BIEBER MANIA

Those of you who know me know that as a theater teacher and youth group leader I really try to make sure that I am always aware of the things that my kids are watching and listening to. So about a year and a half ago I begin to hear buzz about this kid named Justin Bieber. At first I didn't really pay attention but as the buzz begin to grow I thought well I guess I better check out this Bieber kid and see what he is all about.

What I found was impressive. The boy had great talent and I thought, ok Justin Bieber yeah I guess its ok that my students like ya, your alright! Well it sure didn't stop there, The insanity only grew even more and I caught my self thinking what in the world is going on, this Bieber kid has girls all around the world screaming,crying and fainting..... WHAAAAT! We all know I was a teenage girl during the peak of the Backstreet boys fame and yes while I was and am a HUGE fan and love them dearly there surely was not any crying and fainting from me at concerts... just a lot of dancing, (I mean my friends and I were dancin' fools at BSB concerts.... but I digress, so back to Mr.Bieber)

In my theater classes we often use music in our warm-ups and Justin Bieber has made his way into our warm-up mixes quite a bit this past year, and while I enjoyed many JB tunes and thought/think he is quite the talented young man I still was not sure why little ladies all over the world were crying and fainting and just all around loosing their MINDS.

Then comes this "Never say Never" movie and at first I'm thinking to myself really,really people a documentary this is just waaaaaay to much, but of course my youth group girls talk me into taking them so Saturday afternoon me and the girls head out to lunch and a movie date to take in the "Never say Never Directors cut" movie. The theater goes dark and is filled with the shrill screams and cries of uber excited teen girls. Fast forward to the end, the girls have enjoyed the last few hours of Justin Bieber 20ft big and in 3d and I have really enjoyed learning what this kid is all about past the music,boyish good looks and infamous hair (that is no more ha ha)

I think getting a glimpse of who Justin Bieber the teenage boy is and where he came from was my favorite part. Yes this boy is CRAZY talented but what touched my heart was his compassion and kindness, and of course as a youth group leader it was really nice to have some things to take away and discuss about the role faith plays in his life and to have someone who is soooo much in the forefront of their lives right now as young people be a great example of what compassion looks like in this world today and open up the discussion to how they as teenagers can live out God's call to show compassion in their everyday lives, yes they don't have this monumental platform like Justin Bieber but they are called nonetheless by the Father to do so.

Even further we were able to have a discussion about seeking out the plan that God has for your life. God has a plan for all of our lives, he has created us all to do great things for his glory it may not be to become a teen superstar and have an international impact in the lives of teens, but its a perfect plan for us!

After seeing the movie I felt compelled to intercede on behalf of Mr. Bieber and just ask God to help him to guard his heart and continue surrounding him with people that are going to make a positive impact on his life. Give him the strength to continue to stand firm in what he believes, but also to be with his sweet Momma and to keep her strong and grounded so that she is able to continue to be the guidance and strength that he needs in the crazy entertainment business.

Oh and p.s. still not sure why all of the worlds teen girls can't help but fall apart at the mention of the name Justin Bieber but something tells me I will never know ha ha.

Breanna

Run-of-the-Mill, No ordinary show!

Yesterday was the final performance for Run-of-the-Mill an original show that was written by a wonderful friend of mine. I had the pleasure of stage managing this amazing show, and it was truly an honor!
I was brought onto the project back in October of 2010 and have seen the script and story grow and develop into the amazing and wonderful story that it is now! It has been such an amazing ride, and I have greatly enjoyed working with all of the wonderful actors and crew members.

Once in a while those stories come along that touch your heart and really speak of the human condition and this show was one of those. A story that follows the average American middle class family in their every day life experiencing extraordinary circumstances! This was indeed a wonderful experience I am forever grateful to have been a part of it!

My heart is overwhelmed by the amazing love and respect that was shared between all that worked on this project and I am so very proud of Tyler for writing such a beautiful show! Now a little break!

Breanna