The Calm Before the Storm

24 to 36 hours. That's all the warning Edouard has given us. Currently it's still a tropical storm, but the gulf coast is preparing as if it were a Hurricane. The keyword is "be prepared". For us, that meant boarding up the windows. We moved into this house after Rita '05, and kept procrastinating buying plywood. Not this time.

An all day ordeal, beginning at 7 AM with a borrowed truck to pick up the plywood. Lots of measuring and cutting and regrouping...I'll save some of the details, but trust me when I say it was ALL DAY and it was an ordeal!

Now the focus is on the inside - trying to waterproof what we can in the event of flood waters. As a Quilter for Hire I have had to implement a hurricane plan to insure my customer quilts are as protected as possible. I actually did this last year with the purchase of "space bags" -- you can see more photos on my webshot album . I'm actually "taking a break" from loading up these bags (it's 9:30 PM for the record). All the customer quilts were taken care of first, now I'm loading my stash, my thread, and my personal quilts. The batting has already been moved to the attic as have my bolts of fabric that I use for my Square in a Square samples/classes.

I think I've discovered the burden of having too much stuff. It demands time and attention. Whoever said "Less is More" was very correct (I believe that was the name of a Mennonite cookbook I once borrowed from a friend). I actually have personal testimony to the fact that "less is more" ~ we sold all our stuff back in 1998 and lived in an RV for almost 4 years traveling and working on the road with our then-teenage sons and Pixxie....and had all we needed! but that's another story ....

Stuff. Can't take it with you. Can enjoy it while you're here or while it's in your possession, but it's not worth loosing sleep over. I hope I can say that with true conviction this time tomorrow after we've experienced Edouard. (Who names these things anyway, I can't even pronounce it!! and I've noticed that the newscaster have difficulty too).

I've been leaning on a popular Christian song since yesterday...we actually sang it in church during the morning services, but it became my theme song, if you will, once I discovered about 5:30 PM Sunday that we were under storm watch...it's by Tree63 and is based on a verse in Job. I've included the words below and would encourage you to download it from iTunes...that and another song I can't place right now with the lines "sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child" by Scott Krippayne I believe...

I'm resting on these thoughts and my faith in Christ alone as we experience "the calm before the storm"

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name