Paradosi News

2010-02-18T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Our year has gotten off to a great start! We were able to kick off our Christmas Ballet "Commissioned" this past December and the Lord was so faithful! We were blessed to present our program to numerous audiences and had a fantastic Christmas season.

It's a new year and we are currently working on preparing for auditions for the company as well as our East Coast Tour at the end of March.

Thanks for your continued support and interest in our ministry. I am officially picking back up our blogs and will faithfully write each Thursday letting you know what's the latest. Thanks for sticking with us!

In Him,
Tennille

We made it!

2009-11-02T08:15:00.001-08:00

We are packing up and heading out of Red Bluff, CA. Our last day was wonderful, with many opportunities to share His love. We were so incredibly blessed by our sponsors and host families and are so thankful they opened their homes and their lives to us. God you are so good to us.

10 days, 10 programs. We were extended and stretched almost to capacity and the Lord was so faithful to provide all that we needed along the way. I love how He not only gives us the strength we need but brings people along the way to encourage and uplift us. That is what has blessed me the most about this trip, is the people and the relationships.

We begin our drive at 9am this morning and drive for 10 hours. We will be praying for the people we met, the needs we encountered and the lives the Lord laid in our paths.

Jesus we thank you for our amazing trip, we thank you for every encounter and every opportunity you gave us on this trip. We praise you for safe travel, for keeping the bus incident free and for providing the funds to pay for our gas. We bless your name for no injuries, healthy bodies and rest/sleep (although minimal, yet doubled by Your grace) But most importantly Father we thank You for loving us and giving us a reason to dance, to worship, to sing, because you died on the cross for each of us. How can we not worship You with all that we have? We love you Lord and praise Your almighty name!

In Him alone,

Tennille

Just keep swimming...

2009-11-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! We are currently relaxing at Starbuck's waiting for our second program in Red Bluff, CA. We had the opportunity to worship with Red Bluff Church of God this morning and were so blessed to spend the morning with them!

We are heading to our first outreach of the day at Brentwood Nursing Home and are excited to minister to the residents! We will then be traveling to Tahoma Estates this afternoon to spend time with the folks there and a last minute outreach has been put in place at the Juvenille Detention Center for this evening. A gentleman came to us this morning at requested we come to spend time with the kids sharing the love of Christ with them. 4 programs in one day will be our new record, but whatever opportunity the Lord presents we are game for. Please pray the Lord's strength will flow in abundance, we are relying on Him!!!

A funny thing happened after our program this morning, poor Audrey got stuck in the stall with an overflowing toilet, screaming her head off. We had quite the laugh, poor thing will be scarred forever, but it definitely brightened our day!

Thanks so much for your prayers! It's the last day of tour and we are going out with a bang!!!

Blessings,

Tennille

10-29

2009-10-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

It's not about the dance or the music, the costumes or the movement. It's all about Him.

10-29 is our new motto, if the Lord can work through us as He did on 10-29 in the most difficult situations He can work through anything.

We had an amazing night at Higher Vision Church in Castaic, CA. The stage wasn't easy, we actually had to reset our whole program in 3 hours, but the Lord was faithful! Our motto and prayer for the entire evening was "Lord let them see You and not us" and they did. 30 salvations, over 20 people came forward for prayer and to "surrender" things they are holding onto. It was a blessed evening. Thank you Lord for using us in such a significant way.

We are currently at the home of a lovely friend from the past, Sarah Branaman. One of my trainees from Ballet Magnificat over 7 years ago. We have been spending time with her students in her school, taking class with them and worshipping with them in Creative Worship class this morning. We have been relaxing at her home waiting for our program this evening at East Valley Church in Rocklin, CA.

A few more days and we head back to Puyallup! Please pray for us this Sunday, we have 3 programs in Red Bluff CA and then drive for 10 hours on Monday.

The Lord is good!

In Him,
Tennille

(approved by Sham)

The happiest place on earth~

2009-10-28T17:52:00.001-07:00

What a day at Disneyland! Audrey met Mary Poppins (perfect I know) and actually had conversation with her about ballet of all things :) My kiddos had a blast from hour one, pictures are coming soon! We spent 10 hours at Disney and California Adventure and loved every minute of it, it was a fabulous day!~

We were up bright and early this morning (I'm not lying 4 am!) for a double program at Hillcrest Christian School of A Walk with Paul, it was great to share with the kids in such a unique way, hearing the gospel in a way they've never heard before. We had a great response and I even overheard some girls asking if they could start a dance ministry class at the school. Praise God for the way He moves, I love it!~

We headed back to homestays for a long nap and are now preparing to eat some amazing lasagne at the Plyler home, we love Lori and Sim our sponsers! I am currently drooling and falling asleep, the time has come for this blog to end (thank you Sham).

Bless Y'all!~

Tennille

Driving, driving, driving...

2009-10-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a long day of driving but we have arrived to Anaheim! 8 hours in the bus and praise God we've finally made it. After our double performance yesterday we were ready for the rest but for some reason all the sitting and doing nothing makes you more tired... why is that?

We met Amanda's family, Sim and Lori and Ms. Maria for a great dinner at Buca de Bepo and are now retiring to our rooms across the street of Disney. It's going to be a great day tomorrow!!! What a great birthday for Audrey!

Blessings,

Tennille

Here we are!

2009-10-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Cai! After 2 days of traveling, we've made it to our first destination of Sacramento. The trip started off with a lovely snack at Grandma Barton's (Whittannie's Gma) of homemade soup and apple crisp and the evening finished with checking into a Garden Villa Inn in Southern Oregon. Saturday began with a 7 hour bus drive (with a couple stops of run around the bus 10x's for the kiddos) with opportunity around every corner. Some of the girls had an chance to share with a gentleman running a liquor store (where we stopped to plug our coffee pot in) and encouraged him in his faith. Our 10 minute stop gladly turned into 30! I wonder how many opportunities we miss every day when we don't consistently have the mindset of ministry? We arrived in Roseville, CA at the Risney home and was blessed to share a meal with them.
Sunday began bright and early at Resurrection Lutheran for our first program on the road of Project Grace. It's amazing the things the Lord teaches us in different scenerios, it's always different than you expect and the things we've learned so far is to not have any preconceived ideas about what it will be like, because He always surprises you. The congregation quietly watched, the first time they've had dance like this in their church and we heard they
were pleasantly surprised. The Lord shows us His faithfulness in so many ways and is consistent to be there every time, Oh we pray our hearts will be ready and willing to receive what He wants to teach us at any given moment. A sweet church with so many sweet families who took care of us so well. What a blessing!

Our afternoon next went to an outreach at The Palms retirement home down the road, we had such a lovely time with the residents there. They were so eager to hear about the Lord, we were so blessed by their hearts and their honest, open questions about our God. Asking about the cross and the joy we had on our faces and in our hearts. We were so eager to tell them and had many opportunities to pray and encourage them. It was a great day! Blooms coffee was next on the list where we had the chance to discuss the day and what the Lord accomplished through us. I love what we do. How awesome to be called into ministry at a time such as this.

Please pray for our next couple programs, the last thing we desire is to have it look anything like a performance, the word literally makes me cringe. It's nothing like a performance, it's worship. From the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet. The best question we had today was "Why do you sing when you dance? Is it to help you count the music or what?" and our answer really surprised her "No, it's because it's worship, it's all about worshipping the Lord, with everything we have". Genuine shock was on her face. I love it. :)

Boldness to share our faith in any way the Lord sees fit, whether it's on stage in front of 500 or holding the hand of an elderly woman who feels she's been forgotten. We pray for boldness to do and say exactly what He wants us to, whether we're uncomfortable or uneasy. He will direct and give us the words if we allow Him to take over. Isn't He great?

Ok, I'm being beckoned into the pool in a lovely home in El Derado Hills, the skyline to the left, a waterfall to the right and my family laughing and playing around me.

What a great day. What a great God.

Tomorrow is another day, please pray for traveling mercies!!
In Him,
Tennille

Prepping for California

2009-10-17T21:33:00.001-07:00

Here we go! It's been an insane month and a half as we've put together our most recent piece "Project Grace". What a whirlwind! This piece has been a battle to finish, and has been a roller coaster from day one, however through all the ups and downs the Lord reminded me where to place my trust. Him and Him alone.

Physically and mentally He has prepared each of us for this piece "Project Grace". This ballet is centered around the cross and tells a story with each song and how they are placed together, continuous from beginning to end, rips to the very core of who we are in Christ.

Nothing but the blood, Lead me to the cross, Inside out, Revelation Song, Hosanna, How He loves, I surrender all.

Reading the words to each song and placing them together paints the most beautiful picture. I love the creativity of our Savior.

To dance this piece is exhausting, overwhelming and beautiful all in one and we all have the bruises to show for it. We have ultimately come to the end of who we are and have found who we are in Him. The Lord has shown up as we've rehearsed this past week, I know He's always there but to have Him pour out His anointing and to feel His presence in such an awesome and tangible way that I have never felt before, has brought us to a new level. We have found ourselves not wanting to finish worshiping and on our faces before Him as the last song "I surrender all" is played.

I'm so in awe of what He's done with each of us, what can I say? Whenever I feel like moaning or complaining about the "work" that has to be done each day or the refining that needs to take place, I'm reminded of where I'm at. Do you find yourself thinking that way? How does God remind you each day or get your attention to pull you out of the mindset you find yourself in? When do you get to the end of you and the beginning of Him? He did it this week for me with the flu (of all things) got me to step back and reevaluate where I'm at. It's such a glorious thing, I have a new respect for the flu. If you don't enjoy the ride how disappointing would it be to get to the finish line and not remember the journey with all it's ups and downs. Remembering what He's shown me and taught me as I choreographed this piece brings depth not only to this ballet but to my life.

So as I get back to our trip to California, we are 6 days away from our first 10 day tour. I'm excited to see how the Lord has prepared us for ministry, prepared our hearts to seek relationship and conversation, prepared our minds to dig into His word deeper and more intentionally each day and prepared our "body", unifying us, tying us together in significant ways to uphold and encourage each other. We are on a mission. To share the love and passion Christ has for us in a way that touches people to the core of who they are, to stir up emotions and excitement about what our Father did for each of us at the cross.

He saw our faces, called out our names. Let us never forget.

Stay tuned for a tour update, please pray for safe travel and the spirit of the Lord to hover over us from day one.

He makes everything glorious,
Tennille

2009/2010 Season

2009-09-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

Our 2009/2010 Season has begun! It's going to be a fantastic year. We have a few new dancers with us this season, Alle from California and Rachel from Michigan. They have both proved to be assets this far so we're excited to see how they grow in the Lord and in the ministry this upcoming season.

Our summer was chalked full with summer camps at SSA. We had the privilege of ministering to over 75 kids this summer at our studio in Edgewood as well as at Cascade Christian Schools. The Lord worked in mighty ways uniting us all on a deeper level and showing us the importance of reaching out into the community and to these little ones who are so hungry to know more about Him. Our focus within our camps this summer was "The Fruit of the Spirit" and teaching our students why they are important and how to apply them to our daily lives. We sang the Fruit of the Spirit song (with hand movements, yes) for 5 weeks straight, oh my! :) We are already thinking about how to expand our camps for next summer!

We've been in the studio for just two weeks and have gotten a great jump start on our new piece "Project Grace". This worship session is God inspired, focusing on the cross and the grace the Lord bestows upon us daily. We are moved (literally) by each of these songs and are excited to bring our word for the year, "Authentic" to life within this piece. We want to be authentic in our worship we lay at the altar for Him. It's all for Jesus, it's all about Jesus and it's all pointing to Jesus. The minute we lose sight of that, we've failed. We choose to be authentic this year, not bringing less than 100% to our programs, not just physically but mentally, emotionally, spiritually. We choose to dig in and apply ourselves quickly. Sometimes in worship we all find ourselves not "feeling it" right away or just being lazy in digging into the Word. We have decided as a ministry that won't fly. As worshippers it is our obligation to offer nothing less than 100% and we are excited to see how the Lord will honor and bless that. Please be praying for us as we move forward in our word for the year.

Our year is shaping up nicely, a few tours here and there (which I'll update on later, I can't share all the good stuff right away otherwise you won't stay tuned!) and exciting things around every corner I'm sure, our God is an exciting God!

We have begun registration for classes at the school (Surrendered School of the Arts) and anticipate and praying for double the students where we finished off last year (84 is the exact number), please pray that these kids will pour in our door, we are ready to receive and eager to make an impact! We know the Lord is Faithful and will give us exactly what we can handle and ready for, so we're praying for abudance! Our partnership with Cascade Christian School continues this year as well, we have the wonderful opportunity to teach 10 classes at 3 campuses this year (ballet, hip hop, drama and pilates) and are so blessed to have this partnership, the Lord is so good!

That's all I have for an update for now, there are many many many things on our plate, we are relying on the Lord's voice and prompting to direct. I was told a few years back by a dear family friend when we were praying about the beginning of this ministry;

"Cling to, run after, and dig into the word of God. Rely on NOTHING but Him. When you don't know what to do or how to keep going sit and share with Him. He is your first, your last, your everything. He is the driving force of the ministry. You are not."

Isn't that the truth. Praise God! Whew.

Stay tuned, you won't be dissapointed, it will be a wild ride this year. BUCKLE UP!

Blessings,
Tennille

2009-04-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend celebrating Christ's triumphant victory over death, hell, and the grave. We were blessed to be a part of Puyallup Four Square's five church services this past weekend, dancing to "Jesus Paid It All" and "This Beautiful Place". It is such a priviledge to be used of the Lord as He ministers to His people. We also had great times of fellowship with a Saturday brunch and a Sunday Easter lunch. ( yummy!)
We are starting our second week in the studio since coming back from our wonderful spring break. It was nice to have a little breather before we start up our next few busy months. Yesterday marked the kickoff of Surrendered School of the Arts partnership with Cascade Christian Schools. We are offering an after school enrichment program for the elementary grades to share with and teach kids how to worship Jesus with the arts. As of now there are ballet, hip hop, and drama classes in place. I am excited to see what all the Lord has planned as He continues to open new doors of opportunity!
Our next few days in the studio we will be preparing for a program coming up this weekend. We will be dancing at a conference in Yakima ( I think I spelled that right). I think we are all excited to be busy doing what the Lord has called us here to do, minister through dance!
Also, thank you Lori Plyler, (Amanda's mom) for giving your time and energy to help work on new costumes. I am pretty sure they are our favorite ones yet!
TTFN,
Holly

2009-03-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

As I sit amongst piles of unpacked clothes, and disorganized articles, I pause for but a moment to consider how my thoughts so precisely parallel my unkempt surroundings. My mind, feverishly searching, finds it difficult to find just the right words...So I won't.

So these may not be "just the right words", but here's a snippet of what's going on:
Last Saturday we teamed up with a organization called The Dream Center. Every Saturday they serve a pancake breakfast, play games, and most importantly teach about the love of Jesus to kids in a mobile home community. The West family, from SSA, joined us as we talked, laughed, and played with the kids. Paradosi was able to do a couple of pieces from Worship Project, and also teach the kids a short dance. It seamed very well received, and I think we walked away feeling more impacted then we could have ever expected!

So back to those "unpacked clothes"... I'm zipping up my suitcase now and heading down to Louisiana to visit my sister! We're all looking forward to the next week off so we can come back rejuvenated and ready to start the busy season ahead!

Sunshine here I come!
~Sarah

My sidekick!

2009-03-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

As I consider my day to day life at home, at the studio and performing, I'm constantly aware of my mini me that is with me wherever I go. She's on my heels at home doing laundry or making dinner, she's at the studio with the company watching rehearsal, sitting in laps, sharing her toys, giving hugs and drawing pictures. And of course she's at our programs in the dressing room, helping us set up and watching us dance (she loves to sit in the very back on the floor in the center aisle so I can see her at all times). Of course I'm talking about Maeve, my 5 year old daughter, who is one of the lights of my life (along with her sister Taitum, 8 and her brother Samuel, 6). She's my sidekick, my mini me (my only child that looks like me!), she's sassy, witty and loves to snuggle. This is her last year with me in studio as she'll be starting school in the fall, so I'm constantly trying to soak up the moments I have with her. She is a joy and the thought of not having my last baby with me, attached to me at all times makes me a little ill to be honest with you!

So I started pondering the word "sidekick" (close friend, assistant, buddy etc.) it makes me think about my relationship with the Lord and the responsibility I have as a believer, a wife, a mother, a director and a dancer. I look at my 5 year old, looking up to me, shadowing me, believing in me and wanting to be near me at all times and it makes me think about what kind of a "sidekick" I am. It's our job to allow the Lord to be the Leader, the One out in front, the One who is in charge, the One making the decisions. However, do you often take the reigns after a while just as I do? I find myself letting Him get me started and then stepping out in front and now expecting Him to follow. Sounds like I need to learn a lesson from my little one...

Maeve asked me on the way home from a program this morning "Why do I have to listen to you and why are you in charge? I want to be in charge... I'm ready." I laughed at her and explained she's not ready to be in charge of her life yet because she's not old enough and hasn't experienced enough and doesn't know enough about how life works! The Lord revealed a lot to me on the way home... that He needs me to consistently maintain the position of "sidekick". I'm understanding and realizing I don't ever want to make any decision or step out without the Lord leading and being in charge at all times. I will never have enough experience or know enough to be better at running my life that He is. It is my job to trust and believe in the One who created me and know without a shadow of a doubt that He can do a way better job than I can. I want to keep Him in the driver's seat, I want to be the forever passenger, the sidekick who believes we're going to arrive to the destination He has for me, not the one I think is best for me and my life.

Hebrews 1: 1-3 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

I think about this passage and the fact that this God, the one who spoke to Moses and Abraham and David, wants control of my life and only expects me to have faith and believe in Who He is and what He's doing. It's overwhelming to me that the same God who did amazing things with their lives, has amazing plans for mine. I'm trying to lay all things down at the cross each day, down at the feet of my God, I know He will take my life and do what He sees as best, He's consistent and faithful and wonderful in all ways. I trust Him way more than I could ever trust myself. Praise Him for caring enough for me (and you) to want to be the driver of my life. What a glorious and majestic God we serve.

That's just a little snippet of what the Lord's been doing personally with me, I love the ways He teaches and encourages me. Oh just to be a little bit more like my Father.

Blessings,

Tennille

2009-03-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

"Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions."
-Gilbert K. Chesterton

A friend of mine recently texted me this quote, and it struck me. I've been thinking a lot on the subject of tolerance lately. Let's look at the definition. Tolerance: a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry. So from this definition we can conclude that a). tolerance is a good thing, and b). we, as human beings co-existing with one another, should strive to be tolerant toward all people. That sounds reasonable, right? I mean, we don't want to be closed-minded, do we?

Sadly, this is the mindset of many people today, including Christians. Just as the quote implies, tolerance is a clear indication of a serious lack of conviction in a person's life. Now I can just see you there, scratching your head, saying, "This girl is crazy! She's saying that if I just accept what others believe to be right, then I have no convictions! It's not like I believe it, I'm just not gonna shove MY beliefs down anyone's throats! There's nothing wrong with that, right??"

WRONG. Let's take a look at the Bible. In John 8:24 Jesus states, "Therefore I say to you...that if you do not believe that I am He [God], you will die in your sins." He goes on to say in John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Uh oh. Tsk tsk. It doesn't seem like Jesus is being too tolerant of what other people believe. Let me put it to you this way: to be tolerant of other's fallacious beliefs is comparable to watching them burn in Hell for eternity, and doing nothing! That does not sound like love to me.

Let me conclude my rant. The last few verses in Matthew instruct us to go into the world, make disciples of the nations, baptize people, and teach others to observe the things which Christ has commanded of us. This is our purpose in life! Many would define this verse as "shoving Jesus down people's throats." You know what? If it will pull their butts out of the flames of hellfire, I'm willing to be accused of that. Are you?

On to Paradosi news. We have added a new 3 minute piece to 'A Walk With Paul!' It is designed to more clearly portray Saul's persecution of the early Christians, which was a little overlooked before. We also have a few bookings for these coming Spring months, which we are all extremely excited about. Please continue to pray for our company as a whole, as Satan is desperately attempting to get his grimy claws into our unity. (Little does he know that we have legions of angels fighting on our side. Ha!) Also we would really appreciate your prayers for each of us personally, as many of us are struggling with injuries that only serve to frustrate the mind of a dancer.

The Lord is doing mighty things in Paradosi! We see His hand everywhere we turn. We don't deserve to be this blessed!

~Cara Mia

2009-02-22T20:50:00.001-08:00

So here we are, February 22. 2 weeks after the last post. This happened with me back in November when I was sewing costumes. Back then I had an excuse for being late. What's my excuse today? Nothing. No excuse. I simply just haven't taken the time to write one. So tonight I'm sitting here watching the Oscars, not feeling so well and just chillin on the couch so I figure I can take a few minutes to clue you in just a bit to what's been going on with us.

I'll just jump right in.......
We have been hit by every side with attacks. But we are still standing strong. We individually and as a group have decided to set our minds on things above. The Lord has been reminding me personally that I am an heir of Christ. And when you see yourself in that position, our earthly circumstances seem to take their place as far as what really matters. Now I have witnessed that it is a choice to think about that. Many days it is much easier to just get frustrated and throw up your hands. However, when you make the choice to think about things above, you'll get a new perspective on life. So anyway- I'll encourage you this week to think of spiritual things that bring life and peace.....not the carnal things that bring death. (Romans 8)

We have also been reading the Prayer of Jabez. We were all encouraged to expand our territories. It's neat to sit around and talk about what that looks like. For me, I've had a few opportunities to feed the homeless. There are a few men who have been outside my work in the past few weeks and I have been able to share dinner with them. For me that is huge. It is a complete 180. I was always too afraid to step out and talk to them. Now I find myself praying for them to be there so I can talk to them and share whatever dinner I brought. Interesting. When you ask God to expand your territory- you never know what that looks like. Ask the girls when you see them what it looks like for each of them. They all have a cool story. What's yours? Take a look at your past week- how has He challenged you? I'll encourage you this week to look for those opportunities. Listen to Him. He speaks. Are you in tune? That has become our daily prayer.

Lastly- I had the fun opportunity to share Jesus with 30 kids at my husband's Camp EDGE this week. It was a 3 day VBS type camp for kids during their mid-winter break. Many lives were touched and changed. It's so great to watch the kids singing and dancing and reciting their memory verse. And just as a side note- I love my husband. He's great.

Ok that's all.

-the Sham

Better Late than Never, Right?

2009-02-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

My deepest apologies to our faithful readers out there, who have been expectantly waiting for the next thrilling new post! Well, it's here, it's new, but I wouldn't call it thrilling! (hahaha)

So... the Company:
We are continually working on getting back into shape after our Christmas break (it takes us old folk longer than you might think) and we are in the process of re-working A Walk With Paul to be more "tour friendly". We were so spoiled with our wonderful extras we had for the premier!! (thanks guys!) Now, without most of them, we have to be creative with our characters! A new piece is being added to the persecution scene, to show more of how Saul was before his conversion. I think this addition will help in our portrayal of the awesome grace that the God had for Paul, and that He has for each of His children.
I pray each time we "perform" that when people see our attempt at this story, God's spirit would move in a mighty way. We don't dance to have a "warm and cuddly feeling". We want God's presence to move, work, and speak to the hearts of everyone watching in a powerful way.

On that note, I know that nearly everyone that reads this is praying for us on a regular basis, and I just want to say thank you. We need your prayers so much, especially now, as we enter into our 2009 spring season. We're human. We have problems. Much of which right now include quite a few injuries. It's frustrating when you know your purpose, (and it requires strenuous exercize) but your body keeps falling apart and there's nothing you can do about it. But! God CAN do something about it! We don't have to settle for what Doctors say, or what logic would conclude in the back of our minds.
So, if you could be praying for our healing that would be amazing. Thanks!

Another thing: This morning, SSA families and us Pradosicals, went over to NW Foursquare and worked with The Dream Center, to put together over 200 bagged lunches for the homeless. We made pb and j, ham, and bologna sandwiches, put in some other stuff... (I'm not quite sure what all went in the bags- I was at the sandwich table) We had a great time and according to the leader Mr. Roy, we got the bags done in record time! Wooo hooo! (us Paradoiscals like to be speed demons!) We were too big of a group to join in with the distribution of the lunches, but there's always next time!

I will now bring this sporadicness to a close, I hope you enjoyed reading "the latest"!
Now I do believe that an old episode of Mission Impossible has my name on it!

~Audge

Patience

2009-01-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

Well, if this were an actual conversation, I would start with the idle chit-chat about the crazy weather we've been having or how nice it is for things to settle down after the holidays. But since I am the only one talking here (sorry for the readers) I will just get right down the meat of it. I like being real.

We have 25 students enrolled in classes. There has been a lot of interest and people are continuously stopping in to find out what we are about and planning to enroll their children or grand-children. All of the enrolled students are having a total blast! Our teachers are fantastic and unique and all the parents wish they could join in on the classes (which they can in our Adult program!)

We should be overwhelmed by the bills that we know are coming the first of February and the income of the school, which does not match up. But God is not a God of numbers... He is a God of Power! And so we are laying our trust in a trustworthy Lord and surrendering it all to Him.

This is not to say that we are just sitting back in our easy chairs with our cup of coffee, saying "Ok Lord, I will just wait for you to do it and be amazed." We are doing everything that we can think of (and that money allows) to get students in the door---not so that we can have their tuition----that is ridiculous! We know that God will provide through whatever means necessary, not just tuition.

We want students to come through those doors and feel something different in SSA. We want them to experience the presence of God and to learn what it means to worship him through the arts. We want to make sure that every student in that place knows the name of Jesus and how worthy He is of everything that we have and of all of our praise!

And yes, we are not spiritual robots, so it is necessary to remind ourselves constantly of the promises of God and remember that He is never late---He is always right on time. I go in constant circles from anxiety to trust... anxiety to trust... TRUST.

Above all, I feel the Lord is teaching me patience. He has been so amazingly patient with me throughout my life. And therefore, if I truly want to be like Jesus, I must learn to be patient. I am a fan of the quote from the movie "The Devil Wears Prada", where Meryl Streep chastises her assistant for moving too slowly and says, "By all means, move at a glacial pace... You know how that thrills me." Likewise, I am not very excited by the speed at which the Lord is moving right now, but thankfully I am not the one who calls the shots here. I am going to patiently wait for the Lord because He has got it all worked out from the beginning of time until the end... Praise God!

So, I sincerely ask you to pray for us---that we would have patience. Also, please pray that we would continually surrender the company and the school to the One who created them. We cannot hope to teach the students at Surrendered School of the Arts what it means "to surrender" if we have not already learned the lesson ourselves.

I just love Him. Isn't He great???!!!

Sincerely,
Cathleen

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it's finally here? 2009 has arrived and our adventure has begun!!

As I sit here typing this blog I'm listening to "Praise the Lord I saw the Light" and watching Holly teach her adult Pilates class. Whew, what a whirlwind, but we've arrived and Surrendered School of the Arts has been born. Praise the Lord! We are all in awe and I'm constantly in tears when I think of the Lord's faithfulness.

Faithful is what He is and will forever be, regardless of our failures and inadequacies and I am so thankful His word and promises remain true. We have all been under enormous attack, in ways you would not believe! I'm not even going to give Satan the pleasure of mentioning them again, we're just moving forward knowing He's in control and that He will provide everything we need.

Our classes at Surrendered are slowly filling up, please pray with us that the Lord will bring His people to our door. The response we've received thus far is amazing, so many people are excited to be involved in ministry and are thrilled about the programs, classes and workshops we're offering. We'll keep you updated on how things are going, be prepared for an outstanding report! We're so happy to have you on board!

Paradosi is gearing up for our spring season, continuing performances with The Worship Project and A Walk with Paul. Now we're just focusing on getting back into shape from our Christmas break, what a blast we're having! Hey, if your in the neighborhood and see us frollicking in the studio, drop on by and say hello!

Bless y'all!!!
Tennille

2008-12-17T15:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I can't believe it's already a week before Christmas. The time really flew by so quickly. I feel like it should be a few weeks before the Paul premiere, but here we are almost ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, I think Holly's last blog was pretty precise. We haven't been doing a whole lot of dancing lately, but alot of painting. I think by the time we are finished transforming the shack into "Surrendered School of the Arts" I will be a professional wall trimmer:) And my favorite colors are officially mossy green, chocolate brown, and burnt Orange. The studio is coming along great. We are pretty much done with all the painting, we just have to sand the beams....which look wonderful by the way. We also have to finish the floor and some other last minute things.

This is the last blog that we will be writing before Christmas break. Everyone will be going home to family and friends to enjoy a much needed break! Please continue praying for us as we are finishing up the new studio. We still have some needs, but are confident that the Lord will provide them in full! You can also see esactly what they are by looking at our website. www.paradosiballetcompany.com. Also be praying that the second we open the doors of the new school, that our attendance would be exactly the amount we need to run, and Lord willing more.

Thank you again for your prayers and support! They are very much appreciated!
Merry Christmas!
Whittannie

2008-12-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

So sorry this is a tad late. I tried to think of an excuse, but well there are none. I just kept forgetting to write it.

This past Saturday we had a performance in Kent at the church that Michel and Amanda attend. We did " The Worship Project" for a women s breakfast. It was really nice to worship the Lord with other sisters in Christ.

The latest project we are attacking is Surrendered School of the Arts. For the past two weeks our days have consisted of taking ballet class in the morning and then heading over to the new space to transform it into a studio. It seemed a little daunting at first, but after the paint went up on the walls you can begin to see what the final product will look like. Quite exciting really!

Well that is it in a nutshell, I have a baby screaming in my ear right now so I am going to keep it short. I am a nanny, I do not have a child of my own.

God bless you all!

Holly

2008-12-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, here it is..FINALLY! So I figured since we all had a break from the studio last week, that perhaps a break from the blog would be appropriate..hope this didn't throw anyone off! But, never fear! The blog is back..and in style..ha ha OK, enough with the procrastination already and on with the show...

Speaking of procrastination...any of you have roommates? that distract whilst trying to write blogs?:) AH HEM..

So, as all of you know in the last blog we were getting ready for the 'A Walk With Paul' performance, and now it's over! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support leading up to this performance, and for all of the volunteers helping us out, and the extras..you guys rock! The day of the performance pretty much consisted of getting there early that morning, setting up all day for the silent auction and our set, dress rehearsal, eating, and turning right around and doing the whole show all over again! We were totally going off of God's grace that day!

From the Silent Auction we raised enough for the first two months rent for our new studio, Praise God! And the performance as a whole pretty much went off without a hitch..it was so exciting to see the dream that Joel and Tenille had had for years, and that each one of us has adopted as our own, finally come out to play. Of course, as with any production, there are always things that need to be tweaked, and I think we are all very eager to get to work on those things, but it is very exciting to see the potential that it has to be a tool that God can use. After all, we can't do anything on our own strength, only with His!

Well, I do hope you all have truly had a wonderful past two weeks, and I'm sure the next person to write this will be more timely;). God Bless!

~Sarah

WE'VE ARRIVED!

2008-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Well guys, this is it! We are thrilled to be twenty-two hours away from our "A Walk With Paul" premier! The lights have been set, the props have been prepared, the costumes have been sewn, and the last minute touches have been made to the choreography. Every single thing that we can conceivably think to do has been done. This concept occurred to me as we were praying this morning before our final rehearsal: we have accomplished everything humanly possible, and now the show in it's entirety is out of our hands. However, this is just where the Lord desires for us to be! We have nothing to do but place our complete trust in our God, and guess what? He has promised that if we commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him, He will bring it to pass! (Psalm 37:5)

The show will open with "A Worship Project," a collection of choreographed worship songs that are designed do just as the name conveys- worship! After a brief intermission will follow the premier of "A Walk With Paul," a forty-five minute dramatic ballet recounting the life, testimony, trials, and death of the most infamous apostle in the Bible.

Tomorrow is going to be insane. We are probably going to be out of our minds. People are going to be stretching, practicing, sewing, sleeping, decorating, folding, eating... most likely simultaneously! When seven o'clock hits, though, all of that will mean nothing to us. Our purpose is twofold. We long to worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and relay the good news of the Gospel to everyone in that building. Our prayer is that not one person leaves the show untouched by the Holy Spirit's presence.

Ours is going to be a powerful account of the story, and lives are going to be changed.
Will yours?

~"Fun Size"

I KNOW IT'S LATE.....BUT HERE'S A FEW THOUGHTS

2008-11-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who keep up with our blogs on a weekly basis, you may know by now that you can expect to find a new blog on Monday. And if it's not there by the time you go to bed on Monday, it's sure to be there at least by Tuesday. So where has the blog been this week?!? I know you are probably worried that we have fallen off the face of the earth. But alas....WE ARE STILL HERE! I blame this late blog on the costumes for the new ballet. I literally have been dancing in the morning, sewing until its time to make dinner and enjoy some time with my husband, and then it's back to sewing until it's time for bed. But aside from some purchasing some essential items for the roman soldiers and a few stiches here and there- I can say that costumes are about done. And its a good thing too since tomorrow's Dress Rehearsal. And since the costumes are so close to being done- I feel obligated to inform you all on what's been going on with us.

So let me rewind to last week so that you don't feel left out. We had a crazy week of rehearsals. On top of the usual, we had an extra rehearsal on Friday night from about 9:30 pm to midnight. And after a couple hours of sleep Friday night, we were up to drive to Leavenworth to perform at a woman's conference. We rented a 15 passenger van for the day. Talk about hilarious! 10 girls and 2 guys on a 3 1/2 hour drive both ways. And even though the van seemed to be falling apart and had gum on the seatbelts- it was so fun to be all together. If you were able to be a fly on the wall for that roadtrip, you would find Cathleen sewing wine skins, Audrey and Sarah giggling to no end- driving Tennille (and probably Joel) crazy, Amanda making roman soldier arm guards, Michael thinking that we were all too crazy and trying to tune out the giggling, Cara squished in the very back seats next to stinky costumes and everyones bags and all of us singing along to the ever so famous "Friends" by Michael W. Smith. Let me tell you that there is nothing like being with the Paradosicals in the van for 7 hours!

But about the performance- it was great! I (and others) felt very out of it. I mean we literally jumped out of the van and onto the stage. And we all learned that God works best when we are weak. Thank you Jesus for that! It was an amazing time of worship with these women. Their workshop theme was "Be still and know that I am God" and I think that is a great thing to remember for each of us.

Aside from the crazy weekend of dancing- we are finishing all the details for our Premiere! It is officially about a week away and we see the light.

Please keep praying for us. (as you can tell by this blog- we are all a bit crazy and need all the prayer we can get!)

Enjoy your weekend and we will see you next Friday!

Blessings to you all!!!
Amanda

Back and Forth

2008-11-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

16 days, 384 hours, 23,040 minutes and 1,382,400 seconds. That's how long we have until our "A Walk With Paul" premiere- and I can't decide whether or not to be terrified or excitified. (just thought I'd throw in a made up word for all you scholarly types out there.)

This past weekend, we did a piece from "Paul" during Puyallup Four Square's weekend services. It's called "Potter's Wheel" and I must say, it's my new favorite song of the week! Why? Well, let me just say that our first try on Saturday night was a little shy of disaster by our standards. We had sound problems, we had choreography problems, we had costume problems-then I was thinking-"but who cares?" It's not about us "looking" good, or "feeling" good. It's about our Dad. Period. Our HEARTS must be focused on Him and that's all that matters. Whether or not they actually were- that's our problem, but His grace is sufficient! God used our mistakes that night for His glory. Nothing positive Saturday night was because of us, (seriously!) but because He Is.
The good news is we made up for those Saturday glitches on Sunday morning. The reason I love this song? Because from now on, it will remind me of my inability and His ability! Oh yeah, and the words aren't that bad either! :o)

Wrapping things up, I'm overwhelmed at the thought of how many times my God has turned what I see as my disasters, into His accomplishments!
On a larger note, in light of the election news that is now flashing across my screen, I am reminded of this: Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the Lord's hand. He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases." and of Romans 13:1 "There is no authority except from God, and those who exist have been instituted by God." I'm thinking... If God can create the universe- he can handle our country! And if God can create the universe, He can handle my crazy mixed-up attempts at writing this blog!!!!!!

Blessings,
Audge

oh yes, He's still GOOD.

2008-10-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

"Do you have a wooden staff? Do you have Roman-looking sandals? Do you have a very large artificial rock? Do you have a fake (but realistic looking) chicken? Would you like to donate a very expensive item to our ministry that we can auction?" These are some of the questions that we have been asking in order to prepare for the A Walk With Paul premiere. I have termed my car the "prop-mobile" because it feels like I am carrying the entire ballet inside of my trunk.

Lately in the studio, most of our discussions have centered around aesthetic decisions for the ballet or how the costumes will work with the choreography or where the extras (the friends we have dragged into the ballet) should stand during the scenes. We have been focusing on the details of the choreography, the acting, and the very-hard-to-hear musical cues. This week has been very productive---working up until the last minute so that everyone must run out quickly when we are done so that we can make it to work on time.

With all of the things that need to be done and the work that needs to be put in, I can get pretty caught up in the details. I even found myself wishing that we could have an extra month to prepare. But when I sat down to write this blog, all I could think about was how excited I am for November 21st. I feel privileged to be a part of a production like this. I am awed by the way the Lord has inspired Joel and Tennille. I look forward to seeing how God will provide for the ministry through the auction. But most of all and more than anything, I am so excited because I believe that God is going to change lives through this production. And for that reason, November 21st cannot come soon enough!

Which just reminds me that in the details of life, it's all about the big stuff (i.e Jesus). There are things that constantly try to steal my attention from the joy and hope that I have in Christ. And there are a million things that bring my eyes towards myself when I should be looking to Him. And yes, this is very frustrating. But it makes make truly thankful for God's patience with me and his ever-willingness to bring my focus back to Him. He's just really great like that :-)

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."(2 Cor 4:18)

So there ya go, there's my thought-nugget for the week. And I hope that you are as excited as I am for November 21st! Please be praying!

God bless and bless our God!
Cathleen

2008-10-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Today I stand amazed at our God's faithfulness. Each day I wake up and wonder how He's going to do it, how He's going to supply all that I need personally and all that we need as a ministry.

When worry, fear and frustration creeps in He's consistently reminds me "I've got this". He teaches me EVERY DAY to leave it at His feet

And you know what? I am so encouraged when my head hits the pillow and I reconsider my day, He shows me how He's done it. It's often not how I expect, but how boring would life and my walk with Him be if He only accomplished things just how I expected Him to?? That's the excitement of the road He's leading us down. Not knowing how or when but only being sure that He will. That is His promise to us, that He will provide in every way, in His perfect timing. And He's never late.

As I look at where we are as a ministry, I am overwhelmed with the ways the Lord directs us, through counsel, through prayer, through peace.

I'm blessed with the way He unifies us, though difficult sometimes, we have all decided we are willing to walk through it to receive what He has for us on the other side. And He's quick to show us how He wants to use us when we obey, truly amazing.

I'm encouraged by the people He has standing with us, family, friends, prayer partners, pastors and congregations, the support and encouragement we daily receive is mind blowing.

But that all goes hand in hand with His promise to us; that He will supply our every need and He will refine us, teach us, move us and redirect us as He sees fit. I know the vision is great, but our God is greater and stronger and eager to show us how much He loves us. I pray that I will be eager to show Him how much I love Him by trusting Him, obeying Him and just spending quality time with Him each day. I pray that encourages you, just journaling what He's currently doing in my life encourages me.

As we hit our 30 day count down to our big premiere of A Walk with Paul, we are excited (and breathing very deeply!), the production is so much bigger than Joel and I are capable of putting together (even with the help of 8 wonderful women) but I know that is exactly where the Lord wants us so His strength and power will show through, we have no choice but to rely on Him! It may feel so redundant but we really appreciate your prayers, we currently are praying for energy, stamina and focus! Especially during the 2 o'clock hour, when the giggles and exhaustion sets in. Oh we have a lively bunch, I can honestly say my sides hurt every day from laughing so hard, these ladies are so great and such a bunch of fun. Now back to cracking the whip...

Thanks so much! We love you all.

Blessings,

Tennille

Questions and Answers

2008-10-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why God does things, like make you go through something hard, or put you in an uncomfortable situation? I just finished reading "The Shack" and it makes you think, or at least it made me think. Recently my family found out that my Grammpa has pancriatic cancer, and I hate it, in fact it makes me want to cry just thinking about it. It makes me want to be mad about it and yell,"why God, why?" Well the answer is clearly stated in His Word. "For my thoughts are not you thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and so not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace." -Isaiah 55:8-12

He knows the exact number of my Grammpa's live, His timing is perfect eventhough it might not be mine. He is in control in everthing! What a comforting thought that we don't have to worry about anything. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:6-7 which says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in verything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
What a great God we have! He has given my Grammpa peace and I pray that I would have that same peace and confidence in Him. He is the Great Healer, and I pray in faith that He can heal my Grammpa.

On a lighter note, classes are going well, and "Paul" is coming together, slowly but surely. Since the beginning of the year, we, as a company, have been struggling with being united, as you might already know. Well, I believe that the Lord has been working and changing our hearts and I think this verse sums it up. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition of vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to you own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Phillipians 2:1-5

Blessings,
Mr. Whittacker

2008-10-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

" Our Lord is determined that we shall feel and recognize this hourly dependence, for He alone permits us to pray for 'daily bread', and alone promises that 'your strength will equal your days.' Isn't it best for us that it should be so, that we may often go to His throne, and constantly be reminded of His love? Oh! how rich the grace which supplies us so continually, and does not refrain itself because of our ingratitude!... O Lord Jesus, that we would bow at Your feet, conscious of our utter inability to do anything without You, and in every favor which we are privileged to receive, we would adore Your blessed name and acknowledge Your unexhausted love."
- Charles H. Spurgeon

This past Friday we had the privilege of dancing at Patriots Landing. a local retirement home. One of our biggest supporters, Grandpa Pratt (Jim), made this program possible. What a blessing it was to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ of an older generation. We danced to six of the nine songs in the "Worship Project", one of the pieces of our repertoire. It was wonderful to talk with the residence after we danced. What an encouragement to hear patrons of the faith say how the Lord used us to bless them. How Jesus could take mere youths to declare His glorious praises is a humbling thing. Lord make us more grateful for what You, in Your sovereign grace, allow us to partake in!
If you would like to pray for us, we would love it. There is a probable space available to us for starting Surrendered School of the Arts. Please ask the Lord for wisdom and provision to be imparted to our leaders as they continue forward with this exciting prospect. God is so good to supply all that we need! The Lord used this piece of scripture to confirm to me that He is pleased when we seek His will above all else.

" In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, "Ask what I shall give you". And Solomon said to God " You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?" God answered Solomon, " Because this was in your heart and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourslef that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you and none after you shall have the like." "
2 Chronicles 1:7-12

-Holly Hill

2008-09-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody!

I hope you all are enjoying the change of seasons and all the beauty that comes with it as much as I am! Well...time certainly is flying as we are starting our sixth week of our second season! Hard to believe! It seems as if we've all been doing this forever and yet at the same time it feels like summer shouldn't quite be over yet:).

As some of you may know, we had our very first official performance last Friday night for the Hymn and Gospel Sing at Puyallup Foursquare Church. The audience(hate that word, so let's just call them 'fellow worshippers') was so great! Once a year, the older generation in the church gathers to sing some good 'ol hymns and just simply worship, and they include us! Let's just say, for a first performance, it went pretty well! Of course, as all first performances usually go, there are always some things that go "wrong" from our puny little human perspectives. Someone forgets choreography(me), they start playing the wrong music at the wrong time, etc. But, you know what? None of that really matters. The important thing is is that Jesus is lifted up, and not just when we're on stage but in all that we do. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving," (Col. 3:23-24), and, "...Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven," (Matt. 5:16). This is why we do what we do! This is why we get up everyday, put on tights, fix our hair in a bun, rehearse for hours, come to your church and dance~So that others may see our worship and join us in praising our Creator! Why? Because He deserves it! He deserves our everything.

Hope you've been able to understand my blabbering! Remember that the Lord has good plans for you, and He loves you so much that He died for you! I pray that you will be encouraged in these simple truths and that Jesus' love and grace will encompass your every step! Bless y'all!

P.S. Sorry to those of you who cringe at the sound of "y'all." Being the proud southerner that I am, I just had to throw it in there! :)

~Sarah

2008-09-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well hello hello, fellow Paradosi enthusiasts! We are five weeks in, and going strong. Choreography is progressing flawlessly and every day the studio is filled with a permeating euphoric bliss. As each day of strenuous classes and rehearsals come to completion we beg to continue... even for a few extra minutes. Our bodies are like machines, and our dancing produces nothing less than perfection. We, as dancers and as people, never experience trials of any kind; the Lord has blessed us with our own personal heaven on earth! It's extraordinarily marvelous!

If you just read that and immediately wanted to throw up, I applaud you. The above paragraph is a blatent example of an error many believers these days make: painting the Christian walk as a disgustingly indefectible lifestyle. We have all fallen into the trap. I'm going to be completely 100% honest with you. I'm not perfect. (Gasp!) Neither are you. We are actually quite far from it. We're going to mess up. We're going to fail. It's inevitable, and there's nothing that anyone can do about it. Sorry.
Now that you're sufficiently depressed I'll proceed to the best part, the good news! We don't have to be perfect! I'm going to go ahead and repeat that for you. None of us has to be perfect. We're not going to do everything flawlessly. We're not going to have our lives in a constant state of immaculate order, but guess what. That's why Jesus died for us. Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were at our worst; the most foul, unsightly, detestible person we could be, Christ died for us! He didn't wait until we had our lives in order. He didn't wait until our bills were paid, or until we cleaned ourselves up, or until we went to church consistently every Sunday of the month. He found us at that time in our lives when we were the worst scumbags imaginable. He picked us up out of our filth, gave us pure hearts and renewed minds, and adopted us as children and heirs! (Gal 4:3-7)
So let me ask you, does this mean we have no need to strive for holiness and excellence? If we will never be perfect, and God has that all taken care of, should we even try at all? Of course we should! Paul states in many of His books that we are to imitate Christ in order to become more and more like Him every day. He says that we cannot know or see God if we do not pursue holiness, (Heb 12:14) and that our very faith is validated by what we do! (James 2:26) We are to be a constant reflection of Christ in every area of our lives.
Essentially, who we are as people no longer matters. Our human failures are trumped by the fact that we are covered by grace. Sure we will have bad days, but our Daddy will always be faithful to guide us, provide for us, and care for us. All we have to do is look to Him. (Matt 6:25-34)

In conclusion, I'll briefly inform you of what is actually occurring in Paradosi currently. We have a show coming up this Friday, the 'Hymn and Gospel Night' at Puyallup Foursquare Church. The company will be performing (oh how I hate that dreaded word!) four of our newest pieces from 'A Worship Project.' We have been pounding out the choreography like an army platoon, and finally we've all but put the final touches on the dances. Please join us in prayer for the Spirit to move mightily this Friday and that His anointing will fill each person to overflowing.

Well, that about wraps things up.
God is good!
~Cara

2008-09-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Can’t believe we’ve already been back for a month. All I can say is the Lord is good!!!!

In the past week we have been hugely blessed by so many people who have supported us. It is on my heart to thank you.
Last Saturday we were able to spend close to 4 hours with Chris and Tawnee Tatro at their photography studio in Seattle. Chris was able to capture some stunning shots and we are extremely thankful for the big way they blessed our ministry. You will be seeing some of his work very soon both on our website and in posters.
We also were blown away by Katie Garwood and Lori Plyler as they sewed costume after costume for us. Many nights Katie was up until 2 am, serving so diligently and Lori sewed all the way up until she left on Thursday morning. We cannot thank you two enough.
And Friday we were lucky enough to have three of our biggest supporters join us in the studio for the day. Marie Skaug (a long time family friend to the Delancy family) come down from Oregon to teach class for us. Debbie Durham (Tennille’s God-Mother who teaches for us weekly and is our company counselor) and Mary Delancy (Tennille’s mom) also watched class that day.
I know that there are many more individuals that support this ministry either financially, spiritually or by being so faithful to pray for us and we just want to thank each of you. We do not take you for granted and we love and appreciate each of you more than we can express. In 1 Corinthians 12 we see that we are the body of Christ. There are some hands, some feet, some eyes, but we are each vital in advancing his kingdom. I just love how the Lord has brought so many of his servants alongside us as a ministry. As dancers alone, we can’t do much. But the Lord has been so faithful to bring along his hands and feet in ways we could never have imagined. So on behalf of each of us, I say THANK YOU.

This week in studio we finished two new pieces from Worship Project. The first was called Come and Listen by David Crowder. I love that that is our opening piece. The words are so perfect. “Come and Listen to what He has done. Praise the Lord for He is good.” That is why we are here: to tell the world what he is done, to draw each person into free worship, to praise him with the highest praise! The other piece ends our program and is the Doxology. “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.” As we danced this piece on Thursday I found myself tearing up. I stood there with my arms lifted and I was reminded of what an awesome privilege it is to glorify our King. It still amazes me that the Lord would find our worship pleasing to him. And not only that, but he desires that we come to him and worhsip. During the week, I read in Hebrews 4:14-16 that we are to come boldly to the throne of grace. We are to enter in with confidence so that we may receive mercy and grace. How amazing that we have a Savior that walked as we walked and although he was tempted, never sinned. And that same sinless Savior loves us so much and desires a relationship with us. He wants nothing more than for us to come sprinting into his throne room and sit in his lap and adore him. I just want to encourage each of you reading this with that. Don’t be afraid to run boldly to your Father God. He loves you more than you know and desires your whole heart. So raise your hands and say boldly, “PRAISE OUR GOD FOR HE IS GOOD!”

Blessings!
Amanda

2008-09-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, three weeks into our new season and it feels like we've been doing this our whole lives! The past 5 days have (actually right now, by me) been labeled "sewing extravaganza week". It's hard to believe that in such a small amount of time, so many costumes have been finished! A huge thank you to Katie Garwood, who gave of her time to fly up from Jackson, MS where she danced with Ballet Magnificat! and has sewn many of their beautiful costumes! Also thanks so much Lori Plyler, Amanda's mom, yet again working so hard for our cause! (even though she keeps saying it's just a perfect excuse for her and Sim to come see their daughter and new son-in-law) What would we do without people coming along beside us to help make this vision a reality? (I know this much, we'd all be wearing potato sacks if I had to sew!)

Moving on.....
We are reading the book "To Live Is Christ" by Beth Moore. It's about the apostle Paul. Since we'll be performing a "A Walk With Paul" we all want to better our knowledge about his teachings, and see with new eyes what his life looked and felt like. What stands out to me is the fact that after Damascus, Paul never took a step back. He never took a "shortcut" in his journey the Lord had laid out for him. I'm amazed every time I think about the grace God has given me in my walk with Him, and no matter how many times I take the shortcut, He's there with the directions back to the main road! (please excuse my analogies, that's just how I learn!)

I don't know who, or how many people may read this blog, but my prayer for you is that you would know that your Heavenly Father adores you. He wants only for us to respond to His infinite love and say "my life is not my own, it's Yours, take it and make it a reflection of You."

For Him,
Audrey

2008-09-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of the season have been both very intense and extremely exciting. There has been an amazing amount of new choreography, as well as discussions about the props, sets, and costumes for “A Walk with Paul”. It has been so great to experience the story of Paul really come to life through the choreography. The Lord has already begun to teach each of us through our own roles in the story.

But most of all, I think that the overwhelming sentiment among all of us is how privileged we are to be a part of this ministry and to be able to worship the Lord in this way. Already, God has been instilling a specific vision for this year and a unity within the group that is truly incredible. I am so excited about this year and all of the great things that God has planned. We are so thankful to be a part of what He is doing. God bless and bless God!

In His mercy,
Cathleen

2008-08-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

We have gotten off to a great start in our 2008-2009 Season! The Lord is so good! We are thrilled to bring on 3 new amazing dancers, Cathleen Sparks, Holly Hill and our first ever apprentice Whittannie Irwin! Their pictures and bios will be added soon to our website.

As we've gotten back in the swing of things this past week in studio, the Lord is continually reminding me He is in control. When I begin to place my trust and focus on the things I can hold onto He quickly pulls them away. How gracious is our God to continually draw us near to Him. I can't stand when I miss those opportunities to be refined, however painful they may be I'd rather get through them the first go round then go through them all over again, wouldn't you?? As I walk through my day to day with my Father, I long to experience Him in a new way, He's constantly reminding me who He is in situations I find myself in and people I talk to. How great (and strong and righteous and just and peaceful and mighty!) is He who lives in us.

It's the beginning of another exciting new week, new choreography, new music and new opportunities ahead, I'm so thrilled for what's right around the corner for this ministry. Won't you jump on the bus and ride with us? Your prayers and encouragement support us incredibly. Thanks for joining us!

Blessings,

Tennille

New Blog!

2008-07-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

We've decided to create a blog in order to publish updates and news about Paradosi, as well as prayer requests and answers. Please feel free to leave comments/responses to the blog. God bless and bless God!

"For in Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28