My Film Company's *50th* Film!!

Many of you probably already know about Glory Film Productions, a little amateur film company run by me, my friends and family. Well, GFP's latest film, "Rumpelstiltskin" is finally here! And guess what? It just happens to be our....drum roll, please....50th film!!!

WOOP-WOOP! Huzzah! It's so hard to believe that we have now reached the big 5-0. 

SO....Here is the link to "Rumpelstiltskin" if you would like to see it. Hope it makes you smile! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V80blMvQ67k&list=UU2Ldl8UbiVsR1t9Mjk-KuLw&index=1&feature=plcp

Well, please tell me what you think of our 50th film. :) I hope you enjoy it. If you did, please share it! We absolutely adore word-of-mouth!

If you want to see our film company website, also, here's the link for that. http://www.gloryfilm.webs.com/

Blessings,

Luna, Luna, Luna

I have always been fascinated with the moon. La Luna. There is a beauty found in it unlike any of man's creations, inventions or technology. No matter what we humans may try, and no matter how 'smart' we may become, we will never be able to replicate the extraordinary splendor of God's creation....the natural world.

I have always enjoyed gazing at the gentle magnificence of la luna on winter evenings...especially winter evenings because the stars are much brighter and clearer during winter, and thus really compliment and set off the beauty of the moon. But these photos I took a few weeks ago, in the midst of summer, on a completely starless night at my grandmother's.

It's always been a dream of mine to get a perfect, clear photo of the moon. But in the past, I had never been able to with what cameras I had in possession. Only until recently, could I photograph the moon at a better quality and one I was genuinely satisfied with, because, only until recently, (actually my 16th birthday in January) did I have a really good camera to shoot with.

So, finally, I've obtained some nice shots of one of my favorite subjects. What do you think? Have you ever tried photographing the moon? What came of your experiences? I'd love to hear about it!

Well, hope y'all's summer so far as been amazing! Mine sure has!

Blessings,

 

Through the Fire

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." 1 Corinthians 3:13

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when it felt like you were being tried?

A time when every event during the day seemed like a test, a challenge? I'm sure most of you have....most people do, at one point or another. It's really quite normal and expected, especially if you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes....it can be hard. You can almost feel the chastening of the Lord's fire as it dissolves each work, making known what each was made of. Each thought and intention, opened and dissected to reveal what was truly in the heart. "Every man's work shall be made manifest..."

Sometimes, this can be humiliating as well as painful. Many an instance, we don't want our Creator to see what's truly in our hearts. We know something's wrong, thus, we are ashamed and guilt-ridden. Many times, there is sin which is blatantly obvious to us, and it's no mystery or enigma to try and figure out what we're doing wrong.  It's spelled out in red letter, right there in front of our noses.

There's no hiding from reality.

Sometimes, though, the sin is not so obvious to us; and we may not even realize that we are committing it. This can be difficult to identify without YHWH coming in and removing the scales from our eyes. We may continue on for weeks, months, years even, thinking we are without a particular sin, and all the while, knee-deep in it.

Personally, I have been seeing more and more examples of this within my own life.

Recently, we had a friend's children over to stay with us while she and her husband were out of town for a family emergency. This was an experience I will not soon forget.

Let me make this known, I am certainly not perfect. That should've been obvious by now, anyway. But sometimes I think a little higher of myself than I should. I consider myself "too good" to do a particular sin, but guess who manages to always keep falling down again and again into the same wrong-doing?

Yep. That's right. Little ol' me. Miss "thought-she-was-way-more-patient-than-she-really-is."

Frankly, I never knew I could be such a nasty jerk! I always thought I was a pretty patient soul, patient enough, at least, but NEVER overly impatient and hasty to lash out. I guess wrong. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

I think God personally peeled the scales from my eyes over this last weekend, chiding and reminding me of my sinful nature which I'd seemingly forgotten about temporarily. I think He was trying to show me once again about how imperfect I am on my own, without Him, and about how desperately I need His divine help to drag myself out of the morass of my sin. Actually, I could never drag myself out. He has to do the rescuing, not me. I can't rescue anybody. That's why He came to earth, to begin with. To rescue the souls of those He created. I am so thankful for His precious sacrifice....it would be a scary, scary world and horrific eternity, without it.

So...back to the topic of works being tried. Through the experiences the Lord let me go through this past weekend, I think He really did "try my works" and my heart. He showed me how impatient I have let myself become, and how I need to repent of this impatience. I gained priceless experience, knowledge and wisdom from this visit., and actually feel a few years older, too, haha. :) But, in a good way. It's a sobering, yet wonderful feeling to know the Lord opened your eyes to something He wanted you to see.

Even if it was a time of reproving and chastising. I am still very thankful for it and wouldn't dare think of looking back or wishing it didn't happen. (what does simply wishing do for anybody, anyway?!)

Have you been seeing God work in your life lately? How has He been pointing you to His ways and kingdom? What have you been learning lately about His will for your life?

Well, I need to be going now. Traveling out of town for the weekend for my dad's work, and need to finish preparing for the trip. :)

Hope y'all are having a very blessed summer so far!

Blessings,

 

Green Tea Girl....

Hey y'all! Got a couple questions for ya. First of all...for my jewelry business... right now it's called "Leah Kathryn Creations". Before, it was "Lotus Art." Now, I am wondering if I should change the name again. I really like "Green Tea Girl Creations". What do ya think?

I also want to know if y'all would be interested in movie reviews here on Apassionata. I would like to do a series of film reviews from my perspective as a libertarian, Creationist Christ-follower. Would y'all be interested?

Happy Wednesday!

A Sickening Account...

Test turns to humiliation for kindergartner

I have a younger brother who is 5, this year he will be 6. This year, he will be in kindergarten. If he had been the one in this girl's situation, I would likely break down into tears and weep. That poor little girl.

You almost wonder if the teacher had any brains whatsoever. Do people realize that little kids' bodies are smaller, thus food travels through them more quickly and in result, they are constantly needing to use the bathroom?

Hey, I have 4 younger brothers. 3 of them are still at this stage of life where they are ALWAYS going to the toilet! It's reality and can't be altered. What was this teacher thinking, making a 6-year-old wait such a period with no bathroom breaks? *shakes head*

I am, once again, so incredibly thankful that my family homeschools. It is SUCH an incredible blessing. One of these days, I should do a blog post on that...."101 Reasons I Love Being Homeschooled." LOL that is actually not too bad of an idea. What say ye?

Well, time to sign off. Babysitting job tomorrow morning. And I have to get up EARLY. I am not an early morning person.

Blessings,

Super Cool Giveaway!

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2012/04/16/giveaway-lilla-rose-flexi-clip/#comment-169588

Hey y'all, there is a giveaway going on at Urban Homestead where you can win a beautiful Lilla Rose Flexi-Clip for your lovely locks! Check it out and enter if you want, this looks like a good company and the products are gorgeous.

So....click the link above to see what's happenin'! Don't miss out!

 

Happy Monday!

What's an Aspiring Christian Actress to Do?

Howdy y'alls. What's been happenin'? Not much? Well, for the time being, I am trying to solve an enigma of sorts and find a way to pursue one of my many thousand interests....

Just what might this be that could be such an predicament? For some, it wouldn't hardly be worth the bat of an eye. For some, there is no need for discussion because the opportunities lie smack-dab in front of them already.

Well, that doesn't seem to be the case for me. Unless there's a crop of opportunies that are so painfully obvious that I'm looking right over them. Or maybe they simply don't exist. I am inclined to believe the latter, at the moment. Not exactly pleased with that, but facts are facts. And "truth never dies." And "it doesn't matter what you believe; it matters what is true."

I want to act. Whether it be in a film, theatre production or skit, I desperate want to engage in this form of the arts. Desperately with a capitol "D".

Some of you may be saying, "But, Leah, don't you already have a little film company you can try your acting skills out in?"

Yes, I do. Glory Film Productions IS my film company. And, in a couple of our videos, I have participated as an actor. But, with a cast/crew that is mostly aged between 5 and 12, there isn't a whole lot typically that requires the part of a 16-year-old girl that looks more like 18 or 20. I mean, not without looking a bit awkward in one aspect or another. Some films, yes, it would work, but....overall, my position in GFP is administrator, director, and all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Not acting, typically. How I would love to say otherwise, because as you now know, I adore acting. I love directing and all that I do currently but acting would really put the icing on the cake.

So....what's my predicament with acting?

My issue is not just finding places to audition. Sure, there a number of somewhat-local (does 25-30 minutes away minimum constitute 'local'?) theatres in our area of the state. We've got a Civic Theatre in Ocala and a couple theatres in Gainesville. So what's the issue?

I am a Christian. A Christ-follower, and Child of the Most High God, YHWH. And there is a code of standards which I uphold, based upon what I believe to be honoring to the Lord.

There are things I will do, and things I won't do. And this is more a matter of what I won't do.

If you haven't noticed, the realm of theatre, acting and drama is a primarily-secular one. It is dominated by liberals, perverts, and athiests. There are lots of twisted people in Hollywood and Broadway. Unfortunate and sad as it is, (trust me, I take no pleasure in saying these things) it is the truth.

There are, indeed, an increasing number of Christian actors and actresses these days, which is encouraging. I myself hope to be one of these people.

What I am concerned about, is going in to audition for a play or performance and being required to perform something which may be ungodly or dishonoring to the Lord. Even if it's just the details in the costume...an immodestly low neckline, short skirt, or tight top.

Those things matter. I can't let my light shine if I'm jumping in on the darkness.

What if I were, indeed, cast for a character, and then I find later that this character must do something immoral? All too often, seductive forms of dance are mish-mashed in with theatre productions, especially musical theatre. Well, I can tell you this, there's no way at all I will take part in that.

Perhaps the problem could be solved, by turning to an alternative, finding a Christian theatre. (they do exist) Excellent idea! Now...*goes to google "Christian community theatre"*

*Looks through list of links*

*OOOOH, there's something! Christian Youth Theatre!! how cool is that! *clicks*

*Ah terrific, they have multiple locations. Uh oh....wait a sec....what's this? Yeah, they have a location in my state, but....but....it's 4-5 hours away from me. DRAT DRAT DRAT.*

This is my experience so far trying to locate Christian theatres in my state. Yes, indeed they do exist, and many are excellent institutions. The problem? None are anywhere near where I live.

Sorry, but a 2-5 hour drive back and forth just isn't going to work right now in this point of my life. Nope. Not at all. Dang it. Fiddlesticks. Burnt muffins. Shoot.

So what am I to do? Should I look more into the secular theatres, since they may indeed be all that is currently available to me?

There is, of course, the option of starting a chapter for CYT(Christian Youth Theatre) or another organization for this purpose, entirely fresh. Though we have already been considering starting a speech club for this region, and as we have been finding, recruiting people who are actually interested has been a severe challenge.

*Sigh*. So now what? What's a young, ambitious, aspiring Christian actress to do?

Pray, for now. Actually, pray the whole way through. That's what I'm doing, or trying my best to be doing. God is in control, and I am trusting that, if HE wants me to act, HE'LL find a way for me to do so. It's just a matter of waiting to hear His take, or see Him open some sort of door of opportunity.

Though I'm waiting very impatiently, I must admit. Patience....patience, Leah. Patience.

In the meantime, I'm practicing acting technique by acting out Robert Boyd Munger's "My Heart, Christ's Home." I saw a young lady act out this fine little volume at a girls' conference a couple years back, and it was excellent.

So that's what I've got for now. What say ye? I know I haven't written a blog post this long for ages....I'll stop yacking now.

Oh yeah....one last thing though... in other news, you can now find my art on deviantART.

(check my profile out here ---> http://ladyapassionata.deviantart.com/)

So that's it folks. Time to log off, for yours truly.

Annnddddd.....If you are aware of any Christian acting organizations, you know I would be deathly interested in hearing about them. ;) wink wink.

Have a blessed new week,