Flying Solo

Thursday Thumbprints

A few years back I wrote this on my old blog…

Since Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, I wondered if we could spend them thinking about things we are thankful for. The idea came to me the other morning lying in bed with the cloud over my head about as gray as the cloud that loomed outside. I knew why it was there. It was that lovely week of PMS when all women take one moment to tell Eve how much they wish they could slap her. I'd ask for forgiveness when I was through, but I have to say there is a brief moment each month that it takes all I have to not despise the woman.

But as I was lying there I gave myself a task. Keep your eyes open for things to be grateful for. No complaining for the next two weeks. Only talking about what your thankful for. Now, granted this has been a year and a half of noticing all the beautiful places God has moved in my life in even a more real way than in years past, but this truly cognizant approach to my day had me quite amazed at all I saw. Here's my list for this past week. I challenge you to do the same this week and share with us what you noticed...

I'm thankful for old friends who have known you since you were little and can reminisce with you about the "remember when..."
I'm thankful for my older brother who didn't mind taking me to school when he was a senior and I was a freshman. (So not cool...)
I'm thankful for my baby brother who I now like.
I'm thankful for my sister-in-laws who don't mind listening to me talk and both know how to make me laugh.
I'm thankful for my niece Hannah who is beautiful and so grown up.
I'm thankful for my niece Lauren who is compassionate and precious.
I'm thankful for my niece Abigail who does the best Elvis impersonation and whose voice I love to hear on the other end of the line.
I'm thankful for my nephew Jake who brought some testosterone to all that estrogen and whose smile can melt my heart.
I'm thankful for my mom who is a lady of grace and character, kindness and strength.
I'm thankful for my dad who is loving, funny and available.
And I'm thankful for my Heavenly Father who has fathered me this past season of my life in a way I've never been fathered before. Loved me to a depth of soul I didn't know existed inside of me. And healed me in a way there were days I didn't believe existed.
May each of us take time to remember all that we have to be thankful for. And may we take the time to tell those closest to us just what they mean to us. So, please know how thankful I am for you...

Wednesday 1 on 1 with Karen cont............

Our interview this month is my friend Karen Finley. Karen and I met a couple years back at one of our Fun and Frolic weekends with my precious friend and mentor Ann Platz. Karen has a beautiful story. She grew up the child of an evangelist and school teacher. She had wonderful success in the corporate world, and spent the last seventeen years working in conflict resolution for Bell south. She also has spent the last thirty years as a member of Mt. Paran Church in Atlanta, where she works with the Women’s Mentoring Program.

Karen, last week you shared with us the story of your fire and that day. What did you do in the days to follow?

 

My neighbor Peggy moved me upstairs with her where I spent the first week with her and her kitties. The cats saved all three of our condos. That week I had to be up and down the stairs meeting with insurance companies. I found out that our condo insurance company had to build me back as I was before the fire. That was a huge favor of the Lord. I only had $20,000 of insurance for the structure and that was not even a start.

In that early season I could not sleep. I was so scared, shaking like a leaf and all I could ask was why? Why Lord? Why me? With this fire, I almost went back to that emotional place I was following my divorce. But I cried out to the Lord and said I would not repeat that again. I have had 20 years of Bible studies and scriptures and as God as my witness I will never do that again…Scarlett O’Hara.
 
And finally I heard Him say…”Why not you? You are not exempt, my dear. You are my child and I will take you through all the fires in your life.”

 

How did you see God love you in your details?

ServPro came the morning after the fire and took everything out of the condo but the fabric. I have never seen so many boxes. A huge moving van came and left that afternoon with furniture and items that were in the condo. As James was handling the ServPro project, ask if there was anything he could do. I looked at the picture of my father that was chard and burned and started crying. The one thing I wanted in the estate of my parents was the picture of my father and Fido. Daddy was 10 years old. The glass rim was so black and I turned it over and cardboard was on the picture. James took a solution and put it on a cloth and wiped off the glass and the picture was there. Another favor of God. Then I really started to cry.

“Lord you are restoring what I love and have even protected some of these things.” Individual pictures of me and my brother were hanging on the wall. James wiped those and they looked as good as new too. This was a huge start for God working all things together for my good.

People in the neighborhood started washing clothes for me. They took up a collection for me at Mt Paran. I am going to have a Mt Paran sofa in my solarium for people from church to sit on and see beauty coming form the ashes. Lots of people took me to lunch at the OK Café to get me through this trauma.

 

 

Tuesday Tips

Thanksgiving tips If you are a guest...
By Andrew Boorstyn

- Arrive no earlier than the time the host has announced and no later than half an hour after the time.

- Plan to stay about an hour after dinner unless travel plans or sleepy children necessitate leaving earlier.

- Bring a gift and write a note of thanks afterward.

- Offer to help set up for dinner and to clean afterward.

- Notify the host of any special dietary needs -- if you are a vegetarian, diabetic or allergic to common foods. You can tell the host how to prepare a dish you can eat, or even better, offer to bring that dish yourself.

- If you're going to a potluck Thanksgiving, bring a serving dish with your contribution. Remember, the best potluck dishes are those that need minimal preparation in the host's kitchen, can be served at room temperature and require only a fork to eat.

http://www.rd.com/home-garden/thanksgiving-tips-for-hosts-and-guests/article13894.html

 

Got some of your favorite Tips you want to share? Email them to [email protected]

 

Monday Musing

Our new favorite movie is Secretariate….
It begins with these words from the book of Job. “Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing: he does not shy away from the sword. the quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance.”

From the first line of that movie you know this is going to be about something that is eternal. And it is. But I won’t give it all away here…

This passage comes from the moment God confronts Job. Job has lost his children. Job has lost all of his livestock and servants.  Job’s body is covered in painful, oozing sores. Job’s friends have accused him of harboring sin in his heart confirming that is why all of this calamity has come upon him. His wife has begged him to curse God. And Job has had some questions of his own. He’s been a good man. Lived a good life. Done what’s right. And now here he is. In hell…  It’s much harder for a “good” man to understand why he’s going through pain. Why he is suffering. Because “good” men shouldn’t suffer right?

There in lies our first issue. We have begun life from the wrong premise. There is no “good” thing in us. We came into this world layered in sin. The only good thing about us is that God indescribably loves us.

And God counters Job’s entitlement perspective beginning in one of the most beautiful couple of chapters of scripture that I believe there are in all of the Bible. Job 38-41 And He begins with these words, “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” And then it starts…”Where were you?” Oh my….Where was I? Where were you?

When God was laying the foundations of the earth?
When God was giving orders to the morning?
When God made the clouds like a garment?
When God saw the gates of death?
When God shut up the sea behind doors?

The next time the spirit of entitlement sweeps over you, read these passages of scripture. And the vastness, the enormity of our uncontainable God will be made all too real. And the fact that He has privileged us with anything at all...in this season of Thanksgiving, should make us indescribably thankful...

Sunday Reflections

This is your time. Reflect with us about your week, your friends, or what God has become to you. This is your space. Your time.