Summer Musical Arts Camp for Kids

We are excited about being in the middle of our 2nd Annual Theater Camp called S.M.A.C.K. This camp provides an opportunity for kids in 1st thru 12th grade to participate in the world of musical theater. This year we are presenting Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It is going to be an amazing show. We have a lot of kids that had returned from last year. The talent level has increased exponentially. It is amazing to see what these kids can do in two weeks time. Last year's Seussical was a sold out hit and we are expecting the same this year.

One of the things that I love about this camp is that kids who never knew they could sing or dance or act or create sets get an opportunity to try it out and see what they can do. There are so may kids who do not get a chance to be exposed to the arts in this fashion and it is great to be able to do it in a safe Christian atmosphere.

If you are not doing anything on Friday, June 27th at 7:00pm, you need to get a ticket and plan to be at Willy Wonka. It will be worth the effort!

See you then!!!

Off the Beaten Path

The other day I was riding down the road and I looked over and saw this open field with wildflowers and tall grass just blowing in the wind. I pass this field every day on the way to work and do not know why I saw it different on this particular day. I discovered the reason was that God wanted to whisper something to me. I felt like God was pointing out how we all seem so prone to travel the same paths day in and day out, to the point that we even pave the path with concrete or asphalt so that we can drive our cars on it. It's not just roads though. If you look in someone's backyard, you can sometimes see the path they use to walk around the house or to the shed or garden because the grass will be a little more trampled along that path. If you have ever had a dog living in your back yard and walking his patterns, you know exactly what I am talking about. 

On that day when I looked over and saw that field, for a moment I had a thought about how I remember running and playing in fields like that when I was a kid and how fun it would be to go exploring once again in a field like that. At that moment though, I realized that I had "grown up" and become set in my patterns of daily routines and that the field was off the beaten path of my life and therefore would not be fit into my schedule today. That was when I heard God whisper, "I am in the fields not on the beaten paths." 

I was puzzled at first as to what He was trying to say. Then I remembered stories about men like Moses who had to turn from his beaten path to go see a burning bush. Stories about men like Peter who had to leave his boat to go see this man named Jesus. I realized that the comfort and predictability of the beaten path causes us to become confident in ourselves and our ability to handle what we know. This comfort causes us to lose our perspective that includes God. That is why God has a tendency to force us off the beaten paths of our lives when He wants to get our attention. Sometimes He will allow us to be forced into situations that we would never venture into ourselves because it is off our path and He can speak to us there. But God wants to call you and I today to make ourselves turn aside from our beaten path and take a walk through the fields and hear His voice. Go take a walk in a park or sit in a prayer closet. Go see a friend you have not seen in a long time or lay in a grassy field. Whatever is off of your beaten path, try to take time to go there and listen. you might be surprised at who shows up!