hey, y'all! i'm katie! welcome to my little corner of the web. i am so stoked you're here! please make yourself feel at home!
Meet katie
Hi there! It's so great to make a friend like you!
First & foremost, I love Jesus! That's probably the most important thing you could know about me. My one desire in this life is to know Him & make Him known—
He's my everything.
I'm a Southern California gal who is now blessed to live in Dallas, Texas! Things that fill my heart up: creating, adventuring & exploring, traveling, spending time with family & friends, the ocean, missions, thrifting, flowers, the mountains, goats, açaí bowls, Disneyland & white chocolate Reese's.
Though only 10 years ago I would have thought I would be working in the entertainment industry in some capacity, I'm grateful for the way the Lord has orchestrated my life.
In 2017 I graduated from Biola University with a degree in Christian Ministries & a minor in Biblical Studies. I have served in ministry in the local church for the past 5.5 years across many different departments (specifically Next Generation, Women's & Global).
God has given me a special love for writing. Ever since I was little I would fill notebooks & journals with curly-cues & squiggles, & as soon as I knew how to spell (not well, I might add) I would write stories & songs.
Today, writing is healing. It's a form of therapy for me. This blog, in a lot of ways, has been like holy ground. The Lord has met me countless times through writing—He has revealed His presence, softened my heart & done His refining work in my life. As much as I hope that the words I share in this space minister to you, I know that they have definitely ministered to me through the process of writing. That's the coolest part about working with God.
One thing I loved to say in college is,
"I'm just a pen in the hand of the Author of life."
the Mission
she·nan·i·gans
/SHəˈnanəɡənz/
noun INFORMAL
plural noun: shenanigans; noun: shenanigan
·silly or high-spirited behavior; mischief
It's my hope to share life in this space—all parts of it: the beautiful, the ugly, the laughs, the hurts, the healing, the messy bits, the fun.
From walking more closely with Jesus, to exploring the beautiful world God has created, to living life to the fullest—whatever form that takes. Let's do it together!
Katie's Shenanigans all started with my desire to write, & share life with others. This blog is completely dedicated to the Lord, because without Him, none of this content would even matter.
The meaning behind shenanigans (in my own interpretation) has an awful lot to do with being set apart. Shenanigans is usually in reference to someone who is up to no good, but I see that as someone who is going against the flow. This world is so easily influenced by current culture. As Christians, we're called to hold onto our convictions, even when the world is pressuring us to give in to their standards. We're called to pursue righteousness, even when others disguise dirt, smut & evil as lovely & push it in our faces telling us to dig-in. This call—to be set apart—is a hard one to answer sometimes.
Standing out can be uncomfortable, but we've got the Spirit of God living inside of us! If we're living in step with the Spirit (as we see in Galatians 5), then we'll naturally stand out by the fruit we are producing. My hope is that you will come just as you are, and leave a little bit closer to Jesus. That you would grow in the light of His love & mercy and go forth to pour out that love to others, even if it's seen as shenanigans.
As far as this world is concerned, we're up to some "silly business" following Jesus Christ. But I say, if that's what shenanigans really is, then it's the best part of life! Being set apart may not always be the easy way to live, but it's worth it! Because having a relationship with Jesus is worth it.
God will give us the strength we need in order to fearlessly stand firm in our faith & live a life according to His word, & to live a life that points others to Him. And if we're living a life according to the word of God, then we'll be living a life that will make us absurdly happy! So what if "shenanigans" is seen as mischief! Because if our "mischief" is that we're not fitting the mold that this world has, & we're living out a life that reflects Jesus, then I say bring on the shenanigans! It's time to live boldly for Jesus in ALL that we do.
Jesus is to be found everywhere: in little and grand adventures! And I'm on the journey of finding His joy in everything (even the messy bits)! I hope you'll join me!
If you so choose to stay & visit this site, as I share about what God is teaching me post by post, I would love for you to keep in touch about YOUR little and grand adventures in life too! Just leave your stories & even your prayer requests in the comments on any post! Or, click on the "CONNECT" tab above! Can't wait to be friends!
xoxo,
katie mcguire
"Jesus promised his followers three things:
They would be entirely fearless, absurdly happy, & always in trouble."
-Marty Babcock