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.”

-