Morning Musing

I'm curious to know what the blog looks like if you post throughout the day so I'm going to try this. It occurred to me last night as I was preparing for bed that some people who read this blog may get my various activities confused because I just talk about my activities and don't differentiate.

I have various postings that involve our activities at our local church called Primitive Christian Church, Rev. Dr. Marcos Rivera is the Senior Pastor. Pastor Enid Rios-Rivera is the Executive Pastor and heads the Women's Ministry also known as the Sisterhood of PCC. As the Minister of Worshipping Arts at the church I often speak of activities that we (my husband & I) are involved in whether it is the Dance Ministry (Worship Warriors--Karen Hunter my assistant [Martin doesn't participate in this unless it is all men called the PCC Levites or he sometimes helps me with the boys when they dance to show them "guy steps"] or the Drama Ministry (Martin has acted and written a number of the scripts). Then this summer we did the Dance, Pageantry, and Drama intensives.

Then there is Seasons of Purpose which is the ministry that God birthed in my heart in August 2000. Dance for Joy (Founder and Director, Iris Cloud) had just finished 2 concerts--the school concert and the company concert. Can we say exhausted? But out of that came a wonderful review from the New York Times. When I read the review and saw my name and my friends names I just cried. Did I really need the NYT to validate me??? No. But I finally got through my thick skull that God had given me something and I had better start giving it away before I forgot or couldn't move anymore. So...as I hid away with God at the Jersey shore in Ocean Grove NJ, He gave me a name and a ministry to birth called Seasons of Purpose. I am blessed that God gave me a husband that helps to fulfill this mission and has given shape to the ministry.

When we go out to different churches and events we function as Seasons of Purpose. Sometimes I invite members of PCC, former students from Nyack College, former DFJ members, and etc. It is exciting to see the body of Christ come together for a common goal to glorify the Lord! The life lessons I have learned at PCC I bring to Seasons of Purpose. Many of the lectures and lesson plans that I have used for my teaching artist gigs, Nyack College, and SOP workshops have come in handy at PCC.

I had no idea when Seasons of Purpose began that a husband would be involved. But one day when I was sitting in my office which I shared with Liz Rios and Betsy Rivera (about a year later I joined their church), I met this man (about a year 1/2 later I married him). This was October 2001 and we were all recuperating emotionally from September 11th. I thought Martin was some rich guy who could help DFJ that was shut down since it was so near the World Trade Center (part of the airplane engine literally was seen on the street in front of the building). He wanted to give money to a conference that the Advancement Office was running. So Martin had to come to my office. Betsy was out but he desperately wanted to pay. I said "I'll take your money"...and he was intrigued by that and started talking. We've been talking ever since...

The Women God Has Used in My Life

The 2 009 PCC Women's Retreat is over but we had a good time. I thank God for the women who have played a big role in helping me see the importance of having the Holy Spirit order my steps in His Word. Many thanks to Pastor Enid Rios-Rivera who encourages us in our steps and even demonstrated how to do that walk throughout the weekend. I just had to join her in that step and so did many others that night in the spirit and with their bodies.

And many thanks to Dr. Liz Rios...a fabulous speaker who encouraged us in so many ways. I know that Seasons of Purpose needs to take some new steps so the ministry can grow, but God used Dr. Liz to inform me that the first step will be a big step. I will have to go to war in this walk in the Spirit. And my next step will be a crucial one. I thank God for her bringing a word to us that was not an easy word to digest but a needed word for such a time as this. I thank God that He used Dr. Liz. I know her personally and have worked under her at 2 different jobs in NY, so I know that the message she brings is sincere. In other words, she is not one way before the people and then another way behind closed doors. She keeps it real, and endeavors to apply the word when it is easy and when it is really, really hard.

I know that if I want to grow deeper in my understanding of this walk, the Holy Spirit and the ministry of Seasons of Purpose, I must get deeper in His Word. It's time to take the Big Steps!