Winds Blow

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8 KJV)

Hurricane Dorian has definitely proven the statement that no one can tell where the wind is going to blow! I have children and grandchildren and many friends in Florida, Georgia, and in South Carolina. They all live within close proximity to the shore, so I have been avidly watching the tracking models and praying. This morning the Bahamas is suffering under great winds and may for many more hours to come as Dorian is moving at only about one mile per hour. The Grand Bahama International Airport is under five feet of water! 

The latest forecast for this morning is that Dorian will probably not make landfall on the east coast of the United States. However, that does not mean there won't be a lot of damage from the wind and water. Matthew never made landfall in Florida and it caused tremendous damage. Our home and a vehicle were damaged when the carport roof was ripped off and a tree fell on the lanais. Everything was repairable. We were more fortunate than many.  

Dorian has had everyone wondering where it will go for over a week now. Who can tell where the winds will blow! So, be prepared!

And, so it is with the Spirit. The Spirit moves in unexpected ways when we least expect. These are two things that humankind cannot control: the blowing of the wind and the movement of the Spirit of God. Regardless of the turbulence we might encounter; we know that whatever happens God is with us.

May God be with us, filling us with the Spirit of Christ, as we face every wind; every storm, that might assail us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Irma And Decisions

Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge.
                                   Psalm 16:1 NIV

There are a lot of decisions to make as Hurricane Irma gets closer to Florida. Shall we evacuate before we're ordered to evacuate? If we don't, there just may not be any place left to go and there also may not be any gas left to get there. What about the pets? If we don't leave now, how will my parent with alzheimer's deal with the stress of the move to a motel room two states away or a local shelter. There are a lot of things to think about. Even if you leave you still have to ensure that you have enough food, water, and other essentials when you do return because even if the storm has passed by you may not have power or water and sadly maybe not even a home.

We live in a mobile home in an area that usually gets evacuated; but, we've pretty much made the decision to stay home as long as we can. If it looks like a Cat 3 roaring by Flagler Beach and the evacuation orders come then we will most probably go stay in a shelter. We will see where the winds decide to blow and how fast they are whipping the air, land, and sea about before we make the decision. Yes, I know we're suppose to figure out what we're going to do in advance and we have stocked up on essentials. But, I just don't want to leave home. I don't want to sit in a motel room or a shelter in Georgia or South Carolina for days on end. There's stuff to be done here. Worship has not been cancelled this Sunday and I don't plan on cancelling it. If the hurricane is upon us, don't drive. Stay where you are. But, God willing, I will be there for anyone who feels the desire or need to worship and pray.

May God keep you all safe wherever Irma may travel and may Irma head out to the very deep sea very quickly.

God's Peace - Pr. J