Life is hard. I am sure that is not a new revelation or a surprise to anyone. It is just a truth that points to the true condition of the human race. But have you ever been at the point in your life when you were ready to give up? Life seems to toss more than you are able to handle. You just want the world to stop for a second so that you can step off for awhile and catch your breath. In your confusion you wonder how anything good could possibly come of this mess. Well, I have heard many stories and actually experienced good coming from seemingly devastating situations.
Recently I had the privilege of talking with a woman who has experienced this first hand and I must say that it really encouraged my faith. Ok before you think that this was a totally serious interview take a step back.
Ms. Vickie is a serious person wrapped up in a very funny exterior. She is serious about things that are very serious. The thing she is most serious about is her faith and love for the Lord. All the rest of life is fair game for her humor. She had me in stitches with her funny look at the rougher side of life.
When I called her I was down, in fact I was downer than down. I just don't understand what is happening in our lives right now. It is all so hard and I am working hard to keep faith, but it is so slip sliding away. For quite some time it seems I have been taking one step forward only to take two steps backwards. All I can do right now is hang on to the Lord... and my teddy bear. I am clinging to the scripture "ALL things work together for the GOOD of those who love Him." Well, my little talk with Ms. Vickie helped me to put it all in perspective. You see. It is the end to the school year for the Fuller Home School and I am swamped with portfolio writing. In the state of Pennsylvania, every year I have to write and organize a report of the things that the children have accomplished for the school year, for each child in my home that is school age. I also have to include goals and objectives for the following school year in an affidavit.
These reports are about 1500 pages long. Now that is not to bad. Not such a high price to pay to have the privilege of teaching my children at home. Also being the one who shares the joy when they master something that had been hard to learn instead of hearing about it in a note from a teacher is very rewarding too. The thing that gets me is that even after all this work no one ever reads these things. So I take weeks out of my busy life preparing and writing these things and they sit in the administration office on the floor and no one looks at them. Nothing makes me rethink this home schooling thing like portfolio preparation time, not even the worst school day ever. You know one of those long winter days when one child is crying because they can't read right and you are working feverishly to keep them up. The second child has just completed a paper of fractions that is all wrong and you have to break their heart to explain that they didn't get it. Then the third comes to you for help in Algebra and you try but, it looks like it was written in pig Latin and you just can't translate it without first studying it yourself for hours. You want to run or call the school district up;sign those children up for public school right on the spot and demand that they send a school bus to get your children. You plead with them don't even slow the bus down just open the door and I will toss the children into the bus as you drive by.
Well, Ms. Vickie is not only a fellow believer with a heart sold out to the Lord, but she is a seasoned mother. She is a single mother of daughters and sons; and I'll tell you I could never take on the task that she has been called to. I realized that I am spoiled. Sure I am with my children 24/7 but I do get a break in the evening from my husband. I don't know how single mothers handle the bed time tug and pull with children when they are so tired from their busy days. Well, this very funny lady had me laughing at her own dealings with her children and showed me that we are all in the same boat just with different paddles.
Her lighthearted look at life and its struggles lightened my spirit and pointed to truths that I was just not seeing in my funk. First, God is large and in charge, and secondly children are a gift from God even when you want to return them.
Ms. Vickie is a comedian from the great state of Texas. She has been performing standup comedy for approximately 15 years, but 3 years ago something amazing happened to her. Join me as we learn what happened that totally changed this woman and drew her into a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Question: What does Comedy mean to you?

Miss Vickie: Comedy is a lot of things to me. First I think comedy is a non-threatening way for people to see their true nature and to see that we are all the same with the same quirks and shortcomings. I work hard to shape this art form into a medium that will give glory to the Lord. There is nothing more rewarding to see someone who is beat up from the cares of the world have their eyes light up in pleasure as they laugh and realize that maybe things are bad, but we are all in this together. I think that it is important to keep God first in your life and then you can keep laughing no matter what we face.

Question: Who is your target audience?

Miss Vickie: All of Gods children. I consider what I do to be comedy for the soul. I share with others comedy, through life's trials and tribulations and the peace and joy of knowing God even if their world is spinning out of control. My comedy material caters to young adults and mature adults. I perform Christian Comedy to encourage church folks as well as non-Christians, which is to glorify God.

Question: You are the founder and head of Keep Laughing Productions. Can you please tell me about that and your work for the organization?

Miss Vickie: God is the head. Keep Laughing Productions is a Christian Comedy Ministry [with] comedians who share a love for making people laugh and a love for the Lord. These people are bold with their faith and share it openly from the stage. Anyone can be a clean comedian, but not many are willing to stand up and profess their faith in any venue.

Question: Is Keep Laughing Production a talent agency for comedians?

Miss Vickie: Keep Laughing Productions is not a talent agency, but a networking ministry for Christian Comedians. We are a roster of like-minded people who share our talents and encourage one another in their faith. We get requests for jobs and we look at who would best fit into that particular venue. We like to send the comedians out in teams of two to three.

Question: How was Keep Laughing productions born?

Miss Vickie: Three years ago I was struggling with one foot in the world and the other foot in the things of God. The pastor of my church was encouraging the congregation from the pulpit that the only things that will last is the things you do for God. Later, he asked me, what will you do with the gift of comedy that the Lord has given you. I was challenged in my spirit to not just be a clean comedian, anyone can be clean. I was challenged to take a stand for the Lord. I remember I was at a secular venue where I was doing my act. I was sharing my faith when someone in the audience yelled out "this is not the place". Immediately my response was, "this is the place, any time, any where and any place." After performing, I walked off the stage and my life and comedy had turned around. I no longer cater to the world, but to the Lord Jesus Christ only. I find that I am at peace and much more fulfilled. I remember back to that time and realized that I was torn trying to straddle the fence. Now I am free to share Jesus with joy and contentment.

Question: Tell me about your act?

Miss Vickie: In a lot of my act I share myself with my audience. I am real and I pray that in being real I touch a nerve and encourage people to get closer to the God I love.
By the way thanks Ms Vickie for lifting my spirits with your funny nature. Wow! I really needed that. Keep it in perspective and give God the Glory in all things. Check out Vickie's site at keeplaughing.net

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