I miss the mountains.
I spent a couple months in Montana this past summer. We would hike and camp in the mountains quite a bit, so needless to say I spent much of my summer climbing or sleeping on the ground of a mountain. Nothing compares to standing on top of a mountain that you've just conquered with sweat and determination. You are on top of the world, and no one can take that away from you.
Each person has their on mountains they climb. Conquering these mountains is one thing we as human beings deal with on a day to day basis.
With mountains, come valleys.
Sometimes it seems as though there are more valleys in our lives than mountains. At times my life looks like rolling hills. Smoothly moving through the days. No ups and downs. Just average. Other times it's a downward slope that has no end. But it does. And I choose that ending. There are two paths. I choose. And sometimes, but not as often it looks like Mt Everest times ten. Real high. Than real low. Then real high. And so on. Rarely it is flat. No meaning. No beauty in the eye of the beholder. Nothing. Like the West Texas plains. The lowest of the lowest.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Church
Church.
It's not a place to go to be social. Or a place to fill a weekly quota.
It's a place of learning. People voluntarily go to learn about Jesus and his life. Without persecution. We are lucky in the US. Very lucky. People literally risk their lives in other countries to worship the one true God.
Some folks were talking about this at church tonight. Got my wheels turning.
It's not a place to go to be social. Or a place to fill a weekly quota.
It's a place of learning. People voluntarily go to learn about Jesus and his life. Without persecution. We are lucky in the US. Very lucky. People literally risk their lives in other countries to worship the one true God.
Some folks were talking about this at church tonight. Got my wheels turning.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Update on Montana Mission/Glacier National Park
Montana! I absolutely love it here! Everything about this place is wonderful. The church, the people, the beauty, the weather and the activities that Montanans engage in (hiking, camping, rafting, etc.). The main reason I am here as an intern is to build relationships with the people I meet in and outside of the church. So pretty much my job description is hanging out with people, loving them, caring for them, and telling them about Jesus.
I came into this summer very intimidated. I was afraid that I wasn't ready to lead people to Christ. Or ready to teach others more about Jesus and God and His unfailing love, forgiveness, and His beautiful grace. Though I have experienced all of these things, I was afraid. I was afraid to commit my whole summer to this mission trip in Montana because I "should" be spending the whole summer working and saving money for my next year of school. My personal bank account was empty when I chose to do this. ...I chose to trust God to work it all out. Because I knew that God was calling me to Montana. I knew this is where He wanted me to be.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths."
- Proverbs 3:5-6
I got an email a few weeks ago saying that all my schooling for the next year is paid for by a grant. I trusted, and God provided. It's amazing what can happen if you do God's will instead of your own.
That's it for this update! Oh, we went to Glacier National Park yesterday. Just us interns and the Hasenyagers (Pastor Mark and his wife Sacha and their oldest daughter Hannah). It was breathtakingly beautiful! We hiked a mile and a half in pure snow! It was a blast! The whole day was consumed with laughter. We all had such a great time. The Hasenyagers have such beautiful souls and hearts for God. It's inspiring.
Peace to you all,
Kate
I hope all is well for each and every one of you.

Glacier!

Kasi and I at Glacier National Park

A beautiful waterfall in Glacier


I love this picture! Sacha (one of my supervisors) and her daughter Hannah

A wild goat!

Here's a pic of a sunset from the other night. Outside our cabin.
I came into this summer very intimidated. I was afraid that I wasn't ready to lead people to Christ. Or ready to teach others more about Jesus and God and His unfailing love, forgiveness, and His beautiful grace. Though I have experienced all of these things, I was afraid. I was afraid to commit my whole summer to this mission trip in Montana because I "should" be spending the whole summer working and saving money for my next year of school. My personal bank account was empty when I chose to do this. ...I chose to trust God to work it all out. Because I knew that God was calling me to Montana. I knew this is where He wanted me to be.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths."
- Proverbs 3:5-6
I got an email a few weeks ago saying that all my schooling for the next year is paid for by a grant. I trusted, and God provided. It's amazing what can happen if you do God's will instead of your own.
That's it for this update! Oh, we went to Glacier National Park yesterday. Just us interns and the Hasenyagers (Pastor Mark and his wife Sacha and their oldest daughter Hannah). It was breathtakingly beautiful! We hiked a mile and a half in pure snow! It was a blast! The whole day was consumed with laughter. We all had such a great time. The Hasenyagers have such beautiful souls and hearts for God. It's inspiring.
Peace to you all,
Kate
I hope all is well for each and every one of you.
Glacier!
Kasi and I at Glacier National Park
A beautiful waterfall in Glacier
I love this picture! Sacha (one of my supervisors) and her daughter Hannah
A wild goat!
Here's a pic of a sunset from the other night. Outside our cabin.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Camas Lake hike - July 9th and 10th, 2011
This past weekend we backpacked to Camas Lake.

A beautiful site after three and a half miles of hiking. Definitely worth it.

I ate my first MRE! It was actually pretty dang good! :)

I'm really loving Montana. I'm building some great friendships. I'm going to miss this place when I'm gone.
A beautiful site after three and a half miles of hiking. Definitely worth it.
I ate my first MRE! It was actually pretty dang good! :)
I'm really loving Montana. I'm building some great friendships. I'm going to miss this place when I'm gone.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
First night at Outdoorsmen Church in Montana - Honesty
Last night we left orientation for a bit and went to the Wednesday night service at the church we will be serving with all summer. I came to Montana knowing this is where God wants me to be. Last night I felt confirmation of that. It's a wonderful feeling to know that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. The people that make up the community of this church are the most genuine, honest people. Just spending one night with them, I can tell they don't put up a front. I believe that without honesty there's a lacking of foundation that is needed to build a trusting and meaningful relationship. It's refreshing when people are so honest that it just pours out of them. It's a treasure that is not found as often as I wish it was.
Pastor Mark and his wife Sascha are such wonderful people. Peaceful, loving, and compassionate was my first impression of them. They have three daughters between the ages of twelve and sixteen. All three of them are going on different missions this summer. It's a beautiful thing to see a family that has God as their central focus. And to see how the people in the church interact with each other and the family is inspiring. I’m excited to see what I will think when I look back on this summer. I have a feeling I’m going to learn a lot this summer, and grow in my spirituality and relationship with God.
Tonight is our last night of the Montana orientation. Tomorrow Mark and Sascha will pick us up and we’ll head to Holland Lake for the weekend to camp. About 50 people from the church will be going too. Good way to kick off the summer!
Peace to you,
Kate
Prayer requests: More humility, boldness, and confidence for me. Also, just for me to continue to spend quality time with the Lord each day. It's easy to get caught up in the days activities...especially in a new and exciting place.
Pastor Mark and his wife Sascha are such wonderful people. Peaceful, loving, and compassionate was my first impression of them. They have three daughters between the ages of twelve and sixteen. All three of them are going on different missions this summer. It's a beautiful thing to see a family that has God as their central focus. And to see how the people in the church interact with each other and the family is inspiring. I’m excited to see what I will think when I look back on this summer. I have a feeling I’m going to learn a lot this summer, and grow in my spirituality and relationship with God.
Tonight is our last night of the Montana orientation. Tomorrow Mark and Sascha will pick us up and we’ll head to Holland Lake for the weekend to camp. About 50 people from the church will be going too. Good way to kick off the summer!
Peace to you,
Kate
Prayer requests: More humility, boldness, and confidence for me. Also, just for me to continue to spend quality time with the Lord each day. It's easy to get caught up in the days activities...especially in a new and exciting place.
Labels:
Community,
Honesty,
Missions,
Montana,
Outdoorsmen Church,
Summer 2011
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Bucyrus, KS ~ sheep, goats, and llamas oh my!



Tonight we played a great house concert in Bucyrus, Kansas. Our friends have a beautiful country home outside of Kansas City with a huge yard and a bunch of barn animals. More about the animals later :). The food was great, especially the artichoke dip with a kick! That was my fave. Overall we had a great time with friends and family. It was the perfect way to kick start our Summer tour.
Now, more about the animals. :)
They had a LLAMA!! HA! Okay, so I'm not a big fan of the movie Napolean Dynamite...but everytime I see a llama I think of Tina the llama. hehe. But anywho...there was the llama, a potbelly pig, a bunch of sheep, and then there were two goats! One was a baby and it was SOOO adorable!! It was a definite photo opp, so I had my bro in-law snap a few.
peace love & animals,
Kate
Pics:
1. Tony the LLAMA!
2. tonight was my first night to play drums!
3. Annie the goat. :)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Coyotes on my trail
Last night I was almost eaten alive! Maybe that's a tiny bit of an exaggeration. But it could have happened!
I fell asleep on the hammock by our lake, and woke up in the middle of the night to a coyote digging 15 feet from me. The dogs were closer to the house, but they started barking and the coyote ran off. I was so scared to move, let alone get out of the hammock and run for my car (which was about 150 yards away) that I just stayed as still as I could...a few minutes later I heard heavy panting to my left. I slowly peeked my head out of the hammock and saw two coyotes laying about 20 feet from me. I didn't want to call for the dogs (I didn't know how the coyotes would react), and I didn't want to shine the flashlight on them (again, didn't know how they would react), so I just laid there...as still as I could. It was a good part of an hour before I made the decision to just run and chance getting chased and eaten alive by wild coyotes, rather than laying there all night getting no sleep. So I said in my mind "now or never," and stood up and ran as fast as I could. Once I got in my car I had to take a breather before I could drive. I was shaking so bad I couldn't quite grasp the wheel. I soon drove up the road to my house and fell asleep in my bed (INSIDE...away from wildlife). I've learned that hammocks are for daytime use when you live in the woods!
Lynn thinks it's a "good omen" and that the coyotes were watching over me. Maybe, but it was scary as hell being there!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Beatboxing flute player!!
I found this video on YouTube yesterday. This guy is so talented. LOVE IT!!! :D
Sunday, May 24, 2009
CHANGE
Okay, so I moved to KANSAS y'all!! Overland Park to be exact. I'm living with my sister and her family. My plan is to get a job and save as much money as I can for college. ...I got a job the other day working at a BBQ restraunt...and I'm also going to start teaching guitar lessons. I have about 10 students signed up so far.
Before I found a job, I considered several different types of jobs...such as, taxi driver, military, book seller, salesperson, coffee shop clerk, movie theatre, bartender, cleaning lady...and the list goes on and on. Ha. It makes me laugh looking back...those are pretty diverse jobs/careers. Umm, but I think being a waitress will be fun. I just hope my back doesn't give me any problems...
I got a music scholarship to South Plains College! I start there in the Fall and couldn't be more excited!! I never thought I could be this excited about SCHOOL. Ha...It will be a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun at the same time.
ANNNND I found this really cool music venue in KC called Knuckleheads! They have a blues jam every Saturday and Sunday...I went last weekend and it was SO much fun. I'm gonna try to make it back as much as possible.
That's it for now!
Peace,
Kate
Before I found a job, I considered several different types of jobs...such as, taxi driver, military, book seller, salesperson, coffee shop clerk, movie theatre, bartender, cleaning lady...and the list goes on and on. Ha. It makes me laugh looking back...those are pretty diverse jobs/careers. Umm, but I think being a waitress will be fun. I just hope my back doesn't give me any problems...
I got a music scholarship to South Plains College! I start there in the Fall and couldn't be more excited!! I never thought I could be this excited about SCHOOL. Ha...It will be a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun at the same time.
ANNNND I found this really cool music venue in KC called Knuckleheads! They have a blues jam every Saturday and Sunday...I went last weekend and it was SO much fun. I'm gonna try to make it back as much as possible.
That's it for now!
Peace,
Kate
Monday, April 20, 2009
The other day I was at the local art gallery for a showing. After admiring the art, I grabbed some snacks at the refreshment table and sat down on the couch. A lovely older gentleman sat down next to me. After a little small talk, a friend of his sat down and introduced himself. The man told me that his friend works at a local college. I believe his exact words were, "He's a teacher at that black college." ....... *silence* ...... I eventually replied with, "What do you mean when you say 'black college'?" He said, "Oh, well there are a few white kids, but mostly blacks."
This made me wonder ... if the majority of the kids at the school were white, would he had said 'it's a white college'?
Sadly, I don't think so.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Rain and recent happenings
As I'm sitting here looking out the window to the rain pouring down upon the secluded 18 acres I live on. After a nice rain shower, I often feel refreshed and revived. It's a beautiful thing that nature gives us. It helps us grow, and afterwards there is always sunshine.
Lately I've been hosting the open mics at Crossroads on Friday nights. Last night was a lot of fun. We ended up having 13 people/groups sign up to play, and we went around twice. It was so much fun to hear all the talent we have in East Texas...there was even a group from Australia! They were real funky (the good musical type of funky) ;). One guy played banjo and guitar, another played dobro and harmonica, and they had an acoustic bass player. The whole night was a blast! It couldn't have gone better. I'm hosting the last open mic May 1st. (Next Friday I'll be in Tennessee playing a couple gigs with my Dad and Lynn ). I'm sad that it'll be my last one, but I hope I've started something that will continue with the next owner.
I haven't been on here in a while...so I guess I better explain a few things so all this makes sense. :) I graduated High School in late February. I flew out to South Plains College to audition for a scholarship...and have been promised one, but won't get the contract until Summer time. Between now and August I'm moving to Kansas City to live with my sister Stephanie and her family. I'm going to get a job and save up for college. Also I'm looking at it as as a way to get some more blues education ;) (I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come).
Sooooo, because I'm going off to college, and now that Dad and Lynn have a new CD (To The Heart, it's amazing! Buy 20 of them and pass them out to your friends), Dad and Lynn have decided to move on from Crossroads and promote their CD and tour more. There is someone stepping up to the plate to manage Crossroads though, so don't fret, the music venue is not closing. It's just changing hands.
*sigh* That's it for today, I'm worn out. But in a way the day hasn't even started. :) Susan Gibson and Jana Pochop is on the Crossroads' stage tonight! Woohoo!! ...I may sneak in a nap so I can recharge...the rain helped though. :)
Peace,
Kate
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Rosa sat, so Martin could walk
Here's a link to a beautiful song I was sent today.
So Martin could walk
Martin walked
So Barack could run
Barack ran
He ran and he won
So that all our children could fly
Thousands of people that November night
All of us here who've fought the long fight
Now we are one we are creating a new nation
Joined together in celebration
Rosa sat
So Martin could walk
Martin walked
So Barack could run
Barack ran
He ran and he won
So that all our children could fly
Mother and daughter listening to the news
Momma breaks down crying little girl is confused
Honey we worked so hard to get to this place
Daughter puts a loving hand on momma's face
Rosa sat
So Martin could walk
Martin walked
So Barack could run
Barack ran
He ran and he won
So that all our children could fly
Mr. Obama I've turned to you
Share with the country what you're gonna do
Wars and foreclosure surround us this year
But yes we can rise above our fears
Rosa sat
So Martin could walk
Martin walked
So Barack could run
Barack ran
He ran and he won
So that all our children could fly
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Home sweet home
Last night we arrived home at sundown. I was so happy to see my dogs...and sleep in my own bed! The tour was a blast...and almost every town we went to I wanted to move there. haha. I still haven't made up my mind where I want to live after I graduate high school. The beauty of it is that I could move almost anywhere...but it's also a little scary to have to make such a decision. Anyway...I'm heading to Fort Worth today (my hometown!) to see my sisters, and to start recording tomorrow.peace,
Kate
p.s. Above is a photo from last weekend when we played in Lousville, Kentucky.
[Listening to: Anita O'Day - This is Anita]
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Rise and shine!!!
My least favorite thing about touring is the early mornings. Above is a pic from a few days ago. Haha...I thought it captured my thought on this subject pretty well. Today was our last gig...it was in a park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. One of the coolest towns I've been in. We played at 2, and then after that we went somewhere to cool off and there was live music there. Tiffany Christopher was playing. Very cool chick. She knows her instrument well. and she uses a loop! (I got one on my last birthday...but haven't practiced enough with it. She definitely inspired me to work at it!) Very cool voice too.
It'll be so nice to be home....but I'll only be home one night before I go to Fort Worth for a week or so...I'm recording my first record. We haven't decided if it's going to be an EP or a full record. We're just going to record and see what happens. I'm really looking forward to it. Also next Friday I'm playing lead guitar for Denice Franke at Poor David's Pub in Dallas. So that will be a blast for sure. It's her CD release. If you're in the area stop by and buy a few dozen of her new CDs. :) They're great for christmas presents...and it's a great CD to listen to while you're driving.
I'm exhausted. Good night.
peace,
Kate
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Learning is powerful

Today i was lucky enough to receive a voice lesson from a professional opera singer. She's been teaching for years now, and is very good at it I might add. Her name is Jayne Sleder. It was amazing what she was able to get out of me. Stuff that even I didn't know I had in me.
I try to learn as much as possible from people I cross paths with in life ... and let me just say, I've learned a lot I know from others. Watching, learning, and working hard after you learn something to perfect it is the most important part, I think.
Take every opportunity you get to learn. What do you have to lose?
Peace,
Kate
p.s. the pic above is from the beach the other day. It was on Lake Michigan ... absolutely gorgeous.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Sutton's Bay, Michigan

Last night we played a house concert in Sutton's Bay, Michigan. It was a wonderful experience. After the concert we jammed with friends. A good friend of my dad's from college that plays the saxaphone was there and played beautiful sax. It was a great night to start out this little tour. Very soulful.
Tonight we went to see the musical Phantom at a local theatre. The singing was breathtaking. Everyone on the cast was around my age, so it was very inspirational. Also today I was very grateful to witness a voice lesson from a professional opera singer. It was amazing. I had never heard anything like it. I didn't know that the human voice was capable of doing such magnificent things.
Tomorrow we're going to the beach. :) This is kind of like our vacation until Wednesday. Starting then we have a gig every night until we get back to Texas.
Peace,
Kate
The first pic is from a walk my dad and I went on Friday morning. One of his favorite hobbies is taking pictures. I thought this was a cool pic he took of me shooting him the peace sign. :)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Kentucky / Michigan


Humidity. There is no such thing in Michigan. I'm typing this as I enjoy the cool breeze while sitting on a screen porch in Sutton's Bay, Michigan. For the last few summers Adler & Hearne (Lynn and my Dad) have been booking a summer tour in the North for many reasons, but one is to get away from the heat. This is the second year I've come with them, and the first time that I've opened and played lead for them. The first time I came was in '05. That was a year and a half after I had started playing, and I hadn't even begun writing songs yet. I played lead on a few blues songs if I'm remembering correctly. :)
Our first gig is tomorrow night. It's a house concert in Sutton's Bay, Michigan. Most of the concerts on this tour are house concerts. They're always fun because you get to know the audience more then you would at a club or a coffeehouse.
Two nights ago we stayed on a house boat on the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky. It was an adventure. Right as we were about to go to bed, the carp started banging on the bottom of the boat! We were so tired that we finally fell asleep. It was quite comical though. I was so tired, all I could do was laugh and put a pillow over my head to try to drown out some of the noise. I survived, and I can now say that I've slept on a boat!
I'm being called for dinner. We're having Ahi Tuna tonight. Mmmmmmm! (One of my favorite things about staying at our friends house in Michigan is that every night with dinner we have a big plate of hydroponic tomatoes!)
Peace,
Kate
Pictures at the top of post are taken by Lindy Hearne.
1)taken from the boat as we were floating down the Kentucky River.
2)standing on the edge. :)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
2-23-08: A night I won't forget
Last night was amazing. I opened for Terri Hendrix (my idol!! - check her music out by clicking on her name) at Crossroads Coffeehouse. I sang 7 songs. Among those was a song I had written two days before the show, and I sang a blues song for the first time onstage -- Stormy Monday. So I was a little nervous. But it al ended very well. I had the time of my life up there, and it seemed like the audience received my performance pretty well. I got a standing ovation..which felt great! They video taped the whole night, So I'll get some videos up on my Myspace within the next few weeks.
It was fun to get to hang out with Terri and Lloyd again. It's always fun when Theyre around. I always seem to get Lloyd to teach me a few licks :). So that's always a blast. I've learned a lot from both of them just by watching them at their shows and listening to all of Terri's CDs.
Lately I have had a lot of doubts about what I want to do with my life, and what is the "sensible" thing to do. But after last night, I know nothing else I could do would make me as happy as I was last night. Last night helped me realize to stay on the path I am and just work as hard as I can everyday to be the best I can be. And if I do that, then I'll be happy.
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