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February 27, 2013

"Kisses from Katie" Review

I didn't know if I'd finish a book in February (I hadn't been reading as much, since I started working), but I took advantage of a fairly lazy weekend and was able to cross Kisses from Katie off my list.

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Honestly, reading Katie Davis' story broke me into a million little pieces, encouraged me to live the life God has given me with JOY, and probably more than anything else, brought some harsh realities about myself to the surface.

"My knees are dusty orange, stained by the soil into which they press for hours as I beg God for the mercy and strength to continue. My tears flow in puddles that do not soak into the red, parched earth of Uganda. The puddles and the color of my knees remind me that I was not to leave this life unstained or unscarred. Even Jesus kept His scars after the resurrection. My stains are beautiful to Him and as I become dirtier and more beat up, I am becoming perfect, transformed into the image of the One who made me. And I am thankful."

That is her attitude. That is her faith. That is the Spirit of God working in her.

Katie is 23 years old and:

through adoption, is the mother of 14 children from Uganda,

is "mommy" to countless more, through her open heart and open door,

is the founder and director of Amazima, a ministry that provides hundreds of children from Uganda with medicine, meals, and education,

would be the first to tell you that, although God's call on her life isn't easy, it is simple,

and she has made Uganda her home.

But, as much as this book is about our call to care for "the least of these," over and over again she reminds us that in order to do so, that doesn't mean everyone needs to move to Uganda and adopt 14 children, but it does mean we have to obey God when He shows what living out that commandment looks like for each of our lives.

Since we're on the subject, my dear friend, Mindy, who recommended Kisses from Katie to me, has started the adoption process. God has beautifully stirred her and her family's heart to adopt a child from Haiti. To read about their journey and consider how God can use you to help (if He lays it on your heart to do so), visit their blog.

I'll be the first to admit, my willingness to get uncomfortable is weak most of the time, but I am thankful that God uses strangers like Katie and friends around me to encourage, inspire, and convict.

And if you choose to read Kisses from Katie, which I hope you do, I pray God will use it as a seed that He will further nourish and make grow.

Happy reading,

<3 Elise