Team Building

Team Building is about creating a group that cares about each other and reaching a goal together.  The members have to learn each others' strengths and weaknesses, and to encourage one another to reach the goal.  As Christians, we want to present Christ to those around us.  So, we are in a challenge to hear God's voice minute by minute, as He leads us in how to bring that encouragement and coaching to those around us.
In the interactions and dynamics of the relationships in a new job, it seems that the employees need to know that there is an atmosphere of grace, where they are accepted, as well as an environment of professionalism, and that they will be challenged to be all that they can be.   That is primarily the boss' job, but a Christian employee can really help to reinforce that atmosphere, or to provide it if it's missing.  Provide it, even in a small, but powerful way!
If a Christian is responsive and communicative, and the others aren't as much, is it possible that the challenge is to be as responsive and communicative as is professional, yet to try to include the others, as much as they choose to respond?
There's a certain level of unresponsiveness that will get employees fired, but is it possible that very often, a Christian will have leading by the Holy Spirit that guides you in what to say and to do in order to reach those around you with God's love and truth?  And that fellow employees will respond over time?  It seems that one of the most important truths is that it's not the Christian's job to help others to respond-it's the Holy Spirit's.  Is it possible that the key is to keep listening to what He is doing in the other employees' lives?  And then just to keep the doors open to communication as much as it depends on the Believer? And then to do and say what the Holy Spirit puts on the Christian's heart?  When relationship and communication don't depend on them, as others are closed or hostile, it seems that the key is to trust that God is in control, and that He is more powerful than the forces that are holding the person captive.  And then to wait on God, then to act when He puts it on the Believer's heart.  Always with respect for the other, never forcing or condemning.  Convicting, yes.  Honest, yes.  But not communicating hopelessness or rage.
I love the Christians' responsiveness to their work friends, when they talk to and affirm them, and are honest with them as well.  It is so Real and Life-giving.  With an attitude that we are all flawed, and we need to be changed and to receive God's mercy and grace, this is what draws others to the Jesus that we were drawn to. 
There will be people that we work with who are dangerous and a real trial.  That's when God's promise to guard us and to take authority in our lives and our oikos, or sphere of influence, makes us focus on His power and strength, not on ours.  He will not tolerate evil, forever.
He will make inroads wherever we are.  He desires that all people be saved, and none to be destroyed.  And I believe that as we're willing, He will touch others around us, through our imperfections, and our gifts and talents.  I said imperfections, first.  Ha!  Relax, and know that He is God, and as we deny ourselves daily, He will touch others around us.  Love Him First!  And everything else will fall into place, and the peace that passes our understanding will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Fly HIgh - A Poem of Our College Students Leaving

Fly High

(Our College Students Leaving)

Ana Maria Blevins

Sept. 13, 2010

It's hard to let slip the golden shimmering to slip from the hold to allow

the heads are so beautiful, so beautiful when they dance

the legs are so lovely, so lovely when they dance

born to me, and born again

little women and little men

they filled my house with sound and speed

In broken ways, I met their need

and they're gone

I ache for their soaring, I pray for their graceful ascent

In their defining, themselves, I see what they meant.

But I am feeling the tearing the lifting the rend

The figure it rises and leaves behind the mold...

How can I play their music?

and it rises to fill all I have

the songs they created hold tight and fill me again and again

every doe loves its fawn

the tender softness in the light in the dawn

smelling the softness of them knowing their heartbeat touching yours

and when they run we rejoice

I gave my life for them to find a voice

to dance to joy

to play in the light on the forest floor

dance some more,

dance some more

I know your hearts are eternal in the song that you chose to sing

you've seen the dancing lights, seen the Beautiful One,

your light is strong

How could you Dance so strong?

We gave you the wings we borrowed

but how could we know how high you'd fly?

How could you soar?

I want to see you more...

I miss you-

But fly high. Fly high!

You were my little one, and now you can flyhigh.

Deliverance-No More Money for Planned Parenthood

Barnes & Noble won't carry their founder's books-they're too racist...Their clinics are located predominantly in minority neighborhoods and 65% of the children killed by abortion are black... They've run school programs for decades to brainwash kids from K-middle school so they could have pregnant teens to sell abortions to...They've protected rapists of minors (statutory rapists)...They've protected Sex Traffickers who enslave minor girls and prostitute them...They've operated without any health organization regulating them, making sure that the women receiving abortions were protected, for decades...They've run forced abortion programs in China, with U.S. taxpayer money, where women were monitored, and if they missed a period and already had a child,  they would be hauled into the clinic by police, and their child would be killed and taken. And now the U.S. House of Representatives has decided, No More Taxpayer Money.
    If Planned Parenthood staff wanted to help women, it's unfathomable that they would operate their clinics like so many concentration camps, with shrewd business-mindedness, and Las Vegas style marketing.  As abortion radicals, they have opposed women's right to know what the baby looked like, or any information that would deter a woman from choosing to have her baby killed by abortion.  As another said, they believed that women had a "constitutional right to a dead baby". Neither information of the baby's development and person hood, nor health concerns (abortions in young women without a pregnancy carried to term in the next few years, greatly increase her chances of getting breast cancer in her late 30's and 40's when she has a family who needs her) neither of these have been seen as legitimate needs.
    The overwhelming principle that Planned Parenthood has demonstrated is their desire for profit. The lack of counselling before abortions, lack of support after an abortion, and denial of the trauma of abortion, comprise a picture of a network that is truly a Genteel Genocide Giant.  Accepted in our communities for almost a hundred years, supported by tax dollars, they have operated in a haze of approval and propaganda that will give research writers something to write about for the next hundred years.  How they have managed to exist and suck up funds like a virus sucks protein out of living cells, is a nefarious and mind-boggling story, that the world will be hearing about, finally, for a long, long time.  The troops have just arrived at Auschwitz. Get ready to witness the genocide in Planned Parenthood's camps.

How God reveals Himself to Young People who are Adrift

Here is the link:  http://www.passingthebaton.org/news/163-five-ways-god-reveals-his-will-to-those-who-are-adrift.html

Daddy-Daughter Banquet

Lots of people talk about it.  Little girls dream about it.  But only a few women ever have the opportunity to add that special event to the memories stored in their heart.  Girls in Fayetteville, NC will be able to enjoy this magical event at the Mpact Girls Ministry Daddy-Daughter Banquet in February 2011.  This event has little girls eyes shining with love and anticipation, as they plan all the details for their special evening with the Man in their lives whom they love-their Daddy.

The Daddy-Daughter Banquet is an event that serves to touch both the Daughter's and Daddy's hearts.  The bond between a father and daughter is formative and life-impacting.  Daddy has the power to impart respect and self-honor to his daughter by spending time with her, being familiar with her dreams and fears, and showing her unconditional love.  Sharing a ceremonial event such as the Daddy-Daughter Banquet says loudly to the daughter that he loves her and respects her, therefore she is worthy of respect from others.  It deepens the bond that serves to "keep his daughter's heart" so that she will know that her father and her family desire the best for her.  So much results from this sweet, special time, it is the reason that the girls eyes are glowing now, months ahead, as they prepare for the Banquet.
The girls are getting in gear now, raising money for their much anticipated "fete".  They are selling Yankee Candles, made in America of the highest ingredients. Yankee Candles are big sellers before the holidays as several of their really popular items, such as Fire-Starters, are only available during the Fall Fundraisers. 
Featuring down-home scents, like Apples N Spice, as well as other romantic offerings, Yankee Candle brings you "home for the holidays"! Prices range from $7 to $23, and the girls are ready to help you warm your holidays with the Yankee Candle Collection.  Email if you want to order your Yankee Candle and support the hard-working girls as they prepare for their Daddy-Daughter Banquet. amsblevins@nc.rr.com.
For girls interested in attending the Banquet and becoming part of the Ministry, contact Stacy at amsblevins@nc.rr.com.

Have Flash Mobs Come to Your Town?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k&NR=1

Wikkipedia states that: A flash mob (or flashmob)^[1] is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time, then disperse.^[2] The term flash mob is generally applied only to gatherings organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} The term is generally not applied to events organized by public relations firms, protests, and publicity stunts.^{[5][9]
And OK, I stopped arguing with my kids about the credibility of Wikkipedia...I'll take it...most of the time...
The Flashmobs that have ignited my imagination and many others', are generally a large, community-oriented, family-friendly celebration of dance.  I guess it sounds a lot like the Celebration at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb...!  Cosmic, unbridled joy and Glory!  
Well, back to 2010, you can catch the above-mentioned Flash Mob Dances on You tube in railroad stations, and other public places.  
If you are a dance-loving type of person, and a worshipping fool, and you care about your friends and neighbors, you probably want to dance and share the visions going around in your head, or heart, or soul, or mind, or all of these :]  
My dear friend, Domini Boling, a true pioneer in spiritual dance, and an unflagging artist of decades, has created a piece to be shared at the SparkCon creativity Festival in Raleigh, NC, Saturday, September 18th.   Her piece has a narrative, highly developed dance choreography, and pantomime.  A medium sized group will portray the piece, "Who Cares?"  This is revolutionary, and it is taking some deeply meaningful Art to the public square, where it has often been censored.  Come be part of the groundbreaking!  Enjoy!  and Create from your own spirit!}

Fiddler On the Roof-A Love Story

Our local Fayetteville Technical Community College put on the Broadway Production of Fiddler on the Roof in fall 2008.  The Director, Dennis Johnson, asked my daughters and I to choreograph it, and it was a once in a lifetime experience.  A few months later, my daughter Casiphia, was the only audience member to meet and talk to Topol!  She prayed that she would!  What a thrill!

The response to Fiddler On The Roof, in our small city has been powerful.  I am convinced that what audiences have experienced, and have been so moved by is the presence of the glory of God.  The beauty of the music and the joyfulness of the dances are a delightful arts experience. The power of these performances arises from the great depth of the musical.  

In an age when ambivalence and relativism rule, our communities struggle to find a center.   The village of Anatevka is a community which still has a center. Although not a prosperous village, the heart and soul of the town draw and warm the viewer.  That heart and that soul are the  presence of God in the life of the village.  The Jews of Anatevka have a covenant relationship w/ God. 

The reality that the villagers experience on a day to day basis has a center.  Their reality arises from the revelation given by the God of their Covenant.  Their family unit, their business life, and all their other dealings are established by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  There is tremendous security in that.

The people of Anatevka are a cast of personalities, individuals with a spectrum of temperaments, strengths and weaknesses, yet all known to their Creator, and connected to Him and to one another as a result. 

The traditions, celebrations, & feasts connect the Jews with cords of love. The Sabbath and the Sabbath Prayer ground the rest of the week and make a meaningful time and place for each family that carry them through the seasons and their entire lifetime.

The world of Anatevka is full of struggle, yet it still has meaning and hope.  Male and female are still united tenaciously in marriage.  Young love causes celebration and hope for the future. Human struggles still have meaning, and faithfulness to God is still valued.  The faith of the Jewish village people has not been dislodged from its foundation by new philosophies of chance and impersonal forces. It still has a center.  The response of audiences to this play demonstrates how essential this is to human beings.   

The faithfulness of Tevye to his God is warming, yet full of irony, for God is silent for him, and the instigator of suffering, as well.  Yet Tevye continues to revere Him, although he takes Him to task for all the trials that befall him.  Tevye knows a little of his Holy Book;  he is a hard-working man.  And like the rest of the village which is almost Medieval in its lack of education and advancement, they labor and have little opportunity for study or for recreation.  He is not aware of an ancient enemy, who is not made of flesh and blood, and who is bent on the destruction of God’s chosen people, in order to attack God Himself.  Tevye doesn’t know the writings of the prophet Joel, either, that describe the sufferings of the nation of the Jews.  He is not aware of the prophesied restoration of Israel and the honor that Isaiah foretells that is coming for the nation. 

The plight of the Jews, that they are the Chosen people, yet have suffered contempt from the world is paramount in the last scene, as the Jews are forced out of Anatevka, when the Rabbi’s son says that they have been waiting for the Messiah for a long time, and wouldn’t this be a good time for Him to come?  The Rabbi states that they will have to wait somewhere else.

The hope for Messiah speaks of deliverance, and for the villagers it has been a hope deferred.  Yet they continue to revere the God that they know and to wait, accepting their identity, one that arose from a covenant by an ancestor of ages ago.   

The longing for deliverance rings true with the viewer.  All know that things are not as they should be.  Every person longs for another world where the lion will lay with the lamb.  Deliverance and Redemption are the desire of every person’s heart.  For Tevye,  and for us, the Prophets speak of the second coming of Messiah, a Conquering Messiah.  The Prophet Isaiah tells how this Messiah follows the first Suffering Messiah.   Deliverance has come and will come a second time. 

Our hearts are knit with Tevye and his family and his village.  This nation is our older brother, and redemption came through them, and will come again.

Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov, and Lacheim to the audiences, and to the cast of Fiddler on the Roof.