365 Project - Days 270, 271

"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." Les Misérables

There is a strange feeling watching your stoic son stand straight and tall before a near sell-out crowd with tears streaming down his face. I know they were tears sourced from a mixture of joy, love and sadness. I love that he loves so deeply and has found a group of friends with whom he shares and enjoys so much.

Sunday's final performance of Les Misérables by Sabrina's Encore Productions was as beautifully performed as every other. Such tremendous joy. The kids offered a wonderful gift to each other, the audience and Sabrina by giving all they had left to give. And, as the Les Misérables song goes, "to love another person is to see the face of God."

The way these kids embrace, love, and support each other has propelled them to extraordinary heights and fueled talent in our small community that surpasses talent found in much larger towns. After witnessing this, I am now more convinced than ever of the importance of nurturing in developing talent. Training and practice are essential, but without nurturing, talent grows on a singular plane, depth is impossible.

My son sang more brilliantly than ever this weekend. I wanted to jump to my feet at the end of his solos and cheer. He was just that good. It was the perfect way to finish - surrounded and buoyed by his friends and peers.

As I watched the tears streak his cheeks, I thought "And now, we move on."

Blessings.

Today's Photos: Do you hear the people sing?

"Another day, another destiny." Les Misérables

365 Project - Days 268, 269

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

It's hard to describe. The weekend's performances of Les Misérables far surpassed anything these kids had performed over the years. It truly was as though they had been practicing, rehearsing for this show their entire lives. Then, just at it arrived, they peaked. I'm fairly certain that my son has been visualizing this moment for years. Perhaps it is the same for many of the other kids. The talent was enormous.

The cast, crew, pit and directors put their heart and soul into this production. Nothing was left unfinished. As you see in the photos below, everyone is intensely involved in every scene regardless of the height of their role. While my sons may be the central characters, the scene would be incomplete without the ensemble embellishing their roles.

This is a perfect example of the importance of executing every thing we do as though it were the most important. Nothing is too small, particularly in the eyes of the Lord. He has granted us many gifts - some grande, some petite, all to be used to improve the world. This cast did that exceptionally well. I enjoy the expressions in these photos. Bravo!

Today's Photos: The Inspector and The Master

"Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store..."