Marti loves to make flower arrangements. When I buy her flowers, I make sure the salesperson at the flower shop doesn’t bother arranging the flowers. That’s half of Marti’s joy in receiving them — getting to express herself through creating a work of art for the dining room table. But this recent creation was a bit of a surprise.

After a few days, the tight bunch that had tulips side by side with other flowers of various violet colors suddenly looked like the tulips had launched themselves into orbit. You don’t expect cut flowers to keep growing, but apparently tulips do. They grew a foot to a foot and a half in length making them appear like spindly outcroppings from the rest of the pack. Obviously not a product of Marti’s flower arrangement, but of tulips on steroids.

That’s when I overheard Marti telling Chandler that they reminded her of our daughter, Anne, going, “Woo hoo, I’m here!” Yes, Anne does have a flair for the dramatic and a way of pushing out beyond the crowd. It’s not that she’s prideful; it’s just her nature.

And it’s not just when she enters a room with a lot of people in it; it happens in any room. Like a crowded E.R. room in a hospital where she’s a trauma doctor. Or a small room with one patient; it’s still the same . . . “Woo hoo, I’m here!” Anne doesn’t need an audience, she makes her own applause. Wouldn’t you like to be served by a doctor with that kind of presence and aliveness?

We all have some of this. We all have a little tulip in us that pushes us out beyond the rest and announces us with a flair. Where you can say, “Woo hoo, I’m here!” Something you’re extraordinary at. Undoubtedly it’s a gift.

And it’s a way to understand and appreciate others, too. Everyone’s exceptional. Everyone has something to offer. Everyone needs to shine. Everyone needs to stand out from the crowd. Where we can, we need to make that happen for those who may have challenges making it happen for themselves. Think of whoever you meet today and think of them as saying, “Woo hoo, I’m here!” Because they are.

A Unique Opportunity to Support a Rare Ministry

Please pray for our partner, Hope International Ministries. Under the leadership of Doug Stevens, friend of Catch Ministries and frequent guest on our podcast, HIM is hosting a retreat for pastors and their families—men and women who continue to serve their communities with incredible courage and sacrifice in the Ukraine war zone. Last year’s retreat near Odessa, on the shores of the Black Sea, was a time when these pastors shared stories of staying when they could have fled and of shepherding others while bearing their own grief. It was both inspiring and heartbreaking, which is why Doug left feeling deeply moved and convinced he had to go back.

We want to help raise funds to support the costs of over 100 Ukrainian pastors and their families attending this retreat again this year in the end of June. It will be a week of rest, healing, and spiritual renewal—an oasis in the chaos. For many, it’s the only break they’ll have all year. It’s not just a retreat; it’s a lifeline.

We’re also helping support the launch of two trauma healing centers—one in Kharkiv, just 25 miles from the Russian border, which focuses on families living in the shadow of war, and another in Kyiv, aimed at helping wounded veterans and military widows find healing and hope. These centers will be operated by local therapists, pastors, and social workers who are already engaged in this sacred work.

Doug is traveling with other pastors and laypeople to Ukraine at their own expense, ensuring that every dollar donated goes directly to the families attending the retreat and to the trauma centers on the frontlines of healing.

The overall goal is to raise $50,000 (of which $30,000 has been raised so far). Whether you contribute a little or a lot, you are stepping into the narrative of resilience, love, and Jesus’ unshakable hope amid suffering.

Doug wants to thank you in advance for your kindness and prayers.

Let’s do this together!

To contribute, click here, and write “For Ukraine” on the memo. This is a unique and vital ministry and a rare opportunity to get help to where it can do so much good. Let’s send Doug and Hope International Ministries a generous gift on behalf of Catch Ministries.

To learn about last year’s retreat, click here.