Gideon's Tooth Story

Once upon a time, there was a cavity. Then hygiene was born! Then the hygiene was sneaking up on the cavity while it was eating a tooth. And then, he was about to kill him, and he said *singing*, "Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends? Why can't we be friends?"
And then he threw his spear back (this is in the future). And then the cavity grabbed it & threw it at him and then someone walked up and had a sign that said, "You splattered him!"
And then he pulled out the spear and then used it to break out all the teeth.
The End

Fa la la la la la la la la. La. La. La.

Let me just start by saying that I love, love, love my favorite radio station, KLTY. And I love Christmas music as much as the next person. However, beginning the day after Thanksgiving until the day after Christmas (except for Sunday morning), KLTY ONLY plays Christmas music. And they have "preview weekends" before Thanksgiving.
Here's the problem: every recording artist seems to think they need to release a Christmas album. Result: approximately 256 million versions of the same 20 songs. So, being bored with the whole situation, I've decided to present you with the 1st Annual Christmas Song Egg Nog Awards. Why Egg Nog? I just like saying nog.
Here we go:
Best Version of "White Christmas": Bing Crosby (no brainer)
Best Version of "O Holy Night": Celine Dion
Best Version of "Ave Maria": Jaci Velasquez
Best Version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town": Gene Autry
Best Version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas": The Carpenters
Best Version of "Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)": Luciano Pavarotti
Best Version of "The Christmas Song": (tie) Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole
Best Version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas": (tie) Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra
Best Version of "Blue Christmas": Elvis Presley
Best Version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree": Brenda Lee
Song mostly likely to make a good voice sound slammin': (tie) "O Holy Night", "What Child Is This"
Best Lyrics: "Sweet Little Jesus Boy"
Song most likely to make you cry like a baby: "Christmas Shoes"
Dumbest Lyric: (tie) "With a tail as big as a kite"-Do You Hear What I Hear? (They were really struggling to find a rhyme there.), "There'll be scary ghost stories"-It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Do people really tell ghost stories on Christmas?)
Song Least Likely To Make You Think of Jesus at Christmas Time: "O Christmas Tree"
Song Most Likely To Make You Think of Jesus at Christmas Time: "Mary Did You Know?"
Best Song for a Choir: "Carol of the Bells"
Song Most Likely to Make You Spit On Your Neighbor: "All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth"
Best Song for Testing Lung Capacity: "Angels We Have Heard On High"
Most Depressing Christmas Song: "Please Come Home for Christmas" (Lyric-"I have no friends". How sad is that?)
Song Most Likely To Make You Get Up & Dance: "Linus & Lucy"
So, what do you think? Add to my list and comment. Feel free to disagree with me. You'll be wrong of course, but knock yourselves out. :)

A + B = Purple

Before I write, a disclaimer. If you want to read a nice story with a happy ending, this is not for you. No poetry or allegories today. I am writing about harsh reality. And I'm angry.
See that boy in the picture? That's my brother, Marvin. I could write to you about his intelligence, his sense of humor, or his compassion. I could tell you about the times we played together as children, and how he played games with my children. Instead, I'm going to tell you about the end of his life. How he was ripped from this life in violence, wounding us with pain that never heals.
Marvin was an addict. Self-medicating from an early age, hoping to numb himself against emotional pain. Always feeling isolated, always feeling unwanted and unloved. Despite all the love poured out on him by his family, he never let go of the sense of abandonment caused by being adopted. Any painful experience-being bullied at school, financial hardship, or personal slight was added to the bank of pain inside his heart. No amount of love and encouragement would empty that bank. After our (adopted) mother died, there was no way to even get close.
So, you say, there are ways to deal with an addict. Tough love. OK. Intervention. Right. If you add A to B, you're supposed to get C, right? Wrong. When you are dealing with an addict, adding A to B might get you purple. There was no mention of that in the intervention information. That there is no logic. An addict has to hit bottom to get help. Really? Sometimes they hit bottom and they die. That doesn't do much for their recovery, does it? It's hard to live with an addict. It's even harder to live without one.
My brother committed suicide at the age of 27. Alone. It was by far the worst thing that has ever happened to me. My children have had to sit in the front row of a church, with the uncle they loved laid out in a casket in front of them. I have heard the anguish of a father who has had to go identify his son's body. I've gone from "family member of an addict" to "suicide survivor". And I have lived through a depression that I never before thought possible.
And here's what I know now:
Sometimes you can do everything right, and things can still go horribly wrong.
Hindsight is painful.
Control is an illusion.
Holding tight to God is the only way to survive. I think that God doesn't expect us to do "great" things during an attack. Coming through a storm with your faith intact is the real victory.

Squeezing Washington in the Laundry Room

With help from my favorite 6 year old, we made our first batch of homemade laundry soap.  Its working title is "Mama Tarron's Homemade Clothes Washin' Substance".

I have to give props to my homesteading friend Tonye, who gave me the idea in the first place.

Before I give you the recipe, here is the break down of the cost.  Note:  these numbers are approximate, so don't go commenting on my math.  

The recipe yesterday made nearly 3 gallons of soap, or approximately 147 loads of laundry.

I usually buy "all" detergent, which is consistenly about $4 for 32 loads.  Cost for appr. 147 loads=$18.36, cost per load=$.13.

I used soap I already had, but if I had to buy it, I would probably buy Ivory @ about $1 a bar.  A box of Borax and a box of Arm & Hammer washing soda, about $3 each.  The recipe uses 2 cups of each of these, which brings the total for this recipe to $2.50, plus water.  Cost per load-$.02.

It took me about 15 mins. to do this, once I had all the ingredients ready.  I saved $15.86, which means I made about $1 a minute, or $60 an hour.  Not bad at all.

Note:  I saved plastic detergent bottles to put this stuff in, but you can just leave it in the bucket, covered.  Putting it in a bottle with a lid makes it easier, because you have to shake or stir it before you use it.  One site I read said that you can add essential oils to the mix for fragrance, and I will probably try that next time.

By the way, this is a great lesson in math & liquid measurement for all you homeschoolers.

Try it & let me know what you think!

Recipe #1

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

• Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
• Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
• Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
• Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel)

2009 Congressional Agenda

Since Congress obviously has this financial crisis well in hand, let's move on to other important issues. We all know that in their capable hands, we will have a budget surplus in no time.
Therefore, as a taxpayer, I feel it is my duty to set their agenda for the next year. They've been working so hard, I figure they could use the help.

1. Appoint Oprah Winfrey as Secretary of State. Oprah obviously knows everything about everything, and already has most of America under her power. Were she to take her show on the road (so to speak), America would achieve world dominance in record time. Besides, Hillary needs to stay home & keep an eye on Bill.

2. Establish an IRS task force to investigate flying Wal-Mart sacks. Every time the wind blows, they are everywhere-an airborne menace. This is just a way for Wal-Mart to get free advertising without paying tax.

3. Immediately ban the sale of so-called 'Athlete's Foot' remedies. The name implies that only athletes can use the product. This is discrimination against non-athletic Americans.

4. All school children must be imprinted with bar codes. These can be used in conjunction with metal detectors at the school, which will be linked to a federal database. This will make public school funding faster and more efficient.

5. Appoint Bernie Madoff sole trustee in charge of distributing money from the bailout package.

6. Issue butterfly nets to all American citizens. These nets can be used to catch carbon emissions, which will then be sent to Al Gore to be recycled into toilet paper.

7. Establish the American Auto Manufacturer's CEO Vacation Fund. These hard working individuals have sacrificed their private jets, so this would help them to maintain their standard of living. It would be funded by the unemployment benefits of furloughed workers.

8. All commercial and household use of ice should be strictly prohibited. All available ice will be taken to repair the polar ice caps.

9. Food that will be consumed by the American public should first be sent through a Chinese processing facility. This will ensure that our food supply contains the level of melamine recommended by the FDA.

10. In addition, all American toy manufacturers must complete a course of instruction produced by the Chinese government on how to lower production costs through the use of lead.

After these suggestions are implemented (by next week, at the latest), Congress will be free to take a taxpayer funded vacation for the rest of the year.

Gideonese, Lesson 2 (Phrases & Sentences)

And now, for Lesson 2 in Gideonese, phrases and sentences. These are sure to impress your friends and cause gross mental confusion.

Most Agobiness
Translation-"Almost Godliness", from a line in Ratatouille.
No way, Hose B
Translation-"No way, Jose" (that one makes me giggle)
They'll all be crying in their sockies!
Translation-"They'll be crying in their sake", from a line in M*A*S*H.
Expect your others!
Translation-"Respect your elders."

I thought I should make a record of these things, because Gideon is beginning to assimilate into complete American English. I must say I'm a bit saddened by this. I can only hope that Gideonese doesn't suffer the same fate as Latin, Aramaic & the U.S. Constitution. But I digress....

In other kid news:
During history last week, I noticed Hannah flattening a piece of paper to the mattress. (Yes, we were having history in bed, under the warm blankets.) When I inquired, she showed me the paper. It was a dry cleaner's tag that read "Hand Press Only". History was temporarily suspended while the teacher regained composure.
I must tell you that Hannah gave me permission to share that little episode.

Kid Quotes 5

Scene: Hannah is reading ingredients for maple syrup from a cookbook.

Mom-"Wouldn't it be easier to go buy syrup?"

Hannah-"You have to learn to make things on your own. That way you don't have to depend on the economy."

Mom-"Did you hear that from us or TV?"

Hannah-"News. They show a lot of crazy things while you're waiting for the weather."



Scene: Gabriel is getting ready for basketball practice.

Mom-"Are you excited about basketball?"

Gabriel-"Duh. I got mad skills."



Scene: Samuel is in Dad's lap, inspecting him for some kind of imaginary job.

Samuel-"No dirt, moustache, not too much bald spot, unibrow. You're hired. I like you kind of people."



Scene: Family in the living room, watching TV. All is quiet.

Gideon-(shouting) "Can't you make those Christmas lights stop flashing?!? They're driving me nuts!"

Kid Quotes 4

Hannah-"I can't remember all these stinkin' Caesars. I'm just gonna call them the Salad Family."

(Mom walks into the room to tuck Samuel into bed. The blankets are arranged into a rounded structure with walls.)
Mom-"What is that, a nest?"
Samuel-"No, it's my fortress."
Mom-"Oh, ok. Do you really need a fortress for sleeping?"
Samuel-"It's my fortress of solitude."

(With Christmas approaching, Gabriel is trying to learn to wrap his own gifts. Wrapping them is not a problem. Making the packages look like the ones on TV is a constant source of frustration.)
Gabriel-"I can't get this right! The stupid tape keeps getting messed up!"
Mom-"Keep trying. Here-I'll fix the tape for you."
Gabriel-(sigh) "Can't you wrap a Christmas present without all this chaos?"

Dad-"Is forklift one word or two?"
Mom-"One."
Gideon-"Where did it go?"
Mom-"Where did what go?"
Gideon-"His fork. When it left, where did it go?"

12/8/77-10/26/05

Strange how living with a volcano can force you to walk on eggshells.
I wish so many things now, but most of all, I wish I had understood in time. In reality, I gained my understanding too late-in a letter.
What we really needed, I think, was the bomb squad. There was so much inside-so much pain and anger-with no pressure valve. I know that scared you. It scared me too. What would have happened if you had opened up? Could it be contained? Would it be worth the risk of injury?
Such a fragile situation. Sometimes it seems better to keep the cap on it in the effort to keep everything contained. Stay calm and detached. Self medicate until you can't feel anymore, and most of all, don't let anything push you too far.
Unfortunately, the volcano can't stand the pressure forever. Even when the volcano implodes on itself, there is collateral damage.
I am so sorry, baby brother, that I understood too late. I'm sorry I couldn't make the pain go away. I would've taken it for you if I could. I'm sorry that all the things I knew to do weren't what you needed. Most of all, I'm sorry you're not here.
I love you, and I will miss you forever.

12/8/77-10/26/05

I'm Not Who I Was by Brandon Heath

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was
I used to be mad at you
A little on the hurt side too
But I'm not who I was

I found my way around
To forgiving you
Some time ago
But I never got to tell you so

I found us in a photograph
I saw me and I had to laugh
You know, I'm not who I was
You were there, you were right above me
And I wonder if you ever loved me
Just for who I was

When the pain came back again
Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do
To keep myself from blaming you

I reckon it's a funny thing
I figured out I can sing
Now I'm not who I was
I write about love and such
Maybe 'cause I want it so much
I'm not who I was

I was thinking maybe I
I should let you know
I am not the same
But I never did forget your name
Hello

Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was

Meineke and the Cheese Brain

Since I don't play video games, the boys really like for me to watch them play. This is a great source of entertainment around here. Such was the case this evening. The littles had gone to bed, Hannah was on the computer, and Samuel wanted me to watch him play Star Wars.
He was showing me all the different characters, especially the creepy robot one that I don't really like.
Sam-"Watch how he runs. He's fast. Thunk, thunk, thunk."
Mom-"He has a hard time stopping, doesn't he? He keeps running into things."
Sam-"Yeah, he really needs Meineke."

Gideon has a cheese brain. He has explained this to me in great detail. He has a God brain, and that's the one that tells him to do good things. And then there's the cheese brain. The cheese brain is the part that tries to get him to do bad things. The devil has something to do with this cheesy process, apparently.
So when he does something wrong, he will invariably smack himself in the forehead & say, "There goes my cheese brain again!"

GET OFF THE TRACK! THE TRAIN IS COMING!

What would you do if someone were standing on the train track, and a train was coming? Yeah, me too. But what if the person refused to move? What if they were determined to stand there on the tracks, the train bearing down on them? Maybe you would grab them and try to move them physically. But you can't. You can only stand and watch in horror as the inevitable happens.
Such is the way of addiction.
Once addiction has taken hold of a person, there is a lot of waiting and watching. It is excruciating. You can counsel, urge, cajole, threaten, give ultimatums and offer all manner of rewards. You can even physically force a person into rehab facilities. But ultimately, you have no control. The person in the grip of the addiction must choose if their life is worth saving.
Once you have surrendered control, you often wonder what it will take for the person to make a decision. When will it happen? What will that situation be like? Will they be thinking clearly at that moment, or will they even survive?
While you are waiting for this moment of truth, what do you do? Do you pretend that everything is fine, so that they feel loved? Do you try to make them as uncomfortable as possible until they choose treatment? Do you ignore them completely because it is easier?
I do not have the answers to these questions. One thing I know: only treatment or death awaits the addict. There are no other choices.
Of Satan's many snares, this is the one that baffles me most. Even when it doesn't live in your house, addiction has long arms that can hurt those who are far away.

Home, Sweet Home

Here are some pictures of the new outside home for Squirtle, Samuel's turtle.
Squirtle is a red-eared slider that Samuel has raised from a baby. He was a little larger than a silver dollar when we brought him home. He is now as big as a dinner plate, and is overdue for the move to the great outdoors.
So, for my birthday, we created this outdoor "habitat" for Squirtle. "Habitat" is what you call your pet's space when your house is actually a zoo. If we start adopting larger animals, we will need to start calling them "enclosures".
Now he has lots of room to swim around and places for sitting in the sun. He's gone all native on us, only coming out to eat. He heads for the safety of the water when anyone is around. He's acting like..................a turtle. And that's just fine with us.

Kid Quotes 3

While watching Dancing with the Stars.....
Hannah: "He's the mambo king. Living in his mambo world. Where they eat mambojalaya."

Mom: "Here. Try these on."
Samuel: "I don't want them!"
Mom: "They're Levis!"
Samuel: "I don't care who Levi is! He can keep his pants!"

More Dancing with the Stars. The 'Baby Got Back' number.
Gabriel: "Now that's just plain sick!"

At bedtime....
Mom: "Your bed looks nice."
Gideon: "Yes. Be very careful. I put a lot of effort into this."

Kid Quotes 2

Gary, this first one is for you. :)

Hannah-"When we ask God to forgive us, does He really?"
Mom-"Yeah, 'cause that's how He rolls."
Hannah-"In the 8-1-Heaven."

Mom-"You're all in trouble, and you're all grounded."
Gabriel-"I didn't make a bad choice! I'm not in trouble!"
Samuel-"You weren't even there, because you're already grounded!"
Gabriel-"I know."

Dentist-"I'll let you play with the puzzles, and long as you don't fight. You don't ever fight, do you?"
Gabriel-"Sometimes we do. It's kind of our thing."

Mom-"You're inside already? I thought you wanted to play outside."
Gideon-"I decided to come in. Know why?"
Mom-"Why?"
Gideon-"I'm having a little bit of a bad day. People keep being mean to me. I think we both need a nap."

Squeezing Washington, Part 1

Since I can't load pictures right now (grrrr), I thought I would start a series on how to save some cash. Everyone can use that, right?
My Daddy says about my Mom that she could squeeze a dollar so much that Washington's eyes would pop out. Let's see if we can do it too.
Let's start with the gas for your car. It always helps to cut that cost a little.
I actually started thinking about this after watching a NASCAR race. I figured if they were racing 190 mph, and can save enough gas to avoid a pit stop and finish the race, why can't I do that? And what do you know, there is actually a name for it. It's called hyper-miling.
We can't control the gas prices, but we can control the way we drive. And hyper-miling is all about science-using inertia, gravity and centrifugal force to your advantage. As an added bonus for home school families, it can be turned into a cool science lesson.
Since highway miles are at a nearly constant speed, these tips won't help much on the highway. Driving in town, it's like gold.
Your car uses the most fuel going up through the gear box-especially taking off from a complete stop. My friends, you must be gentle with the accelerator. As un-cool as this is, it will save you some cash.
Next is the law of inertia. Once the vehicle is moving at your required speed, take your foot of the throttle. See how long you can coast without losing speed. It may surprise you.
Now for gravity. Most places are not completely flat (isn't God good to us?). Even a slight change in elevation can help you pick up speed without using the gas pedal.
Centrifugal force can be used in curves to pick up speed as well. You have to use some common sense here. The idea is to save gas, not to throw people and objects across the roadway.
Another cool science tidbit-applying the brake pedal causes friction, which will reduce the force of inertia on your vehicle. Don't use the brakes needlessly, but by all means, use them when necessary.
If you have a gauge that shows your mileage in real-time, this is helpful in hyper-miling. However, if you spend all your time looking at the gauge, you will have more problems than just gas mileage.
I have increased my average gas mileage by at least 5 mpg. Not a lot, but I'm still working on it, and every little bit helps.
Locals-see if you can beat me. Turn from Granbury onto Wardville. Get to 30 mph before Pizza Hut. I can coast at 30 all the way to Main St. If you can catch the green light, maybe you can go farther! Let me know.

In Defense of Freaks, Part 2

The last time I addressed this subject, I came to the defense of Jesus Freaks. This time, I am defending another type of freak-the home school family.
Last night, my daughter had her first debate about home schooling. I must say, she conducted herself admirably. Honestly, this exchange bothered me more than it bothered her. Mainly because I thought we were past all this. It seems that the only anti-home school holdouts are the NEA. Of course, home schools are a threat to their livelihood. They have reason to fear. Home schooling is growing at a national average of about 10%.
Here's the gist of the conversation:

Friend-"Why are you home schooled? Public school is so much better!"
Hannah-"What's better about it?"
Friend-"Home schoolers don't have any friends." (This is Hannah's friend speaking. Duh.)
Hannah-"I have a lot of friends."
Friend-"Home schoolers aren't socialized." (I wonder where she heard this?)
Hannah-"I go to a fine arts school with lots of kids." (Over 500)
Friend-"I've already learned 3 notes in band."
Hannah-"I'm trying out for Honor Band next semester." (Hannah's band class meets for band for 2 hours, once a week. Public school band meets every day.)
Friend-"We're going on a field trip to Bass Hall next week."
Hannah-"We went twice last week."
Friend-"Home schoolers don't have as many activities."
Hannah-"I have church stuff, band, drama, horse riding lessons and I'm in Honor Choir."

Note that I am not condemning anyone for their family's educational choice. I am defending the choice of our family to home school.
The tired argument that home schoolers aren't socialized is just insane. The only "socialization" that my kids are missing is the kind I don't want them to have. Not just the bullying and mean-spirited behavior that I remember from institutionalized school, but being exposed to adult subject matter at an early age.
Another matter is the worldly outlook that public schools are forced to observe. Refusal to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution, reluctance to teach purity until marriage, acceptance of alternative lifestyles, etc., etc., etc.
I am in no way blaming school employees for this state of affairs. It is the system that I believe is broken. Government education, just like any other government program, has grown into a beast that feeds on itself. If it were shut down tomorrow, it would devastate our economy. Public education is big business. A majority of property tax goes to public schools, and yet it never seems to be enough. A home school family can provide an excellent education for a fraction of the cost. What is wrong here?
I know very few "bad" teachers or administrators. They are working in a system that has been mismanaged terribly. It has become very much about test scores and preparing adults that will support the economy. The joy of learning is no longer encouraged in teacher or student. The celebration of an inquisitive nature is quickly sacrificed in the noble quest for conformity.
No one knows children like their parents do. No one loves, nor has the vested interest that we have in our children. We know their strengths and weaknesses. A teacher with 20 students does not have time to understand my child that well, nor would I expect them to.
I can tutor them at their own pace. I can let them soar in their strengths and support them in their weaknesses. "No child gets left behind." We have a more flexible schedule, we are able to take advantage of "teachable moments", we can decide to go the science museum in the middle of the day while we're learning about dinosaurs! I could go on and on. The benefits of home schooling are limitless.
It has been said, "Public schools need Christian kids." Maybe so, but I am not willing to sacrifice my children on the altar of a system that is no longer functioning properly.

Kid Quotes

Hannah-"OK, we're going to have to evacuate. I think Arkansas will be far enough."

Mom-"Alright, you're getting an extra chore for that."
Samuel-"That's it! I'm giving you guys a horrible mention!" (That is the opposite of an honorable mention.)

Mom-"Now what does the red light mean?"
Gabriel-"Stop."
Mom-"What about the green light?"
Gabriel-"Go."
Mom-"Do you know what the yellow light means?"
Gabriel-"That means you stop for gas & tires."

Gideon-"I think I'm going to be an Army man when I grow up."
Mom-"That's a brave job."
Gideon-"I'm going to try to defend our country."
Hannah-"You're going to be an Army man?"
Gideon-"Yes, I'm going to try to protect our country. Now just be quiet about it."

Pictures from The Promise

Here is Jesus' birth. Brittany is up top on the left. Her brunette twin, Leigh, is on the right. Gabriel is in the middle, but I don't know his name in real life. Hannah Midkiff is opening the door on the left!
Little Yeshua (Aaron). He did a wonderful job!
Jesus on the left, John the Baptist on the right. I told Jesus after the show that we were best friends, so he should know who I am. He said, "I remember talking to you earlier today. You pray a lot." :)
Jesus getting baptized. Yes, they have a river. Awesome!
This is Satan (Blare), sitting in a tree, watching Jesus & eating an apple. I thought this turned out less fuzzy. Sorry Blare.
This is Satan. I can't remember what scene this is (help?). Obviously, something bad was happening, or he wouldn't have been there.
The last supper. There's a really beautiful song in this scene.
Jesus before Pilate. Did I mention there are live animals in this show? Roman soldiers on horses, a camel, sheep, doves, donkeys (that sometimes bite). Awesome!
The crucifixion. Satan is hanging out on the steps in front, all creepy. Blake is the thief on the right, I think.
Resurrection! Jesus banished Satan in this scene, and everyone cheered.
And there He goes, up into Heaven! Sorry about the blurriness. He was flying.
Curtain call! Giving it all back to God.
David-cutest drummer boy in town.
Benjamin-always smiling. A great actor, and an excellent scribe.
Brittany-told you she was an angel. :)
Debra-Mama of the clan, and an excellent singer.
Aaron-Little Yeshua. He did a great job!
Hannah Beth-always so happy, and a great dancer. Actually, she's good at everything.
My kids with Satan? A little creepy. Actually, Blare is just about the nicest guy ever.
Caleb-also a talented Midkiff. A great young actor-maybe Billy next year?
Satan & an angel.........hmmm. Two of the most talented people I know, but most importantly, they love God.
One thing I noticed last night was that during the beginning of the show, there was a lot of clapping. But as the show went along, there was less of that. The audience was so involved in the story that they weren't thinking about the actors anymore. Mission accomplished.
The story of Jesus is like that. The only Son of God, willing to leave Heaven and become a man, suffering so incredibly in death, and finally being raised by the power of God. Just so that we could be with Him forever. What an amazing story.

The Promise!!!

Here we are, waiting for the show to begin...........
We went to see The Promise last night. If you've never seen it, it is hands down the most amazing show I have ever seen. This is our second year to see it, and it gets better every year. Our good friends, Blare McClure, who plays Satan, and Brittany Coddington, who is an angel (on stage and in real life), invited us.
We also have another group of friends in the production-the Midkiff family. Debra (singer & towns person), Hannah (singer, angel & dancer), Aaron (little Yeshua), Caleb (singer & towns person), Ben (king's assistant) and little David (drummer boy). Brittany's brother, Blake, was also in the show (and did an amazing job). He was Lazarus and a thief on the cross.
The show was AMAZING! I cried. I cried before the show, when they had a tribute to the military. I cried when Jesus showed up, I cried every time Jesus did something cool (which happens quite a bit), the resurrection, everything. I also booed Satan. Heehee. Anyway.........
The Promise is the story of the life of Jesus. It follows the Biblical account very well, beginning with the prophets that foretold the coming of Jesus, and ending with His ascension into Heaven. Visually, it is stunning. The acting, singing, and dancing are all outstanding. As for the story, well, you can't go wrong with good material. :)
We have already decided to audition as a family next summer. If you have a gift for performing, I can't think of a better way to use them for God's glory than this show.
I'm going to post more pictures in a separate blog. You can also see pictures from last year's performance on their website.