Storms

Thursday afternoon I sat at the Pelham Racquet Club and watched it rain and lightning for an hour and a half.  Then they told us they were rescheduling the match for Friday afternoon.  When I got to the car I had a message from David with a hint of desperation in his voice.  Our house had been in the path of the tornado.  We had no real structural damage thank you God, but we are missing siding and shingles and limbs and a swim pier, sailboat, patio table, barbecue grill and a few chairs.  I stayed and played Friday morning (David insisted since we had no electricity) but left right after that match to start the clean up.  We worked till about 3:00 or 4:00.  Do you know there are muscles you forget you have until you bend over and pick up limbs for a few hours!  All in all we were very fortunate. 

I did learn a couple of things…

• I want to be one of those people that come and help out after a storm
• I don’t want to be a gawker who gets in the way of the power trucks and the clean up efforts.
• Neighbors are good to pitch in and help each other.
• Other than my immediate neighbors, nobody…not even my Mom, knew we had any damage.  I am not sure that brings me much comfort if things had been worse.

Mother’s Day was fun.  We had to rearrange and limit what we could because of our inconveniences, but we had a blast.  I may tell more on that later.  For now, I better get to work!!

 

Looking Forward

As I traveled to work yesterday I chose a random pod-cast….after my restless night I had a sermon on getting rest.  It simply amazes me anew each time God speaks to me and I wonder why.  Today I heard a lesson on the definition of Faith.  I guess I needed that to figure out why.

Sometimes when I am most discouraged I find myself having fewer times of intense prayer, but more times of constant dialouge.  I feel bad when the dialouge centers on me and my immediate needs more than intercessory prayer for others….but that usually comes a couple of times a day as well.  I can’t tell you any real reasons for my discouragement (other than the same ole’ same ole’) but I think it involves a need to be moving forward.  Too often I feel like I am just treaading water.

But I know my God is faithful.  He will show me the way, or He will bless me or others through my struggles….and that is the cool thing.  I can’t wait to look back to this day and tell you which it was!

Dream Dream Dream…

I had troubling dreams last night.  I am not real sure why.  It may have been the allergy medicine I took right before bed….or it could just be a full head.  Either way, do you try to analyze your dreams?  From the nature of mine I could tell you several things I was thinking about yesterday.  We have evidence that God uses them to speak to people, but does he use them to speak to me, or is it just a mermory purge that takes place while sleeping?

I guess I am running a little crazy right now.  In the midst of the week my daughter-in-law graduates nursing school and the weekend of Mother’s Day I am going to be out of town at a tennis tournament.  Somehow I lost track of when the tournament was being held.  I guess the pressure of a three day work week, ending up my tennis season in Decatur, trying desperately to close loans, worrying about moving (or not), getting time to honor our Mother’s for Mother’s Day, wanting Mary to know we are proud of her and want to honor her for this great accomplishment and concern that my Mom and little Eli are not feeling their best…..I guess it could have all just spilled over in my dreams.

Then there are some loved ones going through some very deep ditches right now.  My heart is heavy for them and I want to be able to help.  Sometimes there is nothing to be done. 

But it is an absolutely beautiful day.  I have a job that I love, even though it sometimes is very trying….So shake off the dreams and have a great day!

Weekend Ramblings

We did something Saturday we have not done in a very long time…..we went to the movie.  We saw Iron Man and Ioved it.  Of course I always like action films that are packed with one-liners as well.  Go see it…but before you pack up the 6 year olds it is NOT a cartoon as the lady beside me thought.  It is not a “bad” movie, but there are some “moments”.

We also splurged a little Saturday.  I have had the same bedroom suite since 1979….really!  We were just going to browse in the furniture store and ended up leaving with a very good deal on a new bedroom suite!  My husband and I both are very poor shoppers….but we are a salesperson’s delight, if you get us in a store we most likely are there to buy something!

Yesterday our small class was a little smaller but we had a wonderful discussion about the true meaning of being a Christian and how we needed to love more.  We watched the Nooma “Bullhorn” and had a very good discussion of how hard it sometimes is to really love people.  We all agreed that the one thing we wanted our church to be known for was its love.  None of us were satisfied that we are, and none of us were satisfied with the part we play in that….

May we May

Ahhh, April is over, and I can’t say I am sad to see her go.  It has been a hectic month.  Sometime, maybe in July I will give you a week by week run down of the ups and downs of my life this month, but for now lets just all take a deep breath (and cough and sneeze) and move on to May!

I love this month.  I can’t believe it has arrived so quickly this year, but I plan to enjoy each and every day.  I was married in the month of May.  School always got out in May.  The boating starts in May.  Usually there is a beach trip in May.  Mother’s Day is in May and this year I will attend a new state tournament (tennis) in May. 

So what do you love about May?

Doubting Donna

The day started with bad news from a client, one of the easier deals I had going….they changed their minds.  Doubts flooded me, my decision, my ability to do this job, the economy, world peace….my mind was full with things I could not control.  How much money could I make at Cracker Barrell?  Would it be enough? 

In an amazing twist God showed me who was really in charge.  My phone started ringing, my email got active and by the end of the day I had several new deals going.  One whispered prayer in desperation gave God the opportunity to show me what he could do.  He has always carried me, even when he had to tie me up and take me kicking and screaming (I know that is bad theology and we are not forced to do anything, but you get the point…I hope).

At the end of the day I still had problems, some of them seemingly unsolvable.  But I also had the quiet assurance that God is now and forever will be on my side.  I was reminded once again about trust and birds and lilies and the only response that seemed fitting was “Lord I do believe…help my unbelief”.

Patience..??

It took almost four weeks….but finally my first two loans closed yesterday!  I am not used to things taking this long and if you know me at all you know I am all about ACTION!  So when they they say waiting is the hardest part (whoever they are) I must agree.  I am sure now things will rock along at a normal pace.  (although market conditions and the nightly news are not my friends!)

I do feel the change in my life.  I do miss my friends at the old shop, although I see them about once a week, but more than that I miss the easy access to my friends in this box.  It is hysterical to me to see which sites the firewall blocks me from accessing.  It will let me look at the triplet’s blog, but not at Matthew’s.  It will let me comment on most WordPress blogs, but it will not even let me sign on to Blogger blogs.  I read all (unless you have just the first sentence showing…Steph, Keith) in bloglines.  But, I just feel out of touch. 

We will be having our sixth Angel Food delivery tomorrow.  It seems that people have lost interest both in helping with the work and helping to feed others.  Maybe it is too much to ask people to be generous more than twice a year, at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Seems to me with the ever rising prices of gas lots of people could use some help in stretching their food budget.  But to be honest, some months I donate more food than I can find families to give it to.  That really shouldn’t be.

I am glad it is Friday.  I hope you all have a great weekend. Anybody doing anything fun…or productive?

Tagged..

My blog friend…”The Doug” has tagged me.  I don’t love these tags…but I do love my friends so here goes…

1. What I was doing 10 years ago:
Working as a CFO in a bank with two teenagers living at home.  I had not ciscovered tennis or blogging….I am not sure I would recognize that me if I ran into her.

2. Five things on my to do list today:
1) Get two loans to closing
2) Get paper work out on two other loans
3) Mail some marketing stuff out
4) Go see my babies
5) Play tennis

3. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1) Build a tennis complex in Cullman
2) Buy a helicopter and hire a pilot
3) Support efforts to provide safe and clean water to everyone.
4) Ease financial burdens for my family
5) Pay off our church building

4. Three of my bad habits:
1) Diet Coke.
2) Correcting others.
3) Procrastinating.

5. Five places I have lived:
1) Toledo, Ohio
2) Yspilanti Michigan
3) Jones Chapel Alabama
4) West Point Alabama
5) Trimble Alabama.

6. Five jobs I have had:
1) Baby sitter
2) Burger King Cashier
3) Bank Teller
4) Finacial Analyst
5) Self Employed Computer Trainer

If anyone wants to do this….consider yourself tagged!!

Hmmm

I had a little time this morning….actually very little time and I wondered…”do I have anything to blog about?”  Then I realized that had never stopped me before..

We had a good time at a local Mexican restaurant last night.  Tomorrow is my cousin Rhonda’s birthday and we love and excuse to get together and eat.  Sharon remembered that last time we were there we discussed how we wanted our bodies disposed of after death…cremation, donation, burial…she remembered it because we got into the same discussion.  What about this place leads us to thinking of our demise???  Maybe we don’t want to go to deeply into that subject!!

I noticed a couple of times last night that my “protector” self came out.  It is funny to me how I sometimes feel that someone needs my protection.  This group is harmless and we were all just having fun, yet still it was not going to go too far as long as I could help it..

We are all at that stage in life where you either accept and embrace change or it will make you bitter and defiant.  At this age change is a daily function of life.  Our bodies betray us at every turn….this change is not always for the better! We have kids that are going through their 20’s and up.  A few of us are blessed with grandbabies (my how that changes things!) We have aging parents.  We have siblings or sometimes ourselves who are going through broken marriages, new relationships, changing jobs, changing houses….the gammit of change.  I think in our personal lives the way we accept and even embrace change defines the level of happiness and contentment we will find.

I also think that when we accept that this should be true for our spiritual lives as well then we can truly allow The Spirit to take root and produce fruit in our lives.

Rackets and Reflections

Just in case you haven’t noticed…it is a perfect spring (sans allergies) and amazing weather for tennis, so I have been a little preoccupied.  But it is has also been filled with weddings and gatherings with friends and family…with another fun birthday dinner tonight!  Terri was talking about eating….I think we use any excuse to get together and do so!

The other night when the babies were here Ava started crying.  They seldom cry during the night so I went upstairs to check on her.  She didn’t respond to me just patting her on the back and laying her back down.  So I picked her up held her close and rocked her for a few minutes.  Being one of three has always curtailed the amount of time you could spend rocking and cuddling one baby, so they have never come to expect this (whew!)  But as I held her I realized how big she had gotten and how soon I would not even be able to hold her like this.  As I put her back in the bed she was not yet asleep, but she was comforted and more comfortable as she snuggled into her sleep position.

I couldn’t help but think how our Father longs to comfort us when we are scared or lonely.  He wants to hold us close and tell us it will be alright.  Sometimes we are guilty of crying out to everyone but Him.  Sometimes we think we are too big to be held and rocked.  I love giving comfort to my little ones…and I am so imperfect.  How much more does our perfect Father love to comfort us?