Katt A.

I am so excited to introduce you to Katt, today. She talks to us about spending time in God’s presence, the dry spiritual seasons and a person from scripture who took a unique leap of faith (it’s probably not who you are thinking…). Enjoy!

Katt A.

Biblical inspiration of the moment: To be honest, as a believer, you go through a roller coaster. There are highs, in-betweens, lows, and it fluctuates. I feel like I am at the bottom. It’s like a dry season that I am in. I can’t say there is a scripture at the moment that is inspiring me. My mind has been like, ‘Lord, I can’t hear you or see you; I feel lost. I know how to build my relationship with you; I know I need to spend time in your presence and in your Word.’

It gets so busy, and I feel like I am neglecting God. I know his arms are always open wide. I am working on spending time with God. I think my inspiration, if there is one, is going back to the basics and finding my place. Striving to spend more time with God.

“[G]oing back to the basics and finding my place.”

Spiritual growth focus, at the moment: Spending time in God’s presence. That is what I really want, in this moment. I know who I am, I know God is my Father, but it’s one of those seasons where that knowledge is not enough; you are hungry for more and you are ready for more growth. I think the best way to figure things out is by spending that time with God. Me being quiet and waiting for God to speak. I think I am burnt out, and I am looking to feel refreshed.

Profession: Graduate student getting my MBA.

One sentence bio: “A quirky girl, just trying to find her way in through life and live it.”

When did you first encounter God? I feel like I encountered God several times, and I didn’t know it at the beginning. When I first acknowledged the encounter was probably 2008, before I left high school. I met a couple of people, and they were always talking about God. I really didn’t understand the concept. I was so into school, graduating and going to college– it was a concept that was foreign to me. And one day, they said, ‘Hey, do you want to go to Bible study?”

I was like “I am not sure what that is.” That day wasn’t exactly a Bible study, it was something else– it was a worship night.

It was eye opening. I was startled by it. I had never seen this before, I liked it and wanted to come back, but I wasn’t too sure about it. I felt something I had never felt before. It was warm and different, and I was intrigued. I wanted to find out what it was. When I came to college and started going to church, I had that same feeling, and I realized that it was God all along.

“I felt something I had never felt before. It was warm and different, and I was intrigued.”

What has helped you grow spiritually in this season? Because I know who God is and I have encountered him, it’s very hard for me to walk away from that. Once you taste candy or soda, that taste is always in the back of your mind, and when you see it, you have to have more. When you have encountered God, and you have felt His presence, read His Word and felt community in church, it’s hard to walk away from that, if it has really touched you. That type of love is very unforgettable.

Even if I were to be silly and go out and do something stupid, my conscience wouldn’t allow me because I know he loves me so passionately. I think it would hurt my heart to do it. And I think that has helped me strive for more.

Also, through my relationships. I am part of a prayer team at church. And while I may not always be consistent, being surrounded by people on fire for God and serving God, I am like, “Man God, how could I ever walk away from this, seeing the impact the name of Jesus has on people’s lives!”

“[I]t’s hard to walk away from that, if it has really touched you. That type of love is very unforgettable.”

Currently reading: Besides my business books, no. I do read the word every morning. It’s something I do, not because I know I have to do it, but I do it because it’s the way I find out a little more about God. The Bible is something I consistently read every day.

Top three essentials (trapped on a deserted island edition): Pen, paper, and fire.

How has God spoken to you recently? I think what God has been doing is interrupting my thoughts. I am a thinker. I overthink; I analyze everything. I think God speaks to me through dreams and also interrupting my thoughts. Because I am not spending as much time with God as I want to, I feel guilty about it. But God is teaching me this isn’t about something being an obligation but that God wants to spend time with me. He has wanted that since the beginning of time. That’s what He wanted from Adam and Eve, walking through the garden throughout the day. He has been comforting me and telling me, “It will be fine. You will survive this, and it is going to pass.”  We are still human, and we still freak out at times, for I don’t know what reason, but we do.

A hobby? Don’t laugh (*laughs*). I watch every Korean show on Netflix. It was something to do at first, but then, I realized I love their series and movies; I started watching a lot of Korean-based Netflix shows. I am learning about their culture and food, and it’s amazing. I love binge watching Korean shows on Netflix.

Top three tips for staying spiritually strong: Have a strong support system, meaning the people you hang out with. Not only do you need to be equally yoked, in that they have drive and determination to be who they want to be in life, but also having the same spiritual mind set. Some people are hot, others lukewarm and others are cold. Some people accept things that are not acceptable to God, and having that like-mindedness is important.

Be consistent in the Word. Don’t feel like you have attained all. When you read a passage or scripture, it’s always teaching you something new, even if you have read it 10,000 times. People say, ‘I read the Bible,’ and that is good, but we should continuously be in the word.

Communication and people. We need to keep that line open; and really spending time with God. To me, that has been the main theme. Spending time with God. Not only is it refreshing, but we come out with so much insight and peace. Some of the answers we have been seeking, God is waiting to give it to us, and we are looking to others or ourselves for those answers.

“Some of the answers we have been seeking, God is waiting to give it to us”

Favorite person in scripture: That is so hard. I love a lot of people, for different reasons. If there is someone I love the most it’s Elisha; he was a mentee. The reason I love his story is because we are very similar. He was working his family business. Fulfilling a calling your family has on your life is something that happened to me. The end result for my family was for me to go to med school and become a doctor. I was doing the classes, getting the grades, and then I realized, it wasn’t what I want to do. It was hard to tell my parents that I wanted to go in a different direction. It was a big leap of faith. Elisha was a farmer and doing his family business, but God had a greater calling on his life, and he had to make that decision. God comes and tells him, “It’s time to step up.” And Elisha asks for a double portion. Same for me. I was like I don’t want to be left alone in the wilderness. After Elisha was blessed, he didn’t question anything anymore.

When things are impossible, I speak like Elisha. “Where is the resurrected God?”

Elisha had his leap of faith, and he relied so much on God. He did not question, he did not doubt, and he said, “Okay, I got this, and I am going to do it.”

“It was hard to tell my parents that I wanted to go in a different direction. It was a big leap of faith.”

What do you want people to learn about God when they look at you? I want them to see that anything is possible. My life has changed dramatically over the years. I was sarcastic, mean, and people didn’t like me. I had a lot of family issues, and I was insensitive because I didn’t want to let anyone in. I can identify the people who are like I was. The black sheep, the awkward ones that don’t fit in. The ones who people don’t like, because they are grumpy. People are like that because of an underlying issue; lack of love, rejection. I want people to know that everything and anything is possible. You don’t have to stay where you are or follow the footsteps of your parents. You don’t have to remain labeled, when people say you are going to be like your mother or father, and you come from this or that background… Now that you are a believer and you have God, life will be awesome.

“I want people to know that everything and anything is possible.”

Favorite season: Winter.

Favorite holiday: Christmas

A special tradition you and your family engage in or keep: We have a lot of traditions, but my favorite is December 31, my siblings, parents and I come together and before the clock strikes 12 midnight to start the new day, we pray and read the Word. We bring in the new year with prayer, as a family. Everyone knows that if you are going out of town or something, you have to be home December 31 through January 1^st. We have a late dinner, and my dad throws dried rice and beans everywhere, and then we go to bed.

Question you will ask when you get to heaven: Why didn’t God place everything in the Bible? I think there are things that are possibly missing. Not that we lack anything because the Bible is complete, but there are things that I don’t understand why it’s important. But for example, why do we have so many chapters on genealogy. Why?

Thing you want to raise awareness about: People who are experiencing homelessness. I can’t stand to see people on the street struggling, and then when you hear their stories, it’s like wow, how did you get here? There are a lot of people with addictions or coming back from war. And as a nation considered well-developed and prosperous, these people should not be on the streets. Shelters are great, but there is more that needs to be done as far as mental health, counseling and rehab is concerned. Those things don’t go away even after they have shelter or a job. These things require deeper attention, so they can forgive and continue on with life.

What do you usually do before 9 a.m. (Mon- Fri)? Usually, I wake up, brush my teeth and come back to bed and read the Word.

Define Christianity in a sentence? Unfolding. I feel there are layers upon layers, and then you see things, and you are like, ‘Wow, that was there the whole time.’

For more Katt:

Insta: @thewildflowerproject_

Until next time, keep witnessing!

XOXO