Perfect Plans

July 2022

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

 Proverbs 16:3,9 NIV

How quickly will my injury heal? What if I don’t make it past auditions? Am I good enough for this role? As dancers, all of these doubts and questions leave us feeling uncertain and afraid. I have dealt with these feelings time and time again inside and outside of dance, but I’ve found hope in the most uncertain of circumstances because of the grace of Jesus Christ. In these verses I have found a gentle reminder of God’s faithfulness to me.

What inside of us makes it so hard to surrender our lives to Christ? Maybe it's wanting to have  control or maybe it’s a lack of faith? Whatever it is that hinders you from surrendering to Christ is also hindering you from knowing His will for your life. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” It is natural for us as humans to plan things out and there is nothing wrong with that. The fault lies in making plans with a reluctant heart and without making God a part of the equation. When you choose to step into a life of freedom and surrender in Jesus, His faithfulness is evident. You get to see His plans for your life unfold in a beautiful display of grace. You no longer have to live uncertain of the future because you can be certain that He has a marvelous plan for your life.

I encourage you to step into surrender with an open heart, ready to receive all of the things the Lord has for you! 

Written by Lindsey Lewis | Ballet Magnificat! Intern

Faithful in the Waiting

June 2022

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31

This verse has always had a huge impact on my life in times of hardship, and this year was no different. Back in September, I injured my knee doing a simple jump. I would have constant pain and it puzzled any doctor who tried to help. Months went by and my knee’s condition continued to decline. It is times like these where waiting on the Lord is extra hard, but in doing so, you experience the full weight of God’s love for you.

Seasons of waiting are never in vain. It may be hard to see, but that is why trusting in a good God that knows the other side and walks with you is so beautiful. During those months, the Lord renewed my strength every day to trust in Him and He comforted me every time I was discouraged. Even though I didn’t know the answers, He would give me peace that would satisfy my concerned heart.

Jesus always keeps His promises! With the help of amazing doctors, we figured out that the problem was a rotated tibia and a torn meniscus. I got surgery in March and I am so thankful to be on the road to full recovery! Every day I walk without pain and am experiencing His faithfulness. If you are in a season of waiting, I would encourage you to ask God for his peace in that moment and believe that your dawn is coming. His timing is perfect and He is with you in the waiting. 

Written by Josie Hawkins | Events Company Artist

Transformed to His Likeness

MAY 2022

Living Hope

March 2022

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5

Hope is, or should be, the evidence of the fact that our security is not rooted in the world around us or in anything it tries to offer us. True hope is rooted in who God is and what He has promised us - promises of what is still yet to come. Hope is not just slapping a smile on our face when our world is crumbling around us. Real hope begins when we have the ability to rejoice in the midst of our sufferings. As suffering produces endurance, endurance should produce character (who we are), which in turn should produce hope. 

It is often in the midst of difficulty when we can gauge our actual standing with the Lord - gauge the level of our soundness in Him. When hope is rarely occurring, or is in a state of fragile existence, we can be sure of the fact that our relationship with the Lord is running along the lines of lukewarmness. But, on the other hand, when hope is thriving and well, in the midst of difficulty, we know that we are firmly rooted in the sovereign Lord who holds all things together in His mighty hands. 

This God-manufactured hope within us promises not to put us to shame, some translations say that it promises not to disappoint us. What a wondrous principle. The Lord could easily promise us life completely free of suffering, but instead, He guarantees us hope when suffering comes. It would not be wise to look for life that is pain free, as such life doesn’t exist on this side of eternity. Instead, we want to never stop looking to our faithful, sovereign, and trustworthy Heavenly Father. He is just as good and just as near when we find ourselves on the shore of a challenging season and yet stand affirmed in His peace, in His strength, and in His hope as He is when peace is all around us. 

Written by Samuel Corridoni | Company Artist

December 16, 2021

A final encouragement from JIri Sebastian Voborsky

Creative Director and Resident Choreographer

Brief. As I sit over the blank page and I think of how to summarize the experience of the past almost thirty years of life here at Ballet Magnificat, I could use adjectives such as great, life-changing, incredible, blessed, inspiring, and many more. All these are true, and quite honestly it is very difficult to summarize my tenure in mere words, but one deep prevailing sense keeps dominating my attempt for such summarization - brief. As I reflect on it I am reminded of the scripture in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

The rhythm of life seems to be speeding up, and the urgency to live it wisely is rising within my soul. There have been countless incredible moments along the journey, several missed opportunities as well, but what made this long chapter here at Ballet Magnificat so beautiful and good were, and still are, all those the Lord privileged me to work and serve alongside. Treasuring each and every friendship is a priority, as we are called to rely upon and value those God placed around us. I am thankful for these precious friends beyond words and count these relationships carefully. Taking my last bow and leaving the world of dance behind just three days from now will be easy in comparison to the actual parting from my dear brothers and sisters I’ve grown to admire and love so deeply over the past three decades. But this is life and we must indeed divide in order to conquer and complete the mission of reaching the world with the love of our Redeemer.

So much water has passed under the proverbial bridge of time since I first arrived in Jackson, Mississippi in August of 1993. I now stand grateful and thankful to the Lord for allowing me the privilege to be His, to have danced for His glory, and to have created works in His honor. This moment has been brief, in comparison to eternity to be gained, and it was worth every drop of sweat, every tear, every ache, and every struggle. But more importantly, it was worth every reached, encouraged, or eternally changed heart and soul. In the Lord’s strength, I was able to complete this chapter with a deep sense of satisfaction and gratitude. It is with anticipation and joy that I turn the page to the next portion of life to be lived for the fame and glory of Jesus Christ.

I have learned and I encourage myself and all of you reading this to daily run to the Father, to connect deeply with His heart, to sense His presence, to hear His voice, and then submit gladly to His leading in our lives.

The Lord made it clear that my time with my Ballet Magnificat family is drawing to the end, and part of my heart is being left behind here, but He also undoubtedly spoke that the call to serve my own people and live out the power of the Gospel among them and with them through the vision of 10M Foundation, an organization reaching the 10 million Czech souls, is what my heart is to beat for in this next season, and long after.

I am thankful for all those who drove long hours to watch me dance for yet one more time, those who have expressed their love and support during these last couple of tours, and all those who shared their gratitude for the influence I might have had on them or their children through my presence here at Ballet Magnificat. To all of you, I say “I am humbled to have been a small vector to point you to the Giver of eternal life: the Father who loves us with unmatched love that was demonstrated in the sacrifice of His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Love Him, follow Him, live for Him, number your days wisely. May our paths cross again, and if not, I will see you on the other side where we will hopefully hear “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter my rest”.”

In conclusion, I must add that for everything accomplished through me these past three decades I cannot but give all the glory to the One who made it possible, my supplier of all strength and ability, King Jesus Christ. To Him alone belongs all glory and praise.

Now, dear brothers and sisters, Run the race, win the fight, make Him known. The victory is ours!

december 9, 2021

An encouragement from Anna Lee

Company Artist

”And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” -Isaiah 58:11

If I’m being honest, I really struggle with choosing to rest. Life can become busy so quickly, especially with touring so much. The temptation is to think that I’ll just slow down one day, and then suddenly I realize that I’ve become accustomed to a fast-paced life, and even more than that, that I view taking time to rest as wrong and equivalent to laziness. This mindset can translate into my walk with Christ as well. I get so busy doing things for Jesus, that I forget to simply enjoy Him for Himself! Jesus says in John 7:37b- 38: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

I often find myself frantically trying to give and to serve enough, but do those desires come before my desire for Christ Himself? I can deceive myself into thinking that by doing things for Christ, I am abiding in Him, when in reality I’m thirsty, and neglecting to drink from Him who calls us to come and drink without price. The natural outcome from drinking of Christ is rivers of living water flowing from our hearts. What a beautiful picture, and what a gracious Savior who gives Himself so freely to us! He does not provide us with just a stream or trickle of water, but rivers of living water because He gives us Himself! In John 4:14, Jesus says, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

People are always thirsty- they want, they long, they search, they reach; but only what Jesus gives satisfies to the deepest levels of man’s soul and spirit. Drinking and thirst are common pictures of God’s supply and man’s spiritual need throughout Scripture. It’s easy for us to say, “I drank of what Jesus offers, and yet I feel thirsty and empty again.” The answer is simple: drink again! It isn’t a one-time sip of Jesus that satisfies forever, but continual connection with Him. The effect of this water does much more than simply satisfy the thirst of the one who drinks it. It also creates something good, something life-giving in the heart of the one who drinks it. It becomes a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life!

December 2, 2021

An encouragement from Arielle Smith

Company Apprentice

“REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS; AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE. LET YOUR RESPONSIBLENESS BE KNOWN TO EVERYONE. THE LORD IS AT HAND; DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

I’ve always been a happy person. As a kid I was the one with a smile on my face for absolutely no reason other than just being happy. I’ve been fortunate enough to not really have many moments in my life where I have felt unseen by my family and the people around me. Even though I was always a happy kid and never let anything keep me down for long, I’ve recently been feeling stuck. I haven’t been as “cheery” as I normally would be and I honestly couldn’t quite figure out why. Fear started creeping in which in turn made me try to fix it in my own strength. Spoiler alert, doing it in your own strength doesn’t help. Every thought and every action to try and find happiness would work for about a minute and then I was back in my funk. Without the help of Christ I was stuck.

The word “Joy” has been weighing on my heart for awhile now. My pastor recently spoke about having joy in the Lord and it made me realize that I have been so focused on “fixing” myself that I wasn’t allowing the Lord to transform me. In the Old Testament alone the word joy is used more than 100 times and there’s a reason for that. The Bible says to rejoice in the Lord always. The purest joy comes from Christ alone, not from anything of this world. I have to remind myself daily to focus on the reason I’m rejoicing. I am an heir to Christ, the daughter of the God of the universe. By the grace of God I’m alive today because of his sacrifice and resurrection. I’m chosen and loved. Focusing on and keeping the Lord at the center of your life will ultimately bring joy. Some days we won’t be happy, but when we focus our eyes on Christ and let him work in and through us, we can’t help but smile.

I’m still working on letting the Lord take the reins of my life, but I trust him and his plan. I’m starting to see a difference and it’s made it so worth it giving up control and letting the Lord pour into me as it overflows out.

NOVEMBER 25, 2021

An encouragement from Cortne Robinson

Assistant Artistic Director and Company Artist

“Return to your rest O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you” 

- Psalm 116:7

I love this time of year. The cool weather, the changing leaves, the anticipation of all the holiday festivities ahead, and time spent with family and friends reflecting on the goodness of our God. 

But with all of the excitement of the holidays and the celebrating of this season there also comes with it busyness. There is so much hustle and bustle, and the temptation to get caught up in all that the world says we need in order to enjoy this time of year. 

I don’t know about you, but I am already guilty of this very thing.  

I have found myself striving to keep up with the craziness of our touring schedule and have become worn out and weighed down with the expectations of this season and the pressures of everyday life.

The thing I find my soul longing for most in this season is REST.  But when I think about rest and this time of year, for me they don’t often coexist. Yet the Lord calls us to return to our rest. He doesn’t say when you have the time, when it’s convenient for you, or when the craziness of the holiday season fades away. He simply calls us now, wherever we are- In the MIDST of the hectic pace of our lives to come and RETURN to where our soul will finds its rest. And that place is in Christ. In the One who gave his life as a ransom for ours. In the One who is full of mercy and grace. In the One who is faithful. In the One who refreshes our thirty souls. In the One who takes our drought and turns it into springs of living water. 

So wherever you find yourself today, take the time to RETURN to where your soul can truly finds its rest- in the One who has dealt bountifully with you, JESUS

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

An encouragement from Camille Carroll

Company Artist

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” -Philippians 4:12

Maybe Paul has learned this secret, but I have not. Not yet, anyways! Right now, I’m in a time where life is great, technically speaking. I have things I’ve always wanted, prayed for, dreamed of, and enjoy.  But through it all, I am not content and something feels missing. Many can likely relate in that, when you are placed in a trial, God shapes you and molds you. He forces you, in the best way, to lean on Him, trust Him, and wait on Him. In trials, I learn so much and grow so much deeper in my relationship with Him, eventually being thankful for what I’ve gone through because of the fruit He brings out of it. But then, when God blesses me with gifts from above, good gifts that He delights to give me, I am initially thankful, yes, but not much later I cling to those gifts closer than my Father and wonder subconsciously why I’m not satisfied. The Lord has been gracious to reveal that truth to me recently, and is surely doing exactly what He does during hard times — shaping me, molding me, forcing me to lean on Him, trust Him, and wait on Him. It is in a way very different and in a way just the same, and this way has been harder for me.  The word says though, that He’s not going to give up on me. He’s not going to say that it’s too hard to take my hand and lead me even when I keep slipping my hand away. The Lord God is faithful when I am faithless, which, honestly, is the majority of the time! Even something as seemingly simple as keeping with the Lord during this season of blessing I cannot do on my own.

‘It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to be hungry — so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you “how to be full.”’ - Charles Spurgeon

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

An encouragement from Margot Christie

Company Artist

Changing seasons bring such excitement! The fall leaves are turning, the air is chilly, and sweaters are being unpacked. I am specifically grateful for the cooler weather because Mississippi has some seriously hot summer days. As the cooler weather dawns on us, I am reminded of the constancy of the Lord. We come to this point every year time and time again the seasons change but the Lord remains the same. This season's change brings excitement and joy for me, but I am reminded that there have also been times where change has brought sorrow and distress. But I am able to bear these changes because I remind myself that the gospel never changes. The fact that the Holy God, who created the universe, who is completely perfect in all things, has made a way to make me His child is humbling and thrilling all at the same time. Mankind chose their own way and had been separated from being in a relationship with God, but in Christ’s perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection there is now a way for us to be His children. By calling on the name of the Lord Jesus, we are transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s marvelous light. Here is our joy, here is our hope, and here is the steadfast love of the Lord that never ceases and that continues for eternity because God has already paid the price for me and for you. If you are in Christ, remind yourself of this truth today, and maybe even share it with someone else as well! And if you do not know Him, then today may be the day to draw near to Him, today may the day of salvation! 

November 4, 2021

An encouragement from Silas Fennema

Company Artist

In writing this post I feel very humbled. I must admit I tried writing this post in my own strength and it was very bad. And ironically, I was writing about how we are unable to do any good thing in our own strength. You see, something I have been learning over the past few months and obviously still today, is that there is no life separate from a complete reliance on the Lord. There is simply no way I can have a good, God glorifying day without relying on him. There is no way for anything in my life to be God glorying if I do not rely upon his spirit and who he is. I feel like as Christians, myself included, we just live our lives how we want to live our lives and never acknowledge our dependency on the Lord. We may see everyone else, even unsaved people, living their lives and breathing clean air and think “those things are just a given” but the very fact that you are breathing while reading this is a gift from God. And for myself, I don’t ever want to lose sight of the fact that I need God for everything. Because, once that happens, it’s just a slippery slope to destruction. That seems dramatic but the Bible says “All good gifts are from God” (James 1:17). I don’t know if I let that penetrate my heart. If I lived as though every breath was a gift from God, that every time I worship, it’s a gift from God, I think I would be living a very different life.

 So, I guess my encouragement to us all is to never stop relying on God for everything. He is a good father, he knows what you need before you have to ask for it. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11. And besides that, while in Christ, he promises to take care of you. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Matthew 6:30-33 - Therefore, there is no loss in constantly relying on and listening to him. Out of that will come the rest. I mean think about it, if you are constantly relying on the Lord, you won’t miss when the spirit is talking to you, you won’t try to be good but you will simply have good in you. The Bible also says “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

John 15:4-6 - If we abide or rely actively on the Lord, from that will come growth. He says “whoever abides in me and me in him, he it is that bears much fruit”! So, abide and rely on him for that is true life. Don’t settle for what you can do for it will all be thrown into the fire and burned.

October 28, 2021

An encouragement from Rachel Nel

Senior Administrator

If you know me at all, you know I really, really like Coca-Cola.  But do you know what I’ve found?  Although drinking it may temporarily make me “happy”, I still find myself to be... thirsty.  Isn’t that kind of ironic?  If I’ve just gone on a bike ride or done anything that has made me thirsty, I might drink a Coke because it tastes good, but more often than not, I still have to have some water.

This may be a silly illustration, but I think we can use it when thinking about our own spiritual journeys.  Maybe it’s not Coke for you, but I bet we can all think of things we “drink from” in hopes that it satisfies us.  And I bet we can all agree that it often doesn’t quite satisfy, or only satisfies for a short time.

When Jesus met the woman at the well, He said “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”  Why do we waste our time “drinking” from things that don’t satisfy us?  Jesus is offering a kind of water that will never run out, never run dry, and will always satisfy.

Sometimes we do it without realizing it.  We’re subconsciously choosing other things, whether it’s social media, ballet, relationships, food, or our busy schedules.  These things may not necessarily be bad things, but we’re hoping they bring us comfort, or security, or fulfillment, or happiness.  Instead, let’s choose the Living Water.  The verse says Jesus is giving it to us, but I think we also have to actively or consciously choose to drink it.  He is the only One who satisfies our every need - that's a promise we can count on!

October 21, 2021

An encouragement from Samuel Corridoni

Company Artist

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:19‬

When I look at this verse, the very first thing that stands out to me is the word “behold”. It’s as if the Lord is calling us to look up. He is saying “look up” I am doing a new thing; look up I am promising to make a way through every season you might find yourself in, look up there will be deserts but there will also be seasons of harvests. Naturally, at least for me, sometimes I forget to look up and I look at what is around me. But when I remember the Lord and look to Him, the circumstances around me shift. My perspective changes. The Lord is always faithfully present but where I choose to look and what I focus on that’s up to me, that is my choice. As I mature in the Lord I desire to be quicker in looking up and much slower in looking - or focusing - on things around me.

The second thing that stands out to me in this verse is the word “spring”. Life is full of seasons, but if any of you are a little bit like me, your proverbial winters might seem to be disproportionately longer than the other seasons. The truth is that the Lord desires to bring refreshing into the daily lives of His children but again, if the children refuse to drink from the springs or the rivers He is bringing, the outcome leaves us in these extended winters. 

Let’s look at the verse again and paraphrase it a little: The Lord is saying: Look up (child) I am always at work bringing newness into your life. Do not look around you at the circumstance, don’t focus on how you are feeling, don’t dwell on what might be a season of spiritual desert; look up and allow my living waters to refresh you with a season of springtime, a season of newness, a season of green pastures. I am for you and I am faithful.

October 14, 2021

An encouragement from Kathy Thibodeaux

Founder and Artistic Director

“The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”

-Isaiah 58:11

I love this verse from Isaiah! It is filled with some very precious promises; promises that will never fail and that are new every morning! For Great is His faithfulness!!!

1. The Lord will guide us continually. Even though our journey in life is full of ups and downs and uncertainty He is always with us. Whatever the circumstances, He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. Psalm 32:8 says that “He will instruct us in the way we should go” and that “He will counsel us with His loving eye on us”. What a loving Father we have!!!

2. The Lord will satisfy our soul in drought. We all will experience spiritual drought. Times when we pass through seasons in the desert where we feel dry and in need of nourishment. The Lord promises to bring the water of His word to bring those times of refreshing. He knows exactly what we need and He will graciously provide and protect us until the season changes.

3. The Lord will strengthen our bones. We all get tired. Our bodies experience constant wear and tear. As dancers, we know that all too well! But the Lord promises to strengthen us as we wait on Him. Isaiah 40:31 says that “those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength”. In Proverbs 3:7-8 we are told to not be wise in our own eyes but to fear the Lord and turn from evil. For it will bring healing to our flesh and refreshment to our bones.

4. The Lord will make us like a well-watered garden. Psalm 1 says that the man who delights in the Lord will be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit and whose leaf will not wither; whatever he does will prosper”. As we delight in Him, as we put our trust in Him, we will find peace, joy, and hope for the future, for He is our source of fulfillment!!!

5. The Lord will make us like a spring of water whose waters never fail. Jesus says, “he who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”. Jesus is the living water!!! His spirit flows in us to bring refreshment, nourishment, encouragement, and life! Only He can satisfy our thirsty soul!

OCTOBER 7, 2021

An encouragement from Ashton Gordon

Company Artist

Recently I’ve been moved by how near Christ is and how well He knows me and my heart. Even around close friends, I can struggle to feel seen or understood, which makes me think that I don’t belong anywhere and that I never will. At least not as I truly am. My friends never do anything to make me feel that way, but for some reason, the thought sticks with me that I am alone. The thought that if I didn’t show up then no one would care that I wasn’t around.

Christ being the living water gained so much more meaning to me through struggling with my significance and value. Am I truly satisfied? Is Christ enough for me? Scripture has spoken to me in ways it never has before down to the very core of who I am and why I’m here. Christ has searched me and known me, He knows when I sit and when I rise, He knows my thoughts, and every word before it comes out of my mouth. There’s nowhere I could go that He is not with me and where His hand does not hold me (Psalm 139). It makes me think of the Israelites in the wilderness when God sprung up water from a rock in the middle of the desert (Exodus 17) and the people asked “is God with us or not?” My heart and my spirit can feel like a wilderness and I ask myself that same question. I find that the answer is yes — He is with us— and my soul has been satisfied by coming to Him, the fountain of living water. Just like I have to continually drink water, I continually have to remind myself of the truth of God’s Word and go to Him. I often read Psalm 62, Proverbs 3, and Psalm 139 for encouragement since this is something I struggle with from time to time. I take the words to heart and follow the call in Proverbs 3 to bind steadfast love and faithfulness around my neck and on the tablet of my heart. To keep and treasure His Word in my heart as a well to draw on when I feel dry.

September 30, 2021

An encouragement from Peyton Witcher

Company Artist

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 4:13-14

I’m sure most of us have been on the brink of dehydration. Speaking for myself, I’m not great the greatest water drinker. In all honesty, I probably drink more coffee than water. But I know water is the thing that will keep me healthy, energized, and alive. So I make the choice to drink it. All life craves water.  Our bodies are made up of about 70% water. We need water to survive, even more so, our spirits crave the living water that only Jesus can offer us. In the same that way our bodies show signs of dehydration such as fatigue, confusion, irritability, and even death, we can drive our spirit to dehydration.  In the passage above, Jesus is talking to the woman at the well and uses water to describe His presence, His never ending well that she can come and draw from in abundance.

I think the Lord uses water in reference to His presence so often to stress our dependency on Him. Intimacy with the Father is the living water that revives your soul. You never have to worry about running dry, because the source will never leave you thirsty. There is abundance when you choose to draw from the spring that never runs dry.

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38

He is calling us into His glorious waters! If you are searching for something to fill your thirst, come running to the fountain of eternal life. He finds delight in offering His refreshment to anyone who is seeking it. As an encouragement to myself and to you, be planted firmly in the spring of living water.

“Blessed is a man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord, He is like a tree planted by water, that sends its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and it’s not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

An encouragement from Erin Beaver

Director of Personnel and Operations

“Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Revelation 22:1

In the verse above, did you notice where the living water comes from? “From the Throne of God and of the Lamb”!

I am keenly aware that, left to my own devices, I can quickly progress from doing pretty well, to stagnant and stale, to dry and brittle. My own effort and willpower easily bottom out.

But I love that the refreshing, empowering presence of God is always fresh, always life-giving, and never in short supply… and it is AVAILABLE to you and me! His presence and nearness are for my good.

God’s presence truly is the game-changer.

For me personally, God is again beckoning me to drink from His living water that doesn’t run dry. To simply draw near and couch my heart in the satisfaction that can only come from Him. And to realize afresh that I really don’t want to go through life without His presence (Exodus 33:15).  

It’s when I believe in and rely on Him that I find that the Holy Spirit flows not only to me, but through me, just as Jesus promised in John 7:37-39.

Truly, the psalmist hit the nail on the head when he wrote:

“God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They are filled from the abundance of Your house; You let them drink from Your refreshing stream, for with You is life’s fountain. In Your light we will see light.” Psalm 36: 7-9 HCSB

I don’t know about you… but my heart is leaning in again to draw near and drink deep from the well that doesn’t run dry.  

September 16, 2021

An encouragement from Taylor Stewart

Company Artist

I’ve recently been on a kick where I’m trying to stay more hydrated. I feel as if we all at some point go through these “kicks” of wanting to eat healthier, work out more, or stay better hydrated. Whatever it may be, even in a physical sense, we’re motivated to see a change or to develop in some way or another.

In the same way shouldn’t we be just as deliberate with building up our spiritual man, being on guard of what we are allowing ourselves to absorb? This is something I’ve been challenged by recently. How can I be more intentional about what I am letting myself drink in or believe on a daily basis? So often I find myself placing my trust in the polluted waters of this world, in the dry and bankrupt sources that the world could provide, and I forget the Living Spring I have in God Himself.

Isaiah 55:1-2

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have no money come, buy and eat.

Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost.

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourself in abundance.”

When it says,

“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters”, it is an invitation to everyone – specifically, to everyone who thirsts.

It reminds me that the more we satisfy ourselves in the Lord the desire to continue to do so will increase. For example: when you eat a lot of sugar, that is what you start to crave. In the same way, whatever we’re filling ourselves with is what we will soon desire most. We are all thirsty. Jesus wants us to drink of Him to quench our thirst, and even to drink until rivers of living water flow out of our innermost being to others.

What are you filling yourself with today?

God's Word says in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

My prayer is that these scriptures serve as a reminder to slow down and to drink deeply of the living water that Jesus Christ provides and allow him to fill our cups.

Psalm 145:16 - “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

Psalm 16:11 - “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 23:5-6 - “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Jesus himself is the living water. The key to satisfying the thirst that our soul has is to be near to Him, in His presence.

September 9, 2021

An encouragement from Rebecca Colenda

Company Artist

“IF ANYONE THIRSTS, LET HIM COME TO ME AND DRINK.”

John 7:37

We all know what it feels like to be thirsty, and we also know the solution to our thirst is water. I love how Jesus often uses a physical picture of something that we understand to teach us a spiritual truth that He desires to make clear to us. Like our physical bodies, our soul has a thirst that can only be satisfied one way. The deepest longing of our soul, that is, our deepest thirst, can only be satisfied in Christ—the living water.

So how do we drink of Christ? Jesus continued in John 7, “Come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’. This He said about the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him were to receive.” Jesus invites us to humbly come and receive what we could never obtain for ourselves—salvation. The call to come to the waters and drink is a call to believe in Christ, and those who believe will receive the Spirit. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 1:13-14, “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, (you) were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance.”

While I have personally experienced the satisfaction that comes from knowing Christ, I am painfully aware that my heart is still tempted to be satisfied in other things. Whether it’s my job, relationships, or success, I know how easily I can slip into finding satisfaction in things other than Christ. Recognizing that my heart is prone to wander, when I come to the Lord in prayer or to read His Word, I earnestly pray, “satisfy me with your steadfast love.” (Psalm 90:14) 

I have found that memorizing and praying Scripture has helped me to come to Christ and drink throughout the day. The Spirit brings the Word that I have been meditating on to my mind and strengthens my heart with its truth. Recently I have been praying Philippians 1:13-14. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” May these verses be a prayer for you as you consider how to drink of Christ today. 

September 2, 2021

An encouragement from Ballet Magnificat!

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 4:14

The fall season is a busy time for all of us. Parents and children alike are dealing with the hustle of back to school, back to youth group, and back to activities each day. Summer vacations are over, and the next break we have to look forward to is Thanksgiving. As much as we might be excited for the changing of the seasons, and in some places, a break from the summer heat, we can easily become caught up in the busyness of our schedules and find ourselves burnt out and overwhelmed before the first of October.

We would like to encourage you to drink deep from the fountain of Living Water this fall. Jesus promises His children that we who drink from His well will never grow dry. The water that He offers doesn’t just satisfy us for an hour, or even a day; it quenches all of our thirsts and brings us eternal life in Him. In the moments that you begin to feel overwhelmed, overworked, or simply empty, go to His word and receive the words of life. It is by His sustaining power that we can have endurance and joy as we live each day on this earth.

He is the Living Water, and He wants us to come to Him to be filled. In the coming weeks we’ll be hearing from the dancers and staff at Ballet Magnificat! as they share how they are drinking deep and finding satisfaction in Christ. We hope that their stories encourage you and inspire you to do the same!

God bless you,

Ballet Magnificat!

July 29, 2021

An encouragement from Bonnie, a student at Summer Dance Intensive

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Matthew 22:37

I’ve had the most incredible time at Ballet Mag this summer! From my ballet classes to my time with my lovely group of gals, it’s been an experience I am beyond blessed to be a part of!

This past month, the Lord has been growing me in my mind. As believers and dancers, our battle isn’t always what is seen or realized physically-but in our minds! We can become so easily distracted by our fears and questions. I like to hide these fears away instead of bringing them to the Lord. I’ve realized that the enemy of my soul wants nothing more than for me to distrust God and what He’s working in my heart! 

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

On the threshold of every big change, the enemy delights in giving us fear. I want to be more full of faith than fear in what tomorrow brings. He doesn’t love us because of our faithfulness but DESPITE our faithlessness. Faith draws us nearer to God but fear pushes us away. 

I have a lot of fear when it comes to what my peers and teachers see when they look at me. One of the girls in my small group told me that every time I hear a lie in my head in ballet class, I should replace it with two truths. I’ve been practicing this and seen the fruit of this in my thoughts and in my joy in class. 

On my own, I can’t muster up the strength or courage to change my own mind. 

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I must be transformed through nearness to him which equips us to obey him and to “take our every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5). By tapping into the Holy Spirit and choosing hope and truth instead of lies, our minds are renewed!

July 22, 2021

An encouragement from Kovey, a student at Summer Dance Intensive

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1

I’m excited and feel very blessed to be here at Ballet Mag this summer for the SDI. I love that I’m sharpening my dance technique and more importantly growing in my relationship with the Lord. I’ve loved our creative worship nights and I’m pressing in during worship - praying to get myself and distractions out of the way and focusing solely on worshiping my Savior. I’m focusing on hearing from the Lord and asking the Holy Spirit to be loud in my ears.

I love what Proverbs 4:23 says; “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

I’m reminded daily of the importance of being vigilant against the devil’s schemes and letting God rule in my heart. I’m really focused on guarding my heart from things I hear and see, from the games I choose to play, and from the books I read- even being careful of the people around me. I invite Him in to view and bring out any area of my heart that needs work - I ask him to hold my thoughts captive and keep my heart and mind on things that are pleasing to Him. I don’t want to be comfortable or do the easy thing if it’s not pleasing to the Lord. I want to do what’s right even when it’s hard and put in the hard work and run to things of God and run away from things that aren’t.

Psalm 129:9-11 says, “How can a young person keep their way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

I’m excited to live this way today for the glory of God, for my future, and for my future family. My decisions today affect them and that motivates me to live differently and in right standing pursuing righteousness.

I’m thankful to be surrounded at Ballet Mag by kids living for God- seeking Him with all their hearts - and shining their lights in this world that needs His light so very badly.

July 15, 2021

An encouragement from Mykala, a student at Summer Dance Intensive

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we don't give up.”

Galatians 6:9

It is so easy to get discouraged. We might be reminded of our mistakes, our past pains, and regrets, or a hurtful comment. I have found that during these hard times it is especially easy to grow weary from these things. However, I believe that God has used the quiet times in my life to remind me of what's important and to reflect on what I have learned. I've realized that when God puts your life at a standstill, it's not to punish you but to teach you, and perhaps give you a needed rest in Him.

“For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28

july 8, 2021

An encouragement from Hannah, a student at Summer Dance Intensive

We are so excited to bring you testimonies from our students at SDI this month! God is doing amazing things here in Jackson and we hope that hearing from our students encourages you in your faith! - Ballet Magnificat!

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

-Ephesians 3:12

God has been showing me that through faith in Jesus we can approach Him with freedom and confidence. This year at SDI we have been talking about the fact that through Jesus we can be free, fully loved, and we can be confident in who God made us to be! We don’t need to be ashamed of what our past looks like, but we can live in God’s peace, love, joy, and freedom!

may 27, 2021

An encouragement from Sam Corridoni

Company Artist

“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

-Proverbs 4:18

As humans, we are constantly exposed to different scenarios that require us to process and react to those scenarios. Every day, we think, feel and choose.

Research shows that the human brain makes around 35,000 conscious decisions per day. That rounds out to about 250,000 decisions each week, and 1,000,000 decisions every month. I bet you had no idea you were so decisive, right? On the other hand, that is an overwhelming amount of choices, and out of the million decisions you made last month, how many times did you make the right one?

In his book, Winning the War in Your Mind, Craig Groshelle writes “Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts, what we think shapes who we are.”

Thoughts are powerful engines that can propel us in different directions. To understand that the strongest thought always wins should motivate us to carefully monitor the thought processes of our heart and mind, letting them be carefully guided by the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us.

“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

-Deuteronomy 30:19

Choosing life is not a one-time choice we make when we give our lives to the Lord. In every circumstance we face, we can choose life.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus modeled what it looks to be under an unimaginable amount of stress and still honor the Lord. Jesus was under so much stress, that he literally was sweating blood. Jesus was perfect and even in his stress, He did not sin. He did not lose trust in the Father. Did life get easier for Jesus after praying to the Father? We know how the story ends, and the answer is no, it did not get easier at all. He was betrayed and forced to die a sinner’s death that he did not deserve, and this was all part of the Lord’s will.

Whether in the garden or throughout His life, the Lord modeled perseverance for us when His prayers seemingly fell on deaf ears. The Father always gives us everything necessary to live and walk uprightly before Him and be the light that shines brighter today than it did yesterday.

We can’t control what happens, but we can control how we respond to circumstances. I believe that as children of God we have a responsibility to react in a way that honors the Lord.

With every choice we make we have an opportunity to step further down the path of righteousness or to freeze in our tracks and prevent growth from occurring.

It is not possible to choose or keep choosing godly choices unless we are actively planted in a thriving relationship with the Lord. Then and only then our thoughts, our choices, and our actions will become the light that increasingly shines brighter.

A note from Ballet Magnificat!

We hope you have enjoyed these weekly blog posts! We are going to take a short ‘summer break’, and return in July during our annual Summer Dance Intensive. Stay tuned for testimonies from our students during this very special month!

may 20, 2021

An encouragement from Anna Lee

Company Artist

“You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

-Psalm 18:28

What is Jesus really saying when He calls us to be a light for Him? If you have become a child of God, your identity is already found in being a light because his Spirit resides in us. So how do we begin to wrap our minds around that concept and apply it to our lives? It seems the world around us is getting darker and darker almost every day. However, during the darkest of times Christ’s church is most seen, because its light shines even brighter. Psalm 18 points out that Jesus himself keeps our lamp burning, and it is God who turns darkness to light. We don’t have to find an outside source to shine that light, rather the Holy Spirit works in our hearts so that His light cannot help but give illumination to everyone around us.

Darkness itself is not a substance, rather it is simply the absence of light. Ultimately, it is the absence of Christ. When Jesus tells us to shine into the world, he’s pointing out that something is missing, that there is an absence of his own presence and a void to be filled in people’s hearts and minds. We see this truth all of the time! Everywhere people are searching for happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction, but they constantly find themselves empty. They cling to the dark because they haven’t experienced the light - it is a foreign concept.

Imagine if the world was dark and daylight didn’t exist. We perhaps wouldn’t know any different, but yet what a difference light makes every day for each of us! It brings warmth, happiness, joy, color, vibrancy to everything around it. Shadows turn into solid matter and we are able to fully appreciate and enjoy what we see around us. In the same way as followers of Christ, we have the wonderful privilege of carrying the light and true joy found in Jesus everywhere we go. The shadows and suffering of this present time are brought to light and redeemed into a beautiful hope and joy found in Christ. One by one people are drawn to him like moths to a flame. Rather than being daunted or overly burdened by this privilege of being a light for Christ, my prayer for myself, and all of us who are children of God, is that we would find ourselves more grateful each and every day that He has made us to be light in Him! This is our identity! It’s not something we have to strive and fight to become, rather light is something that we ARE, and out of that identity the Holy Spirit flows out of us. Let’s ask the Lord to enable us to shine brightly for him!

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.”

Ephesians 5:8-9

may 13, 2021

An encouragement from Margot Christie

Company Artist

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”

-Ephesians 5:8

How is it possible to go from being darkness to being light? Having your whole identity completely changed and not having an ounce of the old life in you? Through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world!  Let us take a moment to remember the Gospel, which truly is the good news.  This good news began long ago when the world was first created by the Holy, Righteous, and Pure God.  He created us to live in complete union with Him, walking in His peace, and enjoying being in relationship with Him. But humankind choose their own way and exchanged the truth of God for a lie.  Humanity believed they knew better than their Creator and when they stepped into what they thought was control they lost everything and were thrown into complete chaos.  This chaos, sin, and despair are passed down from generation to generation. But God came into this world, Jesus lived a perfect life, he died a sacrificial death, and rose in victory!!! How powerful are those two words: “But God.”  Jesus gave Himself up as a sacrifice that we might have life. His blood atoned for, that is, paid for, our sin. This good news does not stop there! Jesus has given us His Spirit to dwell in us, guide us, minister to our hearts, and remind us of the truth.  This truth has been given to us freely, and by believing in His name our identity goes from darkness to life, from enemy to beloved child. If you haven’t experienced this peace, now is the perfect time to call upon the Lord! He desires you and wants to be in relationship with you. He delights in giving himself as a sacrifice for his children.

As I have been preparing for our Summer Dance Intensive by studying Ephesians, the truth that believers in Jesus are light in the Lord has brought a whole host of emotions: joy, peace, excitement, and also sorrow and grief.  It is joyous to be reminded that as I have submitted my life to God I have been given a new identity as light and a child of the mighty God of the universe.  It brings me peace because Jesus paid for my adoption with His sacrifice.  And it brings me excitement because I now know the truth and have been commissioned by Jesus to share that good news and bring others into the family of God.  This verse brings me sorrow because there are people who are currently walking in darkness and are alienated from the transforming power of Jesus. I grieve for ways that, even though I am a new person, I sometimes forget my identity and walk in darkness.  I am grateful for the gifts of confession and repentance that the Lord has given and lean upon those daily.  So as I sit here and wrestle through the tension of the joy I have but also the despair that others are in I lift my eyes up to the Lord.  “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the beauty of the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit…. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ God was entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 3:18, 5:18-20).

And so dear friends, look to the Lord, accepting His free gift of salvation, and accepting His forgiveness (He paid for everything already and it is not up to us to pay for anything again) and walk boldly in this world for the Holy Spirit dwells in us and we are LIGHT IN THE LORD and have been called to bring others into His fold.

may 6, 2021

An encouragement from Anna Bentley

Company Artist

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

-Ezekiel 36:26

Like most dancers, I would consider myself a mild to a severe perfectionist.  As a teenager, the most important thing in my life was being the best.  Whether it was in school, in dance, or in my friendships, I was determined that I would always win.  I always had to be the smartest person in the room and I would make sure everyone else in that room knew just how much smarter I was than them.  At the studio, I wanted to prove that I worked harder and was better at ballet than all the other dancers.  Even in my relationships with my friends and family, I felt superior to them and had no problem making certain that they knew.  You can imagine how popular my superiority complex made me with the people in my life.

It was quite a revelation when I gave my life to the Lord at sixteen and decided that maybe life was not in fact about me.  For the first time, I took off my shield of successes and accomplishments, and I discovered all I had left was my pride and selfishness.  It broke my heart because how could someone so flawed and sinful serve the Lord?  I had spent my whole life hurting and manipulating people and now suddenly I was just supposed to start loving them?  And not just caring about their feelings, but loving them the way Christ has loved me.  It felt impossible, and if I’m honest, I still often feel that way.  However, my prayer is that where I fall short, the Lord’s power would be shown.  I pray that the Lord would change my heart towards others and somehow love them through me.  That he would help me see people the way that he sees them.  That he would help me see my pride and rip it out of my heart.  Because even if I was the smartest person in the room and the best dancer on stage, what is that worth?  What value does the admiration of other people hold next to the redemption and saving grace of Jesus Christ?  None. 

Loving people well is still not something that comes naturally to me, but I’m amazed to see how the Lord has answered my prayers that he would change my heart.  What I couldn’t do alone, the Lord has empowered me to do.  I couldn’t love people well in my pride and selfishness, but as the Lord has shown me my sin and genuine stupidity, he’s opened my heart to genuinely love others.  I still don’t always do it well, but thankfully I have the rest of my life to keep walking with him and an unending supply of grace to help me along the way.

“For consider your calling, brothers: Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

-1 Corinthians 1:26-31

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

-Philippians 3:7-8

APRIL 29, 2021

An encouragement from Cortne Robinson

Assistant Artistic Director and Company Artist

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

-2 Corinthians 3:18 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to shine bright as a reflection of the light and love of Christ. In order to be a reflection of His light we must first behold it for ourselves. What we behold, we reflect. 

The word behold in Websters Dictionary means:

to perceive through sight or apprehension, to see  

to gaze upon, to observe. 

To absorb, digest, and to take in. 

There are many things to “take in” or to behold in this life. Both good and bad alike. Our relationships, family, our personal successes or failures, our comforts, our worry and doubts, even the comparison of our life to another’s. The list could go on and on of things that are fighting to capture our attention. That which fills our time takes our resources, and even consumes our thoughts, are the very things we are beholding. 

SO- what are we beholding? Maybe a better question is what are we reflecting? Does the fruit of our lives look like the world or like Christ? 

Jesus said in Matt 7:17-18, and 20, “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” 

So how do we produce good fruit that would reflect Christ?

Jesus answers that question in John 15:4-5

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, He it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. “ 

It seems as though we will know by our fruit who or what we are beholding. I believe Jesus is inviting us to abide in him, to know him, and to BEHOLD him. In that place of abiding and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he will be the one producing his fruit in and through us. As we begin to Behold Jesus more and more in our personal lives, HE, through the Holy Spirit, will cause our lives to be a reflection of his. 

To truly behold Christ, is to reflect him. 

So go- behold Jesus, reflect Jesus, and SHINE BRIGHT his light and love! 

APRIL 22, 2021

An encouragement from Blaire Shelton

Events Company Dancer

“You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God and he has chosen you to be his own special treasure from all the nations of the earth.”

-Deuteronomy 14:2

As someone fresh out of high school, it has been a daily battle to separate myself from the world. It was hard to not participate in all of the things the people around me were doing during my high school years. I didn’t want to feel left out or judged. Thank God that He protected me and kept me from giving in to those desires to fit in! But we aren’t called to fit in, we are called to stick out and shine bright. At times it was hard for me to remember my calling as someone who has chosen to follow the Lord. I am to be set apart from the world, to look different.

There is a song that has really been on my mind the past couple of years that the Lord used to speak to me. It helped me remember that I have been called to be a light and an example of Christ to a dark world. It is a song written by Micah Tyler called “Different” and it is his prayer that God would stir in his heart the desire to want to be different, but also for God Himself to come and be the difference in him. This is exactly what I want. I want the Lord to move and change my heart. I want to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the correction and shaping He wants to do in my life. I want the Lord to take all of me and replace my own desires with Himself. The only way I am able to be different and a good example of Jesus to those around me is if He is the One doing the work in me. I want to continue to be stripped of my desires to participate in worldly things, so all that is left is a light inside me that cannot be contained or covered up. I want the Father’s love and light to be reflected in my life so that it penetrates this dark world.

As the Lord has been continually teaching me how to let Him come and be the difference in me, I have had to sacrifice friendships and being around people that would cause me to become more like the world. It has been hard to pull away from those relationships, but the life I have experienced by distancing myself from that sort of influence and letting God change my heart and mind has been so worth it. Walking in the Kingdom of Light and Life is far better than participating in these temporary earthly things. The fulfillment and satisfaction that comes with knowing the Lord is unmatched. I don’t want to gain the world and lose my soul. Living for God is not always easy, but it is the most refreshing, life-giving way to live. If God thought that I was worth sending Jesus to die on a cross after all the things I had messed up, then He is definitely worth living for.

So my challenge to you is, are you willing to give up the relationships in your life that may cause you to fall into the things of this world? Is being in a relationship with God enough for you? Is it really worth it? My encouragement to you is that it IS worth it! Speaking from what I have experienced in my own life and seen in the lives of others, life is better with Jesus! Be different and the Lord will walk with you every step of the way and continue being the Light inside of you that will outshine all darkness and change the lives of those around you. 

APRIL 15, 2021

An encouragement from Megan Rhoades

Events Company Tour Director

“YOU MAKE KNOWN TO ME THE PATH OF LIFE; IN YOUR PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; AT YOUR RIGHT HAND THERE ARE PLEASURES FOREVERMORE”.

-PSALM 16:11

I’ve thought about this verse a lot over the past few years. “Fullness of joy”? What does that look like? With so many things going on in the world around me, how can I experience fullness of JOY? As I’ve grown in my walk with the Lord, I’ve realized that joy is an essential element to being the light in this world. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, meaning that the more we spend time with God and allow His Spirit to fill us, the more we will exhibit joy in our thoughts, words, and actions. Joy is also infectious. Just as a small light can cast out darkness from every corner of a room, one joyful person can turn a whole staff meeting, classroom, or friend group around.

When people see our joy, they’re likely to ask, “What are you so happy about? Don’t you see everything that is going wrong”? The answer is yes, we do, BUT we can be filled with joy because we serve a God who is sovereign over all things, and because we know that one day every tear will be wiped away, death will lose its sting, suffering will be no more, and we will spend eternity with Jesus! Joy is not pretending that everything is okay, even when it is not. Joy is pressing into Jesus even more when life gets messy, because we know that He is “working all things together for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28) and trusting that He is in control. There is joy to be found when you realize you are not alone - you have a God who walks with you!

As Psalm 16:11 says, God makes “known to us the path of life”. Isn’t that incredible? As we follow Him, He directs our steps! In His “presence there is fullness of joy”, and “pleasures forevermore”. I encourage you all today to rest in the goodness of your God. Find joy in the presence of your King. If you are struggling to find joy, ask the Holy Spirit to help you bear this fruit. As you do this, let your joy be infectious! Others will notice, and you’ll be able to tell them about the hope and confidence you have in Jesus Christ. The Gospel gives us every reason to have great joy!

APRIL 8, 2021

An encouragement from Arielle Smith

Events Company Dancer

BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER, FORGIVING EACH OTHER, JUST AS IN CHRIST GOD FORGAVE YOU.
-EPHESIANS 4:32

Have you ever been that one person in the room that had no idea what was going on but the whole room had this tension that brought the atmosphere down? Like when you're at a friend's house and the family's in an argument about something, or they’re not on speaking terms. It makes you feel uncomfortable. It makes you feel unwelcome. But you see, as Christians we're supposed to welcome people into our family, being the light in this dark world and sharing it with others. When we've got unsettled arguments or tension, we need to forgive in order to be able to let people in. Our light should shine through the darkness and sin of this world.

Why does Jesus want us to forgive? I believe that since He does it for us, it benefits us when we forgive. Forgiveness sets us free from grudges and committing our own sins. It saves us from the hurt of unforgiveness. Our world is a very unforgiving world. It's broken and won't get better unless we change our ways and live like Jesus. Be the light in the darkness.

Forgiveness is a topic I can confidently say we all struggle with. I grew up with 11 siblings so I feel "qualified" to talk about forgiveness. I've learned from many experiences that spending time arguing, fighting, accusing, and defending aren't worth anyone's time, especially God's time. So, why do we do it? If there's nothing to gain from always being angry, why on earth would we waste our short time on earth fighting. What good does that do?

If you're struggling to forgive someone, I encourage you to pray and ask for God's eyes. Our vision is so tiny compared to what God sees. We see what's straight ahead, He sees the big picture from all the different angles. In every argument, both sides think they are right no matter what it is about. When you stop and try to analyze what that person could be going through to believe their side is true, you start to understand and know how to forgive and fix that issue. Looking from every direction and praying for God's perspective is key to finding forgiveness and love in your heart.

Ask God to see through His eyes. Ask him to open your eyes to see the bigger picture. Ask him for guidance on the situation. Ask for help, for an overflowing love towards the person you so desperately need to forgive. We can't do it on our own. We need the Lord to change our hearts. The only way it's going to happen is by asking.

When you're in an argument with someone, how does it change your mood, how you act around others, your personality, your health? Do those things represent God? Probably not. If we're told by the God of the universe to be the light in this very dark world, but we can't because we're holding onto something that happened two days or even two weeks ago, how are we ever going to bring that light? Our job as Christians is to bring the light and spread it to others so that the world will turn from dark to light. The only way to brighten this world is to live and love like Jesus. The Bible shows us time and time again that Jesus was a man that forgave when we didn't deserve it. We need to be like Jesus! We need to not dwell on the arguments and even the big sins of this world. We need to forgive even when they don't deserve it. We forgive because he forgave.

We need to let God have it all and we need to forgive ourselves. We are broken without Jesus. Forgiveness may not always help the person you forgive but God loves us so much that he allows us to forgive others so that we will be set free from sin.

APRIL 1, 2021

An encouragement from Silas Fennema

Senior Apprentice

“HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM THE DOMAIN OF DARKNESS AND TRANSFERRED US TO THE KINGDOM OF HIS BELOVED SON, IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.”

-COLOSSIANS 1:13-14

The Lord has brought me from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. I am currently learning, in more ways than one, that as a child of God I am called to walk in the light. After all, God has transferred me out of the domain of darkness - and from darkness you can only go to one place - into the light of the Kingdom of the Lord. In John 1 we see that God is light, and in him there is no darkness. So, now that I am in Him and in His light, why do I continue living as one who is in darkness? Why would I act like those who Isaiah says “stumble at noon as though it were twilight” (Isaiah 59:10)? It would look really strange for someone in broad daylight to stumble along a level path as if he needed to grab onto something. If I saw that, I would wonder why someone in the light is acting like they are in darkness. And yet that is what we do every time we sin and rebel against God. You see, as a reborn person, we are a new creation who has been brought from darkness into light. We have all that we need in Christ to walk through life without stumbling. (2 Peter 1:3, Jude 1:24) The Lord has given us his word (which David says is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path). On top of that, the Lord gave us his very own presence! These realizations motivate us to say no to sin and live holy, upright and godly lives.

In Romans 7 Paul talks about a struggle against sin. But Romans 7 must be read in context. He goes on to say "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2). This is great news for us because we are not tied to sin! This is the work that Jesus did on the cross for us. Those who repent and believe in what He accomplished are no longer bound to sin, but are now the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus did for us! So, praise Jesus! He is alive and his blood still flows and cleanses us from all unrighteousness! We would be separated from Christ if it wasn’t for the Lord’s loving-kindness.

 As Christians, we have been set free from the bondage of sin!

My encouragement to myself has been that, since I am a child of God, I know that there is Someone who will defend me in heaven, and His name is Jesus. His blood and His sacrifice have saved me from the wrath of God that comes from sin, and now because of that, I can live freely to glorify the Lord using everything that he has given me to walk on His path. I am free from sin and am now a “slave to righteousness” as Romans 6 puts it. The Holy Spirit in me has changed my nature and default to the righteousness of Christ and not to the sin and shame toward which I was headed.

March 25, 2021

An encouragement from Amelia Noreau

Events Company Dancer

 When I think of the phrase “shine bright”, it makes me visualize a flashlight or a lightbulb bringing light to a dark room. Isn’t that what the Lord calls us to do? To be a like a flashlight in a dark world? In the sermon on the mount, Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world.” And He says to, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14 & 16) Is that what we do every day? I know it should be my goal each day to be a light to the people living life with me; to provide encouragement to my fellow believers and to love non-believers well.

On the days when life goes well, I keep my eyes on that goal, and it feels like enough. But what about all of the days when life doesn’t go well? What about when you don’t get enough sleep, or you have an argument with a friend, and it makes you grumpy all day? Even more, what about the seasons when life is hard? When you cannot understand God’s plan and you struggle to trust Him, or you face a huge loss and walk through grief and mourning? Do you cease to be a light doing those times? 

While I was on a missions trip in Africa, striving to be a light to the people there, I received the news that my brother, who struggled with severe mental illness, had died. All of my goals and plans to be a light to the people in Africa, felt so insignificant when I faced this huge loss. The hole that my brother left behind seemed to break my family and it completely changed my world. It required all of my effort to keep putting myself back together, and I felt like I didn’t have any effort left to give towards being a light. My goal-oriented system of shining bright for the people in my life, let alone the people in Africa, wasn’t enough to help me be a light during those dark days. 

Does that mean that God didn’t want to use me during that season? Or maybe that I should hide my light away until I had returned to my bubbly self? Of course not! He didn’t say that “you are the light of the world” when you’re feeling up for it! In verse 15, He  actually tells us clearly that we should not hide our light, but let it shine for everyone to see. So, how do you continue to shine when you feel like you have nothing to give? If you do it the way I did, with goals and ideas of being a flashlight, it simply won’t work. On those days when I felt crushed, I wasn’t capable of shining as a flashlight. I had no energy to help others while I faced my own trials. 

But God was not down with me! With unfailing kindness, God showed me that even if I couldn’t be a flashlight, I could be the moon. I didn’t have the strength to shine on my own, but my new job was to simply be present and look at Him. He is my sun, and when I see his face, I reflect His light to the dark world. He shines in me so much brighter, than I ever could on my own! Even when I could barely hold myself together; when I couldn’t keep my eyes on the goal of being a light; He was bright enough to pull my eyes and hold my attention. As I continued praising Him, He gave me the awesome gift of continuing to shine bright to those around me. And that process has continued to bring healing and comfort to my loss. So, whatever season you are facing, continue praising Him! Seek His face, and stare in awe at how bright He is! Let your life be a reflection of the love he shows you, and you will shine as a light for the world!

March 18, 2021

An encouragement from Anna Lee

Company Artist

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15:4

People are drawn to light like moths to a flame. If the power goes out, the first thing anyone does is fumble around for a match to light a candle, or to even use the flashlight on their phone to cast some light. What happens next? Everyone gathers to be near the light. It would be odd if we all tried to live our lives during the night without a single light to guide us and slept during the day by choice. Yet the world is more than content to live in spiritual darkness. Even as believers we can grow confused about the darkness around us and find ourselves either hiding the light of Christ in order to “fit in” or trying to produce that light in our own strength.

Sometimes, I work and push with all of my might to be a light, to produce fruit for Christ. But what happens? I simply feel exhausted from my efforts and am unable to give anything because I’ve already tried and failed. I once heard this analogy: A farmer was disappointed because his apple trees wouldn’t grow oranges. So, he began to throw oranges at the tree hoping that they’d stick. They, of course, did not. Obviously, if this story were true that would be a very foolish farmer, but yet how often do we try to throw the fruits of the spirit onto ourselves, forcing ourselves to outwardly act like Christ and in the end finding it simply exhausting and impossible to truly shine bright for Him?

Jesus reminds us in John 15 that He is the vine and we are the branches. How do branches grow? By ABIDING in the vine. It’s that simple and yet that complex for our workaholic minds to carry out! I have tasted and seen the difference of abiding in Christ and letting who He is begin to come forth from the inside out. This is much different than when I simply throw the fruit I want to be displayed onto myself, hoping desperately it will somehow stick.

The freedom found in knowing Christ deeply, loving Him beyond what you could imagine, and simply sitting in the quiet and listening to His voice is beyond comprehension for me. It is in those quiet moments with Him that a branch begins to develop inch by inch until it is a beautiful display of who Christ is.

All of us as children of God are branches who show Christ to a fallen world, shining brightly, and together they make a great light piercing through the darkness. Jesus is calling us to Himself to simply know, love, and be with Him. By abiding in Him, we begin to shine brighter and brighter as He sanctifies us into His image. What freedom and joy is found in His presence!

March 11, 2021

An encouragement from Elisha Smith

Apprentice

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

John 8:11

You are the key!

Life can be a weird, odd, jumbled mess. Nothing seems to go as planned, and Murphy's law is ever evident. Whether it's your spiritual life or a simple day at work, it can sometimes seem like the cosmos have a grudge, and you are the target. It can feel like the world is taking chunks out of you, like life is chipping away at you every day until you're visibly changed forever. I know this is not a very encouraging thought, but sometimes the world's difficulty can surprise even the world's most hardened pessimist. We have to accept that there is evil in this world. People die, people kill, and it can be confusing to live in a world like that. It's odd to think that a world created by such a loving Father can hold so much evil, death, and decay. Wow! Those are some scary thoughts, but the worst part of all is that we are the cause. If all this evil is our fault, then how are we supposed to shine bright in such a dark world?

We've established that the world is a dark place. Now what? Well, there is a lot there, but I would like to talk about our role and what we can actually do. As Christians, we are victims to nothing. We are free from our bondage and cannot be held back. This world can feel oppressive and like it's out to get you.

Jesus shows us how to fix all that brokenness. Leave the past where you stand and move forward! This is a continuous process that Christians go through every day. I don't know about you; this sounds great to me, but it's not quite enough. It seems great to move forward and let the past die, but it's just not that easy. I still remember the past, it still changed me, and I'm scared of those changes. I've been changed in ways that can never be repaired. Sure, Jesus died for my sins, but He didn't erase them from history! How am I supposed to shine bright if I am broken?

Let me tell you a story. It may be reminiscent of a children's book, but if you've ever watched VeggieTales you know things made for kids can still be fun and insightful for adults. There once was a key sitting on the shelf of a hardware store. The key was brand new and very proud of it. Whenever he would hear the jingling of a keychain hanging on someone's pants, pride would build up in the young key. Seeing all the keys with chunks taken out of their blade. The young key felt special. But one day the young key was picked off the shelf and put in the machine. Chunk after chunk was cut off, destroying his once-perfect blade, and he was put on a keychain with older keys. The now depressed little key felt worthless. It wasn't until the young key was used for the first time that he began to discover his worth. The key realized in his suffering he was being shaped into a tool used to unlock things previously locked. He now knows he is a much more effective tool with chunks taken out of him. What was once a disgrace is now his pride and helps him accomplish his purpose.

The key was cut and broken just like you and I. It feels like life is constantly cutting and grinding. It feels like our sin has damaged us forever. Yes, your sin has changed you and shaped you, but if you have Jesus those cuts are there for a reason. You are a key, shaped by the mistakes of your past, by the world, and by the Almighty God. You can be the tool that unlocks someone's heart. Because of your past you may be the key to bringing someone to the Lord. All that pain is for a reason. So shine! This dark world needs you. You are special and you may be the key someone needs today. Don't wait because you have pain. Go shine!

March 4, 2021

An encouragement from Sonia Smithson

Apprentice

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Surrender - verb: “To give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner”  

What comes to mind when you hear the word “surrender”? I, and many others, think of control or a lack thereof. Whether or not we admit it, we as humans enjoy control. I have yet to meet anyone who does not. As Christians, why is it so hard for us to give up everything to the one who created us? The one who already knows all our days? The one who sees the good, bad, and ugly? I can go around saying I live a life of surrender, but what happens when my circumstances are no longer good? What happens when my flesh takes over? When I am struggling? When my life is falling apart, and I have been left in the dust? It is so easy to “surrender” when life goes my way. In such cases, I can happily hand over my perfect life to the Lord. However, why is it so hard to give up all the junk? Why do we cling to what the enemy has fed us? Why do we let his lies define who we are? I for one do not want to live under lies. Yet here I am, resisting instead of surrendering to the Lord. I have made the falsehoods a part of who I am, but they are not me. They are not mine. My burdens and struggles were never meant for my arms. The Lord is reaching out to take them. 

1 Peter 5:6-8 clearly states, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Restore - verb: “To bring back to or put back into a former or original state” 

The Lord wants to rescue you from the darkness, the sadness, the depression, the fear, the hurt, the brokenness, and the anxiety. He will make you strong, firm, and steadfast. Why on earth would we not be eagerly shouting our surrender to Yahweh? We are broken people. That’s the bottom line. We are broken and in need of a savior. My hope for everyone (myself included) is that we would discard our own agendas. Let us fall flat on our faces in COMPLETE surrender to the Lord! 

One of my favorite worship songs is called “I Surrender” by Kim Walker-Smith. In it, she repeatedly sings, “No turning back, I've made up my mind. I'm giving all of my life this time”. 

These words are my prayer for your life and my own. 

Give Him everything and never look back. 

 February 25, 2021

An encouragement from Rachel Nel

Tour Director

“You are the light of the world.  A town built 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.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

As believers, we have such a responsibility (and privilege!) to be a light in this world.  But to what end?  Sometimes I am tempted to do good things or to be a good person for the betterment of my appearance, or simply in hopes that people will like or appreciate me more - whether I am doing it consciously or not.  While the things I do may not be bad or wrong, perhaps the motive behind it is.  We are called to be a light, so that “they may see [our] good deeds and glorify [our] Father in heaven.”  The goal is the glory of God.  The goal should ALWAYS be the glory of God.  May our good deeds result in us becoming “invisible”, in a sense, and may others see only the Lord!

My challenge to myself and to all of us is to check our motives.  Ask the Lord to give us a heart for this world; a heart to serve selflessly with no ulterior motive except to bring Him glory.  What if no one on earth sees your good works?  Are you less likely to do them?  Yikes.  I think sometimes I am.

Some time ago someone shared this picture with me: There are two rooms side-by-side, separated by a door.  One room is bright and the other is dark.  As soon as you open the door between them, what happens?  The light floods into the dark room, right?  That dark room gets a lot brighter.  Light is such a powerful thing, even a small light can make a big difference.  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  (John 1:5)

Light is a powerful thing.  Be a light – but for the glory of God.

February 18, 2021

An encouragement from Peyton Davis

Company Artist

“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.”

Isaiah 42:16

Pondering this verse, the words “in paths they have not known I will guide them” bring so much comfort to my heart.

I often feel that I need to see the step in front of me to take it, but the Lord continually reminds me that that mindset completely defeats the purpose of trust. Walking in the light is not our natural instinct. We are all born into a sinful, broken world and left to our own devices, we fall into darkness. This verse highlights that He is calling us to a beautiful place that is not natural to us. A place of peace and trust in the Lord. Just like God led the Israelites through the desert by a pillar of fire, His promise to lead us through the confusion of this life still stands.

Apart from God, we live in darkness. When we dwell in a place of darkness, it brings discouragement, anxiety, and hopelessness. I’m so thankful to be a follower of the God who calls me to dwell in His marvelous light and cling to the everlasting hope of eternal glory. We have this promise, ‘Emmanuel’ God with us. He never refrains His presence from us and is never withdrawn. The present darkness of this world can seem consuming, but Jesus tells us this in the gospel of John: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”. (8:12) Light can’t help but be seen. It exposes everything around it, and as the body of Christ, we get to walk in the freedom of His light. Jesus calls us to follow Him into the mystery, trusting that He will shine brightly through even the darkest places in us.

As beacons of Christ’s hope and light we have a responsibility for here and now. When we abide in the power of Christ, He gives us the boldness to proclaim His light to the broken world around us.

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth”. -Acts 13:47

february 11, 2021

A word of encouragement from Taylor Stewart

Company Artist

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14–16

As I was thinking about this verse I was reminded of James 1:22: “Be doers of the word and not only hearers.” I’m a very visual person, so when Matthew is talking about being a light, I am reminded that you recognize light and take it in by seeing it. As Christians, we are commissioned to be a light. In a time where there is so much hate and division, we are called to love. As Believers we are called to look different than the world, and to live differently. As Christians, we should be recognized by our love for one another (John 13:35). I’ve been challenged by this recently. I’ve also been reminded that we can do this in whatever stage of life, in whatever season we’re in, and wherever we are. You don’t have to be in the depths of the jungle to share God’s love. James isn’t saying to just “do” but to “BE a doer.” To live in obedience, to actively live out John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus made it very clear - if we love God, then we need to love others just as God does. That means no weeding out the people we want to love from those we don’t. In other words, besides loving those that are easy to love, we are called to love those we would naturally condemn. We are to love the unlovely, the person we least admire, the person that hurt us and the people we have nothing in common with. We are to love our enemies because that is exactly what God has done for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Paul emphasizes in Romans 5:10, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

God loved us when we were not only unlovely, but when we were His enemies. And it was this love—His sacrificial love—that saved us in the midst of our sinfulness.

Since the Lord loved us in this way, so we too, as His followers, are to love our neighbor in this way as well. It’s only through Christ that we are truly able to be a light.

February 4, 2021

A word of encouragement from all of us at Ballet Magnificat!

Time and again we see in the scriptures how difficulty and great resistance spur God’s people on to do great things. James challenges us, in the first chapter of his letter to the church, to count it all joy whenever we face trials of many kinds, for the testing of our faith produces perseverance (v. 2-3). James continues to declare that perseverance must finish its work for us to be mature and complete, not lacking anything (v 4).

Every time we’ve walked through a valley of testing, our faith in the goodness and sovereignty of our God increases. It is then when the light of God placed within us shines bright and strong.

Ballet Magnificat! is standing resolute in these unique times. We desire more than anything else to be a beacon of hope and a voice of the Lord to this nation that so badly needs to be reminded of, and encouraged with, the truths of the Almighty God! We strongly believe that the love of the Lord for mankind and for His church is as alive today as it was the day when Jesus Christ spread His arms on the cross of Calvary. We are here to bring Him glory, we are here to bring you, and anyone else who will listen, His encouragement, and we are here to shine on and to shine bright!

We pray that this weekly blog would accomplish just that and spur all of you to do the same wherever your circle of influence might lie. Let us be reminded of the crown of life James writes about, promised to be given to all those who persevere through trials of many kinds, and persevere to love the Lord faithfully (v. 12). Press on, therefore, and shine brightly for the glory of Jesus Christ! You are loved.

December 31, 2020

As we look back at 2020, we are overwhelmed at the Lord’s faithfulness to Ballet Magnificat. Please enjoy this message of encouragement from Executive Director Keith Thibodeaux, followed by our Year in Review.

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

-Psalm 118:24

What IS the Lord doing in us and in the world around us?

Testing, revealing, changing, adapting, rearranging, renovating, preparing, cultivating, growing, and harvesting. These are just some of the words that come to mind as I consider the effects that this pandemic has had on us and the population around the planet. A global event like this has not happened since Noah’s ark ..touching virtually everyone on our planet.

But as believers in Jesus Christ we can trust in the Lord. In my prayer time these scriptures have given me much encouragement:

“The Lord is my Sheperd I shall not want ... “ -Psalm 23:1
“No weapon formed against me will prosper” -Isaiah 54:17

“Wait on the Lord, be of good courage... “ -Psalm 27:14    
“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” -Ephesians 6:14   

I believe we are in the prophetic time that the scriptures say are “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3:1-5), but we have the victory in Christ Jesus. 2021 is upon us! What does it hold for us, the world, and the future? God has been preparing us “for such a time as this”. The question is:

Are we going to stand up for Jesus in these times or will we shrink back?

No matter what gets thrown at you and me we need to stay true to His word and believe He will provide - just as He has in the past. He will not fail! Certainly he has provided for us at Ballet Magnificat this past year, lifting us over hurdles and giving us unexpected blessings and provision around every corner! The most important thing right now is our faith: “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

Press on!

Love and Shalom!

december 24, 2020

An encouragement from Rebecca Colenda

Company Artist

“AND THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM, “FEAR NOT, FOR BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY THAT WILL BE FOR ALL PEOPLE. FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD.”

- Luke 2:10-11

I used to hate questions. “What if I don’t know the answer?”, “What if I say something stupid?”, “What if I can’t express my thoughts adequately?”. Reading through the gospels you can’t help but notice that Jesus loved questions. Jesus posed many questions to his disciples and to crowds throughout his ministry. Why did Jesus ask so many questions? (We know it’s not that He didn’t know the answers). Perhaps Jesus asked questions to provoke people to stop and think for themselves, to participate and engage, and to consider their personal level of faith.

With those reasons in mind I have a question for us all—Why did Jesus come?

While there can be many answers to this question, Paul gives us a clear answer in 1 Timothy 1:15 — “...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to save sinners. That’s you. That’s me. He came to question our self sufficiency and pride and to give us grace we didn’t know we needed. I pray that this question (and your response) would serve as a reminder to us all of the incomparable gift we as believers get to celebrate. As we think, reflect, engage, and consider our personal level of faith, may our hearts be fueled to worship and adore our Messiah. ”I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10) Let’s intentionally share this Good News this Christmas!

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

- Romans 8:31-39

december 17, 2020

An encouragement from Anna Bentley

Company Artist

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

What does it look like to live your life for the Lord? This is a question I’ve been contemplating recently, and I want say honestly that I don’t think I’ve fully found the answer. As a young christian, I thought that it looked like cleaning up all my dirty sinful ways and doing a lot of good things for the sake of the Lord. Now, I certainly needed to leave behind my sin that I had let rule my life for the past sixteen years, and I still want to do good things for the sake of the Lord, but I was missing a huge ingredient. Motivation.

In those early days of my walk with the Lord, I was heavily motivated by shame over my past sin and a desire to be good enough for the Lord to accept me. It wasn’t until I began to actually spend time getting to know this God who I had dedicated my life to that my motivation began to change. I wanted to be sanctified, to get all my ugly, messy sin out of my life, because I loved the Lord and I believed he was better than what that sin could bring. I wanted to be good and serve others because that was a way I could honor and love the Lord. I began to pray that the Lord would change my heart and line it up with his.

It has been incredible to see how he has done just that. I can honestly say the only good in me is from the Lord. Any kindness in me is the Lord. Any joy in my life is from the Lord. Any purity is from him changing and purifying my mind. Any love in my heart is the Lord giving me his heart to love others. I know who I am without Christ in my life. I lived that way for sixteen years, and the thought of who that person was scares me. She’s hateful, selfish and evil. But the Lord saw me, and despite my sin and how I had spent my whole life rejecting him, he chose to save me. That miracle is what gives me purpose in life. Not just to live my life the way the Bible calls me to, but to spend my life knowing and loving and honoring the Lord.

One of my deepest and most constant prayers is that when people see me and see my life, they would see Christ. That I would be walking so closely with him that people couldn’t help but see his goodness and love in me. That it would not be I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

december 10, 2020

An encouragement from Ms. Sol Maisonet

Ballet Mistress

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My Victory and honor comes from God alone, He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.”

Psalm 62:5-7

Waiting on the Lord and trusting in His protection and His Sovereignty during this uncertain times is challenging. Being quiet before Him requires strength, faith and trust. He is our shelter, defender and shield. The enemies around us might be many but when we wait and trust, He will come through.

He is the Lord our God.

He is our fortress and our victory.

THE LORD OUR GOD IS UNSHAKABLE!

December 3, 2020

An encouragement from Silas Fennema

Senior Apprentice

I have nothing to say but that I am a sinner. I needed a Savior. And the Lord, the God of the entire universe, went through an enormous amount of pain to get me one. I write this knowing that I have not checked off anything on my “Get into Heaven Prerequisite Checklist”. But by God’s infinite grace and mercy, he allows me to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus and trade "Checklists" with the Son of the Most High. 

2 Corinthians 5 mentions that whether we are in the body or out of it, our aim should be to please the Lord. It doesn’t mention that we should seek to please ourself or gratify our flesh. It is to be my life’s goal to please the Lord in everything that I do. I just came out of a self-isolation and I had a lot of time to do stuff. Was the Lord pleased by my learning how to poorly play Solitaire? Was the Lord honored in how I reacted to my ineptitude as a Solitaire player? These questions are oddly specific to me, yet important. 

Yes, it is okay to play a game in my room, but if the Lord is not in it is it worth it? A lot of times we will sing songs that say something along the lines of “take all of me” or “you are my life” and a few too many people, including myself, fail to understand the depth of those lyrics. What does it mean for the Lord to take all of me? What does it look like for the Lord to be my life? I know it is silly but if I don’t give the Lord my Solitaire, have I given him everything? And if I haven’t given him my Solitaire, of all things, I probably haven’t given him a lot of other things as well.

There have been plenty of times that I have let something or someone become my life, and it has never ended well. It is hard to tell if I have ever given my Lord a chance to sit at the head of the table. I know I am not the only one guilty of this sin. So often we just say that we want God to be in control, yet, we feel that we have the "right" to our families, our jobs, or even our kids. But as a Christian, as sons and daughters of God, we give our rights to the Lord. Will we, like Abraham, sacrifice our most prized possession to the Lord if he asked us to? We must be willing, or we must let the Lord start to transform us.

Let’s go back to the beginning of all of this. How can I, a sinner, do all of those things? How can I give it all up to God? The answer is that I can’t. It is impossible. Due to the impossibility of this, we need the Lord to step in. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised us a helper, and that is exactly what we got. The Holy Spirit of the Creator was sent down into this world and he lives in God’s children. It is the spirit of God that compels us to give the Lord our all. And if we fail to do so and we sin, the Bible says in 1 John 2 that we have an advocate in heaven with the Father and that advocate is Jesus, who is the one responsible for our forgiveness. This is our God. 

Sometimes I also wonder, why I would give my rights to the Creator of the universe? I find the answer in the question: because he is the Creator of the universe. I give my rights to Him by the compelling of His spirit because of who He is. He is infinitely beautiful, perfect, abounding in steadfast love, faithful, Father, best friend, He has mercy on me when I fail to obey Him, and He gives me meaning. The truth of it is, why wouldn't I give my rights to the Lord?

November 26, 2020

An encouragement from Catherine Martin

School of the Arts Administrator

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

- Peter 1:6-7

Has your faith been proven genuine? 1 Peter tells us that through testing and trials our faith is proved genuine. For gold to be refined it must go through fire so that the impurities are separated from the gold. In the same way testing and trials show us what is truly in our hearts and challenges us to walk out our faith that we profess. It is not an easy process to be refined, but it is always worth it. Gold that has been refined is worth much more!

So many people are going through difficult trials right now- job loss, uncertain futures, death, disappointments. If you find yourself in a trial, ask God how you can know him more through it. You may never see an obvious purpose behind suffering or testing, but we can be sure that God has a purpose. We can trust our Savior to keep his word. Romans 8:28-39 tells us that for those of us who love God, everything works together for our good and God’s glory. Our goal is to be conformed to the image of Christ, and so often God chooses trials as a means to conform us. So we welcome trials because we know the fruit of knowing, loving, and trusting God more is worth the heartache, difficulty and disappointments that come with trials.

The really good news is that the trials don’t last forever! Those of us who have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3) have an eternal hope! “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4 

I want to take advantage of every trial to become more like Jesus, but I also look forward with eager anticipation to when trials are no more because we are with our Savior forever!

november 19, 2020

An encouragement from Ashton Gordon

Company Artist

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.”

Acts 17:24-27

“What are you facing today that you wouldn’t be facing if you were in control?” -Paul David Tripp, New Morning Mercies

A few years ago, I had plans for exactly what I wanted my life to look like and goals that were going to get me there. I worked hard to achieve what I wanted. I moved to a another country on my own at 17, traveling from Utah, to Florida, to Ohio, and eventually to Canada to try my shot at what I thought was my greatest aspiration. I made pro and con lists and weighed out my options to make the most informed decision for my future. In the end, I felt more lost than when I began, despite the very clear plan set out before me. I tried to take the reins from the only One who has a good plan for my future (Jeremiah 29:11).

I think that more than anything else, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded me of something I’ve been tempted to forget recently. I am not in control. Maybe I could’ve said that before and truly believed it, but it’s different to feel it actually happening. Cancelled weddings, shows, time with family cut short, travel plans scratched, graduations postponed or cancelled. Everyone has felt the effects of the pandemic whether they’ve had the virus or not and reactions range from disappointment, to fear, to frustration.

In all of these things, I can find rest in the one who made the heavens and earth and everything in it. Just as He was faithful before to turn my own plans upside down so that I could be here at Ballet Magnificat, He will be faithful to work all things for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Not only that, but He planned for me to live in these times and determined that this would be the time and place best suited so that I might seek God and find Him (Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29, Proverbs 8:17, Matthew 7:7, Psalm 9:10, and so many more!).

The most comforting part is that He is not far from any of us, no matter where we find ourselves. To the fearful, He is the God of peace (John 16:33). To the burdened, He is mighty (Colossians 1:11). To the hurt, He is the healer (Isaiah 41:10). And to the needy, He is the provider (Psalm 107:9). He is all, and is in all things we could face in this life. It may seem a bit backwards, but I feel more peace now, in a global pandemic, than I did when everything was going to plan. And I would lose everything again because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3:8).

So, what are you facing today that you wouldn’t be facing if you were in control? And how can you see God working within it and within you?

November 12, 2020

An encouragement from Margot Christie

Company Artist

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.”

Colossians 3:1-4

Memorize those words, for in the word of God we find life!  If you are in Christ, setting our minds on the things above is a command. And that is a command that has challenged me over the course of the past few months. There have been so many things, both good and bad, that have been pulling for my attention. Yet we are commanded to keep our eyes on Christ, for He is our hope that never wavers, He is the unmoving rock that we stand upon, He is the source of our joy, and He is the giver of life. The glorious God of the universe, who is holy, pure and righteous, created us to be in relationship with Him.

But sin entered and that relationship was torn apart and was only restored because of the perfect life, sacrificial death, and powerful resurrection of Jesus.  In him we find abundant life, and it is a privilege that we get to have the One, True God dwelling in us through His Spirit. It is His Spirit who reminds us of the truth so that in whatever situation we come across we might live victoriously. 

I have been challenged over the past several months, maybe more like years, to memorize scripture as a way of helping me to set my mind on Christ.  And in the past month I have focused specifically on Colossians 3, which tells me to set my mind on the things of Christ. It might seem too literal or too simple, but actually setting the word of God in front of me each day has allowed me to live in the victory that Jesus has given me.  We are victors in Christ, but we often forget to actually walk that out. Even today my mind was consumed with fear and uncertainty, but the Holy Spirit reminded me to set my mind on the things above because my life is hidden with Christ. Even today I was frustrated with some things, and the Holy Spirit brought to mind verse eight that I must put away all anger and malice. As a child of God who has been redeemed out of sin (v. 7), I gave those frustrations to the Lord and was able to continue to submit to His goodness. 

The Lord has so graciously given us His word and also gave us incredible brains that are able to memorize it, so let’s continue on this journey with the Lord, hiding His word in our hearts and being more and more transformed to His image.

November 5, 2020

An encouragement from Camille Carroll

Senior Apprentice

“Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:24-25

Is my life my own or God’s?

That’s a challenging question for me. Logically speaking, I know that my life is Christ’s, because that’s what the Bible tells me. But do I live like I truly believe that? More often than not, I don’t. Salvation was a purchase, not a negotiation. In reality, my life is no longer my own, so why do I often behave as if it is — picking and choosing my time to give God, which resources I’ll offer for His kingdom, when I’m willing to be used by Him and when I’m not as willing? In that, I’m stepping out of my life to give some to God, then stepping back in. Step out for my morning quiet time, step back in. Step out for rehearsal, step back in. Step out for shows on tour, step back in. And for your life, step out for _______ , then step back in. Don’t step out and in again and again. Stay out. Your life is constantly not your own, not just sometimes. As usual, we’re the ones that get in the way of our own abundant life in Christ, but thankfully, there is a throne of grace awaiting us (Hebrews 3:16) when we approach Him. Praise Him today for what specific things He may be revealing to you and ask Him to have His perfect way in your life continually!

October 29, 2020

An encouragement from Cassandra Voborsky

Trainee Program Director

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

Today, as I read Psalm 119, I am reminded of the gift and the power of the Word of God. The eternal pages fill me with peace, with confidence, and with hope. God allowed Moses to pen the first five books of His story. God wanted us to get a glimpse into how He created the world and so wonderfully made man to be His image bearer. God explains how sin came to be and how He was going to solve its problem for us. He goes on to guide us to know how we should live and be a light to the nations. Moses reminded the people in Deuteronomy 4:8-9 with the following truth: “What other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.” Page after page, God reveals  His goodness and His guidance to us. Most amazingly, He proved His love by offering salvation to us - through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus.

I look forward to breakfast every morning and, honestly, I cannot make it long without eating or without a cup of coffee or two. Likewise, I cannot make it without the Word. I know my need to be loved by the Father. I know my need to stay on the right path. I know my need for ammunition against the enemy’s subtle lies. I know my need to keep my mind renewed. I know my need for encouragement and strength. And I know my need to be reminded to watch and pray and look up for the certain return of Christ. I must not forget His faithfulness and trustworthiness! There is no one like our God who would reveal so much to us in His Word!

Many people assume that dancers don’t eat much. Honestly, dancers eat more than you think! Just like other athletes, it’s important to fuel our bodies with nutrition for energy and stamina and strength to protect against injuries. In the same way, we should consume, digest and enjoy our spiritual food from the Word of God!

Now you go and read Psalm 119 for yourselves - it says it better than I can!

Make the Word your daily food and may it be your delight!

“Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.”

Psalm 119:1-2

october 22, 2020

An encouragement from Erin Beaver

Director of Personnel and Operations

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:28-29 

What are you living for? I ask myself that question often. As I ponder the request in Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”, I often ask myself what defines my life, and what is the substance behind even day to day mundane activities.

After a season of burn out in ministry years ago, God brought me to the second chapter in the book of Revelation, where Jesus commands the church at Ephesus to repent because, although they were working hard at all the Christian activities, they had forsaken the love they had at first (Revelation 2:1-7). That verse became a theme for my life, a catalyst into a deeper relationship with Holy Spirit, and brought the realization that love is a stronger motivator than duty. The deeper I go with God, the deeper I want to go.

Since that time, I have experienced the difference between life fueled by self-effort and life fueled by the Holy Spirit. And let me tell you, the difference is huge! Although I often resort to the subpar living of self-effort, I have truly tasted the far superior fuel, fire, power and light that comes only from the Lord. Let’s just say God is ruining me for the good stuff of His presence.

God’s presence is likened to a consuming fire countless times in scripture. It purifies, cleanses and illuminates. As the challenges of our times are real, the fear paralyzing, and darkness rampant, my desire is that God would be the fuel of my life so I am shining from a place of His strength, not from my own willpower. “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall”, Psalm 18:28-29. The song lyrics “You provide the fire, and I’ll provide the sacrifice” come to mind.

Hebrews 12:28-29 speaks of a kingdom that “cannot be shaken”. In this passage the Greek language refers to a kingdom “unshaken, unmoved, not liable to overthrow and disorder, firm and stable.” I don’t know about you, but I desire the Lord to be the fire in my lamp, so that I exhibit that His kingdom is unshakable, unmoved, and not liable to overthrow and disorder. God truly turns my darkness into light. What a firm, stable, and all-consuming God!

October 15, 2020

An encouragement from Cortne Robinson

Assistant Artistic Director / Company Artist

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

John 14:1-3

If this year has taught me anything, its to hold things loosely- my desires, my tomorrows, my plans and especially this world. It has taught me to cling to and to set my gaze on that which is eternal and steadfast instead.

Our spring touring season ended abruptly mid-tour, due to Covid-19. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months of just waiting for life to get back to normal. But it never did. I had nothing but time on my hands and began to face the truth of where my hope was placed and where my gaze was fixed. If I’m being honest, the affection of my heart had slipped to the temporary things of this world. I found myself feeling anxious about the future, unsettled in the present, and SO disappointed at all the things that couldn’t be because of COVID.  

I was in a dry and weary place because my gaze was set on self rather than Christ.

The Lord convicted me to seek HIM and HIS word instead of listening to the lies of the enemy and being swayed by what the world was saying. To really press into what God wanted to do in my heart during this season of uncertainty. 

The Lord faithfully (of course) used His word to revive my heart out of complacency - He renewed my mind to view this life with an eternal perspective which in turn filled me with such joy and peace.

Trouble is one of the common denominators of all humankind - There is a lot about 2020 that is so uncertain and could leave our hearts feeling troubled if we let it.. but Jesus tells us to NOT let our hearts be troubled, but instead to believe in HIM.

He never intended for us to wait for the absence of trouble to trust him, but rather to trust him in the very midst of it. Jesus’ solution to life’s difficulties is not a recipe, it is a relationship - with Himself! 

This Jesus who has promised to be with us now, is preparing a place just for us. If he prepares a place just for us, then he will someday (soon) come and gather together his bride to meet him in the air and take us to himself to be with him forever! What a glorious day that will be! 

I don’t know about you, but in light of the amazing promise of Jesus Christ’s soon return, I want to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with endurance the race that is set before me, fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith! (Heb 12:1-2) 

This world is temporary, our lives are temporary, but God’s kingdom is eternal! So may we not get caught up or troubled by the temporary things of this life! If we are children of God then we get to live this life with our eyes fixed on eternity knowing that we will always be with the Lord. And that is what gives hope no matter what happens in this life. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds tomorrow.

We serve such an awesome God and may HE be our source to have faith instead of fear, joy in the midst of disappointments, peace in uncertainty, and hope that’s an anchor for our souls!

October 8, 2020

An encouragement from Mollie, a Fall Intensive Student

This week on the blog we are thrilled to feature Mollie, one of our students at our Fall Dance Intensive! The Lord has been so faithful to us this week, and we are excited to have Mollie share her heart with each of you!

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he had done and be amazed.”

Psalm 40:2-3

Like so many others, 2020 has been a very long and eventful year. It has been full of many ups and downs. God has graciously grown me in so many different ways this year; It's hard to put into words!

In March our lives were put on hold. I grew anxious and wondered what God’s plan was in all of this. Many of the plans that I thought for sure would happen were canceled. As someone who needs structure, this was really hard for me. 

Looking back now, I see that God’s hand was all over the madness. Through a turn of events God led me to Ballet Magnificat’s Summer Dance Intensive. During SDI I was reminded that my hope is only in Jesus. My worth is not in my performance but in Christ’s perfection! Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. 

Isn’t it just so wonderful that Jesus wants a close relationship with his children? His arms are wide open to receive us when we are weary from the walk of life. Thank you Jesus for the gifts that you have given us to glorify your name! Day by day and through the grace of God, I am learning to lean on Jesus. True and real rest is found only in Jesus. I think John Piper puts it best when he says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

October 1, 2020

An encouragement from Megan Flowers

Events Company Tour Director / Office Assistant

BUT I AM LIKE AN OLIVE TREE FLOURISHING IN THE HOUSE OF GOD; I TRUST IN GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE FOR EVER AND EVER.

PSALM 52:8

I’ve always loved the lyrics to the old hymn, “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will go strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”. Have you ever desired that some of the things of this world would grow a little dim? Isn’t the promise of His glory and grace such a sweet one?

Three weeks ago I got engaged! My goodness - this is such a joyful season. It is also a BUSY season. Anyone who has every planned a wedding – let’s not even mention during a pandemic – knows that there are a million little details to plan and a million vendors to talk to and a million types of flowers to choose from and, well, the to-do list is overwhelming. Even if you aren’t planning a wedding, you’re life might feel a little similar. Maybe you are swamped with homework and Nutcracker rehearsals. Maybe you realized you signed your kids up for one too many after school activities. Maybe work is all-consuming right now. Maybe your to-do list is just too long.

You see, none of these things are bad things. Weddings are a picture of Christ and His bride - the Church! Working hard honors the Lord, and children are one of His greatest gifts. They may be good things, but they should never be the center of our affections. Jesus should be the center of our affection. He has been challenging me in this season not to disregard the to-do list, but to turn my eyes to Him amidst the to-do list. To seek His face above all else, and to watch as He puts all of my hopes, dreams, and Pinterest boards into perspective. To realize that He is the greatest treasure. You see, we can either become overwhelmed, stressed, and stretched beyond our limits, or we can “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts” (Colossians 3:15). We can daily choose to allow Jesus to carry us, refresh us, and fill us with His joy!

My challenge to you as you walk through this busy season is to rest in His grace, His promises, and His faithfulness. Turn your eyes to Jesus and allow Him to overwhelm the chaos with His presence. Start each morning in the Word before you allow the day to get away from you. I often find that my days are more fruitful and more productive when I prioritize time with my Savior before I try to tackle my to-do list. Your circumstances may not change. You may still have a full schedule and a lengthy list to check off each morning. BUT – you can walk through your days with joy and peace. You can find rest in knowing that your God is with you and He is for you. You can work from His strength and not your own. By His grace, we flourish.

September 24, 2020

An encouragement from Samuel Corridoni

Company Artist

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”

psalm 34:17-20

Last December I was hit with a hard wave that I had no way of preparing for. A few days before the end of our 2019 Christmas season, I woke up with a pretty intense case of vertigo. I no longer had any sense of balance, when I thought I was standing upright gravity would very quickly show me that I was not. The world around appeared to be spinning as I was dizzy and unable to walk or function without someone holding me up. However, with three days before our first performance and no understudy available to do my parts, I knew I had to perform that weekend and I knew it wasn’t going to happen without the intervention of God.

By the Lord’s grace, He picked me up and carried me through the two performances of A Christmas Carol that weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever worshipped the Lord like I did those two nights. Performing can easily fill the most seasoned of dancers with anxiety. But when I stepped onstage back in December, barely knowing which way was up or which way was down, I knew that I wasn’t going to dance my best, and it did not matter. It took getting knocked down for me to become grateful for every step that I take, as well as understand that the Lord is the One who sustains me along the way.

I’m a perfectionist, yet strangely enough, I can be also a procrastinator. Something I’ve learned about myself is that when I procrastinate, it’s usually because I don’t want to be faced with discouragement that comes with failing on the first, or second, or third try. Perfectionism faithfully breeds procrastination in my life. I learned that December weekend that my perfectionism did not matter as a simple offering of worship was all I could bring. That was extremely freeing and liberating.

The prophet Jonah is a great example of a man who crumbled under the pressure of the waves of life when he procrastinated to submit to the will of God. Apostle Paul, on the other hand, understood that the waves of difficulty coming his way were an opportunity to quickly trust that the Lord was in control. So, as Jonah placed those around him in danger of a shipwreck because of his fears; Paul brought others to safety even as the very boat they were on started to fall apart. I’m grateful for the grace of God in the seasons when I follow in the footsteps of Jonah. I also humbly recognize the work of the Lord as I continue to learn what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.

I saw it in December and many times since then, that for every wave of uncertainty life can toss at us, there are larger waves of grace and mercy that wash over those who have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ.

sEPTEMBER 17, 2020

An encouragement from Kathy Thibodeaux

Artistic Director

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:8

The older I get the more I realize that each day is a beautiful gift of God’s grace. I realize more and more that who I am and all that I have is because of His grace — His Amazing Grace!

We have probably all heard grace defined as God’s unmerited favor or unconditional love, and while that is true, it is so much more! Grace is also the power that God gives us to help us do what we could not do on our own: It enables us to live a life that honors and pleases Him. It gives us the desire to surrender our plans, our hopes, and our dreams to the Sovereign Lord who made us and fashioned us for His glory. It gives us the strength to trust Him in the good times and in the hard times. It helps us to believe that all things are possible with God!

I believe that as Christians, we live each day only by the grace of God.

By grace we receive salvation and forgiveness. By grace our lives and our desires are transformed. By grace we are healed and delivered. By grace our needs are taken care of. By grace He turns our mourning into dancing. By grace His strength is made perfect in our weakness. By grace we walk by faith and not by sight. By grace we live, move, and have our being. By grace we know Jesus!

2 Corinthians 9:8 says that “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work”. What a wonderful promise! It also says in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are Gods workmanship, ( work of art) created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Not only does He prepare good works for us to do, but He also gives us the grace to walk in them!

So it doesn’t matter what season of life we find ourselves in — even in these days when things are so uncertain and unstable — His grace is always sufficient! We might not know what each day will bring or what the future might hold, but because we know the One who holds the future we can have peace and hope. We can trust and rely on our faithful Savior!

I truly don’t think that in this life we could ever fully understand the scope and the goodness of God’s grace. It is perfect - it is who God is and what He does.

The Gospel is all about God’s grace revealed in Jesus. I love how even the last verse of the Bible speaks of this beautiful, indescribable gift:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.”

Revelation 22:21

September 10, 2020

An encouragement from Claire Harris

Company Artist

“I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”

Psalm 63:2-3

I think we can all say that the past year has been challenging. Not necessarily because of the seemingly unique difficulties of 2020, but because we live in a fallen world where the everyday struggles of our lives can be overwhelming. I am increasingly convinced that every situation I encounter in my life, whether significant or trivial, is accompanied by a choice I have to make. How am I going to let each of my circumstances affect me?

There are many different responses I could have to this question. One potential reaction is to try and not let the events of my life affect me. But what does that show I believe about myself? The only reason something or someone would have an excuse to remain unaltered would be in the case of perfection. As for me, I can echo Paul’s sentiment in 1 Timothy that of the sinners Christ came to save, I am the worst. I need to change more than anyone. Not only that, I actually don’t think it’s possible for me to be unaffected by my circumstances. When I resist change, I am actually hardening my heart to an offer I believe is before me. I am convinced that everything I encounter in my life is an opportunity to seek the Lord, know Him deeper and draw close to my Savior. 

What a gift! I get to know the One who saved me from my sin and holds every moment of my life in His hands. With every trial, struggle and joy I can cry out to the Lord, run to Him, rest in His sovereignty and cast my burdens on Him. Spurgeon summed it up nicely when he said “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” By no means is the wave of trial pleasant when its force is the strongest. But I can honestly say that some of the sweetest days I have had with the Lord have been framed by the hardest seasons I have experienced. Time after time, the Lord has made Himself so very close to me when I simply ran to Him with a soft heart and let myself rest in His presence.

I hope I am a little different tomorrow than I am today. Because the most important change I could experience would be to know the Lord to a greater degree. So am I going to let the worries and cares of my life harden my heart and drive me away from His presence and grace? Or am I going to use them as an opportunity to seek the Lord more today than I did yesterday and glorify Him with my life?

September 3, 2020

An encouragement from Jiri Sebastian Voborsky

Creative Director

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Psalms 40:2 NIV

As I wake up every morning, I humbly recognize what a privilege it is to be alive as I ponder the thought that my God is granting me yet another opportunity to live for Him. Often I feel that I have very little, if anything, to offer before my Lord that would benefit Him, honor Him, glorify Him, or bless Him. Yet that is exactly where, when, and how He can use me the most. My Father in Heaven delights in using the weak to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Therefore, everyday I gladly boast of my weaknesses before my Lord as I humbly ask Him to cleanse me, fill me, empower me, and use me to bring Himself glory through my life. Our God is wiser, stronger, greater, more powerful, more creative, and much more able to work through His children than we ever think or even imagine. Hallelujah!

There is one crucial element required in order for us to become the vessels or tools in the hands of God. We must be eternally sheltered in Jesus Christ, and by faith stand forgiven before the Almighty God. We can only be hidden in Him if we have personally received God’s gift of salvation through faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ. Then, no matter what might be happening in us or around us, what situation we might find ourselves in, what struggles we might be facing, what valley of difficulty or sorrow we might be treading, everything will be alright because our God is in control. There is a firm hiding place for all of us to take refuge in. That place is found in the hands of our faithful, gracious, powerful, merciful, and loving King Jesus! May we, therefore, try not to rely on our own ability, goodness, kindness, wisdom, or strength, as those will always leave us empty handed. Let us instead lift our song of praise to Christ, let His redeeming love set us free - every moment of every day. Christ Jesus is victorious over sin! Therefore, let us be hopeful, as we see each day as a gift to be lived out before the throne of the Almighty God.