The Wedding
Anticipation — it is a deliciously awful thing. Sometimes it is glorious, like when you are waiting for warm chocolate chip cookies to come out of the oven, the scent whetting your appetite. Sometimes it is agony, like when you are waiting for the result of a medical test. Sometimes it is both, like with the fun craziness of preparing for Cady and Kevin’s wedding.
I was fine about it all. I was fine, that is, until we started taking ornaments off of our Christmas tree. Since the girls were little I have tried to buy each of them a special ornament for each year. I set Cady Noreen’s ornaments aside so that she could decide which ones to take for her first Christmas tree as a married woman. I held various ornaments in my hands, remembering when and where she got or made them. As I ran through the memories each of the ornaments brought, the tears began to flow. It hit me hard that day — Cady is getting married.
We are nose-deep in plans and details and projects and preparations. Invitations. Guest accommodations. Vendors galore. The big day will be March 9th!
Friends are throwing Cady showers. We are going to fittings. There are still decisions to be made and purchases to make. It is all thrilling, fun, and amazing — thrilling to watch Cady and Kevin take this step in their new lives. Fun to watch Cady get excited about towels and food storage containers. Amazing to look back and see all that God has done over the past 23 years. We are so grateful we have come to this step. Wedding photos to come . . . .
National Staff Conference
About this time on the calendar, every other year, Andy’s life begins to be consumed by the work and responsibilities of our National Staff Conference. Our Colorado State University conference. This year it is different — my life is also being consumed by the CSU conference.
Several months ago, now that I am no longer teaching at Trace Academy, I offered to work on some of the print media that is used for the conference. For example, there is an Information Packet written for our staff members. It lays out relevant facts: when and where registrations will take place; how much room and board and childcare will cost; what our staff should expect of their housing assignment; and more. The packet has been in use since 2005 and needed a “face lift.” For the past five months I have been gathering updated facts, figures and reams of information. The packet has been proofed, tweaked, and was made available to the staff this week.
In addition, emails have begun to arrive in the CSU Information mail box. As a member of the Information Team I get to help answer those questions. “This is my first time to the Colorado conference, will I need a car?” “Who do I talk to about meeting space during the conference?” “Can we bring our dog to Colorado?” The variety of questions is infinite.
It is a privilege to serve our staff as the conference approaches. I love the team of women that I work with, I SO enjoy Colorado, and look forward to seeing friends from around the world.
This conference, held every other year, is a big deal for our staff, and we’re honored to be part of the planning and operation of the conference. It gives the staff members of spread-out ministries (like the Military Ministry or The College Campus Ministry) opportunity to meet and share strategies. It gives all of us the chance to hear from our national leadership and remember the reasons that we are in ministry in the first place.
As in 2011, this summer we will get to have Becca with us, as well as Rachel. Becca will be working at the childcare, and hoping to get a class with children who can talk and walk (last time she had 12—15 month olds). Rachel hopes to work at the coffeehouse, like her sisters before her. We are thrilled to have both girls with us.
Again, Andy and I love helping serve our fellow staff members. Andy has worked at other conferences like this for our Western European Staff, our Asian Staff and Eastern European Staff. Your continued prayers and financial partnership make that possible. Thank you.
Prayer Requests
That the stresses of putting on a wedding will not take away for our enjoyment of Cady and Kevin’s celebration.
That Cady and Kevin’s transition to being a family will go smoothly.
That Becca’s transition back home, and to UCF will continue to go well.
That Rachel will be able to balance school, online classes, work and play.
My (Catherine) step-mother, Steffany Belcher has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Please pray for her strength through the treatments, and for healing.
The Kelloggs 