Day 323 Full Throttle!

 

11/19/2025

 "Prayer imparts the power to walk and not faint."

Oswald Chambers

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength....

they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31  

 

Rainy days tend to dampen plans, and things get turned around. Today provoked a monumental change in my peaceful state of mind all because I made a decision to dream. Actually, yesterday while out paying my real estate taxes for the house, I made a stop, met a nice sales lady, and I agreed to have someone come to my home to give me an estimate for windows. The appointment was scheduled for today, in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time to finish my morning quiet time and finish my previous day's blog. The only thing is that waiting is not my strong point, especially when I am waiting for someone to come to the house, not knowing what to expect. The gentleman arrived earlier than scheduled, but that was fine by me, as I am not one to adhere to strict guidelines. He was nice, respectful, and very personable. We sat for awhile as he asked what was important to me regarding the windows. No one has ever done that, and I've never really thought about it quite that way. I knew that I wanted one that functioned well - meaning it moved up and down, didn't stick, and didn't have to be held open by a stick. I also realized that I wanted one that was energy efficient in winter and summer. So, I had to think about what I actually "wanted" in a window. It's all about business generally, in and out, no small talk, of sorts, so this was a pleasant addition to our meeting. He explained the product very well, as well as the process of window replacement. He brought along samples of their work, and he had a sample of the popular choice of competitors. I must say that the other solution was very poor workmanship, had a much shorter warranty, but was priced relatively cheaper. My parents always told us to buy quality, as it lasts, even if you have to wait longer. This house is about 77 years old, and I think it still has all the original parts, except for some additions made by my daddy, who was in his right a jack of all trades. But then back in the day, we were taught to make do with what ya had on hand, and my daddy did that in later life. Ever see anyone put linoleum on the lower walls of a kitchen before? Yep, daddy did it, and let me just say, it is not the easiest to remove. 

Although the presentation went very well, I had to put the purchase on hold, because a more challenging issue presented itself later in the day - the roof of the house had been damaged by the excessive rains and wind, possibly hail, so there are possible leaks that I must check out. A roof takes priority over windows. All of this makes me rethink getting a job. But, rather than that I made some calls, and the next step will be to check out the roof damage. In the meantime, I have regained my composure and refocused on what I am supposed to be doing - writing and praying. It's easy to lose focus on what's important when things happen, but I am learning how much fun it is to own a home. I never really lived in one place long enough to know about repairs, as I only had two real homes, one was new, and the other, though older, was in good shape. Plus, at that time I had a husband who handled those things. I painted and cleaned, and cared for the yard, but mostly I took care of the children, and I worked or volunteered. Living alone for so many years, I moved around twenty-one times in my life or maybe more. Two of the moves were my childhood homes, but otherwise I was a regular vagabond. Life was interesting, and it remains a bit flexible for changes. Although I have my dreams, I only do what God says now. I make certain of that! It works out much better.

One of the scripture verses that I read today speaks to my situation as a have to deal with real life situations. Psalms 138:7-8:

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands."

Whatever challenges we face in life whether it be health, family concerns, prodigal children, finances, or other day-to-day decisions and occurrences, God is always near, and He hears our cries. In thinking about my situation that concerns my finances, and while that is important, especially when on a very limited budget in this day and age when everything is overpriced, when we look at things in perspective, it's not that important. I began to think about the hurricanes in Jamaica recently, and the devastation, plus all the storms that have created havoc over the year. There are people living in Asheville who still do not have homes. Back in the summer of 2022 in Northern New Mexico there was the worst fire in the history of the nation, and to date people are still without homes, as FEMA did not handle the job efficiently. Sadly, this happened in North Carolina in areas where FEMA was directed to ignore those homes with Republican voter stakes. While that is unfortunate on many levels, it makes my difficulties less important. We do not have to look far to realize how blessed we are when we consider all the people who live in poverty and squalor in the countries of Africa and in India, as an example. America is a blessed and often ungrateful nation.

As I prayed about my concerns I felt the Lord say to me, "wait, I'll take care of the windows." As I shook my head in agreement and whispered the words, "I know, Lord, forgive me," I could almost see His smile. God has always watched over me, when I was down to the change in my hand, and He always will. My job is to rest in Him, trust Him, and focus on the important things. Today Jack Hibbs closed out our time together with these words:  

"Live full throttle for Jesus!"

 Now they're good words to live by!