Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
until each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7

Even when it seems that a storm is taking over, you can be reminded that the rains bring abundance in the harvest. If we lived in an agrarian society, rain would have a much deeper meaning to us. Granted, no one in their right mind likes a hurricane, but we can be thankful for the rain. The land will benefit from the water even though it destroyed some stuff in the process of falling.

Monday is September 22. September 22 is the autumnal equinox or the first day of fall. I'm looking forward to it. A new season. A new beginning and praise the Lord, we will again have a current flow through our home as of 10am this morning. Kite flying Benjamin Franklin would be happy for us. Light and power is a good thing when your getting dressed for school at 5am on Monday morning.

Labels: Conroe, Hurricane

Hello friends. I have frequently shared photos from my beloved circle of quiet to borrow a term from Madeleine L'Engle. The old country club golf course near my house has been a frequented spot for solitude and refreshment. I ventured out to explore it after the hurricane.

In the days following the hurricane, I have seen a lot of broken things. It has got me to thinking about the reality of our spiritual condition. Consider this verse from the thirty sixth book of Isaiah in the Old Testament:

Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he(I) whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"? v6-7

How often do I put my trust in Egypt? How often do I think that even the 'good' things in my life will protect and sustain me? How often to I hold someone besides the Lord in high esteem in my heart? All these things will eventually 'pierce my hand' when I trust in them. However, in the wake of brokenness, there is a great light. When we come to a place of saying, I trust in the LORD my God, he will remove the barriers we have set up between us and Him. He will bring us to His temple to worship Him from a pure heart. Glory!

Labels: Community Development, Conroe, Hurricane

Hi friends. All is well in Conroe. Well, actually, it's a little crazy here but thankfully there was minimal damage to my home.

I don't really know where to start with processing this storm.

It was big.
It made a mess.
It cost a lot of money.
It destroyed a lot of plans.
It canceled my classes indefinitely.
It put our power out for 1-4 weeks.

I'll post as I have access to power.

Our help is from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth.
Psalm 124:8

Labels: Conroe, Hurricane

Maddie is a little wild-eyed today. I think she knows Hurricane Ike is coming.

It's 10:30 here. They're saying the 'big wind' is coming around 4:30 in the morning. I'm thinking that I might wake up to find some tree limbs in the swimming pool and green leaves carpeting the ground. I suppose there could be some serious damage, but I'm praying it's minimal.

Praying for friends to be safe and sound. Praying for the water to drain off quickly. Praying for the hospitals to keep power. Just hoping good things for folks.

I'll miss you guys if the power is down a bit. I'll be back when the power is back.

“The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but deliverance from fear” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Labels: Hurricane, Maddie