Changing shoes...

I posted about Sweet-Pea's ballet/tap issues here already, but unfortunately things never got 100% resolved. The girl at church who said she teaches ballet, is more of a contemporary dancer who specializes in interpretive dance. She adds some ballet, but it's not her specialty. When Sweet-Pea heard that, she shed some tears and ultimately decided that it was not the route she should go.

I tell you, this girl has a huge heart and a good strong sense of how the Lord leads. She told me that she absolutely loves to dance, but that if there isn't a good place for her to go and learn how to dance that is pleasing to the Lord, she wouldn't do it. We all felt that God was closing the doors for her today. Maybe in the future, she can try again, but for now, she is hanging up her ballet shoes. It brings me to tears as well, as I loved watching her dance each week at practice and often at home. I loved seeing her beautiful spirit reflected in her dance. She is graceful and very feminine...the perfect combination for a dancer.

So...where do we go from here? Well, we've come up with a happy alternative, something where she can use her ballet skills, and yet won't have to compromise.

Here are her new shoes....
Yup! Figure skates!!! She is going to begin figure skating lessons this fall. We thought that with her background in ballet, she will have a head start on learning to skate. She will probably have a hard time at first, but if she catches on and decides that it's something she wants to pursue, we will back her up on it 100%. She will be taking private lessons, so there won't be any pressures or compromising on her part. I'm excited about that!

For Lionel, it was easy for him to find his niche. He loved basketball and played for years before laying aside the ball for his violin and bow. He doesn't regret it one minute, and I believe his decision was a wise one that will pay off for a very long time. Sweet-Pea is already playing the flute, but she wanted something more. She wants to continue with the flute, but I believe her desires to dance are still very much a part of her. With skating, she will get dance and skating all wrapped up in one. It's difficult as a parent to lead a child who isn't sure of what he or she wants. There are almost too many options out there. As long as our children are following Christ, and they are working hard at what they are doing, we are there to encourage them and help them along. If figure skating doesn't work out for Sweet-Pea, then we're confident that God will open up another door for her! In the mean time...pray that she does well, learns a lot, and that we don't go broke in the process. Ballet was costly, but I believe Figure Skating is much more. We are excited though and are looking forward to what God has in store for our little Sweet-Pea!