Here are a few photos I took from Saturday's run through.
This is Cinderella.
And here is Prince Charming!
Michael has three parts; the tailor for the bratty step-sisters, a dancer at the Palace Ball, and here he is as a "boy who throws rocks at the bluebird".
And a scene of grand ballet, featuring the fairies.
He's having a great time. It's quite a thing to be involved in a production like this, but great memories of friends, a shared project, learning and being pushed to do things you have never done before. He is quite tired, though.
Things have been tough financially for a while. My DH has been in contempt of court for nearly three months, and we have received very little to live on. If it were not for our office cleaning jobs and the help of others we'd have been unable to make it at all.
Our faithful little minivan, which is always a mess because it sees constant use as transportation to home school activities, work, window washings, as well as being our farm vehicle until we can find a way to repair the truck, has needed repair for months.
I've put it off, not having any money to do so, and hoping it would come in. It hasn't. But every day the car has become worse and worse, until last night I decided I was simply afraid to drive it. You see, the front wheels wobble while we roll, and riding in there is rather like sitting on a drunken, trotting pony. Not to mention that now a clunking noise accompanies every single wobble. I had Michael check it yesterday to be sure, and you should have seen his face when he got back in the car.
We are down to our last 20 dollars after I buy gas today and pay the phone bill. And the power bill is coming due. It's going to be almost 300 dollars. Yikes! There is no money for repairs. None.
But the Lord has always provided for us when things were tight. And this has been no exception. The Lord moved someone to pay to have our car repaired. I get to take it in today, if any place is open on this holiday.
Ever since my husband left us it has been this way. When we can't make it, the Lord provides. He gives my husband the opportunity to do so, but when he does not, the Lord does it Himself, through our brothers and sisters in Christ who know our need and respond because of their love for Him. Every year I have to find a way to come up with property taxes, every year there has been, somehow, a miraculous way that they've been paid. Miracle may be too strong a word, but it was certainly obvious that the Lord moved someone to act on our behalf. How many times has someone quietly handed us gas money, or a gift card to the grocery store, and Christmas presents? Too many to count.
I cannot say Michael and I deserve to be cared for this way. We don't. But He cares for us anyway. There are others areas of our life that we have lost a lot in, and the Lord did not prevent it. All I can say is that I know He loves all those who love His Son. And He cares for us in the very best way. It's just we often don't agree that it's best at the time.
Our prayer is to somehow be a blessing to our Father and Yeshua, and be a blessing to all those around us.
The greatest commandment?
Matthew 22:37
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
These two verses alone are enough to keep me busy reining in my sin nature 24 hours a day and, I hope, blessing my Creator and Father, who loves me.
Please take the time to watch the video below.
May you be richly blessed today, in exactly the way the Lord knows is best for you.
