Thank goodness for a slow waitress….

“Ladies, turn around.  It’s not safe here.  Go back and get a coffee at Sarbucks.”  That’s what Whitney and I heard last Wednesday night from a police officer.  We were downtown Indianapolis to meet my niece and some of her friends at a restaurant.  We were all in town for a conference that was taking place downtown Indy.  After the delicious pizza our waitress was being rather slow in getting our bill.        After we got things settled up at the restaurant, Whitney and I began our walk down to my car.  A couple blocks away the road was blocked off and police were every where.  We headed back to Starbucks at the police’s suggestion.  They closed 5 minutes later.  We checked online for the story which said a man was on the 16th floor of the apartment building on the next block shooting down onto the sidewalk.  Yikes!  We called Whitney’s husband to come get us.  We thanked God that our waitress was slow because had we left the restaurant 30 minutes earlier we would have been in the area of the apartment building.

I went with Whitney to help in her classroom Thursday so we were not able to retreive my car until after work .  On the windshield were three parking tickets!  I am in the process contesting them and to show up in traffic court.  
God takes care of us even when we don’t realize we need protection.  “The Lord watches over all who love him…My mouth will speak in praise of The Lord.”  Psalm 145:20-21
Thank you Lord!
Life on the journey,
Trish

A New Season

The trees here in Michigan are beginning to change colors and leaves are falling.  On my walk today I picked up these leaves:

Collin, my last child, is off to college.  I made it through last year with all the “firsts” of Neal’s death.  Now I’m all alone in this big empty house.  I find myself in a double new season of life:  a widow and empty nester.  What now?  I am trying my hand at cake decorating at JoAnn Fabrics and have joined a hospice grief group.  It’s time to find some way to serve.  I have no idea what I want to do so keep watching to see what God unveils!

Like these leaves we all go through changes in life.  Each one is a different shape, different color and goes through changes at different stages.  One thing I have learned with grief is that it is messy.  You go in and out of stages never getting over it but getting through it.  Each day is a little easier.

On the journey,
Trish

“Trust in him at all times, you people, pour out your hearts to him…”  Psalm 62:8