tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82087959799486160682023-11-16T00:52:39.512-06:00life [to my best knowledge]graduated. growing. learning. living.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-1034456894653690972009-12-23T22:08:00.004-06:002009-12-23T22:16:12.026-06:00grace."when the life of grace first begins in the soul, we instinctively draw near to God, but it is with great fear and trembling. the soul, conscious of guilt and humbled by it, is over-awed with the solemnity of its position; it is prostrated by a sense of the grandeur of God, in whose presence it appears. with sincere humility it takes the lowest room.<div><br /></div><div>but later on, as the Christian grows in grace, although he will never forget the solemnity of his position and will never lose that holy awe that must encompass a gracious man when he is in the presence of the God who can create or destroy, yet his fear has all its terror taken out of it; it becomes a holy reverence, and no longer an overshadowing dread. he is called up higher, to greater access to God in Christ Jesus. then the man of God, walking among the splendors of Deity and veiling his face like the glorious cherubim with those twin wings, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, will, reverent and bowed in spirit, approach the throne, and seeing there a God of love, goodness, and mercy, he will realize the covenant character of God rather than His absolute Deity. he will see in God His goodness rather than His greatness, and more of His love than of His majesty. then the soul will bow just as humbly as before and enjoy a more sacred liberty of intercession; for while prostrate before the glory of the Infinite God, it will be sustained by the refreshing awareness of being in the presence of unlimited mercy and infinite love and by the realization of acceptance in the Beloved. in this way, the believer is invited to come up higher and is enabled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God and drawing near to Him in holy confidence, crying, Abba, Father."</div><div>[charles spurgeon]</div><div><br /></div><div><i>come, Lord Jesus, come.</i></div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-7792438342872893832009-11-29T17:40:00.003-06:002009-11-29T17:47:50.475-06:00advent."in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. he was in the beginning with God. all things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. in him was life, and the life was the light of men...<div><br /></div><div>the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. he was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. he came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God...</div><div><br /></div><div>and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth...</div><div><br /></div><div>and from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace...</div><div><br /></div><div>for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. for we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. </div><div><br /></div><div>for in this hope we were saved."</div><div><br /></div><div><i>come, Lord Jesus, come.</i></div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-31296240586746578042009-11-26T01:41:00.011-06:002009-11-26T02:09:21.173-06:00thanksgiving.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">if we complained less and were more thankful, we would be happier, and God would be more glorified. if we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our hymns of thanksgiving.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">[spurgeon]</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">_________________________________</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">then king david went in and sat before the Lord and said, "who am i, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? and yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! and what more can david say to you? for you know your servant, O Lord God! because of your promise, and according to your own great heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. <i>therefore you are great, O Lord God.</i>"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">[2 samuel 7:18-22]</span></span></div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-24845268216251462462009-11-23T20:25:00.005-06:002009-11-23T20:38:20.307-06:00love.<span style="font-style:italic;">I will love them freely</span>, the prophet hosea writes.<br /><br />this sentence is a body of divinity in miniature...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">the sense hinges upon the word 'freely.' this is the glorious, the suitable, the divine way by which love streams from heaven to earth, a spontaneous love flowing out to those who neither deserved it, purchased it, nor sought after it. it is, indeed, the only way in which God can love such as we are. </span><br /><br />the text is a death-blow to all sorts of fitness: "I will love them <span style="font-style:italic;">freely</span>." now, if there were any fitness necessary in us, then He would not love us freely; at least, this would be a hindrance and a drawback to the freeness of it. but it stands: "I will love them freely."<br /><br />we complain, "Lord, my heart is so hard." "I will love them <span style="font-style:italic;">freely</span>." "but I don't feel my need of Christ as I ought to." "I will not love you because you feel your need; I will love you freely." "but I do not feel that softening of spirit that i should desire." remember, the softening of your spirit is not a condition, for there are no conditions; <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">the covenant of grace has no conditionality</span></span> whatever. <span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">so we without any fitness may rest upon the promise of God</span></span> that was made to us in Christ Jesus when He said, "whoever believes in him is not condemned."<br /><br />it is blessed to know that the grace of God is free to us at all times, without preparation, without fitness, without money, and without price! "I will love them freely." these words invite apostates to return: indeed, the text was specially written for such--"I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely."<br /><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">this is the joy we have today--that we are saved in Him</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">.</span><div>[charles spurgeon]</div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-81650067325080771522009-11-17T16:34:00.004-06:002009-11-17T16:38:51.895-06:00joy.you drove me from the fruitless joys, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. [augustine]<br /><br />one day, i will blog again. but not today--the fourth amendment awaits.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-38481743713419498922009-09-25T22:59:00.002-05:002009-09-25T23:00:15.018-05:00hope.and still He seeks the fellowship of His people and sends them both joy and sorrow to detach their hands from the things of this world, to attach those hands to Himself.<br />[j.i. packer]Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-65900509885756275682009-06-09T15:55:00.003-05:002009-06-09T16:03:01.953-05:00tuesday goodness.costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.<br /><br />such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. it is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. it is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. costly grace is the Incarnation of God...<br /><br />when we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to his person. the grace of his call bursts all the bonds of legalism. it is a gracious call, a gracious commandment. it transcends the difference between the law and the gospel. Christ calls, the disciple follows: that is grace and commandment in one. 'i will walk at liberty, for I seek thy commandments.'<br /><br />discipleship without Jesus Christ is a way of our own choosing. it may be the ideal way. it may even lead to martyrdom, but it is devoid of all promise. Jesus will certainly reject it.<br />[dietrich bonhoeffer]Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-28781497470227948492009-05-16T00:03:00.002-05:002009-05-16T00:04:01.026-05:00is it true?oh yes, it is. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">FREEDOM!</span><br /><br />good riddance 1L year.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-35237509032967561292009-04-08T20:53:00.009-05:002009-04-11T19:02:43.290-05:00He set his face.On Sunday, we will celebrate Christ’s resurrection; on Friday, we will remember his death. Until then, I pray that my heart does not forget what happened before.<br /><br />Luke tells us that <span style="font-style:italic;">“when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”</span><br /><br />He set his face. Four words that changed history. For in that moment, once and for all, he chose death. He knew what he was doing and what awaited him. Indeed, he told the twelve: <span style="font-style:italic;">”see, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise”</span> (Luke 18:31-32).<br /><br />He set his face. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">To certain death.</span><br /><br />The events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion were not a surprise to the Son of God; that Judas would betray him for money, that his own people would forsake him for criminals—it was all known to him. We cannot deceive ourselves into thinking that what took place some 2000 years ago was a matter of mere happen-stance or luck; He knew what was to come—He set his face towards it. He knew that his incarnation had lead to this moment—the moment he would physically show his children the depth of his love. His skin thrashed, his limbs nailed to a cross, the one who knew no sin became sin so that we, me, would know life.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">And he chose it</span>. He chose me. He redeemed me—a broken, sinful, twenty-three year old law student who gets overwhelmed by silly things like memos and outlines and case readings. He loves me, us—oh, that I might know this daily. That I might push aside the distractions of life to hear His call to me. <span style="font-style:italic;">Follow me</span>, He whispers. <span style="font-style:italic;">Follow me, and I will show you life everlastin</span>g. Lord, let my every breath be hallelujah.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“come and listen,</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">come to the water’s edge all you, who are thirsty, come.<br />let me tell you what He has done for me,<br />He has done for you,<br />He has done for us.<br />come and listen,<br />come and listen to what He has done.”</span></span></span><br /><br /></div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-10319390319163559822009-04-01T16:40:00.006-05:002009-04-01T19:38:08.777-05:00ignored, but not forgotten.Until last night, I had not walked on the main campus of UT in probably five months or so. And now, I'm sitting outside the business school, enjoying a beautiful Austin day, and taking in sights that I had seen nearly every day for the last four years--the PCL (though I think I only ventured in there once during my undergraduate career), the creepy statute outside the b-school, the UCC, the West Campus bus, business students in suits...it's strange. The law school is kind of its own monster--self-sufficient and outside the sphere of undergraduate students (except for those few who sneak in to the law library--and don't think we can't tell who you are--graphing calculators are a big tip-off :)). And so while I have been a student at UT for the last six months or so, I haven't taken a step anywhere on the campus except for those few that take me from the parking garage to the law school. Again, I reiterate, it's strange--it's strange to think that those four years passed by so quickly, that those people who were so much a part of this experience for me have left, and that I'm nearly done with my first year of law school. Woah! Time, where have you gone? <br /><br />In any sense, this blog, like the UT main campus, has been much ignored by me. My apologies to those of you who actually read my ramblings--I will try to do better, but with finals coming up, I might have to defer until this summer...Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-76736235346650109472009-01-07T23:56:00.001-06:002009-01-08T00:11:46.667-06:00law school in a nutshell...or a couple of paragraphs.My old roommate Kelsey gave me this funny book for my birthday called “Ivy Briefs: True Tales of a Neurotic Law Student.” It’s hilarious and gives a hugely accurate depiction of what being a law student is like. Here is one of my favorite passages which reflects my own experience:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“Elite law schools pride themselves on the fact that they instruct students on how to think like lawyers instead of teaching them the actual law that they need to know in order to be lawyers…professors make you figure [out the law] for yourself. They do this by employing the case method, where they force their students to read hundreds of judicial opinions during the course of the semester, somehow decipher what each case is saying, and then try to piece the rules extracted from each case together to understand how they work in unison to form an entire body of law. It’s not dissimilar to trying to work an eight hundred-piece jigsaw puzzle made up of only plain white pieces…<br /><br />The professors know what [the cases] mean. But do they explain the meaning to the students? No. No, they don’t. Instead, they rely on a medieval torture device called the Socratic method…a process whereby venerated law professors reduce innocent law students to quivering heaps of jelly by questioning them relentlessly in front of a large class filled with their peers…the professor asks. You answer. He says, “but what about this? How do you reconcile your answer with this?” You dig deep within yourself and find a response. He then says, “okay, so how about we twist the facts of the case around, then how would you respond?” This process is then repeated ad nauseam until, at some point, the professor has backed you into a corner and proved that you are nothing but a monumental idiot.”</span>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-1557067436553423482009-01-07T23:54:00.000-06:002009-01-07T23:56:00.819-06:0016.67% Completed.I made it. <br /><br />Barely. I survived my first semester as a 1L in the twilight zone known as law school. And now, as I have to start earnestly thinking about buying books and doing my reading (yes, reading—which was assigned around the beginning of December, though we were yet to suffer through finals), I feel like my life is on pause while the rest of the world storms past me in fast forward.<br /><br />It’s all so surreal; my roommate now works 60 hours a week at her job, my best friend is getting married in July, other friends are bringing new life into the world, and I’m stuck in a black hole of grad school, a place where adults pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to pretend to be college students again. So while Rachel tends to Ben Bernacke and Kara saves lives, I’m sitting in a lecture surfing Facebook or playing Tetris. I don’t work 40 hours a week or bring home a salary or raise children. Nope, I still live my life in semesters. I fill my brain with an unending amount of case law and study for finals and pretend to pay attention in class. <br /><br />So it’s strange. It’s strange to feel like a kid though you’re about to turn 23 and your friends are off doing grown-up things like working and getting married and having kids of their own. But I made it. I survived the hellish experience known as being a 1L. I didn’t sleep, I read thousands of pages of court cases, I started drinking caffeine again, and I became a big fan of B minuses. I made it. <br /><br />Uh, only 2.5 more years to go?Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-25223135752025612122008-12-03T18:53:00.004-06:002008-12-03T19:07:33.405-06:00my friends are pretty talented...and more creative than i could ever dream to be. i am always blown away by the work they do. one of those friends is candace, and she made a stop-motion short thingy (i'm not sure what the technical language is) about creation for one of her classes. she did everything (staging, filming, editing, etc.) but the narration. i thought it was pretty awesome and wanted to share it with all of my blogger stalkers out there.<br /><br />you can find the video <a href="https://webspace.utexas.edu/ckl247/FINAL%20PROJECTS/c_lau_creation.mov">here.</a>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-70188456023906799732008-12-02T10:15:00.001-06:002008-12-02T10:17:31.830-06:00My iPhone Ran Away...Yesterday, in the hustle and bustle of finishing my legal research final thirty minutes before it was due, I somehow misplaced my iPhone in the time it takes to print off my paper and turn it in. I was about halfway through my torts class when I realized it wasn’t with me. After torts, I hit up every lost and found in the law school and was eventually able to call myself. I took it as a bad sign that my fully charged phone had been turned off, as it is unlikely that I will be able to get a hold of the new “owner.” I then rushed over to AT&T where I waited an hour to suspend my line, and then made it back to the law school with enough time to once again scour the lost and found boxes before my last class of the day.<br /><br />Needless to say, it was one of those days…<br /><br />Pastor Rob’s sermon on Sunday was about the blessings of generous giving and that the best way to cure yourself of materialism is to give everything away; he asked us if we were really spending our money in a way that reflects what we value. Now while I ordinarily wouldn’t call myself overly materialistic, I can see the irony in the whole thing. Granted, had I been a little more proactive and diligent in doing my paper ahead of time, I probably never would have been in this little pickle. I wouldn’t have forgotten my phone had I not been worrying about finishing my paper and turning it in on time. And losing that expensive little thing has shown me just how much I depended on it. I mean, seriously, I have felt disconnected from the rest of the world simply because I don’t have it at my fingertips. I even think I had the thought that I would have rather not finished my paper than lose my phone. <br /><br />This morning, still phoneless and surfing World Magazine in class, I read: “our darkened hearts are capable of bottomless hunger. If someone places something attractive before us, even though we were content before, the very existence of it will open up a hole, a want, a craving. And the worst thing we can do is give in to the craving, because we’ll only train ourselves to want more and more…I’m starting to see the value of denying our wants. I’m not talking about moderation, about denying ourselves things we don’t really need, whatever that means. I’m talking about denying ourselves things we might actually have a good use for, solely for the sake of keeping our flesh in check.”<br /><br />So while losing my phone has been VERY inconvenient and somewhat painful to swallow, I think it’s time for this lesson. Maybe it’s time to go back to the old school Nokia?<br /><br />And to the new “owner” of my phone: check out the Texas Penal Code, section 31.03.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-20867839330655830432008-11-28T22:06:00.001-06:002008-11-28T22:12:37.047-06:00thanksgiving?<span style="font-family:georgia;">Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I confess that I spent some time trying to come up with an ‘obligatory’ post of thanksgiving, where I talk about the things I’m thankful for and how I love that there’s a holiday dedicated to food, family, and football and that we should really be thanking Jesus and not the Pilgrims.<br /><br />But then I started thinking about how I was not thankful that my legal research final is due Monday. And that I have to study over Thanksgiving break. And that I have a voluminous amount of work to do before I can even begin to think about Christmas shopping. And underlying all those complaints was the thought that I’m not thankful that I am in law school.<br /><br />And so I abandoned my thanksgiving endeavor.<br /><br />But today, as I was (thinking about) writing this paper on North Carolina trade secret law, it dawned on me that a year ago, I was praying that I would get into UT Law.<br /><br />Ooh. Right.<br /><br />I forgot. I forgot?<br /><br />Um, did someone say revelation?</span><br /></span></span>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-41897935937036394502008-11-03T09:34:00.004-06:002008-11-04T01:03:29.694-06:00So I Was Tagged...I was tagged by <a href="http://longhornabroad.wordpress.com/">Jamie</a> and <a href="http://fosheafam.blogspot.com/">Foshizzle</a>...and since there has been a noticeable lack of blogging recently [due in no small part to the fact that I am an indentured servant to UT Law], I figured this would be a good update!<br /><br />Here goes my seven random facts:<br />1. I have a slight case of OCD with my sheets. I won't get into my bed unless I have had a shower, nor will I let anyone lay down unless they too are clean. I feel sorry for the poor man who marries me, because this woman loves clean sheets!<br /><br />2. I love sugar. Cookies, ice-cream, brownies, cake, all of it. Fortunately for me, I spend a lot of time with Shannon, who also happens to share this vice, and she keeps my sweet tooth pretty well satisfied. And as much as I love sugar, I hate peanut butter. Some might deem this un-American, but I can't stand it--I think most of it has to do with the smell, but in any case, the taste of it makes me cringe.<br /><br />3. Some people are shocked to find out that one of my dreams is to be a stay-at-home mom. Yes, all that post-modern feminist thinking encouraging women to pursue successful, professional careers was lost on me. This college grad currently pursuing higher education would much rather be at home with five kids playing monster trucks than CEO of her own company.<br /><br />4. I can recite, in order, all of the presidents of the United States.<br /><br />5. I love my DVR. Seriously, it is one of the greatest inventions EVER.<br /><br />6. My biggest goal in college was to win a t-shirt in intramural football. Sad, I know, but if you did your undergrad at UT, you know how competitive flag football is. I never accomplished this goal--I made it to finals several times, but the elusive prize always escaped me. Maybe that's why I'm in law school--it gives me another three years to play!<br /><br />7. I chose to go to UT for undergrad because I thought the buildings were prettier than at A&M. Seriously.<div><br /></div><div>And yes, I posted this while in Constitutional Law. Maybe I should be paying attention.</div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-51094576415731160152008-09-17T10:38:00.006-05:002008-09-17T11:05:42.230-05:00it's somebody's birthday...on september 17, 1985, God decided jamie kim could enter this world.<br /><br />on january 14, 1986, God decided i could come into this world.<br /><br />in septemberish 2004, jamie kim and i were assigned to a bible study that met on this campus of 50,000. it is up for debate as to whether our purpose was to become friends or torment our beloved b.s. leader meg ryan, but i like to think we did both...<br /><br />by septemberish 2007, there was no debate as to why we were assigned to the same bible study as wee little freshmen. God had crossed our paths, bringing this AZN from katy into my life, and making her a 'cornerstone' in my community.<br /><br />by mayish 2008, we had celebrated four years of living life together...we had gone through ups and downs, "out-of-body experiences," and had even survived traveling together.<br /><br />on september 17, 2008, our paths no longer joined in the same city. separated by 1669.03 miles, we can no longer sit on our senior couch and drop osteen jokes, or eat sno-beach together, or watch jon and kate plus 8. we can't drive around and shuffle the ipod to our emo music [relient k] or dcb, or go out to lunch after church, or celebrate 23rd birthdays together.<br /><br />so today, september 17, 2008, my dear friend whom i dearly miss gets to be front and center on my blog. happy birthday to you, mischevious jamie kim, my sour-patch eating, excessive coffee drinking, joel osteen 'loving' friend. because of you, i know it's okay to buy 'your best life now,' or have 'out-of-body experiences,' or to bring things back to me. because of you, i am daily challenged by our dear Lord who brought our paths together, challenged by the way you devote yourself to prayer and to his ministry. because of you, i am blessed with deep friendship and the experience of knowing what it's like to live in community. because of you, i am better than i was four years ago.<br /><br />i so wish we could have dinner tonight to celebrate your day together, but even more so, i wish you were here to live life with me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkDVcGJpSF97zruzWyPDtRVKl_nGqD67mhJGZ8GfDSK2oYQ31A0G4e-iceGjuiWscUQTupxMwR-bd_X592Lvy6_CJAgKmaewHbU6CeNMlLpXinYnoM3vHw73ScQHLkdHQ9ht8A6F0joHi/s1600-h/n7900451_45164976_19.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkDVcGJpSF97zruzWyPDtRVKl_nGqD67mhJGZ8GfDSK2oYQ31A0G4e-iceGjuiWscUQTupxMwR-bd_X592Lvy6_CJAgKmaewHbU6CeNMlLpXinYnoM3vHw73ScQHLkdHQ9ht8A6F0joHi/s320/n7900451_45164976_19.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247021158424291314" /></a>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-38982484734538744642008-09-14T15:06:00.004-05:002008-09-14T15:20:01.948-05:00top 10 things i've learned in law school...thus far.1. You can pretty much sue anybody for anything at anytime. As my torts professor told us, when approached with a possible tort, you must think about anybody connected to the defendant who you might be able to hold liable---mom, dad, boss, dog. Once you've done that, sue those people, too, just in case.<br />2. Insanity is pretty much a ‘get out of jail free card.’ Plead insanity and you have a good chance of getting off. I mean, if a guy can be acquitted for killing three people because he "blacked out" and doesn’t remember doing it, then the insanity defense has to be pretty legit. Moral? No. Legal? Yes.<br />3. There are always those people who think they’re smarter than everyone else. We like to call them ‘gunners’. They're also the people who raise their hands to answer questions the professor has specifically directed at someone else, or try to show that the professor [who is probably a legal genius in their own right] is wrong. So far, three have been identified in my section. All I can say is that it must be hard being the smartest person at the 16th best law school in the country.<br />4. People don’t like it when you talk in the law library. They're quick to give a hostile ‘shhh’ to anyone who speaks above a whisper. As Ty likes to say, you’ve got to be as quiet as a mouse.<br />5. The law is not completely devoid of morality. Only most of it is. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">[See above discussion on torts and insanity.]</span><br />6. Law school professors don’t like to answer questions. Any question you ask will be answered with another question. As I have found, it is quite frustrating for those of us who just want the answer and not the twenty minute discussion that comes with it.<br />7. I am officially a nerd. When you begin to justify not doing the reading because you think a possible defense in court would be that a ‘reasonable person’ would not have done the reading either, you know you’ve sold out. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">[For those of you who haven’t had the distinct pleasure to scour thousands of cases dating back to the 1600s, the reasonable person standard dictates what should be acceptable behavior in the eyes of the law].</span><br />8. Pretty much any professor you run across is some sort of legal genius in some field. For example, I was doing my Con Law reading the other day when none other but my Con Law professor himself was quoted. Crazy. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">[And for the record, Con Law has nothing to do with being a felon. Or, at least a 'criminal' felon. You might be a Constitutional felon, but I suppose that's a different subject for another day.]</span><br />9. Law school is pretty much like being a high school freshman again…you don’t know anybody, the same kids are in all of your classes, people congregate around the lockers, and everyone wants to be the best.<br />10. Law school is hard. These people weren’t joking when they said we’ve entered the house of pain.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-26165723845376589022008-09-08T02:34:00.002-05:002008-09-08T02:59:32.723-05:00Time for an Update...Law school is hard. and tiring. and more work than I have ever done in my entire school career. and surprisingly quite similar to the movie Legally Blonde.<br /><br />But God is so good. and faithful. and full of strength and mercy. and He gives me enough to get through each day. He gives me time to get it all done [even on nights like tonight when I forget that I have Con Law homework, despite the existence of a comprehensive to-do list]. He gives me time to enjoy things I love, like ministry and watching One Tree Hill and having dinner with friends new and old. He gives me wonderful people who speak truth into my life and without whom I would not have survived the last two weeks. <br /><br />and for however much legal knowledge I have acquired in the last two weeks, I have learned that despite my weaknesses, tiredness, doubts, and complaints, He will draw near to those who seek Him. He is Emmanuel, my God who is with me, and that is more than I will need for today.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-394497673865166332008-08-18T18:07:00.001-05:002008-08-18T18:07:57.204-05:00the times, they are a changin'Law school starts in exactly one week. Seven days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes.<span style="font-style:italic;"> [in case you were counting]</span><br /><br />I was buying my books the other day [and dropping enough money to buy a nice television, a very nice watch, or lots of things from Fossil] when it hit me that my books look like the ones in movies. You know, those ginormous, leather bound books that sit on the shelves of libraries in movies like Meet Joe Black. It sounds completely ridiculous, but I think that the deeper message protruding from that inane thought was that life post college is real. That Jamie and Kara really did move away. That I really am going to law school. That my life in Austin is already becoming something I don’t really know.<br /><br />It’s happening. And I can’t stop it.<br /><br />I think most of you who know me well know that I love control. I’m the type-A planner sort, that girl who would add things to a to-do list that are already completed solely for the purpose of crossing out said completed task<span style="font-style:italic;"> [issues, I know]</span>. And however much I love to be in control, thriving off of a completed to-do list, I am on a long journey that is showing me that control is not my responsibility.<br /><br />It has proven to be a very difficult lesson for me to learn, but I am realizing that control is not a responsibility I have to bear. I know that when control is something I try to carry, I am easily overburdened. And disturbed by things like spontaneity and uncertainty. And when those winds of change start to blow me out my comfort zone and into some place where I don’t know how I fit in, I feel completely lost and unsure of who I am. <br /><br />But this is not the life I am called to lead, burdened by the unseen forces of change and uncertainty. When I release this load to the One who can carry it best, I can live as I was originally created to be. I can take hold of this life I have been given, living in full confidence of who I am and where I am going. The One who has given me life has gone before me, intricately preparing my way, longing to carry the heavy burden I so often wish to carry myself, and gently whispering in my soul that there is a better way. <span style="font-style:italic;">'Take up my burden, my yoke, and find your rest in me.’ </span><br /><br />Though change seems to be blowing into my life with hurricane-force winds, I can find my footing in Him who is unmovable, unshakeable, and unconquerable. And though life right now is adorned with anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness, a twinge of excitement propels me forward into this newfound adulthood. ‘Because He promises that He will never leave me or forsake me, I can boldly say I will not fear.’<br /><br />And so while it seems like I went to bed a kid and woke up an adult, there is hope in knowing that His mercies are renewed daily. That He promises new experiences, new joys, and life to the full. Maybe, for right now, I can just enjoy the grace He has already given me. I can be thankful for those dear friends that I desperately miss, deeply grateful for the people who are still here, and confident because I know that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">but he said to me, “my grace is sufficient for you…” [2 corinthians 12:9]</span>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-9492890819279135202008-08-10T16:15:00.009-05:002008-08-10T22:42:48.292-05:00It's Olympics Time!!! [part 2](an edit to this post):<br />Okay, so I have pretty much been watching the Olympics 24/7, but the best moment by far was watching the US relay team come from behind to break a world record and silence the French in the 4x100! My roommates and I were jumping up and down, yelling and screaming at our television as we watched one of the greatest sporting moments I have ever seen. It sure brings a ton of national pride, especially when the French have been talking trash! I don't know about you, but I totally feel like singing Lee Greenwood's 'Proud to be an American'!!! GO USA!<br /><br />(an edit to my previous post):<br />After a somewhat intense conversation with some friends after church as to the legitimacy of ping-pong and badmitton as sports, I have decided that taking up either of those (or maybe skeet-shooting) might allow me to achieve my Olympic dreams without too much physical strain or sacrifice of sugar.<br /><br />And for the record, I still do not consider those 'leisure activities' real sports. But, I just might change my mind if playing ping-pong gets me a gold medal in the Olympic games.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-73581981371884140762008-08-08T23:54:00.007-05:002008-08-10T16:15:02.217-05:00It's Olympics Time!!!I think for all of us who once called ourselves athletes, there is something about watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics that excites you. From the comfort of your couch, the opening ceremony seems magical enough to give you a rush of endorphins via your high-definition television screen. The athlete inside of you remembers what it is like to compete on the highest level, to feel the thrill of playing in front of a crowd, the agony that comes with a hard-fought loss. Your muscles remember the motions you used to make a thousand times over, and that competitor inside of you longs to feel the exhilaration of constantly putting your body to a test.<br /><br />You watch the men and women march in to an athletic stage of the highest kind, and part of you feels like you could be there if you really tried. You tell yourself that tomorrow will be the resurrection of your athletic career. No more sleeping in late; morning is the best time to run. Forget that strawberry ice cream that you polished off after a barbeque dinner. It sure won't help you get your body into competitive form again.<br /><br />But...the ceremony ends, and you remember that you don't really enjoy getting up for an early morning jog anymore. And that strawberry ice cream seemed especially delicious last night. And if you were busy training to be an Olympic athlete, you'd miss most of your shows and probably wouldn't be able to hang out with your friends as much. Granted, you might have to pass up a deal with Nike or Speedo, but maybe it's okay to be a has-been too. Maybe, remembering what you used to be will be enough to get you through the 17 days of non-stop athletic competition.<br /><br />And so I will continue to wear in my spot on the couch, eating ice cream after dinner and sleeping in too late. But man, I sure do love the Olympics.Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-51087340771017611682008-07-27T04:09:00.006-05:002008-07-27T04:14:26.721-05:00lyrics for a tired soul<div style="text-align: left;">when Satan tempts me to despair<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">and tells me of the guilt within,<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">upward I look and see Him there<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">who made an end to all my sin.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">because the sinless Savior died<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">my sinful soul is counted free,<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">for God, the Just, is satisfied<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">to look on Him and pardon me.<br /></div>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-12347610983489713552008-07-17T12:23:00.016-05:002008-07-17T15:28:31.124-05:00AfricaYou cannot escape her.<br /><br />As you step off your plane and onto her land, she immediately overwhelms your senses. The sights, the smells, the sounds…it is a new and stimulating experience. The eerie stillness of a Nairobi night is much like the aura of Africa herself—vast, unknown, uncertain. You drive through the streets, struck by the paradox that is Africa: small pockets of wealth (advertisements for Sony LCD televisions and BMW cars) surrounded by immense poverty. <br /><br />You forget what you see and close your eyes for much needed sleep.<br /><br />The next morning, you board a plane to yet another unknown place. As the small plane takes off, you wonder what more does Africa hold. Where will this ‘large mosquito’ drop me off? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqZOsHwAUprLQAIoCyD7J4i6E2fiJc-9aXCbbosFqIYQGz0O4icSI02QU_uL89oFBQEXnD5r-JV07eFIMgOvCixGwivrBwRv-A81fPUeXHPSCR5Z3in-0An6uYjprr_vda1Ce76ES_owD/s1600-h/IMG_0880.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqZOsHwAUprLQAIoCyD7J4i6E2fiJc-9aXCbbosFqIYQGz0O4icSI02QU_uL89oFBQEXnD5r-JV07eFIMgOvCixGwivrBwRv-A81fPUeXHPSCR5Z3in-0An6uYjprr_vda1Ce76ES_owD/s320/IMG_0880.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224035603837212498" /></a><br />And then you land. And you are immediately greeted by smiles. Verbal communication is nearly impossible without a translator, and thus interaction becomes feeble attempts at Didinga, or laughter, or your own smile. As you ascend the mountain to the compound, children are eager to tickle your ear with grass, hoping to arise a giggle from a koaja (white person); the koajas, however, are eager to make it up the mountain without passing out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXEO_ex2P50aHsTBbS-0YL13KB8jDVduDXrk2-3TmHakCXW_68yL5qJzuO-51UJbnuq4xSSong3Y9qgpqfswf4jHolea1bI-sQnR6AZBk_CIg94Oi38fSyViyibzCy94qjxGjQH2lYDIK/s1600-h/IMG_0881.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXEO_ex2P50aHsTBbS-0YL13KB8jDVduDXrk2-3TmHakCXW_68yL5qJzuO-51UJbnuq4xSSong3Y9qgpqfswf4jHolea1bI-sQnR6AZBk_CIg94Oi38fSyViyibzCy94qjxGjQH2lYDIK/s320/IMG_0881.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224036060896836578" /></a><br /> You cannot be unaffected by the people. Their beauty and joy overflow, and your arrogant American mind wonders how it is possible for joy to exist amidst such destitution. You have never seen poverty like this, nor could you even fathom it in a place like America. And then you see them worship. And pass the offering plate—no money, just three avocados. And then you know. Their joy is the joy that can only come from the Lord, a joy unknown to those of us who have been raised with all of our daily needs met. In this war-torn place of utter poverty, He is the only hope that the people can have. They cannot depend on a government to provide or protect, nor on what their own hands might create. In Africa, in Sudan, He is the only thing worth depending on. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uTIFh1A2f8H3ZXX5RnngjEQREP1QBn91wMVR8fz5zXINML0HEwsFac55H0mkeV1XSXfvWuAQ9OgEZbU0EStYr8ma7YMaw67QdH5cQMRcdEWL3K7-YEMSIgK6nwWEYIp8LqJSrQFv6QVp/s1600-h/IMG_0958.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uTIFh1A2f8H3ZXX5RnngjEQREP1QBn91wMVR8fz5zXINML0HEwsFac55H0mkeV1XSXfvWuAQ9OgEZbU0EStYr8ma7YMaw67QdH5cQMRcdEWL3K7-YEMSIgK6nwWEYIp8LqJSrQFv6QVp/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224036468106154514" /></a><br />And so you go about your week, trying your best to live the culture as you crave the conveniences of home—showers, beds, electricity, macaroni and cheese. The days are long and hard, and just like America did in her pre-electric years, you sleep when the sun sets and rise when the rooster crows. Each day, you greet the ‘Peters-Roses-Elisabeths-Josephs’ with a smile and an ‘abuna,’ and each day you are struck by how hard they work to make you feel like family. Their care and service to you is humbling, and at times, overwhelming. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWBJ0AYyNnFTninXxJKF4QfgJAQXcFIMq08h5PZpY5jRWtNGyCb6uAV2zv_5mEBOA_PTqGAKqnzUNe7B6kk3cpArdQZdGWjKT3wy_zXPNqpqDW42GAh2sBJcMBFm2KcTANND60qidRW9h/s1600-h/IMG_0942.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWBJ0AYyNnFTninXxJKF4QfgJAQXcFIMq08h5PZpY5jRWtNGyCb6uAV2zv_5mEBOA_PTqGAKqnzUNe7B6kk3cpArdQZdGWjKT3wy_zXPNqpqDW42GAh2sBJcMBFm2KcTANND60qidRW9h/s320/IMG_0942.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224036910306241474" /></a><br />By the end of the week, you have grown to love these people. But here, you cannot trade email addresses or even mailing addresses; you know that when you board that plane to go home, you will have to love them from afar. As the plane takes off the grass airstrip amidst smiles and waves, you leave knowing that God seems more real in this place. His presence seems closer to His people here, and you know it is because their only hope is Him. They are sans distractions, the modern conveniences that disillusion our need for Him.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJrtZHLXxc3hDDIA9lmB1nPg_v3tmdVrht7NYhfzXMdqagPImHJNKCZTio96hnmIUxsDAue8EmnzZFSl_d5MLoDzqmrqes8-FzChS_GaiyvysqZX0-mloSt-RmrZi51XCBUa5LdSbhEJH/s1600-h/IMG_0943.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJrtZHLXxc3hDDIA9lmB1nPg_v3tmdVrht7NYhfzXMdqagPImHJNKCZTio96hnmIUxsDAue8EmnzZFSl_d5MLoDzqmrqes8-FzChS_GaiyvysqZX0-mloSt-RmrZi51XCBUa5LdSbhEJH/s320/IMG_0943.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224037232509311986" /></a><br />And while you are excited to come home, to take a shower, to devour pizza, you feel that a part of your heart was left in Africa. Now, you cannot forget what you saw. Your heart continues to beat for her, for her people. You long to know their joy, to be immersed in it. More than anything, you long to know the God they know, the God who is Creator, Father, Protector, <span style="font-style:italic;">Sustainer.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRql1oU_44bBKriIyY2NF9yoc5RiyAbfOZIRuit7ZMTo8x6_Q5pSquOVb7m_HIOrcHkrgH4gyTWJ9ZAculOJyFZOh1io0I3LcF1Q2Z5qNa5hvcogPhBcmvWzMrnIkimSnA0dhcis7EOIT/s1600-h/IMG_0062.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRql1oU_44bBKriIyY2NF9yoc5RiyAbfOZIRuit7ZMTo8x6_Q5pSquOVb7m_HIOrcHkrgH4gyTWJ9ZAculOJyFZOh1io0I3LcF1Q2Z5qNa5hvcogPhBcmvWzMrnIkimSnA0dhcis7EOIT/s320/IMG_0062.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224037453777056050" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. <span style="font-weight:bold;">You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.</span> I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." [Psalm 4:6-8]</span>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208795979948616068.post-64481812159124888822008-07-10T19:32:00.008-05:002008-07-10T20:16:31.775-05:00I'm Baaaccckkk........and extremely jetlagged. I'm pushing to stay up to a decent hour though my body is desperately craving sleep. As poor Shannon found out today, I'm not worth much when my body is sleep-deprived and therefore incapable of processing the last two weeks. So until I can really think about what I've experienced, don't expect too many intensive blog posts. For now, you will have to settle for a picture [sunset at Maasai Mara/Serengetti National Park].<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lULATNuHgw8jUDaIjZpVbKIafk-MtQDsHnmkqe7lPQD51WiTiZgXP0hN0wK-P5hlwb9HYpvcQkyCoRxFSMq8dEr3yZajcjNx1UG4zCgAIsquLVHHhrzufll0RHoAeG9xNqKAV25Ahv7J/s1600-h/IMG_0056.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lULATNuHgw8jUDaIjZpVbKIafk-MtQDsHnmkqe7lPQD51WiTiZgXP0hN0wK-P5hlwb9HYpvcQkyCoRxFSMq8dEr3yZajcjNx1UG4zCgAIsquLVHHhrzufll0RHoAeG9xNqKAV25Ahv7J/s400/IMG_0056.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221552141947613682" /></a>Katie Drillinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10287298392923883526noreply@blogger.com4