Podcast appearances and mentions of shane reed

Maxwell Goss is back on The Litigation War Room with the perfect blend of happy hour and litigation masterclass, where you'll hear leading litigation attorneys and thought leaders share their best war stories and winning strategies.We're talking about actionable insights that will help you elevate your litigation game and win more cases.Here's a preview:Attorney and author Justin Brooks will share about how an innocence project director helps get the wrongly convicted off death row.Deposition expert Shane Reed will offer important lessons about examining witnesses for maximum impact.Suzanne Lucas, the evil HR lady, will join us for a lighthearted discussion about what HR professionals want every attorney to know.IP attorney Chris Darrow will give us a peek behind the scenes of what a special master does in litigation and how to make the best use of them.In addition to the attorney interviews you know and love, we will be mixing it up this season with author interviews, roundtables, and voices outside the law. It's going to be a lot of fun. I hope you'll join us on the Litigation War Room Season 2.Learn more about Maxwell Goss and The Litigation War Room.Shane ReadJustin Brooks - School of Law - University of San DiegoChristopher G. Darrow — Special MasterEvil HR Lady — Demystifying Your Human Resources Department

Join Guest Host Diggy Smooth, Shane Reed, and Russell James as they discuss this weeks Emails, Headlines, what's good to watch and what not to watch, also Doug brings a brand new game the boys have never played before so check this week's episode of the DQP Weekly!   Edited: Russell James   Feel free to join our Patreon for exclusive content for $1 a month you can show us your support! patreon.com/draftyq   A Drafty Quarters Production!

Extra! Extra! Join Dave Linder, Mike Smith, Shane Reed and Russell James as they discuss this week's headlines, which include recent DCEU drama and some interesting revelations that came to light recently from 2012's wrestlemania, and we play a special version of Hangin Big Brain With Dave!   Also you can join our Patreon for $1 to help us reach our goal of 1000 subscribers here patreon.com/draftyq

The road to 300+ games broadcast has been a long and winding one for Billy Madewell. Even before he started his tenure on the way to becoming the longest-serving play-by-play broadcaster in Wahconah Park history, it would have been hard to predict his path through the bowels of Taconic High School to the mound at Wahconah Park celebrating his milestone. After all, it all began with a nagging ankle injury - and ultimately a tumor in his foot - that kept him off the field and stumbling into what would become his new passion. It all started with encouragement from his friend Shane Reed, then some voice tracking, then a marathon live show at the old WTBR, to his promotion to student program director. He was floored when he had the chance to step into the booth for the former Pittsfield Colonials, and even more shocked when he got the call to do solo play-by-play for the then-new Pittsfield Suns in 2012. Over the past decade, Billy has established himself as a respected fixture for the organization and its fans, and also an enthusiastic mentor of young up-and-coming broadcasters learning the ropes. His commitment hasn't come without personal challenges, as he courageously shares in our conversation. Billy is a nurturing husband and father. Also in this episode, we cover: a thoughtful microanalytical critique of Joe Buck, Larry Kratka's pristine mustache, the difference between calling games on television and radio, the future of Wahconah Park, Phil Rizzuto's play-by-play in "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights," and putting the ego aside and "letting the moment come to you." I hope you will enjoy my conversation with Billy Madewell. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/john-krol/support

Shane Reed was driving a tipper van when the vehicle shuddered to a halt outside the Pig and Butcher pub near Uckfield in July 2019. Officers, who were in the area dealing with an unrelated matter, had their attention drawn to the vehicle after it was spotted driving without any headlights on. This episode is also available as a blog post: https://emergency-services.news/drink-driver-who-ran-over-officers-leg-is-given-a-suspended-sentence/

DQP Does returns as a primary program on the Drafty Quarters Podcast Network! Stay Tuned as we split Advance DQP back up into the individual programs! DQP dives into Mob movies! This will be a 6 part series where we go over the Godfather Trilogy, Casino, and Goodfellas with a special bonus episode discussing the Netflix original Docu series Fear City: New York vs The Mafia   With, Shane Reed, Nathan Wilkinson, and Russell James 

Welcome back to Advance DQP, we apologize for the delay in releases, we've been moving the studio to a new location! But on this episode we present Headlines, Russell Bought a House, and wants to tell you what all he learned in the process! We play a game, and review the movie Cabin In The Woods!   With, Shane Reed, Nathan Wilkinson, Doug Wood, and Russell James!   A Drafty Quarters Production

DQP's Wrestling Podcast. Join Nathan and Doug as they discuss events of the professional wrestling world present and past. Update on the Crimson Rumble. Top 5 Patriotic wrestlers! Recap of Fyter Fest, along with a special guest segment with Shane Reed of the DQP Does Podcast. Discussion around Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman announcement! Storytime with Doug: Big E Fantasy Booking Part 2.     Hosts: Nathan Wilkinson Doug Wood   Guest: Shane Reed   Producer Russell James   A Drafty Quarters Productions

This Week on Podcastrophe! Shane Reed of Only Human finally returns as we all bro down on some video game talk about Red Dead Redemption 2! Donate to Podcastrophe Here! Click Here for Exclusive Content! Subscribe on iTunes! Subscribe on Podbean! Get us on Stitcher! Listen on Spotify!   Like Podcastrophe on Facebook!   Follow Podcastrophe on Twitter!   Follow Podcastrophe on Instagram!

Leatherwood Outdoors!!!  John Royer and Shane Reed stops by the Sonic Campfire to talk about all thing hunting, fishing, and trapping in the Pennsylvania Outdoors. Leatherwood Outdoor is known for their outdoor videos. We love just how approachable and real these guys are.  For more Sonic Campfire go to www.rutandriverpursuits.com .  Follow us on social media by searching  Rut and River Pursuits  Search Youtube: Leatherwood Outdoors & Leatherwood Outdoors 2  Instagram: @Leatherwoodoutdoors FaceBook Leatherwood Outdoors

The Shout at The Devil Podcast covers the New Jersey Devils with recaps, news, updates, discussions, and happenings on the NHL. Host & producer: Shane Reed

Hear the story read by the authorIn the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm. The church's young associate pastor, Michelle Tellum, loves Thanksgiving. She loves the camaraderie of a big gathering of loved ones, the spirit of gratitude, and, most of all, the big, fancy meal. But Michelle's family lives out of town, and her boyfriend Ian's parents were spending this year's holiday in California with the family of his older sister who had recently given birth to their first grandchild.So Michelle decided to host an “orphans' Thanksgiving” at the church for all the congregants with nowhere else to go. She would make the turkey and stuffing and others could sign up to bring sides, salads and desserts. She was very excited – it would be the first Thanksgiving she'd ever hosted and she wanted it to be spectacular.Michelle and Ian got to the church early on Thanksgiving Day to begin the preparations. She had bought nice tablecloths, borrowed some fancy dishware from Ian's parents, and handcrafted napkin rings out of twigs. While she set all this up, Ian moved the TV from the lounge to the social hall so they could put the football games on. Michelle was not a football fan, but she knew if she didn't allow this, Ian and probably many of the other guests would just spend the day in the lounge and that would dampen the fellowship she so valued. Besides, guys watching football on Thanksgiving brought back nostalgic memories of her childhood holidays.Michelle had been brining the turkey since the previous morning. It was a process she'd read about in one of her gourmet cooking magazines. She was just lifting it out of the brine to place it in the roasting pan when the first guest arrived.It was Thad Wheeling, a thirty-year-old single man who was an infrequent attendee at worship but who played on the church softball team. Thad handed her a casserole dish containing string beans in a Swiss cheese sauce. “Fancy,” Michelle said.“Thanks, I got the recipe online. It needs to go in the oven for fifteen minutes or so to warm up before we eat.” He looked at the bucket of water with the turkey in it. “What's going on there?”“I brined the turkey,” she told him. “It's supposed to make it a lot more juicy and flavorful. I'm also going to make an apple-walnut-sausage stuffing. It's my own recipe – can't wait to see what you think.”“Actually,” Thad said, “I won't be able to give you a review. I've become a vegetarian.”Michelle's face fell. “Oh. I wish I knew. I would have arranged a vegetarian entre.”“I didn't want you to go to that kind of trouble. I'll be fine. I love side dishes and can easily make a meal of them.”“Tell you what,” Michelle said. “I'll make a little of the stuffing in a separate dish without the sausage.”The next guests to arrive were choir director Shane Reed, his girlfriend, Audra, and her six-year-old son Tyler. Shane brought mashed potatoes and Audra brought sweet potatoes. They were calling themselves “Team Potato.” Even Tyler contributed with a can of cranberry sauce.Then eighty-six year-old Donald East arrived. “Donald,” Michelle said, forcing a smile, “I didn't know you were coming.” She didn't know because he hadn't told her despite clear, bold-faced text on all the announcements that an RSVP was required.“I brought this,” Donald said, handing her a bag of potato chips. “Ah, you have the game on.” Donald shuffled over to join Ian in front of the TV.Michelle looked at Shane and Audra and sighed. “I'm sure we can accommodate one extra. I don't imagine he'll eat that much.”“I'll put these in a bowl,” Shane offered with a wink, taking the bag of chips.Missy Moore, a bubbly, heavy set, forty-four year-old woman who was always covered in cat hair, arrived shortly after that. She brought two pies, pumpkin and apple. By this time Michelle was at work on her sausage-apple-walnut stuffing. Missy oohed and aahed over the recipe. “It sounds wonderful,” she said. “Unfortunately I don't like nuts.”“I suppose I could make a separate batch without nuts,” Michelle said. “I'm already doing one without meat for Thad.”Missy clapped her hands together. “Oh, that would be awesome! But keep the sausage in mine.”It took Michelle a little longer than anticipated to get the turkey stuffed and in the oven due to extra effort involved in making three varieties of the stuffing. She was washing her hands when Ian poked his head in. “The Veckenshims called. They're not coming after all. Pete's not feeling well.”“But they were going to bring salad!” she moaned.“I think we can get by without it,” Ian said. “I mean, nobody goes to Thanksgiving dinner for salad.” A loud roar came from the TV. Ian hurried back to see what he'd missed.Michelle knew Ian was right about the salads, but she wanted her Thanksgiving to be perfect so she made a quick trip to the grocery store up the street. Fortunately they were staying open until 3 pm for people who needed last minute items.She'd just finished assembling the salad when Ian came in again. “We're out of potato chips and everyone's getting hungry,” he said. “Do we have any other appetizers?”“I suppose we could put out some cheese and crackers from the coffee hour supplies.”“Perfect!” Ian headed back to the social hall.“Don't worry, I'll get them,” Michelle said to the empty kitchen.Michelle sliced some cheese and arranged it artfully on a platter with crackers. She checked the turkey and found she still had about an hour to socialize with the guests before it was ready.She brought the snacks out to the social hall and squeezed in beside Ian on the couch. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then resumed his discussion with Thad and Donald about the relative merits of the zone defense. After ten minutes of trying to comprehend what they were talking about, Michelle decided to visit with some of the other guests. She walked over to Shane and Audra who were lounging in the far corner of the room. “Am I interrupting?” Michelle asked.“Not at all,” Audra said. “We were just taking the opportunity for a little adult conversation while Missy entertains Tyler.” She gestured to where Missy and Tyler were seated on a love seat reading a book.“Great,” Michelle said. “So what are you talking about?”“Twin Peaks,” Shane replied. “We've been watching the DVDs.”“I've never seen it,” Michelle said.“Oh, it's brilliant.” Shane launched into a sprawling description of the show, in the midst of which he and Audra got sidetracked into a debate about the meaning of a dwarf that talked backwards. It made even less sense to Michelle than the zone defense, so she politely excused herself and went to join Missy and Tyler.Missy was reading Tyler a story, or at least she was trying to. Tyler kept embellishing things with improvised subplots based on the pictures in the book. Michelle settled into a nearby chair to listen, and soon drifted off to sleep.She was awakened when Thad called out, “Hey Michelle, did you remember to put my beans in the oven?”“I was just about to,” Michelle said, groggily.A short time later the turkey was carved and everyone was gathered around the table. It had taken two hours longer than Michelle had planned and she hadn't managed to do much socializing. She was pretty sure this would be the last orphans' Thanksgiving she would host.Michelle said grace. The hungry diners lunged for the food as soon as they heard the word, “Amen.” She watched them shovel the turkey and various kinds of stuffing into their mouths with barely a pause to taste it. Michelle found she didn't have much appetite herself.And then Missy said, “I have an idea! Let's go around the table and say what we're grateful for. I'll start. I'm grateful for my cats, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Pepper, Salty and Chocolate.”She looked at Ian who was sitting next to her. “I'm grateful the church has cable so we could watch the games,” he said.Michelle found she was having a hard time thinking of anything very specific she was grateful for at that moment, so she went to an old standby: “I'm thankful for my health.”Shane was next. “I'm grateful I found Audra, the love of my life.”“Aw, that's so sweet,” Audra said. “I'm grateful for both my boys.” She gave Shane and Tyler each a kiss. Tyler made a face. Audra asked Tyler what he was grateful for.“My scooter,” he answered.Donald was next in line. He was hunched over his plate, mechanically scooping stuffing into his mouth, apparently ignoring the conversation.“Mr. East,” Missy prodded, “what are you thankful for?”“Wazzat?” Donald asked, looking up. He was hard of hearing.“We're going around the table saying what we're thankful for,” Missy told him.“Oh.” Donald thought for a few moments. “I'm thankful for the company. Since my wife passed and our kids live out of state, I was going to have to have Thanksgiving dinner by myself. I'm also thankful for this amazing stuffing. You're quite a cook, Pastor.”Then Donald returned his attention to his plate. Thad was the last in line. “I'm thankful for Pastor Michelle's hospitality,” he said. “And as a gesture of that gratitude, I'll take care of the clean up after dinner.” The others quickly offered to help him.Michelle beamed. “Thank you,” she said. “Pass the sweet potatoes, please.” She had finally found her appetite.

Hear the story read by the author.In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm. Last Sunday morning, Senior Pastor Henry O'Donnell stood in his bathroom in his underwear examining himself in the mirror. For the most part, the pastor's complexion was his usual pasty white. But most of his left arm glowed bright red like a freshly boiled lobster. Which was ironic because a lobster was the cause of his sunburn. He had been driving back from a meeting in Harrisburg on Saturday at about one in the afternoon, heading for practice with the church softball team, the Miracles. A sack lunch his wife Jennifer had made sat on the passenger seat, though Henry wasn't enthusiastic about the contents. Jennifer had been attempting to get him to eat healthier for years. It was an uphill battle. The one weapon she had was that Henry didn't like to cook. So she made him salads and he ate them because it was easier than making something for himself. He had just about built up enough of an appetite to be tempted by the salad in today's sack lunch when he passed Muriel's Seafood Shack. A hand-lettered banner advertised a fresh Maine lobster special. He knew he shouldn't stop. He was already going to be late to practice and it was no secret Henry needed more practice than most of the team. The Miracles' next game was against the Shepherds, a team from a Presbyterian mega-church. They had become something of a rival in the mind of the Miracles' coach, Shane Reed, as the Shepherds trounced the Miracles every year. Shane had told the team that he intended this year to be different. Henry spun the car into Muriel's dirt parking lot. Truth be told, Henry didn't care nearly as much about beating the Shepherds as Shane did. “Shack” was an apt descriptor for Muriel's establishment. Muriel and her small staff did the cooking in an unpainted wooden hut, and the diners ate outside at a motley collection of picnic tables. After getting his fresh lobster platter at the shack's window, Henry decided to skip the tables and eat in the shade of a nearby tree. He had the salad Jennifer made him as his side dish. Afterward he decided he better let the big meal settle for a few minutes before engaging in any athletic endeavors. But the day was sunny and warm, and with his belly full of lobster, Henry fell asleep. Unfortunately, his left arm sprawled out of the shade, and thus the sunburn that he was currently examining. The burn stung, but that wasn't Henry's chief concern. Because of his unplanned nap, he'd never made it to softball practice. He had called Shane's cell phone as soon as he'd woken up and left a message that he had, “been delayed coming home from my meeting.” Henry felt a little guilty that he was vague about what had delayed him, but reminded himself that the commandment was “Thou shalt not lie,” not “Thou shalt not be vague.” However if Shane saw the sunburn at church that morning he might start asking uncomfortable questions. Fortunately, once Henry put on a long sleeved dress shirt, the only part of the sunburn that was exposed was his hand. It was another warm day, but the church was air-conditioned and it wasn't at all unusual for Henry to wear a suit to preach, even in the heat of summer. “I'm doing it out of reverence to God, not an attempt to deceive Shane,” he told himself. All through the service, Henry kept his left hand hidden behind the pulpit, making all his gestures with his right hand. And he tucked his left hand behind his back when he greeted the congregation as they departed the sanctuary. Not a single person noticed the sunburn. When the sanctuary was empty, he thrust his left hand into his pocket and went into the social hall. He was distressed to see that the mission committee was hosting coffee hour and Missy Moore had brought mini cinnamon rolls. Henry loved mini cinnamon rolls. But he couldn't figure out a dignified way to hold a plate and eat them with only one hand. So he settled for a cup of coffee. Shane and Missy joined him. “Did you get some cinnamon rolls, pastor?” Missy asked. “No,” Henry said, “Jennifer's been on me to lose some weight.” He privately congratulated himself on the truth of that statement. “We missed you at practice yesterday,” Shane said. “I know,” Henry replied. “Some of those meetings I have to attend can be pretty boring.” No lie there, either! “You missed a hilarious moment,” Missy continued. She was the team's catcher. “Del was running to home plate and he tried to slide and came to a stop a good three feet short!” She guffawed, and in her mirth, grabbed Henry's left arm. Stinging pain shot through him as her fingers dug into the sunburn, but Henry managed to fake a chuckle. He wiped a tear away from his eye with his right forearm and said, “Hilarious.” Henry downed the rest of his coffee so he would have a reason to excuse himself. As he was refilling his cup, Del Winslow came over. “I have some books to donate to the reading room,” Del said, “but they're in my trunk and I hurt my back at softball practice yesterday. Would you mind giving me a hand?” “Sure,” Henry replied and followed Del out to the parking lot. “We have to do something about Missy Moore,” Del said as he handed Henry the box of books. “The woman is a menace. Her ineptitude is the reason I hurt my back.” “Was that when you were sliding into home and came up short?” “Did she tell you that?” Del demanded. “I came up short because she was playing out of position. If she'd been where she was supposed to be, I would have been able to time my slide properly and I wouldn't have gotten hurt.” “I sympathize,” Henry said, “but Shane's the coach. This sounds like a matter for him.” “I agree, and there he is. Shane!” Henry looked over his shoulder and discovered that Shane had just exited the church. Henry quickly shifted the box of books under his right arm and stuck his left hand in his pocket. Shane joined them and Del proceeded to explain again how Missy's poor play had resulted in his injury. He then added several other complaints, including her offensive sense of humor, laughing at him when he was injured. Frankly, Henry didn't think he had much of a case. However, to be fair, the pastor pretty much quit listening after ten minutes. The sun was beating down mercilessly and his arm was aching from the heavy box and he could feel sweat trickling down his back and beading on his forehead and now his arm had gone completely numb and Del's face was starting to look weirdly blurry… “Are you alright?” Shane asked, bringing Henry back to the conversation. Both Del and Shane were studying him with concern. “It's just, it's kind of hot out here…” Henry replied faintly. “We better get you inside before you get heat stroke,” Shane said, taking the box of books from him. As the circulation returned to his weary arm, Henry felt a sudden urge to kiss Shane, possibly a sign that heat stroke had already set in. They brought Henry into the social hall and Shane got him a cup of water. “Take off your tie and roll up your sleeves,” Del suggested. “Um, actually, I have a T-shirt in my office. I'll go change into that.” It was true; Henry did have a T-shirt in the office. A church camp had given it to him as a thank-you for filling in at their chapel service once. It was too small for him, but it would be cooler than his dress shirt. Henry staggered into his office and closed the door. He immediately peeled off his sweat-soaked dress shirt and tie, and stood under the air conditioning vent, letting the cool air wash over him. His body temperature had just about dropped back to normal when someone knocked. “Pastor, are you all right?” Shane asked through the door. “Uh, just a minute!” Henry called. He scrambled for the T-shirt, but realized it would not cover the sunburn on his arm. He turned to get his dress shirt and, in his haste, tripped over his chair. He sprawled on the floor with a thud. Shane threw open the door, fearful the pastor had fainted. “What happened!” Shane cried. “I tripped,” Henry said. “I'm okay though.” Then Shane noticed his arm. “How'd you get that sunburn?” Henry sighed. It was time to tell the whole truth. He explained about the lobster and falling asleep and added a profuse apology for missing practice. When he was done, he waited to see what Shane would say. Shane thought for several moments. “Tell you what. You handle this thing with Missy and Del and we'll call it even.” Henry nodded his agreement. He supposed it was a fitting punishment for not coming clean right away. Later that afternoon the Miracles lost to the Shepherds once again, but it had nothing to do with Henry missing practice or even Del's injured back. The Shepherds were just superior ballplayers.

Hear the story read by the author. In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm.  The choir director, Shane Reed, is dating Audra Park, a young, single mother and member of the choir.  One recent Friday Shane went to pick her up for a date.  When she answered the door, she was laughing so hard tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes.“Is it the shirt?” Shane asked.  He had bought his shirt a week before after being encouraged by a perky salesgirl, but he had suspected her compliments might not have been entirely genuine.“What?  No,” Audra said.  “Look.”  She gestured into the apartment.  Her six-year-old son Tyler was singing a classic rock song into a microphone as his babysitter, Katie O'Donnell, accompanied him on a plastic guitar.  Tyler mimicked the rock star gyrations of animated musicians on the TV.  “It's a video game,” Audra said, observing Shane's confused expression.“Tyler's got a good voice,” Shane mused.  It wasn't surprising – Audra was one of the best vocalists in the choir.  Clearly the apple had landed near the tree.“Yeah,” Audra agreed.  “And some pretty impressive dance moves.  Shall we go?”Shane thought about Tyler's voice on the drive to the restaurant.  He'd been looking for a way to bond with the boy since he and Audra started dating.  Over dessert he asked, “Do you think Tyler would be interested in joining a children's choir?”“I think that's a great idea,” Audra said.  She'd also been looking for a way for her son and boyfriend to get closer.Shane announced the children's choir during the next church service, noting that he had posted a sign-up sheet for kids between the ages of four and twelve in the hall by the Sunday school rooms.  Audra added Tyler's name as soon as service was over.  Tyler couldn't understand why he would want to go to choir practice when there were perfectly good video games to be played at home, but being six he was forced to accede to his mom's wishes.Jill Boyer had not planned to sign her four-year-old daughter Mary up for the choir even though she was just inside the lower end of the age range.  Mary didn't usually respond well to the “organized” part of organized activities.  But when Jill retrieved Mary from Sunday school, they passed Mary's classmate Sierra and her father, Arthur, by the sign-up sheet.“Would you like to be in a children's choir?” Arthur was asking Sierra.“Oh, yes, Daddy!” Sierra shouted, jumping up and down and clapping her hands with glee.  Arthur wrote her name below Tyler's.Mary saw this and asked, “Can I be in the choir, too?”“It'll be a great experience,” Arthur said as Jill considered her response.  “Sierra has a beautiful voice.  I know most children this age can't really carry a tune, but I suspect Sierra might have perfect pitch.  I've been thinking I should get her a voice coach.  She could probably be a professional singer.”Mary was tugging on Jill's pant leg.  “Please, Mommy, can I be in the choir? Please, please, please, please…”“Sure,” Jill said and snatched the pen from Arthur.  “I've always suspected you had perfect pitch, too.”Of course Jill suspected no such thing.  But according to Arthur, Sierra was the most glorious little human being with whom God had blessed the world since the times of Jesus.  It got on Jill's nerves.Shane decided Easter would be a good opportunity for the children's choir to make their debut.  He planned to have them sing that classic children's Easter hymn, Morning Has Broken. Shane had never conducted a children's choir but he figured he could handle it.  After all, many of the adult choir members often behaved like children.  Sure, Arthur lobbied him to give Sierra a solo, but hardly an adult choir rehearsal went by without someone complaining about Shane's choice of soloist.  And Arthur was easier to handle since Shane simply declared that there would be no solos in the children's choir.Of course none of the adult choir members had ever spilled juice on the sheet music, or broken into tears after skinning their knee, or started an eraser fight.  Mary did all of that in the first fifteen minutes of rehearsal.  Shane had arranged the kids by height, the older and tallest kids in the middle of the back row, and the younger, shorter kids in the front row and to the sides.  Mary, being one of the shortest, was on the far left.  However, after the eraser fight, Shane decided to move her to the center.  He enlisted the girl directly behind her, twelve-year-old Becky Goodhart, to help keep Mary in line.  Shane's plan worked for rehearsal, but was to have unintended consequences for the performance.Unlike Mary, Tyler was quite well behaved all through rehearsal.  Which meant that by the time Audra arrived to pick him up, Shane realized he'd barely spoken to the boy.  His plan for bonding was not working out as he'd hoped.On Easter morning, Mary talked excitedly about the impending performance all through breakfast.  Jill may have signed Mary up out of annoyance with Arthur, but now she was delighted by her daughter's enthusiasm and commitment. After a thirty minute search, she located the family's camcorder in Mary's room where she had been using it to film a movie with her dolls.  Jill scraped a wad of gum off the camera and slipped it into her purse.  Maybe she would finally get some video of Mary that she could show the grandparents without having to edit out the embarrassing parts.Arthur also planned to videotape Sierra.  This was no surprise to anyone.  Sierra's short life to date was one of the most documented in the history of mankind.  Carefully labeled DVDs of Sierra occupied a whole shelf of the living room bookcase.  As the kids marched out to take their place for their performance, Arthur set up a tripod in the center aisle.Jill had taken a spot on the opposite side of the aisle.  She hadn't brought along a tripod, but she steadied her camera on the back of the pew in front of her.  A bit of gum she'd missed helped hold it in place.  And to her delight, Mary's central position gave her a nice, unobstructed shot.Sierra's position at the far edge of the choir did not offer such a clear shot to Arthur.  He wondered what Shane was thinking putting the most talented vocalist off to the side like that.  “Sierra,” he hissed as the kids were lining up.  She looked over and he gestured for her to move toward the center.Shane had not seen Arthur's gesture and did not know why Sierra was leaving her assigned spot.  “Sierra,” he whispered, “get back to your place.”  Sierra returned to the edge of the choir.  Shane signaled organist Walter Tibble to begin.Arthur glared at Shane's back.  The man was clearly an idiot unqualified to lead a choir of dogs.  He motioned urgently for Sierra to move back toward the center.  Sierra was a little confused by the contradictory messages, but she obeyed her father's latest instruction.  Shane tried to motion her back again, but the little girl's gaze was fixed on her father.Meanwhile, Jill had zoomed in for a close-up of Mary.  Her daughter looked like an angel.  This was uncommon – usually Mary seemed to represent the other team in the divine rivalry.  Suddenly, a carefully coifed head of hair topped by a pink bow filled the viewfinder.Jill zoomed out.  Sierra had come to a stop directly in front of Mary.  Jill waved to get Mary's attention.  Mary waved back.  Jill motioned for her to step out from behind Sierra.  Mary tried to obey, but Becky, ever alert to her mission, pulled Mary back into place.Jill looked over at Arthur and hissed, “Would you please get your daughter to go back to her spot?”“But I can't see her way over there,” Arthur whispered back.“Well, I can't see Mary over your daughter's head,” Jill replied.“Then maybe your daughter should move,” Arthur snapped.“Maybe your daughter should learn to cooperate with others,” Jill shot back.“Mommy, shh!” Mary shouted from the front.  “We're singing.”The congregation laughed.  Jill flushed with embarrassment.  Arthur gloated until Shane took Sierra's arm and guided her back to her proper place.The children finished their song without further incident.  As they walked off, Sierra and Mary held hands.  Jill was proud to show the video of the performance to the grandparents, but only after editing out the part where Mary had shushed her.After service was over, Shane noticed Tyler going up to the youth group room.  He followed and found Tyler playing a football game on the youth group's video game system.  “Can I play, too?” Shane asked.“Sure,” Tyler said.  They spent the next hour bonding.  When the game was over, Shane was quite happy, even though he lost seventy-three to fourteen.

Listen to the story read by the author.In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm.  Like most churches, this one has coffee hour every Sunday after service.  The various church groups rotate responsibility for hosting.  Some, like the women's group, bring elaborate homemade treats.  Others, like the young parents, put out a more humble spread of store bought snacks.  Most of the congregation barely notices as long as the coffee is hot and strong.  But when the men's group hosted recently, their refreshments had unintended consequences.Ralph Billings got blamed for the trouble.  Ralph considered himself a health food advocate.  Many in the congregation preferred the term “health nut.”  Whenever a group he was part of was scheduled to host coffee hour, Ralph would loudly lobby everyone to bring nutritional snacks.  Usually he was ignored.  Ralph would bring a heaping platter of fruits and vegetables, most of which would remain uneaten while the cookies, donuts and coffee cake others brought were reduced to plates of crumbs.  This bothered Ralph.  So when the men's group came up in the host rotation a few weeks ago, he hatched a plan to change things.Choir director Shane Reed, also an active member of the men's group, had his own agenda for coffee hours. Most of the men in the group brought store bought items if they brought anything.  Shane liked to bring something special that would surprise and delight people.This time he decided to bring something themed toward St. Patrick's Day, which was a few days earlier.  He found a recipe for chocolate mint cheesecake online.  It even had instructions for creating a green shamrock decoration on the top.  Shane was an excellent cook.  He wasn't stingy either – he made two cheesecakes so nobody would be left out.When Shane unveiled his creation to the other men while they were setting up before service, everyone oohed and ahhed jealously.  Ralph seemed to be most interested, questioning Shane at length about the recipe.  Then Ralph went away briefly and returned with an index card on which he'd written, “Chocolate Mint Cheesecake – 650 calories and 25g saturated fat per slice.”  He stuck it next to the cheesecakes.“What's this?” Shane asked.“The nutritional information for your lovely desert,” Ralph said.  “I think it's helpful that people know what they're eating, don't you?”Shane couldn't really think of a good objection, though he tried hard.  As other people put out their snacks, Ralph noted the nutritional content of each on an index card.  He got the information either from the packaging of store bought items or by consulting a big book of food statistics.  Of course Ralph's plate of carrot sticks, celery and grapes fared best.When the congregation poured into the social hall after the service, Missy Moore was one of the first in line.  “Your cheesecake looks gorgeous,” she told Shane.“You'll have to let me know how it tastes,” he said.“Oh, I can't,” Missy replied.  “Have to watch my waistline, you know.”  She then piled a plate high with carrot sticks and crackers.Jill Boyer herded her daughters Mary, age four, and Susie, age two, into the refreshment line.  When Mary saw the cheesecake, her eyes got big and she reached out to swipe a finger through the shamrock decoration.  Jill grabbed her hand and said, “Mary, don't.  I'll get you some.”Four year-old Sierra Smith and her father Arthur were in line behind them.  “May I have some cake?” Sierra asked.  Arthur looked at the index card.  “I'm sorry, honey.  It's not good for you.  Have some grapes.”Jill's face reddened.  Arthur had this strange ability to continually make her feel like a bad parent.  But she had already cut a piece and couldn't very well deny her girls at this point without inducing a nuclear level tantrum.  So she cut the slice in half and split it between two plates.  She then piled carrots onto the plates and instructed the girls to eat the vegetables before the cheesecake.  They did not follow her instructions, but by then Arthur and Sierra had moved on so it didn't really matter.One person who didn't care about the nutritional content of the cheesecake was Pastor Henry O'Donnell.  Unfortunately his wife Jennifer was not so blasé.  Henry was positioning the knife to cut a nice big slice when she cleared her throat behind him.  “Remember your diet,” she said.  Henry sighed and moved the knife over an inch.  Jennifer cleared her throat again.  Henry slid the knife over even further.  The wafer of cheesecake was so thin it fell apart as he lifted it onto a plate.“Whose brilliant idea was it to set out those index cards?” Henry grumbled.“Mine,” Ralph said proudly.  He happened to be standing near the end of the table.  “Isn't it great?  I'm going to do the same thing with the women's group bake sale next week.”As word of this pronouncement spread, it was not well received.  The women's group bake sale was among the church's biggest mission fundraisers of the year.  With coffee hour winding down, everyone took note of how Shane's cheesecakes remained mostly uneaten while Ralph's vegetables were completely gone.  Obviously Ralph had succeeded in his goal.  Knowledge was power.An informal huddle of the women's group convened in a corner of the social hall.  There was some question as to whether Ralph had the authority to stick his nose into the bake sale.  This was countered, however, by the concern that if they tried to stop him it would look like they were hiding something.“I guess we'd better make healthy items this year,” Missy said.  “People don't want fattening deserts anymore.  Just look at the refreshment table.”Seventy-year-old Henrietta Miggins, president of the women's group, harrumphed. “We'll see,” she growled.  She had nothing against nutrition but she was not about to let Ralph Billings control her.  She went to get a nice big slice of cheesecake to prove her point.The next week Henrietta was not present when the women were setting up for the bake sale.  This caused considerable concern.  It was unlike Henrietta to shirk her responsibilities.  Someone was even dispatched to her house to make sure she was all right, but there was no sign of her.After service, the congregation perused the selection of bran muffins, sugarless oatmeal cookies and low fat brownies the women had made.  Ralph was true to his word, calculating the calories and fat in each item based on the ingredients.  The results indicated that everything was indeed quite healthy, though it's possible a few of the bakers may have fudged the amounts of butter or sugar used – inadvertently, of course.Sales, however, were slow.  Jill's whole wheat pineapple cake just didn't draw the enthusiasm of the double chocolate peanut butter brownies she'd brought last year.Missy, who was manning the cash register, muttered, “This is a disaster.”“Must be the economy,” Ralph observed.“Looks like Henrietta was right,” Jill sighed.  “People do prefer the unhealthy baked goods.”Ralph decided he better do something if he wanted the nutritional information to become a regular feature of church events.  He wandered along the table loudly admiring all the items.  He stopped at Missy's vegan pumpkin cookies.“Only seventy-five calories each and no fat!” he exclaimed.  “And they look so good.  I'll take ‘em.”  As soon as he'd paid, he pulled back the plastic wrap and popped a cookie in his mouth.“Mmmmm…” he said as he chewed.  “Delicious.”  He smiled, but there were suspicious tears forming in the corners of his eyes.  He swallowed.  “So good I'm going to save the rest for later.”Then Henrietta arrived carrying a large box.“Where were you?” Missy asked.  “We were worried.”Henrietta didn't answer.  Instead, she opened the box and took out six apple tarts, twice the number she usually brought for the bake sale.“What's in those,” Ralph asked.  “I need to calculate the nutritional information.”“This is a secret family recipe,” Henrietta huffed. “But all the items for sale have their nutritional information listed,” Ralph protested.“These won't,” Henrietta said.There was a murmur of excitement among the gathered crowd.  Missy asked, “How much are we charging for them?”“That depends,” Henrietta replied.  “This year I think I'll auction them to the highest bidder.”That proved a brilliant move.  All the tarts went for many times their usual price.  Pastor O'Donnell paid the most – $105.00 for a single tart.  It was for a good cause, he reasoned.  In the end, the women's group raised more total money with this year's bake sale than ever before.The following Sunday the young adult bible study hosted coffee hour.  There was no nutritional information provided.  Ralph was not part of the bible study and besides, after the bake sale he had been unable to find his nutrition book.Shane Reed was part of the bible study and he brought homemade fudge.  It was gone in twenty minutes.  Pastor O'Donnell had twelve pieces.  Shane was glad there were no leftovers.  He still had an entire cheesecake in his freezer.A note to my readers:  I have traditionally published a Little Church Story on this blog every two weeks.  From this point forward I am reducing my blog publication schedule to once a month.  This is in order for me to spend more time on other Little Church projects like The Christmas Tree Lot book.  Thank you for your support for The Little Church Stories!

Hear the story read by the author.(This is part two of two.  To read part I click here or scroll down)In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm.  This year the church decided to have a Valentine's Day dance – but not everyone present was excited to be there. Senior Pastor Henry O'Donnell's daughter Katie had agreed to do childcare, but only because her boyfriend, Alex, had dumped her a couple days earlier, killing her Valentine's Day plans.  And Associate Pastor Michelle Tellum's boyfriend, Ian, was performing at the dance with his jazz band.  This meant that Michelle and Ian had had to eat their Valentine's Day dinner early and skip desert.  Not Michelle's idea of a romantic holiday.Michelle sat at a table with the girls who were dating the other members of Ian's band.  They complained about the lack of alcohol at the church event while Michelle sulked and watched the couples dancing.  She was surprised to discover choir director Shane Reed was an excellent swing dancer.  He and his girlfriend Audra Park spun around the floor making everyone else look bad.  Michelle thought Ian was pretty sexy when he performed, but at the moment she was feeling a little jealous of Audra.Meanwhile, down in the Sunday school room, Katie listened to sad songs on her MP3 player while the kids built a makeshift city out of blocks.  The Boyer sisters, Mary, age four, and Susie, age two, were there, as was Sierra Smith, another four-year-old from Mary's Sunday school class.  Audra's son Tyler was the only boy present if you didn't count the baby, Scott Lopez, who was asleep in a crib.  After a while, Mary looked up from the tower she was building and noticed tears running down Katie's cheeks.  Mary nudged Sierra.  They weren't used to seeing someone Katie's age cry.  The two girls went over to investigate.“Why are you sad?” Mary asked.“Because boys are all big, lying jerks,” Katie said.“I don't like boys either,” Mary agreed.“Good,” Katie replied.  “All they ever do is make you cry.”  Then she put her head down on the desk, turned up her music, and moaned miserably.Mary and Sierra were not quite sure how to react.  Tyler came over to see what was going on.“Go away, Tyler,” Sierra said.  “You're a boy and all boys are lying jerks.”“Take that back!” Tyler replied angrily.“Get out of here,” Mary said.  “You'll make Katie cry even worse.”Tyler was not sure how he'd gotten blamed for Katie's weeping, but he wasn't about to let two younger girls tell him what to do.  “Make me,” he said.Mary and Sierra immediately pounced on him.  Two-year-old Susie didn't know what was going on, but joined in the beating out of an innate sense of feminist sisterhood and a love of hitting things.  Tyler decided maybe letting the girls tell him what to do was better than having to admit they'd beaten him up.  He dashed out of the room with the three females chasing behind.Katie looked up just in time to see her charges escaping.  “Come back,” she shouted, but to no avail.  She quickly scooped the baby out of the crib and took off in pursuit.  Scott was not pleased to have his slumber disturbed.  He expressed his displeasure in loud wails.Up in the social hall, Shane and Audra were taking a break from their energetic dancing.  They got some refreshments and sat at the table next to Michelle's.  The band switched to a slow, romantic ballad.  Michelle watched all the couples dancing close and whispering to each other and felt her jealously like a knife in her heart.  It was Valentine's Day.  She should be dancing cheek to cheek with Ian, not sitting at a table with a bunch of whiny groupies.  She heard Shane ask Audra if she was ready to dance again.  “I need a few more minutes,” Audra laughed.  “You wore me out!”Michelle leaned over and asked, “If you need a break, do you think I could borrow Shane for a song?”Audra shrugged and nodded.  Michelle took Shane's hand and led him out to a spot directly in front of the band.  Shane put his hands on Michelle's waist.  She put her arms around his neck and pulled him close.  Shane's eyes widened in surprise as she pressed herself against him.Michelle snuck a peek at Ian.  He was staring at them with a troubled frown on his face.  Michelle leaned her head on Shane's shoulder to hide her satisfied smile.  She had finally gotten his attention.Shane had noticed Ian's troubled look as well.  And he'd noticed an equally troubled look on Audra's face.  But he didn't quite know what to do.  So he made sure to keep his hands nice and high on Michelle's back and tried not to look like he was enjoying himself.When the song ended, Ian grabbed the microphone and said, “Let's pick up the pace a bit.”  He instructed the band to play an upbeat Dixieland number.“Well, thanks for the dance,” Shane said to Michelle.“Aw, come on, one more,” Michelle replied.  As the band launched into their jaunty tune, she began bumping and grinding around him.  Shane tried to dance in a casual, disinterested way, but he had to admit Michelle had some pretty hot moves.Now more than just Ian and Audra were watching them.  Most of the congregation were not used to seeing one of their pastors behaving in such a manner.  Pastor O'Donnell knew Michelle was courting trouble and was about to intervene when the gaggle of kids burst through the door like a tornado.Tyler ducked under the refreshment table and out the other side.  Mary, Sierra and Susie followed in hot pursuit.  But somehow Mary caught the edge of the tablecloth on her barrette.  This upset the punch bowl, and punch sloshed across the floor.  Michelle had just completed a little spin.  She stepped back and slipped in the liquid, falling hard on her rear.The sight was so unexpected everyone burst out laughing in spite of themselves. Everyone, that is, except Ian.  He leapt down from the stage and ran to Michelle.“Are you okay?” he asked.Michelle looked down at her white dress now stained red with punch and cried “No!”  She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the room.“Go after her,” Shane said, giving Ian a nudge.  Ian took the advice.Baby Scott's wail announced Katie's arrival.  She looked at the aftermath of the disaster and her heart sank.  But everyone turned out to be quite sympathetic, especially the parents of the kids in question, who generally expected them to cause trouble.  They assisted Katie in rounding up the children while Shane found a mop to clean up the spill.Out in the hall Ian was trying to understand Michelle through her sobs.  He finally made out that she was disappointed they hadn't spent more time together that evening.  There was also something in there about chocolate cake.  Ian thought he understood.“Do you know why I didn't want to order desert at the restaurant?” he asked.“Because (sob) you needed to (sniff) set up your gear.”“No,” Ian said, “that was just an excuse.  I spent all day making a chocolate raspberry cheesecake.  I was going to take you back to my place after the dance and surprise you with it.”Michelle stopped crying.  “You cooked for me?”“Yeah.  It's probably not as good as that cake at the restaurant, but since I spent…” Ian had to table his thought as Michelle planted a big kiss on his mouth. When Katie marched her charges back down to the Sunday school room, she got a surprise of her own.  Alex was waiting for her.  “Can we talk?” he asked.Katie put the baby in the crib and told the other kids, “Do not leave this room under any circumstances.  Do you understand?”Mary, Sierra, Tyler and Susie returned to their toys while Alex and Katie spoke in urgent whispers in the hall.  After a while, Mary noticed the whispers had stopped.  She remembered that Katie had ordered her not to leave the room, but surely poking her head out the door wouldn't count.What she saw in the hall shocked her.  Katie was kissing Alex!  “I thought you said boys were lying jerks,” Mary blurted.Katie laughed.  “Maybe, but they're also pretty nice to kiss.”Mary returned to the classroom pondering this new piece of information.  She looked at Tyler who was racing some cars down the streets of the block city they'd built.  He didn't look like he would be all that great to kiss.  But Katie was older.  Maybe she knew what she was talking about.Thirty seconds later Tyler came barreling out of the room again, pursued by the three little girls.  He darted past Katie and Alex, up the stairs, and nearly knocked over Michelle and Ian who were making out in the hall.“Girls are crazy!” Tyler yelled.“Sure are,” Ian agreed.

Hear the story read by the author In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm.  During coffee hour on the first Sunday in February, Kevin and Jill Boyer asked Senior Pastor Henry O'Donnell's fifteen-year-old daughter Katie if she would babysit for them on Valentine's Day.  Unfortunately, Katie already had plans to go out with her boyfriend, Alex.In a small town like Normal, Valentine's Day was a perfect babysitting storm.  Everyone with kids needed one and most of the older teens wanted to go out on dates themselves.  Kevin and Jill compared notes with some of the other young parents at the church.  Audra Park, a single mother who had just started dating the choir director, Shane Reed, hadn't found a babysitter for her six-year-old son Tyler either. Carrie and Carlos Lopez smiled sympathetically.  They knew who they were going to have watch their baby – Carrie's mother, Karen Winslow, who also happened to be a Sunday school teacher at the church.“I wonder if your mother would be willing to babysit all the children,” Audra mused.  Kevin and Jill immediately perked up.“I don't know,” Carrie said.  “I mean, she might if it were for a church event or something, but otherwise…”“Maybe it could be a church event,” Kevin suggested.  “Maybe the church should hold a Valentine's Day dance.”  Kevin was finding it as difficult to get a dinner reservation as it was to get a babysitter and this sounded like killing two birds with one stone.  Carrie and Carlos agreed it was a good idea.  They had moved in with Carrie's parents, Karen and Del, after the company they worked for went bankrupt.  A church dance would be a nice yet economical date.It was kind of last minute to put something like that together, of course, but when they proposed it to Senior Pastor Henry O'Donnell he was surprisingly enthusiastic.  It turned out he was having trouble getting dinner reservations as well.Henry rushed over to twenty-eight-year-old Associate Pastor Michelle Tellum and her boyfriend, Ian Wells, who was a jazz guitarist.  “We're thinking about having a Valentine's Day dance,” Henry said.  “Ian, do you think your band would like to perform?  We could pay you, say, $200.”“Absolutely!” Ian replied.  His band usually played in clubs for free drinks.Michelle frowned.  This was the first time since college that she had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day and she was kind of hoping for a romantic evening alone with Ian.  Spending it at the church felt a little too much like work.  She didn't want to come off as selfish, though, so she tried to be subtle.  “Won't that mess up the plans you made for us?” she asked, hoping Ian had actually made some plans.“Nah,” Ian said.  “I was only able to get an early reservation at the restaurant anyway.  We'll have plenty of time to eat before the dance.”“It's settled then,” Henry declared.“Great,” Michelle sighed.The first major wrinkle in the plan came when Henry talked to Karen about handling childcare.  “Absolutely not,” Karen said.  It turned out Carrie and Carlos had just assumed she would babysit for them.  They'd never actually asked her.  “Del and I are going out to dinner,” Karen sniffed.  “He made the reservations a month ago.”  Henry decided Del could be pretty annoying sometimes.The organizers were in a bind.  The childcare was a key reason for the event in the first place.  Without it, many of them wouldn't be able to attend.  It was looking like they would need a miracle to save the dance.And then Katie's boyfriend dumped her.  It was all Henry could do not to jump for joy.  Alex was two years older than Katie, and Henry had never approved of their relationship.  He forced himself to wait a decent amount of time before broaching the subject of childcare at the church dance.  He figured half an hour was a suitable mourning period for a teenage romance.Henry obviously didn't know much about teenage romances.  Katie burst into tears when he proposed she spend Valentine's Day watching little kids.  Henry, never particularly skilled at handling crying females, quickly offered to pay her double her regular babysitting rate.  Katie stopped crying.  There was a pair of shoes she really wanted and the gig would just about cover them.  She agreed.The dance was on. Valentine's Day evening started out pretty good for Michelle.  Ian gave her an appropriately lascivious compliment on the sheer white dress she wore.  The restaurant he'd chosen was quite romantic, though the candlelight might have had more impact if the sun wasn't still shining in around the curtains while they ate.After they'd finished a juicy prime rib for two, the waiter asked if they'd like to see the desert cart.  He mentioned a special Valentine's chocolate fudge cake and assured them it was quite decadent.“We better not,” Ian said.  “I've got to get over to the church to set up for the show.”Michelle looked at her watch.  It wasn't even seven and it looked like the Valentine's Day romance was over.  She'd spend the rest of the evening sitting alone watching Ian perform on stage.  And she wouldn't even have the aftertaste of chocolate fudge cake to tide her over.  She sighed.Little did she know her evening was destined to get better.  Of course it was also destined to get a lot worse, first.To be continued…

Hear the story read by the author.In the town of Normal, Pennsylvania, there's a little church at the corner of Wilson and Elm. Recently, the church got an assisted listening system for the hearing impaired. This was a great development for eighty-six year-old Donald East, whose hearing had deteriorated to the point that Pastor Henry O'Donnell's deep, soothing voice sounded more like an idling tractor engine than human speech. Because of this, Donald frequently fell asleep during the pastor's sermons. When Donald slept, he snored. And since most of those who sat near him found Donald's snoring to be less pleasant than Pastor O'Donnell's homilies, they were also heartened by the new system.On the Sunday that the assisted listening system was introduced, head usher Ralph Billings clipped one of the radio units to Donald's belt and helped him insert the little earphone into his ear. The radio unit picked up a broadcast of everything that went through the speaker system and allowed Donald to control the volume of his individual unit to meet his needs.Donald was delighted. He heard the choir fine and clear. They were more talented than he remembered. He could hear the announcements – which was a good thing because he learned of an upcoming pancake breakfast hosted by the men's group. Donald loved pancakes. And of course he could finally hear the content of Pastor O'Donnell's sermon. Though he still fell asleep half way through it.As Donald was leaving the sanctuary to go over to coffee hour, he was distracted by the sight of seventy-five year-old Betsy Davis wearing a sleek cardigan. Donald thought Betsy was hot. And he'd become so used to the earphone that he forgot he had the assisted listening unit on and walked right out without returning it.Meanwhile, Pastor O'Donnell forgot that he was supposed to power off the transmitter after service. Not only was it an unfamiliar task, but he was preoccupied by a parental concern. His daughter, Katie, had been invited to the senior prom. This would have been fantastic if Katie had been a senior, but she was only a sophomore and Henry was not sure he liked the idea of her dating a boy two years older than her. And he was definitely concerned about what might go on at prom. He would prefer to put off thinking about that topic for another couple years. In any case, the new assisted listening system was not foremost in his mind.After enjoying a cookie and cup of coffee, Donald found he needed to visit the restroom. Donald's restroom visits took a while these days and by the time he came out, most everyone had left. As he grabbed one last cookie, he waved to Missy Moore and choir director Shane Reed, who were heading into the sanctuary to rehearse a special music selection for the following week.Missy was going to sing while Shane accompanied her on guitar. Missy wanted to do a full dress rehearsal so she set up a microphone while Shane tuned his instrument. “Are you ready?” Missy asked.Out in the social hall, Donald heard Missy's voice broadcast through the assisted listening system. But he didn't realize that's where it was coming from. He looked around the empty room. “Ready for what?” he asked nervously.Shane wasn't speaking into a mic, so Donald didn't hear his reply. Instead, he heard Missy say, “Do you think I should introduce it or just launch right in?”“Introduce what?” Donald asked, beginning to feel desperate. “Who's there?”And then Missy started her song: Lord of the Dance.Donald stumbled back in shock. The angelic voice that was coming from nowhere seemed to be claiming it was the Lord.About that time Betsy returned to the social hall to retrieve her cardigan, which she'd left behind. Donald rushed over. “Do you hear that?” he asked.Betsy eyed him uneasily. The old guy looked kind of crazed. “Hear what?”In the sanctuary, Missy and Shane paused in their rehearsal. The music in Donald's headphone went suddenly silent. The next thing he heard was Missy responding to some question Shane had asked: “I don't like that,” she said.Donald thought maybe God was unhappy he was talking to Betsy. “Oh, it's gone now,” Donald lied.“Okay,” Betsy said with a smile and patted him on the arm. Then she hurried out to her car.The voice started singing Lord of the Dance again. Donald was familiar with the song, but now he listened carefully to the lyrics. He wondered if maybe God wanted him to dance. Donald hadn't danced since his wife had passed away, and truthfully probably hadn't even danced for a decade before that. Donald didn't particularly like to dance, but who was he to deny God?He started to do a little box step with an imaginary partner.About a minute later the music stopped. The voice in his ear said, “Let's pick up the pace.” Then it started singing again at a faster tempo. Donald wondered if God appreciated what this exertion was doing to his eighty-six year-old heart. But he danced.Katie O'Donnell happened to pass by the door of the social hall just then on the way to her dad's office. She observed Old Man East hopping crazily about in the quiet room by himself. When she reached the office she said, “Dad, I think Mr. East is having a stroke.”Henry rushed out. He was relieved to discover the stroke was really just Donald's herky-jerky attempt at dancing. He was less relieved when Donald started babbling something about God speaking to him.“You mean you hear Him right now?” Henry asked.“Yes, except it turns out God is a woman. She told me to dance by singing that hymn, Lord of the Dance. And now she just told me She wants everyone to be tapping their toes along with Her.”“Dad,” Katie said, “I think it's a sign!”Henry thought it was more likely that Katie had been right with her first guess of a stroke. But he asked, “A sign of what?”“That you should let me go to the prom.”Henry really had his doubts about that interpretation. But he looked at Katie's eager face and found his will to deny her was crumbling. “Okay,” he said, “you can go to the prom.”“Thanks, Dad!” Katie squealed and hugged him. Then she looked back at Donald. “Mr. East, you forgot to return that new radio thingy.”Donald pulled the earphone out of his ear. It suddenly became clear to him what had happened. He flushed crimson.As Katie ran off to call her date and tell him she could accept his invitation, Donald and the pastor looked at each other sheepishly. “I guess it wasn't a message from God after all,” Donald said.“I don't know,” Henry replied. “Did you see how happy Katie looked?”The following week Betsy invited Donald to a dance at the senior center. She'd seen him dancing through the windows as she got in her car the week before. Turns out the old dude had moves.