Frozen Trundra

 This has really been a trying week as all of  us in Texas faced power outages and water loss due to the extreme cold (extreme for Texas that is). We lost power on Monday, water loss or slow pressure all week, and cold temperature.  Folks were doing everything to keep warm - some had generators and invited others to share the warmth (although gasoline stations were running out of fuel), we would drive around in our vehicle to warm up, sleep under many layers of blankets and quilts, whatever was necessary to keep warm. Those with gas stoves would turn on their ovens to heat at least the kitchen. Our neighbor invited us over during the day to enjoy the warmth as she had her oven going, taking necessary care to avoid carbon monoxide exposure. We would clean out our refrigerators and cook together  whatever was there to make meals and avoid spoilage. I have a gas stove but it has electric ignition so it was of no use to us. Some of the water pipes were frozen, so we thawed out ours and also two of our neighbors. Sometimes we had power for a bit, then no water then maybe water and no power. But by Thursday we were fairly back to normal - we had saved pails of water when the water was flowing, in order to flush toilets and to be able to wash up, even if the water was cold. It was truly amazing how all the  residents of the park banded together - checking on others, shopping for those who could not get out (most of the shelves in the stores were empty, but we all managed when we found an area where the power was on). Any place of business that had power (it was weird as some areas had power and some did not) welcomed folks to come in a warm up a bit. A group of park residents got together and prepared hot meals ( don't know how they did that, except perhaps using a grill or gas stove) and delivered them to all residents. The park manager also provided a homemade chicken soup dinner and spaghetti dinner. All in all we survived and now we are under a water boil situation, but that is minor now. As we "suffered" through this week, I was always thinking that this was awful for us, but many of our people in the colonias this was a daily occurrence. They struggle to keep warm or have water and or power on a daily basis. I prayed for them when I felt like complaining about our situation. We could not deliver food due to the cold, but had just delivered blankets and quilts the Saturday before this all occurred. It is warming up daily and is supposed to be 70 by tomorrow. We will be so blessed to distribute on Tuesday and Friday next week. In all of this confusion, we tend to forget our animal friends. There were thousands of turtles on S Padre Island that were freezing on the beach. Wonderful volunteers collected them and brought them to the convention center in order to keep them warm before returning them to the water.

                                                         thousands of turtles being revived

On a happy side, I had my first package of Peeps for the year. Yep - original yellow ones. Wow, there are GIANT ones.

                                             

                                                                    

                                                         

                                                                     Giant Bunny Peeps

Continuing with ladies in Scripture, we see Asenath, the woman a king gave to his prime minister. Her  name of an Egyptian name one who belonged to Neit, the heathen god of wisdom.  She was the daughter of Potipherah and was given to Joseph as a wife Perhaps the king did this in order to keep Joseph tied to Egypt. Because he was a Hebrew he should have refused to marry an idolatress unless she denied her false gods. It was probably the reason Joseph's tribe was obliterated so swiftly. Perhaps this is why so many people believe that when you marry you should be evenly yoked. She bore Joseph two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 

What do you do when you accomplish a task? You celebrate. Nehemiah chapter 9 was a time to celebrate the rebuilding on the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah called together all of the people to sing and pay instruments to celebrate. The priests purified themselves, all of the people and the gates of the wall. Ezra took a group of people and went up on the wall to sing and praise God. Then Nehemiah came form another direction with the rest of the people also singing. Everyone could see were they had a part in rebuilding the wall so they could tell generations to come of their part in it. They had a spiritual joy in what God had done. We should walk around our own world and claim it for God, just as the Israelites did. Celebrating God in worship is essential for our spiritual health. worship is the key to putting God in His rightful place. Worship breathes spiritual life into us. worship is really a strategy. We as Christians own worship. Singing and worshiping God is essential to an evaluating world. Sunday morning is a special day for celebration and worship. We can celebrate al the goodness God has brought us. We certainly can do this  as God has bought us to this day out of the suffering in Texas and elsewhere.