tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69502691009877743732024-02-06T23:31:33.054-06:00 The Calling Christian Dance CompanyMade in His image. Worshipping Him through dance. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-53391586584239637762015-01-04T14:46:00.000-06:002015-01-04T14:46:15.293-06:00A New Year without old Hinderances You're probably thinking, based on the name of this post, that this is just another in a long stream of posts and conversations that crop up this time of year about New Year's resolutions and the goals we set for ourselves to make this new year our best one yet. And while some of the same concepts of re-evaluating ourselves, our habits, and our relationships certainly apply, I pray that the Holy Spirit would give us divine discernment and guidance and ignite in all of us an intense desire this year to turn our inward focus <u>upwards</u> to the One that supplies us with our every need and in Whom we are made complete by His gracious love!<br />
Making goals for ourselves is a wonderful, wonderful practice! Healthy diet changes are good for our bodies, watching less TV is good for the mind, and choosing to be a more positive person is good for the soul. But, as believers, let us take a step back for a moment from our goal-making and think about it in a way we might have missed.<br />
In the book of Thessalonians, Paul, a man devoted to spreading the truth of Christ throughout many different cities of his day, writes with intensity to the believers in the city of Thessalonica about his intense efforts to reconnect with them after having been separated from them for a time. Imagine being separated from a close friend that really needed your presence in a very difficult time of their life and you won't be far off from his feelings as he wrote. These were people that he had grown to love after ministering to them and living with them; people for whom he knew the unique features of their faces and personalities, people that he called brothers and sisters, people, that he writes, his heart was still with although he was separated from them physically.<br />
In 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18 Paul says, <em>"Dear friends, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back to you because of our intense longing to see you again. We wanted very much to come, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan <strong>hindered</strong> us." </em> [ For emphasis, you could re-read that passage and replace the word "separated" with the word "orphaned" and you would come closer to the original Greek connotation.] <br />
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If early January is the time for making goals for ourselves, can we at least concede that, dare we say, mid February is about the time many of us decide, "Eh......it wasn't so bad the way it was before." We make goals and then roadblocks appear. We set a plan in place to better ourselves, and then it gets hindered. But what if we looked at this whole thing from a new, heavenly perspective. What if (deep breath) it wasn't all about ......us.<br />
The dictionary defines the word "hindered" or "hindering" as: <em>to make slow or difficult the process of, to hold back, to impede, to interfere with the activity of, causing a harmful delay or an annoying interference." </em>The Greek use of the word hindered in 1 Thessalonians 2:18 suggest a bit of military strategy behind it as well. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, <em>"We do not war against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."</em><br />
If, as believers, we are fighting for the truth of the gospel of Christ and are persevering for its spread throughout our relationships, then let's remember that there is also an enemy whose goal is to hinder us all along our way through impeding circumstances, annoying delays, through others, and even through ourselves as goals are left unreached and discouragement is offered a permanent residence in our hearts. <br />
We all recognize that we can be a hindrance to each other unintentionally. Legalism and perfectionism are just a few eager examples of the ways we can place incredible heavy, burdens on one another all in the name of righteousness. With unattainably high standards for others, we can kill relationships faster than squashing a bug when that person (shockingly) doesn't live up to our expectations.<br />
We are also the very intentional target of the one who seeks to deceive and destroy. Beth Moore uses a gripping idea in her book, <em>Children of the Day, </em>to illustrate what Satan's goals of hindering the Saints might look like if he had a "motivational" poster in his office. Would it read something like, "KEEP PEOPLE APART, WHO TOGETHER WOULD SERVE GREAT KINGDOM PURPOSES."<br />
And why is it so important for Satan to keep us apart from one another anyway like Paul was kept away from the Thessalonians? Because when we're together in healthy, Christ-centered relationships we encourage one another, and that encouragement leads to stronger faith, which leads to bolder living for Jesus!<br />
And while sometimes Satan's plan in carrying out this goal of separation is to use others, in my own experience I can testify that I have let myself be my greatest determent in missing out on blessings from above. I have held on to bitterness far too long, when the Lord has asked me to forgive instead. I have held on to guilt instead of claiming the grace that is freely given in Christ. I have continued to practice habits that aren't in themselves bad for me, but were increasingly distracting to my relationship with God. <br />
We live in a "self-help" culture. Its billboards tell us to look no further than ourselves for wisdom. Our standard for well-being and satisfaction? Our own selfish ambitions or the approval of others (who, we conveniently forget, are just as broken and empty as we are without the saving grace of Jesus.) And if we're not careful......if we're not very, very, careful....even as believers, we can buy into the lies, the great distractions from our faith in practice, that if we just worked out more we would be completely satisfied because of our slimmer body. If we just worked harder to get that job promotion we would be fulfilled with the recognition it inspired. If we just had that one person we would never be lonely or want for anything else again. The problem isn't in the goal setting itself, but if the earthly goal of the <em>created</em> has replaced our relationship with our <em>Creator </em>then we have grossly missed the whole point. <br />
In "You and Me Forever", by Francis and Lisa Chan, the introduction is titled <em>The Secret to Happily Ever After. </em>And while it's a book on marriage specifically, we can learn a great lesson from the theme of its introduction whether we are currently in a marriage or not. You might think it mentions spending more time together as a couple. Perhaps it says the secret is to affirm each other more often with words or to do more acts of service toward one another in thoughtful gestures of love. These are all great practices that could be attained with goal setting and would certainly help infuse love into any relationship, but notice it says "THE secret" and not "<u>secrets</u>"...so we need to keep thinking and narrow it down to just one. Here is what they say: In order for a marriage to be truly successful, each person individually must <u>fear God.</u> (Not what you were expecting?) Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 1:7; Psalm 111:10). This is what leads to life! (Prov. 19:23) The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear Him! (Psalm 147:11). "There are plenty of marriage books that will teach you how to get along and be happy and I'm not knocking those. The problem with those books is that they can make you feel like having a happy family is the goal of Christianity. They can make primary things like God's glory and His mission sound secondary."*<br />
Now let's take the same principle, pair it with the fact that we, as believers, have found ourselves on the frontlines of a spiritual war, and look at it within the scope of our personal lives no matter our age, gender, career, or past. Have we let our pursuit of happiness replace the role that is rightfully God's? If we want help shedding habits that are choking our spirits, we need to fear the Lord and seek His wisdom! If we want to live our lives with a more positive attitude and be kinder to those around us, we need to fear the Lord and follow after the example of His Son! If we crave the kind of relationship that will remedy our loneliness, we need to fear the Lord and spend time with Him and we will find the true love of our lives! If we want to <u>be</u> better, we need to take the primary focus off of ourselves.<br />
When I was younger in my walk with God, I set a goal for myself to spend more time using my Bible. So what I would do is when a problem occurred in my life I would use the concordance to look up the word I felt best fit the scenario, find a Bible verse that fit, and read it. Now don't get me wrong, scripture is meant, among other things, to encourage and be a source of strength when we need it most in this world. But at this stage of my walk, I had still not grasped the magnitude of the great tool that I held in my hands: 66 books of Holy Spirit-inspired word that when studied completely, consistently, and intentionally open my eyes to the WONDER and AMAZING TRUTHS of the Great I AM! It would be like carrying around Excalibur, but only ever using it to chop carrots. <br />
Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us!" <br />
Instead of looking at the perfection of ourselves as the end goal, let us keep our eyes forever focused on Him who made us and RUN with excitement to His reward, flinging off those heavy blankets of guilt, resentment, and bitterness that we have placed on ourselves and embracing the fullness of His love towards us, His children! And if we're not sure whether something in our lives qualifies as a hindrance, then let's ask Him!**For we know and remember that if we seek Him first and His kingdom, keeping our eyes trained on Him and not primarily on ourselves, then all these things too will surely follow, for He has a great plan for each of us!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">* <em>You and Me Forever, </em>Francis and Lisa Chan, 2014 Claire Love Publishing</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">** <em>Children of the Day, </em>Beth Moore, 2014 Lifeway Press</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-41722696222120712872014-12-08T14:27:00.002-06:002014-12-08T14:28:48.000-06:00Grace Lutheran Performance<div style="text-align: right;">
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Yesterday, a few of our dancers had the opportunity to bring some Christmas cheer to Grace Lutheran Church in Destin. Amidst beautifully decorated tables with festive centerpieces, the ladies of Grace Lutheran gathered for a Christmas tea to usher in this joyful season, spend some precious moments together, and give thanks to the Lord for His infant birth.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mgfNo4w6iIvye5MkF6zHqgt4QcAUIeQ-ipbNgYAds__0y9gyTO3O7QSJ6iIFIBrKxmSYZNA9_Wo4vu3kKgGdu1i3Thxqs04DKmvaq_CUTJs_b-X5q_4ndmKrstw6Ad3MKTw909mdyhWY/s1600/GraceLutheranNutcracker-71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mgfNo4w6iIvye5MkF6zHqgt4QcAUIeQ-ipbNgYAds__0y9gyTO3O7QSJ6iIFIBrKxmSYZNA9_Wo4vu3kKgGdu1i3Thxqs04DKmvaq_CUTJs_b-X5q_4ndmKrstw6Ad3MKTw909mdyhWY/s320/GraceLutheranNutcracker-71.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a> Backstage, our younger dancers giggled with each other and twirled in sparkly costumes and asked if they could watch the other pieces before it was their turn. The older dancers helped each other get ready, and although some of them had come from pretty busy schedules, you could tell they were happy to be together doing something they loved. <br />
The hostess welcomed the guests, opened in prayer and then it was time to dance! Our Ballet Conservatory dancers did a fantastic job bringing excerpts from this year's <em>Nutcracker</em>! Russian, Spanish, and Chinese Variations, the Party Scene March, and Dolls....it was a special sneak peek for the Dec 20th and 21st performances at South Walton High School. The Calling presented a piece from our upcoming "I AM" May concert and the girls did a wonderful job!<br />
It's a busy time of year, and although the performance didn't last long, it was a special few moments of coming together and sharing our gifts with others and creating a few special memories. I pray that each of us is able to take some time this season and step back from the busy-ness of this month and say a special prayer of thanks to Him who allows us each day. A very special thank you to Mrs. Poppell for allowing The Calling to be a part of yesterday's performance and a special prayer of blessing to all those involved in <em>Nutcracker! </em>You all dance beautifully and are such a joy to watch!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-19301570948063524502014-11-05T16:02:00.001-06:002014-11-05T16:02:32.557-06:00Hating Patience and Suffering for Praise<br />
James 5:7-11 says, <em>"Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers as an example of patience in suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of Lord. As you know we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."</em><br />
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Why do you think we hate patience so much? I don't think it takes us very long to come up with about a million reasons:) It seems everything about our living today is convenience-driven (and I'm not saying that's all bad:) Drive-through meals have been dinner-savers thousands of times for this busy family! I am all about minimizing stress and shortening my to-do list as quickly as possible. And in my real estate life, I can't imagine how much more difficult and time-consuming everything would be without my smartphone! <br />
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Pair convenience with our Social Media obsession (I'm right here too btw) and you get a need to have a life just as good as our other 1200 "friends" whose Facebook lives are clearly Martha Stewart-esque and Travel Magazine, red carpet amazing! <br />
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As Christ-followers we are called to be patient and wait on the Lord. Particularly in the area of suffering. Patience, like faith, is a muscle that needs extensive strength-training. It would be completely wonderful if the extent of the patience required from us was a few trials of the most minimal level (like 'Ugh, why hasn't that person gotten back in touch with me yet? Don't they know we're on a deadline!), but we all know that this life is filled with steep, up-hill, arduous battles that can sometimes leave us ready to quit, ready to walk away, done.<br />
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Kurt A. Richardson (NAC Commentary) writes, "Here is the sobering truth about the nature of trials in the life of righteous persons, that God allows them to be tested in order to prove their faith.....in some ways, their endurance proves the Lord's boast in them."<br />
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Beth Moore goes on to make an excellent (and extremely encouraging) point on this! <br />
"God permits and sometimes even dictates difficulty for those in whom He boasts so that they will prove what He already knows is true. He boasts in His faithful followers then lets them prove Him right. Our God is not capable of lying (Num 23:19)......so when He boasts on you in your endurance, know that it is based on TRUTH!" * ( You are faithfully leaning on Him and He loves you!)<br />
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Easier to read than live through though, right? <br />
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James mentions Job in the set of verses above, whose story would have been incredibly well-known to all of his Jewish counterparts he was speaking to. If you don't know the story, I really challenge you to read the book of Job, not just to check it off, but to really hone in on the details of his trials. (It has a way of making some of our complaints look like we're crying over broken nails and spilt milk, just sayin). <br />
Before chapter 2 even begins, Job, described as blameless and upright in God's sight, has seen his livestock and cattle stolen (let's liken that to losing your job), his servants slain, his sheep and still more servants set on fire, and ALL of his sons and daughters killed!<br />
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In the next test, as he is over come with sores on the soles of his feet and the top of his head, and as his wife is trying to get him to turn against God and curse His name, he says something that so goes against our nature, I had to stop and re-read it to make sure I saw it correctly. <br />
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Job's Wife: "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Since nothing but death is left for Job, she is tempting Job to provoke God into administering the final stroke due to all who curse Him.)<br />
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But Job says, "You are talking like a foolish woman. <strong>Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"</strong> <br />
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And there's where I got caught. We accept the good things from God in stride, but when something difficult (to say the least) comes our way, we are quick to say, "Hold up! There's been a mistake." (Perhaps in our hearts we're saying 'I deserve better'.) How many times, in suffering, have I cried out to God, "No Lord! You have really messed up! This is NOT acceptable!"<br />
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Life is so hard sometimes. Oh so hard sometimes. I know that sometimes no words are the 'right' words and that no amount of screaming will subdue the pain. Patience is the last thing we want to be called to practicing. To borrow from that scene in Forest Gump where he and Jenny are outside her father's abandoned house ......"Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks."<br />
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But we have a hope that anchors our soul. <br />
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Isaiah 61:7 says, <em>"Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs!"</em><br />
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In Job 42:12, "<em>The Lord blessed the later part of Job's life more than the first."</em> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoe3JDFqVjQ7_ac88rxDeMuC4Z7vek1S6ldf-o4Tk2oVLsQJ4j2R2JRvzJbXM83g1KMaaDyM-Fp716q8bTiQ91huJHbfCBClt2nzahyLh4hYWVkC0ompO4LjsO3eOcW5HmM848ZNW9dkJ/s1600/patience.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoe3JDFqVjQ7_ac88rxDeMuC4Z7vek1S6ldf-o4Tk2oVLsQJ4j2R2JRvzJbXM83g1KMaaDyM-Fp716q8bTiQ91huJHbfCBClt2nzahyLh4hYWVkC0ompO4LjsO3eOcW5HmM848ZNW9dkJ/s1600/patience.png" /></a>God is awesome in the reversals of fate. While it's hard to be patient and wait, He sees the beginning from the end. He knows how it all turns out. May that be fresh to your ears this time around, if they've grown accustomed to hearing that in the past. He Knows! God gives hope to the broken and is the expert in restoration. Be patient dear, sweet friends, and encourage one another in faith and in prayer. <br />
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"<em>I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I will see Him with my own eyes! How my heart yearns within me!" Job 19:25-27</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-77596048837675794702014-11-02T11:38:00.000-06:002014-11-02T11:38:16.673-06:00"I AM" Concert <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>I AM</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Mattie Kelly Arts Center </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: large;">May 14th, 2015</span></div>
<a href="http://animoto.com/play/X0N4AVL5lxBFtGSKIC0Auw">I AM</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-44891875568958998772014-10-27T20:07:00.004-05:002014-11-01T09:25:23.825-05:00Thirty-One Gifts Fundraiser! Nov. 1st-Nov. 21st<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$text0:0:$4:0"><span style="font-size: x-large;">1) Go to: </span></span><a data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$range0:0" href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/natalieperkins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">www.mythirtyone.com/natalieperkins</span></a><br data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$1:0" /><br data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$3:0" /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$4:0">2) On homepage, click on 'My Scheduled Parties'</span><br data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$5:0" /><br data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$7:0" /><span data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$8:0">3) Find event 'The Calling Christian Dance Ministry - Fundraiser' and click on 'Shop Now'</span><br data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$9:0" /><br data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$11:0" /><span data-reactid=".39.$mid=11414540496924=2a071dd125516cea207.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$12:0">4) Place your order!</span></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-43423002401154574002014-10-23T13:55:00.000-05:002014-10-23T14:10:06.474-05:00Elijah and Ice Cream<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpecPgCN3yttShW9-kNEpU01pmAoRUoxZCLz8Z1IAAgeBucYT_biTHxQHnazyKGw0w8BYrhon73dPI4vwRt8Vn61vvdJsZYoxAztvYPBPpWHwHbkpEsLXaHmFL1ulSTW5HVbgczuEgD4e5/s1600/IMG_20141019_134008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpecPgCN3yttShW9-kNEpU01pmAoRUoxZCLz8Z1IAAgeBucYT_biTHxQHnazyKGw0w8BYrhon73dPI4vwRt8Vn61vvdJsZYoxAztvYPBPpWHwHbkpEsLXaHmFL1ulSTW5HVbgczuEgD4e5/s1600/IMG_20141019_134008.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>This past Sunday, I had the great privilege of having about 18 sweet girls come over for a Bible study between our Senior and Junior Companies. Shelley and Jess brought over pounds of different flavored ice cream, to which we all devoured with sprinkled cookies, delicious cupcakes, and tiny brownies! The Word of God is meant to be flavorful and sweet on our lips....we were getting in the zone:) <br />
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Our lesson, once we all settled down and a few cups of hot chocolate had been made, was on the story of Elijah. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrgX2ur0KXnt7AhNhSvqpUFwlPkHJmDOix_Q5E3hyphenhyphengy6eUS-bc_fw5lwtMZX-gjYLcYF1igQN3ORZEnaKOcXEXdjzhR1KhkZMyxvZRWlY6XhUyJmDLnFIPUTNt4V7i_rlzhrKq5BwUPIC/s1600/20141019_143950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrgX2ur0KXnt7AhNhSvqpUFwlPkHJmDOix_Q5E3hyphenhyphengy6eUS-bc_fw5lwtMZX-gjYLcYF1igQN3ORZEnaKOcXEXdjzhR1KhkZMyxvZRWlY6XhUyJmDLnFIPUTNt4V7i_rlzhrKq5BwUPIC/s1600/20141019_143950.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> What a story of trust in our awesome God! To brush up on this incredible story that comes to us out of 2 Kings, we have Elijah, a prophet of God, facing off against 450 'prophets' of Baal (and another 400 prophets of Asherah). They have all been called together to Mount Carmel to settle this once and for all.....who is the one true God? Two bulls are prepared on two different alters and the god that is able to bring fire down to ignite the alter.....he is the real god worthy of worship.<br />
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So the 450 prophets of Baal get things started. (Can we just stop and appreciate that number for a second? What that crowd must have looked like to Elijah?) They start praying to Baal, shouting (no answer), dancing around the alter (still no answer), and even cutting themselves! "Maybe he's sleeping," Elijah says, "You've got to wake him up!" Midday passes and still there's no response. <br />
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Then it's Elijah's turn. He takes twelve stones (one for each tribe of Jacob) and built an alter. Then he takes four large jars and fills them with water and pours them on the alter and the offering three times. Finally he prays.<br />
"O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all of these things at your command. Answer me Lord, that these people will know you are God and that you are turning their hearts back again."<br />
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And then; the very next verse....fire of God fell and burned up the sacrifice! (The very same sacrifice that had seconds before been dripping with water!) It doesn't say that Elijah had to wait, his prayers were instantly answered and the result was 450 men falling to their knees in worship, finally recognizing God for the true God He was (is). <br />
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I can't imagine how that must have felt! To feel the heat of those flames that had just come down from heaven, knowing that his faith in The Lord had not been in vain, and to see the looks on those people's faces as they recognized the Lord for the first time as the One and Only God. I like to think that even though Elijah was wholly devoted to proving that God was in fact the only God worthy of worship, that he delighted and rejoiced for these people that came to finally know Him too! I hope that in all of our hearts, when we see someone come to truly recognize God (and the grace given to us by Jesus too now), that we can rejoice for the freedom that a friend, a relative, a stranger has now found! <br />
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Elijah didn't have to wait in these circumstances because it pleased God to make His presence known immediately. But lets not forget that many times we must <em>wait</em> on the Lord. I think that the Bible uses that phrase at least nine times. Psalm 31 says "all you who wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage." It's a chapter full of recognition that the Lord is the One who is our protective fortress and our rock. It says that He is "intimately acquainted with (our) deep distress" but He didn't hand us over to our enemy. He is a God that is invested and not surprised, by what we're going through. I pray that we, as Christ-followers, would take up faith like Elijah and pray boldly, bringing our requests before the Lord with humble hearts. To pray continually, rejoice always, and give thanks in every situation is God's will for us. For a suborn, head-strong woman like myself it can seem like a passive thing to sit and wait for the Lord. But God loves each of us and knows us by name. And when His time is right, He provides in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams. He makes His presence known. <br />
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As a dancer and choreographer, there is a certain amount of pride that comes in seeing a work come together. To see the dancers flawlessly execute the moves they've been practicing for weeks, to see beautiful costumes that were stitched by hand shimmer in the stage lighting and swirl over legs moving in unison, and (in especially blessed moments) to watch an audience lean slightly more forward in their seat as they connect with what's going on in the piece.....and then erupt in loud, thunderous applause as the final note fades!..........Okay, I let myself get carried away for a minute:) <br />
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In our careers, we take pride in the projects that took months of planning and finally came together, the deals that closed, the awards presented, the new discoveries made, the endeavors fully-funded. As parents, we have pride in our children and all of their accomplishments as they learn and grow into their own independent persons. (I remember the pride of being able to tell the daycare teachers, "Yes, our child IS in fact potty trained!" ....Hallelujah!). <br />
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Pride doesn't always have to be wrong. It can be an attractive virtue when it continues to throw the praise upwards. As our pastor reminded us last Sunday, God desires that we have a healthy self-esteem. We are the apex of God's creation! I have value because my Creator loves me! Jesus calls us, as believers, His sisters and brothers! After all, if we fall into the snare of thinking we're nothing, we can live and act like we're nothing.(Take a look at the root of most addictions).<br />
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So what then, does it look like when pride becomes a sin? <br />
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In Proverbs 16:18 it says, "Pride comes before disaster and arrogance before a fall." That wisp of arrogance was the first sin in the garden. When Eve was made to believe by the serpent that eating that fruit wouldn't really bring the death the Lord warned about......it was really that God just didn't want her to become His equal. (Wrong!) <br />
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You see God, in His infinite wisdom and deep love for us had tried to protect His two children from pain and from death with a simple command. But in that moment that Eve held the fruit to her lips, whether she was thinking it or not, her actions were saying, "I know better."<br />
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And there it is. The wrong kind of pride is self-serving. It's a haughtiness, a self-esteem that is NOT in order. It is deadly to ourselves and ultimately self-destructive whether we experience that end result in this lifetime or the next. <br />
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The world doesn't understand the problem. Go ahead and build yourself up (even if it means a few white lies, everyone does it). Seek money first and the rest of happiness will follow. Worldly whims are the ruler of the day. <br />
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But the system is broken. Because God says to seek HIM first (Matthew 6:33). Jesus tells us to store up our treasures in heaven where moth and thief can't reach (Matthew 6:20). The worst kind of pride replaces the Creator with the created. It acknowledges our need for redemption zero times a day. The bad kind of pride causes impatience within ourselves against others. It annihilates relationships and if left unchecked can be a seed for idolatry, deception, and all kinds of arrogance. The irony of pride is that it leads us to envy. In our self-serving ways, we start to covet what others have instead of rejoicing for them and having thankful hearts. <br />
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James reminds us to submit ourselves to God (chapter 4). Philippians chapter 2 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. <br />
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In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:</div>
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Who, being in very nature God,</div>
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did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;</div>
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rather, he made himself nothing</div>
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by taking the very nature of a servant,</div>
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being made in human likeness.</div>
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And being found in appearance as a man,</div>
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he humbled himself</div>
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by becoming obedient to death—</div>
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even death on a cross!</div>
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Therefore God exalted him to the highest place</div>
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and gave him the name that is above every name,</div>
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that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,</div>
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in heaven and on earth and under the earth,</div>
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and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,</div>
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to the glory of God the Father." (NIV)</div>
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Pride prevents us from confessing our sins because we don't see the need. It prevents us from saying we were wrong. It prevents us from saying there is One who knows better; who deserves to be Lord over EVERY aspect of our lives; who deserves ALL the glory, and in whom we can boast. </div>
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As Beth Moore will tell you, and I'm paraphrasing, 'I'd rather fall on my knees myself in humility, than be pushed there as a result of my pride."</div>
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<em>Lord, let all that we do and accomplish through our ministry point the glory directly back to you. Lord give us humble and thankful hearts and let each of us think more highly of others than ourselves. Help us to love each other as You taught us how to love. </em></div>
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To watch the entire sermon on pride click the link below from Niceville UMC's website. </div>
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<a href="http://nicevilleumc.org/messages/index.html">http://nicevilleumc.org/messages/index.html</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-77712225718028068032014-10-09T21:36:00.000-05:002014-10-09T21:36:29.379-05:00Draw close to God<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
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Another sweet practice with the members of our Bluewater Junior Company tonight! In keeping with our study of the book of James, we read out of chapter 4, verses 7 and 8. </div>
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"<em>Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNreqQgn41ZWsTZ9nkEeX2mOUnzRHthoEd0upvyy3u89AtFPqWRrEqjB12Sos2hMgiuNX0nhSDtkOjtmH8p3fkMeBb4v3eBhlB321gMmR7lYsyUxltYroEnLfT8JGGkTpHUGylZOEN8kvN/s1600/20141009_183708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNreqQgn41ZWsTZ9nkEeX2mOUnzRHthoEd0upvyy3u89AtFPqWRrEqjB12Sos2hMgiuNX0nhSDtkOjtmH8p3fkMeBb4v3eBhlB321gMmR7lYsyUxltYroEnLfT8JGGkTpHUGylZOEN8kvN/s1600/20141009_183708.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>I am always amazed at these young ladies' perspectives on spiritual matters and the way they so easily and readily share examples when we study God's word together. We talked about how daily, we have opportunities to draw close to the Lord, whether it's a situation that requires us to make a choice, whether it's the way we spend our time, or whether it's how we react to those around us. We can choose to respond the way Satan would like us too.....or we can choose to take shelter in the One that knows us best, loves us, and wants a better life for us than this world promises.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01Wa6dkBoYGGf5ArBoN1bVS1lXy86-CTGoK29hr4z5wNKEhAHes2tpslYH9JAz_h_EgpcNLTXrpnmw6LQO8IU0OrDXHL8i_pmcgoC6DisoWMjHJ5kUrDbFsPOJDnoOMn85JZJba45BtkY/s1600/20141009_175817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01Wa6dkBoYGGf5ArBoN1bVS1lXy86-CTGoK29hr4z5wNKEhAHes2tpslYH9JAz_h_EgpcNLTXrpnmw6LQO8IU0OrDXHL8i_pmcgoC6DisoWMjHJ5kUrDbFsPOJDnoOMn85JZJba45BtkY/s1600/20141009_175817.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>If we draw close to the Lord, He promises to draw close to us. Oh yes, we are saved by grace, so even when we make a bad decision we can confess and ask forgiveness, but we can also have a <em>friendship</em> with our Creator! How fascinating to me that God would desire my presence with Him, just spending time together. And when it says, 'the devil will flee'.....it's not because he's intimidated by the likes of us...no sir. It's because we have chosen to seek shelter under the Lord's protective wings. As my seven year old daughter shared with our family earlier this week, "He will cover us with His feathers." </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-18955872013300007862014-10-06T15:12:00.000-05:002014-10-06T20:26:56.601-05:00"I AM" Promotional Photo ShootYesterday, The Calling had the great privilege to work with Jan Ethridge on another great shoot! It is so much fun to work with someone that has such creative vision and an eye for capturing the movement of dance! <br />
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Jan's photography has been a huge blessing to our ministry in representing the story lines and emotions we have sought to convey to our audience and patrons as we get ready for productions. She is incredibly talented and we can't wait to see the finished images!<br />
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It takes a lot of prep work beforehand with shot mock ups, lighting preps, costuming, wonderful parents that volunteer their time to help, and the tenacious energy of the dancers to keep jumping or bending until everything comes together in just the right way. <br />
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Below is a behind the scenes look at the shoot. Stay tuned for the final images!! Thank you to Bayou Oaks for allowing us to use your beautiful property for location! Thank you parents and dancers! And thank you Jan!<br />
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See more of Jan's great work at <a href="http://www.jcethridgephotography.com/">www.jcethridgephotography.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-11543544443353181872014-10-02T15:40:00.000-05:002014-10-03T10:47:34.766-05:00What kind of Wisdom do you have?For several weeks, I have been knee-deep in the book of James. For such a short book of the Bible it has some pretty heavy truths! Todays verses were from chapter 3, verses 13-18:<br />
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"<em>Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from Heaven, but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness!"</em><br />
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Whew! That was a lot to chew on the first time I read it through. It is basically dividing wisdom into two types: wisdom that comes directly from heaven (and by extension prayer, studying God's word, the counsel of others grounded in scripture) and the kind of wisdom that is self-serving or as James puts it....of the devil. (Wow! He doesn't hold back does he?)<br />
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Did anyone catch towards the beginning what should flow freely from <u>true</u> wisdom? Humility. Is that the first word that would come to mind when we think of what the world tells us wisdom looks like? <br />
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Looking up the word 'humble' in the dictionary, it says, "Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; <strong>not arrogant or prideful." </strong>Sometimes I make the mistake of thinking someone is wise just because they talk a lot........anyone else? Or I'll look at someone in our culture or on television and assume they're wise because of how they're dressed, what their title is, or even how old they are (just being honest:).<br />
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It's not a crime to be smart or to be an expert in a field, God has certainly blessed many with keen sensitivity and gifts in very specific areas, and some of us have trained in an area for years and gained a lifetime of experience that might well make us an expert. But y'all....if we as the Body of Christ are to count ourselves wise in the wisdom that is from heaven, look at the fruits that must naturally accompany such wisdom. I'm thinking about the wisdom in our relationships and our friendships, the wisdom in our counsel to others.......is the cost of our being 'right' sometimes the sacrifice of another's feelings? As Christians, do we sometimes disguise our selfish ambitions as a gift of discernment? (Yikes! So guilty there.)<br />
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James says (inspired by the Holy Spirit) that enough is enough! If you have selfish ambition in your heart zip your lips and quit boasting!<br />
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When I think of a handful of people in my life that I would call filled with true wisdom, it is no coincidence that these people's reputation for gentleness and meekness precedes them. They are the kind of people that I believe follow what James says earlier about being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. I have no doubt that people who are truly wise and filled with understanding have very deep prayer lives, crave time with the Lord in His book and daily die to themselves so that the Lord might be glorified through them. They are by no means perfect, but they do understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. <br />
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This reflection and study today was convicting to me as I can recall moments where my tongue has been too quick and unharnessed....and as a result has brought about the pain of regret afterwards. I want to desperately to be wise for my children so that I can be an instrument of God's instruction to them as they get older and I of course want wisdom to discern the lessons God puts before me daily. I pray that for every splinter of selfish ambition the Lord removes from my heart He will replace it with wisdom from His throne that seeks His kingdom first and that offers up a fountain of purity and meekness. It's an ongoing prayer:)<br />
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<em></em><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-86795936890618990212014-09-30T12:25:00.000-05:002014-09-30T12:25:47.740-05:00First Creation Rehearsal<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/CQ-M9QbWCZY?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0"></param>
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We had a lot of fun this past Saturday at our first Creation rehearsal! You can see our progress above.....and yes, I forgot to turn off messaging on my phone so we had a slight interruption:) <br />
Save the date for May 14th, 2015 when you can see this piece performed at Mattie Kelly!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-51835515315409810792014-09-13T20:24:00.001-05:002014-09-13T20:36:54.764-05:00Beth Moore Simulcast 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
What a blessed, blessed day! I have been looking forward to this day for weeks! Finally! </div>
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<strong>The Beth Moore simulcast!</strong> </div>
As my dear friend and I pulled up this morning to the church, coffee and Bibles in hand, watching all the women pour into the building, you could feel the anticipation.....we were excited, because we were here to get a word from the Lord!<br />
Now if you have ever studied the Word of God alongside Beth in one of her studies, or listened to her speak, you know this blessed woman is anointed and has a sweet, sweet passion for women:) It is with this deep passion that she speaks from the heart, directed by the Holy Spirit, offering great lessons that usually include very honest and even hilarious stories from her own life. And let me tell you something...there were times today she had us laughing so hard, the tears just rolling over our cheeks, I'm sure ladies heard my snorts a few rows back:) <br />
There is something so completely awesome about studying God's Word together as a large gathering of women. We were just made to be around each other! We were made to love on each other and lift each other up. We were made to share in each other's joy and be the shoulder for someone else to lean on. We get joy in being able to celebrate with one another and ya'll it's scriptural!! Our joy is made <u>complete</u> when we are SHARING our faith and our joys with one another!<br />
Beth walked us through many points today of being a female well. That is to say, walking in womanhood greatly (and it has nothing to do with make-up, attire, profession, or marital status!). She reminded us that in scripture, each time a woman encounters Jesus they are changed! Healed, transformed, forgiven, loved, restored, you name it. <u>There is not one kind or type of woman He rejects.</u> Not one. There is not one set of circumstances that He will refuse to walk through right there next to you and not one sin for which He will withhold His saving grace. Widows, sisters, poor, rich, old, young, single, married, cohabitating, divorced, disabled, depressed, lonely, damaged.......whatever the story, the woman is loved!<br />
We had some good reminders of what it means to be Christ-like in our friendships. She told us that in a survey she conducted earlier in the week, she had asked, "What are some things that have caused hurt among our Christian friendships with other women?" And don't you know the answers resonated: Comparison, competition....jealousy. How often are we so callous to one another out of the need to make ourselves feel better about ourselves? How often do we toot our own horn to one-up our girlfriend? I mean if insecurity had a smell, Lord help me get the reek out of my own self and wash me in Your grace! <br />
It's important to remember who we <em>are</em> in Christ, but also to remember who we are <em>not</em>. She gave us these beautiful words on the screen to write down, to memorize, to remember and to etch on our hearts:<br />
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"I am a woman of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ,</div>
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loved, pursued, and chosen, equipped with words of life, </div>
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clothed in strength and dignity, commissioned here and now</div>
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gifted by the Spirit, forgiven and unbound!"</div>
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Loved, pursued, and chosen.......if we allow Him, Jesus can rescue us from loneliness and bless us in a relationship like no other on this earth. Whether you realize it or not, He is pursuing you! Yes, you, the one reading this! Let His love wash over you and you will know a freedom like you have only imagined! Forgiven and unbound......no chains of sin can bind up what Christ himself has set free. And yes, we are commissioned. We have been called to a purpose. Not later at some point somewhere in the future when all the circumstances are right, but now, in this moment, He has a plan for you. Oh how I pray that I would always be ready not just to receive His word, but to<em> respond to it!</em></div>
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I know that for some, these words don't yet mean anything. It's so easy to dismiss them if you aren't currently walking with the Lord. There's too many of us conditioned by this world to miss the eternal perspective. Beth said something today that I so desperately want my children to understand: You can "know" all the right things.....perhaps even to the point of being saved, but honey, if you don't have a personal, real, relationship with God in His Word, if you aren't daily walking with Him....you will <em>miss</em> your destiny! Your <em>destiny!</em></div>
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It's so easy. If you ask Him to, Jesus can and will rescue you from sin to an eternal life spent with Him. If you have perhaps been searching for something missing.....maybe not even realizing what it was...just knowing that something about your life wasn't quite complete.....I pray that you would ask Him into your life today. </div>
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You don't have to do anything more than invite Him in and He will transform you into the person, the child of God, you were always intended to be! He loves you right where you are in this moment....so much so that rather than loose you, He chose death on a cross, willfully taking on the punishment that was rightfully ours, so that by believing in Him, you would live with Him forever!</div>
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So what does a woman of God look like? There is a beautiful poem you can read from the Living Proof Ministries blog<span style="color: magenta;"> </span><a href="http://blog.lproof.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">here.</span></a> (And I hope you'll scroll down too on that page and read her closing commission in bold!) And to my sisters that were there today too, I would love to hear what else was said that resonated with your hearts today! How awesome it is to walk with the Lord!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-66514862552780597412014-09-07T20:21:00.000-05:002014-09-07T20:21:06.928-05:00 Rehearsal Clips - 2013<div style="text-align: left;">
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So I'm sitting here with what may or may not be my third cup of hot tea for the day, making my lists for the week, diligently putting off the laundry that needs to be folded and writing down goals and deadlines for the year ahead with The Calling. We have once again been blessed with talented dancers with passionate hearts for Jesus and I can't wait to see how the Lord continues to allow us to spread His gospel through the art of dancing!</div>
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It's easy for me to fall into the trap of getting overwhelmed with the mountain of details it feels like lie ahead of us when we embark on a new production. So rather than getting lured away from the ministry's focus, I thought I'd spend some time in the Word. I've been studying the book of James and verses 22-25 go like this:</div>
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"But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For anyone who is a hearer of the word only and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror, goes away, and immediately forgets what it was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of freedom, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in all he does!"</div>
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And as I'm meditating on what that implies, I'm thinking, "Yes Lord, exactly!" Allow us in all we do not just within the ministry, but in our individual lives to be <em>doers</em> of the Word not just listeners. Let us train our eyes on You first and all these things shall follow. Let us trust in You Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding because You promise to direct our paths. Let us encourage each other and be quick to listen and slow to speak, bridling our tongues. And let us always be worshipping You and coming to You in prayer. </div>
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In our small group time earlier this week the question was raised, "What often keeps you from hearing Gods voice?" My answer came quickly......<em>my</em> voice:) When I really stop my worrying I can almost hear an audible voice saying, "Sweetheart, I got this." </div>
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Yes He does:) I really can't wait to experience what lies ahead, but as I drag myself up from this table and take one last caffeinated sip, I'll close this post with some clips from last season's rehearsals. </div>
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Dancers, you amaze us with your sweet spirits and your talent! You are EACH beautiful and as I put this video together, know that you each passed over my mind in a sisterly love:) What an awesome journey the Lord has allowed us to take together!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-72000647616109763162014-08-31T09:17:00.000-05:002014-08-31T09:17:53.915-05:00Glorious Ruins Rehearsal May 2014<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fbM7ZOcdgUo" width="480"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-37540476905326734482014-08-24T13:29:00.001-05:002014-10-02T15:41:26.492-05:00Designed to be TogetherSchool is back in swing and in another week we'll see our girls again in rehearsals! Oh how we have missed them:) Seasons of rest are always a blessing, but we love our girls so and keep them in prayer faithfully as they get ready for a new season of dance! And how blessed we are to have each other.....to pray for each other and encourage one another. To lift each other up, to celebrate with one another in good times, to offer authentic compassion for each other during trials, and also just to laugh together! And we share the common thread of a talent that we believe was given to us directly from the throne of heaven above...our dancing!<br />
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Our pastor spoke today on how important it is to be plugged in to the body of Christ and in community with one another. Is it enough to go to church each week and never invest in more personal relationships with one another? Do we go to church and then leave without speaking to anyone else? Surely we weren't meant to walk through this life alone. You see SO much happens when we spend time together in fellowship, be it small groups, Bible studies, Sunday schools classes, ministries, or just genuine friendships founded in the love of Christ.<br />
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The apostles demonstrate great examples of this in the book of Acts. In Acts 2:42 it says, "And they devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer." The first century Christians mentioned here experienced tremendous persecution. They were under an oppressive government and even their property was plundered for what they believed in. But don't we, living all these years later still go through incredible trials and suffering? Life happens whether we want it to our not and it happens to <u>all </u>of us. But we aren't meant to go through it alone.<br />
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The apostles studied God's Word together. Recently, my husband and I were going through a study on Nehemiah together and after we had completed our section for that day he said, "I could just spend all day doing this!" God's Word is very much alive and when we study it together we are blessed with insights and a source of living strength and wisdom that we so desperately need in this lifetime. Praise God! I could never experience too much of God's word in my heart!<br />
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The apostles broke bread together and they prayed together. Our pastor recently returned from a trip to Africa and he gave a very striking image for us to digest. He read a description of a certain type of African buffalo and how that animal bands together as a herd to defend its members from attacks by predators, usually lions. He described how there were documented cases of these buffalos not only defending themselves against lion attacks, but chasing their predators up trees and trapping them there for hours! Not exactly the typical buffalo-lion scenario I would normally picture. He even told us that entire herds will respond to the distressed cry of even <u>one</u> of its members being attacked by a lion, and that on more than one occasion a herd has rescued a calf from the very jaws of a predator! <br />
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As Christians we might think of it something like this: <br />
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"The Body of Christ is very protective of its members. When threatened by a predator, the Body of Christ will respond to the cry of one of its members in danger and has been known to chase down the predator trapping him for hours. When a Christian is in the throes of an attack, the Body of Christ will chase down the source of destruction and rescue their own from certain death. The Body of Christ is known for protecting their own and for standing together against the threats of predators."<br />
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Please tell me that speaks to someone else like it does to me! I know I can testify that in my own life, there have been MANY times where the faithful prayers of close friends in Christ have literally rescued me from the depths of despair and given me the strength to press on in faith or the grace to forgive or any other number of blessings. <br />
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And that is my prayer for our dance ministry and whoever else might read these words. We were meant to be in community with one another! My heart overflows in joy when I hear our girls praying for each other! I love the moments we have together reading God's Word and just sitting at His feet. I relish the thought that our enemy hears our prayers for our girls and we can gladly boast that the One who lives in our hearts is greater than he who lives in the world! <br />
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We all need trusted believers in our life to support us, to pray for us, to provide support when we need it, to share wisdom, and sometimes to lovingly<br />
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correct us. I pray that we can resist the temptation to withdraw from others when we are struggling and cling to those special life-giving friendships that the Lord provides us with for encouragement, wisdom, and strength. And if you don't currently have a group or a precious few friends you would trust with the deepest most honest prayers of your heart then pray.....ask the Lord to guide you to people that are worthy of that kind of trust and He will most certainly lead you to them. <br />
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And to all our girls, we love you, you are precious to us, and we can't wait to see you soon! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-20781423173932892912013-11-16T15:56:00.002-06:002013-11-16T15:58:34.161-06:00What I Know About My SaviorNormally this is a place for our dance ministry to post about upcoming events, share news about performances, and offer insight and encouragement to our dancers, and others, through devotions grounded in scripture. This past week has been filled with so many twists and turns, mountains that refuse to go away, and obstacles that make you want to give up, both for myself, our dancers, and others close to me, that I felt God leading me to stop and reflect on His promises.<br />
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They enemy would have you believe you're alone in your struggles, but here's what we know to be true from God's word:<br />
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1. Our Heavenly Father loves you right where you are. (Romans 5:8)<br />
His love is not conditional on you getting your "act together"; it's not a reward held out for good behavior or something that can be taken away from you if you make a wrong move. He loves you where you are, today! It's incredible! He is crazy about you! Yes, you! Inside and out. There's nothing you could do to make Him love you any more or any less. He delights in you. The God that created solar systems and every living creature is crazy about you!<br />
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2. Jesus has paid it all. (2 Corinthians 5:21)<br />
It is an amazing transformation when you put your trust into the Man that died on the cross to free you from sin. We are all so broken and lost in things we have done, guilt-ridden or love-depraved.......until we choose to surrender it all and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And then guess what? It's over! You are free! Free from the guilt that liked to creep back in every couple of weeks, free from judgement, free from condemnation, and free to experience the fullness of God's love! Jesus paid it all and our great God says He has removed your sin from you as far as the East is from the West. When you are in Christ you have been made new! So don't go back and dwell on the things that your Lord conquered. Continue to seek after Him in every part of your life and you will discover a freedom that nothing in this world can match.<br />
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And as a child of God, there are so many more promises made to you. Cling to them when doubt or fear come knocking.<br />
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3. The Lord is your strength. (So lean on Him! You don't have to do the fighting.)<br />
4. Nothing can separate you from His love. (Nothing! Period:)<br />
5. He works things out for the good of those that love Him.<br />
6. He delights in blessing you!<br />
7. He is the King of Kings! (So there is no problem too big for Him to handle.)<br />
8. He will never leave you or betray you.<br />
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So when times are rough, circumstances confusing, hope depleted, or you just don't know where to turn, stop and meditate on the promises of your Heavenly Father who loves you. Talk to Him and cast all your burdens and worries on Him through prayer. And as you spend more and more time in His presence you will start to recognize His voice more and more.<br />
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"In this world you will face tribulation, but take heart! For I have overcome the world!"<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-34209946135863919672013-11-06T11:56:00.000-06:002014-10-02T18:57:21.795-05:00A Life of Purity<h1 style="color: #d2d4db; font-family: Pacifico, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 300; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-shadow: rgb(169, 142, 95) 0px 1px 2px;">
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<pre style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
What does the word pure make you think of? Pure gold, pure honey, pure water, pure white snow...they have all maintained their original form without anything being added. Pure is defined as “free from anything that would contaminate.” This Scripture says that we are to live a life of purity. What do you think are some things that contaminate our lives from being pure? Our senses are on overdrive with all of the filth that we see and hear on an everyday basis. We are inundated with a culture that elevates sexuality (especially outside of a marriage relationship) as something that is public and common. Words are thrown around that are rude, hurtful and demeaning as comedic and common language.
So how do we remain pure when we are surrounded by filth? Sometimes it feels like you are wearing your favorite white clothes in the middle of a big mudslide trying to keep them unstained. 2 Timothy 2:22 says “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” We must actively pursue things that are holy in order to avoid being caught up in things that will pull us down. Sometimes that literally means fleeing, running from situations, people, or things that pull us down.
Often the impure things we crave leave us feeling empty and never really satisfy the need we have for relationship. They can become like idols (something that we put before God). Psalm 24:3-4 says “Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
”They are days that I feel like my heart has become corrupted by this world and I feel guilty and unclean. God does not leave us sitting in our filth! We have a God that loves us, that sent His Son Jesus to this earth to die on the cross and free us from our sins. Scripture says that His blood washes us white as snow! Maybe you feel like you got caught up in the mudslide. You are not left there! Jesus can redeem any situation!
He can take you out of the mud and wash off all the filth so you are sparkling white again. That is the beauty of grace; Nobody has gone too far that God cannot redeem their situation!So we must choose to walk in purity. Not because it’s a rule of being a Christian or because somebody told us to. We choose to because we love Jesus and don’t want anything to stand in the way of that relationship. What is one thing you would like to change in your life to live more pure? How can you begin to take steps toward that?
<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">“Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8</strong></span></pre>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-40982216577505370832013-10-10T12:43:00.003-05:002013-10-10T12:43:48.230-05:00Fields of Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had been preparing for this night for weeks and what an incredible event it turned out to be! Hosted at the arena of NWFSC, FCA and youth groups from all over the county showed up to pray for each other, their schools, their leaders, and families; to share their testimonies, and to worship their God.<br />
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Our dancers performed two pieces during the night, "You Won't Relent" and "Light Will Shine". So many people were generous in their encouragement at what it meant to really <u>see</u> worship happening through dance. Each piece was very different from the other; one reverent but passionate and the other an all out expression of joy, and we were so encouraged to hear over and over again that the visual imagery of worship through our dancing helped focus hearts on our amazing Creator and touched hearts with the message of His peace and love for us. <br />
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Several students shared their testimonies and I have to say, it moves your heart to see so many young people praying together in small groups for each other and those that haven't yet accepted Jesus as their Savior. We continue to pray that the youth in our community would be bold in living their lives for Christ so that by their example others might also find the freedom in surrendering it all to the One that freed us from sin. He is an awesome and faithful God! </div>
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And even after the lights were up and the crowds of students had dispersed.....our dancers kept right on dancing:)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-80218457219359441292013-09-30T11:29:00.000-05:002013-09-30T11:29:13.193-05:00<div>
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As our dancers prepare for our first full-length contemporary ballet, we've been using our devotional times to talk about different sections of our story and how they relate to God's word. One piece that will be particularly difficult is "Transcendence" in which our main character, after suffering a loss, turns away from God and tries to find comfort from the empty promises the world offers. And while our story ultimately finds our main character coming out of her tragedy with a personal relationship with Jesus, we took some time as a group to talk about what it is like when we turn to the wrong things in hope of finding peace.</div>
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Devotional:</div>
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Have you ever experienced something so difficult, so terrible, or so devastating, that you question your beliefs? It's not an easy thing to experience or sometimes admit, but many of us will go through tragedies in our lifetimes that shake us so badly that we struggle with where to turn for comfort and peace. In this part of our story, the main character (name TBD) has suffered the loss of her father and while her mother and sister are clinging to their faith in God to bring them through, our main character can not understand how a loving God could allow something so awful to happen. Rather than place her trust in the Lord to deliver her through her pain.....she decides to run from Him and turn to the world for relief. </div>
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When I think of what it is like to turn away from God it's not a pretty picture to say the least. But a few things in particular kept resurfacing over and over again as I prayed about how we can convey this part of our story through our dancing. The first is selfishness. Our culture tells us constantly that "we" are enough. You can do anything. You should have anything you want. You should pay attention to the way you look. You are all that you need to be happy. When we are constantly focused on ourselves and our own desires, how easy it is to lose sight of the bigger picture our Heavenly Father has planned for us. We become jealous, spiteful, and sometimes willing to do whatever it takes to be the "best" or "first". We lose our compassion and sympathy for others and as we become more obsessed with serving ourselves we ultimately fall prey to loneliness, depression, and anger. It is so tiring trying to keep up with everything this world tells you is necessary or important. It's exhausting to constantly be worrying about 'things'...and that's all they really are right? "Things". And when you think about it, how terrible would it be if the only worth we could have for ourselves is how we appear in others eyes, who are just as broken and lonely as us. </div>
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The Bible says in Matthew to "enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many."</div>
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In Transcendence, we will be conveying what it is like to live without trusting and following our Creator. It's a dark and scary place to find yourself, but our story comes to a wonderful ending. The Lord says that in Him we can find peace. "In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart for I have overcome the world!" And that is our great joy as Christians:) It's an incredible victory for us! When we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, who rescued us from our sin and the empty future this world offers, what an overwhelming relief to know that we can live our lives in confidence that our God is bigger than anything this world can throw at us. Even death.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-76765314336622608782013-09-26T13:47:00.000-05:002013-09-26T13:47:36.860-05:00Fields of Faith<div style="text-align: left;">
In just a few weeks our dancers are performing at NWFSC for a county-wide FCA event called Fields of Faith. This is going to be an amazing opportunity to get the youth of our area together to uplift each other, our schools, and our leaders in prayer. We are also praying that as some of the students share their own stories of coming to know Jesus, many will make the decision to put their faith in the One who paid it all for us on the cross. </div>
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The CALLING has been working hard on the two pieces we will be performing, but more than knowing the choreography, our prayer is that it will be the presence of the Lord and the joy we hope to convey through our movements that really touch the hearts of those there at NWFSC. How blessed we are that we get to DANCE for the Lord and share His message of hope and love!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-60026294650587440032013-08-07T12:11:00.004-05:002013-08-07T12:11:43.999-05:00Christian Artist Symposium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-91782518116157971032013-06-19T13:45:00.002-05:002013-06-19T13:45:23.252-05:00Thirty One Party Fundraiser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbbb1KjOrN1PD0B0nMFoXlZG6cKySN7PLN-93qY6YA3ZhduBFOLu7cLPGr6WqpuJEbZUf1J1VZgs3WdYK8OcyiR-tzzxAI6rmr7xawW7LX4OxhS3nzynSKsKT6iyMrFAUPMfOz-PyBjjp/s1600/The+Calling-Thirty+One+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbbb1KjOrN1PD0B0nMFoXlZG6cKySN7PLN-93qY6YA3ZhduBFOLu7cLPGr6WqpuJEbZUf1J1VZgs3WdYK8OcyiR-tzzxAI6rmr7xawW7LX4OxhS3nzynSKsKT6iyMrFAUPMfOz-PyBjjp/s320/The+Calling-Thirty+One+.jpeg" width="247" wya="true" /></a></div>
Please join us June 20th-29th for our Thirty One Fundraiser! By clicking on the link <a href="http://www.mythirtyone.com/stephaniemoon">www.mythirtyone.com/stephaniemoon</a> and selecting "My Parties" - "The Calling Dance Company, you can help support us by making a purchase. We are trying to raise funds for our non-profit status, but have also partnered with New Tribe Missionaries, Brett and Morgan Gordon, as they prepare for long-term missions in Papau New Guinea. <br />
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The CALLING Christian Dance Ministry is committed to using the powerful imagery of dance to spread the gospel of Christ in our community. We promote a healthy body image and use the gifts our Creator has given us in dance to glorify His name. <br />
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If you would like to participate as a dancer or sponsor please email us at <a href="mailto:thecallingdancecompany@gmail.com">thecallingdancecompany@gmail.com</a>. <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-53622712555382268602013-06-16T22:31:00.001-05:002013-06-16T22:31:28.348-05:00First Annual Concert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a night! We have covered this night in prayer since we started the preparations back in January and God's presence was all around! What an overwhelming response to what we hope is only the beginning of this new dance ministry. <br />
All of the components of worship came together in a way that only the Lord could have orchestrated. The music from our incredible band members brought such life to our dancing; our speaker's words prepared the audiences hearts to hear and receive truths about our Heavenly Father and infuse the dances with meaning that would otherwise have been overlooked; and our dancers moved with their hearts and let the love of the Creator shine through!<br />
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It was so moving to see how God could take a small seed of an idea and create such a concert of worship that only He could have brought about. That He would choose to use us as instruments of His worship to share His love and grace with others was so humbling. He can do more than we can ask or imagine and I am so excited to see where He continues to lead us in this journey to use the imagery of dance to glorify His name and bring more hearts to His kingdom!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-6678176773039519072013-06-11T11:40:00.000-05:002013-06-11T11:40:14.024-05:00A Dancer's Prayer<aside class="widget widget_text" id="text-2"></aside><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My Lord of this Dance, I willingly present to you my body, my soul, and my spirit. I submit them to the desire of the Holy Spirit. Glorify yourself within me, as I put away my own purposes and motives. Move within my body for your purpose. I pray you accept my dance offering to You and use it in your Will to heal, free, and bless others. In the Name of your Son, Jesus. Amen</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6950269100987774373.post-84613225796734379922013-06-07T21:50:00.000-05:002013-06-08T16:38:41.437-05:00One Week AwayWe are one week away from our show. We have received an overwhelming amount of support and enthusiasm from our community and as we get closer to the performance we are keeping so many things in prayer.<br />
We are praying for the continued safety and health of our dancers, praying for all the pieces and details we've worked so hard to put together to glorify God and His kingdom, praying for the hearts of the audience, and that we would be used to reach people for Christ.<br />
And now, what I have to remember, is just to surrender everything to the One that created each of us in His image, and trust that He will complete the good work He has started.<br />
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