Well, welcome back to Rising 365, a podcast committed to inspiring and supporting others
to embrace the opportunity to rise with each new day.
I'm Mike Penney and I'm your podcast host, I guess.
And I just want you to know that Rising Daily can be a challenge for many, including myself.
And that's why I created Rising 365.
It is my hope that what you hear in these episodes will assist you in rising every day
of the year.
It's been a few weeks since I recorded a podcast because of our summer schedule is extremely
busy.
My family and I are full-time missionaries.
And as you have heard in the previous two episodes, we're in the middle of our summer
ministry and that consists of two things.
Leading our Christian Youth in Action leaders, which are teenagers, we spend a week training
to go and out into the communities and do these pop-up VBSs, Vacation Bible Schools,
Monday through Thursday.
So we've been doing that.
I'm also in a musical here in Kearney, Nebraska with Crane River Theater doing Beauty and
the Beast.
You know, when it comes to live performing arts, there's a lot that goes into it.
A lot of steps, a lot of long hours and work and practices and rehearsals.
Everything you do, we're lucky enough with Crane River Theater to have two locations.
We'll have our beginning location for rehearsals and this wide open space.
And when we're in that space and we start the process of getting the show ready by the
direction of our performing director, you know, the space becomes second habit.
We get used to the space and when we're in this rehearsal space, eventually we come to
a point where the show is ready.
But then things change and we moved into the real performing theater, which was at Kearney
High School.
And then we added set and we added this big, elaborate costumes and this big, elaborate
set and light and music and things change.
As a live performing artist, it doesn't matter if you're performing dance on stage, music,
orchestras, whatever you're doing in front of a live audience.
It's never the same day after day.
So you have to be willing to be flexible in the process.
And that's what inspired me to do this episode.
That's why it's called Take the Stage.
And understanding that it's not always going to be the same.
You rehearse and you follow the guiding directions of the director.
We have a fabulous director who carries the big picture of what the story we're trying
to share with the audience.
The story of Beauty and the Beast.
As the director, he has the big picture in mind.
He understands what he wants the audience to feel.
So he gives us specific blocking and timing, timing of lights and timing of musics and
our choreography directors.
There's certain things they want us as performers to portray.
So we rehearse it hour after hour, day after day.
And hope that it becomes second nature.
So when it finally comes time to take the stage, we're ready.
But as a performer and as individuals, we have a choice to make here.
We have a choice when it comes to live performing arts.
Are we going to accept the direction of the director?
A good director is going to hold true to the story, the truth that the story is meant to
share.
He's going to give the performers blocking.
And like I said, he's going to give us step by step instructions of what he would like
to see, what he wants seen.
Some of those things are set in stone.
When we enter our lines, the delivery.
But a good director like what we have, he allows us as performers to find what works
for us in the environment that he has set in the story, in our blocking and in the lighting
and in the timing.
As a good director, he says, it's up to you now as the actor.
I've given you direction what he would like to see.
Now try things to bring your character in this story to life.
And that's where we're at with this episode.
We see it as a process of helping others, being able to rise to meet what they're facing.
There are so many processes that can help you.
Some things are set in stone.
If you go back to some of the episodes, we've unpacked certain things that must take place
in order to meeting the new day to even be possible.
Putting your life in order, cleaning things up in your life, changing your diet, having
things set the night before to make things more manageable for you the next day.
Those things can help.
But then you have to find your own way.
You have to find your own way to tell the story of your life that you want to tell.
You can't tell the story of your life by being stuck in bed or trapped in your house.
There's freedom amongst the direction of a good director when it comes to live performing
arts.
Knowing that the character he has given you and entrusted to you, he trusts that you will
bring that character to life within the concept of the story that is meant to be told as a
whole.
And that's what God is doing with you in your life each and every day.
He has, if you will, a play set before you.
You are the character in the play he has chosen.
And he's asking you to do your part, play your part, your story.
What do you want it to look like?
So many times we allow bad things in our play to make our play a tragedy or a horror story
or a story that has no hope because we allow a situation to overwhelm us.
God that I know that you see in scripture, he doesn't want that for your life.
He tells us in the gospels that he is the way, the truth, and the life, that there is
hope only found in him.
So if you want a story, a play, if you want the play of your life to be one filled with
hope, joy, peace, love, patience, and kindness, then you have to be the character who reveals
that.
And it's impossible to do that if you don't understand where it comes from.
And for me, it comes from the main character in acting alongside the man and the Savior
of Jesus Christ.
When we act alongside him and with him leading the play of your life, we can change the story.
He changes the story.
He brings light into darkness.
He lights the stage of your life.
He gives you the melody, the theme, the... gives you all that you need.
And it's your choice to play your role.
He's a good director.
He's not going to force you to play a role you do not want to play.
But he's entrusting that you will play the role.
The choice is on you.
What do you want the play of your life to look like?
Are you ready to take the stage in this endeavor?
God is directing your life each and every day.
He gives you each new day.
He gives you breath into your lungs and awakens you.
He's saying your story is not done yet and the stage is ready for you.
Will you go play the part?
Will you be and go show kindness to others?
Will you share a lending hand?
Will you be a listening ear, a warm embrace for somebody?
So ask yourself, what character are you playing in your life?
Are you the hero?
There's only one hero.
Spoiler alert, that hero is Jesus.
But what side of the story are you on?
Are you in the tragedy or are you looking for an adventure?
I just want to encourage you to seek ways to be a part of the story that God is writing
for you.
And trust that he sees the big picture, like a good director does.
And that the role he's asking you to play is a role that only you could play.
No one else can do it for you.
And you have a choice to make.
Will you take the stage and be ready for it?
I know you can do it.
You're ready for it.
The Lord is there to help you each and every day.
He'll give you exactly what you need.
So go take the stage.
Thank you for tuning in.
I hope each episode brings you inspiration to embrace every new day.
To support this podcast, consider booking me as a speaker for your next conference,
school assembly, youth event, Bible study, or any special occasion where I can share
the message of Rising 365.
To arrange this, simply send me a message or email at rising247365atgmail.com.
Additionally, you can support by liking, sharing, and rating the podcast when your preferred
listening platform.
You can also support this podcast by supporting my family and I as we are full-time missionaries
with CEF of Central Nebraska.
Until we meet again, I'm Mike Pena reminding you to rise and seize the gift of a new day.
See you next time.