Thankful Thursday - Hurricane Irma Blessings

HE COVERED US - HALELUYAH!!!!!

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for covering us with your mighty hands. And thank you for protecting our family, congregation, and neighbors. Thank you that we kept our roof, that no trees fell on our house, that no one was hurt, that our power was only out for twenty hours. Thank you that we had neighbors and family who helped us with cleanup. We are blessed beyond measure, and we give you all the glory. Haleluyah! (And thank you for the wonderful miracle of air conditioning)

It could have been so much worse.  Our county was declared a disaster zone by FEMA, and we have seen great devastation in photos, videos, and by driving around our area.  We are beyond grateful and humbled by his protecting hand.  This link shows some of the damage in our area.

Here at Golden Cottage, we lost some shingles, a piece of fencing fell down, and we had a new, small pond in the northwest corner of our lot. Minor problems, since the roof did not leak, the fence was easily fixed, and the small pond has dried up.  We lost power for twenty hours, which is why I'm ever thankful for refrigeration, especially air conditioning.  Our wonderful daughter and son-in-law loaned us his generator so that we could have power.  We didn't get to use it though because about the time we got it all hooked up and running - VOILA! - the electricity came back!

The damage was minimal as you can see below.  Our neighbor's bottle brush tree in their front yard fell over into our yard

Our neighbor's bottle brush tree in their front yard fell over into our yard

The biggest damage was to the trees in the backyard -- lots of limbs down, and the huge elephant ears around Golden Pond.  But they will bounce back.  They always do.

More photos from the back yard:

By the time Irma reached our area, she had diminished to a Category 2, but she still did a lot of damage. We are so blessed to have minimal, light problems. We are blessed that she did not retain strength as she passed over our state, into Georiga, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

We were cleaning up the million pine cones that fell in the front yard when a little boy on a bicycle came by and said, "Do y'all need help?"  He was only about nine years old, but he worked hard.  He was joined by our next door neighbor's three children.  They made short work of the cleanup, and we were so blessed by their mitzvah.

We have been blessed by the love and care our congregation has given to us and to each other, and for their help of their neighbors.  This is G-d's plan -- for us to help others and seeing it in action must make him smile.

Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to pray for those impacted by the storm in our area as well as across the south.  Many have no power. Businesses, banks, and schools are closed, gas is a problem, cell phone service is sketchy. Some do not have water yet.  Our county is under a boil water alert due to broken water mains.  The long-term effects will be far-reaching as many have lost everything.

Pray for the workers who are helping get things back to normal:  police, firemen, electric workers, nurses, doctors, and emergency management people.  Probably others I can't think of right now.  G-d bless them and the many volunteers helping, too.

We are thankful that both of our daughters had minimal damage, too.  Please pray for our daughter in Jacksonville as that city was impacted with 12" of rain and terrible flooding.  I went through Hurricane Dora in 196, and it was a bad flood then, but Irma was much worse.  All of the storm water is flowing into the creeks and lakes and then pouring into the St. Johns River which flows north into Jacksonville before it empties into the ocean.  It's a bad situation that will get worse before it gets better.


Let me know, Gail-Friends, if you've been impacted by Irma so that I can pray for you.

Thankful Thursday is my day of the week to focus on and be grateful for all the good things in my life.
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I sometimes share my posts with these friends: 

Spiritual Sundays     GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTYTitus 2 Tuesday       TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS    Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up        Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday

Are You Afraid? Are You Weary? A Song For You

From 2016 - but praying for His hand to protect us again

If you've just gone through Hurricane Harvey. . . or if you're afraid of Hurricane Irma. . . or if you are weary from preparations or cleanup and think you can't go on, please take heart, Gail-Friends.  I pray this post will give you hope.  With G-d's help, we can get through anything.

 

The photo above is the board I used on my window when I went through three hurricanes back to back -- Charlie, Frances, and Jeanne.  We used them last year for Hurricane Matthew.  We're using them now in preparation for Irma.  Back then I prayed for His protection and meditated on Psalm 91.  That's what we're doing this week, too, while we work to get our home and yard ready to ride out the storm.  It's a lot of work , and we're tired, but we're calling on His strength and trusting Him to protect us.



Have you ever been so weary that you couldn't take another step?  Maybe you feel that way right now.  Take heart, dear one.  You will get through, and He will give you His strength to press on.  All you have to do is ask Him.  Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

If you're bone-tired and spirit weary, I hope this song will minister to you, as it has me, many, many times. His Strength Is Perfect by Michael W. Smith

The song was introduced to me about five years ago.  My oldest daughter was in the hospital emergency room in critical condition.  I hadn't slept in almost twenty-four hours. While her husband arranged for her admittance,  I sat with my head back against the wall, wondering how I'd be able to hold my head up one minute longer.  All I could pray was, "G-d, help me hold on."

A security guard walked into the room and sat a radio on the small desk near my chair.  He turned it on and walked away.  This is the song I heard, and it was as if my Heavenly Father wrapped His arms around me.  As I listened to the words, I felt His strength flow into my tired body and exhausted spirit.  I was renewed, and able to continue for several more hours until my daughter was admitted.

I learned a valuable lesson through that hard experience.  I learned about His enabling strength.  It is great, and it's available when we ask Him.  I'm so thankful He taught me this.  As with every hard thing I've gone through in life, I know something about HIM that no one can ever take away from me. 

Please let me know if you need prayer right now for anything.  I'll be blessed to pray for you, Gail-Friends.


I sometimes share my posts with these friends: 

Spiritual Sundays     GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTYTitus 2 Tuesday       TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS    Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up        Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday

Thankful Thursday - Battening Down the Hatches

graphic courtesy of Little Birdie Blessings

Please pray for all in the path of Hurrican Irma, including us.   It looks like she will be heading toward us here on the Space Coast.  We're praying for the storm to lose strength, take an easterly turn, and head on out to sea.

As a life-long Florida girl, I've been through lots of hurricanes, but category 4's and 5's are the most destructive and devastating.  I'll never forget a visit to Miami after Andrew.  Every tree was chopped off.  It was like a war zone.  We are prepared to ride out Cat 1-3s, and praying we don't have to evacuate.  Hurricanes are scary, but you can get away from them.  This can be tricky in Florida, though, because everybody has to head north and the roads can become like a parking lot.


We're also still thinking of and praying for the people in Texas and Louisiana.  I want to mention a local ministry that we trust and recommend for any donations you may want to give.  Air Mobile Ministries is run by our friends, Joe and Cindy Hurston.  They make and provide water purifiers for people affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes.  If you'd like to support their efforts, you can mail funds or donate through their website.  We've known the Hurstons for many years, and are confident that your donations will be used for the purpose you designate.

I've much to be thankful for this week.  First, that we are always ready for hurricanes because that's how we roll as Florida residents.  We do have lots to do in the yard, though.  We have to take in all of our garden art and precious potted plants that could blow away.  And, of course, the birdfeeders.

 And I'll have to gether in our flock of flamingos. 

I hope our neighbor takes her cats inside. Toon-Chee has adopted us.  Our front walk is his favorite spot for an afternoon nap.

We had a great Labor Day holiday with our loved ones. I'm so thankful they live nearby.  Every moment is precious.  I'm thankful for his visits because I like cats.  I especially like that he's such a laid-back kind of guy.  He just takes everything in stride, including our dachshund.

More silliness from our grandson, aka Pillow Case Boy:

And I'm so thankful for the blessing of experiencing boys.  Rearing two daughters was nothing like this:

I love this little boy.  He'll be eight years old next month.  How did he get so big so fast????

The picture below is of him with a big old GiGi lipstick kiss on his cheek.  He, of course, tried to wipe it off, but I told him, "You can't wipe off sugar!"

I asked him if he could see better with his new glasses.  He tenderly touched my face and said, "Yeah. I can see your lines in your face."   I'm okay with it, Gail-Friends.  They're my "laugh lines."

I'm thankful for fresh flowers.  So much joy for only $4.00 at Aldi or Publix.  I buy a bunch and can separate them to make two bouquets.  I add some artificial baby's breath and VOILA!  Pure bliss!

It's the little, simple things that make life so sweet.

What are you thankful for this week?

Thankful Thursday is my day of the week to focus on and be thankful for all of the good things in my life.

 ~ ~ ~ ~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends: 

Spiritual Sundays     GRAND Social      Modest Mom Monday Link-up      The Art of Homemaking Mondays
   BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTYTitus 2 Tuesday       TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS    Share Your Cup Wednesday Wordless Wednesdays    Classical Homemaking Link-Up        Favorite Things Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life  Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party Friendship Friday