The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:36
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

The greatest commandment is to Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind.
There is no asterisk here that says when things are going well and everything is wonderful. All the time we are to love Him with our whole being! 

The second is like it He says: Love your neighbor as yourself. The question has been asked, "Who is my neighbor?" And in the passage I believe that your neighbor is everyone! We are to love everyone! That sounds so cliche but it is true! We are to love unconditionally like God has loved us! If God loved us the way we love people he would not have sent his son to die for us! 
Like the other commandment, there is no asterisk here. It doesn't say if they aren't annoying or if they are nice to you or if the love you back. It says to Love. Love, period! That is it LOVE. 
I know that it is hared to love some people but it is what we are commanded to do! 

I hope this will encourage you this Christmas season! 
Merry Christmas, you guys!


All for His glory, 
 Kati

Victory in Jesus!

Hey Friends,
Today is just one of those days where I feel defeated! Nothing is working out like I planned and I have so much school work to do and so much studying to get done that I am not sure if I will make it through this day! Ugh! This is the most awful feeling! And you know I was thinking about that and feeling sorry for myself and then I realized that MY God is bigger and greater than any of my plans or my struggles! And so many time we put Him in a box and we don't realize that He already know what is going on with us. All we have to do is ask Him for the grace and the knowledge that He already freely gives!
I think I wrote this more for my benefit because this has sure helped me figure out that as a Christ follower I am already a victor! My God has already conquered this world so there is no reason for me to walk around defeated! But I pray that this will encourage you as it has me!
Have a great weekend, my friends!

All for His glory,
Kati

All for the Glory of God

Hey guys!
Being a Junior I am starting to think about college and a lot of my friends are Seniors this year so a lot of my friends are praying about what college to go to and it's this big ordeal! People keep asking me, "Do you know what college you are going to yet?" and college is just a huge topic right now and such a stress for a lot of people! And it got me to thinking! Why is everyone so worried about college when, if you are in the Word and really searching the Lord and in tune with the Lord, he is not going to stear you wrong and no matter where you go God will work it out for His glory! His glory! His glory is all we are here for so He is going to make everything work for His glory and His glory alone! 
Another thing is that not just with college, no matter what stage of life you or in or what you are going through...EVERYTHING will work out for His glory. And most of the time we don't see what is God has in store and just because He shuts one door doesn't mean He won't open another! 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY,
Kati Cunningham

Dare to Dream!

One of the things they talked about this past week at SLU was to chase your dreams! Don't be afraid to fail! What is YOUR dream? What would you do if you knew that you couldn't fail or if you knew no one was going to say that you are not old enough or pretty enough or talented enough. What would you do? What would YOU do?
Why can't we dream? Why can't it come true? Why can't I have a dream and chase it with all my heart and try...try to accomplish it? WHY NOT!?!?! Why must there be dream squashers in the world? S what is your dream? Write it out! What do you wish to see happen? Let part of it be a little selfish! But then think of a dream that you wish to see happen for the kingdom of God!
I will tell you my dream....I want to get a full ride to college (still not sure where I am going yet) and one day have my very own orphanage in Africa and to make fresh clean water available to everyone around the world! Did you know that 80% of the world doesn't have clean water! 80%!!! That blows my mind! Anyway, that is a crazy dream and most people would look at that and say, Ha! Yeah sure clean water to the whole world? You are a crazy person!" But you know what? They can think that but I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens! And they can think whatever they want and You know, people who say that are probably right. How can I get fresh water to the whole world but what if I fail? What if I fail? What if I only get water to one remote village in the Amazon. What if? would it be considered a failure? Not to me! that is one more village that didn't have clean water that now has clean water. Do you know how many lives that could save? In summary, DREAM IT...DO IT! and Please, please, please don't be a dream squasher! 
One last thing, The number one reason people don't go for their dreams is fear of failure. BUT FAILURE is not FATAL unless it is FINAL! Don't let one little thing make you think you can't chase your dreams!
"Shoot for the moon and if you miss, at least, you will land among the stars!"



Another thing we talked about at SLU was the most important decisions you will make in your life.
1) What you will do with Jesus Christ (accept or reject him)
2) Where you will go to college
3) What you are going to do with the rest of your life
4) Who you will spend the rest of your life with

I got to thinking about that. I have only made one of those decisions! AHHH!!!! That, on one hand, scares me to death! I have to make some MAJOR decisions in the next few years. I mean all of the 3 that I haven't gotten to in life yet are coming up...in like 2 or 3 years! AHH!! But on the other hand, that excites me like nothing else!! I can't wait to get to make those decisions! I can't wait to see how my life plays out in the next few years!

Why I haven't posted in soooo long!

Hey guys, Well I know it has been a couple months since I have posted last but my summer has been so busy! I have never had a summer this busy in...well ever! Ha! Ha! I did VBS at my church one week, and then the next week was youth camp, and then the next week I was a counselor at a 4th and 5h grade camp. After the 4th and 5th grade camp I had a week off. It was a great week off. Something I really needed! So then the first week of of July I went out to an intercity church here in Memphis and did VBS with the kids out there! Oh! What an amazing trip! Those kids needed love and to be able to give that to them! Oh, just filled my heart with joy! During the school year, hopefully, I will be able to go out there and help out with tutoring and things like that with the same kids that were at VBS because one week is not enough time to build a relationship!
Oh we also got to go to a community center in the heart of downtown and do some painting out there and play with the kids that go to the community center all the time. And oh the kids were precious!! I love them! Oh and there was this one girl that really liked me for some reason! And she wanted to ride on my back the whole time we were there and she wanted to play games with me and oh she was precious! And the last day that we were there I had to help with a lot of the painting because there was a lot of detailed work that some of the girls were working on so I didn't get to play with her much but I did get to spend time with her for about 30 minutes and then it was time to leave. Oh she, she wouldn't let me go! She kept saying, "No! No! You can't go! You have to stay here! You can come home with me and stay at my house!" OH it was so sweet! It broke my heart that I had to go. And i was trying to get out of the door and she hugged me and hugged me and hugged me and hugged me and one of the guys on my team was said, "Come on we have to go!" and he tired to pull me away from her and she said "Oh no you didn't just try to interrupt a woman's hug! You don't EVER interrupt a woman's hug!" Ha! Ha! oh she was so funny! Oh I loved her! Hopefully I will be able to go visit her soon!
Anyways, my final trip was to Orlando, Florida to a leadership conference called Student Leadership University (SLU). It is an awesome, awesome experience if you ever get a chance to do it, I highly recommend it! Through the course of 4 days we sat through 24 hours of meetings and it was so much to take in it was like overload! And my hand is still cramping from writing so much!! But even though it was a lot of sitting there listening and writing all of it was relevant to all of our lives and it was interesting and never once did I think, "Ughh, when will this end?" It was amazing!! So much fun! I met so many new people both from my church and from other churches around the country! But, But, But!! Even though we had worked hard during sessions we got to go to Sea World (before the park actually opened so there was no one there!) and Universal Studios! It was so awesome! I have to say the last 2 trips I took this summer were the best. One week getting to pour into kids who needed someone to love on them and then the next week being poured into by some godly, godly men! Oh, so amazing!

God has been teaching me so much lately that I don't know where to even start and at the moment I don't have time to type it all out but I do want to tell you to check out this blog www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com.
Oh my goodness! This girl is amazing! She went to Uganda on a mission trip when she was 17  and fell in love with it so she moved there. She is now 22 and had adopted 13 kids, i think. OH she is doing amazing work over there. As I sat there a couple Wednesday nights ago reading her blog I was thinking, "God, She is living my dream!" and I asked God to give me the desires of my heart because I believe that this desire to do what Katie is doing is totally from Him! I was sitting there going "I have to go!" I told my mom that I wanted to leave that next day! She didn't think that was such a good idea. Ha! Ha! 
I am tired of this city, this country. I am too comfortable here. I don't have to be dependent upon God for my every need I am too comfortable! But I do know that at the moment God has me here....cause I can't just pack up and leave because I am only 15 but.....I am not going to look at it as a curse for being here in Memphis I am going to look at it as a blessing and I am going to try to make people aware of what is going on around the world, but I am also going to try to be a blessing for others and win people the Christ. I don't want to waste my time here and and not win souls for Christ. As a believer, I must, I must reach out to the lost, I must make disciples and if I don't then my time here in the States has been wasted.
Please Pray for me as I try to figure out what God has for me in the future. And also pray that I would have the boldness to reach the people of Memphis for Christ!
Thank you so much!
Please leave a comment or send me an email of how I can pray for you!
Love,
His Princess in waiting....
Kati

My first day on the job....

Well, this morning my dad called and said "You want a part time job? You can start today" So, of course, I said ok! So I got ready and headed to the office. I was so nervous. It's my first job, I've never done this before, what if I mess up??? I always over analyze everything and get myself worked up over things that i shouldn't and it proved to be true this time. I walk in and Mr. Windsor shows me how to work the phone and all that and then says, "Did you bring a book? It's kind of slow around here" So I sit down and look for something to do and I have now been here for about 2 hours and the phone has rung twice. Just now a man did come in and need a receipt for something which I don't know how to do....of  course...that was a little stressful just because I feel like I am here to take some of the work load off of  Mr. Windsor and I can't because I don't know how to do these things but he was very understanding so it was no big deal. But as I was sitting here thinking about it I felt God say to me "Why do you get so anxious? I have you best interest at heart. I will NOT give you more than you can handle." Urgg....I drive myself crazy how worked up about things that aren't that big of a deal especially when MY God is in charge of it. You know that verse in Jeremiah where it says "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not to harm you!" God wants what is best for us. He won't let you sink!
Ok well that is my word for the day....
Kati C.
His Princess

Verse of the Week

Psalm 35:9-10
Then my soul will rejoyce in the Lord and delight in it's salvation. My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."

The last 40 days

Hey Guys! Well, if you are friends with me on Facebook you know that I have been on a 40 day media fast. It was amazing!!!! It was difficult.....quite difficult! The days that I had loads of school to do and all I felt like doing was vegging out in front of the TV, or when I just wanted to talk to someone and couldn't but that is the point of a fast, right?? So what God has taught me....OH OH OH! The biggest thing! I have struggled with anxiety attacks EVERYDAY I was having attacks, i couldn't breath and I would lay in bed crying because I was so afriad of death......I am no longer scared of death! I can't wait to wait to go see my Prince, now! Before, yes, I wanted to go see Jesus but it was sooooo scary to me because I have no clue what heaven is going to be like and I didn't want to leave my family,you know, but now I know it is going to be amazing and whatever happens God will take care of my family! He has promised me that! My anxiety attacks have pretty much gone completely. I still have them occasionally and most of the time it is when I am excited about something or anxious about the future cause everything is changing and sometimes it makes me crazy but I always remember that even when my world is crashing in around me He is my rock. He will save me, He picks me up when I fall! HE {the God of the universe} loves me, He is my everything!
In my journal I put "I finally know what Paul meant when he said in Philippians 1:21 that for him to live is Christ and to die is gain. I so desire to reach this world for Christ but to die would mean that I would finally get to see my Prince! I would finally get my crouwn and my mansion made completely of heavenly things. AND I WOULD BE A PRINCESS!" And I said "Oh, how is feel that I have had a break through!" A break through is exactly what I had! I now no longer fear the things of this world because my God is so much bigger that anything here on this earth!
Ok so Number 2 thing that God has taught me....I was home alone with the two little boys (that just turned 3 on Sunday! :( they're growing up....anyway) and we were outside and they got fussy so we decided to come in to take a nap and I laid them down and gave them kisses and started to walk out and they both said "Mana (that's what they call me. it's Portuguese for sissy) don't leave. Lay down with us." But is had tons of homework that needed to be done and then I thought what is more important??? Studying or spending time and investing is my little brothers lives??? So I laid down with them until the were asleep.
Number 3! Exodus 14:13-14 "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Standfirm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.' "
God truly cares about me and about you and He will fight for His people. All we {as His people} need to do is to be still and stand firm on that promise!
Number 4....It doesn't matte what happens, what situation or circumstance I am in; VICTORY IS WON! He has already risen from the dead! He is not dead He is as alive as can be! It may seem that the Enemy is winning at the moment but He's not! Because Jesus Christ has already won the war!
The last thing that i want to write about is what He spoke to my heart last week....Last Wednesday night at church the topic was poverty and that is something that is really close to my heart since living in Brasil and seeing it first hand. Well, anyway, Will McKay talked about a girl who went to Uganda on a mission trip when she was 17 and fell in love with it so she came back to the States and sold everything, broke up with her high school sweet heart and moved to Uganda. She has started the organization where you can give 300 dollars a year to support a child there and oh she is just doing some amazing stuff. So I came home and went to her blog (www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com) and I was reading and I had this feeling that that is what I am suppose to do! She is doing what God has called me to do! If I could have I would have pack up and moved right then but God does have me here for the moment (but I can tell you that as soon as God tells me where and when I am out of here! haha) and since I am here I am not going to look at it as a curse but as a blessing! While I am here I am going to do everything in my power to raise awareness of the forgotten people, the poor, the starving, the homeless, the fatherless.
I hope all this made sense. Sometimes I feel like I am just rambling and not making any sense...like now....so I am going to say good-bye here! haha
See ya!
Kati

Faith

Hey Guys! You have to forgive me for not posting in a while. I have been trying to get caught up on school.
Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it was great for you guys! I had a great one. My dad took my mom and I out for lunch and go us roses and a card and a CD and t-shirt....it was a really good V-day for me! Well, I guess I will get right to it! 

So, my favorite Bible story is found in Matthew 14:22. It is the story of Peter walking out to Jesus on the water. Jesus had gone up on the mountain to pray and when He came back down off the mountain the disciples had already gone out on the lake like Jesus had told them to do. Since they were a good ways out he just decides to do a God thing and walk out on the water to meet them. Well, the disciples saw him and were terrified and thought it was a ghost (if I saw a person walking on water in the middle of the night I would be terrified too! haha). Of course, Jesus knew that they were scared so he said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." So Peter wants to know for sure if it truly is the Lord so he says, "Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water" So Jesus says, "Come!" At this point, I would have said, OK, I believe it's you I am good! But Peter gets out and starts walking on water. But then....My favorite part....the winds start to pick up and he takes his focus off of the One who is holding him up in the water and he starts to sink. Then Jesus did the compassionate thing and picks him up and he says, "You of little faith! Why did you doubt?
 This is where I see a wonderful lesson! As long as Peter kept his eyes on the Lord he was fine but then the storm came and he took his eyes the God of the Universe! And so many times we do the same thing! We have faith and when the storms come, when the hard times come we don't trust him. We don't think that He is enough. We have to do things in our own power. But you know something....He is enough! He created the universe! He knows what it is going to happen! He knows that you need his help and his mercy is enough!
I pray this gives you encouragement this week! Have a great week!

Kati C.
His Princess!

Verse of the week (01-10)

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown that God has promised to those who love him.

I am one of those people that worries about everything but mostly I worry about the future and what is going to happen. I get like these anxiety attaches but when I do I have to remember my Father's words to me. Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything BUT IN EVERYTHING , by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." We are to not worry and when we do have fear pray and ask God to take it away and comfort us! Fear is not of the Lord...fear is of the devil so when we have fear or anxiety we have to pray it out! Prayer and anxiety are two great opposing forces in the Christian walk.Another verse about fear and anxiety is Proverbs 12:25 "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up" So when you are anxious go to God in prayer and pray His scripture back to him...."Lord, I am scared right now but I know Philippians 4:6 says not to but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present my requests to You! Lord take this fear away!" He already knows you are scared and He knows why but He likes to hear from His Princess. Talk to Him. Tell Him your thoughts. Ask Him to help you in times of need. He is ALWAYS there for you and He knows just what you need! 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him for HE CARES FOR YOU!" 

Alright one last thing..... Since it is the first of the year and everyone is talking about 'New Year's Resolutions!' I thought I would do something similar to that....it is called 'The Little Word" and what you do is pick something that you are lacking....like one of the fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self control (it can be anything but that is a good place to start). So you pick one or two and pray through out the year that God would teach you that thing and, God willing, through the year you will learn that thing and be one step closer to being like your Prince! 
I think this year I am going to pick Joy and Peace. Last year I pick love and I think it worked I mean of course I am going to struggle still with having love for everyone but it is much easier now! Well I pray that what ever you pick God will teach you and grow you in that thing. 

Please feel free to email me prayer requests! I would love to pray for you specifically if I can.

Daughter of the Risen King,
Kati C.