Hurricane Katrina

I've been watching the news this evening with such sadness in my heart. We have lived in Katy (near Houston) for the last 3 years, but before that we lived in the Baton Rouge area for 15 years. I had 3 of my 5 children in Baton Rouge. It is home to us. New Orleans was a place that we have made many memories in. We've been to the zoo, the aquarium, the theatre.... all special memories. It's so hard to realize that all of those places are gone or under water. Then you think of all the people, who have lost everything... homes, jobs, and especially loved ones. There aren't words to express the sadness I felt for the man in Mobile whose wife was swept away from him as he held onto his two grandsons. I can't imagine the helplessness he felt. Our prayers go out to all of those who are affected by this. May God reveal Himself to them during this time.

Also, pray for us as we would like to minister to the families that are more or less stranded here in Houston. Many are running out of money, need clothes etc.. Pray that we may find those to minister to and that we would be able to share the gospel with them. If you can think of any ideas for ministering, please let me know.

What is your garden's harvest?

When I weed in the garden, it is a time of peaceful reflection for me. The other evening as I was out there pulling that resilient grass, I began to see how many things in my garden remind me of the relationship between God and man.

Two vital things that all plants need are food and water. They have to have those two things in order to thrive. God has provided the two things we need for our growth and development: His Word and the Holy Spirit. He illustrates this in the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, in Acts 8:26-40. After the conversion of the eunuch, God supernaturally removed Phillip and left the eunuch with His Word and the Holy Spirit. It tells in verse 39 that the eunuch went away rejoicing. How often do we complain and blame others for our lack of knowledge and understanding of the scriptures, when we are the ones responsible for taking the time to open His Word and ask for wisdom and understanding?

It is also vital that a plant is rooted in fertile soil. When I was weeding, it was really quite easy to pull the weeds up, as the soil was soft. If it had been hard packed clay, it would have been extremely difficult to remove them. Part of what has kept my garden's soil soft and fertile is the mulch I laid down. The mulch works like a filter, much like the Holy Spirit. The mulch allows the water to reach the soil, but keeps out the weeds. The Holy Spirit works in a similar fashion. It allows the nourishment of God's word to feed our souls, while helping us discern sin. The Holy Spirit protects us from a great deal of sin, by the means of our conscience, and when sin does take root, it's much easier to pluck out when the soil is fertile, like the weed. There will be some sin that keeps trying to get a firm grip, like those pesky weeds. But if the soil is fertile and the gardener(me) is diligent in self-examination, it will eventually be plucked out.

As we can see, weeding and tending the garden is vital for the health and growth of your plants. Spiritual weeding and tending are just as vital. The only way we are going to know that difference between the weeds and the desirable plants is by spending time in God's word and in prayer.

The purpose of a plant, from its perspective, is to reproduce. Everything it's doing is working towards that goal. Whether it produces a flower or fruit, it is trying to multiply itself by making a seed. In our walk with God, that should be our primary goal also. We should be striving to cast as many seeds as possible. You can cast seeds by handing out tracts, witnessing one to one, or open air preaching. The important thing is that you cast your seed. It is estimated that only 2% of professing Christians share their faith. That means the other 98% are like ornamental pear trees-they look real good, but aren't producing anything.

What condition is your Spiritual garden in? Do you have weeds taking over, or are your plants producing wonderful seeds?

If you are unsure how to share your faith Biblically go to GNN Katy or Way of the Master to find out more.

The Business of Blogging

Today has been one of those days that you seem to run around a lot but don't seem to be able to see what has been accomplished. Lindsay and I spent hours going back and forth between computers trying to get everything updated for this blog, our ministry blog and our ministry website. A lot was accomplished but it's just hard to see. We still have a little to do on the ministry site, but are nearly finished. (at least til I come up with something else I want to add...)

Tonight Lindsay and I went to see some friends, the Hudsons. They are in the States from the Netherlands so that the wife, Marie, can recuperate from an illness. It has been wonderful to spend time with them this week and get reacquainted with them. We have kept up by e-mail, but it's so much better to be in person.

We are also happy to have a friend home from Boot Camp. Andrew, if you see this, WELCOME HOME!

Tomorrow while Lindsay is helping the Hudsons, the girls and I will be having our errand day. Tomorrow night Gene and Lindsay are supposed to go to Edwards Theatre and witness. Please pray for them and for there to be no rain as we've been having evening storms a lot and the theatre is outdoors.

I hope to be adding some more pictures to the Our Life section in the next few days. I just need to take the time to upload them.

I hope you will visit some of the other blogs on my roll, these are some that I have enjoyed reading though I am finding new ones all the time. I've really enjoyed getting to know other families and share in their lives and ministries. If you have a blog and it's not posted here, let me know.