray that one day you will find salvation and forgiveness in him too.

the fifth of April two thousand and twelve.

I haven't blogged in a while so I'm sorry if this is a bit on edge or boring but if you want to... keep on reading :) 

Well, my name is still Katherine Elizabeth Gerrand, and so far I'm still on a long fulfilling journey with God. Ill tell you a bit about what is happening in my world.
At the moment, trying to fit God into every situation, every day is my aim. I have recently read 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Jude. Great books of the bible. I have also read "When God writes your love story" Its a book that changed my whole perspective on relationships. In a good way, a way where it has taken all of me to give every corner of my life to God. and not trusting myself, but relying on his strength only. It's amazing how happy you can become when God starts to work through you and around you. Joy is with you even in the saddest of moments, why? Because the holy Spirit is in me. Other things that are happening... I'm photographing a wedding next week with another photographer, been looking for other jobs ( but lets see where God will take me). I have started in a new small group, which God has really blessed me with amazing people, My parents have bought a new house in Ferny Creek, where we will move once Steph is 18. I have been writing a lot of my book, which is a book that no one will ever read haha

Another thought on my mind...
Have you ever wondered why we're here? On earth?
It's a question that comes to my mind everyday.
I know it's a hard question but it really gets me thinking.

When I think about life- I think about eternal life. The life after this one. Of course it gets my brain ticking even more, as it would for yours because eternal life is something we don't experience until well... we're dead.
When thinking about eternal life, I think about Jesus and his death. It really makes me appreciate the works God has done for us.
You know what gets me? That most people know what "Easter" is, they also celebrate it all year round. Yet a lot of those people are celebrating a bunny and chocolate.
One thing I found today working in the bakery packing all the hot cross buns is that people love them. Yet the idea behind them is the "cross" on the bun. Not many people understand that the "cross" on hot cross buns is representing all God did for us, and how Jesus sacrificed his own life for ours. Even though it is 2012 years after his death, the world is still revolving around him, yet people are blind to see it. This actually really makes me wander how this world can be such a harsh, place filled with pain, temptation, loss, hurt, guilt and suffering. And all these things blind people from the truth.

Just remember that through hardships, bad times, loss, guilt and pain, God is above all your sorrows, the temptations you face and the Challenges you face. Have faith and trust in him and the plan he has for your life, cause it sure is going to be an adventure. Until we see him face to face, and grace amazing takes us home!

Jesus be the center!