Well bloggers it's that time of year again and children everywhere are spending the day honoring their mothers. Well I wanted to do my part to and upon trying to think of a way I thought of this. Writing a letter to Mom, well technically it's addressed to my Mom I think the sentiments are something most of us can agree on. So Happy Mother's Day Moms! I hope that you had a great one!
Dear Mom,
A long time ago you and Dad decided three kids might be enough but by then it was already too late and not too long later I came around. I was kid number four and probably put you through enough trials that you could've screamed, in fact I think you probably did once or twice.
But you loved me anyways and despite the cut strings on the laundry bag and the broken shelf in the closest (when I was supposed to be helping clean the room) you managed to survive. I remember making clothes for teddy bears at the kitchen table, "helping" you make the bed, and listening to you read Redwall books while lying beside on the bed.
Whether it was math homework or trouble with friends you were always there to listen and help me out with problems. Sometimes we fought and every now and then tough love was needed but you were always there when I needed you and you still are.
Now the problems are less about homework and more about work, but whether it's a bad day or a tough situation you're still there to talk it through with me and stay up late until we find a solution or tell me to go to bed and we'll deal with it tomorrow. You still hold me when I cry and listen to me ramble, and I still love you for all of it.
A few years back I heard a saying that said something like "If I could give you a mirror so you could see in yourself what I see you in then you would know how truly amazing you are." And that's how I feel about you Mom. You are one of the strongest women I know, you and Dad have withstood some tough times but you always got through it, together, and you gave your kids an example to live up to. You weren't always perfect but you did the best you could and just so you know Mom... I'd say you did a pretty amazing job!
Grandma used to say that you don't know how your kids turn out until you see your grandkids, while your grandkid isn't quite old enough yet to really know but speaking as the youngest sibling I'd say we all turned out pretty good.
Anyways I love you Mom and I just want you to know how really and truly amazing you are. Thanks for being such a beautiful, wonderful, awesome woman of God, wife, mother, sister and daughter, you've given me an incredible example to live by. I just thought you should know that.
Love,
Kattarin
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
The Shower and The Bug
So there's that moment when your in the shower, spacing out, maybe preparing for the long day ahead of you or washing off the stress and grime of the day that's now behind you but either way your just relaxing and life is good. Until you look up and that's when you see it, that intruder in your home, that evil thing put on earth to make your life miserable and torture you in your sleep, the bug!
Yep it's there, making it's way slowly across the ceiling and now you have a choice. You can rush, finish your shower really quick and get out before it gets you. Or you could just slowly back up, get to the other side of the shower and hope it stays away but just as your torn little mind is struggling to make a decision you realize... water! You can drown the darned thing!
So you reach up for the handheld shower head and you start to point it at the offending little creature when you realize, that bug is outside the shower and that water will kill it but it's also going to make a huge mess and flooding your apartment? Maybe not the best idea.
By now you have the shampoo in your hair of course so you close your eyes to rinse it out but when you open them again the bug's gone! It's disappeared! Where is it? Has it gotten inside? Is it close to you now? Or did it leave? How can you know?! You whirl around and have to catch yourself before you slip and just about the time you think your safe you spot it again! It's still on the ceiling but the other side, is it getting closer?
Without realizing it your hand moves, you have to defend yourself right? And with a slightly evil grin you point the showerhead up, up and Mom!!! Could you help clean up this mess?
Yep it's there, making it's way slowly across the ceiling and now you have a choice. You can rush, finish your shower really quick and get out before it gets you. Or you could just slowly back up, get to the other side of the shower and hope it stays away but just as your torn little mind is struggling to make a decision you realize... water! You can drown the darned thing!
So you reach up for the handheld shower head and you start to point it at the offending little creature when you realize, that bug is outside the shower and that water will kill it but it's also going to make a huge mess and flooding your apartment? Maybe not the best idea.
By now you have the shampoo in your hair of course so you close your eyes to rinse it out but when you open them again the bug's gone! It's disappeared! Where is it? Has it gotten inside? Is it close to you now? Or did it leave? How can you know?! You whirl around and have to catch yourself before you slip and just about the time you think your safe you spot it again! It's still on the ceiling but the other side, is it getting closer?
Without realizing it your hand moves, you have to defend yourself right? And with a slightly evil grin you point the showerhead up, up and Mom!!! Could you help clean up this mess?
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Writer's Block
Here's a question for you, how do you solve the ever reoccurring problem of writer's block? It's the dread of all artists, a singer who suddenly can't sing, a painter who can't find a picture in their head, a dancer who can't seem to land the right move, and a writer who's words just refuse to come.
Well there's all different answers for this problem. Here we'll list a few that I've learned over the last several years of my writing career.
1. Keep writing-
Sounds weird right? I mean how do you keep writing if there's no words. But that's when something like a blog comes in handy. (And no that's not why I'm posting this.) Or write a short story, even just a few sentences or a letter anything to keep words flowing onto the page until you can resume work on your project.
2. Take a break-
Take a walk or grab a bite to eat. Do anything that will get you away from the work instead of staring at a blank screen. Sometimes just sitting there can actually make things worse since your literally driving yourself crazy and you're mind is going in circles trying to come up with something but instead just making things worse. So instead take some time to clear your head before you try to go back to work.
3. Work on something else-
I actually do this a lot where I'll have several projects going at once and when I hit a block in one I'll switch to another. It doesn't always work and sometimes it can even make it more frustrating especially when you hit a block on all the projects and can't figure out what to do next but when it works it's a more rewarding solution.
4. Pray-
Seriously it works!
So what's your solution? What do you use when you're having a hard time? I know I'm not the only artist out there, so come on, what's your special trick? Can't wait to read your solutions!
Well there's all different answers for this problem. Here we'll list a few that I've learned over the last several years of my writing career.
1. Keep writing-
Sounds weird right? I mean how do you keep writing if there's no words. But that's when something like a blog comes in handy. (And no that's not why I'm posting this.) Or write a short story, even just a few sentences or a letter anything to keep words flowing onto the page until you can resume work on your project.
2. Take a break-
Take a walk or grab a bite to eat. Do anything that will get you away from the work instead of staring at a blank screen. Sometimes just sitting there can actually make things worse since your literally driving yourself crazy and you're mind is going in circles trying to come up with something but instead just making things worse. So instead take some time to clear your head before you try to go back to work.
3. Work on something else-
I actually do this a lot where I'll have several projects going at once and when I hit a block in one I'll switch to another. It doesn't always work and sometimes it can even make it more frustrating especially when you hit a block on all the projects and can't figure out what to do next but when it works it's a more rewarding solution.
4. Pray-
Seriously it works!
So what's your solution? What do you use when you're having a hard time? I know I'm not the only artist out there, so come on, what's your special trick? Can't wait to read your solutions!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Random Quotes
"I'm only listening to you because I'm getting paid."
"I wonder if they know that their precious Prince Charming is nothing like them?"
"Sisters are trouble..."
"...tidal wave of hero's blood."
Language is more then just words strung together. How many times have you walked out of a movie and shared your favorite quote with the person you're walking with? (That last one was from "300 Rise of an Empire" by the way.) Or been reading a book that you stopped in the middle of to share a quote because it made you laugh so hard? What about a T.V. show that days later you were still thinking about that one scene even as you wonder what will happen next week? Or a song that get's stuck in your head and you just keep singing it over and over.
The things that we watch, read, and listen to affect our way of thinking, how we relate to each other, they shape our judgments and prejudices, they affect our actions and make up a large part of our conversations. The things we hear and say make a difference, even when we think they don't.
At my apartment we have a quote, "And post!" we use it whenever someone says something random as if we were posting it on a blog. (Thankfully that hasn't been made a reality... yet) We hear and say the most random things here and yet many of them become part of my writing.
Here's the thing bloggers, inspiration doesn't typically come from exotic trips to some magical destination or from surviving some awful trauma. It comes from everyday life, from the sweet silent moments, the comical spontaneous ones, the calm serious ones and the sudden emotional ones.
Things like "I used to be able to make baskets and now I only throw diapers!" are said in a sudden moment that takes you off guard and makes you laugh while a quote like, "Do you want to build a snowman?" can take on a life of it's own.
So what's your quote today? Post it below, you've heard some of mine now I'd love to hear yours!
"I wonder if they know that their precious Prince Charming is nothing like them?"
"Sisters are trouble..."
"...tidal wave of hero's blood."
Language is more then just words strung together. How many times have you walked out of a movie and shared your favorite quote with the person you're walking with? (That last one was from "300 Rise of an Empire" by the way.) Or been reading a book that you stopped in the middle of to share a quote because it made you laugh so hard? What about a T.V. show that days later you were still thinking about that one scene even as you wonder what will happen next week? Or a song that get's stuck in your head and you just keep singing it over and over.
The things that we watch, read, and listen to affect our way of thinking, how we relate to each other, they shape our judgments and prejudices, they affect our actions and make up a large part of our conversations. The things we hear and say make a difference, even when we think they don't.
At my apartment we have a quote, "And post!" we use it whenever someone says something random as if we were posting it on a blog. (Thankfully that hasn't been made a reality... yet) We hear and say the most random things here and yet many of them become part of my writing.
Here's the thing bloggers, inspiration doesn't typically come from exotic trips to some magical destination or from surviving some awful trauma. It comes from everyday life, from the sweet silent moments, the comical spontaneous ones, the calm serious ones and the sudden emotional ones.
Things like "I used to be able to make baskets and now I only throw diapers!" are said in a sudden moment that takes you off guard and makes you laugh while a quote like, "Do you want to build a snowman?" can take on a life of it's own.
So what's your quote today? Post it below, you've heard some of mine now I'd love to hear yours!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Ministry Moment- March
I just realized that I never did a ministry moment for March. So here it is! To kick spring off on this beautiful first day of spring (by the way my windshield was frozen this morning, what kind of spring is that?) let me tell you a little bit about... drumroll please... Village Missions!
Now this is one of my favorite ministries, probably because I have a very personal connection to it. Several people in my family have served with VM and a few still are. Now some of you may know what this wonderful ministry does but many of you probably have the exact wrong idea.
Unlike many of the ministries that I hope to highlight in months to come VM doesn't head out to the jungles of Columbia or the frozen tundra of Mongolia (at least not that I know of) they serve here on the home-front.
Village Missions has a simple goal, they send out pastors to rural churches to keep those places alive! They work in both the U.S. and Canada and have been serving since 1948 (they began work in Canada in 1968).
This is an amazing team of people who take pastors, and their families, and send them throughout the land to make sure that small towns are not forgotten about. Now speaking as a small town kid myself I'd say that's something pretty spectacular. I could probably go on for hours and hours about VM but I won't. So let me just sum it up.
Reverend Duff started this ministry in (as I mentioned) 1948 and in the last 66 years it has turned into a thriving and vital ministry. Their website www.villag-missions.org is filled with helpful tools that illustrate how much they do. They provide pastors, start churches, support their missionaries, they have resources like AWANA, bible school and offer reading recommendations.
If you're looking at going into the ministry or looking for someone to support either through prayer or finances I would suggest looking here. This is one ministry that I love and support and can definitely recommend!
Now this is one of my favorite ministries, probably because I have a very personal connection to it. Several people in my family have served with VM and a few still are. Now some of you may know what this wonderful ministry does but many of you probably have the exact wrong idea.
Unlike many of the ministries that I hope to highlight in months to come VM doesn't head out to the jungles of Columbia or the frozen tundra of Mongolia (at least not that I know of) they serve here on the home-front.
Village Missions has a simple goal, they send out pastors to rural churches to keep those places alive! They work in both the U.S. and Canada and have been serving since 1948 (they began work in Canada in 1968).
This is an amazing team of people who take pastors, and their families, and send them throughout the land to make sure that small towns are not forgotten about. Now speaking as a small town kid myself I'd say that's something pretty spectacular. I could probably go on for hours and hours about VM but I won't. So let me just sum it up.
Reverend Duff started this ministry in (as I mentioned) 1948 and in the last 66 years it has turned into a thriving and vital ministry. Their website www.villag-missions.org is filled with helpful tools that illustrate how much they do. They provide pastors, start churches, support their missionaries, they have resources like AWANA, bible school and offer reading recommendations.
If you're looking at going into the ministry or looking for someone to support either through prayer or finances I would suggest looking here. This is one ministry that I love and support and can definitely recommend!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Quiz
So you know those quizzes that you see online all the time? Those ones that tell you what Disney Princess you're like, what movie character personality is just like yours or who your soul mate will be? Well recently I've been listening to the Bible on c.d. and I'm in Exodus now, the story of Moses and the people of Israel. Here's a quiz I made up with that in mind. It's short, simple, and hopefully fun. Here's the trick you have to be honest, I won't promise that it works, and you don't have to post your answers but hopefully it will make you think.
A. When God first tells you to do something do you...?
1- Ignore him
2- Argue and try to get out of it
3- Do what he says
B. If you give your word to do something do you...?
1- Go back and break your word
2- Do it for a while until things get hard and then go your own way
3- Follow through
C. When life gets hard do you...?
1- Lash out and blame others for your problems
2- Blame God for everything that's gone wrong
3- Take Responsibility
Add up the numbers next to your answers.
If you scored 1-2 you're a Pharaoh, you might want to take a hard look at your life and decide where you want it to go and what you need to do to get there. Don't give up though, our God is a god of redemption and he will redeem you!
If you scored 3-5 you're the People of Israel, the good news is that you're God's chosen people, the bad news, the last 2,000 years or so have consisted of people learning from your mistakes, now it's your turn, learn from your mistakes and remember that you serve a loving God who forgives, even though we don't deserve it.
If you scored 6-8 you're a Moses, God's servant who has long been held up as one of the greatest men in the Bible, and he is, but he was far from perfect and so are you. Don't let discouragement because of the people around you get you down, you're a leader so don't forget to act like it and remember that although you have a huge responsibility you serve a God who wants you to cast your burdens upon him, don't try to do it on your own!
If you scored 9 then you're a saint, congrats! I have no advice for you except that you may want to examine your heart a little closer, lying is still a sin.
A. When God first tells you to do something do you...?
1- Ignore him
2- Argue and try to get out of it
3- Do what he says
B. If you give your word to do something do you...?
1- Go back and break your word
2- Do it for a while until things get hard and then go your own way
3- Follow through
C. When life gets hard do you...?
1- Lash out and blame others for your problems
2- Blame God for everything that's gone wrong
3- Take Responsibility
Add up the numbers next to your answers.
If you scored 1-2 you're a Pharaoh, you might want to take a hard look at your life and decide where you want it to go and what you need to do to get there. Don't give up though, our God is a god of redemption and he will redeem you!
If you scored 3-5 you're the People of Israel, the good news is that you're God's chosen people, the bad news, the last 2,000 years or so have consisted of people learning from your mistakes, now it's your turn, learn from your mistakes and remember that you serve a loving God who forgives, even though we don't deserve it.
If you scored 6-8 you're a Moses, God's servant who has long been held up as one of the greatest men in the Bible, and he is, but he was far from perfect and so are you. Don't let discouragement because of the people around you get you down, you're a leader so don't forget to act like it and remember that although you have a huge responsibility you serve a God who wants you to cast your burdens upon him, don't try to do it on your own!
If you scored 9 then you're a saint, congrats! I have no advice for you except that you may want to examine your heart a little closer, lying is still a sin.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Adventures
How do you take adventures? Through a road trip? A book? Vacation? Maybe going out to a party or a special night out on the town. Whatever it is it's your way of exploring the world. Many times we convince ourselves that we have to take the safe side of things. The truth is that we don't always have to though.
There are lots of ways to explore. You can explore your neighborhood by getting to know your neighbors, explore your city by finding those hidden little gems that every town has even if you don't realize they exist. Explore your state by taking short day trips to different places around, explore your country (if you can) by visiting some of those places you've heard about but never been, explore this world maybe by going on a missions trip.
Now some of you are wondering, why? You may not want to go off an explore, maybe your one of those people (like I often am) that would rather hide away in a corner and just read about adventures. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could be one of those adventurous people and yet when I had the opportunity I didn't take it. One of the reasons that frustrates me is that's not how I was raised. My family takes the words "following God wherever He might lead" and lives it out in a way that very few people in this world do.
That's how we ended up moving to a different state when I was twelve. Mom and Dad didn't know how it was all going to work out but they trusted that the Lord was taking us there for a reason and that He would provide for us. And He did, through all the tough times and the hard parts He provided and it wasn't easy but it gave me an example of faith that has shaped my life. When we were getting ready to move my mom found a verse that she still claims to this day; "...go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Genesis 12:1
What would it look like if we were all willing to actually follow that command? I want to find out, do you?
There are lots of ways to explore. You can explore your neighborhood by getting to know your neighbors, explore your city by finding those hidden little gems that every town has even if you don't realize they exist. Explore your state by taking short day trips to different places around, explore your country (if you can) by visiting some of those places you've heard about but never been, explore this world maybe by going on a missions trip.
Now some of you are wondering, why? You may not want to go off an explore, maybe your one of those people (like I often am) that would rather hide away in a corner and just read about adventures. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could be one of those adventurous people and yet when I had the opportunity I didn't take it. One of the reasons that frustrates me is that's not how I was raised. My family takes the words "following God wherever He might lead" and lives it out in a way that very few people in this world do.
That's how we ended up moving to a different state when I was twelve. Mom and Dad didn't know how it was all going to work out but they trusted that the Lord was taking us there for a reason and that He would provide for us. And He did, through all the tough times and the hard parts He provided and it wasn't easy but it gave me an example of faith that has shaped my life. When we were getting ready to move my mom found a verse that she still claims to this day; "...go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Genesis 12:1
What would it look like if we were all willing to actually follow that command? I want to find out, do you?
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