Tag: obedience

Favorite Sundays

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Yesterday was my favorite Sunday in many, many Sundays. So many new ideas and energetic ideas all coming to life on June 1!   Happy Shavuot, indeed!   I will drop this here as a reminder to come back to the topic.  God’s timing is always superior to ours and it’s no mistake so many things bubbled together on the first day of June.

Beginning our day, I did not have to ask for Mark to play a sermon.  We heard an amazing sermon from Waters Church which basically echoed much of what we have been discussing regarding health.  It was such a good sermon; we were both inspired to go for a long walk with our stomachs empty.   Ever since the blood pressure issues two months ago, I have not gone on long walks by myself.  It was such a lovely walk and great conversation, too.

When we arrived home from our walk, I prepared a tasty breakfast/brunch. Pimento cheese on an everything bagel is delicious! Using up that last baked potato as breakfast potatoes to balance out the eggs and sausage was ideal.   Looking at the cranberry-grape and orange juice amounts in the fridge, I decided blending them with some lime juice would work great to “hide” the liquid minerals we add.     We had chatted during our walk about the crafted juices we enjoyed in Assisi, so it was a natural choice.  The blend was delicious, and we are excited to create new flavors each week.

We also decided on our walk that I would be prepping nutritious options for us to take to our shops with us.  This week, I boiled (and peeled) two dozen eggs, prepared chicken salad, cowboy caviar and “Nonna Salad”.  It felt really good to be productive with my husband and be in the spirit of excitement with him.

We met Jonathan and Morgan for dinner at BJ’s Brewhouse and the young man treated us all to dinner! After dinner, they gave us each a CD and we shopped at the new Trader Joe’s in Murfreesboro.   It was cool how they explained their love for physical media translated to buying each of us a CD.  We found some amazing products and acquired the carrot and pineapple juices which will serve as the base for our next “Juice of the Week”.

As I prepare to close our shop in Smyrna in the next hour, I am smiling.  Mark just called and he was walking in the parking lot at our other store.  He shared how wonderful he has felt all day long and how he wants to really focus on intermittent fasting.  Since we did not wake up early enough for a walk today, we are planning on one when he gets home at 8:30.  I think the last time we walked at night, after closing both shops, would have been seven years ago, as we prepared to go to Disney.  What we are preparing for NOW is so much better than Disney. 

THANK YOU, LORD.

Josiah and Psalm 46:10

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Closing the month of May, I am drowning in gratitude. Our HVAC was out of commission this past week. Rather funny to me, as I saw in old Facebook memories the last time our system went out was the same day and the heat required us to get a hotel that year. Praise God, the unseasonably cooler weather made this past week bearable. Mark and I praised God last Saturday when the HVAC shut down, but the air was cool outside. Truly, we praised God every day we survived without AC and are still praising Him the day after it was repaired for a reasonable price. Gratitude is always the best environment for Godversations and today was a better than normal one with my husband. We are both super grateful to be able to snuggle at night, as we did last night for the first time in a week! We are also grateful for pizza and beer tonight, dinner with Morgan and Jonathan tomorrow and a thousand other things. So “Happy-happy” Mark and Carol enjoyed this Godversation a little bit extra today.

Several elements and topics seem to be cyclical, not just the timing of when our HVAC system was down. It is important to note that from the onset. All of this started with meeting Josiah last week, someone I told Mark may be one of my “stranger angels”. The Lord sends people into our shop daily and I see His Fingerprint all over Josiah. Mark remembered him, too. Again, something that is notable. I shared how the Holy Spirit rearranged my study session today between 2 Chronicles 33-34 and 2 Kings 24. I also shared the spiritual connection I feel to Mark every time I read or think anything about King Hezekiah. We talked about how Josiah’s father and grandfather were evil, but Josiah’s great grandfather, Hezekiah, was good. We talked about how Josiah died, as well. I am so glad I shared the connection again, as Mark did not remember. Immediately, Mark was excited to share what he was studying in the Book of Acts about Ananias and Sapphira, a story he has mentioned before. It was a moment I knew Jesus was hanging out with us on the couch at the shop in a palpable manner. It is super exciting when you can feel your savior cheering for your marriage.

In the midst of this exciting Godversation, I confessed my lack of productivity at home. Thank God, Mark understands my joy when I am immersed in God’s word. He understands I NEED the time to LISTEN. He could probably visualize the notes in my Bible and how I looked flipping between scriptures. The study notes for 2 Chronicles were powerful and mentioned where to find Josiah’s profile. Today, this joy led me back to Josiah’s story in 2 Kings 24, where my study serendipitously aligned with a powerful message I first heard on February 3, 2023, in Blue Ridge. Months later, the same message lined up with the “slain in spirit” experience at Our Church in November 2023. Two huge dates I know God moved hugely in my life.

This was no coincidence; it felt like the Holy Spirit orchestrating the pages of my Bible to illuminate profound truths. The Lord’s playfulness and precision in these moments affirm His role as the ultimate teacher, guiding me with both tenderness and intention.

On a lighter note, the day also brought moments of intimate humor. After a week hindered by a faulty HVAC system and other challenges, my husband and I found joy in the simple pleasures of life—a shared laugh, a playful SOMMEE Card exchange, and the comfort of pizza and beer later this evening. These moments, though ordinary, remind me of the importance of connection, both spiritual and relational.

As the day wound down, I was drawn to Psalm 46:10, a verse I have cherished throughout my life: “Be still and know that I am God.” Yet, today, I uncovered a deeper layer of meaning through the Aramaic and ancient texts, which translate the verse to “Stop fighting…Repent…Return.” This revelation reframed my understanding, underscoring the active call to surrender and realignment with God’s will. It brought me full circle to the message in Blue Ridge, a reminder that God’s truths are timeless and His sovereignty unshaken.

In this tapestry of study, conversation, and reflection, I see the Lord’s hand weaving threads of wisdom and grace. There is indeed nothing new under the sun, but His presence makes all things new. Praise be to our Sovereign Lord, who reigns now and forevermore.

Dance, Dance, Dance

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Perhaps on the future, I will upload the videos sent to my husband today. I heard the “Dance, Dance, Dance ” song come on and was immediately replaying Sorrento memories.

It has been a long week with Jess visiting. I have not had focus today but I know I must share something in My GodRoom about what God is currently doing in my life.

Sometimes, photos tell a story much clearer.

I can see prayers being answered.

Thank you, again, for the 8736746/519 time! I love you so much! Oh, your glorious power can touch anything and bring it to life! Abundantly so!

Memorial Battle

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Lord, thank you for all you have done, are doing and will surely do.  The past few weeks, you have done so many wonderful things I have yet to write down.  I loved how it all began with #clays4trey and facing the demons I know in Clarksville.  You gave us the DOUBLE BLESSING to share with the Petersons.  Almost three weeks later, Angie is now planning to attend the event with me.  Thank you for her invitation acceptance. 

The lovely yet super-stormy dinner with Joyce and the “DOUBLE DUTCH” buffet plate last Tuesday must be mentioned.  Joyce prayed over our meal and specifically for our homes to be protected in those storms.  The next day, she showed me destruction all around their home. We enjoyed a rare mid-day phone call whereby we were joyful children praising you, together.  It was downright giddiness with us on the phone.  Friday, you gave me the JD GREEAR sermon on the radio to share with Mark about Underdogs, NC Wolfpack 1983 Basketball and Gideon.  You reminded me that simple act of sharing brought forth the blessing of hearing Mark’s love for Gideon, again.  Saturday, I was beyond giddiness with the pregnancy news shared by Eric and Sophie.  I will write the story out in the future, but “One egg for a dozen” will remind me.   Father God, thank you for all of it and for all I am failing to mention thus far.

Lord, please forgive me for being so “in my head” that I have allowed it to cause me to struggle with writing down testimony to glorify YOU.  I have not felt my words were worthy enough or clear enough.  The enemy is such a powerful liar.  Please keep reminding me PRAISE IS A WEAPON.  Heartfelt praise is what started my healing.  Lord, please help me turn up the spiritual volume to praise even more boldly.   Please remind me how great it feels to exalt your name with others, daily!    Praise is always a huge part of the answer.   Thank you for bringing me to this keyboard on Memorial Day.  I love how you give me strong imagery and dates to really sink a lesson into my spirit.   To the world, this day is about American soldiers who died in service of their country.  In this moment, I see my savior on a cross.    I see Jesus’ bleeding out for every man or woman, whether they died in service of their country or not.  The thought does not translate to words very clearly, but for every war monument, I see Jesus in front of every soldier.  The spiritual battle has been real. 

Father God, thank you for pressing my heart so clearly to share the images and how you moved me from the couch to this keyboard in this moment.  Simply put, we agreed to open for five hours today and close early at three.   We have been open for several hours and there has not been a single customer.  I am not disappointed we have not earned a dollar.  I trust you will take care of us.   I have thoroughly enjoyed just talking to you and pondering why you put me back in Hosea 13 this morning.   It is just you and I hanging out in the shop and it is beyond lovely.  It reminds me of how, just like with Gideon, you will remove what is not necessary.   The entire world has been pulled away from me.  Blake and Jess are at the house.  Mark is at the Boro Shop.  I am beyond grateful to be separated away from the world with you. 

In the midst of the deepest gratitude, I was sitting on the couch and could not help but shake my head and smile.  I giggled out loud thinking of the “Pretend Shingles Commercial” Mark and I laughed about over coffee.  Lord, I have prayed to understand several things and you know EXACTLY which prayer you answered by giving me that “fake commercial’ to share with Mark.  Thank you for blessing our marriage with humor and laughter.  Thank you for revealing that deeper truth to me today of how prayers get answered.  It would be difficult to forget the group of friends at the beautiful brunch at Todd & Danae’s yesterday to go see the new Mission Impossible movie.  It would literally be impossible for me to forget the image of a Shingles commercial filmed in the setting of their home.   Perhaps now I will learn that my husband can sit at a table and genuinely not hear extended conversation on a topic and not take it personally.   Oh, Lord, please press this on my heart with every stinking pharmaceutical commercial we watch.  Constantly remind me with this “shingles giggle” of all you have on my spirit in this moment. 

Thank you, Lord, for returning me to obedience of this variety today.  It is beyond words.   It has always been more than enough to know I am being obedient.   Of course, it is perfect for you to remind me on this man-made holiday WHY obedience is better than sacrifice.    Part of that means including the document which opened for me in MS Word began with this sentence:

“I trust you all know that if Yah puts something on your heart to do and you do not do it, it is a sin. (James 1:22,4:17)”    

Again, you make me giggle.  I see so many different aspects of your Divine Humor.  This post is not perfectly written, and it may not make sense to any other person.  It makes perfect sense to you, Lord.  This release I feel as I close my praises and limited petitions is palpable.  Lord, I ask in the sweet name of Jesus for you to keep me close and grant me your wisdom.  Thanks, Daddy.  I love you.  Amen.

Grief and Gratitude

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Coexist. In the past, I felt guilty for how grief impacts me. That said, I have been a work in progress since my concussion in March. It has been chaos in many ways. Clearly, I have not had the gumption to post or share since being in the hospital.

Adding insult to injury, a new law passed in April which appeared to cause our business to close by year end.

Between grieving the potential loss of our business and attempting to write my husband something for our Tenth anniversary this weekend, the Lord sent a reprieve via another shop owner on Knoxville. God bless Terri and her KV team.

Terri and I shared a wonderful Godversation whereby she clarified something about an amendment which gives the power of “or” to Tennessee vape shop owners. There is clearly more hope than originally understood.

Not today, Satan. I know this is not a full post and it falls short in many ways. However, it is EXACTLY what I am being led to post in this moment. God is still in control and all my eggs are in His Basket.

Crack me open, Lord. Make my yolk more tasty for the world. Help me stand in the gap for your children. Show me how to help them FEEL YOUR LOVE. Give me your words and edit the Carol outta me. I love you. In Jesus name, amen 💜✝️💜

Godly Counsel

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Father God, I am writing the gist of what has transpired the past few days because my heart feels like it will burst if I do not write it down.

First, thank you for using me in any way to help Lyss and John in their healing.  Thank you for friendships and encouragement and for house visitors who share their time so beautifully.  Thank you for teaching me to CLIMB in more ways than one.  Thank you for showing up in spirit on Jess’ face at the climbing gym yesterday.  Thank you for humbling me in so many ways with her yesterday. Please protect her. 

You know why I am still re-reading the letter Mark gave me this morning.  While I will not write about the contents, I will acknowledge I sought Godly counsel from “PNP”.  I have no answers, only more questions.  For now, please show me what must be removed from my mind and what is to be added.  Make me more like you so I can be the wife YOU desire me to be. If it is not of you, I do not need it. Period.

The heart wrenching truth of the Ghana Romance Scams in Murfreesboro which have harmed my sweet Futina are very much sickening my heart on her behalf.   Her husband has not earned a dime in fifteen months of marriage. Her home burned down.  She got it repaired and sold it last month.  She has paid for immigration and other attorney bills for her husband, as well.  Learning the pastor, “Poppa”, is not paid a salary by the church. They pay his rent/mortgage and other bills instead. They fired the woman who moved here four years ago from Chicago for asking questions about the finances. Her job was finance. Immediate red flag, indeed.

Learning the late-night prayer action has more than worn her out, she serves her husband every meal in their bedroom and he does not engage in the household: It is all heart breaking for me.  Waking anyone, much less the elderly, to pray between 3 and 4 am feels like Brainwashing 101. Learning multiple women in her church are married to others from Ghana leads me to believe there is a criminal circle of folks involved.  For heaven’s sake, Futina doesn’t even believe the emails sent were from the man she was told to marry. I know you know all the details I am not writing. Perhaps I was to at minimum, document the outline.

Lord, please protect all those most vulnerable, especially the widows and orphans. James 1:27, 1 Tim 5:3-16 and Matthew 25:34-40 are all proof to me that your heart is already with them. I ask everything, especially the unspoken parts, in Jesus precious name. Amen.  

P.S. I love you.

Soul Fill-Up

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Today, I enjoyed a good chat with a gentleman interested in buying our business. Afterward, I had an enlightening conversation with my husband. It was so good to be on the same page as my husband when all was said and done. Now is not the time for us to sell. After I got off the phone with Mark, I was blessed with over ninety minutes of Godversation with Grateful Gary. What a gem!

I loved learning how he found God as a child and a relationship with Jesus and God through his wife and mother-in-law. Miss Amber and Mimi have Brooke, Emma and Sadie to round out the female team. Since his father-in-law died two years ago on 2/27/23, Gary has his hands full. How beautiful to hear how when Amber’s sister was violently stabbed to death, her son lived with Mimi and his grandpa. After a while, he moved to his dad’s house and died of an overdose at 16. So much loss and tragedy, yet Mimi’s faith is literally like a rock. That kind of faith is astoundingly beautiful. I was nudged to give Gary two of the Vanessa cards and the first one literally took his breath. As it turned out, he literally wrote her a letter when she returned from a spiritual retreat yesterday, thanking her for her impact on his faith. 💜✝️💜

All in all, I am still processing so much of what we discussed. I thought it was over an hour, but when I checked the timestamp for his purchase, he was here for over 90 minutes. It felt like it flew. Time always sprouts wings when the Holy Spirit is ever-so-present. Fascinating to me with all the negative talk about the Catholic Church, the Lord keeps placing faithful Catholics into Godversations.

Praise. Praise and More Praise. Always. MOLA. 🙌

Marks Dream

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We had very slow days at both of our shops today. Roughly an hour ago, I sent my husband a little text prayer and within an hour, we were more than halfway to the goal. It is okay if God does not want to send the entire amount. We trust His plan for our business.

Yesterday was a different type of Sunday for us. We left to eat at Maple Street Bakery and clean out our storage shed near our other shop. It was a super productive afternoon, and it felt good to be actively working toward goals with my husband. I worked non-stop on organizing those boxes and contents at the Smyrna shop today.

Before we cleaned up to leave the house, we talked about a particularly clear dream my husband remembered. Listening to him describe the lack of visibility, it “felt” like the darkly filmed Paramount shows we watch. The gist was he was wearing a long coat, couldn’t toss the ball back in and he was the same age he is now. It would be like me seeing myself in my high school cheer uniform on the side of a dark football field. Just because we do not always see everything in our path does not mean there are not obstacles.

I shared with my husband things I have read about how God absolutely does speak to people in their dreams. In my husband’s case, it is highly unusual for him to recall his dreams. These images and feelings were crystal clear to him. I encouraged him to consider the reason he is now dreaming with recall could be related to the extra time he is spending in his Bible. It was exhilarating to see him perk up during our Godversation.

While I am short on writing time and need to close up the shop shortly, I needed to take a few minutes to at least bookmark this dream and conversation. At the end of the day, we decided we would be taking a vacation together in August. It was downright cute the way Danny and Arlette got so excited to take the cruise with us. Before we went to sleep, tickets were booked and the plan is underway. It is good to have this trip to anticipate in the months ahead.

Father God, please know we truly appreciate all you have done in our lives, are doing at the moment and will do in the future. As we plan to leave our business for a week and trust your provision, please give my husband the same peace in his heart that I have in mine. I know it is you. In Jesus name, amen.

PIE

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Perspective. Intention. Execution. This morning, I keep thinking of the things which God has put on my heart and how they have all played out thus far. When He gave me “PIE” studying the Fibanacci sequence and God’s fingerprint on this earth, I did not see it. Today, I see Pi (God) vs. PIE (human best). I still need to digest that little factoid.

My heart is with Sweet Lyss and her unexpected break up with her love. Lord, you know my prayers for all my kids and the “orphans” you have entrusted to me. Please may they all find their identity with YOU and see how the pieces fit back together so much more intricately. In Jesus name, amen. Thank you for humbling me with learning Miss Elizabeth spent a few days in the hospital and teaching me more about timing. Your timing, not mine.

Thank you, Lord, for that sweet confirmation from my husband last night about Matthew 18. Learning he was taking his Bible to study each day warmed my heart immeasurably more. May you join me during my study time today and draw your deeper truths to my spirit. Thank you for letting me suffer a bit these past few weeks in my crying out for his spiritual leadership. Thank you for humbling me last night to be the wife my husband deserves. So many things will not be typed into words, but I know you know every thought and prayer, regardless. I know great peace when I remember your Word and your promises. You have never left me, personally, and you never will.

I know you forgive my shortcomings completely and it is the human flesh which continues persecute me. When I am completely encased in your spirit, such things are repelled without any impact. Please, Father God, hold me tightly today and direct every step. I love you.

Hands and Praise

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I have been experiencing an issue with focus the past few days. I have these amazing blocks of time hyper-focused and then blocks where I simply want to remove blocks from a game on my phone called Blockudoku. Today, it is clear I need to jot down the gist of where God has had me this week. In a strange twist or perhaps His humor, I finally had a breakthrough in the game and exceeded 6K.

Wednesday evening, Miss Liz brought Stout to visit me at Danielle’s request. We may or may not adopt this s8 month old black dachshund in two months. It will be Mark’s decision, either way, as I promised such after Sunny died. She ended up visiting with Lyss and I until closing time, roughly 2.5 hours. It was clear to me that God wanted her to visit here and just experience His peace. Stout totally enjoyed his visit, as well. It may very well be that Lyss takes Stout or encourages her folks to get him since Wowzer passed Summer 2024.

Yesterday, Miss Futina visited and played “Hard Fought Hallelujah” from Brandon Lake for me. We sang and praised and then I shared “Count Em” with her in return. Oh, how I adore her and treasure her visits with me. Lord, may you convict her brother-in-law when he visits to make things right financially for her family. I can sense that she gets her soul fill-ups here with me more often than not, especially based on how her kids and grandchildren treat her. May she feel YOUR LOVE always.

Shortly after Futina left, Miss Erin arrived. I could feel an exponential weight on her spirit. While I thought it was about an ill family member, I learned it was from being forced to terminate three of her assistants. As she shared, I could feel my stomach churning and the weight of her pain. When I “topped off” in the pain department, I was convicted to pray over her. All I know is that I immediately felt my pain dissipate, diminish and leave my spirit. Fairly quickly, I could see the same happening to Erin.

How I know is that she verbally confirmed the release. Erin immediately shared a praise and worship song she was “bee-bopping” to at her office and a cute story about how a pregnant co-worker on her team listened to it with her. Then, we ended up talking about how our hands literally have the name of God inscribed, just as our breath is marked by Him. We chatted of raising hands and the oath they represent to God. We talked about the “best high fives ever” and how she was Catholic until about five years ago.

All in all, it is clear the world is struggling in countless ways. People are struggling to connect and somehow, someway, God uses me to bridge those gaps. People have always felt connected to us and our store. On this day of commercialized pagan love, I thank my Father in Heaven for loving me so beautifully. I love it when I know He is using me for His purposes. May I love every person who enters the shop today in the ways they most need to be loved. Amen.