5-6-7-8, Opportunity!

I am blessed (by my husband who will be watching Eden and by the lady who told me about the class) to be able to attend an open master class with dancer and choreographer Steve Rooks tomorow at Belhaven College. Mr. Rooks was a part of the Martha Graham Dance Company (Martha Graham was one of the most influential people in modern dance last century.) and later became a member of the Alvin Ailey company. He has taught and choreographed for many companies including Ad Deum, a professional level Christian dance company based in Texas.

He said in an interview with LeAnne Martin on her blog Christians In The Arts:

"The call to be light and salt (a “witness”) in the dance world is no different from the call to live out one’s faith as a lawyer, a stay-at-home parent, a plumber, or a pastor. So much of our effectiveness as a believer is how we approach and execute our craft. There is a scripture that has been a kind of “blue print” for my walk—Colossians 3:23-24 says: 'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.' The bottom line is that we need to pursue excellence and integrity in our work not to make us look good, but to give God glory. Once people find out that you are a follower of Christ, your life immediately goes under a microscope (and that is a good thing!). We need to reveal God’s nature in how we approach life in our successes—and in our failures."

I am very excited, but definitely nervous as this will be the first time in a few years that I have taken a class. I'm determined to go easy on myself, accept my current abilities for what they are and just enjoy moving my body and being poured into by another Christian artist.

Here's a video of Alvin Ailey, one of my very favorite dance companies doing an excerpt from arguably their most famous piece, Revelations.

A House Divided?

It's a good thing we don't have ferrets anymore...

After Class

I definitely worked up a sweat in that class! At first it was pretty light and slow and I was actually cold for the first 15 minutes, but after 45 minutes, I was more than warm. I have to say that I was pretty bored most of the time. It's all based on basic Latin dance steps and there is a whole lot of repetition, great for a non-dancer, boring for someone whose been doing Latin dance for over 8 years. There were three other ladies that were there that come to the class regularly and they were all so nice and so friendly. They all said they were just so happy to have me there and hoped that I would come back again. I probably will at least a few more times. It's nice to get a cardio workout and think it was all easy. Besides, I love Latin music and I get to hear it for 45 minutes straight. Music is just good for the soul, isn't it? I feel energized and my day's hardly started, which is a nice bonus of an early class.
The really neat part about today (we'll have to see where this leads) is that the instructor was very curious about my background in dance. I asked him if there was any place to dance around town and he said no, but that he's been trying to start lessons and parties at his house. He's been looking for someone who could teach ladies styling and he wants me to help him out. He and his wife have a 7 month old, so Eden and their baby could play together while the lesson was going on. I'm so excited to see if this contact can develop into something where I can start expressing myself again.
Yea, Zumba! Now, excuse me while I go research what it takes to become a Zumba teacher...

Zumba

I'm finally getting to try Zumba at the Y this morning. I'm excited!

A Plate to Pass Around

I thought this was such a very nice idea and something I've added to my list of things I'll buy one day. I can share it this way for now... for free. Maybe someone else will take the idea for themselves.
"Sometimes you need to jazz up a plate of store-bought cookies. Forget about finding your inner Martha and instead grab the Giving Plate, which will elicit oohs and aahs ... even from refrigerator dough! The hand-painted ceramic plate is perfect for any occasion - new neighbor, new baby, new nose! Around the side of the plate reads: 'This special plate comes to you because you are so great. Now pass it on and say the same to friends you celebrate.' "
It can be found at http://www.theorganizedparent.com/, a site worth visiting whether you like the plate or not.

A Heart for the Lost

I could not believe what a woman in my group exercise class shared today with the whole group. Granted, I think these people mostly know each other because they come to these classes all the time together, but just wait until you hear what she told everyone about her life in the course of the class. This was all said in "normal" conversation. I can't recall her exact words, but I can summerize the information that was shared.
She has no time or desire to care for her father-in-law and his family who are stuck in southern Mississppi without power near a river about to flood their home. They could come stay with her, but she really doesn't want them to. All she could talk about was his incontinence and constant needs because he is bedridden. He's 81 years old.
She has two young children that dominate her home. She complained about how they never listen to her and won't do anything she says. She said a usual day involves them spiraling out of control until she yells at them to "shut up."
She claims their misbehaving drives her to drink starting at about 4pm every day and has caused her to have to take perscription "crazy pills."
All of this was said almost like a stand-up comedy routine and brought laughter from most in the class. My mouth almost dropped open. I'm still so naive. Is this the world's normal? Sounds miserable, not funny. She ended it with "Well, you gotta do whatever you gotta do to make it through another day. I'll try anything at this point."
I wonder if she's tried Jesus? I wonder if anyone's told her that He's the answer. He could give her compassion for her extended family, change the hearts of her children, show her how to establish discipline in her home, fill her void, and give peace to her mind.
So, was I supposed to tell her that? I don't know. It's so... so personal, isn't it? I felt like I was supposed to pretend I really didn't know all those things about her. They were private things. I didn't want to invade her personal space. But Jesus wants to. She's probably already heard. She probably goes to church somewhere. It's the Bible belt, for goodness sake, not Africa!
My heart's breaking now... the tears are coming. His love is so great, but if no one will boldly share, how can the lost be reached?

What's in a Name?

Eden and I went to the mall the other day to get some excercise. We tried to go to the Y, but I got confused about the child care hours, so we headed on to the mall since it was ninety-something degrees and therefore too hot to walk outside.
After a brisk walk through the whole mall once, I decided to stop at the perfume counter at Dillard's. I'm forever looking for that "signature scent" that I love, my husband loves and I can be known by. I don't think it's ever going to happen because, first of all, Chuck and I have very different preferences in smells and secondly, I get bored of the same perfume all the time.
So, I was sniffing away and the associate at the counter came over and offered to help me. I told her what kind of scent I was looking for, but every one she sprayed onto a card for me, I disliked. She finally gave up and came out from behind the counter to talk with Eden. She smiled and waved at her for a minute and said how pretty she was. She then told me she would be a few steps away if I needed help and introduced herself. I, in turn, told her my name and Eden's. A few minutes later, when we came around the corner of the counter, she and another associate were there ready to coo and smile at the baby some more. She must not have heard me say Eden's name the first time because she asked me at that point, what my baby's name was, but then comes the weird part... She decided to guess her name. She said "What's your little girl's name?... Jessica?" I just thought that was so wierd and a bit rude, somehow, too. Has that ever happened to you before?
I just smiled and said "No, it's Eden." "Oh, Edith," the first sales associate said as she turned to the second associate. "Her name's Edith," she told her. "Oh, um, that's a nice name," said the second associate. "No, no, her name is E-DEN," I said slowly. "E-DITH," she repeated slowly. "E-D-I-T-H," she spelled, now louder. "No. E-DEN. E-D-E-N," I spelled back. "Oh!" exclaimed the first associate, "Eden, what a pretty name!"
Yes ma'am. Thank you. Now you've given me the response I expected. :) I decided I'd spent enough time looking at perfume.