52 Scriptures in 52 Weeks

Week #6 Ephesians 6:4 "God: My Dear Old Dad"

2012-02-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the LORD."

Okay....if you take this verse in its most literal sense, we women (and any non-parents) would be tempted to say, "Well....I'm not a father, so this verse doesn't apply to me. I'll just read it to my husband and tell him to apply it to his life!"

Yes, you can say that. But, truth be told, we'd all be missing out on one of God's gems of truth.

So why should a non-father (much less a non-parent) listen to this verse and discover its application to our lives? What does Eph. 6:4 have to say to us non-dads?

Well, I can honestly say, that since becoming a mom in 1987, I have learned in greater depth and understanding, just how God loves and cares for us as a parent. I have been learning (and continue to learn) what it means to BE loved by my Heavenly Father, and how I am to feel and respond in return.

As we all know, God never gives a command or word of encouragement that is not consistent with His character and being. God gives instruction to fathers primarily because He Himself is a father. Moreover, He gives instruction that reflects His parenting style.

Parenting style? God has a parenting style? You bet.

In studying what the field of developmental psychology says about styles of parenting, I found that there are 4 basic types.*

1. Authoritarian parenting. This is when children are expected to follow a strict set of rules laid down by their parents. Failure to comply results in punishment. Orders must be followed without question or explanation.

2. Authoritative. Rules and expectations must still be followed by the children, but this kind of parent allows and encourages dialogue and questions with their offspring. When children fail to obey, although they are still corrected, they are met with more grace and forgiveness, rather than just punishing.

3. Permissive. Here, leniency is key. Few demands are made, children are allowed considerable self-regulation and parents avoid confrontation.

4. Uninvolved parenting. While basic physical needs of the children may be met, these parents are generally detached from their children's lives.

Even without much discussion, it is easy to see where I'm going with this. God is too often seen by others as being either the first, third or fourth style of Father, or perhaps a combination of them. Those with very strict, rule-oriented backgrounds will fear that God is parent #1. Those who believe that "God loves us and wants us to be happy, so I'm allowed to do what I want" worships God as parent #3. Still others see God as the uninvolved parent #4, who cares little for the day-to-day worries of lowly mankind. He's too busy running the universe...or something like that.

Happily, I have known God as parent #2. Yes, the Word of God makes clear to us what God considers a righteous life. He encourages us and instructs us in living a life pleasing to Him. But doesn't He also allow His children to question Him, to discuss our concerns and worries with Him? Isn't our failure to be perfect usually met with grace, forgiveness and the assurance of His continued love?

The fathers mentioned in Eph. 6 are said to be exasperating. Their children are tired, discouraged and always failing to meet unreasonable expectations. Their sense of self-worth is low and are probably at a high risk of leaving the family.

Oh man....does this sound familiar?

This hits me right in my heart.

First of all, how have I been viewing God? Am I obedience-oriented to the point that I feel like a failure every time I am confronted with my own imperfection? Do I beat myself up every time I let an opportunity to share God's love pass by because I was too busy or too self-involved, for instance? Do I fear God will not forgive me because I did [fill in the blank of whatever moral imperfection you have]? Do I, deep down inside, find it hard to really believe that God has forgiven my sins? Do I expect punishment rather than grace? Admit it, we all have had moments like this. Some of us more than others.

And secondly, how do I view and interact with others? Do I, in my own way, exasperate others with an endless list of expectations? Do I remind them, usually quite indirectly of course, of the times they failed to do the best thing possible? Do I extend grace or mete out "punishment" when my fellow Christians (and yes, non-Christians!) hurt me or display behaviors that seem ungodly? Ouch.

Yes, God told earthly fathers not be exasperating fathers because He is not one Himself. God is authoritative without being authoritarian. There isn't anything He won't do for our well-being. He even went so far as to send His Son to die on the cross for us. He could have punished us all, but He isn't that sort of Dad.

Oh, and according to the same source on developmental psychology, children of parent#2 tend to be happy, capable and successful.* Isn't that what God intends for His children as well?

Wow...with such a wonderful Father, we have reason to rejoice. We have every reason to feel loved and encouraged. Every day is Father's Day.

*http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style.htm

Week#5 Acts 5: 38-39 "Can't Stop Me Now!"

2012-02-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

For many Christians, the name Gamaliel may not be familiar. He is mentioned twice in the Book of Acts. Acts 22:3 tells us that he was the Apostle Paul's teacher. In this passage in Acts 5, Gamaliel is the voice of reason.

Acts 5 recounts a story when the Pharisees and Sadducees sought to silence the Apostles as they taught in Jesus' name. Throwing the Apostles in prison didn't work. An angel of the LORD opened the prison doors and freed them. Commanding their silence did no good, either. Peter and the Apostles refused by saying their obedience was primarily to God, and not man.

So, the Pharisees met and plotted to have them all killed. Under natural circumstances, they probably would have succeeded.

But they didn't.....thanks to the words and reason of Gamaliel.

Gamaliel recounted a couple of instances when a persuasive leader had gathered many followers toward his philosophy. But once that leader died, his devotees scattered, no longer adhering to their late leaders' teachings.

If these followers of Jesus are like that, then their philosophy or religion will die with Him in good time. But, if this is genuine, then you don't want to find yourselves fighting God.

And considering this "religion" of Jesus has continued for over 2000 years, I'd say the Pharisees were correct in listening to Gamaliel. The Apostles of the early church certainly demonstrated that their faith, and their Messiah, were the real thing.

I have yet to be threatened with death for being a follower of Christ. In our country, where we enjoy freedom of religion, Christianity is certainly not a risk factor for death or imprisonment. But I do feel like I am being silenced at times. No, the pressure to remain a silent and inconspicuous disciple of Jesus is not legal or physical. I believe it is much more subtle.

No stones have ever been hurled at me. But, there are times I hurl those stones at myself...those stones of fear and shame. I talk myself out of speaking the truth, because I'm taught it's bad to offend anyone. I talk myself out of doing the right thing, because it seems to hard, or too inconvenient.

And yes, I could probably even talk myself out of believing, because sometimes God seems silent and absent.

But, thank God, He and His work cannot be stopped. God's purposes will go on, not because I am so brave, loving, committed or heart strong. It will go on because God is God. He will triumph, not because of me, but (usually) in spite of me.

As Gamaliel reminded the Pharisees, if someone's work is not of God, it will ultimately fail. But if it IS of God, no man can stop it. I too often feel like a failure. I have never done anything "great." My speeches would not fill a large arena, prompting hundreds of folks to race down the aisle to declare their faith in Christ.

I've built no orphanages, published no best-selling books on the Christian life, nor founded my own world-wide ministry to feed the poor or heal the sick.

But, I am called by God to serve Him nonetheless. My sphere of influence is small. I am not well-known in my community or even in my modest-sized church. But I still have a job to do for His kingdom. It might be cleaning up the mess someone left on the floor at the church, it might be spending a little time with a child in need of love and understanding...or it might be silently praying for that friend or stranger who suddenly finds herself out of work.

I fear failure....but more than that, I fear being insignificant. Gamaliel's words in Acts 5 reminds me that, whatever work I am doing in Jesus' name, if this is what He has asked me to do, I cannot be stopped. If someone tries, then he is fighting against God. It doesn't matter if God calls me to preach to millions, or to silently help one individual. If I am doing God's unstoppable work, that is my defense, that is my proof that God is real and that is where my significance lies.

I thank God for calling me to His work, however humble it may be. In God's workforce, size does NOT matter. What matters is what is in your heart, and how close to God's heart it is. The work will follow.

Week #4 Matthew 6:5-6 "Shhhhh! It's a Secret!"

2012-01-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

There are two very personal reasons why I hate the word "hypocrite."

One reason is because I am an actor. Yes, I like to get on stage and perform a role in a play. But, the church has had a long and mostly unfriendly relationship with theatre, for multiple reasons I will not get into.

And the only time I really hear about theatre and actors is when the pastor is preaching about hypocrisy. You see, the word "hypocrite" comes from the Greek word hypokrisis, which means "play-acting." In ancient Greek theatre, actors on stage often wore masks to portray the characters in the story. Hypocrites are those who pretend, or put on a mask, as one type of person, but in reality, are really another type of person altogether.

I know some in the church have viewed my theatrical endeavors with mild suspicion. Arts and the Christian life seem to be limited to worship music, in some peoples' eyes. I know not everyone will be a theatre fan. It just hurts that the only mention of theatre in church is when they equate us to hypocrites.

The second reason I hate this word is because I am a Christian. "Hypocrite" is a word-bomb that gets thrown at us believers by those outside the church. It is the common insult (and excuse) used to justify why some non-believers refuse to go to church or why they dismiss the church and its members.

I once heard a pastor tell me that when he invites people to church, they often say, "I don't want to go to church. The church is full of hypocrites." Then he'd say, "Well, then....you'll fit right in!"

Okay...I'll be the first to say that, yes, there ARE hypocrites in the church. I have also met many hypocrites outside the church. We Christians have no monopoly on hypocrisy.

But that doesn't excuse any of us, believer and non-believer alike, from walking our walk and talking our talk. Hypocrisy is something we all need to get over.

Matthew 6 tells us that God, too, disapproves of hypocrisy. Play-acting the life of a holy and righteous person who has a dirty, secret life within is exactly why our critics are calling us to the carpet. Our secret life within (as Matthew says, behind closed doors) is what God calls genuine. When the secret life is pleasing to God, this is what He rewards. Our secret life is what is in our hearts, in our deepest thoughts and desires.

God knows what's in a person's heart, even though the rest of the world may not. As this verse shows, not everything in our hearts is portrayed by our actions. Just last evening, I had the opportunity to watch a play. The play was a "comedy" based on the question, what would happen if several deities from various religions got together and planned the apocalypse?

I heard the words, some bordering on blasphemous, being delivered by the actors (yes! the hypocrites!!). A couple of the actors I knew personally. One was a believer, the other was not.

I doubt that either actor personally believed what their characters were saying. But when the Christian actor had to deliver offensive dialogue, I prayed silently. But God assured me, "It's only a role on stage....Don't worry, I know what is in his heart."

And that's what God looks at, the heart. Yes, our actions should flow out of what is in our hearts. But this is where it begins. That way, there will be no disconnect between our hearts and our actions. When people meet us, they'll get the genuine deal.

Am I giving God my genuine self? He is the maker and healer of my imperfect and wounded heart. I have to begin there. When God gets the real me, then He can work on that hard heart of mine. And the whole world doesn't need to see that heart work. Matthew reminds us that it is done in secret.

I pray that when His work continues in me, my actions will naturally follow suit. Oh but wait, that heart work is secret. I wasn't supposed to tell you about that.....

Week #3 Genesis 1:3 "Lights, (no) Camera, Action!"

2012-01-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

"And God said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light."

When mankind seeks to understand something that can't be explained, he develops a theory. To be fair, these theories are based on scientific observation and extensive data collection. But, even when the data still leaves science somewhat in the dark, a theory is born. Thus, Hubble's Big Bang Theory sought to explain just how our universe was created. Darwin's Theory of Evolution seeks to explain the origins of life and man.

Now, I am not necessarily taking sides on this debate, I am just trying to make a point: that man has always wanted to search the unsearchable and know the unknowable. This is what man is about. We are the species that asks "how" and "why" rather than just marvel at the fact that something "is."

And yes, I do know that there are varying interpretations of the Genesis account of creation. Some see it literally, and others see the account more poetically. Still others consider it just a myth, a primitive attempt to explain the inexplicable.

I have not decided just where on that theological continuum I sit (hint: I do NOT subscribe to the myth school of thought). But I do know this: the first words on record uttered from God's mouth is "Let there be light."

Whether you believe this to be a literal truth or a poetic expression of the truth, it is no mistake that God began His creative work by proclaiming light into existence.

The word "light" has many meanings for us. Here are a few that help me.

First, "Light" means understanding.

Without light, God's creative genius would have been expressed in the dark. Okay...so He's God. Can't God see in the dark? Well...yes, He can.

But, the Bible tells us that God IS light. John 1:4 says that (referring to Jesus) "In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."

God wants us to know that we need never be lost in the dark. He is our light, He is our illumination when we seek answers. The scientists Hubble and Darwin sought answers. With God's illumination and understanding, we too can seek and find answers.

Secondly, "light" refers to holiness. A life lived in God's light is one that seeks righteousness and godliness. A life lived in darkness is separated from God, and is lived for sinful desires and self-righteousness.

It's no mistake that evil is often called "the dark side." When Jesus told us He is "the light of the world," He was telling us that He is the way to righteousness. John 1:5 tells us that, "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

And lastly, "light" reminds me that I can see. Literally, see. My cat is pretty good at seeing in the dark, but I fail woefully at that. I need light in order to see where I am and what obstacles might be in my path.

God's light gives me vision. Yes, the literal, biological vision so I can navigate through this world. And it also provides my spiritual vision. I can see God and know God in this world. I may not see God in the way Moses was able to, but I can see Him through His creation, His people, His Word and in my heart of hearts.

This was God's first act of creation. It was a work of genius. Light, needed to see, understand and overcome evil, was the first gift God gave to mankind....even before mankind ever existed.

Imagine that. Even before we were born, God was already giving us a precious gift. And that was just the beginning....

Week #2 James 1:12 "Blessed Are the Rich?"

2012-01-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

Today, in Tacoma, we have snow. By our standards, lots of it. In a region that sees little snow, we don't really have the snow and ice removal systems in place, unlike the Midwest or parts of the East coast.

So, snow becomes our "trial." Our neighborhoods are impassible. A car belonging to a home two doors away only made it one block from home before a tow truck had to assist it back to its driveway.

Randy and I put on our winter gear, carried our backpacks and hiked to the market so we had something to cook for dinner. I fell once during the trip. Luckily, no injuries.

The rest of the day was spent cooped up at home. Boredom set in. Restlessness ensued.

I know what you're thinking. The "trials" of today were NOT what James had in mind as he wrote the opening verses of this epistle. The First Century believers endured persecution and suffering for the sake of their faith in Christ. We who are sheltered and privileged usually know nothing of perseverance under such trials.

James 1:12 tells us that those who persevere when tested will receive the crown of life. What a wonderful promise. But, for those like me who live a rather cushy life, how am I to receive any crown of life? Am I even eligible?

This is what I have pondered, not just today, but for many years. What does perseverance in middle class and upper middle class America look like?

Have you ever heard the term, "affluenza?" It's that "virus" that can infect those of us who are rich by the world's standards. We have whatever material things we need, and much of what we really don't need. Meeting our needs doesn't seem to depend on God's provision, but our own ability to gather wealth.

We've never known hunger or any real persecution. Life for us, and for our non-believing neighbors, is a piece of cake. So, if we are pretty much able to meet our own needs, why would most of us need God?

By God's grace, I have yet to suffer greatly for His gospel. But, I feel I have been tested in my faith. One of my tests is, despite what my eyes see, to keep on believing, and to urge others to do the same.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we don't see. What do my eyes see? My cushy bank account. Lots of clothes in my closet. A roof over my head, a dependable car to drive and plenty of food in the cupboard.

What do I not see? I don't "see" the Hand that provides all this to me. I don't "see" the grace that freely gives me the comforts of life that I have not earned. I don't "see" the One who is the invisible source of my life and well being.

I am protected. I am loved. I am forgiven of all my sins, past, present and future. This, I cannot "see," but will acknowledge. For this reason, I seek to serve Him and proclaim Him to a world that also cannot see Him.

It is a natural tendency to only acknowledge God when we are in trouble or pain. My test of faith is to acknowledge Him when I am comfortable.

What is my other test of faith? It is to let go of some of that comfort and share it with others....share my time, my money and my love with those who need it. I admit, I can be as selfish as anyone. And it is easy to develop a sense of entitlement to my "wealth."

But God challenges me to give as He directs me. And He has blessed me with more opportunities than ever before. And with each opportunity, it brings me great joy.

Okay, so maybe that can't compare with those saints who suffer for the gospel. But, each of us has been put where God wants us to serve in our own unique way. For today, this is how I have been asked to serve.

For tomorrow, who knows?

Week #1 Proverbs 31:30 "You Look Maaah-velous!"

2012-01-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Ah.....New Year's resolutions. I've made them, so have you. This year, 2012, Randy and I have made one together: to go on a "healthy" diet, exercise more, and lose some weight.

Heard that one before? Yes, so have I. Only this time, I am the one making the resolution.

So....do I need to lost weight for my health? Maybe....but I have to admit, for a person my age, I am doing pretty well. I am probably only about 10 lbs. above my ideal weight. I don't have diabetes, heart or lung problems, I take no prescription medication, and my blood pressure is normal, as is my cholesterol.

So why go on this diet and exercise program? Simple: vanity.

I want to fit into this nice dress I bought a couple years ago, but never had the occasion to wear, until now. I don't want the world to see me and my middle-aged belly at a formal event. I am chasing after beauty...or the world's idea of beauty.

I stepped on the scale today for the first time in over 20 years. I was appalled. I never realized just how much weight I had gained over the past 10 years.

Proverbs 31 reminds me, however, that the Woman after God's Own Heart is not the supermodel. She's not the one with perfect skin, or the most fashionably dressed.

Yes, Proverbs 31 sets a high standard for women of God. She is hard-worker. A faithful and loving wife and mother. A shrewd businesswoman. A woman of respect and wisdom. A gracious and generous person. All these traits God says are more valuable than rubies.

I find it interesting that, at the end of such a description of a praiseworthy female, God knows to address the issue of physical beauty. After all, that is the primary trait for which womankind has been judged and valued throughout human history.

God tells us that physical beauty is fleeting, as my middle years has shown me all too well. If you compare what else God said is fleeting, recall Matt. 6: 30, when Jesus calls the grass of the field "here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire." In other words, fleeting.

And, as in Prov. 31, Jesus tells us NOT to run after the things that are fleeting. Things like grass....and beauty.

What does He tell us to pursue? Matt. 6:33 says to first seek His kingdom and His righteousness. Prov. 31 tells us to fear the LORD.

This also exhorts me to seek after His word...and to try to reach my goal this year of blogging about 52 verses in 2012. Psalm 119:11 reminds me to hide God's word in my heart so that I might not sin against Him. I need the Word of God in my heart. I need to seek after Him. This year, and every year.

So, what about that diet and exercise plan? It's still on. After all, God's word also says that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). I am taking care of God's temple.

Okay....so the "beauty" thing will still pop up in my thinking. Can't help that. But I pray that, this year, my beauty will come from the Spirit within me.....

...and maybe a bit from losing a few excess pounds.

Week #31 Deuteronomy 4:29 "It's Never Too Late"

2011-11-10T16:54:00.001-08:00

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Do you ever screw up?

Silly question, you might say. Of course we screw up. Some of us screw up a bit everyday.

Some days, we make choices that not only displease God, we displease ourselves, too. Everyone goes through those times when we walk our own way, ignore godly advice and worship self over the Almighty. And we hate it. We really do.

I've been there, too. I think that's why so many of us identify with the Apostle Peter. One minute he's swearing his eternal allegiance and devotion to Jesus, the next day he's denying Him publicly not once, but three times. It's enough to make the hardiest believer into a pile of mush.

So what's a discouraged, wayward Christian to do?

Simple. Seek God.

When I first read this verse from Deuteronomy, the initial question in my mind was this: The verse begins with "...if from there you seek the LORD...". But where is "there"? Where would Israel be coming from when Moses spoke this to them?

Deuteronomy 4 is a wonderful piece of scripture. It is a prime example of how God took this man Moses, who was "slow of speech and of tongue" and made him into an extraordinary preacher and prophet.

Moses was exhorting the Israelites to take the Promised Land God had given to them. But, this land flowing with milk and honey came with a price. The Children of Israel needed to heed God's commands and live a life of obedience. This obedient lifestyle involved turning away from idolatry and anything that would take God's place in their lives.

So, after hearing such a moving and rousing sermon from their man Moses, did the nation of Israel live the rest of their existence in obedience and godliness? History answers us with a resounding NO.

In other words, they screwed up. A lot.

And Moses warned them ahead of time that the consequences were dire. "...If you become corrupt and make any kind of idol...I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you." vs. 25-27

Ouch.

But praise God! Although these verses are about Israel (and all of us, to be sure), these verses are also about God, the Forgiver of the unforgivable, and the Lover of the unlovable.

Moses tells Israel that "if from there (meaning, from a life of disobedience and rebellion) you seek the LORD your God, you will find Him..."

What does this tell me? It comforts me in the message that it's never too late. Even when (in my best intentions to remain a faithful follower), I still screw up, God will forever be there if only I seek Him with all my heart and soul.

And the good news doesn't stop there. Moses goes on to remind Israel that no one has ever been as privileged and blessed as they. God was not simply a stern task-master, always cracking the whip of obedience at them. He was the Giver of all gifts, the Blesser of His children and the Savior to those desperately needing salvation.

It is the same for us today. No matter what wilderness you find yourself wandering through, no matter what idol you find yourself bowing to, He is there. All we have to do is look for Him.

God isn't hiding from us. If we look for Him, His loving hand will be right there to meet you.

Praise God for His unmatchable love.

amen

Week#30 Ephesians 5:1-2 "That's My Girl!"

2011-11-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

There's a well-known poem by Dorothy Law Nolte called "Children Learn What They Live." You may be familiar with it. It tells us that if children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. But it also says, on the other hand, that if children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

From where I sit, that about sums up our Christian life. It also sums up nicely what the Apostle Paul is telling us in this verse from Ephesians.

The Book of Ephesians is an incredible encouragement to me. It reminds me of what it is to be a believer, a child of God, and what it means to be His church.

Here is what God is reminding me of today. I hope you find encouragement in this as well.

One, God is reminding me that, if I am to truly be an imitator of Him, I must focus on love. In these verses, I am reminded that I am dearly loved by God. Christ loved me by giving Himself up for me. And I am, in turn, to live a life of love.

Although God's love for us is not an earthly, human love that can sometimes spoil or indulge the child, God's love began for us before we were even born. Earlier in Ephesians (2:4-5), Paul says that because of God's deep love for us, He made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in sin.

What does that tell me? That God totally accepts me just as I am, warts and all. I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. I will try my best to do the right things, but I will fall down on occasion. I will do the very things I tell myself not to do. But, (good news!) that won't stop God from loving me just as I am. So, can we cranky, self-centered (but very human) members of Christ's church still live a life of love? Yes we can. Because we are accepted and loved. That gives us the ability to do the same for others.

Two, God reminds me that, when Christ loved us (and sacrificed Himself for us), it was to God, a fragrant offering. Remember that word: fragrant. It paints a picture of something that is pleasing, beautiful, aromatic, precious.

I have not yet given myself to others in the way Jesus did. The things I have been asked to do may not be anything that involves intense suffering and mortal sacrifice. But we all have been asked to give of ourselves in ways that may not always be pleasant.

How about all those afternoons you spent with that frightened and uncooperative child you'd been asked to tutor after school? Or that day you spent weeding and cleaning up the church grounds that left you with a sore back and blistered hands? Remember that holiday food drive you organized when it seemed all the thanks you got was criticism and stress?

Well, God remembers it, too. To us, those times were challenging, at best. But, God smelled a lovely fragrant offering. It pleased Him. It made Him smile.

I understand why He smiled. I have the same reaction when one of my own sons displays a talent or behavior that I know I taught him. I smile proudly and say, "That's my boy!" So, when we are imitators of Him, I believe He smiles just like that!

That's one of my greatest hopes. That God will see what I am trying to do, and trying to be, and smile to Himself and declare, "That's my girl!"

Thank you, Father.

amen

Week #29 Psalm 119:2 "Seeking God With All My Heart"

2011-11-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

"Blessed are they who keep His statues and seek Him with all their hearts."

Wow....I am way behind on my blogging! It's already November, and I am only on my 29th bible verse of the year. Last blog post: August. Ouch.

Life sometimes gets busy. Then we start to put off things that are important.

But, look what also happened. My "busy-ness" has become a habit. That means I have put things off, important things like meditating and sharing God's Word. That, unfortunately, has become a casualty of my busy life.

So, it is no accident (there are NO accidents in our life with God, don't you think?) that He has called me back to His word with this verse from the Psalms. "Blessed are they who....seek Him with all their hearts."

Seeking God. What exactly does that mean for us busy, computer-connected folks of the 21st century? Well....here are a couple of ideas that have been laid on my heart today.

First, seeking God involves something that might seem obvious. Prayer. Getting on my knees, lifting my eyes to Him and telling Him the deepest thoughts and feelings I have.

Don't worry if you can't always physically kneel. Sometimes deep, heart-felt prayer must occur in places and situations where you can't actually get on your knees. While driving in the car. At work. During an emotional business meeting. Getting on my knees to pray is a matter of attitude. It means I need God. It means I humble myself before my Father and tell Him what His little girl (me!) is feeling. Yes, there's no substitute for this type of prayer.

Second, seeking God means making Him and His word a habit. This might mean reading a bit of scripture each day. No, it doesn't have to be a long passage of scripture that is difficult to understand. It can be just one verse. One verse that our Father has given you, to instruct you, admonish you or to just tell you how much He loves you.

Making God a habit also means for me, keeping up with my blog posts. That is a habit that helps me to focus on Him. He speaks to me as I write. He comforts me and encourages me through this blog, and yes, through your responses to me in the comment section!

And finally, seeking God means looking for God's presence and wisdom in our everyday life. Was that piece of advice from your co-worker today a word of encouragement from the LORD? And that tree with those beautiful leaves of changing fall color? Could that be God's glory in your neighborhood? How about that song that was just played on the radio? God's love song to you, perhaps? You get the idea.

So, I thank you, LORD, and I thank you, dear Readers, for reminding me to seek God. I needed that today. I need it everyday, but praise God it happened today.

amen

Week #28 John 3:16 "I Am Valuable"

2011-08-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

This was probably one of the first bible verses I learned after becoming a Christian many years ago. It is famous. It is well-known. So well-known that maybe we have taken it for granted?

When this particular verse popped up (on a verse-a-day website) as my next blogging topic, it gave me the opportunity to ponder this verse anew.

So, what "new" insight have I been given? Nothing new, but here is what perspective I have been pondering.

I have zero-ed in on the word "gave." God gave. God gave to the world. God gave His Son. God gave out of love. God gave to whoever believes in Him. God gave so that we could have eternal life.

Wow...that's a LOT of giving.

Most of the time, I am very aware (and thankful) for what I have been given. I have been given a wonderful husband and family. I have been given a comfortable life, with privileges and blessings not available to many others around the globe.

I have been given resources and skills that can benefit my family, church and community. I have been given interests, personality traits and silly quirks within that personality that occasionally amuse others, keep life interesting and can be used for God's glory.

But there are times in my life when I don't feel so blessed. There are times when I look in the mirror and wonder why I wasn't given the gift of a flawless complexion. Sometimes I watch other actors on stage and wonder why I wasn't given the level of talent they have. I often wonder why I wasn't given the personality of an out-going, personable charmer, instead of my introverted, melancholy spirit.

So, when I heard the word "gave" and pondered it in my heart, I was moved. I know that life isn't fair. Some are born with more physical beauty and talents than others. Some live in relative wealth while others live in poverty. Some have radiant, attractive personalities, and others have personalities that are harder to appreciate.

But there is one thing we have ALL been given. Jesus.

God isn't a stingy deity spending His days plotting to bring us deprivation. God is a generous, giving Father who longs to bless us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. And on top of that, He gave us the most precious gift He could ever give us: His Son. Anyone who's ever raised a son (or a daughter) would understand how precious and valuable that is.

Sure, there will still be days when I feel "deprived" and indulge in a self-pity party. Life has a way of doing that to us.

But God gave me His most valuable and sacrificial possession possible. That means I am loved. It means I am also valuable to Him. It means I count.

The reflection in the mirror doesn't make me valuable, nor will my acting ability on stage, my "wealth" or my personality. God makes me valuable. I am the recipient of a most valuable gift. John 3:16 tells me so.

Week #27 Hebrews 11:11 "My Own Miracle from God"

2011-08-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - - and Sarah herself was barren - - was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise."

I love God's promises. I think we all do. And, according to this verse, Abraham and Sarah really loved His promises. It reassured them. It encouraged them. It built their faith. And, what is most exciting for me, God's promise to them worked miracles.

Abraham was old, past the age when men fathered children. Sarah was "barren" and had also reached the age when women no longer considered childbirth. In other words, it should have been impossible for such a couple to bear a child.

But, God promised them a family. In fact, God promised them that they would be the father and mother of a great nation. They were to be the start of a nation, chosen by God, who would bless the people of the earth. Their descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. That's quite a promise. All this, to an old, childless couple.

But, when God speaks, and God wills, don't worry about the odds. They're already beaten.

And this promise to Abraham and Sarah, was also their life calling. God chose them, God called them and God worked miracles to enable them to fulfill that calling.

I often think so many things are impossible for me. I spend a lot of time wishing. I wish for miracles, and for that calling from God that will change the world, or at least my corner of the world.

I keep forgetting that, if God calls me to serve Him, miracles will follow. It may not be the Red Sea parting, or I may not walk on water. But miracles, those unexpected gifts and inexplicable circumstances that could only come from Divine Intervention, will follow.

Those miracles will help me serve Him in ways I never thought possible. Miracles will make a way for things to happen that never could have, if left to my own power. Miracles are those "coincidences" or "lucky breaks" that I didn't see coming. Miracles enable me, like Abraham, to become who God intended me to be.

So, if you're like me, and sometimes feel like an old, useless person, remember that a great nation (or a great ministry, a great idea, a great act of love) may come from you anyway. All you have to do is listen to God's promise and calling. You can beat the odds. God will see to it.

Week #26 1 Cor. 3:18-19a "A Fool for God"

2011-07-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For this wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."

I spend a fair amount of time with people who consider themselves educated, intellectual and open-minded. As a whole, these are good traits to possess.

I am all for education. I am also highly in favor of developing the intellect and of being willing to hear other perspectives and ideas. I also try to see a bit more of the "big picture" that makes up God's universe. It helps me to get over myself, see past my own troubles and circumstances and look at life from a more eternal perspective.

After all, life doesn't end with our death, God created a universe that is vast and infinite, and the course of human history is not dependent on mankind getting its act together and saving itself.

So...considering the big picture perspective that the Bible teaches us, why is Christianity still called "foolishness" by the world?

Well, for one thing, we Christians have been accused of being closed-minded. Non-believers sneer at our faith because we claim to testify of the truth. We are told we are intolerant of other belief systems because we can't agree with philosophies and religions that don't acknowledge God and His Son Jesus.

We are also told that we are crazy because we hope in the Second Coming of Christ, the Rapture (which has gotten a bad rap lately, thanks to a misguided "prophet" named Harold Camping) and eternal life with the LORD in heaven.

In other words, we Christians are fools. Closed-minded fools.

But look at what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3. We Christians ARE "fools," and we should seek to be foolish. But look, too, at how foolishness is defined in these verses. "Wisdom" is associated with deception, the standards of the age, and the world. "Foolishness" is associated with God's sight.

So, what does the world tell us is "wise"? There are a lot of things, too numerous to list. But I will list one thing our world (here in the USA, at least) values: open-mindedness. Open-mindedness that claims that all systems of thought and religion are valid and true. Open-mindedness that says to preach the Bible as if it were God's truth shows intolerance, ignorance and stupidity.

At what does God say is "foolish"? The "wisdom" of this world.

I prefer not to call myself open-minded. I prefer the term big picture-thinker. My God is bigger than any philosophy or world view can contain. His universe and knowledge is infinite. His love for us is beyond imaginable. His peace passes all understanding.

I also know these things to be true, because I know God, and He is truth. If that makes me closed-minded and a fool, then praise God! I am a fool for God.

Week #25 1 John 4:13 "Not Merely an Emotion"

2011-07-08T14:14:00.001-07:00

"We know that we live in Him and He is us, because He has given us of His Spirit."

If you're anything like me, you have found that there is a lot of confusion and disagreement surrounding the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is, for many of us, the most mysterious and hard to understand person in the Trinity.

But, the Spirit is worth trying to understand. After all, I find that the quality of my relationship with God, how I process what is happening in my life and in the world, and even my preferred style of worship on Sunday morning is affected by my beliefs about the Holy Spirit.

In fact, if it weren't for the Holy Spirit, I may never have experienced healing from my depression. (Although my depression still pops up once in a while.) I probably wouldn't still be a Christian...I would have gotten too discouraged and given that up a long time ago. And I definitely couldn't have made some of the difficult decisions in life that I have without His guidance and assurance.

So, who is this Spirit anyway, and why do I give Him so much credit? I am no expert, but here are some of the most valuable things I have learned.

First, the Holy Spirit is not an emotion. The Holy Spirit is not the same thing as "school spirit" during a college football game or a wave of emotion that we get caught up in during a moving and inspirational moment. Yes, there are times that the Spirit speaks to our feelings and uses them to guide us, but He is not primarily a feeling.

Second, the Holy Spirit is a person. No, that doesn't mean that He is a human being. It means that He has qualities that the Bible defines in personal terms. He teaches, comforts, guides and speaks. He has emotions and intellect. He is united with God and Jesus, but is also individually His own person.

Thirdly, I have learned that the Spirit speaks to and guides us even today. The New Testament is filled with stories of early believers being guided and enlightened by the Spirit. That still happens today, to all of us "regular" Christians as well. I know from experience that it does.

And fourthly, I know that the Holy Spirit dwells in me and is my constant companion. He gives me the words to say during those times I must speak God's thoughts to others. He assures me that I am loved when the people in my life snub me or ignore me. He reminds me of just the right Bible verse to help me through a tough situation.

No, a mere emotion or group wave of consciousness could ever do that. Only a personal, divine companion can accomplish that.

So, as 1 John tells us, we know that we belong to God because God gave us His Spirit. I know my faith in God is not just an intellectual assent to His existence. It is not just a theoretical understanding of His principles and values. My faith is a real relationship that transforms my life from aloneness to united-ness (is that even a word?).

You get what I mean.

Thanks to the indwelling companionship and mentorship of the Holy Spirit, I am never alone. And neither are you.

Thank you, God.

Week #24 Matthew 22:37 "It's All About Love"

2011-06-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

"Jesus replied, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." "

Listen to these thoughts and ask yourselves if any of this sounds like you. "I don't know how God can bless and use a person like me." "I wish I knew God's will for my life." "How am I supposed to live the Christian life? It's impossible to do!"

Sound familiar? If you're like me, I have found myself saying these things on more than one occasion. A Christian life that is pleasing to God can be a tough one. Sometimes I feel like giving up. It all seems so complicated!

But, wait. Before I throw in the towel and sit out the Christian walk, I need to ask myself the old adage, "What Would Jesus Do?"

Look at the above verse. What DID Jesus do, and what is He telling US to do?

Matthew 22:37 is often times referred to as The Greatest Commandment. It's easy to see why. Jesus summed up (basically) the entire aim of the Christian life in this one sentence. We who call ourselves Christ Followers are to do exactly what Jesus would do: Love God.

Wow...can it really be that simple? Well, yes, it can. Love God. Period.

While that may be simple, it isn't easy. Loving doesn't always come naturally for me. I become selfish. I want to control my life and my surroundings (including the people in my life) to suit my own purposes. I don't always feel loving. I get lazy and can't always do the loving thing. And that's just a picture of how bad I am at loving people.

Loving God is even harder. He's invisible. He can seem silent and distant. He's hard to understand. His ways are not my ways. Sometimes He asks us to do hard things. But Jesus doesn't let us off the hook. He tells us to love God with our entire being. Our hearts, souls and minds are to lead the way.

I can't say that I entirely understand what loving God means. But, God Himself gives us a few clues. As His beloved child, I have experienced what it means to be loved BY God. God always forgives me. God accepts me for who I am. God believes in me and patiently teaches me a better way. Sometimes God disciplines me when I need it. All of these things suggest a logical and natural response from us. That's a good place to start.

And Jesus....He's the greatest role model in history for what it means to love God. He obeyed God unto death...even death on the cross. He is united with God in purpose and lived to please God and do His work on earth.

I am not perfect, I cannot love perfectly like Jesus could. But I can make love my aim (1Cor. 14:1). I can focus on learning to love God better.

So, I guess it's all about love, and the things that love leads us to do and to be. What is God's will for my life? How will God use me to do His work on earth? By showing me how to love.

I can start right now. Even as I write this blog entry, I am experiencing the blessing of being with God, of hearing His thoughts and sharing them (in love!) with others. I can't give any of you specific steps toward achieving The Loving Life. But I can tell you that you, too, can start right now. Spend a little time with God today. Tell Him you love Him and you want to learn to love Him even more. He'll help you. That will give Him joy.

It's that simple. Once you start on your journey toward loving God, He will lead you. All you need to do next is to follow. Then, you will be on your way to understanding God's will for your life and how He can use you for His kingdom. It's all about love, my friends.

Thank you, LORD.

Week #23 Jeremiah 29:11 "Always the Loving Father"

2011-06-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I love this verse. I love it so much that I have a framed copy of it hanging on my wall in beautiful calligraphy with the words "Be Encouraged" at the top of the picture.

Yes, this is one of those bible verses that we believers like to quote when the chips are down, when we need to know there is hope and more prosperous times ahead. This verse can indeed be quite encouraging.

But wait. Before we run away with visions of wealth and financial freedom, there are a few important questions we need ask first.

Is this prophecy from Jeremiah too good to be true? Does God really promise all believers prosperity and an limitless future? Is this one of those biblical promises that we can "take to the bank?" Just what is Jeremiah saying here, and to whom?

I think it is helpful to remember that Jeremiah was speaking to the Children of Israel during the time of their exile in Babylon. The Israelites had lost their homes, their freedom and (for some of them) their faith. Due to their chronic disobedience toward God, the LORD allowed their enemies to conquer them and take them into captivity.

But, despite their unfaithfulness, God showed Himself to be ever faithful and always the loving Father. He tells them that His plans for His people hadn't been cancelled. His love for them hadn't changed. Their future as God's children was still intact.

During a time when Israel felt they were at their lowest point, when their unfaithfulness resulted in mass incarceration, God went out of His way to tell them how much He still loved them. His plans for "prosperity" didn't mean financial gain, either. Instead, God was promising them an end to their time of trouble and restoration to their land and to Himself. And no, it wasn't a "get rich quick" scheme. Israel's captivity lasted 70 years. Not exactly instant gratification.

So, if God isn't necessarily promising all Christians prosperity and a great future in this verse, why do I love it so much?

I love Jeremiah 29:11 because it reminds me of God's faithfulness, no matter what. I, myself, have been in bad situations, many times due to my own poor choices. Although I end up paying a price for those life choices, God has never abandoned me. Yes, I've gone through tough times, and I expect that more tough times may be in my future as well. But this verse is God's encouragement to me during those times.

I know I won't get rich by becoming a Christian. I know that my trials and times of trouble may last a long time. But, I know that, no matter how much I've fallen short of the Glory of God, I am always welcome to sit at the feet of my LORD and rest in His presence.

He loves me all the time. I never want to forget that.

Thank you, Father.

Week #22 Proverbs 19:22a "Blessing Others"

2011-06-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

"What a man desires is unfailing love."

About a month ago, my son and I visited a church that my dear friend and her husband are pastoring. At their church, they have an unusual custom that they practice. When visitors come on a Sunday morning for worship service, they hand each visitor a two-dollar bill. They tell the guest that the bill represents a blessing from God. It is their way to wish each guest God's best, with the hope that the two dollars will either bless them or someone else.

I asked my son today if he still had his bill. He told me, "No, I spent it long ago."

That's okay. The modest amount of money obviously blessed him. He needed it for a good reason.

I still have my bill. I told myself that I would give it, perhaps, to a homeless person or someone else in great need. So far, I have had at least two or three panhandlers approach me asking for a couple of dollars. One person was given two dollars, but it wasn't the two-dollar bill I received at church. Quite honestly, I had forgotten about that two-dollar bill. So, I gave the person two one-dollar bills instead.

But, the desire to bless someone with that two-dollar bill still rests in my heart. What am I waiting for? A directive from God? A burning bush, or a voice from above? Maybe.

This verse in Proverbs tells us that one of the best desires to have in our hearts is the ability to show unfailing love (translation: kindness). As Matthew Henry's commentary so poetically states,

"It is far better to have a heart to do good, and want ability for it, than to have ability for it, and want a heart to it."

This is great news. Most of us feel we have limited means to give, but God tells us in this verse that just the DESIRE to show kindness and charity is the real blessing for us. He doesn't judge us according to our ability to give, or the dollar amount we contribute. He looks at our hearts, not our bank accounts.

So, when I received my two-dollar bill, I accepted it as God's call to me to be kind, generous and to find creative ways to bless others. The blessing I pass on might be money, or it might be my time, my undivided attention or my friendship.

I know I won't always be successful in this. There are times when I feel too busy, too self-involved or too scared to step out and serve another. But, overall, I know I want to bless others. That two-dollar bill reminds me of that. It encourages me to bless. It motivates me toward kindness.

So, I guess I won't be giving away that dollar bill any time soon. I need that reminder, for now. I need to open my wallet and remember to look for ways to bless someone. I need to know that I am investing in God's work, not just in the supermarkets or coffee houses that usually receive my cash.

My friend and her pastor husband showed a bit of brilliance that Sunday morning. They handed me two dollars, with the hope that someone would be blessed with that amount of cash. As it turns out, that two dollars will probably be worth much more. God willing, over time, multiple persons will be blessed with gifts worth much more than a mere two bucks.

But the person with the biggest blessing will be me. I will have had the privilege of giving and showing kindness. God has entrusted me with much. The opportunities that lie before me to bless someone makes me smile already. What joy!

Thank you, LORD.

Week #21 Proverbs 17:10 "When Discipleship Hurts"

2011-06-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

"A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool."

Ouch.

Here is a verse that I really didn't want to reflect on and blog about. Rebukes, lashes, fools...what a verse.

But, the LORD puts His word before us for a reason. That includes not only the "Promise Verses" (the ones we like) but also the "Warning Verses" (the ones we'd like to avoid). This is one of the latter.

When I gave my life over to God many years ago, I expected to experience a multitude of blessings, deep fellowship with the saints and (to be honest) the euphoria of a new believer. I can attest to the blessings and fellowship, but somehow missed out on the spiritual high of the insanely cheerful believer.

That's probably a good thing. My periods of greatest growth as a Christian have been during times of deep fellowship and even deeper wrestling with my faith, my life, my sometimes faulty assumptions and with God Himself. It isn't always "fun" or "cheerful" when this happens. Many times it is downright painful.

So, when a rebuke (I'd rather call it "corrective advice") comes my way, it isn't easy. I am an insecure person by nature. Correction isn't always welcomed in my fragile world. With people offering advice, counsel, rebukes or complaints that touch on sensitive areas of my life and identity, it is easy to ignore, become defensive or shoot back in anger. I have done all three.

But, upon close examination of Proverbs 17, it is important to read the word "discernment." A person of discernment will take a rebuke to heart more deeply than a fool takes 100 lashes. What this also tells me is that a man of God will be discerning when a rebuke is from the LORD and when it is simply from man.

When being corrected, I must remember to put aside my injured ego and ask God if this correction is from Him. If it is, then I must listen, despite the hurt, and take it to heart. If it is not, then I must be gracious to the well-intended person, regardless of why they corrected me.

We've all been led down an unfortunate path when we've listened to erroneous rebukes. We've also been down this same unfortunate path when we've failed to heed godly advice.

Here is my take-away from this verse: 1) Ask the LORD if a rebuke (or any piece of advice) is from Him and 2) if the rebuke is godly, then thank Him for His correction. It doesn't mean that God is mad at me, or is punishing me. It means that He loves me. It means I am His child.

Oh yes, there is a step 3. When I receive a godly rebuke, I need to remind myself that the hurt will take time to stop hurting. Even well-intentioned pain still hurts. I heal slowly. That's my sensitive nature. It doesn't mean I'm any less spiritual than a believer who recovers quickly. But, praise God, eventually I do recover.

Thank you, LORD.

Week #20 Psalm 62:1 "Resting in God"

2011-05-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him."

I realized last week that I am behind schedule. It is now the 22nd week of the year, and I am blogging for week #20. My mistake. I missed a couple of weeks somewhere in April or May.

But, I also am a firm believer in Romans 8:28, that all things (including my miscalculations) work together for good. So, I may be late in my blogging schedule, but God is blessing my blogging for today, according to His schedule.

What am I talking about? Well, today is Memorial Day. This is a day when we Americans stop and remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country. It's a special day for us in the United States, for the that reason. But, fortunately, it is also special for us because Memorial Day is a national holiday. For most of us, that means we have the day off from our work or school responsibilities. It is a day of rest.

My son is spending the day at Safeco Field watching the Mariners. My husband is doing some simple work around the house and then taking the rest of the day for leisure. On an unusual Monday, we get to rest.

So, I thought about what the Psalmist says here, that our souls find our rest in God alone. It makes me ponder the concept of rest. Resting from our jobs or schoolwork....and resting in God.

For us Americans observing Memorial Day, we are taking a rest from our labor, the occupation that not only supplies our basic needs (via the paycheck we receive), but gives us a sense of identity and purpose. All these things are essential to the human life.

But the Bible also tells us that we have those same things when we put our faith in God. He supplies all our needs (Phil.4:19), give us our identities (1 Pet. 1:9-10) and gives us purpose (John 20:21). So, what's the difference between resting from our jobs, and resting in God?

Simple. Our rest on a holiday is something we earn because we work at our jobs all the other weeks of the year. Our resting in God is something we are gifted with because of the work Jesus did on the cross. We didn't earn it, Jesus did it for us.

This is why our rest in God is so wonderful. We can now cease striving, stop trying to prove our goodness. We can't anyhow.

But we can pray without ceasing. We can fill our mouths with thanksgiving and praise. We can tell God how much we love Him. Most of all, we can celebrate our day of rest on any day we wish, because God's rest is 24/7. Every day is a holiday for God's people.

Thank you, God.

Week #19 Proverbs 31:30 "The 21st Century Proverbs 31 Woman"

2011-05-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Oh yes....Proverbs 31. You all remember that chapter in the Old Testament. The biblical laundry list for "the perfect woman." The woman that all serious Christian men want (and sometimes demand) in a wife. Oh yeah...THAT Proverbs 31.

Please excuse the sarcasm here. It stems from a lifetime of disappointment and criticism.

Instead of finding encouragement in these verses, sometimes I see a standard that is impossible for me to attain. That Proverbs 31 lady is a tough act to follow. She works tirelessly to make a beautiful and nurturing home for her family. She is a shrewd businesswoman. She is charitable and compassionate. She is praised by her family for her wisdom and noble deeds. And on top of that, she's one serious seamstress.

But wait. She also seems to have a well-respected and (by inference) equally hard working husband. Her children are respectful toward her and don't appear to take all her hard work for granted. They are told specifically in these verses to praise their wife/mother.

Okay....I guess the "impossible standard" here applies to all members of the family. Life was hard back in those days. No Kitchen Aid technology, packaged foods, and 9 - 5 work days to neatly fit into their lives. Men, women and children all had to work hard, work together and work joyfully in order to thrive in that world. Making a home was much more than shopping at the mall for just the right comforter to go with that new Tempur-Pedic mattress set. It was sheer labor.

So...Proverbs 31 tells me, among other things, that being the virtuous woman/wife/mother is a labor of love. It's all about love for God and love for our families. Okay, we DO have the luxury of shopping malls and kitchen appliances today, so the 21st Century Proverbs 31 Woman doesn't have to "select wool and flax" or "make linen garments" by her own hands. We can use modern technology to help us meet our family's needs.

But we do need to do it all with love and joy. And yes, we CAN do that. That is not an impossible standard to live by. I don't do all things perfectly. My house still doesn't meet that quality outlined in Proverbs 31. But I can take my work as the LORD's work. I can see my family as part of my holy calling. I can rejoice that God gave me the privilege of such a wonderful calling.

And the best part of it all? Look at verse 30. None of this is dependent on my charm or beauty, two things that the world overly values in women. God looks at our character, our lives and our hearts when He sees us. Not our flawless complexions, flat stomachs or flirty eyelashes.

He sees us. And He loves who He sees.

Thank you, LORD.

Week #18 Revelation 3:20 "Opening the door to Jesus"

2011-05-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."

Back in the day when I first became a Christ-follower, this is the key verse I was given.

It explained the process that I had just gone through in becoming a Christian. I had just asked Jesus into my heart, and opened that proverbial door to my heart and invited Him in.

Yes, I got that. It meant a lot to me back then. It still does. Declaring your faith in Jesus Christ and trusting Him as your LORD and savior is huge. It's live-giving. It's live-changing. It's the door to life itself.

But, almost 40 years later, this verse still is dear to me. Not simply for the memories of giving my life over to God, but for my present life as a middle-aged believer.

The process of giving ourselves to God never ends. At least it shouldn't. You see, on some days, I find it's easier to live my humdrum life on my own shallow terms. Sometimes I can almost see how an atheist can exist day to day without even once considering if God loved me, is pleased with me or has a perfect and loving purpose for my life.

Almost.

Those moments of amnesia about God are fleeting for me. I know I walk with Him and He walks with me. I know there isn't anything in this world that would separate me from His love.

But, I do have those moments when I want to go my own way. I want to live in the immediate, the obvious, the superficial. It is during those times I need to open the door once again to my heart and ask Jesus to enter. That heart door is annoyingly good at closing.

Unfortunately, that door might stay closed even longer than it does, if it weren't for the first part of Rev. 3:20. Jesus tells us that He stands at the door and knocks. He knocks, and thank God He does.

No, Jesus isn't pestering us. He isn't simply prompting us to listen and obey. What His knocking at the door of our hearts tells me, is that He seeks us. He invites us. He pursues us. Just like a lover woos the object of his affection, Jesus woos us with an indescribable love. No one is more loved than we are.

So, why do I need to "hear" a knock at the door of my heart before I respond? I don't know. It makes me sad to think about it.

But, I thank God that He never stops pursuing me. I am loved. I am worth it.

Thank you, Jesus.

Week #17 Matthew 9:22 "Touching Jesus' Robe"

2011-05-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

"Jesus turned and saw her. 'Take heart, daughter,' He said, 'your faith has healed you.' And the woman was healed from that moment."

This beautiful verse is taken from the story of the woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. Instead of coming directly to Jesus and asking for healing, she merely touched the edge of his robe, knowing that simply touching his garment would transmit Jesus' healing power to her.

She was right. But, not only did she receive the cure for her chronic bleeding, she received a couple other things that are just as precious.

For one, she got the attention of Jesus. Jesus was a busy man. At that moment, He and His disciples were hurrying to the home of a ruler whose daughter had just died. He was constantly being called upon to heal, counsel, and in this case, raise someone from the dead.

But here was a most unfortunate woman, whose suffering (and probable social ostracism) was great. Her reluctance to speak to Jesus face-to-face was understandable, considering her "unclean" status in society and the poor self esteem it brought. So, even with a timid touch to the edge of his cloak, Jesus faced this woman and gave her His undivided and loving attention. For this woman, this undoubtedly showed her how much she was loved.

Also, Jesus commended her faith as He healed her. What an honor this was for her! A woman, who spent the past 12 years being dismissed by polite society and probably accused of having a weak faith (otherwise, she would have been healed sooner, they concluded), was told her faith was strong and sincere enough to receive Jesus' healing.

If she were anything like me, she would have spent much of those 12 years doubting her faith, her worth and her God. She would have suffered from the "Why me?" syndrome. On a good day, she would have simply resigned herself to her fate and humbly accepted whatever charity or kind attention she got from anyone.

But Jesus didn't simply give her a pat on the head or a few denarii for her troubles. He did much more than that. He met her deepest needs: emotional healing, faith, and love.

Sometimes our physical healing doesn't happen the way we wish. But, Jesus always wants to meet our deepest needs. How often do I come to Jesus and touch the edge of His garment? How much do I believe that touching His robe will meet my needs?

Also notice that, until Jesus turned to her and spoke, not a word was exchanged between the two. My long-winded prayers aren't always necessary. But I can touch Jesus' robe at any moment during my day. In my greatest need, when words fail me, I can still touch His robe. Sometimes, that's the best my faith can do.

But, during those times, that's all that is needed. Praise God.

Week #16 Romans 4:25 "He is Risen"

2011-04-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

"Jesus Christ was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

Today is Easter Sunday, and I have heard the same quote from Christian author and humorist Barbara Johnson twice, once from the pulpit, and once on Facebook. She describes our Christian faith saying, "We are an Easter people living in a Good Friday world."

Wow. Powerful words, that.

The thought hit me like a ton of bricks. Yes, we are an Easter people. But why don't I realize this but once a year? Why do I need to see Easter lilies, Cadbury eggs and sing "Christ the LORD is Risen Today" in order to celebrate and proclaim that my LORD is risen?

Is He not risen everyday of my life? Do I not have eternal life because He has conquered death and, therefore, allowed me to share in this eternal life with Him?

Romans 4:25 tells us that Jesus died for our sins, and rose again to life for our justification. This is true. Jesus did die a horrific death on the cross because of my sins. And when He died, we believers died with Him. We died to the world and its philosophies. We died to ourselves and our own foolish ways.

But, three days later, He rose from the dead! He did this not because of my sins, or my foolishness. He rose by the power of God. It was that same power that turned those early disciples from fearful men hiding in the Upper Room into God's fearless witnesses.

It is God's power that can take a self-centered wimp like me and make me rise again into a modern woman who proclaims and celebrates His salvation, love and power while living in a violent, hopeless and godless world.

First, let me say that I am in no way minimizing the power or cost of the cross. Jesus' death is why we are able to live. We can never thank Him enough for what He did on the cross.

But, what if, instead of only concentrating on Christ's death, we celebrate His resurrection every day? What if, in addition to the crucifix, the most recognizable symbol of Christianity became an empty tomb?

The Apostle Paul in Romans 4 got it right. Our life of faith is about both the death AND the resurrection of Jesus. We weep over His death, because we weep over our sin and what it cost our LORD. But we celebrate His resurrection. It is what gives us life and gives us cause to rejoice.

I wish every Sunday was Easter. I love proclaiming His resurrection to others. I love telling the world that I don't serve a dead master. I serve a Living God. A God that has risen.

But, if I am an Easter person, I don't need the calendar to tell me when to proclaim He is risen. I can do it every day. After all, every day of my life, He is risen.

He is risen indeed!

Week #15 Romans 12:9-10 "Clinging to Good"

2011-04-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

These verses have several ideas and exhortations in them. But there is one particular word that stands out for me. "Hate."

Hate. Here's a word that makes headlines. When it comes to popular culture and media, "hate" is bantered about in social and political discussions across the country. (How I wish I could be inundated with more theological discussions in my social circle. How refreshing that would be!!)

"Hate speech." "Hate crimes." "Hate groups." "I hate (pick the group or attitude of your choice)."

And the list goes on and on...

For a Christian, hating what is evil can be a tricky thing. No one will argue that we Christians have a major PR problem in the United States today. We are regularly condemned for being "un-Christian" if we express any critical thought about society, politics or culture. We are told we are un-loving if we hate anything.

Yet, here Paul exhorts us to hate evil. When we try to explain that we don't hate people, just the evil that can come from some humans and their institutions, we still aren't off the hook. The name-calling continues. Christians are un-loving. Christians are hypocrites. Christians are being un-Christian. Sigh....

So, when it comes to evil, we can't win. We can't beat Satan at his own game, and we can't make the world understand us either. So what's a nice, evil-hating Christian to do?

I think the answer is contained in the second half of the phrase. "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

I need to cling to the good. The godly. The God in the world. My love must be sincere. I must be devoted to my fellow believers and honor them in love.

Subtle forms of evil may disguise itself as good, fun and cool. But it ultimately has no power over good. It may not seem like it, if you take a look at the world today. It looks like evil is winning.

But, the opera ain't over. No, the "fat lady" isn't going to sing, but one day the Son of Man will come on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30). At that time, Jesus will set the record straight. Evil will no longer be able to masquerade as cool and enticing. Good will be cool. Good will be praised. Love will win out in the end.

I can't wait for that day. Until then, however, I must strive to cling to good, cling to God. And I must reflect His goodness in my life.

A real challenge, that is. But when I cling to God, it doesn't mean I can rise to the challenge. It means that God rises to the challenge through me. Praise God.

Week #14 Romans 6:23 "Forgiveness Granted"

2011-04-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD."

Sin...it is such a politically incorrect term nowadays. No one, Christians included, wants to believe that sin actually exists in us. Some people don't want to think that sin exists at all.

They prefer the word "imperfection" or , when describing a sinful world, "morally relative or ambiguous." Truth be told, I sort of like those terms as well.

But, if sin is simply a word to describe our weaknesses and our "C- behavior in an A+ world," why would God be so unmerciful as to mete out the death penalty for such common and understandable human traits?

Is God an abusive and mean-spirited kill joy? Does he actually expect perfection out of imperfect beings?

I have wrestled with this question for years. During those times in my life when I was painfully aware of my moral imperfections, my "C- behavior" that drove others away from me, I shouted and whined at God about how He made me, and what He really expected out of me.

After years of wrestling and asking, this is what I have learned.

First, God does not call our mistakes and imperfections "sin." For example, if you forgot to pay the light bill and now you and your family live in the dark and cold, that is a mistake. Though it had unfortunate consequences, your forgetfulness is not a sin.

Second, sin is always a deliberate act of rebellion against God and His will. I don't "accidentally" sin. When I sin, I know that I am sinning. Even though I know I am sinning, I sin anyway. There are a variety of reasons for this, but here is one of the chief reasons.

In my life, usually sin occurs when I trust my power to handle life and my short-sighted solutions over what God can do. I fight God over the circumstances of my life. I assume His way is harder and won't work for me. Usually I doubt my own ability to do things God's way, because I see myself as a poor quality Christian who can't make the grade. I also assume that, since I've blown it so often before, God wouldn't come to my aid anyway.

Of course, God knows better than that. Sometimes I do, too, but for those other times, praise God that His gift is eternal life in Jesus. I need Jesus' life. I need Jesus' forgiveness. I need Jesus' priesthood that intercedes on my behalf to God, and assures God's grace to me. In my sinfulness, I need all that. I can't do it for myself.

So, what does God really expect out of me? Perfection? No. Sinlessness? Definitely not.

He expects me to come to Him. In my sin, in my moments of doubt, rebellion, fear and anger, He expects me to remember my sin and come to Him anyway. I'm always welcome, no matter what I've done. My loving Heavenly Father doesn't want me to die. He wants me to live with Him.

I need to remember that.

Week # 13 John 16:24 "Just Ask God"

2011-04-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

"Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

Back in the day when I was a new believer, I would read verses like this and think that Jesus was offering me a blank check. All I had to do was fill in the amount with whatever heartfelt wish, material gain, relationship hope or personal goal I wanted Him to give me. Then...voila, the wish would be granted.

Oh, if only life were like that. Jesus, the Fairy Godmother who died on the cross so I could wear a beautiful gown and go to the ball.

Sounds ridiculous, right?

Yes! So, what is this verse actually saying to me? What is Jesus talking about when He said I must ask in His name?

I do know that anything done "in the name" of someone or something else must line up with what that person or institution stands for. When a police officer says he serves in the name of the law, his work must be in line with the law that he enforces. One cannot do something illegally in the name of the law. It would be contradictory.

So, to pray in the name of Jesus means that my prayers must not contradict the person, character and will of God. Hmmm..that doesn't sound so simple.

In fact, it sounds rather intimidating. I'm almost afraid to pray lest I ask in the wrong way. But, that's why it helps me to see prayer as a process, not as a holy state that we should have already achieved.

My prayers don't always line up with the will of God. There are times when I am hurt, angry and confused. At those times, I will find myself yelling at God, accusing Him of not caring or ignoring me. At other times, I hear myself asking God to make my life easy, and to be that fairy godmother I wish for.

Okay, so during times like those, I probably wasn't asking in the name of Jesus. But, the important thing I see in John 16:24 is that Jesus is simply asking me to ask anyway.

When I am lonely, depressed, sick or scared, I know I can go to my heavenly Father and talk to Him about my concerns, complain to Him about my problems and whine at Him about just about anything.

One of the miracles of prayer is that God uses our prayers to help us grow, change and heal. My prayers might begin as whining and crying, but eventually they will turn to thanksgiving and praise. (Last time I checked, thanksgiving and praise were definitely in line with God's character and will!) No, the "eventually" won't happen overnight. That process might take weeks, months, years. But it does happen.

God lets us whine, complain and vent our frustrations. He knows we need to do that for a while. He also knows that our prayers won't stay like that forever. However unflattering some of our prayers might be, it will never make our prayers not welcomed by God.

So, when I read this verse now, I don't expect the cosmic fairy who will grant me all my wishes. I also don't feel intimidated or unworthy because my prayers might not line up with God's will.

I simply read an invitation. It's an invitation to come to God and ask. I don't ever want to be afraid to ask. I am still His child who needs to ask, because I can't provide for myself or solve the problem on my own.

My Daddy takes joy in the fact that I will ask. And, I know that when I ask, my joy will be complete, because eventually, those heartfelt prayers will become exactly what my heavenly Daddy will want to hear.

Week #12 Psalm 91:14 "To Rescue and Protect"

2011-03-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

"Because he loves Me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name."

So...let me get this straight. According to this verse, if we love God and acknowledge His name, we'll be rescued from calamity and protected from evil?

Well...the veteran of human life and one with better sense would probably say, "no, not exactly." After all, calamity and disaster happen all the time, to both believers and non-believers alike. Earthquakes, hurricanes, nuclear plant meltdowns, terrorist attacks and war are filling our headlines, and God's people are not immune to its effects.

Even on a "small scale" Christians are not without everyday troubles, such as illness, unemployment and home foreclosures. Okay, let's make the scale even "smaller" and say that none of us are impervious to the pain of missed appointments, flat tires and sharp words exchanged between friends or spouses.

So, what is this talk about the LORD protecting us and rescuing us? Is He really promising to protect us from calamity and evil? I say, yes.

Let me attempt a heartfelt explanation.

God has rescued us from the logical consequences of being morally-imperfect, self-centered and (occasionally) God-haters. Okay, maybe we don't really hate God, but we usually love ourselves more. 1 Thess. 1:10 tells us that Jesus rescued us from the wrath to come. Wrath, by the way, that mankind kind of deserves. Does God's wrath qualify as calamity? Yep.

God has also protected us, and continues to protect us from evil. No, that doesn't mean that evil can't do it's destructive work in the world, because it does.

What this says to me is that, while evil has its sphere of influence in this world, God has put protective armor in place for those who believe. Yes, it's the famous "Armor of God" that Ephesians speaks to us about. With it, we can withstand the schemes of the devil and extinguish his fiery darts. Evil can harass us, but it ultimately can't have us.

But, both the rescue and the protect thing can only be put in place when I do the one thing I have the power to do: believe. Oh yes, and the other two verbs in this verse: love and acknowledge His name.

Believe, love and acknowledge God. Yeah....I think I can try to do that. Why? Not because I'm such a superstar of a Christian. Just the opposite. It's because I'm such a non-superstar, and need to believe. My goodness and discipline won't cut it. My saintly behavior and devotion to bible study can't nail it.

God told Abraham that his faith (belief in God's promise) was what rescued him, not his exemplary behavior. So, I need to believe like Abraham did. I need to believe and love God as though my life depends on it.

Come to think of it, I think it does.

Week #11 Proverbs 10:18 "When I Don't Love So Much"

2011-03-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

"He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool."

As I shared last week, I have a "system" for choosing the scripture of the week: a website that chooses a verse for you. I choose their Sunday verse and try to blog about it on the following Saturday. Here it is Tuesday, and I am a few days late (missed blogging last Saturday).

But, nevertheless, I have pondered this particular scripture verse, and do have a couple thoughts on it.

This is one of those admonishment verses that makes me uncomfortable. I suppose that is the point, from the perspective of the writer, and of God. Correction often makes us uncomfortable. It does that to me.

Hatred and slander are not happy topics. I don't like to think about or talk about such things. They make me feel "bad' or unworthy. But, at the risk of spreading poor doctrine or bad advice, here is what struck me about this proverb.

It really doesn't say NOT to hate anything or anyone. Technically, it warns us against hiding our hate and lying about it. It conjures up the picture of the person who appears calm, but suddenly shouts: "I'm not angry!"

And for the record, this does NOT endorse the campaign that waves horrible signs that state God hates gays.

There will be certain things, and sometimes even a few people, that make hatred rise up in us (such as toward those nasty sign-wavers). These things will happen, whether it is right or wrong. The LORD knows that. But He warns us not to try to fool others or ourselves by pretending the hate isn't there. Because if we truly hate something, it will come out in other ways. We can't help that.

For instance, our rose-colored hatred can come out as slander, even though we think we're appearing neutral or "loving." I've been guilty of that. Maybe you have, too. I know for certain that the gay-bashing sign wavers are guilty of this.

I can't say that your hatred is bad, or that your hatred is justified. That is for the LORD to decide. But I believe this verse is telling us to be honest about what we think and feel when we speak to God. Love, hate, or anything else is nothing new to Him. He's heard it all, and will not turn us out or stop loving us because we might hate something or someone. But, only He can make us more loving.

On that website full of daily bible verses, there is also a quote (from a extra-biblical source) that struck me, and encouraged me. "You are more sinful than you can believe, but you are more loved than you can imagine."

That quote, source unknown to me, wrapped the whole thing up. I might feel hatred that is unrighteous, but I am incredibly and wonderfully loved in spite of that. God loves me even when I can't or won't be loving to Him or to others. Only by that incredible God love can I turn my own hate into love.

That truth, dear Readers, is what makes life worth living.

So...confess to God whatever unflattering thing is in you. And if righteous hatred appears in your heart, know that it is what God feels, too. Either way, we are loved. Forever.

Week #10 Psalm 25:7 "God Loves Me...Yes, Me"

2011-03-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

"Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O LORD!"

In writing this blog, I use a website that gives you a scripture a day. This is the "system" I use to choose the scripture that I will blog about for the week. I usually choose one of the scriptures featured during the weekend.

So, when this particular verse popped up as my scripture of the week, I was actually glad. Even before meditating on the verse (which I usually do), there were so many reasons I loved this verse.

The first reason is rather obvious. When the psalmist asks the LORD not to remember "the sins of [his] youth," it struck a familiar chord with me. You see, there are so many joyful experiences in becoming a Christian, but one of the "down" sides for a believer is that you also become painfully aware of the sin in yourself.

No, this isn't a statement of self-flagellation or poor self-esteem. It is a fact: we all fall short of the glory of God. We are morally-imperfect beings who don't always "try our best" or even admit our imperfections.

But, my sin, my mistakes, my weaknesses and all those times in my life where I really blew it, are there. And, most of them will still be present in me, at least this side of heaven.

And, if the story ended there, life would be nothing but despair and hopelessness. Fortunately, the story, and this wonderful bible verse doesn't.

Look at the second part of the verse: "...according to Your steadfast love remember me..." (italics mine). Yes, the psalmist pleads with God to remember him, but not his sin.

And, if we let scripture interpret scripture, the counsel of God tells us that He does exactly that. God remembers us, not our sin. We are not defined by our sin. We are defined by His love for us. His Father-ship. Our son (or daughter)-ship. His righteousness that has been reckoned to us.

What do names like John Wilkes Booth, Al Capone or Benedict Arnold have in common? They are men who have been remembered for crimes they committed. Never mind that these men may have been sons, brothers, fathers or friends to someone. That part of history is not recorded or read too often.

Thank God that my personal history written in the Book of Life will not highlight my sins or the poor choices I have made in my life. It will record the fact that Jesus died on the cross, that my sins were nailed to that cross with Him, and that I am included as one of the children of God. Period.

Maybe when God thinks of me, He thinks of Aya the mom, Aya the actress, Aya the wife, Aya the one who loves corn on the cob every summer and drinks soy milk lattes. Maybe He smiles when He remembers that I love to snuggle with my cat Penny and I call my border collie "Poopie Dog."

Maybe.

I just know that He doesn't see the sin, the monumental mistakes and acts of rebellion I've been guilty of. He sees me, only me.

And He loves me. Thank you, LORD. That's the best news yet.

Week #9 Psalm 121:1-2 "Focusing on God"

2011-03-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

"I lift my eyes up to the hills - - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."

I often wondered what the writer of this psalm was thinking when he looked to the hills. As I have been told over the years, the hills surrounding Jerusalem were fraught with danger. Thieves hid in the hills, waiting to rob the unfortunate and defenseless traveler. I have been told that psalms such as these are talking about our needing God's help and protection during those times when we are literally or figuratively wandering through the hills of life.

Yes, that makes sense, but that is not all that resonated with me tonight...or during this week as I meditated on this wonderful scripture.

I also read a beautiful story about a woman's eyesight and the advice her doctor gave her. It seems that woman's job demanded constant close-up reading, which was straining her eyes. The doctor told her she needed to rest her eyes more often, and asked her what she could see out her window at her workplace. She answered that she could see mountains and hills.

The physician replied that she needed to look at the mountains for 10-20 minutes a day to feel better.

And thus, it is with the eyes of our soul. We spend so much time focusing on our problems and immediate circumstances. We need to look up, to the LORD, for the proper spiritual perspective and help.

I am guilty of this. I find it easy to be overwhelmed with my immediate circumstances, thinking that those circumstances are my universe. And what advice do I find myself listening to? The well-meaning words of my friends, associates, self-help books and popular culture. Yes, many voices within our culture try to sound "inspiring" and "healing," but I need to keep listening with more discernment. In some cases, I shouldn't listen at all.

Where I live, I have a gorgeous view of the bay. And what is beyond that bay off into the distant horizon? On a clear day, I can gaze upon the Olympic Mountains.

Simply looking up to the mountains reminds me that there is majesty, power and greatness beyond my circumstances. I can see something beautiful that isn't affected by my neighborhood, the gulch below my street or even the wonderful bay beyond that.

In other words, I need to keep on being heavenly-minded. "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." God is the One who will guide me, provide for me and help me through the circumstances in life that overwhelm me. I need to look beyond myself. I and my problems are not the center of the universe.

Looking at those Olympic Mountains (and if I travel a few blocks away in another direction, I can gaze upon Mt. Rainier) reminds me of that. It comforts and encourages.

Oh, and one more thing. Focusing on God, when we are so spiritually near-sighted is difficult. We can't always see Him in our lives. So it is living in the Pacific Northwest. With all our clouds and rain, I can't always see the mountains. But I know they're there. Just like I know God is there.

Wow...there IS a spiritual advantage to living in rain country! Praise God.

Week #8 James 1:21 "Love God, Love Others"

2011-02-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

Nobody ever said that living the Christian life (or the life of faith, regardless of the religion) was politically correct or popular. It never has been. It never will be.

Take this verse from the book of James, for instance. Wow....to even suggest that our prevailing culture contains elements of "moral filth" and "evil" is to, at best, have others roll their eyes at us. At worst, it is to be sneered at, insulted, beaten, and generally ex-communicated from "regular" society.

Isn't this verse, and its moral charge to us, the fodder for late night comedians and their Christian stereotypes? Never mind the TV comics, how about our neighbors, co-workers, family members and (in my case) fellow theatre artists who dismiss the Christian faith as silly, close-minded, bigoted and out-moded?

This is nothing new. This attitude towards the people of God has been around....well, since there has been a people of God. Remember, Noah was a preacher of righteousness, but never won any popularity contests. Other prophets of the LORD were beaten, cast out and some were killed for their message. Joseph was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his own brothers for speaking forth God's prophecy.

So for me, a 21st century American believer, to live out this charge from James, is to live IN this world, but not be subject TO this world. What does this mean for me? It's not easy to explain, but here goes:

I live IN this world, with all its moral and intellectual content that either dishonors God or refuses to acknowledge He even exists.

I also live in a world that contains people who desperately need to know Him. These people will never have a shred of hope of meeting God if I don't invite them into my life.

So, I must meet people where they are, not expect them to come to where I am. That means meeting them in their world, the same world that denies God and might even ridicule His followers.

So, I the individual and we the Body of Christ, must join them, non-judgementally and on terms they can understand and even enjoy (remember Jesus enjoying meals with the tax collectors and sinners?). BUT (here's the punchline...) we don't have to adopt the values and thoughts of the world they live in, in order to invite them into our lives.

This also means that I choose not to recoil from the sin in the world, because, after all, I'm a sinner, too. I can call out sin for what it is: missing the mark of God's righteousness, but I don't have to lay judgmental attitudes on others. I just have to lift up Jesus (and His word planted in me) and love others.

So...I do want to get rid of moral filth and evil within my heart. That's God's work in me. And what about the evil within others who deny Him? Well, that's God's work as well. I just need to love others in their world, and let that love lead them to search for God. I'll let Him do the rest.

Week #7 Psalm 71:8 "A Definition of Praise"

2011-02-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

"My mouth is filled with Your praise, declaring Your splendor all day long."

PRAISE: (definition)

1. "psalm," "confession," "thanksgiving," "glorify," "to stretch out the hand." The word comes from the Latin pretium, "price," or "value," and may be defined generally as an ascription of value or worth.

(International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

2. (v.) To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works; to do honor to; to display the excellence of; -- applied especially to the Divine Being. (Webster's Dictionary)

These definitions of "praise" are important to me. If I attempt to apply this truth from Psalm 71:8, I need a good grasp of the term "praise." It got me thinking, about what praise really is, and whether or not I am actually doing it.

You see, I have a slight problem when it comes to praise. Praising God is oftentimes associated in the Psalms with gladness, dancing and singing. But, as a Christian who struggles with depression, I can't always bring myself to sing, dance or feel glad. Does this mean I'm not capable of praise?

That's when I looked at the aforementioned definitions of the word "praise." I have to say, they made me feel a whole lot better. Praise, at least by these definitions, doesn't necessarily require any particular emotion, such as happiness or even a good mood, or motoric behavior, such as dance.

To praise is to acknowledge who God is, and to give honor to who He is. Period.

If you doubt my interpretation, consider this. David, in many of his psalms, such as in Ps. 143, spoke honestly to the LORD about his pain, his trials and his suffering. He wasn't dancing and singing at that moment. But notice what he says in verse 6: "I stretch out my hands to You, my soul thirsts for You like a parched land." "Stretch out his hand"...in other words, praise.

And take Job, as another example. Though he wailed about his enormous suffering, even pronouncing that God was "slaying him" (Job. 13:15), look what Job said just before that (Job 12:13): "With Him are wisdom and might. To Him belong counsel and understanding." In other words, he was acknowledging God's attributes. Sounds like praise to me.

What an enormous relief that is. Even in my darkest moments of sadness, I can still praise God honestly and truthfully. No, I don't have to put on a happy face, or force myself to dance, sing and shout "hallelujah." I can sit at the feet of my LORD and acknowledge who He is.

Of course, if all that meditation about God's attributes and blessing starts to bring a smile - an honest, sincere smile - to my face, all the better.

But even if it doesn't, God can still inhabit the praise of his people regardless of their mood. Why not? He's a big God, and can do anything.

Week #6 Proverbs 15:16 "I'd Rather Be Rich"

2011-02-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

"Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil."

The 1964 movie "I'd Rather Be Rich" starring Sandra Dee, Robert Goulet and Andy Williams had a bouncy, catchy theme song that declared,

"Well, I've been poor, and I've been rich,

And now that I know which is which,

I'd rather be rich, rather be rich,

Rather be rich!!"

Who wouldn't agree to a statement like that? After a long, hard work week, probably most of us would.

And I can honestly say that, in my own lifetime, I have been poor (praise God that He took good care of me during those days...another story in itself) and have been rich...and I know which is which.

Lest you think I am now going to say the self-denying, religious thing and tell you that I would rather be poor... think again. I would really rather not go back to the days when I lived paycheck to paycheck and had to cut back, or completely cut out, things that other Americans consider to be "essentials."

But now that life is economically much easier for me, I do have to take this proverb to heart. The bible is full of admonishments to us about the effects money can have on our lives and our character. 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil, and has caused many to wander from the faith. Ecclesiastes says that those who love money will ultimately never be satisfied by it.

For these reasons, I consider my "wealth" to be a gracious trust given to me by God. Many have proven that they can't handle any great amount of wealth in their lives. I thank God that He has entrusted me with the finances He has given to me.

But, what I have also learned, is that being entrusted with "wealth" is more than just money management and exercising financial savvy. It also is about life management. Faith management. Heart management.

In 1 Timothy, Paul talks about how money can make some wander from the faith. He is not just talking about whom we trust, but whom we love. I knew that when "wealth" came into my life, I needed to run to God, more than ever.

Yes, when I was poorer in the pocketbook, I ran to God so He would provide for me. Now that some would call me "rich," I run to God, so that I might not forget Him or start to rely on myself and my bank account.

Wealth can be taken away from us in an instant. In this rough economy, we have seen too many examples of this. But there is something that can never be taken away from us. You guessed it. It's written in Romans 8. "Nothing can separate us from the love of God."

That, dear Readers, is our true wealth. God loves us. The God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills loves us. All that He has is ours. We...His prodigal children... will share in His riches in heaven. One day, we will all be "rich." Rich with blessings, rich with joy, all while living in the mansion in heaven He has prepared for us.

So, how can we define "rich"? Those who wait on the LORD and His kingdom. And "poor"? Those who rely and deny. Rely on their own wealth, and deny the One who provided it.

If that is the definition of "rich," then yeah.....I'll sing along with Robert Goulet and Andy Williams. "I'd rather be rich, rather be rich, rather be RICH!" because I never want to go back to the days when I didn't know the LORD.

Week #5 Jeremiah 17:7 "Trusting God"

2011-02-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him."

Trust....that is such a difficult concept for me to practice. Jeremiah reminds us that, without trust in God, we have no lasting basis for our confidence.

Good advice, that. However, hard to put into action.

On an earthly level, it seems logical and natural to put our trust in competent and talented people, such as our doctors and our financial advisors, especially if they prove their good track record in taking care of our physical and fiscal health.

And for those of us who are naturally talented (not me!), it is easy to put our trust in our own good education and hard work.

Now, it's not a bad thing to trust others, such as our medical practitioners and financial gurus to help us make wise decisions about our lives. It is also good to use the wisdom, education and skill that God has given us to make even more good choices in life. These decisions are usually things we can see, understand and analyze.

But, what about the things I can't see? When my car has broken down on the freeway, and I can't see where the money will come from to pay the mechanic, or when a loved one falls into dangerously poor health, or wanders far from the God he or she once knew, how do I trust the LORD in those circumstances when I can't see any reasonable solution or way out?

Okay...maybe those examples are a bit dramatic. Truth be told, the trust issues I wrestle with in my everyday life are more simple. Like trusting God to help me put one foot in front of the other and make it through my day when I feel depressed or sick.

Sometimes it means trusting God to give me those little things I need and maybe some that I just "want" in order to get through the week, such as a second chance, energy, a good attitude, an opportunity to meet new friends, peace of mind, an idea for what to cook for dinner, a solution to a nagging problem.....fill in the blank here with whatever "everyday" thing I need to trust God for.

Isn't it funny? I seem to be able to call up enough faith and trust for "big" things, such as, years ago, when I needed a new car and had no money. (Yes, the LORD provided for that, miraculously!)

But, to trust God to help me find those missing car keys or the whereabouts of my cat because it's time to give her her medicine....that's another story. I guess I tend to think that God is only interested in the biggies of life, not the mundane.

But wait. There is no mundane for God. He is supremely interested in all areas of our lives. Not because He's bored and has nothing better to do than to watch our banal lives. He loves us. All details of our lives, of US, are of importance to Him.

When the children of Israel complained to God about their troubles, how did He respond? He simply reminded them of His faithfulness and providence in the past. In other words, He reminded them of His track record in their lives.

Jeremiah 17 is a wonderful reminder of trusting God. I need to remember to trust in Him, period. I used to tell a good Christian friend of mine named Rhonda that I liked to sit back and watch "The God and Rhonda Show." God had proven His faithfulness in Rhonda's life so often that I have come to expect miracles in her life, and have been a witness to many of them.

It's time for me to watch "The God and Aya Show" now. That show will be just as miraculous. Same screenwriter, same producer, same director, same God.

Thanks, Jeremiah, for the reminder. Let the show begin.

Week #4 Acts 4:10-12 "Jesus Saves, Jesus Heals"

2011-01-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

"Know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is "the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone." Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Healed....a word that I love. It conjures up so many wonderful God-images in my mind. I'm not necessarily talking about physical ailments and infirmities, although God is able to heal our physical wounds and sicknesses. Yes, I believe that. Even in the face of heart-breaking diseases, I can still say that God can heal.

But the truth also remains that God does not always "cure" a physical ailment. But, He does heal. He just doesn't always heal in a way (or the "condition") that we expect.

In this passage, Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin to defend themselves. What horrible, sinful act had they committed? They healed a man paralyzed from birth.

But the religious powers-that-be demanded an explanation, "by what power or what name do you do this?" After all, what Peter and John had done caused quite an uproar in town. People were praising God for what they saw, and the healed man was "walking and leaping and praising God" for what He had done for him.

No, the Pharisees didn't want to know the name of Jesus so they, too, could worship Him. They wanted to hear Jesus' name so they could try to discredit Him.

But I noticed Peter and John's explanation. First, they declared the name of Jesus Christ. Second, they proclaimed His healing. Then they preached His salvation, saying that it "is found in no one else."

I want healing. On the surface, I want healing from all the aches and pains my middle-aged body suffers. I also want healing from the bouts of depression I experience. But, if I dig deeply into my inner-most being, what I really want is healing from my alone-ness, my sinfulness and my shame.

Will becoming a Christian heal these things? Not always instantly, and not necessarily in the way we imagine He might.

Look at the "ailments" in my heart of hearts: alone-ness, sinfulness and shame. Guess who took care of that on the cross? And guess who has the power to heal all that...and more?

As for the depression, I can trust Him for that, too. It'll take work, and trust, and more work. But together Jesus and I (and my wonderful Christian counselor) can walk through the valley of the shadow of depression. Healing will happen gradually, in stages and in His time. And I am expecting wonderful things to arise from that process of pain and healing.

I know there is power in the name of Jesus. There is healing in the name of Jesus. But there is salvation in the name of Jesus. Even though most in our society have also rejected the stone that the builders rejected, I cannot.

I shouldn't be afraid to declare His salvation, because I've already testified to His power and healing in my life, both from physical ailments and ailments of my heart and spirit. After all, healing is a nice touchy-feely thing to declare.

But, I should not be ashamed of Jesus' salvation. He has both saved me and healed me. Others may roll their eyes and patronize me saying, "Well, Jesus is fine if it works for you, it just doesn't work for me."

Re-read verse 12: "...for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." I am not ashamed to say this: Jesus does work for me. He works for you. He works for everyone, because, there is no other name by which we can be saved. Or healed.

That, I believe, is the truth.

Week #3 1 John 5:21 "The Battle for Our Hearts and Minds"

2011-01-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."

I pondered this week how God would have me apply this verse to my own life? At the outset, this seems like a slam-dunk of a verse to understand. It's pretty straightforward: stay away from idols.

1 John was written as a reaction to a religion/philosophy that was prevalent in John's day: gnosticism. The particular false god he is referring to here is the gnostic worldview and, more specifically, their erroneous view of Christ and man.

We may not have gnostic philosophers bombarding our society or invading our churches in America, but we are bombarded with world views that do not honor or acknowledge God. I see this warning, to stay away from idols, as an encouragement to me in my personal quest to find balance in my life between the world of popular culture and the pursuit of personal holiness. Allow me to explain.

As I have been taught to always look at the greater context of any bible verse, I peeked at 1 John 4 and 5, and observed what that had to say. First, it talks about how we believers need to "test the spirits" of the messages we receive in our lives. Are they from the Spirit of truth or the spirit of lies? This tells me that discerning between the two is not being judgmental. It is being wise.

It also talks about how the true test of a believer is love. Do we love God and love one another? It is, after all, God who loved us first, so how can we not make love our aim? God is telling us to live our lives with graciousness, kindness, forgiveness and patience. No fire and brimstone personalities needed.

And then, it talks about how our faith in Christ means eternal life and understanding of the true God, despite what the world will try to tell us.

When we know in our hearts and minds that we have eternal life and that Jesus is the One True God, the battle for our hearts and minds has already been won. I don't have to either "sell out" to the world and adopt their values and attitudes, or "hide out" from the world, keep company with only other believers and totally ignore all influences of our "secular" culture and art. I can face the world, and all it's godless messages, and have peace in my heart. For 1 John 4:4 tells us that "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world."

So, I will have peace in my heart as I stay away from idols, or false gods. I will know that I am not being anti-social or unbalanced when I abstain from watching or listening to certain celebrities or movies (and yes, even some theatrical productions). And on those occasions I am forced to look an idol in the face, I can call upon my LORD, who is greater than any idol in the world.

So, I can be IN the world without being OF the world. Yes, that's what that old saying means....

Week #2 Luke 5:27-28 "Following Jesus"

2011-01-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

"After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him."

When people think of scripture memorization, they usually don't think of a verse like this. This isn't one of those Promise Verses or Blessing Verses. You know, the ones that state one of God's promises or blessings to those who follow Him.

The above verses, from the Gospel of Luke, does indeed contain the words "follow me," but there doesn't appear to be a specific promise or blessing attached to it. Not exactly your stereotypical Sunday School memory verse.

But, there are at least three things contained in these verses that encourage me, re-assure me and yes, hint at God's promises and blessings.

First of all, this story (imagine that, a 2-sentence story) is about Levi, the tax collector. Tax collectors in the Roman Empire were famous for extorting much more money than was due, in order to line their own pockets. They were greedy and self-serving. In other words, not a whole lot different than the rest of us sinners, if we were to be truly honest with ourselves.

What an encouragement to me, the chief sinner of Tacoma, WA, that Jesus Himself calls not the saintly, but the sinner to follow Him. It means His salvation, His blessings and the privilege of serving Him include me. I am not disqualified, regardless of my past and my present.

Second, I noticed that Levi was in the midst of his "evil-doing," when Jesus gave him "the call." He was sitting at his tax booth, not praying at Sunday morning service or volunteering at a social service project. He was doing his day-to-day activity, which included doing his daily work, and sinning.

See? Jesus can meet me right here, right now. In the midst of my daily grind, and my sinning, He can and will meet me right where I am. No need to change into my Sunday Best or put on that holy behavior to make myself acceptable. Jesus wants me. The real me. Not my idealized self.

And finally, Levi left everything and followed Jesus. I pondered whether this meant that I needed to leave behind my life, my work and the things I hold dear in order to "legitimately" follow Him.

I immediately recalled Luke 3:12-13. John the Baptist was asked by repentant tax collectors what they should do in order to be baptized. Instead of telling them to stop being tax collectors, he told them to "collect no more than the amount prescribed for (them)." Tax collection was, after all, a necessary job in society. In other words, keep your job, but do it in a way that glorifies God.

What this tells me is this: Some times, we are Levi. Levi had a special calling on his life, to be one of the 12 apostles. When God calls you to a specific ministry or place, we need to drop everything, if need be, and follow Him.

Other times, our call to discipleship means we should stay where we are, but to do our work in a way that glorifies Him. We don't all need to be in "full-time ministry" or on the mission field. We can be followers of Christ at the supermarket, at the office and yes, while blogging and doing theatre.

I like that. No, not because it "works for me" and makes me feel good. I like it because it is truth.

Praise God for His word.

Week #1 Isaiah 26:9 "My Heavenly and My Earthly Father"

2011-01-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

"My soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You. When Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness."

What a marvelous verse from the prophet Isaiah. Yes, I have memorized this, and have pondered and prayed about it this week. I have expected that God will teach me something valuable through it. Expectancy is, I believe, one of the keys to hearing what God has to teach us. I *expect* Him to teach me. Not just *hope* He will.

I read the first two phrases in this verse this week, and I totally got that. "My soul yearns for You...my spirit longs for You." Yes, God is my heavenly Father, so this little girl (me) longs to be with her Daddy.

Then there's the second half of the verse. "When Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the earth learn righteousness."

Yes, I get that as well. God's judgment is righteous, and we mere mortals should shiver and quake at the coming of the Eternal Judge.

What I pondered all week is the juxtaposition of the two ideas. We yearn and long for God, and (or perhaps, "therefore") we learn righteousness by His judgments. This puzzled me at first. Does this suggest that we believers yearn and long for God's judgment? Yikes!

I then recalled my earthly father. He was a man of few words, but when he disapproved of our actions, we knew it. All it took was a glance or a short phrase....and my siblings and I understood that we had done wrong.

But, he taught us his values: hard work, respectful behavior, sacrifice for the people and things that are worthwhile, and not to bring shame to the family. These were good things. And I understood the value in being a part of our little family. I yearned and longed to be a part of my family. I never saw this so clearly as after I moved away from my home state of Washington and lived alone in California...away from my family.

I realized the worth of my father's values and principles. Especially after becoming a Mom myself, I saw the value of the discipline and "judgments" of my father. It made me a part of my family, and of our shared values and love.

So it is with God. His children yearn for His Fatherhood, and to be His children. So, His judgments make us a part of His family. If God had just left us alone to "do our own thing" throughout history, we wouldn't really be members of the family of God. We'd be illegitimate children, running wild and without love and discipline. Not even spoiled, more like "neglected."

Do I look forward to God's judgments? Not really. But I really do long for my Heavenly Father. The whole package. Not just the touchy-feely parts that some in the church love to "market" to the public.

I want to be His little girl. I want Him to be my Daddy. And I know it will all end well. Because my Daddy loves me that much.

A New Year and a New Goal

2011-01-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

2010 was an extraordinary year. I set a goal to see 52 theatrical productions, and ended up watching a whopping 68 shows. All those shows are still chronicled in the preceding entries 1-70.

Now it is a new year, a new decade. Time to begin another challenge, a new resolution.

Yes, my support of Seattle/Tacoma theatre continues, but 2011 will be the year I memorize more Scripture and, hopefully, discern what God would have me learn through them.

The beauty of theatre is evident when an actor takes the words on the page and brings them to life. The tragedy of theatre is that its beauty is short-lived. It is not eternal. After the typical 4-weekend run is over, only the memories remain from the show. And, even that lives for only a brief while.

But, Isaiah 40:8 tells us: "The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of the LORD endures forever."

In the year 2011, I choose to live with eternity in my heart and mind. I will set my eyes upon Jesus Christ. I choose to meditate on His Word and to hide it in my heart.

And theatre? I will be there as well. But not primarily as an audience member. My other resolution for 2011 is to be ON stage more. I learned a lot from my year in the audience. This year I will implement what I learned. You will be able to read all about it in my other blog, "All My Life's A Stage."

As for God's Word in my life? Stay tuned. The best is yet to come. To God be the Glory.

Expose Yourself to Live Theatre

2010-12-29T11:02:00.002-08:00

The goal was 52 shows. The result was 68.

Want a look at the statistics for the year? Here they are:

# of shows seen: 68

# of theaters visited: 30

# of shows I saw that I didn't like: 13

# of actors I saw who deserve a Tony Award for his performance: 2

# of theaters for whom we now hold season tickets and/or membership: 5

# of theaters which we financially supported: 9

# of theaters where I volunteered my time and/or labor: 4

Please pay attention to the last 3 statistics. You see, I am not bragging. I am just making a point, which is, that exposing yourself to the wonders of live theatre will create a marvelous impact on your life. You will be changed, for the better. Even if your experience never goes beyond your time in the audience, it will still change YOU, in some small way.

So, expose yourself to theatre. You won't be sorry.

Thanks to my husband Randy for graciously posing for this photo.

Show #68 "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at Lakewood Playhouse

2010-12-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

No disrespect is intended to the Lakewood Playhouse, but when hearing that this show was on their season schedule, I would have called this play, "The Most Overdone Christmas Play Ever."

I mean, EVERYONE seems to do this show at one time or another. There are theaters who make this show an annual event. There are churches who perform this in place of an actual Christmas pageant. Imagine that.

The last time I saw this show, it was a youth production at a church where my then-teenaged son performed as the Dad, Mr. Bradley. Next to A Christmas Carol, this is probably the second most performed holiday show around. Can't prove that, but not too many folks will argue the point.

At first, it's hard to see why. The script is dated, with small town church references that come from a bygone era (say, about 40 years ago), and a view of childhood that sometimes strains credibility.

Barbara Robinson wrote the book her play is based on in 1972. Yep, it feels like it. Even with the child actors in Lakewood's production in 21st century dress, it can't disguise the fact that the story should have come from MY childhood days, not theirs.

But, wait. This play is not simply about a family of ruffians who come from a broken home and terrorize the other kids in their town. It's about a Christmas pageant. A re-telling of why we celebrate the season to begin with. A story about a young Jewish couple who travel far from home, can't get a room at the inn, and give birth to their baby son in a barn. It's about Jesus.

Jesus, the baby who changed the world. The savior who still changes the world, by changing people's hearts. Yeah, THAT Jesus.

I guess no matter the format, script, or staging, the story of the first Christmas still stirs our hearts. It should. It was a miracle.

Theatre has its own miracles. One of them is this: that Man (in this case, Woman) can take a "tired old script" that is used, over-used and used once again, and somehow, make it move the audience. It can still bring a tear to the eye of a burnt-out theatre goer who's already seen 67 shows before this one.

Is this miracle thanks to theatre, or thanks to God? I would guess that it's both. God and theatre, working together.

Sound implausible? No...it sounds like the perfect partnership.

Praise God for His indescribable Gift.

Photography thanks to Dean Lapin Photography

Show #67 "Tacoma's Best Holiday Show" with Ensemble 915

2010-12-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

There is a term that strikes terror in the hearts of some actors (including me). That word is "improv."

For those who were big fans of the show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" improv (or the full word, improvisation) can be a barrel of laughs when put in the right hands. Unfortunately, my hands are the wrong ones for this genre of theatre.

Ensemble 915 is an adult actor's class that is offered through the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tacoma. Every Monday evening, a hardy troupe of actors meet to hone their theatrical skills and take artistic risks in a safe, encouraging environment. This showcase, which is their culminating project for the fall quarter, was an original one-act play written by local playwright Bryan Willis.

The characters were created from improvisations by the actor/students themselves. Stories from their own lives, or the lives of those they know (or totally made up) were put center stage and woven into the story by Mr. Willis. In this case, it was the story of a holiday talent show.

The ensemble of actors ranged from college-aged theatre students to seasoned professionals. It was an encouraging mix of age, gender and ethnicity, but that would explain why the story of a talent competition was conceived for this showcase. That is a story using every type of person imaginable.

The playwright and director (I assume) also hoped for a lot of audience participation. The "emcee" continually asked for volunteers from the audience to come on stage and perform in the talent show. There was one brave soul who came forward and recited poetry. Other than that, the rest of us remained silently glued to our seats. No impromptu performance for me!

All in all, it was an interesting evening. I especially enjoyed seeing a church friend, Paul, get on stage and perform the most moving monologue of the evening.

The best thing about Ensemble 915 is witnessing the fruits of an actor's "continuing ed." All professionals need continuing ed. In some cases (such as in my field: occupational therapy), it's the law. There are no real laws governing acting, but to see actors strive for the highest level of professionalism in their field, is admirable.

Photo courtesy of The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts

Show #66 "A Child's Christmas in Wales" at Stone Soup Theatre

2010-12-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

There must be something completely lovable about a "memory play." That, for those who aren't familiar with this term, refers to a play that is based on someone's memories from their past. "A Child's Christmas in Wales" is based on the poetry of Dylan Thomas, and captures his fond memories of childhood in Wales.

Audiences love this kind of reminiscence. It evokes thoughts of tradition, family and celebration. Stone Soup Theatre has found this particular story hits the target every holiday season. In fact, this is their 5th year in staging this same Christmas show. Tonight, it played to a more-than-capacity crowd.

The young actors involved were students from Stone Soup's Youth Theatre Conservatory. The adults in the cast were professional actors. This much I knew going into the evening. What I didn't know was how much the young actors (ranging in age from 7 years old and up) contributed to the show.

Even before the show began, two young boys in the cast were selling concessions. Not from a table or booth in the lobby, but from center stage. While audience members took their seats, these fine fellows very eloquently offered us cookies and hot cider. Then, three lovely young girls serenaded us with a string trio: 2 on violin and 1 on cello.

As the story opened, these young performers sat in rapt attention as their "mother and father" shared childhood memories of Christmas traditions, family gatherings, cherished gifts and holiday meals. The other adult actors played various roles, as assorted neighbors and relatives. Music was provided by a violin and guitar and from a melodic trio of singers.

But the most impressive part of the evening was watching the children perform in multiple roles, some playing both child and adult characters, and how they also doubled as stage crew, dancers and musicians.

So many times, when there is a play involving adult and child actors, the children are not much more than set dressing as the adults take the spotlight. Not so with "A Child's Christmas in Wales." All actors, both young and not-so-young, were part of a perfect ensemble, all contributing equally to the telling of the story.

I have seen another work by Dylan Thomas, "Under Milkwood," and found the play to be a marvelous actor's exercise, but a bore for an audience member. But "A Child's Christmas in Wales" was just right. Not too long, not too short. Its sentimentality was warm, not corny.

I can see why Stone Soup has made this a staple for their holiday season. And I love seeing a cast playing to a sold-out house.

Congratulations, Stone Soup! You did good. And....you sure picked a great stage manager for your show, too.

Photo courtesy of Stone Soup Theatre

Show #65 "Annie" at Tacoma Little Theatre

2010-12-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

Most people would find this very annoying, but I don't.

No, I'm NOT implying that the musical "Annie" is annoying, although some might say so. What I'm saying is that some folks would be driven crazy by the phenomenon that occurs after you see a musical with catchy songs. Yes, the songs keep playing over and over in your head for the rest of the evening. Argghhhhh.....

Luckily, I am one of those types that love the songs from this musical. I don't mind a bit. I might be driving my husband Randy bonkers right now with my "belting" of my favorite tunes from "Annie," but he can take it. He has to. It was part of our marriage vows, you know, for better or for worse.

I first heard the soundtrack for the original Broadway production back in 1977. That was the year I moved from my life-long home in Seattle down to Los Angeles to attend USC. I had a rough time adjusting. It was hard being away from my family and friends. I felt like an orphan.

On a plane ride home to visit family for Christmas, I listened to "Annie" on the airplane's music system. I fell in love instantly. This was the musical that spoke to the "orphaned" part of me. Annie's optimism and spunk was (okay, so this is really corny) actually inspiring.

Other people call the music from "Annie" schmaltzy. I call it toe-tapping fun.

Thankfully, I no longer feel like that orphan. I have my family around me, a wonderful husband by my side and two extraordinary sons nearby. Now "Annie" speaks to the little girl in me who dreamed of singing and dancing in a musical. The same little girl whose eyes were glued to the television as Shirley Temple tap danced and the Mouseketeers sang.

I'm middle-aged now, but still dream those same dreams. No, I haven't got the talent to actually pull off what these performers did tonight at Tacoma Little Theatre. I could never do that as well as they did. That's why I still dream. In my dreams, I can do all that....and more.

That's why Annie's optimism and dreams inspire me even today. That's why I can't help but drive my husband crazy by singing those schmaltzy songs. Try it. It really helps.

Everyone, sing! "The sun will come out tomorrow...."

Photo courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #64 "Oliver!" at St. Luke's Community Theater

2010-11-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

I started off the evening not sure what to expect. Would this production of Oliver! be an entertaining, quality show or would I have to endure two hours of amateur-ish performers who had this collective delusion that they were doing theatre?

All I knew for sure was that I was excited about this whole concept called St. Luke's Community Theater Group. It is the perfect blend and partnership between two of my favorite entities: the community of faith and the community of theatre.

The folks at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Federal Way have been doing theatre for years. When they re-modeled and expanded their sanctuary over a decade ago, their then-pastor informed me that the new sanctuary was designed for both worship and theatre. What a marvelous thing!

And it still is marvelous. The stage is built right over the spot where sermons are preached and worship music is sung. Multiple exits/entrances were built into the frame of the sanctuary, as well as an orchestra pit. From the pews in the audience, there was not a bad seat in the house. Yes, this space works marvelously for a large cast musical.

There was no actual preaching going on in the theatre. In the last two pages of the program, there was information printed about the church, their staff and the schedule for worship services. Just a simple, low-key invitation to join them on any Sunday to praise God.

The best part of this whole wonderful arrangement? You guessed it, it was their production of Oliver! It was also marvelous! This "burned out" theatre patron was revived once again!!

I can't say for sure, but the cast appeared to be a combination of St. Luke's church members and other actors from the greater theatre community. The youngest performers were only pre-schoolers, portraying either orphans or Fagin gang-wannabes (or both). The other young actors were anywhere from early elementary school through high school ages. All were professional and focused in their demeanor and were a pure joy to watch.

The adults were a mixed bag of performers, but my friend Mizu and I were pleased with the quality of most of the principal actors. Of course, this shouldn't surprise me. If a community of Christians is going to use theatre as one of their avenues to draw in the greater community of Federal Way, doing "bad" theatre would not help their cause, nor would it necessarily glorify God.

But, praise God, these theatre artists are also believers who can sing, act and dance. I've always believed in using your talents and interests for the glory of God. Here is an entire church dedicated to this very thought!

Oliver! made for a perfect evening of theatre. The music from the show had me singing all the way home. The blending of Christian outreach and the arts made me sing praises to the LORD. Mizu and I discussed on the drive home about the long association between art and the church. (If you don't believe me, listen again to the music of JS Bach and review the art on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.) St. Luke's continues this sacred tradition.

Thank you, St. Luke's. The glory of the LORD shone upon you last evening!

Thanks to Oliver! cast member Mitchell Chinn for posing for this photo.

Show #63 "Three Tall Women" at Seattle Repertory Theatre

2010-11-10T22:50:00.001-08:00

Okay...it's now official. I am officially "burned out" from seeing all these theatrical productions. I am kind of impressed with myself that it took 63 shows before it happened. But, it did happen. The crazy lady who has spent this year occupying more theatre seats than I care to admit, is finally petering out.

So I guess it isn't really "fair" to the Seattle Repertory Theatre and to the cast and crew of "Three Tall Women" that I went into this evening's viewing with a sense of "I don't really want to be here."

But, then again, maybe it is fair. After all, I was feeling burned out before I saw "Reefer Madness" (Show #57), but left the theatre that night feeling energized and renewed. Tonight, however, I simply left burned out.

Edward Albee's play is actually an interesting study of one person's life presented with some fascinating and innovative writing conventions. Suppose you are a lady in her 90s, in your last days of life, and you had the opportunity to witness a conversation between your 26 year old, 52 year old and elderly selves? What would you say to yourself? What would you reveal about your present thoughts, future events and past failures? Interesting premise....

But, the story was basically very sad. It was painful. It was even a bit pretentious. But it was NOT what I needed to see or experience tonight. Not after seeing at least 50 other shows this year that captivated me in ways this one wouldn't.

Notice I say "wouldn't" rather than "couldn't." That's how I felt about Albee's story. It CHOSE not to captivate or endear me. It CHOSE to horrify me with the tale of a shallow, useless life.

But, then again.... is this my burn-out speaking, or is this how I might feel even if I were refreshed and enthusiastic?

I choose to believe the latter.

I will also choose to see a couple more shows before the end of the year. I will see the shows that I have very good reasons to attend. And I will enjoy them.

I will also choose NOT to see a few other shows that normally I would attend. I have my reasons for that as well.

Although I have a couple of friends who have seen an incredible amount of theatre this year (many, many more shows than I have seen), most folks I know think seeing 63 shows is quite a lot. It's more than I thought I'd see.

But enough is enough. It's been a wonderful year. There will be a few more blog posts after this, but not at such a rapid pace. I've enjoyed myself at the theatre. I'm just tired. Let me rest, please?

Photograph courtesy of Seattle Repertory Theatre and photographer Chris Bennion

Show #62 "The Transylvanian Clockworks" by The Outfit Theatre Project

2010-11-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

I guess everybody loves a good vampire. Or at least they all seem to love a good vampire story. This is what the folks with The Outfit Theatre Project are counting on, especially this time of year.

Yes, Halloween has come and gone, but The Outfit's run of "The Transylvanian Clockworks" lives on, until Nov. 14th, that is. And it is quite an entertaining tale. It should be, it's the story of Dracula.

Although this play was written by Don Nigro, it is essentially a new and different take on Bram Stoker's classic story. Most of the main characters are the same. Whether this was written in the script, or was the invention of the director's vision, "Clockworks" takes on a steam punk look to it.

Hmmmm...there seems to be a trend here. This past week I watched both a staged reading and a fully-staged show with the steam punk and clockwork themes. A coincidence? Yes. A significant trend? Maybe.

I got to admit, before this year, I didn't even know what "steam punk" was. I had never heard that expression before. Had I seen stories/movies that incorporated such themes? Probably. Did I think I was witnessing something within the sci-fi genre that qualifies as a "movement"? No.

But, after googling the term and seeing what the internet gurus had to say about this phenomenon, it told me that it is considered closely connected to the sci-fi and fantasy genres. So, it makes sense that this "out look" would be employed for Maggie Lee's "The Clockwork Professor." This is sci-fi!

But to employ this with the Dracula tale is surprising. Surprising and refreshing, and probably an appropriate way for a new generation to view this old horror tale. In my opinion, Dracula's story can easily become campy for today's audiences, especially in live theatre. But to make this vampire's story a bit of an anachronism, that might sell it to me.

The only problem I had last evening with "Clockworks" was the late night hour. The show was part two of a double feature at Tacoma LIttle Theatre. After enjoying "Eleemosynary" we stayed to watch "Clockworks" at 10pm.

It was too late for this sleepyhead to think real hard. But not too late for me to appreciate the entertainment value of this show.

Photography courtesy of Scott Campbell of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #61 "Eleemosynary" at Tacoma Little Theatre

2010-11-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

The world of theatre is certainly no respecter of persons. What I mean by that is: no matter how "deserving" or "talented" or "well-respected" you are as an actor, that doesn't necessarily mean you will be showered with opportunity for meaty, challenging roles in theatre.

If you're a female, that usually is the case. If you're a female of a certain age (translation: OLD), that DEFINITELY is the case.

With the majority of coveted roles in theatre belonging to men, it is refreshing to see a play with substance and humor that contradicts this trend. "Eleemosynary" is one such play.

This show calls for 3 females. One of the characters is a teenager, the other is her middle-aged mom, and the third is her grandmother. All three roles are intriguing, unique and filled with wonder. What a gem of an opportunity for some talented actresses.

Tacoma Little Theatre has followed up their season opener "Sleuth" (a show requiring 2 males) with a show that requires 3 females. That's playing fair....I like that.

And these three actresses' "playing" is more than fair. Their acting is terrific. How do I know this? Let me tell you....

First, this is a show about grandmother/mother/daughter relationships. But, in this eccentric family, there really are no genuine relationships. There is mostly controlled chaos and estrangement. How these actresses could keep a show like this together and keep us in the audience engaged in the story is a testament to their craft as actors. Somehow in the midst of relational (and life in general) chaos, we chose to care about these remarkable women.

Secondly, this show has a lot of exposition. The actors speak directly to the audience in long, detailed speeches. In fact, they speak to US more often than they speak to one another. We who are seated in the cushy seats in the auditorium become the unwitting confidantes for these women. If that doesn't make us uncomfortable, it should actually bore us after a while. But it didn't. If anything, I found myself wanting to hear MORE of what these actresses told me.

And finally, I came out of the show feeling as though I had just met 3 new friends. Each character was complete...and I considered each to be someone I knew and (at least to a certain extent) understood. That is remarkable. Hats off to not only the playwright Lee Blessing, but to the well-rounded performers who brought these women to life.

Photograph courtesy of Elliot Weiner

Show #60 "The Clockwork Professor" with SIS Writers Group

2010-11-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

By now, I've gone past my original goal of seeing 52 shows during 2010. Quite honestly, the wind has gone out of my sails a bit since then, but sometimes there are events and shows that make the sailboat fly once more.

This show is one of them.

"The Clockwork Professor" is an original script penned by Maggie Lee, a Seattle-based Asian-American playwright who authored the show "Kindred Spirits" that I blogged about this past summer. When I saw "Spirits" last August, I remember thinking how Ms. Lee had a real knack for fun, intriguing story-telling. After seeing this staged reading of "Clockwork," I KNOW she has that gift.

Truth be told, the main reason I came to this reading is because my son Tim is in the cast. But, after seeing this story, Tim's participation became a wonderful bonus to the evening, not simply the main event.

This is a tale that is part sci-fi, part caper flick, part comedy and part steam punk adventure. Put it all together and it is pure, campy fun. (Although I don't really know if Ms. Lee intended it to be campy, but that interpretation by the director only added to my enjoyment.)

"Clockwork" is part of a weekend-long festival called "Insatiable." This is their 5th annual festival showcasing the work of various Asian-American playwrights who are members of the SIS Writers Group in Seattle. And for those who aren't too familiar with the state of Asian-American theatre, you might be in for a pleasant surprise.

Not too long ago, "Asian-American theatre" conjured up images such as dramas about a) the Japanese internment, b) indentured Chinese workers or c) just about any disenfranchised group of immigrants and their struggles against racism.

Take a look at what we Asians have to offer now. Stories of modern day people, coping with issues that could happen to anyone, anywhere. We have comedies, dramas, adventures, sci-fi steam punk capers....you name it. The characters are not necessarily Asians. They could be (and are!!) played by actors of all ethnicities.

Maggie Lee gets that. The SIS Writers get that.

I'm so glad they do. Since the actor's world is probably the last remaining endeavor where one can be hired (or not hired) based solely on one's race, age or gender, it can leave us ethnic minorities out of the mix. I was glad that Tim was able to participate in this reading. I was especially glad he got to play the handsome hero.

Okay....so his character used some stereotypical Asian martial arts moves. That's okay. Most other plays would have had him be the nerdy guy whose only weapon was his pocket calculator.

This is much better. Like the sci-fi inventions in the story, this is a portal that is opening that was once closed to us.

Bravo Maggie!! Keep on writing! The world needs authors like you.

Photograph courtesy of Roger Tang

Show #59 "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" at ACT Theatre

2010-11-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

About 5 years ago, my younger son David and I decided to become season subscribers for Seattle's ACT Theatre. Older brother Tim had just gone off to college, so this would be a perfect Mother/Son sort of activity that David and I wanted to try. After all, how many moms have the pleasure of hearing her high school-aged son suggest, "Mom, let's buy season tickets to a theatre this year"?

The first show of that season was Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman." For months (even a couple of years) afterward, David couldn't stop talking about that play. It was brilliant. It was funny. It was dark and macabre. We loved it.

Now, ACT Theatre is re-visiting Ireland with another of McDonagh's scripts, "The Lieutenant of Inishmore." This, too, is dark and macabre. It's also brilliant and funny. But instead of taking place in a fictional totalitarian society, this takes place on the island of Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off Ireland's West Coast.

This is a story set within the violence and rebellion in Northern Ireland during the latter half of the 20th century. Our "hero" is a lieutenant in the INLA, a splinter group off of the better known (to us Americans) IRA. Padraic oozes anger from every pore of his painfully strong body. He fights for a free Ireland, one that is free from oppressors and criminals.

When we first meet Padraic, he is torturing an accused drug dealer. We are treated first-hand to simulated torture that most of us are unaccustomed to viewing on a mainstage in a respectable part of downtown Seattle.

Get used to it.

There's more.

Well....there's no use going on in detail about the other acts of simulated violence. Just suffice to say it wasn't an evening with Rodgers and Hammerstein. It was closer to an evening with the Cohen Brothers or Quentin Tarantino.

The audience hooted and laughed their way through this story of blood, revenge and the love of a kitty cat. (Oh, did I mention that this play is actually a comedy?) Randy and I enjoyed ourselves immensely. With the exception of a few elements in the show that were "over-produced," it was a brilliant piece of work.

What the most amazing take-away I got from this play was that, in the midst of all the violence, fear and bloodshed, I found myself cherishing the people and animals in my life a bit more.

I found myself wishing that David (who is now away at college himself) had been there to enjoy this show with me. I found myself wishing that Tim could have been there, too. They both would have loved it.

But most important, the first thing I did after returning home, was to hug my kitty Penny. If you get a chance to see "Inishmore," you'll understand why.

Photo courtesy of ACT Theatre and photographer Chris Bennion

Show #58 "Tales of Edgar Allan Poe" at Lakewood Playhouse

2010-10-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

For a fundraiser, it was pretty good. Clever, relatively easy to produce, minimal rehearsal necessary and (I am guessing) low overhead costs. Oh...and did I mention the raffle and wine at intermission?

The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe was performed last evening as a radio play. Three microphones were set on the stage and a group of actors entered, dressed in 1940s style clothing, carrying scripts in their hands.

What we were treated to was a re-creation of a radio show, complete with commercial breaks (mostly for Camel cigarettes) and live sound effects. Three of Poe's works were presented, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven and The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

A company of eight actors provided all the voice characterizations and effects for these stories. These effects included the jingle for Camel cancer sticks, oops, I mean cigarettes....which, by the way, sounded pretty nice.

So, what was this whole event about? This was a fundraising weekend to celebrate Halloween, the Lakewood Playhouse Friends Fund and Artistic Director Marcus Walker's birthday. The show ran two nights, Friday and Saturday. I hear the Friday night crowd packed the house. A good time was had by all.

I came on Saturday night. We were a bit smaller crowd, but enthusiastic nonetheless.

The actors were fun to watch, or should I say, listen to. As a radio play, I found the show was much more effective when NOT being watched. I either closed my eyes during the show, or looked down at the floor. Imagining the whole experience as though I really was listening to my radio was just the trick needed to really be caught up in the stories.

My friend Corrie and I sat with great attention and interest in the front row of section I. You see, both Corrie's husband Joe and my Randy were actors in this event. This was not the first time Corrie and I watched our husbands perform together at this theatre. But it was the first time I enjoyed one of their shows while looking as though I was asleep.

Afterwards, some of the actors asked me if I was bored during the show. They noticed my "sleepy" eyes and wondered. I told them they did a good job, but when I STOPPED looking at them, their performances improved!

I guess that's the way of radio. It's a treat for the ears, not the eyes.

Thanks to cast member David Philips for this photo

Show #57 "Reefer Madness: The Musical" at Burien Little Theatre

2010-10-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Seeing 52 shows in 52 weeks is by no means an accomplishment, especially if you run in theatre circles like I do here in the Seattle/Tacoma community. In Seattle, we are a theatre town. There's lots of it here to see and enjoy. Less so in Tacoma, but Randy and I have seen most of what Tacoma/Pierce County has to offer this season.

But, a goal is a goal. It motivates us to do something that we normally wouldn't do. So...last January, I set my sights on seeing a bit more theatre than the usual.

Now that this goal of 52 shows has been surpassed, it came to no surprise to me that, on our way to the theatre last evening, Randy and I confessed that we are feeling "burned out" by all this theatre viewing.

Alas! What heresy is this? Can the woman primarily known (by some) for parking her rear end into a theatre seat at least 57 times during 2010 be growing wearied by the task?

Burn-out is a common symptom of our American society that is constantly moving in over-drive. We move too fast, too furiously and too often. I am no exception. So, what keeps us going even when we want to put our transmission into "park" and just rest awhile?

Simple. Keep going, and experience something that re-fuels your tank. (Sorry about all the bad car metaphors, don't know what's come over me.)

That "something" for me was to see Burien Little Theatre's slam-bang production of "Reefer Madness: the Musical." Talk about re-feuling my tank....this was high quality, high octane entertainment. It is fun, irreverent, off-the-wall and the perfect cure for burn-out.

Just as I was saying a few weeks back about the show "In the Heights," this play is part of the new wave of live theatre. This is the direction live theatre needs to go, if we are to reach a new generation of viewers. In other words, we need YOUNG rear ends parked in theatre seats if theatre is to survive.

I am glad to report that Randy and I were one of the older people in the audience last night. The house was packed, and was I delighted! I was glad to see young people in the audience laughing and applauding along with the geezers like me.

It helped tremendously that BLT had a strong, well-acted and cleverly staged production to offer. It didn't hurt a bit that the music was fun, performances were right-on and the dancing was astounding (if you like "Dancing with the Stars," Reefer Madness will even give you a dose of ballroom dance!).

BLT is a true success story. Only a few years ago, this theatre group was on the brink of extinction. After experimenting with different genres of plays, it wooed its audience back with some tried-and-true shows but has also found a new audience with cutting edge and off the chart shows such as this.

Yes, even us theatre junkies get a bit burned-out. But what brings us back to life is spending time with a theatrical phoenix like BLT and seeing cutting edge entertainment (yes! it needs to be entertaining...not simply "avant garde") like Reefer.

So....I guess I'm good for another couple of shows, for now. Okay...at least until December 31.

Thanks to Reefer cast member Brad Walker for this photo.

Show #56 "God of Carnage" at Seattle Repertory Theatre

2010-10-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

Three words: "adults behaving badly."

That about sums up the opening show for the Seattle Rep's 2010-2011 season.

Well....okay. I will amend that statement. "Adults behaving badly (with jokes)."

THAT kind of sums up what "God of Carnage" has to offer the audience at the Bagley Wright Theater space at the Seattle Rep.

French playwright Yasmina Reza is a familiar name for me, having seen another work by her, "Art." And despite what I just said in the previous paragraph, her humor is actually not joke-driven. The laughs in her scripts are situational and relationship-driven. Usually, I like that. Not this time.

Whenever an author sets out to skewer something (in this case, the slippery journey known as parenting), I am there. Life must be met with humor, it is made for laughter. Difficult moments in life are made for loud guffaws. How else can we manage those hard times?

But, whatever we laugh at, or laugh with, there must always be one thing that remains in the situation. What is that? It is love. Without love, we are lost. So is our humor.

"God of Carnage" tells the story of two sets of upper income couples who knock heads over a playground spat between their sons. Politeness is the ground rule in the beginning, but soon, the gloves come off and mayhem ensues. Sounds like fun......

But what became apparent to me (and to Randy) as the play developed was that there was precious little love between husband and wife in both couples. And, naturally, none of the four persons on stage were friends with any of the others. So, the insults, flying barbs and temper tantrums failed to amuse us.

As I recalled the old sitcom "All in the Family" from the 1970s, Archie Bunker and crew also screamed, insulted and threw flaming arrows at one another. But the difference was, when all was said and done, Archie, Edith, Gloria and Meathead all loved one another. They were family, and they always stuck together when the chips were down. We never doubted that for a moment. Family squabbles were a source for humor.

Not so with "Carnage." By the end of the show, we had no doubt that all four characters probably despised one another, and that both marriages had little to stand on. Where is the humor in that? When we witness their fighting, it is sad....and positively annoying.

Apparently, much of the audience last evening would disagree with me on this. Several people gave the actors a standing ovation. I guess the actors did deserve some praise. With lesser actors, this show would have been totally insufferable. These four professionals showed how skilled their craft really is.

But, sadly, that wasn't enough. Without love in the story, I cannot laugh. Without the foundationa of love, all we can do is hate...and cry.

Photo courtesy of Seattle Repertory Theatre

Show #55 "The Cider House Rules: Part Two" at Book-It Repertory Theatre

2010-10-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

As my son Tim said last evening as we watched Part Two of "The Cider House Rules," it isn't like we were watching another play. We were actually watching one continuous play from our previous viewing of "The Cider House Rules: Part One." Sort of like seeing a 7 hour play with a 3 month-long intermission.

But, I couldn't help but see it as another play. Yes, it had most of the same characters in it, and it picked up where the other left off. But I liked this Part Two even a bit more than I liked Part One. And that's saying a lot, because I really liked Part One back when I saw it last July.

Part Two of "The Cider House Rules" is my favorite part of the story. Homer Wells' life developments and the poignant story of his fellow cider house-ers (the Black itinerant farm workers) is the part that moved me the most. Not to say that other storylines were not moving, but there are just certain themes that touch me more than others.

Take the theme of parent-child relationships. In Part Two, Homer's transition into fatherhood and even painful relationships such as Mr. Rose's with his daughter Rose were powerful themes for me.

Dr. Larch's "honorary" father-son relationship with Homer is summed up so nicely in his statement, "You are my work of art, Homer. Everything else has been just a job." That utterance so eloquently put into words how I feel about my own beloved sons. Nothing else I ever do in my life will compare in importance to raising Tim and David.

And the theme of class, race and privilege was an intriguing thread in the story that was played out in the orchard and in the cider house. Again, this is a theme that I constantly deal with in my own life.

I have no real commonality with the characters in this story, either in regards to race, geography or general family/lack of family background. But this story amazingly spoke the story of my life. Perhaps indirectly, but the thoughts and feelings were still there.

Theatre has that power. People from completely disparate places in life find that what is in their hearts are similar to the other. Their stories are totally different, but at the same time, they are the same.

I guess I've experienced this same phenomenon while watching movies and TV shows, but (if you hadn't already guessed) I prefer to experience this live and in person at the theater. It is somehow more potent when seen with live actors on stage in front of you.

Why? It's because there is also an unspoken relationship between actors and audience. This relationship cannot really happen with a filmed performance.

So...I liked Part Two a bit more than Part One. Oh yes, Part Two had one other thing going for it: it gave us a sense of closure, while still saying "to be continued." LIfe is like that as well.

Photography courtesy of Book-It Repertory Theatre

Show #54 "Hairspray" at Tacoma Musical Playhouse

2010-10-09T23:18:00.000-07:00

I needed to have some fun today.

I had sprained my foot while walking the dog the other day, and was still hobbling around with an ace wrap on my foot and a cane in my hand. Randy was gone for most of the day today, so I was once again on doggie duty.

Doggie and I went for walks in the pouring rain. Well....doggie went for a couple of brisk sprints around the neighborhood, while I limped with cane in hand and rain drenching me and my raincoat.

Granted, this doesn't qualify as the worst day in history, but I still was in the mood for some fun and joy. Some DRY fun and joy. Well...I got it!

Thanks to Tacoma Musical Playhouse, I was able to end my day humming, tapping my non-injured toe and laughing with glee. Yep, I got to watch "Hairspray."

You all know the show I mean. The one about chubby teen Tracy Turnblad who dreams of becoming a dancer on TV's "Corny Collins Show" in 1960's Baltimore. Her friends, both black and white, want to see the Collins show integrated on a daily basis, rather than accept the once-a-month "Negro Day" that is currently offered. Standing in their way is a manipulative TV producer and her self-centered daughter.

But, everyone knows that all's well that ends well, especially in musical comedies like this. Tracy gets on the show, gets the guy and gets the show to integrate. Happy ending.

And the journey to that happy conclusion was pure fun. Just what the doctor ordered.

I have been impressed with the good work that the folks at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse are doing. Their talent comes from all over the Pierce, Thurston and King County regions. Dedicated musical theatre performers will gladly (and repeatedly, show after show) hop onto I-5, drive a great distance and head toward Tacoma for a chance to do some good theater.

I don't blame them. TMP is one of the most successful theaters in this area, with an ever-growing number of season subscribers. If you are a theatre artists, and want to be seen by a large number of audience members (remember, in this business, exposure is everything), TMP is the place to be.

And tonight, the audience was big and appreciative. The cast got a standing ovation from many of us. Why? We laughed, we hooted and hollered, we tapped our toes, we had fun.

Yes, the Pacific Northwest rain was still falling. We didn't care. The cold, wet weather couldn't ruin our evening. We were enjoying "Hairspray," and nothing else mattered.

And there was a bonus. After Randy and I got home, it was HIS turn to walk doggie in the rain. Me? I stayed warm and dry, sat at my computer and gushed about "Hairspray."

Thanks, TMP. You made my day.

Thanks to Hairspray cast member Lexi Scamehorn for graciously posing for this photo!

Show #53 "In the Heights" at the 5th Avenue Theatre

2010-10-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

Okay.....so technically, this isn't the "local theatre," that my blog endeavors to cheer on and support. This is a national touring company with mostly New York-based actors performing in it, just like the production of "South Pacific" that I viewed earlier this year.

Although it may not qualify as a local production, it certainly qualifies as good theatre. Here's why.

First, this is an innovative show. I have to admit, when it comes to the genre of musical theatre, I am somewhat of an old hat. I like the traditional stuff I grew up watching. Thus explains my enthusiasm and pure joy while watching "South Pacific."

But "In the Heights" even had a traditionalist like me in awe. Imagine using a seamless blend of Latin salsa and hip-hop (in both the songs and the choreography) to tell an urban story of poverty, struggle and hope. Did it work? You bet it did.

Second, this is a show that celebrates a part of our ethnic landscape that is under-represented. I guess Rodgers and Hammerstein never got around to writing their Latino masterpiece...? So, while we Asians have our "Flower Drum Song" and "The King & I" (whose cultural authenticity is deeply in question, but that is the subject of another blog posting!), "In the Heights" is a beautiful and high-voltage testament to our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters.

Well...okay, the Latino's were half of the cast in "West Side Story," but nevertheless, this was a rare theatrical treat for me.

And finally, this show represents the wave of the future for American Musical Theatre. It's hip. It's high energy. It showcases stories from actors of color (No, we don't have to "give Iowa a try"). It's fast-paced, non-stop entertaining story-telling.

In other words, this is theatre the next generation can embrace. With local theatre audiences made up of mostly middle-aged and elderly patrons, this is great news. It gives me hope.

Even after us old cronies pass on, theatre will live on.

Show #52 "The Lady With All The Answers" at ACT Theatre

2010-10-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

I know I've whined in the past about those theatrical events that our local Equity theatres like to market as "plays." You know what I'm talking about, those one-person talk fests that feel more like (at best) an over-long story that should have ended about an hour before it did....or (at worst) an excruciatingly boring lecture by a senile professor who forgot that (s)he had an actual time limit that must be adhered to.

Yes, I am referring to those one-man or one-woman shows that our "big houses" here in Seattle seem to adore. Audiences seem to like them, too. I wonder why. Usually, I find them boring, sometimes pretentious and in general, not very engaging theatre.

Well, guess what. I found the exception to that rule.

Advice columnist Ann Landers is portrayed by the always entertaining Julie Briskman in a funny, warm and thoroughly engaging evening about the life and love of America's favorite advice-dishing twin.

Unlike other one-person shows, "The Lady With All The Answers" boasted a full set design. Landers' letter-filled office was recreated with charm and visual appeal. There was eye-catching costuming: colorful 1970's outfits complete with Landers' trademark bouffant hairdo. There was even musical interludes, as Landers takes out her collection of LPs and plays a few of them on her stereo turntable.

But what I liked the most was Briskman's Landers herself. Sometimes she read samples of letters sent to her over the years. Other times, she discussed chapters from her life, marriage and career. And then there were moments when the house lights would come up, and Landers would really break that fourth wall and look us straight in the eye.

That was when Ann Landers asked US a question! Us! Imagine that!

Thankfully, none of us in the audience were brought up on stage for some comic "bit." No, she didn't throw confetti at us (a la Carrie Fisher). She even kept us so entertained that ACT Theatre dared to put in an intermission after 45 minutes had gone by. They were sure we would all eagerly return to our seats and watch the rest of the show.

Yep, we did...and boy, that second act was even better than the first.

So......okay. I am now convinced. A one-person play CAN be entertaining and can make good theatre. But all the right elements have to be in place: good story, great acting, an appealing main character, humor, visually effective sets, costumes and sound design.

But that's still not enough. The show has got to have something else. Something that will grab me and make me want to stay until the end. Something that will make me sorry that the evening's end had arrived.

I don't know what that "something" is, but "The Lady With All The Answers" had it.

Graphics courtesy of ACT Theatre

Show #51 "Under the Circumstances" at Tacoma Little Theatre

2010-10-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Nowadays I get pretty excited about the simple phrase "A World Premier." It means, something brand new. Something never done before. Something original.

When I see those words in regard to a theatrical production, it gets my blood pumping. You see, Randy and I also are in the process of collaborating with local playwrights to create new stories for the stage. Our community has loads of talent that are, for the most part, undiscovered. We want to help remedy that. Fortunately, so does Tacoma Little Theatre.

"Under the Circumstances" is a collaboration between TLT, the Northwest Playwright Alliance and Tacoma playwright C. Rosalind Bell. It is a deeply moving and relevant story about friendship, race, culture and the power of words.

Two brave actresses (Julie Novak Weinberger and LaNita Hudson) play writers who carry on a long-distance friendship between New Orleans and Tacoma. Yes! Tacoma!

Both women share their lives, their work and their writing with the other. Their differences in age, religion and race never stand in the way of great sistership. That is, until one of them writes a novel that, unintentionally, wounds the other.

This is a story about the power of our speech. It is also an honest, but artfully worded discussion around the issue of race. Rosalind Bell's poetic script invited us to think, feel and remember alongside these two remarkable women. We listened with rapt attention as they shared their innermost thoughts with the audience; things they, tragically, couldn't seem to share with one another.

But this is not the first discussion on race that I engaged in this past week. The evening before my son Tim and I attended a "Conversations on Race" gathering at our church, Trinity Presbyterian. This is part of an on-going conversation between four churches in the Tacoma/Hilltop neighborhood, attended by Christians of different races and denominations.

I praise God for meetings such as these. What a marvelous way to begin understanding and enjoying one another: to have a open conversation coupled with good food, fellowship and prayer.

But, there is also another way: theater. An engaging but powerful story brought to life by two actors can also spark conversation. And last evening at Tacoma Little Theatre, it did just that.

We held a post-play discussion in the auditorium. We continued the discussion out in the lobby. And several of us (including the playwright and one of the actors) took our discussion to a local restaurant which continued well into the night.

Imagine that, a play that started at 7:30pm that gave birth to an honest (but bridge-building) conversation that lasted until after midnight.

That is one powerful play. Don't miss it. It runs at TLT through Oct. 10. But, I suspect the conversation will run long past that.

Graphics courtesy of Tacoma Little Theatre

Show #50 "Sherlock Holmes and the Doom of Devilsmoor" at Lakewood Playhouse

2010-09-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Opening night of a new season at the theater....what fun! No matter how much live theatre I experience, either on stage, backstage or in the audience, I always feel that excitement of opening night.

This evening was no exception. One of my favorite theaters in the world, the Lakewood Playhouse (after all, it was at this fine theater where I met my husband Randy), rolled out the red carpet for their new season.

I started the evening with a personal greeting by Artistic Director Marcus Walker, who heartily shook hands with the patrons as they entered the lobby. I was personally escorted to my seat by Duncan Foley, the President of Board. The playwright, CP Stancich was on hand and made merry conversation with Randy and me. And after the final curtain, the Lakewood Playhouse's board hosted a fine reception complete with my favorite non-alcoholic bubbly.

But, there were also the familiar opening night mishaps that occurred as well.

You know the ones I mean. There was the french door on the set that wouldn't close without the poor actors fussing and constantly adjusting. Then there was the wardrobe malfunction that sent Randy (and the wonderful costumer seated in the second row) into hints of stifled laughter. And then there was the actor who entered the stage and promptly stepped on an actress's skirt hem.

These were relatively minor things, but to be honest, it added to my enjoyment of the evening! I kind of like imperfection. I smile when I see an actor stumble his way through an unexpected development and then see his way out of it with grace and humor. Yes, it may temporarily break the spell of the story, but it does something else. It makes us all a little more human.

But, you may counter, don't we want to see professionalism and polish when we pay to see a theatrical production? Well, yes we do.

If a production is overly filled with mishaps, then I would have criticized the show and declared that the cast needed another week of rehearsal. But, this was only a couple of small gaffes, and being opening night, very forgivable. I've experienced many an opening night as an actor, performing on a stage whose paint was still wet, whose doors had just been hung an hour before, and costumes stitched during intermission.

If I were to come back to see this show on closing night and saw the same goofs, that would be another story.

But, this was opening night at the Lakewood Playhouse, and a reason to celebrate! It was a great evening, and even the small errors were something to celebrate. Here's to another great season! Cheers!

Graphics courtesy of Lakewood Playhouse

Show #49 "A Doctor In Spite of Himself" at Intiman Theatre

2010-09-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Did you see the lights flashing? Were you hearing the sirens blaring, and the theatre police yelling, "Goofball Alert! Goofball Alert! If you have no tolerance for silly, artfully goofy and masterfully funny theatre, please step away NOW."

"There's nothing to see here, Ma'am. Just keep moving on...." the Kill Joy Cop admonished.

But, the more he tried to steer the gawking masses away from the riotous comedic gem, the more we wanted to watch, mouth agape and loud guffaws beginning in our bellies.

What am I talking about? Why didn't we hear about this "train wreck" on the evening news? Well....in my opinion, we SHOULD have seen this as a top headline. After all, in this bleak economy, with unflattering political battles being fought on the airwaves, and the health care crisis, global warming and Dancing With the Stars weighing heavily on our minds, we all need a break.

The 17th century French playwright known as Moliere had the answer. Write stuff that makes people laugh. Period.

I like that. So, with the Intiman Theatre presenting one of Moliere's best works in the style (love this!) of the commedia dell'arte, AND with Randy and me scoring front row seats, how could we go wrong?

We scored big. A touchdown. A grand slam. A triple crown. A...well, you get the idea.

The Intiman did themselves proud with "A Doctor in Spite of Himself." We had the privilege to see masterful comedy performed by limber, energetic, perfectly timed and shameless (in a good way) actors and musicians who gave their audience the best hour and a half of their theatrical lives. No, really.

It inspired me. It energized me. It almost made me want to sign up for one of those classes on "movement for actors" or something like that. Mostly, it made me laugh.

This season, Randy and I gave up our season tickets to the Intiman so we could enjoy season subscription to four (4!) other wonderful theatres around town. We gotta spread the "wealth" around, after all. I don't regret that decision, because we knew we would still attend at least one or two of the Intiman shows anyway.

We chose to attend "Doctor" because we like Moliere. I am glad we did.

PS. Take notice of the marvelous non-traditional casting in this production. Yet another reason to support this fine show. Bravo, Intiman!

Photo courtesy of Intiman Theatre and photographer Chris Bennion

Show # 48 "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at Renton Civic Theatre

2010-09-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

It seems as though everyone is doing "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" this season. I hear the rights for this musical were just recently made available for non-Equity theatres, so many groups have jumped on board to present "The Bee."

I can see why. This is a terrific show to put on.

First of all, it's a one-set show, using only a set of risers, a table and chairs for the adult characters to sit at, a set of microphones and a banner proclaiming the Spelling Bee competition. Easy.

The clothes are variations of modern-day dress, so it doesn't appear to break the bank in the costume department. Simple.

The cast is not too large, with 6 "children" and 3 adult characters. Piece of cake.

And, best of all, the script is funny, the characters are engaging and amusing and the music is mostly fun (albeit forgettable) and helpful in giving us each character's back storyline. Perfect.

The audience roared with laughter, and the actors reveled in the approval and enjoyment they were giving the crowd...and themselves. A win-win situation.

This made for a great evening out, watching my friend George perform as William Barfee (with his "Magic Foot") and catching up a bit with a couple of old theatre friends, one who runs the theatre and the other who took the reins as stage manager for the show.

Now I can see what all the "buzz" was about with this show, why every theatre in town (or so it seems) is producing it this season. I have a feeling it won't be the last time I see "The Bee." This is one of those shows that will live for a long time.

I can almost guarantee you, it will come soon to a theatre near you.

So, brush up on your spelling (spell check does NOT count), because you never know when it will be your turn to be a star.

Photo courtesy of Renton Civic Theatre and photographer Tanya Zambrowsky

Show #47 "Sex In Seattle 18: An Everyday Kind of Love" with SIS Productions

2010-09-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've had a long history with soap operas. Shortly after graduating high school back in the 1970's, I found myself hooked on "All My Children." I anxiously awaited each day to see the next installment in the lives of fictional (and mostly stereotypical) people whom I didn't even know.

Several years later, my dirty habit expanded to "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital." As a true addict, I started to schedule my lunch hour at work around getting that chance to peek into what was happening to my favorite soap characters. Couldn't wait for the plot to thicken....and in those instances, all I had to do was wait a mere 24 hours for that next episode.

So, it boggles the mind to see the roaring success of the theatrical franchise known as "Sex in Seattle" where the adoring audience is forced to wait anywhere from 6 months to a year for their next episode. A fluke, you say? Not really. This franchise has been hooking (and reeling in) their audience for 10 years.

I have long since given up the television soap habit, but have not walked away from my SIS habit. I remain a loyal fan. It helps that the story lines center around modern, sassy Asian-American women. It doesn't hurt that I personally know several of the producers, writers, directors and actors involved in this dynamic theatre series. And the fact that I myself have appeared in a couple of episodes has a little something to do with my continued loyalty.

But, primarily, I remain a constant SIS groupie because these shows are well done, well-acted, have high production values and are a real scream! No tragic Madame Butterfly crap.....SIS is a hoot.

As with all long-running soap operas, the cast of actors evolve over time. Each episode is a new adventure for us long time fans. We can't wait to see how the "newbie" actors will do taking over an established role. Whereas I missed seeing some of my favorite actors on stage, I was delighted to see some new(er) faces doing commendable jobs. Sean O'Bannon made a terrific Nathan, Moses Yim brought fresh energy and charm to his Colin and Caleb Slavens was perfectly endearing as Adam.

SIS Productions has announced they will present Episode 19 in April 2011. Good news, fans. You only have to wait 7 months for your next SIS fix. The plot will thicken more quickly. The fictional folks you have grown to love (and hate) will return sooner.

Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy of SIS Productions

Show #46 "Sleuth" at Tacoma Little Theatre

2010-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

This is the opening show of the new season for Tacoma Little Theatre. Randy and I missed their opening weekend (August 27-29) as we were elsewhere that weekend, cruising through the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean.

If I sound like I'm bragging about visiting such exotic sights during our vacation, I guess I am (a bit). But I really missed live theatre, believe it or not, and it feels good to be back in action once again, witnessing the wonders of the theatre.

So, we wasted no time in coming to our neighborhood playhouse, Tacoma Little Theatre, to enjoy an evening of the actor's craft.

Part of the overall experience of world travel is the symptoms you exhibit afterwards. I am speaking of that dreaded ailment: jet lag. On top of that, I developed a whopping case of vertigo due to a neck strain I received on the airplane trip home. (You all know how "comfortable" it is to sleep in an airplane seat......not!)

So, between jet lag sleepiness and vertigo's whooziness, I was a mess. Randy was in a bit better shape than I, but not by much. In other words, we founds ourselves snoozing during the show.

I was thoroughly ashamed of myself! Even during shows where any reasonable person would be nodding off, I have managed to stay awake and as engaged as possible. I mean, I kept my eyes wide open during Whitworth University's production of "Antigone" a couple of years ago, and have lived to tell about it.

But, I am afraid to admit that I missed some of "Sleuth." I take it on faith that it was a pretty good show. At least that's what I hear through the theatre grapevine. But, while I was sitting there in my seat, I wasn't really there.

At least I have an excuse. We "world travelers" live a whirlwind life of jet planes, cruise ships, international cuisine and endless shopping. It's a tough life, and quite exhausting. But, someone has to do it.......

Show #45 "Les Miserables: School Edition" with the Hi-Liners

2010-09-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

And, once again, I tread onto the not-so-tried-and-true path of youth theatre. Watching shows performed by young actors between the ages of 9 and 19 can be a risky proposition at times. What will I be subjected to, I ask myself.

Will it be yet another evening of enthusiastic but struggling theatre novices offering me dialogue delivered with poor enunciation, little if any projection of their crackling voices and off-key and unsure singing?

Can you tell I've spent many an evening witnessing (with my adoring support) such productions?

This time, I had little choice. As the theatrical reviewer for the Highline Times/Des Moines News, my assignment (as it has been for the past many years) was to review the opening of the mainstage production by the youth theatre organization, The Hi-Liners. This year, they are doing "Les Miserables: School Edition."

Let me say this up front: the Hi-Liners are a class organization. Each year, over 40 young performers spend their summer vacations rehearsing a large cast musical, always done with high production values and professional level instruction. In other words, they do good work.

So, I was expecting a good show.

What I wasn't expecting was the astounding level of quality I saw in last evening's final dress rehearsal. Usually when I review a youth show for the newspaper, I need to be supportive and positive. This time, I didn't have to try. I wasn't just positive in my write-up, I was absolutely gushing.

Granted, there were some very young performers who were still learning the basics of their craft, and it showed at times. But, these youngsters were mostly in the background, playing supporting ensemble parts. In other words, these neophytes' lack of experience didn't distract at all.

It was the older teens, playing the principal roles who blew me away. After a few minutes into the show, I almost forgot how young these actors really were. That's how good they were.

Yes, I was gushing in my review. But, that's okay. I was happy. I was elated that the future of local theatre looks bright. With such talented young performers in our community, and dedicated adults who are nurturing their gifts, Seattle/Tacoma theatre is truly blessed.

Show #44 "Yankee Tavern" at ACT Theatre

2010-08-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

It was practically a perfect evening at the theatre for us tonight. Everything went as it should.

First, the drive on I-5 from Tacoma to downtown Seattle was a breeze. Traffic proceeding north (as we were) was swift and clear. However, traffic going south was almost at a standstill. Pity the southbound driver.....glad it wasn't us.

Next, we found a terrific parking spot in the garage next to ACT Theatre. Admittedly, I ALWAYS find a great spot to park there, especially since my season tickets are for Wednesday evenings.....but that's beside the point. The parking spot was "spot on!"

Then, I got to see a show, "Yankee Tavern" by Steven Dietz, at my favorite theatre venue in town: The Allen theatre. Yes, this is ACT Theatre's mainstage space, and I love it. Randy and I have terrific seats this year, in the second row, and the viewing was ideal.

Then, I saw a funny, engaging, makes-you-think show about such hilarious (?) topics as conspiracy theorists, Sept. 11, marriage, drinking, seeing dead people and graduate school. ACT Theatre, you've done it again!

Next, I got to watch some performances by actors who inspire me. I saw a relatively simple set design that made me see the possibilities (and genius) of simplicity. I enjoyed a script that made you laugh, made you think and made you want to say, "where did you hear THAT?"

Finally, Randy and I practically flew home on our southbound journey on I-5. There was some minor traffic revisions driving through South King County into Pierce County, but nothing worth mentioning. And the northbound traffic? Slow as molasses.

Yep, practically a perfect evening.

"Practically?" What made it less than perfect?

Well....I guess I was having such a good time tonight, I wanted it to go on a bit longer. I hated to see it end. That was its only flaw....but that's good "flaw" to have.

Photo courtesy of ACT Theatre and photographer Chris Bennion