There are Storms A Plenty

It has been amazing the amount of rainfall we have recently received, and more in the weather forecast.  What is even more amazing are the numbers of storms, and especially tornadoes which have struck the Southern States of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and if I missed anyone I apologize.  

At my last reckoning there were 329 deaths associated with these devastating winds and twisters.  To those families my heart goes out to you along with my prayers. 

One of the things which amazes me too is the strength and grit of the human being.  You see it our resiliency to go on despite the storms of life.  Some have that because God gives us zeal for life and living, and we thank Him for it.  Others, wrongly, just give that to the human spirit which is virtually dead to God.  Let me say to all of you; Hang on.  Turn to God now if you haven't yet.  He loves you.  He gave His Son Jesus to die for your sins, and raise Him again to life.

As the title suggests "There are Storms A Plenty".  Not all storms are made up of physical clouds, and wind.  Some are going on in the political realm.  Some in the matters of health.  Some are financial.  You get the picture.  With all the hot air that is coming out of Washington D.C. and the truth of God's Word there are upheavals in our Nation.  With a President who claims to be Christian, but seems tto give more honor to the muslim than to Christ we are in for one doozy of a storm.

I want to give you a link to follow.  It is written by a man by the name of Jack Woodard.  Read it and let's pray for our President.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Disruptions or Designed for Faith

There has been an abundance of hurricane problems lately, especially for the folks along the coastal areas, and the Gulf. If you live in those areas know that I think and pray for you, and your faith to grow.

Living in Southwest Missouri we have our storms, tornadoes, etc., and we do receive some of the benefits and troubles of the hurricanes, when they come up from the Gulf.

Last evening when my wife and I went to bed for the evening, and rest, there was a calm rain coming down from the residual affects of hurricane Ike. Like I said it was a calm, mild pouring rain; no troubles right?

About 2:30 a.m. I awoke to complete darkness, similar to being in a cave with no lights on. Our house has never been so dark. Our electric power was off, the air was not on, nothing was running, no refridgerator, or freezer, and worst of all no light. I needed to get up for a little while, so I got out of bed found the wall with my hands, and worked my way to where I knew there was a flashlight. I got the flashlight, turned it on. Oh, how good it was to be able to see. Oh, how good it is to know that God has given me that ability to do so. I pray that I never lose the heart of thankfulness for my eyesight, or anything the Lord has given me.

When I got up this morning about 5:15, the power was back on. I am thankful; for I know that there are millions in Houston today who do not have power, and will not have it for a few days, maybe weeks; let us pray for these good people.

The water which crosses our road after we get out of our driveway was up over the road, and deeper. When we needed out to go to worship our Lord, it was down enough to cross it. That is when I saw that it had risen higher than it had been before, to my knowledge since we have lived here. We wouldn't have been able to get out at the depth it had reached.

We arrived at our church, had no Bible Study class, and we had three people present; including my wife and I. We had a hymn, read the fifteenth chapter of John, had prayer and came home.

I ask was this storm a disruption, or was it a design for faith. I choose to make it a design of faith. God always knows what He is doing. The prophet Nahum has written, "The LORD hath His way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet." 1:3 (KJV).

We must learn to trust Him through every storm. The one's which are made up of wind, lightning, rain, and tornadoes and hurricanes; and the one's which are made up of our troubles, trials, fears, and sicknesses and diseases. Even these are in His hands, and He brings us through them, prepares us for the glory that is ahead.

-Tim A. Blankenship

A Winter Storm

They said it was coming. Who said it was coming? This Winter storm. When I arose from the bed this morning there was not a flake of snow to be seen, and I found out almost two hours later that there did not appear to be a cloud in the sky. Sometimes I am amazed how accurate the weather people can be in their predictions. I guess it is all that stuff they call technology, sattelite, GPS, and all that.

It has not been bitterly cold. I am thankful for that. I don't do very well in the cold. Especially when the electric bill comes due, and that is what we heat with. That is our choice. I am also thankful that we have not experienced a major power outage like some other places and people I know. We would be in a world of hurtin'.

When I jumped in the car to go to Cassville School Bus Garage to drive the bus, there was a moon shining down from above with a few stars that I could see. I left about 5:15 a.m. and arrived there at 5:45 a.m. There were three buses already headed out for their morning pickup of the kids. Two more headed out shortly after I arrived. One driver radioed in from one of her farthest points, "Snow is falling and covering the roads. What do you want me to do?" The decision was made to call them in, ie., the five that had already departed. School was called off for the day.

After helping shut down the engines on the other buses, I got back in our car and came home. It is good to have a day off, but I would rather get out earlier at the end of the year. I guess I just needed the day. Thank the Lord. He always knows what is best for us.

The snow is still falling, and if it continues we probably will not be in school on Friday. There are some pretty wicked roads here in Southwest MO. with curves, hills, hollers, and many of the roads here have no shoulders; only ditches. It can be fun navigating at times.

Latest Happenings

Since I last posted Winter has arrived, and in some parts of our Nation, with a vengeance. We have had a bit of cold weather, into the lower teens, but that isn't too bad. Besides that it didn't hang on and last forever. The longest spell of below freezing we have had was about three days, and that was just at the beginning of January. I am, however, already looking forward to Spring.

I went to the cardiologist in early December to have him tell me that the EKG showed "no significant sign of a problem". I do have an appointment to return on the twenty third of January for and ECG.

The family and I had a wonderful Christmas. The wife and I's kids went together got us a Crossley entertainment cabinet. It is an old style look radio, with CD player, audio cassette player, and turntable for 33, 45's and 78 records. That was a really pleasant surprise and gift for us. We have been enjoying it.

Back before Christmas the Eastern part of Southern Missouri was hit pretty hard with an icestorm, which left a lot of people in the Joplin area without power, no lights, no heat, no television (Oh no!). Our son James and his wife Amber were in the thick of that, and were without power for about 9 days. They did get to come for Christmas. Their power was on shortly before that.

On Tuesday a friend and I went to Branson to see a mutual friend in the Skaggs Hospital there. As we were about to get off the elevator on the floor he was on, my cell phone rang, and it was my sister Judy. "Guess what Dad just did", she said. I said, "I wouldn't have a clue". She said, "He rolled his truck". My answer to that was, "WHAT?!", and I know I placed a question mark and an exclamation mark after that, because I am not sure which it was. Yes, he had rolled his old blue Ford pickup truck. He wasn't injured any, except maybe his pride. Evidently he has experienced no pain from bruising or anything either. He has been trying to get used to a prosthesis on his right leg. That may have played some part in the incident. It also was on the farm away from any major roads.

At the beginning of this week, Tuesday evening and into the early hours of Wednesday morning there was a consistent storm of tornadic activity hitting in the Northwestern part of Barry County. We live in middle Eastern part of the said County. That storm is very hard to describe. It took a path in a straight line. One tornado warning would come to a town, and then after it passed another one on the same path would be right behind it. Homes, businesses, and some lives were taken in areas further from us.

Near 3 a.m. my wife and I were awakened by a strong straight wind. It was near time for me to get up for the day, so I just got up, and Madge went back to bed. The wind died down and everything proceeded as normal the rest of the day, at least for us. May the Lord help those who were touched and harmed by this storm, and especially those who lost loved ones.

There is no one who is not touched by some sort of storm in their lives. If they are not presently they shortly will be.

"If I never had a problem, how could I know that God could solve them." Isn't that in a good old song or something.