An Exodus To Find A Hidden Treasure

Sometimes God has to take you 554 miles away from home to give you the answer to the prayers you have been praying for. Why?! I mean He could have easily done it at your home, your office, your commute to work, the gas station, the grocery store, and the many other stops along the way. Most of the time in our daily lives we are distracted by everything around us and we fail to miss the obvious signs. Adjusting the radio. Adjusting the air conditioner. Thinking about our to do list for the day. Answering the phone. Thing is, would you have stopped along the way and looked for it.

Since I was old enough to remember, I have known there is a calling on my life. Sometimes I think I have gotten really close to walking in it 100%. Other times, I have run just as far away from it as the east is from the west. Why? Yes, another “why”… I don’t feel qualified. I don’t feel like I measure up. I know I don’t know The Word as much as some folks. I don’t have a degree in Bible theology. Whereas most folks think us Southerners talk too slow, my speed is always wide open. What do you say you the microphone is in your hand? How do you know for sure what you are speaking is exactly what God wants you to say? What if you “miss” it? How do you know when you are ready? And the biggest question of them all, how in the world do you even begin to start a ministry? This has been open discussions between God and I a lot lately.

You know the more you run and fight it, the more miserable you wind up being. Guess it is time to take the mini blinds down and let you see a little more into my world and where I have been in the last few months.

It is not a secret. I have been pretty much single the past six years. Yes, I do date. I have gone out with some great gentlemen for supper and conversation. Since calling off my engagement November 19, 2010, I threw myself into work, volunteering, road trips, anything to occupy my mind so I would not allow myself to get back to the place of opening my heart to have it completely shattered into a quadrillionzillonmillion pieces. Yes, that is officially a word now! Basically, I have been alone every New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, birthday (that’s a holiday, right?!), Easter, Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. Every single one of these days is based on having family and a significant other around you to celebrate these days. I have an amazing family and group of friends… Don’t think I am throwing them under the bus. They are my greatest support system and they know how much I love and appreciate every single one of them.

July 4^th, 2016… A day of celebration of Independence Day… Ironic isn’t it? Independence… Independent… Standing alone… Single… It is the highlight of every summer. Families are taking trips to the beach, mountains, river, or the lake. Lots of time spent together on the road trips. Friends were all gathering together for grilling and swimming in the back yard poolside. Thanks to social media, I was reminded I was single. Not going any specific place; but if I would have been, I would have been going alone since everyone else had plans. Usually it does not get to me and bother me as bad as it did this year. I had gotten myself into a funk.

As soon as I had gotten off work on Saturday, I headed home and went straight to bed. Sunday morning ritual, got up, got my coffee, brushed my teeth, showered, put on another set of pajamas, and back to bed I went. Mentally I had beaten myself up and was in a place I don’t allow myself to get to very often. It was a shady place. Even when I get to these places I would never do anything to cause self harm to me, you all have my word on that. You get to a place where you are tired of even trying. Sunday was a day of tossing and turning and tossing and turning some more. Then thankfully, it was night and I fell asleep. Then on Monday morning, it was the same as Sunday. The more I looked at Facebook, the more depressed I became. However, around 2:00 I mustered up enough of whatever I had left and decided I needed to get ready to do to the stadium for the fireworks. Got completely ready. Walked out onto the front porch, put key in the dead bolt, locked the dead bolt, sat there a few seconds, and then turned the key in the dead bolt back to the left. Less than a minute later, there I was back lying across the bed, and stayed there until it was time for work on Tuesday morning.

The person I had allowed myself to become is not the normal “Windi”. Most of you can vouch for me if you now me personally. I had slowly allowed myself to become this person I was not used to being. Honestly, I did not like who I had become. Sure I could put on the game face in every day life. Since the world has enough negative drama on social media, I dare didn’t share my mully grubbing to everyone. There is a lot more people in this world fighting greater battles just to stay alive.

At 40, I am no where near where I thought I would be in life. I bet if I could sit down and talk to my 18 year old self, even she would be shocked. Life has not played out like I thought it would. Have I mentioned single and 40?! I don’t have kids of my own; that is the two legged kids. I got my four legged fur babies. Okay, so God “why”. I mean I know I am very independent, but I would be nice to have a husband around to borrow his shoulders when life gets too heavy. I am far from Miss America, but I would like to think I am that “girl next door” kinda cute. Above all else, I know I have a heart of gold and that should count for something, right?!

Now let us fast forward to August 2016. From August 12 – August 22, 2016, in only ten days, there were 20 Louisiana parishes (counties as we call them in Georgia) that experienced an overabundance of rainfall from a storms that seems to just “sit there”. Some locations received as much as 20 inches of rain in that time frame. Rivers flowed out of their banks. The flooding has gone on record (I read somewhere) to have been the “worst US natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.” The prolonged rain led to total disaster for some families and business owners who lost e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g……… Everything they had ever worked for. Pictures. Clothing.  Approximately 146,000 homes full of memories. Gone.

I, like most of the world, watched the news and social media to see this disaster unfolding along with the aftermath of the victims it left behind. I have always said we are one tragic event in our lives which changes everything as we knew it 5 minutes before. I lost my Daddy to cancer on 08/16/2008. In March of 2009, my Mom’s home caught on fire. She didn’t lose the house as the fire miraculously never made it out of the bathroom, but everything was smutted up. So I know and understand loss.

One of my friends had shared a post and it got me to thinking. One of those heart string pulling kind of posts. I am on the local Advisory Board for The Salvation Army. This post had shared what efforts volunteers with The Salvation Army were doing to help out from all over the country. I decided then, I was going to do something to help in some way out there. Since Labor Day weekend was only a couple of weeks away, I decided I was not going to be sitting myself at home alone repeating the schedule as I followed July 4^th. I refused to sit all cooped up at home. I talked with family and friends, most importantly God, and decided I would collect donations from those who wanted to donate and deliver them to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Salvation Army distribution center there was also lost in the flood which meant all supplies they would have had for the victims was also lost. After phone calls and text messages were sent, I made my announcement to Facebook on Thursday, only nine days prior to me loading up and heading west. Donations were hygiene products, shampoo, deodorant, baby diapers and wipes, food, cleaning supplies, dog and cat food, water, food, and other items. By the time we loaded the last item on Saturday, September 3, the 6’ x 12’ U-Haul trailer was about 80% loaded!!! I think my friends and family are pretty amazing!!!

I had a few friends and family wanting to go with me on the trip. I knew in my heart I needed this alone time with God. I needed to be by myself to sort out whatever it was going on in my life. I had gotten to the place where I was overwhelmed. This was the perfect opportunity to go help someone else in need as well as helping myself. I love a good road trip. Anywhere, USA, always sounds like a good destination spot. I needed to do this trip for me to get me away from the hustle and the bustle. No computer. Limited cell phone. Some K-Love blaring out the speakers. Time for me to allow God to work on me without any distractions.  

I left Coffee County with a heavy load (physically and mentally) around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. I made it to the Cortana Mall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, around 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning. The crew there unloaded the trailer and then I was off to find a hotel since I had spent that much time in the vehicle and had been up for 36+ hours. The Salvation Army was set up in an empty Macy’s building in the Cortana Mall. The whole mall was vacant so I am pretty sure it was also a flood location that had been cleaned before they set up.

After everything was unloaded, it was time to drop the U-Haul and find a place to get some sleep. As I was leaving the mall area, you could see families that had set up tents to sleep there. Some were sleeping in their vehicles. Some even found shelter under the bus stop booth. As I was pulling out, I noticed a pile of what I thought was “trash”. As I got closer, I could tell it was a book of some sort. So I slowed down and realized it was a Bible that was open. Part of me was ready to jump out and get it right then, the other part of me thought it may have belonged to some of the residents there. I wound up not stopping to pick it up. The rest of the night it crossed my mind a couple of times and I decided I was going to go back and pick it up if it was still there the next day. I mean what if where it was opened to was something I needed to read?

I had forgotten to unload a box of baby formula and milk on the first trip to the donation site. Monday morning I headed back up to deliver and with a made up mind if the Bible was still there, I was going to be getting it. I pulled up to the side door and handed the security guard the box. Explained where it was from. Then out to the parking lot I went in search of my treasure. Sure enough it was there. I could tell it was pretty waterlogged from either the flood or the thunderstorm which passed thru the night before. Nevertheless, I proudly picked it up and placed it in the back seat of my truck on a plastic bag. I did not stop to read where it was open to or anything at the time as it was too wet and smelled of mildew. The grass under where had been, was a bright neon green color. It had been there a while.

It wasn’t until Wednesday night after I returned home that I settled down to read the Scriptures of where the Bible was opened. That is when I had an ah-ha moment. Matthew 7:7-8 is subtitled “Effective Prayer”, it is written in red, as Jesus said“ Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” This takes me back to the place I was when I was asking all of those questions in paragraph two of this blog. I have been asking. I have been seeking. I have been knocking on heaven’s door a lot lately. The answer to my prayers was like a hidden treasure lying out on that grass.

The Bible was opened to Exodus 4. I always think about Exodus as Moses always travelling around. Already, I knew God was on point since I love to ramble as much as I can!!! Merriam-Webster's definition of "exodus" is "The Biblical book of Exodus describes the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, so it's no surprise that the word has come to refer more generally to any mass departure. The word itself was adopted into English (via Latin) from Greek Exodus, which literally means "the road out." The Greek word was formed by combining the  prefix ex- and hodos, meaning "road" or "way." 

As I was reading, when I got to verses 10 – 12, I had the realization of why I had made the trip all the way out there. It wasn’t just for the donations delivered to the victims who were in desperate need of them. I needed to get out there to find the Bible I found. Exodus 4:10-12 reads 

“¹⁰ Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind?Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

I guess it doesn’t get any plainer than that. As I read it, I got the heart racing, chill bumps, and eyes filled with tears emotions going on. I knew then and there God had placed the Bible there for little, big ole me!

Do I know what the next step is or where to go from here? I don’t have a clue. I just know to trust in The One who will open the door when the time is right.

If you look around to torn out page, wrapping the rest of the Bible, as you will see in the picture, it is Proverbs 3:5-6 ….

“⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,  and he will make your paths straight.”

Just to ease all the speculation as to my Facebook post as I made a bland post and some took it as a “man” I had found out there. To a degree I did find “The Man” and His Word. So for now, you all are still stuck with me in Coffee County.

Isaiah 61:3 - After the Storm

Was in a writing mode this morning and was up way toooo early. 

I am using this particular Scripture as a basis in a project I have been working on for quite a while now. I have made up my mind it is time to buckle down and get it completed. Guess you can say this is an excerpt from the project. 

Isaiah 61:3 
"and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,the oil of joy instead of mourning,and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

God gives us back our beauty (inside and out), our joy, and our praise after we have had to deal with times of ashes, mourning, and despair. We have to go thru hurt and things in life we sometimes just don't understand. Times we think life is being totally unfair to us. Sometimes these situations make us take our eyes off of where we know we are supposed to be going and the work we are supposed to be doing... 

Life is not going to always be easy, but there is the promise in this Scripture knowing God will restore us back with the good things He has for us. Everything we lost, the times we felt like we didn't measure up, when we seemed to be grasping for straws... God has a turn around time for your life... Just keep trusting Him and know He is leading you upon the path He has laid out for your life. Even though the storms are raging around you or you may even be in the eye of the storm, the storm always has an ending. The loud thunder boomers stop rolling. The lightning stops striking. The gusty winds stop blowing. The rain stops falling. The clouds part. The Son still shines after the rain. 

Kinda reminds me of the saying "Good things come to those who wait." I am seeing this is a few areas of my life. Don't give up too soon, you could miss the blessing waiting for you just ahead. Over the past few weeks, I have had a little inspiration. This picture I took on 07/24/2016 is just a little reminder of the bigger picture of the way God works areas out in our lives so that He gets the glory. 

The Spilled Waffle Fries

A week ago exactly today ( on 01/27/16 ) I was driving into work listening to my daily dose of Easton Corbin as I was awaiting confirmation of my meet and greet acceptance. For those of you familiar with our little ole town of  Broxton, Georgia, I was on Highway 268 in front of the Unites States Post Office. Didn't have anything on my mind at all. Not worried about the day. Just nothing, which is weird for me I know!!! 

Then I heard that still soft voice say "Oh, that You would bless me indeed and expand my territory," also known as The Prayer of Jabez. 

1 Chronicles 4:9-10New King James Version (NKJV) (www.biblegateway.com reference)

9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

As I was turning under the red light on to 441, I began to thank God for everything He has blessed me with. My health. My family. My friends. My "Windi's Bridal Boutique". My "Carried Away Creations." My gifts. My talents. My passions. My purpose. My relationship with Him. The doors He has opened. The doors He has also shut. My almost 40 years of this life and everything about it. The person I am.

Then I got to thinking about the territory part of it all. Everyone knows I love a good road trip and love to burn up the roads when I get a chance. I thought about all the cities from where my customers are from who come buy dresses or rent tux. Then I thought about all the places I have been with my balloon decor and all the places in between: 

* Hampton, Georgia

* Charlotte, N.C.

* Jacksonville, FL

* Fitzgerald, Georgia

* Alma, Georgia

* Valdosta, Georgia

* Blackshear, Georgia

* Tifton, Georgia

* Cordele, Georgia 

Then you think about all the people I have worked with. Speedway Children's Charities, Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR Driver Kasey Kahne, Racing 2 Cure, Xfinity Driver Joey Gase, WQIK 99.1 with Dustin Lynch, Jimmy Wayne, Tri-County CASA, CCAGCC, etc. 

When you sit down and look at it on a map, that is territory I thought I would never get a chance to expand to. Locations I would never dream of working at and organizations I never knew I could have dreamed of working with. God opened up some amazing doors for me in the past five years!!! I began to just pray and thank Him for all the things He has done in my life. I am blessed in so many ways. Like Mr. JD Lankford once commented on my post "you are blessed to be a blessing." I want to be able to bless others. To help others who have given up. To show them all they have to do is try. One small step at the time.

Then as I continue in on my way to work I am wearing out the CD scan button as I hit 9, 6 , 10, 9, 6, 10, and repeat. I listen to those songs in that order every morning.

I checked my email periodically throughout the day as I always do. When finally I got the news I was going to be meeting and greeting with Easton Corbin on Saturday night in Jacksonville!!! Woohooo!!!! This should be a breeze. I mean, I have met all kinds of folks and have finally gotten over the whole teenage girl giddy stage.... soooooo I thought... Yeah, I will keep you waiting on those details for a few.

Then Friday (01/29/16) I got the call from Mr. Scott Fillmore of Speedway Children's Charities at Atlanta Motor Speedway. I serve on the Associate Board and I volunteer up there as much as I can being I live three hours away. I have been volunteering since 2012 by going up and decorating for events with my balloon decor. Passing the red buckets during races. The call was to tell me I had been nominated as the 2015 BUSTER DICKERSON SERVICE AWARD as the Volunteer of the Year!!! I will be sharing more about that this week as I want it to have it's own little story too!!! But if you are watching the 02/28/16 race, watch the stage around 12:15 - 12:30 as I will be on the NASCAR stage receiving my award in front of NASCAR NATION... It may or may not be on TV, but DVR it just in case ;) See nation is all about a territory too, just saying... 

Needless to say, Friday night was a night filled with so much excitement with the news and the anticipation of the concert I watched the popcorn ceiling until 3:00ish a.m. and was back up at 7:00 a.m. Started to get ready for the concert that afternoon at the shop and I started getting those nerves and butterflies in my stomach... You know the whole red faced flushed look. My red hair and fair skin always tells on me when I get overly excited!!! Then at 3:00 p.m. I was Jacksonville, Florida, bound.

Having skipped lunch, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to eat. Yes guys, even when us girls are alone, we are just as indecisive!!! I just knew I needed to eat something before I got to the concert so I wouldn't be drained. I could go to McDonald's, get chicken nuggets. I could go to Sonic for a cherry limeade. I could wait until I got to Folkston... Ahhh, wait, there is Chick-Fil-A!!! As I am pulling around the front of the restaurant, I see there is this young homeless guy with his dog underneath the umbrella covered tables out front. He had his backpack. His pup with a leash. A gallon of water. A milkshake. And a few other belongings. As I was driving around to the drive thru I had decided he would have a warm meal too! 

I thought the same things as I have always thought with my previous encounters with the other two homeless men. Does his family even know he is alive? Where is he from? How long has he been in this type of lifestyle? Why does he not think he deserves a roof over his head? (I will place the link to the other two blog posts at the bottom of this story so you can read those later.) 

I could have talked myself out of buying him a meal for the two minutes it took me to get to the drive thru screen. I even thought to myself "I spent $7 on fake fingernails just to look all dressed up for the concert. I can surely spend more than that on a man's food." So I got to the window and placed the two orders even upsized his. When I got to the window, I told the clerk I needed a second bag. He looked at me kinda strangely. So I told him I was buying the meal for the guy out front as I choked back the tears and was glad I had on sunglasses to hide my eyes welling up. He smiled and said "that is so nice of you." 

They wound up putting both orders in the same bag. So I asked for the bag. He was like you just told me and I already forgot as he apologized. I thanked him and pulled up a little so I could separate the food myself. Got it transferred complete with napkins and a straw. Moved just right in my seat and dumped his whole bag in my floorboard. Yup, the waffle fries were spilled everywhere. I took his sandwich out and cleaned them up by placing them back in the bag. Then I thought, what am I going to do now? Since I dumped his out, I could just give him the sandwich and the drink. But that was never an option. I simply pulled my nuggets out of the bag and put the rest of his meal in with my fries.

Then I pulled up to where he was at. When I stopped with the windows down, his dog started wagging his tail so I knew I was safe to approach. The guy looked to be in his twenties. Had his earphones in so he didn't really hear me when I spoke to him at first. So as my heart grew heavier and the tears were starting to get really big, I grabbed for the door handle and opened my door with his next meal. I walked up to him and he smiled. I told him I had gotten his supper for him and I told him God bless you, that was all I could say because I was about to cry a river right there. He had a tattoo on his neck. His eyes were the purest crystal blue. You could tell it had been a while since he had taken a bath or even gotten a hair cut. He thanked me politely with a soft spoken voice and told me I didn't have to this. Oh sir, but you don't know, yes I had to. I told him good bye as he was getting the food out of the bag and he told me "God bless you." I wanted to say "He did when I saw you sitting here." Got back in my truck. Got far enough away to snap a picture of my blessing that afternoon!!! I pretty much cried all the way to Jacksonville. I needed him to cross my path. He was my Matthew 25 blessing Saturday.... And one of my favorite scriptures....

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy^[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

I may not have thousands in the bank. I may not have a mansion on 100,000 acres. But I am blessed in so many other ways that are things money can't buy. I have a God that loves me and always takes care of me. I am simply thankful for where I am in my life at the moment.

So, I guess I need to say a special "thank you" to Easton Corbin and his management for my meet and greet approval. Had I not gotten the chance at the road trip, I would have never happened across this guy. He might not have gotten any supper that night. I would not have been able to pay it forward. Thank you Easton!!!!

Oh, and as far as the concert.... The Swon Brothers, Easton Corbin, and Carrie Underwood were AMAZING!!!!! As far as the meet and greet went, my mind was in a hundred places. I was as nervous as a 13 year old girl. All giddy and nervous. I kinda stumbled my way thru... So, I can officially say I think I ruined that meet and greet opportunity. I bombed it completely!!! I was so embarrassed afterwards. Mainly because I have some other big, crazy idea in the works, and I hope to get a second chance to not fall flat on my face again!!! ;) Stayyyy tuned!!!

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You never know when God want to put someone in your path so you can bless them... Even if you're on a road trip heading to Jacksonville, Florida to go see @eastoncorbin @carrieunderwood @swonbrothers in ‪#‎concert‬. If you look closely in my side view mirror you'll see the ‪#‎homeless‬ man and his dog. I didn't want to get a picture close up for fear of embarrassing him. When I gave him his food and told him God bless him he looked up and smiled. His eyes were the brightest blue. He thanked me very politely with a soft voice. So if any of my pictures tonight look as if I've been crying, that's my current situation at the moment. We are all blessed to be a blessing. And this guy was my blessing today! The right place at the right time !‪#‎eastoncorbin‬ ‪#‎carrieunderwood‬ ‪#‎country‬ ‪#‎countrymusic‬ had it not been for the Easton Corbin meet and greet I would not have gotten this opportunity! (original Instagram post)

1st Encounter in 2011

www.windiraper-faithjewels.blogspot.com/2011/11/my-tifton-trip-062511

2nd Encounter in 2013

www.windiraper-faithjewels.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-second-chance-to-complete-missed

Why Do I.... Well Just Maybe.....

Why do I share my story?

 

Why do I want to be a possible light in someone else’s dark place?

 

Why do I want to be looking at this side of a computer screen hoping the person on the other side reading what I have typed gets that little bit of encouragement they need to help them through a situation?

As I shrug my shoulders…. I have a lot of “maybe” answers….

 

Maybe it is because I have been at that same place of being numb, my brain so clouded, I could not think straight. Not from drugs or alcohol. From the person who broke my spirit and led me to believe I was useless and worthless.

Maybe it is because I have realized my value and I finally got myself pulled back together. I worked on my broken pieces daily to become the person I lost and yet found her again.

Maybe it is because I needed to be inspired in those lowest points of my life. No matter where I turned, how many inspirations quotes I Googled, how many Facebook pages I scrolled through, how many Instagram memes I liked, I could never find the inspiration I needed. No one was able to help me out of my dark corners.

Maybe it is because I need to share my inspiration to someone who might see what I have to share to show them life does get better. I may be the only positive they see.

Maybe it is because I have walked in those shoes personally and I can relate to the pain, the tears, the hurt; the feeling of abandonment, uselessness, worthlessness.

Maybe it is because I needed to be the person God used to show someone else there is hope beyond your current circumstances. Things do get better. It may not be overnight, or instantly, like we want them due to our lack of patience. Even when the load is heavy and you are barely making it, God is there with you carry the weight. When you are at your lowest and feel alone, He is right there waiting with His arms open wide.

Maybe it is because I got my fight back this morning… My purpose back… My fire back… when I opened my eyes. I know it is time to make a difference even if it is in the life of one person. I need to be their reason to pick up the pieces and move forward!!!

There's More To Life

Going thru the Facebook memories today, this was a post I has written in 2012. Three years later, I have seen where I have taken my own advice and took those chances even though I was scared out of my mind. It is humbling to see what you can do when you have God in your corner and just enough gumption to try one time.

"There IS more to life than being so crippled by your fears and other things that seemingly hold you back. Fear of failure. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of rejection. Hearing you can't accomplish this or that. There is a great big world out there with lots of amazing things waiting on you to find them. It takes getting out of your comfort zone and taking a chance. The odds may seem to be against you may seem big, but remember you have GOD inside of you that make you bigger!!! God is your biggest cheerleader and He wants nothing but good for you... You are His and He wants nothing less than HIS best for you!!!  Just remember when it seems like the whole world may be against you, you have The One who holds this whole world in His hands!!"

Bumble Bee or Guardian Angel

Bumble bee or Guardian angel... They both have wings so they are pretty much the same thing. 

The picture that probably stalled me long enough to save my life  from a head on collision on the way to work this morning....

I had carried my niece to school & went back home to do a few things around the house. On my way to work I stopped to take a few pictures of the pretty purple flowers in the ditch. Then I noticed a caterpillar and got more pics. Got in my truck, glanced back, & saw the bumble bee. I jumped out again and watched the bee that God had sent to keep me there a little longer.

I have a weakness and an appreciation for all of God's creations. I love nature. I love the outdoors. I love capturing nature in it's natural element. I will stop and take pictures on the side of the road at any given time. That's the benefits of living on Georgia dirt roads way out in the country.

After leaving the bumble bee and continuing with my route to work, I made it and turned right in the paved road. As my neighbors know, there is a series of sharp S curves before you reach where the old white house burned down. These are blind curves as well. I was still on the straight away before entering curve when I noticed this vehicle coming at me as it was coming out of last curve which is also a slight hill. I knew it looked a little too close to my side of the road so I slowed down. As she got out of the curve and on top of the incline she was completely in my lane. The only thing I could do was run completely off the road to save myself from being hit head on. The bumble bee kept me from being in those blind spots and most likely being hit head on or ran off the road at a higher rate of speed.

God goes before us. He knows what lies ahead of us. He is our protector and our guide. He guides our footsteps. And I will again say God has proven His word again by saying my travelling scripture Psalm 139:9-10. "If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."

#God #psalm #protector #guide #nature

My Most Prized Possession

August 19, 2008... Today makes seven short years that the greatest man I ever knew, my precious Daddy left this temporary home called earth and gained his angel wings so he could watch over me and the rest of my family from those streets of gold. 

My hero... My first love... My Superman... 

One of the most valuable possessions in my life because to me the story behind it shows how priceless it is... if it's only to me. It appeared at a time when I needed it most. And if you are family and know how it got where it did when I found it, please don't change my story. I want to believe it was put there for a reason.

On Tuesday, August 19, 2008, I lost my Daddy to pneumonia and complications with cancer. It was not the cancer that took him. He had already beaten Stage 4 liver, lung, and bronchial cancer the year before. Was on the way to beating the brakes off brain cancer when the pneumonia set in and fluid was behind the cancer scar tissue where it couldn't be seen. That week was one of ups and downs. My mother's name is Faye. There was a tropical storm brewing and spinning off the Georgia coast that was named "Tropical Storm Fay". Of all the names they had to name it Faye, which to us was kind of comical.

On Wednesday, we went to Sim's Funeral Home to make the arrangements. Most of those, Daddy had already taken care of due to his first diagnosis the year before. Since Mom lived in Douglas and my brother out of town, I was the one who took the stake to mark the plot in the cemetery for the upcoming burial. I just needed to have it out there before Saturday morning. I had gone by the cemetery every day that week at some point during the day and just sat there dreading the events about to take place in a few short days. I sat bedside my Granny Doris & Papa Ott's tombstones everyday and talked to them. Talked to Daddy even though he wasn't out there yet. I sat on the very edge of Granny's headstone every time I went out there.

On early Friday morning, through the tears and the thunderstorms, I headed out there to put the stake in its proper place to get everything in order for the next morning. As I was walking up to the grave site, I noticed something different about my usual spot. The was something there waiting for me. As I got closer and realized what it was, as I picked it up, I completely lost it. I began crying uncontrollably as I had done many times that week. As I picked up the silver necklace with the silver heart charm on it, I knew it had been placed there just for me. The charm is a heart inside of a heart. To me that represents that no matter the time or the distance, Daddy will always be there with me inside my heart. It was comforting to know I had that assurance he knew what I was going thru and watching me from the heavens.

I bump into people around town who always tell me good stories about my Daddy. To hear how much everyone thought of him and respected him makes my heart swell with pride every single time. One thing's for very sure, he left an amazing legacy behind. Proud I got to call him my Daddy!

I have several other blog posts in storage I've been sitting on for several years. Like this one, it is hard to type through the tears. Thinking I may need to get the out and attempt to post them very soon.

I miss his smile, his laugh, his blue eyes, his boots walking across the wooden front porch when he was getting home from a long run, his Old Spice cologne, his green Speed Stick by Mennen deodorant smell fill the house as he was getting ready to leave out on another run, his green Irish Spring soap, his 2 liter Diet Pepsi in the fridge, just every thing about him.

He had a way of making every one around him feel like someone important. He never let you feel like less of a person no matter what your social or financial status. He saw everyone as an equal.

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I will be doing a separate blog soon on this song by Cole Swindell. I have a blog I wrote after my first visit back to the cemetery to visit Daddy's grave too. It is only two miles from my house. Until then, you need to watch the new video by Cole. This is an amazing testament of  raw emotion when you go back the first, the second, and even the trillionth time.... Amazing video!!!

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The other day a friend of mine who works at a radio station posted this song by Craig Campbell on his page. I was the one who needed to hear that song at that moment. It is called "Outskirts of Heaven." It reminds me so much of Daddy and exactly what I expect he's been doing up there for seven years. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

https://www.facebook.com/CraigCampbelltv/videos/vb.342573381119/10152996047071120/?type=2&theater

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Three of my favorite things in one picture. 

My Daddy, an amazing south Georgia sunset, and a church steeple.

Perfectly timed photo.

Tim Tebow Celebrity Golf Classic - 2013

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

On the afternoon of Thursday, April 4, 2013, just after 5:40 p.m. I sat down at the computer to check my emails just one more time before the end of the day.  It was the week of Prom 2013 for Coffee High School and I was exhausted. The week had been crazy and wide open and was beginning to slow down a little bit. I plopped myself down on the stool behind the counter and spun around to log on to the computer. I decided to check my emails just in case there was a last minute emergency I needed to see about. There at the top of the email inbox was the most recent message, which happened to be from the “Tim Tebow Foundation”.  I will say, at first I thought it was just another newsletter from the foundation. I enjoy reading the newsletters and to see positive things going on in life. I proceeded to read it like I always do.

Well then I read the line "At this time, we are able to still accommodate 50 additional volunteers to serve as our hospitality greeters for the event. If you are interested in volunteering, please respond via email. Positions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis."

I knew he had the annual foundation’s “Celebrity Golf Classic” coming up in the near future and I had contemplated going to volunteer. With the event being so close to prom, I was unsure of being able to leave the shop for the whole day. He hosts “The Celebrity Golf Classic” which is held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, just outside of Jacksonville. The golf course has been in the headlines since Tiger Woods just won a recent tournament at The Player’s Championship Saw Grass Golf Course. It is a beautiful golf course to say the very least.  

It had been a while since I had a true full day off from work and time off was very much needed. I will be the first one to say, I was overdue of a break. Let’s see, a mini-day vacation which could entail me to help a foundation who has a mission to help kids? As I sat on the stool behind my counter, I leaned back to be in ear and eye shot of Mom and said “So, you think I can have next Saturday off to go and volunteer with the Tim Tebow Foundation at a golf tournament just outside of Jacksonville?” I think I was stating more that I was going than I was asking! She looked at me and said “Sure, why not!”

There was that “first 50 people to respond” factor. You had to be one of the first fifty people to respond to be considered for the volunteer position. I mean, it won’t hurt to try. The worst they could tell me is “no, all positions have been filled at this time.”

I began checking my email about every hour over the course of two days. Finally, I got the response I was hoping for. I was chosen to work in the hospitality area of the event. The only thing required was to represent the Tim Tebow Foundation by being a smiling presence amongst the crowd of event attendees. This seemed to be a little too easy. I love to be around people so this role was perfect.

The trip...

As soon as the work day was completed on the Friday before the event, I was headed out to spend the night in Jacksonville. Got to the hotel and checked in. To be honest, it was very hard to go to sleep because of the excitement I knew would be surrounding the day. Of course, five o’clock in the morning came very early.

I arrived at the golf course at 7:30 a.m. and registered to fulfill my job title for the day. At the volunteer tent, I met Haley who works with the Foundation. We didn’t have a specific area we had to be stationed at throughout the day. Just walk around and greet people. Answer any questions they may have.

It is not about the celebrity status surrounding the event. It is not about who I might meet. It is all about the ability to help serve an organization that is reaching out to help bring change to the life of a child who is in need. That is my purpose. When I go to volunteer at various events, I treat it as if it were a real job. Guess that is the business owner inside of me coming out. I don't use my badge or my job to get me outside of what I am there to work for. I look at the event as if I were an employee and I am there to get a job done. I am usually the one taking pictures every chance I get.

My favorite thing to do is I love to people watch. You learn things during those observations and you can take those lessons with you. I can tell you in detail 90% of what happened that day from 7:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.. Two observations I made during the day are the ones which made the biggest impact.

At the last hole, I did get to meet Jason Michael Carroll and his wife Wendy. They are just as friendly as one would expect them to be. I did get to have my picture made with them. 

As many of you know, I had a stalker in 2011 for two weeks. Those two weeks completely changed my life. I notice more of my surroundings. I remember where and when I see someone. This day was no different. In a way, in this case, is a good thing.

The Little Boy...

Throughout the day, I had noticed a little fellow probably no older than eight. You could tell by the way he was dressed, they probably didn't have a whole lot. His pants were a little short. His shoes a little worn. Not being judgmental here I promise. He was there with his mom and a gentleman. He had on his cute little glasses and he reminded me of a dark haired Stuart Little. I had seen him during the day at different areas on the golf course. He was trying his best to get an autograph from "Timmy". I had watched him go up to the ropes at different times hoping to meet Tim.

At this point in the day, we were at the 17th Hole or the Island Green shot. He was getting antsy because he had to see Timmy. Since I had a volunteer shirt on, I was hoping I would get someone on Tim's entourage attention.  The boy's mom was going up the side of the slope to sit down. He refused to go sit down. So, I spoke up and told her "Just let him stay here with me. I will keep my eye on him I promise. You can trust me and I will do my best to get him an autograph." Of course his eyes lit up and he began begging her "Please mama pleaseeeeeeeeee." We would be only 200 yards from her so she agreed. 

Within a few minutes, you could see Tim's team coming around the pond from Hole 16. The little boy was so excited! As the golf cart rounded the top of the hill he began hitting me on the leg trying to get my attention. When the cart came to a stop, we were only 6 feet from Tim who was getting off of the cart and into a waiting crowd. We watched and he waited patiently. Then Tim's PR guy (I guess) came around to get a club for Tim. I leaned back where the little boy couldn't see me and started waving to get his attention. When I got it, I started pointing at the little guy who was standing on edge watching Tim's every move. I winked at the guy and he gave me nod as he walked back over to where Tim was lost in the crowd. A few minutes later, the guy started back to where we were with something in his hand. 

Quite honestly, every time I tell this part of the story and even as I am typing this out, I get teary eyed.... The guy came over to us and bent down to talk to the little guy. He said "Tim wanted me to tell you thank you for coming out today and being here. He also wanted me to give you this he signed just for you. Hope you like it." The little boy squealed and took off to his mom screaming "I got a signed football card from Timmy. Timmy signed and sent me a football card." Welp, I got all misty eyed on the side of the green. The guy looked at me, I nodded and told him thank you!!! That day is one day the cute little boy and myself will never forget.

The Little Girl...
I would say somewhere about the third or fourth hole, I began to see a tween aged girl (between 10 - 13) who was going around with her family consisting of her mother and two younger brothers. She was not hard to miss due to the fact she had on a baseball cap and a pair of white shorts. The hardest thing not to miss was the fact of the full length leg brace she was wearing. It went completely from ankle to hip. I began seeing her more and more as the day passed. 

After the event was over, after all the golfers had returned in, after all the autographs were signed, after all the golf balls were dropped, I was standing on a curb outside the Saw Grass facility just looking over the green thinking about the day as it had flown by. Slowly coming off the green and headed to the facility, there was the girl and her family. It had been a long, tiring day. As they got closer you could hear her younger brother in the agony of a six year old "How much further do we have to walk? My feet hurt. I am tired. I am hot. I want something to drink. Where is the car? Mommmmmmmm tote me please!!!!!!" Shame on me I know, but I chuckled a bit as I heard the list of complaints and demands as he was "huffing and puffing" along. 

Then his mother stopped him and said something I would have never guessed. Sure, with the ball cap and the leg brace, I knew she had some form of disability. I did not want to ask but I assumed to know. She simply said "Why are you complaining? What do you have to complain about? At least you have ALL the bones in your leg. Your sister is missing a bone and has had to sling a brace around all day. The brace is heavy. I don't hear her saying anything about being tired or complaining. Your legs are just a little shorter and are having to take more steps. Just keep going, we are almost there." She was not being rude of short by any means.

At that very moment, I realized just how blessed we are. We may have aches and pains, but at least we have all our bones. As I walked back to my truck, I began to start thanking God for all He has done in my life. For good health. Once in the truck, I just sat there and began to cry. My mind went to most church services and I had a revelation.

The next morning with the permission of the Pastor's wife, I spoke what was I felt lead to say after I did my pre-service announcements. This may not be word for word how I said it, but I can remember looking from the stage of the church and thinking I am about to either get an "amen" or I am going to be thinking "ohhhhh-me". 

I asked the congregation to stand. Then I began a series of "Do you have your left leg, left foot, and all five toes on your foot? Well, give it a shake. Do you have your right leg, right foot, and all five toes on your foot? Well, give it a shake too. Do you have your left arm, left hand, and all five fingers? Well, raise it up and wave it at me. Do you have your right arm, right hand, and all five fingers? Well, raise it up and wave it at me too. Do you have all the bones in all four limbs? Well, if you do you have no excuse to be sitting down during praise and worship with your arms crossed and your bottom lip rolled out like you have just sucked a lemon. How dare us take all these things we have and sit there like a knot on a log. We are a truly blessed people. Why can't we show God our gratitude by giving Him honor where honor is due?" Then I went into the story of the little girl. There were a lot of "amens". Yes, there were still some I was wondering if a tomato was going to get tossed my way as I grabbed my microphone and took my place on the praise team for praise and worship. 

The Tim Tebow...
Through out the day, wherever "Timmy" was located, you could find the largest group of people gathered round. He was always smiling. He was making conversation with those who were there watching and those playing with him. He kept interacting with the crowd. Not one time did I see him push anyone away. He posed for pictures after his shots. He took time to thank everyone for coming out. As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly, he was an hour and a half behind the team ahead of him. Even though they were pushing him to hurry, he still took extra time to stop and greet people. 

I personally didn't meet Timmy, but I walked away with some great life lessons that day. Two years later, telling the stories still makes my heart swell with pride I was there helping out that day!!!

For more pictures of that day, here is my album posted on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/windi.raper/media_set?set=a.472155239520745.1073741833.100001788188795&type=3