Featured Artisan: Dearest Sara

There are some people who come into your life that make a grand entrance and hold a commanding presence. I lovingly refer to these people as larger than life.



Sara Stokes is just that. When I met her she was fresh out of high school ready for anything and everything. She was sweet and smart and sharp. We counted money together for the BBQ ministry at our church, then actually started working together at the credit union.

I quickly became one of Sara's adoring fans, there have been so many of us.

One thing I did not know about Sara was that she had been in dance since the age of three. I only learned this detail after one of the performances of the very first drama at Oregon State. She came up to me literally beaming and said, "the next drama, I have to be part of."

We had no idea then that God was doing something really BIG.



Sara did join our team, not only as a dancer, but as a leader, teacher, choreographer, visionary, actor, you name it, she was willing to do it. She poured her entire life into this ministry for several years and during the six months out of the year we were not working on a drama, she was dancing her heart out for Jesus in other Countries, working with local dance teams, or street performing.

Sara was extremely gifted in so many ways. Her dancing was beyond graceful, it was brilliance in motion, her creativity was limitless, and yet how she worked with her team astounded me. She could take untrained dancers and weave them into a collage of beauty, it was supernatural. She could see in a person something they did not see in themselves. She believed in people. It was inspiring. Once we had an audition where close to 60 tried out, Sara cast them all, not having the heart to turn any of them away.



In a sudden turn of events Sara was taken from us in a car accident on June 19, 2007. It was a tragic ending to an amazingly gifted and blessed life.

Yet Sara lives on. She of course is with her savior Jesus Christ. We however have so much of the life she left in us all. Determination, a hard work ethic, a heart to share Jesus, a commitment to excellence, reaching for more than before, CAN do attitudes, pushing ourselves to do and be better, Sara gave us that.

Sara danced for Jesus. She never made it about her, she walked in humility and led others to do the same. Working with her was a gift. I am a better leader and director because of it.

I miss Sara. Some day I will see here again. But until then I plan to go on living for Jesus, sharing art in life the way she lived.



Thank you Sara for what you have given us, we will continue to give as well.

Back to blogging!

I have been negligent to writing here and that is something I have purposed to change in the New year.

This year has flown by. They say time flies and actually it so so true, every moment we have is precious because literally time is fleeting. As I sit her today I am mindful of so many friends that are grateful and exceptionally aware of each passing moment.

A long time friend that is a mother of two who recently had a huge cancer scare.

A wonderful friend who right this very minute could get a call saying her sister has passed.

An amazing servant of the Lord and friend lying in the hospital today from a freak accident a few weeks ago that has absolutely stolen time out from under him.

A woman who has been given more time with her mother unexpectedly, and is hopeful it is enough time for her to meet Jesus.

An extremely amazing mother experiencing the pain of grown children and the reality of less and less time with them.

My husband who is following the Lord and hearing this is the time to move forward with some big things.

Time.


So precious. A commodity that can be enjoyed, consumed, spent, wasted, lived, and lost, but never, never can we get it back.

Blessings today, go on enjoy your...TIME.

STAND.

I have been pondering that simple word intensely these past weeks as it has been Gods constant instruction to me. Kristen, you STAND. Ok Lord, I can do that.

Over the past years in minstry we have been very aware and certain of our adversary. Spiritual warfare is not a new concept to most believers only it is not always the constant reality of many. And I am not one who is looking for the devil at every turn. I am an extremely optimistic and positive person. So at times in the past when I have been going through hard things it often takes time for the Lord to reveal to me the enemies tactics and strategies against us. "Yes life is hard Kristen, but you also have an enemy."

So learning to battle in prayer and in the spirit is a spiritual discipline God has exercised in me over several years in ministry. Teaching me, strengthening me, and never letting it discourage me, thankfully to the point of losing hope or giving up. In fact I was actually surprised by a few people that decided at times not to serve with us due to the intense warfare they had experienced in previous years doing the dramas. With my sunny-side outlook and my "hey this is part of it, God will move in spite of it" attitude. And of course thinking we are not really taking much ground for the kingdom if in fact we do not face opposition theory-I was being naive. Even pridefully I have said, bring it on.

I did not really mean that.

The morning of July first was very peaceful and my heart felt incredibly light and free. And then we got a phone call and from that moment until today 27 days later our lives have seemed a continual wave of emotions and strains we had no idea we would face, we have been worn down, humbled, shaken, pressed, turned upside down in our hearts and minds and very disheartened.

And what brought me comfort? One word from the Lord, STAND. When he said it to me I froze in my angst, my striving in the spirit ceased. What was I doing? What were the conversations in my head and how were they hurting me? I was hurting, no doubt, still am, but I was forgetting so much of what God had ingrained into the fabric of me, STAND. We stand, we stand with Him, we stand with our family, we stand with the body of believers and leadership He has called us to. We stand even in hard things. We stand. And until God changes our direction or gives us different instructions, that is who we are and that is what we do. Stand.

And having done all to stand. Stand...

I REALLY want to do this...

I know, its been a while. So I may not get any readers, ok, I am fine with that.

I was pondering how I so want to tell this story of our creative arts journey and yet busyness, priorities and the demands of life have lead me to lay it aside. Such is the way of life. We do the things we don't want and don't do the things we do want. I say just do it. It may seem like I am stretching the use of that verse but seriously, for me it is a matter of obedience and taking action on the things God has stirred me to do.

We are called to be a people of action.

So many years have gone by since that first drama. And as I look back I am amazed at the magnitude of it all. However, simply stated it was one step in front of the other. Nothing will ever happen in our life, jobs, home, ministries with out putting hearts desires to action. We can only take the step in front of us and soon enough those steps lead to amazing and miraculous blessings from God.

Oh there are plenty of times we are in WAITING MODE. I have been there often. And our Christian walk is filled with the BE STILL moments and those are very needful things in our life. But James compels us to be DOERS. I relate to that. I really do in fact so much that I occasionally drag my feet at times asking the Lord to confirm steps He wants me to take because I am so tempted to rush out and DO.

I love the popular NIKE ad, JUST DO IT. I say we need more doing and less just hearing and waiting around. Those times can be good yes, but they should produce activity which produces fruit, which glorifies God which is what we are here for.

What has HE been stirring in you? What do you want to be doing a few years down the road that you may regret not having taken steps towards now.

Friends of ours just moved to Brazil, Warren and Sheri Yoder. Reading there blog today I was amazed at there new life. And the total sum of a "bajillian" steps taken, in faith, with the Lord, hearts stirred. DOERS. It is encouraging and inspiring.

I think I will go DO something!

Pray!

I am stirred to write about prayer.

Maybe because our church has been re-energized as a result of fasting and praying corporately, maybe because I just finished reading a book about the beginning of a radical prayer movement, possibly because I feel an even greater call to intercession, but I think more importantly because first and foremost all that we have done in the drama ministry has been a direct outpouring from prayer.

The vision started in prayer. Prayer was the first and number one priority of every meeting. Kari so wisely urged us to recruit armor bearers (prayer warriors) that would commit to faithfully pray for us daily during our preparation and outreach season.

Over the past several years I can say without hesitation that we never lacked in rehearsal or practical production time for what we spent in prayer. And with sometimes a two or three hour practice we would spend a solid 45 minutes to an hour in prayer and worship.

And God moved. I love the idea of RADICAL PRAYER. I am moved by the thought of something that often puts many to sleep and seems quite a somber or reserved ritual to become an interactive and hard core adventure with the Lord.

And He moved me. I can operate in fear or in faith, but usually not both and usually not fear when much time has been spent in prayer.

God moved through the pages of the script. He breathed on us. He sealed the LA Sells Stewart Center by His spirit. He drew passers by in. He radically transformed our weak and awkward offerings into something He could use. He did it as we surrendered to Him everything we had, in prayer.

Pray. Pray hard, pray long, pray often.

Why we DO what we Do...

I was thinking about how to pick up the story after such a LONG break and this afternoon the Lord brought this to memory...

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you BE RECONCILED TO GOD." 2Cor. 5:20

One day several years ago I was sharing my heart with LJ, my eldest who was in middle school at the time, about our heart for the drama ministry. He very quickly summarized what I shared with him by quoting that verse. We, as a team of missionaries, ambassadors if you will, were so burdened with the condition of our city, witnessing the ravaged lives we saw daily downtown, on our campus, in our work places, at the store, so burdened our very hearts were pleading that they be reconciled to God.

As we drove past Starbucks one sunny afternoon our family was so struck by a site that stirred us on even more for Corvallis. We were literally rolling through the intersection and as though it were in slow motion we all happened to turn to our right in time to catch a glimpse of a blind elderly man falling mid cross walk in the street with one hand raised for help. There was no one to grab arms to give him a lift up. As traffic was behind us, our car moving forward, our hearts stayed there in that place and our heads turned a 18o as we watched the man stumble to his feet. It was clear, we are living in a blind, fallen world. There are many holding an arm up hoping for someone to grab them and pull them to there feet. We are called to be that arm.

Every time we do an outreach, we share the GOSPEL. We are sent to share the good news right? But some have said that is outdated. Hmm. We can not stop seeing our blind and fallen friend, waiting for a hand up.

Lord let us be your hands and feet.

A Holiday Break!

Taking a time out from writing about the drama ministry this post.

Tis' the season to what? Eat too much? Over spend? Be busier than ever? Fret over gifts and time with family and high expectations?

I am taking a break from all of that! I decided it is not worth it. We have a truly blessed reason to love one another and God during this holiday. Truly because He first loved us. He sent His son to show us the ultimate act of love.

I was baptized two weeks ago, really, for the third time. People were a little surprised. But it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever done. See God has been changing my heart. He has been radically pouring His love into me, pursuing me with loving tenacity until I fully received all the love that my heart could take from Him and spilling over. He has been healing me for the past several years and finally I can RECEIVE His love! I am undone, really.

I am my beloved's and He is mine.

I don't just love God, He loves me back, all of me. I can not express how peaceable that is for me.

Bless you!

Tree, dead girl, and demon.

Exposing our children to radical evangelism.

It's hard to believe that our kids were so young when this all started. LJ was 12, Jeremiah 10, Caleb 9, and Bethany 8. Whats even funnier was how we double and triple cast them. Bethany really was all three of those roles the first year tree, dead girl, and demon. I love that Kari didn't mind at all having my kids in the drama.

I wish I could say that Lionel and I knew exactly what we were doing when we put our kids in ministry with passionate and excited young adult believers. When I look back on it I think, genius! Genius God! He certainly did know, even though we were clueless. He knew that my kids hearts would be stirred at very young ages for lost and hurting people. He knew that they would be following the example of college students that were fully committed and yet desperate for Him. He knew that week after week they would get on their faces before the Lord, just like the rest of us pouring their heart out to Him, asking Him to do the work, asking Him to save the lost, asking Him to provide and meet our teams needs and to bring people to the outreach.

And when God did show up, and oh how He did show up, He knew what that would teach them about His faithfulness, about doing His work not our own good ideas, about answered prayer.

Over the years our family has been involved in several outreaches of this magnitude and it has been the testimony of our family that we trust God through each step. But the amazing thing is how that has spilled over into every area of our lives. So our kids want to go on a mission trip? They trust God to provide. They want to play instruments and minister in worship? God provides instruments, guidance, ability, and opportunity. They want there friends to know Christ, they one by one begin to come and God changes them. They want to step forward in obedience with something they have never done before and because of God's past faithfulness they have His confidence to move forward with Him.

One day a few years back Jeremiah had some big things going on that God really came through for him on, He said "I knew God would do it because I prayed and He always answers our prayers!"

Thank you for that Lord.

The other day LJ my oldest son said, "mom you ruined us for being normal teenagers and relating to kids in our high school(public) and the things they care about, you kept us with older people that were already out of those issues, and I am so glad."

Praise you Lord.

I had no idea what God was doing with them. I am glad because Lionel and I can not take the credit for what God has done in us and in our family through serving Him and ministering the gospel.

So go forward, serve Him and follow Him, you may have an idea of what things He can do, but you have no idea of ALL the things He will do.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!

Spiderman Satan scaling the set; PRODUCTION.

Some things are just burned into my memory. This is one of those things I hope to never forget.

We sat around the table, Kari, me, Lionel and a few guys that would make up our crew. I was really excited to get input from the collective genius as well as vision and heart. Kari and I had shared back and forth plenty and it was evident God was aligning our vision, but there was so much more to our team.

Another thing was it just so happened that as gifted as everyone was for their prospective jobs, there wasn’t a lot of theater experience at the table. Which really didn’t seem to bother any of us, well ok maybe me, but only for second; so we began brainstorming.

We had lots of interesting ideas. Grand erect sets and buildings, cool revolving rooms that would be constructed, pyrotechnics was thrown in there as well, an idea that had come from the college pastor via Kari expressing his thoughts and ideas. Then my favorite of all, to hoist Lionel, our Satan, on a rigging (fly) system in order that he might be able to scale the set like Spiderman! Hmm, let that soak in a minute. I just have to say here I remember thinking through each of these ideas sincerely asking myself and God was there something in this and to not let me pass by anything He was saying to me. One look at Kari and a wink from her bright sparkling eyes assured me that even though we loved the extreme nature and excitement of these ideas, we would need to set out on our own to design the look and flow, then hand out tasks as necessary.

But before I move on there are great nuggets here. I love that anything was possible. I love that there was no holding back and we could let our imaginations run wild. I love that God would use a group that had never done theater before and give them the courage to do everything they could dream up. I love that Lionel would have been willing to harness up and FLY! I love that we had the heart and energy of THE CREATOR flowing through us and because of HIM nothing was out of the question.

Keep dreaming Kristen. Ok Lord!

Next Post: Tree, dead girl, and demon. Exposing our children to radical evangelism!

Rehearsals, something like a Richard Simons work out video?!

Well we weren't Sweaten' to the Oldies, but we could have given Denise Austin a run for her money!

I am cracking up this morning as I write this because thinking back at all the different ways we "bonded" as a team that first year, oh my goodness. I don't know that I can paint it now in words, but I will give it a try.

As the director I had to gauge my team and the skill levels, assess where we were at and where we needed to be while at the same time teach the blocking, help with character development and grow ALL of our abilities. I had in my brain the wonderful warm up techniques of working with previous directors, a packet Kari gave me that someone had given to her, pretty much stage basics 101, and my own ideas/eagerness/craziness. However when it came right down to it, that first Saturday morning at Northwest Hills walking in the door greeting all the expectant faces, including the smiling Kari, I had a huge realization...I AM THE DIRECTOR! (Hard swallow.) No, Lord, You be the director. That really was my response, not trying to be spiritual, I had to pass the busk to someone, He was all that was left.

Yes, Kristen, now you are getting.

We started those first few weeks with prayer of course, then worship, then lot's of breathing exercises and then worked into moving around the room for a while and then several games that were very helpful for new actors. I was stalling. It's true, we were having all day practices, I am not kidding about that either and I don't think I blocked more than two scenes that first day. Over an hour of warm ups. I was scared to death. But I didn't want to be. I had it stuck in my mind that we REALLY needed to be warmed up. Kari had this awesome worship music that had great rhythm to it and she loved to dance so after breathing and stretches I asked her if she would help us MOVE more. Twenty or so of us kicking and jumping and turning and swaying and doing our best to keep up with Kari, picture something like a very ill coordinated line dance.(Except our few gifted dancers of course.) To anyone looking in on us I am sure they would have thought they stumbled across a combo aerobics/beginning theater class. Sometimes we had one of our guys lead us in military drills, not kidding about that either. Sometimes we just shouted a bunch; I was really trying to stress the importance of projecting.

All in all, we were bonding. In the Lord, as friends, learning about one another, building trust and sensitivity, it was beautiful. And the bonus was the play was coming along. Woo hoo! And I learned so much from each person on that team. I am crying now because I can see each face and I am so grateful and in awe of how they placed their trust, in the Lord of course, but then in Kari and me. We did not have it all together, there was no good reason why either of us should be the leaders over any of them, but that God had made it so and so, we all gave what we had to give and prayed for God to come through with what we didn’t. And He did. God CAME through for us, HUGE milestone lesson in my life.

Kristen you don’t come through for me, I come through for you. Thank you Lord.

Next Post: Spiderman Satan scaling the set; PRODUCTION!