Yes, we winter in Paradise. Hurricane Irma wrought havoc with many places not far from here. Amazingly the place we rent on an island in the inter-coastal of the Gulf sustained little damage. At least that’s what we thought – there were only a few issues, but no devastation. Enter the necessary corrections. Life is full of necessary corrections. Now, this isn’t to get your sympathies. We have not experienced the devastation that many did nor are we dealing with catastrophic problems . . . just those annoying noises and awful smells and messes that seem to last forever. You can grumble, or endure, or laugh, or a little of all three. I know those who remain in the north dealing with way too much snow, cold, ice, slush, full time jobs with way too many demands, kids with way too many activities and sicknesses may well be thinking nasty thoughts already about my ‘complaints’, but I’d prefer you laugh and maybe even find a bit of relief. Did you ever hear two cranes go beep, beep, beep for several hours—it’s really nice when they quit.

Now, I’m not from Perfect Country, but Fun Country is in my ancestry, and when fun gets poked at by annoying things, well, it’s just annoying. Stress comes in all forms and as a Bible believer, I strive to follow the admonitions my Lord has given me: Cast all your care on Him for He cares for you. Be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Peace I give you. Do not fret, it leads only to evil doing. He will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him. I know these verses intimately and believe them wholeheartedly. There’s also the caveat of obedience. If you obey, all these blessings follow you (and they are great blessings – check out Deuteronomy 28). Stress is an area in which I sometimes struggle. I do trust the Lord with my life and that of my family and pray earnestly for them and others daily. But those deadlines and those interruptions that keep you from the deadlines or those little things that make a short job take way too much time. . . aaah! I see you guys on facebook and I know they bug you too. But stress is awful for your health, so we really need to heed the verses about trusting rather than stressing.

I’m retired and spending three months in Florida. But in many ways I’m not truly retired. I’m no longer teaching, but now I’m an author. Five of my book have been published, a sixth is scheduled for release this summer. One other is complete and I’m hoping it will be published. Two books are in progress and I want to complete them and see them published. Plus, I do some writing for Guideposts Magazine and I need to keep up with that. But, guess what . . . after the signing of contracts followed by all the rejoicing and jumping up and down in excitement, the editing process arrives and it may be awful or wonderful or both. Then the book is released – it’s amazing and so exciting. My first grandchild will be born this summer – I’ll find out probably that book launches are not as wonderful as grandchildren.

But, after a book is released, the writer is to be the marketer. Some authors are naturals or easy learners on that front. Somehow I missed the gifting, so I must work at it. So anyway, I’m retired but not really. However, I am in Florida for three months and get to walk the beach every day – please, put down the snowballs, and really, don’t spit. Dolphins swim right next to the seawall and our view from the eighth floor is magnificent. We can’t complain, but if we look down there are two huge dumpsters, a porta potty, and the big smelly cooker that heats the tar for the roof repair. The crane rolls back and forth right outside our window and balcony. For some reason when I look in our bedroom bathroom mirror and see the crane going back and forth with tar, debris, and air conditioners I get a little dizzy, but the view past that is marvelous so no complaining . . . things will be great when it’s all done.

So back to the entrance of the necessary corrections. The elevators were damaged by the hurricane. For two months plus, there has been one elevator working at a time, and so much stuff around that area . . . barriers, tools, workers, noise . . . but repair was getting done. Noisy, a little smelly, sometimes a longer wait. Just this week we have two elevators and the doors are clean again, the lobby is almost clean, although the elevator floors are still really a mess. Elevator Two is good except it won’t stop at floor 2 going up, only down, but hey, we have two elevators. Those bugs will get worked out, and the workers have been great.

Now the carports had most of their metal roofs ripped off. Those took just a few weeks to replace, but have you ever heard three or four people pounding rivets into metal I-beams for six hours a day – it’s quite a noise. But hey, we all have carports again.

The roof – well, that’s involved. First they have to move the air conditioners . . . 96 of them. Many residents had to get new ones. Those had to be delivered, dollied in, physically lifted from the 8^th floor through a closet size opening up a ladder – painful to watch. Soon they took them up on the crane. Of course the old ones had to be removed. Then the roof repair needed lots of tar – ever smell hot asphalt. . . it’s bad. The cooker is just outside in one of the parking areas and it’s strong awful sickening smell is carried by the wind up to all the balconies with the beautiful view. No sitting outside when the wind blows your way. Now for some, their air conditioners were off while roof repair was going on and the temperature was in the mid to high 80’s. Because of the smell, though, they couldn’t have their windows open . . . construction in paradise.

When I taught, I had all the fifth grade science classes. I loved doing the chemical experiments. However, when I moved the chemical substances in their sealed containers around in the closet, there was one that made my tongue and lips tingle – literally. All I did was pick it up and move it and I could feel it affect me. I have a hard time going down the detergent and cleaning supplies aisle in a store because of the smells . . . that tar smell made my head hurt.

So in the midst of all this we’re having a big baby shower in our condo for our daughter and son-in-law who will have their first child, a boy, our first grandchild. I am over the top excited and as is my personality, which reveals just a bit of Control Country ancestry, I’m totally focused on having everything ready for this party. The plan is for it to be perfect and fun . . . no wiggle room. Bethany and GC are flying down from Washington DC on a Friday. Bethany texts me Thursday to pray as there is a wind warning . . . 50 plus mph winds for Friday. Bethany and GC have experienced lots of delays when flying, so we’re praying for favor and protection and getting out on time. Thank God they did – later on Friday and Saturday hundreds of flights in the northeast were canceled and delayed.

While they were en route we were notified that our ac is being turned off. Not the following Monday, but today – Friday. At least it was no longer in the mid 80s but the low 70s – we’d be fine without ac. No problem. The kids arrive. There is no construction on the weekend so no smell, no noise, just beauty and no ac. One elevator, lobby full of air conditioner boxes, but we’re good.

Saturday morning. Kids sleeping in and Lee going for a run. I’m finishing up things and starting food. Lee comes back. The elevator is out, not working. We’re on the 8^th floor. 25 people coming to our condo. Not all of them can do stairs. Several of them are bringing food. There’s no elevator. Lee starts making contingency plans. Can we go down to the library on the first floor – it’s such a pretty area and socials are often held there. Oh, wait, it’s full of ac boxes. Okay, we may have to transfer everything to Lee’s sister’s condo on the third floor.

What is my thinking  . . .that the elevator needs fixing! Have they called the repairmen? Where are they? Don’t they know I’m having a party? Lee keeps making plan B. I’m gripping tightly to plan A and praying. I have food and tables and decorations – I have spent days getting it all ready. Well, deep breath, calm down. Okay, I’d better let people know that we may have a problem. I’ll assure them it’ll be fixed, but don’t try to come early. Now I must mention I’d suggested everyone come a little early since it was likely they’d sit for a half hour on the mile-long causeway due to the heavy traffic going into the huge state park that takes up most of the island. The two previous Saturdays and Sundays traffic had taken almost an hour to travel the causeway. But now, it was cooler, so maybe there wouldn’t be such a backup, so no need to be early unless it takes time to walk up eight flights of stairs.

11 AM the elevator works! Thank you Lord!! Judy is breathing and rejoicing – see, I knew all along. Everything is good. Parking maybe tricky for those coming, as the parking lot is full of dumpsters, huge cooker, porta potty, and crane, but it’ll be okay.

Everybody made it. All the food made it. The party turned out well. It was great fun. The food was good. Everyone had a good time. I was happy and thankful as were the mom and dad-to-be.

The kids flew home Sunday – with delays, but only a few hours. They still got a good night’s sleep before work on Monday. I was a little tired on Monday – maybe a bit burned out. The workers returned, worked on the roof and the elevator, the cooker smoked up that smelly tar, but it was a pretty day. Got my walk in. Thank you Lord – all went well for the shower . . . didn’t really need ac and today the wind blew the nasty smells away from us.

Tuesday was the day to get back to my writing deadlines. I’d been so focused on the shower that I wasn’t even sure what my deadlines were. I needed to go over all my to-do lists and just get my head once more wrapped around writing and marketing, promotions and social media.

First on Tuesday, before the workers fired up the cooker and the crane rose in front of me and the hammers and pounding on the roof began, I sat on the balcony with my Bible, praying. Actually they were already on the roof and really hammering, but that was so much better than the hideous tar smell. I thanked God for a great weekend with the kids and all the family on both sides, thanked Him for the beautiful view, and the blessing of being in Paradise, and I asked Him to help me focus on my writing, have ability in marketing, and stamina to do my necessary work.

That’s when Lee called to me to come help, grab some towels, for the kitchen floor was flooding. Whaaat? Or, maybe, Well, of course, why wouldn’t that happen. We had ceiling leaks when we first arrived, had to put buckets in the living room when it rained. Why shouldn’t the kitchen flood? I’m laughing now – I mean, thank you Lord it didn’t happen on Friday before the shower. Lee turned off the water, we mopped up with the towels. Lee got a fan on the hallway carpet where it spilled out of the kitchen. We called Craig who’s in charge of many of the construction issues and he called the plumber. The plumber arrived an hour later . . . that was quick. He and Lee and Craig discuss the situation. I laugh.

He checked to see if it was the dishwasher. It wasn’t, so it went back in – but not quite right, so it began to leak the next day and the little seeps were kind of sneaky. We almost missed it, but the carpet wouldn’t dry. The plumber returned a few days later and that was fixed. But our problem this day was this old, old pipe that was put in years ago to provide water to wash the garbage chute that stood right by our kitchen window. The roofers had discovered the one at the other end of the building but hadn’t located the one at our end. Guess what – we found it. I laughed . . . can’t seem to quit laughing. But to get to it they had to jack-hammer . . . yes, jack-hammer into our cinder-block wall in the kitchen until they found the hidden pipe. Did I mention that I’m laughing? They found it, cut it and capped it off. They’ll fix the hole in the wall when everything on the roof is done and they’re sure there are no more leaks. . . this summer, maybe mid-spring. Can you hear me laughing?

So, we’ll be here a couple more weeks. The cooker is still there, but they haven’t fired it up for several days. We have two elevators as of a few days ago, and when they tested them they had to set off the fire alarms to make sure the elevators respond accordingly. The buzzer for the fire alarm is attached to the outside of the garbage chute – outside our kitchen window. Of course it is. The fire alarm works quite well . . quite loud, quite long. It’s ability to work well is obvious when it goes off every few minutes. There’s a lot of pounding still on the roof. It only bothers me when it’s the same tap, same rhythm for ten minutes at a time right above where I’m writing. Other than that, the intermittent constant noise is just background . . . well, sort of.

Friday they brought two more cranes, another dumpster and another porta potty into the parking area next to the building. Oh, but wait, two more arrived and so there were four . . . the cranes of Paradise . . . the ones that go beep, beep, beep, for a couple hours at a time. Is it illegal to disconnect that beep beep, beep? Some have told me it is. I’m praying I won’t have men in a crane basket outside my window and balcony scraping shingles and nails for our last days here – that would interfere with the beautiful view. But, alas, they’re there today. I can always walk on the beach or go watch the dolphins – they like to hear me laugh.

If you haven’t taken a walk in the woods this season, now would be the time. The beauty and continuous life seen there is breath-taking. The hush of the breeze, the variety of shape and size, the colors that wash over you represent the trueness of God. Even with the death process that is ongoing and the destruction that occasionally attacks, life is perpetual. . . like the first law of motion, that which is in motion tends to stay in motion.

Here in the woods, the motion of creation is displayed wonderfully. Creation is life. Yes, death and destruction attack and destroy, but life keeps going. To believe that God created this in six days is not hard to believe. To think that all this just happened is hard to believe. We have the saying ‘Life goes on’, and how true it is. We cry out against that saying when we have experienced evil and loss. That life goes on seems wrong and unfair. But, be thankful that it does. Look at the plants that grow unaided by human intervention . . . the trilliums, the lady-slippers, the forget-me-nots. A multitude of plants keep on growing, trees grow out of dead trees and through rock. God is life continuing.

We say destruction is from God, we rail against God allowing evil and therefore conclude He doesn’t care. But life is what God does. Life keeps going perpetually. Think of the thousands of years that life has kept going. We think that accidents are God. An unwanted pregnancy may be an accident, yet is is precipitated by the law of sowing seed . . . you sow seed, you reap life. And think about the infant growing in the womb, the wonder of giving birth, the growth of that baby into someone with a totally unique personality, able to talk and walk and create and think brilliantly. Yes, a birth defect is an accident, not God’s original plan, and I know about that.  Yet, considering all that could possibly go wrong in the growing of an infant, because so much goes into that growing, it is amazing that the majority of births are defect free . . . that’s life continuing, God’s plan.

We know the agony of a young person dying at an early age, truly an accident, crying out against all that is right. Truly tragic as it is, it shows God’s plan is for life — for we correctly don’t think of early death as a right thing. We do take note and find comfort in the good that may come of it, but that again reveals that God’s purpose, His grandeur, is life, not death. He will help us go on . . . and it’s right that we do so, allowing His healing and comforting hand to work in us. Life does and must go on.

We see evil in the world, but it is not from God — it comes from without. Even the word evil in English is live backwards. It’s a wrong direction, going against God’s purpose. 

Sometimes we worship what man does, his creative brilliant mind, the many inventions and commodities he has made. But where did that intelligence come from? God began it all with creating a world that perpetually continues, that demonstrates life.  We marvel at science, yet the laws that we use to create are the laws that God placed in the world. The law of lift, gravity, laws of motion, of thermodynamics. All of it we discovered in the world that God created. All the abilities of language, of communication, of intervention, came from the creative mind of God. He created a world that is logistically amazing and interdependent on its working parts.

Even the simplest cell has over 60,000 proteins and thousands of interdependent parts . . . not simple at all . . . except that it is simply magnificent. Some say evolution is true because of similar systems in all animals. Yet, when we find a work of art, or pieces of writing, we identify the creator by the similar patterns. God has similar patterns throughout all living things, but the most marvelous variety you can imagine. We want to call it mother nature, but it’s Father God, who loves us and gave life that continues.

So go outside and find a place where you can consider what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will continue to do. His heart for you is life, continual, restorative life. No matter what has attacked you, what lies have been told to you, God is a life-giving God. His Godly grandeur is perpetual life. Feel free to tap into it.

There it was again. I was out walking, enjoying the day, and my mind reached down and pulled up that hurtful memory like a cow pulling up its cud to chew. And chew I did. I was there again. I rehearsed what they said, what they did. It was simply wrong. It wasn’t true or right. I saw their expression. It hurt. It made me mad. My body tensed. All the words I should have said coursed through me.

Finally, I said to myself, “That was five years ago! WHY am I thinking about that now? I thought I forgot that.” Obviously I had not. As I settled down and focused on why I was remembering so vividly rather than what I was remembering, I had the thought, ‘perhaps I need to forgive’.

The word forgive comes from the Greek word aphiemi which means to release or send away. Bottom line it means ‘let it go’.

Unforgiveness puts us in a prison of torment. They say it’s like preparing poison for the person you haven’t forgiven and then drinking it yourself, not understanding why they don’t change. You live with tormenting thoughts day and night of what they said or did. Those thoughts can exhaust you and dominate everything and anything you need to do.

Unforgiveness makes us ugly. We think we are unaffected because we are sure we are right. The truth is we become difficult to be around. Perhaps we are always the victim, promoting the poor me attitude. Perhaps we put up a wall so no one else can hurt us or deceive us. We also may go on the aggressive, just to make sure no one has the opportunity to do anything against us.

Forgiveness sets us free. Most of us think forgiveness lets the other person off the hook. Not so. It does not deny what they did or that it was wrong. They will have to answer to God, to themselves, and perhaps the civil/criminal court of law. But we can be free of their sin’s control over us. That person may not even know anyone was offended. It’s possible their comment or action was inadvertent. And, certainly, it may have been on purpose, mean-spirited, and downright evil. Either way, forgiveness sets us free from those chains.

Forgiveness is the highest order of life.  If you forgive constantly, if you make a habit of letting things go, life is a joy.  Forgiveness destroys the stumbling blocks of anger, frustration, resentment, bitterness, and wariness that seem to place themselves right in your path. You have opportunity every day to take offense, but it will be poison in your veins.  Forgiveness cleanses you, protects you, and so blesses others. Why not begin developing the habit? As with any habit, you will have to practice. Sometimes you may need to forgive the same thing many times, but it becomes easier and easier.

I spent a whole summer walking and forgiving.  It seemed all those things that had festered below the surface were brought up to my mind, like the cream rising to top so it could be skimmed away. I learned to let it go, to skim it away. Some were easier than others, but I began to develop a pattern, and I began to learn to recognize the poison for what it was. Looking back, a lot of good doors opened after that summer. I think when those ugly thoughts aren’t dominating our thinking that we are open to hear God’s thoughts and good plans for us. I still have to work at it at times, but life is so much better when I let it go.

I had a book to write, not only write but finish.  I did not have a publisher yet setting deadlines, but I knew inside I needed to write and to get it done.  I have 2 other books partially done and one that I need to rework, but this one I knew I had to get done. But I was distracted.  Everyday there was something else that demanded my attention whether trivial or important. I kept setting goals to write 2 to 3 hours a day. That seemed reasonable. Gosh, I knew authors who wrote daily for 4 hours, even 8 hours.  2-3 hours should be doable, I told myself.  However, there never seemed to be enough time in the day, or if there was on occasion, I just could not sit myself down for that long. I was like a little kid with no discipline it seemed. And so because I couldn’t see that happening, I didn’t start.

After a couple months of this, rather than apologizing to the Lord daily about my lack of discipline, I asked Him how I would ever get it done.  Inside, I felt Him ask how I got my first novel (already published) written. I replied, “In 45 minute segments, here and there.” It was as if He said, “then do it again – it’s how you write”.  Amazingly, that was my answer.  I could easily set aside 45 minutes, and because I could, I did. Often those 45 minutes turned into an hour and a half and sometimes a few hours, but the 45 minute thinking allowed me to start. About 3 months later the book was finished.

I have since found that the 45 minute principle helps in all sorts of other things.  Maybe I should walk an hour a day, but I just can’t get it together enough to do that. However I can walk 45 minutes. Sometimes in the morning I wish I could spend 2 hours in prayer and bible study, but with everything else that needs to get done, it won’t happen.  I can often get in 45 minutes, though.  And if 30 or 20 is all I can do on somedays, that’s OK.

Now, the chores. The closet sorting, the cleaning, and all those things we don’t enjoy. They take hours and hours. But wait, I can do 45 minutes. When it comes to that closet, I tell myself “45 minutes, that’s it. What I get done, I get done, and then I’m off to other things. Now, if I get into it and want to go longer, well I can if I want to, but all I’m promising is 45 minutes.

My sister-in-law’s closet collapsed – she said the closet cyclone hit and put a picture on facebook.  I immediately commented: Go in 45 minute segments and do phase one . . . get rid of all the clothes you don’t like and know you’ll never wear. If you aren’t sure, just leave it. And take them away immediately if not sooner. The next day do phase 2: get rid of the clothes that don’t fit and adopt the thought ‘I can bless someone with this’ rather than ‘Oh Gosh, I really like it, so and so gave it to me, maybe it will fit next year’. And take them away. Phase 3 is those things that you so loved and paid so much for but after you got them home they just don’t work. It seems such a waste and you should really wear them.  If so, wear them. But if you can push yourself a bit, be realistic and let someone else be blessed.  When I do this I can fit what I actually wear into my closet space and I can see those great things I forgot I had.

You can apply the 45 minute principle to just about any chore and responsibility in your daily life – probably any pleasure, too. Only spend 45 minutes on that hobby, or puzzle, or facebook, or reading your favorite magazine, so you can still get the other things done that are necessary. You may have to adjust it to 30 minutes, but if you tend to procrastinate because the job is overwhelming and you know it will take so long, chunk it up and do it in incremental segments. You will always see progress this way and progress brings success.