Family Snapshots

After a most incredible Christmas surprise, the big day finally arrived last weekend. My three girls, my mom and I went to see Wicked, and oh - what a day it was!

We had a wonderful brunch at the Strawberry Street Cafe and then went on to see the show.

Not much good blogging fodder, truth be told; the following content is simply photos of my family, having fun.

It was a wonderful day; the show is incredible. No matter who you are, whether or not you like musical theatre, if you love or hate going to shows - you need to see this musical. Go with The Wizard of Oz in mind, because Wicked gives you the backstory. It is clever, imaginative, emotional, powerful, touching and very, very well-told.

The music is brilliant. The sets are astounding.

Here's some pictures of my family.

Have a great weekend!

Mom and I. Don't ask why I look so astounded. I'm not sure what was going on.

Sarah, looking absolutely gorgeous, as usual...

Shannon, looking absolutely gorgeous, as usual...

Sydni, looking absolutely gorgeous, as usual...

At the cafe. No photo of Sarah, as she's the one always taking the pictures...making us look absolutely gorgeous. As usual...

Wicked Excited

I want to write a blog post; I have so much swirling inside of me right now that needs to be released!

But maybe that's just the pizza I ate. (Time for a confession - the "new" Dominos is good. Too good. I ate four pieces. It is disturbing to realize that I ate, basically, half a pizza.)

Lord, help me. It's nervous energy.

Anyway, I want to write all about Wicked, because we saw it today and oh my oh my oh my. What an incredible experience - what a story. I knew all of the music but I have never seen the show, and so all the blanks were filled in and I was stunned at how it unfolded. I found it an incredibly spiritual experience - there was this rich undercurrent of redemption and grace and temptation and greed and good gone bad and forgiveness....it was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. The story stands on its own, but the sets and costumes and effects were unbelievable. I cried, more than once.

I would love to go see this show again, on this current run, just to soak it all up again. I just might do that, if $100 drops out of the sky.

I went with my mom and my girls - it was a Christmas gift - and we had a great lunch and enjoyed the show immensely.

And the rest of what is swirling around inside of me (with the pizza) is the undeniable fact that tomorrow morning our church will worship - for the first time - in our own space. We'll be in a building in which we have invested blood, sweat, tears, prayers and financial resources. It is far from perfect but it it gloriously ready for us, and tomorrow we are going to fill it with people and give credit where it is due - "Not to us, but to YOUR name be the glory..."

I can't wrap my brain around it yet. If services tomorrow are anything like rehearsal last night, I'm likely to fall over. Or stomp my foot through the platform. It was just amazing.

I love my church, the people in it, and the God who created us and loves us - oh, how he loves us.

PCC. 4480 Anderson Highway. 9:30 and 11:00 AM Sunday.

It's going to be a great day.