Rachael's in a Christmas play called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." It's based on the book to the right. If you're familiar with the story, Rachael is playing the role of the mom who has to step in and run the pageant when the normal director breaks her leg. It's the first staring role Rachael has had since appearing in multiple theatre productions at Truman State University.
The show will run Dec 2, 3, & 4 in Kansas City.
The play is a fundraiser for the non-profit Rachael works for, Giant Step. Giant Step is a special needs daycare for mentally and physically disabled children and young adults. It's a great organization and if you're going to be in the Kansas City area next weekend you should come to support the organization and Rachael.
I'll post exact location, times, how to get tickets and more later this week.
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It's been a hard month. My grandmother passed away at the end of October and because I'm the "pastor in the family" things were much more draining than they would have been.
The visitation and funeral were in Sikeston, MO (where my grandparents lived for a long time until we moved them to Texas this summer to live with my Aunt Diann and Uncle Buster - yes, I said Buster - and cousins Texas and Trinity).
It's weird. Just a few months ago I drove their car from Sikeston to Texas and I as I left town I thought, "This'll probably be the last time I see Sikeston for a long time," and just a short time later we were all back down there.
My family asked me to perform the graveside service in St. Louis. Still being new to the whole pastor thing, I was worried that I wouldn't do something right. Rachael's uncle Richard (himself a pastor just over the river in Illinois) came and was very encouraging. Grandma had wanted people to donate to our church plant in lieu of flowers, which was a wonderful blessing.
Throughout the visitation, funeral, and graveside service people didn't know how to talk to me. Was I the pastor, there to comfort them, the grandson they should comfort, the grandson whose ministry donations were being made to in Louise's name who they should congratulate and encourage?
Most talked to me in a quickly changing mixture of the three, asking me for reassurance, telling me she was in a better place and was from Tucson all in the same breath. It's just tough.
The visitation and funeral were in Sikeston, MO (where my grandparents lived for a long time until we moved them to Texas this summer to live with my Aunt Diann and Uncle Buster - yes, I said Buster - and cousins Texas and Trinity).
It's weird. Just a few months ago I drove their car from Sikeston to Texas and I as I left town I thought, "This'll probably be the last time I see Sikeston for a long time," and just a short time later we were all back down there.
My family asked me to perform the graveside service in St. Louis. Still being new to the whole pastor thing, I was worried that I wouldn't do something right. Rachael's uncle Richard (himself a pastor just over the river in Illinois) came and was very encouraging. Grandma had wanted people to donate to our church plant in lieu of flowers, which was a wonderful blessing.
Throughout the visitation, funeral, and graveside service people didn't know how to talk to me. Was I the pastor, there to comfort them, the grandson they should comfort, the grandson whose ministry donations were being made to in Louise's name who they should congratulate and encourage?
Most talked to me in a quickly changing mixture of the three, asking me for reassurance, telling me she was in a better place and was from Tucson all in the same breath. It's just tough.
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Last week Rachael was invited to speak at Literacy on the Lake, a Missouri state conference on literacy and reading instruction. 
She spoke on the crucial role of Speech Language Pathologists in developing reading and literacy skills at a young age. It was very nice. We stayed at the Lodge of the Four Seasons and it was all paid for by her work. I took these pictures the first night we were there.
The one weird downside is that someone stole our license plate. The entire license plate holder assembly was torn off of the front and three of the four screws holding the back plate were removed. Our theory is that they got scared off before they could finish with the back plate. We were parked against a retaining wall and the front of the car was in shadow, while the rear was under a street light.
So, I have to go to the DMV this afternoon to get new plates. I don't know if the police report will let us get a new set without having to pay for them. I guess I'll find out.
Our car is in shambles right now anyway. Last night when we pulled up to an ATM, I rolled the window down and it wouldn't go back up. When we got home ( a very chilly ride) Paul (my father-in-law) and I tore the door apart to fix it and came to the conclusion that the motor was frozen up and would need to be replaced.
When I got in the car this morning to take it in to the shop, the window rolled right up. I don't know what changed from last night, but maybe we just won't roll that window down again any time soon.
She spoke on the crucial role of Speech Language Pathologists in developing reading and literacy skills at a young age. It was very nice. We stayed at the Lodge of the Four Seasons and it was all paid for by her work. I took these pictures the first night we were there.The one weird downside is that someone stole our license plate. The entire license plate holder assembly was torn off of the front and three of the four screws holding the back plate were removed. Our theory is that they got scared off before they could finish with the back plate. We were parked against a retaining wall and the front of the car was in shadow, while the rear was under a street light.
So, I have to go to the DMV this afternoon to get new plates. I don't know if the police report will let us get a new set without having to pay for them. I guess I'll find out.
Our car is in shambles right now anyway. Last night when we pulled up to an ATM, I rolled the window down and it wouldn't go back up. When we got home ( a very chilly ride) Paul (my father-in-law) and I tore the door apart to fix it and came to the conclusion that the motor was frozen up and would need to be replaced.
When I got in the car this morning to take it in to the shop, the window rolled right up. I don't know what changed from last night, but maybe we just won't roll that window down again any time soon.
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Also, please pray for me as I am going through a very trying time with the substitute teaching thing. It's rough and I could use prayer.
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If you're reading this, post a comment. I'd be nice to get some comments to know that people are actually out there.
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