Day One!

First day of my Daniel fast, complete.

T'was quite the change from my old diet, and even a change from my Celiac's diet. First thing this morning I was presented with a free cup of hot chocolate. My first thought was "gluten?!" and my second was, oh wowzers, that's not on my list of things I can consume. Amazing how much I continue to take food for granted.

As I went throughout my day the hunger pangs got to me a bit, but nothing too extreme. Also, today was a mighty stressful day for me. I had a lot going on and not enough hours in a day to accommodate. Any other time I would have coped with this through eating whatever I could find. Not today though, today I sat and prayed.

Not to say I wouldn't pray when things get stressful any other day, but I replaced the energy I would have spent on finding something to eat, eating it, and then feeling guilty about the unnecessary and emotion based consumption with energy spent talking to the man above.

Not much to elaborate on from my day today...other than my day worked out just as it needed to. Funny how things like that happen after you've given your worries to God, right? As for the rest of my night? I'm about to relax and enjoy some time in the Word (and a book for English 350, not by choice.) Waiting to see what the Holy Spirit has to say to me. Goodnight y'all :)

Daniel 10:2-3

In 21 days I feel as if my life is going to be changed.

Starting tomorrow I will be embarking on my first Daniel fast. Click here for more info on what exactly this means.

Lately I have been going through a bit of a rut. One that has entailed some hardships and brought back my desire for comfort in food. I've been yearning for the Lord, wanting to draw nearer and nearer to Him; but it seemed as if I simply couldn't find a way to do so. I then heard a friend mention she had recently finished a Daniel fast...this sparked an interest in me.

Today as I was wallowing in my own self-pity, the Daniel fast came to mind. The more I researched, the more I felt convicted to fast. I prayed that my intentions were that of which they needed to be and came to the conclusion tomorrow will be the day I begin.

What do I expect to get out of this 21 days?

I want to the Holy Spirit to transform me. I want to be the closest I've ever felt to God. I want to turn to prayer more than EVER before, whenever things get rough. I want to get my priorities back in line. I want to release myself from the bondage of food. I want to take a step back and TRULY listen to what God's answers are to the questions I have been raising for quite some time. Can I say all of this will happen? No, I can't. Maybe all these things will...maybe more than I could ever imagine.

So, through lots of thought and consideration, tomorrow is the day. I also invite y'all along for the journey as I plan to blog each of the 21 days. On the account I will have more time because I will also be removing myself from social media (again, I know....) I feel like when disconnected from those areas of life, I become so much more in tune with what really matters. If you want my previous feelings on social networking, refer back to this blog.

So here we go! Strap yourselves in and keep all hands and feet inside the car at all times! The next 21 days are going to be quite the ride.

*insert corny title referring to this being my "goodbye 2011, hello 2012" blog*

2011, 2011, 2011. Let's be cliche for a minute. "2011, we've had our ups and downs, but in the end I'm thankful for everything that has been dealt to me. Bring on the new year!" Alright, now that that's over.. let's get down to business.

2011 has, in fact, been a year of ups and downs, but it's been far more than that. I have grown up so incredibly much in the past 365 days I can barely believe it myself. Where shall we begin? January, I suppose.

I don't remember much about January. The only thing that stands out to me is starting my second semester of college; readjusting to being away from home. February is when my world got twist-turned upside down. *Thank you Will Smith*

I had a high school sweetheart, in fact if you'd asked me this time last year; I'd tell you I would marry him one day. February is when he broke my heart. Maybe worse than broke, shattered, my heart. In my devastation I cried myself to sleep multiple nights, ate anything that wasn't glued down, and found myself distracted beyond belief in my classes. There was one specific time though, that changed everything. One night I was crying my eyes out, sat up in bed and just cried out to the Lord; let everything I was feeling out to Him. After that 2a.m. prayer, I never cried myself to sleep over him again. God showed me this was all apart of His plan, that this break-up was a blessing in disguise.

March was a month of change for me. Trying to put my heartbreak behind me, I filled my time completely. This is the month I actually started hanging out at BCM afterwards instead of rushing back to my dorm to get to sleep. Becoming social past 10:15 may have been the best decision I made all year.

Along with BCM, I started hanging out at the campus radio station, WMUL, more and more. This is where I met some of my now closest friends as well as the bestfriend I'd been praying for for such a long time. She is amazing. I've never seen someone with more determination or more strength (in all aspects) than her. God really blessed me when he put Laura in my life, she was the girl I'd always wanted by my side, to be my "bff". The two of us combined with Caitie became inseparable, earning us the nickname "Three's Company".

As we proceed...

the spring semester began to wind down BCM introduced an opportunity called "beachweek". Though I hadn't gotten extremely close to anyone yet, I (with Laura and Caitie agreeing to go as well, of course) decided to dive in and go. Second best decision I made in 2011.

Two short weeks after donating 10inches of my hair to Locks of Love, and 3 days after semester ended, I was on a road trip to Myrtle Beach with Caitie, Laura, and a caravan of other Jesus lovin' students. I had no idea how much my life was going to change in the next week.

Beachweek opened my eyes to a completely different side of Christ. I'd grown up the "good-girl", the "church-girl", or my personal favorite; "goody-two-shoes", but I'd never realized the relationship aspect. Beachweek was the week I started to truly fall in love with Christ.

Flip-flops, shorts, and tan-lines led me into Summer 2011.

Those three months flew by as I put in almost full-time hours at Sunglass Hut. I loved my job, though. I got to witness to customers, put smiles on peoples' faces, and of course; make extra money for the approaching school year. Aside from working, I spent summer making trips back and forth to Huntington, hanging out with my sister and her family, and going to my fair share of baseball games with my momma. I couldn't have asked for a better break from school. When the fun and cash flow ended, I welcomed fall semester with open arms.

This past semester was hands down the highlight of my year. I cannot even begin to describe all the wonderful events that have occurred these past few months. Here's a few things that stick out: co-leading my absolutely incredible iteam! BCM <3 the j-school, being door girl for UpLate, first airplane ride, going on a Disney Cruise, deciding it was the time for me to finally get baptized, growing closer to so many people, learning to cook (with the help of a gal who means so much to me in such little time, Kelsi), realizing every single day how blessed I am, changing my major to one that I should have been since I started college; one that makes my heart beat, conquering my struggle with food, growing closer to my dad, and above all else, letting go and letting God take over EVERY aspect of my life.

In the midst of all this, I can't leave out what is literally one of the most life-changing things that has ever happened to me. A little over a month ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Celiac's Disease. I plan to write a blog completely dedicated to it considering how many questions I've gotten in regards to my posts about being gluten-free or jokingly referring to myself as a "celiac", but long story short; it has completely altered the way I live every single day. In the midst of that, I praise God for the changes. I am so honored that He knows He can rely on me to use something of this nature for His glory; that I'm strong enough to handle the lifestyle I now lead. That my friends leads me to the present.

Right now, I couldn't tell you what the next 12 months holds for me. I know within the next 48hours I'll be participating in the experience of a lifetime: Passion 2012. Interested? Click here. Other than that, I'll be going through the motions; seeing what God has in store for me. If it's anything like the changes He's put in my life in the past year, I cannot wait to see how close I grow to Him. I've never craved His word, craved His love, or adored His grace more than I do now. With Him on my side, there's no telling where I could be this time next year. With all of it, to His glory. May God bless 2012....now...bring.it.on.

No Compass Necessary

Shewwee! Been almost 2 months since I've had the time to sit down and write. (I really don't even have the time to right now; but oh well, homework can wait.) So many incredible things have happened to me in the time that has passed. Some of the best changes based on my newfound philosophy of "Turning North".

Deuteronomy 2:3 says, " You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north." That verse hit me like a ton of bricks after I discovered it in one of my favorite "Jesus books", as I like to call them. All the things I'd been struggling with in life were irrelevant after this discovery. I knew at that moment it was time to whole heartedly make a change.

Without going into detail, (I do keep some personal things to myself) I can proudly say I have been going strong since then. I've had a few slip ups, but He lead me right back on track. Those of us who have experienced such a time of triumph, especially a triumph led completely by God, know that this is the prime time for the dang devil to come and try to steer us back down the path of destruction.

He knocked on my door for about a week straight, and it seemed like every day the pounding would get stronger and stronger. I'd fight back by simply sitting and praying, knowing that God would take care of me. Though the devil isn't the easiest thing to conquer, I persisted and finally during BCM on Wednesday night, I felt the release that he had given up. Unfortunately, I know he'll try and come back.

Since my life is on this awesome track, I'll have to constantly be prepared for the next thing that tries to destroy me. Whether it be the devil or my biology class, I'll prevail. I have the strongest of the strong on my side. As for my journey, I'll continue to go north, full speed ahead. Not saying I won't have the occasional sway to the east or west, for those falters are what make the race to the top far more gratifying. When life causes me to wanna flee south, I remind myself "And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us. And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?" The answer is nothing, nothing can stand against us. Go out there and start your journey north. Keep Him by your side and your eyes set forward, nothing can get in your way.

This is Who I am; and Baby, I'm Luckier than the Lottery

Hi, I'm Katie Ferrell. I'm 19 and a sophomore at Marshall University where I'm majoring in online journalism. I love Jesus, and the next boy in my life has to love Him more than he will ever love me. Stubborn could be my middle name and sometimes my mood swings are worse than a menopausal woman's. I probably paint my fingernails too much and to me, there is no other sporting goods brand than Nike. When texting, I never capitalize anything, just because I think it looks prettier and neater...that's probably caused by my OCD. Clothes are my obsession and putting together outfits is something I like to do for fun. My friends are the best around, there's no doubt about it. If I had to describe myself in one word "classy" would be in the top 3 choices. The morals I have were decided when I was 11, and were not prompted by my parents at all. Writing is what I use to release all the the thoughts in my head; that or praying. God always listens, even when no one else will. When the season changes, so does my Bath&Body scent, and my candles. Makeup and I have a love/hate relationship, but you'll hardly ever catch me wearing much. I struggle with my love of food, but controlling it is becoming easier every day. You can catch me at the gym 5 days a week. I'm either completely dressed down or completely dressed up; there's not much of a happy medium for me. Somedays, I'm just plain lazy. It's nice. My room is usually a mess, but everything else of mine has to be nice and organized. Speaking of being lazy and a mess, I haven't washed my car in 3 months. My silver bug is a dull grey. The bug reminds me, gas costs too much; especially when my baby takes premium. And I'm a penny pincher..but I'd rather spend my money on a gift for someone else rather than something careless for myself. And one of the most important things about me is, as much as I screw up, or as wretched of a person I can be, my God and my family always love me. They're all I need in this world; the rest of my blessings are simply bonuses...and I've hit the jackpot.

God Isn't Going to Write that Term Paper for You

Man it's funny how that God of ours works sometimes, isn't it? This summer I have become such a morning person. I used to go to bed SO early back in the first semester of school last year. I then got out of the habit and 3am became my new bedtime. My body totally rejected this new routine and wasn't very nice to me, so throughout the summer I've started getting up earlier and 3am turned into midnight or eleven. Slowly but surely, I've gotten back to my normal sleeping hours of passing out around 10pm; thank goodness. What does my bedtime and sleeping schedule have to do with anything? Well I shall tell you why I think it's relevant.

Being the Follower of Christ that I am, I have a devotional book and try my best to stick to it routinely. I was doing so well until I started working practically full time at the Hut and all of a sudden my "I just haven't had time" excuse surfaced. Seriously, Katie...no time for God? Strike one. Axing out your devotionals but still having time to watch lame videos on YouTube? Strike Two. Changing the color of your fingernails every three evenings but not reading your Bible? Strike three. "You're outta there!" No, no...God didn't erase my name out of the Lamb's Book of LIfe or anything, but He did send me a subliminal message...He's so dang good at those..

In comes my sleeping patterns! The more I changed back to my old sleeping habits the more time I found myself with in the mornings. And then it dawned on me! Something I'd heard a while back but had let settle in the depths of my mind. Say I take an hour out of my day to spend with God; reading, studying, praying...imagine the uplifting mood and the amount of blessings He could bestow on my other 23 hours. Now, I'm not saying I bargained with God. I can just imagine: "So, uh, God..let's make a deal. If I spend some time with You every morning, thennnn will You bring everyone in the Charleston area to the Sunglass Hut and buy a pair of Oakleys from me?" Doesn't work that way. It's a matter of trust. You have to trust that He will see the obedience you're showing Him, and the faith you have in Him; therefore, He will take care of you (as always) and see to it you get everything you need to finish in that day completed. This leads to a snowball affect.

If your day immediately begins on the right foot (spending time with Him), you're going to be in a much happier mood, you will become more productive, less stressed, and in the end become a better you. Ding, Ding! We have a winner! Of course, if you're going to sit down and study your Bible for 3 hours thinking God's going to magically write the term paper you've been procrastinating on, it's not going to work like that. God knows the desires of your heart, the reasons behind your doings. You need to want to be with Him, want to read His word, and want to be the obedient Follower of Christ He expects you to be.

So see, my sleeping patterns do matter. And if you think they still don't, just let me think they do. Thanks, I appreciate it. But anywho, simply remember to never make the terrible excuse I did, that "you just don't have time", because you do. Maybe start with a small prayer every morning, and build your time up. He'll understand every step of your way with Him, and help you to become the best Child of God you can be. And remember, it's never too late to start something new; so go for it. Start spending your mornings/afternoons/evenings/nights with Him, see how your days go and how your time pans out. I bet you'll start sleeping a little easier.

MTV Answers Prayers?

365 days ago, I was a nervous wreck. At 11 '0 clock p.m., August 3rd, 2010 my life was going to be aired on national television. I sat in my living room with ten close friends and my mom, scared to death at how I was going to be portrayed and what the results of filming from a few months earlier were going to be. A year later, I'm smiling at what an impact that hour showcasing tears, laughs, and camouflage brought to my life.

Some of you may still be lost, because if you didn't go to high school with me, you may not know; considering I hardly ever talk about it, but I was featured on a reality documentary series for MTV's "If You Really Knew Me". The response to the show was phenomenal. I received over 600 friend requests on FaceBook and numerous private messages explaining to me how my story helped and inspired them. The entire reason I agreed to be filmed was to make an impact on someones life; never did I think it would have such a positive impact on so many, including myself.

A short time after the show aired, I hit the campus of Marshall and heard many "She looks so familiar" or "I know her from somewhere" as I walked by. Even had some brave people come up and ask me if I was that girl, or ask me about my experience. I even had a person throw up the "I love you" sign to me as I walked through my local mall one day; and though it doesn't happen near as often, I still get recognized and questioned. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make you feel dang cool.

But enough about that; it's been a year and if you're actually interested in the entire story I can explain on a personal basis; but I just wanted to focus on the fact that my life has changed in more ways than one since the show aired. The most important being a response to something I'd said on the show: that all I wanted was a relationship with my dad. And I can gladly say, that's exactly what I have now.

My dad is a hardworking, West Virginia coal miner so his work schedule makes it hard to really spend time one-on-one, but we do the very best we can. It all began when Dad started taking me back to school on the weekends. In that hour drive to Huntington, we'd catch up on life, and slowly start to bond. He'd carry my things into my room, and after he'd leave I'd have a smile on my face knowing my prayers were being answered. We now talk just about everyday (sometimes I miss his call and he'll be out of service by the time I can call back) and I spend every Sunday night with him; the one day he has off a week. We'll go grocery shopping together, talk about life, boys, and my future. Everything I'd dreamt of having in a relationship with him, I have. It may have taken 19 years, but by golly; it's always better late than never.

The show wasn't scripted, just as life isn't. And never did I realize how being on MTV was going to provide me with the relationship I'd always wanted. If I were back in that Riverside classroom again, when we were told the show was coming, I'd never doubt for a second about going for it. There were times when I was crying with a camera glued to my face that I questioned myself about what I was doing. But looking back now, it was all worth it, and I hope the others that were on the show with me have had the same positive results as me. So, to be cliche; if you really knew me, you'd know my life has been a roller coaster in the past year, but I wouldn't change one single thing. Cut; press play; continue.