Practice Makes Perfect?

When Alberto formed a couple of weeks ago, I thought this would be a good time for a practice drill to be sure we have our hurricane preparedness plan at home working. I asked Jim to show me how to work our new shutters which all we need to do is close, pack and leave. I like the sound of that, don’t you? Anyways, we pulled the shutters together, easy, easy, easy and then I asked, why is there a lock on the handles? He said, because you need a key and then I asked, where is the key? He looked at me as if to say, I thought you had it. When you have been married 18 years, you don’t have to speak, a “look” speaks volumes. I looked back at him and I said, no I don’t have the key so where do you think it might be? Oh brother, we failed miserably our first hurricane practice drill and a week later we still have no key. I am not stressing at this point but when Tropical Storm Beryl forms and we still have not found the key, I may become postal!

My life is a lot like this story, I can have a plan on how I think it should be but if the main key is missing then I am left feeling stressed instead. I personally always make the mistake of trying to plan my own life because I become so wise in my own eyes. Then I realize when I can’t get it right that I just need to stop looking to myself but instead look to my Heavenly Father. I am a lot like my grandchild Veronica when she was going to Joy Club at church yesterday until she saw her mother, then she changed her mind and wanted to go with her mother, then she changed her mind again crying hysterically that she wanted to go to Joy Club, then she got even more hysterical because she changed her mind again and wanted to go with her mother. By this time, my daughter Tammy decided for her that she was going home with her and that put Veronica into an emotional meltdown and she had to be carried away kicking and screaming while her mother by this time was crying too. I was ready to beat that child myself but later I thought about how much I do the same thing with the Lord, I plan to do this, then I plan to do something else and the list goes on and on and the next thing I know I am hysterical like Veronica and God decides for me what I am going to do when all I had to do was spend time with Him and he would have directed me before I got to that point. Obviously, my grandchildren have no chance with my genes. Pray for them!

Donella Gallo
"Empress" of Hurricanes

Storms Of Life

According to the weather report all is quiet in the tropics right now and as I was reading this I thought how great it would be if we all had a radar to watch to see when a storm of life is about to come our way personally. Unfortunately life is not that way at all so we have to be prepared spiritually each and every day as we may face a new day where all may be quiet or we may face a day where we have a Category 5 coming. One never knows what each day may bring but we can take comfort in knowing that God knows and watches over us and is able to protect and prepare us for the storms we will be facing.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9,
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Life is so full of storms it seems, just like hurricane season they come when you are not ready and when you least expect it and you are never prepared. Who can prepare for the day to day dramas that affect all of us in one way or the other except to just trust in God to take care of us in the midst of each crisis. The hope we have that he is continuously holding on to us as the storms of life are knocking us down and that we will be able to get back up and go on with our life once again.

I think about the young men and women giving their life in the war for all of us here to have a better quality of life and the men and women before them. I think about my son n law, Daniel who is in law enforcement and all those he serves with who put their life on the line for all of us daily. Personally, I have not had to give up my life for anything or anyone and I feel blessed and priviledged to know that there are people I do not even know who are fighting for you and me. That encourages me to keep going no matter what storm I may be facing today because these are people who see something bigger than themselves and are willing to take a risk daily for something they believe in.

There are flowers in my yard that remind me to pray for people in my life such as my Pastor and his wife Charlotte. During the last two years of hurricanes, like everyone else has experienced, every plant in my yard died except one bougainvillea. It actually bloomed even more after the hurricane and that reminded me so much of my own Pastor and Charlotte as they persevere through it all. They are both such an encouragement to all of our staff and to me and my family as they bloom in this garden called life!

My prayer and challenge today is to be more like the bougainvillea and that I may bloom more after the storms passes.

Donella Gallo
"Empress" of Hurricanes

Let's Prepare

This cartoon is ssssoooo Jimmy and myself, especially last year when we found ourselves putting up our old metal shutters at night. You really find out how grounded your marriage is when you are carrying heavy metal pieces in the dark and trying to hold them up on the house while holding a flashlight between your teeth to see. I’m not sure who cursed more, me or him, or possibly the neighbors trying to sleep to the sound of our electric screw gun. You know I am only kidding about the cursing, of course, and now we have the best hurricane shutters on the market and all we have to do is close them and run for the hills of Georgia, Tennessee or North Carolina. Personally, I’m not sure our marriage could have taken one more year of the other shutters without devastating consequences, so we already feel more prepared.

Just like we prepare for anything else in life I believe we need to be prepared for hurricanes when you choose to live in the state of Florida and Dr. Steve Lyons, the Tropical Weather Expert has some great ideas on getting ready in advance. His blog is on the Weather Channel, he is forecasting 17 named storms, including 9 hurricanes and 5 major (Category 3+) hurricanes. Check it out and see what he recommends in preparing this early in the season, it is titled: Here It Comes!

Discover Your Design has taught me that I am designed for development so that explains why I like to pass on whatever information I may have on anything that I value such as the Bible, DYD, marriage, raising children, and yes even hurricanes. I do not claim to be the “expert” on these subjects but as I acquire information I like to pass on to anyone that may want to know. For many years I kept all the hurricane information to myself because people just were not interested but now everyone is asking me questions and I find when you have the opportunity to live out your design it is very rewarding.

I am receiving e-mails from some of you who want to be sure to be included on our calling list for Hurricane Preparedness to help our singles and elderly and I will be calling some of you that were on our list from last year to see if you will still be available this year. I will keep you posted on the information we will be putting together for any upcoming storm preparation and please give me any input or ideas you may have so that we can be better prepared for 2006. There is always a great sense of community during these times so let's see if we can begin to get others involved too.


Donella Gallo
"Empress" of Hurricanes

It Has Begun

Well folks,

It is that time again where I begin to watch the Caribbean and Atlantic Satellites to see if I need to get out my tankini and prepare for our family vacation to Valdosta Florida. (I promise to wear it for our church beach event once I sew up the hole in the knee)

Personally, I am still worn out from the last two years of hurricanes as I am still cleaning up debris from 2004 but this is the cost of living in paradise. So I will begin my regular updates and preparations so that we can make it as smooth as possible since all goes to hell in a hand basket once it is approaching.

What I need for you to do is to give me names of church members, family, friends or neighbors that you think would like to be involved in helping our singles and elderly. They do not have to be church members, this could be a great outreach for those who you know that do not attend church but like to be involved in things like this. I will be putting together a list of men and women for us to be able to count on to help before, during and after the storms - I really want this to be well thought out and planned ahead of time.

I will be making calls to those who were on the list before to find out exactly what part they would like to be involved in this year and once I have established that and have additional names to include we will get everyone together to establish the hurricane plan for 2006.

Any ideas or input that you may have, please pass along to me!

Donella Gallo
"Empress" of Hurricanes