Faithfulness to the Trust Required!

1 Corinthians 4:2 "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

      Lord, You use the words "required" and "must" here.  You are not telling us that faithfulness to the trust You have given us is optional, suggested, or hoped for. You have entrusted Christians with Your MIND!
If I had funds in a trust, I would certainly require the one to which I gave the funds to handle to be faithful.  What You have given us is SO much more potent, powerful, and eternal than mere money.  It gives LIFE!
      There are several different translations of Your Word now, and there are some who camp out on one over the other as the "inspired" one.  In today's News & Advance newspaper I read that there is a new one that reads like a Hollywood screen play.  They change YAWEH to "Eternal One" and Lord into "The Eternal" because in the USA we do not have a king or live in the fiefdom mentality.
      Lord, I started to get hung up on that myself this morning until I remembered that folks like the Wycliffe Translators have to go into foreign lands where they have no Bible learn the culture and the language first and then translate Your Word into something they understand.  In our media movie generation, this may make more sense to folks coming to You.  I will leave that to You to judge.  I guess because I have grown up in the faith with the other names and understand them, I'll probably stick with the ones I usually use.
      Lord, and Gentle Father, lead me into all truth by Your Spirit.  I want desperately to be faithful with the trust You have entrusted to me.

Simply Servants of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:1 "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God."

      Lord all of the praise and all of the honor, and all of the glory for anything good that do or that others see in me goes to You.   Within me there is no good thing.  Everything I have been entrusted with is by Your grace and mercy alone.  I can never earn or deserve any of it.
      Therefore; we ought to regard each other in the Family  who minister as simply fellow servants who have been entrusted with messages of Your secret things.  It matters not whether the message comes from Billy Graham, Adrian Rodgers, Carl Weiser, or Timi Plyter.  The ground is level at the foot of the cross and we all have the same Spirit and mind of Christ.  All You ask is that we are diligent to listen to Him, study Your written Word, be willingly obedient and faithful as You share with the secret things with us and share them with others.  We are simply messengers and servants of the most high God!

Sacrifice of Praise Journey/ Why Christians Struggle

Here is a poem I wrote years ago when we were going through a really tough time in our lives.  I pray it is a blessing.  Elizabeth Elliott once said that when we are going through sorrows and trials, we are to praise God anyway.  She said that is a sacrifice of praise!

                            Why Christians Struggle

We walked along the road today,
My blessed Lord and I,
And spoke of many things of life
As the time went by.

I asked him, "Why the suffering?'
He answered,  "Don't you know?
Without the suffering, my child,
My children just don't grow!

They'd rather choose a way of ease,"
He continued on again,
"and grow flabby and content
With the world and all its sin.

But I know differently, my child,
To keep you fit and stable,
I have to let you have some pain
To prove that I am able

To care for you and give you strength
To get through every care;
To show you I control things,
To show you that I'm there.

That's why there's so much suffering,
My child,"  He said to me,
"I want my little ones to know
How much they mean to me!"

I Have You and You Are in God

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 "So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." NIV

      My precious Lord, today You gave me another beautiful sunrise reminding me again of Your promises.  Thank You!  I love the quiet of the early morning when it seems only the sun and I are awake and I walk with You (literally outside or figuratively within my soul).  Your presence is so very real especially before the rigors of the day push themselves in.
"I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me and He talks with me.  And He tells me I am his own. 
And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known."
A beautiful old Hymn, "In the Garden".
      There are days when the busyness and duties of the morning crowd in almost immediately and we do not have that time together or it is cut short.  It is in those times, I miss You so much!  I know You still walk (or in my case at work "sit") with me throughout the day, but the day is just never the same.  I honestly feel badly for those who are not "morning people" because they miss that sweet quietness of a brand new day as the sun peeks through the dark of night and starts to warm us again.  Its appearance makes us joyful most of the time and reminds me that You rule.
      But You are with me constantly in the early morning, noonday, afternoon, evening, at dusk and in the stormiest of nights. (June 29th)  You bring the deepest joy to my life.  I praise You, Lord, for what I cannot understand: Your unconditional love for me and the fact that You long for a deep relationship with me!
      I do have ALL things as I have You and You are in God!  I have no need to boast in mere men, and I also have no need to boast in myself.  There was a time when I was not comfortable with who You created me to be.  I wanted to be like the popular crowd so hid myself and became an impostor, a chameleon.  I was whatever I felt the world around me wanted me to be and was more concerned with the outside than the inside. 
      I have been reading the book "Abba's Child" by Brennan Manning (NavPress 1994, 2002), and although some of his theology is skewed, he does make some great points. In his own struggle to be authentic with You, he tells of his struggle with the "impostor" within.  The impostor is the false self we present to others to be more accepted by the world around us.  We are cowards and do not want to show the real self because we are afraid of rejection.  That certainly was true of me, and sometimes still is to my shame.    He says that the impostor is narcissistic making reciprocal sharing impossible. He says, "The impostor has built a life around achievements, success, busyness, and self centered activities that bring gratification and praise from others." (pg.43)
 He quoted, " James Masterson, M.D. stated, "It is the nature of the false self to save us from knowing the truth about our real selves, from penetrating the deeper causes of our unhappiness, from seeing ourselves as we really are- vulnerable, afraid, terrified, and unable to let our real selves emerge."  (James Masterson, The Search for the Real Self (New York: Free Press, 1988 Page 63)
      Lord, I am so very grateful that You unlocked me from that prison the day I trusted You and You alone as Savior and Lord!  You wrapped me in Your loving arms and told me You loved me unconditionally...warts, failures, and all, and NOTHING could tear me from Your grasp!  Just like a perfect loving Father with a tiny toddler, You love me, guide me, and hold me.  You do not keep me from all danger because I have to learn what it means to follow You closely and that there are consequences or rewards for my actions.  But when I fall down, You scoop me up and hug me, forgiving my failure, and restore me to a wonderful walk with You and ABBA!
      Our precious youngest granddaughter Anna, just turned one year old.  She is starting to say words and is learing to walk...or at least she is trying.  She does not care what people think of her or her achievements yet.  She is who she is, totally dependent on Mom and Dad for her provision and instruction, helped and encouraged by her older sisters who love her as she is.
This is how I am to be with You, Lord, and how we are to act within the church family!  Your plan is perfect!
Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

God Knows Man's Wisdom is Foolishness

 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." (Job 5:13) And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the (worldly) wise; he knows they are worthless." (Psalm 94:11) NLT (Emphasis is mine.)
Psalm 94:8-11 "Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge? The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile." NIV

      Lord, Sweet Lord, no one knows better than You the foolishness of man's wisdom.  If Your wisdom does not rule and reign, there is chaos and every evil deed.  All one has to observe is the state of our world today.  Pride, arrogance, selfish ambition, and an insatiable appetite for power rule our governments giving little heed to what is best for the people over which they rule.  In the personal realm, envy, greed, and jealousy have created huge debt loads upon even God's people.  What is evil is sought after and what is holy is degraded and reviled.
      Lord, a perfect example is happening in Nigeria today.  The Muslims, the extreme enemy of Jews and Christians, are making that country a killing field.  In one day last week 140 Christians were murdered.  Churches are being blown up by suicide bombers, Pastors are being imprisoned, tortured, and killed. Psalm 94:20-21 "Can a corrupt throne be allied with You--one that brings on misery by its decrees? They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death." NIV  That was written by David thousands of years ago!  Things have not changed.
      Lord, I know these things have happened all throughout history.  One would hope humanity would learn...but again, they are dead spiritually and cannot understand.  Corpses cannot hear, understand, learn, or feel anything. 
      Lord, I long for Your return!  You will be the perfect ruler who rules in righteous judgment.  I am encouraged that this evil will not last forever and You have promised that Your grace will be sufficient for those who love You to endure the trials of our day.
      Revelation 22:20 "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."NIV  Hallelujah, AMEN!

Wise Fools

1 Corinthians 3:18 "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise."

      Dearest Lord, I praise You today for Your wisdom and for wanting to make it available to us.  It makes perfect sense, now that You have opened the eyes of my heart and mind, Lord, that it is wise to go to the creator and sustainer of all that is, ever was, and will be, to find out what is wise and what is foolish.
      When I did not have Your Spirit within me, I searched for the truth in man's wisdom.  It is foolishness indeed.  A perfect example of this came to light yesterday.  Someone in authority in the state of Massachusetts slammed the founder and COO of Chick-fil-a and vowed to ban the building of one of their restaurants in Boston because of Mr Cathy's stand against same sex marriage.  Sadly, MA has adopted an "inclusive" stance and has voted to legalize same sex marriage believing that they are doing a great humanitarian deed.  Unbelievers have been led to believe that homosexuality is not sin, as You say it is in Your Word, but say that You created some folks to be that way,  therefore there is absolutely nothing immoral in having these "partners" joined in marriage and live their lifestyle openly.  They see Mr Cathy as a fool when in fact He has Your wisdom.
      Our culture does not want to see things as sin, so they call them diseases, or attribute the sin to a fault in Your creation.  Our enemy has been very crafty indeed and has blinded their eyes to the truth.  So many of your statutes have been attacked: Your form of government that You established here through our Founding Fathers, the covenant of marriage is seen more like a short term lease contract, the institute of marriage and family, your system for using the resources (monetary and natural) You have given us.
      We cannot expect unbelievers to understand or accept Your wisdom as they are blind, deaf, and spiritually dead.  Lord, Your church needs revival!  Your own children are embracing the darkness of this world and are being drawn away because they are not staying close to You and are not in Your Word daily asking for Your wisdom on a moment to moment basis.  Lord, may Your Holy Spirit awaken Your sleeping church, and may we rise out of the ashes to become a vibrant "foolish" body again!

We are God's Temple

1 Corinthians 3:16-17  "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

      Lord, we have been studying about the temples in Jerusalem in Sunday School.  All Jews revered these buildings because that is where Your presence dwelt.  Because of this, they were the most important buildings in the whole world to them.  They were built with the most precious materials the earth could provide.  Then we read in Ezekiel that there was a time when You left the temple in three stages, and the Jews never noticed at all.  That was very sad.
      Lord, now that each believer is a temple, because Your Spirit dwells within us, it is just as important that we keep this temple in the best shape possible.  I believe, Paul is speaking here of making sure that our "Temple" is not corrupted within instead of just looking great on the outside, because he says that physical exercise is of some benefit: " For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8
      In our culture, the outward seems to be the most important.  Being fit and trim, joining the Y or the gym, weight-watchers, etc. all focus on the outward.  The reason to look a certain way is to be sexy and attractive and to feel good about yourself more than just being as healthy as you can be so we are able to perform whatever God calls us to do.
      If we corrupt the inside of our "temples" with ungodliness and worldliness, but the outside still looks great, God will destroy it.  Just what that means in reality, Lord, I don't yet understand, but believe it with all my heart.  I know if we are involved with sins to the body: illicit sex, smoking, drinking, and even eating disorders that come from excessive focus on looks; our body (Your Temple) will be destroyed unless repentance comes.  Even then it may come too late for reversal of the damage done.
      Lord, You have given us Your best.  It blows me away that You would come to live within ME,  and that You would make this body, with all of its spots and blemishes, Your temple.  Help me, Lord to take good care of the outside and to show in all outward appearances that You live within, not adorning it in in appropriate clothing; but even more importantly, please help me to keep the inside of the temple a pleasant dwelling place or You in purity of thought and godliness of attitude.

Life, Fire, and Rewards

1 Corinthians 3:14-15  "If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

      Dearest Lord,  I thank You today that I have never been through a house fire.  I have known of those who have lost everything.  This morning I pray for of all those in Colorado who were evacuated from their homes with just what they had on their backs.  All of their earthly possessions were consumed by fire.  Now they are dependent on others for shelter, food, water, and clothing...just the essentials of life.
      Lord, in the USA especially, we run after stuff, stuff, and more stuff...bigger stuff and better stuff.  Then we learn that in a disaster like a fire, flood, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or tsunami, that it can all be gone in a instant.  Only then do we realize what is really important and necessary...our lives and the lives of others.
      Just like the survivors of the Colorado fire, their lives were spared, but all of their stuff was burned and there was little to show for it.  Lord, I want my life to show Your glory and to be lived for Your purpose.  There is a verse in an old hymn that says:
"Only one life, will soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last."
These words are so very true!  What we do for ourselves will be burned away, and only what is done to further the kingdom will last forever.  I want my life to be full of the precious building materials so I may lay my reward at Your feet as an offering of praise!
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

Building Materials

1 Corinthians3: 12-13 "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work."

      Sweet Lord,  I want to build my house with gold, silver, and precious stones!  However; some of my building has been wood, hay, and stubble.  I know that every work done in the flesh for my glory will be burned up as will each time I have had the opportunity from the Spirit to do Your will and I have  ignored it or have done it half-heartedly.  All of the things the Spirit asks of me that I do them with a begrudging spirit will also go up in smoke.
      Lord, please keep me very close tonYou and in tune with Your Spirit, Will and way so that my "building will not be burned and I have nothing to lay at Your feet!

Be Careful How We Build Our Homes

1 Corinthians 3 9b-10 "you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds." NIV
"You are God's building. Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful." NLT

      Lord, Paul switches from farmer to contractor here.  I love how You cause Your writers to use word pictures.  I see Paul as the one who has been trained in laying the foundation, the most important part of a structure.  Then after careful instruction, leaves the rest of the construction of the building to the sub-contractors.
      Churches and homes (not just houses) are built in the same way.  Before You came in as a Master Builder, my life and our family home had a shaky foundation.  Some of it was strong, but most of it had large cracks in it because it was not built on You.  But then You came in as "Building Inspector" and exposed all of the rotten areas that needed fixing and in some cases replacing altogether.
      The story of the wise man and foolish man comes to mind.  If we will build our lives, personally and corporately as a church, on You and Your Word, we will stand the storms of trial and strong winds of adversity.  Our home may shake and even sway a bit from time to time, but in the end it will stand.  Our "homes" may shed tears at times, but will not be overcome by flood.  We may not always be happy, but we all can have that deep seeded, footers set deep within the Rock, joy!
      Thank You, Lord, for laying the solid foundation of our home and church!  Keep me ever careful as to how it is built!

God's Fellow Workers

1 Corinthians 3: 8-9a  "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field,"

      Sweet Lord, I am so glad we are not all having to do everything.  Last night I saw this in action.  We had vacation Bible School at Hyland Heights this week and I was able to help last night.  The main goal is for the kids You send us to hear about You...some for the first time. 
      There were:

• children and adults who went out into the neighborhoods and gave fliers out
• teachers who prepared and did the lessons
• musicians
• helpers who filled in all the other gaps herding children, serving snacks, mopping up spills, taking little ones to the bathroom, teaching memory verses
• Pastors 
• kitchen workers
• parking attendants
• planners
• purchacers
• contributers
• record keepers
• parents who brought car loads of kids
• cleaners
• sound and lighting folks
• decorators

Without ALL of these folks, it would have been a major flop/ there would be no harvest.  But, You gave each their tasks with their special talents You have given to get the huge job done.  We may never know how many souls (child or adult) will be harvested because of the labors of us all.  To You be the glory!

Just Farmers

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

      Lord, I love Paul's analogy here!  Having grown up on a farm, I can highly relate to this.  There were so many jobs that had to be done to be able to harvest our fruits and vegetables:

1. Dad would plow.
2. We would all go out and pick rocks.
3. Dad would drag the field.
4. He and mom would  keep the seed potatoes, and cut the runners from the strawberries, plant the seeds in pots that needed a head start, and buy the other seeds we needed.
5. We would help rake and then make the furrow in the soil to make rows for the small seeds.
6. Dad would use the cultivator to make the deep rows for corn seeds and, tomato, potato, squash, cabbage, and broccoli plants.
7. We would spread in the fertilizer and lime.
8. We would all plant the seeds and plants.  As kids, sometimes one would be making the furrow, another right behind her would be planting the seeds, and another came behind covering them up.
9. After the seeds came up there was thinning and weeding to do.
10. Usually You would water for us, Lord, knowing that we had a big garden and just a hand dug well.
11. One year AFTER our neighbors had dug a pond it was so dry we went in the trailer behind the tractor, with pails, buckets, and whatever else we could find that would hold water and hand watered everything.
12. Then when it was time, we all tok part in the harvest.

The point, Lord, was that even though we all had a part, You were the ONE who made things grow so we could harvest.  We were Your servants, but only You can make things grow.
In the church, we all have our jobs to do, the church planters and missionaries pick rocks, You prepare the soil in new fields, they plant and water, You send pastors and grow teachers and workers, but You make the church members grow.  Not one of the workers can claim that it is he who is responsible.  After all we are simply share cropers on Your land.  You bring the harvest.

Only Servants the Lord Has Assigned

1 Corinthians 3:5 "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task."

      Lord, You above all know that we humans are prone to pay more attention, honor or dishonor to a messenger than the one who sent the message.  You created us to be a sensory being.  In our flesh, if we cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or touch something it is hard for us to know it is real. 
      Paul has to address this with the Corinthians, and You still have to teach us this today.  In my infancy as a believer, I followed the preaching and teaching of one pastor because I thought he was the only one who knew the truth.  I was very wrong of course, but as an infant did know better.  Paul is telling this church that they should have grown past that point of infancy and should have known better by then.
      Lord, forgive us, Your real children, for hanging onto and hiding behind our humanness even after You redeem us.  Help us...help me...to be ever growing, ever learning, and ever following You more and human preachers less.
      Lord, may those I lead see You and not me, as I am only a servant to whom You have assigned a task.

Things I have learned and observed when disaster strikes

The best and the worst of people emerge and the best is exemplary and the worst is despicable.

The dormant church grows feet and hands

The alive and well churches and their members come together for even more amazing service to the community

Neighbors who normally don't even speak to each other come together to help each other and to check on each other

We come to realize that all of the opulence we enjoy here can be taken away in a moment

We need to learn to do without that opulence or will not survive

Water and ice are a real blessing

Friends are indispensable

We need to learn not to rely on computers, TV, Radio, and cell phones to communicate, but to go and check on others personally

Being without power actually gives us power to become closer knit as families and community

People are more courteous when the traffic lights are out than they are when they are working

We all have a choice to grumble and complain about what we don't have or be thankful for what we do have and look for blessings

There are those who use disaster for evil gain

We can be self-absorbed and become more so in trial

Desperation runs high when we can't have what we want or what we think should be "normal"

We live in a consumer society and are that way with God.  We put in our order with our specifications to God and when He does not fulfill our order to our specs, we get mad and bitter.

The most important thing I learned is that God rules my life, I do not.  If I rely on Him and keep my eyes focused on Him, and have my expectations in Him and Him alone, I can go through disaster or inconvenience with joy in my heart and a whole less stress!

More Praises--140 in all!

124. 96 hours without telemarketer and political calls!
123. It is a family tradition to watch "Pop Goes the Fourth" from Boston.  I know it's a small thing...but we can watch it tonight.
124. I was able to witness and minister to 2 AT&T workers with ice cold lemonade this afternoon.
125. We found that the diesel smell last night was coming from a leak in the generator.  The clean up crew were here tonight to start cleaning it up.
126.  I got to talk with and witness to a neighbor today that I have only seen once.
127. Ice Cream for dessert from our own freezer!
128. A visit from an adopted daughter, Krystal Taylor!
129. All of the students at Liberty University ...80,000 LU Online, and the hundreds of Resident students who called in or had to have their Financial Aid posted and loans worked were served because LU had power.
130. None of us at LU had to miss work.
131. Making a pot of coffee in the house. :o)
132. Having almost all of the power restored in the greater Lynchburg area in 8 days!
133. Having electrical crews from all over the US come to help out.
134. Many restaurants and grocery stores had power so folks could go get food.
135. The state issued special funds for folks to get temporary Food Stamp Assistance.
136. SBC is partnering with Hyland Heights to go into neighborhoods and clean up debris as a ministry.
137. LU is hosting a Youth Camp starting Monday and hopefully will be able to use the "Mission Track" kids as helpers.
138. Having it stay cool enough on Saturday morning July 7 to be able to finish clean up in the yard.
139. Having blackberries ripe in the hedgerow
140. Having a wonderful husband who, although really suffering from pain and heat, was not grouchy and miserable to live with!

How can we thank and praise You enough, Lord!  You are so good to us!

Bad Wind Storm June 29 2012…123 Blessings and Counting!

Bad Wind Storm June 29 2012…123 Blessings and Counting!

Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

Psalm 18:18 “They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.”

          Dearest Lord, provider, protector, encourager, and giver of wisdom, I cannot praise You enough!  On Friday night June 29^th, we were sitting in the living room watching the Olympic trials,  just an ordinary evening at home together, when the station broke in to tell us of a very serious storm was flying through our area with straight line winds of 80-85 MPH winds.  At that moment the power went out.  It stayed out until Wednesday, Independence Day, at 1:00 PM. At that time the blessings started.  We felt like the children of Israel on the night of the first Passover.

1.      We went out and grabbed the hanging plants and just got them into the porch when the storm hit.

2.      We prayed for God’s protection of His children and His property and huge limbs started falling on our roof.  Only one did a little damage.

3.      You had provided candles, and after the first blast of wind, we had a nice breeze and no rain so we could open the windows.

4.      We had flashlights with relatively new batteries and one that you shake to have it light.

5.      The winds lasted about 20-25 minutes.  With the limbs falling all over the yard and next to the house none took down the power line to the house.  Limbs were underneath the line, so Your Guardian angels were very busy!

6.      The one that fell on the roof of the porch had a very sharp end and came very close, but did not touch the living room window.

7.      It actually gave us good shade on the porch on Saturday for most of the day.

8.      The limb that fell on the back patio missed our back door window by about 3 inches and did not harm the grill.

9.      The phone line was not severed either, but even though we had phone service, our hands free phones had no power.

10.  I had my cell phone, but had just enough charge in it to call our landlord and a dear feiend and Liberty University Resident Director Cory Hyden,who had helped us with yard work before.

11.  I had called Dick from school on Friday to check on him as it was so hot…105 degrees, and my phone told me I was out of minutes.  I called from another phone and had Dick put money on it for me.  We would have had no way to do that Friday night.

12.  Cory has told us that he had a chain saw in his office at Liberty University and to call him if we ever needed him to come help with something.

13.  Another big limb fell outside the Kitchen window, but did not even touch it or the bird bath.

14.  We had all kinds of limbs and branches that fell around, but not on either of our vehicles.

15.  While the storm was going on, our neighbor Alan came over twice to check on us.  He had a tree fall on his truck and it took out his passenger side headlight, but no other damage had been done.

16.  The neighbor next to him had several trees down, but no damage was done to her home or car either.

17.  In the morning, our yard looked like a Super Bowl football field after the celebration, there were limbs, branches, sticks and leaves everywhere.

18.  The only damage to the roof was a large wood shard that had stuck into the roof at the back of the house, but it would have kept rain from coming in.

19.  But we had no rain!

20.  We had a whole container of ice in the freezer, so I took what we could and put it in the cooler.

21.  I took a big venison roast out of the Freezer to use as another cooling block in another cooler.

22.  There were lightning strikes just over the hill from us, but we saw none.

23.  The night of the storm, the wind blew the shelving unit on our back patio over.  There was nothing breakable on it, but had the gas can we use for the lawn mower on the bottom shelf and I smelled gas.  I pushed my way out and grabbed the can, but there was no gas in it because Dick had emptied it into the lawn mower.

24.  About a week or so before, we had bought a new propane tank for our grill with the side burner on it was good to go.

25.  Saturday morning Dick and I went out and You gave super endurance in the heat so we could start the clean up.

26.  We still had water so were able to keep hydrated.

27.  I used the grill to heat water for dishes etc.

28.  There was enough hot water left in the tank to provide warm showers until Sunday night.

29.  Saturday afternoon, Steven McLean came to tell us they had a generator so we could take our freezer things down to them.

30.  They also told me I could charge my cell phone so we could let family know how we were.

31.  His mom gave us a “Pop Light” that worked great to have in the bathroom at night or by the kitchen sink so I could see to do dishes.

32.  She gave us 9V batteries in hopes that we could use them in our radios…but that didn’t work.

33.  Dick found his head lamp that he used when he used to go fishing at night, but the batteries were no good.  She had batteries for that too!

34.  Using that allowed Dick to read at night and to see his way around the house.

35.  Cory and his wife Victoria showed up at about 5:00 and by 7:00 PM had all of the big limbs down and cut up and Victoria, he, and I were able to get all of the limbs and branches out of the yard.  Victoria started raking the lawn into piles.

36.  Because we had meat in the cooler, potatoes, a watermelon, a pepper and an onion that needed to be eaten, we were able to feed them a feast!

37.  We sat and ate and told stories.  It was a major blessing to us both!

38.  We gave them the rest of the melon, the roast and the whole stick of Summer Sausage that was thawed in the freezer.

39.  As I was taking garbage out that evening, I saw one of our solar lights on by the patio.  I remembered that we had 2 solar spotlights that shine all night on our flag out front.  I brought them in and we had night lights for the living room, and the other shown in the kitchen and the utility room most of the night with no risk of fire!

40.  We had a bag of tea lights candles that went in the three little lanterns we had.

41.  2 days in a row, I got a 1 ½ hr nap because of the heat!  I guess the heat and work outside had taken its toll on us both, as Dick took one too!

42.  Our house is cinderblock so is hard to keep warm in the winter, but because of the shade, never got above about 80 degrees. 

43.  Bo Ram Park had given me a huge paper fan from Korea and that came in VERY handy.

44.  I also found a battery operated tiny fan I had bought to use during the Living Cross one year and we had batteries for that too.

45.  Saturday night was cool enough so we were able to take showers in warm water.  With the windows open we slept pretty well.

46.  Sunday morning, I did not go to church because Dick did not look very well.  The heat  and work had gotten to him.

47.  I was able to call Tommy to let him know we were OK.

48.  Katie McLean brought us a jug of frozen water to put in a cooler.

49.  Unbeknownst to us, another major blessing had taken place.  Jeff, Cindy, and the 4 girls were in their truck hauling their tailor filled with camping gear headed for NY.  We thought they were probably most of the way to NY and out of the storm.  We were wrong!  They got a late start and were driving when the storm hit, but made it safely to Winchester, VA where they found a hotel that was not full and had power!

50.  They started out on Saturday only to be held up in traffic on I81 for 3 hours because of an accident.  They had fuel and were able to keep the family cool and entertained!

51.  They arrived safely in Williamson, NY at about 7:00 PM Saturday night.

52.  His wife Cindy’s mom’s double wide house had been up for sale, but had not sold yet, so they had a place to stay for their 10 day vacation for free!

53.  We had been praying for Lance because he has to dialyze each night and we figured he was out of power too, but could not contact him.  We found out from Tommy, because they finally got power that 3 different folks from Thomas Terrace Church had come with generators so he could dialyze!

54.  We found that all of Wards Road and Liberty U had power!

55.  When we prayed to protect Your people and their property we had no idea!

56.  Sunday morning early, You woke me at 3 and 4:00 AM to let me k now that it had cooled down outside so I could open all of the windows to cool the house down.

57.  I had to cook the pound of bacon, so had bacon and pancakes, blueberries and grapes for breakfast!  Took the 2 ½ lbs of butter in the cold water with the milk to keep that cold.

58.  Dick didn’t feel like eating much, but I was able to toast an English Muffin for him on the grill.

59.  In the cool of the morning I went out and worked a bit more on the lawn.  Thanks for the strength!

60.  We had lost our little bit of ice for our cooler when Joshua Ham, a student who we ministered to 14 years ago as dorm parents, stopped by to check on us.  We told him about the ice and how Dick had been all over looking for some, but could not find any.

61.  I went to town to see if I could find an old fashioned telephone and found none, but picked up batteries for the big radio…the only package left at Wal-Mart, and there were just the 8 we needed.   I came home feeling rather bad because I could not find any ice either.

62.  The air conditioning in the car and stores felt SO GOOD!

63.  Dick had just filled his car with gas on Friday.

64.  I stopped at Kroger to see if they had ice and they did, but they were handing it out to those who had been waiting in line for 2 hours.  When I got home and told Dick I could find no ice, he told me that there was no need because Josh had brought us 1 and 1/2 bags!

65.  Lord, You had provided 2 large coolers and 2 small ones for us years ago!

66.  Josh came back not once, but twice that day with bags of ice for us!  They had taken their little freezer to a friend’s house that had power so they did not need them.

67.  We got to meet his kids and had a great visit!

68.  Lord, thank you for our “adopted sons” who care for us when our kids can’t!

69.  Dick had asked me to pick up a pint of ice cream from Kroger, so I did and we had ice cream and ICED tea and water to drink for supper.  That cup of cold water given in Jesus name was SO WONDERFUL!  Thank You Lord for the little things!

70.  I put the batteries in the radio and the moment we turned it on, Alistair Begg was preaching a wonderful message on “Trial, Toils, and Snares”.

71.  Yes, Lord, You have a sense of humor and know exactly what we need when we need it!

72.  Again, You cooled it enough for us to sleep and still had a warm shower.

73.  Still no rain!

74.  Monday:  This is kind of a late revelation, but AEP Power Company just raised their rates quite a bit to start in July.  Our bill is going to be SWEET! 

75.  So is our phone bill!

76.  It was only 68 degrees this morning!

77.  Roof is still not fixed, but there has still been no rain!

78.  Cory brought a bunch of 5 guys from school to finish up the lawn clean-up.

79.  I took my phone to work and charged it all day.

80.  I was able to put a quick update out on Facebook that we were OK.

81.  At work we had a great party for Dr Hoezee’s birthday!

82.  Lord, You made me clean and disinfect my whole inside fridge.

83.  You also defrosted the outside freezer!

84.  All we lost as far as food was concerned was a dozen eggs, a pint of sour cream, our salad dressings, yeast, 1 quart of milk, and a few other condiments!

85.  We called Tommy to let him know we were OK and he said he had put out on Facebook for our friends in the area to come check on us because he had not seen my update in the morning.

86.  While we were talking with him, Ricky and Christi Burns and family drove in the driveway!  That made his day and ours too!

87.  Some of our folks at work with were without power.  LU opened up East Campus to employees and their families.  I immediately called Josh Ham so his family could have a cool place to stay.  Alicia went and signed up, but got power back before they could call her.

88.  TRBC opened their church and facilities for anyone who needed to cool down and get water and ice for free, as did Hyland Heights.  LeHaye Center opened their showers up to the public, and the dining hall was selling buffet 3x a day for $3 a meal!

89.  I stopped and got KFC for supper, but when I got home, because Cory had brought Dick a meal and a milkshake from McDonalds when he came, he was not hungry.  I love these kids!

90.  Victoria had messaged me to let me know they were coming and asked if they could bring anything.

91.  The night was cooler and we got some good sleep.

92.  Tuesday Morning- I awoke at 5:30 AM and took a drive to see if I could get ice at TRBC.  On the way, I saw that the Marathon Station on Fort Avenue was open and they HAD ICE!

93.  I went in and they also had fresh brewed coffee…something we had not had since Friday morning.  Yes, it is a little thing…but such a special surprise I was able to bring home to Dick!

94.  God thinks of the little blessings!  They also had milk!

95.  Stephen Hill, from church who works at school and had seen Tommy’s message, stopped to see if we were Ok too!  Precious friends!

96.  Lance and Carolyn had power!  I had left my cell with Dick for the day.  He went over to cool down, have fellowship, and they fed him a great lunch too!

97.  Rebecca Gibbs brought me a great book called Abba’s Child!

98.  Lance gave us some chicken breasts that her Dad had given them to use up.

99.  While he was there the guys came to fix the roof!

100.   At 4:30, we had another rough storm come through the area with winds and LOTS of rain, but our roof had been fixed!

101.   I prayed that the storm would pass by the time we had to leave work for all of our safety.  At 5:50, the storm abated!

102.                      There was no more damage to the house

103.                      It was LOTS cooler!

104.                      Everyone who had cars in the lot at LU that had been covered in red dust because of the construction got a free God’s Car Wash!

105.                      It took me this long, Lord to realize that we had more solar lights outside that could work as night lights in the hall and bedroom.

106.                      When I went out to get the spotlights to bring them into the house, I pulled one out stake and all without realizing it.  Dick and I were trying to play a game on the porch at dusk because it was so much cooler and he was so bored, but the light was fading.  I got the spot light with the stake and put it into the Poinsettia plant on the table and it, Dick’s headlamp and 2 candles allowed us to play until 10:30.

107.                      AT&T had brought over a diesel generator for the cell tower in the yard and it really was sending out a stink.  I asked You, Lord to change the wind direction a little to blow the smoke in the direction where it would not bother anyone, and You did!

108.                      Wednesday.  Independence Day!  I got up early and went into work for awhile to catch up on voicemails and emails etc.  You let me see and talk to several electric company workers and encourage them too.

109.                      Got to work and brewed a pot of coffee to take home to Dick in our thermos.

110.                      I was able to update Facebook with some of the blessings You have provided.

111.                      I called to check on Jeff and the kids and they are fine.

112.                      I went to Wal-Mart to get fresh batteries for Dick’s head lamp and they had Sparklers on SALE!  We will have fireworks for the Fourth!

113.                      I got 2 bags of ice at TRBC.

114.                      Came home and we found out that Kroger had been able to open!  Just in time for Dick to get 2 Rxs filled!

115.                        When we went, I was given a fresh rose for free for the fourth!

116.                      I was getting ready to take our laundry to Lance and Carolyn’s when…Lo and Behold…the power came back on!!!!!!!

117.                      I was able to do all of our laundry.

118.                      I heard our phone ring!

119.                      I heard the ice maker dump ice in the freezer!

120.                      I was able to have a long talk with Maggie and encourage her too!

121.                      Dick went to Kroger to pick up his meds and came back with 2 ½ gallons of ice cream!

122.                      Dick took a much needed nap in the cool house.

123.                      I was able to put all of this down for posterity and hopefully to encourage others to have a grateful heart instead of grumbling!