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My Night with a Narc!

It was my junior year of high school, and a new student arrives at study hall. He’s also in my gym class.

The word around school was that he was a “narc” (an undercover cop). As I watched him, I began to realize that he did look a little older than your typical high school student. And when the rest of us were huffing and puffing through the obligatory mile run in gym class, he did it with ease – running BACKWARD!

One day at the end of class he asked me to go on a date with him.  “I’ll pick you up on Friday at 6,” he says, “and wear a dress!”

At 6 pm on the dot, he shows up at my door. He is wearing a tie and I’m in my favorite dress.

He walks me to his car … and he is driving my FAVORITE car!

He opens the door … and there are a dozen roses on the seat!

There is music playing in the car … by my favorite musician – Harry Connick Jr.

(How did he know these things?!)

Then, he takes me one of the nicest restaurants in Tampa.

Before this evening, the fanciest restaurant I’d ever been to was the Olive Garden.

He orders appetizers and glasses of wine for both us. I’m 16. I’d never had wine. I had one sip to be polite but discreetly poured out the rest when we went out to the balcony to take in the sweeping view of the city.

We had a delicious dinner and it was the absolute, most perfect date! While every other girl my age had dates that included dinner at Taco Bell and a movie; I was driven in a sports car, given a dozen roses, listening to my favorite music, and eating the best food in town — and all of this with I guy who was like my own personal Liam Neeson!  This guy blew all the other guys out of the water.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel a bit of connection with him. I can’t even remember what we talked about. I wished I would have asked more questions about what he does “outside of school” … but he didn’t share any of that with me. We just had some polite dinner conversation.

Thankfully, he didn’t try to kiss me good night when he dropped me off after dinner.

And … I never saw him again!

So … was he a narc, an arch (angel), or just a regular Mark?

I guess we’ll never know.

January 7, 2018 By
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11 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ My Journey/ Traveling

Ten things I didn’t know about Colorado until I moved here

January 4, 2018 By
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2 In Colorado/ Family/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Things to do in Colorado

Goals for 2018

I haven’t been good about setting goals for myself in the past, but in 2017 I set 3 goals:

  1. Read 40 books
  2. Launch a blog by September 1
  3. Publish a book by the end of the year

Somehow, 2017 ended up being a year that I did all three! I launched a blog (on September 1), read lots of great books, and published my first book! WOW!!! This goal stuff might actually work! So…

Here are my goals for 2018!

1. Personal Goals

  • Market my book
  • Continue writing –
    • 2 posts per week for this blog,
    • Bible Studies for the Help Club and
    • articles for Homefront Magazine,
    • and write new drafts for my next children’s book
  • explore new places – Aspen, Telluride, Cave of the Winds, Crag, Paint Mines, Wolf Sanctuary
  • Keep learning – podcasts, classes, books, etc

2. Marriage Goals

  • Go on a monthly date with my husband
  • Go on an overnight with just the two of us

3. Motherhood Goals

  • Stay ENGAGED, present with my sons – enjoying each moment (It’s going by so quickly!)
  • Spend one-on-one time with each one

4. Ministry Goals

  • Build relationships with kids and volunteers
  • Invest in current volunteers
  • Personally invite 50 more people to serve

Leave a comment with a goal you have for 2018 (Little box beside the title of this post)!

Don’t forget to subscribe (on the right under my picture)!

 

December 30, 2017 By
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5 In Book Review/ Colorado Springs/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Product Recommendations/ Things to do in Colorado

Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore! The story behind the story.

 



My husband Ted has been working on a book for a couple of years now. One day as we were talking about HIS book, he mentioned that I should write a book. Unfortunately, my first answer was, “I can’t write a book.” (I’m finding this is a pattern with me, and not a good one!)

Nelson Mandela once said,

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

That sums up how I was feeling (and how I felt most of the way)

As I continued to think about it, I realized I COULD write a book – a Children’s Book! I’ve been reading children’s literature since I was a child. Because I’ve probably read a million children’s books by now, I can recognize the good ones, the bad ones – and the amazing ones that needs to be read over and over!!

Begin Writing

So… I started writing. I had lots of ideas and wrote some in a journal by hand, typed some on my computer, I even typed ideas into the “notes” section on my phone. Then…I finally had ideas that came together into a ‘story’ that might even work as my first BOOK!

From there, I started sharing it – I read it to my kids and asked for their feedback. I read it to my kid’s classes and asked for feedback. I sent it to friends and family and asked for their feedback. I tweaked and changed and edited until I was ready for the next step:

Finding an illustrator

I reached out to a ton of illustrators and most never returned my calls or emails. The ones who did respond said that they charge up to $20,000 per project. That was not realistic for me.

From there, I said, “God, if you want me to finish this project, you’ll need to help me find an illustrator. Bring the right person across my path.”

In August 2017, we had a neighborhood picnic and a face painter was there. His name was Cedric Taylor. He brought several illustrations with him of examples of what he could paint. His pictures were fun, happy, inviting, and just beautiful – exactly what I was looking for in my book! I wrote down his name and knew he was THE ONE!

I found out that he worked at a local art studio and showed up there one afternoon in early September. I gave Cedric a copy of my manuscript and asked if he would want to work with me.

He called me the next day and said that he would be willing to illustrate the book and already had sketches drawn! We met at 5:30 am at our local YMCA and when I saw the work he had done, I cried. I love how God gives each person gifts that are so different. Cedric’s drawings were incredible. I was amazed how he brought the story to life! We agreed on a price for his work and from there I focused on…

Finding a graphic artist

I happened to remember that one of my new friends in Colorado Springs is in charge of designing and publishing my favorite Bible studies. She uses amazon.com‘s Create Space to self-publish. I reached out to her to see if I could hire her as my book designer to help make this book a reality. She said YES!

So … between my writing, the beautiful illustrations by Cedric Taylor, the incredible design work of Kristall Willis and SO many others who gave ideas, edited, supported the Go Fund Me Page campaign … we have a PUBLISHED book!

This is a fictional story of the Egly boys climbing Pikes Peak and encountering the animals that actually live there. Children will enjoy this adventure story and learn some fun facts about Colorado Wildlife!

A resource to find other avenues to publish is the annual Writer’s Market: A Guide to Getting Published.

December 4, 2017 By
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2 In Book Review/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

What I’m reading! (And I’m giving one away)

I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in a book, encountering a new world, learning new facts, or discovering a life story!

As a child, my favorite books were The Boxcar children and the Grandma’s Attic series.

My current favorites are memoirs and biographies.

If I had a day completely to myself, I’d read all day long. That’s not something that happens very often (or ever), but I can still find a few minutes to read each day.

I’m usually always reading 2-4 books at the same time.

  • I have one book by my bed that I read before bed or when I can’t sleep.
  • I keep a book in the car to read if I’m waiting in line or have a few minutes in between appointments.
  • I keep a couple of books in the living room and read before the kids wake up, when Luke is napping, or in the evening.
  • I have a book in my workbag and read if I have 5-10 minutes in between meetings.

Here are thoughts on each of the books I’m currently reading or have recently finished:

 

  • Feisty and Feminine – This book explains some of the issues we are facing in our world right now. It’s informative, interesting and offers suggestions as to what we, as Christian women, can do to help make a difference.

 

 

  • Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  I heard two people say this was their favorite book of the year so I checked out the audio book from the library. I’m only halfway through and find it intriguing! This book is part memoir and part research into the food we eat and how it affects us and our environment.

 

  • The Way of the Wild Heart – because #boymom. Only a couple chapters in and this book is helping me understand this boy world that I live in. John Eldridge discusses each of the ‘six stages’ of manhood.

 

  • Spiritual Parenting – In preparing for my new role, I read this book written by our Family Ministries Executive Pastor, Dr. Michelle Anthony. The book encourages us, as parents, to ask God what He is doing in the lives of our sons and daughters so that we can come along side that work.  Michelle tells stories from her own life and gives simple and pro-active suggestions that encourage and inspire me as a mother and children’s ministry director! I recommend this book to parents, grandparents, and those wanting to impact young lives.

 

  • Chasing daylight – A true story about a man who discovered he had cancer and was given 3 months to live. Instead of wallowing in despair, he made a fantastic plan to create “Perfect Moments” in each day. I enjoyed this book because it challenged me to look for opportunities to create my own perfect moments, and value each day of life and health that I have been given. We have two copies at our house so I’d like to send my copy of Chasing Daylight to one of you! Leave me a comment and tell me you’d like this book and I will have my sons draw a name and choose a winner on Sunday! (Update: Winner – Corey C. – Congratulations!)

 

Also – leave me a comment and tell me what you are reading or suggest what I should read next!!

November 30, 2017 By
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6 In Friendship/ My Journey

The Story of Us – where it all began

It was 1999, and I had just moved to Tulsa. My sister, Haili, invited me to attend a Bible School graduation ceremony. She heard there would be a great speaker. That night, I walked in and sat next to a sweet lady named Shirley Egly. We chatted for a bit and I asked if she knew anything about the person who would be speaking that night. “Oh, it’s my son Ted!” She replied.

Her son walked out to the front of the room and my heart skipped a beat. Ted Egly. He really was a gifted communicator – and extremely handsome!

Ted and I chatted for a few minutes that first night and kept running into each other at different events over the next several months. The more I was around this guy, the more I liked him!  However, there was a problem. I had this “list” of several things a person “HAD TO BE” before I would consider dating them. One thing on that list was that the person HAD TO BE older than me. He was two years younger, and that was a deal-breaker.

I decided to set him up with my sister, Haili, who was also two years younger than me. For some reason, she thought of him as a brother and he saw her as a little sister, and they weren’t interested in dating. I thought Haili was CRAZY! “He’s PERFECT!” I told her.

“Then you date him,” she replied.

Hmmm…maybe I should consider breaking this rule on my “list.”

One afternoon, Ted invited Haili and I and some other friends to his house to play games. Haili couldn’t go, but I wouldn’t have missed it. That day I met Ted’s dad, sister, and mom (again). I later learned that Ted’s sister pulled his mom aside and said:

“Mom, I think that girl Kathryn is the one Ted is going to marry!”

Ted and I continued to see bump into each other or hang out on different occasions with a group of friends. In November 2000, we were both at the gym at the same time. I was working out with my sister, he was with his dad. He started running laps on the track, and I decided to join him. That night, he asked if I’d want to meet him later that week to go running at La Fortune Park in Tulsa. “Sure!” I answered (trying not to be too enthusiastic.)

How do you dress when your first date is to go RUNNING?

Do you wear makeup? (I wore a little.)

We met at the park and ran 6 miles together. I don’t usually run six miles. In fact, I’m not sure I had ever run 6 miles before that day or if I’ve run 6 straight miles since then, but it was that “first date” adrenaline and I mostly floated through the run. After that, we got some Mexican food and talked for hours.

From that very first date, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man, Ted Egly. I was crazy about him.

Thankfully, he felt the same way. On Valentine’s Day, 3 months later, he told me he loved me and wanted to talk about our future together. In June, we were engaged.

Click here to read the story of our engagement! 

Subscribe (in the right hand column) so you don’t miss a post!

November 16, 2017 By
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4 In Faith/ Family/ My Journey

SEVENTEEN reasons to SERVE

When I was young, the youth ministry and those serving in it changed the trajectory of my life, and I am thrilled to “Pay it Forward” by serving the next generation! I STRONGLY believe that we need to come alongside our children and teenagers – teaching them, encouraging them and LOVING them!

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Here are 17 reasons to serve in children’s or student ministry:

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1. When we serve children, we serve Christ himself!

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Matthew 25:40: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me!

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We are a “family.” Just like each person in our household has chores and responsibilities, each member of the church family should look around and say, “What needs to be done?” And then DO IT! Every person chips in and helps!

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2. We live in an interconnected world, serving children makes a positive impact on our world.

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None of you should look out just for your own good. Each of you should also look out for the good of others. Philippians 2:4

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10

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3. Serving takes the focus off of YOUR problems.

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Serving others takes the focus off YOU and your problems and allows you time to focus on others.  You’ll find that when you are encouraging others, you YOURSELF will be encouraged.

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Bonus: You will learn that our GREAT GOD is bigger than all of our problems!

I will often be able to serve another simply as an act of love and righteousness…but I may also serve another to train myself away from arrogance, possessiveness, envy, resentment or covetousness. – Dallas Willard’

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4. You will make an impact on your own children.

The Barna group recently released a statistic that shows your children are 80% more likely to continue in their faith if their parents were serving in the ministry.

Your children are watching you and learning what you value.

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5. God has lavished GOOD on you so that you can lavish good on others!

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! I John 3:1 NIV

“We are created to join God on a mission….he calls us to roll up our sleeves and join him with our talents, our money, our time and our passion. He wants his mission to become our mission.” – Bill Hybels

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6. Serving children will have the greatest, LONG TERM impact!

Children are just beginning to develop life-long beliefs, habits, and values – we can help shape them! What gets “poured into” children will be what comes out of them as adults. When children grasp that God loves them and has a GOOD plan for their lives, their lives take on more meaning, purpose, and JOY!

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7. Young people are highly influenced by role models, but many don’t have one.

You can be that role model!

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8.  Spiritual development begins at age two and is usually formed by before age 13.

If people do not embrace Jesus as their Savior before the end of their teenage years, their chance of doing so later in life is slim. Children are the group of people who are the MOST receptive to the Gospel AND the most receptive to discipleship.

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9. Our current young ones are our future leaders.

The people who are leading our country today were once young people who may or may not have had wise and caring people investing in them.

  • Christians have a tremendous opportunity to help build a better, more God-honoring world by investing in the moral and spiritual character of future leaders. – George Barna

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10. Being ‘in the action’ is way better than sitting on the sidelines.

You can be a spectator and watch a good service, chat with friends, go home. Or you can get in the game and be a part of the adventure.

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11. You will learn, grow and develop skills you didn’t even know you had.

Every time I serve, I learn things that apply to my life – and I can talk these things through with my children. We reflect on the lessons together throughout the week.

“A critical component of someone growing in their faith is serving.” – Dale Hudson

Leading others forced me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to grow in areas where I would have become stagnant. We get to develop gifts we may not even realize we have! We get to be used by God in ways we never imagined!

We can learn from children:

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

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12. It’s FUN!

We play GAMES to learn! If you need a reason to smile, work with kids – they give you LOTS of reasons to smile. Their JOY is contagious. Seeing the world through their eyes is simply delightful!

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13. You will meet new friends!  

Loneliness is an unfortunate problem in our generation. We text more than we talk and connect with people on social media more than we do in person. Serving changes all that. While serving, you will get to know others, build relationships, laugh together, learn together, and grow together. Most of my closest friends are people who I’ve met while serving.

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14. Serving gives us an opportunity to put our faith into action.

Serving helps us grow in our faith. Scripture tells us that:

“Faith without deeds is useless.” James 2:20 NIV

“I see Christ in others, and they can see Him in me.” – Michelle Anthony

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15. Working with children and teens has the potential to change the trajectory of one’s life.

I’m forever grateful to the men and women who served in the church when I was young. I felt loved, welcomed, and most importantly – I learned that GOD LOVES ME and has a GOOD plan for my life! I learned that God is my Father and I could trust him. It changed my life. (Read my story by clicking here)

We get to team up with God to change the world!!!!

If children learn to love God with their whole heart, mind, strength, and soul – then larger problems as they grow will be by-passed. Strong, healthy children will grow into adults that positively impact our society. – George Barna

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16. Children need a THIRD voice

Though the primary people responsible for spiritual development are parents; children and student’s need a THIRD (and fourth and fifth) voice speaking truth into their lives! I can name a specific third, fourth and fifth voices that impacted me, can you think of those people as well? I’m so grateful for the people who spoke to me with truth and love when I was going through the “My Parents Don’t Know Anything” stage! I’m honored to have the opportunity to be that voice in the lives of our future leaders. You can be that voice too.

17. Serving is good for your health

In the book entitled “The Healing Power of Doing Good,” author Allan Luks discovered that: Retired men who volunteer one day a week live two and a half times longer than retired men who don’t volunteer at all.

In the book, Happiness Hypothesis, the author shares this profound study:

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Serving is like joining a gym!! (Keep that New Year’s Resolution!)

We never need to feel guilty asking people to serve our children and students. It’s not what we want FROM them, it’s what we want FOR THEM!

When I invite others to serve, I am giving them a GIFT – a gift they give and a gift they keep. Why am I so confident in this?

  1. Because of how it positively changed my life. People served and invested in me, and I will never be the same. Their service will ripple through eternity! (Click here to read that story)
  2. Because of the joy and satisfaction I’ve experienced volunteering in children’s and student ministry.
  3. Because I’ve been thanked by countless volunteers for providing them a place to grow, serve, and find fulfillment.
  4. Because of how it has positively impacted my four sons who attend children’s ministry!

What do YOU have to offer? More than you probably think. You have the gifts and talents you were born with. The passion that inspires you. The blessing of education. The skills you’ve honed as you’ve worked at home or in the marketplace. The life experiences that have matured you. The pain that has deepened you. The love that spills from God’s heart into yours.” – Bill Hybels

THANK YOU to those of you who invest in our children and teenagers! I appreciate you.

If you volunteer or serve somewhere in your community, I’d love to know WHERE you serve and WHY you serve! Please leave me a comment!

If you are interested in reading more about this topic, here are a couple of book recommendations:

  1. Sustainable Children’s Ministry – a systematic approach to recruiting volunteers; very practical

2. Volunteer Revolution – an inspiring book filled with real-life stories on the power of volunteering!

Thanks for reading!  Please share this post and don’t forget to subscribe by putting your email in the section on the right. Updates from my blog will be sent directly to your inbox.

October 22, 2017 By
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4 In Faith/ Family/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

My Journey, Part 3 – Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mama (SAHM)

In 2011, our children’s ministry had grown from 25 kids to about 300 kids! Click here to read that story.

I was also the mother of a growing 3-year old, an extremely active 1-year-old, and very pregnant with our 3rd son!  My husband and I agreed that for this season of our lives, it would be best for me to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom.

Since 2011, we’ve gone from two to three, then FOUR little cowboys!

I’m incredibly grateful for the years of being home with my littles! Getting everyone the food they want, the drinks they need, their teeth brushed, nails clipped … getting them washed up, then dried off, making sure they go potty or get their diapers changed, getting all of their clothes, socks, and shoes on (why can’t I find all the shoes! Where do they hide the shoes?).

On days we have places to go, there are four different types of car seats or seat belts that need to be fastened – while at least one child is crying about something. In winter, I’ll get all extra layers packed onto each one, but when we’ve arrived at our destination, they’ve taken everything off. And so I start over. Let’s just say that I’m GLAD for the “STAY-AT-HOME” part of ‘stay-at-home mom.’

There were days in those ‘little years’ that I’d be so tired by the end of the night, I’d just cry. I knew I’d be up with a baby through the night and have another long day ahead of me with four busy little boys. Ted is an amazing daddy and husband, but for a few of those ‘little years’ he was working full time – plus going to school full time to earn his master’s degree. When he finished school, he commuted to Chicago every day for work – making his long days even longer with an hour-long drive each way! Many days each week he would leave as the boys were waking up and get home when they were going to bed. (Which was one of the things that inspired our move to Colorado – a better work-life balance!)

Being a full-time mama is hard, and I’ve talked about the hard. But it’s actually more wonderful than it is hard. The good far outweighs the bad! It’s hard to understand unless you’re in it!

Some of the things I love about being a mom:

  • being there for each of the ‘firsts’ – first step, first word, first food,

  • all of the snuggles, hugs and kisses,

  • hearing the sweet mis-pronounced words my boys say (lemonade is pronounced “little maid” at our house)

  • kissing their ‘owies’ and putting on all of the band-aids (so.many.bandaids!)

  • holding them and being there when they are sick,

  • watching them love, help, and protect each other,

  • laughing with them and enjoying the funny and creative things they say and do,

  • experiencing the world through their eyes! Life takes on new meaning and you begin to appreciate the little things.

What a privilege to be a mom!

Though it felt like they’d be tiny and completely dependent on me forever, I now have four boys who SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. They are all potty-trained! My oldest son can make his own food – and helps cook for the family as well! They all know how to do so many things ALL BY THEMSELVES!! They make their own beds and help with other chores around the house.

After years of not having five minutes alone all day long, I now have time to do things like  START a BLOG and consider opportunities outside the home.

I worked part-time role at New Life church in Colorado Springs Click here to read about it! And I currently substitute teach at my children’s schools.

Others told me it goes by fast, and that was hard to believe when they were all babies, but now I see how TRUE it is.

To read more about my days at home, read this!

October 19, 2017 By
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4 In Faith/ My Journey/ Uncategorized

My Journey, Part 2 – I said YES when I wanted to say NO WAY

Ted and I were asked if we would consider moving to the Chicago area to serve in a church. (They wanted me to consider becoming the Children’s Ministry Director. At first, I wanted to say “No way!” But my husband asked for me to pray about it before answering. (Click here to read that story)

I prayed and felt strongly that, in spite of the fear and the unknowns, I needed to say “Yes!”

We agreed to a six-month trial period in my new role. If it wasn’t the right fit, I could go back to teaching elementary school.

Well, 6 months came and went, and I continued as the Children’s Ministry Director for almost a decade!

It was an INCREDIBLE journey, and I’m forever grateful that I said yes! I grew as a person, and a leader as the children’s ministry grew from 25 children to hundreds of children. From 3 volunteers to 100+ volunteers. Thousands of people came to events that we hosted for families. I got a front row seat to see God working in people’s lives and families – in our church, our city, and around the world!

Families in our church community were able to provide food for families in our city, as well as school supplies and free tutoring services for children. We provided Christmas gifts and clothes for hundreds of families. We sponsored children and families around the world – feeding them and helping pay for their education.  I got to witness children and their families come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with Him.

I’m forever grateful I gave a nervous and unsure ‘Yes,’ when the safer, more comfortable thing to say was ‘No!’

Have you ever been in that place before (maybe even right now), where saying “yes” was a leap of faith? Tell me your story!

To read the next part of My Journey, click here!

 

October 18, 2017 By
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2 In My Journey

My journey Part 1 – Becoming a teacher

From the time I was little, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. It started when I was about eight years old, I helped my little sister sound out letters and put them together to form words. When she first began to read, it was exhilarating! I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

After high school, I went to the University of South Florida and earned my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education.

After college, I went to Tulsa to visit my dad who was working with Rhema Ministries. I decided to move there and attend Rhema Bible School. It was an incredible two years where I learned so much more about God and his love for us.

Me and Kenneth Hagin at Graduation from Rhema Bible Training Center.

After Rhema, I taught fourth grade in the Jenks Public School system and loved my job! I also met and married Ted in Tulsa – but that’s a story for another day.

One evening, Ted and I got a call from friends in the Chicago area. They asked if we would want to move to Illinois and serve with them in ministry. They wanted Ted to consider being an Associate/Teaching Pastor and they offered me the role of Children’s Ministry Director.

My first response to that, “No way!”

I loved being an Elementary School teacher. It was structured. I knew what was expected of me and how to succeed in my role.

Children’s ministry is a big responsibility. I didn’t know if I had what it takes.

My husband asked if I would at least pray about it before answering.

Click here to read what happened next.

October 16, 2017 By
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