"Brick by brick, heart by heart."

Well, that's it! The Academy Theatre's Godspell has closed! I'm sure the rest of the cast will agree with me when I say that it wasn't easy to get to that finished product, but it sure was worth it!

I feel a little more emptiness inside than I usually feel after a show. Usually, I'm just like "Gah, I miss the show and I miss the cast!" However, this time, it's a little different. I'm still experiencing that old feeling, but on a deeper, more intimate level. I'm truly going to miss this cast! If you think that we spent the past two months working on a show, you're mistaken. We spent these past two months building "a city of man."

Being in Jesus in Godspell was, as many of you know, was my dream role. When I found out that I got the part, I quite literally danced for joy! But as tech week snuck up on us, God did something magnificent. He answered my prayer, "As I portray You onstage, let me be more like You offstage as well." It was not, however, in a way I expected. He showed me the greatest commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and all that prophets have written is based on these first two." I was expecting a huge revelation and a deep hidden truth that was mind-blowing. He instead showed me a simple, easy, commonplace truth (or so immediately thought). By doing such a simple act as loving my neighbor, I'm becoming more and more like Jesus and that is not commonplace. Often times, we complicate Christianity, and while I don't feel that it should be simplified either, we forget the first and simple truths that God calls us to live our lives by. The Bible says that we love because he first loved us. If He can love us, knowing that we are sinners, we can surely love our fellow man. With these simple words from the Messiah, we can accomplish great things for the kingdom of Heaven. For if we allow ourselves to become extensions of Christ's everlasting outstretched arms to touch one heart, we've helped build a beautiful city for the sake of the Father.

That being said, I'm going to go out and change the world. How? I'll tell you; "Brick by brick, heart by heart."

The incredible cast of Godspell :)

"Flowers of Thy Heart, O God, are they..."

A few weeks ago, I  found out that I received the role of my dreams: Jesus from Godspell! This was huge! It's my favorite musical and I have wanted to play Jesus from this show for a very long time. At 1:00AM, I danced and leapt for joy (there is evidence on video which will not be disclosed to the public at this time). It was definitely one of the highlights of my life!

Every time I would tell people that I hoped to one day play Jesus in Godspell, they'd say "Why? That would be so hard, portraying a perfect person." While I definitely agree that it has been exceedingly difficult, my prayer, from Day 1, as been this: "Lord, as I'm working hard to portray You onstage, help me to be more like You offstage." I'm excited to see what God does in the rest of this journey!

In my opinion, the role of Jesus is the ultimate challenge. Not only in the sense of portraying a person who had no faults, but also a constant being that has the power to save lives. As the show approaches, I will begin to pray that He would send struggling, hurting people to see Godspell and that it would be a life-changing production. I realize the huge responsibility that has been placed on my shoulders and I can assure you all that I will put my very best into this and nothing less!

I hope you all come see Godspell, as it is going to be fantastic! I'm really looking forward to this incredible opportunity!

*hint hint* :)

"...I have talked face to face with what I reverence..."

Last week, I entered my home and saw that my family was watching some of our past Christian Family Theatre (CFT) productions. I immediately joined them and began to reminisce. As the shows progressed, I remembered the many laughs, tears, and hard work that was put into each production. I began to smile as I recalled the many rehearsals and the long hours required to make our finished product possible. But it wasn't those things that stood out the most. Only one thing, and that one thing alone, that struck me with sadness and fear.

The fact that performing with these heaven-sent people isn't guaranteed anymore.

I knew I wouldn't ever get to be excited about giant cardboard "stones" with my mother/now sister Amanda "Meena" Bowen again. I knew I would never again have a white child with blond hair and blue eyes with Jennifer Reece. I knew I'd never again beat David Harrell with a sponge rock (my apologies for the wound, buddy). I knew that I would never get to clean up Luke Haynes' stage blood that he shot out of his mouth again (the look of sheer terror on my face was real, although I did want to laugh for some reason). I knew I wouldn't ever get to tease Jordan Maldonado about not having any valentines, while I had a plethora of paper heart cards. I knew I wouldn't get to poke fun at Hosanna Brown being an old woman again. I knew I wouldn't get to ride magnificently to Camelot as a knight of the round table with Brandon Cohen.

I knew all of those things already. But I somehow missed the part where acting with these professionals wouldn't always be possible. I'd gotten so used to the routine of CFT that I'd forgotten the fact that this adventure would end. I wasn't prepared for that...

I will miss that privilege greatly. It's been a blast being with every single actor in CFT over the past 5 years! To my family, both nuclear and extended, you've always been my biggest fans, so thank you very very much for that! To all the CFT seniors, each of you have played a special and significant role in building me into the person I am today and I'm so very grateful for each of you. To the beloved CFT staff, my words alone are completely inadequate to describe my love for all of you. You've all touched my heart in such a grand way, I'll never be able to completely thank you, but I'll do my best! To my CFT friends that I'm leaving behind, I'll miss you all so much. Shout outs to Keanu Biedrzycki, Nathanael Curtis, Sean Hackaday, Nathon Burwick, Mae and Mackenzie Goss, Moriah Bostick, Kim Payne, Andy Harrell, Kaleigh Farmer, Maddi Fleeman, Kristen Cowart, and Janna Reece. You're all fantastic!

I look forward to seeing future CFT productions and I'm so glad to have been a part of God's ministry! This time in CFT has confirmed my passions and pointed me in the right direction! Thank you all for being a part of the best part of my life and while I may never act with you again, I'm so glad that I'll continue to do life with all of you. I love all of you!

Thank you for being a part of my great big family :)