For Him Alone

Psalm 149:3 Says......

Oh, come on.  If you've seen it once on this blog you've seen it a thousand times!

Do you remember?

Ok, I'll let you cheat.  Below are the words in the verse scrambled up:

"dancing Let praise with His them name "

Do you have it now?  Here it is:

"Let them praise His name with dancing."

The only reason that I lead all of you readers through that crazy experiment is this:  As a dancer I want to be the best at what I do.  I realize that (without a miracle) this isn't going to happen.  Maybe I could get so good that I get to the top of my class and then to the top of my dance school.  Maybe I could get so good that I begin to get all of the main parts in the ballets.  But I will never be the best at dancing.  

To many, many dancers out there (including me!) this hurts to know.  It really hurts.  But this blog isn't jump-with-pain.com, is it? No.  And Psalm 149:3, along with Jeremiah 29:11 and many more verses (not to mention the strength given to us through the Mass and the sacraments!) give me a reason to dance.

Jesus doesn't call us to praise our own names with dancing.  He calls us to praise His name.  Philippians 2:13 says: "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  In whatever I do, I believe that God is at work in me.  So when I dance, I believe that God is at work in me.   Therefore, I am not afraid to dance with what He has given me, even I'm not the spectacular prima ballerina that I think would be best.

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

I believe that Jesus has a beautiful future in plan for me and for you too.

Will you dance for Him alone?

Imperfect but Loved

I am not perfect.
I am filled with shame when I sin.
I forget that my life is beautiful.
I cry.
I want Jesus, but forget to run to Him.
I run away from who I think Jesus is.
I cry.
I want my life to be perfect and everything to be easy for me.
I want to have a perfect body.
I am not perfect.

Lord, this is who I am.  When I look up at Your cross, and see you loving me, I cry, because I don't see what there is to love. I am not perfect, but You love me anyways. You will never stop loving me.  Someday, in heaven, I will know what that means, and I will rejoice with You.  Forever.

But right now, I am waiting.  

I trust in You.  Show me how to trust in You.

Amen

Just One

How often do I forget that I'm not the only one who feels alone?

Time and time again I find myself down and discouraged.

But to hear one encouraging voice, just one word of love - 

That can change it all.

One smile, one small action can be a reminder of God's love.

Just one.

Ballet, embroidery, gifts, oh my!

This project doesn't have much to do with ballet technique...but it does have an image of pointe shoes on it, so it counts, right?   Anyways, this is a gift that I made for my friend Sarah.  She is one of my dance buddies and has inspired me to do my best in many areas.  Well, what better way to say "happy birthday" to my ballerina friend, than with the gift of an embroidered pointe shoe?

The shoe was from a template from A Dancer's Book of Ballet Crafts (by Christina Aleta Haskin), and I just drew the letters myself.  I popped the finished product into a wooden frame that I got from JoAnnes (for a very convenient price!)  I wrapped it up in a piece of grocery bag, wrapped in blue ribbon, and voila!  A great gift for my friend.

Happy Birthday Sarahlina!  May this year be filled with joy, peace and lots of dancing!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice! Philippians 4:4

-Pandy

Prayer of St. Therese

Today may I know peace within

may I trust God that I am

exactly where I am meant to be.

May I not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May I use the gifts that I have 

received, and pass on the love that has been given me.

May I be content knowing I am a child of God.

Let His presence settle into my bones, and allow my soul the freedom to sind, dance, praise and love.

-St. Therese Lisieux

Beatiful

Why do I dance?  What is the reason for all of my struggles and hard work?

To show others how amazing I am

So that I can be fit and healthy

So I can say that I can do the splits

I look cool doing it

I love it

Because I am responding to the call to create something beautiful for Christ.

This is the call of Christ to every dancer:  Make something beautiful for me.  Give me something beautiful with what I have given you. 

Lord Jesus, I want to make something beautiful.  Show me how you want me to use what you have given me!

En Pointe

If the goal of my life is not to be like everyone else, why am I discouraged when I don't wear the "right" clothes?

Why, if I try to live like the saints, do I put myself down for not having a model body or face?

If I pray every day, why do I always slip into sin?

We are human. God loves us that way.  We can have the right ideas, but not be grounded in Him, and that is like trying to go en pointe in shoes without a shank*.  We are broken, dead.  Jesus never wears down or crumbles, and even though our emotions and feelings change, He won't.  

Jesus never dies, never wears out.  Sure, you might get a blister or a scab, but is that the fault of the Him?  He will let you fall, but He will never drop you.  If you put your feet into a pointe shoe, will you get mad at it because you can't pointe your feet?  Well,  maybe. (:D)  What I am getting at is this: your foot is what is working, but without the shoe, it would all be impossible.  We are willing to undergo pain so that we can achieve beauty and grace in dance.  Isn't that the same with Christ?  We will go through hard times and difficult moments, even with Christ, because by nature, we make mistakes and sin.   Even with Jesus, we will always desire more.  Why?  Because the earth isn't perfect!  Heaven is the perfect place for us - the place where we belong.  There we will achieve the beauty and grace we desire.

Back to the pointe shoe analogy: a shoe with no scratches, rips, marks, or soft spots may look pretty on the outside, but it only shows that it's owner doesn't work hard in them.  A shoe with tears, a pliable (but not too pliable) shank, black marks at the tips etc., shows that it's owner has taken the time to work in them and gotten used to the feel of trusting the shoe.

If we don't trust God, or are too scared to follow the impulse of His Will, our shoes will be clean and shiny on the outside.  If we choose to give our fears to God and follow His Will, our shoes might become battered or a little shabby (we all make mistakes and we all sin, so how could they keep from looking worn?), but God loves us for following Him in our human way.

The more you dance en pointe, the easier it becomes.  As we pray more, God comes into our life, and living in His Will becomes less painful.

Don't be afraid to break in* your shoes!  We all sin, we all fall.  Now, all you need to do is hold up your hands and God will pick you up.  Don't stay on the floor, or your shoes will never break in!   Some days you will hardly be able to point your feet, and some days you will feel as light as air.  Just trust Him, let His strength carry you.

Are you ready? Get set? Dance the Divine Dance!

* For the non-dancers reading this post: a shank is the sole of a pointe shoe.  The shank supports the foot and holds most of the dancer's weight en pointe.
* "Breaking in" pointe shoes is working in new shoes until the paper mache they are made of softens and adjust to the dancers foot.  After they are "broken in" pointe shoes are easier to dance in and ready to perform in.