Happy Birthday 2013!

Whoo Hoo! It's the birth of a new year! Welcome 2013.....I have so many well wishes and dreams for you already.....

So, if January 1, 2013 is the official day of birth.....that technically makes 2012 (and the years prior) a gestational period. A time to grow and ripen and mature. Mature....I am not particularly fond of that word. I believe there is a reason "manure" and "mature" are close in spelling, they both stink. However, on the other hand, they both can be used as a catalyst for growth.

And while we are unable to recall our human gestational period as a fetus, we are able (to some extent) to remember and recall our childhood, young adult and adult years, thus making us partially responsible in the outcome. There are numerous cliches that we hear almost daily to reflect that premise: Live and Learn, Learn from Your Mistakes, Life Lessons, etc...

So what exactly is our responsibility for the success of a new year?  Is it enough to simply show up with our mental index file of what has or has not worked in the past? What about fate? What about the unknown and things we have zero personal ability to control? Fiscal cliffs, physical ailments, alienation of affection, misunderstandings, the actions of others? There is certainly a long list of unknowns.

Maybe we should stick to the things we do know. And honestly, for me, that is kind of a short list. But the OCD in me loves making lists. So here is my list of things that I already know about 2013:

1. God already knows what each day of 2013 holds for me. He walks before me. He prepares a path.
2. I can follow the path He prepares or try to blaze my own selfish trail, and trail blazing on my own has not served me well in the past :)
3. My relationship with God has to be my first priority. Some call it faith. I call it my foundation. Everything else I hold valuable in my life rests upon Him.
4. With God as my foundation, it is fair for me to say that my husband is the rebar of my life. He is the steel beams, nuts and bolts, safety structure of my life here on Earth. I totally trust him. He loves me unconditionally. We are in this boat of life together, and neither of us will allow the other to jump ship or sink!
5. I love my children and the mates that God has given them to a fault. I do not apologize for this. They are great young adults. They are still learning, they are still leaning on me and Mark, as they grow and learn, and that is perfectly alright :) They are here for us, just like we are here for them.
6. Having an extended group of friends/family that believes like you do, follows the same moral compass you use, and are willing to be vulnerable with you is a priceless gift and is essential in healthy spiritual, emotional, and relational growth. Our Journey Group (small group) from our church is this for us.
7. God  blesses hard work, a humble heart, and a giving nature. (If you do not believe or understand this, I welcome you to go to Belize with me as we serve there.)
8. A day without Worship is a wasted day. Even on the hardest, darkest days, I have to stay connected with our Creator God, I must maintain the relationship that I can only have by staying connected to Him in prayer, bible study and praise.
9. Our dogs will always love us, desire to be with us, and attempt to protect us. 100% of the tail waggin' time!
10. I will need grace.....lots of it. I am opinionated, sometimes loud, passionate, dramatic and sensitive. Not a better recipe for saying or doing something stupid. So thankful that God's grace is new every morning, because I typically need it seven days a week!

There you have it. My plan for conquering another year. A year that this time next year, will be considered gestational. May the lessons learned be gentle......

Happy Birthday, to You!
Happy Birthday, to You!
Happy Birthday Two thousand-thirteen!
Happy Birthday to You!

Here's to 365 days of love and learning.......

Frankly~
Miss Scarlett

Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn....

"....There is a Season, Turn, Turn, Turn"..... Who would have thought King Solomon and Judy Collins could collaborate to bring us such a beautiful musical offering. An unlikely pair for sure. One a free loving hippie, and the other, one of the wisest men to ever live. Yet they both were used to convey via their words and music, the inevitableness of "change".

And what a pleasant weather change we have had here is SC the last few weeks. Humid, sticky long days evolving into cool, dry, shorter days. Definitely a welcomed, longed for, and beneficial change! If time had permitted, I could have lived outside all this week. Simply beautiful. I look forward to Autumn every year!

But wait....I think the song and the words of Solomon speak of continual change, but not always easy or happy change. Dang it.

We all are familiar with such seasons of change. Beth Moore calls them "sifting seasons"; times and events in our lives where God is sifting us, separating the chaff from the wheat....with the intent of knowing what is left after the sifting is good, usable, and honoring to His Kingdom work.

I hate being sifted. It stinks. It hurts. And sometimes it seems unending. During such times I find myself saying...(out loud and often)...."Okay, Lord, could you please hurry with this sifting thing. Let me learn what I need to learn, and let's move on!" I am sure I amuse and annoy Him. What an impatient child I am.

We have had such a season for the last, well...almost 5 years, as I have watched my sweet hubby struggle through Mono and two back surgeries, and ongoing back issues. Until 5 years ago, he was healthy as horse. So this has been a big change for him as well as our family. We have been super- sifted. We must have had lots of chaff.....evidently the really heavy duty, durable kind. I think we should be mostly wheat by now....hopefully!

One thing I have concluded through it all, is that God uses every season. Even the dark, cold ones. Out of all the struggle, we have been reminded over and over again, how much God loves us. How He continues to take care of us. Minuscule details that only He could arrange to keep us encouraged when it feels like the sifter is scraping our backsides extra hard. We have learned to let go of some things and hold tightly to others. We have, without a doubt, felt the blessings of friends and family as they have prayed for us and walked through the muck with us, sometimes pulling us through the sludge when we were emotionally worn out and felt paralyzed to take another step.

So, in many ways, this sifting season, although quite painful, has taught us many valuable lessons. The most important being that no matter what the climate or circumstance, we are not alone, we are loved and He has a purpose for it......under heaven. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Keep Turnin'!

~Scarlett

Sisters, Sweet Southern Pearls

I always wanted a sister. Don't get me wrong, I love my brothers.....but male siblings are just that....male. I have always longed for, and been at my happiest while among, those innately similar to me... willing to walk, shop, primp, giggle and grow together.

Now, let me start by apologizing to anyone, male or female, who may disagree with my humble estrogen charged post. No male bashing....I promise. 'Cause the Good Lord knows, I do love my man...and therefore I am also a great fan of the testosterone gender!

I have always been drawn to Women's Ministry....long before I ever heard it called that. My sweet Grandmomma had her "Circle", and my Momma, being a single parent, definitely had her own little trusted network of female friends that she shared and confided in over coffee weekly. If you will, let me pose this thought for you to ponder....Women's ministry does not always find it's roots in an organized church "group". And while it most certainly can and should work that way within the confines of our worship institutions, and it is a WONDERFUL blessing if it does, (and goodness knows, I adore the ladies of my church, and we have a very sweet deal goin' on!)....It is my charge to all my female friends, that as we network and invest in the lives of other females that we find frequently in our paths, that those female posies are also a VERY good thing and an uniquely rich resource!

Now, let me clarify....I am not talking about a gossip filled hen party. I am talking about folks you can go to, confide in, and TRUST. I will be very honest in admitting that I am beyond blessed to have countless incredible female friends in my life, BUT there are only a few that really know me inside out, and still love me, despite what they have found! Those are my true "Southern Pearls" and the closest thing to sisters I will ever have on this earth! However, even in ancillary friendships, those that I have not delicately and cautiously decided to string onto my necklace yet....they too, have enormous worth and kingdom significance in my life. One thing I know for sure, God can use the pearl or the ugly shell it comes in to teach me important life lessons. I have been cut deeply, thinking I was diggin' for and clutchin' that pearl...just to find out she was not really a pearl at all! And that is all I am gonna say about ugly shells...(But we all sure as shootin' have had those in our lives....so in keepin' it real... I thought it worth mentioning.)

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a ladies conference that was planned and implemented by the women's ministry of our church, Cornerstone Church http://www.exit137.org it was such a blessing. We invited Dawn Smith Jordan as our keynote speaker. Now she...is a pearl. No ugly shell showing here....A former Miss SC, second runner up in Miss America, author, recording artist, song writer, musical guest for Billy Graham, and Jesus loving Momma....and that is just a few of her accolades. But unfortunately she is most well known because of a tragic and unfortunate event that took her earthly sister's life. (Check out her ministry http://dawnsmithjordan.com ...better yet, book her for your event!)

But there is so much more to her ministry that blooms outside the confines of the unimaginable, tragic, senseless loss of her sister's life. Dawn has strategically woven many very beautiful and vibrant, spiritually enriching threads of God's grace and forgiveness among the dark strands! She stitches it all together with songs that help tell her story, and that encourages the listener to look deep within....to dare to take an honest look at this life we have been given....(even when we realize and have the courage to admit that it may not be the life we wanted or planned!)...We all have the good and the not so good threads woven in our personal tapestry. Dawn, through her emotionally transparent testimony, challenged us to take an honest inventory of what it is God is doing in our lives....or more importantly...what we are doing for God with our lives.

One truth resonated solidly and loudly. God loves us so. And if we have a relationship with Him and we love Him....then we must FORGIVE like Him. Yep...Ouch, right? We cannot let the hurt of the past cripple our steps into the future He has planned for us! So, I am letting go of a few of those stinkin' stubborn hurts. You know the ones, we all have them....we say we give them to the Lord....but then almost like second nature, we reclaim them daily...cramming them into the painful cracks of our lives, where they wait patiently for us to emotionally snatch them out, to be the guests at our own little personal "pity party".

I don't know about you, but I am not a huge fan of that kind of party... it is not the kind I want to throw....So, bye, bye secret hurt, hasta la vista unresolved pain., adios bitterness....I am gonna consciously pick out every last shard of ugly shell that sits deeply embedded into the palm of my hand...realizing that they are only there because I have held onto my hurt so tightly, for so long, and refused to let them go! God did not put them there, and He does not keep them there...I do.

So...how, you may ask, do I plan to REALLY leave it all in God's hand this time? Here is my plan. I am putting on my "pearls"...that's right.... I am choosing to have my sisters hold me responsible to leave the past behind. I do not want to repeatedly stumble over emotional obstacles day after day...I want to dance into my future....gracefully. (OK....maybe not gracefully....as most of my sisters, especially those in the theatre know... my dancing isn't exactly graceful.) But I can still dance GraceFULL-ly...as in...full of His grace.

So if you see somebody waltzing, tapping or salsa dancing your direction....don't be surprised if it is me! But, if you happen to be unsure of who it is....just take a closer look ...I will be the one wearing the most beautiful strand of pearls a girl could every hope for :)

Diamonds are NOT a girl's best friend, pearls are!
~ Scarlett

Miss Scarlett's Rocky Raft Ride Down The Mississippi

Well Fiddle Dee Dee, Y'all!

I begin this post with a short, to the point confession: I am a "Blog-Neglector". Yesssss......I know, I promised to do better, but dang, y'all....Until I learn to duplicate time or clone myself, I can only promise to post as often as I can. Not a particularly exciting or intriguing promise, but one that I can likely keep :)

Where do I start? Let's play catch up:

The highlight of my summer was writing and directing our Kizblast Arts Camp again. Nearly 100 little cutie pies acting, singing, moving (can't say dancin', I'm Baptist)....as well as doing art pieces for the show and (my new favorite)....shooting commercials that we ran during the hour long Kidzblast event! Gosh, I love seeing bright, creative little minds at work! LOVE IT!

Went straight from the camp show to BIG RIVER auditions at FLT. I really was hoping for a chorus role....but Robin Thompson, our Director (and my musical director when I directed THE FANTASTICKS in January)...cast me as Tom Sawyer's ditsy Aunt Sally....and I must confess, she has been a fun character to develop. A quite minor role, really.....the real stars being our Huck and Jim....oh, my word those fellas can SANG! The whole cast is amazing and we are playing to sold out crowds...which is always exciting! A special thanks to Ashley Costas for making my stick straight hair, super curly every night....and just making sure I keep all my "acting ducks in a row"....she keeps me on task, she is the equivalent to taking an ADD drug....directing my focus, reminding me to put on my mic and loads of other stuff that a true Southern Belle must refrain from revealing.....Civil War era costuming is complicated...let's just leave it at that.

I am also back at the university, taking Directing II, under the masterful teaching skills of Professor Glen Gourley....(who also steals every scene he is in, in BIG RIVER). Our major objective being to select, audition, cast, rehearse and direct a one act which will be performed for judication the first weekend in December. I have selected a lovely one act, GRACELAND. Set in the 70's, and yes, it is about two die hard Elvis fans who have parked their hunka hunka burnin' love carcasses outside the prestigious front gates of his Graceland estate, in hopes of meeting him. Well written...really fun show.....let's pray I do not screw it up.

I have also been cast in SPOON RIVER, the FMU fall show. Another Civil War era show....I get to be the singing narrator-like character...Oh, and I am a ghost.....FUN!!! I do thank God for allowing me to be in two consecutive shows costumed with hoop skirts.... as I am a stress eater....and just a TAD stressed about now.

As BIG RIVER wraps this weekend, it is also my 30th high school reunion...so I get to go, straight from curtain call to the country club....with my sweaty stage self, big ole' crispy curly hair, stage make up....complete with fake lashes... and reunite with a bunch of folks who have dieted, selected the right outfit, and got their hair and nails just right in preparation for the event. Oh, well....I am who I am....just like I was in high school....just a louder, more confident version :)

Monday brings yet another audition for our big Christmas Event at The Stone. (Yes, that means I do not get even ONE day as a break from a show.) I am looking forward to the first truly dramatic event we have done since I became the Creative worship coordinator there. I cannot pinpoint one emotion to describe my feelings about this task.....it is more like one part excitement, one part mortification! Trusting God to send me the talent I need to do justice to the script....AND to live up to the tremendous reputation of our past Christmas events! It will be different....but I greatly anticipate seeing what God will do....trusting that He will do an amazing thing, as always!

SO...there.....five shows....in four months. I know,.... have brought it all on my self..... and I am freaking out, a bit....but I am loving every minute of it! And hoping this knowledge buys me a little sympathy from my precious blog followers who lovingly (and frequently) ask me why I have not posted lately...

Come the middle of December, when the above list is all said and done, I am going to Disney World! Woo Hoo! Let's just hope I get my stress under control.....not sure hoop skirts are the best resort wear, and likely would not fit into the seat for Space Mountain.....

Land sakes! I hear the Mississippi callin' my name again! Time to morph into Ditsy Aunt Sally Phelps....complete with crunchy, curly hair....

Frankly (and frantically),
Miss Scarlett

March.....To the Beat of Your Own Drum!

"That one marches to the beat of her own drum.".....I was a kid the first time I heard that expression, and I certainly did not have a clue what my Momma was talking about! Many thoughts passed through my grammar school aged brain....Such as: "I did not know she played the drums"...And...."I did not know they let grade school teachers march with the Southside Falcon Marching band". Like I said, I did not have a clue....It took me years to realize that phrase was NOT such a good thing to have said about you.

My Mom was talking (gossiping, actually) with some other mothers about a teacher at our school....a teacher that I was going to have for the new school year. I heard them say "Not only does she teach that "New Fangled Math", but she is so lazy that she makes the students do her classroom bulletin boards". I cannot remember the entire list on the gossip roster that day....but those two things stood out in my mind.

The first one...."New Fangled Math"...caught my attention in a negative way. I had always abhorred Math....(I realize now, I was perfectly average in my skills)... I just did not like it! But the Bulletin Boards.....I really kinda thought I liked the idea of that! I always loved arts and crafty type things! I would stare in awe at some of the bulletin boards in the hallways and the class rooms.....thinking how much fun it must have been for the teacher to do them! So the thought of actually getting to do one really peaked my interest in the new school year.....I thought I just might like my new teacher and her drum.

Sure enough....It was only a few weeks into the school year that she announced that students would be doing the next class room bulletin board. She had done the 'Welcome Back to School" one so that the class room would be properly decorated for our return to the new school year. She asked for volunteers....and my hand shot up in record breaking time! "Oh, Oh, pleeessseeee pick me"....I thought to myself as I bounced up and down in the seat. She looked at the hands that were up, and then asked us to put them back down, stating that she would talk with us later. Kinda weird, I thought. Ump...I definitely was not feeling "the beat" of that one.

Soon after lunch, it was Weekly Reader time! (I am really showing my age...do any of you remember the Weekly Reader Newspaper????) We were allowed time to work quietly on our own as we read the paper magazine and did the puzzles. Midway my word scramble....she came to my desk. "So, would you like to help me with this month's bulletin board?" OH, MY GOODNESS...you would have thought I had just won Miss America! My little heart skipped a beat...I was grinning from ear to ear. After all...it was the October bulletin board...and there would be pumpkins!!!! I had already dreamed of and concocted a "fall theme" in my head, in hopes of the possibility of this event! (Those of you who know me, are grinning right now, knowing this kind of behavior is still TOTALLY true to who I am today! LOL!)

Unfortunately, the rejoicing was short lived. She sweetly informed me....."I am so excited that you want to help.... BUT (the truth is always behind the BUT)...in order to help me, you must do all of your Math sheets at home, and a day early." I am positive I did not say "Oh, Crap"....but I am sure I thought the equivalent. She obviously saw the rapid switch from elation to dejection in my pudgy pre-pubescent face. "Whats wrong?" she asked.

Now this was a big dilemma for a fifth grader. Should I tell her the truth...which was that I stunk at Math....or should I go along with the plan....begin work on the bulletin board and hope she would let me stay on the project? Alas....I stayed true to my Lily White Sunday School Persona...and told her the truth. "That's OK, if you want some extra help and do no mind coming a bit early or staying a bit late, then I will be glad to help you with your work sheets". Now honestly, I did not realize then, what a big and generous offer that was....after all, she had a husband and two kids...so I am sure extra minutes here and there were a real sacrifice for her.

Long story short....Because of her willingness and dedication, I became a pretty good math student that year. One B and the rest A's if I remember correctly. However, the most useful lesson I learned was how to feel free to be creative. She let me pick the colors....she let me decide how to organize the leaves with all the kids names on them. She delighted in my idea to use colored yarn for the branches. I am sure she suggested ideas and influenced my decisions...but she did it in a way that I could still be "me". She urged me to be different...to be bold...to "color outside of the lines", so to speak! And I listened, I learned, and I began to march to the beat of MY own drum!

I often wondered if she had ANY IDEA, at the time, of the glorious, monster of creativity she was germinating inside me? And you know what...I think she did. I think she recognized it...early on....and seized the moment....and tapped out a cadence on her drum that was music to my little ears. She continued to take interest in my life...she came to our wedding (she taught Mark too)...she would show up at concerts or weddings where Mark and I would be singing. Mark and I sent her a copy of every CD we ever recorded. It was always such a treat to run into her.

A good many years later....Mark and I were not only married but now had two kids... I got a phone call from one of her neighbors that was a mutual friend, letting me know that my sweet teacher, had gone on to be with the Lord. She also wanted me to know, that among her belongings and boxes of memories and keepsakes from her teaching years, she had a scrapbook of just me. I had to sit down, I was at a loss for words.

Dozens of local newspaper clippings, various magazine articles, playbills...among other tid bits like my graduation and wedding invitations were in there....even church and wedding bulletins where she had gone to hear me and Mark sing... all were in the book. I was beyond flattered, and I felt incredibly loved. And for a moment...I could have sworn I heard a drum beating, ever so faintly.... And I still hear it from time to time...especially during times when I am "Stuck" creatively.

Weird, you say? That's OK...see, I "March to the beat of my own drum". And you know what, I also realize that IS a good thing.

Keep Marchin' Y'all!
~Scarlett





L

Our Valentine Story

It will come as NO surprise, to anyone who reads my blog from time to time, that I am MADLY in love with my husband. I am sure my romantic rants are almost sickening at times....quite sappy...verging on the edge of unbelievable for some! But I swear on my collection of Paula Deen cookbooks, every word is true!

We actually met at the community ballpark, when we were 12 years old. My brother played pony league....Mark also played ball there. But it was not until Mark started "liking" a girl in my church youth group, and began visiting our church, (Thank you Gaye!), that I really started to get to know him. Almost instantly, Mark and I were great friends....we both loved music...we both loved the Lord...and we could sit and talk for hours at the time, and it would seem like only ten minutes had passed! Before we knew it, we started singing together at church...and as soon as Mark got his drivers license, we started singing at local churches together.....it was just a matter of time before we began writing songs together...and yes, started making beautiful music together.... both musically and romantically :)

Believe it or not....it took us FOREVER to start "dating"...and it did not last very long. I could not handle it. It was too intense...too raw...too real....so I did what any inexperienced teenager would do...I broke up with him. What an IDIOT I was. I did not realize that I was simply afraid of the amazing, new, unique feelings I was having! Feelings of being loved and being known like Mark almost instantly...instinctually...loved and knew me blew my mind and overloaded my heart. He could read me like a book...still can. He loved me despite my flaws...still does. All my friends continued to tell me I was gonna marry him. I told them they were crazy. I was NOT gonna marry Mark Knight. I am so glad that I was wrong, and they were right.

The time between when we broke up and when we got back together brought confusing, difficult, dark waters to navigate. We both dealt with them like typical teenagers did...by consulting our emotionally immature peers :)....and dating other folks. Thankfully we survived the storm, but sadly, we both also came out of that time battered and scarred....BUT, also VERY confident that while we may not have found what we wanted in a relationship...we definitely found out what we did NOT want in a relationship! (If you can relate, can I hear an AMEN, SISTA!!)

Long story short...we did not "date" again until the summer before our second year in college....August 12, 1981, to be exact. I got my diamond on November 2, 1981. We married May 29, 1982. We did not waste time. We knew we were meant to be together! I did not intend on being an idiot twice :).... And although the statistics were stacked highly against our marriage making it. It did. And I know why.

It is not because we are super spouses....it is not because we are lucky....it is not, simply, a fluke. Nope...we have made it almost to our 28th wedding anniversary because we have trusted God with our marriage. We have worked hard to keep our relationship with HIM first. It ain't easy....keeping God first. And Mark and I both suck at it at times. But it works.

So, that is the synopsis of "Our Valentine Story" ...thus far...and Sugar, it ain't nowhere close to being over. No way! Our story gets better every year! And I refuse to imagine one page of the rest of my life without his name written all over it! :)


I love you Mark!...... My Sweet, Incredible, Life-Long, Jesus Loving Valentine <3

~Scarlett

A Flurry in a Hurry

Hey Y'all!

Well, January has closed her door to what was a very busy, crazy, hectic, wonderful month at the Knight household! Life was definitely a "Flurry in a Hurry" for me! Lets see....New years holiday and finishing up "Christmasing"...."Un-Christmasing"....A Women's Ministry Event to coordinate...Returning to College...Tech week for THE FANTASTICKS....a nine day AMAZING run of THE FANTASTICKS...cast parties..homework?!..FLT Endowment Gala committee duties....and the list goes on :)

But I love it.

Oh...and one of the coolest things about this January, was picking out my Christmas present from my wonderful husband! He sent me flowers with a precious, sweet note attached saying I could pick out whatever car I wanted :) He did say "brand negotiable"...but hey...I am a GREAT negotiator! SO, last week I drove off the lot with a brand new Palladium Silver Mercedes Benz E350. (Told ya I was a good negotiator.)

There are so many amazing things about the car. It was a "launch edition"....which means it has all the bells and whistles. Navigation, integrated phone, heated seats, MASSAGING seats, push button ignition....need I go on? Alas, I must tell you about my most favorite part....It has Sirius radio! I am SERIOUS. I am addicted!! I could just sit in that puppy and listen to music all day and all night. I am lovin' me some 70's and 80's tunes. Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Starship, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Paul McCartney and Wings, Journey, Bread, Peaches and Herb, Prince, Eagles, and The Stones..and so many more! It amazes me how many memories came flooding back...just by hearing those familiar tunes that have been pretty much absent from my listening vocabulary over the last two decades!

Music has always acted as a direct portal to my soul. It speaks to me. All kinds of music.

Now many of you know that Mark and I had the amazing opportunity to sign with a small record label in the early 90's...to tour...to write and perform our own music....and it was an incredible opportunity...stressful, yes...but a beautiful blessing all the same. Because we were in the Contemporary Christian genre, our venues were mainly large churches and small arenas, such a conference centers or retreats...but no secular music "allowed" type gigs. Now I could get on my soap box....(maybe on a different post)...but for whatever reason...with the inception of all of that in my life...I was listening less and less to secular radio.

Don't get me wrong...there has yet to be a secular song that speaks to my heart to the depths that many hymns and contemporary worship pieces have and continue to do! Let me say, "The Revelation Song" brings me to the feet of Jesus like no other song I have ever heard or had the opportunity to share.....so, I am a huge fan. These songs minister to the part of me who longs to be a better, more genuine follower of Christ. And that is a good thing!

But what about those parts of me that God created, also for His glory...like romance (I do dig my husband with selfless abandon...and NOT just because he gives me great Christmas gifts.)....What about other relationships...life circumstances...conflicts....even, purple rain :) I have theme songs I have adopted along my earthly journey for those nooks and crannies of my life as well, and I have been gently reminded of them this week as I have taken the time to sit and listen.

With all the reminiscing, I can't help but be reminded that it was not just January 2010 that seemed to fly by.....but the last 30 years as well!! And while, yes...I admit...that I am quite often that "Flurry in a Hurry"....my hope and prayer is that in a few of the seasons I have passed, that I have, in the very least, left a beautiful blanket of snow that has helped others to stop and revel in His glory...even if just for a limited time.

Until next time....If you get passed on the highway by a beautiful silver "flurry in a hurry"...it just might be me.....and hopefully, there will be no blue lights flashing behind it :)

Wishing you all a BLIZZARD of BLESSINGS!

~Scarlett

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!!

Today, Thursday January 7th, 2010, brings a rare treat for all of us here in South Carolina....we have a forecast for possible SNOW! Whoo Hoo!!! Every loaf of bread, every gallon of milk...will fly off the grocery store shelves today .....despite the fact that there is very little accumulation expected :)

We all just go bonkers over seeing it snow! (I know, all my friends in Alaska and Canada are rolling their eyes about now....) But is a rare...beautiful thing here!

Also rare.....is when God takes something you are doing.....and puts His own special twist to it!! I just love it when that happens. Today is one of those days that He is blessing me by playing with me a little bit!

You see, today is also the day that our Women's Ministry Team has had planned....for months now....to have an appreciation banquet for the Ladies in Ministry at our church....those that manage and serve or head up a ministry.....as well as the wives of our elders, pastors and male ministry staff. And guess what our theme is??? SNOWFLAKES!! No lie....when we were making these plans....we were wearing shorts and reeking of suntan lotion.....just being faithful to what he was leading us to do in our area of ministry!

What an AMAZING God we serve.....who is totally in control of everything....but still finds a way to thrill us and bless us with little details!

And in honor of the amazing women that serve in Minsitry at The Stone.....I wrote this poem to be the cover of a keepsake booklet that each honoree will be receiving at the banquet:

Priceless, Precious, and Appreciated

What's said of Snowflakes can also be

Said of Ladies in Ministry

Unique and Vibrant

Bold or Subdued

Each radiate such beautiful hues

One difference, though, that I can see

While Snowflakes fall for us to see

Ladies who serve, they rise above

And blanket us with His grace and love

Yet the presence of each

Anxiously anticipated

You are Priceless

Precious

And Appreciated

Thanks to all of you who serve selflessly.....each a beautiful snowflake from God's hand to our heart!

Let it snow, Y'all!

Scarlett

Happy New Year! Welcome 2010!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2010! I love new beginnings!

Another New Year, another decade....another chance to get it right! OK, maybe not right....because if there is one truth that life has taught me....it is that I will likely never get it ALL right. But I have also learned that even small improvements can make a world of difference! So I will earnestly shoot for perfection, but also gird myself with the idea that the result of working hard, searching deeply, and making an honest effort will be enough. Enough...Wow...it has taken me quite a few years to understand that one little thing....Enough. Satisfaction. Comfort. A quiet bliss inside, whispered by God into my ear....."How I have made you...Where you are right this moment...Who you are, the good, the bad and the in between...is Enough"....Whew! What a relief!

Now this is probably the most unusual "New Years Resolution" post you will read this year. Many...if not most folks, are making a list of what they want to do, changes they want/need to make...bad habits they plan to break, new habits they plan to implement, etc....and that is an awesome thing to do! I have typically done the same each and every time the first day of January comes around. There is nothing wrong with that! It is a good thing! BUT....for me, I wanna approach this year from a different perspective.

Instead of beating myself up about the things I need to change....I am gonna thank God for who I am this very moment. Celebrate the cellulite! Pat myself on the back for being active and exercising most every day! Thankfully recognize that all those close to me are in good, general health...and rejoice in the fact that God has put some pretty awesome and amazing people in my life! Sweet friends old and new....enough money in the bank that we can eat, stay warm, afford a few luxuries, and bless others from time to time. I can worship freely and love uninhibitedly! I have a husband who loves me as close to unconditionally as humanly possible, and children who are amazing! Oh, and a God who is bigger than any problem, issue, hang up , or sin I have. Actually, that is MORE than enough :) And so much more that I deserve.

So here's is to 2010! Another chance to get it as close to right as we can :)

May you find love, peace, and good health! And more than anything...may you walk closer to your Creator God. That is my only plan for 2010...step by step...as He daily reminds me, with a gentle whisper in my ear...."I love you so much, I sent my Son in your place....and for any and all things....THAT is enough!"

Happy 2010 Y'all!
~Scarlett

Miss Melanie, Reach For The Smellin' Salts! Miss Scarlett Is Back!

Howdy Everybody!

Did y'all miss me? Dang, I have been busier than the Sunbeam Mixer in Paula Deen's Kitchen! I think my last post was.....GULP.....last January! Where does time go?

I guess because I have been so incredibly busy writing other stuff, that I did not even realize I had neglected my blog posts for so long. So, let me start with a genuine, sweet, southern apology! I am sorry Y'all....and I will try to do better!

I have really missed you all....and thought about posting many, many times....I just do not seem to have enough minutes in the day....or the night....it is about 1:30 am as I write this....so take that little tid bit of information as an indication of how bizarre and erratic my schedule has been!

So...how best to catch up? How about a cut and dry recap:

1) LOTS of script writing, directing, and acting going on :) Played one of the Pigeon Sisters in "The Odd Couple" in January, Directing duties for "Peter Pan" in May, Wrote, directed and acted in "Camp Rock @ The Stone" in August, Crewed "The Producers" in September, and currently directing "The Fantasticks" (to open Jan. 15, 2010)! Whew! And that is just stage stuff!

2) Some songwriting projects going on....nothing in the studio yet...mainly ideas, chords and melody lines....but definitely progress! I opened for my dear Friend, Mary Krulikowski, an amazing, Christian Comedienne, on a Royal Caribbean Cruise in September. (Check out her website: www.floridasfunnylady.com ) The event was called "Crusin' with the Girls"...there are already plans for a "Cruisn' with the Girls II" as well as preliminary plans for a "Flyin' with the Girls, NYC" in the works! Check it out!

3) Mark, my wonderful hubby had back surgery: A discetomy, laminectomy, 4 screws, 2 plates, fusion with BMP, with bilateral nerve releases at L5/S1 in March. A HUGE back surgery...he tried all conservative measures for over a year....and finally opted for surgery as it was starting to interfere with most every aspect of his life!! He is such a trooper...doing better everyday...BUT still walking an 18 month road of recovery (that is average for the procedure)...until he should be pain free!

4) Kids: Melody and Rodney will celebrate their 3rd anniversary in a few weeks! They are both happy and wonderful...getting closer to finishing at the university....No grandkids yet...just one fat, adorable grandpuppy named Noodle :) Melody has great, almost perfect, grades, is working in the writing center, is a member of the university school paper, volunteering at FLT, reconnecting with friends and enjoying her time at FMU. Rodney got a new boat for his birthday and has become the master angler of the family!! Josh...well he is doing great as well....wonderful grades...inducted into the leadership/honor fraternity at FMU, also tutoring in the writing center, writing for the school paper, as well as doing shows at FLT and FMU...Not to mention a new lady in his life...the beautiful Kimi (aka Peter Pan)...we love her to pieces!!!

5)Oh, and as of this morning, I have lost 80 pounds :) Walking 5 miles a day as part of Marks surgery rehab has been an incredible catalyst in getting my weight back on track! I am still not as skinny as I have been, but I am where my doctor feels I am healthy and happy, and (per my hubby) hot :) And while it is nice to fit back into some clothes that I thought I would never fit into again, the most rewarding thing for me is that I know I am healthier!

6) Spiritually, God has been holding me close, and patiently waiting on me as I ramble, rush, and regroup. I feel even more called to serve Him by using the Creative Worship tools He has placed in my hands, than ever before! SO many cool opportunities He is providing....How awesome to have multiple options....but how scary to know that it is my responsibility to choose wisely :/

There is more...but why go on...as you can see, I have not been simply ignoring you while I sat on my front porch eating bon bons and drinking sweet tea! Nope....more like I have been walking my bahunkus off (literally), eating lots of salads and drinking more than my fair share of diet Pepsi! That, plus all the other "stuff"!

So, for you dear faithful ones who have waited on me as I have rambled, rushed, and regrouped....I say thank you from the bottom of my pea pickin' heart! I promise to do better....how does once a week sound?

In the mean time...it is after 2am...and I have a very sexy baritone who is patiently waiting on me to hit the jacuzzi with him....think I will take him up on the offer!

Thanks for stopping by! Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Still Frankly,
Miss Scarlett

Just Saying No to Sugar! Yikes!

Nope, I know what you are thinking...but this is not just another New Year's resolution post. Although it probably should be! Like a gazillion other folks who started the New Year with their britches too tight, I did vow to start eating better and exercising more in 2009. Actually, I was anxious for Monday, January 5th, 2009 to get here. I was ready to start! I have about 40 pounds that I accrued in 2008 that need to become obsolete in 2009! So, anxious I was to start the ball rolling! After all, with my weight history....it would not be the first time....and most likely not the last!

However, on Sunday January 4th, we had week one (of two) of our Solemn Assembly services at our church. I was not familiar with the concept, but found it to be pretty cool....and also a good way to start the New Year! For me, it encouraged me to audit, digest, and prioritize not only my spiritual condition, but also my mental, social, and physical condition. As part of the service, we were asked (if medically able) to fast......maybe a meal a day....maybe a certain food....maybe a certain habit or hobby. By fasting, we would be giving up something that we wanted or desired or had become accustomed to.....in order to substitute prayer or contemplation in it's place at that time. Hopefully the fast would help us search, appreciate, and feel differently about the blessings God bestows, and to refocus on the path He has planned for us. So I decided to fast sugar.

At first, I kind of thought I might be cheating a bit.....because honestly, I was itching to start my new healthier lifestyle the next day anyway! But as I thought about it and prayed about it.....I really felt like it was my best choice. Day one was a piece of cake (or should I say a piece of sugar free cake!)....I had zero added sugar. I was very careful to read labels for any kind of sugar content. Today was not that bad either....EXCEPT...when the check was delivered to our lunch table at Olive Garden (I had soup and salad)...the waitress left us those yummy little chocolate mints...NOT sugar free! I really wanted one of those little buggers.

But, I left them on the table. However, the thought of them lingered in my mind and my heart for the rest of the day. Whodda thunk a itty bitty little ole Andes mint could hold so much power over a gregarious, strong as an ox, self determined follower of Christ!!! But it did!

Hello??? Even if I get nothing else out of the Solemn Assembly services, I learned this little diddy today: Anything that has power over me....hobby, habit, or sin...no matter how good or how purposeful, how big or how small....If it draws constant focus to "IT" instead of Christ and the plans He has in store for me, then my priorities are WRONG.

Now don't you go thinking that I think one little Andes mint will keep someone from passing through the pearly gates,...of course not! God created that little mint. He is the creator of all things. Great food, awesome music, jobs, exercise regimes and even sugar :) It is only when those things find a spot higher on our priority list than loving and pleasing God that they become a problem.

I have 5 more days that I have vowed to "Just Saying NO to Sugar".....and although that is a very good dietary thing for me to do that I will likely continue....I have found it to be an even better spiritual inventory tool for me to gage where I am right now in my walk. Let me be perfectly honest here....if I had prayed just one minute for every cookie, candy or dessert I ate....just over this past holiday....I know my walk would be stronger! Just telling it like it is folks!

For those of you who read this that are also fasting this week....How is it going? What are you fasting? Better yet...what is God teaching you as you fast?

In the mean time, Just say no y'all!
~Scarlett

Christmas Vacation

The past few days have me scratchin' my noggin'
How to get it all done, and still keep on bloggin'
Been trimming five trees and decking the halls
Got Christmasy things all over my walls

Been building the sets for the upcoming show
Gathering the costumes, with props still in tow
Trusting the lights and the sound to the pros
Just hoping they're able to get me some snow

Been trying to take time to make me list
Keep fearing there's something important I've missed
Cause one day of shopping is not near enough
To gather the presents and wrap all the stuff

What was I was thinking, must of had a brain-farty
When I offered to host the work Christmas party
There a wedding and a birthday amidst all the fuss
As if all of the other was not quite enough

Just glad we're all well, and able to bustle
Cause to get it all done, we will all have to hustle
So don't think I've kicked it if posts don't appear
I promise to catch up the first of the year

Happy Holiday's Y'all!
~Scarlett

Thankful and Blessed Y'all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been so blessed by reading the thanksgivings and praises that are constantly flowing throughout the blogosphere this week. So much so, that I became convicted that I should also publicly spew forth my gratitude for the multitude of blessings that God has so richly bestowed. Some large and some small, some common and some very specific to my crazy world......but all things that I pretty much take for granted due to this worldly, me focused, sin soaked flesh I live within.....so I will start with that:

1) I am thankful for this so not perfect, over indulged, under exercised body I live in....And while she "don't work quite as efficiently" as she used to...I am happy to say, I am healthy. No hypertension, no diabetes, no cancer, no auto immune issues (all which are known to be in my familial history). So what if I do not look like a supermodel, and my knees creak a little, and I have a few seasonal allergies...I still clean up pretty good, and my husband thinks I'm sexy. So thankful, so thankful.

2) My Husband is healthy, employed, churched, and is crazy about me. What more could a gal hope for...(See last post). So thankful, so thankful!

3) My kids are healthy, happy, doing great in school, and are growing emotionally and spiritually. So thankful, so thankful!

4) My home is full of love, food, and laughter. Sure, there are things I would like to do to change it or spruce it up, but that's all icing on the cake...and in our current economy....I am happy to wait for anymore icing for a while! So thankful, so thankful!

5) My church family is healthy and loving and all about bringing folks into the kingdom of God. They are innovative and active and excited about serving the Lord! So thankful, so thankful!

6) My relationships with extended family and friends have been highly enriched by using Facebook...it has been so much easier to stay in touch and keep up with everyone...so yay for social stalking! So thankful, so thankful

7) My canine children. That's right, I just said I am thankful for my dogs :) They are the best anti depressant I have ever found! They love me unconditionally, they do amazing, funny things, and they are all house broken. (I said some of these were small and specific to my crazy life!) So thankful, so thankful!

8) The Blogosphere. Amy Grant's song is right..."We are all the same it seems, behind the eyes"...Blogging has been the "eyes" I have used to look in to the hearts and lives of so many dear friends...old and new....and by starting my own blog, I have become wide-eyed for all to see into my life and heart. Alot of camaraderie and healing has been bestowed upon me due to this innovative way of communicating! So thankful, so thankful!

9)Girlfriends....I am so thankful for these gals that God lets me walk daily with. I am talking about gals who I go to lunch with, shop with, cry with, worship with, giggle with, and pray for everyday. I would give them the shirt off my back and they would give me theirs. (Except most are WAYYY skinner than me, so if I needed a shirt, I would possibly need to ask two of them! LOL!) Some are dear friends who I have had for years, some are new in my life....all are quite special and a blessing to me. So thankful, so thankful.

10) Little things: Sugar free Redbull, South Beach Peanut Butter Bars, movie theatre popcorn, massages, Heavenly perfume, warm socks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, great smelling shower scrub, sharpies, zip lock bags, puppy kisses, husband kisses, daily I love yous from my kids, a big closet, my kitchen aid mixer, Beth Moore bible studies, our backyard, a good microphone, and spanx undergarments.

10) Grace. Yep...that is the biggie, and while the blessings listed above are in no specific order, I did save the most important one for last....the AMAZING, SELFLESS, SIN COVERING, NEW EVERY MORNING, SOUL CLEANSING GRACE of our Lord and Savior Jesus. I need it constantly. Without it, I would be destined to a life of misery here on earth, and doomed to an eternity in hell! God's Grace....I am so unworthy...yet...SO thankful, SO thankful!

I am also thankful for each one of you who stop by this blog....and especially thankful for those of you who leave me comments from time to time!

So thankful Y'all! So thankful indeed!
~Scarlett

Count Your Blessings Y'all!

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving! My, how the holidays are rapidly approaching.... Ready or not, here they come!

One of my favorite things to do in the blogosphere is visiting blogs who have "Thankful Thursdays". There is something quite humbling about experiencing the gratitude of others. It helps keep me in check with what really matters. (Like realizing that my "want' for new hardwood floors....IS TRIVIAL in the whole scheme of things when you consider our present economy.) I am reminded as I browse and blog, that simply having a roof over my head is a blessing not be taken for granted! Foreclosures are at a record high, already surpassing last years final total, and with unemployment also at an unimaginable high, they look for the foreclosure total for this year to topple the 3 million mark!

So as I sit here in my warm house, with food in my pantry, enough money in my bank account, a vehicle in my garage, a happy, loving, healthy husband who is employed....healthy, thriving, loving kids....incredible friends and family, and an amazing, God-loving church family.....I am almost at a loss for words to my GRACIOUS heavenly Father God, to adequately provide explanation of the gratitude I feel!

So until the economy gets better, I am keeping my trap shut about the new hardwood floors!!

What about you? What are you most thankful for during this particular Thanksgiving season? I would love to hear!

Keeping an attitude of gratitude y'all!
~Scarlett

Confession is Good for the Soul

Tell me I am not alone in my stupidity. That's right....time for 'fessin up y'all....I will start.



Today, I had what I thought was a bright idea....The logic went something like this.....I am running late for church and I don't have time to take my car keys to my office before worship begins, so I say to myself....."Self, why don't you just take the ignition key off the HUMONGOUS key ring you always carry around. That way you will not have a big bunch of noisy keys clanging around during worship." Made sense to me. So I took off the ignition key....headed into worship just as the countdown on the screen said 0:37 seconds left. Took the seat that my friend Cindy had saved for me, put the key in the back pocket of the chair in front of me, sat down my bible, and worshipped my little heart out!! It was a wonderful day of worship!



As the service was coming to a close, I needed to make my way out in front of the crowd to hand out tickets for iChristmas, our Christmas event at Cornerstone this year. So I grabbed my bible, quietly slipped out....handed out a bazillion tickets, and then headed down the hall for a Women's Ministry Team Lunch Meeting. The salad was yummy, the turtle cookies...even yummier! We had a very productive meeting......then it was time to go home....I was ready. I knew I had to be back at 5:50 for a photo shoot, and then praise band rehearsal and choir rehearsal. (And I really wanted to sneak in a quick nap!)



Bible in hand.....but HELLO....NO key. I immediately knew what I had done....and where I had left it. The problem was that every Sunday as soon as the service is done, the men of the church (or at least the energetic ones) take up the majority of the 600+ chairs to clear the worship center for Awana. And sure enough....the row I was on was up and stacked 6 chairs deep. My wonderful friends Lari and Karen and Monica....helped me look for the key....but no luck.



All three offered to take me home.....but I hated to put them out....it was not exactly on the way home for any of them. (Actually Karen, is a neighbor, but she is our Children's Ministry Leader, and needed to stay at CBC to work....but she did offer me her car.) I finally agreed to let Monica take me home......she promised she did not mind....and she was driving a convertible sports car...so that was kinda cool! Thanks again, Monica....and I think you are even cooler than the sports car :)



After Awana tonight, the chairs were put back out, and a small brigade of friends searched row by row, seat pocket by seat pocket until the key was found. Mrs. Naoma found it....thanks again....you rock!



I am so thankful for my church family.....and it is so comforting to know that they love me even when I do idiotic things, and that they are willing to help me out of the crazy and somewhat embarrassing predicaments that I put myself in sometimes! What do folks do without a loving fellowship of believers in their lives. My Church family is my safety net.....whether I trip, fall, jump or I am pushed.....they are there to catch me. I thank God for them daily.



So come on folks....help me know I am not alone in my idiocracy.....What kind of brainless antics are you guilty of and are willing to share with us. Confession is good for the soul....and would also make me feel a little bit better :)



Humble pie isn't so bad, especially if it served up with some sweet tea, and some even sweeter friends!



Pie on my face,

Scarlett

Courtney Better Buy Some Butter!!!!

Hey Y'all!

Congratulations to Courtney....winner of the Paula Deen Christmas Cookbook! Courtney guessed that I had 7 truths, 3 lies, and 2 half truths. Now....take a look and see how close you were in your guessing!


1. I am a direct descendant of General Robert E. Lee. Lie.... Not that I know of anyway!!


2. I have 3 dogs, 1 grand-puppy, and 1 cat. Half-Truth.... I do not have a cat....I would love one...but Mark says if I bring home one more critter, he will leave!

3. My favorite food is sushi. Lie....Cannot bring myself to eat raw fish....must be due to the parasite class I took in nursing school!!

4. I competed in the Mrs. South Carolina Pageant. Truth....Many years and many pounds ago!!

5. I sing, play piano, and guitar. Truth.

6. I once sang back up for Larnell Harris and Sandi Patti. (I wish!) Lie.....Although we did share the same vocal coach at one time!

7. I once fell into the orchestra pit during a dress rehearsal and had 12 staples in my head....and still did not miss a single performance. Truth. Sadly, I am a klutz.

8. I organize my sock drawer by color and style of sock. Truth. I am also a bit OCD!

9. I fell into a trash dumpster my first day of college. Truth. Like I said, I am a klutz.

10. I wore orthodontic braces as a child and then again as an adult. Half Truth. I only wore braces as an adult.

11. Josh Turner (country singer) once asked for my autograph. Truth. When Mark and I were signed with the record label, we did a concert at Union Baptist Church, and while we were there a friend introduced us to this little guy (he was probably 8 or 9) that "sang like Johnny Cash" and wanted to sing country music.....we autographed one of our CDs for him.....whoda thunk it??

12. I once took 24 ladies to Baltimore for a week long, live taping of Beth Moore's "The Patriarchs" and appeared in the bible study video. Truth. It was one of the most amazing weeks of my life!!

Thanks to all of you who played along! And Courtney, I will facebook you and arrange delivery of the cookbook!

Think I will hold off running for office!!

And remember....Jesus is the TRUTH....He is the light and the way....No lies, No half truths...he is the real deal......count on it!

Happy Cooking Courtney!
Scarlett

With My Hairdresser As My Witness...I Will NEVER Skip my Mammogram Again....

This past Monday morning started out great.... a beautiful, crisp sunny day. Every 5th Monday morning, I get my hair colored....It is a half-day job....I have alot of hair. :) So this Monday, I was sitting there in the hairdresser's chair.....chatting frivolously with Suzanne.....my MOST AWESOME hairdresser. She has been "Doing my hair"...for nearly twenty years. I was one of her first clients....she was fresh out of Beauty School....and I let her do my first "Spiral Perm"...(Looking back, that was probably a bold risk to take, but it turned out beautifully!)....I looked like I had a hundred hula hoops on my head...wish I had a picture of that day to share....we would all have a great belly laugh!!

Somewhere between putting the foils in....and taking the foils out....I decided to step out into the parking lot and get my phone...when I arrived for the appointment, I realized that it was low on battery, so I had left it charging in the car. I nearly startled the poor UPS man to death when I stepped out the door......a head full of what looks like tinfoil...and wearing a lovely black Redken cape....quite a unexpected site I suppose! When I got the phone....I had several missed calls....the most recent one from my husband.....then two prior from our local hospital and two prior from my Gynecologist's office. NOT as good sign. I knew I had just had my mammogram the week before (see prior posts) and had not gotten the "Your mammogram is fine" post card yet. The nurse in me put the clues together....and I just knew there was a problem.

I called Mark first....he was frantic.....the Hospital and the Dr's. office had both called him at home and on his cell. He was FREAKIN' OUT....and they would not tell him anything, except that it was very important that I call them ASAP. I hung up with Mark, checked my messages, and the hospital had called to pre-register me for a "Left breast diagnostic". The nurse from my doctor's office left me a message to call her back at my earliest convenience. My gut reaction...NOT Good.....not good at all. Noticing how all the color had drained from my face, Suzanne knew something was wrong. She knows me well. She was wonderful....trying to encourage me....speeding up the hair process so I could get out of there.

By this time the Dr's. office was closed for lunch. Great. S0...for about two hours, every worse case scenario ran through my brain. When the nurse called back, she said that I had "a thicker, denser area on my left breast, and they wanted to do some additional testing". But she also commented that they did not "see" anything, so not to get worked up at this point. She said that almost half of the mammos they got back, that they had to send the patient back for additional testing for clarification. I am thankful that I have an attentive doctor and that she doesn't just "wait and see". So I did feel better. I let my Sunday School and Ladies Bible study groups know, and of course, my closest girlfriends :) People were immediately praying.....some before I even hung up the phone. I am soooo blessed to have ladies like that in my life!

I felt the prayers...slept well....and did not freak out at all....UNTIL.....I walked into the breast imaging room for the tests....and saw the x-ray of my boob hanging up on the viewing screen.....with "IT" in it...."it" looked like a pencil eraser.....I could see it easily! It was so odd to see it there....and not feel it....not know it was there in my own body. Since I was a little nervous....I started taking photos with my cell phone....thought I should document the process....anything to keep my mind and hands occupied until the tests started! (See added photo.)

Luckily, "it" only showed up on one view of the first mammogram....the same radiology tech that did my initial mammogram was with me again. Her name is Susan, and she is an angel. She talked me through everything, and most importantly to me.....she knew I wanted to know what the results would show. She promised me I would know one way or the other before I left. She had a hard time finding "it" on any other view....even with the compression (EXTRA, extra smooshing of the breast)......but she finally found what she thought was a faint shadow....so she moved me down the hall to "Ultra sound". I had to lay there a few minutes, waiting for the test to begin. S0.....I began praying: ~Lord, You are Holy and awesome....I am unworthy to even ask. I ask for Your will.....and I ask that Your will is that this "it" is nothing serious.....I know I am selfish, and do not deserve any special favors.....but I'm asking for Your help here.....knowing that if You lead me to it....You will lead me thru it.....I love you....~

Susan came in....Propped me up on a wedge, and squirted me with the gel....began the ultrasound....probed, prodded, rerouted the wand.....she kept looking...and looking....and could not find anything! ~Thank you Lord.....This sounds like good news.~ She left and went and got the radiologist. He said that it was only fibrotic or lymphatic tissue, and that I could go home, and that I did not need to come back until next year.

I was estatic...thankful....relieved...blessed...and taken over with emotion...all at the same time!!

I could not help but think about my friend who has been battling cancer for quite some time now. She is so brave. I only got a faint taste of what she much be feeling......and I am here to tell you ....it is NOT a good feeling. Sue, you are my hero. We are still praying and trusting God and asking for healing....we love you!!!

In my last post, I talked about the uneasiness (without obvious reasons) that I was mysteriously experiencing.........Maybe it was God preparing me for Monday's phone call......I don't really put much stock in premonitions or fortunes or luck......but I must admit, I was quite relieved when my Fortune Cookie on Monday night said "You are about to experience a miracle".....NO LIE....can't make that kind of thing up!! It really said that!! I kept the little white paper as proof!!! I personally think that God knows what a wimp and doubter I am at times.....always asking for Him to speak to me....preferably in neon signs :) .....so he rigged the fortune cookie in my favor. God is SOOO cool like that!

I have felt so loved and prayed for over the last few days.....God has given me so many awesome people in my life.....I am overwhelmed just thinking about it as I write this.......You know who you are....and I love you all dearly....and am so thankful to have you all in my life!!

I will no longer take for granted being healthy.....and I will never forget how much I am loved.....by my family.....by my friends.....and by my God.

Lastly, I will NEVER skip my mammogram again.....I promised that to Suzanne as I was sitting there trying not to panic in her chair.....and we all know.....a woman is always honest with her hairdresser.....because there are just somethings....only you, and God and your hairdresser will ever really know. :)

Still rejoicing Y'all!
~Scarlett

Say It Ain't So, Sweet Clementine!

Hey Y'all! I hope you have all been blessed with cool Fall evenings, plenty of pumpkins to carve, and vibrant mums to plant! Even though the changing of seasons is subtle here, we do have a decent window of weeks here where we actually can see God adjusting His color pallet! We have continued to have a wetter than usual Fall this year, but it has still been quite beautiful.

This afternoon was another rainy, Fall afternoon...so I snuggled up with my puppies and my computer and decided to catch up with e-mails, journaling, and facebook....and as evidenced by this post...blogging!

While socially stalking all my dear friends on facebook, one of my director friends from the theatre, who is also one of my facebook friends, sent me a quiz to try out.....called "Your American Accent". Being from South Carolina, having a name like Scarlett, and coming from a most adorable border-line redneck family....well...it seemed like a no brainer to me what the results would be.....but I took it anyway. AND Y'ALL......It said that I had A NORTHERN ACCENT.......Say it ain't so Clementine!!! I could not believe it....so....being the doubting Thomas of my bunch....I retook the quiz.....and yep....it came back with the same results!

Now let me clarify...there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a Northern Accent....I think they are just lovely. I love all kinds of accents....as a matter of fact....I could listen to Hugh Jackman's Aussie accent from now until Jesus calls me home, and never get tired of it. It's just that anyone who knows me.....knows I am as Southern sounding as they come. (Not to be confused with the deep down in the boondocks accent that most American actors use...and THINK they are doing a Southern Accent. If you saw Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger in "Cold Mountain", you know what I am saying!) And while I am not as richly Southern as say.....my Charleston relatives....I am still pretty daggone southern sounding.

The first time this was ever blatantly evident to me, was just after we signed with a small Christian Record Label. The artist relations and corporate offices were on the west coast. All I had to get out of my mouth, was "Hey"....and they would immediately know who I was! I even tried to NOT sound southern...and say "Hello"...and they would still recognize the accent! Needless to say....we were immediately hooked up with an excellent vocal/voice coach....who was quite relieved to discover that although our speaking voices were BLATANTLY Southern, our singing vocals were not.

So, obviously, the quiz was inaccurate. Just a template of ten word/vowel related questions, used to quickly evaluate a person who uses a million words a day. (If you think I am over estimating that number....just ask my hubby :) )

But I ask you to think about this.....How often do we jump to conclusions....or make up our minds about folks....based on a small subset of circumstances of who we think they are? You've probably done it....I know, ashamedly, I have done it. I am not talking about accents here....I am talking about characteristics that make up a complex personality as a whole. Some folks get really nervous when they meet you for the first time, and easily make awkward first impressions. Some folks are shy, and come across as stuck up. Occasionally, some folks get excited and loud when they are passionate (that would be me), and some folks might happen to be having a really bad day....and you walk up on it. It happens.

I have unfairly evaluated folks, and yes I have had folks unfairly do the same to me.

When we do that, we are no different than that silly little FaceBook Quiz.

God calls us to Love, not evaluate (a kind way of saying "judge") our brothers and sisters. His commandments clearly call us to love...first and foremost....Him....The Lord our God....and then almost contiguously he commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. No where in His word have I found a "Quiz" to use.....and I am so glad of that....Because as evidenced by the "Accent Quiz" I took.....I would fail miserably.

So my challenge to you this week, is this. Take time to get to know someone who you are pretty sure you do not care to get to know. Ask yourself why you do not want to spend time with them. Ask God to show you something incredibly amazing about that person. They were created in His image you know....that alone should be enough.

God cares passionately about each of us...No matter what our accent. We too, should take time to care for one another.

Later, yooz guys..... :)

~Scarlett, from the South





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The Problem With Pedestals

We all have personal heros in our lives. People who have left an indelible mark on our souls based on the outstanding way that they live their lives. They are people who we tend to look up to, want to be like, and put our faith and trust in daily. Unfortunately, and quite often, without realizing it....we place them up on pedestals. I am not implying, in anyway, that we worship them like God....but rather that we create a standard for them, in our minds, and believe that they should always live up to that expectation. Being the "people person" that I am, I have accrued many personal heros in my lifetime!

There are, of course, those that are my "Spiritual Giants"....they know the Word of God backwards and forwards, and they apply it in their lives everyday. They are the people who I want praying for me, teaching me and who I know I can go to if I have some huge spiritual conflict or question. They are most often deeply anchored and respected in our churches and our communities. Some are quite famous, but some are gentle, soft spoken giants who have never written a book or made a bible study video.

Some of my heros are "Relationship Giants"...you know the ones that can maintain great marital, parental and social relationships with what seems like little effort or stress....they remember to send Birthday cards out on time, they work out a way to be at all the soccer games of every child, they know just the right thing to say or do, they exercise, eat right, and love Jesus. Their mate loves them dearly, their kids adore them, and everyone wants to be their friend. They are great communicators and the love they offer is genuine, not offered based on self gain.

I also have a few heros that I can best categorize as " Fighter Giants"....that's right....they never give up, no matter how poor the odds. These giants have gone though life circumstances that we all pray never come our way....and beat the odds! They have battled cancer and survived it, they have experienced infidelity in their marriage and fought hard to save it, they have unexpectedly loss a child and have battled their deepest hurts and have picked up the pieces and moved forward.

These are just a few of the many folks, that I consider my heros, who impact my daily walk without ever knowing it. They probably have no clue that they are my heros. I am not sure why I do not tell them that they are....I think it is the whole "putting someone up on a pedestal" idea. The problem I have with pedestals is that no matter how awesome and deserving the person on them has become, there is only one direction to go from the top of that pedestal....and that is down.....and due to our humanness....falling off is not only possible, but probable.

We have all seen beloved pastors, political leaders, community leaders, doctors, entertainers, and countless others that often get placed up on a pedestal, take a nasty plunge. There is great pressure at the top.....and I think Satan likes to play there. He knows he can do much harm, not only to the person who stumbles off the pedestal, but also to the many who placed them up there in the first place! This premise is exponentially worse if the person is a known believer and follower of God. The world derives great pleasure, for whatever warped reason, pointing out and calling someone a hypocrite.

I have felt the disappointment of having someone that I placed on a pedestal fall off. I have also felt the sting of being the one on the pedestal that takes the inevitable dive....It hurts on both ends.

Therefore, I opt to keep my spiritual, relational, and fighter giants off the pedestal. That doesn't mean that I do not look up to them...not at all....it just means that I keep them in the trenches with me. Knowing that if I fall, they will pick me up, and if they fall, they do not have such a long trip down! And where ever they land, I will be prepared to offer them grace, love and forgiveness....just like Jesus does for me everyday.

And guess what.....I know some of "my giants" read my blog.....have fun figuring out who you are!!

By the way, I do have one person on my pedestal....his name is Jesus, and He will never fall.

Blessings Y'all!

Dirty Hair, Back Fat, and Arm Pit Chinchillas

OK.....with a title like this....do you dare to read? Really, who wants to read about "Back Fat". If you dare...bare with me.... there is a point :)

We had a wonderful weekend....Celebrated Josh's 19th birthday, caught up with some really great friends over a big pot of Chili....and topped it off with a great morning of worship. But as wonderful as the weekend has been....there has hardly been time to breathe....or sleep. To start off Josh's birthday, we caught the special 12:01am viewing of the new Batman movie on Thursday night....so we did not get to bed until 3:30ish! Friday we did the whole birthday routine....made him a YUMMY Banana Pudding Cake....(let me know if you want the recipe...easy and scrumptious)...culminating the day with "His Favorite" meal.....and yes, I did fry pork chops, made rice and brown gravy, steamed cabbage, prepared asparagus with a delicate lemon butter sauce, and made bread.....MAJOR high fat, high calorie meal...but hey...it is once a year and for "my baby"! After the heavy meal.....we had great family time....but also chalked up another very late bedtime....Saturday was crazy, and hectic.....but really special in that we got to have some friends over who we have not had a chance to fellowship with in a long time....our two families have this thing about chili...we have solved so many of the worlds problems over a steaming hot pot of spicy beans and ALOT of cornbread.......(This post is making me hungry!!) And even though all of us had early morning church commitments.....we were in no hurry...bedtime had to wait....we were having such a nostalgic time reconnecting! (We love you all Dwight, Becky, Rebecca and Michael!...let's NEVER go that long between chili again!)....SO.....1:30ish we hit the pillow....knowing we had to get up at 6:45!

SO three nights....very little sleep....and I set the alarm clock wrong. YIKES!!!!

When it went off 30 minutes late.... I quickly hopped in and out of the shower...I knew there was NO time to wash my extra thick, long head of hair and get it dry....so like those late nights/early mornings in college.....I pulled out the baby powder...sprinkled my two day old, slightly oily scalp...and hoped for the best....threw it up in a messy bun, thankful that messy buns are chic right now...slapped on my make up....went to get dressed....COULD NOT FIND "MY" BRA....(for you men.....every girl has many bras...but all bras are not created equal)....I had to make do with an "unfavorite" one...and yep....sure enough....BACK FAT enhancing it was....but the clock was ticking...and the top I had picked out was fairly forgiving....but as I hastily pulled it over my head....what do I notice?? THAT I FORGOT TO SHAVE UNDER MY ARMS....that's right....in Scarlett lingo...I had "Chinchilla Pits"....(where it looks like you might be smuggling two hairy rodents under your arms.....).....OK...I admit....it was not THAT bad...I only skipped two days....but I am kinda obsessive/compulsive about my grooming!! I wanted to cry...but instead I prayed..."Lord, should you call me to worship this morning in a manner that compels me to raise my hands in praise, please a) remind me not to raise them above elbow level, or b) move in such a way that all on the first five rows are blind or worshipping with their eyes closed...Amen. (Nothing like suggesting "options" to the Lord Almighty, right!!!)

I am happy to say....we had a wonderful worship experience today...I do not think I exposed any of my three "unwanted secrets" (Dirty Hair, Back Fat, or Chinchilla Pits).....As a matter of fact....once the music started and we hit the stage....they never entered my mind....all I wanted to do....all I could do... was worship!! Thank you Holy Spirit for meeting with the likes of me on a regular basis....I am sorry I tried to give you "options" in my selfish prayer this morning....Who DO I think I am????

As I close, Mark and I are headed out for our"date night" and since I took a nap this afternoon and not a shower....I hope he is attracted to a woman who, for tonight, hair smells somewhat like a freshly changed baby's bottom....

Worship with out options Ya'll!