Time to Shine

Maria Peterson Photography

Goodbye 2010. Time to shine in 2011.

People often ask why I moved to a place they call Sodom, meaning Los Angeles.  What they really mean is: "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!" 

Honestly? 

I wanted to see my legs again. wear sundresses. dance on the beach. drive with the top down.

Friends promised I'd get used to the cold, foggy Bay Area summers. I never did. 

And I didn't even consider moving back East in winter; suffered too much frostbite reporting in blizzard conditions. We'd freeze even wearing station-issued parkas.

I didn't handle the cold or the spotlight well back then. Viewers could be mean, my ego fragile.  And they didn't teach us in journalism school how to handle haters.

"Honey, blot your lips!" a viewer had sneered at my first TV job. Yet, our anchor Pam had turned being trashed into treasure. 

"Blot?" she'd ask before going on set. It became our code for, "Do I look ok?" 

What we were really saying is, "I got your back."

So what was I thinking moving to LA?  Well, sunshine. But in my heart I was saying, "God, here I am. Use me.  If this is the place, I'm ready." 

So thanks for your prayers. Thanks for having my back.  Time to shine in 2011.  Blot?

www.facebook.com/shayholland

Trinkets and Trees

Maria Peterson Photography

Tiffany's and some other luxury brand stores just opened in our coastal town. Amusing -  the juxtaposition of beach-goers dressed in tank tops and flip-flops toting those exclusive little blue bags.

Did you know you can actually buy Tiffany's boxes on eBay?  

"For those who want to try to illicit the oohs and aahs without the genuine article," wrote Luxist blogger Deidre Woollard.

Deceiving loved ones by giving them fake gems in a Tiffany box? The Grinch would be proud. Reminds me of the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree because it appeared lush yet was bearing no fruit. No one wants to be deceived, whether by a trinket or a tree.

It seems we're growing tired of the chasing the elusive Hollywood and Madison Avenue fantasies. We long for the genuine: real love. intimacy. purpose. Maybe we're searching for substance over shallowness because of misfortune, maybe because of tragedy - the kinds of things that make us seek deeper meaning.

Whatever the reason, I pray you experience God's heart of love this Christmas and not settle for an imitation...even if it's wrapped in a pretty blue box.

www.facebook.com/shayholland

Brides, Brooms and Grooms

I've been home visiting family and a four-year-old who quoted me lines from Disney's The Princess and the Frog while insisting we rehearse for my wedding. 

Never mind that I'm not engaged.

Four-year-old is dead set to be a flower girl. She's decided I'm her best bet. 

"Let's practice for your wedding," she said, "You just need a broom."  Took me a second to realize she meant groom not broom.

I wasn't about to leave the warm diner where we were sharing Mickey Mouse pancakes for a fake ceremony in the cold. I tried offering alternative relatives.

"Practice with my niece," I said.

"Not her," four-year-old rolled her eyes dramatically, implying niece is a bad girl.

"What about grandma?" I tried.

"She has too many wrinkles," countered future Bridezilla.

Ever try arguing with a four-year-old wearing a pink tutu and tin foil tiara?  Arms linked, we walked slowly through the restaurant humming, "Here Comes the Bride."  Never mind strangers staring - when you're four, nothing inhibits love.

Surrendering the heart is so much harder as adults. I thought of several friends who are having marital trouble.  Love has grown cold. 

But then I remembered Solomon, the king who falls for an improbable bride: "See! The winter is past. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me."

Flower girl may have seen one too many Disney flicks but I envied her openness to love.

Maybe the weather wasn't so bad after all. "Shall we walk like brides out to the car?" I asked. She excitedly replied, "And if you don't get a broom, maybe you can borrow my daddy!"

Love really is simple when you're four.

www.facebook.com/shayholland