# 7 - Date: 08/07/2020 (Actual posting date 8/9 – got delayed with
Bday and church activities)
No this is not a repeat of the 6/25 blog!
Happy Blursday to me, Happy Blursday to me,
Happy Bluurrrsdaay tooo meee, Happy Blursday to me!
Wow, I will be fifty-blah blah years old this week, what a blur the last 50 have been.
My mom say’s I can’t be 59 cause that would mean she is, hey how great is it having hockey back on TV. I sure missed it but it is not the same without fans in the stands. I do like the fact they still have an arena announcer and the organ plays. Doing everything they can to make it as real as possible for the players during this pandemic pause. Other sports are doing some very creative and unique things as well to get the action and the dollars rolling again. There are a lot of hurting folks in all areas of the economy. I pray for all the folks in all vocations trying to go through, get past this current storm. Parents having to work from home and also be teachers for their at home learning students. And so on…
Anyway these are things that are not bad things but not real important in the sense of eternity. While preparing a message on the account of Jesus walking on the water (Ma. 14) this week I was reminded of the earlier story in Matthew 8:23 of Jesus calming the storm. Jesus was asleep in the boat when a bad storm arose and the disciples (as fishermen, experienced sailors) were in fear for their lives as the boat was being swamped by the waves. But remember Jesus was in the boat! Remember Jesus is in your boat now. The disciples cried out “Save us, Lord.”
And he did! He calmed the wind and the sea.
In the Matthew 14 account of the disciples in a boat with wind and waves against them, their fear was for something else, ‘a ghost?’ No, it was Jesus coming to them walking on the water through the wind and waves. He reminds them even though he may not be in the boat he is in the storm with them as he is in the storm with you. Even sometimes when we feel like Peter and accept Jesus’ invitation to get out of the boat and go deeper into the wind and the waves he is there. He gives us the power to walk on the water with him. Just keep your eyes on Jesus and not the wind and waves. But know this, if when we fail to do so, Jesus is there. Call out as Peter did “Lord, save me!”
And he did! And he will!
On a side note, we were invited to tour Laurel Pines Camp & Conference Grounds where a fantastic organization, Youth Helpers1 holds summer camps for kids. Pray for them consider supporting them as they are shut down now due to the pandemic.
As we were enjoying the facility worshiping our Lord and Savior a friend was sharing some thoughts regarding life during the pandemic. He asked the question ‘Has God shown you anything new / in a different light during this pandemic?’
He shared an idea along the lines of ‘If something has been removed from your life during this time and you missing it, maybe even a bit lost without it, maybe we were putting more value on it that our relationship with God. Maybe we need to look at where we prioritized it in relation to God. Maybe it was removed so God can put something better in its place or for us to get closer to God?
He is the source of HOPE for our eternity.
Come by either our physical site (5080 Kingsley, Montclair, Ca,) Sundays @ 9am outdoors until further notice or visit us at www.tlcmontclair.org any time and get filled up on God’s hope.
Trinity, your hope Filling Station
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