Settling in and Indonesia

It's hard to believe it was just about a year ago when we first started talking about doing something different. Now, as everyone who took the leap of faith from Baltimore to move to Springfield has found their "place" the real work on those places can begin.

I was watching the news this morning and the reporter was speaking about the repeated earthquakes in the Indonesia region over the last few days. The camera focused in on a woman running for what seemed like her life. That particular region of the world was recently rocked by a large earthquake resulting in a tsunami of epic proportions. This woman had cause to be running. Her past experience told her that there could be danger just a short while after an earthquake. Life in that particular region is so uncertain. But then again where is life certain?

Paul's prayer for the Ephesians has always struck me well:

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may stregthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--the you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

As we go into the fall season and the leaves begin their technicolor decay, the roots get prepared for winter and are beginning to reach their peak growth for the year. May our roots, however new they may be, grow deep and strong in the love of Christ.

Back to the tsunami, the various 24 hour news channels showed clip after clip of people clinging to trees that were not budged by the surge of the wave.

As the "tsunamis" of life hit people in our community and shake them from their ordinary and safe lives, I pray that we will be the firm strong tree that has been established in the love of Christ and provides refuge for those that are running for their lives.

2 Cor 3:16-18

16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, then the veil is taken away.

17 Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. 18 And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

NLT