God Brought Us Together on Common Ground When We Weren’T Looking: A Story of Contentment, Espresso, and God’S Sense of Humor Turning to Love

By Angela Fleener Walthall

Common Ground is the story of two unsuspecting singles falling in love when their paths cross on common ground. A letter hidden away, a triple espresso, and a song about why God made the moon unfolds in a delightful "happily-ever-after." Though it reads like a fairy tale, it is most assuredly true.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449796105

Angela Fleener Walthall

Even as a young girl, the sight of blank paper excited Angie, begging her to put something on it. Her passion for coffee and youth ministry led her to take ownership of a coffee shop, which led to a relationship, which further led Angie to tell her storyto fill the pages with the details of how God used the coffee shop, Common Ground, to change the course of her life. Because of the convictions she received early on, she has a passion to let young people know that godly relationships with holy boundaries are possible. There is an alternative to the worlds view of dating, and she wants to show you how to lay the groundwork and make a plan in advance to succeed. As a young child, she battled and defeated cancer. She received treatment at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Later in life, she battled other health issues (including a brain tumor), stemming from the complications and the treatment of the cancer. She believes God has chosen to keep her here for such a time as this and is determined to fulfill His will as long as He allows her to have breath. She and husband, Andrew, live in Southaven, Mississippi, with their two boys, Micah and Aaron. The family attends Life Fellowship Church, where she serves lots and lots of coffee in their caf every weekend. She hopes to be serving in youth ministry again soon, as the ministry of The House comes to fruition in Gods timing. You can read Angies blog at:www.motherof2angiecommonground.com or follow on Twitter: @motherof2angie

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Copyright © 2013 Angela Fleener Walthall.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-9611-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9612-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9610-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013909258

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/30/2013

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 Procrastination

Chapter 2 Common Ground

Chapter 3 We Meet

Chapter 4 Mr. Fix-It

Chapter 5 The Third Degree

Chapter 6 The One?

Chapter 7 The Letter

Chapter 8 Right Between The Eyes

Chapter 9 Grand Opening

Chapter 10 Wal-Mart @ 2Am

Chapter 11 Did He Really?

Chapter 12 The End Or The Beginning

Chapter 13 Enduring One Day At A Time

Chapter 14 The Counselor

Chapter 15 My Knight In Shining Armor?

Chapter 16 Showers Of Blessings

Chapter 17 The Steps

Chapter 18 Road Trip!

Chapter 19 To Veil Or Not To Veil

Chapter 20 Debts, Deposits, & Determination

Chapter 21 The Wedding

Time Line

Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

F irst of all I want to thank God: for blessing me from the blind side. The things that have blessed my life the most, I would have run from if I had seen them coming. Thank you for Your timing and mysterious ways. Thank you for blessing me even when I would have chosen something lesser than Your Best. You are truly GOOD ALL THE TIME. Teach me how to seek Your Best for my life all the time and never settle for just ok, or good enough.

Next, I would like to thank my parents—Ed & Beth Fleener: for putting up with my peculiar stubbornness all my life. My life has never been just plain normal; thank you for always being there to support me and give me godly counsel, even when I did not even listen, much less heed the words of wisdom that were given. Thank you for your unconditional love, despite my determination to make my own mistakes.

Also, thank you for all the work you put in at the coffee shop. Mom, for the lunch hours you worked on your lunch hour. And, Dad, thank you for coming by the shop every day and buying something. Your out-of-the way efforts to help me succeed make me cry to think about. Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate all the things you’ve done for me. I love you.

My brother, Jason Fleener: for all the double vanilla lattes you bought on the way to the night shift as a Registered Nurse at the Trauma Center, and for all the little things you did at the shop. It really meant a lot to me.

Theresa Fleener: for sitting in the floor and helping me recover all those bar stools. And for sitting with the kids having lunch when no one else was in the shop. Thank you.

Pat Cuneo-Thomas: for all the decorating you did. It would have never looked so good without you. Thank you.

Jeannine Frechette Tharp: for your help in editing; especially thank you for your sweet words and encouragement; for the time you took to give me input, and then to write the foreword. I couldn’t have finished this without you!

Lynn Murley and Marsha Chandler: for all the last minute editing. I couldn’t have finished it without all the time and effort you put in to making this great! Thank you, my sweet friends.

Carla Kemp: for all the times you sat with me and helped at the shop. And even for the times we sat there after closing, singing praises to the LORD. Thank you.

Lynn Parker: for all the times you helped at the shop, and for all the dishes you washed and put away. Especially for all times you manned the CD player and we sang praises to the LORD. Thank you.

John Herman: for all the hours you put in at the shop—painting, refinishing the bar stools, and all. That meant so much to me and my family. Thank you.

Margaret and Jimmy Moore: for all the times I crashed, sick and worn out on your couch, while I was on that medicine. For all the Friday night dinner and a movie get-togethers when Andrew had to work the night shift. Thank you, for sharing your time and chicken (lol). And, Praise the LORD!!!!! the night shifts are over—at least for now.

Mr. Jim and Mrs. Pat Walthall: for all the Sunday afternoon Family dinners. Time together with the family is a precious commodity—it seems we have less and less of it around my house. Thank you for making it important. It means more than you know.

Mr. Jim passed away May 7, 2008. We know that he’s in better hands, and that he’s using that beautiful voice of his to sing praises to God face to face now. Knowing that, we still miss him so much.

Amanda (Bishop) Sellers: thank you for sticking with me all these years. I wouldn’t dare let you go now—you know too much. Best Friend is so over used, but there’s no other way to describe how much you mean to me. You are the Bestest Friend anyone could have in the whole wide world. I never knew how rare it was to have a life-long friend, until I got old. I introduce you to people and explain how long we’ve known each other, and they tell me how precious that is. Thank you for always being here. May we have as many days and years left as friends as we have breath of life left in us. Love you so so MUCH!

Macil and Judy Duncan: for all that you poured into me in the early years of my Christian walk. I would not be who I am without all that you committed to do in discipling me. The Letter wouldn’t have happened without you. Thank you for all you did and for believing in me.

Debbie Lacey: thank you for wandering through HOME DEPOT instead of staying where Joe told you to stay. Praise the LORD for the things He can do, even through a trip to the hardware store.

I would especially like to thank Ken Pixley and Sandi Norman: for taking a chance on me. Without God’s grace and what He did through you and Common Ground, I would have never met Andrew. I am eternally grateful. I don’t have any idea how to truly thank you, so I’ll let God have that honor. May He bless you both beyond measure all the days of your lives.

Last, but never ever least, MY ANDREW: thank you, my Love. You’ll never know this side of Heaven how much