bluebirduncaged Tuesdays Unwrapped

Tuesdays Unwrapped: two

People

People. I'm thankful for them. 

I think we forget about them sometimes. 

More and more I'm realizing that the task is secondary. It's the people the task brings across your path that are important. 

May we take the time to stop and realize that. May we not forget that every interaction is a divine appointment and every relationship is strategic as our stories intersect. May we be brave enough to speak words of encouragement. And may we seek opportunities to invest in others even though it may be more tiring to socialize than dance two shows in one day. 

And if you're in my life, thank you for being you.

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bluebirduncaged Ballet, Tuesdays Unwrapped

Tuesdays Unwrapped: one

Fox theatre

Today, we started tech week. I love this season. I love Nutcracker. I love this theatre. And I'm going to soak up every second; the long rehearsal hours, the special bonds of friendship that come with sharing a production experience, finding a buddy to walk to the car with, the homeless men, between show walks to get lunch, the wind tunnel on Ponce, merde gifts and secret santa, the way Gabe comes around to collect valuables, the smell of aerosol hairspray, sign in sheets with your name spelled wrong, treats in the wig room, "cavalry to the stage for a pre-show fitting" calls, varying orchestra tempi,… I'm thankful for this experience. And though it may become like a routine this month, I don't want to approach it on autopilot. Remind me to be present.
As we go through our Christmas traditions and our schedules pick up the pace, may we take the time to be present and unwrap the mystery, magic, and majesty of the moments before us. May we not get so caught up in the how that we forget the why. And may His grace propel our hearts to love with gratitude and patience even when we don't feel like it. 
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bluebirduncaged Ballet

Nutcracker 2012

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It's Nutcracker time again!! One of my favorite seasons full of magical whimsy and imagination. This year I will be performing with the Atlanta Ballet in all shows EXCEPT Saturday 12/8 & 22 @ 7:30, Thursday 12/12 @ 7:30 and Sunday 12/16 @ 2. 

Go to this link for tickets. But before you make your purchase join my email list on the sidebar for a special discount code! 

Let me know which one you end up coming to and I'll tell you which role to look for.:-) So excited to share the Nutcracker magic once again.

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bluebirduncaged Uncategorized

Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Photo: Ballet Zaida

May you enjoy today's yumminess surrounded by ones you love and who love you back. May He give you the strength to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as you encourage each other in humility. And may our hearts be filled with gratitude as we prepare for the busy season ahead. 

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” ~Revelation 7:12 

bluebirduncaged for artists, Something to think about

Something to think about

"To 'make it new.' The 'it' is the truth of the world. A work of art doesn't invent truth, but it does make it accessible to us in ways that are not normally available because words and images have been tarnished by overuse or neglect" ~Ezra Pound

How can we use our art to present age old truths in new ways? Is it possible for art to present the truth more clearly than words are capable? Does this inspire you to push for more creativity and innovation?

bluebirduncaged 31 days, Something to think about

31 days: extraordinary

Well, I actually did it…I posted every single day for a whole month. It feels good. At first I wondered how I write about being present every day but now I’m wondering if I want to stop. I feel like there’s still so much to learn about being present and living in the moment. It’s ok. This is just the beginning–I’m excited to see where this new mindset leads.

Before we give this subject a rest for a while, here’s a little something to think about.

“The presence of Jesus in the daily minute has the potential to cause everything we do to be supernatural. If what you are called to feels less than extraordinary, there is a tendency to think, Well, the Lord has big plans for me later. And you wait patiently until He decides to reveal that master plan. But what if His plan for you is right where you are? Are you missing it because you are looking for something more extraordinary?”  ~Emily Freeman, Graceful

Now go be present in your extraordinary life!! 

This is part of 31 days (of being present). Join the other 31 day-ers here. What have you learned this month? I'd love to hear. 

bluebirduncaged 31 days

31 days: listen

My good friend, Ellen, had a be present moment recently. Ellen is a receptionist for a chiropractor. Earlier this week, I shared with her and a few friends about my 31 day journey of being present. She was at work and wanted to remind herself to be present so she decided to write it on her arm. As she was doing so, her boss came up and started saying something about baseball. “Whatcha writing there?” he asked as she was only half listening. Boom. Caught. Nothing quite like a literal reminder there.  

A huge part of being present is taking the time to really listen. No distractions, full attention on the words coming out of the other person’s mouth. Often, I’m guilty of multi-tasking while talking to someone. I really need to stop and just listen. It’s disrespectful, they don’t feel valued and neither task gets my full attention. Fully engaged listening is part of being present. May we slow down enough to realize it’s importance.

This is part of 31 days (of being present). Join the other 31 day-ers here.

bluebirduncaged 31 days

31 days: eternity

"For the present is the point at which time touches eternity."

                                                        — C.S. Lewis

Wow. Soak that in for a second. Makes sense. Doesn’t it? 

But do we live like that? I don’t think we always realize that our present moment has eternal impact. What we do now–the choices we make, the words we speak (or choose not to), the way we spend our money, the interaction we have with our friends–has the potential to point others towards an eternity with Him or repel them from it. It sounds like a lot of pressure. And it would be, if it were up to us. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to guide and nudge us along the way. May He make us more conscious of eternity in the present moment. And may our hearts be softly open and courageously bold enough to act on His promptings. 

This is part of 31 days (of being present). Join the other 31 day-ers here.

bluebirduncaged 31 days

31 days: observations

Just something that occurred to me the other day…

If there were no time, there would be no reason to be present. If we weren’t limited by space, there would be no reason to be present.

As humans on earth, we’re stuck in space and time. Our souls are wrapped in this container of skin, bones, and guts. We can only occupy one space at any given moment in time. 

If I were a superhero, I would be able to be two places at once (or maybe even 3 would be nice).  

The only thing that separates us from history is time. We’re occupying the exact same space.  

The space you currently occupy at this point on the timeline, is the most important because it’s the only place you can be. Make sure you’re engaged, it will never happen again.   

This is part of 31 days (of being present). Join the other 31 day-ers here.