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just b r e a t h e

September 19, 2012 in media, arts & faith, real life & faith with 0 Comments

It’s been quite a hiatus. My apologies. Sometimes I just don’t have anything to say.

Valleys can be like that. Where you are just focused in walking and living and breathing.

But I found a fabulous book that is helping me have peace in the valley. It’s causing me to dig deep and allow God to strengthen me to wait on Him alone. (Andrew Murray – Waiting on God – 99 cents on the Kindle – Go. Read. Now.)

The more we tuck in with God and allow His Word to teach us and guide us, the more I realize how absolutely frantic we humans can be! We want to DO something NOW. We have  no idea what it is to “wait on God” or what that even looks like. But oh,how essential, how absolutely vital it is to wait on Him because if you believe the Scriptures are true (I do!) then “without Him, we can do nothing”. (see John 15:5).

So while these last few months have been challenging and difficult in so many ways, I am grateful. Grateful that it’s driven me deeper. I joked with someone recently that God has pruned me back to the point that I am just a little nub. It’s not really funny. Pruning can be painful. And some of it really has been. But I do know the One who holds the pruning shears. And I am learning to trust Him more and more and more…

So read this book with me. I’m halfway through but I will be reading it again and again. Chewing on the deep truths that are contained there. And keeping my heart focused on Who He Is. Not on what swirls around me.

Andrew Murray – Waiting on God.

I’ll wait.

~Sarah~

 

50 Shades of Magic Mike

July 6, 2012 in pop culture & faith with 0 Comments

What is a Christian to do with Magic Mike and 50 Shades? Run. Far. Away.

That’s the short answer but this post spells it out very nicely – so I’ll just point you there.

50 Shades of Magic Mike

~Sarah~

 

I’m a dance mom!

May 4, 2012 in media, arts & faith with 0 Comments

A few years back, we spent a year in the world of competitive cheerleading when my littlest girl was 6. She was too young to try out for stage plays and the kid was simply born to perform. That combined with her size and athletic skill, well, cheerleading was a good fit.

We had no idea what we were getting into. It was a whole new world. And on top of that my daughter’s tiny size meant that she was a flyer. Little kids lifting my kid high above their heads was enough to make me hold my breath and deal with fear in brand new ways. All. Year. Long.

We did one year in cheerleading and then she switched over to stage performance. A lot less scary and a lot less expensive so I had no complaints!

Then this past year they got the opportunity to join a dance team. Once again, I had no idea what I was really getting into. Except this time, I had Dance Moms! Gave me kind of a peek into the world. A crazy, scary peek, but a peek nonetheless. Full confession? I’m totally addicted to the show. I could do without some of the high drama, language and smack talk – but the dancing!!! I love watching the dancing.

Being involved in musical theater for so long, all my kids have had the opportunity to dance. But being able to take classes has been limited because of their other activities and sports. So we took a dive in. The water has been pretty shallow this year. Only 2 competitions. But since this weekend is our first one, well, it’s all I can think about.

Interesting facts:

I had to sew.

There are sequins all over my house.

I am pretty sure I am overpacking.

I can’t wait to see my kids on stage. It never gets old watching them use their gifts and talents for the Lord.

Because at the end of the day, I just want them to do their best – for the audience of One. It’s kind of cool that I get a front row seat. I find it a privilege that I get to help these beautiful children grow and learn and become – for Him.

And I am grateful.

 

when’s the last time you did something crazy? or “why I entered the Nicholl”

April 30, 2012 in media, arts & faith, the writing life with 0 Comments

Back in the beginning of 2012 the Lord told me that my word for this year was “courage.”

That is great and all, but the need for courage usually necessitates “scary things to be courageous about”. I’m already neck deep into that and most of it, well, I can’t talk about – yet. At some point I might be able to share what the last 8 weeks has been like. I feel like I’ve been stretched like taffy – it’s all good – but wow. So unexpected.

Kind of like God. He takes my breath away sometimes. And He’s taken my breath away over and over.

But when we glimpse just how big and amazing and awesome God is, we can start to believe for the crazy things. We stop getting tripped up by the impossible and instead just jump into the water and see what might happen. Even when the odds are stacked against us. God has been challenging me to pray bigger prayers. Crazy big prayers. And it’s been great. And exciting. But crazy big prayers are only one part of it. Sometimes we have to take a crazy step out of the boat, too.

So today I did something that – in my book – is just kind of crazy. I entered a screenwriting contest. Not just any screenwriting contest – The. Big. One. The granddaddy of them all. The Nicholl. You see, even though I’ve been writing screenplays for the past 8 years, I haven’t really had the opportunity to do anything with them. Screenplays are different than novels. I know what to do with them. Screenplays – well, they require far more money than I have to produce them. So I write and write and they are pretty little files on my computer.

The screenplay I just finished has been circling my heart for three long years. I love the story. And now I have a complete script. But what to do with it? I’ve been asking the Lord about whether or not to enter it somewhere (mostly because I don’t really have any other good ideas about what to do with it), but didn’t really hear anything. This morning as I sat out on my deck with the Lord, I began to look at all that God has already done. And I realized that my hesitancy was simply because I was afraid. It felt silly and ridiculous to even consider such a thing. I was afraid to fail. But fear is a very poor barometer to help decide what we should and shouldn’t do.

What exactly did I have to lose? Well, my fear.

Sometimes you just have to do something you’re afraid to do simply so you won’t be afraid anymore.

Yes, it’s a bit crazy. It is likely that more than 7,000 screenplays will be entered. That’s a crazy amount. But I still entered. I tried. And at the end of the day, I can be content with that.

Is there something crazy YOU should be doing?

Teens! Check out the Gideon!

April 12, 2012 in media, arts & faith with 0 Comments

The deadline is May 1st – so it’s time to get a move on and apply!

What is the Gideon?

It’s a Christian Media Arts Conference and Film festival held near Asheville, North Carolina August 11-16, 2012

Media Arts?

Filmmaking, Acting, Graphic novels, Comedy and Screenwriting!

Who’s it for?

The conference is designed for adults that are working in the Media Arts and all of the classes are taught by professionals.

What about teens?

We have a special Intern program for Teens between 16-18 to come and take part in this spectacular conference. This allows teens to attend without bringing a parent/guardian (this makes it way cheaper!)

Would you make a great Gideon Clash Intern? Are you…

  • a teen who is actively working in and/or pursuing training in the media arts?
  • a teen who can interact well with a team and work in group settings?
  • a teen who can interact with professionals in a respectful way?
  • a teen who is eager to learn, eager to help and eager to take advantage of all that Gideon has to offer?
  • a teen who is responsible and organized enough to manage the pre-conference interactions as well as the conference requirements?

Why come?

Let’s face it – getting real hands-on training in filmmaking and other media arts is hard to do! At the Gideon, Interns get to interact with Christian professionals who are actively working in the Media Arts. In 2011, our interns got to help shoot a music video and produce a short film! We are excited about what’s in store for 2012! You won’t find anything else like it!

What do we do?

Gideon Interns get to take full advantage of all the course offerings at the Gideon Conference (the Intern Directors help guide you through the week!) But Interns get special perks! Like getting to eat meals with the faculty, giving them a chance to ask a lot of questions and learn from these working professionals. Our interns help out in classes giving them a front row seat to all the action.

Got more questions? Feel free to contact me! My friend Vonda and I have been directing the Intern Program for four years!! And yes! I’ll be there this August!

Check out our website to learn more and apply today!

Don’t wait! The deadline is May 1st – but you can do it!

Free Book for you!

February 14, 2012 in media, arts & faith with 1 Comment

Yep! It’s my Valentine’s Day gift to you:

Totally Unfamous is totally free!

But it’s for today only!

Download it here.

Don’t have a Kindle? That’s okay – there are Kindle reading apps for everything!

totally unfamous is totally available on Kindle!

January 23, 2012 in books & faith, the writing life with 0 Comments

Last week I was very quiet because I was working to get my verse novel ready for the Kindle. Many hours and tears later, it’s finally available!

I really love this novel. I wrote it primarily because I was hearing from so many readers that wanted to know more about Beka. Well, I was actually interested in writing about Lucy – Beka’s younger sister. Totally Unfamous takes place about three years after the Becoming Beka series ends. It’s written as a novel-in-verse – which means that lucy’s voice is a bit different – but she has a voice all her own.

The cover!

Here is the description:

Totally Unfamous is a contemporary novel-in-verse about Lucy Madison, a 17 year old gymnast who is struggling to cope with a changing family and a past that haunts her. When Lucy meets Ben, she finds herself cautious and scared at the idea of any kind of relationship. But the longer it goes on, the more entwined her heart becomes and she becomes stuck – unable to move forward anywhere in her life. Lucy must face her troubles in the gym, at home and in her past if she is ever to find a hope for the future.

Intended for ages 13 and up.

Thanks for letting me share – and if you know others who might be interested – can you share it with them as well? I’d appreciate it quite a lot:-)

~Sarah~

 

 

tim tebow & God & winning

January 14, 2012 in pop culture & faith with 0 Comments

Here’s a Saturday morning confession. I really don’t care about football. My husband likes football so it’s on in the house, but as far as being interested in it? Not so much.

But there’s an awful lot of fuss about some player named Tim Tebow. And a friend wrote a great post about it so for today I thought I’d send you over there to check out her thoughts :-)

Rachel’s Blog

~Sarah~

don’t overthink it!

January 3, 2012 in books & faith, how to be a christian with 1 Comment

I love a new year don’t you? Fresh – with no mistakes in it yet! (Of course, since it’s actually Day 3 there may already be some mistakes in it – in which case you can use the original quote “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes”.)

My middle daughter is a gymnast. She is so strong, so flexible and so good at what she does. But there are times when she holds back. When you are supposed to run full out towards a very large stationary object like a vault, you have to give it your full energy so that you have the momentum to actually go over. You can’t hold back. But she does. It comes down to fear – fear of falling, fear of not getting over, fear of getting hurt. Yet – and here is the big thing – by being afraid and holding back – she doesn’t give herself all the tools she needs (momentum and power) to do it successfully either.

And we do the very same thing. At least I do.

Today as I finished up some housekeeping details and began to turn my attention towards my writing project, I felt that niggling sense of fear. Fear of failing. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of getting hurt. I am not so different from my daughter. But instead of not running hard enough or pounding the board hard enough, I start with the questions:

Should I plot more of this out first?

Should I go back and edit what I have?

Maybe I should read this writing book first?

Maybe I need to think more about this subplot first?

Maybe I should check Facebook…

See? Even though I have all the tools I need – a good handle on the plot and characters and voice of the piece – I fidget and fuss about jumping in.

There comes a season when it’s time to stop thinking about it and just run towards it. Whatever “it” is.

When you have your heart and your will submitted to God, then running towards what He wants you to do is the same thing as running towards Him – in that perfect childhood trust – and trusting that He will catch you in His arms. Every. Single. Time.

This year, well, I’d like to stop thinking so much and just trust the One whose Hands I am in. How about you?

~Sarah~

Christmas Shopping: Books for Boys!

December 13, 2011 in books & faith, media, arts & faith with 2 Comments

I don’t have boys. So let’s just start by saying that. But I do have some recommendations for you! You’ll find that with many of these, you’ll have to order from different places – as I mentioned in my post yesterday, there are many great books out there that you will not find at your local bookstore – unfortunately.

Graphic Novels/Comic Books

Did you know there are Christian comics? Yes!

Ben Avery has quite a few Biblical/historical comics that you might want to check out! here are some available in his Amazon bookstore. Check out his TimeFlys series for younger readers. If you use the menu at the top right, you can scroll through lots of possibilities, including books that teach you how to script your own comics!

Zondervan has quite a few graphic novels, so check out their site for even more ideas.

Kingstone media has a number of both comics & graphic novels to check out.

Marcher Lord Press

Marcher Lord Press is a company that specializes in the fantasy – science-fiction – speculative genres. While you may have heard of Ted Dekker and Robert Liparulo, there are many other possibilities out there and Marcher Lord is all about bringing them to you! So check out Marcher Lord and find many different novels!

Travis Thrasher 

I mentioned Travis yesterday because his books will appeal to girls as well, but I’ll re-mention his Solitary Tales books today for the guys!

Jill Williamson

I mentioned Jill’s brand new book Replication yesterday as well, but I’m pretty sure it would appeal to the guys as well!

Stephen Lawhead

Avid readers are probably already aware of Stephen Lawhead, but just in case, I thought I’d mention he has a lot of novels that would interest guy readers.

 

Got more ideas? I’ll be glad to add to the list!

~Sarah~

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