Shifting Gears: Encountering Roadblocks

By Nora Kirlew-Hampden

Nora Kirlew Hampden is a two time cancer survivor. She has authored and published the Inspirational book, Side-Swiped, My Journey with Peritoneal Cancer: When the Unexpected Happens.
She appeared on the Inspired Living segment of the Fox 8 News with her story. She has also shared her journey with audiences in North Carolina and Canada. Nora’s latest Inspirational book is Shifting Gears: Encountering Roadblocks. She resides in North Carolina and has two adult sons and one grandson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nora Kirlew-Hampden
• Release date: Nov 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301926213

Nora Kirlew-Hampden

Nora kirlew Hampden is a two time cancer survivor. She has authored and published two Inspirational books: Side-Swiped - My Journey with Peritoneal Cancer; When the Unexpected Happens and Shifting Gears - Encountering Roadblocks. She has two adult sons and one grandson. She resides in North Carolina.

Book preview

Shifting Gears

ENCOUNTERING ROADBLOCKS

Nora Kirlew Hampden

Copyright 2012 by Nora Kirlew Hampden

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 978-1480185913

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

All scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible; King James Version.

The titles of Hymns are taken from the SDA Hymnal.

References and definitions are from: Nutrition and the Cancer Survivor/American Institute of Cancer Research; Cancer.Net; Share.Net and the Web.

Acknowledgements

Much appreciation and thanks to Maria Orbe and Julie Salas who made themselves available to proofread the manuscript. I appreciate both of you and your loyalty.

To Ed Goble of Bluegrass Creative, you are such a blessing in my life. Many thanks for the full service book design you provided. I am very pleased with the final product. You are a true professional! Thanks for being a part of my ministry.

A special thank you to my son, Jason Hampden for his patience behind the lens as he photographed the beautiful flowers in Nora’s Gardenscape - my labor of love; for the many photos you took of me, in order to capture that perfect look for the back cover of my book and the Gardenscape segment. You are loved and appreciated.

Most importantly, I thank my Heavenly Father for his unfading love and inspiration. I am so grateful and thankful that even when there was not a drizzle of my creative juices for Shifting Gears, you were there all the time – you just wanted me to wait- to be still- to be patient.

Thank you Father for your faithfulness, grace and mercy I see every day. Because of you Shifting Gears: Encountering Roadblocks became a reality.

To God be the Glory!

Dedication

All Survivors

All of us have encountered and survived Roadblock(s) in our lives, such as: addiction, brokenness, homelessness, joblessness, illnesses, diseases, self-centeredness; divorce, sexual abuse, domestic violence, depression, condemnation, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, financial challenges. Through it all, God navigated us around, through and out of our roadblocks.

You became a VICTOR! AN OVER-COMER!

A SURVIVOR!

Dear Readers,

There’s so much that have happened since my first book, Side-Swiped.

My latest writing is Shifting Gears: Encountering Roadblocks. When we have been engulfed by challenges - when we have experienced a tsunami on dry land - we have to change – we have to Shift Gears.

I trust you will be encouraged, inspired and motivated to Shift Gears, even though you may encounter roadblocks.

Thanks for your continued support!

Blessings,

Nora

We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us.

- Philippians 4:13

Introduction

Writer’s Drought - Not a Drizzle

In the beginning of 2011, I was prayerful about writing another inspirational book. I knew what I wanted to write about, however, I did not have a title for the book. While I did not experience the Green Light revelation as in Side Swiped, I asked the Lord for guidance. I remained prayerful. I was confident that in time the appropriate title for the book would be revealed.

Early one morning, in the spring of 2011, I was in my Gardenscape. Shifting Gears came to mind. There were no other titles. It was very clear the title would be Shifting Gears. My journey was so difficult. Since my Side Swiped experience, my perspective changed. I experienced a pressure washer cleanse from the inside out. I had a renewed commitment. The title made sense! It was time to Shift Gears.

It was not my intent for Shifting Gears to be lengthy. I wanted it to be brief, yet inspirational. I wrote for approximately three months. Then, my creative juices stopped! Perhaps, I was too occupied with my Gardenscape project! I did not force anything. I waited! I was still!

Every day, I walked by, looked at, steered at Shifting Gears writing materials, notes, the flash drive, pens and pencils all stacked up in a neat pile – still, there were no creative juices, not even a drizzle. I always carried a notepad in my purse, in my car, just in case a thought came to mind. Yet, there was nothing to write. I waited on the Lord!

In December 2011, during my cruise on the Big Ship, we had Bible study on the Baity’s balcony. I pulled my chair away from the rails of the balcony. I felt safer!

I looked out on the ocean. I saw clear blue skies blended in with patches of white; I saw mountains that peaked. It seemed as if the mountains and the ocean merged! It seemed as if the mountains rested on the ocean. It seemed as if they were one! I was captivated by the panoramic view! It was beautiful, peaceful, and so serene. The only sound came from the Big Ship that chopped through the waves.

I was lost in my own thoughts. I thought about Creation; I thought about the Creator; His masterful handiwork that He (God) carefully and wonderfully made; His power displayed; I saw the work of an Almighty hand -The handiwork that God knew was good at Creation.

In my mind, I sang, The spacious firmament on high. Another song came to my mind: For the beauty of the earth, Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our grateful song of praise.

And then it happened! My creative juices were no longer a drizzle! The words for Shifting Gears flooded my mind like a waterfall which formed a brook of clear, cool water. I regretted that I left my laptop at home. However, a peace came over me as I penned in my memory and wrote keywords in my Bible Study Guide the chapters of Shifting Gears. It all came together on the Big Ship.

At that time, I had no knowledge of the roadblock I would encounter. I had no knowledge that the title of the book would be modified.

Part I

A Hold Moment

When we experienced challenges, the unexpected, or trials from every side, what has been our reaction? Did a panic button get activated? Were we flustered? Did we sweat profusely? Did we experience heart palpitations? Perhaps all of those things occurred.

How have I handled challenges and the unexpected? I found a corner, a closet or sat under a tree - where I would be still! Where I would be quiet! I sought complete solace!

A former boss once said – vacation is the time for our human batteries to be recharged; I never waited for vacation time to have my human batteries recharged. When I experienced trials and tribulations, it is time for my human batteries to be recharged; time for my life to be re-evaluated, time to get my bearings together; time to be prepared to Shift Gears.

In your lifetime, have you ever felt in your Spirit that the Lord required your full attention? Were you ever placed in a hold moment where it was just you and the Lord? I thought of Jonah, Saul, Hannah and the Woman with the issue of blood. They were in a hold moment.

Jonah had an in-the-belly-of-a-great-fish moment. Saul, had a No–vision moment. Hannah, also, had her share of a hold moment. So did the Woman with the issue of blood.

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Jonah

Jonah received specific directives from the Lord to go to Nineveh, that great city. The scripture said that Jonah was to cry out against the city for their wickedness is come up before me (the Lord). Jonah’s assignment was to preach to the people of Nineveh. He disobeyed – He did his own thing! Jonah found a