The Honest Truth

I miss my family. Not in a homesick-need-a-hug type of way, but a life-is-happening-and-I-am- not-there sort of way.
I got this text message from one of them the other day....
"I think you are the fox and I am the hound and we are the bestest of friends. Even though we are growing while we are apart we stay the bestest of friends til the end."
And then a letter today...
"Dearest Kat- Things aren't the same without you. I simply feel better, think better, smile more, sing more..."
One of my sisters turned 18 a couple of weeks ago....this is also her senior year of highschool and her last semester rowing....and I have never been to a regatta.
My two youngest siblings got baptized a couple of Sundays ago.
My older brother is graduating from college. COLLEGE!
I could go on....
But the thing is in their day-to-day lives, I know little of what they face....their trials, joys, triumphs, fears, laughs. I used to know the members of my family better than I knew myself and they knew me better than I did. They are my closest friends, the people I am the most proud of, and the ones I want to share the joy and pain of life with......and now I am just. not. there.
Christ is abundantly sufficient. He knows and cares for me more than anyone ever could....and the same for my family too. It's a comfort, but makes me miss them all the more.

Laughter

Tonight we had our weekly Thursday night-spaghetti diner. The conversation is always lively. Tonight Tom told a story about hitting a deer here in Armada a few years ago....
"It was crazy...I even had deer horns on the front of my car, but they did not do any good."
Christina questioned, "Well, did you use it?!?"
The table erupted with laughter.

My Room

Cupcake Cones with Katie

Sounds like a tongue twister, eh?

Last night I hung out with Katie, a friend of mine. She goes to school over an hour away and because of varying circumstance, I had not seen her since before Christmas. Seeing her is always twofold....a blessing and a curse. She is so fun, but also an amazing baker and I like sweets. Last night we made and decorated this cupcake cones. I had more than my fair share.
Later on we played Wii fit. I don't know if you have ever done this, but it is a pretty fun way to work out....and what I mean by fun is funny, because if you had no idea what people where doing you would think they where crazy. My favorite game was hula hooping, which I am terrible at in real life. The Wii also has a little computer animated personal trainer....where she gets what she says I have no idea. She said things like,
"It is really hard to workout when you are tired, isn't it?"
"If your balance was better, you would be able to complete this exercise."
"If you would workout regularly, this would not be a problem for you."
I thought it was hilarious. I mean, think about it....in the world we like in today the only person that is truly honest with us is some computer that has processed certain information and spits out what it has been programed to say. On second thought, its rather sad.
And now, like on most of my posts, I have no idea how to conclude because I had no real point in writing in the first place.....so I am ending now. Bye.

Beauty from the Inside Out

When we stopped at the Hampton Inn in Ohio, this garage thing was next to the driveway. I thought it was a cool place for some pictures and Christina humored me.

North Carolina

Last Thursday, the 12th, I went out to leave to find that my car would not start. We were planning on leaving for North Carolina early the next morning, so instead of having someone pick me up then, I just stayed at Christina's the night before. We woke up bright and early the next morning and went to Papa's Diner for breakfast. We were at the Schroeder's by 6:45 and we were all rolling out by 7ish.
Let me just say right now that I LOVE traveling. New people, new places, new experiences, great memories, going somewhere....what could be better? On top of that, traveling with The Ezekiel Project is a breeze....for me at least. I eat. I sleep. I talk. I read. I laugh. All for several hours on end. And that pretty much sums it up for me.

(In the car on the way down)

We had to make a quick bathroom stop somewhere in Ohio. The nearest place was the Hampton Inn. When we got there, the were wrapping up their continental breakfast, so they told us we could have anything we wanted. Of course, we obliged them. I remember Chris saying, "Is this provision, or what?!?"

(Christina in front of a map at the Hampton Inn )

I have had some pretty ummm *interesting* experiences in Ohio. Everything that has gone wrong on my trips south and back seem to have gone wrong in Ohio and it is such a loooonnnnnggg state to drive through. But, I realized this time that in spite of all that, Ohio is actually really pretty and diverse. Signing like no one was listening with Barb, Murph, and Christina held the most special moments of the trip.

On our way down to the conference, we stopped at Mountain Top Youth Camp, near Winston-Salem, for the weekend. While there I hiked, rolled on scooter down a hill, went sledding for the first time (yes there was snow there, well, just the last day) rock climbing, and just some good hard playing...and resting. It was so relaxing and so nice just to step away from the reality of life for a few days.
...and you cannot beat the view! I don't think I would ever get used to it....or at least I would never want to.

At the Valentine's banquet, one of the girls I was staying with ran up to me, but something in my hand and said, "For when you leave." It was this sweetheart that said "Miss You" The big heart underneath it is soap, made by the girl's sister. So yes, because of them, not all the fun things or views, but doing it with them and others, that made it an amazing weekend.


And the conference? Well, I have a decade's worth of thinking to do to process it all, so I will write about it then. But seeing my grandfather was wonderful too.

Love, Love, L-O-V-E

One way to show how much you love someone is how much you give up for them....God gave His Son...Christ gave His life. Is there any greater demonstration of love? I submit that there is not. What a wonderful valentine!

I tend not to think much of Valentine's day, but this year I did send some homemade cards to some people that I care about the most. I printed pictures in black and white, wrote in red marker on the front, then made a post card out on the back.

Valentine's night, I went to a chapel that was having an outreach banquet. Several people come, heard the gospel clearly, and I played with the kids. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate God's gift of love.

Guess Who's Packing?

That's right! My trip to North Carolina is here! Well, almost. We leave in the morning. And what is packing without trying out all the outfits?!?

A Night at Cubbies

When everyone first comes in, all the age groups in Awana stand on the read line, pledge to the flags, pray and then divide. For the Cubbies, games come next. We spend the first few minutes stretching, then we run back and forth across the gym, doing different things. Some things are, monkeys, cats, the crab walk, jumping, and skipping. Then we move onto any variety of games. Last night we carried spoons in hands and then our mouths, with candy hearts on them and made our way around the circle. The girls loved this, but one in particular was dissapointed that she did not get to eat the candy at the end.

Then we follow the "Line Leader" for the night and go to the room for water.


At this point, the Cibbie Bear puppet comes out for hugs and kisses and to introduce the theme for the night. For story time, (in theory) we sit "Criss-cross-apple sauce" with our hands in our lap on a square. Last night the story was about Ruth and Boaz, which seems like a simple enough story, but think about explaining to three-year-olds. The point we talked about was that if you love someone, you will take care of them, giving them what they need the most. Ruth did this for Naomi, Boaz did this for Ruth, and God has and still does it for us, by gving us Jesus.
As a transition from story time to craft time, we swing a couple of differnt songs. We always sing the Awana Cubbies' song and last night we included "Jesus loves me" I taught them the motions, and it was so precious to watch those girls sing and motion with delight. For crafts, we made Valentine cards for the girls' parents.
While the rest of the girls work on their crafts, I spend time each of them one at a time to talk w and allow them to say their verse. Last night the verse was "I have loved thee with an everlasting love..." I wish I could express in written words the different pronuciations of "everlasting".
The last activity before we head back to the gym is snack time. I mean, we just have to get them all hyper on sugar before we hand them back over to their parents. We go back to the gym for awards and wrap up, the parents take the kids, and it is all over within an hour and a half. Somehow, it always leaves me tired, but encouraged.
So that, my friends, is what one of the highlights of my weeks looks like.

"How could 18 years just up and walk away
Our little pony-tailed girl grown up to be a woman
Now she's gone in the blink of an eye..."

Today, my sister Ashlyn turned 18. Many people have been making comments about her leaving childhood and becoming an adult today, but the truth is, she already acts like an adult when the situation calls for it, but has the positive out look on life that a child has.

Her outlook on life is laugh, love, and honesty....

She loves people in a way that I have seen few people do. She loves them for who they are, finds the best in them, and thinks it is an honor to spend time with people, no matter who they are. She hardly ever thinks she is better than other people and treats people the way that people long to be treated. When someone new comes in, Ashlyn is one of the first ones to talk to them....you would think that by the way she interacts with them that they where the best of friends. She treats people that way, not because she thinks she should, but because she genuinely loves them and enjoys getting to know people.
Yet, at the same time, she cares so little about what others think of her. She knows what she thinks, what she likes and dislikes, and what is important to her. She never puts on airs, but what you see is what you get. And she is very honest about life, people, herself, and who she is. She is a woman who fears the Lord....and few others.
The combination of love and honesty that she is a unique. A lot of people who I know that are very loving, often refuse to see things they really are. Then others who are exceptionally honest, have a hard time showing love to people. Ashlyn is a beautiful blend of both because she honestly loves people.
But she is not only honest to others, but she is honest about herself. She does have a *bit* of a temper, but she will be the first one to admit it. We had many "I am going to rip your head off" ...um scratch that... "sister" moments, but her ability to forgive and my diplomacy skills always brought us through. I am happy to report we have not had one of those moments in many years, but plenty of sisterly moments.
She is also gullible and I have a horrible habit of taking advantage of people who are gullible. When we were really young, she loved having pennies...I am not sure why, I just knew she did. Since I had a lot of pennies and she had a bunch of green paper, we decided to have an even trade....a penny for a bill. My plan was flawless except for her excitement about all of her new wealth....she spilled the beans. My dad took one of her dollar bills and then brought a hundred pennies home to her the next night. Thus, the end of our deal.


Happy Birthday, dear sister! I look forward to seeing what the years to come hold for you and long for eternity when I can see the impact your life has made! I love you Ashlyn Rebekah!!

Out of the nerd cavern...

...or whatever you call it. I know that the term for a geek's place of socializing is the "Geek Cave" but I do not know what the equivalent term for a nerd is. Whatever it is, I have been in it the past couple of days with books, letters to write, and my pajamas on for half the day. The weather today was warm (a sunny 48 degrees) so I did venture out. I took the picture above this evening. One thing about being able to see for miles because of farmland is amazing sunsets.

I found myself at Target...just to pick up a few little things. The last time I was there, I was doing Christmas shopping, so it had been awhile. I do not particularity enjoy shopping, though I don't find it dreadful. What I do enjoy is finding great deals on things. And it was that experience of joy that reminded me today of why I love Target....the dollar spot and the 75% off clearance racks. I had been looking for something special to do with the Cubbies this week with Valentine's day in mind. These half made finish-it-yourself cards were my answer. They come with stickers as shapes, letters, words, and pictures...and plenty of room for drawing a picture on the inside. Perfect for little hands with lots of creativity....and only a buck for a pack of two!


So, I did not really save any money, because I ended up spending more money then I originally intended. But I have lots more stuff...and that's what is all about right? I kid, I kid.

I want to blog...

...but I am just not sure what to write. So, I am just going to write and see what I come up with....
*Last night the story in Cubbies was about the man who was crippled and whose friends lowered him through the roof to get to Jesus in the house. I told the girls to pretend like their legs have never worked, they had to walk around on their hands, and then someone told them to walk, and they where able to do it! Then the girls where up, jumping and saying, "My legs work!"
*Today is my grandma's birthday. Rumor has it she is celebrating it and her anniversary, which was last week, at the beach. Her and grandpa love shells....one of them points to a shell with their toes, the other picks it up. One has a good vision, the other, a good back. Makes me smile to just picture them doing it.
* When I went out to the car this morning, my nose and everything in it froze. And my fingers where numb within a minute. My car said it was -14 out there. Yikes!
* I have no really exciting plans for the weekend....just studying, working on some projects, a few errands, cleaning, reading...and past that I have no clue. Three of my siblings are going skiing this weekend...I have to admit, that makes the envy monster come out!
*Next week I will be going to North Carolina for a conference down there. My grandfather will be at the conference, so I will get to spend time with him. :) In the south once again!
* I have learned a great many things this week...some in ways that I wish I had not. The lessons, however, are oh so precious....ones that I want to keep forever.
* At the beginning of January, my dad lost his job. His last official day with the company would be tomorrow, but apparently the company has been reorganizing, so he has been hired back! What an answer to prayer!
*My younger sister will be turning 18 next week. No longer a little girl....which means I am not either! :(
* We worked in the studio this morning at the TV station that I am taking a class at. We switched up some of the roles, and shot three eight minute segments. I was floor director, sound technician, and a camera man. It was fun. To here Christina's perspective from this morning, click here.
* I have at least five books that I am plowing through right now...one theological, one historical fiction, one devotional, one just plan fiction, one on English. I loooovvee reading, but I should probably have a more systematic approach to just get through them. I do like the change up, though. I will probably just continue on as I am.
*So, this turned into more of a summary of the week.... It is time for me to go home, so so long for now. Seated on high- Kat

On Prayer

"Prayer honors God, it dishonors self. It is a man's plea of weakness, ignorance, need- a plea that the heaven cannot disregard."

"Walking with God down the avenues of prayer, we acquire something of His likeness, and unconsciously we become witnesses to others of His beauty and His grace."

"The execution of the Gospel, the vigor of faith, the maturity and excellence of spiritual graces wait on prayer."

All for E.M. Bounds on Prayer.

Mug Shots

Saturday evening Christian, Anna and I went to go pick up our mugs from the Creative Arts Studio. The week before we had a lot of fun painting the mugs, but because of the need for concentration, we did little talking. So this week we went back to the Hennings' for dinner and then we watched a movie. I enjoyed the time immensely. Below are some before, during and after pictures of my mug~

This is what the the mug looked like before I did anything to it...called "Asian Flare".

After I painted, but before the firing. I knew it would look different and that the rocks in the top part of the paint would explode. I was excited about getting the results.

After the firing..

I have always really wanted to be artistically creative, but no matter how much I try to be, I am just not. This, however, made me feel like I was, even for a little while.