'dance' through 2010

This was forwarded to me and it's pretty awesome. The visual is great and someone at work today reminded me that God loves to see us enjoying life! What a cool thought to see Jesus giving the thumbs up at me just because I'm laughing & having a good time. We don't have to always be serious and trying to 'attain.' After all, who is the one that created enjoyment? yup, that guy.

Dancing with God
When I meditated on the word Guidance
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
the movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer fo ryou today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and every day.
May you abide in god, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.

I hope you dance through 2010!

in lieu of

After a run on the treadmill at the gym, my bowels informed me to stop at the loo before going home. While talking to a man about a horse the pitter patter of little feet skips in to the stall beside me. The mini-tumbler (referring to a child in training of Shannon Miller aerials, not the container of consumable liquids) does an equal amount of business to her size, sighs and exits, foregoing the washing of hand and flushing of toilet.
Gross. Oh well. Maybe she was taught 'if it's yellow, let it mellow'....

I was nearing the end of my time behind the hiney hider when another dear little one enters the room. Tumbler Two is in the process of selecting a stall. Standing, I reach back and give 'er a flush only to be met with "AHHH! AHHH!"

Stiffling a chuckle I ask, "Are you ok?" in my kindest big person voice. "Yeah..." "Did you know I was in here?" "NO." "Sorry." [Teehee :)]

As I emerge, the little one has situated herself on a porcelain throne and begun to get down to business. I'm washing my hands when a conversation begins, "My name is *Natalie. What's yours?" Now I'm talking to the voice of a person I've scared and only seen the feet of! Too funny. "My name is Kendra. Sorry to scare you. Have fun in your class!"


*Name changed for privacy purposes, plus, I don't remember what she said her name was

from the mouth of babes

soccer goodness.

From the kids, literally

By Mike Woitalla

We continue to receive entertaining examples of what happens when children misinterpret, can't comprehend, or take literally adults' instructions since Susan Boyd's "Lost in Translation" column appeared last month.

Richard White recalls coaching U-10s and telling a boy to mark one of the opponent's wingers: "Jeff, where ever he goes, you go. Mark him, and stay with him." When that particular winger was subbed out by his coach, White saw him and Jeff sitting side-by-side on the other team's bench, chatting.

"Early in my soccer career I told the kids their positions," writes Richard Weishaupt. "Left this, right that, etc. Most of the kids dutifully went off to the correct place but one kid walked to the center and practically sobbed, 'Coach, I don't know left from right.'"

When Jim Madison's grandson was 6 years old, the coach told the boy to start at left back.

"Where does that mean I am supposed to play?" the boy asked.

"Here," responded the coach, pointing to a spot on the field at the left side of the back. Says Madison, "And here is precisely where the young man dutifully ran and stood, rooted to the spot on the ground even when the ball came within a step or two."

Heidi Flores' husband coaches a U-10 team. One of the team's new players was playing in defense and when an opposing player dribbled toward the goal, the coach yelled, "Go to the middle, Belle!"

"She proceeded to run smack dab to the middle of field, inside the center circle!"

And just last week at a kickaround, after some young players impressively strung passes together before a cross nearly resulted in a goal, I said, "Way to use the wings!"

An 8-year-old girl looked up at me, held up her arms, and said, "I don't have any wings."

(Mike Woitalla is the executive editor of Soccer America. His youth articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.)