When my daughter and I were first accepted as contestants in the International Talent Showcase, I was skeptical. It was a lot of work and a lot of money for a long shot. I was excited at the prospect, but nervous about forking over that much money for what could have turned out to be an overpriced summer camp. Shortly after, I was sitting at church on Sunday, and my pastor gave a sermon that started this blog. If you're going to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat. This seemed like a safe way to go a step farther than dangling the feet overboard, but not so far that I couldn't jump back in the boat for dear life. So we went.
At the competition, I ended up doing well. I won numerous awards, including Top 5 in TV Commercial and Monologue and winning Spokesmodel and Overall Female Commercial Model. I also piqued a few agents' interest and met Mr. David Vando, Shakespeare professor at the New York Film Academy and owner of Models Mart, who ultimately ended up offering me a scholarship to the NY Film Academy.
When I get back home, I start to pray about this. A scholarship to the NY Film Academy would be a dream come true. Instead of working a 9-5 and then, on top of that, doing community theatre and indie films on the side, that WOULD be my 9-5. It would give me more time with my family. It would make my husband happier. I finally would have my dream job. BUT, it means moving my family several hundred miles away. Away from family, away from friends, and away from a steady job. I started talking to my husband about it. I expected him to think I was crazy, but it really makes sense to him. I can pursue my dream, he's a Hispanic that works in a restaurant and doesn't drive - so NYC has his name all over it, and my children would have a better market for them to model/act, since they've caught the bug as well. So I prayed some more. That very next Sunday in church, Pastor Ed chose the verses: Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? His message that day was the well-known Carpe Diem - seize the day. We're not guaranteed tomorrow, so go after your calling. And the next Sunday: Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. It seemed to me to be a clear message.
I'm not saying we don't still have some challenges ahead. We've got to find a place to live in NYC. It just so happens I have a friend from college that's a real estate agent. Coincidence? I think not. We need to find someone to rent our current house. I no sooner posted that message on Facebook than I had someone message me about it. I don't know how serious she is, but if it's meant to be that person will come. And third, the scholarship is only partial, so I will need to find funding for the rest. I've been to and signed up for most of the major scholarship search websites. I now have more spam coming to my email than I ever thought possible, but I've gotten some good leads on additional scholarships.
So, the details are not all ironed out. There are things that need to happen. But let me leave you with just one more verse:
Phillippians 1:6 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
