I was a drama kid in high school....in a good way. I mean, I acted, performed in plays. I had the time of my life doing it, taking on new roles, new costumes, new sets. I remember the bond formed with fellow cast members, the kind that can only be formed after weeks and weeks together going over the same five scenes, missing lines and trying not to laugh. So it was fun to see a few friends' children perform in CAPA's (Cypress Academy of Performing Arts) Wizard of Oz this month. The kiddos were PRECIOUS and I imagine them getting to have some of the same fun I did back in high school.
My own children have not spent a lot of time in the theater and they loved it. Blake declared that it was just like regular movies "but with real people", and he was thrilled that candy and popcorn was available during "halftime". If you've not seen a show recently find one. There's something about live theater that you just can't get anywhere else. I felt like I got a piece of my youth back just watching.
All that aside, the Wizard is an idiot. You probably knew that, though. He hides behind a curtain, has no real power, etc., etc., etc. But it was his final words to the Tin Man that made me want to run up on stage and hug him and ask him what misguided person had given him such advice in his lifetime. Bless his heart.
The line I'm referring to is, "A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."
Oh, sweet, stupid Wizard. No it's not.
"You have heard that is was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
Not everyone worth loving is going to love you back. But we do our hearts and Christ's church a huge disservice when we choose to draw the line there. It's true, the feeling of being liked and loved is a good one, a great one even. I remember when Facebook first became popular. Several of the kids in my youth group had a race to see who could get to 1000 friends first.
But if you're waiting on popularity to make you complete you'll be waiting for a long time.
Perfect love is not easy love. It means opening yourself up to someone who might not like you back. Love is an action word, though, and love is as love does. May our hearts follow suit.
XOXO....Kelly
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
The way, the truth, the life.
"Thomas said to him, 'Lord we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' " John 14:6
Flashback to Sandy, UT circa 1993, Hilltop United Methodist Church. A star was born. My first singing gig in an exclusive worship group called Praise. We had our own t-shirts and matching skirts. It was kind of a big deal. I had my first solo in a song called The Way, The Truth, The Life. It was a combination of jaw-dropping vocals and amazing dance movements. I blame/thank my parents for not owning a video camera. Here's a photo of what life looked like then.
Anyway, the song is based on the lyrics of the above-referenced verse and would be burned into my youthful brain for years to come. Sometimes God works like that. He plants a seed He knows you'll need later when you're a little older and much wiser to appreciate it.
THE WAY. Fast-forward to January 2007. I'm three weeks from the due date of our oldest son, Michael. (My praise t-shirt and matching skirt does not fit any longer for very obvious reasons.) In a freak, totally undeserved set of circumstances, Kevin loses his job. He had only graduated from law school 9 months before and taken the bar exam a short time later. I spent a good majority of the pregnancy praying that God would provide for us in such a way that I could stay home to raise our children. I had a good job, but it was not what I wanted. So when Kevin called with the news, I sat at the table in our tiny kitchen and dropped my head. I prayed these words, "Lord, let there be a way." And in that moment, the strangest peace came over me.
THE TRUTH. Michael was born on February 5. Through sleepless nights with a newborn and new mama hormones I fought back the panic of our unknown future and simply tried to remember the peace I felt that afternoon at my kitchen table. Kevin was doing contract work for a firm and enjoying it. We had a number, the salary it would take for me to be able to stay home with the baby. Everyday he went to work and everyday I prayed for God's providence. I was due back to work on May 20. On May 10 Kevin was offered a full time job with the firm he was doing contract work for. The salary offer was the exact number we needed.
THE LIFE. I've experienced a number of life-altering moments in my own lifetime, but none has had the impact on me that this one did. Even as we rejoiced, we considered, should I still go back to work? I mean, two salaries would be awfully nice and my job was really great. But no one can serve both God and money. And when you've spent the last 12 months praying for God to provide, and then He does it, you don't just hand it back. At that point it became clear to me, for the first time ever, what it meant to live in God's will. To rest, no matter how hard, no matter how tempted, in His peace.
We all feel like Thomas and the disciples did from time to time. Lost. Unsure. How will we know the way? And that's why churches put groups of preteen heart-throbs together to remind you, in perfect harmony, of His word. We know because HE IS.
He is the Way.
He is the Truth.
He is the Life.
And there's no other way around it.
Whatever you're struggling with, have you handed it over to God yet? And if He's answered, have you said yes? There is peace for you, friends. There is a Savior who loves you, sees you where you are and meets you where you're going. I don't know this because I'm smart, because I'm good at singing or because I've got extra special connections with the Big Guy upstairs. I know this because I made a commitment 7 1/2 years ago at my tiny kitchen table to trust in His way, to trust in His truth and to trust in His life.
And now there's no other way around it.
XOXO....Kelly
Flashback to Sandy, UT circa 1993, Hilltop United Methodist Church. A star was born. My first singing gig in an exclusive worship group called Praise. We had our own t-shirts and matching skirts. It was kind of a big deal. I had my first solo in a song called The Way, The Truth, The Life. It was a combination of jaw-dropping vocals and amazing dance movements. I blame/thank my parents for not owning a video camera. Here's a photo of what life looked like then.
Anyway, the song is based on the lyrics of the above-referenced verse and would be burned into my youthful brain for years to come. Sometimes God works like that. He plants a seed He knows you'll need later when you're a little older and much wiser to appreciate it.
THE WAY. Fast-forward to January 2007. I'm three weeks from the due date of our oldest son, Michael. (My praise t-shirt and matching skirt does not fit any longer for very obvious reasons.) In a freak, totally undeserved set of circumstances, Kevin loses his job. He had only graduated from law school 9 months before and taken the bar exam a short time later. I spent a good majority of the pregnancy praying that God would provide for us in such a way that I could stay home to raise our children. I had a good job, but it was not what I wanted. So when Kevin called with the news, I sat at the table in our tiny kitchen and dropped my head. I prayed these words, "Lord, let there be a way." And in that moment, the strangest peace came over me.
THE TRUTH. Michael was born on February 5. Through sleepless nights with a newborn and new mama hormones I fought back the panic of our unknown future and simply tried to remember the peace I felt that afternoon at my kitchen table. Kevin was doing contract work for a firm and enjoying it. We had a number, the salary it would take for me to be able to stay home with the baby. Everyday he went to work and everyday I prayed for God's providence. I was due back to work on May 20. On May 10 Kevin was offered a full time job with the firm he was doing contract work for. The salary offer was the exact number we needed.
THE LIFE. I've experienced a number of life-altering moments in my own lifetime, but none has had the impact on me that this one did. Even as we rejoiced, we considered, should I still go back to work? I mean, two salaries would be awfully nice and my job was really great. But no one can serve both God and money. And when you've spent the last 12 months praying for God to provide, and then He does it, you don't just hand it back. At that point it became clear to me, for the first time ever, what it meant to live in God's will. To rest, no matter how hard, no matter how tempted, in His peace.
We all feel like Thomas and the disciples did from time to time. Lost. Unsure. How will we know the way? And that's why churches put groups of preteen heart-throbs together to remind you, in perfect harmony, of His word. We know because HE IS.
He is the Way.
He is the Truth.
He is the Life.
And there's no other way around it.
Whatever you're struggling with, have you handed it over to God yet? And if He's answered, have you said yes? There is peace for you, friends. There is a Savior who loves you, sees you where you are and meets you where you're going. I don't know this because I'm smart, because I'm good at singing or because I've got extra special connections with the Big Guy upstairs. I know this because I made a commitment 7 1/2 years ago at my tiny kitchen table to trust in His way, to trust in His truth and to trust in His life.
And now there's no other way around it.
XOXO....Kelly
Friday, October 10, 2014
Do they see you coming?
My dad is a GOOD dad. I mean, a really good dad. He has always been a good dad, doing the things a good dad should do. Like showing up to a late night play rehearsal when I was in high school and yelling at the director that we had no business being up at school at 9pm.* Dude, he was pissed. But he was right and none of the other parents were willing to do it. We never had a rehearsal that late ever again. (*It is with time and great maturity that I am able to appreciate this act of my father. At the time I was just really, really embarrassed.)
He was also prone to sending notes to school with us. Like when he found something incorrect in a textbook. "Dear Mrs. Soandso, Do you realize the graph on page 77 detailing oil and gas trends in the US across the last 5 years is inaccurate? I'll assume this is not the sort of misinformation we want in our textbooks and ask that you please advise when we can expect a correction."
I am not kidding.
One time he stopped the school principal at open house to tell her the mascot paw was wrong. THE PRINCIPAL. He even brought a book with him to reference the correct anatomy. To his credit, this is a bear paw print....
And this was the paw print of the mighty Fiest Elementary Bears....
I mean, really. How could he not have said something?
I like to tease him that when our car pulled up in the parking lot the administration had to prepare themselves. Especially if we had a note with us. They could see him coming from a mile away. He made no mystery of what he was about and still doesn't.
And I love it.
"For I am not ashamed of the Good News about Jesus Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes." Romans 1:16
Do they see you coming? Do they know what you're about? Is your love of mercy, of grace, of justice and peace so apparent that they know your Lord before you even open your mouth?
Do you live your life unashamed of the truth in Jesus Christ?
Heavenly Father, there are so many things I can be today, so many places I can rest my identity. Am I a mother? A wife? A neighbor? When I approach others what do they see first? Is my faith a mystery to others? Is it ever a question what I stand for? Please help me not to make it so. Fill me with your spirit in such a way that today and everyday, Lord, they see You first. Always You. Amen.
XOXO....Kelly
He was also prone to sending notes to school with us. Like when he found something incorrect in a textbook. "Dear Mrs. Soandso, Do you realize the graph on page 77 detailing oil and gas trends in the US across the last 5 years is inaccurate? I'll assume this is not the sort of misinformation we want in our textbooks and ask that you please advise when we can expect a correction."
I am not kidding.
One time he stopped the school principal at open house to tell her the mascot paw was wrong. THE PRINCIPAL. He even brought a book with him to reference the correct anatomy. To his credit, this is a bear paw print....
And this was the paw print of the mighty Fiest Elementary Bears....
I mean, really. How could he not have said something?
I like to tease him that when our car pulled up in the parking lot the administration had to prepare themselves. Especially if we had a note with us. They could see him coming from a mile away. He made no mystery of what he was about and still doesn't.
And I love it.
"For I am not ashamed of the Good News about Jesus Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes." Romans 1:16
Do they see you coming? Do they know what you're about? Is your love of mercy, of grace, of justice and peace so apparent that they know your Lord before you even open your mouth?
Do you live your life unashamed of the truth in Jesus Christ?
Heavenly Father, there are so many things I can be today, so many places I can rest my identity. Am I a mother? A wife? A neighbor? When I approach others what do they see first? Is my faith a mystery to others? Is it ever a question what I stand for? Please help me not to make it so. Fill me with your spirit in such a way that today and everyday, Lord, they see You first. Always You. Amen.
XOXO....Kelly
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
It's not about you.
We've all been there. Across the cash register from the grumpy clerk or customer. Snapped at by a friend when we did not deserve it. Believe me when I say, unless you're just the most unpleasant person on the face of the planet, whatever bad mood you've had to endure today, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
I realize that's a difficult pill to swallow. Life should be fair. Treatment should be just. But it's not always that way. Chances are whatever led the snap, the grump, the rude remark to come about, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
I worked at Einstein Bagels in college. I stood next to a coworker one day, the morning after her husband walked out on her. Do you know what mornings are like in a bagel shop? Can you imagine what serving bagels and coffee to dozens and dozens and dozens of people first thing in the morning is like under the heartache of a broken marriage?
I watched people rush, demand, frown at my coworker. Was it their fault she was in a bad mood? No, certainly not. But then where is mercy? Where is grace? Aren't we better than that? Aren't we bigger than demanding everyone treat us like sunshine and rainbows every second of the day?
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven!'" Matthew 18:21-22
If the next thing out of your mouth is, "Well, I'm sorry he/she is having a bad day, but that still doesn't give him/her the right..." just stop it. You are right. No one has the right to be mean to you. But for so many, at the heart of their struggle, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
So try to be nice. Try to smile anyway. There's no reason to be personally offended by something that really has nothing to do with you. And you never really know what's going on, on the other side of the cash register.
XOXO....Kelly
I realize that's a difficult pill to swallow. Life should be fair. Treatment should be just. But it's not always that way. Chances are whatever led the snap, the grump, the rude remark to come about, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
I worked at Einstein Bagels in college. I stood next to a coworker one day, the morning after her husband walked out on her. Do you know what mornings are like in a bagel shop? Can you imagine what serving bagels and coffee to dozens and dozens and dozens of people first thing in the morning is like under the heartache of a broken marriage?
I watched people rush, demand, frown at my coworker. Was it their fault she was in a bad mood? No, certainly not. But then where is mercy? Where is grace? Aren't we better than that? Aren't we bigger than demanding everyone treat us like sunshine and rainbows every second of the day?
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven!'" Matthew 18:21-22
If the next thing out of your mouth is, "Well, I'm sorry he/she is having a bad day, but that still doesn't give him/her the right..." just stop it. You are right. No one has the right to be mean to you. But for so many, at the heart of their struggle, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
So try to be nice. Try to smile anyway. There's no reason to be personally offended by something that really has nothing to do with you. And you never really know what's going on, on the other side of the cash register.
XOXO....Kelly
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