The Waiting Room

I was sitting in the waiting room of the orthodontist’s office after my appointment, now waiting for my mom’s appointment to finish.  I pulled out my smartphone to check my emails, facebook, pinterest, my calendar, text a few people.... and then start the whole process all over again.  There must be something new on facebook since the last time I checked it 10 minutes ago, right? ;)   As I’m doing all of this, a family walked in and sat in the same area as I did.  I noticed right away the unusual family structure - a punk-ish looking teenage boy, and what looked like to be his grandparents.  I don’t know their ethnicity, but my first thought was Jamaican, which could be totally wrong.   Anyway, as their grandson walked to check in and went to his appointment, the grandparents had a very interesting conversation.  At first they joked in a reminiscent way about their grandson being old enough to handle his own appointments. Then, as I was checking my social media sites,  I caught snippets of conversation about receiving custody, a girl who was apparently bipolar, and even not having control over what girl their grandson would end up with.  They talked in a kind of wistful way; they were joking about some things, but you could tell that this conversation was rooted in deep concern.   

Side note:  I have to tell you that they were the cutest older couple I think I’ve ever seen.  The man was wearing as suit, large glasses, and a fedora.  The woman was dressed in a similar old-fashioned classy style.  And they seemed super sweet.  I totally would have loved to have had them as my grandparents. :)  

Anyway. ;)  As I was eavesdropping on their conversation (unintentionally, of course. :P) a thought struck me.  They really didn’t have control over their grandson or their various predicaments.  Now, I of course don’t know whether they were Christians or not.  If I see them in heaven, I’ll definitely have to tell them this story. :)  But....I had the feeling that they needed someone to trust these situations to.  They needed Him to trust their situations to.  

And I wanted to tell them.  I wanted to tell them about the One I know who has sustained me through hard times and the One to whom I have been able to trust my loved ones to.   But I didn’t know where to start.  

My mom’s appointment took long enough.  Almost 45 minutes after mine ended, actually.   When the grandson returned, the man made a joke about “Now he needs me. Now that he needs to pay for the appointment.” and winked to his wife, who sat chuckling.  

I had time.  I had the desire.  

But I didn’t know where to start.

How many opportunities am I missing?  I have the desire. I even know what to say. But I don’t know where to start, or how to approach them.  And as I sat behind my smartphone screen, I felt appalled.  Yes, I’m introverted.  Yes, I was finding a way to use up my time.  But I was also wasting time.  Precious time.  Time that could eternally impact others.  Life isn’t a waiting room, for me to just use up time until the next exciting thing happens.  

I need to be equipped.  Conversation starters - yes, I need to look some of those up from the multiple books on evangelism that I know are out there.  And yes, I need to conquer my fear of walking up to a stranger, much less talking to one.  ;)  

But more than all of that - I need to stop wasting time. I need to stop treating life as a waiting room.

Story

Hi all!

So, this is a scheduled post, and we'll see how it works out. I'm kinda skeptical.

This is just a small post, and I feel obligated to make one because Clio has been camping, Thalia has been at camp, and Calliope just has a lot on her plate. Then there's little ol'e me, just slacking off.

This is my white-water rafting story.

We get to Convention on Sunday, and there are sign-up sheets everywhere, for everything. Our youth pastor wants our whole group to go white water rafting! YAY. Joy abounding. Totally my cup of tea. NOT. Anyway, I sign up, and pay, you know, the works. Well, I get to "look forward" to it all week, 'cause our group signed up for Friday!

I stay pretty distracted most of the week, because Convention is always jam-packed. Friday finally rolls around, and I'm kinda regretting it. The whole time I run the 5k in the morning, I'm freaking out about white water rafting later. I have barely any time in between 5k, session, lunch, and then rafting, so that kinda helps, yet doesn't. See, I stress about everything under the sun. EVERYTHING. So, the speed of my day assisted to form less stress, but then I'm stressing because I don't have time to make sure everything is perfect. *sigh*

As were getting life jackets, paddles, and helmets, our lead guide is reading us the riot act. He goes over what to do if you fall out, if someone else falls out, the EXTREME danger involved, and various other encouraging scenarios. Which actually didn't encourage me. Shock. Well, we basically all get told that we're going to die. And at this point, I'm really wishing that I could back out. (I'm glad I didn't) But we all happily pile on the bus for a half-hour, winding trip to where we enter the river. I start getting nauseous about half-way. Probably a lovely combination of nerves, bus-sickness, and my brilliant decision to do the 5k. So far, I'm NOT enjoying this.

We get out, get our guide (who was awesome), and drag the raft down to the river. Smart remarks are just filling the air, 'cause we are all a little nervous, and some of us are on an adrenaline high. Then we pile in and start the journey to our deaths. (Kidding) We go shooting through the first rapid, and I'm thinking that yeah, I definitely should have bailed out earlier. Then our guide explains that that was only a class two rapid. Out of five. o.O After that horrifying experience we're told that you can swim through the next one. Yay! I decided to risk it. Go big or go home right? I did so, lived, and got back on the raft to mentally prepare for the rest of the rapids, because we're supposed to be out there for a couple hours.

There were a couple times when I screamed for fun, then there were I couple times when I wasn't screaming for fun. Only one girl on our whole tour fell out, but she was pulled right back in. So, to sum it all up; I was freaked out about going, but I LOVED it. I think I'd do it again if I got the chance. There is a lesson to all of this, by the way. I didn't just regale you with my epic to bore you. ;) At one point in the river the guide stopped  and did a small devo, she shared her testimony, and then asked if we had anything to share. I told my boat what I'm about to share with you. I'm really big on having control of a situation, and the people in it. (Just ask my youth group) Sometimes this means that I start being really bossy, try to do everything on my own, and in general dislike people because I can't pre-program them. Funny thing is that I couldn't control white water rafting, but I lived through it! Not by anything that I did, but following my guide's instructions. I was really challenged to apply this to my spiritual life. To give God control over everything, and trust that He actually is God over every situation, big or small. As long as I'm following His "directions", He'll be in control. In fact, even when I mess-up, and try to do it on my own, He's still in complete control. Which means that I not only don't have to worry, but I shouldn't worry.

Maybe that's something you struggle with too, but if not, save that lesson, because at some point in your life you'll be tempted to worry, I guarantee it.
Erato

Steppin' Up in the World

Well, we as the muses have a pretty exciting announcement to make....

We have reached more than 1,000 pageviews!!! :D  *throws confetti* A huge thank you to our few but faithful followers, and also to the bloggers who have inspired us!  We’ll just try to forget about all of the random spam websites that we apparently get pageviews from. ;)  

I just wanted to pop in here to let you know that although we have kind of gone AWOL (well besides Erato, of course) we still have very good intentions to continue with this blog!  I have some different ideas spinning around, and we’re also hoping to do some posts about our activities as a group... So stay tuned! ;)  

So one quick prayer request?  Yes, I think that’s in order. :)   I’m planning on taking a College Composition CLEP test sometime this week, and I have been kind of consumed with it recently.  Actually, I’m mostly just worrying about it. :P  So yes, please pray for me!!  

I am also leaving in about 6 weeks to move almost 700 miles away, so preparing for that has been kind of scary.  BUT I will have so many amazing opportunities while I’m there, and I plan to come back home to visit my muses very often.  

So yes!  Quick update, prayer request, celebration of our pageviews... and I think that’s all I’ve got!  Happy Monday all!! :)

~Calliope

Vacation!

Hi all!

Well, my summer is almost half over. Which is really sad, and really shocking to me. I feel like I just got out of school and finally had some free time. But, I've put it all to good use! I'm getting some schoolwork done ahead for next year, went to the IFCA Youth Convention, got to spend some fun time with my muses, and tomorrow I'm going camping with my family!

So, summer hasn't been the greatest for me blogging wise. But I'm going to write out what photo-a-day thingys I had left and hopefully finish them up this week. :/ Hopefully. And, I kinda want to do Blimey Cow's photo-a-day challenge, 'cause Kelli came up with it, but ya'll saw how sucessful mine went. :p

I'm closing this nice short post with a huge lesson that I (re)learned at Convention. Prayer.
You can never have too much real prayer, I mean, God gave us 24/7 access to His throne room!! So many of us don't even use it! For example, in our youth group we have many different personalitys. (I know, shocker there.) Even in a nine person group we have SO many personality clashes. We had nine people involved in a worship leading MTA (Ministry Training Area) and we were really struggling during our practices. We'd get distracted, or all be talking at once, or.... you know how it goes. Finally our second to last practice we all just stopped and decided that we needed to pray. After that, I'd like to say that it was smooth sailing. Sadly, that would be lying. But it did go much better, and we had our focus in the right place. On actually worshiping God, not "performing".

Praying always,
Erato

Hey!

So, this is just a quick thing before I hit the hay, but I thought I'd give you an excuse for not posting. (Excuses, excuses, we hear them everyday...) My fellow muses and I were at a convention last week. The IFCA National Youth Convention to be exact. Check it out if you have the time!

Anyway, I'm gonna' be posting different things that I learned, and the like for a while and this is the first thing that I've been majorly implementing.

The convention was at Appalacian Bible College in WV, which means very rocky, hilly, and all-around unusual (to me) terrain. I got more excersize last week than I have in a long time. Walking up and down mountains, walking around campus, and running back to my dorm when I'd forgotten something. I also branched out and tried several new activites. The one I'm here to tell you about today, is running, *cough* walking *cough* the 5K. So, I may have done more walking than running... But Hey! I finished! And with a very respectable time for a couch potato, I may add, 42:57.

Today I ran two miles! I'm trying to keep it up, because I had so much more energy than I've had in a looong time since I came back.

Just one of many stories to come!
Erato

A to Z

Well, I’ve been quite busy lately... so I apologize for my absence!! Now that I have some free time, I should be posting more. :) However, the posts I’m working on at the moment will take a bit more work than simply sitting down to write. So until then, here’s a quick and easy A to Z survey, so you can all get to know me better! :) 

 Thanks to Kelli at She Learns as She Goes for this survey! Also thank you to Claudia over at Lashes and Beard, where Kelli originally got it. ;)

 A // Available or Married?
…. How about neither?? :) 

 B // Book? 
Wait... you mean I’m only supposed to choose one?? :P Well, at the moment I’m reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Super interesting so far! The other books I have out from the library are Victim of Grace by Robin Jones Gunn and Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert. (These are two of my FAVORITE authors! Super excited to start reading these.) I may or may not have also downloaded 14 free kindle books today. Here’s a link to Bethany Publisher House’s specials. 

 C // Cake or pie? 
I’ll eat any dessert... But I have to go with cake for this one. But not the store-bought birthday cakes... more like the blueberry coffee cake, or my mom’s gluten free chocolate cake. :) 

By Any Other Name--a short story

By Any Other Name

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

~William Shakespeare

She remembered exactly how it had started. They had entered the main lobby from a walk at the same time, she happy and warm in only jeans and a sweater, he grumbling about the cold weather, despite his coat and scarf. She had admired the expensive-looking dress coat, but found it rather amusing, given that their Florida resort was 50-ish already, at only ten in the morning. He had caught her gaze and turned, smiling.

“You don’t think this is freezing?” he asked incredulously.

“I spent the last winter in Wisconsin, and the winter before in Maine. No. This is quite warm, actually.” she answered.

He finished unbuttoning his coat and untied his scarf. “I am from southern California, so this is very cold. Are you headed toward the coffee shop?”

She ducked her head, “Yes. But not because I’m cold, I just need caffeine.”

They had enjoyed their Friday morning coffee. This was an extended weekend conference for writers, editors and publishers, and the first session was not until after lunch, leaving them time to become acquainted with the very luxurious resort that housed their hotel, conference center, and multiple restaurants, a gift shop, and a coffee shop. They had discussed everything but themselves. Shakespeare, Keats, and Wordsworth, to the latest books on the New York bestseller’s list. It went from a serious discussion to a mild flirtation before their coffees were half gone. They had departed for lunch reluctantly, only to end up again in the same restaurant. They shared a table, both having come to the conference on their own, as opposed to the many publishing companies that had sent large groups, who talked loudly, laughing and criticizing. They had been tucked in a quiet corner, and ate their lunch almost shyly, their discussion turning to their mutual love for traveling. They did not purposefully seek one another out, but over the rest of the day, they bumped into each other several more times, almost as if it were fate.

Saturday morning, both migrated to the coffee shop at the exact same time as the previous morning, and again sipped their coffees together, this time discussing politics and history. The mystery of their acquaintance was so entrancing to both that even after that, the fifth meeting, they still had not exchanged names. Something in the ability to freely state their opinions, and even their heart, without strings attached, kept them silent on the subject of personal details.

They parted way for the morning clinics, only to meet again at lunch, and dinner.

Sunday night was the climax of conference, with a masquerade. She went as Elizabeth Bennett, in a silvery Regency style ball gown, with her hair twisted up in silver combs, and a beaded silver mask that outlined her eyes and shaded her cheeks. She danced a dance with a Zorro, and Sherlock Holmes, and a Robin Hood, before meeting him again, dressed, to her great delight, as Mr. Darcy. He recognized her, even behind the mask, and bowed long and low.

“Miss Elizabeth, may I have this dance?” he asked in perfectly serious courtesy.

She ducked her head and blushed, then curtseyed, “With pleasure, Mr. Darcy.”

Neither danced with anyone else the entire night, and they parted after the unmasking with a gentle kiss and whispered good nights, addressed almost teasingly to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, the only names they knew each other by.

Monday morning they were officially released, and though both stopped at the coffee shop for a coffee before they left, neither saw each other, and both left with a small sense of dissatisfaction.

In the coming days and weeks, that grew into misery. Their times of talking had made both wonder if they had truly found their soul mate, but without even a name, they had returned to their daily lives, knowing that there was no other recourse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fine, Evie, I will come.” she said tiredly.

“Good! My boss is in a funk, and you are a grump, but maybe I can cheer you up, at least.”

“Great.” she said, “I’ll land at 11:00, and meet you at your office and we can go to lunch.”

“Perfect!” Evie chirped. “Please don’t forget to pack your smile!” She said cheerily before hanging up.

She hung up her phone sadly. She was a grump and she knew it. Her latest book had not gone beyond outline stage. She could hardly bear to write a romance. She told herself that it was nothing, that what she had shared with her Mr. Darcy was simply a short flirtation, two lonely adults that had enjoyed each other’s company, but she still longed for it. Maybe a visit to California would help.

Maybe it would not, she realized as she stepped out of the airport. This was the state where HE lived. Maybe she would see him. It seemed very likely, she realized sarcastically, given that there were 38 million people living in the state.She shoved those depressing thoughts out of her head, and picked up her rental car, determined to be cheerful for her friends sake. She flipped on the radio as she headed toward the office building where her friend worked. Maybe something peppy would keep her from being grumpy. Instead, the song on the radio was something about a lost love, and made her click it off in frustration.

She arrived at the building, a publishing company,, and made her way up to the top floor where her friend worked. Evie greeted her cheerfully and directed her to a chair.

“I’ll be just a couple of minutes. My lunch break is in three minutes, but given the way my boss has been acting lately, if I were to leave early, I might not have a job when I got back.” Evie turned back to her computer. Her normally bubbly friend sank into the chair, then jumped to the window, gazing sullenly at the sidewalk down below, almost as if searching for someone. Evie shook her head and picked up the papers fresh from the printer.

Her boss entered her slightly open door. “Can you get these......Elizabeth?”

Evie gaped. Her friend had swung around at his entry, and stood with an absolutely awestruck look on her face. He took another step into the room, and she smiled.

“Mr. Darcy.”

Evie blinked, looking back and forth. Her friend’s name was certainly not Elizabeth, but that was obviously not bothering her.

“Coffee, maybe?” He asked, “Then lunch.”

“Iced coffee,” she told him smilingly, “It is too warm for hot.”

He offered her his arm, and they exited without a backward glance.

Evie turned off her computer and grabbed her purse. She was obviously going to have to find her own lunch. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Comment, please! 

~Clio