Get Your Dancin' Shoes On

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…
It’s about learning to dance in the rain! - Anonymous

If you have the choice to sit it out or dance,

I

hope

you

dance.

PK Questions & Answers Part I

A couple months ago, I asked for questions concerning PK's (preacher's kids) and stated I would try to answer them. Here is the first attempt. I am by no means an authority and your comments, suggestions, or further questions are welcome.

QUESTION: How can a PK "toe the line" in what the church teaches and keep friendship with the other youth that may not "toe the line"? Then, the obvious next question would be, how can the PK go a little further and positively influence the ones that don't "toe the line"?

ANSWER: First, let's clarify "toe the line." I think I can safely assume the phrase means, "following the teachings of the church, adhering to church standards, etc." The first thing to consider is the attitude and spirituality of the PK. If the PK is sincere in worship, "toes the line," and is friendly, these are key components to influencing the other youth. Sincere worship cannot be faked and other youth know if the PK's dedication to God is real or not. The PK must be careful to never condemn any other youth that do not "toe the line," and resist the urge to treat those youth differently. It is important the PK keeps a friendly attitude towards all youth in the congregation. Most PK's struggle with resentment towards the youth that do not "toe the line," because the PK feels those youth should know better and find them to be disrespectful to the PK's dad/mom. When the PK shows sincere kindness and devotion, they will be well liked among the youth and have influence. Even doing all this, the PK must be willing to accept rejection from the youth who are determined to be rebellious to the teachings of the church. For these instances, I remind my son that not even Jesus could persuade everyone. The youth that reject the PK and the pastor's instruction, still need to be loved. That can be hard for a young PK, but hang in there. Time will prove all things and the rebellious will either leave (get outta yo way) or they will finally come to repentance.

MYOB

After visiting Carissa's blog, www.carissalopez.blogspot.com, my mind started spinning with thoughts about her "Gossip" post. Gossip is a wicked vice that controls many people. Often, the gossip that is spoken, repeated, or heard, is stemmed from conniving, jealous people who spin lies to hopefully further their social status. One thing I learned a long time ago is this - people who sling mud lose ground. A scripture came to my mind that I want to share.

II Thessalonians 2:11 - "...they should believe a lie:" Verse 12, "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

I know most people interpret this verse as a person who believes false doctrine, or a lie, will be damned to hell instead of receiving salvation. Let me ask this - if a person believes a vicious lie spread from malicious gossip and took pleasure in hearing or repeating it, will that person be damned? The Bible strongly speaks against all gossip (true or false) and tells us all liars will have their part in hell. The old children's rhyme, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me," is not true, for surely God will not deal kindly with a gossipper.

The last scripture in II Thessalonians chapter two, lets us know we are established by every good word and work. A person will never be established without learning to speak good words.

I Thessalonians 4:11 - "And that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business..." In redneck words, MYOB, mind your own business.

freeWAY Debut CD Released

The debut CD of freeWAY was released this past Tuesday. We are all quite pleased with the final results. The quartet has seven events/services booked for next month. Unfortunately, their website is not ready. The domain has been secured, but the design is not complete. Hopefully, they will have the site up and running soon where you will be able to hear clips and place orders. Most of the CD is original material and features blues, jazz, big ballads, and traditional quartet music. The following link, Singsation Sunday, is to the website of Apostolic Tabernacle in Merced, California, archived media. This was a concert in September 2007. Once the video begins, you can forward about 35 minutes to see and hear freeWAY sing three songs. After this video was made, Ken Fitzpatrick started vocal coaching the boys and they are actually better than what you see and hear on this video. In one song on their CD, they span four octaves! I am so proud of these boys not only for their vocal abilities, but also for their strong love of God and their desire to minister.

Celebrate Jesus!

Happy Easter!

Youth Convention 2008

What a week!!! The Western District Youth Convention was fabulous! My husband and I were kept busy working the freeWAY booth and spent two full days judging potential candidates as they auditioned for the 2008 WAY Choir season. We had so many auditions we barely had time to grab lunch and get ready for the evening services. There is some amazing talent in our district! Bryce had a full schedule singing with the praise team every night, two performances with freeWAY, and a solo for the mass choir. freeWAY's debut CD was released Tuesday and sales were great. The baritone for freeWAY, Lawrence, was unable to attend and D'Andre Franklin of San Diego, California, did a fabulous job as substitute baritone. The above picture is Tyler, D'Andre, and Bryce by the banner for their booth. On the last night, many from the crowd swarmed the stage and surrounded the praise team. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see Bryce in a white jacket just left of the podium in front of the drums. Praise erupted and for over an hour, the youth sang, danced, and worshipped elbow-to-elbow in the crowd of approximately 4,000.

You all know I am a huge fan of Bryce and freeWAY, but the highlight of the conference was the main speaker, Rev. Sam Emory, of Merced, California. You can visit his church website here: www.upcmerced.com Bro. Emory was over-the-top, off-the-hook, sic, tight, awesome, and the 100 other phrases kids use to say "really good." He addressed pertinent issues of morality, racism, and the importance of living a godly life. His straight forward manner of speaking is exactly what this generation needs. More later - my bones are begging to sink into my bed.

Hello!

Sorry for the delay in posting. I am at the Western District Youth Convention is Bakersfield, California at the Bakersfield Convention Center. Bryce's group, freeWAY, will be singing tomorrow night. Also, Bryce is singing with the evening praise team each night. freeWAY CD's were released today and I will post more info concerning that later. If I can, I will post sooner, byt if not I will chat with you Friday. Have a great week!

Prayer By Arizona Teenager

Now I sit me down in school,
Where praying is against the rule,
For this great nation under God,
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow,
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall,
Might offend one with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book now makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" don't belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here, I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen
written by an unknown Arizona teen

Open Response to Jen

Since so many people who visit my blog are involved in music, I thought I would post this question I received from Jen and my response. Feel free to leave your opinions, thoughts and suggestions for Jen, too.

Question from Jen: I know you have a CD, and I'm wondering if you write songs? I'm starting to and I just went to a music conference last week that gave me some really good ideas. I wrote about it on my blog. Let me know if you have any ideas of your own to add in. Hearing different opinions helps, and I'm trying to get better.

My open response: Hi, Jen - I’m glad you enjoyed the music conference.
To answer your question left on my blog, I have written songs but I have not recorded any of them. I know that seems strange, but the songs I have written are better suited for another voice. Several years ago, I wrote a song for the Western District Youth Conference theme and the choir sang it. For my recent CD, I wanted to sing songs that ministered to me in a personal way and that I enjoyed vocally. Maybe my next album will take a different path.

From what I have learned in the many song-writing classes I have taken, I would disagree with the opinion of “don’t write just to write.” People who have written Christian songs that won Dove or Grammy Awards, are songwriters who try to write a song everyday. They write everyday to gain experience and out of the hundreds of songs they write, they pick the very best to record. Unless you get busy writing, you will always be a beginner.

Pentecostals sing an unbelievable number of Andre Crouch songs. Many of these were written in the 70’s, but today I hear his songs used many times over in numerous churches. Andre Crouch has won seven grammy awards and sold millions of albums. He says, “I try to duplicate what I feel in my heart.” Even after 40 years of songwriting, he started using a digital program, Logic, and asked Swiss singer/songwriter Saschka Wittau to help him. During a month and a half of working with her, he had written at least 80 songs. Although his songs have earned him millions of dollars, he continues to follow his passion and write.

I believe we need Pentecostal songwriters to get their songs into the mainstream and win awards. Now don’t misunderstand me - we write, sing, perform, as praise to God, and every song is a short sermon. If Pentecostal songwriters got their songs recorded by top Christian artists, then the Pentecostal message would spread even further. We cannot compromise our convctions in doing so. I really believe we need more Pentecostal artists albums on the Christian bookstore shelves.

I have noticed beginner songwriters not only tend to keep songs in the same vein musically, but also lyrically. Recently, a beginner songwriter asked my opinion of a newly released CD. My response was, “You are doing good but…….think about every song on your project." Each of them were the same story. In a nutshell, they were, “everything was terrible and bad then Jesus helped me.” It is wonderful when things go wrong that Jesus helps us, but don’t you have some good days just being friends with Jesus? Is everyday bad? This got the young songwriter thinking. I expect to soon hear some other songs from this writer that will tell me how beautiful the world is with Jesus and how much fun it is to worship Him. Find something new each day and write about it.

A benefit to writing good songs and getting them published, is the potential to be recorded by an established artist who would pay good royalties to use the songs. When a song is written, it needs accompaniement that compliments the lyrics. I think picking on the song “Blessed” was a little unfair. Have you heard Rachel Lampa sing “Blessed?” It is a fabulous song and it became a number one hit. I think the lyrics and music gel quite well and Rachel sings it with conviction. The problem is not with the song but rather with the performance of other singers. If the clinician heard the song and it depressed him, then it was a vocalist/musician error and not the song as it was written.

Two more points before I stop this long response. :~)
1. Make sure the song is grammatically correct. Write the lyrics and read them out loud. Do they make sense? Do they jump from first person to third person? Make sure the song is consistent. Sort of like how some preachers talk - “I was studying the Bible and we felt the Spirt…” Is it me or we?
2. Have a message in your song. Keep it spiritual and Godly. I don’t like shallow songs. A good song will touch your heart, give you chill bumps, make you want to cry or dance, and cause you to feel something deep within your spirit. Several years ago an alternative Christian group sang a song, “Rubber canoe, rubber canoe, Jesus, I’m giving my love to you…” Sorry, but it never touched my heart.

Good luck, Jen, in your songwriting.

Easter 2008 Is Almost Here

Tyler Sullivan, the lead vocalist of freeWAY, reconstructed my poster for our upcoming Easter services. Thought I would share it with you. Our guest speaker, John Arcovio, is a world-renowned inspirational speaker, writer, and founder of Spirit Led Ministries, who is committed to providing encouraging and helpful ministry materials to the body of Christ. He has prophesied over Bryce several times and we are looking forward to having him speak to our congregation. What are your Easter plans?

Antics of Blake

Here is a good laugh for you this weekend. My darling Blake had to write a five paragraph paper stating why he should be student of the month. I thought it was too cute. He claims he faces discrimination because of his red hair. I asked why. His response, "People see my red hair and they automatically assume I am mean and I am not mean." Now you understand why I said God gave me Blake to keep me on my knees. LOL Gotta love this kid! He is somethin' else!

P.S. The car is one he saw in a parking lot and wanted a picture of himself with the car. I'm sure if I let him take snapshots to school, he would try and convince kids it was his car. LOL

Blake Allard
Why I Should Be Student of the Month
Final Draft

Today I am going to tell you why I should be student of the month. No, wait, student of the year! To select a student, you should consider many things. Is the chosen student smart, have good attendance, and unique?

Because I am a GATE student, my abilities are many and my grades are good. I have excelled academically. I am also a member of the Chess Club and have won three medals. My wins have given me the opportunity to go to the championship tournament.

It is important to attend school. I have a good attendance record and I don't come late. Keeping my hands clean and taking my vitamins, keeps me healthy so I don't miss school.

Unique is a great word for me. Forget the minority stuff! There is no one like me! My flaming red hair and pale skin makes me stick out like a sore thumb. There isn't anyone that faces more discrimination than me. For this reason alone, I deserve student of the year.

In conclusion, let me add I have many great qualities. Handsome, charming, loyal, faithful, funny, sensitive, extreme, are a few words to describe me. I don't like to lose and I live to win. When I grow up, remember to vote for me for president of the United States of America. At 11 years of age, I could do better than McCain, Obama, or Hillary.

BLAKE ALLARD FOR STUDENT OF THE YEAR!

A Mouse!!!

Our kindergarten Sunday School teacher, Jane Johnson, (the one who was Teacher of the Year) not only teaches the children about Jesus, but she also teaches them manners and loves to introduce them to things of nature. Last week, one of the students brought a small snake to class. Jane let's the children know about God's creations and their purpose. Her assistant, Alice Grateroles, decided to bring her own creation. I wanted to share this with you because it is so cute. From an Oreo cookie, a sliced almond, a Hershey's chocolate kiss, and a stemmed, chocolate-dipped cherry, we have the only mouse I will allow in my house. (Sorry, but I can't remember what she used for the eyes.)

Oops!

Computers can be a blessing or a source of frustration. My blog is set up for comments to come to my e-mail before they are posted. My posts dated February 17 and 21 seemed forsaken. Then, today, I get a message stating how many comments are waiting moderation. Lo and behold, here are all the comments for these posts that never came to my e-mail. If you left a comment to my Senior Lunch post or the FYI, I want you to know I did not deliberately ignore you. Your comments and my replies are now posted. Please accept my apologies. I do enjoy your comments.

Sovereign Power

Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power.- Lord Alfred Tennyson

The above quote could be a sequel to my post on Friday about composure. Some aspects of this quote could be debatable, but I like it. Several years ago, my obstetric doctor told me I was "very in tune with my body." I have tried to be aware of happenings in my body to better my health. To possess sovereign power, or have authority and excellence of character, one should be "in tune," have reverence, and control of self. If you can respect yourself, you can revere others. If you can know yourself, you can understand others. If you can control yourself, you can lead others. This combination would be indicative of belonging to or characteristic of a sovereignty which I would like to believe is God.

I Am Republican But...

The Republican party did not have their act together when it came time to vote so I decided to vote for Hillary. (And she did win in California) Since only one person can be the chosen delegate for a party, I'd rather the Democrats have Hillary on their ticket. I seriously doubt the Republicans stand a chance, but their chances are greater against Hillary than Obama. There have been many inconsistencies with Obama and I do not have good feelings about him. The tears shed by the Clintons when they attended one of our churches does prove a tenderness of heart. Hillary can't be all bad - she likes American Idol and chocolate! LOL

For those who think I have been turned to a reprobate mind, let me remind you God has it all in control. Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled. Whether I vote or not, God will have His way. Furthermore, since I am a woman, I have the right to change my mind in November. :~)

Help for Carissa!

For the benefit of Carissa and young girls who do not know the legend of Leap Year, I am putting these links. LOL Enjoy!

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/february29.asp

http://www.brownielocks.com/leapyear.html

http://living.oneindia.in/expressions/factual-expressions/2008/leap-year-traditions-facts.html

Leap Year

Leap Day/Year passed and will not return for four years. I wonder if any girls got enough courage to ask a guy to marry them. Do you know any? Well, girls, if you missed it, you will have to wait four years until your next chance. Guess you are stuck with kissing alot of toads before your Prince Charming comes along. LOL