With arms wide open

If God is omnipotent, does it make sense that we are trying to "prove" ourselves to Him? Or is it more likely that we are given opportunities to prove our worth and power to ourselves?

Common phrase: "God does not give us more than we can handle."

Which is translated by some into "God has given me these trials because he knows I can handle it."
But this thought process goes into the despairatory realm of believing that God had a certain amount of trials, say 28 billion, and that he needed to dole them out to someone before the end of the earth experience. He looked down at some (who we see as having "few" trials) and said, "They’re too weak, and they can’t handle this much so who can I put it on. I mean, I have to get through them all!" So he looks down at some one else (who we see as having "many" or "grevious" trials) and had said, "I remember that one. Strong as an ox they were. They can handle these." and shoveled them on.

What?! What kind of God do you believe in? Obviously not the God of Love that I believe in.

Confession: I used to subscribe to this way of thinking. Mainly because everyone else was, and I had not stopped "suffering" long enough to ask a very important question of said suffering:

"Why?"

Not ask it of God, because it’s not His fault and He is not to blame. On that day, I was given a blessing. In it I was told as well as shown one of the most valuable lessons of my life. I saw a path, with many rocks and dips in the road, many branches and thickets hiding my view. I heard: "If I pointed out every obstacle and pulled back every branch: you’d never learn." I could see His hand gently pulling one or two branches back, as though to tell me that He can be there to soften a blow or to guide me, but all in all I am here to learn.

My learning. My education. My growth toward God-hood. That is the agenda of the God of Love.

I remember a little of myself before my mortal coil. Thinking about who that being was (and in many ways still is) I must now try and put my life experiences into a helpful perspective. A perspective of learning. If who I was was awesome, but not a God-ready self, then what do I have to learn HERE that will make me that God-ready self?

It puts a new light on every "trial." I am not under a gun. I am not in a position where I have to justify myself to my God. It is only asked of me - not even required - that I learn from the life He and I outlined together and that I continue to create. I believe we sat down together and He asked with His hand on my shoulder, "My beloved daughter. Who do you want to be when you grow up?" And together we decided which schools of though to attend. Which experiences would shape me the most effectively. There are some I believe we decided upon right then and there. Others I create for myself because I didn’t learn the first time, or because I didn’t learn all that I had wanted to in the first experience.

I know many people don’t like this idea. I’m not sure why. I know my reason on bad days is that I don’t want that much responsibility. I don’t want to think that sometimes I’m having things happen to me because I asked for them or created them or whatever.

But I can’t remember the story of anyone who learned anything by hiding from the truth. So that is my endeavor: to face the truth and be sincerely grateful for it.

The truth that I am an awesome creative power, both before earth, on earth and after earth. I am a daughter of God. I was taken aside in a "family council" where I expressed my wishes. I even expressed trust in Him that He may - as He saw fit - remind me of truth even surprise me, if you will, no matter how uncomfortable the means. And when I look at it that way, He has never used uncomfortable means. Resistance makes anything uncomfortable.

So what’s the current experience that re-taught me this lesson?

Casting out my own personal demon.

Yeah, you read me.

Now a moment of gratitude: Thanks to Amber for reminding me.
Thanks to my Coach for awakening me.
Thanks to my husband for trusting me.
Thanks to my kids for loving me no matter what.
And thanks to everyone one else for supporting me.

Many times I feel that I have too many thoughts to think. I am afraid that I will not be able to do what needs to be done day to day if I think my thoughts. And in that way,sometimes it seems so much easier to turn off my brain and hide away until the days run over me to their end. How grateful am I that I have felt that feeling so that now I can recognize how WRONG it is.

Today: I greet you with arms - and mind - open wide!!!

Farewell, old friend.

Muad'Dib asked me an interesting question the other night on the way to see Les Mis at Northridge High (yay, we were on a date!!!).

"When was the last time you had a positive theater experience?"

About two minutes passed, without an answer. Images of my all my theater moments passed before my minds eye, concentrated on the last eight theatrical endeavors in the last eight years.

Going backwards looked like this:

Sound of Music: away from my husband. Purposly distracted from my kids.

Secret Garden: Emotionally volcanic. Separate from my husband. Focus not on my kids. Loads of travel time and money spent on uber expensive gas.

Merchant of Venice: The name of that play could well have been changed to: "The Seventh Circle of Hell filled with Dancing Imps of Death and Averous" and been more accurate a description for the time spent.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: away from son and husband. Shamed about my weight.

Hello Dolly: constantly arguing with my parents. Lemur crying as I left him for something that was more important. Husband looking . . . tired.

Romeo and Juliet: actually a great experience except . . . while picturing all that happened during that January, February, and March in 2004 something was disturbingly absent: my son!

Oklahoma!: worried about my weight and . . . pregnant. In the first trimester. I had no idea how to balance my theater, work and husband. Husband took a back seat. During this show we had our first and only fight. Luckily, Muad'Dib doesnt remember it.

Big River: worried about my weight. Didn't much care for the cast. Some depression here . . .

Then blinding me with it's incredible goodness was the memory of West Side Story, when I played Maria. I remembered friends, music, dancing, adventure, dedication, hard work, sweat and even tears.

What truly separated the memory of West Side from the other memories of theater since then?

Just like riding the waverunner at Lake Powell, I was attempting to REcreate good times and moments of thrilling achievement. What I failed to recognize in both situations was this: what is the point in REcreation, if it keeps you from NEW creation.

Looking back, it was as if my life changed, and I didn't. The difference between the two began to chaffe slowly, until I was emotionally raw and incredibly uncomfortable.

I have always said that my goals in life were simple: Marry and Mother.

So what was this other thing called Theater? It was the thing that shaped me and entertained me until my goals could be met. I had no control over when I met my "match." So I filled the time until then. I truly enjoyed it. And then . . . I didn't let go.

I kept thinking that theater was a part of me, that I was somehow defined by the terms "actress" or "singer" or even "TheaterGeek."

I'm not.

I feel my heart burst open with light at the realization. I am not this catagory alone. I am so much more. I made the mistake, as many in this line of 'work' do, that "Theater is life." I should have known all along - but how could I? - that more truly, "Theater is a hobby." I am just as passionate about MANY other things. In fact, my existence is RIDDLED with things I am or can be passionate about!!!

Shoot: I'm passionate about having the bed made in the morning, sorting beads, sitting in the grass, playing Settlers of Catan, or hating windsheild rivers!!

Cowboy Bob is right when he said that I have a great capacity to love. I have given over so much of that capacity to Theater.

Just as I have been able to love friends and yet gracefully leave them behind when they are no longer useful to me or I to them, I AM finally able - and aware enough - to do the same for that dearest of my friends: Theater.

He no longer needs me.

More importantly: I no longer need him. I don't even need the memories we made, but I will enjoy them from time to time. One day, perhaps I will enjoy him again, dancing, singing and performing within his well lit walls.

And today I mark down another heart sneeze: the burst of love that tells me truly: It's time to let this go.

Beware the Yellow Snow!!

A few funny things happened yesterday:

*Muad'Dib gave Lemur a grilled cheese sandwich, to which he replied, "What the sam hill?!"



*We visited DazzlingKira and the new Zman. And played Rock Band almost the whole time. I was amazing on guitar. I think that after cleaning the filth left behind by some tennants, I will buy myself this game and set up . . .



*We come out to the car to go home and I am greeted by my son yelling proudly: "Mom, I peed in the snow!"



*Walking through Walmart earlier in the day, I picked up some grapes for purchase. While I wasn't looking, Rivulet made her way into the bag and began eating some. Then Lemur began to follow her example. I asked him what he thought he was doing, to which he replied, "I'm pilfering the grapes! I'm a pilfer-stinker!"



Who says "pilfer"?! My son, apparently.

Put me in Coach! I know there's alot riding on it . . .

Today I am a credit to my Life Coach(s).

I recently decided to Assistant Direct The Sound of Music at the Playhouse with my mother as the director. We have had three rehearsals. One was bad, one was great and then tonight I sat at a music rehearsal with growing anger.

For anyone who doesn't know, Anger is my Thug. He is also my default negative emotion. I have always believed that anger is more "powerful" than other negative emotions, and therefore puts me in a higher position than I would be, say, cowering with guilt or shame. Just be angry.

So after realizing that I was not needed at this rehearsal, I packed up my daughter, anger still growing, and began the fifteen minute drive home.

And here is where I become a credit to my Coaches. While driving, I realized that I was angry. Instead of letting myself get swept up in the familiar rush of my chosen emotional drug, I calmed myself with breathing and tried to figure out what my anger was hiding. In my mind was the image of cutting through layers and layers of protective muscle to get to the spine of the reaction.

There I found guilt. Guilt for leaving my husband and son at home while I sat, unneeded at a rehearsal. Guilt for dragging my daughter to the theater against her will to sit unneeded at a rehearsal. Guilt for trying to distract my children from me so that I can concentrate on something that I have deemed to be more important than them. Guilt that I would have many nights over the next two months where my husband would come home to an empty apartment with no dinner. Guilt that I CHOSE this, knowingly, over my family. Guilt that I KNEW what made me happy, and I was continuing to NOT choose it.

Home brings me peace. Taking care of my home and my family brings me full joy (not always happiness, not always calm, but truly joy). Having focus on my children, my husband, my home, and myself brings me PEACE.

And I was ashamed that I was choosing to give that up in favor of a play. AGAIN.

Anyone remember my posts from Secret Garden? Anything positive there? Nope. I'd like to say that there was. After the show, I realized that I had created that experience to teach myself that I am most at peace when I am devoted to my current Soul Purpose: wife and motherhood. And although I LEARNED the lesson, I was choosing not to APPLY the lesson.

"Wisdom is doing." So tonight, I am exercising my WISDOM. Because I am no longer interested in learning this lesson. I no longer need to repeat this grade. I have graduated from my previous cycle.

Life Coaches: thank you for teaching me the tools that tonight allowed me to break free from my destructive and repetitive pattern. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me, so that I could recognize my own defenses and cut through them.

And to everyone who has been on the receiving end of my yuck during one of these lessons: I'm sorry. And thank you for being a part of my life lessons. I have no doubt that sometimes it has not been fun to be around me. Things are looking up: because I am growing. Up.

Laughter and Life after Death

On Christmas Eve, my mother told us she would like to set aside time for a Scriptural or spiritual moment to remember the true meaning of Christmas and focus on our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
To this my sister replied: "I worship Jesus every day and in everything I do. Can't I have a day to just play with my family?!"

Then, tonight, I was backing up the car and Lemur asked me to change the music to a song he liked.

I sternly answered, "I can't right now. I have to focus on driving or we could crash and die." He has heard this answer quite a few times as we have been out driving in the snow storms for the past week.

He was silent for a moment. Then he said, "Mom? It's okay. If I die, you bring me back with fire and wood."

"Fire and wood? What do you mean?"

"On Star Wars. Like Darth Vader."

"Honey, I don't think it works like that in real life."

"Oh yep it does. But I'll be blue, like with Yoda."

Peaceful Warrior

Here I am to plug another movie. This one is incredible for entirely different reasons. Rather than being excited and bursting with rampant emotional praise, I just want everyone to know that this movie is life changing. There is so much truth in so little time. It's about a gymnast. You can view the trailer if you want, I have a link at the bottom. But I think it spoils the experience of the movie if you watch it first.
Some of the things I learned in just the first twenty minutes include little truths like this:
"Wisdom is doing."

Can you believe I didn't know that?

And the above picture is from my favorite moment. I will make my famous chocolate chip cookies for the first person to tell me what Dan learned about that rock in his hand.

http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//title/tt0438315/trailers-screenplay-E32052-314

Enjoy! I sure did. Thanks to Muad'Dib for always broadening my movie-going horizons.
Has anyone read the book?

A list of good

If it weren't for all my recent coughing, I would have been posting my many sneezes. So in the interest of changing my blog a little bit, here is a short list of things that have been making me sneeze:

1. Taking pretty pictures of pretty people
2. Seeing fun movies with fun people. (The Bee Movie, Beowulf, Mickey's Christmas Carol with my kids)

3. Playing Catan early mornings with my daughter curled up on my lap.

4. Waking up to Christmas in my living room every morning.

5. Being suprised by a smaller number than I anticipated.

6. Using my license to give without question.

7. Receiving kisses from my son.

8. Watching Rivulet dance.

9. Singing in a recording Studio - for three hours!

10. Being nuzzled by a rat for the first time in 13 years.

11. Cooking for my husband.

12. Being in tune with my angels.

13. Spending time with DreamPacker (finally).

14. Cleaning out the cupboards above and around my range hood.

15. Seeing my Grandma for lunch.

Well, those are my top 15 (how cool is it that I didn't feel right stopping at 10!) I'd expound, but I'm going on two hours of sleep and . . . no, let's just leave happy.

I have a warm place to sleep. I have children who love to cuddle me. I have a husband who appreciates what I do for him and his children. I am getting over my bronchial upset, and have the perfect gift for at least half the people on my list. So far, so GREAT!

And River just peed on the floor. Heaven, give me strength!