Are You a Sold Out Show?

Growing up in Christian circles, I had heard the phrase “Are you sold out for Jesus?”. While recently buying tickets for a performance, I thought about being “sold out” in greater depth. Before a large theatrical performance or sporting event, tickets go on sale for each seat. Once the seats are gone, the only way to get a seat for the event is to find someone who already has a ticket they want to sell. 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 reminds us “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” Jesus gave His life and blood on the cross in our place as a sacrifice for our sins. If we accept him as our Lord, we are no longer our own, we belong to Him—every last place of our heart and our steps we take daily. At times, some seats may look vacant, but if the show has been sold out, you can rest assured a price has been paid for the seat. It was left vacant by the purchaser for some unsaid reason. If we give our lives and hearts fully to Christ, He has purchased each and every place (seat) in our hearts. There is nothing which has gone unpurchased or taken care of in our lives. If you are at a place in your life where you feel devalued or empty in a place or corner of your heart, consider this, “Are you sold out?”. If you are, then every part of your life, heart, and future are surrendered to God’s will. You walk in obedience to His Word. When you fall short, His grace is enough. You can rest in knowing that all of the places (seats) in your life are occupied by the Lord or His guests. Allow God to fill your life with His desires, callings, relationships, timing, and destiny.

Scriptures for Competition Season

I AM NOT ALONE “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them (your opponents), for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."- Deut. 31:6 I WILL KEEP A SMILE OF JOY AND BE CONFIDENT “the Lord will be your confidenceand will keep your foot from being snared.”- Proverbs 3:26 "A joyful heart makes a cheerful face"- Proverbs 15: 13 I AM STRONG Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."- Joshua 1:9 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might" -Ephesians 6: 10 MY FOCUS AND THOUGHTS ARE ON BEING A LIGHT THIS WEEKEND "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”- Matthew 5:16 I WILL REMEMBER TO ENCOURAGE THOSE AROUND ME “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." - Ephesians 5: 1-2 I WILL BE FRIENDLY TO EVERYONE “If one falls down, hisfriendcan help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” - Ecclesiastes 4:10 “Dearfriends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone wholoves has been born of God and knows God.”- 1 John 4:6-8 “He who lovespurity of heart and whose speech isgracious, will have the king for his friend.”- Proverbs 22:11 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35 I GUARD MY WORDS AND USE THEM WISELY "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person." - Colossians 4:6 I WILL KEEP A THANKFUL HEART "Be glad in the Lord you righteous ones; and give thanks to His holy name."- Psalm 97: 12 MY VICTORY COMES FROM CHRIST, NOT A COMPETITION WIN. "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." - Colossians 3:2 I WILL STUDY MY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND RESUME DILIGENTLY "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men."- Colossians 3: 23 I OPEN MY HEART, BODY, AND SPIRIT TO BE USED BY GOD IN EACH STEP THIS WEEKEND: TALENT PREVIEW, INTERVIEW, AUDITIONS, SOLO DANCE FINALS, AND OFF STAGE EVERYWHERE I GO. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus , giving thanks through Him to God the Father." - Colossians 3: 17 LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN MY HEART. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful"-Colossians 3: 15 MAY ALL MY ACTIONS,THOUGHTS, AND THE ATTITUDE OF MY HEART BE PLEASING TO GOD. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19: 14

INITIATIVE

"Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who ask receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10

Notice that this verse is very promising, but with each desired result, there is an action which comes first from us! We have to ask before we are given, we have to actively be seeking before we find, and knock before the door is opened. How would someone know to open the front door of their house for their friend if the friend never knocked? Imagine if we just walked up to a door and stood there waiting for someone to magically appear and open the door. Just picture that scene for a minute. Of course, we are laughing at the very thought of thinking someone would be silly to enough to try this and expect a door to open! Even electric doors are triggered by movement or weight when we step near the door and pursue moving forward. The same truth applies when we go to God with a need or desire. Of course He wants to give us the desires of our heart, but are we going to have the belief in God enough to take the first step and ask.

Sometimes we need to simply take initiative to see greater things happen in our lives. It’s important to remember that God will order our steps. The Bible says He is a lamp unto our feet, as well as a light unto our path. But, how can the light on our path be utilized if we remain still or stagnant? The only way we can continue using the light God provides for us is by moving forward and trusting where the Lord is taking us. He will not allow His children to fall. So no matter what the circumstances may look like in the present, remember that He can see the full picture and will take you to a place you could not reach in your own power.

Psalm 55:22 says “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” This verse is a promise the Lord has given us. So take hold of His promise, move forward, and see the greatness of God abound in your life!

GRATITUDE: repost from 2010

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and uplift one another with all wisdom, and as you sing songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

Gratitude is an attitude of being thankful for what God and others have done for me. When I fully recognize that my greatest problem is solved, my debt of sin, I can feel and understand gratitude. This leads me to desire to live a life of response to what the Lord has done for me - a life of honor and thankfulness to Him. A grateful heart keeps us humble, teachable, selfless, and so much more.

One key experience which deepened my gratitude was our dance tour to Beijing as God opened the door for us to recieve an invitation to perform in the 2008 Olympic Festival. It was a very eye-opening experience that showed us the reality of what being a Christian is like in other countries. The feeling of the atmosphere in a country where it is illegal and dangerous to speak of Jesus Christ or "God" is something very
different than what we feel in America. The relaxed and free environment we
experience daily concerning how we talk and share with whoever we wish about our
relationship with the Lord was nonexistent in China. It felt as if my spirit was
being suffocated and "spiritual oxygen" was not easily found nearby in churches,
Christian book stores, television, topics of conversations, music options etc.

As Americans, we should be extremely thankful for basic health. opportunties for education, and financial freedoms. When entering an orphanage for children with disabilities in Lang Fang, China, we came upon one of the crowded preschool rooms. I quickly noticed two boys with very outdated hearing aids. We recognized the models which were used by my deaf sister, Lydia, almost a decade ago back in America. This old model of hearing aid would have most likely been thrown away in America.

We signed to the boys, but they just smiled. In addition to not being able to speak, they had never been exposed to sign language and had no idea how to respond. They too, most likely will never receive the benefits of higher education, a cochlear implant, or know the dignity of a career. A nurse explained to us that the boys would live in the orphanage until age 18 and then most likely learn to work in a field. So many opportunities and everyday privileges that we take for granted are not even
options in many countries.

Student Story, Brooklyn Bennett, Age 10: Returning from a recent mission trip from Nicaragua, one of my ten year old students shared her most memorable lesson. She said "I lost my ipod on the plane on the way there! But when I got there and saw that the families did not even have electricity, I realized that not having my ipod was not really that big of a deal".

What moments in your life have made you realize how blessed you truly are? We would like to hear your story!!

CONFIDENCE

Confidence is so important because it gives us the ability to push through any situation and reach the desired outcome. It gives us the strength to go after and strive for the calling and path God has placed in our lives. Unfailing confidence is found in Jesus Christ versus confidence in our own abilities, knowledge, wealth, or good deeds. Our confidence is only as strong as that in which it is founded. Even in all of our greatest accomplishments and strengths, we know we are going to fall short at times. However, if we put our confidence in Christ, we know He will never fail us. Our confidence will be solid - even in our weaknesses. It is by His grace and favor that we can steadily run the race and know that we are not alone. God's love is unconditional, His mercies are new every morning, He desires to see us succeed, His Holy Spirit counsels and comforts us. The Bible directs us to be confident in our salvation, our prayers & requests, and our future. His plans for us far surpass anything we could imagine or plan on our own.

Proverbs 3:25 & 26 “Do not be afraid of sudden terror, or of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” Reading and meditating on this scripture will give you a sense of security. What a great promise that we have been provided! Begin to put the situations you have always tried to control in God’s hands and let your confidence come solely from the Lord. You will start sensing such security and faith when you place all your confidence and trust in His hands. His love is never failing.

Humility

"Humble yourself under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time". 1 Peter 5:8

One of the first moves a dancer learns in class is the plie. Plie means "to bend" or "to bow". The bending of knees in small and large plies is the first exercise of each ballet class, whether a beginning or advanced dancer. The plie, bending of the knees, is one of the seven movements of dance as it connects large movements as well as begins and ends every type of jump. Without the plie, jumping in to the air or jumping forward is virtually impossible. Likewise, landing without a plie after being airborne can cause damage to the body.

This ideal of bending before rising is also a spiritual truth found in the Bible. "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up." Prior to God lifting us up to a new level in our lives, we must bend/ bow, or hearts and will to Him. And in order to not allow pride in our hearts, we must cushion our mountaintop moments with a continued bowing of the heart thereafter. As we bend our knees, our hearts, our will, before the Lord, we are showing Him honor, respect, and ultimately a submission to His will in our lives. Before Jesus was raised up on the cross or ascended to Heaven, He bowed in the Garden of Gethsemane and submitted to His Heavenly Father's will. In humility, we acknowledge that the Lord is better at handling our lives than we are. Through this, our greatest rewards and joys are found. God fill us with HIS strength and HIS grace. "God resists the proud but gives GRACE to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 We are not alone.

HONESTY

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips" Proverbs 16:12

Websters dictionary defines honesty as: freedom from deceit or fraud, truthful, sincere, and fair. As Christians, we grow up learning the importance of truth. We realize the Word of God is the truth, our sword for spiritual warfare. Too, the truth sets us free. As a young adult, I am understanding the great value of honesty in others as well as myself in normal everyday affairs. As a believer, the need for me to be honest with myself before the Lord is crucial in growing in areas of my life. Too, the need for honest love and acceptance continues to be something I need each day. There is no other love more honest and pure than the love from Jesus Christ. Honesty is mentioned quite a bit in the Old Testament in reference to the way the Lord desired his people to run their business affairs and relationships. God desires for me to live both honestly in my lifestyle as well as my speech.

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips, they value the one who speaks what is right." Proverbs 16:12. Being honest is key in gaining honor and respect to those in leadership positions. Proverbs 24:26 reads, "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips". Honesty is also a key in closeness in any relationship. Again, as I am honest before the Lord and others, closeness and intimacy grows. God never asks me to be perfect but He does ask me to be honest. Being honest can sometimes be very humbling. Proverbs 22:3 tell us "Humility is the fear of the Lord, it's wages are riches and honor and life." It is my heart's desire to be known as a honest woman and be trusted. Yes, I am flawed and still maturing. But as I accept God's unconditional honest love for me at deeper levels, it gives me the security to be honest and transparent to others.