Dance for Joy

I think the thing I say to God most frequently is a sarcastic, "Wow, You're funny."  He's got perfect timing and sometimes it just makes me shake my head.

If you've ever seen Peder Eide in concert, you know that at some point he plays a "hymn on Mountain Dew" that is an upbeat arrangement of "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee."  Towards the end of the song, the invisible band vamps while Peder talks about how if what we're singing is true and we really have the joy of the Lord we don't just uses our voices, we use everything we have.  He tells the audience to put their arms around their sweaty neighbors, complete strangers that are now family.  Then everyone jumps.  Without letting go of each other.

Then, he tells us we can let go.  He moves on to talk about how dance is worship.  There's no right or wrong way to dance for joy.  He says, "David danced before the Lord.  He was almost naked, but we're going to skip that part."

I always play my iPod on shuffle.  Always.  I have over 3,300 songs on it; it's the only way I get to hear all of them.  The other morning, I was getting dressed when "Joyful, Joyful" came on.  Peder's version.  I stopped and danced.

Then I doubled over in laughter.  There I was, just like David, almost naked and dancing before the Lord.

Try it sometime.  It's fun.  Dance before the Lord.  Get the rest of your family to join you, too!

Note: if you are in the presence of others and you are not married to said others, please put some clothes on.  Thanks.

<>< Katie

Life as a Double Major

It's crunch time. Two 5-page papers due this week. One isn't in English. Newsletter to be released... today... wait, where's Jack's article? Oh, yeah, he hasn't written it yet.... I did laundry two days ago, why is it still all over my room? The socks aren't folded and the shirts don't fit in the drawer. Half-finished Mountain Dew sits by the sink calling my name. The sink! The sink desperately needs to be cleaned. What's the noise? Oh, my stomach. Ooops, forgot dinner. That chocolate looks yummy. St. Nick brought it a day early and just in time. Just like that paper I finished last night. Turned it in at 11:59 and went straight to bed. Hence the heap of papers spewed all over my floor. Somewhere in the heap of junk on my desk is my study abroad form, mission trip form, and... crap... work forms? That's ok, I'm not officially hired yet. My future boss tells me I'm the slave who does everything and doesn't get paid. There's Jack's article! Plug and chug then to bed.

Morning comes all too soon. Do I really need a shower? Um... YES! Time for class. I still didn't finish the book we were supposed to have finished two days ago. It's going to be a loooong day. Where's that Mountain Dew? I knew I didn't finish it on purpose! Oooo... flat... my favorite.

Have a great day!
<>< Katie

(written around midnight one day this past week when I should have been sleeping...)