Category: Weather

By The Skin Of Our Teeth

Rescued

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Again

Still Waters Will Always Be Stirred to Shocking Tempests.

Psalm 81:7

In distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

.

Matthew 14:30-31

But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

Trials and Tests

come each day,

some small, some big, some hidden until they are done, some like walls that seem we cannot get past.

Some blow the waters, once calm, into tempests unimagined.

And

We

Are

Afraid.

…

Still

God reaches out and pulls us to safety

again.

And again.

And Again.

Morning

Satisfaction

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Entering the Day, Loved,

Looking to the Light.

Psalm 90:14

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

.

1 Timothy 1:5

But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

How do you start each day?

Sure we all wake up each day. But how do you wake up?

Very few of us are so blessed to wake up simply so, no alarm needed, always on time, refreshed, raring and ready to go.

More of us wake only to an alarm, groggy, unwillingly, needing coffee first before the day becomes real.

Some of us only ever sort of wake up, with or without an alarm, remaining groggy. Even coffee doesn’t help.

…

All that matters less than whether we wake up aware

that God loves us

and gives us

faith strong enough to make blessings pour out on others.

…

Are we up to the tasks?

Do Not

Be Afraid!

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Blessings Promised

Lots of water

between here and

the coming storms.

Genesis 26:24

And that very night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you and make your offspring numerous for my servant Abraham’s sake.”

.

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

“Do not be afraid.”

Always, “Do not be afraid.”

But …

well, there’s plenty of reasons to be afraid.

Seasons change,

and with climate change, the wild storms are now ferocious, focused on destroying us

…

it seems.

…

Morning

Rising moon sliver cannot dent the not quite frozen dark.

Innumerable stars pierce the black void around dancing magnetic streams.

Dew drenched grass waits increments of snow piling on.

Ferocious winds wait, catapults loaded.

Biting cold looms over the horizon.

Already the monster chews it’s bright orange flames turning wood to ash & light & heat

Ever slowly boiling the pot for morning coffee & the day’s tea.

All is well

…

For now.

…

Thank God for all the blessings (as promised each day through the generations) that have kept us alive

until now.

And a home waiting

when that last day comes

our way.

Coming Up Short In Life?

Look!

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Even Zacchaeus Is Invited to the Feast!

Success Is Not Finding the Right Path and Reaching the End.

It is Loving Everyone Along the Way, No Matter How Far We Get.

Psalm 10:17

O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear.

.

Luke 19:5-6

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

We measure life

in money

in power

in popularity

in relative privileges and comforts

in things of this world,

– ignoring those who come up short.

…

And so many must come up short.

…

God has always given special attention to those measured as coming up short:

the meek

the widows

the orphans

the slaves

the servants

the handicapped

the ill,


– which pretty much leaves no one out, except those that insist on staying out.

Jesus reaches down where we think people don’t even count, and invites us all to come to the feast of knowing Jesus at home, and in the feast of life (purchased with his death.)

…

For God measures life

in empathy

in forgiveness

in helping

in serving

in love

in joy

and in hope,


– and in seeing everyone as they are.

…

and the Holy Spirit makes sure no one comes up too short for God to notice!

Given the Wilds of Climate Change

We Need Jesus to Do More –

Than Walk On Water

Friday, September 12, 2025

We Need God to Stabilize the Water Everywhere!

Storms A’Brewin’

Proverbs 3:25-26

Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

.

Matthew 14:26-27

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

it’s just fine to deny that we are the cause of climate change.

Just go a head and bury your head in the sand,

so you can carry on blithely, making it so much worse for us all.

Now if we’d followed Jimmy Carter’s plan for 20% solar power, started in 1979,

(adapting it in each country, like our own, eh?)

We’d not be in the such terrible grips of climate change with smoke and wildfires and drought and floods, and storms so wild we’ve never seen the likes of them.

…

But wishing doesn’t make it so.

And only lots of action, guided by wise thoughts (dreams and prayers as well),

will make our future a bit better than

the even worse it is each year

because

we

did

nothing

when

it

counted

the

most.

…

Now our actions

or in-actions

count

again

the

most.

Things That Go Bump

In the Night

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Can Be Deadly

God Knows

And Brings the Light.

Daniel 2:22

He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him.

.

John 17:25

Jesus prayed: Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

In the cold dark of night

intruders, hollering, laughing, snickering, partying drunk and high,

on an adventure, the think,

enter the meadow, my home, such as it is.

Home Invasion, almost, as threatening.

What they do not know is …

is what is hiding in the cold dark, out there.

…

Skunks meandering after a meal of mice.

Coyotes laying in wait for whatever moves slowly.

Lynx, the hunter predator that silently stalks its prey, including vulnerable humans.

…

Life treats us similarly.

Venture into the cold dark,

into the dark of human sloth, scheming, striving, or revenge,

into the dark of the soul, where past sin accumulates a semi-truck overwhelming load of dark-matter, where regret rules and all hope is lost,

into the dark of the valley of misery, disease, and death,

venture into the cold dark,

and one is likely going to lose it all, entering the vortex that sucks one down, down, down forever …

unless

God sends the light into the cold darkness.

Caught in the darkness? Pray for the light to come, and soon.

Is Reconciling


The Bank Account Simple,

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Compared To Reconciling One’s Life With God?

God doesn’t freeze our accounts with God

but the banks … well . . .

Isaiah 55:7

Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

.

2 Corinthians 5:20

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

If the wicked want to forsake their ways, I’m not going to stand in their way. Are you?

Or would anyone, really?

So let them!

Of course it takes more than letting them, before the wayward will return to God,

us being among them.

We need to be inspired by the Holy Spirit,

working through other people, circumstances, wonders, miracles, signs

or whatever it takes

so that we know

we CAN return to God

and expect that God will not do us in,

for God is ready with pardons unending.

God does the work of reconciling our lives with God.


Now if only someone would reconcile the the bank account for me at their cost . . . .

Trying to Get Free

From What? From Whom?

Friday, June 27, 2025

To What? To Whom?

Made for this!

Living in the fog,

seeing the many woven webs

of humans, too.

First Samuel 2:6

The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

.

Romans 14:8

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

So much is wasted in life trying to get free from things and people

and especially God!

The real challenge and the greatest waste is trying to be free for something or for someone,

while trying to be free from God.

But we were made to be free

from everything

except God.

We were created to be slaves to God,

and Jesus made it plain:

we are given life to give life to others.

Thus slaves to God

we are servants to one another.

Simple math.

Simple ways.

…

And the most fought against of all the wasted human efforts through all time.

What’s wasting your day away today? The same old same old?

Of have you surrendered

to Jesus’ Way

and

God’s unconditional love?

Give it a go

or rather a surrender

and life will never be the same

and

life will be oh so good,

but never easy.

Pounding, Knocking

Wakey Wakey

Monday, June 23, 2025

It’s The Rain!

There’s a Long Road Ahead,

Just for Today!

Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

.

Romans 8:21

… the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

So you thought you could sleep in because no one really depends on you today?

Or just because you were going to get away with it again?

Not so fast.

Whether it’s the co-worker,

the boss,

the clients,

the neighbours,

or even just the weather

or (watch out for this one!)

Maybe it’s the Holy Spirit,

Someone is counting on you getting on the road, getting to the destination, the goal for today and getting done what needs getting done,

and if there’s nothing pressing, then to get around to that ever growing backlog of things that ought to be done sooner than later,

and now it’s later

enough.

So Hit the Road Jack!

Swing into action.

Rain or Shine.

Honesty and Kindness

Always need some doing in many a creative ways

for those least deserving,

and for the regulars

that count on your love

or at least God’s love

which you are supposed to be the agent of.

So

…

the most honest and most kind thing is to yell again

GET YOUR BUTT MOVING

before it’s too late,

and things go into the can real quick.

Honest and kind because then

… well then, it’s a whole other kind of mess you need to clean up.

So

knock

knock

the rain is pounding

on your roof.

Come out, come out wherever you are

and start

reflecting the light given you at baptism.

Small task it is not!

Just know that God is good to you, no matter what, look at nature around you, as God sets it free from us, and it reflects the goodness God created it to be.

.

…

.

(What!?

Just some motivational words, since I slept in after staying up late.

What are you looking at? You’ve done it, too!)

Could God

Do Great Wonders

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Here, Now, For Us, For You?

Healing With Fire,

Powerful Fire

Consuming the Chaff.

Psalm 136:3-4

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.

.

Acts of the Apostles 8:6-8

The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. So there was great joy in that city.

…

Words of Grace for Today –

…

The greatest wonder of all is that God actually loves us sinful humans!

Accounts of preachers bringing hearts and minds to realize God is not only to be feared but to be loved, in return for God’s steadfast, unending love for us all.

Accounts of illnesses being cured, illnesses that no one thought could be cured.

Accounts of God’s love enduring through people’s darkest times.

Accounts of people responding to God’s Wonders with great joy, spreading like wildfire – the only smoke being from the incense burned in ceremonies of thanks.

Account of …

Well they are account of God curing other people.

How about you! Will God cure you?

Will God ever get around to curing you of a disease that destroys people around you, a disease that is hidden in plain view, a disease that no one thinks can be cured, for you play it to your advantage while it consumes life around you?

Will God?

Yes, God will, whenever we allow God to turn our hearts and minds inside out. Whenever we surrender our lives to be as God created us to be: loving sacrifices, conduits of God’s love for all people. Whenever …

Whenever the Holy Spirit enters our lives and we do not refuse all that the Holy Spirit has to offer.

Whenever.

And then there will be great joy. In the city. In the deserts. In the bush. In the mountains. On the lakes and oceans. There will be great joy across the face of the earth.

Whenever, though, can take more than a lifetime,

which is sad,

no an occasion for joy at all.