A Daddy's Influence

Hey Dad, ever wonder what kind of impact you have in your daughter's life and on her heart? Well, what I saw today is proof of a Father's incredible influence. Our 4-year-old had her final ice skating lesson. And, let's just say ice skating has not turned out to be Alyssa's favorite thing. She has repeatedly told me she's ready to give up on ice skating, that the skates hurt her feet, and that she wants to go back to gymnastics. But, we had made a commitment to eight weeks of classes and she agreed to push through to the end. As a treat we took her to see the Disney Princesses on Ice as they twirled through Peoria last weekend. Alyssa loved the program but still held firm to her decision that after her last ice skating lesson this week, that was it! Of course, that trumped my secret hope of her watching the magic on the rink and deciding that ice skating IS her life's dream after all. But, alas, we have accepted the simple fact that Alyssa made it through one round of ice skating lessons and will probably never sign up again. We're OK with that...really. Totally OK with it.  Anywho...today's final lesson was anticipated as more or less a sigh of relief. We made it. We persevered! But, it didn't turn out that way at all. Alyssa skated stronger and faster than she had ever before. She laughed and giggled instead of turning to me with that "are we done yet?" look. Instead of trying to think of reasons to get off the ice, she was gliding, dipping, and marching with the best of them. What made the difference? DADDY came to ice skating today! It was amazing the difference in Alyssa's overall level of eagerness simply because Jeremy was there watching her. Daddy definitely made all the difference. Isn't that the story of a little girl's life?

You know, after today's experience, I can't help but think about opportunities for a Dad to impact his little Princess's heart by taking her to a special event like the Father/Daughter Purity Ball put on by the Christian Center. It's a once-every-two-or-three-years event. Yes, you have to get dressed up and yes, there will be dancing. But, can you imagine the way a girl's life would be impacted by this special one-on-one time? I know my heart yearned for something like this as I was growing up. And, I'm so glad to see my own little girl through the eyes of my husband who simply adores her! You can create these special moments in many ways, but if you'd like more information on the Father/Daughter Purity Ball coming up in just over a week...visit http://www.wcicfm.org/.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering, Alyssa was really glad Daddy watched her today but, no, she still doesn't want to sign up for another round of lessons. :)

Time to play the grace card...

Jeremy and I had a chance to preview a new movie coming out in February 2011. Last night we arrived at the Rave in Peoria, bought our popcorn, and settled in prepared to see a heartwarming film but also something that would be a little underwhelming when it comes to story line and acting. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but generally Christian films can tend to have great heart and intentions, but because they have to deal with a low budget, etc., the overall product is sometimes a little less than excellent. You love the message and the themes, but maybe not everything else. So, we weren't setting the bar too high. In fact, I think we both went into it thinking we needed to LOOK for the good in what was probably going to be the typical low budget film that we wish could be produced at a major Hollywood-production level. Well, we were surprised on all counts! Instead of just heartwarming it proved to be challenging and instead of a poorly written script and not-so-great acting, we watched what could be a real life event taking place in any city across the U.S. And, there were a few strong performances as well. The two lead actors deserve major kudos as does Academy Award winner, Lou Gossett, Jr. who plays a small but crucial role in the film. There's a little violence and blood, in case you're concerned about that kind of thing. The film also deals with some tough issues, but doesn't real life? It's not for the little eyes and ears, but for older kids/teens it could be OK. All in all we are excited to encourage you to see The Grace Card if you can when it comes to theaters on February 25, 2011. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what these folks from a church in Tennessee have put together. To find out more about how your church, small group, or organization can support the movie, log on to www.thegracecardmovie.com.

People blow me away

The other day Alyssa and I were in the car when she heard on the radio a spot about Vision this week on 91.5 WCIC.
"Mommy, what's that?" She said.
"What, Vision?"
"Yes"
"Oh, that's our fall fundraiser. Basically we let people know about the need we have for money to keep the radio station on the air everyday. And, we ask people to help us with that need."
Alyssa (crinkling her nose and forehead in that adorable way only a preschooler can), "Well, they need to come up with a different name for that because that doesn't sound like FUN at all!"
Me (trying not to laugh because she's at the age when cracking up at the cute things she says make her very upset), "It's not a FUNraiser, sweetie, it's a FUND-raiser! We raise FUNDS, which is another way of saying money!"

You know...I can understand my girl's 4-year-old logic. It really doesn't SOUND like fun at all. Asking people for money? It actually sounds dreadful. But, somehow...it's not. Somehow it's a blast!

I love fundraiser time. Sure, it's longer days. Sure, my husband and the rest of the full time staff works 1,000 hours overtime preparing for Vision. But, once we open up those mics Tuesday morning...the party begins.It's kind of like a big family get together at Thanksgiving. We have lots of company and so many yummy temptations that I have to ban myself from the kitchen! It's a special time.

Beyond the fun of having a full house of volunteers, it's simply amazing to see how people sacrifice to help keep the music going at 91.5 FM! The volunteers give their time, SO MANY listeners give financially at all kinds of levels and usually it's something that constitutes a major sacrifice for their individual budgets, restaurants donate food and drinks, masseuses offer free massages to our staff and volunteers. It's all about the magic of people who stop saying why they can't help and just start...helping! They see what they CAN do and do it. These people blow me away and I want to be like them when I grow up.

So, whatever you're doing this week to help with Vision on 91.5 WCIC...thank you! Whether you've donated food or services, answered phones, made a pledge, prayed for us, or all of the above...your gift and sacrifice is not taken lightly. We know you give because you believe in what God is doing through this radio station. He notices your act of kindness and so do we.