Are You Ready For The Storm?

For the past week, we have heard on the news of the incoming tropical storm, named Sandy. We were told it would travel up along the East coast, then swing inland over New York City, towards Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Sandy has brought lots of trouble. Massive flooding, wind damage, power outages, property damage, not to mention loss of lives. Airports are closed as is the stock market. The news reported that the subway is under four feet of water. I prayed for the homeless and pets, who could be forgotten about in the chaos while people were evacuating. It's interesting that a couple of nights ago, my husband and I watched the movie 2012. If you have seen it, you would think it was a prediction of this storm!

Mankind has always had strong storms to endure, and it has survived, one way or another. America has certainly had its share of violent storms in recent years. Katrina still leaves scars in the Gulf as people haven't been able to rebuild. FEMA was established to help in the recovery after such devestation, but we have found that Mother Nature is a strong lady!

The Bible talks about storms. The storms of life. You know, the things that bring us worry, and stress, and grief. They are inevitable. And just because a person has a personal relationship with his Savior, doesn't mean he is exempt from these storms.

God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

- Jesus - Matthew 5:45

How do you survive these storms in life? Do you have an infallible plan? Are you in a storm right now? What are you hanging onto?

I am reminded of another passage in the Bible that talks about the wise and foolish builders.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine

and puts them into practice

is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

The rain came down, the streams rose,

and the winds blew and beat against that house.

Yet it did not fall,

because it had its foundation on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine

and does not put them into practice

is like a foolish man

who built his house on sand.

The rain came down, the streams rose,

and the winds blew and beat against that house,

and it fell with a great crash.

- Jesus - Matthew 7:24-27

Think about this. What is the foundation of your life? Are you trusting in earthly things, or have you put your trust in heavenly things, that is in Jesus Christ? 

 I love you, O Lord, my strength.

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.

I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:1-3

Allow me to encourage you to personally pray the above scripture. Make a declaration that you will allow God to be the rock of your life. By having an intimacy with Him, you will be able to endure the storms that come along your way.

Are you ready for the next storm?



There Is Hope

There is a saying going around that there are two things that cannot be avoided...taxes....and death. I don't know where I have heard this statement, but there seems to be some truth to it! Taxes annoy us while we're trying to enjoy life, and death annoys us at the end of life. Though we can't do much about the taxes, we can do something about facing death. No one escapes it, and every person has to deal with it one time or another.

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,  and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Paul - 1 Thessalonians 4:18

These words do give me hope! I recently lost my Dad, and it was very difficult to have him go. But he had accepted Jesus as his Savior on Father's Day in 2011, so our family knew where he was going. We know where he is now. And someday we will be with him, and my Mom again. With Jesus. Forever.

I recently finished a new song and am happy to be able to share it with everyone. Welcome Home was written to give people hope when death approaches. Having faith in Jesus Christ as a personal Savior reassures us that when life as we know it is over, we have a new home in heaven. A home that has been prepared for us by Jesus Himself.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.

Jesus - John 14:1-4

My friend, Jim Dunmire, sings this song with a passionate love for His Savior, and reminds us that someday we will be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on before us.

A grand reunion's coming...we'll finally be at home!

May our Lord give you peace.



The Monuments Of Our Lives

Recently I set out on a foggy morning to a local cemetery with the purpose of taking pictures of gravestones for an upcoming ministry project. It was an interesting trip! After several pictures, the batteries in my camera died, so I had to go back into town to buy more, and then headed back to the cemetery to resume.

Cemeteries can be very interesting. Each gravestone was chosen by people with the intention of representing the loved one who passed away. There were all shapes, sizes, and colors. One particular grouping was of a family, where the parents had the largest stone, and it was surrounded by smaller stones of their children. Some lived long; others didn't. Some symbolized their interests. Log-style crosses, and slanted crosses over Bibles. Hearts for a couple who loved each other. On my parents' stone in another cemetery is a colored picture of the family farm my Dad built. At least it used to be colorful. After a short while, the colors faded. Guess that wasn't anticipated when they bought the stone when my Mother passed away back in 1987.

On this morning I found one particular stone to be massive. There was a life-sized angel standing in front of the cross. The size made me imagine how important these people must have thought of themselves!

And then there was a mausolium, where vaults were hidden inside. I looked through the glass doors, and found bugs, and leaves, and other things lying on the marble floor. Apparently, no one had gone in to check on this in a long time. Perhaps no one is even alive now who knew these people! This must have cost the family alot of money...did they realize that many years later, no one would care?

All of this reminds me how foolish we can be. We want to be remembered after we are gone, but how are we building our legacy? Are we building up treasures on earth, to impress people, who after all, aren't really impressed? Or are we building up treasures in heaven, to make an eternal difference?

This reminds me of a song I wrote a couple of years ago, called 'What Really Matters'. My husband called it a morbid song, but our Praise Band did it in church, and one of the guys still mentions it! "Let's do the morbid song", he says! Here are the lyrics:

I read in the paper just the other day

another passed away

I didn't know him very well

only vaguely by his name

It said he had a family

was involved in many things

It seems he was a happy man

and life was good to him

But I wonder if he really knew

that life was passing by

Did he know he had a purpose

There was a reason why?

Lord, help me to do what really matters

Help me to live my life for You

Let my heart be filled with passion

To do the things I do

Lord, help me to follow after Jesus

And to walk in love and truth

To share the love You gave me

Each day a gift from You

To live my life with purpose

so others can know You

Someday my name will be there too

For everyone to see

The family that I leave behind

The things that I achieve

And when I reach the Glory Land

and bow before His feet

I hope to hear my Savior's voice

speak these words to me

Well done,my faithful servant

for you have heard my call

You lived your life for My Name's sake

and shared my love with all

Lord, help me to do what really matters

Help me to live my life for You

Let my heart be filled with passion

to do the things I do

Lord, help me to follow after Jesus

To walk in love and truth

To live my life with purpose

Each day a gift from You

To share the love You gave me

So others can know You

What will your gravestone say about you?