What I Am, What We Are, What We Dream....

Ministry-wise, it has been an incredible year for Royal Stage. Getting our own building was monumental. So was receiving access to anti-trafficking safe houses and inner city children. God just keeps blessing and blessing in so many ways!

One way we have seen Him use people to help Royal Stage is through financial gifts. I know that sounds so televangelisty - but it is 100% true! Not all of us can commit evenings to teaching dance, not all of us have counseling degrees, not all of us are local to our ministry.

But all of us can give $25 today.

Here is what Royal Stage is in 25 short sentences

1. We are children
2. We are teenagers (a lot of teenagers!) 
3. We are adults (married, unmarried, divorced, moms, dads, HUMANS!) 
4. We are lifelong Christians
5. We are not yet Christians
6. We are living below the poverty line and hurting emotionally at times
7. We are living upper class lives, but are still hurting emotionally at times
8. We've had eating disorders
9. We've been verbally, physically, sexually abused
10. We've had terrible church experiences
11. We've had incredible church experiences!
12. We dance (excellently at times, still learning at other times) 
13. We sing (overall pretty badly. But a few of us are notable) 
14. We act (excellently at times, other times we are just goofy!) 
15. We laugh. A lot. 
16. We cry. Through each other's struggles.
17. We give away over 500 free tickets to our productions per year
18. We charge for our Roseville classes, but if someone can't pay, we never ask.....
19. We don't charge for our Sacramento classes, and people always ask us why....
20. We have a gorgeous Roseville studio that is a sanctuary for many
21. We just leased an incredible old community center in Downtown Sac
22. We are bold in our love
23. Sometimes we surprise people, but we don't apologize for our art once its out there
24. We do our best to bless each other....if you need something...we'll figure out a (legal) way to get it!
25. We are the only arts organization in the Sacramento region that is 100% committed to love, acceptance and theater with a positive message that professes Jesus. Not in a televangelisty way. Not in a Westboro Church way. Not in a hellfire and brimstone way. Just in a Royal Stage way. 

And we're happy about God using us for that :)

Support our future. $25 only! 

Postcards from Camp Crazy

Now that I've lived in Sacramento for 9 years, it has truly become "home." But, of course, bay area will always be HOME home, and yet I feel now the only news I receive from it are engagements, births and the occasional crazy. Yesterday was truly one of those crazy announcements.

In the midst of my thoughts, prayers and processing today, I found this old paper with notes on it that one of the kids must have yanked out of a bible on the bookshelf. It's from the brief period we attended Mosaic under the teaching of the ever-fabulous Frank Colacurcio - love that family!

Anyway, I needed this reminder today....

God is faithful
God will guide you
God will provide for you
God will not leave you
God promises possibilities
We're created in God's image
We're invited into His presence
We're unforgettable
God treasures us, our heart, our life, our eternity, our understanding.
God gives sacrificially, generously, cheerfully.

I hope my dear friend, who is bearing the brunt of being in the throes of the crazy right now somehow reads this.

He loves you <3 nbsp="" p="">
 

You Can Be An Artist, Too.

It's missions trip fundraising season for us Jesus folks. I'm getting the usual letters, Facebook invites, etc. asking for my money. I don't mind - I am thrilled for these people - I used to genuinely see the value in short-term overseas missions trips and took a ton of them myself. Even though my viewpoint is different now, I still 100% support those spiritually who go. Their intentions are awesome and lives are undoubtedly impacted.

Here on the home front, we're getting ready for quite an event too. As you have probably heard, we were selected by GiveLocalNow.org to be one of their groups that will benefit from the Arts Day of Giving a week from today.

It's a big deal. Not only is it the first time in history Sacramento has replicated this fantastic fundraising model from other cities for the arts, but it also is meaningful because fundraising dollars are ALWAYS short. Money can get in the way of ministry - figuring out how bills are going to be paid (or, in our case, how we can accept everyone into our programs who want to join but are flat broke AND keep the lights on!), and any opportunity to stretch a dollar is awesome and rare.

My goal for this week is to gather 100 friends & family members who would be willing to donate just $25 per month to Royal Stage.

I know, I know - $25 is a lot. I'm not being patronizing - it is! We have SO many things to spend our money on - why in the heck WOULD you support this tiny organization called Royal Stage?

Please consider helping just by filling out this form. It takes less than 2 minutes and you don't have to give any money to complete it.

The Life Your $25 Will Lead

You've decided to give your $25 a great life with us! Hooray! Ed, tell them what they've won.....

• Well, this month, it will grow up to be more than $25. That's exciting. 
• It covers a Tuesday night dinner for our Sacramento kids who don't get 3 meals a day
• It scholarships more than 3 dance classes for a youth who can't afford an extracurricular
• It provides gas money for out-of-town touring opportunities where we bring encouragement, a message of God's LOVE (NOT JUDGMENT), and some incredible dancing. 
• It allows us to continue to offer free acting & dance classes to girls rescued from sex trafficking, who work with our teachers weekly. 
• It allows us to visit a local recovery house for women weekly, and teach free dance classes. 
• It helps us be obedient to the Lord and tithe to other incredible organizations out of our budget.
• It keeps the lights on :) 

Please consider helping. Below are some of my favorite photos and a video sharing what exactly you're supporting. Just fill out the form - you will receive fun snail mail and lots of Facebook smiles :) 

Video: http://royalstage.squarespace.com/home2/

For All Those With 2-Year-Old Bosses....

This video graced my inbox this morning (thanks, Mom!). If our household were its own nation, this would truly be our anthem right now. Blessings and good thoughts upon all of you today with toddlers!

Lunchtime Praises

I am so so so so grateful for God's grace and mercy. Slowly, (very slowly), I am learning to truly pray boldly and trust my Father for all my needs. This is something I really struggle with - there are very few people in this world I trust 100%, and I have pinned that onto my Jesus. I'm happy that together we are working that out.

Last week I had a truckload of prayer requests on my blog, and that's why today I am SO humbled.

1) I asked for prayer for a decision to be reversed re: our disqualification from a $10,000 grant consideration. The city council did indeed vote in favor of Royal Stage's appeal, and we are back in the running!

2) This morning, my About.com contract was renewed for another year. HUGE relief as this is my biggest source of writing income, and I am now in the groove of things and can start to pursue inspirational/faith-based writing opportunities without having to stress out over income quite as much.

3) Alice in Wonderland was INCREDIBLE. We got fantastic feedback from the audience - our Style magazine article was published a week before the show and people came because of that along with other things. It was one of the first times we had a strong audience base from the general public (not affiliated in any way with RS). AND the cast had SO much fun. What a sweet group we had on that stage!

4) Texas was wonderful.

5) I love our church and am THRILLED they assigned me two Sundays to teach the kiddos. I can't wait to serve!

My life is cool :)

Deep In the Heart....

The end of Alice launched my "leave of presence" - a partial month-long sabbatical from Royal Stage as I spend more time in prayer, talking to my Jesus about what He wants for the ministry this summer. I'm excited to see what He reveals!

In true Tam fashion, my month of slowing down began with performing in Alice and then flying out the theater door at intermission to catch a plane to San Antonio. Yes people, this is how I relax. I enjoyed my time with a dear friend and checked a few items off my bucket list :)

          In the 1800s the heroes of the Alamo fought valiantly so someday we could take dumb photos.

                                          Texans get right to the point when it comes to safety.

                                                  It's unfortunate how this mannequin is basically my skin color.

                                         Mission Concepcion.

                                           Trespassing on an abandoned property next to the mission.

                                       D wouldn't come because "the brown people always die first."

                                          San Antonio river.

                                          Amen.

                                         Another blunt sign.

        

                                          Is it terrible that I could only think of Pee Wee's Big Adventure at the Alamo? 80s kids, where you at?

                                         Zorbing! Bucket list! Check!

    

                                          Peer pressure works well on D :)

                                       

                                                   My arrival gift :)

                                                    It's a bit concerning how many of these signs there are. DON'T TOUCH THE FREAKING WALLS!!!!!! They are OLD!

                                                   Sorry, sorry. I am so 6th grade....

                                I wish we had bought this so I could've watched her bring it to the airport....

                                                   Only in Texas.

                                                   Catholics are way better decorators than Protestants.

                                                   Michael, Ashley - we should do this at church! So cute!

                                                    King William district. I could buy a whole lotta house in TX.

                                                   Go on - just try to shoplift in this store and not feel guilty.....

                                                     Tex Mex in Tex!

                                                   Waffles taste better when they're Texas shaped!

                                                    This vegetarian restaurant was AMAZING.

                                                   Texas bar decor.....I don't think they go to the vegetarian restaurant....

                                                   San Antonio Cathedral

                                                   The cathedral must think Jesus didn't get a lot of sun because he started like this and then......

 .............became Caucasian? What? I'm confused. 

                                                   Sadly, there is not one near me!

                                                   Found this Sam-sized shirt at the bottom of a huge t-shirt pile. On the very, very bottom. ;)

                                                   I tried. I really did.

                                                   Well no wonder they lost! This canon is tiny!

                                                    Davy Crockett's pet fish.

 

Pulled pork! I like the flag :) 

                                                  Howdy.