A great interview!

There is this group called ontimeblind and they go around the country doing skits about Christian life. I had the incredible chance to interview one of the members of the team, Kathlene Smith. Heres my questions and her answers. 

1. How long have you been part of onetimeblind.

I have been a part of onetimeblind since the beginning of the ministry in 1994.  There was a group before I joined called Face2Face that ministered but then it changed people and we all agreed to change the name as well.

2. How did you guys get started in this ministry?

Most of us went to the same college and that college was looking for a team to go to camps and do drama.  They didn't have a team that did that, so a few people volunteered and the people at the camps liked it so much they wanted them to come back.  We weren't sold on doing just drama, but that is what God wanted us to do and since the most important thing to us was to get the name of Jesus out there and God wanted us to do drama, that's what we did.

3. How has onetimeblind changed your life (other than schedule)?

LOL.  Onetimeblind has flipped my life upside down.  Well, God has flipped it by using onetimeblind.  I had a plan after graduating college.  I had a job and an apartment lined up.  But God wanted something else for me, and I'm so glad.  I've been able to experience God in such ways I would've never been able to if I wasn't in this ministry.  He is so amazing and faithful if we just follow Him.

4. What are some conflicts that you have faced with onetimeblind?

We have faced several conflicts with the ministry.  It was very hard at first to get along with everyone.  I mean, we were all friends, but we were all very different and we had to learn to love DEEPLY, forgive one another and love again.  It was great practice of who the church should be.  I felt we were able to start growing up in Christ.  The ministry has faced conflict after conflict.  We have almost missed traveling accidents by minutes.  We have had lighting trellises almost fall on us.  We have struggled financially.  We have struggled personally with our families and not being with them at times.  But in all, God is faithful.  There will always be conflict in our lives.  It’s how we deal with it that makes the difference.

5. What is your favorite skit that y'all do and why?

My favorite skit used to be Trust Fall, but I think lately it has been More Coke.  Comparison is the stealer of all Joy.  God intends to fill us up with Himself.  He gives us gifts and so often we don't do anything with them or we could care less what He gives us.  It reflects my heart sometimes and always speaks to me.

6. Where is the coolest place that you have been with onetimeblind?

Well, there are several places that have been cool.  I love seeing the country and I have many memories.  One of my favorite places is Estes Park Colorado.  It's in the mountains and just breathtaking.  But, I have also enjoyed Hawaii, Portland, Keokuk Iowa, Tennessee, oh, there are too many.  I love to find out the cool parts of each town we are in.  Like where the eagles fly or where there are armadillos.

7. What is your favorite part about being part of onetimeblind?

My favorite part about being in onetimeblind is the people.  I love meeting new people and seeing what God has done and is doing for them.  God is amazing and the more people I meet the more God becomes real to me.

8. Do y'all have a theme verse? If so what is it?

John 9 is what our ministry was built on.  We have always wanted to open the eyes of the blind.  And even of those whose vision has been blinded by the things of this world.  We hope people will one day say, "All I know is I was once blind, but NOW I SEE!"

9. What is your favorite bible verse and why?

Jeremiah 1:5 is my favorite verse.  "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  I have always loved the idea of God knowing me before I was in my mother’s womb.  To me, that means there was a time I was intimate with Him.  Just me and Him face to face.  I want to spend my whole life getting back to that place.

10. What are some of your hobbies?

My hobbies are answering emails for cool girls I meet on the road-;-)  , journaling, hiking, photography, making journals/crafts, hanging with friends, letterboxing.org (VERY fun), cooking, oh, I have too many.

Thanks, Kat, for doing taking time out of your schedule and doing this interview for me!

Winners!

Congratulations to the second place winner (drum roll) picture # 2 sent in by Emily of Picture 'em Photography!!!

And our first place winner is Allie Reid of Allie Photography!!!

Congratulations to you guys and thanks to all who voted and sent in pictures.

Vote Now!!!

I am going to cut off votes on Saturday so if you want to vote, you need to quickly. Many of you have voted already and thank you. I will post winners on Sunday or Monday.

Photo Contest Pictures

Hey guys! My photography contest ended yesterday. If everyone would please vote for their top three favorites, that would be great. Thanks to everyone who sent in pictures. They are great!

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Forever Magazine

Hey Guys,

I just found this new magazine for christian girls. Its called Forever Magazine. If you are intrested in being on the staff, go to forevermagazine.webs.com. You have probably seen me post stuff about bloommagazine.webs.com and this is just like it. Lord willing, the first issue will come out November 20,2010. to be a subscriber you can go to that website and sign up.

Thanks a lot guys!
Jessi

Photo contest!

My photo contest will end TODAY! I will probably post the pictures tomorrow or Monday. If you will please let all of your friend know about this so I can get more pictures in, that would be great. So to look at the guide lines look at three post befor this one. It has all you need to know. Thanks alot! Oh! and If you have a picture that fits the headder that would be great too!

Ummm..... Birthday and stuff......

So in about 31 hours it will officially be my fourteenth birthday. I am sooooo excited. My family plus my friend Allie (click her name to go to her blog) are going to an Astro's game. They are having a fait and family night thinggy where a band comes and plays after the game. This Faith and Family Night/ Day, MercyMe is playing. I am so pumped because MercyMe is one of my favorite bands. My brother came down from college this weekend and so did one of my best friends. I can't wait to see her.  This weekend is going to be epic.

Now on to other stuff. I had to write a story for language arts and I loved it. read it and tell me what you think. I actually wrote way more than I was supposed to but oh well! Here it is. Its called A Life for a Life. I am very proud of this story. Mostly because I spent like four strait hours writing, editing, and more editing this.

It was like a scene out of a movie. Everything was in slow motion and muted. I had a blank face trying to hold back any and all emotions. I looked to my right and watched my husband scramble out of the car and head toward the accident. There was a woman, maybe 25, lying on the ground with minimal signs of life showing. The tiny thread of life in her was begging to get out. There was a man running toward the mangled car. And two children, maybe three years old, crying out for their father or mother or someone to comfort them. My husband ran to the woman screaming with tears streaking down his face. She was his sister, the man’s wife, the children’s mother, my sister in-law, and my best friend.                                  

The day started off normal. The annoying buzz of my alarm clock woke both Scott and I at promptly six thirty in the morning. Scott, the love of my life, and I had been married for exactly eight years on that day. Whenever there is a birthday, anniversary, or any excuse to get the family together, we do. Everyone on Scott’s side of the family comes to celebrate the merry occasions. That means the twins, Allison and Erik, the big brother Scott, and their baby sister Theresa are all under one roof. Of course, husbands and wives come also and so do a few lifelong friends too. That would be Megan, Erik’s wife, John, Allison’s husband, and Greg, Theresa’s boy friend. Also Seth and Lauren, friends of the family for ages, tag along too. We always met for lunch at the most amazing restaurant in New York, Bella Amore. Scott and I had a few errands to run, before the “Big Gathering” as they are so proudly called, so on that Saturday morning we headed off at eight. All of the necessary things were taken care of leaving the minute things for the next day. We ran into Allison at the store while she was shopping for a present for us. She said that John and the kids were at home but they were going to meet us at the restaurant. John was her husband of four years and her close friend through her childhood. John, Lauren, Seth, Allison and I were the closest friend throughout our years even though there is a difference of four years between Lauren, the youngest and me, the oldest. When Al (Allison) and Erik were 19 both of their parents died in a triple flip car accident. Al became severely depressed and we all stuck together in that situation and helped her through that.  John and Al had two beautiful, twin girls, Penelope and Alex. We parted from Allison and ran home to freshen up some before our anniversary celebration.

At the restaurant we laughed about old times and planned out next “Big Gathering.” The date was set for September nineteenth. We ate our amazing food, we laughed at out incredibly slow service, we talked about our hum-drum jobs and we shared memories of our old tree house in the woods. At about three o’clock we all left Bella Amore and headed to my house.

Scott and I were driving down the road and chatting about what a grand time we had. “Catherin! Don’t forget to take that exit!” I swerved and barely made the exit. Scott laughed at my mistake. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a black car swerve too (probably because of me). It looked like Al’s car but I thought she was in front of me so I paid little attention. I looked behind me again and saw the car flip. It flew into the air and I slammed on the breaks. I pulled onto the shoulder and stared behind me at the tumbling car. It rolled onto the grass median and crashed into a tree. A woman was thrown out of the car and looked lifeless. I stared intently at the woman and realized it was Allison. I saw John slam on his brakes and run to the car screaming, “AL! AL! ALLISON!!!” Penelope and Alex were screaming from their car seats for someone to come to them. Scott jumped out of the car and ran toward his sister. I sat there, blank and unwilling to move. At some point a life flight helicopter came for her. I stared at the blades, spinning slowly and silently. 

When she arrived at the hospital, there was a problem. She had holding something glass and when it shattered, a big piece lodged into her stomach. They wanted to wait to remove the shard because they didn’t want to cause more internal bleeding than necessary. The other conflict was that with every passing minute she was growing weaker and weaker. So they decided that they were going to have to take their chances and remove the glass. They gave her anesthetics and rushed her into the O.R. I was frightened out of my mind. Erik, Theresa, and Scott were all pacing up and down the hall. A nurse had come up to give us a pill for our anxiety which helped slightly. About thirty minutes later after she had given us the pill, the room became fuzzy. I heard someone calling my name but when I looked around no one was there. “Catherine! CATHERINE! Come on Catherine! Open your eyes!” I heard Scott’s voice yelling but his voice was distant. My surroundings became clearer and clearer. I could make out a warped face hovering above mine. It was Scott. He was yelling but I could barely hear him. I was hardly conscious and I couldn’t feel anything. I was numb and cold. I managed to cough out a few words, but they were not understandable. My eyes were open and all that was in me yelled to get out. I heard a helicopter in the distance but couldn’t see anything. It seemed as if the world was spinning but I wasn’t. What seemed like ages to me was only seconds in reality. My vision of Allison on the ground was happening, but not to her, to me. I had imagined it all while I was unconscious. Sooner or later I felt someone pick me up. I was lowered onto a gurney and backed into fire truck red helicopter. That was my end. I was alive but not conscious or willing to be.

I woke up some time later with an immense pain in my stomach. I looked around and saw a face grinning back at me. Scott. I managed to ask him what had happened, where I was, and how long had I been there. “You had a triple rollover accident after lunch when we were going back to the house. You are in the hospital and you have been unconscious for three days. You took it pretty hard babe! You are lucky to be alive.” He gave a half hearted smile and I knew it hurt him to see me that way.  I smiled back and stammered,” But weren’t you in the car with me?” He responded with a puzzled look. “Man! That accident really wiped out your memory huh? I was riding with Erik to talk about a business deal between our companies.”

Everything turned out fine and about a month later on September nineteenth, we had out next “Big Gathering” at Bella Amore. This time, it was without any accidents.