It's all about appearance

We can put on the Makeup
We can wear the right Clothes
We can say all the right Things
We can have all the right Friends
We can have the perfect Job
We can have the House
We can have the Car
But at the end of the day, what's it all Worth
Does it mean anything at All
Isn't it all just Appearance
When we lay awake at night, will all that we have really Matter
If we end up all alone, will any of our stuff Count
Shouldn't we try to be Real
Shouldn't we try to live Truthfully
Sometimes it's easier to Pretend
But how is that helping You
Why wear a mask when you can be Free
Take a look Inside
See what you Find
Don't be scared to ask the Questions
Don't be afraid to look at Truth
Because at the end of the Day
When you look at it Truthfully
You will find a greater amount of Freedom
It's a Process
It can be Terrifying
But once we do, we won't be held down by those Things
We can be real with People
Besides, if we put away our Masks
It means we won't be Hypocrites
Instead, we will be real People
Yes, it won't happen Overnight
We will always find something we're holding onto that we need to let Go
But when we do let those things Go
We can walk in Truth
We can walk in Freedom
Just be honest with Yourself
It's a process but it's an awesome Process
It's a process of Truth
And it's a process God will honor and take you through with absolute Truth
There's no Shame
There's only Freedom
Step into it and all it's Awesomeness!

The Happiest Place on Earth

    You hear it long before you ever see it. You hear the music and you know you're coming closer. You see the booths advertising the tickets, you clutch yours tighter in your hand, proud of that piece of paper. You walk through the security bag checks, you're closer yet. You're just on the outskirts. You look down to your right and you see all the shops and restaurants to make you feel like you're in a real town but you haven't come for the downtown experience, you've come for what lies straight ahead. No need to get distracted by the bright colors on your left, that's for tomorrow's experience. The monorail that's overhead rolls right on by, the music crescendos. You leap into line.  It's a bit long but that's okay, you'll wait for hours if you had to. Finally, your time comes, you stick your ticket into the slot and you're through!
     The big Mickey Mouse head made of flowers in front of the Main Street Train Station makes you unconsciously break into the biggest grin. You can hear "When You Wish Upon a Star" playing. But you know, you're not quite there yet. Goofy may be off to the side posing for pictures already but that's not why you've come. You've come for more than just Goofy.
     So you continue to walk under the sign that says "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy." Your heart beats faster because through that arch is Main Street USA! You've arrived in the land of Disney. You've been transported back to the world of yesterday like only Disney can. Old school candy shops, old school theatres, you can almost imagine Walt Disney wandering down the streets. You see Alice and The Mad Hatter off to the side. You're really tempted to stop and take a picture but they aren't what you've come for either and you must not be distracted.
     So you continue on. You look to the right and wonder if Tomorrowland should be the first stop or maybe Frontierland. But you choose neither because right in front of you lies Sleepy Beauty's Castle and you know that through the bridge of the castle lies your true mission. So you wave to Walt Disney and Mickey as you pass. You look up at the castle and stare in wonder at it. It's more beautiful then you imagined. You'd love to get a single picture of you with the castle but find that there are too many other guests in your way. But it's okay because the castle really isn't what you've come for either.
    You walk through the castle and you're in Fantasyland. Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, King Arthur's Carousel, Snow White's Scary Adventure, and the Teacups await you. But there's one more. The real reason you've come to Fantasyland. It's time to fly. You've been anticipating this moment since you entered the park. It's time to go to on Peter Pan's Flight. Some people head to Splash Mountain, the Matterhorn, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain. Those are completely legit rides. They'll get busy fast. Best to be in line first. Those wonderful rides? They are big, they are flashy, they are awesome. But after you're done, your hair has been messed up, you may be a little wet, and you've simply had a thrill. Yes, it's been Disney-fied so they're amazing but they are loud, flashy, and get the attention as you hear people screaming all over the park.
    But sit in the pirate ship of Peter Pan's Flight and you get an experience that will take you through the rest of the day. It may be quieter than that of Splash Mountain, it's not as fast as Space Mountain, and it won't leave you breathless in the same way that Big Thunder will but you get a story. You fly over London, you join the Darling children as Peter takes them off to Neverland. You see what they must have seen and felt what they must have as they approached Neverland. You fight Captain Hook with Peter and as you return the children to their beds at the end of the ride; you've lived the story. You step off of the ride having thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. You look at the park with a sense of accomplishment and contentment. You conquered what you came for. You want to hop in line again but you realize that others are seeing that Peter Pan is where it's at. So you smile softly to yourself and with a bounce in your step, you begin to walk toward Big Thunder Mountain. You've gotten your quiet time, now it's time for the harder stuff. You take one more glance back to Peter and lift your hand in a wave. You know it's silly but you can't help it. Peter has prepared you for the rest of your day. It's a magical moment where dreams come true. He spoke quietly. He wasn't flashy but he was amazing. You didn't look for the thing with the quickest thrill but rather the endearing sense of peace and you found it. Amongst the busy, the chaotic, the screaming children, and the Disney music, you found what you were looking for. Sometimes you just have to search and sometimes you just have to take the time to listen where the voice is leading you.

    "And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a still small voice" 1 Kings 19:11-12
       
    

Just another cup of coffee

     Did you ever realize how a good cup of coffee can change someone's day? I'll admit there are mornings that a cup of tea just will not suffice. Sometimes the sleep is slow in wearing off. Sometimes it's been a late night and an early morning and a cup of java is needed. Most of the time, coffee just taste ridiculously good.
   This morning, instead of staying in the house for my cup of coffee, I meandered down to a coffee shop I hadn't tried before. It's a hard thing to try out a new place. It can be a bit scary. We like to stay in routine and with the familiar coffee and baristas. What if I got to a new place and their coffee isn't as good? What if it is just a bad experience with rude baristas and no seats available when you don't want take away? What if they are so pretentious I don't understand what's on their menu? All of these are perfectly normal fears but when we take a chance, sometimes you find lovely baristas, wonderful coffee, and latte art.
    In some ways, this experience with coffee can be very similar to our quiet times. I am a master at the routine. For me, there is a lot of comfort in keeping with a similar routine in the morning. I know I'm going to make my coffee or tea with two sugars and a dash of milk, make toast or grab cereal for breakfast, grab a seat on the couch and begin to read my Bible. I really look forward to that time. My mornings spent with God like that are great! They are awesome! But how often do those things just become routine? We read the same amount of chapters, we sit in the same spot, we pray for the same things, and we spend the same amount of time with him every morning. Now, none of these things are bad. God shows up in those moments, he speaks, he rebukes, he loves, and he brings his presence. But at the same time, doesn't that sometimes limit God? We aren't creative enough to listen to find out where he wants to meet with us. We aren't brave enough to ask him what he would want us to do differently.
     At times, he simply wants to change up the order of our quiet time. Maybe we aren't supposed to read all the chapters we were intending to or maybe we are just supposed to have a prayer time. If that's what he's saying, then do it! But God has been challenging me to not make that time stagnant. Yes, he can speak to me if I do the same thing every day but he also challenges me to step out in faith and let him speak in different ways. This way, I give him room to move. God is a God of creativity and he speaks to us each individually in a myriad of ways and I love that! I'm so thankful that how he speaks to me is vastly different then how he speaks to my best friend or my roommate or my mother. He knows what we need, when we need it.
     But just like a good cup of coffee, sometimes we need change. Sometimes we need to try out something new, take a leap of faith. I took a leap of faith with a new coffee shop and I found lovely coffee and wonderful baristas. My Bible and notebook had come with me and as I sat there people watching, God showed up with words of truth, discipline, and hope. Could I have found that on the couch in the morning? Possibly. But I didn't. I found it in the early afternoon in a busy café, surrounded by people minding their own business taking a break from their days with a cup of coffee. But God's presence filled that place. He changed the atmosphere because he was there with me. How amazingly cool is that?! Thank the Lord that he is everywhere. Thank the Lord that he moves and he meets us wherever. He meets us in the rain, in the sun. He meets us on the street, in a park, in our house, in our rooms. He speaks through nature and through people. We just have to take the time to listen and perhaps change our structures a bit as well.
     So . . . feel like trying a new cup of coffee tomorrow? Perhaps you'll learn something you never thought you would.

And let Thankfulness reign

I wake up each morning still in awe of what I see

Outside my window is loads of houses all smushed together

I walk down the street and see cars on the left side of the road

A little further and I see the Tube Station

A red bus goes by

A little girl skips by in a school uniform

I see a Caffé Nero

I see a corner shop

I stop in amazement and realize I am not in Washington anymore

A car drives by; perhaps it’s Ian McKellan again

A moment passes

A posh British person rides by on a bike.

I really am not in Washington anymore

A thought that still stops me in my tracks

God has blessed me with amazing friends

God has blessed me with an amazing family

God has blessed me an amazing opportunity

I get to be in London

I get to live in London

I get to experience art in London

God shows up in London

God shows up in my quiet time

God shows up in every moment

He says come and hang out

He says be with me

He says enjoy

I am so thankful

I am so blessed

I am in amazement

Let not a moment go by

Let me not forget

Let me always remember

God promises to take care of me

God promises good gifts

God promises to always be near

I claim those promises

I claim those words that won’t return void

I claim that God is more than enough

He loves me

He calls me

He woos me

God invites us in

God asks us to approach

God surrounds us with his love

Let him.

Let him be enough

Let thankfulness pour forth

Above all else, let joy be over everything

Above all else, seek God

Above all else, praise him for he is good

Even in moments that seem too hard.

Even in moments when the rain is falling

Even in moments when the good seems so far away

For God is good

For God is real

For God is God

He knows what’s best

He knows the plans

He knows our desires

Let him walk with you

Let him lead you

Let him bless you in ways that only he knows how

Always be amazed

Always walk expectantly

Always have the faith of a child

Blessed be the Lord God Almighty!

Psalm 84:11-12; For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Along the Path

 

Charlotte, 12, is standing on the stage alone. The spotlight hits her as she begins.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

Alice fell down the rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland. Dorothy got swept away in a tornado and ended up in Oz. Wendy learned how to fly and headed second star to the right and straight on to morning. Belle ended up in a castle of live inanimate objects, and Lucy found Narnia. And me? Well, I’ve remained stupidly stuck in this world. I’ve always dreamed of finding a new world, exploring new places, and seeing the unreal and the unexplored much like the stories I’ve read. It would be silly, I know, to assume that these things do happen in real life. After all, they were stories made up, authors with big imaginations who came up with all these things. But for oh so long, there has been something stirring in me. I just want an adventure. I want to happen along a path and suddenly that brings me to a brand new world. I mean, why not really? Why not unleash what’s in my head upon the world. No, I don’t mean I’m going to go outside in my garden and pretend there are gnomes, elves, and fairies. I mean, really, properly finding a new place to explore and finding a new world that’s all mine. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to wear my cutest blue and white striped dress, pack my bag with all the essentials, and find a new world.   

 

Her brother, James, 15, steps out onto the stage. Spotlight on him as Charlotte begins to gather her things.

                                                                                JAMES

My sister is loads of crazy. Dreaming about other worlds, wishing she could fly, never really living in the moment. In fact, she’s packing her bag in search of a new world. No, literally a new world. She thinks if she steps outside the walls of our home, she will discover what no person on earth really has; a new place to adventure. I say she is all kinds of crazy. She says I’m Edmund from the Narnia books. And maybe I am. But as her older brother, I must keep her feet firmly planted. Otherwise, what is she going to do? She’s going to end up a crazy cat woman for the rest of her life doing nothing but thinking she really is in Narnia. I have to somehow figure out how to stop her, how to convince her that her trek outside the house to find a new world is preposterous. But in order to do that, I’m going to have to go with her. I hate my life.

James grabs his bag off the floor as the two meet in the center stage.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

What are you doing?

 

                                                                                JAMES

Coming with you.

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

Not a chance. There’s no way I’m finding anything cool if you’re with me.

 

                                                                                JAMES

Never know. Maybe I’ll be the key to you finding the portal to Middle Earth.

 

James and Charlotte stare at each other. Charlotte pondering.

                          Pause.
                          Charlotte lets out a long exasperated sigh.

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

Fine. Let’s get on with it then.

 

They both begin to walk. James freezes. Charlotte turns to the audience.

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

My brother is the most unbelieving unbeliever there ever was. He doesn’t read fantasy books, he reads biographies and historical accounts. The boring stuff. But I knew why he was going to try to help me. He was determined to prove me wrong. So determined that he was going to join me. I knew what I was going to find. It was going to be incredible. I mean, Narnia and Wonderland incredible. But hopefully without all the scary bits.

 

Charlotte freezes as James steps forward.

 

                                                                                JAMES

We stepped out of the front door and immediately, Charlotte took a deep breath and got the goofiest smile on her face and I knew I was in for it. She was ready to ruin my life. She was ready to pull me into a world that didn’t exist in reality but only existed within her imagination. We began to walk down the sidewalk. Charlotte kept looking in every direction, looking for something that might lead her to a new world. I wanted to roll my eyes into the back of my head.

 

Charlotte unfreezes.

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

I still don’t understand why you’re going. You don’t even know what we’re looking for.
 

                                                                                JAMES

And you do?
 

Charlotte looks straight ahead.

                          Pause.
                          Charlotte breaks into a smile and points.

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

There!

She runs to the edge of the stage. James saunters after her.

 

                                                                                JAMES

So? It’s a path with a gate in front.
 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

It’s a dirt path with trees and flowers lining it. The best new worlds are found when we follow the path.

                                                                               

            JAMES

It’s gated and locked.
 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

There’s even someone’s glasses hanging on the fence. They must have been transported from this very spot. The glasses are hanging from the inside. James, this is it! If only I could get to the other side.
 

                                                                                JAMES

                                                                                (frustrated)
IT’S GATED AND LOCKED!

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

The unbelief in you is almost unbelievable.

 

James rolls his eyes as he freezes.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

It was a beautiful path and I knew it lead to somewhere. Someone had walked this path before me and had left a sign for me to follow. My brother just didn’t understand. So I tried to find a way in. I tried to climb up the fence, I was too short. I tried to squeeze my hand through, my hand was too fat. I tried to bend the bars, but I wasn’t strong enough. I even put on the blue glasses that had been left hanging there to see if that would have some magical powers. They didn’t. I prayed, I begged, I sang a song, I danced, I stared, I jumped, I did everything I could think of. I put my biscuits through the holes in the fence, hoping that maybe the person with the key would appear and accept my offering. But nothing. As I did everything strange, James just stood there. Finally, I could think of nothing else to do, so I sat down in front of the path and starred.

 

                                Charlotte sits down and freezes. James unfreezes and begins to talk.

                                                                                JAMES

Yep, everything insane one could think of, she did. It was so embarrassing. All I wanted to do was hide. Instead, I leaned up against the fence amused. She chanted, she waved, she offered food. Ridiculousness. I was thankful when she finally stopped. The thing was, she didn’t get it. She didn’t understand that she wasn’t going to be able to get through unless she had a key. If she had a key, she could simply walk through the doors. But there was no one with the key around. She wasn’t supposed to head down that path. The path wasn’t for her. It was for someone else.

 

                                James sits down next to her.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

I can’t get through.
 

                                                                                JAMES

Duh.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

Why not? I should be able to. People should not keep paths locked like this.
 

                                                                                JAMES
Maybe at the end is someone’s house and they don’t want kids going into their yards. Maybe it’s a crazy old woman who wants to eat us. Whatever it is, there is a good reason why this is locked.

 

                                Charlotte sulks.

                                Pause.
                               An older gentleman, Mr. Nottingham, walks by.

                                                                                MR. NOTTINGHAM

Good morning, James and Charlotte. Trying to get onto the path?

                                Charlotte looks up but doesn’t say anything.

                                Mr. Nottingham sits next to the kids.

                                                                               

                                                                                MR. NOTTINGHAM

The thing is, Charlotte, despite your belief in the world you want and the world you think you’re searching for, the world you’re actually looking for is here in the real world. You want adventure, you want excitement but I can tell you it’s not through this gate.
 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

How do you know?
 

                                                                                MR. NOTTINGHAM

Because I know the man who has the key to this gate. That man lives at the end of the path. Yes, he has a beautiful house but it doesn’t lead to an unexplored world, it leads to a very real house in our very real world. The gate is locked to protect him and protect you from happening on it when you’re not supposed to.
 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

But what’s up with the glasses? Someone’s gone through already.
 

                                                                                MR. NOTTINGHAM

People do go in. But only when they’re invited. One day, you’ll be invited, I’m sure. You’ll get the key, the gate will open and you will go through it. But only when you’re ready. Only when everything else has lined up in your life, when your time to go is here, then you can enter. If you enter before your time, it won’t be as it needs to. There are still things you need to do and you still need to grow up some first.
 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

So when I’m a grown up, I can go? Does that mean you can go?
 

                                                                                MR. NOTTINGHAM

I step in to get instruction from the man in the house but then I am sent out again. I stand guard of the gate to make sure that people know what they are getting themselves in to when they enter in through the gate. One day, Charlotte both you and your brother will step through. But I suggest waiting until you’ve been invited.
 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

But how will I know I’ve been invited?
 

                                                                                MR. NOTTINGHAM

You’ll know. I promise.

 

Mr. Nottingham ruffles their hair before he walks off. Charlotte turns to James, confused.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

I don’t get it.
 

                                                                                JAMES
Mom says Mr. Nottingham has always been a bit strange.

 

                                Pause.

                                                                                JAMES

Go home?

 

Charlotte nods and stands up. She freezes as James exits. Another actress walks onto the stage, Charlotte at the age of 50.

 

                                                                                CHARLOTTE

I didn’t understand most of what Mr. Nottingham told us except for the part that I couldn’t go in. But when I got older, I started to understand. There are certain paths in life that we do have to wait for. There is such a thing called timing. With the right timing, we end up where we need to be and when and we’re much happier for it. But when we step outside of the destiny of timing, things aren’t what they need to be. So I’ve stayed in the timing. Both James and I moved on. I realized I could write my own fantasy worlds and I was perfectly content with living in the real world but writing in my imagination. My brother became a scientist, intensely practical. Every summer we’d come back to the gate. It was always locked, and always had a new article of clothing hanging on the fence. Mr. Nottingham showed up a few times looking just as he always had. One day, when James and I were very old, we returned. To our surprise, James’ favorite scarf was on the gate. For the first time, we really understood. James received his invitation. We embraced and said our final goodbyes as Mr. Nottingham offered James the key and the two walked down the path together. I never saw my brother after that. But I finally understood. I walked many paths in my life. Some of them opened right away and some were closed until the right timing. But there are certain gates that will stay shut and only when we really are ready, not in our timing but in God’s, will they open. Had I rushed it when I was 12, the results would have been devastating. Instead, we stay on the path we’ve been given. One day, we’ll be invited through a new gate into the glorious light of a paradise and new world beyond our wildest dreams. Until then, we must keep walking and keep enjoying the life we’ve been given.                             

 

                                Lights down.

 

 

 

 

 

To write upon the stars

     A notorious daydreamer, head in the clouds, feet flying above the earth, wondering just how long it would take to reach the stars. Imagination overwhelmed, imagination stretched, desiring the visions and words to splatter across the pages of the world. To allow the declaration to take hold, take force, and ripple across the world. May the stars hear the words, may the heavens open and may the words infuse into everything.
    God spoke and the earth was created. God gave the command and at the moment, the ultimate creator, the ultimate imagineer, the ultimate genius unleashed his vision. He created the heavens and the earth, he created the sea and the land. He created the plants and the animals. He created us. He's given us minds, he's given us dreams, he's given us words to express. His creativity he bequeathed to us.
     Yet the world has spoiled that creative spirit. They worship the things created and not God. Their eyes are fixed on perishable things. They've created idols out of the works of their hands forgetting the giver of the gifts. Beautiful art, dance, theatre, and words have been created. Beautiful and deathly works are infused into society. The notorious daydreamer cannot find meaning anymore. The girl with her head in the clouds wishes she could stay there because reality is too harsh. The one who flies finds himself sinking. The boy who wishes to reach the stars realizes the stars are just burning gas. Imagination becomes underwhelmed, imagination shrinks and instead of splattering words of life and hope, words of loss and grief are declared over the world.
     But God is ever before us. God is the true God, the living God, the everlasting King. He stands over all things and beckons us to come to him and create with him. He wants to redeem those desires lost, those things corrupted, those dreams unrealized. For "when he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth." He speaks truth and truth sweeps the world. He declares redemption and creativity over us. We just have to look toward him.
     We create out of desperation, God asks us to create out of overflow. We create out of grief, God asks us to create out of joy. We create out of loneliness, God asks us to create out of fellowship. Perhaps the position of the artist is lonely. We live in a place inside our minds where our creativity lies but God asks to be invited into that place so he may transform those moments into moments of worship.
      Let the light of God go forth. Let God take those passions and desires, the words declared, the imagination unleashed, and the worlds to be explored. "I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps."
     Put our feet on the ground, walk with God, and get caught up in his creative vision. He is the ultimate creator. Let us stop worshipping the works we've created. Rather, let us worship the creator, the way he's gifted and create with him. Let us dance the dance, sing the song, write the story, and paint the picture God asks us. Let us dispel the holds of artists and see God's face. From the joy we experience, let truth arise. Let us not be afraid of what the world shows us but rather go forth in confidence in the Lord that he will protect his words and his truth he gives us to proclaim. He will protect us. 
     Beauty is seen all around us. Creativity spills over into creation. Imagination exists everywhere we turn. Join in with the dance, with the song, with the picture. Never shall we be disappointed when we join in with God's heart. Always he will speak, always he will show up, and always it will be greater than anything we could have done on our own.

Inspired by Jeremiah 10


---We know words have power, God spoke and it happened. So we write upon the stars the word of life, the outpouring of God's heart, the love he freely gives. It may not always say God's name is every sentence but may every word be from the heart of God of what he's giving us to say. When we write, the focus is to be heavenward. Without him, we truly are nothing.