Tornado!

A tornado twisted through my neighborhood last Saturday between 6:30 and 7:00 in the evening. We had been out in our boat at the lake all day and were contemplating going surf fishing at Isle of Palms with our neighbors, Anna and Will.

Will had walked over and said there was a little blip of thunderstorms on the radar, headed our way but they didn’t look bad. So, we decided to head out after supper. I was loading dishes in the dishwasher when Will called and said, “Hey, I looked at the weather radar again and that little blip just turned into a whole string of mess. Why don’t we wait?” “Okay,” I said, “we’ll do it some other time. I’m tired after all day at the lake anyway.”

When I yelled out the back door at Jeff and Jeffrey to tell them the news, they were loading up the little Waterbug boat to go fishing the next day. Jeff hooked it to the Jeep and pulled it up in the drive. They were all ready to pull out first thing the next morning.

I went back in the house to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I started to hear lots of thunder. I hurried to get out the shower because all those stories of people getting electrocuted by lightening while they were touching water played through my head. I dried off, threw on my pajamas and walked to the dining room to look out the big window.

Man! I hadn’t seen wind like that since Hurricane Hugo! There was nothing but a white wall of water and wind out there. We couldn’t see 2 feet beyond the window; it was that thick with blowing rain.

Jeff started yelling, “Get to the hall!” Jeffrey and I ran; he slammed all the doors closed as we went by them. When we got to my bedroom, we realized something was down in the front year. Our neighbor's tree had topped out and landed across my lily bed. Back to the hall! Really, we were worried about the two very large pine trees in our backyard, especially the one that was struck by lightening years ago and now has a rotten streak from top to bottom. That one always scares me and the wind was blowing the right direction for them to land on our house.

But no! About that time . . . boom! . . . something big hit the house. We ran back to the dining room but all we could see now were tree limbs smashed against the window. The tree at the edge of our property had fallen . . .squarely on Jeff’s boat, bending the back roll bar on the Jeep , smashing the corning of our eaves and poking holes in the roof. As I stood there surveying the damage, my ears started to pop. I felt like my head was going to explode. Sudden low pressure . . . “Tornado!” I yelled. “My ears are popping. It’s a tornado! Open some windows!”

We ran around slinging open windows and doors and that’s when I heard it, “Woo woo woo wooo,” – a low hum. It was a tornado! What do you do? You know it’s out there. You know it’s dangerous. You know it could rip through your house destroying everything. Worst of all – you know it can kill.

All I could say was, “LORD, be with us! LORD, be with us!” Over and over, that was the only prayer that would come to me.

I know He was with us. It is so very scary when you’re in the middle of it but, surveying the damage when it was over proved that it could have been a lot worse – a lot! While there was very serious damage throughout our neighborhood, no one was hurt. Not even Janice, who had 2 trees land on her truck right after she got out and before she could get to the front door. Cars – and boats- can be replaced. Roofs can be fixed. New trees can be planted. Those things can be fixed. The LORD was with us!

It wasn’t until the streets were dark and everyone had gone in to settle down and I was walking through my candle-lit house that God’s words came to me . . .
“The LORD your God is with you.
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 – my memory verse. He did all of those things for me and I am very thankful. How comforting to know my God is with me and He will delightedly take care of me. That right there is enough love to quiet me. I wonder though . . . what song did He sing over me Saturday? I’m sure it was beautiful and I’m sure one day I will hear Him sing it to me.

Thank you LORD for your mighty, outstretched arm and your beautiful love!

Life is still good!





My husband's poor little boat.

Jesus First

I was thinking about choices again. We are faced with a lot of choices every day – some big, some little, some simple and some that we just struggle over.

As a teacher I get asked thousands of questions a day that I must make choices over. Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go get water? Can I borrow a pencil? Can I have some paper? Can I go to the bathroom now? Choices!

I can think of some choices I’ve agonized over – ones I’ve cried over, lost sleep over, discussed with others and prayed with my face to the ground over. I think God puts some choices in front of us to build our Christian character – and maybe those choices are more for us because He knows the choice we will make from the beginning. He knows our heart.

Just like the other night with Jeffrey and his baseball choice. I told him he could skip camp and VBS but even when I told him that, I knew he wouldn’t. I knew what he would o, but he had to go through the struggle in order to come out stronger in his Christian stand on the other side. And, I believe he did because he feels good about his decision and knows it was the right thing. Next time he has to make a decision like that, it will be easier. He knows where he stands now. I knew all along but now he knows. That is important. I believe God gives us those kinds of choices all the time so that we will know where we stand.

I thought about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. When God told Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him, Abraham had a choice. He didn’t have to do that. He could have stayed right there and said, “Surely, I can’t do that LORD.” But, verse 3 says, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddles his donkey.” He got up early because he didn’t sleep all night for thinking about his choice. The Bible doesn’t show us his struggle, but don’t you know he must have worried all night – cried, prayed, pleaded perhaps.

God didn’t announce – do this Abraham because I’m testing you. That would have been too easy. “A test? Oh! I can do this!” Abraham would have said. Nope! God didn’t tell Abraham that and he doesn’t tell us either. He just gives it to us. There it is. You choose.

Oh, the agony of it. I think, however, we make it harder on ourselves than it has to be. Psalms 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him and He will do this – He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Commit your way to the LORD! It’s really that simple. That’s what God wants us to do. He wants us to know where we stand, what we’ll choose and that our choice is HIM. Our choices for Him build us as Christians.

David, our Youth Minister, has a simple saying that keeps us focused on mission trips: “Jesus first!” That’s his motto we stick to while we’re out on the mission field. Our decisions and our choices are made simpler with “Jesus first!” in mind. Our daily schedule is based on this. The order of activities is based on this. We live around “Jesus first!” every day.

If we would look at every choice with the “Jesus first!” motto in mind, how much easier would things be? Consider some every day choices we have:
Sunday school or sleep in?
Jesus first!
Lottie Moon offering or buy that extra Christmas gift?
Jesus first!
Going fishing today or help with the mission project?
Jesus first!

See how easy that could be? The problem is . . . it isn’t easy. We lose our focus, get caught up in other stuff and then our choices seem difficult. The more we choose Jesus, the firmer our stance becomes, the stronger we grow. I’m not suggesting here that you can’t sleep in some days or buy an extra gift or go fishing but, those things shouldn’t interfere with what we do for Jesus. Jesus first!

We definitely have choices to make in life. Let’s be strong in the LORD and always choose Jesus first!


Dear LORD, I know that sometimes I look on a choice that should be simple and just agonize over it. Would you please strengthen me? Give me eyes to see my choices clearly, without the rose-colored glasses of the world. Make my decisions always be for You. Let it be simple for me so that I may, with ever increasing strength, always choose Jesus first, without even having to ponder. Let Jesus be my default. I truly want to live this way. Help me LORD! I ask this in the might name of my Jesus . . . .

Choices

Jeffrey has always loved ball games, even before he was old enough to play. When he was about 3, he had an AirBud video where the dog played football, that he watched over and over. He slept with a football for some time and has always been able to organize a game in the backyard with the neighborhood kids. Where there is no one around to play with, I hear the constant thump of a tennis ball against the house.
For the past several years, Jeffrey has played catcher on his baseball teams. We even did some playing on a travel ball team. His coach, Jamie, called him “the wall” because he didn’t let too much get by him. Actually, I never knew how important the catcher was until that first travel ball game. Man, if the catcher lets it get by, the other team is stealing bases and sliding home. Catcher is an important position.
This year, Jeffrey made All-Star Catcher and last night when we got home from VBS, his coach called and said practice starts today and it will be every Monday through Friday, 5:30-8:00 from now on. I told him about VBS this week and about Childrens’ Camp next week and of course, that was too many practices to miss. He was very disappointed; I could hear it in his voice, but congratulated Jeffrey for earning a spot on the team.
When we hung up, I told Jeffrey he could choose not to go to VBS or camp, but he said no, he wanted to do those things more. Pretty soon he got up from the den and walked to his room. I knew he went to cry and I don’t blame him. I would have cried too. Have to choose between two things you love and know you won’t get to do both is never easy.
In a few minutes I made my way to his room and sure enough, he was covered up in his bed, crying. “Mom, I made the All-Star team and now I can’t be on it. I won’t ever get to be on it, not next year or the year after that because this will always happen. I want to do both, Mom. I don’t want to choose.” And it broke my heart to hear him cry.
“Well,” I said, “I can call the coach back. You can choose baseball and not go to VBS or to camp. I’m sure I can get my money back.”
“No, I want to go to camp. I don’t want to miss that,” he sobbed.
Jeff came in with some fatherly advice. “Flip a coin. That’s what I would do.” (And really, that is what he would do.) Jeffrey looked at me like his daddy was crazy because deciding wasn’t the issue. The decision was made and Jeffrey was firm in his decision. The problem was how badly it hurt to sacrifice something he loved very much.
Oh, it broke my heart and thrilled me, all at the same time, to watch him make that decision. How many children would give up a well earned spot on an All-Star team and the right to brag about that in order to go to church every day for two weeks. Not many. And while I sit here and cry about him not being able to do both, I’m thrilled that he made a decision for Christ, that he chose Jesus over the things of this world and the pride that goes with prestige.
I told Jeffrey that God would honor his decision. God knows this was a sacrifice and that he laid it on the altar without hesitation, even though it hurt. God will bless his decision. I told Jeffrey,
“Give and it will be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap; for with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)
God is good. We can never out-give him and I can’t wait to see how he will bless my Jeffrey, my little Christian soldier, for giving up something so very important to him. I just can’t wait.
Later last night, when all the sobs were gone and the tears were dried up, Jeffrey came to me and said, “You know Mom, its okay. I’m glad about my decision. It was the right thing to do.” (Big sigh from him after this statement.)
And, it is. Praise the LORD! It is!

Changes

Okay, so I've changed my colors a little bit. I tried to share my blog with someone today and their computer had the colors all wrong. I couldn't even read what was there unless I highlighted it.

Change is good though. Hope this works a little better.
:)

Summertime!

Well, I sure haven't posted anything lately. Life has been crazy busy. End of school, daughter graduating, party to plan and host, clean up after the party . . . the list goes on. Now I'm getting ready for VBS.

I love VBS! I love the singing and the games and the crafts and the snacks and the community and most of all the Bible stories. This year my room has the story of Elijah after he ran from Jezebel and he heard God in a quiet whisper. So, I have to build a cave. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that yet. All of the other VBS rooms have a guy to help out with building. My honey could build a motor any day of the week, but don't give him wood and nails. So, if it is to be, it's up to me! (My mom's lifelong motto.) I'm thinking chicken wire and brown paper. We'll see . . .

I'm also starting to think about the Bible study sessions for our mission trip this summer. We help host a camp for kids and their moms in Tennessee at Deer Run Retreat Center. I will be ministering to moms this summer. Can't wait!

Deer Run Retreat from Rick Simms on Vimeo.

"> Check out the video about Deer Run!


I've got lots of journal entries to type and post, but right now I have 2 bushels of corn to freeze and peaches waiting to become jam. So, off to the kitchen I go!

I love summertime!

America: Land of the Free and Plenty

Two things happened the other day. First, I received a text message from my friend, Tammy telling me that Oprah was giving everyone in America a free KFC meal. It said to go to her website, download the coupon and take it to KFC for your meal. The coupons would only be available for 24 hours.
Wow! What a generous offer that seemed to be. Everyone in America? Jeff and I thought she might spend around $150 million. Our number could by way off, but at any rate, she is going to spend a lot of money. More than I would ever have to spend.
The second thing that happened . . . I was reading on Beth’s blog. Melissa had just returned from India and was showing pictures and talking about the 2 Companion children she sponsors. The conditions in India are pitiful. The people are very poor. I saw pictures of people washing in little spigots on the street or in river water that looked like very creamy coffee. I saw slums where 5 people live in a room and people sleep on the roof or the street. I saw the sweet little faces of Pramila and Manot who live in a mud hut with no running water nearby or electricity. They are far from the luxury of the Calcutta slums. I saw depravity; God’s children who only ask that we pray for them.
I pondered these two things as I lay in the bed that night – our fast food computer downloaded world made a stark contrast to the mud huts, dirty water and slums of India. The thing is, we in America, no matter how poor we might think we are, live like kings compared to most people across the third world. We really have no idea what we have here.
Suddenly, Oprah’s generous offer didn’t seem so generous any more. $150 million dollars on fast food for people who can afford to own a computer and a car? Couldn’t they buy their own KFC meal? Wouldn’t that $150 million dollars have been better spent on wells that would provide clean drinking water for millions of people across the world? What was she thinking?
Television numbers? I’m not trying to bash Oprah here, but her generous offer is a perfect example of American mentality. We think of ourselves, our luxuries, our wants. We are greedy!
My husband happened to ride by KFC the day after that text message and the cars trying to get in were lined up down the road. I’m sure they were all thanking Oprah for their dinner that night, but I wonder . . . what if she had said, “For every person who clicks on this link on my website, I will give $5 toward a well in a village in a third world country,” how many people would have rushed to do that? I bet not half as many. We’re greedy. If it’s not for us, we don’t care.
America! Land of the free (will)! Land of the (I want) plenty!

Oh, but hasn’t God blessed us with plenty so that we might let it overflow to those who don’t have as much? And, hasn’t God blessed us with freedom so that we might be able to do with our money what we want. These are really big responsibilities that we’ve been given and we’ve forgotten these things. Or, maybe we never knew them at all. One thing is for sure – we are blind to others and are so caught up in our own little worlds of money and things and who has the most that we don’t look to see that we have a lot of opportunity to help others.
Will we take the time to look? Will we take the time to ask God how we might help – to be willing to reach out beyond what we know to bless others from our blessings? Or, will we remain comfortable in our cocoons of free and plenty? The choice is ours. What will we do?
Luke 6:38 says, “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Oh LORD, these are BIG thoughts for a little girl like me. I have no idea where you are going with this. I have no idea what you want me to do with these ideas. All I know is that you are going to have to do a work in me. LORD< give me a heart for your children. Make me love them beyond what I’m capable of because I think my heart is not nearly big enough. Give me a heart like yours – full of love, full of compassion, full of warmth, full of sacrifice and full of whatever else I might need. Full of courage maybe – ‘cause you know I’m a scardy cat and sometimes you ask some scary stuff out of your people. Yes, full of courage.
LORD, I know I am only one person and it doesn’t seem I could do much. But, You are everything and if I am one person FULL of You, I will be able to do whatever you’ve called me to do. So, I ask that You continue Your good work in me. Teach me. Give me a heart like Yours, eyes to see, ears to hear and courage to go forward.
I praise You! I thank You! In Jesus’ name . . .

Spring Break and Scripture

Okay, so I'm excited beyond measure that Spring Break is here. Friday morning I felt such delight at just being able to sit and read and write and not hae to rush off to work. I had sweet fellowship with my LORD that was much needed.

I've been thinking about memorizing part of Isaiah 55 for my next memory verse and I sat down that morning to think it through. I decided on verses 8-12 because they hold a few important verses that you often here, but also because they have some personal connections for me. I love the verses that say "the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." I know for a fact that He has done both those things for me. That day I sat on the porch at the river house and all the birds around came in front of me and the air was liquid with sound - oh, I know that was the work of my LORD and it was just for me at that moment. And the day I first read the verse about the trees clapping their hands, I actually got up out of my chair to figure out what the noise was outside. It was the leaves blowing in the breeze. It sounded like rain but wasn't. Too cool! Praise you LORD. I am always amazed by You.

As I was reading the verses and thinking them through I became captured by the thought of being new and how God picks us up and makes us shine like the stars. I wrote a poem. Here goes:

Diamonds

Like diamonds
formed under great pressure,
we are rescued
from our dark cave.

Gently plucked
from black corners,
we are cut,
and rubbed,
and polished by our Maker.

With no light of our own,
for in the dark
we cannot sparkle,
we only reflect -
the Light of the world,
the Light of our Savior -
Jesus Christ.

It is for Him and
because of Him
we shine!

Boy, I needed some God time on Friday. Thank you LORD for obliging.

Now, if I could get something done on Spring Break - one project- and not feel overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done, I'll be okay. I'm a dreamer, not always a doer. I want it done but don't always get it done. Oh, how I envy those folks who can get it done and still have time left over. How in the world do they do it? Sigh . . . .