AFTER A 10-HOUR FLIGHT FULL OF CRYING BABIES AND MINIMAL REST, WE LANDED AT SCHIPHOL AIRPORT IN AMSTERDAM AT 6:20AM! SCHIPHOL IS THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OF THE NETHERLANDS. IT'S THE 5TH BUSIEST AIRPORT IN ALL OF EUROPE, AND WAS NOTED AS THE 14TH BUSIEST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD IN 2015. THERE WAS CERTAINLY PLENTY TO SEE AND EAT THERE!

WE DROPPED OUR BACKPACKS OFF IN A STORAGE LOCKER, THEN MY HUSAND J AND I BOUGHT A TRAIN TICKET TO AMSTERDAM CENTRAAL FOR THE DAY AND HEADED OUT TO SEE THE FAMOUS CITY FOR THE FIRST TIME.

the train ride took about 20 minutes. As we kept our eyes on the passing scenery and talked about everything we wanted to see in the city, fresh snow began to fall over the cars and buildings outside our window! it was absolutely beautiful! unfortunately it stopped before our train arrived at the station. speaking of snow...it stayed in the 30s (degrees fahrenheit) all day! i attentively made sure that j had thermals in his carry-on bag so he could "layer up" when we got there, but all i included for myself was a light sweater. i froze!! (leggings were perfect for the plane but not a good choice for the freezing weather!! oops!)

it was immediately obvious as soon as we exited the train station that bicycles are the transportation of choice for almost everyone in amsterdam!
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bikes, bikes and more bikes! everywhere we looked there were hundreds (literally!) of bikes parked and being ridden around the city. i'd read in several travel reviews about all of the bikes but was still stunned by the immense number of them at every turn!

our adventures brought us to both famous and everyday sites. the architecture of the buildings that dated back hundreds of years was so striking and kept drawing our eyes upward. meanwhile, the streets and waterways equally captivated our attention. we enjoyed watching the sky transform from dull greys to vibrant blues as the day went on too (as you'll see in the pictures!)
AMSTERDAM WAS CERTAINLY A FEAST FOR THE EYES!

 [WARNING: THIS NEXT SECTION CONTAINS PG-13 SUBJECT MATTER]
But it wasn't always a feast in good ways. our wanderings inevitably dumped us into the popular "red light district," which is known world-wide for its legal open prostitution. we assumed that in the mid-morning hours, everything of an inappropriate nature would be contained behind closed curtains and closed doors. this, however, was not the case. barely (and i do mean barely) clothed women behind tall windowed booths tried to provocatively attract passersby to come in and pay for sexual acts. we must have seen at least 40 of them in their individual windows on the strip we briefly walked along, which was a small portion of the total district. live-sex theaters with neon signs graphically describing what would take place inside were prominently displayed in entryways and display windows. we debated over what grieved our hearts more: the people who were in these professions, or the children who were being led through these streets by their parents to get to a store on a neighboring street. my grandmother's words from childhood echoed through my ears as i watched the children's unshielded eyes wandering from window to store front to window...

"be careful, little eyes, what you see...."

james and i walked with burdened hearts and talked about how every single person in the prostitution 'profession' are loved and seen by our god who uniquely fashioned them. we noticed a pattern in all of the ladies who beckoned from their windows. the alluring expressions they wore in the presence of anyone within view would vanish into a vacant downcast stare after their passing. there are chasms of emotion in each of them that only the individual and god can truly know. what they're thinking and feeling each day, we can't fully understand. how did they get into this profession? what led them to choose it? how many of them are there as a result of human trafficking/sex slavery? while our hearts were grieved, they were also beautifully challenged by the truth that no matter the mess we get ourselves into, the sin that we allow to take root in our lives, the depth of our heartbreak or how far we've run from god...his word is still true for us and for these prostitutes in amsterdam too:

"for thus says the high and exalted one who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'i dwell in a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite..." isaiah 57:15
"let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the lord, and he will have compassion on him, for he will abundantly pardon." isaiah 55:7

despite our most detestable sins, the lord still desires fellowship with us in the purest sense. he desires to "revive" our spirit and draw us back to himself, and back into a place of purity. he says that if any of us repent and turn from our wicked ways, he will have compassion and forgive! he will show us what it means to be healed, whole, redeemed, restored and better than new. 
we are continuing to keep the prostitutes of amsterdam in our prayers, and the christians in that area who may have opportunity to be the hands and feet of jesus to them too. to learn more about the reality of these people's situation, how you can help them from where you are, and how you can pray for them check out: www.a21.org. A21 RESCUES VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. In houston, texas, where my husband and i live, there are several organizations who are highly active in these rescuing and recovery processes as well. SOME OF THESE INCLUDE: 
​ELIJAH RISING WWW.ELIJAHRISING.COM
​FREE THE CAPTIVES WWW.FREETHECAPTIVESHOUSTON.COM

once we were out of that area, we had a chance to duck into tons of cool little shops and bakeries. of course we had to eat as the locals do...so among other things, we ate patatje oorlog = french fries with mayonnaise!

at about that time, we were ready for our first potty break and asked the fry shop owner where we could find the nearest public restroom. much to our surprise, we found out that while there were many public restrooms, none of them were free! you have to pay to use the restroom everywhere you go (with the exception of the restrooms at the train station)! talk about a culture shock!! james decided to use the restroom at a mcdonalds down the street. i decided to try and "hold it" a bit longer :)

when i couldn't hold it any more, we walked into a restaurant and asked to use their restroom. she told me the cost and pointed down a flight of stairs. "pass through the smoke room and look to your right" she said. by that point the shock of seeing (and smelling) people openly smoking marijuana had faded, but the amount of smoke in that room was overwhelming. this smoke hung in the air. the room was completely enclosed. needless to say, after i used the very sketchy restroom we moved on. 

​nearby, dam square was on our "things to see" list. on one end of the square we spent time at the neoclassical royal palace. interesting fact: it actually served as the city hall from 1655 till 1808 when it officially became a royal residence.

directly across from it stands the national monument, which was erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of world war II.

though we could have enjoyed amsterdam longer, we headed back to the train station around 3:30p because we were exhausted and really cold! on the way back in, a homeless man was sitting on one of the benches with a large white rat on his lap. i asked if i could take a picture of it. "sure, but not for free! my rat's pregnant! she's about to have a family to feed." at that point i knew i had to carry on a conversation with this guy. he was hilarious! his rat's name was sabrina, by the way!

1. The Enemy of our beauty. In the story of Snow White, the stepmother OBSESSES over the fact that while she was once hot stuff in the kingdom, her step daughter is now considered “the fairest in all of the land.” Snow’s beauty was so stunning that the stepmother’s was dull in comparison. She wrestles with that day in and day out, and her pride does not allow her to let it go. Do you know that the Bible says that OUR enemy was once considered the MOST BEAUTIFUL angel ever created, far surpassing the rest? Oh and trust me, he knew it too. We know he fell because of pride! But since being cast down from Heaven….sorry, brotha. Y’all, he’s just as DISGUSTING on the outside as he is on the inside. And what does the Bible say about US as believers? It says we shine RADIANTLY with beauty because of the light of Christ that’s in us! Isaiah 52:7 says that even our FEET are beautiful….whether those pedicures are up to date or not! :) I’m not lying about the Bible saying that, by the way! Look it up! :) Why do you think one of our enemy’s main tactics against women is to lie to us about our beauty….about our value being wrapped up in our outward appearance? He knows that if he can get us to believe his lies about our outward beauty, we will potentially allow that to cripple and stunt the growth of our inward beauty, and possibly our walk with Christ.
2. The Enemy of our potential. Let me ask you a question, ladies…..do you believe that this right here is true? Mark 10:27 “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Do…you….believe that. When we fully lean into that and live as though it’s true, our potential is LIMITLESS - not because of US! Get that…the vastness of your potential is not because of YOU, it’s because of God IN you! Our enemy will do whatever he can to get you to limit your own potential so that you do not fulfill the call on your life to the Glory of God.  Snow White’s step mother knew the potential influence her step daughter could eventually have because she was the daughter of the King, and her beauty was so stunning as well, which….hey, that’s an added bonus! Speaking of her being a daughter of the King…
3. The Enemy of our birthright. John 1:12 “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” THE FALLEN AND SCARRED WAYS OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT THE END OF THE STORY FOR YOU AS A DAUGHTER OF THE KING. THAT’S RIGHT, YOU’RE A DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH KING, THE MOST HIGH GOD & YOUR DADDY HOLDS THE KEYS TO THE WHOOOOOLE KINGDOM….HE HOLDS THE KEYS TO GRACE AND MERCY, THE KEYS TO PROVISION, THE KEYS TO HEALING….AND WHEN HE UNLOCKS THOSE STOREHOUSES HE SAYS IT’S ALL YOURS, AS MY DAUGHTER. YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS. YOU DONT HAVE TO GO WITHOUT ANY MORE: HERE’S A SEAT AT THE TABLE FOR YOU. YOU DONT HAVE TO STARVE FOR ATTENTION AND AFFIRMATION ANYMORE….THERE’S A WARM BED FOR YOU: YOU DONT HAVE TO TOSS AND TURN UNDER THE PAPER THIN SHEETS OF ANXIETY ANYMORE. YOU CAN LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN IN PEACE WITHOUT FEAR. YOU’RE SAFE UNDER YOUR FATHER’S CARE. Your enemy knows all of that to be true. And…he…hates it. 

Looking back now, I can see that from a very young age my enemy was trying very hard to rob me of my beauty, my potential and the birthright that God was freely offering me (I just didn’t know it yet).
Kelley asked me to share my testimony with you ladies today…and this feels like a good spot to go into that…
I remember contemplating taking my own life on a very regular basis back as early as kindergarten. I had never been exposed to the concept of suicide, but it was a regularly captivating temptation in my mind. I would fantasize about taking my own life. That stupid devil was trying to take me out of the race before my race had had a chance to begin! I had such low thoughts about myself and such a distorted self esteem, with no reason to have thought that way! I had no previous trauma, my parents were still married back then….Why would a kindergartener think that way?…
When I was 10 years old, my parents went through a divorce and it exacerbated the losing battle that had been secretly raging in my mind since my early childhood. We went to a very small school back then. No one in my grade had divorced parents. And even at 10 years old, the popularity race among girls was ruthless. I had a hard time handling it all. I didn’t want to admit to anyone what was going on at home. I didn’t want to admit to anyone that I thought I might be literally going crazy. So….I lied. I lied and said I couldn’t go over to play at a friends’ house because my dad was taking me to the zoo on Saturday. In reality, I hadn’t seen my dad in weeks. I got really good at lying too. So good that I couldn’t stop. I lied about everything. About anything. About nothing. John 8:44 says, “There is no truth in him [the devil]. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” The funny thing is, and i’m SO grateful for this!! Fast forward for a minute with me…the Lord has SO delivered me from that, that when I TRY to lie about ANYTHING I start smiling and often times laughing as well almost immediately. My husband can ALWAYS ALWAYS catch me in a lie because I start smiling like a goof and can’t do anything about it!! Haha But I thank the Lord for that often. I truly do. 
By the time I got to High School, I had past the days of crying out to God begging for Him to be real to me…to be real in general….to heal me of my depression. The struggles continued and I truly didn’t give Him any room to touch my hardened heart. My freshman year was my first year in public school and I spread my rebel wings, immediately connecting with all of the “bad kids”, the gothic scary depressed kids. I felt at home. Oh how the enemy must have been smiling back then. Thinking he’d won. I started doing drugs, forming reckless habits, sneaking out every night and staying out all night at the community drug house, drinking, intentionally harming myself, dabbling in Wicca and other occult practices, being sexually promiscuous…. In my mind, I had nothing to live for… and anger was the only consistent emotion that could tunnel its way through my numbness. I was arrested my Sophomore year, and it should have been a wake up call for me. Nope. 
Finally, in an act of desperation, my parents cornered me early one morning, forced me to go to the airport, put me on a plane and said we don’t know when you’ll be back.  I will NEVER forget the look on their faces when they said the words before taking me to the airport that rippled down to my core…”We know everything.” 
They sent me to the good ‘ol Bible Belt south: all the way from Maryland to Louisiana.  When I arrived I was still in my pajamas, and all I had in hand was a bag that had my toothbrush, toothpaste and a letter from both of my parents in it. They’re both from Louisiana and my dad’s Brother-In-Law was a pastor of a prominent church there. He had begged him to put the fear of God in me and save me from myself. And try they certainly did! The church had a full-time ministry school attached to it. None of my family members wanted me living with them. I definitely don’t blame them. So they put me in the dorms with all of these people who were on fire for God and were ready to step into full time ministry! And I’m a little angry, stone cold gothic northerner who hates God, hates everything about everything and wants to get the H out of there at any cost. It was an interesting pairing, to say the least :) After a long time of being forced to sit in hour long morning prayer every day, Biblical classes every day, countless services…all of which I was just blocking out but pretending to listen to with the hopes that they’d say I was cooperating enough to be sent home. But you know what….I thought I was blocking it all out, but the Holy Spirit had already begun a beautiful preparation in me for the life change that was just around the corner. I will never forget the day that I FINALLY gave my life to Jesus. Even several months into being there, I was still barely speaking to my parents but that particular day I agreed to talk to my mom. She told me that our town had the Grand Opening of their new performing arts center, and that my art 4 teacher had showcased my painting as one of the main showcase pieces. I was….speechless! I had been pulled out of school months before, without explanation. The only person I ever cared about disappointing was my art teacher because of the way he encouraged and believed in me. When my mom told me that he showcased my painting….the CRAZIEST thing happened! All of a sudden, in a blink, the Gospel became real to me. I had a true revelation of Jesus for the first time in my life! 
I KNOW IT MAY SEEM LIKE A STRANGE CATALYST FOR REVELATION. MR GOLDMAN WAS ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE IN MY LIFE THAT I TRULY FELT CHAMPIONED WHO I HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE. . .AS AN ARTIST AND AS A PERSON. HE KNEW THE MESS THAT I HAD ENTRENCHED MYSELF IN. . .HE SAW EVIDENCE OF THAT EVERYDAY AT SCHOOL IN OUR CONVERSATIONS AND IN MY ARTWORK. I REMEMBER HIM HAVING A SERIOUS TALK WITH ME ABOUT NOT SQUANDERING MY POTENTIAL, AND HE ENCOURAGED ME THAT LIFE CAN OPEN UP TO SOMETHING SO MUCH GREATER. ANYWAY, WHEN I WAS SENT AWAY I REMEMBER FEELING DEEP REMORSE AT THE THOUGHT OF LETTING DOWN MR. GOLDMAN. MY PARENT'S DIDNT PROPERLY WITHDRAW ME FROM SCHOOL SO NONE OF MY TEACHERS HAD ANY EXPLANATION AT FIRST.  WHEN THE PERFOMING ARTS CENTER OPENED AND HE WAS CHOOSING THE PIECES TO SHOWCASE, HE HAD NO REASON TO DISPLAY ANY OF MY PIECES. I HAD MESSED UP HORRIBLY, AND HAD LET HIM DOWN TREMENDOUSLY. BUT WHEN MY MOM CALLED AND TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED, I HAD A REVELATION OF GRACE AND A COORELATION BETWEEN THAT AND THE UNMERITED GRACE THAT CHRIST DEMONSTRATED ON THE CROSS BECAUSE HE STILL BELIEVES IN US, STILL PURSUES US, STILL WARS FOR US DESPITE HOW MUCH WE'VE MESSED UP. . .IT BECAME REAL TO ME. SO INCREDIBLY REAL LIKE NEVER BEFORE. IN THAT MOMENT MY HARDENED HEART WAS SOFT AND I FELT THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR MYSELF. 

When I gave my heart to Jesus, a lot began to change in me…though it WAS a long transformation and deliverance process! But the enemy wasn’t ready to give up on his investment that easily. 
A few months after my salvation….I found myself being taken advantage of sexually by an older male in full-time ministry. It happened multiple times. I couldn’t tell anyone. I was DEVASTATED on so many levels. The proceeding days were very fragile ones. 
….And my enemy laughed and rejoiced at my steep fall from the beautiful place of healing and trust I had just found in Christ. 
Let me just say…Maybe a devastating trauma was a part of your story. I stand here today as a living testimony to the fact that there is no wound too big, and no scar too deep that the Lord can’t heal. 
Truly. Maybe you haven’t healed. Maybe the wound still feels very fresh, maybe after many years. If that’s you, I’d love to pray with you after this if you’d like me to.

Let’s FAST FORWARD through a long journey of hurt, backsliding, and surrendering again to our loving Father to THIS scripture! The devil HAAAAAATES this scripture, I can promise you that!! The Bible tells us distinctly that the Devil and his demons KNOW God’s Word. And they hate it! And you know what? That makes me LOVE THIS even more!

Micah 7:7-9 
BUT AS FOR ME, I WATCH IN HOPE FOR THE LORD; I WAIT FOR GOD MY SAVIOR; MY GOD WILL HEAR ME. DO NOT GLOAT OVER ME, MY ENEMY! THOUGH I HAVE FALLEN, I WILL RISE! THOUGH I SIT IN DARKNESS, THE LORD HIMSELF WILL BE MY LIGHT. 


That scripture PUMPS ME UP!  :) 


I came back from that devastating hurt and entered Masters Commission as an official student, and then became a Masters Commission support staff member. I have traveled across the US, and a few places overseas as well,  leading worship and putting on student and adult services with our ministry teams. I went directly from Bible school to being hired in to full-time ministry. Between my time on staff in Louisiana and my current position at Woodlands Church in Texas, I have been in full time ministry for 10 years. I am in LOVE with my God and truly delight in humbly being used by Him….it amazes me incredibly how He has chosen to use me…ME. He’s blessed me tremendously, and given me an incredible godly husband as well. Hallelujah…that’s all I can say. It takes my breath away to consider the journey in its entirety…


I am a daughter of the King who is seen, valued, known and cherished by my Father. Christ is my redeemer….he gave His life for me and waited patiently to marry me to Himself until I could see how much He loved me and fall in love with Him in return. My enemy continues to try and pursue me, trip me up and rob me, but just like those step mothers’ terror didnt stand a CHANCE anymore after Cinderella and Snow White marry their princes and become shielded royalty….YOU AND I are shielded royalty in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “He has set his seal of ownership on us and identified us as His own…” 


I have gone from rags to spiritual riches. I have found my Prince in Christ and He had been watching me for so long, counting down to the day when I’d TRULY take notice of His wooing….Dreaming of the day when I would receive His love for me that only CONTINUES to grow. You and I are ROYALTY. RECEIVE THAT TODAY. Your fairytale is still being written…..don’t allow your enemy to cheat you out of your Happily Ever After. 


THE FALLEN AND SCARRED WAYS OF THIS WORLD ARE NOT THE END OF THE STORY FOR YOU AS A DAUGHTER OF THE KING. THAT’S RIGHT, YOU’RE A DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH KING, THE MOST HIGH GOD & YOUR DADDY HOLDS THE KEYS TO THE WHOOOOOLE KINGDOM….HE HOLDS THE KEYS TO GRACE AND MERCY, THE KEYS TO PROVISION, THE KEYS TO HEALING….AND WHEN HE UNLOCKS THOSE STOREHOUSES HE SAYS IT’S ALL YOURS, AS MY DAUGHTER. YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS. YOU DONT HAVE TO GO WITHOUT ANY MORE. THERE’S A SEAT AT THE TABLE FOR YOU….YOU DONT HAVE TO STARVE FOR ATTENTION AND AFFIRMATION ANYMORE. THERE’S A WARM BED FOR YOU….YOU DONT HAVE TO TOSS AND TURN UNDER THE PAPER THIN SHEETS OF ANXIETY ANYMORE. YOU CAN LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN IN PEACE WITHOUT FEAR. YOU’RE SAFE UNDER YOUR FATHER’S CARE. 


​XOXO.kATHERINE