Life Changing….Really.
Posted by: catiejoy on: December 15, 2008
So this is just going to prove that I am a 40 year old woman stuck in a 22 year old body. A couple of weeks ago, November 30th my life was changed forever. I have been waiting a year and a half for this very special day. As I sat in the Honda center anticipating the event that was about to occur I was overwhelmed with excitement. Then all of sudden the lights dimmed and she rose from the center of the stage….
There she is! The one and only Celine Dion. I truly think she has one of the greatest voices ever and just actually being there and hearing her voice was absolutely amazing!!! I know she is super cheesy but I love it. Jo and I were in heaven. We had amazing seats too, close enough that if I threw a rock it would hit her. But I didn’t, don’t worry. She is just so effortless when she sings and has such an amazing passion for what she does (not to mention ,she has the most amazing shoes ever!) It was a night I will never forget! I love Celine, now and always! Wow, im such a dork, im sorry, dont judge. 
Calvary Church…
Posted by: catiejoy on: December 12, 2008
is a community where we dance, sing, and have a splendid time making sillies out of ourselves.
Calvary Staff Christmas Video from tammy harris on Vimeo.
I love my job. I could not ask for a better way to spend my days then with people who definitely don’t take themselves to seriously and work towards one common, beautiful goal! I am so proud to be part of this amazing team!
Thankful.
Posted by: catiejoy on: November 28, 2008
So Im sitting here listening to the sounds of my dad putting the finishing touches on his thanksgiving feast extravaganza. It smells absolutely delicious. I just love that there is a day every year when people everywhere stop and think about all of the things in life we have to be thankful for. I know we should all be thankful everyday for all the things we have but I just love that there is a day set aside for it. To spend with loved ones and reflect on all the good things there are. I just wanted to make a little list of all the things I am thankful for, I am one blessed little girl and I hope that I never forget to thank God for all the blessings in my life. So here goes…I am so thankful for….
1. My Family- I have told you, internet, a million times how grateful I am for my family. I have the most amazing parents in all the world who took the circumstances life gave them, overcame, and raised my brother and I with all the love in the world. I am also thankful for my brother who is a complete free spirit and could care less about what the world thinks of him. He is stubborn and silly, and although to the naked eye we are completely different, him and I are definitely two peas from the same pod.
2. My Friends- I have been blessed my whole life with great friends. There have definitely been a few not so good ones also but the people I have in my life now are just amazing. There are those couple people I have been friends with forever who will always be there, always be in my heart. But there are my friends now who have sort of become my family up in the OC away from my momma and dad. They challenge and love me and make me laugh like no one. I am also so grateful for a group of friends who don’t deal with or allow silly drama to come between us, life is too short for silly things and I am grateful for friends who feel the same.
3. My Job- I have a great job. I get to watch babies and hang out with some of the coolest people AND get paid for it. I will not lie, it is definitely challenging at times but this past year at Calvary has been one of the best I have had. I look at other people who hate what they do everyday but I can honestly say that I love my job and just to be able to say that is such a blessing.
4. Food- Yes, I am thankful for food. I love food, especially sweet things. I am thankful God gave us taste buds to taste things.
5. My life- This may sound strange and a bit vain but I am so thankful that God gave me a good head on my shoulders. I am glad he gave me the ability to think for myself and make my own choices. I am thankful that God created me just the way he did and gave me the life he did. I love my life, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sometimes I look at others and I don’t understand why I got the life I did and others didn’t. I am not saying my life is perfect by any means, I have had my fair share of ups and downs and ins and outs but when I look back through every moment of heartache and doubt I saw God’s hand right there saying, “silly Catie, Im right here holding your hand.” I am so thankful for that.
I am learning more and more that life is not about what you have, its about the company you keep and the love you share with others. I for so long thought it was about fitting in and having the right clothes and the right friends who make you look cool but now that all just seems so silly… but I think we all go through this feeling to come out on the other end realizing what is truly important.
Well, the turkey is done, and looks mighty fine. My dad is an amazing cook so Im gonna go gain a few pounds have a few laughs with the people I love. Happy Thanksgiving Mr.Internet!
A Good Reminder.
Posted by: catiejoy on: November 20, 2008
This past week has been a real eye opener for me. I feel like a common theme that keeps popping up everywhere I go is serving, especially at church. I went to a my roommates church this past Sunday night and the speaker talked about the ways in which we serve and how most of us just serve in the areas in which we are “gifted.” If you are a good singer, you sing. If you are a good speaker, you speak. If you are good with kids, you work with kids. God has given us all these special gifts and most of us use those, and only those. If there is a need in some form at the church but it is not an area we are “gifted” in we will often turn our heads. He then use the analogy of a doctor in a hospital:
When a doctor walks into a hospital to perform a surgery. He walks in, past the kitchen where all the dirty dishes from every room sit on the counter waiting to be washed. He walks past the laundry room where sheets and dirty scrubs are piled up waiting to be washed. He walks past the nursery were crying babies are screaming for arms to hold them. He walks past the kitchen where food waits to be prepared for the patients in the hospital. He then walks into the surgical room, performs surgery, cleans up and heads home.
When this doctor gets home he greets his wife with a hug and kiss. Heads to the kitchen to clean the dirty dishes that have piled up throughout the day. He then heads to the laundry room and puts in a new load and folds a freshly dried batch of clothes. He then heads back to the kitchen and prepares dinner for his family. After dinner he takes his baby in his arms and rocks her to sleep. At the hospital he is doctor, and doctor only, but at home is dad, chef, dishwasher and laundry doer.
The church is our home. When there is a need those in the church family should not pick and choose what needs to be done based on their special gifts. If there are dishes to be done, do them. If there are babies to be held, offer your arms! If food needs to be made, make it.
This message really challenged me because I often find myself using the excuse that I am not good at something to just step back and let someone else do it. I hate going out of my comfort zone but sometimes it is what needs to be done and we are called to just do it!
Another point that this particular pastor brought up was the question of why we serve? Do we serve to please ourselves or do we serve to please our God. If not one person ever acknowledged the good things you do would you still do them? I think we often forget who we work for and who we live for. I don’t want to be a person who only serves to be noticed by man because that really doesn’t matter. God notices everything we do, when we hand a child a cup of water God sees that.
This week I had the perfect example of a person who serves with a genuine heart. I had a volunteer call and ask if it was okay if he came in one day to fix a few broken handles and a shelf one afternoon because he noticed these things were broken. He came in with his own tools, on his own time to make a classroom safer for a bunch of two year olds. I didn’t ask him to fix things, he just did it, because he saw a need and fixed it. I want a heart like this man, a heart that serves because God tells us to serve. Im not saying that we don’t all have special talents for a reason but that should not be an excuse to not do something. I don’t know if this LONG post makes any sense but hopefully it challenges you like it challenged me!
7 Things.
Posted by: catiejoy on: November 7, 2008
I think I might officially be the worst blogger in the history of blogging. But, anywho, Susie, this is for you.
7 Quirky things about me:
- I Sneeze A LOT. Like 20 times a day. And it’s never one at a time, usually they come in fives. I’m not sure why, I just have a super itchy nose I suppose.
- I Love coffee. Starbucks caramel macchiatos or pumpkin spice lattes are my weakness… I go everyday, sometimes twice. Its a problem.
- I love folding laundry! I love the smell and softness of clean clothes. When all my clothes are clean and put perfectly away in my dresser or hung in my closet, organized by color and sleeve length my world feels a little less crazy.
- I think hair that is not attached to someones head is the grossest thing ever. Especially in the bathroom which is why I have a hard time sharing a bathroom. Also, if I am in a big crowd and standing next to a girl (or man) with long hair and it touches me I freak out. I know, Im crazy. Its a good thing I look good blonde so when my hair falls out I don’t have to see it.
- I have never broken a bone or been stung by a bee. God probably knows I couldn’t handle either so he has spared me. Thanks to the big guy upstairs.
- I am still slightly afraid of the dark. I can’t watch scary movies cuz I have awful dreams and I won’t be able to sleep for awhile after I watch one! I am such a baby!
- I really really really think I have the most amazing parents in the whole entire world. My mom is my absolute best friend and my dad is the most amazing man in the world. They have shown me what unconditional love means and how to have compassion for people without sacrificing myself. They are both so delightfully strange (which may explain my silly quirks) and I adore them.
- And one more just cause….On my left foot my third toe is longer then the rest of all my other toes. Not my big toe or the second toe but my THIRD toe…and only on ONE foot. Like “almost have to buy a half size bigger shoe for my left foot” long.
So there are 8 quirks about me, I am sure there are dozens more because I am slightly quirky kind of girl. 
Olympics.
Posted by: catiejoy on: August 20, 2008
I love the Olympics. I have never been as into them as I am this time around. I love it. The swimming, the diving, the running, the gymnastics, etc… I have beenglued to the TV almost every night for the past week or so. Everytime I watch I am so amazed at the athletes, they work soooo hard for so long to compete in these games. It is amazing. You can see it in their faces, the drive, the desire, to be the best in the world. I can’t imagine the feeling of winning a gold medal. Knowing that you are the very best at something, better than 6 billion other people. That is amazing! I tell ya, watching the Olympics has been quite the motivator for me to get to the gym. I think I will take up pole vaulting, who knows maybe you will see me in 2012.
Some of the sports seem just silly to me though. Like Badminton, thats a game you play at a barbecue or a small gathering. Im not saying it shouldn’t be an Olympic sport, I was just surprised to see it I suppose. This afternoon I was watching synchronized swimming with my momma and the ladies just looked so silly! Like not human, it was hilarious. But when I think about it you have to have such amazing strength to so something like that. All of the atheletes in the Olympics have such incredible strength, I think thats why I love it so much. Even the tiny Chinese gymnasts (who btw, could not possibly be 16, maybe 12, and thats even a stretch, but don’t get me started); they could probably pick me up and twirl me around while eating breakfast.
There are some athletes you can tell that are so grateful and so excited to be in the competition. Other athletes you can tell think are God’s gift to the world. I love it when people like that loose, is that bad? I was watching one of the women’s races and a 21 year old girl from Jamaica won totally unexpectedly, Shelly-Ann Fraser. She was a youngstar against a bunch of veterans but she won. The smile on her face was so big and her excitement was so apparent. It made me smile and tear up a little because it was clear that it was probably the best moment of her life.
Man, I love the Olympics. I think they should happen every year. Well, maybe not, I need sleep!
Poor me.
Posted by: catiejoy on: August 15, 2008
Today I am having a pity party for myself. Im not sure why, wrong side of the bed I suppose. All day I have felt so sorry for myself, so oppressed, like the world owes me something. I need to snap out of it, my life is pretty bomb. I will go take a trip to target and buy something I don’t need, that usually does the trick. 
Update.
Posted by: catiejoy on: August 14, 2008
So I know you ae all dying to know what has been going on in my life over these past few blogless weeks. Last week there was this little event at my church called VBS that pretty much consumed my entire life for about a month. We had over a thousand kids come to the Power Lab at Calvary; it was a pretty amazing week. So much thought and work went into making it happen and it was worth every second. If you want to see some pretty amazing pics go to www.calvarylife.org/vbs. It was cool to see soo many people give up their entire week to minister to so many precious little children. It was really quite extraordinary to see all those kids worshiping and so excited to learn about God; so make sure you take a peek. Now I have my life back though which is a nice feeling but I look forward to next year!
My little Val Pal celebrated her birthday on Saturday! Happy Birthday my little love muffin! I am so glad you were born! A bunch of us girls and her fiance B went out to dinner to celebrate.
Please excuse my awkard stance.
This Lady.
Posted by: catiejoy on: July 31, 2008
This Lady. My momma. How does she do it? My mom just has the most amazing way of making life all better just by the sound of her voice. I have been a little stressed, a little frustrated, a little sad, and one conversation with her just makes me feel like it’s all gonna be okay. I think it is because she (and my dad, of I am not really sure how I would be able to survive without this lady. I know that she loves me more than anything and no matter what I tell her that won’t change. I know people say that all the time but to really know that in my heart means more than anything to me. My mom has been through ALOT in here life and to see where she is ended up and the amazing, strong, funny, compassionate, insanely intelligent, and just flat out wonderful woman that she is gives me hope and makes me so proud to call her my mom. It’s the simple and silly things she does and the clarity she brings to everyday things that makes me so thankful. She is my very best friend in the whole wide world and I love her so so so much.
Exciting Day.
Posted by: catiejoy on: July 29, 2008
Today has been very, very exciting! First off ,I would like to wish my brother a wonderfully happy birthday. We spent the day with him yesterday eating and talking, it was lovely. 
I am so blessed to have the family I do. My brother has taught me to look at life in a totally different way. He is so wonderfully unique and totally his own person. I love him so much and I am so proud of him! Love you Brother!!!
Secondly, I wrote a check for a very large amount today, to secure my spot on a trip to ISRAEL next March. I am sooooooooooooo excited! The trip is going to be such a blast. We are going to the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee and a zillion other places. To actually see the places that you find in the Bible! O man, I am still a little unsure at where the money is going to come from but I know the big guy upstairs will provide! It somewhere I never thought I would go, and I am pretty sure my favorite travel buddy, Jo is coming with me which makes me ten times more excited.
In other news, the beast that is VBS is coming up so I will be at work pretty much 24/7 for the next couple weeks. Feel free to stop by with coffee or a chocolately treat
Good day, bed time.
