Mentoring, Ministry, and Melanie T.

~The following was written as a part of our upcoming Women's Ministry Kick Off at CBC. Melanie Turner and I have been in a successful mentoring relationship for several years, and we were asked to comment on our experience...the following is my comment.....

God’s timing is perfect. At a point in my life where my kids were spreading their wings, preparing to flee the nest, God sent me a special gift. That gift being the mentoring opportunity with Melanie Turner. Married for only a few years, she still remembered what it felt like to have that unquenchable need to fluently fly into young adulthood. I, on the other hand, having experienced firsthand, the role of the hovering “mother hen” knew exactly where Melanie, who had just given birth to her first son, was about to land!

Who else but God could have paired us together at just the right time? Her prayers, and opinions, and friendship have helped me gracefully unfurl my wings and let my baby birds experience life outside the nest….assuring me that they would always come back when they were hungry. (And she was right.) And I, realizing and remembering and missing the days when my babies were small and up under me all the time, had the opportunity to pray with and encourage and mentor Melanie as she securely tightened her wings around her new little chicks….knowing that her protection was crucial and that the stages of infancy and childhood would pass ever so quickly!

I would not trade anything in the world for the special bond I have with Melanie. It is a friendship based on mutual Godly respect and love. And while we have learned much about God, attending bible studies and worshipping together, the greatest benefit, by far…for me…has been just having her in my life as my friend. Knowing that I could and would call her, and that she could and would call me if we needed anything at all…..Sometimes it is just for fun….sometimes it is about sick little chicks….sometimes it is about bossy momma hens …..but it is always about being there for one another.

So as the New Mother Hen (Melanie) and the Bossy Mother Hen (that would be me), daily tend to our nests, it is nice to know that God has allowed us to perch in the same tree. That as we fly, soar, hover, peck, and sometimes squawk through life, that we always have each other to watch out for one another….whether the sky be peaceful and blue or dark and stormy. We are building our nests together, feather by feather, as God preens us daily to become more like Him.

Melanie, my life is blessed by having you, Will, Cole, and William in it....I love you all dearly.

Spiritual Birds of a feather definitely should flock together....so I challenge each and everyone of you to pray about entering into a mentoring relationship...you will be more than glad that you did...you will be blessed, she will be blessed, and He will be glorified.

Tweet,Tweet Ya'll!
~Scarlett

What is Your Passion?

Kidblast was.....well....A BLAST! 100+ adorable kids....acting, singing, moving collectively...having fun and worshipping at the same time! And while I must admit....the camp week was physically and emotionally draining.....it was well worth it! I am so thankful to be part of a church body that has a passion for kingdom growth and is not afraid of being innovative with ministry.....and whose leadership is not only full of faith but is also brave...(brave enough to let the likes of me write the script and direct the show!!! )

Last night after the performance, my family treated me to a celebratory dinner......I was on the edge of my seat as I listened to their feedback about the show...and so glad that they enjoyed it and understood it's value and marveled in it's unusual way of reaching our ministry goal.....

Shortly after the appetizer, our conversation drifted toward career choices. Having a table full of college aged kids...the topic quickly went to what their "major" was or would be. My son's beautiful, smart girlfriend, is at the point in her schooling where she is trying to decide what to declare as her major....... I remember the anguish I felt as a college freshman....thinking that I needed to know immediately....such pressure! What if I made the wrong choice?! Being a child of a one parent household, I felt strongly (my mother felt VERY strongly) that I choose a field that I could support myself should I wind up in a unfortunate situation that required that I be the sole breadwinner......it happened to her....she was widowed at 28 with 2 small kids....she, luckily was a RN, and thus was able provide comfortably for the three of us.

Although I was unsure of what to declare as my major, there was one thing that I knew for certain......I DID NOT, under any circumstance, want to be a nurse.....My Mom worked long hours and shift work, so she was not at home as much as I would have liked....plus I hated the idea of shots, wounds, and any bodily fluid....especially emesis...( AKA Vomit). But I did excel in the sciences....so I chose Biology as my major. And through the urging of an arts loving guidance counselor who recognized a natural affinity in me for drama (take that anyway you like :) ).....I declared Theatre as my minor.

Long story short....I attended college, studied Biology and Theatre....fell in love with a wonderful man...realized that Broadway was a long way from Cashua Drive......and wanted to get married and would have bills to pay. So, what did I do? I enrolled in nursing school and became a RN. God, having the sense of humor He has, allowed my first patient to be a head injury patient with Increased Inner Cranial Pressure....and yep, she vomited....all day...non stop....I quickly got over the whole emesis thing.

So as we sat in Outback last night, talking about career paths, I felt very unworthy of offering any advise....after all, my educational journey was a haphazard one! But what I could add and attest to, was that whatever you do, you need to have a passion for....a love for.....let it be something, if possible, that you would do, even if you did not get paid! (A 360 degree turn from my freshman philosophy)!

And while I do not regret one year, one day, or one minute of my 7 years of education,....as a matter of fact, I thank God for it!!..... I do regret not really praying about my career path decisions......I thought I was praying about it...., but I did not truly seek God's leadership in it, and was too young, impatient, and hard headed to wait on His answer!

But God being the Master Cleaner-Upper of our poor decisions, took every step of every path with me and then.....in a way only He can manipulate....used it all for His purpose and His Glory, and to enrich my ability to minister to those in need. You see, I am a good nurse, I like being a nurse, but it is not my passion.....However, God knew I would need those nursing skills to take care of my Mother when she was ill for many years, he also knew that I could use them to help Mark when his software package needed a Clinical Records Add on....who better than me to go into the Mental Health Hospitals and Facilities and act as a liaison between the Clinicians and our Programming staff? I fit right in.....with the counselors.....OK....and sometimes with the inpatients :)

On the other hand, my theatre education has played an enormous part of my ministry life. Having signed with a Christian record label and touring on and off for several years.....I have run the whole creative spectrum....performance, song writing, skit writing, directing, musical theatre, etc....all things I learned about on my theatrical educational path.....

Which brings us full circle to Kidzblast....to my position as Creative Ministries Director at CBC....using my "unordinary" spiritual gifts for the glory and edification of our "extraordinary" Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is MY PASSION....it is what I like to do, what I want to do, and what I plan to do.....regardless of any amount of monetary exchange, or the absence there of....I cannot imagine NOT doing it.

I thank God that He knew exactly what I would need in life to honor and serve Him. He knows that about you too.....so never discount those "mistakes" you think you might have made.....He knew you were gonna make them....He allowed you to make them because He knew what you needed to find and fulfill your passion.

You, my friend, are God's Passion...He loves you so much....He is ALL about you, no matter what you do or do not do.....He Died for you years ago on a rugged cross....and He Lives for you today!

What is YOUR passion?

Blessings Ya'll!
~Scarlett

"Breaking Free Dramatically"

What a crazy week!! Monday and Tuesday was catch up from vacation and then preparation and rehearsals for Kidzblast Arts Camp at CBC....On Wednesday, Camp started. We have just under 100 kids attending the camp....rising 1-6 graders...all full of incredible energy!! We have the kids divided into 5 groups...for manageability sake :) and each group rotates from class to class, for a total of 5 subjects (art, music, drama, choreography, and gym/snack). Knowing how much that age group is into HSM (High School Musical)...we decided to follow that vein of thought and make the setting of the show in a school....so structuring the daily activities like changing classes has also worked well thematically!

Because my birth kids are now college age, it has been a while since I have spent large amounts of structured time with a group of elementary aged children! The faces may be different than I remember...but the world of "cooties", a thousand whys, fidgety little boys who are rough and tuff and little girls who are enamored with pocketbooks and make up have not changed at all!

As acting "Drama Teacher" for the camp...I have had SO much fun!! The kids have been like little sponges...learning stage directions, how to project and emote and act with their bodies, etc....and they are having so much fun doing it, they do not even realize they are learning valuable theatrical information. One of the major spiritual points we wanted to stress with the kids is that God has created them to be unique...that it takes all parts to make up the body of Christ! And in scene 2 of the show, "Breaking Free Dramatically", one of the actors has the line..."You gotta break free of the worlds expectations"... the scene goes on to explain that you can't listen to what people say, you have to decide for yourself, by asking God who you are and what HE wants you to be!! And while it is an "elementary" theme..most adults I know, including myself, still struggle with that idea from time to time! So, valuable stuff!

However, by far, their favorite thing to do in my drama class has been improv commercials....each kid picks one of many random items that I place on the counter...then they pick a partner, and then they quickly make up a commercial about that product. IT HAS BEEN SO FUNNY. Prices of the objects have varied from $1.99 to $ 9 million dollars...(cost varied greatly depending on which age group I was working with at the time)....they have been very creative...(Never imagined that a book light could be a deadly "freeze ray"...until a 5th grade boy picked that object for his commercial)...and without fail, according to the tag line of each commercial, anything can be purchased at Walmart :)

My mind and heart on several occasions this week could not help but revisit such cute and yes, sometimes profound things that my kids came up with when they were small. And being such a sentimentalist....I must admit, I got a little misty eyed, knowing that that time in the lives of my kids is long past....I know you hear it all the time, my sweet friends with little ones....but it is SO true...cherish this time...it passes way to fast...and when it is gone...you cannot go back.

As I hopped into my car yesterday (OK, I admit, it was more like "stumbled"...I was tired!) , for some reason, I decided to change the disc number on my CD changer, and it went to Josh's (my 19 year old son, for those who may not know) latest CD...he has been in the studio recording over the last few weeks, and gave me an unfinished copy of the new stuff he has written....and somewhere just a few minutes into a song that he wrote about a person who was struggling with emotional security issues.... came the line...."Lies that you were fed, spinning circles in your head"....WHOA! What a line! My baby said something quite profound! And for all practical purposes it was a direct compliment to the same spiritual concept I have been trying to emphasize all week at camp.

I immediately stopped the CD...and thanked God for proving me wrong...for a brief moment, I did "go back"....and just when I thought such precious moments of parenthood had faded slowly out into the sea of life....God gifted me with a "priceless pearl" that He let wash back to shore....

Until next time, I will be counting my blessings, and my pearls...
~Scarlett

Finally Home....

It was a beautiful week at Litchfield! Sleeping late, staring for hours at the vast blue ocean, rising early on most mornings to sneak a peak at the beautiful sunrises...then back to bed for a couple hours. Eating out and eating things I try to avoid at home,(why does everything taste so good outside?...Especially "junk" food???), and basking in the freedom of doing "nothing"....a feat, that anyone who knows me well, knows is quite a challenge for me!! But that is mostly what I did....nothing. It was wonderful!

As the week neared the end, I must admit, I was missing home a bit...missing my family (Mark and the kids were only there for part of the week), my church family, my "furry children"...and my own bed! So packing up was bitter sweet....sad to leave the splendor of God's handiwork displayed so magnificently out of the triple glass doors that make up the ocean front wall of our condo, (the view is truly amazing and the deck is positioned at just the right angle to get "the perfect" ocean breeze)....but happily anticipating the comfort, and familiarity of "home".

Because of the UNBELIEVABLE traffic that is inevitable this time of year on the Grand Strand, we opted to take "the back way" home...through Georgetown, Hemingway, and Old River Road. It is actually the route my family always took going to the beach when I was a kid. My Mom's side of the family was from Hemingway and my Dad's side of the family was from Kingsburg....Small, "don't blink, or you will miss them" communities....but we would always go that way to the beach and stop and visit relatives....(On the way to the beach we visited the living ones, on the way back we stopped at all the grave yards to visit the non-living ones.) I HATED THE TRIPS BACK. I never understood stopping and looking at headstones in grave yards...I found it rather creepy. I had never really known most of the folks while they were alive...so as my Mom and Grandmomma retold stories about them....it made me feel even "creepier".

Every tale would end with, "But they are home with Jesus now, and you will see them one day.".....As a child, that really did not make it feel any less uncomfortable...except for one grave site,...That being my Father's. For those who do not know, I never got the chance to meet my Dad. He died on Christmas Day 1961, and I was born on June 25, 1962...exactly 6 months after he died in an auto accident. His Mom, my Grandma Cora...(organist for Kingsburg Baptist church...the first place I ever sang...I was 3...it was "Jesus Loves Me"...and yes, I do remember it!)...and Grandma Cora would always make sure I understood that my Daddy knew Jesus and that we would all see him again one day in heaven...(So I got it from both sides.) Again, as a child, that idea was a little creepy.... but when it was about my Daddy, it was somewhat comforting. And I never got tired of stories about him...so curious of what he might have been like, sounded like, looked like....and by the way, I look just like him.

So on the way back from Litchfield, as I was driving alone along that familiar stretch of secondary road....I passed those same small county grave yards (I did not physically stop, still kind of "creepy" in my book)...but of course, my thoughts went to my family members who have gone home to be with the Lord...first was my Maternal Grand Dad...then my Maternal Grand Mom...then my other set of Grand Parents.....so many warm, loving Grand child kind of memories flooded my mind and my heart...I could almost smell the biscuits. I could vividly retrace walking hand in hand to gather eggs from the hen house...I could see the wrinkled, gentle hands reach inside the "Sunday only" pocketbook, pulling out the Juicy Fruit Gum (a bribe, I am sure, to keep me still for the rest of the sermon)...And for the first time in 46 years...I got it...I understood why we always stopped on the way back home....It wasn't about the headstones, plots, or the bodies that lay beneath the dirt...It was about the memories... it was a way to remind ourselves of who they were...who they still are in our hearts...to relive their legacies....(Pastor Bill, you were SO on the money with that series!)

Lastly, I passed the spot where my Dad was laid when he was only 29 years old....sadly, no memories of my own to recall....guess that will have to wait until I'm Finally Home.... we will make some there, for sure! Finally Home, where I will not only experience my Earthly Father firsthand...but I will meet my Heavenly Father face to face for the first time too!! I'm not sure I can even stand it!!! Just the thought of it overwhelms me to tears as I write this post!!

But for now, I am glad to finally be back in Florence, surrounded by my husband, kids, and four very happy dogs....

Until next time, Live a Legacy, Ya'll....

~Scarlett

Spaghetti Lucky #8 (AKA Jesus is like Celery)

For the first 25 years of marriage, Mark was all about my Spaghetti....Ragu with meat sauce with lean ground beef. That's it. It was easy and quick to make, the kids loved it...the dogs loved it....so, in my book it was a keeper.....we usually had it once a week...it was one of the few unshakable constants in our otherwise ever crazy, hectic, often upside down world. However....I noticed over the last year that Mark was all of a sudden no longer "all about" my spaghetti.....he would fix a plate, nibble at it, push it from side to side, and would leave a large portion uneaten. "What's wrong, Honey....do you not feel well?" I would ask...."Just not hungry" was the reply the first few times it happened...then finally one night when I asked him about it again...."Nothing Personal", he said...."I just don't really care for it anymore."

WHAT???!!!! For the first 30 seconds, I saw red...at least I cooked!!....then, all of a sudden, I got a wee bit paranoid.(OK, a "wee bit" paranoid was an understatement....I flew into a "full blown PPP"....A Perimenapausal Paranoidial Predicament...) My thoughts began to unreasonably bounce about...Had he secretly hated it for 25 years, and not told me?....and if so, what else was he lying about?....Liking my hair?...The way I kissed?...Eternal security? Was he...(gasp)...A CLOSETED DEMOCRAT??? Did he secretly really like Barry Manilow, Twinkies, and Bermuda shorts?? (Things he "supposedly" abhorred.) My mind was racing, my heart pounding! Thank goodness for the telemarketer who called and abruptly snapped me out of my hormonal, mental rant...."NO, I DO NOT WANT YOUR FREE SATELLITE SERVICE, AND DO NOT EVER CALL THIS NUMBER AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!!"...(well kinda snapped me out of the rant...the telemarketer got the majority of the acidic ire bubbling deep inside my unbalanced, estrogen depleted soul....)The call, however, did divert my attention, some what, and allowed a smidgen of "reasoning" to come over me....

Once I sat down and thought about it,....It came to my mind that ever since Mark had Mono last year, his taste buds seemed to be changing....he was trying new foods out of the blue, and not eating things he normally liked...not just the things I cooked, but food from restaurants too...so I found myself not feeling so bad about his not liking the spaghetti, and regained a new found confidence in the solidity of my marriage :)

So later that night, we talked about it....and he remarked that he really loved my Mamma's spaghetti. So we thought about trying that next time. Unfortunately, she did not write the recipe down anywhere...so she carried it with her as she journeyed to meet Jesus seven years ago. So, I called my aunt who knew some of the ingredients....I remembered a few...and the next week, I tried it...Result #1...not it...too tomato-ey...so I went to cookbook after cookbook, week after week...trial recipes #2-#7....were OK, but not exactly the taste we remembered. I was so hoping that #7 would be my lucky one...and it was not bad at all really...just missing something.

As we were cleaning up the dishes, it hit me. Celery! She always put celery in her sauce! I actually remember my aunt saying that she thought that my mom might have used celery....but seeing how I am not a huge fan of it, I figured leaving it out was no big deal. I figured wrong. Tonight, we added celery...and the recipe for Spaghetti Lucky #8....to quote Goldilocks "Was just right".

So something I was told about, something I knew about all along, was the missing secret ingredient.....and when added, made a world of difference...it made the recipe finally, complete!

In a strange "Scarlett kind of way", let me say,....to some people, "Jesus is like my celery"....they have been told about Him...they have known about Him all along, He is the missing secret ingredient that they have been looking for to make their life complete....they simply just do not think it necessary to add Him in. How sad, how human....

So as I close tonight, I have a new appreciation for celery....and a renewed burden for those who know ABOUT Jesus, but do not KNOW Jesus....and on a lighter note, one less telemarketer that calls during dinner time....

As we simmer through life, make sure Jesus is listed as the key ingredient on your recipe card!

Blessings Y'all!
Scarlett

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!

Frankly Miss Scarlett......

Can you smell the magnolias in full bloom? Picture the elegant, grand, double staircase that flows so picturesquely into the grand foyer ( pronuounced "Foy yay " if you are truly "Southern") of Tara......Miss Scarlett, with her 19 inch waist, her emerald green dress and corset which perfectly matches her deep green eyes, "floats" gracefully down each mahogany step......can you see it??? Well, that AIN"T me!!!!

Yes, my name is Scarlett, and Yes, I was named after "her".....what can I say....My Mom was a true "Gone with the Wind" freak! And while I must admit I really like my name....although many folk fail to spell it correctly....the similarities between me and the iconic character created decades ago are far and few between!! I do have a beautiful staircase that flows into my foyer...but that is about as far as the similarities go!! My waist is not, and will never be 19 inches.....my eyes are blue....I look extremely nauseted when I wear green....and I NEVER float gracefully....anywhere, anytime.....Ask anybody who has ever been in a theatrical production with me!!! Who else...but me....could break her foot being chased by "a fork" during the choreography of "Beauty and the Beast".....oh yeah....and my notorious "Pit Dive" on dress rehearsal night of "Honky Tonk Angels".....( out cold, 11 staples in my head....but the show still "went on" opening night!!!).....so Gracefulness.....yeah, I run a little short in that department.......

But GRACE....on the other hand.....well that is a completly different story.....My theory is that the Lord knew I needed EXTRA Grace....so he balanced "my genetic make up" with a little less of the ability to glide, and float, and move about elegantly!!!

I am so thankful for the amazing, wonderful saving GRACE of God.....and as you follow my blogging journey......hopefully you will see it in my words, hear it in my stories, and feel it as I express my thoughts.......

My wish for you today is that you will feel His Grace cover you as magnificently as the lilac and lace parasol that my namesake used to block the sun from her perfect porcelin complexion....that you will recognize it....rejoice in it....feel safe beneath it....and share it.....maybe with a good friend over a "Mint Juliep"....that would SO be a "Scarlett" thing!!

Blessings Ya'll!