Isn't It Funny?

 

Funny how a $20.00 bill looks so big when you take it to church,

but so small when you take it to the mall.

 

Funny how big an hour serving God looks and how small 60 minutes are when spent
watching television, playing sports, sleeping or taking a lunch break.

 

Funny how long a couple of hours spent at church are

but how short they are when watching a good movie.

 

Funny how we get thrilled when a football game goes into overtime, but we complain
when a sermon is longer than the regular time.

 

Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in the Bible

and how easy it is to read 200-300 pages of a best selling novel.

 

Funny how we believe what newspapers say,
but question what the Bible says.

 

Funny how people scramble to get a front seat at a concert,

 but scramble to get a back seat at the church service.

 

Funny how we cannot fit a gospel meeting into our schedule with our yearly planner but
we can schedule for other events at a moment’s notice.

 

Funny how we look forward to that big date on Friday night,

but complain about getting up for church on Sunday morning.

 

Funny how we are rarely late to work, but
always late to church.

 

Funny how we call God our Father and Jesus our brother,

but find it hard to introduce them to our family.

 

Funny how small our sins seem, but how big
their sins are.

 

Funny how we demand justice for others, but
expect mercy from God.

 

Funny how much difficulty some have learning the gospel well enough to tell others, but
how simple it is to understand and explain the latest gossip about someone else.

 

Funny how we can’t think of anything to say when we pray,

 but don’t have any difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

 

Funny how we are so quick to take directions from a total stranger when we are lost, but
are hesitant to take God’s direction for our lives.

 

Funny how so many church goers sing “Standing on the
promises” but all they do is sit on the premises.

 

Funny how people want God to answer their prayers, but refuse to listen to His counsel.

Funny how we sing about heaven, but live only for today.

 

Funny how people think they are going to
Heaven but don’t think there is a Hell.

 

Funny how it is okay to blame God for evil and suffering in the world, but it is not
necessary to thank Him for what is good and pleasant.

 

Funny how when something goes wrong, we cry, “Lord, why me?”

 but when something goes right, we think, “Hey, it must be me!”

 

Or wait…maybe all this isn’t so “funny” after all.

 

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken
spirit drieth the bones."
Proverbs 17:22



The Doll and a White Rose

 I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department.

Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grand kids would even play with them.  I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for.

 I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, "Are you sure I don't have enough money?"  She replied a bit impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough money for it."

 The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere, that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle.  The boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for.

He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it."

I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it.

He said "No, Santa can't go where my sister is.  I have to give the doll to my Momma to take to her."

 I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, "She has gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her."

My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store."

Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he had taken at the front of the store and said, "I want my Momma to take this with her so she don't ever forget me. I love my Momma so much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister." 

I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a hand full of bills. I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?" He grew excited and said, "Yes, I just know it has to be enough."

So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. And of course it was plenty for the doll.

He softly said, "Thank you, Jesus, for giving me enough money." The boy continued, "I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister. And he heard my prayer. I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Momma a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Momma. She loves white roses so very, very much." 

In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support.

Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.  Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected.

Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store.

I left there in tears, my life changed forever.
Author Unknown

 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

John 14:1-4

 

Beauty Tips



 

 

A dear old lady was asked what she used to make her complexion so beautiful and her whole being so bright and attractive.

She answered:

"I use for my lips, truth

I use for my voice, kindness

I use for my ears, compassion

I use for my hands, charity

I use for my figure, uprightness

I use for my heart, love

I use for any who do not like me, prayer."

 

     Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

1 Peter 3:3-4

The Pastor's Cat



Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc.

The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten.

That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke.

The tree went 'boing!' and the kitten instantly sailed through the air - out of sight.

The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten.

So he prayed, 'Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,' and went on about his business.
A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food.

This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, 'Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?' She replied, 'You won't believe this,' and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing.

Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, 'Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it.'

She told the pastor, 'I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her.'

Lesson learned... Never underestimate the Power of God and His unique sense of humor.

"When I was waiting quietly for the Lord, His heart was turned to me, and He gave ear to my cry." Psalms 40:1

The Alphabet Prayer

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with man. Now the story goes, a little shepherd boy was watching his sheep one Sunday morning and he heard the bells of the church ringing. And watching the people walk along the pasture where he was, he happened to think to himself, "I would like to communicate with God! But, what can I say to God?"

He had never learned a prayer. So, on bended knee, he began to recite the alphabet. Repeating this prayer several times, a man passing by, heard the boy's voice and peaked through the bushes. He saw the young boy kneeling with folded hands, eyes closed, repeating the alphabet.

He interrupted the boy. "What are you doing, my little one?" he asked. The boy replied, "I was praying sir." The man seemed surprised and said, "But why are you reciting the alphabet?" The boy explained, "I don't know any prayers, sir. But I want God to take care of me, and to help me care for my sheep. And so I thought, if I said all I knew, He could put the letters together into words, and He would know all that I want and should say!"

The man smiled and said, "Bless your heart, God will!" And he went on to church knowing full well that he had heard the finest sermon he could possibly hear that day.

Maybe if we thought like little children and let God put together the letters, what we should want, and what we should say, things would probably work out a lot better than we planned!!!

Author Unknown

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

 Matthew 19:14

The Burning Hut

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4
Remember next time your little hut is burning to the ground- - it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

One Life

One SONG can spark a moment
One FLOWER can wake the dream
One TREE can start a forest
One BIRD can herald spring
One SMILE begins a friendship
One HANDCLASP lifts a soul
One STAR can guide a ship at sea
One WORD can frame the goal
One VOTE can change a nation
One SUNBEAM lights a room
One CANDLE wipes out darkness
One LAUGH will conquer gloom
One STEP must start each journey
One WORD must start a prayer
One HOPE will raise our spirits
One TOUCH can show you care
One VOICE can speak with wisdom
One HEART can know what is true
One LIFE can make a difference.

Author Unknown

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,

as good stewards of God's varied grace:"

1 Peter 4:10

Letter Written by Fra Giovanni



I am your friend and my love for you goes deep. There is nothing I can give you which you have not got, but there is much, very much, that, while I cannot give it, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in today. Take heaven!

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace!

The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness could we but see - and to see we have only to look. I beseech you to look!

Life is so generous a giver, but we, judging its gifts by the covering, cast them away as ugly, or heavy or hard. Remove the covering and you will find beneath it a living splendor, woven of love, by wisdom, with power.

Welcome it, grasp it, touch the angel's hand that brings it to you. Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty, believe me, that angel's hand is there, the gift is there, and the wonder of an overshadowing presence. Our joys, too, be not content with them as joys. They, too, conceal diviner gifts.

Life is so full of meaning and purpose, so full of beauty - beneath its covering - that you will find earth but cloaks your heaven.

Courage, then, to claim it, that is all. But courage you have, and the knowledge that we are all pilgrims together, wending through unknown country, home.

And so, at this time, I greet you. Not quite as the world sends greetings, but with profound esteem and with the prayer that for you now and forever, the day breaks, and the shadows flee away.

Fra Giovanni

 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will havetribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

I Am There



Do you need Me ?
I am there.
You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by.
You cannot hear Me, yet I speak through your voice.
You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands.

I am at work, though you do not understand My ways.
I am at work, though you do not understand My works.
I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries.

Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know Me
as I AM, and then but as a feeling and a faith.

Yet I am here. Yet I hear. Yet I answer.
When you need ME, I am there.
Even if you deny Me, I am there.
Even when you feel most alone, I am there.
Even in your fears, I am there.
Even in your pain, I am there.

I am there when you pray and when you do not pray.
I am in you, and you are in Me.
Only in your mind can you feel separate from Me, for
only in your mind are the mists of "yours" and "mine".
Yet only with your mind can you know Me and experience Me.

Empty your heart of empty fears.
When you get yourself out of the way, I am there.
You can of yourself do nothing, but I can do all.
And I AM in all.

Though you may not see the good, good is there, for
I am there. I am there because I have to be, because I AM.

Only in Me does the world have meaning; only out of Me does the world take form; only because of ME does the world go forward.
I am the law on which the movement of the stars
and the growth of living cells are founded.

I am the love that is the law's fulfilling. I am assurance.
I am peace. I am oneness. I am the law that you can live by.
I am the love that you can cling to. I am your assurance.
I am your peace. I am ONE with you. I am.

Though you fail to find ME, I do not fail you.
Though your faith in Me is unsure, My faith in you never
wavers, because I know you, because I love you.

Beloved, I am there.

James Dillet Freeman

This poem received a lot of attention in 1971 when it was taken to the moon by astronaut James B. Irwin on Apollo 15. Irwin's mother gave it to him before the flight and he actually left a copy of the poem on the moon.

God said to Moses, " I AM WHO I AM."  This is what you are to say to the Israelites, "I AM has sent me

to you."

Exodus 3:14

My Prayer

I pray
Today
That God will bring you
Peace
Where there’s been pain
Harmony
Where there’s been discord
Love
Where there’s been loneliness

I pray
Today
That God will bring you
Solace
Where there’s been sorrow
Justice
Where there’s been inequality
Clarity
Where there’s been chaos

I pray
Today
That He will heal your human heart
and help you face tomorrow
With a renewed sense of
Courage
Strength
And wisdom.

Ted Hibbard

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Matthew 18:19-20

The Something Within



There is something within me
That is strong enough
To keep me from toppling
Over the edge of
Sanity,
Over the ledge of
frustration
Or over the hedge of
All-out foolishness.
It leads me to prayer
When I would otherwise
Break.
There is something in my make-up
Or my bringing up
Or just the way I look up
That straightens my back
And bows my head.
It becomes the focus of my meditation.
The sentiment in my supplication,
The reason for my transformation.
That thing inside me
Has me choosing light
Though darkness covers all.
It wells up like ocean waves
Come to drown those who
Think they deserve to push me back
Hold me down or
Steal my joy.
I have a spiritual strength that
Grows deeper and speaks louder as I get to know
More about who I am.

"Where did IT come from?" Someone recently asked.
I answered, "In my developing stage, someone said out loud,
'You sure are good at _______,'"
My puny soul embraced that seed,
and it planted itself deep inside me and took root.
I tested that tiny bit of ego-strength against
The negative family messages that focused on
What I was NOT good at, making me feel small
And disconnected.
I was NOT good at being like my mother
Who was all but saintly.
I was NOT good at being
Like my sister who was beautiful and dainty.
I was NOT ballerina thin, nor prissy neat,
But I WAS good at ________
And when I looked a little further, I discovered that
I was GOOD ENOUGH.
Good enough to bear fruit
And reap a harvest.
Good enough to plant a seed
In others and watch them grow
Magnificent and free.
I was GOOD ENOUGH to relate to
The GOD inside of me.

So, this poem is for all my sister-friends
Who don't yet know that
YOU are better than what your mothers,
your teachers, the men in your life,
or even the good sisters in church have called you.
Because God has called you Blessed
And HIS is the only voice that matters.
So, here and now, I pray OUR sister-prayer,
Dear Lord,
Help me to release
the self-doubt
That lives in my heart.

Remind me daily
That I am the product of
Your hands...
And all that
you make... ALL THAT YOU MAKE
Is Perfect. Amen

Jackie Dove-Miller

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

How Much Does a Prayer Weigh



Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work. They had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can." John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.

The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?" Louise replied, "Yes sir." "Okay" he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries."

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head. Then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scale went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it." The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales.

The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust.

Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list. It was instead a prayer which said: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands."

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said, "It was worth every penny of it."


It was sometime later that the grocer discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.

  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

1 Corinthians 1:4

The Shipwreck

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.



You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Genesis 50:20

A Plea To The Lord

I woke up on Monday and looked up at the sky

With a pain in my heart and tears in my eyes

I said “Lord, please help me, I don't know what to do.

I lost my job, I need some help, I have no one but you."

The Lord looked down upon me with sadness in his eyes.

“The world is in a sorry state and I apologize.

For all the pain it's caused you, there's just one thing I'll say:

“It’s okay to cry my child, but don't forget to pray.”

I woke up on Tuesday and looked up at the sky

With a pain in my heart and tears in my eyes

I said “Lord please help me, I don’t know what to do.

The food is scarce, the kids are sick, I have no one but you.

The week dragged by thru Saturday and things seemed worse each day.

I remembered what the Lord said: “It’s okay to cry, but pray”

So I cried and prayed, I cried and prayed, with no relief in sight.

And I went to bed exhausted but couldn't sleep that night.

I woke up on Sunday and looked up at the sky

With pain in my heart and tears in my eyes

I said “Lord I’ve had enough and I’m about to break

I think I might just end it all, for everybody’s sake."

“I’ve not deserted you my child, I’ve counted every tear

Your burdens, although heavy, are not more than you can bear

Soon the sun will warm your face and make you smile again

So rest a little easier and trust in me till then.”

Then the Lord reached down and held me in his arms

With a gentle hand he wiped my tears and spoke these words so calm

“My child I love you dearly and have heard you pray your best

But there is no crying on Sunday, it is the day of rest.

I’ve heard you cry, I’ve heard you pray and I will not desert you

Your faith in Me will get you through these tragedies that hurt you.

So rest today and worry not and leave the rest to me

If you do that, I can promise you, the best is yet to be."

Rosemary Ammar

  "For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will set me high upon a rock."

Psalm 27:5

The Wise Sage



There once was a wise sage who wandered the countryside. One day, as he passed near a village, he was approached by a woman who told him of a sick child nearby. She beseeched him to help this child.

So the sage came to the village, and a crowd gathered around him, for such a man was a rare sight. One woman brought the sick child to him, and he said a prayer over her.

"Do you really think your prayer will help her, when medicine has failed?" yelled a man from the crowd.

"You know nothing of such things! You are a stupid fool!" said the sage to the man.

The man became very angry with these words and his face grew hot and red. He was about to say something, or perhaps strike out, when the sage walked over to him and said: "If one word has such power as to make you so angry and hot, may not another have the power to heal?"

And thus, the sage healed two people that day.

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Matthew 12:37



Hindsight Explains the Injury That Foresight Would Have Prevented

The mother of six children walked into her house one day to see all her children huddled together in a circle.  She approached them to see what had evoked such intense interest, and she could hardly believe her eyes.

To her horror, in the middle of the circle of children were several baby skunks.  She immediately screamed at the top of her voice, "Children!  Run, run, run!  Out, out, out!"



At the sound of their mother's alarmed voice, each child quickly grabbed a baby skunk and headed for the door.  The screaming and panic, of course, set off the instinctual danger alarm in the skunks, and each of them quickly dispelled its horrible scent.  Each child and the house itself were doused with an aroma that lingered for weeks, regardless of intense scrubbing and use of disinfectants.

How we react has greater negative consequences than the initial negative situation we encounter!  Don't make matters worse by unplanned, emotion-driven, spur-or-the-moment behavior.  Choose to act rather than to react, taking sufficient time to select a course of action based upon calm reason and thoughtful prayer.

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you...When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, when you run, you will not stumble.

Proverbs 4:6,12

Laughter is the Brush That Sweeps Away the Cobwebs of the Heart



In Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Charles Swindoll writes:  "Tonight was fun 'n' games night around the supper table in our house.  It was wild.  First of all, one of the kids snickered during the prayer (which isn't that unusual) and that tipped the first domino.  Then a humorous incident from school was shared and the event (as well as how it was told) triggered havoc around the table.  That was the beginning of twenty to thirty minutes of the loudest, silliest, most enjoyable laughter you can imagine.  At one point I watched my oldest literally fall off his chair in hysterics, my youngest doubled over in his chair as his face wound up in his plate with corn chips stuck to his cheeks...and my two girls leaning back, lost and preoccupied in the most beautiful and beneficial therapy God ever granted humanity:  laughter."

"What is so amazing is that everything seemed far less serious and heavy.  Irritability and impatience were ignored like unwanted guests.  For example, during the meal little Chuck spilled his drink twice...and even that brought the house down.  If I remember correctly, that made six times during the day he accidentally spilled his drink, but nobody bothered to count."

Laughter...what a treasure it is!

A happy heart is a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22



You Should Never Let Adversity Get You Down

Except On Your Knees


Many people see abundant spring rains as a great blessing to farmers, especially if the rains come after the plants have sprouted and are several inches tall.  What they don't realize is even a short drought can have a devastating effect on a crop of seedlings that have received too much rain.

Why?  Because during frequent rains, the young plants are not required to push their roots deeper into the soil in search of water.  If a drought occurs later, plants with shallow root systems will quickly die. 

We often receive abundance into our lives--rich fellowship, great teaching, thorough "soakings" of spiritual blessings.  Yet, when stress or tragedy enters our lives, we may find ourselves thinking God has abandoned us or is unfaithful.  The fact is, we have allowed the "easiness" of our lives to keep us from pushing our spiritual roots deeper.  We have allowed others to spoon feed us, rather than to develop our own deep personal relationship with God through prayer and study on His Word.

Only the deeply rooted are able to endure hard times without wilting.  The best advice is to enjoy the "rain" while seeking to grow even closer to Him.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life , nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39

The River's A'Rising!

“There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control.”

Leo Buscaglia

When I arrived at work on Tuesday morning of this week, I was greeted by a flurry of activity from other staff members of the church, community members, and church family members.  The warning had gone out on Monday afternoon--if you live along the Missouri River, get out--NOW!  Those along the river here in southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa had until Friday (yesterday) to remove anything they wanted to get and leave the premises.  Families were helping families, friends were helping friends, people who didn't even know each other were offering assistance to pack boxes, load horse trailers and pickups, RV's and cars.  The church has a little house that we've tried to sell.  It is now being used as a shelter.  PODS and trailers are being brought in and placed in parking lots so that people have some place to store their possessions.

I lived in Nebraska during the big flood of 1993, but at most, I was inconvenienced in my travels south to visit my parents.  Certainly, there was water in the fields and I heard the news stories of families who refused to leave, of those who lost everything, and of those who came back and started all over again, but this time, this flood is touching very close to home (literally, about 25 blocks from my house).  I will not be affected personally by the flooding.  The Nebraska side of the river is blessed with many steep bluffs which protect the majority of the town from the water, but there will be parts of town well under water.  Some already are. 

I took a little drive on Thursday after hearing about it.  I was told that I should drive over to the bluffs and just see it.  Where there has always been a very distinct river way and banks, there is just water--everywhere, seeping into the fields, the homes, the farms-everywhere.  The highway on the south edge of town that leads east into Iowa was covered with water on one side.  The word was that by this weekend it would probably be closed.  The truck stop, motels, and antique shop just west of the interstate have all been closed, the pumps removed, the antiques removed, and loads and loads of dirt moved in around each of the buildings in an effort to keep the water out.  The interstate will be closed through parts of Iowas and Missouri.  Several small communities are closing down, entirely.  The estimates are there will be as much as ten feet of water over many of them and it will no longer be safe to be there.  Sewage systems upriver toward Council Bluffs and Omaha have been breached so those of us further downstream have been urged to stay away from the water.

Here in Nebraska City, the marina is gone.  The water was so high on Thursday that I couldn't get any closer than the gateway that leads  down to it.  The grain elevator and operation that sits next to the river has a parking lot full of water.  They tell us the water will rise halfway up the three story building before it's all done.  The grain has been moved.  The trains that run through our town every few hours have stopped; they can't get through here anymore.  I miss their whistles already.  A friend who farms south of town, tells me that he's had water over part of his farm since the end of April and it's still coming.

And we're just beginning.  This water is from dams that have been opened in the Dakotas.  At this point they're moving 70,000 cubic feet of water per second.  The plan is to increase that to 130,000 cubic feet per second by Tuesday and to 150,000 cubic feet by the end of the month.  We haven't even begun to see the impact of the snow melt in addition to this yet.  They're still having BIG snowfalls in the mountains and up north of us. 

These families, these people, are being told to plan on being out of their homes for many, many months, possibly until Christmas, as the water continues to come from the reservoirs.  The thing that is just amazing to me is the massive area this is affecting.  It's not just southeast Nebraska.  It is the entire eastern side of Nebraska, into Iowa, Missouri, Kansas.  There is talk that reservoirs in Wyoming and Colorado will also release water which flows into our rivers. 

For a part of the country that has been pretty devastated by the economic downturn, this latest turn of events could be the final blow.  On September 11, 2001 we all watched as over a period of a few hours our lives were changed.  While this devastation is not the speedy blow of that day, it is more like a scene in slow motion.  We know bad things are happening but all we can do is stand back and watch. 

Everyone is worrying-- and praying.  Isn't it amazing, we human beings think we're so smart, so capable.  We place God on the back burner and trust that we have everything under control.  And then here we are.  You can bet that EVERYONE is moving God to front and center right now!  One of my kiddos asked me the other day just why God lets things like this happen; an age old question.  My answer:  God made man with a brain to make choices for himself.  If he stepped in to every situation to 'fix it' for us, then what would be the point of giving us the brain.  We could be like all the other animals.  He lets us make our own choices which may lead us to good things or to bad things.  These are called consequences.  Hopefully, we learn from all of the consequences, but this I know for certain.  Through it all, God is always right there with us, ready to love us, ready to support us, ready to carry us when we cannot carry ourselves anymore. 

He is here.  I've seen Him at work this week in so many different places and faces.  He did not create THIS flood, but He is here with us in it.  And He'll be here each day until all is restored again, however long that takes.  We will survive this flood and hopefully, we will be better because we will have learned lessons from it.  Just one step at a time...one foot in front of the other.  Just doing what we've got to do.

Emergency Management Director Mike Crecelius addressed a crowd of about 300 people May 31 at the Hamburg fire house.

from Nebraska City News Press, June 1, 2011

The Storm



When you live in the middle part of the country, it is understood that you will face storms; big ones, little ones, snowstorms, thunderstorms, and tornadoes.  Tornadoes!  Oh yes, springtime means tornadoes.  Saturday evening, just north of where I live about an hour's drive, a big one hit.  An F3 tornado with winds clocked at around 150 miles per hour, hit a town of about 1500 people.  More than sixty percent of the homes in the community have been damaged and around thirty percent of them destroyed.  At one point the tornado was more than a half a mile wide.  This is life in the plains region of the United States.  We grow up with it.  We know that weather like this is always a possibility.  Just like folks who live in California are knowledgeable about earthquakes, we know all about tornadoes.

You can feel when a storm is coming.  The air is heavy.  It is warm, usually very warm, and suddenly you can feel a coolness in the breeze.  Clouds begin to build and you can actually watch them grow taller and taller as the storm builds first in the clouds.  The sky turns dark and then a funny greenish color.  Everything gets very still.  If you look closely, the animals are all hidden and quiet.  You know you'd better keep an eye to the sky.  Most homes in this part of the country have basements.  We use them to store things, some of us live in at least part of our basements, but we all have a place in the basement where we know to go when the sirens sound. 

Now, if you're like my family, you only go to that place when the tornado is on a direct path with you.  Some people say we're crazy, but we just never went to the basement much.  We tend to stand on the porch or out in the yard or driveway, watching.  We have watched many storms blow around us.  We've watched funnels drop down and pull back up into the clouds.  I'm not saying this is a smart thing to do; of course, it is not.  I just never liked going to the basement.  My dad always stayed upstairs to watch and I wanted to be with him, so my mom would go to the basement and the rest of us would stand on the porch (a few steps from the basement door) and watch.  I can only remember a couple of times in my son's life when I was worried enough to either take him to the basement or to have him get shoes on and get ready to go.  I didn't want him to be afraid of the storm.  I wanted him to be knowledgeable about the storm and to know what to do in emergencies.  I wanted him to NOT be afraid. 

Fortunately, no one was physically injured or killed in the storm on Saturday.  There will be a long period of emotional healing for most members of that community, but, because the alarms were sounded in plenty of time, no one was physically hurt.  Thank God for that! 

There are other storms that come into our lives.  I am new to a community here in southeast Nebraska and I can see a storm brewing.  In the not-too-distant future, two 'fronts' are going to collide and there is the potential of great damage and destruction.  Just like watching those clouds building taller and taller, I am watching as one front builds to the point that it will burst upon the other.  Lives will be changed when this happens.  Just like the people in the aftermath of the tornado, the people left in the fallout from this storm will have months and months, if not years of 'damage' to repair.

So what is there for me to do?  I am new to this community.  I have made many new friends here and I don't want to see any one of them get hurt, and yet I know it will happen.  I could go to my 'basement' and wait for the all clear.  It would mean that I would not possibly be damaged by anything that might happen; or would it?  That's never really been a good choice for me.  But, just like those clouds in the sky, there is very little that I can do except watch.  This all started long before I came on the scene and these people must do what is in their hearts to do, good or bad. 

Why is it that when we are in the middle of these storms of life, we tend to say "All I can do is pray"?  Isn't that the most powerful thing anyone can do?  I know that I must have been placed here at this point in time for a reason.  It is not the first time that I've been dropped into the middle of a situation like this and it probably won't be the last.  God seems to think I have skills and/or talents in this area, because He keeps putting me here.  The thing is, I never know what I'm supposed to do....except pray and listen.  That lesson I have learned well over the years.

If I am just still and wait, God will show me what I am to do to help these people.  'Building bridges' keeps running through my mind.  I'm not sure how to do that, but I know that's what I'm here to do.  I guess, at this point, I'll just wait for further instructions.  Besides, 'all I can do is pray.' Pray for the people who's lives were so damaged by the tornado and pray for the people who are in the midst of their own storm.  Pray for all of us.