Happy New Year everyone!
I can’t thank you all enough for keeping up with Shining Light’s happenings. I’ve had a number of people tell me that they enjoy reading our blogs, and although I don’t know each person who has read my words, I feel a special connection with you all, knowing that you are getting a sneak peak into why I hold this ministry so close to my heart. You all rock 
I often find myself in awe when I think about Shining Light. The intricate details that make it such an encouraging and fulfilling ministry are delicately woven into every Sunday rehearsal and performance. What a pleasure to be part of such a unique ministry; I don’t know of any other production quite like Shining Light, and it’s in my own backyard. Because I am financially able to be a member of this ministry, my ultimate goal is to allow myself to have an enriching experience every time I set foot on our stage for a performance, on the gym floor at New Covenant Christian School for a rehearsal, or in a small cafeteria at a youth detention center to pray with my small group.
With electronics, relationships, school work, and a job surrounding me on all sides, I have found it to become incredibly easy to lose focus on the purpose of the ministry. Instead, I find my thoughts entertained with pride, such as getting the part in a feature dance that I auditioned for, or my friends and family coming to see one of our local performances.
God saw that I needed a little nudge, and that’s just what I got when I looked up at the wall in the gym at New Covenant two Sunday evenings ago, where an artist had painted these words: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23. With God’s help, and after a careful evaluation of my thoughts regarding my purpose in Shining Light, I was able to recenter my focus, setting aside my pride and admitting that I had lost focus on my purpose for devoting so much of my time and energy to this ministry; I had taken my eyes off God and placed them on myself. I was relying on my own strength, but my tank was nearing empty.
In prayer, I’ve asked that God be by my side as I move forward. I have no doubts in the promise He has made to never leave me and carry me if I need carried. For it is His strength, and not the strength of man, that can pick us up as many times as we have fallen. What an encouragement it is that He is honored by the work of this ministry; may we praise Him and Him alone!
God Bless,
Katrina