Mass evacuation, a true story: Hurricane Rita, September, 2005:
Fleeing down Hwy 71, nearing the I-10 underpass at Columbus, Sharon and I saw them. How many were they? As far as we could see both ways the traffic was bumper to bumper. As we passed under I-10, the realization hit us, those poor folks were going nowhere in that 150 mile traffic jam from Houston to San Antonio. And pressed on by the mass of humanity behind us on 71, we prayed.
2005, as the heart breaking aftermath of hurricane Katrina continued for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the Gulf of Mexico churned once again. A massive 180 mile per hour Hurricane Rita barreled straight at our little ranch near the Texas Gulf Coast. I was going to stay to take care of the cattle, but wife Sharon demanded otherwise.
So the wife and I evacuated along with border collie Candy and white rabbit, Bunny FuFu. It was off to see Aunt Lou and Uncle Don, two hearts of gold, in Austin, Texas. Our refuge there will always be fondly remembered.
Now Aunt Lou and Uncle Don were amazed by our dog and rabbit sleeping and eating together in their fenced in back yard. And I say this not casually, does it kind of remind you of how the animals in Noah's Ark must have got along, maybe even remind of a Bible verse in Isaiah of the wolf and the lamb laying together.
Prompted by disaster coverage on TV, Uncle Don and I soon got into a discussion of the Bible and in particular Noah's Ark. Uncle Don took the position that the Ark was not real, but a story meant to teach us moral lessons. I explained that in September of 1960 Life Magazine published Turkish military photos of a tremendous boat shaped object in the mountains of Ararat; and that in August of 1977 archaeologist Ron Wyatt was invited by the Turkish government to examine the ship. Ron found the Ark dimensions exactly matched that ordered by God in the Bible, discovered the Ark's massive stone anchors and mapped out the ships deck supports and keel. In 1986 the Turks built a visitors center at the location. But Uncle Don remained unconvinced, felt it was a 'flim-flam' and laughed it off.
Later that day Uncle Don and Aunt Lou treated the wife and I to a trip to the amazing Cabelas Hunting and Sports Center. Now the first thing you see as you walk into this three story mega-plex is a two and a half story indoor waterfall and mountain populated by scores of animals from all over the world. Do you see the theme here: animals from all over the world, on a mountain... Noah's Ark? Do you sense something is about to happen? We should have. God is a master of 'intricate coincidental detail'.
Now Cabelas is so huge, a family can easily spend all day there well entertained, but after several hours Uncle Don wanted to treat us to a south Austin restaurant. We gave thanks, we ate, we joked and at meals end we rose to leave the table. In rising from his seat, obviously still thinking about our earlier conversation about Noah's Ark, Uncle Don chuckled under his breath, "I still can't believe you think that story is real."
Uncle Don stood, pushed his chair to table and turned to see standing directly behind him the cutest little less than five feet tall Mexican Grandpa, Grandma and daughter... and in the daughters arms swaddled in a baby blanket... in Uncle Don's own words, "That is the most precious little baby I have ever seen!"
Folks, that precious little mother with the glow of an angel, held up that precious little baby before Uncle Don's face and proudly beamed as only a new mother can, "HIS NAME IS NOAH."
Uncle Don's eyes popped round as saucers, his mouth gaped wide open, and Aunt Lou chimed in right on cue, "Well Don, do you think God is trying to tell you something?"
Well dear people, do you think God may be trying to tell us something? In his Holy Bible, our Creator has given us the exactly how it was, how it is, and how it will be.
...In the hurricane of Life...
...Jesus is our only ark of refuge... of salvation...
In John 14:6, His Son Jesus speaks, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me." Please listen to Jesus in Matthew 24:37 KJ, "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 KJ
Romans 3:23-26; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; Acts 2:38
Noah, the ark, the great flood... Genesis chapters 6 thru 9
Friday, September 25, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
WHEN ITCHY GETS SCRATCHY
"Molasses is my name, slow sweet lovin' is my game," she purred.
"Spring time in hell... is no picnic," startled to the point of not knowing why nor what she said, Janet stepped back, retreat cut short by food laden picnic table.
Molasses oozed close, in Janet's ear blew smoke, "My friends call me Moe."
"Just because you married Uncle Ted and come to our family reunion, does not make you my friend," Janet near breathless breathed, gulped air, added, "nor family."
"You are just uptight. I can fix that," Moe cooed.
Janet slipped sideways from between Moe and picnic table. She retreated to side of approaching husband. "Robert, that woman..."
"Is hotter than a hornets nest and twice as deadly," Robert finished Janet's sentence to spare her embarrassment. "I was coming to the rescue."
"What is wrong with her?" Janet fought for composer. Now in the arms of her husband, her face faded from red.
"A diet totally void of moral fiber induces constipation of the brain." Robert glared in Moe direction.
Nervous giggle escaped Janet. "Husband of mine," she snarfeled, "you may have just coined an adage." She giggled again.
"Why is every family reunion a re-crisis?" Robert shook head.
"Oh no, there she goes again!" Janet gasped.
Cousin Bennie was just passing by. Moe met him chest to breast, pressed into him, backed him up, pinned him against vine covered oak tree trunk. She kissed him full on the lips. Bennie kissed her back, spun her round. In backless blouse her flesh found bed in the cool foliage.
"There are children. This needs to stop." Janet growled, added, "Robert get Uncle Ted over here right now. You tell him to control that, that thing he calls a wife."
"Oh, be a sport." Robert grinned. "They are just having fun."
"What!" Janet freaked. With both hands she reached up, pulled Robert's face to hers, looked him square in the eyes, questioned, "Is my Christian husband in there?"
Robert kissed tip of wife's accusation pointing nose, then smiled. "You do know God gave us the Ten Commandments to not only guide us, but protect us?"
In mini whiplash Janet's neck and head whipped back, then forward. With blue eyes wide, her lips cried, "What!?"
"See that oak tree those two are writhing against?" Robert nodded direction.
Janet turned head, looked. "Yes," she said.
"See that bed of plush green vines caressing their flesh?" Robert whispered in her ear.
"Oh! Ohhhhhhhh!" Janet snarfeled out loud. "You mean, oh husband of mine, do I see the consequences of sin?"
"I think they call it poison ivy," Robert snuggled nose in wife's soft auburn hair.
"Spring time in hell is no picnic... when itchy gets scratchy." Janet relaxed in hubby's arms.
"I'll go fetch the garden hose," Robert sighed, then grinned at the thought of hosing down the amorous two with ice cold water.
Janet hugged her kind hearted man, sighed too, said, "I'll get the soap from the kitchen."
Consequences to sin... are no coincidences... yet necessary reminders...
God loves the contrite heart... Tell him about it... Apologize... Ask God for forgiveness in His Son's name... Jesus...
Every one of us has something to apologize for... Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-13 of The Holy Bible
"Spring time in hell... is no picnic," startled to the point of not knowing why nor what she said, Janet stepped back, retreat cut short by food laden picnic table.
Molasses oozed close, in Janet's ear blew smoke, "My friends call me Moe."
"Just because you married Uncle Ted and come to our family reunion, does not make you my friend," Janet near breathless breathed, gulped air, added, "nor family."
"You are just uptight. I can fix that," Moe cooed.
Janet slipped sideways from between Moe and picnic table. She retreated to side of approaching husband. "Robert, that woman..."
"Is hotter than a hornets nest and twice as deadly," Robert finished Janet's sentence to spare her embarrassment. "I was coming to the rescue."
"What is wrong with her?" Janet fought for composer. Now in the arms of her husband, her face faded from red.
"A diet totally void of moral fiber induces constipation of the brain." Robert glared in Moe direction.
Nervous giggle escaped Janet. "Husband of mine," she snarfeled, "you may have just coined an adage." She giggled again.
"Why is every family reunion a re-crisis?" Robert shook head.
"Oh no, there she goes again!" Janet gasped.
Cousin Bennie was just passing by. Moe met him chest to breast, pressed into him, backed him up, pinned him against vine covered oak tree trunk. She kissed him full on the lips. Bennie kissed her back, spun her round. In backless blouse her flesh found bed in the cool foliage.
"There are children. This needs to stop." Janet growled, added, "Robert get Uncle Ted over here right now. You tell him to control that, that thing he calls a wife."
"Oh, be a sport." Robert grinned. "They are just having fun."
"What!" Janet freaked. With both hands she reached up, pulled Robert's face to hers, looked him square in the eyes, questioned, "Is my Christian husband in there?"
Robert kissed tip of wife's accusation pointing nose, then smiled. "You do know God gave us the Ten Commandments to not only guide us, but protect us?"
In mini whiplash Janet's neck and head whipped back, then forward. With blue eyes wide, her lips cried, "What!?"
"See that oak tree those two are writhing against?" Robert nodded direction.
Janet turned head, looked. "Yes," she said.
"See that bed of plush green vines caressing their flesh?" Robert whispered in her ear.
"Oh! Ohhhhhhhh!" Janet snarfeled out loud. "You mean, oh husband of mine, do I see the consequences of sin?"
"I think they call it poison ivy," Robert snuggled nose in wife's soft auburn hair.
"Spring time in hell is no picnic... when itchy gets scratchy." Janet relaxed in hubby's arms.
"I'll go fetch the garden hose," Robert sighed, then grinned at the thought of hosing down the amorous two with ice cold water.
Janet hugged her kind hearted man, sighed too, said, "I'll get the soap from the kitchen."
Consequences to sin... are no coincidences... yet necessary reminders...
God loves the contrite heart... Tell him about it... Apologize... Ask God for forgiveness in His Son's name... Jesus...
Every one of us has something to apologize for... Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-13 of The Holy Bible
Friday, September 4, 2015
IVY ENVY
Two, two finger Irish coffees, please." At hotel restaurant table, Ivy placed order, added half moan sigh, hung her head to almost cry, behind dark cascade of hair.
It is 8:15 in the morning." The right hand of old college pal Phebe gently grasped her forearm. She ducked head that her amber eyes look up into the green eyes of Ivy. "One hour from now in that auditorium right thru that window," Phebe pointed across River Avenue, "my favorite motivational speaker is going to encourage thousands of alcoholics to remain sober." Phebe turned to the waitress, "Make that two expresso macchiato, please."
"I hate motivational speaking." Ivy whined.
"What?" Phebe blinked. "You do this for a living."
"You call this living?" Ivy gritted teeth. "You have no idea how I envy you, Phebe. Unlike you, I have no confidence, no assurance, no peace, no faith. I live in Wreckville."
"Where's a motivational speaker, when you need one?" Phebe teased.
"Stop it!" Ivy unsuccessfully fought the upturned curvature of her lips, smiled.
Phebe patted her arm, asked, "You are kidding me, right?"
"Well..." The smile of Ivy whimpered away. She whined, "Envy like Ivy climbs, till over the wall."
"Jesus, please help us get to the other side of River Avenue," Phebe pleaded out loud.
It startled Ivy, that little prayer, that sincerity on Phebe's face, but her calmness, her calmness seemed to radiate light, a light almost contagious. But just a tad later...
...There they stood on the corner of River Avenue, huddled together, gripping coat seams tight in mid-December cold wind chill. Ivy shivered, moaned, "Could it possibly get any worse?"
Phebe chuckled, twisted, swayed lithe figure neath layers of warmth. "Pre-emptive groaning only stirs the gripe pot... ladles up porridge of pain," she warned thru coat collar gap.
After a full twelve minutes in waiting, "The lights are stuck green," Ivy groaned. "No way are we crossing that raging rush hour traffic. Lets go back in and get another cup of coffee." Ivy tugged top of coat tighter together. She searched the face of her suddenly frozen still companion. "Phebe, what's wrong?" Phebe had stopped breathing.
The brisk north wind swirled thru Phebe's short brunette hair. Her eyes closed. Her head subtly tilted back. Her lips parted. She breathed in... more than air. Her amber eyes opened. She breathed out, "Thank you." Her hair ceased swirl.
In fear, Ivy heard it, heard the stone still quiet. She turned head, saw not one car, not one taxi, no bus, nor van.
Phebe took Ivy's hand, said, "Someone up there really loves you and wants you to cross on over to the other side of River Avenue." Phebe smiled...
And as they walked across... Ivy's envy walked not...
Time grows short... and only one way 'crosses'... to the other side of the river of life... Jesus...
John 14:6
Revelation 1:7-8 & 22:1-7
Of crossing over to 'the other side of the river,' many are the scriptures in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Grab a thorough Biblical concordance or plug it in to an internet search engine, read and be awed... Fascinating...
It is 8:15 in the morning." The right hand of old college pal Phebe gently grasped her forearm. She ducked head that her amber eyes look up into the green eyes of Ivy. "One hour from now in that auditorium right thru that window," Phebe pointed across River Avenue, "my favorite motivational speaker is going to encourage thousands of alcoholics to remain sober." Phebe turned to the waitress, "Make that two expresso macchiato, please."
"I hate motivational speaking." Ivy whined.
"What?" Phebe blinked. "You do this for a living."
"You call this living?" Ivy gritted teeth. "You have no idea how I envy you, Phebe. Unlike you, I have no confidence, no assurance, no peace, no faith. I live in Wreckville."
"Where's a motivational speaker, when you need one?" Phebe teased.
"Stop it!" Ivy unsuccessfully fought the upturned curvature of her lips, smiled.
Phebe patted her arm, asked, "You are kidding me, right?"
"Well..." The smile of Ivy whimpered away. She whined, "Envy like Ivy climbs, till over the wall."
"Jesus, please help us get to the other side of River Avenue," Phebe pleaded out loud.
It startled Ivy, that little prayer, that sincerity on Phebe's face, but her calmness, her calmness seemed to radiate light, a light almost contagious. But just a tad later...
...There they stood on the corner of River Avenue, huddled together, gripping coat seams tight in mid-December cold wind chill. Ivy shivered, moaned, "Could it possibly get any worse?"
Phebe chuckled, twisted, swayed lithe figure neath layers of warmth. "Pre-emptive groaning only stirs the gripe pot... ladles up porridge of pain," she warned thru coat collar gap.
After a full twelve minutes in waiting, "The lights are stuck green," Ivy groaned. "No way are we crossing that raging rush hour traffic. Lets go back in and get another cup of coffee." Ivy tugged top of coat tighter together. She searched the face of her suddenly frozen still companion. "Phebe, what's wrong?" Phebe had stopped breathing.
The brisk north wind swirled thru Phebe's short brunette hair. Her eyes closed. Her head subtly tilted back. Her lips parted. She breathed in... more than air. Her amber eyes opened. She breathed out, "Thank you." Her hair ceased swirl.
In fear, Ivy heard it, heard the stone still quiet. She turned head, saw not one car, not one taxi, no bus, nor van.
Phebe took Ivy's hand, said, "Someone up there really loves you and wants you to cross on over to the other side of River Avenue." Phebe smiled...
And as they walked across... Ivy's envy walked not...
Time grows short... and only one way 'crosses'... to the other side of the river of life... Jesus...
John 14:6
Revelation 1:7-8 & 22:1-7
Of crossing over to 'the other side of the river,' many are the scriptures in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Grab a thorough Biblical concordance or plug it in to an internet search engine, read and be awed... Fascinating...
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