Because I Promised Kylie I'd Write A Short About Purple Mold...

Iyanna screamed. One long, loud note of desperation and horror rang out in the quiet of the small hut.

Westin ran in to the outhouse, where Iyanna stood, tears leaking from her eyes and both hands pressed hard against her open mouth. She was shaking. Her brother grasped her hard on her shoulders. "Yan! What's wrong? Answer me!"

Iyanna wanted to scream again, to tell him that the end had come, that he was hurting her, but she could never judge her brother. He was as afraid as was she... desperately afraid. She melted, sobbing, into his arms.

He stroked her hair, held her tight until the shaking subsided. "What's wrong?"

She sat up, looked him in the eye, and said, "Look around you, West. Look what's happening." She felt a tremor start in her hands again as he observed, with a look of pure terror, the walls of the room.

Reddish violet mold had crept up the walls in just a matter of hours. It gave the room a dark, dank hue and an unpleasant odor.

But that was not the reason for their fear. This mold was more than just a structural problem. Everyone in Voresct knew the significance of the violet mold. It's rarity made it instantly recognizable. No one knew quite where it came from, only that it was a gift from the God who had created their land. Simply put, the violet mold warned of conflict, of war, and mostly, of death.

War had not come to Voresct in sixty-nine years. Recently, it had threatened only the very outer borders. But this? This sign that open war and quick death were coming to Iyanna's farm? Something had to be wrong.

Iyanna sat, staring at the voracious mold that threatened their lives, long after Westin left. At thirteen years old, Iyanna hardly knew what to make of it all. She was too young to die. She hadn't done anything worthwhile yet. The mold could not speak of her death. Her three younger sisters? She shuddered. Not them. So tiny, so innocent. She would not allow it. Her mother? Too weak and careworn to be of any notice.

Her heart leaped. Westin? No. No. Her hands started to shake again. She bit her tongue and willed herself to stop tremoring. Sweet Westin, her adored, adorable big brother, was the air she breathed. He meant everything to her. She wasn't sure she could make it with him dead. No, she was quite sure she couldn't.

Tendrils of musty odor slipped into her hair. She clasped both hands together, hard. Please God, she said, If there is a God, save my brother's life. Don't let this omen come to pass. Spare us. Spare us.

( The purple mold is from Kylie. I promised her I'd write a short that involved purple mold that warned of attacks. This was the result. It's totally strange, but maybe you'll enjoy seeing a piece of my brainstorm-stories. If not, stick around and I'll post something more serious in a day or two. - C.
An added note: If you want to read Part II of The Purple Mold Trilogy [no, I did not come up with the name- that was Kylie] go ahead and visit her blog at www.reflections412.wordpress.com. -C.)

I am such a klutz

I am SUCH a klutz.... less than twelve hours till Christmas and I told my mother by accident what one of her gifts was. Oh. My. Goodness. I. Am. Such. A. Klutz.

Anyway,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Your sister in Christ,

C.

Totally Excited

You guys are probably all aware that I've been working on a lot of publishing opportunities and contests recently. I'm still waiting to hear back on most of those, but today I heard back on one that I thought God had closed the door on.

You may have heard me mention the online writer's group I'm part of (it's AMAZING!) The girl who runs it just got her book published. It's called Devos 2 Go, by Lydia Rule and the link for it is here.

She asked those of us on her writing group to write up some short devos/vignettes for her book. I just barely got mine in on deadline. Her editor got back to me and told me either he or Lydia would be in touch with me if either of my pieces were selected. I never heard back, so I assumed I hadn't made the cut.

Lydia sent me a copy of her book and I received it today. Signed on the inside was: Catey - Thanks for writing for my book! Enjoy! God bless, Lydia Y. Rule (See pages 105 and 110 : ) )

And there I was! Both of my devos are in there! I had NO IDEA!!! I'm really excited- this is, after all, my first print publication.

If you want to check out her book (it's really cool) you can at the link above.

Merry Christmas,

C.

Something Unusual

I'm going to publish something unusual today. It's a poem.

I am so small
Hidden away from the great eye in the blue
In this wild of nothingness
So alone
I am No One,
Nothing. And no one is here.
Doesn’t anybody care?
Here I am, caught
In this grey, leering fog
Of myself.
I’m caught in this web of deceit and pain.
Where am I?
Who am I?
My heart beats, heat and cold jerk me from reality to illusion,
I’m alive. But what
Does that mean?
Someone is coming to rescue me from this
I hope.
I know someone will come
I pray.
Rescue me
From this empty.

Where, O Where...

Here I am!!! But I'm not going to bore you with a post here.

Instead, visit www.kidsoffaithonline.net and see what I've been up to there with the other writers...

Okay, but I will bore you with this bit of news:

(First, you should read this post )

So my less-than-affectionately-nicknamed orthodontist (The Devil in Disguise) broke to me that I now have another six weeks to go on my braces... 23 months and counting.... and my friend is going to get his off before me and gloat and laugh pitilessly at my tears as I lie in wait... forever waiting...

-Catey

Insert a long sigh here....

Okay, I'm done with tags for a while:

Faithful Follower:

1. I'm super super super super super excited about the Jan/Feb issue of KOF!!!
.2. Let's see... You remind me of the movie Chronicles of Narnia... probably because you love it so much...
.3. I'm going to wrestle you in banana cream pudding. How's that sound?
4. 5'9" is so tall! It's simply not fair!
5. I think it had something to do with your lovely denim skirt that I am totally envious of. : )
6. The dove - a quiet reminder of the peace of God and his ways.
7. What is your favorite subject in school?
.8. Your transparency- the fact that you are willing to share your heart.
9. Oopssss.... I just realized that I put the same thing twice, so I'm going to make up something totally random here... What book character you remind me of!!!! Okay, so you remind me of Samwise in The Lord of the Rings.

Judi:

1. You are amazing at yelling at people over the email!!!
2. Hmm, this is really really hard for me. You remind me of the movie/book Emma (Jane Austen).
3. Lime!!!!
4. Hrrrr (that is my growling noise) I can't think today!!! How about something about apple jello (which sounds nasty to me)
5. That you are totally fun!
6. Flamingo. I have no idea why - that was just the animal that came to mind.
.7. There are actually two: First, how old are you? Second, do you like pink?
8. I love your writing and the fact that you push me to post *embarrassed grin*
.9. Book character: You actually remind me of one of my characters, Mark James.

OKAY!!! THAT IS IT FOR THE TAGS!!!!!!!!!!!! Everybody better give me a break for a while.

On a more pleasant note, I had some of the most exhilarating moments of my life this Friday. I went to a speech and debate Round Robin and timed. : ) What a blast....

Goodness Gracious, I'm Tagged AGAIN!!!`

No, REALLY! I DID get tagged again, by Judi, this time, who has been frantically working on NaNoWriMo. It's a different sort of tag as before - this time YOU decide if you're tagged : ) I'll post the instructions and the game and you can tell me if you want to play.

If you leave me a comment on this post, in the next post I do, I'll write the following things about you:

1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.(if possible. If not, I'll say something that only makes sense to me.)
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
8. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.
9. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.
10. If you play, please post this on your own blog (if you have one : )

On a different note, I have about a bazillion pages of Chemistry to read tonight (Moles... moooooles!) because tomorrow is our homeschool group's Christmas party and I'm running childrens' games!

Tagged Again!

I've been tagged by my Mom, so here is my tag:

8 TAGS - HOLIDAY EDITION!

8 Favorite Holiday Shows

1. The Bishop's Wife

2. Muppet Christmas Carol (yes, I'm a hopeless Muppet fanatic - Gonzo's my favorite)

3. It's A Wonderful Life (which I saw for the first time this week)

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original cartoon version)

5. Elf ( I know, not a very intelligent, sophisticated movie, but incredibly fun)

6. The Santa Clause (refer to the above)

7. NARNIA!!!! (Duh! How could I forget that one?)

8. I can't think of any others that I don't consider remarkably stupid movies... so I'll leave you with seven.

8 Christmas Things I Did Yesterday

1. Put up the Tree of Sheba (my mom's tree)

2. Put up the Holly Jolly Christmas Tree (my siblings' and my tree)

3. Sang a million Christmas carols in harmony with my sister

4. Read my friend's Christmas card (it was actually last year's Christmas card... )

5. Looked over my very exciting choir music for Carol of the Bells that I found and am learning with my sister

6. Watched Muppet Christmas Carol (I told you - I'm a hopeless Muppet-lover!)

7. Watched the snow.

8. Worked on my Christmas short story for KOF

8 Things I Look Forward to at Christmas

1. Celebrating the birth of my Savior

2. Duh, the Christmas carols (my sister won't let us listen to Christmas music or watch Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving... it was misery this year)

3. Wrapping presents (call me weird, I LOVE wrapping presents and curling ribbon)

4. Christmas cards/letters

5. Christmas movies

6. Eggnog (mmmm)

7. Having people over for Christmas

8. Christmas break (I love school, but not enough that I don't love a break : )

8 Favorite Things to Eat at Christmastime

1. Eggnog!

2. Prime Rib

3. Apple Cider

4. Trifle

5. Jocelyn's Egg Nog Pie

6. Random things with peppermint in them.

7. Turkish Delight - and if I get a candy thermometer, I may actually get it to turn out (another continuing story- Catey's battle with the Turkish Delight. It came out once and now it goes runny every time I make it, but I think a candy thermometer may cure that... maybe)

8. Gingerbread

8 Things I Pray for at Christmas

1. Salvation of friends and family

2. My Awana kids - they really weigh on my heart during this season

3. Renewed focus - that Christ would keep my eyes trained on him.

4. Snow - or lack thereof, depending on how many people are coming over to my house (or if I'm going over to someone's )

5. Specific people who are hurting in my community

6. People who are hurting outside of my community and around the world

7. God's glory

8. That others understand the real gift of the season

I tag Judi, when she's done with her current tag game, and Never-Again, and FaithfulFollower

Just Another Chapter of My Eccentric Life

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope yours was great. Mine was. We had the entire world over to our house today. Food was everywhere! On the counters, the cabinets, all in my brother's hair...

Anyway, this isn't a typical Thanksgiving blog post. I wanted to first recommend that you read Patrick Dunn's thoughts on Thanksgiving (he's amazing and hysterically funny - check it out here) and then that you read another chapter in the continuing drama of Catey and the random store clerks. I promise - there will be a Thanksgiving-related point somewhere in here (if I can find one... no, really! There will be a point!)

This blog continues the drama of the store clerks where the posts titled "But I Don't WANT a King Soopers Card!!!" and "Why Can't I Just Have A Normal Life???" left off.

Yesterday, when I was dropping off my contest submission (yeah, the one that is exactly 1,499 words long) at PakMail, I was there with my dad. I come in and the guy behind the counter looks at me and says, "Hey! Haven't you been in here recently?"

Yeah, he was talking to me. I said that I had been. He took my envelope and said, "Is this another writing contest?"

How did this guy REMEMBER that stuff???

That's what my dad said (but without several of those question marks after it so that it sounded more civil). The guy behind the counter (who, by the way, did not have weird long hair) shrugged and said, "I don't know. I have a memory for useless stuff."

He ended up remembering a lot of other crazy stuff - for instance, that I had come with my mom the time before, that I'd stood at the other counter, that one of my other contest entries had also been going to Purcellville... It was totally weird.

What is it with me and random store clerks???

Oh yeah! The point!

When I was sitting at the table with my sister and brother with the rest of my family close by and surrounded by most of my friends in this state (and thinking of and praying for the ones who weren't with me visiting or living other places) I found myself thinking about the little experiences that make life special. Topping the list I made of things I'm thankful for was the fact that God gives me a heart for writing and that he gives me stuff to write about! Some of that is big, like my novel where the whole story idea came formed pretty much in one shot and I just had to develop and expand. Some of it is just the little things that make life unique and worth it. If I didn't have grocery store clerks going a little overboard on their job and Pak-Mail clerks stalking me, then I probably would have lost my zing for life a long time ago (and you probably all know just how zingy I am about life - some people might call it hyperactivity, but they simply don't understand that to keep up with the speed my brain's going, my body and mouth go a little fast too : ) ) In that case, my writing would dry up, my enthusiasm and fire for God would be gone. How depressing would that be? Instead, I thank God that He gives me those little things (as Patrick Dunn writes, things like raisins and puffy sea creatures - those things taht no one thinks about and therefore doesn't appreciate).

Stay tuned for more adventures of Catey and random store clerks... with my luck, there are sure to be more... many, many more...

Why Can't I Just Have A Normal Life???

You know what that means. It's time for another sort-of-true story about life (but this one happens to be totally true without any embellishment)

So, you guys are probably aware of my contest and publication craze that I did last month (you can read a little bit of my opinions on it here.) This month I thought I had it easy. One CWG assignment, an easy RTF assignment, some fun KOF assignments and one contest. Well, that contest was just about the death of me.

I submitted it today. Yesterday, I was finishing up my denouement (closing) scene. Now, my denouement is usually highly significant, highly emotion-packed and my favorite one to write. So I check my word count to see how long I could make it.

The short story was supposed to be 1200 words (insert one of Catey's loudest high-pitched screams). I had used up 1147 of them. Yikes. That's a really bad situation.

About three seconds away from a heart attack, I checked the website to make sure it was 1200 words. I was quite relieved to find that it was actually 1500 words, buying me an extra 300.

Still, 300 words???? What kind of short story is this???

So, after using all but twenty of my 300 words to tie up my story (which I was NOT enjoying and didn't even sound good to me) I started to read over for spelling/punctuation errors.

And that's when I realized it. Why was this section here? I had moved that scene to be the second scene, instead of the opening. What was going on? I read down the document - realized I had forgotten to delete the scene once I moved it.

I now had 415 extra words.

And I wasn't about to let them go to waste!!! I promptly went back into my document and inserted my 415 extra words, reread and...

Realized that I was now 60 words over count. How do I ALWAYS manage to do that??

Want to know my final word count? 1499 words.

Book Review: The Redemption of Sarah Cain

The Redemption of Sarah Cain, by Beverly Lewis

I’m hopelessly stereotyped as a reader. People look no further than my long hair and feminine mannerisms to assume that I’m a die-hard romance reader. They naturally place me in the category of people who read Karen Kingsbury, Wanda Brunstetter, and Beverly Lewis.
They place me with the people who cry in chick flicks and can’t stand it when characters have to suffer anything other than emotional angst over the boy they love.
They’re wrong.
I’m actually a suspense reader. My favorite authors include Ted Dekker and Sigmund Brouwer. I like books that play with my mind (a.k.a., psychological thrillers) and that make my heart race. I HATE the romance genre (any book I think I can predict in the first chapter generally loses my respect very quickly) and so, when I put The Redemption of Sarah Cain by Beverly Lewis on hold at the library, I really had no idea what I was thinking.
But I’ve been more than a little pleasantly surprised. Not only did I not have the story figured out in the first chapter, but I’ve been kept entertained and hooked through the whole book, even as a self-declared non-romance reader.
Recently publicized when its movie counterpart Saving Sarah Cain came out,The Redemption of Sarah Cain tells the story of a self-absorbed, hurting journalist whose sister bequeaths to her five Amish children, now orphaned. Told in both Sarah’s perspective and her oldest niece Lyddie’s, this story is hugely moving in a completely un-preachy way. Rich story from Sarah’s past, Lyddie and her siblings’ past and present and journal excerpts from Lyddie and her mother litter this book, giving it a real-life feel.
The Redemption of Sarah Cain, as its title suggests, is about Sarah Cain finding God, but above and beyond that, this is the story of how, no matter what, God has a big plan. Sarah Cain can’t see the reasons for a tragedy in her early career as a teacher, her sister’s leaving to become Plain. Lyddie and her siblings can’t see a reason for their mother and father’s death, why she should have to live with a woman who is so obviously against everything their family stands for. But through it all, Beverly Lewis writes the story of God’s love and faithfulness throughout the book.
So, even if you, like me, don’t “do romance”, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

"But I Don't WANT a King Soopers Card!!!"

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Catey. One day, Catey and her family were preparing to go to Co-op for the second day in a row. Catey was excited, but very tired from the Co-op the day before. That morning, Catey's mom had to put gas in the car, so she recruited Catey and her sister Jocelyn to go into King Soopers and buy shredded bagged lettuce and sour cream.

They had only one problem: They only had ten dollars and eighty cents between the three of them.

So Catey and Jocelyn walked into King Soopers, determined to buy as much sour cream and shredded bagged lettuce as their ten dollars and eighty cents would allow.

Catey is half Chinese. She inheried her incredibly frugal side from her father, who is even more frugal than she is (hard to believe, but true). So, five minutes later, Catey had found the cheapest, on-sale lettuce and a large carton of on-sale sour cream, all of which should cost her under ten dollars and eighty cents.

The man who checked her out at the checkout line is rather odd-looking. She didn't read his name, but he had long hair that is jet-black and nasty looking. He asked her, "Do you have any coupons?"

She said, "No."

He asked her, "Do you have a King Soopers card?"

She said, "No."

He said, "What? No King Soopers card? That's like the most important card ever! You need a King Soopers card." He began to fish around in the checkout stand for a new King Soopers card.

She started to not feel so happy. "No, you don't understand. My family has a King Soopers card already-"

"You should have one for yourself then." He threw a King Soopers card in front of her.

Catey was apalled. "But, I don't want a-"

He gritted his teeth. "Yes, you do. It's not a checking card and this way you get the sale prices. It's like a coupon, but it works all the time."

"But I'm a minor!"

He looked at her quizzically. "Well, that's fine. Eight-year-olds can use this card."

About now, Catey realized she was arguing with a grocery store clerk and that conflict completely terrified her, due to her very nature. "But I don't WANT a King Soopers card!"

By now, the clerk has realized that Catey is not an easy nut to crack. "Too bad." He scanned the card and slid it back to her. "Six fifty."

Dumbfounded, Catey counted out six dollars and fifty cents. "Thank you."

The End.

A Short Opinion

I haven't posted in a while, so here are my less-than-entertaining thoughts about life.

Today was co-op. My mom, my friend Emily (of doomed razor fame) and I did an interview for writing class. It was so much fun, but now my brain is dead. That is bad, considering tomorrow is Chemistry (moles... moooooooooles!) and my brain can't be dead for Chemistry.

Today was also Lit class. We're reading Ivahoe, and one of the characters (Locksley is his name) is the equivalent of Robin Hood. All of us LOVE Locksley and LOVE Robin Hood. I personally think it's wonderful that in the wake of great events and substantial, formidable evils and spectacularly glorious bravery, we have such people as Locksley/Robin Hood. If we didn't have them, I'd be tempted to think that people were so very different then, so far from who I am, that I couldn't understand them.

King Arthur is my personal favorite maybe-true person. I like to believe that Arthur was real, in some form. He is so deeply imbedded in English history and mythology that it would be strange if some such person didn't exist, or maybe even several persons who made up, together, this King Arthur that we have come to love.

I was so inspired by this merry brave King that I decided to write about him in one of my stories. It is a rather unusual story, taking places over thousands of years and told in several perspectives. I put in some interesting twists to his character. His name isn't actually Arthur, but rather, his title (since he is a warrior) is the Bear. The word Arthur means 'bear'. He is sort of elected leader of his small city-state that he recaptures from the enemy, but not officially. He works through a weak monarch. He's supposed to be married to a girl named Gwynnhyfvar, who is a Welsh princess, but we all know the story of King Arthur's misfortune with his wife Queen Guinevere. This is the man I wrote to be King Arthur, but not in the same way as so many see him.

Thinks like these add interest to one's story, because they not only add credibility, but they make people, places, events and times real to a reader.

I call people like King Arthur, Robin Hood, Salome and the like the forgotten heroes of history. We don't even necessarily know they existed, and if they did exist, we are certainly not sure what they were really like. But certain actions who never have their source identified, certain character traits, certain things suggested by the story can be applied to these forgotten heroes to give them a new role in a story where they star now as heroes, and not simply characters who are and then are not.

It gives the writer ultimate freedom. If nothing is known about someone but the events and people surrounding him or her, the writer is free to do whatever he or she wants with the person. At the end of everything, this means that these people can even answer nagging questions that we've always had about a time period.

I think they're fun.

Have any of you ever thought about characters or people like these? Have any of you attempted writing them?

Forgive this rambling... it's my excuse for a blog update. : )

The reason I haven't posted in a month....

Well, there are actually a lot of reasons I haven't posted in a month, none of which would sound good - EXCEPT:

As some of you may know, I was pouring out my heart and soul in no fewer than nine writing assignments due between Thursday and now. It may interest you to know that I DID, indeed, get them all done, but that my brain was fried and I didn't post on my blog. Apologies.

Well, now you may see many of those heart-and-soul-poured-out articles on my wonderful friend and fellow writer's online newsletter: kidsoffaithonline.net.

Please visit if you get the chance - the newsletter is just starting to take off. Before a few months ago, Kylie (the editor) was the one and only writer, and then I was on for a month before being taken on as the second writer. Now, much to my delight, I am one of four wonderful young ladies and one amazing young man as contributors on the site.

And - one of the most exciting things for me - Kylie says I get to run the fiction column all by myself!!!! I haven't had my fiction published on a forum in FOREVER!!!!

On a more excuse-for-why-I-didn't-post-all-month- note, I totally killed my hand yesterday (and by killed, I mean, killed). We had friends over and for some UNKNOWN reason we decided it would be fun to play monkey in the middle. Yeah... that was really smart on my part. I am very small - like 5'2" on a really, really good day. My sister is my same height (but she's three years younger) and her friend who was over is an inch shorter than us. The other person playing was my friend - a young man of barely fifteen who quite decidedly towers above me. He is no fewer than eight inches taller than me - and that makes monkey in the middle very difficult. So, I found my newest athletic talent (chortle... what athletic talent?) in volleyball. I could jump up into the air and hit the ball out of the sky, but I would end up on the floor every time. The last time I did so, I tripped over my friend's foot on the way down and ended up smashing into a wall - hand first. At least that loud cracking noise wasn't my head... that's what he said, at least. Now my hand is bruised and I'm having a hard time typing with my right hand (which is bad... because I'm right-handed).

Anyway, for all the blog posts that I should have made, but didn't, visit: kidsoffaithonline.net

Why It's Okay to Listen to That Particular Source...

Hi! Here I am, back from competition and without enough brain to count to fifteen!

How I'm feeling: Absolutely exhausted.

What I did: Interpretation on Hamlet, Impromptu on the word incomprehensible. Two superb classes on acting/writing (it kind of covered both) by two of my favorite speakers among the interns.

How I felt while I competed Hamlet: Pretty good. I was shaking (but I always shake when I act, whether I'm in front of people or not) but confident. I didn't forget anything.

How I felt while I was doing Impromptu: Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God.... Please, please, please don't expect me to do amazingly on this.....

What I did in between Hamlet and Impromptu: I prayed. For about twenty minutes without pausing, I prayed for my heart - a focus and unparalleled passion, that I would accurately represent God as an approved workman who is not ashamed. I prayed for my fellow speakers, the young man who was competing Impromptu before me, my friend who was doing Extemp (Extemporaneous). I prayed for my friend who was taking the SAT at the time. Ultimately, I prayed that God's will would be done.

What was on my ballots: On my Interp: Two first place ballots. On my Impromptu: One third place ballot with a promise that I would get a higher score if I did a more complete conclusion (which I considered somewhat fortunate, considering I really didn't have a conclusion...)

The announcements: I took third place in Impromptu (second place and above are announced). I took a first place with my Interp (which I thought was kind of scary, since I had never performed an Interp in front of people and Interp is the most frequented event).

How I feel about it: Well, overall, like I really need an adrenaline burst. But, I thank you for praying. I was encouraged that I did as well as I did.

An Important Sidenote: My friend who I came to the conference with is an aboslutely brilliant young man. He is a genius if ever I have met one. He is a purely incredible speaker. In the three events he competed (Extemp, Impromptu Sales Pitch, and Original Oratory - he gave a speech that was essentially a revised version of the essay he wrote for my writing class! -) He took two first places and one second place. That put him as the winner of the tournament, overall. You can applaud now :)

As A Secondary Important Sidenote: Because I'm still a selfish little person, I kept praying, "God, PLEASE let me have just one ballot where I'm not fifth and below [the lowest possible score]. Just one." I think he was listening :)

Why You Should Probably Check Your Own Sources....

Hi, everyone.

Today I'm at a Communicators for Christ conference, speaking at a mini-tournament on my second day here.

Confession: I happen to be a little nervous about my Impromptu.

Reason: I don't feel prepared:

Why that's not really an oxymoron: I thought I was signing up for Apologetics but as it turns out, the smart person I trusted to tell me whether I'd be able to compete Apologetics or not was wrong and I can't.

My outward reaction: Smile. "Okay... it'll be an adventure!"

My inward reaction: "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

My current feelings: Maybe I can do this.... or if I stink really badly, maybe my Interp will make up for it.... Why did I sign up for something I've never done before?????

Why this isn't a justified feeling: I only have to speak for two minutes and I'm not speaking against any of my debater/speaker friends (whew!)

What I'd like you to do: Pray for me :)

Okay, all joking aside, I think today's going to be really fun. If it's anything like last night, there will be a lot of humor, some very relaxed acting, and a moving message. And I think I'll probably do okay on my speeches too - considering I've never done them at least.

Joss

Last night I had just gone downstairs to go to bed when I hear the door to the basement slam open.
"Catey?" A timid voice calls from the top of the stairs.

Great. Getting into bed late again. "What do you want?"

"Ummmmm, I can't tell you what happened, but where's the Neosporin?"

This isn't usually something you want to hear from the injury-prone sister of the family at 11pm. I ran up the stairs. Joss is standing there, flashing one of her impossibly large, impossibly goofy and unreal grins. "Hi Catey."

"Why do you need Neosporin?" I already had a million crazy thoughts running through my head. This is the same sister who ate rocks as a toddler, broke her finger twice playing volleyball with balloons, and almost broke her nose when the swing she was sitting on broke. (Needless to say, none of these things were her fault. But that's the scary thing- what if she had accidentally severed an artery or something????)

Joss pulls me bodily by my pajamas into the bathroom. "I kind of sliced my finger." She held up her thumb, adorned with a Cars bandaid. (The only kind in our house)

"Meaning?"

"You know that new razor Dad gave me?"

Oh no. Joss is the most razor-challenged person I know (with the honorable mention going to my friend Emily) She's sliced her legs so bad they scarred. My mind raced. What was my dad thinking, giving her a sharp razor????

Then I remembered. She wasn't even showering that night. What had happened?

"Well," she continued, "I was looking at the razor, trying to open it. And I looked and it had this little arrow: up, close, down, open. And I was like, 'Okay, I'm so smart, I know how to open a razor.' And I went down and shing! it slices my finger open. Blood is everywhere. I'm not even in the bathroom! I had to get Carli to open up for me."

Twenty minutes, five bandaids, and about a quart of Neosporin later, I sent Joss upstairs with a newly bandaged finger.

I couldn't help thinking of Delilah and Samson.

Heaven help whatever man gets between my sister and her razor!!!

An Interview with Emily Weber

A few days ago, I shared an interview with Kate Weber about her unique calling to boldness in Christ. I’d like to share an interview with Kate’s older sister, Emily Weber, for her perspective on this.

When Emily Weber came back from her short term mission trip to Uganda, she told me that Africa felt oddly like home. Now, two years later, Uganda will be her home- at least for the next year or so, before Emily returns to the States for College. That’s really not a surprise to people who know her. Emily can tell you countless stories of how she would witness to Muslim kids at McDonald’s playgrounds or pray over people at her fast-food job.

Here’s what Emily has to say.

Catey: Have you always known you would want to be a missionary?

Emily: Absolutely . . . not! As a matter of fact, being a missionary who left America was something that I did not wanted to do at all . . . ever. It's amazing how God changes your heart . . . and even your desires, if you let Him!

Catey: That’s a surprise to me! How has God revealed his plan for you in your life?

Emily: God's primary plan for my life is this: for me is to love Him with all that I am. Beyond this, God shows me His plan for me one step at a time . . . it can get frustrating at times, but then I remember that if I love God and continually push into Him with everything within me, I'm going to end up right where He wants me.

Catey: What's the spiritual climate like in Uganda?

Emily: In Uganda, and in most of Africa I'd assume, the spiritual realm is so much easier to see. The darkness there is so dark, but the light shines so brightly. Because of the stark contrast between Jesus' followers and those who've fallen into the traps of Satan through witchcraft (mixed with "Christian" or Muslim beliefs), miracles and works of God are so visible there. The spiritual climate is intense: either you are going to be all-out for Jesus, boldly standing up for him even in the face witchdoctors, demons, and evil - or you are going to go home scared and defeated.

Catey: What are some fears that you have about becoming a missionary family?

Emily: Personally, I get scared sometimes when I think about coming back to the States for College. Since I'm the oldest, the rest of my family will be in Africa, and my friends will be in a state that I can't attend college in, I'm going to be alone by the world's standards. I have to continually remind myself of God's promise: that he will never leave or forsake me.

Catey: What are you most looking forward to?

Emily: The people, for one! It's difficult to explain with words the way the people there love. I hope to learn from the American staff there as well . . . who knows what lessons I can take from this new experience that God will use for the future!

Catey: How can we get involved in supporting God's people in Uganda?

Emily: There are many different ways you can get involved with different organizations. If you would like to know more about New Hope, you can go to http://www.newhopeuganda.org/. For information about our family, you can go to http://www.urmyhope.blogspot.com/. There are many other good organizations out there as well. No matter where you get your sources though, a couple of things you can do are . . .
PRAY. Please pray for the children of Uganda, as 50% of the population there is under the age of 14. Pray for open hearts. And please pray for those that are working there for God's kingdom, that they will be protected and that they will bring God's light to the darkness of this world.

Catey: Any advice for teens who are looking for ways to be more bold in their faith?

Emily: Make sure you have your priorities straight. You will be boldest about what is most important to you. If you don't feel like Jesus Christ is the most important thing in your life, tell Him so. Ask Him to help you fall in love with Him and make Him the "one thing" that's worth living for in your life. It's a hard way to live . . . but it's the full, abundant life Jesus talks about in the Bible. And trust me . . . it's worth it.

An Interview with Kate Weber

Kate Weber is a normal American teenager. She’s a homeschooled high school student who likes to write but doesn’t like speech, who loves her dog and watches TV on the weekends. She lives with her mom, dad and three siblings and goes to church every weekend. But despite her average lifestyle, she’s an absolutely extraordinary young woman. In fact, all that ordinary stuff she’s used to is about to change in the blink of an eye.

Kate is moving with her family to Uganda.
Her dad and older sister Emily have been to Uganda once before on a short-term mission trip, but God worked out an incredible way for their whole family to leave behind the world of comfortable and safe to be bold and radical by leaving everything they’ve ever known. They plan on staying indefinitely.
But that’s enough from me. Here’s what Kate has to say.
Catey: Have you always known you would want to be a missionary?
Kate: Actually, I never wanted to be a missionary, and considered it to be God’s call to other people. Like when Mr. Gary Wood told dad that they needed an accountant, I was like “Good luck finding one, because we sure aren’t going!”
But God did a work in my heart, and I now know that it is what I have always wanted to do. I always wanted to help the orphans, I always wanted to live in the jungle, and I always had a heart for Africa. I just now realized that I will work for God this way.
Catey: How has God revealed his plan for you in this area of your life?
Kate: We started out in Indiana, in a comfortable environment, as in, a neighborhood with a pool, ice cream place, a four bedroom, and three bath houses. We also grew up in a church where we were all spiritually dying, until we left that church, and became a part of a home church.
When my dad told us we were moving to Colorado, I flipped out. Leave our family, friends, comforts of home, to go help out a friend start a company? Give me a break! But we still moved, and I loved our house that we moved into. Three story house, on three acres of trees. It was heaven. My dad and sister went on a mission trip to Uganda. A couple of months after the trip, our renter kicked us out. As soon as that happened, my dad lost his job at the company he worked for, so we had to downsize, majorly. . . He was without a job for a couple of weeks, but it felt like forever! Finally, Dad got a good job. That was when God decided to say, “Okay, they are comfortable now, let’s see what they would do if. . .” and that’s how the Uganda started.
Catey: Wow! What a neat way to start out an adventure! What’s the spiritual climate like in Uganda?
Kate: I haven’t been there myself, but from the stories that I have heard it is very black and white. As in wherever you see darkness, there was always light battling it. I really can’t explain it because I have never been there.
Catey: What are some fears that you have about becoming a missionary family?
Kate: Well, it might be obvious, but I am going to be a missionary to a place that I have never been. The farthest I have been from the USA is Mexico, right across the boarder. So I guess that I am a little afraid of the unknown. Also, I had my life all planned out, but now with the whole Uganda thing thrown into the picture, it is hard.
Catey: What are you most looking forward to?
Kate: Definitely the adventure. I am a person who LOVES adventure! I dream it, I write it, and now I have the chance to live it! To not do it would be like a guy offering you a million dollar check, and you slam a door in his face. Not knowing is on of my greatest fears, but it is also the very thing that pushes me forward.
Catey: How can we get involved?
Kate: New Hope Uganda is a non-denominational ministry that cares for orphaned children in Uganda, East Africa. NHU (New Hope Uganda) strives to bring glory to God through caring for orphans, showing them love, pointing them to His Kingdom through Christ, and bringing them to a life-changing understanding of the fatherhood of God.
Their staff of almost 80 Ugandans and foreign missionaries care for New Hope’s children through the Kasana children’s center (where they run a primary school, secondary school, vocational school, clinic, agriculture program, etc.) Kobwin children’s center, the New Hope Institute of Childcare and Family, and their new youth camp and training center.
Please pray for God’s blessings on New Hope Uganda, and please, be in prayer for the Weber family. We have much to do before we are prepared for this next chapter in our lives.
There are many types and sizes of needs. For information, you can visit the fallowing website: http://newhopeuganda.org/
Catey: Any advice for teens who are looking for ways to be more bold in their faith?
Kate: I don’t consider myself any bolder than anyone else can be. Actually, I still have growing to do in my faith, a lot of growing. But my advice would be to just get in your bible every day, and pray for God to speak to you during that time. I pray for God to speak to me, sisten to worship songs, read three chapters, and pray one more time for God to help me through out the day.
For more information on the Weber family’s mission and supporting them, visit their blog at: http://urmyhope.blogspot.com

Whose Idea Was It to Play Tag Over Cyberspace, Anyway?

I've been tagged. Here are some things about me:

I am: eccentric.

I know: that I am made the way I am for a purpose.

I have: always loved chocolate.

I wish: it wasn't overcast.

I hate: being looked down on.

I miss: almost every ball I'm supposed to hit. :)

I fear: messing everything up.

I feel: like singing.

I hear: very little. My brothers are napping, so I'm supposed to be quiet.

I smell: lunch.

I crave: peanut butter sometimes.

I search: my brain, trying to find where I left that verse.

I wonder: where the phrase 'in a pickle' comes from. (I've been told that it maybe has to do with baseball, but I'm not sure yet)

I regret: as little as possible.

I love: Jesus!

I am not: an angry person.

I believe: there is someone who loves me more than life itself who stands waiting in the heavens.

I dance: a very, very, very little bit.

I sing: in harmony! (and often)

I cry: when something touches my heart (which is also often)

I don't always: clean my room (sorry, Mom. I did this morning)

I fight: not against flesh and blood, but against that which is unseen.

I write: all the time.

I win: at Speed!

I lose: my mind sometimes.

I never: eat caramel with braces like some (ahem) other people I know.

I always: smile when I see people.

I confuse: other people when I use strange words (like effervescent, pulchritudinous, chintzy, splendiferous, or chimaera... all of which are real words, by the way)

I listen: to Christian music, as a general rule.

I can usually be found: at church more than once a week.

I am scared: of making a fool of myself (which is why I end up doing that as often as I do)

I need: to do Chemistry homework.

I am happy about: just about everything. (All of you who don't know me in person, I'm just about always happy)

I imagine: what I will be like when I am older.


I look forward to seeing what everyone else writes. I tag my mom and Aunty Shirin and AAAH!!! Judi! I think you tagged every single person who has a blog in the entire world! Well, since Judi took all the other people, Mom and Aunty, consider yourself next. :)

A Much-Needed Blog Update

Sorry for my failure to update. My aunt is staying with us and I sort of forgot about blogging. Here's a short story I wrote a while back that I think you might enjoy:

“That’s not possible.” Samuel looked up at his mother. This couldn’t be happening.

Elana was dying.

Samuel’s adored big sister was only seventeen. Out of the seven kids in the family, he and Elana were closest in age, only two years apart. The other kids were brats. His mom and Elana probably wouldn’t agree, but he couldn’t stand them. Collectively, Nina, Mia, Leslie and Izzy-belle were the four meanest people he could think of. Only he and Paul and Elana were the normal kids of the family. Technically, Paul and Elana weren’t normal, but they were nice. Even when Paul was being disassociative (which wasn’t a word unless you were Paul) or Elana got into one of her “Mother Theresa” moods, they were never mean.

“It’s possible.” Samuel’s mother drew him back into the present. “Elana is sick. She’s going to die.”

“Does she know that?” Samuel jumped out of the hospital chair, slamming his palm down onto the plastic table. “Did you tell her she’s dying?”

“Of course she knows!” His mother’s voice also escalated in volume, but not in anger.

“What did she say?”

“She wanted to pray about it.”

“Pray about whether or not she is going to die?” What was Elana thinking? You didn’t pray about something like that. You prayed about solutions. You asked for help. At least, that was how Samuel thought of it.

Maybe Samuel just didn’t understand God well enough.

-

Samuel refused to wait one second longer. He charged down the hall to Elana’s hospital room.

She sat on the bed, her peridot eyes focused on something Samuel couldn’t see, searchingly.

“Elana?”

She turned toward him. Her face was thinner than he remembered.

“Samuel! How did you know I wanted to see you?”

“Paul.” Samuel sunk heavily into a folding chair. “Paul always knows what people need.”

“Paul’s special that way. I was much like him when I was five.” Drawn into her memories, she continued in a dreamy voice, “You are special too. I think you have yet to discover your talent.”

“I don’t have one. I’m not ‘special’ like you or Paul, and I can’t do anything cool like the sisters. What’s my talent?”

She hesitated. “It wouldn’t be fair to God if I told you.”

“How can someone be unfair to God? Aren’t you always telling me that he’s in control of everything?”

“Of course.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“I’m sorry. I just see that you have a lot to learn.” She paused, but before she could continue, the rest of the family came in.

Elana exclaimed, “How did you know I wanted to see you all?”

“I don’t know.” Paul said. “I just thought you would.” His cornflower blue eyes shone.

“Just ‘cause you saw Samuel go in, Bug-Brain.” Leslie said.

Samuel ignored Elana’s sympathetic look. “Shut up, Leslie!”

Elana’s face fell. Why did it bother her when he wasn’t the perfect big brother?

She whipped the curtain shut. “I’m tired. I’m glad I got to see you before I go to sleep. Can someone come by to see me tomorrow? Samuel and Paul don’t have anything to do.”

Samuel’s mother hesitated. “Maybe.”

As the family exited, Elana caught Samuel and whispered in his ear, “God’s ready for you. Are you ready for him?” He started to ignore her, but she continued. “Show me how much you love Mama and those little ones. See you in the morning.”

-

Samuel flopped into a chair beside the hospital bed. It was not quite 3 am. He and Paul were up in the middle of the night, Samuel with questions, Paul with answers.

Paul had tried to explain what he called “sovereignty” to Samuel, but try as he might, it still didn’t make sense. All Samuel could think of to say was, “If God is a loving God, he wouldn’t do this. I need Elana.”

After Samuel had said this about three times, Paul gave up on him. “You know, if I’m the next best thing to Elana when it comes to explaining stuff to you, I’ve got a lot to learn. This is going right over your head. Let’s go see Elana.”

Samuel had protested, though that was really what he wanted. If Paul thought it was a good idea to visit her, he was probably right.

Elana looked over the edge of the bed at Samuel. “I thought you might visit tonight. Samuel needed someone to talk to. I’m glad you were awake, Paul.”

“I do a pretty miserable job at explaining to Samuel.”

“You’ll learn. What did you want to ask me?”

Samuel had a thousand questions before. Now only one came to mind. “Why is God doing this?”

Elana’s forehead creased. “Don’t know. Maybe my work’s done here and God’s ready for me to come home. Maybe it’s for Paul’s sake, so that he has a chance to use his gift without me getting in the way. Maybe it’s for you. Your faith and love, they’ve never really been real to you. This trial is going to make or break you. Do you understand?”

Samuel understood all too well. Faith and love were everything. He didn’t have either. Elana and Paul did, and you could see it in everything they did. The girls didn’t have that love either, and that was why they were so mean.

“Samuel,” Paul said, “Don’t cry on me. There’s a lot more than just that. Take my Bible for a second.” He handed a black book to Samuel from his coat pocket. “Look up 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 and verse 13.”

“Love always protects, always hopes, always trusts, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

“So, even if I do die, my love lives on. It never fails. Three things remain, Samuel. Faith, hope and love. Faith is your trust in God. Hope is the expectancy that things will get better than this. And love is the greatest thing in the world. And that’s what binds me to you, Samuel. And nothing can ever break that. Nothing in the world. And, if I do die, you’re going to be big brother to all these kids. Your love needs to spill over to them. Can you do that?” Elana gazed down at him.

Paul crawled up on the chair behind him. “I’m always there for you too. I’m only five, I’ve got a lot to learn, but, I’m always there to pray for you.”

“I can do that.”

-

It had been a week since Samuel learned the power of love. Elana was still going to die, but somehow it was better.

Love never fails. .

That was what was getting him through.

He still wasn’t completely at peace with Elana’s impending death, but he knew God would get him through it. Love would prevail.

He sat down on the sofa. The cushion Samuel was on dipped. Paul crawled up behind, and wrapped an arm around Samuel’s shoulder.

And in that moment, Samuel felt love pouring down on him. A voice whispered, “I love you, Samuel. Nothing can separate us.”

He smiled. “Nothing in the world.”

-

Book Review: So B. It, by Sarah Weeks

What is truth?

Heidi, an extremely lucky girl who lives with her mentally damaged mother and agoraphobic neighbor, sets out to find out that very thing. Heidi's mother, who says her name is So B. It, knows only twenty-three words, mostly basic ones like "bad", "hot", or "done". But when an unknown word, "soof" enters her vocabulary, Heidi becomes obsessed with finding the meaning of the word, and the past of her mother and her. Filled with delightful quirks, like her pack-rat neighbor's P.F (perfectly fine) clothing - held together by staples - and her family's love of Jujyfruit candies, So B. It was a great read.

Told in the relentlessly black-and-white view of Heidi, this book was told like Heidi's life, with little bits and pieces of random instances thrown in. This lent variety, but also made the book a little confusing at times.

I would highly recommend reading this book. I can't do it justice through this meager review.

Being the Hand of God

Often we talk about the will of God without really knowing what we talk about.

Every Christian wants to know and do God's will. We write books about it. We read books about it. We pray earnestly and read the Bible often looking for it.

But what if we become the will of God?

God says in Jeremiah 51:20-23:

"You are my hammer and my weapon of war:
with you I break nations in pieces;
with you I destroy kingdoms;
with you I break into pieces the horse and its rider;
with you I break into pieces the chariot and the charioteer;
with you I break into pieces the man and the woman;
with you I break into pieces the old man and the youth;
with you I break into pieces the young man and the young woman;
with you I break into pieces the shepherd and his flock;
with you I break into pieces the farmer and his team;
with you I break in pieces governors and commanders.

In Jeremiah, God rebukes Israel and Judah for their sin. They have turned their back on him and have followed the idols of their neighbors. As God begs them to return, he pronounces doom upon their enemies if they will only listen. When they listened out for God, and turned themselves toward him and his purposes, he would use them to accomplish his plans.

I think that as believers, our goal in "finding the will of God" is to conform to God (Romans 12:2). If we are listening to him, spending time with him and turning our back on sin, we'll start to become more and more like him.

In the passage above, God says that he will use us as his instruments to break down the strongholds of the enemy.

We are a hammer- sent to build up a temple for Christ in the culture.

We are a weapon of war- chosen to fight against the enemy.

We break apart nations and kingdoms- sifting the wheat from the chaff among our own country

We break apart horse and rider, chariot and charioteer- destroying the weapons of the enemy

We break apart men and women, young and old- separating the old sin from the new grace, breaking apart the stone-encased hearts to speak of the love to be bestowed within.

We break apart the shepherd and his sheep- we see false teachers for what they are and we know how to get rid of them.

We break apart the farmer and his team- we sweep away ordinary people from ordinary lives and show them how God can make them weird for the saving of the world.

We break apart governors and commanders- we take hold of our government for the glory of God.

All of us can do at least one of these things. I believe God will reveal more and more of his will as we become more of his will, ready to break apart the world for his honor.

My Orthodontist is the Devil in Disguise

What can I say? When I run out of things to do, I get new ideas... usually in the form of writing ideas. And you, as my devoted readers (or people who used to be my devoted readers as the case may be) may be the victims, that is, recipients, of this brilliant (?) new idea.

While sometimes time eludes me to write about the profundities that I've discovered (I actually do have some of those, they just take longer to write... I have one about Jeremiah sitting in my 'drafts' folder) I ALWAYS have short stories about life going.

So, I introduce a new feature of my blog: True, Sort-of-True, Not Remotely True and Embellished Stories about Life. I'll let you judge which stories are which.

Without further ado:

My Orthodontist is the Devil in Disguise

So, I've had braces for almost the 18-month slot they allotted me (and if I have to go a day over, I think I will go mad and turn into a werewolf or something)

Let me tell you a little bit about my braces experience:

1. I HATE THEM. I'll tell you that they're not that bad, and they're really not, but I still hate them. It's not so much the braces themselves but rather what I discuss later...

2. I have TMJ. Which means that my jaw clicks and pops and gets stuck sometimes. With braces, it clicks and pops and gets stuck often.

3. I am a rule keeper as it comes to a lot of things. I got this nine-page long braces care sheet when I first got them on and on that nine-page long list sheet was this million-item list titled:

THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT EAT WITH BRACES

So I didn't eat the stuff on there.

4. My friends aren't really rule keepers. They saw THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT EAT WITH BRACES and read it as THINGS THAT YOUR ORTHODONTIST WOULDN'T LIKE YOU TO EAT WITH BRACES BUT YOU CAN STILL EAT THEM ANYWAY.

5. Let's take an inventory of broken brackets my friends have had: 0. Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

6. How about me? Three top wires broken in the same spot. One bottom wire broken. Three brackets broken. Five wires slid out of place.

7. My orthodontist's reaction: Picture the Incredible Hulk. Yup. That's pretty much it.

So, despite the broken wires, brackets and other crazy stuff, I am really really really really really really really really hoping to get my braces off in September like we originally thought. I was going to ask yesterday, but then I got the grumpy lady.

Grumpy Lady took out my wires, ties, and checked my brackets. She was scraping one tooth when her "hand slipped" (though I have my suspicions that she was really some assassin lady who was trying to take me out then and there) and poked my gum hard enough that I bled.. A lance of pain swept down my mouth. Not a great way to start out an appointment.

I was supposed to have a bracket replaced, but they had ran out of that kind. However, apparently my orthodontist (who is really the devil in disguise) has a thing for broken brackets. So, instead of letting me off the hook and going home after my thirty-minute appointment, he gives an evil chuckle to the Grumpy Lady who was really an assassin and said, "Let's give her some new brackets." So, they put brackets on those teeth in the WAY back of your mouth (the ones you can't even see... let alone try to put brackets on)

Oh, and did I mention they had to put a plastic mouth-holder-open in my mouth? That could be the subject of a whole other blog. It's the devil's choice instrument.

So, my orthodontist (who is really the devil in disguise) says to the Grumpy Lady who is really an assassin, "Sneeheeheehee, I don't think I really like the way her front teeth are closing up- LET'S REPLACE THOSE BRACKETS TOO!!!!!!!!!"

And I'm going to end that story there. I wouldn't want to make your mouths ache out of sympathetic agony.

But my dentist experience made me think. As the dentist was taking my mouth apart with a screwdriver, I was left thinking about James, "Consider it pure joy, brethren, when you face trials of various kinds...." I ended up having a nice time with God there, praying (though, I will confess the first part of the prayer was, "MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!"

The other thing was, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Sigh..... I guess that means no bragging rights about how I don't eat anything on the THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT EAT WITH BRACES list.

The other thing was, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Maybe I'll try that next time I go to see my orthodontist. Shut my mouth at all costs and see if he runs.

You Know You're a Writer When....

... you debate whether or not it's a good idea to actually write today.

I'm having one of my bad-shoulder days. These are the days when I decide that shoulders are evil and of the devil. I get one every couple of months.

When you write as much as I do, eventually your shoulders have had enough! And they tell you that, too. They won't let you write. They just sit there and make your life miserable. (That's why they're evil and of the devil)

So, here I am, trying to decide whether it's a good idea for me to write by hand, or even type. Even this short little warning telling you about the evils of shoulders makes my own squeak in contempt for my lifestyle.

Hope I make the right decision. I wouldn't want other body parts to join the rebellion against writing.

Take a stand for freedom,
Catey

Fifteen

Today's my birthday. I am fifteen. Just for fun, here are some fifteen-item lists about me for the sake of remembrance...

FIFTEEN IMPORTANT THINGS I DID THIS YEAR:
1. We brought home Sam, my baby brother, from Korea.
2. I finished my last year of Squire Christian Writer's Guild.
3. I was invited to write for a website (realteenfaith.com)
4. I went on an insanely long road trip to California.
5. I Bible Quizzed through Awana and took second place (by one question) in the state.
6. I wrote a whole novel and storylined and began two others.
7. I read through over half the Bible.
8. I learned how to harmonize in singing MUCH better
9. Because of that, I helped lead worship for my High School Awana club.
10. I ran through three (count 'em- three) five-subject writing notebooks.
11. I completed my first year of state testing for school.
12. My sister made me my very first character scrapbook.
13. I studied through Romans and Revelation with my Awana group in an in-depth study
14. I started this new site.
15. I learned to love God in a deeper way.

FIFTEEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:
1. I was born in Mountain View, CA.
2. My hair USED to be thirty inches long before the haircut incident... which I will soon be writing about.(It's about twenty-six or so inches long now)
3. My genre of writing is like a eclectic and sometimes disastrous mixing and breaking of forms that I call Revelation fiction, because it deals mostly with the topics of Revelation and other prophecies.
4. I have two cats, and two dogs.
5. My current novel's name is Illumination (one of the places I got Sparks of Illumination from)
6. My room is purple!!!!
7. Some of my favorite authors include: J.R.R. Tolkien, Ted Dekker, Madeleine L'engle, Gloria Whelan and John Perrodin.
8. I always read three books of the Bible at a time- the Psalms, an Old Testament book and a New Testament book.
9. I talk to myself. Not just a little. A LOT.
10. My Quizzing coaches called me everything from "not normal" to "mutant".
11. One of my favorite books in the Bible is Jeremiah.
12. I speak some Latin.
13. My favorite flower is the pansy.
14. I have this thing for pencils. I'll write with anything... but I love the really fine tips on ultra-sharp pencils and pen tips.
15. I am 5'2", usually six to thirteen inches shorter than the people I know....



FIFTEEN OF MY FAVORITE THINGS BIG AND SMALL:
1. Sunshine
2. Sharp pencils
3. My family- Dad, Mom, Joss, Carli, Tim and Sam
4. My friends- all the many I can't name here
5. The Bible
6. Falafel
7. Awana
8. The smell of cinnamon bread
9. Gluesticks
10. Singing
11. Acting
12. Purple
13. Music
14. Elevate worship
15. Jesus

Rethinking Independence

Today is Independence Day. Millions of people across the United States of America will be celebrating this day that changed history, when we declared ourselves independent from Britain and our own country, governed by God and under God.

But is independence really what we're celebrating?

Independence is simply the lack of dependency on anything- a mother country, a monarch. Independence is being NOT a part of something.

Our Constitution declares that the citizens of our country are dependent on each other for the good of all. That we see plainly in all people that they are equal and given certain unalienable rights by God, among these, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

That is not independence from everything. That is dependence on the God who gave us the rights and freedoms that we experience in the United States of America. That is dependency on each other also.

It isn't independence. It's freedom.

Freedom is what gives us the right, unalienable, to have eternal life and to shout that message from every rooftop, hill and church pulpit.

Freedom is what gives us the right to make decisions based on conviction and not fear.

Freedom is what gives us the right to speak out against what is wrong and defend what is right.

Freedom is what our country was founded on, NOT independence.

But are we being given independence or freedom now?

I have loved to say that in America, we have the freedom to choose our religion. And we are. But in the days of "tolerance", our freedoms as Christians are squashed. Right now, the Bible is illegal in my state because it discriminates against homosexuals. Christians are painted in this country as misguided, rigidly conservative, backsliding and above all, judgmental. Tolerance, we are taught! Tolerance for everyone but us?

Movies, books and television with Christian undertones are not accepted by general society. Everywhere non-secular (Christian or not) views are taught, they aren't accepted, not only by many students, but by overseers. (If you haven't seen "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed", it sheds some excellent light on the subject)

What about the rights of parents? Homeschooling was almost made illegal to uncertified parents in the state of California this year.

Maybe it's time to rethink independence. I think we're not looking for that, because it gives us this void, depraved "independence" of God. I think what we're really celebrating- really longing for- is freedom.

So let's remember the freedoms that we may have in this country. Never forget those freedoms and never let them die.

Happy Freedom Day.

Home Again, Home Again

Just a quick note to let you guys know that I am alive and back from California. I'll be updating the site sometime this week with pictures and musings from the road.

-Catey

Fun with the Schneiders

"How good it is, how pleasant, when brothers dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1

I'm here in Morgan Hill, CA. This little town is my old hometown. Morgan Hill restricts its growth, so things haven't changed too much in the last two years, but staying here with the Fiorellos (my godparents) the people have really changed. It is a joy to be here, though I'm missing the Schneiders right now.

But the next part of our trip is already underway.

So here are some of the best memories from the Schneider visit:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

CALIFORNIA AT LAST!!!

Here we are! California!

My thoughts of California:

1. It's HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT here!

2. When it gets hot in Colorado, it's hot and dry (like an oven). When it's hot in California, it's hot and wet (like a tea kettle).

3. Random fact from Evan: "Ah sweet! I love random facts... uh... uh... uh... uh... think of something random... uh... uh...

4. Fact from Zach: "All cats eyes are blue when first born. That's a fact." Love those educational facts from those amazing Schneiders!

5. "Umm...."

6. Fact from Joss: "Tucker [Schneider's dog] looks like a Lab right now." He's a Golden Retriever. Trust my artistic sister to give you a little picture of our stay.

7. "Ummm..."

8. I, Catey, am in FIRST place in Bible Scattergories!!!! Joss is in second.

9. Real fact from Evan: "Mosquitos prefer different blood types." Trust my educational cousin to give you all a glimpse of our evil statemates, the bugs. (Euw).

10. This is an amazing time for all of us. Hiking today was so much fun. I wish we never had to leave. Thank you, God, for blessing us with friends!

Enjoy the photos!

Glimpses of Utah: Desert Trees

"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water..." Psalm 1:3

Utah:

I stared out the car window. Cracked hills peered back, lazing in the 104 degree heat. Yellow and white rock slouch against a pale, cloudless blue sky. Each stone is marked in dark brown and grey lines, like tears. Long river marks carve deep into each formation.

Scrub litters the rock face. Grey-green leaves and tangled vine patterns are the vegetation of this sparse and empty area. A whisper of wind blows heat across the sky.

My sister calls out: "Mom! There's water in the road!"

A mirage. Illusions of water caused by the heat that shimmers along the blacktop.

Absolutely bare. Absolutely barren. Completely deserted. Nothingness. A wilderness.

I looked out the window again at the empty sand. By the side of the road, something startled me.

A steep slope formed the backdrop. Rocks of grey, yellow, brown and pink color lay across the slope, like a rock waterfall. Heat shimmers off of the stones and the small flecks reflect back at the sun. And, out of the nothing, a tree grows. The tree has deep green and blue-grey leaves, thick and shiny. They are pointed upward, in a circular pattern.

And then we passed by and it was gone.

That struck my fancy.

I have been in the desert before. I have been where there seems to be endless pain, rocky choices, strangling heat. But God blew me to that place, like the wind blows a seed. And I grew where planted. And even where there is no water, God gave me nourishment.

I want to be like a tree in the desert- refreshing among the thorns and sun. I want to point back to God. I want not only to grow where I was planted- but to BLOOM!

Those were my thoughts of Utah.

-Catey

Lovely St. George Utah

Hello everyone!

This is the close of Day #1 of the California trip.

Since I didn't write anything explaining the California trip, let me catch you up to date. My family and I used to live in California- I did for almost thirteen years. So when we moved to Colorado in 2006, we left a lot of friends, family and memories behind. Now, two years later, we are finally going back for our very first visit. A lot of the people we'll be visiting we haven't seen since we moved!

Today we drove about 10 hours to lovely St. George, Utah.

Some facts about Utah:

1. It is one of the top five ugliest states in the union. (Sorry. If you're from Utah, no offense. I just don't find the scrub, yellow rocks and sand that attractive.) (And if you've never been to Utah and you're not decided what you think of it, look at the picture at the top)

2. There be lots of Mormons here! My mom made it a point to take note of all the Mormon churches. There is even a temple in St. George!

3. It is HOT here! It was 93 when we got out of the car today.

Okay, there's my rough synopsis of Utah.

Here are my observations of the trip:

Observation #1: My brother Tim is a true Yuen- he travels like a dream! He barely even needed his toys to keep him entertained!

Observation #2: The rock formations make me think constantly of the flood. Thousands of pockmarked formations shaped by erosion in round formations, square formations- all with the rivulets of mighty waters marking them.

Observation #3: I have seen only two kinds of plants in Utah. The scrubby kind with grappling clawlike branches and Joshua trees.

Observation #4: Somehow the Joshua trees and the scrubby uglies manage to grow directly out of the rock face.

Observation #5: When I say the 'rock face', I mean it! Many of the rock formations have "faces" in pattern of color.

Observation #6: Roundabouts are EVIL! If you're a Coloradan, this may not sound like a big deal. But the roundabouts here in Lovely St. George, Utah tend to be bigger and MUCH more confusing! A brief roundabout story:

We were looking for a hotel. And when I say this, I should also add we had a very specific idea. When we finally figured out where the La Quinta was, the roundabout business started. We went around the first roundabout twice before moving on to the SECOND roundabout, which we went around once before making a wrong turn that landed us back at the FIRST roundabout- and then we found out that La Quinta didn't have any suites available. I thought we were going to have to go through both of them AGAIN!

Okay, well, Day #1 is about to end. I'm going to watch a movie with my sisters and brother and then go to sleep. Tomorrow, I go from Lovely St. George, Utah to Hugely More Lovely Oakhurst, California. Pray for me!

P.S. Keep watching Sparks of Illumination. I was inspired to a devotional that I don't have time to write tonight. I'll try to write it tomorrow, though. I should have a picture then, too. -C

Broken World

Broken World
Open eyes greet the light
Walking into a dark world.
With small steps, I faced the darkness
Shattered hearts
Fragments of lives before me
Tears become rivers
Rivers are oceans
This is our home.
But small and helpless me,I stood alone.
And yet not alone.
Change is in the wind and I feel it with me.
I was not made for fear
I was made for this,
To step out of the darkness
And stand against the evil.
You and me and the Savior- all the people
We hold out our hands and ask
To give to the hurting places
To mend a broken world
One soul at a time
From the inside out
To fix a broken heart
With love

A Call to Prayer

"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life for I am devoted to you. You are my God. Save your servant who trusts in you." Psalm 86:1-2


"Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 1 Peter 1:13


"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I am calling out the generation of warriors.

I am calling out the generation of the faithful.

I am calling out the generation of the revolution.

Brothers and sisters, a crisis is raging in Kenya right now. Many of you may know that President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya was elected for a second time this past December. This caused an uproar among followers of another presidential candidate, Raila Odinga.

Mr. Odinga accused President Kibaki of rigging the election before the votes were ever counted. Apparently, many voters came to cast votes and found ballot boxes already full, leading them to believe this.

President Kibaki denies any wrongdoing.

This stems from an age-old conflict among tribes. Two main tribes in Kenya (the Kikuyu, President Kibaki's tribe, and the Luo, Mr. Odinga's tribe) have struggled for years, as do most tribes in Africa. But many Kikuyu people have been killed in the violence following this election.

Riots broke out in cities and in the country. Hundreds of Kenyans are dead and tens of thousands are displaced from their homes. Many fled across the borders of neighboring countries.

In one riot, fifty Kikuyu people fled to a church for protection. They were burned alive.

You may see this as a horrible tragedy taking place halfway across the world. And it is. But it reaches closer to home than that.

Compassion International is a program that serves children around the world in some of its poorest countries. It matches each child with a sponsor, who donates money to pay for food, shelter, education and other necessary commodities. The sponsor and child correspond through letters.

One of our sponsored children is a fourteen-year-old Kenyan girl. I am constantly amazed by her bravery and faith. She is always writing me about how thankful she is for her schooling and for her family, who have all become believers. She is one of seven children and they are a very poor family.

A few months before the election, she wrote me a letter saying how excited she was to witness an election. She told us how she had learned about the political process in school. She was blessed to be in one of the most stable democracies in Africa.

And now her world has fallen apart around her. She wrote us a letter that we recieved today. Here are some excerpts:

"Dear Yuen Family,

Much greetings in the name of Jesus Christ... I hope that you are all fine because there is peace in your country... I celebrated my December holiday very well but there was no peace and we ran and went to our rural home to stay there, where there was peace. I thank God for me and my family being alive because without God we could not be alive now. I also pray to God to keep you safe with your family...Here in Kenya there were some people who were displaced in their houses because of their tribes and some were killed and some were injured because of politics and now I am praying for my country. Please pray for our country too..."

She ended her letter with the verse passage Psalm 86:1-2: Hear, O Lord, ans answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life for I am devoted to you. You are my God. Save your servant who trusts in you.

This isn't a distant issue. This is here and now. Persecution and destruction exist- and they exist for me.

Persecution and destruction exist- and they exist for my Kenyan friend.

But what can we do, half a world away?

We can pray. President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga are trying to work out an agreement to stop violence and possibly share power. Please pray that they would come to a settlement. Please pray that the people of Kenya would be able to establish peace and stability for its citizens. Please pray that people would come to know God through this.

Citizens are fleeing to churches during riots. While they are being taken care of by servants of God, these people will be told the gospel. Pray that in this turmoiled time people's hearts and eyes would be opened to God.

Pray also that people in our own country would see this and be inspired to reach out to the Kenyans.

Persecution and destruction exist. Do they exist for you?