2019 When God Closes A Door (Part 3)

Our kitchen was remodeled in 2006. We removed the builder grade cabinets that were cheap and not in the best condition, and replaced them with similar cabinets built by my then brother-in-law. My ex-husband didn't want to redo the kitchen because he thought it was a waste of money, even though the cabinet under the sink had gotten wet causing the Formica to warp. He grudgingly agreed but it would be done by his brother to save money. You know the old saying, You get what you pay for? Yeah, it's accurate.

When his brother came to ask what we wanted in the kitchen, I was surprised at how much J insisted on certain things when he spent no time in the kitchen other than to get a drink of water. I did all the cooking, all the cleaning, all the organizing. I was pretty clear on what I would like in the kitchen, and losing cabinet space was not one of the options. But he was adamant that he wanted one of the cabinets converted into a trash cabinet. I conceded, though I knew this meant I would lose both a cabinet and a drawer. I asked for glass doors on the cabinets where the dishes were kept; he insisted on glass doors on the mug cabinet as well. I got to pick the colors, and in my mind the cabinets would be wood. Unbeknownst to me, he told his brother to make laminate cabinets. In other words, we were switching cheap cabinets for cheap cabinets. The "upgrade" was Thermofoil cabinet doors. If you're not aware, Thermofoil (or RTF) is medium density fiberboard (MDF) covered in vinyl that is baked on. It's promoted as a rigid surface that doesn't scratch. My experience with them was not a good one. Not only is the surface NOT scratch resistant, the RTF began to peel after a few years. I should have been excited when the kitchen was done; I'd dreamt of redoing the kitchen for years. Instead I was disappointed and unable to protest because it was family and everyone else thought it was amazing and beautiful and to complain would be ungracious. So I decided to make the best of it. 

While I was married much of the decor were items J had brought from Nicaragua. It wasn't my taste but he lived in the house too and marriage is about compromise. Once we separated I packed up all his knick-knacks and simplified.

During the kitchen reno, we finished upgrading to all stainless steel appliances. After he left, I re-converted the trash cabinet into a regular storage cabinet and bought a stainless steel trash can from Costco. Above the cabinets, where all his chachkies had been, I put a few fake plants. I turned the mug cabinet into a spice cabinet and decluttered most of the mugs and glassware.

 

I also simplified the countertops. Other than a few necessary things I kept the decor to a minimum. A couple of vases with flowers, a bowl of fruit, some jars on the small shelves beside the cabinet, and the kitchen looked tidy and neat. 

The decluttering didn't stop in the kitchen. Throughout the house I was being ruthless. I streamlined my closet to only the clothes and shoes I actually wore. I got rid of decor I'd had for years but didn't care for anymore or felt it was excessive. I went through my DVD collection, CD collection, photographs, Christmas decor, linen closet, kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and I got rid of bags and bags of "stuff". It wasn't because I was embracing minimalism, though I have become more minimal in the past few years. No, this was a prompting of the Holy Spirit that I needed to prepare for a change. I didn't know when this change was going to happen, but I did know it was going to be big. And soon. 

2019 When God Closes A Door (Part 2)

In a previous post, I showed the dining room makeover I did in 2016-2017. I turned this room into an elegant showcase by gel staining the furniture and updating the cushions on the chairs. I'd already upgraded the lighting fixture, and now it all became cohesive.

The lighting fixture was purchased back in 2013 from Costco. The runner is from the Hearth and Hand collection at Target. The candlesticks in the first picture I've had for many years, and the rest of the table centerpiece is from Walmart. I just took a mason jar and filled it with flowers. In the second picture I put a pitcher I found on clearance at Target and added Dollar Tree flowers. I have found that fake flowers in white typically look the most realistic, though there are some colorful ones that look good too. I didn't add a rug because I didn't want to cover the wood floors.

The next room on my list was the family room. After my son R moved to Central Florida and took the recliners, I decided to get a new sectional. I had purchased one from Costco which I showed in my post on the living room makeover,  but I wanted something smaller. Unfortunately the ones at Costco were the wrong color. I'm not a fan of grey, especially dark grey. I like some grey accents but not anything that overwhelms the room. Of course I didn't want to spend thousands of dollars, either. I know I could've looked for something second hand, but I took a different route: Amazon. I had been looking at different options and going over hundreds of reviews, and I found a sectional that was simple and neutral, so I could fit it into my decor. The prices for furniture on Amazon can fluctuate from one day to the next, so I had to keep my eyes on a couple of options that I liked. Finally, one of the sectionals went down to $645, and I quickly placed my order. There were all kinds of issues with delivery, but I finally received it in September 2017. It went from the living room to the family room as I decided which sectional would go in which room, but I found it looked and fit best in the family room.

The artwork above the sectional was a clearance item I found at Kirkland's. The original price was $135; it was marked down to $23.95, but with my coupon I was able to score it for just under $20.00. I love the colors and the pier overlooking the sunset. The coffee table I've had since 2004. Originally it was all one color, but after having stained the dining room furniture I decided to stain this table top as well. It changed the look completely and made it look more elegant. The side table is part of the set that is in the living room. It didn't fit in the living room with the sectional there, so I put it in the family room where it could serve a purpose. The rug was from Walmart, but it had to be replaced. Our sweet Molly would sleep on it and the rug would get caught in her nails and snag. I picked up a nice rug at Costco for $40 that works just fine.

The television set and stand that were in the family room originally belonged to my son R, and he took them with him when he moved. So, I turned to my two favorite places to make my big ticket item purchases. I bought the television set on sale at Costco, and found the TV stand on Amazon. They were our family Christmas presents that year. I also bought the DVD cabinet on the right from Amazon, and it provided extra storage.

What I liked most about the three rooms was how well they flowed together, and I wanted this theme of casual elegance to continue. Up next: the kitchen! See ya soon!

2019 When God Closes A Door (Part 1)

My childhood was not glamorous. From the time I was born we lived in the South Bronx, aka the ghetto. I remember when buildings were going up in flames all around us; we later found out many of the fires were arson caused by landlords trying to collect insurance on properties they couldn't sell. Our apartment became rat infested, and to this day the very sight of a mouse sends me into hysterics (I'm cringing right now just thinking about it). After much waiting, praying, and hard work on my mother's part, we "upgraded" to the NYC housing projects. It was way better, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean it was great. The neighborhood was mediocre at best. At least there weren't any rats.

Throughout my childhood I dreamed of moving out of NY and one day owning my dream home. I knew what it would look like; I'd drawn it many times. For years I believed that home would be in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico where my parents were born and raised, but God had other plans.

In 1986, through a series of events that I may one day document on this blog, I found myself in Central Florida. My aunt and uncle had a home there, and I decided it would be a good place for a fresh start. I'd never been to Florida and knew very little about it, but being young and adventurous I was ready to give it a try. As the plane began to descend and I looked out the window at all the waterways and green areas, I quickly fell in love with what would become my new home.

I'm not going to go into every detail of my life as it started off in Florida. I arrived in Central Florida and found myself moving to South Florida a few months later. I met my future husband in South Florida, my children were born here, and in time we were able to buy my dream home. It was almost identical to the house I'd drawn years earlier, and it was in the neighborhood I'd loved ever since moving here. I was so extremely happy. It was perfect, and I was sure life would be wonderful from that moment on.

Fast forward to 2011. My marriage was falling apart. My kids were leaving for Central Florida for school. I'd believed God was sending us there as well, but that never materialized. The house I thought was going to bring me great happiness was just a hollow place filled with painful memories. I learned something during that time: things don't bring happiness. We can experience happiness anywhere, but true joy doesn't come from possessions. A house, a car, a relationship, all these are great things to have, but if I was going to find true inner fulfillment it would be in Christ alone. I was a Christian, saved by the grace of God, but still seeking happiness in temporary things. As I "walked through the valley," God began changing my perspective from one of desiring to one of gratitude. I could choose to want what I didn't have and live with envy and jealousy. I could choose to wish my life was what I thought it should have been and drown myself in bitterness. Or I could thank God for where I was and where He was taking me. I chose option #3.

I began making changes in my home. I wanted to erase the painful memories of the past. I wanted to come into my home and have it feel like home, a place I wanted to be and not one I wanted to run from. I sold furniture, painted walls, brought in things that made me smile. I would turn this into my dream home after all...

I began in the living room. For my 50th birthday I bought an electric fireplace. I'd never lived in a house with a fireplace, but I'd always thought they were beautiful and made a house feel cozy. I didn't care that I'd only use it a few days a year. I found this fireplace at Walmart of all places, for $250. I had already seen what electric fireplaces went for and I knew this was a steal. The bookcases that flank each side are also from Walmart, and I paid $60 for each. For under $400 I'd created a focal wall in my living room.

Filling the bookcases with books was no problem; between my daughter, my boys and myself we had enough to load them up and still have books left over. The wall art was a different story. Gallery walls were popular but I didn't like the busyness of them. Still, I needed something to fill up this large wall. I knew I wanted a wall clock but oh my word they're expensive! I didn't want to spend more than $50 total on that wall. I already had the picture of the peony in sepia tone that I'd gotten at Kirkland's for $20 on sale. I went in search of a wall clock that was affordable, large, and that I liked. It was hard to find anything that fit all my criteria, but I finally found it at Big Lots for $21. For the right side I bought these three shadow boxes filled with paper flowers made from music sheets. It was $25 for all three at Target. Normally I don't pay full price for anything, much less at Target, but I felt the price was good since I was getting the set of three. The wall was done, and it was exactly what I wanted.

The living room furniture I'd had for 14 years was sold. The furniture in here changed a few times after that; I put our recliners in here until my son R moved and took them with him. Ultimately I put the sectional that I'd bought for the family room in our living room, taking it from a formal room to a cozy hangout. I bought this sectional at Costco in 2015 and it has held up very well. The price was great too; it was one of two that were left in the store so they'd dropped the price to $799. I had a rebate check which further dropped the price to $650. My favorite thing about this sectional is that it has a piece that allows the sectional to be right or left facing, or can be removed so it's a smaller sectional with an armless chair. The unit in the background I found on Amazon and I fell in love with it from the moment I saw it. It has that rustic looking wood that somehow blends in with the darker woods, and it has storage on the bottom which the previous piece that was there didn't have.

The chair and ottoman were free; my daughter's best friend (and matron of honor) was getting rid of her furniture and offered it to my daughter A. She asked if I wanted it and I said sure! It's fake leather in espresso but it's comfy, and with a blanket thrown over the back it looks kind of farmhouse. While my house isn't decorated in full farmhouse decor, it does have some touches of farmhouse. The jumbo rug is from Costco and was also bought with my rebate check, so I only paid $80 for an 8'x10' soft, cushy rug. I kept the coffee table and side tables along with the lamps that we'd bought even before my son E was born. The picture over the sofa is from Kirkland's. I paid $35 for it, more than I normally pay but it was perfect for that spot. 

While I was married, this room was a pass-through. No one ever wanted to sit on the uncomfortable sofa and loveseat that were here, and with a fully functional family room it felt like wasted space. By adding new comfy furniture and the television with fireplace, it became usable space. This was the first of several transformations that I'll be documenting here. Yep, there's more to come!

2019 - New Year, New Family Member

A new year brings new promises, new expectations, new trials. 2019 was no different. It was a year filled with so much change, I won't forget it anytime soon!

My daughter A had begun dating C in September 2017, around the time Hurricane Irma hit. Their relationship blossomed. They had the same interests, values, beliefs, sense of humor...he was everything she had prayed for, and she was exactly what he had hoped for. So it was no surprise when C came to me in early February to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage. It brought me great joy to know the man my daughter had fallen in love with would be her partner for life.

The proposal was so sweet. One of their first dates had been to one of those escape rooms, where you're given clues to go from one room to the next and have to "break out" in a specified amount of time (typically one hour). Neither had done one before, so they thought it would be something fun to try. Both had enjoyed it and especially enjoyed knowing they'd experienced for the first time together. C decided he would recreate that date which had been so special to them. So he arranged with the owners of the escape room to have one of the clues be a love letter he'd written for the occasion. March 1 he picked her up and they went on their normal Friday night date. When they entered the room, the employees were taping while my daughter picked up the "clue". Behind her C was on one knee, and when she turned around he popped the question, to which she quickly responded Yes! What a joyous blessing that day was!

Now, as we all know, dating is not addressed in the Bible. That's because in biblical times parents chose their children's spouses. Sometimes this worked out well; as parents, we all want what is best for our children, and we would hopefully pick wisely for them. Of course, if the parents were more concerned with their own interests and not those of their children, this method would fail. Today, young people choose for themselves who they will marry through the process of dating/courtship. Even though the process has changed, I believe we can still learn from Scripture the best way to go about dating, courtship, engagement and marriage.

The Bible teaches the importance of marriage vows. These are not to be callously broken. It is a lifelong commitment (Genesis 2:24). God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16), He hates adultery, He hates immorality. He tells Christians not to look for a marriage partner outside of the faith (2 Corinthians 6:14). He spells out the roles of husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:22-33). All these things should be considered before committing to marriage, because there is nothing worse than living miserably married. Therefore, a courtship shouldn't be rushed. I've seen that people tend to show only their best side when dating, especially during the first year of dating/courtship. Each person is on their best behavior, watching their words and actions so as not to drive the other away. But when they've dated long enough, and become comfortable around each other, that's when the little "quirks" start to appear. Sometimes they're insignificant; no big deal, easily adapted to. Other times they're red flags that shouldn't be ignored. The person you marry has to be someone you respect, so ask yourself, "Do I respect this person? Do I see myself in a lifelong partnership with this person?" If the answer is no, run, don't walk. If the answer is I don't know, stop. Be wise. Talk to someone you trust. The person you are considering may be a nice person, a good person, but not the right person for you. Take your time and make the best decision.

Once you're certain that this is the person God has led you to, the person He has chosen for you to spend your life with, then what? I know people have different opinions on this point, but my belief is that, while dating and courtship shouldn't last less than a year, engagements should be short. Why? For starters, we do not want to give the devil an opportunity to use us (Ephesians 4:27). It's easy to fall into temptation when emotions are running high. Secondly, Scripture teaches us how highly God views engagements. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant with Jesus, the Bible tells us he was going to secretly divorce her (Matthew 1:19). Yet, they weren't married. But in God's eyes, an engagement is as serious as marriage, and should not be defiled. If you're absolutely sure this is the spouse for you, I believe the sooner you get married the better.

Now, I realize that weddings take time to organize - if it's a big wedding. However, that doesn't have to be the case. My daughter and her fiance got engaged March 1 and were married June 21, just 2 1/2 months later. They chose to have a small wedding for two reasons: first, they wanted to cash flow the wedding, meaning no credit card or any other type of debt would be incurred with their nuptials. Second, they had a budget for the wedding and the honeymoon, and they wanted to spend more on the honeymoon. I appreciated and approved of this decision. While I love weddings as much as the next person, the truth is it's only a few hours and then it's over and the real thing begins. The honeymoon, the time when life as husband and wife begins, is much more important. So while the wedding was a small event of only 50 guests, the honeymoon was a Mediterranean cruise that took them to Spain, Italy, Monaco, and several other places, and that time is precious to them.

I am so happy and so very thankful that 2019 gave me a new son. We love C to the moon and back! I can say with confidence that he's everything this mama prayed for. Ah, but the changes had only begun! There was more, much more to come.

2018 - There Were Good Times, Too

The year 2018 continued with a few notable memories. For one, I was becoming much more involved in my new church. I began serving in children's ministry within a few months of attending, but in 2018 I started helping the children's ministry director with scheduling the school-aged children. Bless her heart, she took on the position and tried to do everything herself. It was too big of a job for one person but I think she had trouble recruiting. So instead, I volunteered. It was rough at first, learning her methods and who served during what service (we have 3 English and 1 Spanish currently), but once we got into a rhythm it was easier and I was having a great time.

Then I was asked to co-lead a ladies Bible study group at the end of 2017. I found myself studying and preparing, and in doing so my relationship with God grew stronger. I loved being able to share with a wonderful group of women who are hungry for God. I also loved the woman I was co-leading with. She's almost 20 years younger than me, but what a powerful woman of prayer! I was learning more from her than I would have ever imagined! We studied the book Mark by Lisa Harper and The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer (excellent study, I highly recommend it!). I could see why God moved me to this church. I was growing in my walk with Him, much more than I'd done in my previous church.

Another event that happened in 2018 was Tropical Storm Gordon. As anyone can imagine, right after a year of hurricanes the likes of Irma and Maria, we were not happy about getting hit with anymore storms. Thankfully it wasn't much more than rain. Living in Florida means that we have to deal with storms. Some years the storms are few and far between; other years we see a wave of tropical storms and hurricanes that either hit us or come uncomfortably close. It's part of life here and we thank God when we have years like 2018 when we escape the worst storms.

And just like that, the year was over. It was filled with birthday, weddings, parties, holidays and celebrations. It was also filled with changes, but in every change God remained faithful. On to 2019 and yet more changes!

2018 - Accepting Change in a New Year

In February 2015 I received a call from my former Sunday school teacher. He and his wife owned the tutoring center where my daughter worked as an English tutor. I'd known them for years, and even though neither of us was attending the church where we'd worshipped together (this is the church that split) we remained good friends. So, while it was out of the ordinary that he would want to see me at his office, I wasn't surprised or concerned.

What he wanted was simple: his wife needed someone to help her in the office, and the Lord had impressed upon her heart that I was the one they were to hire. She refused to even interview anyone else. The job they were offering was work I had done before - answering phones, billing, receiving payments, scheduling - but the best part was the convenience. The tutoring center was 3 minutes from my house - 5 minutes if the traffic light caught me ;-). The hours were 2:00 pm - 8:15 pm, Monday thru Thursday. I would still be able to homeschool my son in the mornings, take care of anything that had to be done around the house, and I'd have some extra money. I too felt strongly in my heart that this was God's provision for me and my family, so after praying that week I accepted the job.

Little did I know how much of a blessing that job would be. During the stressful year of 2016 my employers were my family. They were my support system, my constant in a time of tremendous transition and heartache. They loved me and took care of me, and in turn I worked for them like the company was my own. The tutors were like my kids (they were all college students or recent graduates), the clients were lovely people whom we enjoyed interacting with. And when my divorce was finalized and my alimony/child support was reduced from what I'd been receiving previously, I was still able to pay my bills and provide for my family. I thanked God everyday for leading me to this perfect job.

We would close the center four times a year: the week of Spring break, the week after school ended to transition to the summer session, the week before school started to set up for the new school year, and the two weeks schools were closed for Christmas. We worked during transitions; that was when we updated our files, set up the new session, contacted parents, etc. But for Spring break and Christmas we were off, and that time was sweet. I was able to be home and enjoy the Christmas holiday with my family. Of course my bosses were family to me, so it was nice when they called just a few days before coming back to work so we could meet for lunch. However, it was not what I expected.

My boss, who is not a man to mince words, got right to the point: they'd sold the tutoring center. I was rendered speechless. I had no inkling they were even considering selling. What they explained was that the center wasn't for sale. They'd had a realtor approach them with a client that was looking for a place to purchase. At first they'd said no, but after prayerfully seeking God's will, they decided to let the client look into purchasing. After negotiating, they accepted an offer believing that if God wanted them to sell He would bring the sale through, but if it wasn't His will it wouldn't happen. They never mentioned it because everything seemed to point to a sale not going through for multiple reasons, and so they put it behind them. But during the Christmas break everything lined up and the sale went through. Now they had the difficult task of telling all their employees.

Let me make this very clear. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved JM and his wife MM. This couple loves the Lord, they love each other, they loved their employees, the children who came to tutor and the parents that brought them. They ran their business as the Lord led them, believing it was God who gave them success. And the business was definitely successful. People came from far away because they wanted their kids to come to this tutoring center. During the recession of 2008-2010, when other tutoring centers in the area closed down, this center continued strong because the Lord was glorified by its owners. So I don't have to explain the amount of tears that were shed when they told us they would be leaving by the end of January. Even with the assurance that we were not losing our jobs, that the new owners were keeping everyone on, we were all saddened at the thought of them leaving. It was especially heartbreaking because we knew the new owners were not Christians and would not do things the way they'd been done in the past.

The new owners assured us over and over that everything would remain as it had been, and no changes would be coming anytime soon. They told the employees this. They told the parents the same thing. But within a few weeks changes came. At first they were subtle, but soon they became more and more aggressive. By the time the summer session was to start, we went from 155 students to 65. Many hoped it was because people were going away on vacation, but I knew that wasn't the reason. I'd already heard from parents. They were not happy. Prices had gone up. Most of the tutors that had been with us for several years had left. For months I watched and listened and grieved. The new boss did not like me, of that I was certain. This place, that had been such a blessing to me before, now brought me sorrow. I no longer enjoyed going to work.

One thing I know about God, He has a purpose for everything He does. I knew I had to be salt and light in this place of darkness, and I did try to be that. Therefore, it was discouraging that my boss resented my honesty. I could see the business wasn't doing well, and I tried to point out what could be done differently, but he didn't want to hear it. His pride got in the way, and I was a reminder to him that the business had been successful in the past so he would be to blame if it was no longer successful. I admit I spoke harshly at times because he lied and that really upset and annoyed me. I began to pray for God to either move me from there or strengthen me, because it was becoming unbearable. God once again showed Himself faithful.

A dear sister in Christ who'd attended my new church and led a women's bible study there, contacted me. She'd heard that the tutoring center where I worked had been sold. She too owned a tutoring center, and she needed someone at the front desk to run the business, and the Lord put me on her heart as someone she could trust. My hours would be from 2:30 pm to 9:00 pm, but I was still only about 5-7 minutes from my home. I would be working with a woman who had been an encouragement to me in the past and would be an encouragement to me again. What's more, she runs a women's ministry from her tutoring center. I would be able to help and be an encouragement to other women. It was a win-win!

I'd worked for the new boss from January to September when I left. When I let him know I was leaving, he smiled from ear to ear. The woman he'd hired in January when the previous owners left was not as happy. She and I had worked well together. She's a hard working woman, but she also knew she had much to learn. I did all I could to teach her everything she needed to know, including typing up step-by-step instructions for all procedures. I also trained a new woman that would be there to help her out. The new owner had been unkind to me on several occasions, but I chose to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, as Jesus taught.

A new chapter, and new blessings from above. The Holy Spirit had warned me it would be a rocky year, and He wasn't kidding! Yet once again I saw God's hand working, and my faith was strengthened. That's how God works. I am convinced that nothing escapes His notice, and as Romans 8:28 tells us, He works all things together for good for those who love Him.

2017 - Finishing Off The Year - Love is in the Air?

There was a lot to do in September and even into October. Hurricane Irma left plenty of work for us, not only on our own property but at the church as well. My son E was able to help pick up branches and debris so we could have services start up right away. Thankfully at the house we only had one day and one night without power, so inside there wasn't anything that needed to be taken care of. Outside there were trees and branches to chop up so the bulk trash could be picked up, and coconuts all over the yard that needed to be removed as well. Once that was done we moved on to taking down the shutters. It was a lot of hard manual labor, but when we saw the pictures of the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, we gave thanks to God that things hadn't been worse. We also praise Him because my family on the island were all safe, though their recovery would be long and arduous.

One big change that came about during that time happened to my daughter A, and it would be a big change for all of us. My daughter had made a promise to the Lord as a teenager that she would wait for Him to bring the man He wanted her to marry. Now she was 27 years old and had never had an official boyfriend. As she watched many of her friends get married or engaged, she wondered if maybe God's will for her was to stay single. So while she was in Israel she went to the Wailing Wall, where Hannah had prayed and asked for a son. There she asked the Lord show her the man He had chosen for her to marry, but if it was His will for her to remain single, that He would take away any desire for marriage. Leaving her future in God's hands, she left in peace just as Hannah had done centuries ago.

When she got back she discussed with a few of her "still single" friends her experiences in Israel, and the conversation turned to online dating. They went back and forth whether this was a good idea and teasingly dared each other to be the guinea pig. My daughter decided she would sign up on a Christian dating site and give it a couple of months to see if it was legit. They all agreed to watch over her and make sure she was safe.

Now, I won't lie. I was not in favor of online dating. The thought of it scared me quite frankly. But she was a 27 year old, an adult, and while I could tell her my opinion I could not make her do what I wanted. It was time for me to put my daughter's future in God's hands as well.

She went out with a couple of guys but was quickly disillusioned. Almost at the point of accepting defeat and admitting it was a mistake, she decided to give it one last try. Three strikes you're out, right? This would be her third and last try, then she'd cancel her account and let her friends know it was a bust. Just a week before Hurricane Irma hit, she answered a guy who'd sent her a message almost a month before but who she'd never gotten back to.

Interestingly enough, the young man she contacted hadn't had a girlfriend since high school. He also signed up with the dating service, went on a couple of dates that didn't pan out, and was also about to close his account when A sent him a message. They began chatting about - what else - Hurricane Irma and all the preparations being made. From there they talked about all kinds of topics - church, school, video games. They had a lot in common: the same interests, the same beliefs, the same values. The more they talked the more they wanted to talk and the more they found they had in common. It wasn't long before they decided to meet up and have dinner.

I'm so thankful for all her friends who were on full alert, ready to rescue her if the guy turned out to be a loser, or worse! But they didn't have to worry. He was an absolute gentleman. We met him in October, and in November he came over for Thanksgiving dinner. By then they'd made it official, they were in a courtship. God proved to me that when I leave things in His capable hands, I can rest assured that He is in complete control.

The rest of the year went on without a hitch. Despite the hurricane and my son moving away, 2017 was a calm year. My son was happy living in Central Florida and was doing very well at his job. For my 55th birthday we went to see Tenth Avenue North in concert and had a wonderful time. We celebrated and praised God for His blessings. I especially thanked Him because even in the storm He had blessed me, and 2017 had been a year of rest. It was then that I sensed in my heart the Holy Spirit telling me to get ready, because 2018 was going to be a rough ride. Heaven help me!