God in a handful of change

A few days ago, I took an awesome little mini-vacation.  I set out at Wednesday morning around 8:00am for Wilmington with my two dear friends, Eliza and Abbe (check out Eliza's blog--she's crafty and awesome!).  We headed to the beach with no real plans except for getting some sun and hanging out with one another.  So, we drove until the map turned blue.


As we drove into Wilmington, we had to pick a beach.  I picked Carolina Beach for us.  We were following the directions from my iPhone, and eventually, we just decided to pick a public access place and stop.  But there were only meters, and we didn't have enough change for the hours that we were going to be there.  So, we drove until we found one of those fancy meters that took cards.  Then, the ocean was all ours!


It was so fun to go to the beach with Abbe and Eliza.  It turns out that all three of us love to play in the water as much (if not more) as we do just laying out by the ocean.  We just floated and jumped over waves and talked about life and how much we love the movie Tangled.


After laying out some and reading our books (Me--Mockingjay for the second time, Abbe--Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Eliza--Wuthering Heights), we decided to head into downtown Wilmington for some shopping/sightseeing/strolling.

We stopped and got some yummy lunch at The Reel Cafe.  We were very hungry and thirsty after spending all morning on the beach.  After eating lunch we headed out to wander around town.  We walked away from The Reel Cafe, heading to do some shopping and sightseeing.  However, as we were walking, we remembered our car.  Parked at a meter.  Which we had emptied all our change into.  And which would run out before we were done wandering downtown.  

Eliza, Abbe, and I stopped to ponder our predicament.  It really wasn't much of a problem--one of us just needed to go into a store and buy something, receiving some change in the process.  We pulled out our purses and looked at how much change we still had (approximately $0.23) and decided that one of us would go in one of the local shops.  

About this time the craziest thing happened.  A homeless man came up to us.  He must have heard our conversation, since he asked us, "Need change for the meter?" We didn't quite know what to say when all of the sudden this man who did not have a home began digging in his pockets for some of his change to give us.  All three of us were truly surprised.  The man pulled out approximately $1.25 in change and gave it to us.  We tried to give him a few dollars in exchange for the change, but he wouldn't accept it, and he wouldn't let us walk away without taking his change.  We thanked him and walked away stunned

As we walked back to the meter, Abbe said, "Okay, so who feels like a total jerk for taking change from a homeless man?"  Eliza and I both chimed in that she had expressed our thoughts exactly.  While previously we had been chatting and laughing, all of us walked rather silently down the streets pondering this man who had given so freely to us.  None of us were quite sure what to do.  Even though we proceeded on with our trip, I think I can speak for all three of us when I say that that man's generosity remained prominent in our thoughts throughout our adventures.

After putting the money in the meter, we continued walking around Wilmington.  We saw some awesome art someone had painted on a local building that had been boarded up:

Those windows and that storefront are completely painted on plywood that had been used to board up the building. 

We also went into my favorite used bookstore in the world in downtown Wilmington.  I adore used bookstores (and books in general) so I really enjoyed getting to wander through these stacks of books.  I saw this sign, which I will duplicate some day when I have a home of my own with a library that has a ladder.  Because I will.

We also got quotes vended to us from a bubble gum machine and saw Wilmington's first literary jukebox (which was turned off).  

After leaving the bookstore, we headed back to get some ice cream.  On the way, however, we stopped. The homeless man who had given us his change was doing a magic show that consisted of card tricks.  There were a couple of others gathered to watch, so we stopped and applauded as well.  After the others had left, we thanked him again for giving us the change for our parking meter earlier and showing us such generosity.  Then we were able to give him some money as well, repaying him and blessing him just as he had blessed us.  

As we walked away, we talked about how little the man had and how what he had shared with us would have been a major portion of his income for the day.  We all mentioned that we were grateful to have encountered him again.  As Eliza said, we felt that we were able to "complete the circle of blessing."  He had blessed us and we, in turn, were able to bless him. 

My words are failing me, blog friends.  But I doubt that Eliza, Abbe, or I will ever be able to forget how freely this man gave without expecting anything in return.  And he didn't give out of abundance--he gave out of the little bit that he had (kind of like the widow in Mark 12:41-44).  I don't think words do it justice--our giving to him in no way rivaled his generosity towards us.  I'm not trying to pat us on the back--I wish I could express how much we were challenged and reproved for our prior lack of generosity.  

I never expected that on a day trip to Wilmington, we would see God in a handful of coins for the parking meter.

Jesus Shall Reign

I love this hymn.  Love it.  Love it. 

So I thought I'd share it with you. :)  Happy Monday.

"Jesus Shall Reign" 


Original hymn lyrics by Isaac Watts


Jesus shall reign wherever the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.


He shall reign in glory 
Crowned with grace and might
Bless His name and praise the sovereign King
He shall reign in glory 
With his chosen bride
And all the earth shall sing that Jesus is the King.


People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

He shall reign in glory 

Crowned with grace and might

Bless His name and praise the sovereign King

He shall reign in glory 

With his chosen bride

And all the earth shall sing that Jesus is the King.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

He shall reign in glory 

Crowned with grace and might

Bless His name and praise the sovereign King

He shall reign in glory 

With his chosen bride

And all the earth shall sing that Jesus is the King.

Let every creature rise and bring
His grateful honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

He shall reign in glory 

Crowned with grace and might

Bless His name and praise the sovereign King

He shall reign in glory 

With his chosen bride

And all the earth shall sing that Jesus is the King.

A box of calculus

A few weeks ago,  I came home from my first year of graduate school.  A couple weeks after that, I went back to my house I had lived in this year and brought home the last load of stuff from my house where I had lived.  


That week was a very busy week for me--I had driven home from a conference in Florida, packed up my grad school house at 5:00 in the morning, driven home, cut out costumes for a play, and gone back to work.  I felt like I had been going without a break for almost a week.  That Friday, my mom had me unload all the stuff from her van.  She had been very patient with me, driving around all week with my junk in her van.  Let's just say I have a lot of things--specifically books . . . 

My room was a wreck and I was in a tizzy trying to fit two HOUSES worth of things into one small room.  Mom mentioned the fact that I had several rubbermaid containers in the corner of my room that were only half full.  She suggested that I needed to throw some things away and reorganize the containers to have more room.  


And I would like to tell you, my dear readers, that I complied with a smile and my room was swiftly rearranged and made neat.  However, what followed was quite a bit of evidence of my sinful nature.  I fussed and fumed and generally let the flesh have its way.  I had already donated tons of my books to my high school's library, and I didn't want to get rid of more of my stuff--after all, I had kept it for a reason!  But I eventually tackled those boxes in the corner of my room because honestly there was simply nowhere else to put things.  


I went through those boxes, and I found that at least three of them were filled with school things.  Papers, projects, notes and notebooks dating all the way back to freshman year of high school.  The largest chunk of all of this was three notebooks worth of AP Calculus from my senior year.  Let me just take a moment to explain my relationship with Calculus.  I took WAY too many AP classes my senior year, and AP Calculus was the one that took the most time.  I'd always been good at math, but it didn't come naturally to me--I really had to work at it.  I took Calculus BC which was the equivalent of two semesters of engineering level calculus.  There were eight of us, and I remember quite a few nights, sitting on the phone at 2:00am with Jessi, trying to figure out how to do our homework.  I struggled that year, but I somehow managed to pull an A and a 3 on my exam, exempting myself from math forever!


Fast forward 5 years--I sat in my room, looking through this math notebooks, trying to figure out why I had kept them.  Reading them, I couldn't even make sense of the problems, but I knew at one point I had been able to work those problems with some level of skill (or at least some good faking it).  Why had I kept all these notes?  I don't like math.  I'm never going to work those problems again.  Never will the need arise.


I suppose it could be chalked up to tiredness at the end of each semester.  It makes sense--after working hard all semester, the last thing I wanted to do is go through all my notes.  However, sitting in the midst of literally 4 boxes of school things, I came to realize something more was going on.  It showed me why I was so upset at getting rid of these things and why I had kept them for so long.  


You see, somewhere in the midst of years and years of school, I began to find my identity in school and the success I found there.  And that is wrong.  I have told friends, "You could tell me I'm not a lot of things, but I know I'm smart."  That sounds cocky, I know, but school was always the one thing I did really well with.  I'm not really athletic.  I love theater and music, but I'm not exceptionally talented at either.  So, school was my thing.  I did it, and I did it well.  And at some point, I aligned my identity with school.


As a child of God, my identity is found in Christ.  I deserve nothing in and of myself--it is only by God's grace that I have received any good gifts.  I was once estranged from God because of my state as a sinner.  However, because of Jesus' redemptive work on the cross, I was forgiven of my sin, brought near to God, and called His child all because of His loving grace.  God's judgment was removed from me, and instead of I was given grace and blessings!  


Because I'm in Christ, I am someone new.  II Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  My identity is wrapped up completely in my reconciliation to God.  I am a child of God, and anything I do should reflect my identity in Him.  All the school work in the world means nothing if it's not done to honor God.  All of my achievements mean nothing if they are not done out of service to the one Who gave me the ability to learn.  


I've been learning this for sometime, but that box of Calculus really made this quite transparent to me.  I'm humbled by all I've been given--a relationship with Christ, the ability and opportunity to learn, and the blessings that are apparent to me every day.  


I told all this to my dear friend Abbe the other evening.  And she replied, "So, what are you going to do about it?"  


After some reflection, the only response is this:


"Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
~ Jeremiah 9:23-24


I'm learning.  And God is faithful. 

Many are the Plans . . .

The other day a dear friend of mine's husband said to me, "I hope you know that God is grooming you for something big.  Because we see it.  And we're excited about it for you."


This small statement really encouraged and terrified me.  Lately, I've been in a season where it's been hard for me to see my growth in my relationship with the Lord.  This is an ongoing process and I seem to be learning my lessons (but slowly).  Sometimes it's hard to mark where I've come from and how God has worked.  So, it was very exciting for me to hear that God had given others I respect a vision of how He is working in my life.  


I have always been the girl with the plan.  The one who knew where she was headed, how she was going to get there, and what she would do once she arrived.  But God has been slowly working in my heart, showing me the adventure of following step by step rather than assuming I know what's best.  And that's the part that's scary for me.  The not knowing.  The need for faith instead of having already decided on a course of action.  


Right now, the future seems unclear for me.  As you readers know (or maybe you don't), I am currently working on an Master of Arts in English, with a focus in Rhetoric and Composition.  This means that I'll teach either high school English (my undergraduate degree) or college freshmen in Composition 101.  And I really, really enjoy this.  

May 2010 undergraduate graduation

With several members of the marvelous English faculty at Gardner-Webb University 

But I also have a HUGE passion for Christian theatre.  It's something I've been involved with since I was 6 years old, and it makes me excited for what God wants to do in the arts. 

Me at age 7 in Little Women

In Genesius at age 18

After May 2012 (when I finish my MA), there seems to be a huge, thick veil drawn across the future.  It's as though I have two paths set before me, both of which I could enjoy.  I could teach high school or college English, helping students think critically and make meaning of their world through writing and reading.  

Reading with Dad, around age 4

Writing while studying abroad in Wales

OR I could do theater, pouring into kids and directing them.  I feel that theater is where my strongest passion lies.  It's what moves me to tears, gets me excited, and makes me as giddy as a little kid on Christmas morning.  

Good News, Scrooge in 2004 (?)

As Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables (2005)

The choice seems easy, doesn't it?  But then I start to ask "What If?"  And I start to worry--how will I have any money to eat?  Where will I live?  Where will my insurance come from?  What if that ends up not being what I want to do?  What if I'm not any good at it?


And then God steps in and says, "Carrie, don't you see that I can handle this?  I see where you're headed.  I know what I have in store for you.  And I LOVE you. Rest in that.  I've got this."


And I'm learning.  Pray with me, friends.  God's got something BIG in store, and I'm very excited about it.  :)

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand" ~ Proverbs 19:21

Who Is and Not "What If"

God has really been dealing with me on dwelling in peace lately.  You see--and I'm about to get very honest here, blog friends--I have really struggled with fear and anxiety.   I'm not sure why this has been such an issue for me.  God has provided me with an amazing home and family and friends.  He has always met every need that I've ever had--I've never wanted for anything that I needed and He's provided so much more than I could ever imagine.  This was something that I thought had been conquered--God had given me victory, and I imagined that this issue would never rear its ugly head again.  

But I was incorrect.  

I think part of struggling with anxiety has to do with me simply not trusting that God is Who He says He is--sovereign, powerful, good, true, faithful.  While I know these things to be true (imagine me pointing to my head here, dear readers) I don't always live like they are a reality in my life.  I fret and worry about things that are either out of my control or will never happen.  By imagining "what if" I am forgetting "what is."  Or rather Who Is--Alpha, Omega, Jehovah Jireh, Yahweh, Elohim, The Lord Most High.  

And this is wrong.

Lately, though, I've been learning that by dwelling on what I know to be TRUE and Who I know to be TRUE, I can change my response to these situations where anxiety might seem a logical reaction.  In actuality, I can do none of this myself.  It's the Holy Spirit working in and through me.  And He's using a variety of circumstances and people to teach me this lesson.

Two Sundays ago, one of our pastors (Mickey) at Crossway Community Church preached about Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee.  This is a story I have a heard a billion times, having been blessed to grow up in church and Christian school.  However, the way Mickey addressed the story was different and very applicable to me in my life right now.  The disciples should have been rational and realized that Jesus would not let anything happen to them--but fear overwhelms rationality.  I had said these very words when speaking to my parents about why I was so filled with irrational fear.  Mickey said this fear overwhelmed everything the disciples had known about Jesus.  They weren't thinking of His past care for them and how He'd always been faithful before.

And I've been there.  I've let fear overwhelm me to the point where it supersedes what I know to be true about my Sovereign God.  When the storms of life hit, they always seem stronger to us than God's Word.  But what do we know to be stronger--the God Who created us or the storm that surrounds us?  As Mickey said, it's important to remember that the same voice that spoke the winds and waves into being speaks them into submission.  Nothing is out of God's control or too big that God can't handle it.

Why do I ever doubt?

If we fear God (and I mean fear in the holy, awesome, knock your socks off kind of way), we need NEVER fear anyone or anything else, because God is much bigger than these storms that come our way.

I have a lot to be thankful for.  As I said, God has provided so much for me and I am exceedingly blessed beyond measure.  These areas where I fail are so difficult, but God is so faithful to lovingly teach me these lessons.  Seeing God provide so faithfully boosts my faith and removes fear.  I have nothing to fear thanks to a God Who knows all my needs, provides for them, and loves me unconditionally.  I have to be continually on my guard against fear and anxiety.  I know that God is moving and working.  I'm excited for where I believe He's leading me--although a lot of areas are still unknown, I can see glimpses of what He's up to. :)  More to come on that as well . . .   

For now, I will leave you with a hilarious Photo Booth picture.  I'm grateful for godly friends who push me and love me.  Like this one:

PS. You can check out the past two Sundays sermons--and others--HERE.  The sermon I mentioned specifically in this post is from April 3rd by Mickey Connolly and is entitled "Jesus Calms the Storm."

Glorious

I'm really bad at this blogging thing.  After this semester is over, I'm going to make it my goal to blog more.  I don't know what humorous anecdotes I'll come up with to tell you guys, but I'm sure something is always going on that's worth sharing.  


So much is going on in my life right now.  We are headed into final two weeks for Charlotte Christian Theatre Company's Production of Through the Looking Glass!  

Awesome promotional photo drawn by one of our cast members, Rebekah Chacko :)

The students are doing an amazing job.  On Monday night at rehearsal, God really impressed upon my heart to pray for the young lady praying Alice.  We gathered around her, and it really turned into this sweet time of calling on the Lord to meet our needs in the next few weeks as things get crazy.  I was so honored to be working with these righteous young people and to see their hearts.  God is so good!


I'm in the final 3 weeks of my first year of grad school!  It's hard to believe that school as I know it will end a year from now.  What a crazy time of the semester!  Everyone else seems to be panicking because deadlines are coming up and there are a million things due.  However, the way I see it is:  in three weeks this will all be over.  I've never NOT gotten everything done before, so why should this time be any different?  Sure, I'll have to do a lot of hard work, but honestly, I know it's going to get done.  So, why not just breathe?


It's easy to imagine that with all this craziness going on, I would be stressed out or anxious.  And to be completely honest, I'm truly surprised that I am not more uptight.  Normally at this point in the semester I am really freaking out, looking something like this:

But this year is different.


God's been gracious to give me a lot of chances to really talk to Him about what's going on in my life.  As I pray for those around me, I find myself becoming less and less worried.  


I'll be posting about this more in the upcoming days, but for now I'll just leave you with this song:

"Glorious" by Paul Baloche

Look inside the mystery,
See the empty cross
See the risen Saviour,
Victorious and strong
No one else above Him
None as strong to save
He alone has conquered,
The power of the grave
  
Glorious, my eyes have the seen the glory of the Lord
Glorious, He stands above the rulers of the Earth

Look beyond the tombstone
See the living God
See the resurrected
The ruler of my heart
No one else above him
None to match his worth
The hope of his returning
Fills the universe

Glorious, my eyes have the seen the glory of the Lord
Glorious, He stands above the rulers of the Earth
Glorious, glorious
Lord, You  are glorious

The Greatest of All

This is currently one of my favorite songs.  We have sung it at my church several times, and I find its message to be so powerful.  Have a listen: 

"The Greatest of All"


The greatest of all transactions
The costliest purchase price
Father, Your Son’s atoning death
Was given in payment for mine
To buy me back from slavery
To set me free from my chains

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb
Redeemed through Your infinite mercy
Your child forever I am

Now I’ll never know Your judgment
You ransomed and saved my soul
Jesus, Your death and Yours alone
Has canceled the debt that I owed
You satisfied the law’s demand
And new life’s been given to me


God is so very merciful and kind to have given Jesus for me.  I love the idea that God bought me back from slavery.  When I think of sin and how it has the power to enslave us if given a hold, I realize just how much I have been saved from.  I owed a debt because of my rebellion to a perfect God.  And only Jesus' death could have satisfied that debt.  


It truly is the greatest of all transactions.  

A Snowball

We've all heard the expression "When it rains, it pours."  With the threat of winter weather looming, I'm pondering snowballs and that cartoonish effect of them rolling down a mountain, growing larger and larger.  While funny in cartoons, it's not so funny when it's different things happening in your life that continue to pile up on top of each other.  


Funny how this comes on the heels of my New Year's purpose to complain less, encourage more.  The past few days have been filled with several dear friends facing various trials, much more severe than the car problem I am facing.  However, which of these was it that made me stomp through my house today, slamming my keys down?  Oh yes, a fleshly reaction to car problems, when the majority of the world doesn't even own a car.  It's so disheartening to see just how much I learn, and just how weak my flesh is.  


I have been in prayer for these friends of mine for the past few days, and it has been a sweet time to lean on God, knowing that He is listening.  Trusting in God's provision for me, however, is often not my strong suit.  I am a planner and I liked to know how things are going to work.  God knows this, and I think He takes time to make me stop and realize that it's not about MY plans.   


I'm a slow learner, but I have a very, very patient God.  And for that I am grateful.  

A List of Purposes

A new year has come and everyone is talking about it.  I have never done the whole New Year's resolution things.  I know how I am when things get busy--I don't always get everything done.  If I didn't keep my resolutions, I would be frustrated, annoyed, disappointed in myself.  So for me, New Year's resolutions are more detrimental than helpful.  There are some things that I want to accomplish this year, however.  As a reminder to myself throughout the year, I thought I'd post about them here.  Similar to a resolution, but I promise not to beat myself up if I don't do all these things perfectly.

Here they are, in no particular order.  What I hope to accomplish in 2011.

1) I am purposing to spend more time with the Lord this year.  This should be a goal for every year, I know, but I really want to press into Him this year and learn all that I can.  This season is ripe for growth, and I want to take full advantage of it.  I want to study more frequently, with greater duration, and in greater depth.  


2) Spend less unnecessary time on the computer.  I waste so much time on the internet it's ridiculous.  There are much better things I could be using my time for (such as pursuing goal number 1).  While this doesn't mean I want to abandon my internet musings permanently--and I certainly won't forsake you, my blog readers--I want to limit the amount of time I spend doing pointless things online.  


3) Read more books that are not required for school.  Last semester by the time things were winding down, I realized that I had not picked up a book for fun in 2 months.  This is highly unusual for the little girl who brought a book with her EVERYWHERE while growing up.  I'd like to make a dent in the books that are already on my shelf, including The Irresistible Revolution, Mere Christianity, and many more.  Often, I slack off on my deep reading outside of school because I just want to do something "fun."  I am purposing to read more and to enjoy it.


4) Cook more.  Lately I have become seriously enthralled with all things domestic.  Recipes, food processors, mixers--you name it, I love it.  I want to try lots of different recipes this year and experiment some.  Part of experimenting is being okay with things going wrong or not being perfect.  That's really hard for me, but it's something I am working on and by God's grace, I will overcome.  If you have any awesome recipes, let me know! :)


5) Complain less, encourage more.  It's 50 times easier to find something to complain about than to make up your mind to speak positive things.  I purpose this year to speak positive things and encourage others around me.  I believe that words are powerful and they can speak into a person's life, positively or negatively.  So, I plan on being more of a Pollyanna this year instead of a Debbie Downer.  :)


And that's what I'll be up to this year.  Right now, I'm just soaking in some down time and enjoying get togethers with family and friends before heading back to school.  Excited for what this new semester holds and for what will take place in this new year! 

Why I May Occasionally Burst into Song . . .

I just watched the Oprah episode about The Sound of Music, and I cried like a small child.  I cried because Julie Andrews is one of the classiest women I've ever seen.  I cried because she can no longer sing any more due to a botched surgery.  I cried because the grandchildren of the real von Trapps sang Edelweiss.  I cried because there's something magical about a group of people singing, dancing, and bringing joy to the world for 45 years.


I am an avid lover of musical theatre (and yes, I like the snobby spelling of "theatre" instead of "theater." Judge me.  I dare you. :) ).  If you've known me for longer than 5 minutes, you have probably figured this out.  I cry at every single production of a live musical that I've ever been to, whether it's a children's show, comedy or tragedy, whether I've seen it 16 times or one.  I find it to be such a powerful form of art that is indescribable in how it can connect with people.

I've been involved with theatre for about 17 years now--over 3/4 of my life.  It was clear that God really got me involved with theatre because it wasn't in my plan for me at all.  I've always been one with a plan, even at a young age.  I had my heart set on becoming a gymnast, and I knew just how to make this happen.  

By the time I reached kindergarten, I had been taking gymnastics for 3 or 4 years.  My coaches wanted me to move up to the next level, but that meant practice four times a week for one hour or two times a week for 2 hours.  I couldn't handle that--it simply made me too tired.  I remember Mom suggesting, "Hey, you like doing plays and stuff.  Why don't you try doing that Christian Youth Theatre that Leah does?"  (Leah still is a family friend and is also an amazing photographer. Check out her work here: Soul Fusion Photography ).  I started my first grade year with Spiritual Twist Productions/Christian Youth Theatre--check them out here: STP/CYT.  

Look how cute I was that first year:

I'm the little one in green sitting on the floor.  You know, the one whose bangs start at the crown of her head. And who looks like she's 7 going on 35.  Oh my.  Bless my heart.

Sorry, back to the point.  

CYT became majorly important in my life.  It was essentially my second home all throughout my growing-up years.  While other kids have their sports teams, I was developing my theatre family.  We practiced, performed, prayed, sang, danced, ate, laughed, and cried together.  I spent hours upon hours with these folks, especially during the final two "crunch weeks" before shows opened.  God brought so many amazing people into my life through CYT.  I have been mentored by the director, as well as made friends with some amazing people.  One of my favorite people in the whole world, Abbe and I met when we were 5 and 6 in CYT and have remained close ever since.  We share everything--including a brain--and it's so great to know that she'll always be there for me.  God provided an amazing group of friends who have truly shaped the person that I am today.  

I love the theatre, but I love CYT the best because it is theatre that does what I believe all the arts are intended to do--honor God, the ultimate Creator and Artist.  I am currently blessed to also work with Charlotte Christian Theatre Company, a group begun by a former CYT family who have relocated to the Charlotte area.  It is such a privilege to get to know these kids and work with them.  I hope that their friendships will grow, develop, and edify them just as my CYTers did for me.

I think the arts are a powerful medium, and I love them for that.  I am so blessed to be allowed to do what I love, but for a purpose that is so much bigger than a round of applause or the acclaim of man.  

Galatians 1:10 says, "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."  

My performances, my work as an assistant director, and my work with students are only done out of a desire to please an Audience of One. 

So, if you see me burst into the song, remember that I've got greasepaint in my veins and take it all in stride.  :)