Bright Eyes...

So... many things about me are changing right now.

I've lost 35 pounds, my ministry is changing, my relationships with people are changing, I feel different, and I look different...

and now I look even a bit more different...

This morning Kate Merrick plucked my eyebrows and put some makeup on me and gave me some tips... so now... even my eyes are different!
And I love it :-)

When did I turn into a lady?

Hebrews 12:11

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."

Have you ever gone through the amazing and terrifying experience of the Lord completely changing, molding, and reworking your life? That's where I'm at right now. Somewhere between that part in the above verse of sorrowful and righteousness. Everything about me is changing. I tangibly feel the Lord "messing" with my life... in a good way :-) So many nights of me being broken before the Lord, but I know He's taking those broken pieces of me and creating a whole new, clean, and beautiful vessel; fully equipped to serve Him in a brand new way.

My physical looks, my desires, my ministry, my friendships... I almost don't know what to think or say. Everyday someone tells me something like "You're countenance has changed, there's more joy in your eyes". It's totally the Lord. It's amazing the change that occurs when you in your flesh stop trying to perform and do things and stop and let the Lord have full control in your life, no matter how seemingly scary it may be. Obedience is better then sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22)

I'm going to have to make some big decisions in the next couple weeks that will affect the next two years of my life. Please be praying for me... I promise to fill my readers in soon when I have more details but it has to do with missions. But I do covet your prayers above all else as I seek the Lord and His plan for my life.

"When blood and water hit the ground,
walls we couldn't move came crashing down..."
~ Phil Wickham: True Love

A Sacrafice...

A sacrifice of praise
A sacrifice of great cost
Leaving my self
Leaving my will
At the foot of the cross

My tears and my shame
My hopes and my fears
You can mold them
You can change them
Lord, Please show me
Your will

My path before me
Is no longer my own
I humbly bow down
At the foot of Your throne

Take me
Use me
Change me
Break me

My life is no longer my own.

copyright 2007 Kjaere Friestad
all rights reserved
8.14.07 written @ Wycliffe Conference

A girl of Many names...

I have gathered quite a collection of nick names over my 25 1/2 years of life.

When I was young my Farfar
(Norwegian for "Father's Father") called me "KiKi"

In Jr. High kids started calling me "KJ"

In high school some called me "Kage"

And since then, the sky's the limit for the names:
PayJay, KayJer, K.J.E.E., K.Jizzle, KahJara, etc...

I don't mind any of the names. It's always interesting to see what a person may beckon me by.

However, the most seldom used name in my life is:
My real one.

Now, here's a little history for you. When my parents decided to name me, they wanted to be unique. My family is very much Norwegian on both sides. My great grandparents from my Mom and my Dad were born in Norway. So apparently, as I'm told, my Dad was looking through the Norwegian dictionary one day, to see if he could find a name and he came upon this:

kjære: darling, dear.
Similar to - kjæreste: beloved.

He thought that would be a wonderful name for me.

However, in Norwegian it is pronounced: Sharrah
(and you have to role the 'r's in the middle, which I can't do!)

He didn't like that pronunciation, so he decided on the pronunciation of "Key-are-ah"

And to spell it with English letters, instead of the
Norwegian squished "a" "e" letters.

Thus I became the one and only: KJAERE

To be honest, I have never asked my Dad why he chose to pronounce it that way. I'll be calling him tomorrow, and if I get an answer, I'll update this.

So why make a lengthy post about all this? Well, Zoe thought it would be fun to try to bring my real name back.
I love it when people actually use my real name.

So that is our current mission.

Don't worry, I'll still answer to anything
with a K and a J in it...
but besides my family and a handful of friends,
this transformation shall be challenging...
but you can do it :-) Don't worry!

Norwegian Table Prayer
(prayed at many of my family's important dinners and such... although don't tell my grandparents I can never remember all the words!)

I Jesu navn går vi til bords
å spise, drikke på ditt ord.
Deg, Gud til ære, oss til gavn,
Så får vi mat i Jesu navn.
Amen.

In Jesus' name to the table we go
To eat and drink according to His word.
To God the honor, us the gain,
So we have food in Jesus' name.
Amen.