I've decided to start blogging every day again. I haven't done it in years, and I'm not sure why I stopped. I think partially it was the fact I started to not see the benefit of blogging over a personal handwritten journal. I was risking turning into a social media abuser, needing that next "fix" of encouragement from people instead of God or my own heart in order to feel good about what I wrote.
I've started my book, and as I like pretty things, it should come as no surprise that I decided the cover art, prologue and dedication should be completed first. Which is dumb. Because who needs a prologue when there isn't a manuscript to follow? Oh, typical me. I could make a pile of poop so prettily packaged, no one would ever be the wiser.
Anyway, so I wrote the prologue (which again was stupid because someone totally awesome and famous will actually do that, right?) and the dedication, and found myself writing that while I decided to make my first piece fiction, non-fiction is my heart. But I can't bring myself to write non-fiction, because as it turns out - I am just enough of a narcissist to pull it off, but not nearly interesting enough to really expect anyone to read it. Sadness.
SO I am blogging in hopes of reaching the complete opposite of that narcissistic fix I feel I need for life validation. Are ya with me, all of you who check your facebook 20xs per day hoping someone has reassured you that you're an awesome, lovely being worthy of screen time on their computer?
Meh. Over it.
So there's my plan, and feel free to comment or follow. Or don't - I really don't care. Perhaps we will be encouraged together as I work toward affirming the positive, the nice and the Lord-blessed in the world.
Or maybe I'll just get carpal tunnel.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Please help! It's so easy!!!
I know I use my blog as a platform for fundraising a lot, and for that I apologize. This should hopefully be one of the last times I do that!
Please just take one moment, right now and go to this page:
http://www.facebook.com/GLNow?sk=app_328042577252414
"Like" the page, and then it will give you an entry form for the 5 Grand Giveaway. ALL you have to do is fill that out and put ROYAL STAGE CHRISTIAN PERFORMING ARTS as the non-profit of choice.
Please? It's 100% free and takes literally two minutes. Please help us!!!!!!
Thank you :)
Please just take one moment, right now and go to this page:
http://www.facebook.com/GLNow?sk=app_328042577252414
"Like" the page, and then it will give you an entry form for the 5 Grand Giveaway. ALL you have to do is fill that out and put ROYAL STAGE CHRISTIAN PERFORMING ARTS as the non-profit of choice.
Please? It's 100% free and takes literally two minutes. Please help us!!!!!!
Thank you :)
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Oh How He Loves Us
This has been a sweet month so far for Royal Stage. Sure, it's only June 4th - but I'm all about the celebrating wherever, whenever - and I think God is too :)
If you haven't been keeping up with my blog or Facebook lately, Royal Stage acquired its own building! We are so, so excited, and just received the keys a few days ago. We received JUST enough funding for first and last month's rent (God likes to keep us on our toes!) and then if all goes as planned, we have enough to cover the entire summer and beyond.
I am so looking forward to this space - it is going to be such an awesome sanctuary and place for people to come together. Our group is going to thrive with this stability - no more time spent dancing in parking lots or living rooms :) So blessed!
The landlord gave us an incredible deal, and it is a storefront location in the center of Roseville with great foot traffic. We're having our grand opening party in August, and if you're reading this, you're invited :)
So after working out rent, we didn't have very much to cover renovations. We need more mirrors, a dance floor, etc. And so we went around asking various Home Depots for gift cards, which would cover about a third of what we need. But some of us prayed, and one Home Depot's manager caught wind of what we do, and SHE IS HAVING HOME DEPOT PAY FOR THE ENTIRE RENOVATION!!!!!
Such a praise from God, I am so insanely excited!
Then, we were invited to present at the Sacramento Dream Center. It was such an awesome time - they asked me to speak for the entire duration of the service, which I've NEVER done before. I was so nervous it would be boring or too short, but it actually went too long when we added in dances and music, and we got a great response!
Now we will be officially launching a Sacramento chapter this summer! So great to make new friends yesterday! <3 Here are some photos from the morning :)
If you haven't been keeping up with my blog or Facebook lately, Royal Stage acquired its own building! We are so, so excited, and just received the keys a few days ago. We received JUST enough funding for first and last month's rent (God likes to keep us on our toes!) and then if all goes as planned, we have enough to cover the entire summer and beyond.
I am so looking forward to this space - it is going to be such an awesome sanctuary and place for people to come together. Our group is going to thrive with this stability - no more time spent dancing in parking lots or living rooms :) So blessed!
The landlord gave us an incredible deal, and it is a storefront location in the center of Roseville with great foot traffic. We're having our grand opening party in August, and if you're reading this, you're invited :)
So after working out rent, we didn't have very much to cover renovations. We need more mirrors, a dance floor, etc. And so we went around asking various Home Depots for gift cards, which would cover about a third of what we need. But some of us prayed, and one Home Depot's manager caught wind of what we do, and SHE IS HAVING HOME DEPOT PAY FOR THE ENTIRE RENOVATION!!!!!
Such a praise from God, I am so insanely excited!
Then, we were invited to present at the Sacramento Dream Center. It was such an awesome time - they asked me to speak for the entire duration of the service, which I've NEVER done before. I was so nervous it would be boring or too short, but it actually went too long when we added in dances and music, and we got a great response!
Now we will be officially launching a Sacramento chapter this summer! So great to make new friends yesterday! <3 Here are some photos from the morning :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
First Steps, New View
I had a brat moment today. They happen a lot lately, unfortunately. On the bright side, I kept it to myself and no one else fell victim to my little pity party of worry and resentment.
C. took her first steps the day after her birthday. We have little snippets of crappy, grainy cell phone video - but in real life it's a delight to see her on the go - exploring the entire world from another point of view.
I kind of identify with her - in a handful of days I will officially be a business owner. The ministry will stay the same, but we are getting our own building, and by law it had to be under the executive director's name, so here we go....2500 square feet of Royal Stage goodness, completely ours to use whenever we want. We've been praying for this FOR.EV.ER. So what did I do as I reviewed the lease agreement for MY DREAM COME TRUE?! I haI d my brat moment.
Even with the unbelievable discount we received due to our cause, rent still seems to high. It's stressful and scary - and many I love and revere tell me - "just trust God, keep the faith, and raise support!" So I've tried. We need to identify at least $500 more in monthly support - I've asked almost everyone. My list is getting smaller - the results have been minimal. An annual goal of $10,000 has brought in $400 or so of one-time donations. Crap.
So I complained - to myself, to Frank, to God. Especially to God. I try to be a good friend, I try to be there for anyone who needs me, I try to be obedient to Your word, God. So WHY IN THE HECK WON'T YOU HELP ME AND TAKE THIS FINANCIAL STRESS AWAY?! Why, just for once, can the success of Royal Stage come easily?
I was moping in the kitchen when I looked out the back door and saw Sam climb INTO his sand & water table, after I had just told him to stay away from it all together because the water was from that morning and pretty gross/dirty the way children's water toys get in this stagnant halt between spring and summer where they play outside, but not so enthusiastically yet.
To stop any medical drama in our home, I went outside to pull the plug on the table. Buckets' worth of water poured through the plug hole and Sam said "wow Mommy, look at all that water go!" The water was just pouring out of the table, funneling out of it and running all over the concrete. And it weirdly hit me.
All over the world, parents don't have clean water for their children, and there we were, dumping clean water all over the ground, wasting it without a second thought. I had just scolded my son for climbing and running around - and yet I know people this week who are only in their 30s and have become widows - and people whose children are very sick.
I cooked dinner for my family tonight - just grabbed things off of shelves and out of the fridge and then had to coax both kids into eating more.
How beautiful and blessed my life is. These simple things that we don't even think about - that we take for granted.
All this time I've been praying for God's abundance - trying to beg, barter and bully Him into giving it to me somehow....and yet I've blindly forgotten that He has already poured out His abundance in so many ways.
The building will be paid for each month. I am not sure how - but it will be. How could I ever doubt a Daddy that has never ceased to provide?
Stupid me and my brat moments. I hate them.
C. took her first steps the day after her birthday. We have little snippets of crappy, grainy cell phone video - but in real life it's a delight to see her on the go - exploring the entire world from another point of view.
I kind of identify with her - in a handful of days I will officially be a business owner. The ministry will stay the same, but we are getting our own building, and by law it had to be under the executive director's name, so here we go....2500 square feet of Royal Stage goodness, completely ours to use whenever we want. We've been praying for this FOR.EV.ER. So what did I do as I reviewed the lease agreement for MY DREAM COME TRUE?! I haI d my brat moment.
Even with the unbelievable discount we received due to our cause, rent still seems to high. It's stressful and scary - and many I love and revere tell me - "just trust God, keep the faith, and raise support!" So I've tried. We need to identify at least $500 more in monthly support - I've asked almost everyone. My list is getting smaller - the results have been minimal. An annual goal of $10,000 has brought in $400 or so of one-time donations. Crap.
So I complained - to myself, to Frank, to God. Especially to God. I try to be a good friend, I try to be there for anyone who needs me, I try to be obedient to Your word, God. So WHY IN THE HECK WON'T YOU HELP ME AND TAKE THIS FINANCIAL STRESS AWAY?! Why, just for once, can the success of Royal Stage come easily?
I was moping in the kitchen when I looked out the back door and saw Sam climb INTO his sand & water table, after I had just told him to stay away from it all together because the water was from that morning and pretty gross/dirty the way children's water toys get in this stagnant halt between spring and summer where they play outside, but not so enthusiastically yet.
To stop any medical drama in our home, I went outside to pull the plug on the table. Buckets' worth of water poured through the plug hole and Sam said "wow Mommy, look at all that water go!" The water was just pouring out of the table, funneling out of it and running all over the concrete. And it weirdly hit me.
All over the world, parents don't have clean water for their children, and there we were, dumping clean water all over the ground, wasting it without a second thought. I had just scolded my son for climbing and running around - and yet I know people this week who are only in their 30s and have become widows - and people whose children are very sick.
I cooked dinner for my family tonight - just grabbed things off of shelves and out of the fridge and then had to coax both kids into eating more.
How beautiful and blessed my life is. These simple things that we don't even think about - that we take for granted.
All this time I've been praying for God's abundance - trying to beg, barter and bully Him into giving it to me somehow....and yet I've blindly forgotten that He has already poured out His abundance in so many ways.
The building will be paid for each month. I am not sure how - but it will be. How could I ever doubt a Daddy that has never ceased to provide?
Stupid me and my brat moments. I hate them.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sweet One
Well Charlotte, tomorrow you will be one year old. Things are so different than they were last year, when we didn't know you yet. Now you've lived almost 365 days of vibrant, spunky life and you have made our family complete. (says Daddy - we will see...)
When I complain about the things I don't have time to do - write my book, take more dance classes, get more involved in church - I look at your big blue eyes and think about how really, there isn't enough time for just one thing....taking in every last moment of your babyhood.
I love your little coos and sighs, your chubby little baby fingers and the smell of your baby shampoo. I never want to forget the silent house at 4am when you wake up and after you finish your bottle you lean your head on my chest and let me cuddle you - but only just long enough to be sure of me before you're off again.
It makes me smile how much you adore your big brother - crawling behind him as fast as you can go, and how he loves you right back and gives you sweet kisses all the time without being asked. I love watching the two of you playing together, and know you will be best friends someday, after all the toys have been outgrown and you don't have to share a room anymore. Or a house, or even a city or state.
I am surprised that you are fearless. Where Sam was cautious, you are exhilarated; where he struggled, you are vibrantly healthy; while we got to cherish his babyhood a bit longer because he was so early and small, you are just growing by leaps and bounds and we can't keep up.
I cherish the way you laugh, and give me big smiles with only six teeth. Middle two on the bottom, and four up top - they came in completely out of order and completely cute.
You're headstrong but loving, curious and joyful. I prayed for a little girl, and God heard my prayer. You're the perfect fit. We love you, Charlie.
Now stop growing up.
When I complain about the things I don't have time to do - write my book, take more dance classes, get more involved in church - I look at your big blue eyes and think about how really, there isn't enough time for just one thing....taking in every last moment of your babyhood.
I love your little coos and sighs, your chubby little baby fingers and the smell of your baby shampoo. I never want to forget the silent house at 4am when you wake up and after you finish your bottle you lean your head on my chest and let me cuddle you - but only just long enough to be sure of me before you're off again.
It makes me smile how much you adore your big brother - crawling behind him as fast as you can go, and how he loves you right back and gives you sweet kisses all the time without being asked. I love watching the two of you playing together, and know you will be best friends someday, after all the toys have been outgrown and you don't have to share a room anymore. Or a house, or even a city or state.
I am surprised that you are fearless. Where Sam was cautious, you are exhilarated; where he struggled, you are vibrantly healthy; while we got to cherish his babyhood a bit longer because he was so early and small, you are just growing by leaps and bounds and we can't keep up.
I cherish the way you laugh, and give me big smiles with only six teeth. Middle two on the bottom, and four up top - they came in completely out of order and completely cute.
You're headstrong but loving, curious and joyful. I prayed for a little girl, and God heard my prayer. You're the perfect fit. We love you, Charlie.
Now stop growing up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)