The Thousand Word Project - A Friend's Colorado Mountain Adventure

Photo property of Stephanie Dunsdon, The Enchanting Rose.

Here is a great post by my blogging friend, Stephanie, at The Enchanting Rose. She shared a Jeep trip into the Colorado mountains with us in photographs that are truly worth a thousand words! Enjoy, and please leave her a comment if you have the time. :-)

Let's Go on A Jeep Adventure

Habakkuk 3:19  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Random Thoughts and Update on the Hurricane

Well Hurricane Harvey turned out to be a much bigger event than was anticipated. For our own part, we had very little storm here. We were on a the northwest side on the very edge of the storm. We only had 3" of rain and some gusty winds. We lost one fair sized branch from a sick tree. That was it. We are very thankful to the Lord for this! Thank you to those who were praying for us.

In less than 48 hours this storm went from a tropical depression to a Category 4 hurricane over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. So much can be said about something as tragic as this. So much has been said and is being said. My thoughts don't amount to much, being an infinitely small drop in a storm surge of words and opinions. But, for whatever it's worth...

Here are some more random thoughts.

First of all, there are other disasters going on that should also be noted and prayed for. While I'm happy that people are doing so much to help the flood victims here, there have been terrible catastrophes in other places where there have extensive deaths and severe damages. Even in the U.S. there are places having bad wildfires at present (Montana, Oregon and Idaho) and they should not be ignored. But, our zeal shouldn't all be for America (or wealthy nations). Please also pray for the people suffering from floods and mud slides in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sierra Leone. Read about it here.

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Some people are apparently rather angry at Houston for not evacuating their people ahead of time. There are several things to take into account on that. (By the way, Houston is not the only affected area. There are numerous other towns and cities and areas that are in dire trouble from the flood waters.)

1. The national media and many people were completely obsessed about the eclipse during the first part of the week. Very few people were paying attention to what was going on in the Gulf of Mexico. The media is responsible for ignoring or downplaying a significant threat that likely should have been noted sooner.

2. Houston was not expected to be the hardest hit city. It is over a hundred miles from Corpus Christi which was supposed to be the hardest hit. It wasn't an easy call to make that this storm would be so big and cause devastation over such a widespread area. No one could anticipate that 50+ inches of water would fall in some areas of south Texas.

3. Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. (not including its suburbs). The only cities larger are NYC, L.A., and Chicago. Imagine evacuating one of these cities with less than 48 hours notice. It couldn't be done, even with a great road system. Furthermore, the whole larger metro area has a population of some 6 million people. You don't evacuate 6 million people easily or quickly.

4. Many in Houston did try to evacuate for Hurricane Rita in 2005. What happened is that they were stuck in traffic for 20+ hours in hot weather and over 100 people died from the heat and traffic problems. People understandably didn't want a rerun. The confirmed death numbers from Harvey have not yet reached the traffic and heat related deaths from Rita at the time of this post.

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Another thing I've seen is people blaming this event on "geo engineering," in other words, the government or other conspirators who are allegedly meddling with the weather. This is laughable when we consider that one of the worst hurricanes to hit Texas happened in 1900, long before this so-called government interference of "chemtrails" and HARP and whatever else they claim. Also, that was long before global warming or climate change were invented. I'm amused and disgusted that humans are so easily made to believe that "we" are powerful enough to cause things like this. Truly, they still are drunk on the "ye shall be as gods" line that Satan told Eve in the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 3:5)

After all that Job had said in his own defense, the Lord came to him and asked him a lot of questions that put Job in his proper place before God - as a mere human. Among a lot of other things, He said this, "Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?  Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,  When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?" Job 38:34-38 

Man likes to think man has a lot of power over creation. In reality, he doesn't have nearly as much as he thinks he does.  [If you are interested, here is a post I wrote about conspiracies awhile back.]

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There have been lots of encouraging stories coming out of this situation. I've seen comments regarding the noble rescue work and help that is being done in south Texas. Some of the heroic stories are moving and really wonderful. But, one thing that kind of bothers me is the comments that this is the "real America" while it's put forth that the incident in Charlottesville, Virginia was allegedly not. This is a false impression and it also downplays another tragic event. What happened in Charlottesville is sadly also "the real America."

This is the paradox of this country and it has been since its foundation: that while some people in one area may be showing kindness (some early Europeans here did), others are taking what they want by force - whether land (from the Indians) or rights (as with the white supremacists and those who fight violence with violence). We can't claim that one is "real" and the other is not. Whatever the miserable reasons, the hate is just as real as the kindness. Be thankful there is still kindness and that people are willing to show it, but don't use that to claim that the hate doesn't count or isn't "real."

Micah 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

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Finally, if there is something you can do to help in addition to praying, please do - for Texas, for the people where there are wildfires, for India or Nepal or Bangladesh or Sierra Leone. Give through reputable organizations if you are able.

Acts 20:35  I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Galatians 2:10  Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

Evening Song - Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-24  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

We Interrupt this Broadcast....to Request Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:25  Brethren, pray for us.

Proverbs 21:31 ...safety is of the LORD.

As some of my readers know, we live in Texas. Tonight, as many know, there is a category 4 hurricane making landfall on our coast. We ourselves are many miles from it, although depending on which way it goes and how long it stalls, we could see some heavy rains here along with wind gusts. But on the coast and inland from it, things are looking really bad.

I decided to break my usual schedule and ask my readers to pray for the parts of Texas that are being so heavily affected by this hurricane. A Cat 4 hurricane is a bad one, so there will be significant damage. Also, since the whole thing came up rather suddenly and it increased in strength at the last moment, so to speak, there were probably a lot more people that decided to stay than there should have been.

Also, please pray for our area and Austin as there could be significant winds and rain, especially in the Austin area. Where we live we are under a Flood Watch. (A Flood Watch is less than a Warning, and we ourselves live above a fair sized ridge and valley, so we are not in any personal danger from flooding.) Since we are so far from the coast, there are no doubt more houses and other things that are not made to withstand hurricane winds. Some people may have problems due to this if the winds prove to be strong. Heavy rains pose their own set of problems no matter where they fall.

This event will continue throughout the weekend and probably longer. (I have pre-scheduled posts through next week, so even if we lose power there should be posts here.)

Thank you for praying with us.

Isaiah 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Meanwhile Elsewhere - The Elephants that Came to Dinner

Psalms 104:24  O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Creatures Great and Small - Take It Easy

Cat Kisses

Sandpaper kisses
On a cheek or a chin -
That is the way
for a day to begin!

Sandpaper kisses
A cuddle and a purr.
I have an alarm clock
That's covered in fur!

Author Unknown

This picture is one of my brother's cats. The poem does not apply to our cat, but I thought it was cute.

The Old New Thoughts – A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

Ecclesiastes 1:9  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

I first posted this in 2012, but I felt it would be good to repeat it now. There has been a lot said recently about the Charlottsville, Virginia event and the removal of statues and people's opinions of those. In watching reruns of history playing themselves out, I thought about writing something, but I remembered this poem and after revisiting it, I decided that this was going to be my comment on those subjects. I think it is enough at this point.

The Old New Thoughts

“New thoughts for old,” the eager world is crying,
That ever seeks to tell or hear the new,
Though in its haste to change it grasps too often
Mad thoughts for sane, and false thoughts for the true.

All vanity—its seeking and its finding;
The thing that is, is that which hath been done.
False gods, false science, aye, and false religion,—
There is naught new beneath the ancient sun.

And these are old—the thoughts that loud world blazons,
The sons of Adam walk in circles still;
Old as the world, as man and man’s first sinning,
Old as the Demon pride that said, “I will.”

It is not new—the superman excelling
Who dares with impious foot the height supreme;
“Ye shall be gods, both good and evil knowing,”—
This is but Eden’s unforgotten dream.

Some few, bewildered with Earth’s many voices,
Grown weary of the circles where they plod,—
This modern Babel, clamorous, confusing,—
Some few there be who seek the thoughts of God.

High as the heavens above the earth outspreading,
Wide as His vast creation’s utmost span,
As countless as the stars the heavens filling,
The thought of good that God has thought for man.

And once—a shout through dreary silence ringing,
A star of hope above the world’s black night—
God’s oldest, greatest thought of all was spoken
In one clear Word of love and life and light.

Against that Word of glory and of power
Man’s frothy babblings pour themselves in vain.
His bubble thoughts in nothingness shall vanish;
God’s everlasting thoughts, unchanged, remain.

- Annie Johnson Flint

Psalms 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 55:8-9  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.