I will forever be amazed by God’s perfect timing.  The last week and a half have left me mentally and physically exhausted.  I am juggling a small group bible study, a leadership training class, a mentor group, training for a half marathon, a singles Fusion group, attending mission trip meetings and trying to find a new place to live.  Most groups have required reading and homework.  All the while, I continue to maintain a busy social calendar.  To say that I have a way too many plates spinning is an under statement.

My mentor group (a different group then I went out-of-town with a few weeks ago… I told you I was busy) had plans to spend the weekend together up in a lake cabin about an hour outside of the city.  We were going to leave at noon on Friday and not get back until Sunday afternoon. I knew the weekend would be amazing.  But, selfishly, the thought of spending 48ish hours away from all of my commitments wasn’t my first choice for a weekend.  I was grieving the loss of those precious hours.

As I sit here on this Monday afternoon, after spending that time getting to know some amazing women and hearing some amazing Godly wisdom, I am blown away about how much I could have potentially missed had I not come gone up there.  Shame on me for wanting to be so selfish with “my” time.

We did lots of talking this weekend about the paths that we are on (or want to be on).  Our dreams, our hopes and our images of the future were all hot topics over these last few days.  We discussed the things in our lives that distract us from those goals.  We had conversations on how being busy didn’t necessarily add up to being productive.  It was basically a hard elbow shove and a “I told you so” from God.  Perfect.

And if that wasn’t enough to get my attention, that seems to be a common theme with several of my groups here lately.  My leadership class is teaching me to release my grip from the other gods in my world (money, jobs, personal appearance, friends etc) and to open my hands (and free my schedule) so that God will fill my life with the things he wants to give me.  The current series at church is entitled “White Flag” and is centered around the thought of running away from what God has for us.

OK, God.  I get it.

My problem lies in the fact that I find enjoyment in every one of my current obligations.  I love the responsibility and thrive within a full, busy schedule.  Most of my groups are Christian based, and therefore good for me, right?  But let’s be honest…. I haven’t blogged in several weeks.  Blogging is my current passion and allows me to de-stress.  If I can’t find thirty minutes to sit down and type, I think there is a problem.

In response to my recent request to pray for all of my spinning plates I was given this advice;  Praying for God to help you prioritize your plates…and allowing you to drop the ones that aren’t as important! Kinda like a Greek wedding right?

Thankfully, a few of these groups are winding down, the housing situation has been resolved and the half marathon is only a few more weeks away.  I am nowhere near Greek, but I will be happy to drop those plates and hopefully a few more very soon!

The lovely ladies I spent my weekend with... Well worth the extra plate!

Snow and I have this thing….  I know all of us get a little giddy when it comes to the frozen participation, but I assure you my thing is different.

Today, as the snow began to fall, the normal anxious and nervous chatter of my fellow southerners amused me as usual.  After living for two years up in Michigan, it takes a whole lot more than a few snow flakes for me fear bodily harm as so many do around me.  Instead, I went and found an empty patient room, closed the door, and spent a quiet moment staring out into the city.  The snow was falling really hard.  I don’t ever remember a time down here that it has snowed that heavily for that long.  Truly an unusual occurrence, and one that took me immediately back to my days up north.

It is so easy for me to dismiss my time in Michigan by complaining of how miserably cold and lonely I was.  I can easily and vividly remember the frigid moments spent scrapping snow off  my car and spending six months of the year in coats and gloves.  But, somewhere in between the horrendous driving conditions and the multiple layers of clothing, that state became my safe haven.  I found myself, tested my limits, and discovered what I was capable of.  For that, I will be forever grateful for that time up there.  And, the snow was a huge part of that.   I had to do so many things by myself for the first time in my life.   If I could do those new things up there in four feet of snow, then I surly can do them down here in the warm deep south.  It’s all about perspective.

The snow also reminds me of my dogs.  I haven’t mentioned them in a long time….  But, (sigh) the snow definitely reminds me their snow boots, the days when the snow was higher than they were, the icicles that Sadie loved to carry in her mouth, being able to let them off their leashes, knowing that they couldn’t run in the deep snow….  Those brave dogs did the Michigan winter with me.  Wow… what I would do to see them again.

*****

I laughed out loud as I had to dust off my car this afternoon… This time using a flip-flop that I had in my car instead of the professional ice scraper that I used to not leave home without.  I also took the long way home today.  I found the curvy and hilly streets that nobody wanted to tackle and I enjoyed the undisturbed winter wonderland.  It was pure joy to experience the snow again, to remember, and to realize how much has changed since my days up in Michigan.  I needed that.  I needed the reminder.  I needed today’s snow.

December 2007: Just another normal day in Michigan...

February 2010: A very UNusual day in Georgia.

And just to complete the trip down memory lane... Here is Sadie, with her Icicle. Taken during my first winter in Michigan.

Thats the word that comes to mind as I think back to this past weekend.

After work on Friday, we loaded up the cars and made the 2+ hour drive to the North Georgia mountains.  What we would find waiting for us was an amazing lake cabin complete with roaring fire places, bunk beds, and screened in porches.  There were eight of us up there this weekend.  These are the eight girls that make up my small group, and the girls whom I have grown to absolutely adore.  We shared stories, s’mores, home-made meals, fuzzy blankets and board games.  It was a picture perfect girls weekend complete with a day of falling snow.

The circumstances of it all can only described as God’s perfect planing.  The ability to pull off such a huge commitment from eight girls that have ridiculously busy schedules with less than a weeks notice…. the way this cabin fell into our laps…. the way eight strangers could become instant friends… the way we could share laughter and tears without any fear of judgment or criticism.  It was magic.  Only God could pull off such a weekend.

A girls weekend is not complete without a puppy to love on.

The Assignment: Find something at the local flea market that is significant to you. Not as easy as it sounded.

Eight girls + Eight kittens = lots of smiles

Endless girl talk, laughter and giggles.

The amazing group.... Picture Perfect.

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.”

Being that my education and career have taken me down the medical path, most stories of injuries don’t impact me a lot.  I have heard and seen some crazy things, and it never ceases to amaze me what people can do to themselves in a moment’s time.  And then there is the story of my friend Richard.

A simple plan to take an afternoon jog down a path that he had probably been on several times before lead to an unbelievable moment in which his whole life changed.  There was a split-second decision.  A miss-step of his feet.  And a fall.  An agonizing 50 foot fall.  And there was concrete.  ….And a guardian angel.

Richard is now laying in a hospital bed with metal in almost every bone in his body as he recovers from “some of the worst” orthopedic injuries the doctors have ever seen.  But, unbelievably, he suffered nothing internal, nothing that affects his brain or spine, and nothing that a lot of physical therapy wont eventually heal.  The boy is a living miracle.

Please keep him and his family in your prayers.  He has months and years ahead of him of healing.  Most importantly, I hope he finds his strength in knowing that his job here must not be done and that there is an amazing plan for him.

Its his birthday tomorrow.  Not exactly the celebration he was hoping for, but one definitely worth celebrating!

Follow his story here.

Saw this movie last night….  Its now one of my favorites!!  Great TRUE story.  Go see it!  =)