Cupcakes Make Everything Better

The day we had terrible winds because of Hurricane Irene, I needed to do something that would make me happy.  I was feeling sad because their wasn't much I could do to help anyone who was in harms way... except pray.  Not that there isn't power in prayer but sometimes we just feel like we need to do something, you know?

So I decided to make cupcakes.  And the best part is decorating them!  And as I spent my afternoon and evening doing this delicious labor the thought occurred to me that I could make some to take with me when I visit friends and family who were in the hurricane.  It would put a smile on their faces too I'm sure!

How about you?  Do cupcakes make you smile?  Even though my cupcakes are decorated in pink and white icing my brother and father didn't mind.  They said they tasted wonderful!  Ahhh. Mission accomplished. :)

Anyone want a cupcake?

" Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips."  

Psalm 63: 3 + 5

In The Eye Of The Storm

Sometimes there are things that happen in life simply because we live in a broken world.  Everything suffers, including nature.  Recently everyone who lives in the North East of the United States is experiencing concern over Hurricane Irene.  Already reports are coming in of a few casualties and serious flooding.

It is the flooding and high winds that make being anywhere near a hurricane so dangerous. Just like in a tornado anything that doesn't have deep roots, or isn't anchored down becomes a projectile capable of creating terrible damage.  

Currently I'm praying for several friends and relatives who live in the path of this storm.  I've been in touch with them off and on over the past few days but all storms are a bit unpredictable so there is some concern.  And winds have been very strong where I live too.  In my town we are hoping for the best in that the many trees in our area don't blow over during this storm.

My heart goes out to those who have already lost their homes, property, and/or loved ones.  I know there will be more loss to come in the next forty-eight hours.  So please pray for everyone on the North East of the United States.  

All this nasty weather also reminds me of God's power.  He can be as powerful as a mighty wind, such as he was to Elijah.  God can also sooth and calm the storms in our hearts and minds just as the psalmist, king David, stated in Psalms.  At the same time it is wise to be reminded of our own frailty.  God says in his word that we are nothing but a breath, a vapor that is here one moment and then gone the next.

As I ponder over the loss of material possessions many families and businesses are going through right now, I think again about all the blessings God has given me.  And not just me but anyone who has more than they need to survive.  We are all incredibly blessed!  And how abundantly!  So many of us have health and loved ones to share life with.  That makes us incredibly rich!

I can live without the "stuff."  I wouldn't think twice about choosing to save someone I love over something I own.  And as I think on these things I realize that I, and everyone left untouched by this storm, have a responsibility to aid those who lose so much.  I'm already trying to brain storm how I can help.  And as long as God provides me with strength and life I want to help as many people as I can.  Financially, through my time, through my words... I want to live a life that reflects Christ's love.  

May God bless you and may God protect and aid those who are suffering at this moment.  May He find Christians who are willing and ready to live for Christ and be the tools He uses to bring comfort and healing to those who need it.

" When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ' Silence! Be still!' Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.  Then he asked them, ' Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?'" 

Mark 4: 39 + 40  

His Love

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures 

forever,

O give thanks to the God of 

gods,

for his steadfast love endures 

forever,

O give thanks to the Lord of 

lords,

for his steadfast love endures 

forever;

Who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures

forever,

Who by understanding made the 

heavens,

for his steadfast love endures

forever,

Who spread out the earth on the

waters,

for his steadfast love endures

forever,

Who made the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures

forever,

The sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures

forever,

The moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures

forever.

PSALM 136: 1-9

Star Gazing: Perseid 2011

I love the stars. I'm fascinated by all the beauty found in space. And one of my favorite past times is to catch sky shows like the annual Persied Meteor Shower.  It happens every year in August and is easiest to see in the Northern Hemisphere anywhere in the world given you have clear skies and forgiving moon.

This year was a bit tricky for my brother and I.  The moon was very full and gorgeous but its light made it difficult to see most of the falling meteor dust.  So we ended up star gazing two hours before dawn when the moon was further to the West.  And thankfully we did see some "shooting stars" that were very bright!

For me its always thrilling.  I feel like God smiles at me and His charm takes my breath away.  

So what does a bright shooting star look like?  For anyone reading this who feels they have never really seen one, let me try and describe it.

Some of the best shooting stars I've seen were as bright as an airplane but minus the blinking red lights.  And the bright white light normally is seen as a dot that streaks across the sky in about a second.  Sometimes more than a second, depending on how big it is.  And they have tails of light that follow close behind the moving dot.   

Now I've always only seen them one at a time but in some places I know people are blessed to see several at once!  That most be an amazing experience! 

But besides the Perseid shower my brother and I were able to see the International Space Station as it passed by.  What a rare treat!

And the best thing is that to see these sights in the sky you don't need any special equipment except what God has already given you... your eyes. :)

How about you?  Did you see any "shooting stars" lately? 

" Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." ~ Philippians 4:8

Keeping Cool

Have you ever experienced heat that made you want to melt?  In my area we had temperatures well over 100 in past weeks and it was miserable.  We're just not use to temps that high in the north.  And its even more difficult to endure without any air conditioner.  Fans really only blow the warm air around.  

It was so hot that the city was opening "cooling stations" for folks without ACs to find some relief.  And the there was concern for the elderly and the sick.  

Well, I have a weekly Bible study with a dear friend of mine.  She is a new believer and relatively young in her faith.  I have had the privilege of discipline her and the experience has been a blessing to both of us.  One week when I visited her small apartment it was terribly hot.  I had returned only a week before from the mission to Spain and was still getting over a bad cold.

She had a fan that would blow air but it made my congestion worse and we had to cut the meeting short that night.  Even her poor kitties were exhausted.  My friend had been sharing several needs, one of them being financial, and I was still thinking about our meeting on the way home.  That night I asked God to show me how I could best help my friend in a practical way.  And I was thinking on the lines of finances but suddenly the thought came to me that her most immediate need was already experienced that night.  She and her pets needed relief from the heat.

So I began searching everywhere for a used AC in good condition. I couldn't afford the price of a new one.  But after a week of searching and spreading the word there was still nothing available.  The moment I found one someone else had already bought it.  It seemed that everyone was searching for ACs and I became discouraged.

I thought this was a way I could help but so far I just kept striking out.  So I began formulating a plan.  I would ask all my friends to donate ten or fifteen dollars towards the purchase of a new AC and I would pay the difference.  But then I felt God urging me to wait just a bit more.  Perhaps He wanted others to be more directly involved in helping me find a solution. I was just wanting to do it all on my own and that's not how God works.

The next day a friend contacted me and said he found a used AC in great condition and even negotiated with the seller for a fair price.  I was ecstatic. And what a joy it was to finally bring that AC to my Bible Study friend! 

The experience strengthened my faith in God and showed me that its always better to trust Him and wait on His timing.  And the gift greatly encouraged my friend.  We had studied the book of Acts and how the early church helped each other with needs.  So it was an awesome example of how God still works through His children to bless others.

How can you help someone you know this week?  Ask God to show you what you can do to be part of a solution to someone else's need.  The blessings are so worth the effort!  God bless!

" And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,"

Hebrews 10: 24