Greetings all and Happy Sabbath!  Just a reminder we will have a potluck in Columbia tomorrow.

A Big Storm

Debbie was quite the storm.  Not as bad as some, but very large and slow moving, which means lots of rain.  Wind was minimal in most places, although we did lose power for awhile. Fortunately, it was back on in about 20 minutes, so a relatively minor inconvenience.

What's becoming more inconvenient is the fact that my internet is still out. As I write this letter on my laptop, I'm wondering exactly how I'll get it to my phone in order to post it online later.  Hopefully the internet comes back up soon and it'll be a moot point! (UPDATE: the internet came back on around 11:30 this morning - yay!!!!)

Powerless

Having no power for a little while got me to thinking.  To me, it's always been a sort of special time when the power goes out.  As a kid, we'd light candles (if it was night time), and get out board games.  If it was cold out, we'd start a fire in the fireplace and put a pot of water on to boil.  Sure, it was a little adversity, and there was a minor element of danger (we had a cistern and water pump, so in addition to the furnace not working, we also had no water when the power was out), but somehow, it was kind of fun too.

Of course, being powerless in life is a little different.  Sometimes we have health, financial or other trials over which we feel like we have no power.  And in truth, with some situations, there might be very little we can do.  But does that mean your powerless? Not at all!

Powerful

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." It's not by our bodies or our minds that we have power, but by God's spirit.

Next time the power goes off (hurricane season is just starting, it'll probably happen again), or better yet, the next time you feel powerless, think about just how much power you have from God through the gift of the Holy Spirit!