I'm finishing up with Ashley here. I've been wanting to do a scene with the siblings walking down the beach at sunset. Their mom is with them as well.
Ashley Hart (part 3)
One spring Saturday Ashley and her children spent the whole day at the Oregon coast. Debbie and Jon were both already in college. Sarah was in her mid teens while Beckie had just entered the beginning of her teens. They spent the entire day window shopping and looking out for whales breaking the surface out in the Pacific Ocean. They went through a few different communities on Highway 101 and enjoyed the sights. They had lunch at a deli, and ice cream sundaes at the ice cream shop next door.
It was something that Ashley liked to do with her children every year in the spring. Now that her children were starting to reach adulthood she made sure she scheduled it so that they could all go together. She made sure that no one was ever left out.
That evening they had dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean. They were all seated at a booth beside a big window. While they ate they occasionally gazed out at the small waves rolling in and looking sort of like the outside edges of a spiral. After dinner they strolled down the beach while the sun was just setting over the Pacific. The sunset started to bathe the ocean and ocean cliffs in varying shades of gold, pink, and red. Gulls soared overhead and called out to each other. Debbie started humming the melody of a hymn, and her mother joined in with her. They both walked at the head of the group.
Meanwhile Sarah picked up a few pretty seashells, as they walked along, and added them to a plastic bag that she had brought with her. She planned to add them to her growing collection that she had displayed on shelves back home in her bedroom. Now Sarah picked up another one even though it was broken and really only a shard. But she loved the touch of pastel blues and pinks that it showed. She held it in her hands and admired it.
Jon moved over beside her. "You know you're going to eventually run out of room to display all of your seashells."
"I'll make room," Sarah quietly replied.
Beckie glanced at the seashell and gave it a doubtful look. "Why would anyone want a broken seashell?"
Sarah defended, "It's still pretty."
"Right." Beckie rolled her eyes.
Jon commented, "You can say that seashells are like people. No matter how broken they are God can still use them."
Beckie did not say another word. Still she rolled her eyes again.
Now Mom stepped back and saw the seashell still in Sarah's hands. "Honey, can't you find one that's in better shape than that? You have other broken ones at home."
"But, I love the colors," Sarah answered meekly.
Mom sighed heavily like she was just a little bit exasperated.
Sarah briefly gazed down at the ground and wondered if she should put the seashell back. Suddenly, with a firm look in his blue eyes, Jon pointed at her bag. Sarah slightly smiled, and put the seashell in.
Jon informed, "Mom, she still sees the beauty that God put in it."
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -- and the things that are not -- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."
I Corinthians 1:27-29
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Morning Star Fellowship - part 13
The history of Morning Star Fellowship continues. This part focuses on Ashley's children.
Ashley Hart (part 2)
Ashley and Glen had a son and three daughters. All four children had Biblical names: Deborah, Jonathon, Sarah, and Rebecca.
Deborah was the first-born. She went by Debbie for short. Because she was the oldest she felt intense pressure to perform and be perfect. She was a straight "A" student just like her mother was. She grew up being very involved in Church just like her mother was. She was quick to say "yes" to everyone who wanted her help. Debbie always gave everyone a big beautiful smile. She came across to everyone as always being happy and bubbly. But deep down inside she felt like a phony. Still Debbie felt like she really couldn't be real with anyone. She was convinced she had to show people what she thought that they wanted to see.
Jonathon was the second oldest. He went by Jon. Though older relatives always called him Jonathon. He was the only boy in his family. All of his cousins were girls. He grew up wishing that he had a brother or at least a boy cousin. But he still loved his sisters, and he felt protective of them. Jon tended to be quiet, and he always noticed the details of what was going on with the people around him. He saw the perfectionism going on in his family, and he decided to guard himself against it. In fact, Jon was closer to his Uncle Shawn than he was to his own father. Even though he was one of the quiet kids, he was still one of the leaders in the youth group at Church. He sometimes lead the Bible studies, and he sometimes lead the prayer times. Jon was one of the kids whom other kids went to when they needed someone to talk to.
Sarah was the third oldest, and the middle daughter. She was the quiet and shy one. Still she sang in the children's and youth choirs at Church when she was growing up. She often sang solos with her beautiful high soprano voice. Jon was the one who encouraged her to sing. Sarah and Jon became close friends. Whenever she needed someone to talk to she usually went to her brother. He always listened and prayed with her. Sarah had a problem with telling anyone "No" when they asked her to help them with something - even if she had other things that she herself needed to do. She strongly wanted to please everyone and not have anyone upset with her. But Jon often told Sarah that it was okay to say "No" to something that she didn't have peace about doing.
Rebecca was the youngest and the baby of the family. Older family members called her by her full name. But her siblings, cousins, and friends all called her Beckie. She was quiet like Jon and Sarah were. She was one of those private people who quietly observed everything going on around her and didn't share what she was thinking. She kept her thoughts all to herself. While Beckie was still a young child she started having doubts about God and the Church. But she didn't dare tell her family because the whole family was very involved in the Church. At school she started hanging out with kids who wanted nothing do with Church or religion.
Jon and Sarah were the ones who started picking up that something was wrong with Beckie. They both sensed that she was somehow slipping away from the family and away from God. They each prayed for her privately. Meanwhile, Ashley had no idea that anything bad was going on with her youngest child - her baby girl. She was convinced that all of her children were perfect and doing what they were supposed to be doing. But Ashley did not know what was really going on inside of her children's hearts.
Ashley Hart (part 2)
Ashley and Glen had a son and three daughters. All four children had Biblical names: Deborah, Jonathon, Sarah, and Rebecca.
Deborah was the first-born. She went by Debbie for short. Because she was the oldest she felt intense pressure to perform and be perfect. She was a straight "A" student just like her mother was. She grew up being very involved in Church just like her mother was. She was quick to say "yes" to everyone who wanted her help. Debbie always gave everyone a big beautiful smile. She came across to everyone as always being happy and bubbly. But deep down inside she felt like a phony. Still Debbie felt like she really couldn't be real with anyone. She was convinced she had to show people what she thought that they wanted to see.
Jonathon was the second oldest. He went by Jon. Though older relatives always called him Jonathon. He was the only boy in his family. All of his cousins were girls. He grew up wishing that he had a brother or at least a boy cousin. But he still loved his sisters, and he felt protective of them. Jon tended to be quiet, and he always noticed the details of what was going on with the people around him. He saw the perfectionism going on in his family, and he decided to guard himself against it. In fact, Jon was closer to his Uncle Shawn than he was to his own father. Even though he was one of the quiet kids, he was still one of the leaders in the youth group at Church. He sometimes lead the Bible studies, and he sometimes lead the prayer times. Jon was one of the kids whom other kids went to when they needed someone to talk to.
Sarah was the third oldest, and the middle daughter. She was the quiet and shy one. Still she sang in the children's and youth choirs at Church when she was growing up. She often sang solos with her beautiful high soprano voice. Jon was the one who encouraged her to sing. Sarah and Jon became close friends. Whenever she needed someone to talk to she usually went to her brother. He always listened and prayed with her. Sarah had a problem with telling anyone "No" when they asked her to help them with something - even if she had other things that she herself needed to do. She strongly wanted to please everyone and not have anyone upset with her. But Jon often told Sarah that it was okay to say "No" to something that she didn't have peace about doing.
Rebecca was the youngest and the baby of the family. Older family members called her by her full name. But her siblings, cousins, and friends all called her Beckie. She was quiet like Jon and Sarah were. She was one of those private people who quietly observed everything going on around her and didn't share what she was thinking. She kept her thoughts all to herself. While Beckie was still a young child she started having doubts about God and the Church. But she didn't dare tell her family because the whole family was very involved in the Church. At school she started hanging out with kids who wanted nothing do with Church or religion.
Jon and Sarah were the ones who started picking up that something was wrong with Beckie. They both sensed that she was somehow slipping away from the family and away from God. They each prayed for her privately. Meanwhile, Ashley had no idea that anything bad was going on with her youngest child - her baby girl. She was convinced that all of her children were perfect and doing what they were supposed to be doing. But Ashley did not know what was really going on inside of her children's hearts.
(to be continued)
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