“There are shortcuts to happiness and dancing is one of them.” Vicki Baum
“Dancing is like dreaming with your feet.” Anonymous
“When you find dancing you never let it go” Larsen Thompson
Five years ago Nikki asked if I would take dance lessons with her. She felt it would be good for our marriage and deep down I knew she was right. Not so deep down was this fear I felt about learning to dance, one shared with most men I know. But desiring to strengthen the marriage I agreed. Before I knew it, we were in the office of a Lake Forest dance studio, signing up for 20 lessons.
For the most part, I enjoyed the experience. Got stuck a couple of times, learned some basics but was a little relieved when it ended. But Nikki absolutely loved dancing, continued taking lessons and a couple of years later had improved so much she began to compete in pro-am contests and overall did well. So she kept at it. Kept plugging away. Continued taking lessons. Worked through discouragements, and was getting better and better.
Last Saturday afternoon, Nikki competed at the San Diego Great Gatsby Gala with her Ukrainian dance instructor Alexey Ryazanov. And all her hard work, all the long hours of practicing came together. She danced 19 times in her category, winning 18 first places, one second and earned the top scholarship. And then came the highlight when judge Mary Murphy, well known from the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” took Nikki aside and said, “ A lot of people might enjoy dancing but few show so much joy when dancing as you. Loved watching you dance.”
Can’t express enough how proud I am of Nikki. Said Alexey to me on the phone today, “Right now Nikki is in a tremendous growing stage and has so much more ahead.” She is yet another example of how persevering in what you really love results in wonderful success.
The Wonder and Awesomeness of God: Low clouds hovering over a fiery volcano
Prayer Focus This Week
- Intern Taylor Shipley’s two youth pastor possibilities
- Healing from surgery – Jeff Day, Trevor Paul, Sue Daum’s daughter Ami, Mary Deane
- Housing – Cynthia, Maureen, Melinda
- Local Roy Watson – suffered a brain aneurysm
- Dom and Darby readying to leave for Greece soon to work with refugees
- All the kids and youth finishing up school well with just two weeks to go
- Loved ones struggling with addiction issues
“Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and it shall be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
Senior Graduation Sunday: Praying over our high school seniors (photo Greg Sowle)
Thanks: to Mary French for sending the volcano photo
From Derek Prince: “The only person who is totally free is the person who loves.”
May God help all of us be a little less distracted this week.
Pastor Jay