Super Bowl/Super Lesson

Well, I'm not exactly a football fan, that much is obvious.  Much to my hubby's dismay, I do not like it at all.  Not even a little bit.  BUT, I do try to watch it with him some and I can crack a smile if the Packers win and I try to at least know who is on his fantasy football team each year.  Well, sort of.  I have no clue this year other than his QB.  My hubs is the ultimate sports fan.  Thankful we have boys - maybe they can share in his delight.  :-) 

I get that the Super bowl is a big deal.  I get that everyone watches it.  I get it.  I do.  But really, all that hype and all the money on the adds?  Bluck.  But, for the past several years, our church has hosted a Super bowl party for our church family and it's a lot of fun.  Mostly because I get to socialize and our kids get to have fun with their buddies.  Oh, and I guess there's a football game on the big screen. 

Last night was no disappointment - our church family knows how to party y'all!  Our party was super fun - complete with a Krispy Cream Donut eating contest (ewww!).  Jacob thought he needed to participate - he was a trooper.  He ate 6 donuts in 5 minutes.  The winner ate 12 1/2.  Ewww!  It was so fun to watch though.  The best part of the night though, by far???  Our halftime worship experience.  Forget Katy Perry...  our worship team flat out brought the house down.  They organized all our worship teams plus the student band which was probably 15 or more musicians.  It was great...  here's the best part: 

Yep, that's my little man.  Rocking it out for Jesus.  It was so cute and totally warmed my heart.  My first instinct as he was walking up to the front of the room was to grab him and say "no no baby.  Stay back in the back with mommy."  But, I let it play out.  And I'm so glad I did.  He was absolutely captivated by the music and just stared and danced.  And then one of our church members invited him to play the bongo drums.  Heaven.  This must be a little picture of what heaven will be like.  Everyone-  big/small, black/white, young/old joining together to worship the One True King.

I love how God works.  Yesterday, the lesson I taught in Sunday School was from Mark chapter 10 when Jesus welcomed the little children even though the disciples tried to shoo them away.  Jesus always has time for us. I'm so glad I didn't stop baby J from worshipping God in his own little way.  Jesus wouldn't turn him away.  He doesn't turn anyone away. 

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid + Jesus. Just Jesus.

This one is LONG overdue... but somehow, I find myself a drama/theater momma.  Not what I'd ever thought I'd be doing as a momma, but my big boy has definitely caught the acting bug.  He's participated in 5 shows at our local theater and loves every second.  It's a lot of work (I mean kick your bootie, get so worn down you get walking pneumonia, losing hours of sleep kind of work) but Jacob has really enjoyed it.  And so have I!!! 

Most recently, Jacob was cast as Randy in the SCCT's production of "A Christmas Story." - yes, the traditional Christmas movie that plays non-stop on TBS every Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  Randy is the little brother of Ralphie - the main character.  You know, the "you'll shoot your eye out" kid.  This was a major role for my boy.  He was practically on stage the entire production.  He had 5 costume changes and probably 30 lines or more to memorize.  The show was fabulous.  Not just because Jacob was in it, but it was really really good.  I'm so proud of Jacob - praying that God uses his confidence and stage presence for HIS glory all the days of his life. 

Here's Randy...the picky eater of the show.  Couldn't have been cast better.  Jacob is by far the pickiest eater on the planet!

Here he is with his on stage brother (Ralphie) played by Jack Swindler. 

 Jacob got to share the stage with his Papaw (Santa) - so that was extra special too.  Definitely one of my favorite parts of the play.  Randy pretended to pee on Santa's leg.  I just wish we could have figured out a way for Jacob to really get warm water on Papaw during the show.  It would have been priceless. :-)

Here's some lessons from a theater momma:
1.  If you show up, you WILL be a stage momma. 
2.  Stage mommas have to understand the lingo - stage left, stage right, cues, props, breaking legs and all that jazz
3.  Stage mommas need to wear black - otherwise you stick out like a sore thumb.  Don't really get this one - it's not like stage mommas are on stage THAT much, but when you are, you'll want to be wearing black.  Trust me. 
4.  Stage mommas will have every line memorized but have no idea what the whole thing looks or feels like until that magical moment when you are actually sitting in the audience. 
5.  Stage mommas should have a reserved parking spot -they don't, but should right outside the doors since for two months, you practically take up residence at the theater.  In fact, I felt like I should have been getting mail there. 
6.  Stage mommas will worry about the lack of sleep and homework and all other facets of normal every day life for the duration of tech week and the two performance weeks. 
7.  Stage mommas have a lot to be proud of - putting on a production takes a lot of practice. 

Y'all - Jacob is only 8... he rocked this show.  For real!  He knew exactly where to go and where to stand and where to enter and who to listen to for his cues.  He had a blast.  Each and every night - even the nights he was literally coughing his head off because he ended up getting walking pneumonia. (stage mommas also have bottles of water and cough drops ready and opened when needed!)

Reflecting on this play process has me thinking about a relationship with Jesus. It takes practice - I can't expect to be prepared to handle spiritual warfare if I'm not prepared.  I want to be so in tune with God's will and God's word, that I know all my cues and all my lines.  We, as a family, poured so much into the production of "A Christmas Story" - and it paid off.  Lots of laughs and praise involved.  Y'all - how much more important is our purpose in life?  To bring glory and honor to the one true King and to tell others about Him.  Reflecting on this play process has reminded me that being an effective Christian isn't easy.  It takes work and practice and prayer and studying God's word... and it's so exciting.  Every day, God's giving me opportunities to shine for him - on stage or behind stage as the stage momma, the opportunities are there.  Will I accept? 

trains on the floor and water stains on my mirrors

Oh my goodness.  So much to update.  I really intended to blog throughout the building/moving process, but clearly that just didn't happen.  So, we are indeed in our new home.  It's hard to believe.  We closed on December 22.  Yes.  Three.Days.Before.Christmas.  CRAZY - but awesome.  Building a house was stressful.  Fun mostly, but also very stressful.  The details.  The choices.  The keeping our house clean while it was on the market.  Oh man.  Never ever want to do that again.  I was a crazy momma. So now, I'm trying to sit back and enjoy the moments and memories we are making! 


Case in point, at this very moment, there are miscellaneous train engines and train tracks scattered in my new dining room (that has no table - it's still in storage!), there are water spots on my mirrors (WHY????  Why do boys always splash water on the dang mirrors?), there are dirty dishes in my new sink and there's a big bunch of empty boxes on my back porch that need breaking down.  Oh and there's lots of trash out there too because our trash service has yet to bring us new trashcans.  But, I'm really really really trying not to stress over those details.  I feel like over the last six months I had to say "just a minute" or "not right now" or "no, we can't do that because we might have a house showing" so many times that I'm really trying to just live and be with my kiddos and hubby.  It's hard.  Not gonna lie - I desperately want my new house to look like one of those perfectly staged newly remodeled homes on HGTV - I want rugs in the right places.  I want cool, trendy window treatments.  I want things hung up on the wall.  But those will have to wait, because for now, I'm too busy looking with fascination at the yellow trucks in our neighbor's yard and practicing spelling words and trying to put some healthy food options on the table (such.a.struggle.)

And, I'm trying to stay sane living with these beautiful, messy, loud crazies.