Tonight I write from my deck, or at least will attempt to, provided the mosquitoes don’t try to make a late-night snack of me.  For now tho, I am attempting it.  The sun hasn’t set yet, so there are still signs of light as the birds seemingly sing another song before calling it a day.  My fountain is running,  added with the sound of the birds, I feel very at peace. What a difference 24 hours can make!

Last night I rode with Jane and hubby Dan to the city to celebrate their 44^th anniversary. (Happy Anniversary again Jane and Dan! Thanks for inviting us to celebrate your special day.) We met Dell at his store, where I rode with him to dinner. We had a great time!  After dinner I wanted to drive by Jason’s house to drop of Father Day cards for he and Joel, as he was going to spend the weekend with Joel, and was leaving early this morning.  Dan and Jane headed home, a smart move on their part I might add. Jason nor Susie were home so I left the cards in the mailbox. We called Jason to tell him we’d dropped something in his mailbox and it turned out he was at WalMart near his house, so we stopped by the store to see baby Elizabeth for a minute.  We then wanted to drive by two houses that I’d seen on realtor.com and was sort of intrigued by.  These houses were past where Amy lived so we stopped to say hi to her and the girls.  We stayed for just a few moments, long enough to see that tornado watches were out for most of the state, and tornado warnings were out west of where we were.  I tried to figure out what time it would hit, and to the best of my ability decided it would probably be around 11:00pm. I figured we had time to go find the houses then head home.  Amy told us she’d keep an eye on the TV in case anything developed weather-wise, and off we went.

Dell and I never did find the houses.  By now it was starting to get dark and I began to feel ominous.  Perhaps it was knowing tornado watches were out, or perhaps it was a premonition of what was to come.  I told Dell to sit back and rest as I drove home.  Within 20 minutes of being on the road I could see clouds building through lighting in the distance.  That feeling of ominous grew even more.

We were headed in a northwesterly direction where home is. Why is there such a feeling when a storm is brewing?  I could feel it, Dell could feel it, we could see the clouds rising higher and higher through the lightning.  Dell called Amy and asked her to find out what was happening.  Amy got on the weather channel to see we were headed RIGHT into it if we kept going in the westward direction, which no matter what we’d eventually have to do on our 70 mile trip.  The storm appeared to be moving south of our city, but here we were, southeast of home! No matter which way we went, we’d have to go through it. Dell decided we needed to take one of those small state highways vs. getting on the interstate so we could travel more in a northerly direction instead of heading west, then north.  I wasn’t sure I agreed with the way he was telling me to go, but on the other hand a tornado had been spotted directly west of where we were.  He was trying to avoid it by going north instead of west.  Me? I was honestly in a state of fear, and didn’t relish the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere with what was moving in. Somehow a busy interstate with other people around seemed more fitting to me. But I followed his directive and took the small state highway.

So on the small state highway we began. This highway took us around dead-man type curves, and out into the middle of nowhere as the clouds built more and more as I could feel the storm approaching.  Regardless of the fact Dell kept screaming at me to go faster and faster, (I was already doing almost 80, trying to keep control as I approached curves)still the storm was moving in too quickly.  In a small town, one you wouldn’t want to blink your eyes in or you might miss it, Dell told me to pull over, he was going to drive.  No sooner did he start to get out of the car to switch places with me than the wind suddenly became violent, dust blowing all around us, tree limbs falling and a wall of torrential rain began to blow sideways, blown by the wind. Lighting was streaking all around us, there was no way we could switch drivers and there was no way I was going to stay in this small town with trees that lined the street we were on. We had no choice, we had to keep going.

Out in the middle of nowhere now, the rain was so heavy and the wind so strong I couldn’t see hardly anything, and yet Dell kept screaming to go faster!  I tried, but losing control of the car was a much greater fear to me than Dell yelling at me!  “I can’t!” I said!  “I can’t see!!”  He seemed to calm down just then when “THUD!” a tree limb fell on his Camry.  Dell babies his car beyond belief, but I think at this point, as we watched a swirling cloud overhead, he was more concerned about what might blow in from this cloud we were both watching through the lighting, as it was pitch black.  It got SO bad, and I was so afraid I did the only thing I knew to do, I began to pray.  I remember the story of how Jesus calmed the storm when the disciples felt that they were going to drown.  In that moment, as afraid as I was I figured if He did it for them, He could do it for me.  “Lord! I am in trouble here!  I know you can calm the storm, please help me!!! Calm the storm!  Not only around me, but calm the storm in me!”  I remembered a song I love that had the verse, “Who could calm the storm in me.” To myself I began to sing that verse, over and over I sang it to myself.  It was so loud from the wind and the rain and things falling around us, I don’t know that Dell could hear I was singing.

Suddenly I felt this incredible spirit of peace come over me, and I looked up above and I KID you not, the clouds in front of me began to part with a soft light shining through!!! I am going to guess within 3 miles of where I said that prayer, the storm subsided to a gentle rain and within 8 miles, it had completely stopped!  I felt a power I’m not sure words could begin to explain as I began to cry, tears running down my cheeks!  Dell looked at me and said, “I’m so sorry, are you okay?”  “Yes!” I said in a voice of complete victorious tears!  “I am experiencing a miracle right here, right now!”  I began to explain to him what had happened……….he sat there awed as he admitted that he himself thought it odd how quickly we were suddenly out of this horrendous weather!  He then confessed that the same thing had happened to him years earlier when he was once driving in a similar-type storm. That when he had prayed that time the clouds parted, sort of how it had just happened.  Neither one of us said hardly two words the rest of the way home.  The power of God in that car last night was SO overwhelming!  I can still hardly tell the story without getting all teary-eyed.  This isn’t the first time I have screamed out to God in fear!  All I could say to Dell when we got home was sometimes to see miracles you have to experience some real icky scary things!  As afraid as I was, in the end, I got to experience God’s mighty power to control even tornado weather!

I know, there may be some skeptics that would try to explain this away as a normal weather happening, but I know what I saw!  Clouds parting, a soft light coming through even tho it was 10:30 at night! I know that the rain stopped, the storm stopped!  I know the power of God that calmed the storm in me in the same instance He was calming the storm out!  It really can’t be explained any other way than a very beautiful miracle, and I lived it. It strengthens my faith.

I came home, exhausted from all the stress, then the tears from the power of God. I fell into bed and slept the most sound, beautiful sleep.  Peace from the storm.

When I awakened this morning I knew it was time I faced some things I haven’t wanted to face, and that’s the mistakes I have made with my property. I began by writing an email to my realtor.  I seldom get upset with anyone, but I am very upset now with these people who have led me on and on, time and time again by spending HOURS on my property as if they really plan to buy it!  Here we are again! It’s been almost another week, after insisting they MUST see all 3 houses, of which I had to impose on my renters to show their house, and they have not said ONE word to me nor my realtor!  I feel the least these people could is let me know where they stand. I had put the most ridiculous offer on the table to them, knowing that the apparently love the place! I had dropped my price $30,000 even!  They spent hours here, dragging all their family members!  I was patient and tried to be understanding, even tho this is like the 7^th time they have come and done this!  This time tho was too much……..after all the leading on that this would be it, they NEVER bothered to as so much give me nor my realtor feedback.  I kept waiting, but by this morning I was through.  So I emailed my realtor and said that my offer of $30k less would no longer be good after next Wednesday. That I felt they were being most unfair with me.  I also confessed where I’ve been wrong!  The trashed out rental should have been restored a LONG time ago!  Because I was so hurt and am so emotionally entangled with this house, having lived there 20 years and raised my kids there, I have just ignored it.  That is MY fault! I guess I just kept lowering the price thinking someone else could deal with it.  Now I had confessed it to my realtor and decided it was time to go in there, wear my big girl panties and DO what should have been done MONTHS ago!  This is business and it is time to fix it!!

My realtor wrote back and ENTIRELY agreed with me!  She said I was too generous offering the special price till next Wednesday.  “I would take it off the table tomorrow!”  She suggested.  I agreed.  I am SO ready to move on!  These people will not be allowed to see the property again.  I don’t want to be like that, but it is “business!”  I WILL learn to be a better business woman!  I am determined!

After fixing all of that mentally, I headed for Home Depot to pick out paint.  Dell convinced me not to start today.  It was so hot and so sunny, all I really wanted to do was head to the pool anyway.  Tomorrow!  I will start tomorrow. Really, I mean it!

To the pool I headed.  I didn’t put my pool up this year with the thoughts we would be moving, besides I convinced myself, I pay $XX each month to be a member of the health club who takes the dome off the pool in the summer. I can swim up there.  I floated on my chair for about 1.5 hours. I then got off and began working out. I didn’t realize how hot it was!  Suddenly I heard my name. It was Katie!  Katie was someone who was pretty spiritual and was very into things I had never really studied, IE: reincarnation, and spiritual connections.  When I first met Soul Mate, we began talking about these things as I finally broke down and told her my whole story. It was weird as Katie was like the twin’s age, but she had a maturity to her. I guess some would call it an old soul.  We could talk for hours as she would explain what she knew, and I would share what I knew about God. We found the most incredible middle ground back then (7 years ago).  She ended up going to a very prestigious journalist school out east to get her Masters. From there she moved to Washington DC, where she got a job with the AP.  I hadn’t seen her in SO long!  I was SHOCKED to look up and see her!  We talked as she caught me up with her urban life, and I caught her up with all I had learned on the journey!  What I didn’t realize is I was becoming faint because the sun was so hot and I’d been in it way too long!  It was great catching up but tonight I am beyond belief burned! I don’t think I have been this burned in years!  And I was REALLY tanned!  Who put what in that sun today, or who turned up the heat?  What’s really strange is I was ONLY out for about 2.5 hours! I NEVER burn like this in that amount of time?!  Dell had suggested we head for the beach tomorrow, the beach that’s a real beach 2 hours from here.  But being as burned as I am tonight, I’m not sure I can take the sun tomorrow? *sighs*

Besides, don’t I need to get working on the trashed out house?  Time is ticking……isn’t it?  I am seriously considering once again renting all 3 houses, Jane has considered being my property manager, while Dell buys a house in the city. I can keep my beautiful property as an investment, and Dell can buy his house as a first-time buyer, thus getting that generous tax refund!  It’s all just a thought at the moment, but the thought is growing stronger and stronger.  I just wonder if I will be able to find a job in the city?  But first things first!  FIRST: I MUST fix what is broken and that is the trashed out rental.  And really who knows?  Someone could come along tomorrow and *poof* want to buy the place!  Stranger things have happened you know! Like watching clouds part, and a soft light come through as the storm dissipated.  Yeah, stranger things have happened.   And if not, then I have a feeling God has His reasons it hasn’t sold, and probably has some really pretty awesome plans in store, if I will only trust.  Tonight that doesn’t seem near as hard to do!

I close with a smile as I think over the past 24 hours.  What comes to mind is that saying I love,  “If you want to see the rainbow, you have to endure the storm.”  It seems so very true, after all, I experienced it last night. And now, I will apply it to the other areas of my life.

As the faith, love, and light lead me on.

Goodnight,

~Sunshine

GNTS:  What a miracle I experienced last night!  It sort of reminds me of when I met you. Having been shown you in that vision 5 years before we met, one day you were standing right before me, even tho I didn’t know who you were,  I began to realize that you were the one I was shown! I remember seeing a light from heaven shining down on you when you walked across the stage for sound check, the recognition of you when you took my hand for the first time and looked in my eyes, well, when I was able to put it all together a few weeks later, I realized what a miracle it was the you were brought into my life! Only the wonder of it all really didn’t begin to hit till the journey was well underway! I look at all I have learned, how much heaven seems to make sure we still find one another! Without really knowing for sure, I believe we touch one another’s life with so much love without ever really talking, as you remain faithful where you are, and I remain faithful where I am, we still are spiritually connected and I honestly don’t believe that will ever go away.  It makes me happy. I still send you love and light every day, as well your wife. I believe she is such a gift too, as she fills your days with happiness and joy and that fills me with the same knowing you are doing so well. My heart is always there with you…………love is so big, I know there is room for many to love us!  If you can’t tell, I still feel very touched tonight by the light. I want so much to share it with you. Happy Father's Day!  Goodnight  ~just me

Tonight’s song has the verse I kept singing over and over in the midst of the storm. "He calms the storm in me."  It amazes me how some things are planted in our souls and so readily available when we need them the most!  This song is words of life to me, I hope all that read here enjoy it too.