Update 3/25/10 Day 136

Dear friends,

Tickets to premiere movie at Crossgates Cinemas: $0
Night out with the girls: priceless

The Book says "A merry heart doeth good like medicine". How true it is! I had the privilege of the company of Nancy the Nice, Kind Karen and Effervescent Arleen for dinner and a sneak preview of the new Nicholas Sparks movie "The Last Song". (Thank you to Nancy's daughter Erica for the free tix!) Erica and her friend joined us for the movie viewing, which of course, has a story attached.

As for my movie review...well, this one is for the Twilight set. I'm the wrong person to ask anyway. I rarely see a movie post 1950, so my taste is a bit skewed. End of review. Now for the ridiculous part: When I am out of the house, I keep my cell phone strapped to my person at all times. I guess I'm a bit gun shy, what with the unpredictability of life kind of dropping itself into my lap. Also, I've got a partially crippled guy at home with 3 kids. So I put the thing on vibrate, thinking I was being ever so polite, and stuck it in my coat pocket. Well, about half way through the film I feel the phone buzz. So I discreetly lift it out of my coat and check to make sure Smitty isn't calling. Zoom. Up the stairs like a flash comes the movie police. He called me Sweety, was very nice, and asked me to turn off my phone. I told him it was on vibrate, and thinking we were both okay with that, returned the offending technology to my pocket. Some 20 minutes later, another buzz. Again I open the phone, only this time the movie cop isn't calling me Sweety. This time he starts talking about "either I turn the thing off or I can present my license and have a chat with the FBI. I'm a little miffed, thinking this is over the top, when Karen the Kind leans over and ever so sweetly says to me "It's because it's a premiere and they think you're trying to tape the movie". So I tell the gentleman I will turn it off, wanting like mad to tell him why I had it on in the first place, but you can't have a conference in the middle of a movie. Meanwhile, Effervescent Arlene is biting her lip, and the movie cop is blocking her view, and Nancy the Nice is telling her daughter what a trouble maker I am. When the lights came up I felt like a federal felon, waiting to be cuffed and dragged off to some room where they would shine bright lights on me and make me eat jello till I confessed all. In reality, I was royally razzed by my friends, who I can assure you will still be telling this story 5 years from now. Do you remember my "driving over grass" story when the East Greenbush police stopped me? Well, this one goes in the annals of my trouble with the law.

I'm telling you, I laughed so hard walking back to the car with those girls my gut hurt. At home, I got to thinking about what the problem was. I didn't have the whole picture. I didn't understand the why, until Karen told me. Think about that. I mean, this is an amusing story (at least I think so!), but in life what we don't understand can hurt us. That's why the Great One spent thousands of years pounding truth into His beloved people with the law. But He wasn't about to stop there. He sent His own Son to lean over, lean in right where we live and tell us the WHY. "For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life!" He so loves us, friends. That's the big Why. Ignorance is not bliss. So God sends His Son, leaves His Spirit, and gives us His word. He wants it to be crystal clear, so we don't miss the point. Truth makes that big lightbulb go on over our head.

Tonite was pure joy. Since November 8, relationships mean more to me than ever. And I know they take time. But shouldn't we spend our time on what life is all about? Love God, love people. The End. I've got to learn this well. And to keep my cell phone off during a preview of a new movie.

Keep the prayers coming for our dear Judy W. I can't thank you enough for that.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann

P.S. If an FBI agent asks if you know me, mums the word.