Dreaming with God

Walt Disney...now THAT was a man who got it. He understood the gift of imagination, the importance of looking to the future while working in the present, and the necessity of childlikeness while still growing old.

I had the opportunity to go to Disneyland for the first time in April, and while we trucked it all over the park for ten straight hours from morning 'til night, people watched, laughed, smelled smells, rode rides, stood in ridiculously long lines, ate overpriced foods, tasted sweet candies, and debated in the gift store for far too long on which mug to add to my collection, I can say that the best part was feeling like I was a kid again. We saved the best ride for last - It's a Small World, of course the classic - and when I stepped out of the ride and walked up the stairs, there she was, a Disney princess riding on top of a float covered in lights that lit up the streets of Disneyland under the night sky. My little 30-year-old heart was five again and full of wonder and awe.

Imagine, a man that dared to dream big dreams, and years after his death his legacy still lives on, and we get to experience them in more ways than one; his dreams weren't just for him but for the world to share in, and they were tangible enough for others to catch hold of and invest in. What if we dared to dream dreams like that?! While I may not be as much of a visionary as Walt, here's what I've began dreaming about with God and how it ties into the next step in my journey.

A dream that's kind of been on my heart but that I've always pushed aside because it seemed too unrealistic, or irrational, or even irresponsible, or "not of God" is to support and encourage people in the performing arts/entertainment industry. I love to coach and counsel people and see them completely free and confident in who the Lord created them to be, which has been part of my own journey with the Lord. My hope is to see performers and entertainers trained up and sent out knowing their identity in Christ and having good, solid community/support so they can have a strong foundation and character that will withstand the waves and wind that may toss them to and fro on their journey.

I've learned that when I start dreaming with God and trusting Him with my dreams, I begin to see all the puzzle pieces start coming together. I've seen how He has brought this dream to the forefront of my mind over the last several months, given me a heart for L.A. and Hollywood (which I never thought I would like, but these are the places that I think of when I think about the entertainment industry), and brought people into my path that are already running with this same dream, which brings me to the next step in my journey:

I have the privilege of doing a third-year internship here at BSSM under Fabiano Altamura. I will begin my internship with Fab at Bethel Conservatory of the Arts (BCA) in August. 

BCA is a school that trains professional performers - actors, dancers, musical theatre performers - and as an intern in this environment, part of my role will be to encourage and support the students at the school. Basically, I'm at the starting point of my dream of encouraging and supporting performers in the entertainment industry. What?! Seriously, God? It's just funny to see how God works in all the little details, and while I'm sure this is just the beginning, I'm excited to see what's to come.

Still in the early stages, this will actually be BCA's first year with students, so it will be a new, pioneering experiencing, and I'm excited to see what God does in and through it. My mentor has a father's heart and loves to challenge and draw out the best in people. While I'm a bit nervous about that very thing, I'm also excited to be under his leadership and guidance and see what all God draws out of me during this internship. Sometimes it takes a different environment that is beyond our comfort zone to draw out what is really inside of us. I thought I was going to be a worship leader since that's all I've known or been known for, and while that may still be something I do during my lifetime, I believe God has many more things planned, and He's showing me that there's more to me and my heart than what I've known up to this point in time.

So for those who have been wondering what the next step is for me...this is it. That being said, I know many also ask about how they can support or help me. I will still have tuition to pay, as with the previous years in school, but thankfully it is much less. My total tuition is $800 and my deposit has already been paid thanks to friends and family! (You know who you are, and I'm so grateful for your love and faithfulness!) So if you'd like to sow into this season in my life, my dreams, and my future, this is a good way to start. With just $700 to go, you can help me knock this tuition out by clicking on the link below:

https://my.bssm.net/donations/students/search

• Once at the website, type my name (Melody Henderson) in the search bar
• Click search
• Make sure my name and information appears
• Click on "tuition"
• Continue giving from there by filling in your info

If you'd like to give extra, you can also donate towards my "travel fund" from the same link (above) as there will be some travel opportunities with leaders/mentors throughout the year like my OC trips during this past year. If you have any extra questions feel free to message me on FB or by email: m.d.henderson8@gmail.com

Thank you so much for all your prayer, love and support! My people rock!

PS. If you'd like to know more about BCA, it's leaders, and what I get to be a part of this upcoming year, you can check it out here! https://www.bethelconservatory.com

Permission to Grieve

Just a few of the people and moments in my story

Well, this is my first post since the dust has settled: graduation has come and gone, mom has visited and headed back home, friends that I've done life with over the last year have traveled back home (many of which are halfway across the world), and my to-do list now mainly consists of work. So what now? I actually found myself tearing up at this question: So what now? Isn't it funny how you work so hard for something or are in a certain season in your life and when the season ends or you reach your goal, you don't really know what to do, so you ask yourself, "So what now?" I believe that this question is actually meant to instill hope and expectancy and the following has been my experience over the last several months.

Now, I give my heart permission to grieve and mourn the end of an amazing season in my life - the close of a beautiful chapter in my story and history with the Lord that introduced many new characters, scenes, conflicts and triumphs.

Over the last several months, I've realized the importance of grieving, and I think the main thing that comes to mind when I think about grieving or mourning is the loss of a loved one, but the Lord has shown me the importance of this process even in seemingly small things in my life. This concept was highlighted to me after my first ministry trip to OC. I had an amazing time, found a part of myself I didn't know was in me, created new friends and family, discovered God in new ways, and to top it all off, my trip leader prayed and prophesied over me for the last two hours of our trip back, to which of course I cried...the whole two hours. After all that you would think all was good. Well, by the time I got home, unpacked, showered and got ready for bed, I was feeling pretty good...but then my head hit the pillow and the ugly cry commenced. Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about.


I actually went through this pattern and process with all three of my trips this year - two to OC and one to LA. This became an invitation to explore my heart with the Lord. I realized that while all these trips were amazing, my heart had to mourn the fact that they were all just moments in my life and now they were gone. This has become a bit of a theme this year, as I feel like the Lord also showed me this at the end of 2016.

I don't know about you, but January through March are always hard months for me, and this year while I was thinking about it, I feel like the Holy Spirit said, "Your heart is mourning the end of a year." I mean think about it - a whole year of
your life has come and gone! I've noticed that I get a little sad and sometimes even depressed after New Year's, and this year I realized why, so I took time to journal about all the ups and downs of 2016, gave my heart permission to be sad and acknowledge that that time in my life had ended. I realize this sounds a bit gloomy, but it gets better. I also realized that remembrance was the next step in my process. So after taking time to remember all that happened in 2016, I said goodbye and then welcomed 2017. This gave a whole new meaning to me when I thought about the memory stones the Israelites set up or when Paul the apostle often said he thanked the Lord when he remembered the people he had met and done life with during his missionary journeys (while writing to them during his imprisonment), or why we take communion. Throughout the Bible we see the importance of remembering the hardships and the joys in life, and most importantly the goodness and presence of God in every one of those moments and seasons.


I feel like remembrance is how we steward grief; why in the world would we want to steward grief? Well, I think when I don't, it easily turns into depression and hopelessness. But the key of remembering these times is doing it with God. He sees things differently than we do, so while we are honest with ourselves about being sad and mourning the loss, we have to do it hand-in-hand with Daddy God and ask Him to show us where He was in each moment and ask Him to let us see it the way that He does, so we don't get stuck in the mourning process, regret, or living in the past.

So we're honest about the pain and joy, we remember the good and not so good, and then we entrust all of those things and our hearts into God's hands and move on to the best part - dreaming with God for the next season. Once I can acknowledge what was and entrust it to God, then I can hope for what's to come. It's always a balancing act with Him isn't it? Mourning the past, enjoying the present, hoping for the future...

So what now? Now I will take time over the next few weeks and even months to grieve and remember all that has come (and gone) with this school year - life, friends, family, growth, discovery, God moments, tough moments - and realize the gift that it has been to my heart and soul. And then I will move on and ask God and myself, "So what now?" And another journey of exploration, partnership, and dreaming with the Lord will begin.