Prayers Requests and A Memory Verse a Week for the Weak: Mark 4:35-41

Last Thursday I was sitting just outside of our front door to our basement apartment which is in the trees, studying Anatomy & Physiology. I was studying the urinary system to be exact. It was approximately 98 degrees outside.


Suddenly the feeling in the air changed. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it felt like something was coming. Everything quieted for a moment or two, and then the birds and the bugs and the frogs simultaneously got really loud for just a few moments, like a siren, which stopped just as abruptly as it started. And then a roar came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The roar got louder and louder. At first I thought it was perhaps a large airplane landing at the nearby airport. But then I saw the trees move together like a large crashing ocean wave. A couple of huge drops of rain hit my Anatomy & Physiology text book, which at that point I decided to move my lap top inside  (this all transpired in 60 to 120 seconds).


Next came the huge hail falling out of the sky. The hail was the size of large marbles and bigger. The trees were practically bending over in the wind at this point; in every direction. I instantly became drenched just in the seconds that it took me to put the chairs etc inside, which were only 2.5 feet from the door. By this point both of my pets were nervously inside, but careful to keep their eyes on me.


I stood on the other side of screen, watching all 30+ of my flower pots get plummeted from the oversized hail marbles falling out of the sky. And then I couldn't take it any longer.  "Already drenched" I figured, so outside I went to rescue as many plants as I could. I ran around like a crazy lady putting my pots under cover. After the initial shock of the storm was over, it was kind of exhilarating to experience such power and force.


Days have passed now and I still can't believe how it was nearly 100 degrees one second and the hail falling out of the sky next. Apparently this happens frequently in certain parts of the country. It was obviously a new thrilling experience for this NorthWest native.


It wasn't until I had got all the plants I could under cover, out of harms way, that I thought about the story of Jesus calming the storm (this week's memory verses):

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41 NTIV

I now have a whole new appreciation for what the disciples went through. It's easy to get caught up in the moment and forget that my Father, the God of Love, is a prayer away to protect us and even my plants.


As you can imagine the storm that went through caused quite a bit of damage. Some church  members were still without power on Saturday. There's evidence of the storm's destruction throughout the 31 acres that  I live on.  I spent part of Friday and Sunday cleaning up the mess. And there's still a bit of mess to be cleaned up. But it could have been much worse....

Mark with is son in ICU.

A different kind of storm... A friend of mine from back home (Oregon) would greatly appreciate prayer for the storm she faces... Her son has been diagnosed with Toxic epidermal necrolysis (you can read about this disorder by click here). They now make their "home" at the Portland Burn Unit.

The Bingham family (also from back home). Could also use your prayers for their storm. They have five beautiful children who are living a storm called dilated cardiomyopathy. If you Google the disease you'll find this definition, "Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged, and it cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems." You can read Binghams blog (which is updated daily) at: http://jasonandstacybingham.blogspot.com/  and you can make donations for the Bingham family by going to the following website: http://heartsforbinghams.com/  .

***If you have read my blog, you know that I whole heartedly believe that God is love. If you find yourself asking "How can there be a God who is love when there are such horrible storms..." if these are your thoughts then may I kindly invite you to read this, it's called: "Does God Care That I am Hurting?" or you may contact me for a thorough Bible study on the subject.***

Will you please join me in praying for these two precious families?

I'd like to include a couple of music videos (music helps me, perhaps it helps you too):

For encouragement: 

For peace:

Storms come in various forms. May I encourage you that no matter what you are facing today Jesus is in the boat with you.

God is love,
Vanessa


PS. please add these prayer requests to any prayer chain you are apart of. Thank so much for the prayers!!! <3