"The Lord does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs." - Spencer W. Kimball -
We watched this weekend from our home in Utah the preparations and evacuations associated with the oncoming storm of Hurricane Gustav. People loaded their cars, boarded buses and trains, unsure of what they would return to at the storm's conclusion. Would their homes be flooded or even standing? We even wondered what happens to their wages this week while they are away from their jobs. So many of us are one paycheck away from homelessness. Would that be the same for them?
It brought to mind a hymn we often sing at church, How Firm a Foundation. Following are three verses from the song:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!
We watched this weekend from our home in Utah the preparations and evacuations associated with the oncoming storm of Hurricane Gustav. People loaded their cars, boarded buses and trains, unsure of what they would return to at the storm's conclusion. Would their homes be flooded or even standing? We even wondered what happens to their wages this week while they are away from their jobs. So many of us are one paycheck away from homelessness. Would that be the same for them?
It brought to mind a hymn we often sing at church, How Firm a Foundation. Following are three verses from the song:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!
(How Firm A Foundation)
God is aware of our struggles and sufferings. Many people wonder why a loving God would allow the Hurricane Gustav's to come in our lives. There are so many reasons and most are unique to each individual; it's for him or her to decide the lesson learned. But probably the greatest reason for our struggles is so we remember and turn to Him. Only God can deliver us from life's storms; and it is through the storms that we learn what we are made of, but more importantly, what God is made of. His tender mercies are abundant; we just need to recognize them for what they are.
This life is temporary. Yes, we need shelter, food, clothing, etc., but they are temporary. The treasures we build in heaven are of the eternal variety. As it states in Matthew 6:19-21:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
We hope that people on the southern coast can return to their homes and find that all is well. Hopefully, they can get back to their jobs and schools quickly. We hope, most of all, that no matter what physical conditions exist when they return, that the Comforter of us all will wrap around them with His peace so that they will know that they have not been deserted or forsaken.
********************************************************************************
God is aware of our struggles and sufferings. Many people wonder why a loving God would allow the Hurricane Gustav's to come in our lives. There are so many reasons and most are unique to each individual; it's for him or her to decide the lesson learned. But probably the greatest reason for our struggles is so we remember and turn to Him. Only God can deliver us from life's storms; and it is through the storms that we learn what we are made of, but more importantly, what God is made of. His tender mercies are abundant; we just need to recognize them for what they are.
This life is temporary. Yes, we need shelter, food, clothing, etc., but they are temporary. The treasures we build in heaven are of the eternal variety. As it states in Matthew 6:19-21:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
We hope that people on the southern coast can return to their homes and find that all is well. Hopefully, they can get back to their jobs and schools quickly. We hope, most of all, that no matter what physical conditions exist when they return, that the Comforter of us all will wrap around them with His peace so that they will know that they have not been deserted or forsaken.
********************************************************************************
We enjoyed a relaxing weekend in our home in Utah where we were renewed by laughing, crocheting, sewing, and resting. Our sister, Gladys, was with us on this trip, which added some entertaining moments. The most entertaining moment, about which we will laugh for years to come, is one of those actual conversations in car that will have to stay in the car. However, there was another one we can share:
Actual conversation in car:
Gladys (while driving through a town between our Henderson home and our Utah home): "That is an ugly building. It must have been done in a southwest style."
Edie: "The only southwest style I want is in my food."
On the way home, we sto
pped by the Mormon Handicraft store in St. George to pick up some suckers for grandkids and friends. (Vicki--Sandy picked some up for you). We'll be going to Utah again in about a month. By then the weather will be cooling down and the beginnings of the seasons changing from summer to fall will be in the air. Have we mentioned yet how thankful we are for our Utah home?
Shout out to our niece, Maylene. We hope you had a happy birthday on Saturday.
Shout out to Doyle, Kim, and Chad. We enjoyed visiting with you--even if it was in the middle of WalMart.
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