Thanks giving for Mr. Naismith, discounted books, & a Home people want to return to...

This weekend was a flurry of homecoming activities that swept me up in the whirlwind & delivered me on the doorstep of the Sunday evening time crunch (you know- the closing hours of your weekend when you are forced to acknowledge that at least 5 long days of work stand between you and your next significant repose). Before it totally passes me by, I'll recap the highlights:

• Midnight Madness- an excuse to celebrate the highly anticipated return of my favorite season, at my favorite time of day nonetheless (translation: late night basketball)- complete with an alumni game, highlights reel (of the men's 2004-05 season), and an intra-squad scrimmage. And to think that 'Roundball' all started as the brainchild of a YMCA worker commissioned to develop an indoor game to provide an "athletic distraction" for a rowdy class through the brutal New England winter! Mission accomplished Dr. Naismith;-).
• A visit to the financially-strapped-book-lovers' wonderland- THE GREEN VALLEY BOOKFAIR. I am offering a pre-emptive apology to all those who will soon be on the receiving end of "must-read" suggestions from yours truly as I tear through the newest treasures to my collection of wisdom imparting, perspective enhancing, entertainment providing written word;-).
• The opportunity to "entertain angels" (or be entertained by them rather) in the form of a Harlem Gospel Choir concert. It's beautiful what His children singin' His praises with purpose & sincerity can sound like... If sounds like these can be made on earth, who can fathom the heavenly realm?!?! It definitely put some rhythm in our bones & joy in our hearts!
• Several catch up sessions with people whose faces have been missing from my life- ranging from my freshman yr college roommate, to my precious co-workers whom travel has stolen from my daily view as of late, to my girl Em & her forever boy (aka- fiance) Daniel whose overnight visit made my weekend, to my girl Kel whose heart speaks my own. Thanks to Homecoming sporting events, the vacancy at "Chez Bel", & the modern day convenience of the cell phone, i got my ever-essential dose of grounding in the knowledge of who I am, where I've come from, and where I'm headed. It's amazing how God uses our relationships with others to further inform the most important relationship in our lives-- the one with Him!

Thanks God!

"For Cryin' Out Loud! ": Making allegorical lemonade...

Now officially under week 2 of the Seige [of the terrorist sinus infection that has taken my body hostage], I find that not only do I remain arguably in captivity, but that my assailant has gained an accomplice. As if his buddy *Lary (a.k.a.- "laryngitis") weren't aide enough, to add insult to injury, he's now coerced my assumed trusted ally, *Annie (a.k.a.- "antibiotic") to play out some sick game of "let's kick her while she's down". Though hard to believe, Annie (if that's her true identity anyway, now i'm not so sure) has accomplished very little of her prescribed purpose in my life (to rid me of my aforementioned captor), but to the contrary- has apparently recruited (cultivated really) yet another infection (which shall remain nameless) to take some easy shots at me in my time of despair. For the confused, let's recap. The body of your friend Bel has come under attack in a tragic turn of events circa last week (translation: an excruciatingly LONG time ago). It is a nasty warzone in which I can trust no one. I am now being treated for two separate ailments, the second of which was caused by the proposed remedy for the first. Fabulous. Well, as my favorite book suggests... this too "is the day that the Lord has made". Anyone care to take a guess at what I will do "...in it"? Hope you'll join me;-).
*Names have been altered, because I'm courteous like that.

A break from the norm

Has anyone else noticed that the "best laid plans" somehow seem more susceptible to interruption or alteration than their vaguely constructed counterparts?! This second posting had every intention of following closely on the heels of the 1st, but we all see how that turned out. Well, as usual, what lacks in frequency, you can count on your Bel to make up for in quantity;-)... I have long craved a break from the "Go!-Go!-Go!" routine of my life (espec. during travel season)- which was facilitated in "unexpected blessing" fashion this week when my body became the temporary (but not temp enough) home of a nasty sinus infection accompanied by laryngitis. This has meant several things for yours truly:

• The welcomed opportunity to catch up with 2 of my most cherished long lost friends: sleep and Oprah.
  
• A special indignation when fellow patrons of public restrooms march unapologetically past me at the sink without paying a visit to one themselves. I mean, honestly- isn't it at least public courtesy to systematically erase the bacterial trace of where your hands have been after emerging from the toilet stall?! When did this become an expendible, negotiable, and/or optional step?! Having witnessed this 2x in one day this week alone has left me not the least surprised that even my iron-clad immune system was rendered insufficient...
• Living the dream... a.k.a.- losing weight in my sleep! Indifference to food for the week = more acceptable when it comes accompanied by loss of about 7lbs. What else is a girl to conclude but that God's "got her back" (and as far as I'm concerned- he can keep it!) when miraculously, the same week that her only pair of jeans [that fit] bailed outta commission & tore irreparably, she loses the weight needed to bump her down comfortably to the next lower size- and all while spending the majority of each day in bed?!
  
• Several reoccurring moments of such misery & desperation that found this 26 yr old with supposedly high pain tolerance in rare form. Sadly this went beyond the occasional, yet publicly acceptable "I'm so miserable" cry, and revisited a premature state with the added sentiment of "I want my mom" (insert assumption that her presence contains the magic to make it better).
• Several opportunities to be very whelmed by the blessings of family & friends in a time of more need. To name a few: Mindy who brought me soup before meals were even contemplated, Megan- the dishfairy- who saw to it that dishes miraculously found their ways back to a clean state sans the touch of my hands, selfless co-workers who covered my phone calls, visitors, & training commitments in my absence- including Brad who dropped everything on his plate to do a presentation for me when my voice went AWOL, Mom who offered clutch medical advice (who knew that while taking antibiotics, over the counter meds are still needed for symptom relief?!), Colleen who served as surrogate mom, and everyone who served as comic relief, kept me company, sent emails that delivered a smile when I got the opportunity to check my email or called at a time when the voice of a loved one was a needed commodity- as well as all who put up with the squeaking, whispering & raspy phases my voice went through.
  

Bonus points for anyone who picked up on the subtleties of this entry, including the alternating pattern of "Best of times" and "Worst of times" examples above, and the fact that the former outnumber the latter;-). C'est l'histoire de nos vies (the story of our lives;-)! Wishing good health & peace till the next episode...

Karibu Fall!

Singleness...at times it seems to be perhaps one of the most prevalent perpetuators of ambivalence. I could likely log so many simultaneous chapters under the headings of "It was the BEST of times..." and "It was the WORST of times" when reflecting on my feelings toward it. Sometimes the proverbial grass makes claims of being greener, but suppose in reality, both lawns were equally brilliant shades of green? What if we chose to revel in the lushness of whatever plot of land we find ourselves inhabiting? Perhaps it all rests with perspective, and I feel particularly blessed to find myself sportin' rose colored lenses as I sit on an impossibly lush plot of land. This weekend marked the beginning of my favorite time of year... FALL (to which I offered a heartfelt "Karibu!"- the kiswahili word for "welcome")! The arrival of a brisk Saturday morning allowed the perfect opportunity to donn my preferred couture- jeans, tennis shoes, and the piece de resistence... a comfy, warm hoodie. My roommates and I woke up early, brewed some coffee, and set off to enjoy breakfast & fellowship at one of my favorite events of the year- the VA Mennonite Relief Sale! As usual, the event left nothing to be desired. Later in the day, after I'd shared what makes EMU one of the best kept secrets in quality higher education with about a half dozen prospective students & their families, several girlfriends & I traveled down to Charlottesville to the Carter Mountain Orchard for an afternoon of apple picking, cider drinking, apple cider donut eating and general good times as we sat atop a mountain taking in breathtaking views of our beloved Shenandoah Valley in the distance. As I sat in church this morning, and looked around at the church body, I reveled in the amazing way He's knit me into His family-- wherever I should find myself. I'm awestruck as I take stock of the many relationships and special partnerships even that He's provided in my life, that I might understand more of who He is, more of who I am in Him... Let's face it- life often comes accompanied by opportunities to yearn for what's seemingly lacking. This weekend certainly took its' stab at making me yearn for the departure of singleness even if only momentarily. It showered my thoughts with fleeting hints at the potential romantic nature in the events that could be shared with "someone special"- as though they weren't already being shared with several of my favorite someones special! Quiet moments in the weekend (and a weariness of looking at my still un-moved-into room a full month after the move) forced me to take further steps into self-sufficiency where, in decided necessity to stop procrastinating & finish constructing those shelves for my bedroom, I spent over an hour in Wal-mart comparing the features of various power drills, before finally becoming a proud owner of one. However, from where I sit, as I prepare to close the chapter on the weekend, I feel the opposite of alone, deprived or lonely. Maybe it's the arrival of my favorite season, or perhaps the cold weathers' finally gotten to my head, but I find myself euphoric when I consider the way that these relationships, with others, and especially with Him, make it difficult to see another lawn [beyond the bounty of the one I'm in] and seemingly needless to go yearning for one to compare it to.