Chance...

{the following is to be taken as a slightly sarcastic retelling..}

Today I went to an audition and wasn't sure why...it wasn't the type of project I would normally want to be involved with, but I went anyway.
The auditions were held at a large church and when I got there, I accidentally went in the wrong door(very surprising given my innate sense of direction) and was stopped by a man who informed me that I was supposed to enter through the doors on the *west* side of the building(as if using a word like *west* would actually help me figure out where to go...my internal compass says things like "turn by the big oak tree"; nothing at all in there about east, north, south or *west*). After being told I would have to walk around to the opposite side of the building, I decided to take a quick detour to the nearest restroom.
On the way, I passed an auditorium full of well-dressed women listening to a perky blonde 'Christian motivational speaker'(I'm not sure this is the appropriate title - I only had a few seconds to form my impression as I passed..). She was telling the ladies to, "Buckle up", because she had a "fresh word from the Lord". I wondered what would follow that intro; I have heard that phrase used blithely too many times and am as a result cautious to either use it or blindly accept the words that follow. I must also say that I believe we do have a "fresh word from the Lord", many in fact.. every word of scripture - and we should "buckle up" when we are going to embark on an attempt to understand and apply it, because it is consuming and transformational.

As I passed the auditorium and wondered what message of lifechanging power she would deliver, I saw a flyer that advertised the very gathering that was occurring at the time. It was a fashion show.

{on a serious note..}

Then, something unexpected happened.
I was washing my hands when I saw a woman gingerly waddle into my peripheral vision..as she took her place at the sink next to me, the reason for her unusual gait was obvious: she was very pregnant. I knew I could walk out quietly without saying hello and it would be o.k. according to the commonly held public restroom etiquette..but I just wanted to talk to her, so I struck up a conversation.
As we talked, I thought"why am I bothering this woman? maybe I shouldn't have delayed her from the fashion show thing.."
But she shared something unexpected - the baby(her third son) will be born no later than Friday, and two days later he will have to undergo open - heart surgery in Ann Arbor to correct a problem with his aorta. I was immediately aware of God's presence in me, impressing me to pray for this child. She was surprised I hadn't heard of his condition since there has been much talk of it at the church..she was more surprised when I told her that I didn't attend that church, had entered that end of the building by accident, but was grateful God had given me the chance to meet her so that I could pray for him. Before we parted ways, she told me his name is Chance.

I knew as I walked away that I wasn't really at the audition to fill up my resume...and suddenly it didn't matter whether I really wanted to be a part of this project.
I was at that audition today so I could meet Chance and pray for him, and my heart filled up with gratitude that God allowed me to be a part of what He's doing in the life of a precious baby boy. If you're inclined to prayer, please remember Chance during the upcoming weeks.

{Back to the thinly veiled sarcasm}

If any of you were wondering what the "fresh word from the Lord" turned out to be, I don't know for sure.....but when I passed the auditorium on my way out, the speaker was showing the audience, using a model for an example, what *not* to wear if you have a pear-shaped body.
As I walked the hall to the exit, her amplified voice trailed after me, "make sure you don't put anything eye-catching near the hips - no belts, jewelry, prints, and do NOT tuck that shirt in...."
Hmm. Maybe I missed it.

">Link

Peeking through my portal to the outside world....hello again!

For the past week or so, I have been without access to the internet because Justin took the laptop with him on his trip to LA.
He got back this afternoon; surprised me, in fact, since he was supposed to be gone another week. I love happy surprises! He called me with a ruse about winning something from the local rock-climbing gym, and asked me to make the trip to downtown Kzoo to pick up his mysterious booty. This may sound like an obvious trick to some readers, but those of you who know Justin well know that he has an *uncanny* magnetism for prizes and loot. Given his track record of winning, I believed his story and made the trip to pick up his *prize*. After five minutes of attempting to parallel park, I looked up to see his face in the passenger window!

I realize that the impact of this short retelling was undercut by the fact that I gave away the ending at the beginning, but trust me, it was great fun! After not seeing my love for a week, I can't think of a better prize to pick up!

Sometimes we look back at our lives and see timelines punctuated by hurts, betrayals, disappointments, tragic losses, or metamorphosis....
I think it would be tremendously therapeutic to take some time to look back on your life in the form of a timeline punctuated by Surprises - happy, unexpected vehicles of hope.

Hope your day is dotted with a beautiful
surprise!
">Link

Ten reasons why you need to know who Edna Allen is..

When I married Justin, I got a fabulous benefit: Great - Grandma Allen.

1)Edna is *always* happy to see you; regardless of how she's feeling.
2) Edna, in her late eighties, has a better figure than most women in their thirties!
3)Edna says what she thinks, even if it's different than the general concensus.
4)Grace: Last year, when Edna's health declined and she had to move into a residential care facility, she remained optimistic.
5)Edna knows that people are more important than things, and makes you feel important when she's talking to you.
6)Edna has monochromatic polyester suits in robin's egg blue, soft pink, and bright red.
7)Edna has a room full of candy and beanie babies that she doesn't care about, from winning bingo(which she had never played before 6 months ago!)
8)Edna says "I love you" freely, sincerely, and often.
9) Edna still lives with dignity and kindness, and will continue as long as she is here among us.
10) Edna has a neighbor who suffers from dementia and periodically wanders in and steals her beanie babies. Edna doesn't mind, because" she doesn't know what she's doing, and she's a good woman, and I don't need those things anyway."

To one fantastic woman who shows me what it means to be a classy lady:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA ALLEN!!!!!
">Link

I have two seconds to say..

Our laptop has been broken for two days, preventing me from posting much, but thanks to our kind and capable neighbor Mike, it has been resuscitated(sp?).
Opening night went famously - thanks to Calvin and Anita for giving us the honor of being the locale for their first date since the birth of baby Ben!
Drive safe, those of you who are coming tonight - all of you have my

Love!
">Link

A brief glimpe into Justin's unguarded mind...

O.k, so I'm sitting on the couch and Justin has fallen asleep next to me.
After sleeping for over an hour, his snoring abruptly stops and he says(eyes closed), "How are they gonna know?"
I look at him, realize he's still asleep, and decide to experiment with him.
"They won't.", I say.
He replies after an extended pause, " I might have to bring Ginger with me Wednesday."
"Yes.", I say, watching his sleeping face.

I wonder what he's dreaming about?

"Everyone else is bringing their babies..." he muses with a peaceful smile.

"You don't want to be left out", I offer.

Does he know he's talking?

"I'll tell Roy he should bring one, too." he chuckles to himself.

Laughing softly, I respond, "Where on earth is Roy going to find a baby?!"

Does he even hear me?

Immediately after I finish speaking, he giggles like a schoolgirl and promptly resumes snoring.



">Link

Crunch time

The days are blurring together......
this play has been a Godsend - so incredibly fun and grueling! I feel like I've made the most of it and learned as much as possible, and it all culminates Friday night at 8pm. I'm exhausted - I get home from rehearsals after ten most nights, and this week is intense with all the dress rehearsals(and no more calling for lines if I forget), but I can't wait for the chance to see it come to life in front of an audience!
So, for those of you making the trek, the dates are April 15&16, 22&23 at 8 pm(the show is about 2 hrs long).
If you love me enough to drive from out of town to come see it, I love you enough to let you sleep at my house so you won't have to drive home at 10pm! ;)
Tickets are $10 at the door and $8 in advance. They can be reserved by calling 269-657-PLAY.
Hope to see some of you there! Call me for directions or visit the website by clicking on the link at the end of this post.
----
D&A, still thrilled for you - still praying for you and the twins!
----
Coming soon:
the up-to-date story on what's been making life maddening, stressFULL, exciting, busy, heartbreaking, and hopeful. This is the situation I've made reference to in posts past but was until now unable to speak of freely. I'm way too tired to get into it now, but if you can't wait you are welcome to call me or email me. :)
----
Goodnight, friends - hope your sleep is filled with

peace.
http://www.ppvp.homestead.com

Ginger will change the world, but for now she needs her sleep.

Treasures on Loan

Do you know when I feel the most alive? Present? Deeply connected to the heart of God?

It's not when I'm singing
or riding through the vineyards
or kayaking
or acting

It's when I'm praying for my children. Each time I stand in their dark bedroom and put my hands on them, one at a time. When I touch their pale foreheads and smooth back the wisps of their hair, and talk to God about them.
When I turn my heart toward their creator with thoughts of them, I am saturated with awe. I see glimpses of their character and who they are becoming, and I feel a solemn assurance that their lives will leave clear footsteps for many to follow.
And a thousand other things that are secret, that God has put inside a mother's heart and cannot be explained but are stored and treasured there..
In those moments, I am more alive and aware of my purpose than at any other time.

Willow has chosen to follow Christ and sometimes has her own talks with God, simple honest prayers that remind me of things I've often forgotten..
And as for Ginger, she is too young to really understand who Jesus is, but she senses *something* in those moments, and makes sure every night that I don't forget to, "Pray, Mommy!"..

I don't know what kind of circumstances my daughters will go through, or how long I'll have with them, but I do know this:
every hope, dream, and concern I have for them comes out in one prayer that I feel to the core of my being every time

Bless this child,
Protect this child,
Use this child.


">Link

conclusion to chicken story coming soon...

A chicken named Willow, Part 2

As we pulled into the parking lot, where we had been a hundred times before, something felt...different. Like walking into a room in your Grandma's house when something has been moved, taken away, or added..

There in the middle of downtown PawPaw, braced against the winter's breeze, was a small exotic looking(if that's possible for a..) chicken.
At the moment we noticed it standing there in one of the parking spaces, others began to notice it as well. Justin pulled past and parked some distance away, intent on getting the batteries and only vaguely aware of my rapid commentary on the absurdity of a chicken so out of context.
By the time he got out of the car, a small crowd had gathered, staring and pointing at the shivering fowl. I walked over to join them, as an old blue pickup truck mottled with rust ambled up and parked. A big old man in blue coveralls and a flannel shirt emerged and said, " That's MY chicken!"...
"Oh, is this chicken yours?", I asked, relieved that someone had arrived to help this confused bird, who by now was dodging the efforts of a woman in a RiteAid apron to catch it..
{Note to readership: You won't catch a chicken by running directly toward it wearing a flapping royal blue apron with your nametag rattling in the wind.}
I prepared to try and catch the chicken for the old man(who didn't look like he was in any shape for a chase), and was just about to jump into the fray, when I heard him muttering," I'm gonna get me some cornbread and some potato salad and FRY me that chicken tonight!"
Just then, Justin bustled from the store holding our batteries and called that it was time to go...

To Be Continued.........


">Link

A Chicken named Willow! Part 1

She had been waiting for this day all year. Her grey-green eyes danced into focus above my face as I struggled to make sense of her rapid words in the context of the early- morning winter's light spilling across the cozy nest of my down comforter.
Fumbling for my glasses and swinging my feet to the floor in one unconsciously practiced movement, small cold hand eagerly tugging mine, we started our day..
At breakfast she asked again even though she already knew the answer-just to make sure,"Is today the Teddy Bear Picnic?"
I first heard about the legendary picnic before she even began attending her preschool - I was on the phone with her principal trying to decide if TLC would be the right place for her. After hearing her heartfelt recollections of picnics past(the kids play with their bears at school all week, as if they were a part of class, and on Friday, they lay their bears down for a 'nap' so the kids can go to the picnic in the gym. The gym with the huge amateur mural of Jesus' face. And when the kids are done, they come back to their room the find that the bears have...ransacked it. Sugared-up chaos ensues as the kids react to the naughty bears' antics..) Needless to say, the principal had me sold.

So, there we were, pulling into the school parking lot to drop Willow off for the big day; she barely touched the pavement as she skipped up the sidewalk and through the doors of the foyer that smells perpetually of scratch-n-sniff stickers. Clutched to her side and peering around her arm was the sky blue plush bear that she had named hours before, appropriately, "Bear".
Together in that moment, they made a perfect picture. I told Justin so, and as he nodded his agreement, I remembered that I had forgotten the batteries for the digital camera! After finding out the picnic didn't start for an hour, Justin and I(along with Ginger) piled back in the wagon and set off for batteries. After a short discussion concerning whether to go to the Dollar General or the local drugstore, we chose RiteAid out of a vague sense of family loyalty and headed that way..

To be continued...

To Anonymous Clergy and frustrated antionionites everywhere...

Normally I respond to comments from my readers by posting another comment(it feels more personal and keeps the blog looking less cluttered), but after reading yesterday's comment from 'Anonymous Muskegon Clergy', I felt compelled to address part of my response to all of you:

To all my readers(whether there be five or fifty of you -I'm unsure since I have no site counter and I'm told that many of you prefer anonymity ), you have my sincere apology for neglecting this site recently..
I have been a BAD BAD blogger for the past two weeks, and I admit it without excuse. I value each of you, including those of you that I don't know personally - so, for you readers who have stuck with me ( if any ;-)....), Thanks!!

So, propelled by the powerful emotion of GUILT, I will be posting quite a bit in the near/immediate future...
Here's a brief synopsis of what's to come:

~What do RiteAid, a Teddy Bear Picnic, and a rogue chicken have in common?

~Reader's Poll(questions TBD)

~If every pet you've ever had has posessed strange personalities/ or bizarre behaviours, does this reflect in some way on *your* psychi?

~Lastly, thanks to a valid point raised by AnonMuskergy:
*Why* is this site called Antionionsociety?!
What are the author's deeply held beliefs concerning onions and the practice of *eating* them?
Anti-Onion Origins: Truth or Legend? The story goes back farther than you know................


">Link