Tag: school

An Elevating Adventure

On By gaillovesgodIn Uncategorized16 Comments

This weekend my son Anthoni and I were invited to watch a young friend sing a solo while playing her guitar. It had been quite awhile since I went to anything downtown. My anxiety and my health make it challenging just to get through my day. But Belle was singing and playing in front of a large crowd for the first time, and had personally invited us. We wanted to support her. We had known her since she was a little girl.

Many of you may remember me mentioning watching her and her little brother Trey getting baptized this summer in my post on the 30 Posts Challenge: #20 River Baptism.

Anthoni and I made it downtown. It was an adventure we had not done in quite some time. We did not know the place we were going to, so we asked a parking attendant for info. After parking and attempting to follow our given instructions, we ended up going through a hotel entrance I knew (which was the long way around, but saved the day with familiarity.) I was glad I took the time to Google it and study the map. Through the hallway, we found where we should be, and got in line. We even got to speak with Belle and her family for a few minutes before the show.

Time to buy the tickets!

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and receive our program.

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After Anthoni got some popcorn, we were able to be seated with Belle’s family. It was nice being able to say hello and catch up a little bit. They were able to tell us about Belle’s school, that the space was actually owned by a church but was being lent out to the school for the program, and what Belle would be doing. We got to looking through our program as they were explaining.

We were so excited to see it… Belle Solo!

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We had wait until after a couple of skits, a couple of bands, some others singing, dancing, and even several young people taking turns on “silks” (as it read). Silks were basically long draping silks that were being climbed, swung on, hung from, and included using a ring at times… big enough to serve as a tire swing hanging from a tree in the backyard.

Then we saw a familiar face in a beautiful dress coming to the microphone with her guitar in hand. What a lovely sound. Oh How He Loves is what she sang. I wish I had pictures, but her dad was kind enough to give permission to use a video.

I already loved this song, but oh how beautiful she made this song of how much God loves us… that He is jealous for us… in a good way. I was so thankful the Lord allowed me the opportunity, the health, and even the quality time with my son. It was awesome! She was awesome. She performed a lot of different material in the program in addition to her solo, and was able to do each task beautifully.

She was making a beautiful testimony for the Lord. If this is what she sounds like in just getting started, imagine what the Lord has planned for her as she becomes seasoned with her gifts. God will be magnified greatly!

“Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
– Philippians 1:6 KJV

Thank you, Lord, for letting us make it! Thank you for the night. ❤

Praying for you, Belle! You have become such a lovely young lady! I am confident that God has great things in store for you… for His great pleasure! He loves you! ❤ And so do we!

I Read

On By gaillovesgodIn Poetry, Uncategorized, Writing6 Comments

I read.
I read for comfort, for entertainment, for pleasure.
I read to learn, to grow, to discover,
and I read to absorb the art of God’s treasure.
The written word is such a drug for me.
There is so much to read.
This is not just a way to pass time.
This is a genuine need.
There are times reading needs a break.
To find the time to read is the true conflict.
I pray for the moment to come
and praise my Lord when I finally have it.
Now there are times I avoid reading
because I want to reject the world in every way,
but sooner or later I am drawn in by the word
and just have to know what the writer has to say.
I read.
I read because I have a need to read.
Writers, please continue to supply my joy.
God, thank you, for this artistic breed.

6-21-01 Written by Gail Brookshire
(by the grace of God)

KEEP FIGHTING

On By gaillovesgodIn Poetry, Published Poetry, Uncategorized, Writing1 Comment

Come on, keep fighting.
Don’t give up.
Life was meant
to be this tough.
It’s not that easy
to have it all.
To rise above,
you must take the fall.
To read and write
is to live and learn.
To love and care
is to touch and burn.
To have a choice
is to know to choose.
To have something to gain
there must be something to lose.
To appreciate the gift
you must nurture the object.
To pass the class
you must study the subject.

Written by Gail Brookshire
(published in Expressions, June 9, 1994 Issue, page 4,
in Expressions, July 12, 1993 Issue, page 2,
and in J.O.B.S. Newsline, April, May, June 1993 Issue, page 4)
(by the grace of God)
This poem was my 1st assignment for the campus newspaper at my 1st college for my A.A. I was surprised at the response. The Editor made a note about the beautiful poem and my talent. Students and professors said it was beautiful, some asking for an autograph. I admit I laughed because I had never been asked before and thought they were teasing. Some I had been in class with for awhile and were good friends with. I was quickly made to understand I was mocking them. Praise the Lord to sign put a smile back on their face.  They were extra thankful when I gave permission to hang the poem on their fridge, mirror, and other places. I was shocked! Most surprising was everyone calling it BEAUTIFUL. It was a last minute assignment, and I felt like I “just done enough” to get it in. God is so good! And so surprising!