2010 CHALLENGE 12: ENDURING

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Have you ever been so exhausted that you could fall asleep standing up? Have you ever experienced being too tired to sleep? I've experienced both recently. It's at times like these that the sheer day to day journey becomes almost too overwhelming. The first of this week, I finished grading the last of almost 1,400 college papers, projects, reflections, and activities. I turned around immediately to begin teaching a summer intensive five week course on Tuesday / Thursday evenings for 4 hours each evening. Before Tuesday ever got here, there were emails from the students who had just received their grades for Spring semester. I had made a mistake in my grading and left off one of the 20 grades. This would certainly impact the final grade for some of them. That means that I'll need to sit and fill out "change of grade" forms. Ahhhh! Does it even matter if I need sleep? Does anyone care?
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A little while ago, I was sitting at my computer posting my assignments for next week, I went to click on some background music from my other blog and there it was... a former post from 2/5/09. God showed me once again how much He cared! He knew I needed to be directed to this... the funny thing is that I do not remember ever posting this video! Please notice the words at the end of the link... COURAGE TO ENDURE: http://momstransformed.blogspot.com/2009/02/in-me-courage-to-endure.html
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That's what I need today: COURAGE TO ENDURE!!! There is a video on that post, that I have embedded here as well. It was what I needed for today. Maybe it's just what you need, too! GIGATTAATTGIG!
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Be sure and scroll down to pause the playlist before starting the video.
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BE BLESSED!


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2010 CHALLENGE 11: NATURAL DISASTERS

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Thankful for trials? Peter says that they are there to refine us like gold is refined by fire (at 1,102 degress Celsius). On this blog, we are talking about challenges that stretch and grow our faith in the goodness of God. Being involved in a natural disaster is like firing up the degrees on the refining furnace!!! Yet, Peter reminds us to REJOICE!

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1 Peter 1:6-9 says,

"In this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief

in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith

-of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire-

may be proved genuine and may result in

praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now,

you believe in Him and are filled with

an inexpressible and glorious joy,

for you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls. "

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My first knowledge of the Nashville, Tennessee flood, of May 2010, was in an email message from my friend, Benja. She described the flooding and said that they were able to save all the furniture from her sister's house, but not the house. Two of her sister's neighbors' houses burned because of the water causing electrical shortages.

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Over the last week, I've received pictures and videos from friends in Nashville. I'd like to share two videos with you.

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VIDEO ONE: As I viewed this video, my thoughts were many.... here are five:

• To the background music, in my mind, I replaced "Here comes the sun..." with "Here comes the Son..."
• To the comment of "no looting", I thought "Praise God! This is how it should be in a city known to have "possibly the most churches per capita of any city".
• To the pictures, I often responded with "I've been there!"
• To the overwhelming thought of the enormity of the situation, I whispered, "Rejoce in trials! God be with them!"
• To the last slide, "We are Nashville!" , I thought "It would be nice if it said "We are christian!"
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VIDEO TWO: This second video (down below) is taken on Interstate 24 (at Bell Rd.) in Nashville, Tennessee. You will see many cars submerged. There is a semi truck in the left foreground. I do not know if when this was taken (from a helicopter) if there were people in any of these vehicles or not. What I do know is that this classroom building from Lighthouse Christian School came off it's foundation and floated down the highway. If you don't have time to watch the entire video, scroll the little cursor over to almost halfway and watch a little over the last half. I cried!

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Please join me in praying for Nashville. Andrew Krinks, who grew up in our church family here in NJ, has been committed to serving the poor in Nashville (with his wife, Lindsey) since they were students at David Lipscomb University. Nashville's Tent City, it's largest homeless encampment, has been completely flooded over . As a result, the Red Cross has set up a temporary site for them on the University's campus until more permanent housing can be secured. Andrew and Lindsey are very involved in this effort. Can you rally forces to help? Contact Andrew at AndrewKrinks@gmail.com

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Please join me in begging God to let them see all the reasons for rejoicing in these trials. Let them see that GIGATTAATTGIG.
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Scroll down a little to see the videos!


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