Posted in General Posts by Angela Ketcham on 3/30/2012
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus... But should I try to trust the world? To me trust is the most important characteristic in the people I am close to. If I trust someone, so many qualities come with that. It usually means they are honest, I respect them, and I care about their opinions and ideas. In the past couple weeks I have come to realize how naively trusting I am.
Two weeks ago I was at a New Orleans hotel for work seminar and won $700 cash that I put in my wallet in my purse. We left one meeting room and went to another room for about an hour. Me, being overly trusting of others left my purse in the empty room, thinking that no one would be walking through and I had left it already and it had been fine. Later that night when I was going to dinner I looked in my wallet where I thought my money was. To my frustration it was no where to be found. For an hour I retraced my steps twice, searched through all my things, and asked the hotel personnel if it had been found and returned. To no avail I went to dinner, pretty bummed, thinking I had just misplaced it. After dinner my friend who was sitting at the same table in the meeting room told me that she had had money stolen. Then I realized that someone must have gone through my purse and taken my prize money. I felt violated and cheated, and very stupid for leaving that much cash out of my supervision.
Last week a friend of mine volunteered at a wheelchair tennis tournament where she had $200 stolen from her purse mixed along with all the other volunteer's belongings. When I heard this I thought what type of person steals from volunteers?!
Yesterday I found out that after I left my house at 9:30 someone came in and stole my host family's flat screen tv and Play Station right before she got home at noon. Knowing that someone knew what time to break in when no one was home is very alarming and creepy.
When my money was stolen I tried to remind myself that someone needed the money more than I did, but this is not what I wanted to feel. I wanted to be angry. I struggled hard for weeks with reminding myself where that money could have gone: taxes, my mission trip, a traffic ticket, rent... I wanted people's pity and ultimately for the hotel to call and say they found the employee who stole my hard earned money.
This is not reality though. We live in a broken, hurting world where people are selfish and lost. When the thoughts of losing that money began to overwhelm me, I began to pray that God would teach me through it. I expected Him to teach me a lesson about being more cautious with my belongings, but in actuality He has taught me just the opposite.
Naively trusting others and giving what we don't always want to give is the life God has called us to. His heart desires us to give of ourselves until there is nothing left. He will never call us to give only to people we trust, but to everyone. He has not called us to a life of comfort and understanding.
I know that my money is not mine to begin with and that as long as I am faithful with it, God will provide. I want to live a life where I am taken advantage of and walked all over for the sake of the Kingdom. This is very extreme and a hard life to imagine, but isn't this the life that Jesus lived? Wasn't he walked all over and trampled, being the death of Him? I don't wish for hard times and trials, but if it will further the Kingdom and cause others to see a glimpse of Christ then why not wish for trials and tribulations?
Jesus gave to people who shouldn't be trusted: adulterers, prostitutes, thieves, hypocrites, and people who hated Him. I want to live a life where I give and give and give until there is nothing left to give, to people that I don't necessarily trust.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive."Acts 20:35
"But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God. My times are in Your hand." Psalm 31:14
"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8
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Posted in General Posts by Angela Ketcham on 2/21/2012
I have a dear friend who called me a few days ago, frustrated seeking to be understood. We have the same job and I am so blessed with her deep friendship becuase we are able to understand one another's hurts and struggles and push one another as well. Earlier that day I was hit with a slight disappointment of my job, so as I spoke words of truth to her it served as a reminder to me. I love when God uses those close to us to teach us things. As I hung up the phone I had such gratefulness for her friendship and for the Lord's presence all over it. She reminded me that at times when we forget God's immense power and presence we need to shut off every other voice and distraction and listen only for Him.
She told me about a time in the summer when she would get down and take just a couple minutes to refocus on the truth that the Lord's presence is ALWAYS with us. We just have to change our focus, our perspective, our mindset to find it.
This task is not always easy. Without seeing God's physical presence in our daily lives it's difficult to constantly remained focused on His bigger picture. But through struggling to refocus it causes me to develop more faith and trust that God has me and my (quite small) life in the palm of His hand.
I woke up this morning in a plush, soft bed in a hotel room in Washington DC. I was not happy to get out of bed because I knew what the day had in store. I have spent the past four days traipsing around DC with my mom, a trip I have long awaited and looked forward to. Waking up this morning I did not want to bid her farewell or go back to the 'real world' even when I feel called to my job and love it. I wanted to keep staying up late, drinking wine, making jokes, doing tours of the city on bike and by foot. I wanted to continue letting my mom take care of me, waking me up each morning, hearing her sweet voice tell me over and over how proud she is of me.
So as I got out of bed this morning I remembered my dear friend's words about refocusing with the Lord. I wanted to throw myself a pity party filled with thoughts of leaving the wonderful time I just had, disappointment with work, comparing myself to other co-workers, and having to go back to the real world. I have to admit I did think through all of those things as I packed my suitcase, but I was determined to refocus my perspective before leaving DC. With book in hand and Pandora's Celtic Christmas station in ear I let His presence seep in.
So as I sit at the airport waiting for my plane, I choose to focus on the joyous trip I had with my wonderful mother. I choose to be thankful for this opportunity to see amazing things and reconnect with her. I choose to be immensely grateful for our relationship. I choose to thank God for a job that I enjoy and see purpose in. I thank Him for graciously providing a beautiful and loving family for me to live with and grow from. When I find myself comparing my work results to those of others, I CHOOSE to look to God for my validation and for his provision.
God will provide and show up in all places and all moments. I just have to look for His presence and wisdom in times of confusion and downheartedness.
He is there, we just have to refocus.
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Posted in General Posts by Angela Ketcham on 1/28/2012
From the time I entered the youth group and first experienced the power of someone's testimony, I desired God to do great things through me. I remember one Wednesday night listening to a college student tell about the mistakes she made as a high schooler. She talked about drugs and alcohol and the immense pain she went through. She was so depressed and suicidal that she had bought a gun and placed it under the driver's seat of her car. Later that day as she sat in her car crying out to a God who's presence she questioned, she reached for the gun, but in it's place found a bible. She then shared how the Lord had set her free from her past and how she was never the same. She never turned back to her sinful ways and was able to use her story to impact and encourage others.
As I sat in awe of the transformation God had done, softening her heart and turning her to Him, I was filled with envy. I was so envious that God had never turned my life around or worked in some miraculous way that I could scream from the mountain tops. I wanted to be able to tell others of my sinful past and how God had changed my heart and life for the better. But that's just not my story. Before I became a Christian my big, aweful, dark sins included lying, disobeying my parents, and fighting with my brother. It's hard to have an astounding, jaw-dropping transformation story of how God changed the heart of a first grader.
When I hear of testimonies that depict the hymn's words "I once was lost, but now I'm found; was blind, but now I see"... you know those testimonies that make you feel closer to God, I desperately wish I had one. In those moments I wish that I once had a drug addiction, or a shameful past, or a hard family life... something that God had saved me from, something I could share with others to help them see Him.
Testimony envy is work of the enemy. He wants us to look at brothers and sisters in Christ and say "I want what they have." When really we have no understanding of what pain and sorrow haunts those with great testimonies. We have no idea what scars are hidden from the perceiving eye. Yes they have found freedom in Christ and through His blood those hurts are covered, but they are still remembered.
For so long I have wanted this great redemption story to tell others so that they may see more of God through me. Testimony envy has caused me to underestimate the power God's presence in my life. Since I grew up in a Christian family with parents who love me and had a great church family, great friends, amazing opportunities, and went to a great college, I thought that my testimony would be inferior in comparison to those with grand life-altering stories.
What a blessing it is that God has protected me from the time I was young. The Lord's protection is the foundation of my testimony. Protection from the pain of mistakes. Protection from heartbreak. Protection from consequences. Protection from rejection. Protection from loneliness.
The Lord has blessed me with opportunities to learn from the mistakes of others. In eighth grade I saw the harmful effects of drinking. In high school I saw the pain and regret of a woman who lived with her husband before marriage. In college I had friends who struggled with the consequences of sexual purity.
Every year when my birthday comes around my mom reminds me of the Lord's protection on the day I was born. The story goes that it was an icy day in March after 11 pm as my dad was driving and did a 360 on the interstate without hitting anything. Once entering the hospital my mom knew that any moment I would arrive. My dad quickly got my mom into a wheelchair and onto the elevator when the elevator doors opened mid-floor. Ten minutes later as my mom was screaming for the doctor to come in, nurses were yelling at her not to push, for if she did her baby would drop onto the floor. Just as the doctor on call, who had been napping, walked in out I came. And thus my name was Angela, for as my mom puts is "the angels were protecting [me] that day."
It gives me immense peace to know that God is in control of every aspect of my life. Although I do not have a world-renown, unforgettable, astounding, jaw-dropping testimony to share, I know that God will never be through with me. For the past few years I have prayed a theme: to expect great things from a God that has prepared me for such things. Through every person, thing, and opportunity I encounter I know that God is preparing me for great things "far beyond all that I could ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)
For so long I wished for some great affliction that only God could save me from, then I realized he has. He has saved me from a life without Him.
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Posted in General Posts by Angela Ketcham on 1/9/2012
I have never viewed myself as being chained to anything. I've known peple to feel chained to depression, the past, or even another person. I have always felt quite free. In college my roommate gave me the nickname free-spirited, and it stuck because that is how I saw myself and how others portrayed me.
Whenever I think of free-spiritedness I think of Pocahontas' song "Just Around the Riverbend." This was my favorite Disney movie growing up and I think unconsciously I have tried to be like her--free and bold.
According to urban dictionary free-spirited means "someone who isn't weighed down by the troubles of everyday life, is always themselves regardless of the situation and lives life to the full and is not restricted by other people's opinions." I feel this description defines me. Nothing really gets me down; I am not all that emotional and pretty carefree.
One night while talking with a friend at a Christmas party, I became abruptly aware that for the past few years I have been chained to the enemy's deception without even knowing it. I've realized that Satan loves to see deceive me, causing me to doubt my God-given abilities, thus distracting me from attaining my full potential in the Lord's plan for me.
It's so amazing to see God show up in the smallest and most mundane occurences. While talking with this friend I shared with her the attributes I see in her that encourage those around her. She then began to pour encouragement over me, stating three characteristics she saw in me that have shaken my world since. She claimed she sees me as "selfless, humble, and compassionate." These may seem like simple words, but when I heard them it was like God was telling me He saw me that way. For years and years I have unceasingly sought out the Lord's mercy, that he would be gracious enough to take away and change my prideful, non compassionate, selfish nature. For so long I have just assumed that pride, selfishness, and non compassion were a part of who I am and that I would always struggle with them. In believing Satan's lies for so long, it caused me to doubt the Lord's power, that He could really take away what I hated in my sinful nature.
When my friend spoke these words to me tears came to my eyes because I was slightly shocked that she had seen me in the exact opposite light that I view myself. That night I was wrapped in God's blanket of love knowing that He understands and cares about the deepest hurts of my heart. I became aware of God's perception of me while I finally became aware of the shakes of deception cutting deeper into my wrists.
The king of lies has deceived me for too long! He comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But the Lord came that we may have life and have it abundantly. [John 10:10] The enemy loves nothing more than for us to walk farther and farther from the plans that the Lord has created us for.
I am plagued with my negative self-perception no longer, because Christ came to free me from it! I am a daughter of the King; righteous, worthy, loved, beautiful, confident, important, strong, bold, humble, selfless, and compassionate. This is how God sees me and how I will chose to see myself, not through my doing but through HIS! No longer will I be chained to my sinful nature and the lies that Satan throws at me. I will only seek TRUTH, His truth!
Every day I will strive to become more and more of the free-spirited woman God has created me to be!
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Posted in General Posts by Angela Ketcham on 12/22/2011
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope you are well. I want to begin this letter by thanking you for the significant and unique role you have played in shaping my life. As you may know there have been many changes in my life lately.
I graduated from Hardin Simmons University in December 2010 with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. After graduation I obtained a corporate recruiting position with The Southwestern Company. I recruited college students from Texas A&M last Spring and this year I am living in Baton Rouge, recruiting at Louisiana State University. I interned with Southwestern for two summers in college, selling educational materials to families in their homes in Florida and Ohio. My book-selling summer job is the craziest thing I have ever done, but it has resulted in exponential personal growth and development. Through constantly being out of my comfort zone, working 80 hours a week, and pushing through rejection and loneliness, I reached out to the Lord for physical, mental, and emotional strength like never before.
My desire for travel was intensified. I have had the opportunity to travel across the country and abroad through Southwestern. This past fall I fulfilled my dream to backpack across Europe with my dear friend, Lauren. Seeing the world has changed my perspective on God’s plan for my life. This experience was great, but my desire is to bring God glory by showering His hope and love on those who are hurting and desperately in need of Him.
That’s where the World Race comes in.
After seeking the Lord’s guidance, I have decided to serve as a missionary from September 2012 to August 2013 through Adventures in Missions (AIM). The World Race is an 11-month Christian mission endeavor to 11 countries around the world. I will be traveling to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, India, the Philippines, China, Ukraine, Moldova, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Through adventure, ministry, community, and self discovery, World Racers develop broken hearts that propel their hands to act for God’s kingdom around the globe. My team and I will serve in partnership with churches and local ministries to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, and minister to women and children trapped in prostitution, bringing restoration and hope of the Father’s love and power to save.
You have had a special impact on my life’s journey thus far and I would like to involve you in this next chapter. God has placed it on my heart to invite you to be my partner on this adventure. First and foremost, I earnestly seek your prayers. Please pray that I will be able to clearly discern and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, that strong relationships will develop with teammates and people I encounter, and that I will acquire a greater boldness and always seek truth. Secondly, I ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with me financially. The total cost is $15,500, which will cover all expenses. Your support can be given as a one-time gift or as a monthly donation; you choose the amount and the beginning and end dates. Twenty five people pledging $50 a month for 12 months provides the funds necessary for this mission.
I am grateful for this opportunity God has blessed me with and I have a passion to outpour His blessings on those I meet through the race. Thank you for partnering with me in glorifying God by reaching others for Christ.
Joyfully,
Angela
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