Storms ahead but hope is here!

Ferry crossing a few weeks ago with severe weather warning interrupting radio on mainland

Merry Christmas!

This last month, as we travelled back and forth every week to the mainland, major storms and dark clouds brewed on the way. At one point, severe weather warnings interrupted the radio station as we drove.
All around us friends and family are experiencing other kinds of great storms, (one reason that this blog posting has taken low priority.)


If you are going through dark storms or know of others who are, we pray that this Christmas you might know the amazing light-help that came to earth. Jesus, second person of the godhead, co-creator of heaven and earth, humbled himself, because "God so loved the world"* conceived by the Holy Spirit, born by the virgin Mary, so we, who are imperfect and sinful and in darkness, might have a way back to a Holy God.

Jesus, sacrificial lamb of God, whose birth we celebrate today, came to live a perfect life, take on our sins and die for us on the cross. His resurrected body returned to the right hand of God, and he sent us, who believe and follow him, the Holy Spirit to guide us and counsel us in all the storms of life. We pray you might also believe and and discover the light in the darkness.

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

 Jesus calming the storms Luke 8:22-25
* John 3:16 "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Can you hear a quiet voice in a storm?

Last week or so, the temperature dropped, the wind came in force, and like snow, fuji cherry blossoms filled the air.

Then it hailed. Here are the large hail, day-after remains, on the shaded sedum

and on the shaded walkway amongst the self-seeded columbine

Dramatic weather changes catch our attention. In an extremely busy week, it made me stop and think. Elijah in hiding came to mind. God met him at his hiding cave after “first the great and very strong wind,” (it could have included rain and hail). Then came the earthquake and fire and next ‘a still small voice.’”* I thought of the earthquake because we are way overdue for one. So I stopped and tried to listen.

God asks Elijah the same question I have been asking myself, “What are you doing?” Am I where God wants me? This week we stopped, prayed and tried to listen as we made great changes in our operation of our church here on this island. Today we passed on our jobs to others so we can be quietly positioned to meet needs elsewhere. I believe a greater storm is coming where we need to hear the familiar, whispered voice of God and act accordingly.

Where are you? What prevents you from quietly listening? Where does God want to reposition you? What will it take? (Hopefully not an earthquake.)
* I Kings 19:12 “…first a great and strong wind, then an earthquake and then fire and after that the still small voice of God saying, ‘What are you doing Elijah?’”
Esther 4:14 “…yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Mordecai to Esther (NKJV)

Best 10 Blogs of 2009 to help in 2010

At the Dawn of a New Year

It is only helpful to look back upon an old year to remember God's faithfulness: His grace where we have failed and/or His many faceted provision in need. So I'm posting a few of last year's clips (click on highlighted words) in hopes to encourage you as well for this coming year.

1. "Your faithfulness continue to all generations." Psalm 119:90

2. "Do not store up treasures on earth...for where your treasures is there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-21

3. " Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the earth."Matthew 28:20

4. "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.." Romans 7:18

5. "I desire to do your will, O my God" Psalm 40:8

6. "Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees... he displays his glory." Isaiah 44:23

7. Considering the storms in our lives , Jesus says, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:3-41

8. "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is still day: the night cometh, when no man can work." John 9:4

9. "...the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

10. “No matter how black the clouds over our heads may be, we are to hold on until the day breaks – and it will eventually break.”

"We are not skilled to understand, what God has willed what God has planned."

With 8760 hours next year minus 2920 hopefully sleeping, I pray you might know God's will for you in the 5840 remaining. How is He encouraging you?

1 Tabletalk Dec 2009, p.65 "our Blessed Struggle" Guy M Richard

Remember November

The last remaining sweet pea picked Nasturtium sprouted out of the drain, after two year wait, too late to bloom

Rhode Island Greenings picked before the storms

First the wind and rain - broken leader on ornamental pear

Thunder and lightening and then hail.

Then a glorious morning before the next storm.