So it's pretty safe to say I've been rather frustrated for the past five and a half hours of my life. I was at work, we set up for the show and then when we were all done setting up we had nothing to do until the show was over, which meant four and a half hours of just sitting in the sound booth. I had brought my laptop with to try and do some things, but of course - the internet connection was terrible. Now, it has been a pain once in a while before, but it has never been as bad as it was tonight. I think the longest I was able to stay connected for one period of time was about five minutes, and then I'd lose connection and have to wait five to ten minutes before it would pick up the signal. So I fought with the internet for about four and a half hours. Then the show finished, and it was a really big concert so there was a rather large stage strike... and only four of us to do it so it took at least an hour and twenty minutes, which was frustrating because I ended up not getting to chat with one of my friends. So I got back to my dorm in time to say goodnight to my friend, and have continued to struggle with the internet for the past 30 minutes.
Now, you may well wonder why I am still struggling with the internet when I could and should just go to bed... and actually, it isn't all of the internet that is being a pain right now, just YouTube, Amazon and ITunes and any place where I would look for a certain song I really, really wanted to find. And yes, this is where the little miracle comes in. To understand it completely though, we have to go back about... oh five years.
I was about thirteen at the time. One of my mom's friends had given us a few cd's to borrow, actually, I think it was just the one cd. As I remembered tonight, it was the "Wow Worship: Yellow" CD. We borrowed it for several weeks and listened to many times, and I remember there was one song I particularly fell in love with. It was beautiful, and the music was so wonderfully celtic and uplifting and the melody really struck a chord with me. (No pun intended). In fact, I can still remember very clearly sitting in our van, I believe I was in the first or second bench, but either way I was in the middle seat, waiting for my mom to come out of the pharmacy, and we were listening to that song. That may have even been the first time I heard it, I'm not sure. When the time came to return the CD, I begged my mom to try and find a copy and buy it so I could have that song again. She looked in all sorts of Christian Bookstores, but could not find it anywhere.
I never forgot that song, even after I couldn't remember the name or the band or the lyrics or even the melody. All I could remember was that it sounded celtic, it was beautiful, the cover of the CD was yellow and that I wanted to find it again. When I saw WOW CD's at the bookstores, I would look at the track listings, hoping I would recognize the title. Now I am not entirely sure why I didn't ever go ask the family we borrowed the CD from about the song... I guess because I usually thought about the song when I was in a bookstore, and I've never been in a bookstore with them.
Then tonight, I was at work. The concert that came through was a Christian ministry organization, and this was their Christmas Concert fundraiser sort of thing. It was very long, and full of praise and Christmas songs and prayer and Scripture readings. I half listened to it, mostly because I was frustrated with my internet. Then, towards the end of the show, they started to sing this song and something sounded familiar. For whatever reason, my mind instantly jumped to my mystery song and I began searching WOW cds on Amazon. I looked at all the yellow ones I could find, but I still didn't connect the song the choir was singing to the song that I had been looking for. I couldn't listen to any of them then, plus the internet still was being a pain, so I finally decided to just wait until I got back to my room.
Of course, as I said before, anything with music wasn't working so I hadn't narrowed down a CD... than I remembered seeing the song "Here I Am To Worship" listed on one of the yellow CDs. To make a long story short, my mom heard that song last year at a friend's concert, knew she had heard it before, but couldn't remember who had sung the version she liked. When I realized that this was on one of the yellow cds and the artist was not one we had listened to when we had been trying to find the version a year ago... I figured out that it must be that CD. I looked at the track list, and there on the same CD as "Here I am to Worship" was the song at the concert. I knew it had to be the same song, and bits and pieces started coming back to me.
That was when the Internet really started giving me trouble. Nothing that played music would work. Not Amazon, not Playlist, not ITunes, not Youtube. I found the WOW version, but it wouldn't load so I restarted my computer. Still, the video on YouTube would. not. work. I told myself that I'd waited about seven years, a few more hours wouldn't make a difference, but my stubborn side declared I was not going to bed until I had heard the song. While the video was loading, I decided that I would start saying my night prayers. I began with my "Spiritual Communion", and I was not halfway through when the video started playing. Only the first 43 seconds loaded, the rest still hasn't, but I heard enough to know that after seven years, I had found my song.
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joy. Show all posts
December 4, 2010
January 18, 2010
I Could Have Danced All Night
Finally, it was Saturday, the day of the Annual Daddy-Daughter Ball, a night that Rose and all of the other girls in the homeschooling group had been looking forward to for weeks now. It was the night when they all dressed up in their very best, did their hair in elegant twists, braids and curls and went out for a special night with their fathers and friends. A night of dancing, food, friends and fun.
That morning was spent in a flurry of preparations. As soon as Rose awoke, she went to the kitchen and began to make the dessert, munching on various bagels and handfuls of cereal for breakfast in between. That finished, Rose proceeded to do her usual Saturday cleaning chores, which her mother strangely insisted must be done. About noon, Rose began to curl her two of her sister's hair while the rest donned their ball gowns. Hair curling finished, Rose put on her gold 'Cinderella' gown, brushed on her makeup, selected some jewelry and rushed out the door.
This year her mother was the official photographer, and as Rose's father had gone earlier to fix the lighting and backdrop, the girls rode with their mother to the ball. They were also going early, so the other two girls and Rose could have their hair done and so Rose could assist with doing the hair. They arrived, parking next to a car with a license plate from MI. Rose briefly wondered who could be here from MI, but shrugged it off as someone's relative who happened to be visiting.
The girls secured their purses and dishes, wondering why their mother insisted on them all walking in together. Yaviel had not heard this instruction and had gone in ahead, resulting in frustrated sighs from Mother and questions from Rose that went unanswered. Yet they did not suspect a thing.
As they walked in, Rose and her sisters were greeted by friends who were there doing hair and having their hair done.
"Oh, where is Kathleen?" friend Sarah, inquired.
"Ummm, right there," Rose said, slightly puzzled as Kathleen walked in behind her.
"Oh, I'll take your coats!" another friend offered, grabbing Yaviel's coat. Rose thought this a little odd, and went to hang up her own coat. She had nearly reached the coat rack when seemingly out of no where, a vision of her dear friend Vicki stepped out and said "Hi guys!"
Rose stopped and stared. What on earth? That wasn't Vicki... Vicki lived up in MI... that was Vicki! Then Vicki's sister Hannah stepped smiling from the Lady's 'Power Room'. Half dropping, half throwing her purse and coat (and in the process breaking her fan) Rose shrieked Vicki's name and threw herself on her friend, as Yaviel and Kathleen yelled and threw themselves at Hannah.
For several minutes, all Rose could do was just hug her friend and cry and stammer out "How?" You're" "Vicki!" Eventually the story of Hannah and Vicki's miraculous appearance came out. Two weeks prior to the ball, Claire - the main hairdresser for the ball - had been wishing for a helper who really knew how to do hair. Someone like... Vicki.
"Well, why not invite her to the ball?" was Claire's mother's reply. So off an e-mail was sent, and a reply came back saying that the girls and their dad would be happy to come down for the ball. At that point, some brilliant angel had the wonderful idea of having the visit be a surprise for Rose, Kathleen and Yaviel.
And indeed, a surprise it was. For hours the initial surprise, Rose continued to look over at her friends, still marveling at how this all came about. Yaviel periodically giggled while she had her hair done. It was all too wonderful to be true!
Rose also had the pleasure of surprising someone that night. Several months ago, Rose realized how much her friends Vicki and Jo March had in common and decided that even if they couldn't meet in real life, they should at least get to know each other via e-mail and promptly ordered them to become pen pals. (She was successful).
Jo came in a while later and went over to give Rose a hug as she was holding a container of bobby pins for Vicki. Jo semi-glanced at Vicki on her way over, but it was not until Jo was in the middle of starting to give Rose a hug when she stopped, did a double take, and said "Wait... you're Vicki!" And so at last, the two were able to meet.
The rest of the night was a glorious blur of dancing and bliss. Rose danced nearly every dance, enjoying especially the dances with her father. This was Rose's first time dancing in her first pair of high heels, and she was very pleased to discover that she could indeed dance polkas, the Cotton Eyed Joe and just dance safely with heels three inches high. Vicki, Hannah, Rose, Yaviel, Kathleen, Mystica, His Little Butterfly and Jo all took a 'forum family' photo.
At one point that night, "Love Story meets Viva la Vida" was played and the girls stood in the middle of the dance floor, singing along at the tops of their lungs and making up dance moves to the rest of the song. Later, Rose and her fellow seventeen-year-olsd took their annual group photo shoot.
At last, the clock struck nine thirty - or something like that - and the ball drew to a close. The final dance was played and heads bowed for the final prayer. Then the hall burst out again in noise as everyone participated in taking down the decorations and cleaning up the room. Little by little, farewells were given and the families departed.
For Rose, Yaviel, Kathleen, Vicki and Hannah though, the party still went on. When they arrived at the house, the girls were promptly given a tour of the house - the bedrooms, the upstairs, the finished basement and...
"You guys have a BAR!" Hannah couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh man, I need pictures of this!"
Once the excitement of discovering the bar had died down, the girls played around with the video effects on Hannah's FBI laptop and eventually fell asleep.
As Rose lay on the floor, trying to ignore Yaviel, who was talking to herself, she thanked God for the wonderful blessings she had been given that day. It hadn't started out so well, her knees and ankles had hurt before she even got to the dance and she had been feeling a little down because she didn't think she looked that good at all. The dress looked weird... her face looked blotchy... her hair looked blah... the typical nonsensical woes of any teenage girl, silly but potentially harmful to a good evening. Yet she had been saved by the love of her parents and her friends. She fell asleep happy, and thankful and she could have danced all night.
That morning was spent in a flurry of preparations. As soon as Rose awoke, she went to the kitchen and began to make the dessert, munching on various bagels and handfuls of cereal for breakfast in between. That finished, Rose proceeded to do her usual Saturday cleaning chores, which her mother strangely insisted must be done. About noon, Rose began to curl her two of her sister's hair while the rest donned their ball gowns. Hair curling finished, Rose put on her gold 'Cinderella' gown, brushed on her makeup, selected some jewelry and rushed out the door.
This year her mother was the official photographer, and as Rose's father had gone earlier to fix the lighting and backdrop, the girls rode with their mother to the ball. They were also going early, so the other two girls and Rose could have their hair done and so Rose could assist with doing the hair. They arrived, parking next to a car with a license plate from MI. Rose briefly wondered who could be here from MI, but shrugged it off as someone's relative who happened to be visiting.
The girls secured their purses and dishes, wondering why their mother insisted on them all walking in together. Yaviel had not heard this instruction and had gone in ahead, resulting in frustrated sighs from Mother and questions from Rose that went unanswered. Yet they did not suspect a thing.
As they walked in, Rose and her sisters were greeted by friends who were there doing hair and having their hair done.
"Oh, where is Kathleen?" friend Sarah, inquired.
"Ummm, right there," Rose said, slightly puzzled as Kathleen walked in behind her.
"Oh, I'll take your coats!" another friend offered, grabbing Yaviel's coat. Rose thought this a little odd, and went to hang up her own coat. She had nearly reached the coat rack when seemingly out of no where, a vision of her dear friend Vicki stepped out and said "Hi guys!"
Rose stopped and stared. What on earth? That wasn't Vicki... Vicki lived up in MI... that was Vicki! Then Vicki's sister Hannah stepped smiling from the Lady's 'Power Room'. Half dropping, half throwing her purse and coat (and in the process breaking her fan) Rose shrieked Vicki's name and threw herself on her friend, as Yaviel and Kathleen yelled and threw themselves at Hannah.
For several minutes, all Rose could do was just hug her friend and cry and stammer out "How?" You're" "Vicki!" Eventually the story of Hannah and Vicki's miraculous appearance came out. Two weeks prior to the ball, Claire - the main hairdresser for the ball - had been wishing for a helper who really knew how to do hair. Someone like... Vicki.
"Well, why not invite her to the ball?" was Claire's mother's reply. So off an e-mail was sent, and a reply came back saying that the girls and their dad would be happy to come down for the ball. At that point, some brilliant angel had the wonderful idea of having the visit be a surprise for Rose, Kathleen and Yaviel.
And indeed, a surprise it was. For hours the initial surprise, Rose continued to look over at her friends, still marveling at how this all came about. Yaviel periodically giggled while she had her hair done. It was all too wonderful to be true!
Rose also had the pleasure of surprising someone that night. Several months ago, Rose realized how much her friends Vicki and Jo March had in common and decided that even if they couldn't meet in real life, they should at least get to know each other via e-mail and promptly ordered them to become pen pals. (She was successful).
Jo came in a while later and went over to give Rose a hug as she was holding a container of bobby pins for Vicki. Jo semi-glanced at Vicki on her way over, but it was not until Jo was in the middle of starting to give Rose a hug when she stopped, did a double take, and said "Wait... you're Vicki!" And so at last, the two were able to meet.
The rest of the night was a glorious blur of dancing and bliss. Rose danced nearly every dance, enjoying especially the dances with her father. This was Rose's first time dancing in her first pair of high heels, and she was very pleased to discover that she could indeed dance polkas, the Cotton Eyed Joe and just dance safely with heels three inches high. Vicki, Hannah, Rose, Yaviel, Kathleen, Mystica, His Little Butterfly and Jo all took a 'forum family' photo.
At one point that night, "Love Story meets Viva la Vida" was played and the girls stood in the middle of the dance floor, singing along at the tops of their lungs and making up dance moves to the rest of the song. Later, Rose and her fellow seventeen-year-olsd took their annual group photo shoot.
At last, the clock struck nine thirty - or something like that - and the ball drew to a close. The final dance was played and heads bowed for the final prayer. Then the hall burst out again in noise as everyone participated in taking down the decorations and cleaning up the room. Little by little, farewells were given and the families departed.
For Rose, Yaviel, Kathleen, Vicki and Hannah though, the party still went on. When they arrived at the house, the girls were promptly given a tour of the house - the bedrooms, the upstairs, the finished basement and...
"You guys have a BAR!" Hannah couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh man, I need pictures of this!"
Once the excitement of discovering the bar had died down, the girls played around with the video effects on Hannah's FBI laptop and eventually fell asleep.
As Rose lay on the floor, trying to ignore Yaviel, who was talking to herself, she thanked God for the wonderful blessings she had been given that day. It hadn't started out so well, her knees and ankles had hurt before she even got to the dance and she had been feeling a little down because she didn't think she looked that good at all. The dress looked weird... her face looked blotchy... her hair looked blah... the typical nonsensical woes of any teenage girl, silly but potentially harmful to a good evening. Yet she had been saved by the love of her parents and her friends. She fell asleep happy, and thankful and she could have danced all night.
August 29, 2009
Tonight
Tonight... i am feeling so very content and peaceful.
Tonight... i am listening to beautiful music.
Tonight... i am letting my mind wander over girlish fantasies and dreams.
Tonight... the house is quiet. All my siblings are in bed, or soon will be.
Tonight... my mom is talking to my dad on the phone, since he's out of town.
Tonight... i feel loved.
Tonight... i am recalling this afternoon - my first experience with making and canning jelly. =)
Tonight... i thank God for all the wonderful and amazing things He does for me, each and every day.
Tonight... i am glad to be alive.
Namarie, No galu govad gen!
Tonight... i am listening to beautiful music.
Tonight... i am letting my mind wander over girlish fantasies and dreams.
Tonight... the house is quiet. All my siblings are in bed, or soon will be.
Tonight... my mom is talking to my dad on the phone, since he's out of town.
Tonight... i feel loved.
Tonight... i am recalling this afternoon - my first experience with making and canning jelly. =)
Tonight... i thank God for all the wonderful and amazing things He does for me, each and every day.
Tonight... i am glad to be alive.
Namarie, No galu govad gen!
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