Born Again

The other day Peter was listening to a children's tape from Focus on the Family. It was about a little boy who is trying hard to fit in with the other kids at school. At the end of the story the boy decides he just cannot give up his dream of playing the harp. But how can he stop worrying so much about pleasing the kids who tease him?

Instead, is there a way to just make God like him? His dad leads him in a prayer that Jesus will wash away his sins and come into His heart.

Peter clicked off the tape recorder, looked at me and asked, "Mom, could I do that? Ask Jesus to give me a clean heart?" Of course I was delighted to pray with him. That moment he was born again and became a son in God's family.

Peter won't have to worry about anything any more, because the Father's perfect love casts out fears. Peter is forgiven. In the Father's love Peter will find the strength to be everything God intended him to be.

During his half day at home school this morning, he went over and over his Bible verse, Ephesians 4:32, determined to get 100%. It is, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

I asked him what it means to be forgiven. His immediate answer was, "Your sins are gone!"

You've got it, Peter. :)

Wind

The winds were up and skies overhead showed the close-up of one of those satellite photos with its 'bands of clouds' the weather man is always pointing to on the outskirts of his hurricanes.

We could imagine the big swirls on the edge of Rita as we watched them scudding above our heads. The sun and rain were intermittent, the showers coming in fits and starts, at one point sending a spray of fine droplets, and the next minute drenching us all with cool sheets of hard pelting rain.

We were raking the back yard when we heard the sudden, short 'boom' of a transformer popping down the street. I dropped my rake and ran into the house, scolding myself for not filling my water pots earlier. There goes our power again!

Back outside we were again interrupted, this time by the neighborhood siren. It was howling out the presence of a tornado on a street near us. So we prayed and praised our good God, declaring His Lordship over us and our property, and went inside.

I am so very glad and thankful that our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I am so glad the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was shed for our family and covers us. We are not perfect, we deserve a tornado, but Jesus Christ shed blood for our sins and that is enough.

In minutes we watched the TV weatherman remove the Red Alert from Rankin County, part of a block of counties, and replace ours with the green all clear. The thing had dissipated and our power was back on.

God is good. God loves those who put their trust in Him.

Waters

Last evening was our first break from the unrelenting 90's heat. A refeshingly cool breeze blew across the football field raising our usually limp flag and flapping it for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

The sad thing is, the flag was still at half mast, reminding us of Hurricane Katrina, and the lovely breeze was the prelude to Rita, the next hurricane in the Gulf.

"Understand the signs of the times," Jesus said, and so we keep one eye on Israel and one on world events. As Katrina began forming in the Atlantic, Israelis, and shortly Americans both began their evacuations, the one from Gaza, the other from before Katrina.

The other night when our moon was huge and full, redder than I have ever seen it, Hurricane Rita was forming in the Gulf. Sigh, I wonder what was happening in Israel.

These are the days preceding the high holy day of Rosh Hashanah in Israel. The calendar says they are in the midst of a month-long time of repentence and returning to God.

Then October 4 or Tishri 1, will commemorate the Birthday of the World. It will be 'day of blowing,' the day God blasted His breath across the face of the dark and chaotic 'waters of the deep' on Planet Earth. It is the same day His great voice thundered, "Let there be light!" No wonder the day is called the Feast of Trumpets!

May He now blow upon the face of the waters flooding Louisiana and Texas and bring repentence and a time of new beginnings. And may His Spirit blow over all our lives and homes and drive away darkness and discord, replacing it with the beauty of His holiness. That is what He about in all of this.

His kingdom WILL come. His will WILL be done on earth exactly as it is in heaven.

Rita

Psalm 91 says, He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall say of the LORD: my refuge and my fortress....a thousand shall fall at your side but it shall not come nigh thee....He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways...Isaiah 54 says no weapon formed against thee shall prosper. Jesus said, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Last evening we went to church expecting to hear a teaching from our wonderful pastor. Thank God he listens to the Spirit and obeys, because he set aside his sermon and allowed the worship to continue to flow uninterrupted for the full hour.

I explained to the kids. That is what you do when there is another category 5 hurricane hovering in the Gulf. The other thing you can do is what Daniel did in chapter 9. He repented on behalf of his sinful nation.

When we lived in Galveston and Hurricane Gilbert was approaching, some Believers went down to the beach and repented. We watched God replace His hand of protection over our island. That big hurricane moved away from its sure path towards us and veered off to an unpopulated area of Mexico. The malice of the enemy was not permitted to harm us.

May God grant us all a spirit of repentence for our nation, and may He dissipate this thing in His great mercy, and divinely protect all those in its path who call upon His Name. We can "stand in the gap" for those in danger.

Fear has no place in this, only faith. Perfect love casts out fear, and God is love. We are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. It is who we are in Jesus.

Fireside

The first meeting of "Fireside", the new Ninth Grade Boys' group met this evening at the Halpert's house. Six of the nine boys in Rob's class and five dads and five moms came along with a sprinkling of little sibs. Total of twenty four of us. What a blessing!

The guys went straight to the family room for their Bible Study/devotional led by Bob. Not invited to join their 'fireside' discussion, we wives chatted around the kitchen table drinkin' sweet tea. The discussion part is to be a guys and dads thing, and we were fine with that. We wanted to talk about plans for a 'mission trip' for the boys to help at the coast anyway.

Bob told me afterwards that he just went over some basic doctrine with the guys, explaining that growing up in Mississippi, going to church and Christian school does not make you a Christian, that you cannot work your way to heaven, and that being holy is not about haloes or something you make jokes about: it is what Jesus died to make you, no matter what you do.

Romans 10:9,10 has two parts. One pertains to what you say, and the other part is what happens in your heart. You have to really believe deep down that Jesus died and is alive now, in order to be saved.

Following this short lesson the boys descended upon the assembled casseroles and sweet tea, and we ate supper, the kids gravitating to the picnic table or dangling their feet around the edge of the pool, while we adults found places to sit around the house. What a great group of parents and kids!

When we finished eating, some of the boys disappeared to the car and reappeared dragging a set of snare drums, a couple bongos, a pair of cymbals and a big bass drum, all of which they set up in our sunporch. They then gave us a demonstration of what they had learned in this afternoon's secret drum corps lesson.

After one more lesson, these darling Junior Varsity boys will surprise their football coach and the Varsity Team with several fight songs and some terrific rolls and rhythms. They got Rob to raise his arm and run across the room simulating a kick-off, while his buddies Zachery, Taylor, Mitchell, and Mr. Mark rolled the drums louder and louder, and, just as his foot hit the imaginary football, Scott crashed the cymbals.

Last game Rob's name was announced several times over the loudspeaker. After that kind of performance, our boy may just find he has the real job of kicker. I'm not sure how I feel about that. However, football games at our school are a fun family and school spirit phenomenon. With the addition of our new drum corps, next home game should prove even more exciting than ever.

Smelly Carpeting

I spoke with Tom today to hear how his family and neighbors are doing and what their needs are. He says they are fine because they have the Lord, but their town is still unbelievably ruined. He has been working at helping other families rebuild.

Their home is thoroughly disinfected, and at this point they are awaiting the insurance adjuster to assess the damage and make a hard decision about what will be covered and what will not. Since they were not insured for flood damage, they are hopeful they can be covered some other way.

Today his children spotted Air Force One in Gulfport and President Bush spoke to the people there. His comments were that for those wishing to help out, money is the most convenient gift to send. That way folks can get what they need. At the risk of sounding mercenary, Tom had to agree. A family could then go right out and purchase the washing machine or couch they need that would fit into their particular rooms.

He has insurance covering his trucks and has money now, I think, to get another for his business. All his cordless tools will need to be replaced. His impulse hammer and pneumatic drill and all are shot. Hopefully an insurance man will be there next Wednesday.

Two of the three Wal-Marts in the area are gone, but there is one open in Biloxi. Also Home Depot and Lowes are open now. The citizens have plenty of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's) and water given to them free of charge. Their own water is still not drinkable, but they shower and wash with it.

If a church wanted to send a volunteer team down, there is plenty to do service-wise. They need help with clean-up, sheet rock, pulling up smelly carpeting - could use maybe 120 guys a week. They feel so blessed to have air matresses to sleep on and electricity to run their water and turn the fan on at night to blow the perspiration off. They consider themselves not among those who are devastated, although their front yard looks like it with its pile of rubble.

Some families are simply not returning, but Tom feels he has no choice. He has his business established there, and under normal conditions has plenty work. Now, of course, he has more work than he wants and not the kind he enjoys much. It is exceedingly hot on the rooftops repairing in the blazing sun.

It is hard to appreciate the extent of the damage and destruction by viewing the TV news, though their family has no television, so don't really see the coverage. The town of Pass Christian where he has worked is 75% gone. Stately antebellum homes have vanished and 200 year old live oak trees are uprooted and washed away. One man he knows in Ocean Springs lost 14 people on his street.

Tom is naturally tireless and strong, but he admits that now and then the clean-up gives him "very wearying thoughts." "It takes the steam out of you," he says. However, the time for crying is past, the children are in good spirits, and since the option of leaving is not open to them, they continue on.

Please pray for stamina, both physical and emotional. Thank God he can do all things through Him Who strengthens us.

"EVERYTHING!"

The Red Cross man drew us all into the fellowship hall which had been turned into a food pantry, closed the door behind him, and looked at us squarely.

We three moms had brought our boys in their football jerseys to distribute goodie packs which had been assembled yesterday by our elementary school kids. The packs included coloring books, school notebooks and pencils, Bible story books, stickers and crayons, a Bible and some candies. The children had been thrilled, some clutching the Bibles to their chest.

The Red Cross man told us these folks' homes were either washed out to sea, or the backsurge emptied them of contents. They can't go back into them. They are destroyed. "EVERYTHING is gone," he said. "Everything in their lives that they owned is gone. Think about that, boys."

The adults in the church say they are doing "ok," but they sit there quietly or wander around with sad smiles. Just think, two Monday mornings ago hundreds of thousands of people like you and me woke up with no idea that their plans for life would be cancelled that day. Many are dead.

Most in the shelter are coming out of the shock and helping clean the bathrooms and chatting. But these folks will very soon need jobs to start life over again. Some acknowledge the Lord and all of them thank Him for life. After all, this is the Mississippi Bible Belt.

However, not everyone knows Him personally. Like the people I meet every day. "Oh, yes, Ma'm, my granddaddy was a Baptist preacher." But do you KNOW Him? "Yes, ma'm, I was born into it." "Yes, Ma'm, I've been working in the Methodist Church for years." But...do you Know Him? "I guess so."

If you do know Him, you won't have lost Everything, even when you lose "everything."

Word from the Coast

Today was Grandparents' Day at School. We had some grandpa's and grandma's (in Mississippi, ma-maws and pa-paws) who had not been expected, but who are now living with their children, having arrived along with the hurricane. Their families are so happy they are alive! One sitting next to me owned a brick house, which was covered with water and gutted by the back surge. Another told about families clinging to poles or waiting in trees to be rescued.

We are indeed blessed to be alive. It is still very bad on the coast. At this time any banks down there will not cash checks over $200.00. A friend writes that the "items most needed are as follows: Men's clothing various sizes. Very little mens' stuff has come in. Shoes for teenage children, specifically, girls sizes 7 -10 boys 7-10. Men and women's underwear, emergency bandaging items, ointments, anti-septics, protective gloves (for clean-up of contaminated waste,garbage) work gloves. Baby foods, Adult diapers."

He adds, "We appreciate your acts of kindness toward us. God has been so gracious. We are not consumed with this devastation, but, rather, the need to stand like watchmen along the wall and continue to warn the people, that more is coming and we must return to God's Word. We covet your friendship and petitions on our behalf to Father."

Those that are not staying to rebuild are fanning out from the coast. America, heads up! The precious refugees are coming. Some, like the pretty little blonde girl in Peter's class are composed and gentle, but all need healing and love.

The Word says, 'Be kind to foreigners in your midst,' and 'Don't return a slave to his owner.' A church around the corner has opened its doors to become the home of a hundred or more displaced folks, who now occupy their gym. Sorry kids, no Sunday School for the next little while, as your church acts like the Church. The classrooms have signs like Sheets, Baby Clothes, Food etc.

We, the Church, are the Solution. Let's lift Jesus high above the floodwaters, praise Him, and watch Him 'draw all men unto Himself.' He is the way to Heaven, the only Truth and the Life.

The news headlines say, RED CROSS NEEDS 40,000 VOLUNTEERS. But God says, Church, arise, I am volunteering YOU! You have the power. Now get busy.

Start next door, and after that, here are some organizations:

OPERATION BLESSING / 700 CLUB: TV's 700 Club's Operation Blessing teams are on the ground in the storm-ravaged regions of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Even before Katrina struck, OBI tractor trailer trucks were already on the move, ensuring partner agencies were stocked with emergency relief supplies for immediate distribution. OBI is now collaborating with emergency officials and making final assessments of the heavily impacted areas. Together with partner agencies like the Salvation Army, a large-scale disaster response is unfolding. Truckloads of food and mobile kitchen equipment have been delivered by OBI to Salvation Army staging areas in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. After four mobile kitchens and dozens of mobile canteens from partnering groups are in place, OBI will be helping provide up to 310,000 meals a day to storm victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. OBI is also working with local churches and other nonprofits to determine strategic and effective ways to bring aid to those struggling to cope in the aftermath of the brutal hurricane. Donate by phone by calling 1-800-730-2537 or visit www.cbn.com.

SALVATION ARMY: A $100 donation to the Salvation Army will feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water and one household clean-up kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies. For victims needing assistance, please call 1-888-363-2769. Financial contributions are greatly needed and provide the Salvation Army with the funds to purchase what storm victims need. They also allow the Salvation Army to assess the unique needs of individuals and families, as well as put money back into the economy of those communities affected by the disaster. To make a secure online contribution visit www.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate by phone, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. To donate by mail, send checks, earmarked "disaster relief," to P.O. BOX 4857, JACKSON, MS 39296-4857. Visit your local Wal-Mart or Sam's Club to donate to the Salvation Army's Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

DIRECT RELIEF: One of the major relief programs comes from Direct Relief International. Direct Relief has already gone into action with the state of Louisiana and federal officials overseeing the Katrina aftermath in the South. Direct Relief focuses on replenishing medical inventories and providing emergency medical material where needed. Direct Relief has in stock medical inventories that undergird health services and respond to emergencies such as the Katrina hurricane. It has a long history of giving backup to official emergency efforts in America as well as other countries around the globe. For further contact, call 1-805-962-3700 or e-mail jm@surfmedia.com.

SAMARITAN'S PURSE is a Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST RELIEF FUND -- administered by the denomination's North American Missions Board.

AMERICAN RED CROSS: All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of this disaster by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. Make a secure online contribution.

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: CWS Disaster Response and Recovery is ready to respond to the Katrina hurricane disaster. CWS plans on deploying efforts to the calamity based on specific invitation for assistance by CWS partners. For updates on how to help, call the CWS HOTLINE at 1-800-297-1516.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA: This agency is commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in such disasters as the Katrina hurricane. The response is to emergency as well as long-term help requests. The Disaster Response Office contacts the Catholic Church's social service offices and disaster programming agencies throughout America. For further information, visit www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/news/katrina.cfm or call Catholic Charities at 1-800-919-9338.

INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES: IOCC is providing assistance to those in the storm-affected areas. IOCC works with Orthodox Christian churches and the Church World Service and others to assist in efforts of housing, food, and miscellaneous help, particularly to the displaced by the hurricane. Already the bishops have activated emergency response networks. Donations for the IOCC Hurricane Disaster Response Fund may be sent to IOCC, "Hurricane Relief," P.O. Box 639225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225. Call toll-free 1-877-803-IOCC (4622).

HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES: HSUS volunteers are on the ground in the Gulf Coast helping to rescue stranded animals.

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF/EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AMERICA: The ELCA Domestic Disaster Response to the hurricane will include spiritual care for those affected by the disaster, care for caregivers, and hardship grants. Hardship grants are available to those who need short-term assistance for expenses unmet by insurance or FEMA grants, such as rent, insurance deductibles, or special medical equipment. Please send donations to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, designated for "Hurricane 2005," to ensure that funds are available to be released immediately once community needs are assessed. All 100 percent of your gifts will go to help individuals and communities rebuild their lives following this disaster. LDR coordinators will be organizing volunteers to assist in the debris removal and clean up as soon as possible. Make your check or money order out to: ELCA Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764. Mark "Katrina Hurricane" on your check or money order.

LUTHERAN CHURCH/MISSOURI SYNOD: Gifts for hurricane relief may be made out to LCMS World Relief and sent to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-9810. Please designate your check "2005 Hurricane." You may also call the Credit Card Gift Line at 1-888-930-4438.

SEND CASH, CLOTHING OR FOOD? Yes. Send cash donations – that is, go to your bank account rather than your closet or food pantry, counsels Church World Service officials. "Cash is always preferred over material donations," says Linda Reed Brown, associate director of Emergency Response at Church World Service (CWS), a New York-based humanitarian and relief agency serving the U.S. "With cash donations, organizations responding to disasters can quickly acquire exactly what is needed based on damage assessments," she explains. "Cash also can purchase goods and services in the disaster-stricken community and thus boost its economy at a critical time."

List complied by Grant Swank, news editor at WDC Media www.wdcmedia.com

New Beginning

Our new neighbors from Biloxi ordered a bed on line, and it should arrive today. Still in shock, they smile wistfully and tell us they can soon move into the last apartment available at the nice complex near us. Many folks, however, are not so fortunate.

One such, a mother showed up our school the other day. After her husband's death in New York three weeks ago, she and her daughter had relocated to New Orleans to be near family, but had to flee before the hurricane. Now they find themselves at our doorstep in Mississippi. Another family, the dad, a dentist, have brought their handsome eighth grade son to our school. He is an articulate, young man who walks around quietly or sits staring amid the bounce and activity of our children.

Hundreds of such families are swarming our area schools, especially the public and Catholic academies, which are becoming overcrowded. These are the fortunate ones.

Mississippi coastal News, lists 3309 PAGES of survivors or missing persons.

http://wx.gulfcoastnews.com/katrina/status.aspx

and anyone can see the pictures on line of the devastation of homes, businesses and lives. Many, many people are desperate for water to drink and wash in, for food and a roof.

But there is another kind of desperation: one that is good. It is one that allows the wind of the Holy Spirit to disrupt our thinking and reveal some power failures in our own lives.

It is a time to humble ourselves, repent of the things that have lain hidden, which are not pleasing to God, but are hindering His redemption for planet earth. Our ancestors in Paradise, deliberatly disobeyed the warning of their loving Creator, bringing a dark cloud over an indescribably beautiful Paradise. We've done the same.

But when a great stipping away of the trappings of life occurs, we are left with just us, plus whatever we have sown into our hearts up to this point. If it is not pretty, everyone will see the uncleaness.

Thank God that even then, Jesus Christ walks among the shambles and wreckage of our devastated hearts and reaches out His bleeding hands to redeem and breathe new life into us. He lovingly whispers to our hearts,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor: He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are oppressed."

One kind of devastation is good. It is the kind that opens us up to receive Jesus and His shed blood as our only Salvation, both now in this life and to build us a real Home for all eternity.

Be Prepared

Stories abound of people helping people. One sad thing is that there are little towns completely wiped out. One not far from us has fewer houses standing than blown down. They say you can tell the distinction between the tornado damage and the hurricane damage. One man had his whole pine tree farm shaved off halfway up. The hurricane toppled big southern pines flat with roots exposed, but the tornadoes twisted or popped the tops off.

Our neighbor is driving a truckloads of cleaning supplies, food, bedding, etc down this morning. He writes:

The pictures do not do justice to the total and complete destruction of the Gulf Coast. When you view the amount of destruction, it looks too big to tackle. However, I always believe the way you eat an elephant is one bite at a time. After the initial rescue work, I worked with a group of four families that I know and who are all living in one house. The house has sustained major roof damage and interior water damage, but it is still liveable. Out of the four families, three lost everything - jobs, houses, vehicles, businesses, clothes, etc. I have attached a file that lists the types of supplies they need....

I hope everyone can take some time to think about what they would do in an emergency. First things first - is to get God's Word in our hearts. We can do all things through Christ Who strengthenes us. We have authority in Jesus Name. I heard of a church that is laying hands on their automobiles for repair, and we can heal the sick in Jesus name if we would just do it and BELIEVE.

As we become dwellers in the shelter of the Most High, we will say, "Wow, the LORD really is my refuge and my fortress! He really does not let destruction come nigh my dwelling!" The pastors here are saying that the number one thing to do is GET RIGHT WITH GOD.

After that.... it's a good idea to think about putting some water aside. Water is the most important thing. An oil lantern or several are nice. Plus oil. We have a gas stove, which was great for cooking and toast. Some plastic tubs for washing in and candles (scented are nice for the bathroom : ) are helpful. Those in glass containers are safer than regular. Even after the wick is gone you can drop a match in and it will glow long enough to do what you need to do. Also a bucket per bathroom is helpful.

If the septic is a concern (ours was not because we were not showering or doing laundry to fill the sptic tank) you can hook a plastic bag by the handles over the toilet and catch the waste and dispose of it in the garden. Sorry, gross, but that's what our neighbors did, who have no pool for flushing water down the commode.

Extra bleach wipes are good to have on hand as is vinegar. A friend 'bathed' with diaper wipes. There is milk you can buy in cartons with a shelf life. This is good. I stood and looked at a mountain of paper towels on sale the week before the storm and bought two packs of 6 each. It seemed crazy at the time but I thought I was supposed to and I am glad I got them.

Extra gasoline on hand is wonderful. Put stabil in it to keep it longer. We even ran out of containers in the stores. We now have gasloine at most gas stations around here, not all grades, but something at least. So things are getting back on task. We have football games so we need gas!

Have lots of matches in the house. Have a non-electric phone. An emergency supply kit maybe in a backpack with first aid and stuff already in it would be smart.

When the emergency arises is a tad late to think clearly about what you would take in a hurry if you had to rush from your house. Imagine tying your kids to your back and swimming out the window!! Make a family emergency plan and learn more about things and people in your own area.

Don't wait. Get to know your neighbors now. We had ours over in the dark and it was fun, but it was something we could have done sooner.

We don't usually eat candies, but I picked up a package beforehand and surprised the kids. It is nice to have special little touches, to set the table pretty when you don't feel like it. We even put praise music on with the generator.

Be really careful with lanterns. Even a responsible kid can knock a glass-based oil lamp off the table and cause a fire. I was always conscious of fire. Have several flash lights and plenty batteries. We re-charged batteries with the generator.

Hey, y'all up north. When we were in Michigan I thought this kind of emergency would be a breeze for southerners. Not! Everyone needs to wash and drink water, even though being hot in summer without AC might be better than freezing cold in the north without heating.

Keep praying for the rescuers. It is very hard for them, emotionally and physically.

Let's BE READY for the coming of the Lord. This old earth is groaning loudly with labor pains, about to give birth to the new age with Jesus as King!

God bless us everyone. Keep looking up. He is good.

Tom

To those of you who are wondering about Tom and Evelyn and the four girls, I got him on his cell phone. They are back in their house cleaning up. His truck will be needed for his business and his computer kind of floated away. No flood insurance. So....

He says don't mail snything just yet. The Post office will keep things there for a while. They waded about a quarter mile with the puppy and the 2 gerbils! Even the fish survived in his bowl on a high shelf. They are happy and the Lord is providing for them Glad to get the call, though. PTL

Power, Power !

Our power is back on!!! The fans and lamps are right where they were last Monday noon when everything went quiet. Praise the Lord for He is good. Praise God for power for the folks next door with a houseful of refugee family members! Praise God for no backed up septic tanks. Praise God for AC. Praise God for our precious water well and the power to raise the water. Praise God for washing machines and dishwashers. Praise God for ceiling fans. Praise God for water to wash our dinner plates and brush our teeth and wash our faces and take a shower and flush the toilets! Just praise Him!

Yesterday when the Entergy guys were drilling to replace the three poles on our little road, they hit a water main that our next door neighbors had run in for their house, the only folks on our street. How must they have felt to have their best laid plans for defeating power outages, bested!

This morning, to save on gas, we walked under clear blue skies to the Vineyard Church a mile up the road. There were some comforting prophesies and a word to Fix your eyes on Jesus and walk straight on. Some time ago a prophetic word was given that that there are 12 cities in the US that will be Cities of Refuge. Jackson is one of them. The churches are already well into action. And we are all to do whatever is right at hand.

The pastor spoke of Jesus' response to the question, "Why did those construction workers die when the tower they were working on collapsed? Was it because of their sins?" Jesus refused to even go there. Instead, He said, "If y'all don't repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Time for us all to admit that, but for the mercies of God, we would all be consumed.

The church was full, and one family from New Orleans came up for prayer. We all witnessed something I will never forget. The father gathered his family around him as the pray-ers surrounded them. The man lifted up his voice and wept loudly, calling on the Name of the Lord and telling Him how they had had not a glass of water to drink and had lost everything. I could not tell if they had lost family too.

Here was a tall, handsome, white-haired gentleman weeping unashamedly before the Lord and humbling himself before the Church. Now, that kind of humility will get God's attention. I will never forget it, and I hope I will be changed forever by it.

We just received word from from friends in Gulfport. Tom emails about his girls tied to his back:

"We had to swim out of a window in the middle of the storm and wade about a quarter mile to high ground but we are all safe. Everything in the house as well as our two vehicles are a total loss. I'm writing from a satellite computer at a relief station. Won't be able to check too often."

Thank you so very much for all the prayers you have sent in our direction. Now THERE'S a family who truly need your our prayers. Them along with all the others, plus our neighbor's son and other rescuers down in New Orleans. That there will be multiplications of water and food. And that they will be kept from disease.

May God be glorified in all of this. He is, as barriers are falling, and neighbors are helping neighbors. Praise His Name.

Babies

Today was supposed to have been a birthday at our house. Our Katie would have turned 25. Bittersweet memories of her three short days with our family, before she was gone like a tiny wisp of cloud. But today is also a wnderful day. I get to tell you that next May we will be grandparents for the second time! Mia will be a big sister! God is so good.

In the dark this morning Michelle and I headed for the airport. While here she got word that her 5 year multi-entry vias had arrived for Ukraine, praise God. When she goes back she promises to hug the boys we could not bring here with us. She was her same sweet self, despite our rustic lifestyle here....Maybe she viewed us as a missions trip.

Because of Katrina, she couldn't speak at church, but her message is: Everyone get fired up about one thing. Ask God what Your thing is, and do it in Jesus' Name. We can change the world. She will soon be heading back to do her thing with those dear homeless kids she is called to love on.

They are just hanging around the orphanage, waiting, hoping it will be their turn to be adopted. If their turn never comes, they will be like four Michelle left there last year. Turned out onto the streets, all four had babies,perpetuating the cycle. Please consider getting one of these precious girls or boys while they are young.

Michelle notes that our boys have blended in beautifully with our family, and their English is great. James wrote a note in English for her to give his little artist friend at the orphanage, but became frustrated signing his name in Russian. We shall go over their Russian alphabet today if they like.

Since the hurricane they are doing well. Taking their cues from us, they keep busy and happy. Now and then I sense that James is concerned about food shortages and wants to eat too much. We simply remind him that all is well, and if he wishes to eat more than usual, we'd be happy to give him more jobs to even it out. The animals sense the disruption - the cat wants to sleep with me and the dog has licked his tummy raw, but they too will be ok.

The ones I really feel for are the dads. I think they take this the hardest, feeling so responsible for their families. May God give us all focus and faith, patience and clarity. Rob has unearthed his "Good Clean Jokes" joke book series and reads chuckling to himself. A sense of humor is always a good thing.

I did my laundry yesterday. Ahhh...is there anything more beautiful than a string of hand-washed shirts billowing in the breeze? All three boys continue their task of clean-up, manning the generator, hauling water from the pond to the toilets and from the pool for boiling. Lord, how I thank You for the boys, the pond and the pool.

The line-up yesterday at the Texaco station near us was blocks long. I hear that the Collins, Mississippi electric plant, is up and running, and soon there will be a convoy of tankers headed this way. We are so close to the businesses, especially Wal-Mart, which was packed again yesterday, its meat department emptied. It occurs to me that maybe having our little road nearby pitch dark is a way of saying to folks, "Don't bother them."

The police presence is eerily comforting. I have not seen any scary reason for it, only that they are all over, directing traffic whenever a gas station opens up and parking at angles on the corners, their blue lights flashing. Now and then they sound their siren briefly. It is a reminder that a police state will exist before the Book of Revelation's "man of lawlessness" appears. He'll propose his cure for the world's problems and his solution for identity theft and credit card crimes: the 'mark of the beast'.

Speaking of lawlessness, this year's homosexual fest, Southern Decadence, in New Orleans' French Quarter is under water. Today the streets and bars are minus "125,000 drunken homosexuals engaging in nakedness and sex acts." Makes you want to consider what we all tolerate within our own city limits. Quick, before we have yet another Sodom and Gomorrah.

Post Hurricane Party

It was the starriest night. Michelle and I sat and talked with our feet in the pool.
Lovely except for the sound of someone's generator. On second thought, a generator makes a beautiful sound, but it is possibly only a temporary lullaby, because gas to run it is hard to get. Better that it stop because gasoline comes to the stations, and along with it electricity to pump up some water. Our well, being a community well for 5 families, is hooked up to the city and could backfeed if we tinkered with it.

We humans all want an escape from our set of circumstances, but the catch is to live without the escape. Thanks be unto God who ALWAYS cause us to triumph in Christ Jesus. ALWAYS. Remind of that when we run out of gas : )

Last evening some neighbors came over. A family from a pocket of the city that is lighted joined us for a swim and brought ice!! So we partied! We must remember next time that home-time means you NEED to bring flashlights! It is pitch dark, but Bob walked an older couple to their house while I drove two elderly ladies back to theirs. As I watched them clinging to each other and stepping gingerly over the downed cable in their driveway I was struck again by how well off we are. Our boys work at cleaning up, they play some, study a little, and swim, all day and all without danger at our house.

I recall after Y2K didn't happen, feeling puzzled and embarrassed, because I sincerely "just knew" there was a reason to prepare. What it was is that God is so longsuffering, He warned us well in advance -- and now, for us, it is here, even though we really, really hope it is temporary! I am re-reading "How to Live without Electricity and Like it" thinking we really need to maintain our bikes and I may go talk to the black man down the street and see about buying some chickens. I hear his rooster occasionally.

Last night my 90 year old Dad in Ontario emailed me. I agree about the "umbrella of protection". He writes:

..........I bought half a tank of gas today. Normally that would cost about $20. Today it was $47 I cannot help but feel that while the Tsunami in SE Asia was a wake up call to the nations in that area, this tragedy has to be a wake up call to the US and Canada.

Canada has gone further down the moral deterioration path than the US, yet to date we have been spared. Our umbrella of protection has long since been removed, and I feel that we are exposed to the malevolence of the adversary.

God is most certainly speaking. I was pleased to hear President Bush mention the name of God at one point. There is little that he can do, but church leaders need to speak up and challenge the nation to repent. It is a difficult situation to deal with. While the pleasure loving nation as a whole is guilty, any mention of a divine hand would seem to imply that those who suffered were at fault for their own calamity. That would not be true and to even speak of a divine hand would seem to imply guilt of those who suffered. When God spared Nineveh in Jonah;s time, He took note that children were delivered. They were certainly in no sense part of the problem. They would have been innocent victims of the overthrow of the city......

Thanks Dad. Yes we are righteous, but happen to be in the boat along with the Ninevites. However, we know the mercy of our Father and He will/does provide. You know, even if He never helped us get another gallon of gas or water, we have one thing that those without Him do not have - ETERNAL LIFE! Jesus said, "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."

School will be back in session next week.....God willing.... : )

I still have my Y2K scrub board, so today I will launder some uniforms for the kids, and shirts for Bob. The boys will string up a clothesline I have kept for this very purpose. It all should be quite interesting.

PS The news this morning from the coast is very serious. We may find ourselves in a situation here in Jackson as more refugees move north. Many are already coming back up now after seeing they have no home. Pray about security and food. WalMart had a big barbeque of food that was spoiling from folks' freezers, for refugees who are wandering around, but when that runs out we will need more food in our area.

Gasoline

Bob didn't get gas. The station was not open. If you faint in the day of adversity , your strength is small. Thanks to all your prayers we are not fainting, and compared to others our adversity is very small.

But last night at 10:00 PM our next door neighbor with a flashlight, banged on the door to tell us that there was gasoline in the next town at Flying J truckstop. So Rob and I pulled on shorts and gathered milk cartons and juice bottles and a couple tanks we had - there aren't any nice tanks left in stores, and headed out. Bob's truck's tank was the lower of the two cars, so we took it.

It was pretty dark along the highway, but some spots apparently have power. Found the junction of Hwy 49 and 20 and saw lots of light there! A couple miles of cars and trucks. Found ourselves in the wrong line for a couple minutes until we realized it was for deisel, asked a policeman and pulled into the right line.

We sat dozing on an off for 2 1/2 hours staring at red brakes lights watching the guy ahead of us bump along pushing the truck ahead of him, which was out of gas, nosing him along the line. Finally around 1:00 AM we reached the pumps.

The guy directing traffic told us the station was out of regular and premium so we filled up with Premium Plus! If you want to drive to work, and you have a hungry octopus of extention cords in your kitchen - you pay! After we filled up, a man put duct tape over all three types of gas. Whew, PTL!

Continuing the rustic life today with no power and no water - paper plates and paper towels or else wash dihes in 1 inch of water. Glad for the water in the hot water heater, which we will use next after my stores are used up. In hindsight a nice necessity would be a really good plug for the bathtub, one that doesn't leak.

Michelle is here Oh happy day. She and the bpoys are playing endless games in the sunroom while I type.

This evening all our neighbors are invited over so we can check on each other. We need to see what we an do for Dr. Don and Amy nextdoor's family. Eight of Don's family members in Biloxi and Alabama are homeless. They also need a break from the no AC/no water cabin fever.

The four they have there are now displaced persons, wandering around, outside and in their house, stunned but smiling sweetly. Oh, Dear Jesus, meet their needs and heal their hearts.

Please pray for their Aunt Margie with cancer and Uncle Dan, for Aunt Miriam and for Uncle Bob Barrett, English and History professor. Also Don's sister's family who also lost everything in Alabama.

Well, Bob is asking for me to replace his tooth filing with some temporary filling which I had from Y2K. Here goes. : )