Pray for Scott!

So...Scott called me last night and said, "Cat, I've got some bad news. My doctor says I've got a detached retina and I need to have emergency surgery tomorrow morning...but that's not all--I'll be out of work for at least the next two weeks!" My gut reaction was that he was playing an early April Fool's joke on me! He's such a prankster. But alas, he's serious...And he could really use your prayers as he goes into surgery this morning. He has a bunch of eye complications on top of this one so pray for healing, a speedy recovery, and minimal pain...and pray for patience for our morning show listeners as they learn to just put up with me. I don't know if I can do the show without him for that long!

Swatch watch...is this the 80s?

Jeff broke the beautiful, expensive watch I gave him for his birthday two years ago (it was the very first present I ever gave my husband, BTW). So...Jeff decided to purchase the tackiest, cheapest swatch watch I've ever seen on eBay. As soon as Delaney walked into the house last night she took a look at Jeff's wrist and asked, "What on earth is that?" Max is fascinated by the lack of numbers and the huge circle dot in the center of the watch. It's embarrassing. Like a bad flashback to the 80s. I can't believe Jeff wears this to work! He looks like he's having a mid-life crisis. But I love him anyway.

Shreddin' the Gnar

Imagine being in a packed auditorium with thousands of screaming teens, raging hormones and all! Jeff and I had a blast hanging out with the youth group that Scott's wife ministers to. I've got a newfound respect for Susie. She's got this uncanny ability to love and relate to all the kids. They're so lucky to have her. And Jeff and I felt lucky to be a part of the whole Dare 2 Share experience. Tons of kids gave their lives to Christ, shared the gospel with their friends, or re-dedicated their lives. The worship music was incredible...and the speakers energized the teens with their enthusiasm to spread the gospel. Zane Black taught us some new lingo--Shreddin' the Gnar. It's a term that originated in the early days of skateboarding. It means to go big, never stop, and don't give up.

I think the six middle school girls who Jeff and I chaperoned got the message...in between doing their hair, guy watching, and texting non-stop! Man did they make me feel ancient! The seven of us were packed in a hotel room, so I offered to sleep on the floor so that two girls could sleep on the bed. One girl said, "Well, you're old so you could take the bed!" Zinger. It's true that I'm double their age! I'm so used to being the young one next to Jeff. While the girls were all darling--so precious and sweet--it made me dread the day when Delaney becomes a teen!

Unfortunately we had to hit the road earlier than planned on Saturday because of the impending snowstorm. We arrived back in Peoria at 11pm...and woke up to this incredible white mess. I'm posting this picture for the benefit of my family in Hawaii. Yes, it snows here in the Midwest even in the spring!
After this experience, Jeff and I really want to do something ministry-related together, as a team. He's so much fun to be with and I wouldn't have had nearly as good of a time if he wasn't by my side. I'm so lucky to have him. In my fantasy world, I would have Jeff all to myself, 24/7 and live in a big city.
But alas, reality intervenes...and it's back to the grind tomorrow. I should've taken the day off. I'm so sleep-deprived!

Dare 2 Share

Jeff and I could really use your prayers today. We're heading to St. Louis in mid-afternoon with a bus packed with 100 teenagers! I'm sleep-deprived already, so I can't imagine how I'll feel tomorrow morning when the alarm sounds early for the Dare 2 Share conference. I'm sleeping in a hotel room with six middle school girls! Scott & Jeff are rooming together with a couple of boys.
The mission of "Dare 2 Share" is to energize and equip teenagers to know, live and share their faith in Christ. Statistics show that 2 out of 3 Christian teens will leave the church once they graduate high school. I wish I could've attended a conference like this when I was a kid. I think it would've helped me to avoid some pitfalls in my college years.
Anyway, I'm not sure what this experience will be like. We've not really worked with teens before...I'm kind of anxious about the experience and just pray that Jeff and I have supernatural patience and just enjoy interacting with the kids...and that we don't lose them when we canvass the streets of St. Louis!

Picture Day!

I love my husband's creative spirit. Yesterday Jeff rushed home from work eager to gather up the family to take photos in the Warehouse district in Peoria. We're sorely lacking family photos in our home and Jeff is enthused about a tripod he recently purchased. I reluctantly agreed and changed out of my glasses and sweatpants. Well, I should've taken a closer look at the forecast--it was so windy, what on earth was I thinking wearing a dress?

Winds felt like they were gusting at 25 m.p.h. The kids were grimacing. I nearly gave Delaney a concussion...Jeff had me hold up a dilapidated door. As soon as he let go to rush towards the camera as the wind knocked it down, I screamed and Delaney escaped from under me just in time. I still have a bruise on my side thanks to that door...and Laney said her head ached.

Max wanted to take pictures of me and Laney, so this is a snapshot from him.

Jeff took some photos of the kids playing with the wheelbarrow. I thought this snapshot was kind of cute.

I have a feeling we'll be returning to downtown Peoria to take more photos. These didn't turn out the best...the sun was coming down and it was freezing...we weren't color-coordinated. And we should probably bring an actual photographer with us next time. Are there any good spots to take pictures around Peoria that you know of? Let me know!

Who has time to read?

"True love demands that, like a bride with her bouquet, you toss your fragile heart into the waiting crowd of living hands and trust that they will catch it."--Kate Braestrup
This weekend I ducked away for a few hours to--gasp--read! My husband's grandfather recommended a book called "Here If You Need Me." It's a compelling true story of a woman who followed in the footsteps of her husband who passed away before he could achieve his dream of being a chaplain in the Maine Warden Service, which sets up search-and-rescue missions throughout the state. She wrote about tromping through my old stomping grounds in Ellsworth and Orrington...comforting people in times of unimaginable loss. I can't say I entirely agree with her theology, but I found the book poignant and well worth reading. I used to be such an avid reader as a kid...before real life broke in with laundry, dirty dishes, working 40-hours a week, making dinner after dinner, taking care of a husband and two kids. After a long work week, it's so nice to steal away for some silence and lose myself in someone else's world. I hope you all find time for yourselves in the business of life!

A Family Affair

With Sharathon underway tomorrow, I thought it'd be wise to cook enough dinner on Sunday to last a couple of days. My mother-in-law's recipe for spaghetti and meatballs is just about the only food item our family of four can agree on...plus it lasts for days and my husband doesn't get sick of the leftovers. While I was cooking, Max offered to help me make the meatballs. He screamed, "The meat is cold!" when he stuck his hands in to mash the ingredients together.

It was fun to cook with Max. It took a little longer than if I did it alone but I think it's good to have the kids help in the kitchen. I had no idea Max enjoyed cooking so much. I should include him more often in my dinner preparations. Do you have any family favorite recipes your kids love? I'd love to hear them...I'm always on the lookout for good recipes.

My husband is an ultra-picky eater...here he is browning the meatballs (something I hate to do)...He and I both like spicy ethnic food, but it's hard to cook in a way that pleases both him and the kids. Sometimes I end up making multiple dishes. If it were up to me and Jeff, we'd eat seafood, stir-fry or pasta just about every day! I just got a free subscription to "Taste of Home" and am eager to experiment with new recipes once Sharathon wraps up!

Laney Got Her Ears Pierced!

Today I rushed back from the Hearts at Home conference to see Laney get her ears pierced at Claire's. She's been begging for this as long as I've known her. Jeff didn't think she was ready for it last year but this year we all felt that Laney had grown into a fairly responsibly young lady who is well equipped to take care of herself and she deserves to have her ears pierced if she wanted it so much.

It was fun to watch her reaction while holes were being punctured in her earlobes. I remembered going through the same thing when I was about her age. The difference is that I squeaked when I got my ears pierced but Laney didn't say a word. She said the second puncture kinda hurt, though.

Delaney decided on white gold and cubic zirconia earrings...She's a little young to get diamond earrings, so the fakes will suffice until maybe her Sweet 16! She's growing up so fast. Just the other day I was looking through pictures of the kids. They're about a head taller now than they were two years ago, when I first entered their lives.
On Monday's morning show we'll be talking about rites of passage at 6:41. Do you remember any as a kid...or are your kids going through them? We'd love to hear from you.

Love Like You Mean It

I can't believe I blogged about my silly paint-job but failed to talk about the Weekend to Remember marriage conference. Jeff and I had the privilege of attending the seminars for a second time this year. As always, the love letter project we completed was the most powerful part of the weekend for both of us. We were instructed to respond to the following questions in the form of a love letter to our spouse:
1. What were the qualities that attracted me most to you when we first met?
2. What qualities do I appreciate most about you since we've been married?
3. How have our differences helped me grow spiritually and emotionally?
4. What steps will I commit to take to love God and you more?
I wish I could share with you verbatim the beautiful words that Jeff wrote me...After a year and a half of doing life together as a married couple, our love has grown and deepened in spite of--and sometimes because of--the challenges we've endured. After that conference, I committed to deepening my personal relationship with the Lord so that I can draw from the greatest source of love and strength to be the best wife for Jeff. I also need to work on my ability to forgive--something that comes easily for my husband but not for me. Marriage can be an isolating experience if we fail to grasp God's perspective on the difficulties of the most intimate relationship we could ever be blessed with. But I do believe if you're faithful to the Lord and commit to never walking out on your spouse no matter how hard it gets, you will be blessed beyond measure.

Repainting

I'm lucky my husband is so laid-back. On Friday I was thinking of how much I hate the awful yellow color in my kitchen. So I decided to head to Lowe's after work, purchased a gallon of hot pink/red paint, and I drove straight home and painted a layer of bright red coating all over the kitchen. Mind you, I didn't discuss this first with my husband. We've been a little stressed out over our housing situation. He's been trying to sell his place for three years to no avail...and this housing market is so awful. If I have to live here for a while longer, I definitely need to make some upgrades. My house is so drab. I'd like it to feel more youthful and colorful...I want the walls to scream HAPPY to encourage a better mood. So that's why I decided on red.
After getting over the initial shock of seeing the walls another color, Jeff helped me paint a second a third layer of paint tonight. My friends think I'm lucky Jeff is so permissive! I really am sometimes.

Scoop-a-li-cious

When I was a little girl and I had a hard day, my grandpa would take me to Baskin Robbins and buy me a "clown cone." It's basically a scoop of ice cream attached to an inverted sugar cone, decorated like a clown with ribbons of colorful frosting. Today I felt my energy lag in the afternoon, having dealt with a stressful mishap (blended family life is truly a mixed blessing)...so instead of heading home after work as I normally do, I decided to pop in at our local Baskin Robbins and buy myself a clown ice cream cone. I sure needed the sugar rush and pick-me-up! It was kind of embarrassing to take it to the counter--the woman asked if I was buying it for my child! But it brought a smile to my day...remembering fond childhood memories...and adults memories.
For my 25th birthday, Jeff ordered clown cones for my birthday party's guests when he hosted a BBQ at his home to celebrate. It was really sweet of him to remember my favorite childhood treat.
Now I'm heading to the Riverfront for a long walk. Doesn't the weather feel like spring? I hope you do something to pick yourself up in this beautiful day!

Breaking Free

Talk about a one-two punch. When I gave up coffee in hopes of hearing more from God, a sweet co-worker gave me the devotional book, "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. It's been a real eye-opener in challenging me to surrender strongholds in my life that are keeping me from pursuing an abundant relationship with the Lord. Giving up my addiction to coffee has made me physically weak and that's brought a lot of spiritual weaknesses to the surface. I certainly don't want to be shackled to addictions, whether it's to a substance or a negative pattern of thinking or a behavior that does a disservice to the core relationships in my life. I'm learning more and more that life is a work in progress and we can choose to stay static and not allow the Lord to help us work on our "stuff" or we can do the hard and prayerful work of purifying ourselves to be used most effectively by God.