It's the Little Moments that Change Your Life

Hi everybody!

I thought I would give you a little update on what's going on in regards to the ministry process, and share with you a few stories of how God has blessed my life and the dance ministry in recent days.

First of all, thank you SO much to all who responded either via this blog or through email (or Facebook! I am such an addict!) and for continuing to pray and consider supporting my leap into full time ministry. I have definitely surrendered and asked God to give me patience, because the process is SLOW!

I have applied with the national office of the AG church and now have to wait an agonizing 6-8 weeks for my application to be processed. Then, I will hopefully have an interview with our district offices (which happen to be in Sacramento, woot!) and THEN God willing, I will raise full support and be able to serve full time!

So, with that being said, thank you again for being so prayerful and generous with your time and finances, as many of you have given to the dance fundraisers and will be giving to my monthly support. I am so grateful to know you!

I will be returning to Trinidad this July to lead another team of Christian artists to the island to present outreach performances to the local churches, and we also will be serving on a construction team and teaching children the Gospel message. It's going to be a crazy busy 10 days, but we are all so excited - we have an amazing team this year!

If you have asked for an info packet regarding the ministry I serve, you will soon be receiving a letter. Here, you can support our Trinidad team, or fill out your preliminary giving commitment if you choose to be a monthly supporter once I have a completed application with the AG church. I sincerely hope you will consider sponsoring one of these two great causes!

Directing the dance ministry itself has continued to be both a blessing and a challenge. After family, it is by far the best part of my life, but also can leave me super frustrated at times. I was going through a pretty severe phase of self pity on Tuesday afternoon for various reasons, but I asked God to just put me in a good mood for rehearsal and refocus my life.

Did he ever!

Our spring dance performance is about a girl who is terminally ill and decides to live her remaining days in a positive way that helps others. I invited a man from our church to be one of the actors in our show, and it turned out that he found out THAT DAY he had cancer. He accepted the role in the performance, even though it will be during his chemo treatments and probably right before surgery. He told me how much our ministry blesses HIM and thanks ME for being strong and noble during all of Sam's hospital stuff......um, well that humbled me and brought me so much joy to learn that our ministry means that much to others that they would want to take part WHILE battling cancer. Now we have a cast member who is basically living the plot line in real life. I had a good cry after finding all this out. I am so blessed to know the people I do, and work with the people I do.

Another bright spot is a young lady who just joined the ministry. We have two optional devotional times, before and after dance rehearsal, and she comes to BOTH. I asked her why she comes twice, and she said because she wants to get to know everyone in the group better so she can connect. I think that's awesome that a 17 year old wants to spend extra time doing a bible study so she can plug into God's family and learn more. I was again, humbled, as I've been annoyed about having young girls that come sporadically. And then in comes Faith with her faith.....go figure.

I could go on forever. We have a brilliant group of dancers and actors, and I am so unbelievably excited for spring! If you would like to be on our sponsor list in the coming months, please let me know, and I hope you are all doing fantastic.

Full Speed Ahead in 2009

At the time of this writing, we're only a handful of days away from a new year. 2008 was full of both challenges and amazing opportunities for our family, and one in particular has got me excited for 2009. And we're talking Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch type excited here, folks......

As most of you know, for the past few years I've been balancing a professional writing career and directing a performing arts ministry through my church. I've been extremely blessed in both endeavors, and thank God every day that my childhood dreams of writing, traveling the world and starting a family have all come true.

I've always been the sort of person who will burn the candle at both ends, never wanting to miss an opportunity. However recently, God has really inspired me to reevaluate what it means to be a 20-something living for Him. I've always had the energy to work, spend time with friends & family, serve in the church and do a million other things....but my order of priorities has been a bit jumbled.

In 2009, I intend to do some rearranging, so my life list will have ministry as leader of the pack. After some prayer and discussion with some people I value highly in my life, I received word of an opportunity known as Mission America Placement Services (M.A.P.S.) and will be applying next week to be a full-time missionary.

During my intended two-year commitment with the program, I will hopefully be working closely with my home church as an informal staff member, brainstorming and serving for Creative Arts, as well as directing and expanding the main dance & drama ministry I already run there.

My church's board has already given their full blessing for this endeavor, and like I said, I'm about to pull a Tom Cruise over here.....

Our big spring outreach performance this year is called Project 365, where we will inspire and challenge the audience to show Christ's love to someone at least once a day, every day, for a year. Our side stage children's production will also be presented in the late spring, and our 4th annual summer variety show where we celebrate all aspects of Christian art will be happening in August.

I'll also be leading two teams back to Trinidad for a 2nd time this summer, as well as starting the preliminary process toward possibly planning an outreach team to Brazil in 2010.

Life is crazy busy and full of amazing blessings, and I have faith that the Lord is going to provide the two components necessary for me to make outreach missions my full time job - prayer & finances.

I'd love it if you would consider supporting me in either of these ways. Prayer is obviously the most important part of my ministry, and anyone else's for that matter! Please join me in prayer as I arrange my life in 2009 to balance full time ministry and motherhood to the world's cutest 6 month old. ;)

Secondly, I need to raise about $2000 a month (ouch!) in sponsor money to support the ministry and my part in it. One time donations and monthly sponsors are both needed for this to happen, and all donations are tax-deductible.

Will you back me up on this new journey? Feel free to leave a comment on this post if you'd like to receive a packet of info on being a financial or prayer supporter, or if you want to remain an eager reader who will receive regular blog updates :)

Thank you so much, friends! I feel so blessed and lucky to know that many of you will respond with your support and faith.

Happy New Year! <3