Hurricane Ike

Forced evacuation is no fun, especially when at the end you can’t return as quickly as you wish. Though my reasons for delay were necessary and though I was glad to stay and take care of my parents, who were sick, I still yearned to be home with my family, to see for myself that all was well and that my sweetheart, who had to stay at work, was really alright.

The ache was deep and could have distanced me from my circumstances and my responsibility. Making it through the days ahead depended on my ability to give everything to God. He was my source for peace and strength.

Now that I am home and things are getting back to normal I can see how His hand kept me calm when all I wanted to do was sit and cry. Our God is faithful. He is the source of everything we need. When things are out of our hands and we don’t feel able to cope He will take over, if we ask.

We left, our son, Patrick and I, on Sept. 11th at 9 AM. Pat came home on the 15th. I returned on the 22nd to a place that was changed from a shady quiet street to a sunny street with constant noise of chain saws, huge brush removal vehicles and stump grinders.

Pictures on TV of outlying areas in Galveston, Chrystal Beach, & Chambers County show some of the devestation. There are those in Baytown who have lost everything, their homes and possetions, but if you talk to them they will tell you that they are blessed to be alive and whole, things can be replaced.

Thank You Lord for carrying me through, for keeping our family and home safe, for being with our friends and neighbors, may we never forget that You are the source of our every need. I praise You, Lord, may all be for Your glory. In Jesus name I pray, amen & amen.

Review of "Hill Country Christmas" by: Laurie Kingery

When you have very little, and you lose your only living relative what do you do? Delia Keller turns to the God, He’s the only one who can help her. Circumstances continue to change for Delia. Not only is she a poor girl, having to sell eggs to get the basics to live on until the weekend is over and she can seek employment, she is an orphan.

When Jude, sent to tell her of her father’s death, delivers the rest of her father’s message Delia is shocked. Finally able to grasp the fact of her wealth Delia decides to build a home of her own, one that doesn’t have a leaky roof and with plenty of room for guests. While she makes plans for her new life Jude Tucker continues to run from his past.

Jude plans to fulfill his mission and head back to the mines in Nevada and the obscurity he finds there. He is convinced that he wouldn’t be welcome in this little town, nor by the beautiful girl whose father had been his boss and friend. But God has other plans for Jude.

Laurie Kingery has done a wonderful job of bringing life to the story of Delia and Jude in Hill Country Christmas. The things these characters face are commonplace, particularly in the 19th century, and each event needs God’s calming presence. Traversing troubled waters to find blessing is nothing new to Christians. What's important are our attitudes and the way we treat others as we travel through those dangerous currants. Ms. Kingery has done a great job building characters with spiritual strength who seek God even as they doubt themselves. Hill Country Christmas is a great read.

Laurie Kingery
Steeple Hill
Love Inspired Historical
ISBN # 13:978-0-373-82798-5
$5.50

The Canvas

The day stretches ahead like a huge blank canvas. What will I fill it with? Lately my days have been pretty blank, with line sketches and maybe a patch of color here or there. Realizing today that I have a choice as to how it is filled makes me realize that too often the colors I use are bleak, watered down versions of the bright, vibrant colors that could grace the canvas if I would just start with God.

It puzzles me that anyone would choose to start their day without the Lord. And that I would make that choice is more puzzling still. I only do this when I’m stressed, burdened or depressed. This time I think I’m just tired from our vacation. But you can only do so much resting up. Then again perhaps the rest would do me more good if I started the day with the Lord. I’m not saying that I have neglected prayer, I pray constantly from the time I get up until I go to bed and every time I wake up at night. I pray for family, friends, pets, work, our country, all the soldiers and their families. Protection, direction, provision and healing are just a few of the things I pray for.

More than anything I want to be better, be more obedient, be healthier, be more available, and I know that God alone can help me do these things. What I need to realize is that God’s plan may not hold all of these things for me. I may struggle with weight for the rest of my life. I may have to wait ten more years to be published. God may have something totally different in mind for me. The sooner I give my; day, life, thoughts and efforts to Him the better.

I praise God that the canvas of my day may be a blessing to others no matter what colors, or lack thereof, cover it. That He is with me is something I will forever be grateful for. Even on those bleak days when the canvas remains blank I can praise my Father and thank Him for His presence.

May you feel His loving presence today, and may the canvas of your day reflect that presence to all who come in contact with you. God bless!