Crying Out to Jesus
The stage play “COVERED” launched successfully on September 1st at the Scott Theatre. I felt such joy and relief all at the same moment upon hearing the applause of the audience after the first show. I ran into the arms of one of the stage managers and cried… I cried tears of joy. The second show resulted in the same effect.
My tears of joy centered more on His faithfulness to me than the applause of the audience. You see, the Monday before the launch date, I cried. Not once, not twice, not three times, but pretty much all day. I woke up crying not knowing why I was crying. And I got hit with so many negative things that kept me crying all day.
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Grooving with Jesus
As most of you know, Ryan and I are in the midst of launching our first play outside of the church walls. We will present “COVERED” on September 1. As we approach the deadline, I find myself inundated with so many tasks. But I know me and my body started to say, “Hey, its time to slow down and just groove. The play belongs to Him…Jesus, you’ve got this.”
So, when I need to chill out, I often listen to music-gospel, jazz, or ole Motown grooves. Ahhh… and here we go. I started groovin’ away. But something different happened this time. My mind pulled some ole familiar songs into the “what might” mode…. What might Jesus say to us when we get stressed. Using titles of some old school songs, I starting “grooving with Jesus.” See how many you remember.
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Mama’s One Sentence Sermons
“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
As we approach Mother’s Day, this one verse resonated on my mind as I thought about the senseless and dumb things I did as a teenager. My mother would remind me of her responsibility as a mother in a unique way. She would use what I called one sentence sermons… you know, the one liners that belted out of her mouth to let you know she just moved into the training mode.
Sometimes the one line turned into a short and to the point sermon. Other times it required me to sit in the pew and listen whether I wanted to hear it or not.
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Busy as a Bee
The swarming and buzzing of honey bees indicate Spring’s arrival. When it comes to bees, my oldest son Branden avoids them at all cost. Just the sight of them propels him into a fight or flight mode. I pretty much maintain a love/hate relationship. I love the honey they produce, I hate the trauma they can cause if you get stung by them. So, I just let them do their thing and leave them alone. But I did a little research on the honey bees and discovered some interesting findings about God’s busy little creations.
A beehive must remain at a certain temperature to preserve the honey, wax and eggs inside. So, the bees lower the temperature by fanning their wings or they raise it by vibrating their flight muscles. The bees work according to their divine purpose.
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The Power of the Dye
I love to decorate certain rooms in my home to reflect various days, holidays or seasons. I decorate for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and yes, Easter. I tend to go all out despite the fact that my two grown sons moved out years ago and my grandchildren recently moved to Florida. But I still decorate.
I gazed at my kitchen counters, island and table lined with grass, Easter decorations, and of course candy. Easter hand towels, wash cloths and pot holders hang from cabinets and door knobs. Easter wreaths adorn the front and back doors. Easter baskets for my grandchildren add to the landscape. My family room coffee table completes the setting.
I also love to dye eggs…72 eggs. My mom dyed 72 for my sisters and brother, and I continued the tradition. My sons Branden and Ryan and I dyed 72 eggs while they were growing up. My two granddaughters Noah and Mathai dyed 72 eggs together. My children asked why I still dye so many. Tradition maybe, or maybe I just like to dye eggs.
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A Wonderful Love
I recently saw the movie Wonder starring Julie Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. Wonder tells the inspiring and heartfelt story of a little boy named August Pullman (played by Tremblay) who suffers from Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic disorder caused by an anomaly in DNA characterized by facial deformities of the ears, eyes, cheekbones, and chin.
Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play the parents who love their son fiercely and desire desperately to protect him. August’s mom homeschooled him because he underwent multiple facial surgeries. But as he approaches middle school age, his parents decide to enroll him in private school. He enters the fifth grade attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time. Initially, he gets ostracized by nearly all the student body, but later on one of his classmates befriends him. His parents’ hearts ache for his anguish and rejoice in his successes as he navigates his way in the world of the 5th grade.
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