Katie Ganshert, Author at Katie Ganshert

December is Here, Christmas is Near

Posted on December 2, 2013December 2, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

Tis the season!

For giving away gifts (we’ll get to that in a minute!). For trees and lights, poinsettias and holly. For Deck the Halls and Oh Holy Night. For It’s a Wonderful Life and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. For freshly fallen snow, baking cookies, sipping hot chocolate, wrapping presents, hanging stockings, and that red kettle outside of stores.

Most importantly, ’tis the season for celebrating the amazing miracle that is God incarnate.

That’s what advent is all about.

Expectantly awaiting that one moment in history when everything changed.

When God reached down into humanity and said, “I will be your rescue.”

Immanuel. God with us.

This is the first year my (not so) little man seems to “get it”. And his innocent, childlike excitement is contagious.

He was busting at the seems to decorate the tree….

To make his homemade advent calendar…..

To put up his own little Christmas nightlight in his room…We listened to Christmas music and we counted Hershey kisses and talked about the first Christmas lights and the meaning of the star at the top of our tree.

It was a fun, magical night.

I hope one of many more to come.

Let’s Talk: How do you prepare for Christmas? What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Don’t miss the Christian Fiction Christmas Giveaway!

From now until Christmas Eve, you may enter to win a basket of books and prizes – either to keep for yourself or give away as gifts to friends and family! Scroll down to enter via Rafflecopter!

Basket contents: Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows by moi, Made to Last by Melissa Tagg, Shadowed by Grace by Cara Putnam, Catch a Falling Star by Beth Vogt, The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd, A Sweethaven Christmas by Courtney Walsh, an advanced reader copy of Kristy Cambron’s debut novel, The Butterfly and the Violin. As well as Peppermint Twist lotion from Bath and Body Works, Heartstrings Stringed Quartet Christmas CD, a handmade ceramic hummingbird ornament, two $5 gift cards to Starbucks, Christmas in Connecticut DVD, and a piece of handcrafted art by Courtney Walsh.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Into the Storm

Posted on November 25, 2013November 26, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

We’ve all heard the story.

Jesus walks on the water in the midst of a storm. In classic Peter-style, Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking on the water too. Notices the waves. Then starts to el sinko.

It’s one of the more well-known and often-referenced stories in the Bible.

I’m sure countless sermons and devotionals have been given and written on this piece of history from Matthew 14.

But what struck me most profoundly, as I sat at a table reading this passage of Scripture one evening in the Congo, was not that Jesus walked on water or that Peter jumped out of the boat or that he began to sink once he took his eyes off Jesus or that Jesus saved Peter anyway, despite his doubt.

What struck me most profoundly was that Jesus told the disciples to go. And the storm came anyway. <–Click to Tweet

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. (v. 22)

After sending the people home, Jesus went off on his own to pray.

But what happened to the disciples?

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. (v. 24)

It hit me, as I read these verses….

Just because God leads us in a certain direction or calls us to a certain task, does not mean we will not be met by storms or resistance or danger along the way. <–Click to Tweet

I don’t know about you, but this is a hard thing for me to remember in the midst of a tumultuous sea.

I have to imagine it was a hard thing for the disciples to remember, too.

I have to imagine as their boat was being tossed to and fro, that they considered turning back.

I have to imagine that it was all too easy to forget who sent them in the first place.

Not just to get back into the boat, but to cross to the other side.

And here, in the throes of the storm, is when Jesus enters the scene.

The disciples are so freaked out, they don’t even recognize him. Not at first. It takes some reassurances that it is, indeed, Him–the one they are following, their Lord, their teacher. And this is where Peter cries out, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water!”

Gotta love bold, enthusiastic Peter.

So Jesus tells him sure.

He doesn’t calm the sea first.

He doesn’t stop the waves or settle the storm.

He simply tells Peter to come.

Then Peter takes His eyes off the One who commands the waves to do their thing and starts sinking. Jesus saves Peter. They climb back into the boat. The wind stops. The disciples’ experiential knowledge of Jesus is forever broadened.

And! And!

After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. (v. 34)

Jesus told them to cross to the other side and cross to the other side they did.

Because God is faithful.

He does what He says.

He finishes what He starts.

It’s a truth worth holding onto when storms rock your boat.

Let’s Talk: Has God ever called you into a storm? Learn anything profound while weathering it?

Travel Reading

Posted on November 4, 2013November 4, 2013 by Katie Ganshert

On Friday, I will board a plane. I will fly to Chicago, to Brussels, to Kinshasa, where I will spend one whole week with my daughter.

Made possible by so many of you, who gave hope wings.

It’s something that will never cease to blow my mind.

And on this last Monday before my departure, I was all prepared to write something honest and raw and vulnerable about the state of my heart. But then I thought, “Who has the energy for that?”

Not me.

So let’s go with something a little less…..intense, shall we?

Like reading and travel.

Let’s Talk: What kind of reading material do you take along on long trips? Any recommendations for me?

I will be taking a two week blogging break, since next Monday I will be in Africa and the Monday after that, I will be somewhere up in the air, most likely reading one of the books you’ve recommended.