Any Questions???

Happy Monday!  Who is ready to tackle this week head on?  I know that this week has great things in store for you and me.  I can't wait to see what they are!!

I would love to get the Question and Answer part of my blog going again as soon as possible.  But, for me to give you answers, I have to have questions...

So, what questions do you have for me?  I am willing to answer anything within reason.  Anything from questions about my faith, where I stand on what, how I got to where I am, to questions about me, what my favorite color is or what my favorite childhood memory is.

Ask away!

Busy Busy!

I apologize for my absence over the last few weeks.  I have been crazy busy!  So, let me take a minute to update you on the world of Keirstin.

Elevation - Rock Hill:  I am so honored to get to be a part of this move of God.  Every weekend, walking down the halls to see classrooms full of children, makes my heart melt. I can't believe that I get to be a part of this.  I can't believe that God called me to do this!  It is amazing.  I love First Experience (Elevation style Volunteer Orientation) weekends!  I love walking new volunteers around and getting them plugged into an area they are interested in!  It is great!!!

Rock Hill Middle School Girls eGroup:  I will be completely honest.  When I got Jamie's email asking me to lead the middle school girls eGroup in Rock Hill, I was a bit skeptical.  How would I relate to these girls?  Would my goal for the group be too advance?  Why me?  But, now?  Ah! I am so happy that I said yes.  They are the best group of middle school girls!  For the last two weeks we have been reading Bible verse after Bible verse about God's love; how He loved us, how commands He commands us to love, how to apply it to our lives, etc.  It is great.  We have one more week of reading about God's love and then we dive into the book When God Writes Your Love Story.  This book is going to shape the next 10 years of their live.  This book is going to shape their opinion of men.  This book has potential to start a revolution in their schools.  I can't wait!

Goals Check Up:  Blue is from my five month check up.  Orange is for my 10 month check up.


Career Goals:
1. Find a job that is spiritually, intellectually and emotionally fulfilling.
Not yet. Note previous posts about my job. I am making the best out of the situation I am in now. God isn't ready for me to move on job wise yet.
I currently have what I would consider the best job in the world.  I love the family that I nanny for.  I love getting to spend my days with the two cutest kids in the world.  I love getting to build a firm educational foundation for my favorite girl in the world.  I love the parents.  They are the best bosses that I could ever ask for.

Educational Goals:
1. Make all A's and B's in my last two semesters at CPCC
Grades are not in yet, but I should make almost all A's and B's.
I did not do so hot Summer semester.  I got an A and a not so hot great.  And then, God decided He had other plans for me.  So, there wasn't a fall semester.
2. Graduate from CPCC in December 2011
Still on track!!
As stated previously, God had a different plan for this goal.  I will not be graduating in December.  I will not be getting my degree in Early Childhood Education. 
3. Make a plan for furthering my education
Not even close to accomplishing this one yet. 
And, I believe God thought this was the most important of the goals.  I am currently looking into different schools and different programs. My options are limitless at this point. 

Financial Goals:
1. Build my savings account
Yes! I am putting 10% of each paycheck into savings EVERY PAYCHECK! Get it girl!
Starting in November, I will begin putting 20% of every paycheck into savings.  I am working on saving up for a new car.  So, this is the only way possible!
2. Start paying the bills my parents are paying for meYes! Mommy and Daddy are no longer paying any bills for Keirstin! I'm a big girl now!  Still complete on this goal!
Additional goal I set for myself - After posting this, God put it on my heart to increase my tithing. I am tithing 20% of each paycheck to Elevation Church. I love this! I am going above and beyond, and the sacrifices I have had to make have been well worth it! I love knowing that my money is doing something!
I am still tithing 20%.  :-)  Still worth it!!

Personal Goals:
1. Lose 30 pounds and keep it off!
Yikes! Nah. I was close then fell of the wagon.
Still off the wagon here, but back to working on it!!
2. Run my first 5k
Negative.
I am currently training for my first 5k.  I am following the Couch to 5k plan!  I am registered to run in the Reindeer Romp in Rock Hill on December 3rd!!!!!
3. Stop eating fast food on a regular basis
Same thing. Had stopped, then fell of the wagon.
Have a job where I don't get a lunch break is helping with this!  Since we are going on a cruise for Christmas, I am working as hard as I can to be in good shape by then.  I am not eating fast food on a regular basis anymore.  I had fast good ONCE this week! :-D
4. Work out at least three times a week
Again. Same thing. Joined Gunn's Fitness. Was going three times a week and kicking butt, then fell of the wagon. Still have 7 months to change this one around!
I worked out three times this week, and plan on bumping that up to 5 or 6 days next week.

Relational Goals:
1. Get to know my brothers better
Working on it...
Yikes!  This one is not going so well.  I hate excuses, so I won't give you mine.
2. Gain an understanding on my parents resistance to church
Not doing so well on this one. 
Same. 
3. Visit my grandparents at least four times
I have visited twice already! :-)
Well, this just breaks my heart.  I made it to see them four times before Philip passed.  The foruth being the day he passed. I miss him every day.
4. Visit Victoria at least four times
I have visited her twice already!!
Check!  We have seen each other four times!  Maybe more than that!  And, more visits are in the work. 

Spiritual Goals:
1. Gain a better understanding of the Old Testament
Not yet.
Same.
2. Learn from my New Testament class
Yes!!!!
Nothing more to add to this, being that the class is over.
3. Finish the 8 month Bible Reading Plan
:-(
Negative.
4. Finish Sun Stand Still
Yes! Yes! Yes!!!
:-)
5. Have a more personal relationship with God
Working on it!
My relationship with God gets better daily.  It is amazing.  When you turn off the radio, turn off distractions, and actually take time to listen to God, YOU CAN HEAR FROM HIM! 
6. Learn to follow God's direction without hesitation
Daily struggle, but it is getting easier. God has asked me to stay at Chesterbook, and I am. I do not know why He wants me there. But I am there.
What a blessing.  I stayed at Chesterbrook until He gave me peace about leaving.  Then, He blessed me with an amazing job.  Also, about 9 months ago, I felt like He told me to lead a group in Rock Hill..  I thought He was crazy... and, I am doing it now!! 
7. Serve on at least three Outreach projects
Thank you Love Week! I served for Samaritan's Feet, made care baskets for first time moms, and served parents of children with Down Syndrome. I also donated to a project the eGroup was working on!
I have not served on any other Outreach projects, but the eGroup and I will be discussing plans for this next week.
8. Become a better eTeam leader for Host Services
I am unsure on if I should cross this off or not. This is an interesting, vague goal that I set for myself. I assume that someone thinks I have become a better leader because I was asked to become a Coordinator. I still have a lot of room to grow!
Still feel the same about this goal.  It was very vague.  But, I must have improved myself.  I stepped up as Host Services Coordinator.  Then, I was asked to be eKidz Coordinator at Rock Hill. 
9. Join an eGroup for the first semester of 2011
Thank you, Nicki Koziarz for letting me in! I seek so much truth from her, and gain so much truth from her. 
Check!  I joined an eGroup.  I learned so much from Nicki.
10. Lead an eGroup for the second semester of 2011
Can't wait!
Check!!  See what I wrote before the goal check up!


Q & A - I need you to comment or email with more questions!  I loved doing the Q & A posts. 

You asked...

Wayne from Writers in the Spirit asked: Another topic I'd like to see you address at some point in the future is how you hear from God. How do you discern the right timing? How can you tell when to share what is laid on your heart in your writing?

Just so ya know, I had not forgotten about this question.  I have been taking this time to figure out the right way to answer this question.

My one disclaimer before you read any further is - Everyone hears from God in different ways.  Some people hear from Him through other people, some through songs, some through circumstances.  I don't have some special connection to God because I hear from God.  He doesn't call me up on the phone and speak to me.  There is nothing special about me!  You can hear from Him, too!

How do I hear from God?  I hear God in various ways.  Clayton King wrote a book called Amazing Encounters with God.  This book is all about how to see God in all areas of your life.  After I read this book, I became more in tune to His presence in my life.  God is everywhere.  There are times that I hear from God through a song, just a comforting pat on the shoulders.  Sometimes I hear from Him through a difficult circumstance, as a reminder that there are struggles in life but I need to rely on Him through them.

How do I discern the right timing?  What a difficult question!! I can't give a step-by-step rule book to this.  Let me tell you a story...

Last year, my best friend was having a hard time at college.  I had it on my heart to write her a letter.  I sat down and wrote her a letter.  The letter was all about finding strength in the Lord, not giving up on her dream, and doing what God has called her to do even if it didn't make sense.  I addressed and stamped the card.  I got in my car to send the letter off to her.  The post office was closed.  I felt like it wasn't the right time.  Months went by.  I would look at the card and say "not yet..."  Finally three months after I wrote the letter, I dropped them off at the post office.  A few days went by and she called me.  She said that the letter was perfect and just what she needed.  All I could think was, God knew that I had the right words at the time to write the letter but it wasn't the time for her to get the card. 

I don't know what made me not send the card right away.  I don't know why I waited for three months.  I don't know what it was about the day that I sent it off, that I thought it was the right time to go off.  All I know is that God knew the right time for her to get the letter.  And, surely she got it at the right time! :-)

How do I know when it is time to share what God has laid on my heart?  For the majority of this blog, it is all about writing what He has laid on my heart.  God will lay a topic on my heart and sometimes weeks will go by before I write about it.  I know that the timing is write when I sit down to a blank post and the words just flow out through my fingers onto the keyboard to the page.  There are many times that there is something on my heart to write about and I will open the page and the right words won't come out. 

Keep the questions coming!

You asked...

Wayne from Writers in the Spirit asked, Your writing. What have you written? What motivates you to write? What do you aspire to write? When did you start writing? Who are your favorite writers?

When I was younger, I wrote poems.  I have not been inspired to write a poem in years.    For now, I just write on this blog. 

God motivates me to write.  He lays things on my heart, I type them as fast as I can to share with my blog followers.  Sometimes He lays something on my heart, I write it, but feel as if it shouldn't be shared for a while.  This, I feel is God's way of knowing that it was the right time for me to type it but not the right time for it to be read.  Sometimes, I will have something happen and know that I will write about it eventually but haven't figured out why, yet. 

My dream is to one day write a book. I don't know what I will write about, but I would love to be a published author. I don't have to become a New York Times best seller or anything, just publish a book!  I, also, think it would be amazing to get paid to write a blog.  It sounds wonderful, to get paid to write about what God lays on my heart... sigh.

I started writing after horrific incident when I was in 8th grade.  It was my way of getting out the hurt and pain that I was experiencing.

Favorite writers... That is a tough one.  My favorite blog to follow is Pastor Perry Noble.  I love his posts to leaders.  I always am challenged by them!  I loved Shel Silverstein growing up, and still enjoy reading his poems.  My favorite author is Clayton King.  And I wouldn't be a true Elevator if I didn't plug the Pastor in here somewhere!  Sun Stand Still by Pastor Steven Furtick changed my world. 


That was fun!  Blog followers, what else would you like me to write about?  Are there personal questions you have for me?  Are there any questions about religion or my beliefs on something that you would like for me to discuss? 

Q & A

Hey followers!  So, I have somethings that I would like to write about in the coming months.  The topics and titles are ready to go.  I just don't feel as if God is ready for me to write about them or for them to be out there just yet. 

So, in this transition period, I wanted to open the floor to you. 

What would you like me to talk about? 

Are there questions that I could answer for you?  Any topic that you would like to hear my opinion on?  I would love to write about it. 

The stats on my blog say that there are people reading my blog in Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, South Korea, and obviously the United States.  Sadly, it doesn't tell me where in the United States.  So, I also want to hear where you are reading from.  If you have a blog, I would love to read it, too!!

So... question you have for me/something you would like me to talk about, where you are reading from, and your blog!

I can't wait to hear from y'all!!