Have you ever been really tired, seemed to be moving around in a hazy fog, yet can’t get to sleep? Well, that happened to me last Saturday night. I went to bed, watched a little t.v., and waited for the Sand Man to come. Alas and alack, he was late making his rounds! (g)

     About 2:00 am, I swung my feet over the side of the bed to make a little trip and take care of one of Nature’s functions. Well, as my feet hit the carpet, I heard a little splish splash sortofa sound. My feet were in water! Not of the magnitude of the Jamestown flood, but water.

     My first thought was that I’d spilled some of my soda on the carpet. That’s a major "no no" in our home. Of course, had I not been operating in a haze, I’d have realize that there was far more liquid on the carpet than twenty of my soda jugs would hold.

     I grabbed a towel and thought I’d soak it all up and try to get on with going to sleep. The towel didn’t make a dent. Now, I had a soaking wet towel and the carpet was still serving as a home for rainbow trout! (g) I grabbed another towel and had no less failure to lessen the problem.

     I didn’t get any sleep at all. Have you ever had your brain lock on to solving some kind of problem and just wouldn’t shut down? Welcome to my brain that night. It was a very long night and I seemed to get blearier and blearier. I finally concluded that water must be coming in from outside. Was it a broken water pipe under the slab? Had a rare rain a few nights before seeped in somehow? Was the air conditioner involved? I just didn’t know.

     About 8:00 am Sunday morning I called our son, Tim, who lives here in Sarasota. Within a few minutes, Tim, Debbie and their three great kids (our grandkids) showed up at our home with various and sundry implements of destruction! Steve, Ben, and Rachael (the three grandkids) pitched in, moved stuff out of the bedroom, pulled up the carpet, cut out and threw away the soaked pad, and set up fans to help dry the carpet so it could be restretched. What a hard working crew!

     In the meantime, Tim was outside fixing the problem. It seems that the little vent that allows the moisture collected from inside our home to drain away had become plugged with dirt and leaves. He unplugged it, put a pipe on the drain to send it away from the house, and generally solved the problem. How grateful we are for family that will come alongside and help when our ox is in the ditch.

     As I’ve thought about this event, it occurred to me that it doesn’t take much of a plugged drain in our lives to backup all the stuff that should come out and flow away. What plugs up our lives? What channel needs to be cleared? I’d like you to provide these answers. Hit my name in the lower corner and let me know what you think. I’ll get back to you, for sure!

"CLOSE TO THE CORN FIELDS"...

- Good piece! I always enjoy hearing stories about how people come to Jesus. The more I hear the more it seems that it's Jesus who actually does the calling and the work. For some amazing reason, He allows us, occasionally, to be present while He draws a heart into His own. You are privileged to have someone like that regularly chatting with you in cyberspace. May God bless that friendship!

- Oh, PapaJ........This is fabulous to hear of a person who has turned their ways over to the Lord like this. It make one feel all warm and hopeful inside for those who are lost and don't know our Father yet. The Lord will speak to anyone who will just let Him.......God bless ya!! As usual, your stories make my week!!!!

- I just read your latest. These words leapt out at me: "She pretty much just takes Jesus literally at His word and proceeds in a kind, tactful way to share Jesus and pray for those in her community." What a wonderful thing that is! Oh, that we would all pretty much take Jesus at His word. I'm learning to.

- The year that my husband and I graduated from college, we lived in a small town (est. population 150)...we went to one of the little churches in town and became friends with a group of farmers (including a couple of pig farmers)...including a weekly bible study. For the previous four years we had been involved in Bible study and worship with students and professors...so our faith experience was pretty "heady" stuff. Then we met these farmers who were so dependent on God for their daily bread...they prayed for rain...they thanked the Lord for his blessings of family, provision; it was very down to earth and added a balance to our faith walk. Thanks for sharing!

- Just a short note to tell you that I enjoyed the article so much and am so amazed by what God does in my life and the lives of others. He is so wonderful to love us and make it possible to have a personal relationship with Him

- This is an excellent piece. Your friend has come so far!! It is awesome to see how God works in people’s lives. I think this young lady needs lots of prayers and encouragements. (Don't we all in our Christian walk?)

     It is very heart warming to know that she survived all of the abuse and all the other obstacles in her life to find our Lord and Savior and to avidly seek after Him. I absolutely love hearing how she is sharing her Savior with all she comes in contact with. Please let her know that there are those of us who will be remembering her in prayer and thoughts.

     She is one very unique, brave lady to have gone through so much!!! Our God is an awesome God!!!! Just wanted to let you know that this story really touched me deeply. Sometimes, those of us who have grown up in church and should be letting our light shine more----are actually not as strong and brave as those who really know the total difference in living for HIM!!