Mother Teresa

Someone once shared with me a piece of paper with a bunch of Mother Teresa quotes. I fell in love with these and wrote them down in my journal so I would always be able to go back and re-read them. I was reading through my journal last night and stumbled across them and thought I would share them. I hope they encourage, challenge, motivate, convict, and bless you the way they have for me! Enjoy! :)

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

"One filled with joy preaches without preaching."

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

"Violence of the tongu is very real--sharper than any knife."

"To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."

"It just takes one day. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not come. We have only today to love Jesus."

"God hasn't called me to be successful. He's called me to be faithful."

"I am like a little pencil in God's hand. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it."

"Smile at each other, smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile at each other--it doesn't matter who it is and that will help you to grow up in greater love for each other."

--Mother Teresa

I'm Not Who I Was

"I found us in a photograph

I saw me and I had to laugh

You know, I'm not who I was...

I write about love and such

Maybe cuz I want it so much

I'm not who I was...

Well the thing I find so amazing

In amazing grace is the chance to give it out

Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now

I wish I could show you how

I'm not who I was"

When I left for Passion 2011 in Ft. Worth, Texas last weekend I was a different person than the person I am now. The Katie Magnus that returned to Russellville isn't the same Katie Magnus that left. How could I be after all the teaching, worshipping, praying, thinking, evaluating, growing, sharing, crying, and just having my heart completely pounded in general?? God has moved in my heart like never before.

When Francis Chan spoke he talked about this "moment" you have where God just moves in you and you feel different. Generally it is when you become a believer, but for me that moment came this weekend. I've been saved since I was in 4th grade but I have never had that moment of "Oh my goodness, my Savior died for ME! My sins were the nails that were pounded into His hands. My evil heart hung Him on that cross! And He has poured His undeserved grace and lavished His never-ending love on my life!!"......until this weekend!

I went to Passion knowing that I needed to change...knowing that my heart had grow cold and hardened to my Jesus....knowing that I was headed down the path that leads to destruction. But I had no idea that God would tear my heart to peices the way that He did this weekend. I was blessed to hear God speak through Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, and John Piper and to worship with true worshippers--Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Christy Nockles, Kristian Stanfill, David Crowder, and Lecrae. All of these people I have mentioned have devoted their lives to carrying the name of Jesus and the do it with utmost humility. They don't demand introductions or applause from others. They stood up on the stage not preaching at us or singing to us, but preaching to themselves as well and worshipping along with us! It was such a blessing to see such humility and passion for Jesus and His people!

My heart was completely torn apart and utterly broken for the unreached people groups of this world that I didn't even realize existed!! So many people have never even heard the name of Jesus and have no access to a Bible in their native language. And here I sit in my comfortable dorm room in Russellville, Arkansas with plenty of food to eat, clothes to wear, school that's paid for, and more crap than I will EVER need but I seem to think that I can't live without! I couldn't stop tears from pouring down my face as I watched videos of the Koso people in Mali, Africa talk about the road to Jesus and how they were telling everyone they knew about Jesus and this new found hope and chance for life forever with Jesus. And then seeing a 7 year old Hatian girl named Therissa who lost her mom, her sister, and one of her arms in the earthquakes standing on the stage right there in Ft. Worth smiling because we were able to help give her a prosthetic arm and a college fund.......Jesus brought me to my knees.......literally.

I have so much that I want to share but for now this is just a little taste of where God's brought me so far. My passion right now is carrying the name of Jesus across the Arkansas Tech campus. My heart is broken for the lost and suffering people in this world, but right now God has me in Russellville. So my mission field is the lost and suffering people here --students, professors, cleaning ladies, the Doc's ladies, caf workers, and whoever else He brings me into contact with.

On our way home from passion the girls and I were talking about how and where to start when we got back. We all agreed on the importance of prayer: praying for the people we need to reach and for strength and courage for ourselves as Satan tries to break us down. So we have started a prayer movement that we're calling "11:11". It kinda came from the idea of "11:11! Make a wish!" We just decided that instead of "making a wish" at 11:11 we wanted to pray for this campus. So for the past two nights there has been a group that has met on the balcony on the third floor of the library and we have prayed together. The first night it was just 6 girls and 1 guy. Then last night we had 18 people!! God is already answering prayers!! It was so encouraging both nights to come together at the end of our day and pray with other believers with the same passion and desire to reach the people of Arkansas Tech and to know that we are not alone in this. To hear everyone's voiced lifted to heaven pleading for the salvation of our classmates and professors, was unlike anything I've ever felt. It was just one of many reminders of God's goodness to provide "the church"....not the actual building...but the people of Christ coming together for one purpose and one desire.

Please be in prayer for this movement!! We are only human and taking time to go there every night may be great and encouraging now, but there will be days when we don't feel like it or we are busy or when we feel like we are losing that passion. We have no strength on our own. It comes only from God!! So pray that God will continue to grow this movement and use us how He pleases. Pray that people will look past us and see straight to Him!

To God be the glory!!