Her name is Dorothy. Dorothy GALE.
GALE i.e. Storm, Strong Wind...a TWISTER! There is it...right there in her name we see a foreshadowing of her journey. This entry has been 'brewing' in my heart for weeks. Hang with me...
this may be long...but it might be the last for a while.
Last night, here in Phoenix...we had what they are calling a 1,000 year storm. Over 5.00 inches was measured in some parts of our city. When I saw these pics...I kinda took it as a 'sign' to finish the blog. TODAY!!
GALE i.e. Storm, Strong Wind...a TWISTER! There is it...right there in her name we see a foreshadowing of her journey. This entry has been 'brewing' in my heart for weeks. Hang with me...
this may be long...but it might be the last for a while.
Last night, here in Phoenix...we had what they are calling a 1,000 year storm. Over 5.00 inches was measured in some parts of our city. When I saw these pics...I kinda took it as a 'sign' to finish the blog. TODAY!!
My 'seeeeester-friend' Tina...talk about a lot of things. We watch TV show together, talk about the reality of BIGFOOT, what we are eating...& we talk about the weather. Tina lives about 20 miles from my house (or so Google says)...so we message-talk. Here are some of our deep conversations & lessons I have learned.
Tina: "I wonder what happened to all those thunderstorms we were suppose to have all day?"
Me: "What...more storms? Maybe they blew away!"
Tina: "If I was a meteorologist I would be pretty embarrassed right now!"
Me: "No, it's clear...but windy. I just hung my laundry out to dry!"
Tina: "It's probably heading your way. Do you know Messenger says you live in a trailer park?"
Me: "That sounds appropriate...I'm a hillbilly!"
Tina: "Yes, it took me almost an hour to get home! I'm on the sofa!"
Me: "Me too...my laundry is soaked."
Me: "Yea, we are at a gig not far from you. Looking at them right now"
(Later that night)
Tina: "Did you get rain?"
Me: "Yes...poured down during the gig...still sprinkling"
Me: "Glad you stayed home, Flood warnings till 2:30. Wear your boots (even in the house just in case). Let me know if I should air-lift provisions.
Tina: "Will do"
Tina:"Switching over to it now"
Me: "I'm so ready for her to go home"
Tina: "What is that she made?"
Me: "Is it storming?"
Tina: "I don't know...is it?"
LESSON: Project Runway is AWESOME!!
Ok, so you know me well enough by now...that you know I'm not going to talk about 'weather' storms, RIGHT??
Storms take many shapes & are called many names.
Me: "What...more storms? Maybe they blew away!"
Tina: "If I was a meteorologist I would be pretty embarrassed right now!"
- LESSON: Even with sophisticated technology, a precise prediction of a storm is not possible. The arrival, the impact, the endurance, the path of a storm...is out of our control. All we can control is our RESPONSE.
Me: "No, it's clear...but windy. I just hung my laundry out to dry!"
Tina: "It's probably heading your way. Do you know Messenger says you live in a trailer park?"
Me: "That sounds appropriate...I'm a hillbilly!"
- LESSON: Everyone's storm looks different. So you can't judge what someone else is going through.
Tina: "Yes, it took me almost an hour to get home! I'm on the sofa!"
Me: "Me too...my laundry is soaked."
- LESSON: Everyone faces the STORM.
Me: "Yea, we are at a gig not far from you. Looking at them right now"
(Later that night)
Tina: "Did you get rain?"
Me: "Yes...poured down during the gig...still sprinkling"
- LESSON: To understand another person's storm, you might need to leave your comfort zone.
Me: "Glad you stayed home, Flood warnings till 2:30. Wear your boots (even in the house just in case). Let me know if I should air-lift provisions.
Tina: "Will do"
- LESSON: Don't ride out the storm alone. Know who to call!
Tina:"Switching over to it now"
Me: "I'm so ready for her to go home"
Tina: "What is that she made?"
Me: "Is it storming?"
Tina: "I don't know...is it?"
LESSON: Project Runway is AWESOME!!
Ok, so you know me well enough by now...that you know I'm not going to talk about 'weather' storms, RIGHT??
Storms take many shapes & are called many names.
Forms of a Storm
Death
Divorce
Disabling Accidents
Pain (Physical injury, illness)
Separation/abandonment
War or act of terror
Natural disaster (flood, tornado, fire...etc)
Domestic Violence
Loss of job, home, possessions, etc
Rape or violation
Surprise/embarassment...etc.
ETC. is IMPORTANT. Storms look different.
If I didn't mention what you are facing...you can add it to this list.
Death
Divorce
Disabling Accidents
Pain (Physical injury, illness)
Separation/abandonment
War or act of terror
Natural disaster (flood, tornado, fire...etc)
Domestic Violence
Loss of job, home, possessions, etc
Rape or violation
Surprise/embarassment...etc.
ETC. is IMPORTANT. Storms look different.
If I didn't mention what you are facing...you can add it to this list.
Although we can't predict the storm...we can prepare for it!
1. PREPARE YOUR HEART
Do you get those storm warning alerts on your phone?
John 16:33 is a storm warning. "in this world you WILL HAVE...storms." BEEEP>>>>BEEEEP>>>>>BEEEEEEP!! The warning has been sent...the prep work is our responsibility.
Ever see those people on TV who live in coastal regions prepping for a storm? It's a way of life to them. They know the seasons. They know the signs. They feel the pressure in the air. They already have ply-wood, nails, duct tape, bottled water, batteries. They even build their structures with the STORM IN MIND! SNAP!! Then, they board up, stock up, and get up...to higher ground. They don't wait for the storm to hit...to get ready.
Once a wise 6yr old boy...said to me...
"Mommie, why are you crying?"
Me: "Josh, I'm very sad. I've gotten some bad news."
He said, "Mommie, stablish your heart...like in James"
He was speaking of his Bible verse from Sunday School. James 5:8
"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." KJV
Don't wait till the storm hits to pray, "Oh God...give me strength!!" "Oh God, give me wisdom"
STABLISH YOUR HEART. Build your house for the storm.
Sometime...there is NO TIME.
Have you seen the movie "THE IMPOSSIBLE"? It's based on a true story about a family who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Watch the trailer. They had no idea...suddenly their whole world changed.
But...their foundation was strong!
1. PREPARE YOUR HEART
Do you get those storm warning alerts on your phone?
John 16:33 is a storm warning. "in this world you WILL HAVE...storms." BEEEP>>>>BEEEEP>>>>>BEEEEEEP!! The warning has been sent...the prep work is our responsibility.
Ever see those people on TV who live in coastal regions prepping for a storm? It's a way of life to them. They know the seasons. They know the signs. They feel the pressure in the air. They already have ply-wood, nails, duct tape, bottled water, batteries. They even build their structures with the STORM IN MIND! SNAP!! Then, they board up, stock up, and get up...to higher ground. They don't wait for the storm to hit...to get ready.
Once a wise 6yr old boy...said to me...
"Mommie, why are you crying?"
Me: "Josh, I'm very sad. I've gotten some bad news."
He said, "Mommie, stablish your heart...like in James"
He was speaking of his Bible verse from Sunday School. James 5:8
"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." KJV
Don't wait till the storm hits to pray, "Oh God...give me strength!!" "Oh God, give me wisdom"
STABLISH YOUR HEART. Build your house for the storm.
Sometime...there is NO TIME.
Have you seen the movie "THE IMPOSSIBLE"? It's based on a true story about a family who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Watch the trailer. They had no idea...suddenly their whole world changed.
But...their foundation was strong!
2. PREPARE YOUR RESPONSE
Remember Dorothy?
Her response was to run.
She ran because of the thing with TOTO.
And she ran because she was mis-understood by her family & felt she was only 'in the way'.
What is your M.O. (Modus operandi) How do you respond?
My M.O. is running. I am Dorothy!
I gather up my feelings in a basket and run! Darn those flying monkeys!!
How we respond to storms...(hurt, disappointment, betrayal, injustice, abuse, pain, heartache___________ fill in the blank)
Our response is where our power lies.
Our response will reveal our prep-work.
Our response will reveal the Source of our strength.
Our response writes our testimony.
Remember Dorothy?
Her response was to run.
She ran because of the thing with TOTO.
And she ran because she was mis-understood by her family & felt she was only 'in the way'.
What is your M.O. (Modus operandi) How do you respond?
My M.O. is running. I am Dorothy!
I gather up my feelings in a basket and run! Darn those flying monkeys!!
How we respond to storms...(hurt, disappointment, betrayal, injustice, abuse, pain, heartache___________ fill in the blank)
Our response is where our power lies.
Our response will reveal our prep-work.
Our response will reveal the Source of our strength.
Our response writes our testimony.
- "Life is 10% of what happens, 90% how you react." -Charles Swindoll, Pastor
- "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." - Epictetus AD c. 55 – 135 Ancient Greek Philosopher.
- "I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it." - Michael J. Fox, actor
- "It's not the situation, but whether we react negative or respond positive to the situation that is important." - Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker
- "Have the courage to act instead of react." -Oliver Wendall Holmes, SR. poet, professor & author.
I wrote a song...a long time ago. Mike made a link, you can listen BELOW!!
See, In my heart...I want to respond to the storm like Job did...he worshiped.
And just when I think I may have moved forward...or become a little more enlightened...BOOOM!! CRASH!! FLASH!! A storm hits...and reminds me, I need more prep work.
What have I learned from this blog???
- I was in Australia when I wrote it. I was sitting on a cold floor, trying to dry my hair with a tiny room heater the size of envelope, because I had no adapter for my hair dryer. I had to be on a stage in 1 hr to sing for a huge conference. I put the Bible in my lap, closeD my eyes, let the Bible flop open...pointed to a verse. I call it, "PIN THE VERSE ON THE DISASTER."
See, In my heart...I want to respond to the storm like Job did...he worshiped.
And just when I think I may have moved forward...or become a little more enlightened...BOOOM!! CRASH!! FLASH!! A storm hits...and reminds me, I need more prep work.
What have I learned from this blog???
- We can't always predict the storm~
- Everyone's storm is different~
- Storms happen to everyone ~
- We can't judge another person's storm~
- To understand someone else's storm you have to get off the sofa.
- Storms take make shapes & sizes
- We can prepare for the storm
- Don't trust flying monkeys~
- AND....PROJECT RUNWAY IS AWESOME!!
Thank you for reading. Please like...share with or comment! | |