Witches Night Out

WITCHES PARTY 2009--It's a tradition, every October, for me to hold a Witches Party. Potions? Spells? And ghoulish delights? Well, not quite. We're the friendly, neighborhood witches, who consist of a group of women who simply crave a good girls night out with fun, games, and food. The witches hats are mandatory. No one gets in without a hat. I even have extras here at the house if they try. At the begining of the evening, twenty- plus neighborhood friends all "take flight" (in our mini-vans and suburbans) and deliver treats to a few unsuspecting neighbors. When we arrive at the door, we all chant:

"Cackle, cackle. Hee. Hee. Friendly neighborhood witches are we. Coming to give you not a trick or a fright. Just wishing you well on a cool Autumn night."

It's quite a hoot to see all of us dressed up in black witches hats carrying bags of cookies to share. Pass the Broomstick, a murder mystery, and a scary, but funny, story by professional storyteller, Julie Barson, complete the evening. Thanks to all the Witches for coming. I'm already looking forward to next year! Cackle. Cackle. Happy Halloween everyone!

P.S. Rights to Witches Night Out can be secured by contacting me, President of the Neighborhood Witches Association. Bring Witches Party to a neighborhood near you! Your neighbhors will love it!

A Halloween Celebration at a Drug Treatment Center

Two Fridays a month are my House of Hope days. It's been that way for eight years. My kids know that on Fridays that's where I go from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.. They'll even say over breakfast, "Oh, yea, mom. It's Friday. House of Hope day." When my kids were really young, they all came with me to House of Hope (a drug treatment center for women in recovery). We'd wake up early and off we'd drive, in our wood-paneled jeep, down I-15 to the sixth south exit and into the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. We'd be greeted by 40 women, who would eagerly help me carry in my craft buckets and excitedly ask, "Jodi, what have you got for us today?"



"Today we decoupage!" I announce.



The crowd rumbles, "Yea!"


By trade, I am not a crafter, but I became one because I wanted to spend time with these wonderful women. I wanted to offer hope and healing to women recovering from addiction. Crafting and lifeskills classes gave me a reason to be there with them, to learn from them, and love them. It was the "something to do" so we could talk and share our life stories.

We talk about raising children, being wives and mothers, saving money, relationships. You name it. We discuss it. And the best part is there are no pretentions or worries about putting on a show about who we are and where we come from. They know I'm a Christian woman, a stay-at-home mom, who drives a mini-van, who has never had a cigarette and never tasted beer. And they accept me anyways. There isn't a "who does she think is" sort of attitude. They just love me for who I am and who I am trying to become.

I, too, know why the women at House of Hope are there--they are addicts.  Many have served time in jail. Many have been drug dealers. Some are in the process of getting their kids back and some have lost all rights to their kids. They come from all walks of life, religions, and economics. So, what do we have in common? Perhaps the most important thing; we are all trying to better ourselves and our lives. Just like they are trying to be better, I am trying to be a better. I'm trying to forgive more fully, love more deeply, and give more freely. They help me do this.

This past Friday was our Halloween party. Two good friends, came with me. Rootbeer floats, chocolate-frosted pumpkin cookies, games, and storytelling. It was all good, clean, fun. Even a little silly at times. There was lots of laughter. Lots of smiles.

I am blessed to know the faces and names of addiciton. I am blessed to hold their babies. To give them hugs. And to encourage their fighting spirits to continue fighting. I have learned more about hope, faith, overcoming fear, and living an open and honest life from the most unlikely teachers--drug addicts. It's been an incredible journey. These women teach me more than I could ever teach them. And the truth of the matter is; we are so much more the same than we are different. So, when they thank me for showing them how to make a flower arrangment out of a carved-out pumpkin, I readily admit the playing field is unequal because their gifts to me are priceless.

I often tell them that I wish when they graduate form the program how I would love then to come live in my neighborhood so I could protect them. Because I know that not everyone is going to look at a recovering drug addicts like I do. Life is about consequences and accepting responsibility for our own actions. But life is also about second chances. And don't we all deserve a second chance? I'm certainly not perfect. In fact, I'm due for a second chance right now. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, I know I can receive one. And that's a beautiful thought.

"The cookies are delicious."

"Thanks for coming today."

"I had so much fun. I can't wait to do this with my kids."

Thanks House of Hope ladies for letting me and my friends be part of your lives. You are some of life's most beautiful blessings. 

For this week, let's concentrate on second chances. Let's give second chances to those who need them. Because, when all is said and done, we all do.

Sincerely,

Jodi

Unlikely Prayers In Unlikely Places

Unlikely Prayers In Unlikely Places

I’ve been praying like crazy these past few weeks because we’ve had some big decisions to make. We’ve needed some extra help from above, so the prayer circuits at the Robinson household have been working on overload. Thinking about prayer has reminded me of a sweet experience I had a few years ago. About one week before my 4th baby was born, I was doing some last minute shopping at the baby superstore. Standing in the blanket aisle of Babies R US, with swollen feet and a bulging belly, I was determined to buy a few, last minute items, when out of the corner of my eye, a woman started walking toward me. She wasn’t headed for the blankets. She was headed straight for me. I looked away but within seconds she was right next to me. A complete stranger, she smiled as if we had known each other since we were born. She asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?” Holding up a pink, blue, and cream chenille blanket, I cautiously told her we didn’t know what we were having thus the need for three different colored blankets.

“Oh,” she said with a hint of understanding. “Well, I’m having twins. A boy and a girl.”

“That’s perfect,” I responded feeling a little more comfortable.

I guess when you’re pregnant, every woman with a bulging belly is an immediate ally.

“What color is your nursery?” I questioned. Our conversation then continued on for several minutes. We talked about binkies, babbas, blankies, misplaced body parts and pre-labor anxiety. We laughed a little before the tone turned a little more serious. Her demeanor was so welcoming and genuine that I found myself sharing my whole pregnancy history, and how, even though I was almost full term, I was still a little worried because of what I had been through. It didn’t take long before she grabbed my hand and said “Can I say a prayer for you?” I was a bit stunned. First, this stranger approaches me out of the blue and now she was holding my hand and in my air space, which when you’re three feet wide is awfully close. I honestly did not know what I should do. I had never been prayed for by a stranger in the middle of Babies R US before. I was questioning proper protocol. Although I had bonded with this woman over small talk, I was a little uncomfortable about what other customers might think if they saw two women with their heads bowed and arms crossed in the middle of aisle six. She didn’t give me a chance to back out. She quickly launched into her spiel about being a member of a nearby church and how her pastor had asked everyone to pray for a stranger sometime that week. Apparently I was that stranger and she wanted to pray for me. So, there we stood. Hand in hand in the blanket aisle of the baby store as this total stranger asked God to bless me to calm my anxieties and fears. My eyes welled up with tears. It was really a touching thing to hear someone I hardly new pray for me. When the woman finished, I didn't know exactly what to say other than, "Thank you. That was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.” We finished our conversation about blankets and said goodbye. Every time I drive by Babies R US, I am compelled to think of aisle six and that prayer offered on my behalf by a woman who didn’t even know me. What a beautiful thing!

So, today, I am sending my prayers out over the Internet to anyone who needs to be prayed for. I don’t know all of you. But I know everyone can use a prayer. If you find yourself, feeling a little low today, just remember that someone, maybe even someone you have never even met, has already said for prayer for you just because.

Sometimes, prayers offered by unlikely people in unlikely places are likely to bless us in ways we never imagine. To the woman who prayed for me on a hot July day in the middle of the baby superstore, I thank you for praying for me. You taught me that’s how we all need to be. Less afraid to reach out and share God’s good graces. If you feel like it, I hope you, too, will say a prayer for those who need one and even those who think they don’t.

Sincerely,

Jodi Robinson
Author, "Women of Virtue"
True beauty is felt more than it is seen.