Kathryn, Author at kathrynegly.com

5 In Faith/ Family/ Motherhood/ My Journey

My BAD habit…and why Mary and Martha really BUG me!

I have a hard time being “still.” My mind is always thinking and my hands are always moving. There’s always more work to be done than there is the time in the day. I have a job that I love where people depend on me. At home, the laundry and dishes are never done. There are always crumbs on the floor and hungry boys to feed. I have a really hard time sitting and being still.

This is why the story of Mary and Martha has always bugged me (Luke 10:38:42). If you aren’t familiar with the story, Jesus comes to the home of Mary and Martha. Martha is the one doing all the work and Mary is just sitting by Jesus. Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Jesus tells Martha that MARY has chosen what is BETTER!!!!

I read this and thought, “What?! Doesn’t Jesus understand? Why did he say that Mary was making the better choice? Mary was just SITTING down! Not doing anything productive. She was just sitting at Jesus’ feet.”

I want to say, “Jesus, that’s not fair! You wouldn’t have LUNCH if it weren’t for Martha. The house wouldn’t be clean and presentable if it weren’t for Martha. How could a person just SIT in this situation? Tell Mary to get up and HELP!!”

However, I’m beginning to understand why Jesus said Mary made the better choice. She chose relationships over tasks. She chose people over projects.

I went from being irritated by this story to being so grateful that I follow a Jesus who invites us to rest. To sit. To listen. Jesus doesn’t need us to do anything for him. He just wants a relationship with us. Martha was doing so much, working so hard – for Him! Yet Jesus said that Mary chose what was better. Mary was sitting at his feet, listening. Growing in her relationship with Him.

That story would always sting because I’m Martha. I choose to get work done when I could be connecting with my kids. My husband comes home from a long day at work and I continue to stay focused on a task (or hand him a list of things to do) rather than just stopping to connect, to make eye contact and ask about his day.

Ouch. Sorry Ted.

I’m learning that it’s good to be still. It’s okay that the house stays messy so I can invest in my kids. The dishes and laundry will eventually get done (or not?), but people are the only things that are eternal. My children need me to be present and engaged. My husband needs my heart and attention. Jesus wants me to ‘sit at his feet’ so that He can refresh my soul.

Mary chose what was better because she chose to stop, listen, and get to know Jesus.

Today I’m choosing to be more like Mary. I will STOP what I’m doing, look my husband and children in the eyes…LISTEN to them and TALK with them. That is the better choice.

Today I choose RELATIONSHIPS and CONNECTION over tasks.

I choose PEOPLE over projects.

Have you found yourself trying to just “get stuff done”? What have you found that helps you overcome this and just “BE STILL?”

February 28, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Family/ Making money/ Marriage

Six Tips for a Stronger Marriage

Help Friends! Today we have a special guest post. My good friend Corey is about to celebrate 25 years of marriage and is sharing what makes a great marriage. I hope you love this as much as I do!

“A good marriage isn’t something you find; it’s something you make…and you have to keep on making it.” – Gary Thomas

Hiya! I’m Corey. I’m a friend of Kathryn’s, a mom of two teen boys, a lover of dark chocolate, a scrapbooker, a recent transplant to Minnesota, and a wife who’s married to her high school sweetheart.

I met my husband, Jeff, on the first day of cross country practice in 10th grade. A couple of years later we started dating seriously and this summer we’ll celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. During those 25 years, we’ve had our ups and downs, moved around the country, faced serious injuries and illnesses, and discovered you can love each other more today than yesterday. In no particular order, here’s what I’ve learned about building a happy marriage:

1. One bank account.

All of our money, whether it’s my paycheck or a bonus he gets at work, goes into one account. We’re in this together and all our money is OUR money. It means that we have to agree on how to spend it and that’s a good thing.

2. A hobby or three.

We love seeing movies, camping, and playing board games. Right now we’re having a great time seeing Oscar nominated movies together and talking about who we think should win. (If you haven’t seen The Shape of Water, it’s unusual and beautiful). When our boys were little, they consumed most of our time and energy. As they’ve gotten older, it’s been important that Jeff and I have things in common to do and talk about that don’t revolve around our boys.

3. Agreed upon rules for fighting.

Ours: no name calling, no leaving the house, no dredging up past hurts. Jeff gets the credit for this and it’s made a world of difference. Disagreements are inevitable so knowing what’s in bounds and out of bounds makes sure that those fights don’t escalate or cause damage.

4. 10:1

There’s research that shows that you should offer your spouse ten times as many positive comments as negative ones. We notice the little things we do for each other and call them out every day. When Jeff stopped by the grocery store to pick up my almond milk yesterday, I thanked him and let him know it made me feel cared for. It’s easy to take each other for granted and remembering to express gratefulness for each other feels wonderful!

5. Different is good.

One of the things I loved first about Jeff is that he’s spontaneous and fun. One summer day in college, he came by my apartment on the spur of the moment to pick me up and spend the day at WaterWorld. It was so fun and unexpected! He loved that I’m planful and organized. When we moved from Colorado to Florida for grad school, I rented the moving truck, found us apartments to look at, and did research on our new home state. But over the years the very things that attracted us to each other inevitably drive the other one kinda crazy. He doesn’t put things back where he found them and I get stressed when things don’t go according to my plan. But when I’m facing a difficult situation and can’t see the solution, Jeff can often see it because he thinks differently than I do.

6. Build a support network.

Long term marriages are precious and rare. I’ve found it helpful to talk to other couples, particularly those who have weathered tough times. Over the summer I had a great opportunity to spend time with Kathryn’s in-laws, Kevin & Shirley, and they were generous in answering my questions about how they’ve kept their marriage strong. Marriages evolve over time and learning how other couples have handled challenges has been insightful.

I’d love to hear from you. What works for you? What have you discovered about how to have a great marriage?

February 26, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Product Recommendations/ Saving money

Earning a little extra money through Swagbucks

I joined swagbucks a couple of years ago to earn a little extra income – it’s not income that will pay the mortgage, but every dollar helps our bottom line! I consistently earn about $50 a month with only a few minutes of my time each day.

Here’s how to earn some easy “swagbucks” that convert into ‘real’ bucks:

I use swagbucks as my search engine – every few searches earns you 5-30 swagbucks
Take an occasional survey
Answer the daily poll
Invite friends to join. When you invite friends, you both get swagbucks and you can keep earning swagbucks. You earn 10% of everything they earn!

Those are a couple ideas but there are SO many other ways to earn extra “bucks.’ If you are interested in earning a little extra money, go here: http://www.swagbucks.com

February 23, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Family/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

A Peek into our Week(end)

Today the weather is COLD, but we had a BEAUTIFUL weekend in Colorado Springs!

Saturday we went exploring in Garden of the Gods. Paul found a large hole and decided that, “a bear must live there…but he’s out hiking right now.” (Watch out for the hiking bear!)

Thankfully, we never found the hiking bear, but we did find a herd of Big Horn Sheep!

A purchaser from Garden of the Gods trading post asked me to drop off a copy of my book so that she could review it to consider selling in their store! We dropped it off and then went to our favorite spot to take in the view. George watched his VERY first sunset and was SO excited! He said, “Did you see that? The sun just dropped behind the mountain, that was SOOO cool!” I love experiencing things through my kids eyes!

At home, Clark built his own Bear Cave:

Sunday we went to the Cottonwood Creek Rec Center – it’s part of the YMCA, so as members of the Y, we get to use this awesome facility. It’s almost as nice as Great Wolf Lodge!

That afternoon lots of the neighborhood kids played in our cul-de-sac while the parents gathered to catch up and chat.

Monday the kids were out of school for President’s day so we met some friends and played at Monkey Bizness. Afterwards we came home and made some cookies. While Luke napped, George and I edited a video for their YouTube Channel – Free Range Eglys.

What did you do over the weekend!? Leave me a comment!

February 22, 2018 By Kathryn

5 In Joy/ My Journey

Comparison is a thief of Joy – Teddy Roosevelt

Do you struggle with comparison? I do.

I see one lady who is incredibly fit and wish I had her body.

I see another lady who always dresses so cute and wish I had her clothes.

Another friend has the PERFECT house and I wish mine looked like that.

I read blogs and books and wish I could write as good as those writers.

I hear someone speak well and wish I was articulate as them.

But all of these comparisons leave me feeling like I’m not good enough and don’t have enough.

Comparison is a thief – it’s stealing my joy one thought at a time.

How do I conquer this? I stop myself from thinking about what I don’t have and begin to focus on all that I DO have.

I may not be as fit and strong as some ladies I know but I am healthy.

I don’t have the the world’s best wardrobe but I do have so have some incredibly cute things that I’ve found at the thrift store.

I don’t have a picture perfect home but the home we have is very nice and filled with love and happiness.

I’m not the world’s best writer but I keep writing and I’m getting better.

When I change my thoughts from what I don’t have to what I DO have…my heart fills with gratitude. When I focus on what is going well and the gifts God has given me, I begin to experience peace and JOY.

When you are looking at those posts on social media and beginning to compare your life to theirs – stop and remember your blessings. Put down the phone and pick up a good book. Call a friend for encouragement. Ask God to show you what He has put inside YOU – then develop and use those gifts! The more you use YOUR gifts, the stronger they become.

I’m grateful that this world is made up of individuals with such diverse talents who each make the world better with their gifts and contributions. Some of you are using your talent for design and making this world more beautiful – one space at a time. Others are speakers, spreading encouragement and hope, one message at a time. Some are photographers – capturing those beautiful moments one snapshot at a time. Some of you are moms – investing in young lives, one hour at a time.

We each have blessing, gifts, and talents and those are for us to enjoy and to share with others!

“A FLOWER DOES NOT THINK OF COMPETING WITH THE FLOWER NEXT TO IT. IT JUST BLOOMS.” – ZEN SHIN

“For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭10:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If you know your gift – leave a comment and share it with me! If you aren’t sure, take some time to ask God and others to help you discover it!

February 19, 2018 By Kathryn

6 In Uncategorized

Our Top Five Favorite Family Movies

Do you need a Movie Night Suggestion? Here are our Five Favorite Family Movies. Have you seen these? What movie should I add to this list?

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!

This movie is one of our favorites!

The movie begins with everything going PERFECTLY for every member of Cooper family. Every member, that is, except Alexander. Alexander is having the worst day ever. That night he wishes that his family could experience a bad day. He wakes up the next morning to chaos and throughout the day, bad things keep happening to every member of his family…except Alexander. The movie has a great ending and demonstrates how to stay bonded as a family – even on a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Have you watched it? Did you like it as much as we did?

2. Cheaper by the dozen– One and Two

3. The Blind Side– Less than $10 on Amazon

4. Father of the Bride – Less than $7 on Amazon!

5. Mr. Popper’s Penguins – less than $4 on Amazon!

What are your favorite family movies? Leave a comment!

Disclaimer: Each of the links are above are affiliate links which means if you choose to purchase one of the items, I will earn a small commission at not extra cost to you!

February 16, 2018 By Kathryn

3 In Memories

The Happy to My Valentine

Ted…

You are the Happy to my Valentine

The Sweet in my Heart

The Bow to my Arrow

The Chocolate in my Box

You are the X to my O

My One True Love.

In 2001 we celebrated our very FIRST Valentine’s together. You told me you loved me for the first time and we talked about our future together. I was floating. I’m thankful to have you as my Valentine for 18 years and forevermore.

You + Me = One

February 14, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Family/ My Journey/ Raising boys

A Peek into our Week

Saturday was a day we were going all different directions! I went to a friend’s baby shower in the morning, then took the 3 big boys to a birthday party at SkyZone. Luke and I ran errands while they were at the party. That evening I spent some time with my Help Club friends, celebrating their birthdays. We had a great dinner then made Bath Bombs together.

Can I give you moms a tip? If your kids fight you on bath time – introduce them to The Bath Bomb. All the sudden, bath time becomes the best time!

Sunday we went to church where Pastor Brady taught on Psalm 23. After church I made some snacks for the Super Bowl game. We set up a table in the living room (Clark’s request – he wanted to eat and not miss a second of the game). I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the game! I can’t believe that the Eagles beat the Patriots.

Monday the boys went to school and Luke and I went to the store, then I let him play and eat at ChickFila. That evening we did homework and the boys played outside. The weather here has felt like spring and I love it!

Luke Loves Chick Fil A – especially their ice cream.

Unfortunately, Monday night we lost a great man named Micah Flick. Micah is local police detective, a father, and husband and was shot while serving our city. He, his wife and two children attended New Life and are a precious family. I am heart broken for them. However, I have been astounded by how our community is gathering around them with love and support. One of our moms from church has created a spread sheet for Micah’s wife with information on every person who has expressed an interested in supporting her long term! The sheet includes our names, numbers and how we will help. Our church and the local police force are setting aside money for the family as well. These are the times when I see how important it is to be a part of a community.

Tuesday I stopped by the Garden of The Gods Trading Post (the largest and oldest gift shop in Colorado) to talk to them about carrying my book. Unfortunately, the person I needed to speak to was not there. I got her info and emailed her and she said she does want to get a copy of the book to review for the store! After that, I drove over to New Life to get some work done until Luke was done with preschool.

Tuesday evening I took George to Cotillion where he’s learning manners, etiquette, and ballroom dancing. I love watching these young men and women learn to be leaders!

Wednesday I worked for part of the day, then picked the boys up from school. One of our favorite restaurants, Larkburger, was having a customer appreciation day. If you wore green, you got a free side item with your sandwich. We went during happy hour (3-5pm every day) – so the sandwiches are only $3! Then we got some incredible Truffle Fries and Edamame for free!! My friend Leah and her children met us there. We posted pictures on instagram with #LarkBurgerLove because they will choose one of the posts and give that person free food for a year! With four sons – I can use all the free food I can get.

After dinner, I dropped the kids and some food off for Ted, and went back to New Life for “First Wednesday.” It’s a monthly night of worship (and a few words from one of our pastors). It was extra special this week as we mourned the loss of Micah and worshiped God in spite of the pain.

Thursday, George and I both woke up not feeling that well. We took some Tylenol and I felt completely better and it helped George a little. In fourth grade, they do most of their work on iPads and computers and he knows that being on electronics make his head feel worse, so I let him stay home and hang out with me. We took Luke to preschool and took copies of “Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore!” to the first store in town that asked to carry my books! Why Not Books? is a cute bookstore that specializes in used books and new books by local authors! George and I found a couple books to buy and left some to sell!!

Next, went to Safeway and George was so excited that the “monopoly” game is back. With every purchase you make at Safeway, you get little prize tickets. George is SURE that we are going to win a million dollars. (I like his positivity!) He’s also decided that we are going to divide it equally between the six of us since he’s the one taking care of the tickets. Clark is hoping we will win a sports car. I’m wishing for a family vacation (but I’d happily take a million dollars)!

That evening we tried out Prime Jui Juitsu. George, Clark and Paul all got to participate in a class together. They loved it. I loved it! Not only do they teach self-defense, but they work with them on respect, team work, and your attitude. The teachers were incredible and if it weren’t so dang expensive, I would have signed them up that night! (However, if we win that million…)

Friday Luke and I stayed home and cleaned. Ugh, I hate cleaning. I mean, I LOVE a CLEAN house, but don’t like that it’s a NEVER-ENDING JOB! Thankfully, a sweet girl named Idera came and helped me to earn money for an upcoming missions trip she’s taking.

That afternoon we went to Clark’s school to watch his 2nd grade performance.

George and his friends, waiting at school for Clark’s performance

Friday night I trained several new volunteers for New Life and then heard Andrew preach on Psalm 22 – a great message on mourning. So timely for this difficult week.

Saturday was Deputy Micah Flick’s funeral at New LIfe Church. I was overwhelmed to tears with the number of Police Officers that came to show their love and respect for him (thousands!). The staff at New Life set up every room in the church with breakfast, snacks, lunch, pastries and hot coffee for all of the officers. I had the honor of hosting a room set up for Micah’s team – the men and women who were his partners – who were there on the night he died. Please pray for them as you pray for Micah’s family. They considered Micah a brother and are hurting. The service was powerful and I was so thankful to be a part of such a beautiful day.

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love for YOU to share with me something about your week. You can leave a comment by clicking on that little box beside the title of this post.

February 10, 2018 By Kathryn

0 In Book Review/ Faith

Book Reviews and Recommendations

Here are a few books I’ve recently read or am currently reading and my thoughts on each one!

Volunteer Revolution – Bill Hybels is incredibly inspiring. I admire his passion for God and the local church! This book shares the impact we can make when we contribute/volunteer or ‘serve’ in the church or community. Volunteering not only benefits the organization, but benefits the one volunteering as well! I made some updates to this post after reading this outstanding book. If you are person considering volunteering in some capacity or a person who works with volunteers – you must read this book!

Speak Life – I’ve enjoyed every book written by (my pastor) Brady Boyd! His books are conversational and relatable. He writes with honesty and vulnerability. This particular book is incredibly powerful regarding our words – how we speak to ourselves, to God and others. He gives some very important examples and things to think about and learn from. I’ve enjoyed waking up and reading a few pages each morning. I’m not finished yet, but love it! Words have power. Use them wisely!

7 Family Ministry Essentials – Church is not about PROGRAMS, its about FAMILY! This book is very easy-to-read and helps us remember why we are doing ministry. The ideas shared in this book are not only good for those who serve in children and youth ministry – but for parents as well! Parents on the primary ones responsible for faith formation, but the church can partner with the family to develop that faith.

This is an excellent book for those working in student or children’s ministry. In fact, it made the “Top Ten List of Books every Children’s ministry leader should read!” When we are working with children and students – we need to think about the entire family, not just the individual.

There are 7 main principals presented in this book:
1. Empowering families to take spiritual leadership in the home
2. Forming lifetime faith that transcends childhood beliefs
3. Teaching Scripture as the ultimate authority of truth
4. Understanding the role of the Holy Spirit’s power to teach and transform
5. Engaging every generation in the gospel of God’s redemptive story
6. Making God central in daily living and every biblical narrative
7. Working with the community to further God’s will.

The authors explain each of these essentials with powerful stories. I made lots of notes and plan to use this book as a reference in my role at New Life Church. I wish I would have had this book at the beginning of my journey as a Children’s Ministry Director in 2002!

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – I heard Bryan speak at Willow Creek Community Church and his story was so powerful I had to get his book to read more. This is a New York Times Best Seller and has great reviews on Amazon! The book was very eye-opening at some of the “injustices” in our justice system. The book shares stories of how Bryan, a non-profit attorney, has helped children with life sentences, men who’ve been wrongly accused, and how he has served “the least of these.” (Matthew 25:40) over the last 3 decades. This is one of those books that’s hard to put down until you’ve read the last page.

Help Club’s The Wise Woman Loves Bible Study – I start each day with a few minutes in this book. It’s a Bible study written for moms and by moms. It not only helps me understand God’s word and how it applies to my everyday life – it also contains daily suggestions of how to love my husband, my children and others.

Leave me a comment and tell me if you’ve read any of these – or recommend what I should read next!

If you are interested, I wrote about some of my favorite books ever here and I how I find time to read here.

Subscribe so you don’t miss a post!

February 6, 2018 By Kathryn

1 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Free stuff/ Things to do in Colorado

Our first “Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore” Event at Chick-Fil-A!

In December, ChickFilA reached out to ask if I would be a part of one of their upcoming Family Nights!

The event was held on Tuesday, January 30th and it was SO.MUCH.FUN!

ChickFila provided little “books” so that each kid could write their own story! I provided coloring and activity pages. The cow was out to greet everyone and interact with all the guests. Cedric Taylor, the illustrator, was drawing caricatures of all the guests who were there! I read my book two times, to two different groups of extremely engaged and well-behaved children, and did lots of book signings!!

All Luke wanted to do was hang out with the cow! George, Clark and Paul loved helping me with the story by showing each of the animals as I read about them.

Here are some pictures and a video of the night: