Welcome to the Joyful Mama "Lymelight" Adventures! In my warrior story, I introduced myself as a wife and mom who loves Jesus, writing poetry, and sharing stories that inspire others. I help my husband nurture and grow his small franchise business, and we mentor young men and women on both personal and professional growth. Once or twice a year, we travel across the country to learn about the trade and meet other business owners. We love meeting new and interesting people and encouraging them in their endeavors.
Last year, my husband booked our entire family and his small business field supervisor to take a trip for the 2021 Huge Convention in Atlanta, GA. Our two sons have never been on a plane ride, and I had not been on a plane since before I contracted Lyme disease in 2009. In fact, it had been over 16 years since I have been on a plane. With all these firsts for our family, the trip was expected to be epic! Truthfully, I was terrified of the unknown. We were in the middle of a pandemic being exposed to rumors of civil unrest in many of the major cities, Atlanta being one of them. I was struggling with a balance and mobility disorder that stemmed from chronic vertigo. My symptoms oftentimes escalated with exposure to fluorescent lights and electromagnetic fields, and I was wondering how I would be able to manage the airport and the flight. Then, my husband announced that he booked a VBRO at a small house in what appeared to be the inner city, and I found myself fretting over all the "what ifs." Regardless, I braced myself with a determination to pray about it and trust God for his protection and provision.
The Flight
On an early August morning, our family met up with my husband's employee and headed to the airport. I was nervous about going through customs as I had quite a few supplements to pack as well as an empty filtered water bottle and some diet-compliant snacks I brought to get me through the trip. I was unsure how I was going to handle the metal detector with all my sensitivities. Thankfully, the airport staff were wonderfully accommodating; however, I was rather dizzy during the process making it impossible to ambulate onto the plane. When you fly with a disability, the airport staff will call in attendants to assist you with loading onto a plane safely. They have a specialized wheelchair that they strap you into which requires two attendants to lift you up into the plane. It was an extremely humbling experience. When I boarded the plane, I was separated from my family and the airline staff decided to move my seat up to second class for an easier transition onto the plane. The attendant told me I should sit in the aisle seat which did not please the couple who had booked the seats, and they asked me to move to a window seat. As the plane roared and took off, I clutched my Bible, took a deep breath, and said a brief prayer. I asked the Lord to reveal to me his purpose for this trip and that I would see his work. Little did I know, he would answer this prayer in BIG ways!
Introducing Atlanta
The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was an immense hub of activity requiring us to travel a considerable distance amidst a throng of people and take a tram for our rental. We did not have enough room in our rental for everyone and my husband's employee graciously agreed to stay behind so the kids and I could get settled in our VBRO. We packed up into our vehicle and headed to a quiet inner-city neighborhood. As soon as I walked up to the porch of the small house, I was overcome by a musty smell and was hit hard by shortness of breath and vertigo. I sensed I was headed into a moldy building. As I looked at the barred windows on the humble abode, I thought to myself, "What am I getting into?" Upon entering the house, I said this prayer: "Lord, I don't know why we are placed here, and I have no idea how I am going to get through it, but I trust you. You put us here for a reason. Please show us what you are up to."
Once everyone was at the VBRO, we decided to go grocery shopping to accommodate special diets and get the things we needed. Traveling through inner city Atlanta was definitely an eye-opening experience. At just about every stop light and intersection, there were homeless individuals looking for money, food, and assistance. It was apparent that this was not going to be a typical family vacation.
Photo with the Fight Club Team at the 2021 Huge Convention, Atlanta!
The Huge Convention
Most of our trip was spent at the Marriott Marquis of downtown Atlanta, where we networked with other business owners in the industry. It was the first convention since the start of the pandemic. There were some challenges and adjustments needed in this environment; however, the convention was overall enjoyable and inspiring. Owning a small business can be one of the most exhausting yet rewarding endeavors. There is something about talking to individuals with a shared vision as well as similar goals and dreams that reminds you of the reason why you became an entrepreneur and refreshes your enthusiasm for growing your business. Some of the highlights of the convention was being introduced to Zig Ziglar's prodigy, meeting some incredible women entrepreneurs, and sharing our testimony for how we were able to keep our business afloat when my husband was hospitalized for 2 weeks with COVID.
Atlanta in a Pandemic
Our family planned on combining business with pleasure by incorporating sightseeing in the evenings after the convention. Unfortunately, most places closed early and there were not many opportunities for family activities. Our youngest son was very disappointed that he missed out on the opportunity to visit the Lego Museum because of their limited hours. Determined to find a replacement activity, my husband and I perused the internet for options. The only family-oriented establishment that was open after regular business hours was an inner-city bowling alley that required passing through a metal detector by an armed security officer for entrance. The security guard was very kind and said "God Bless you" as we entered the building. The bowling alley itself was rundown and almost empty at first; however, crowds of inner-city kids streamed in for bowling and laser tag as the night went on. It may not have been the ideal sight-seeing activity; however, we made the best of it. My husband and our three children had a fun evening of pizza and bowling while I watched and snapped a few photos to remember the evening!
The Mission
On the trip, our family had to make accommodations for my teenage son and myself which required us to stay at a place with a kitchenette for dietary needs and a private space to retreat from noise and activities when experiencing headaches and fatigue. We typically buy more groceries than what we need in these situations, this trip being no exception. The VBRO owner would expect that we would keep the house in the same condition as they prepared it and probably would not appreciate our leaving the groceries behind. We couldn't bring them on the plane, and we didn't want to dispose the extra food either. My husband decided to find someone in the neighborhood who might want our leftover food. As he approached a neighboring house, there was a woman sitting on the porch. When he offered our leftover food to the woman, she started crying and told him that two days ago, her adult son fell out of his wheelchair and injured himself. The woman tried to rescue him, but it was too late, and she held him in her arms as he drew his last breath. The family had very little financial means and they did not have enough food to go around for his funeral that weekend.
The last night of our trip, my husband and I brought our youngest son over to the house to meet the woman and her other two sons. We gave them all the food we had. There was a lot of hugs and tears as we circled together, and our youngest son led them all in prayer. The woman was very touched by the prayer and said, "Thank you baby." My husband and I both were inspired by the gratitude and the simple faith of this grieving family. It was a very humbling experience.
We left Atlanta early the next morning, watching the glorious sunrise over the city. As I reflected on our business trip, I sensed God's moving and knew that it was his providence that the circumstances played out in the way they did. Shortly after returning home, my husband received a phone call from the homeowner of our VBRO. She was a multilingual Congo native who called her small property an "oasis of hope." She informed my husband that she prayed specifically for a Christian family to stay at her property and prayed that they would minister to the family next door who recently lost their loved one. She said we were the answer to her prayers. We were dumbfounded that God would use our family in such a simple way. Our vacation seemed more like a mission trip than a vacation. Afterwards, both my oldest son and I had painful flareups from the mold exposure; however, it was so worth it!
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Here are some of the sentiments I shared about our trip on a Facebook post:
"For three days, we experienced a glimpse of the "real" and "raw" Atlanta, and it evoked many emotions. I teared up as my husband's employee gave all he had to a pregnant homeless woman and when I observed a disabled woman sitting in her wheelchair with bruised legs and disfigured hands begging for food on the side of the road. I was inspired at my husband's convention when I finally had a chance to meet the Israeli I admired so much. As a young woman, she was homeless herself, but fought to get where she is today. She now encourages and advocates for small business owners. I was introduced to the Columbian refugee who had to flee his homeland with his mother and very few belongings. When he was 17, the Ziglar family gave him a job and welcomed him into their "business family." I was encouraged to hear him describe how he thanks God every day for the opportunity to live in this great country. I talked to a young mom from Texas who buried her husband less than a year ago and is using her business as a way to support her child and share their story with others. Her courage and faith in God to guide her in keeping her husband's business vision alive gave me chills.
I know my youngest son was disappointed that there were not many tourist attractions open to the public, yet I was so proud of him for wanting to take food to a family in the neighborhood we were staying. I cried with the woman who watched her son die this week. Most of all, I was humbled by their simple faith and trust in the Lord as they grieved. I was touched by the look of joy on my son's face when he told me how happy it made him to visit them. No, it was not your typical family vacation yet it was an unforgettable one as I examined the all the poverty, sadness, hope, and most of all the Jesus in Atlanta. I guess when you pray for God to show himself, you never know what you might get. God is always working. Sometimes, we just need to open our eyes and see what he is up to."
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
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2022 Family Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
The year 2021 embarked on another season of confusion, disillusionment, and uncertainty as we attempt to make sense of the “new normal” thrust upon us. The year ended with some tragic losses that hit both our local community and Darcee’s hometown. Bereavement and human suffering are difficult to comprehend in these earthly bodies, but we were made for something greater, and the Lord uses these struggles to more clearly reveal his enormous love and power that stretches far beyond our mortality.
May we cherish moments with our loved ones and give each other enough grace to comprehend that these “light and momentary afflictions cannot compare to the future weight of glory beyond comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things unseen are eternal” -2 Corinthians 4: 17-18
May we keep our eyes heavenward, turn off the news, and focus on the blessings that have brought joy and unity among us. May 2022 be a year of rediscovery and revival as the Iridescent Hope of the Lord’s promises seep into our existence.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” - Numbers 6:24-26
Iridescent Hope
The world around us propels at breakneck speed and delves into the shadowed realms in which we strive to grasp what drives our futile longings to achieve.
When we love, we laugh, we sigh, we weep, and we grieve—our sorrows and muted desires blend instinctively into a kaleidoscope of distant thoughts and uncertain dreams.
When we’ve reached the bottom of cisterns opening our empty souls to infinity, we encounter the Iridescent Hope that which invaded humanity in the frailty of an infant King born to save us and set captives free.
His tiny fists clenched, those wee little hands that one day would open up to carry our burdens nailed to the path of cruelty in the bittersweet arms of Calvary.
The world around us is marred by hate, division, unforgiveness, and ugly brutality.
We weren’t made for such despair, as our hearts were designed to seek mercy in the gentle unity of sacrificial love manifested by the Iridescent Hope of our God King!
“The Steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
For more "Lymelight" Adventures:
https://puresimplewholeliving.blogspot.com/2023/01/lymlight-adventures-nashville.html
https://puresimplewholeliving.blogspot.com/2022/09/out-of-lymelight-adventures-of-warrior.html
https://puresimplewholeliving.blogspot.com/2019/08/victory-over-suffering-pursuit-of-joy.html
https://puresimplewholeliving.blogspot.com/2019/07/victory-over-loss-taking-my-life-back.htm
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