Summer Showcase 2013

In the theater world, the week before a show is known as Hell Week. I try my darnedest to think of them as Blessing Week. This time around it was really difficult! 

The screen print shop we ordered the camp t-shirts from completely screwed up the order and refused to fix it. 

The theater ended up costing more than we anticipated. 

I was supposed to arrive at 4pm the day of the show, but got there closer to 4:45, and then got nothing done until almost 6 as Charlotte insisted on either being carried, or following me around sobbing hysterically for no reason whatsoever. Then, she unleashed her secret weapon that she does more often than we appreciate. She made herself so angry she threw up on me. 

I took a deep breath. This was going to be QUITE a night. Two child performers and two adult performers were MIA at 6:45 - show started at 7. 

But.....I know Royal Stage well. And more importantly, I am intimately acquainted with God's favor upon it. He never lets us down. I had the typical human worries - there were kids going onstage for the first time who had endured abuse, fear, all types of issues. There were teens & adults going onstage that I knew had been so broken all summer - some of our participants have just gone through the wringer this year emotionally, spiritually, etc. 

But God is faithful. The cast could not have shined brighter if they tried. I am so blessed to know these incredibly beautiful souls! 

    Everyone who participated this summer, except Jasmine and Allie!!! 

                                    Roseville Artastic Camp Art

                                    Sacramento Artastic Camp Art

                                     Sacramento Artastic Camp Art

                                    Noah and some birds :)

                                     Everyone rocked my balloon dance! Thank you!!!!

                                    I love the two different interpretations of "cunning" here ;)

                                     Redemption.

                                     When you're the only advanced dance guy, you are automatically cast as Jesus in everything.....

                                    Love these sweet girls!

                                   

                                     My favorite shot out of all of them.

                                    Gemius Crew came out to jam with the campers!

                                     Mary Rose cracks me up.

                                    From my solo

                                    Jessica majorly nailed it with this choreo.

                                    One of our dancers is engaged to a magician! Win!

                                    Thank you amazing leaders and teachers!!!!

                                    It took 8 weeks, but I can tell Chloe and Ava apart on the first try, every time now :)

                                    I can't believe it's been 8 years!

Big Bad Kindergartener

I called Sam exactly this the other day, and his eyes got wide, "Mommy, I'm not bad!" I had to explain to him that I meant brave, cool, gutsy, awesome.....he accepted that description of his character much more easily.

We applied to CMP back over the holidays and were both heartbroken when he wasn't selected from the lottery in February. We live in the Twin Rivers school district, and so I felt like one of those moms in Waiting for Superman, sobbing and frustrated that my child's educational fate was being left up to a random process that turned out not to be in our favor.

We can't afford private school, and God has not put homeschooling on my heart. I work three days a week and Sam exudes my stubborn streak 7 days a week....it would've been a disaster. We believed God answered our prayer when we nabbed a remaining spot at a charter school nearby. Literally 3 minutes from our house with a performing arts emphasis? Yes please!

But my heart was still sad. Every mom thinks their kid is exceptional. And my boast is that Sam has a 4th grade reading level and is just crazy absorbent with learning. He loves people, he loves to explore the world around him - I didn't want to see that desire die. But what choice did we really have?

Imagine our surprise when we receive a call Monday night letting us know that Sam's spot on the waitlist had come up and he had a spot at a CMP campus after all! And the first day of school was Wednesday.

What a crazy scramble for all new school stuff (bye bye Angry Birds backpack and Darth Vader lunchbox) and attempting to find a store that carried the CMP uniform in a size that actually fit. (Our burly 5 year old is currently sporting a 3T).

But it all worked out and we couldn't be more thrilled with where he's landed. An even bigger answer to praise, there are only 14 children in his class (I hate the lottery process but love the small class size mandate!) and his head teacher is the mentor teacher for all the Kindergartens. In other words, she is a total rockstar. Sam loves her and so do we.

Next year, he will be in a Grade 1-2-3 combo class - he will have the same teacher for 3 years and will have so much room to grow at his own pace - whether that continues to be advanced or if he chooses to take things a little more slowly :)

                                                   With Miss Darcy at Meet and Greet Day....
                                                   ....12 hours after we found out he got in!

                                                   Assistant teacher Miss Marina

                                                    Feeling victorious after his first day :)

Exhausted but Blessed

Summer is a time I normally work hard to stay busy so my mind stays focused. Um, I rather EXCELLED at that this year....so. freaking. busy.

This week is the final week of insanity...everybody wants a piece of me...I am so horrifically behind on returning phone messages and emails....I always ask myself if it's worth it. Does my ministry really make a difference in anyone's life? Who knows....maybe I won't truly know until eternity. But I know it's made a difference in mine. 

Tonight I'm grateful: 

- For summer camp today, when Ryan asked the kids to pray "God you think a million thoughts about me, please tell me one." Out of all the standard "churchy" responses, one little girl boldly proclaimed God told her she will be a mighty warrior for Him. Awe :) 

- For one of our Roseville teens - last night she came to me with the most incredibly maturity and composure and shared really tough, scary stuff about her life. And asked rationally for help working toward a solution. So proud of her!!! <3 div="" nbsp="">

- For my phone alarm that goes off at 9:15 each night - a reminder to stop everything and pray for Royal Stage - and the awesome feeling of knowing that seven other people have their alarm set for the exact same time for the exact same reason. 

- For the opportunities I've had to dance in several different countries around the world, and the opportunity to dance again on Friday night here close to home. I am not the best in the bunch, but God considers me worth enough that He strips all feelings of depression, panic and fear away from me when I dance. Wherever that's at. My favorite shows are still in the living room with my kids :) 

- For an incredibly busy life that causes me to purposely recognize the importance of just having black out hours to focus on non-ministry things. Tonight it was a stay at home "date night" with Sam. I tucked Charlotte into bed, Frank was out with friends and Sam and I played a brutal game of Monopoly Junior with the rule that everyone must speak in a British accent for the entirety of the evening. Followed, of course, by popcorn, silly songs and bedtime stories. 

That last one is what really counts. 

I am so grateful for my life. There are a lot of cracks and weak spots in it right now...but it's getting better. I'm stupidly over-scheduled but having so much fun. 

I am thankful for summer <3 div="" nbsp="">

Braver.

God has taken me on a bit of a crazy journey lately. There are a lot of things in my life that need to be handled in a way differently than they ever have been. 

A few days ago, God brought some real healing. Progress I'm so thankful for. And a verse I eagerly claim, and which I want to find some way to always hold on to when the storms come. Because they will. This isn't my first rodeo and it likely won't be my last. 

Tuesday brought victories, Wednesday produced more and Thursday the enemy got mad, mad, mad, mad, mad. 

He noticed something's up. He saw I was missing from his role sheet and now he's pulling out all the stops to try and get me back. 

But here's the deal. When you watch a horror movie, it can be very frightening. But if you watch it a dozen times, the fear lessens. You stop closing your eyes. You know what happens next. 

The devil has a roomful of ammo against me. But all his methods are repeats. I'm not allowing him to fire at me anymore. I can see him coming. I don't have to stand there and wait to get wounded. 

I'm not going to just be silent and defeated anymore. I'm well acquainted with that life and it isn't a pleasant one. 

Sometimes I get horrible panic attacks. My heart pounds, my skin tingles, I feel dizzy, nauseous, frantic, terrified.....but it's time for Satan to remember that God designed my body and he isn't allowed to have control over something he didn't create. 

A lot of times I have tremendous bouts of depression. My spirit is filled with so much darkness and despair.....but God has filled my spirit with visions of dances, words of encouragement - a great month ahead. The pain has to move on, because there are no vacancies here. 

My past loves to chase me down. It runs fast. Why do I try to beat it to the finish line? All I need to do is turn around and tell those lies that this isn't my deal. And stand firm. 

My Jesus will be there. I can do this.