Blogger Friend School #116 -- Now You're Playing with Power

Memory Verse:

Genesis 7:24 The water held power over the earth for 150 days.

Introduction: The only witnesses to the Flood are Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives - 8 people. And then there’re the animals, 2 of every unclean animal and 7 pairs of every clean animal. When Noah and his family emerged from the ark, they offered sacrifices and praised the Lord for preserving them.

Assignment: What kind of catastrophe have you lived through? Weather? Fire? Car crash? Did you feel the oppression of the power of the disaster, or the protection of the Power of the Lord? Tell us the story of how you rejoiced and praised Him through it and after it.

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I was just thinking that I really like Blogger Friend School because it really makes me think about what I'm posting. Sometimes my posts are just great photos with captions or funny thoughts with a picture for emphasis. These BFS posts require thought!!! ;^)

Have I ever been through something "catastrophic"? Oh, yeah. We have six kids! Caleb was born placenta previa at 32 weeks; Sarah was bitten by a dog at age 2; Jessee severely burned his hand on a woodstove at age 1 and six months ago, he fell out of bed and lacerated his face to the tune of 25 stitches; Seth snapped his femur in half at age 3 (trampoline, of course); Andrew was with me in a really bad car crash at 4 months, fell out of a tree and broke his leg at age 4 and a year later T-boned Doug's truck on his bike (the truck was parked) knocked himself unconscious and broke his arm. Nothing really catastrophic has happened to Evie. Should I be concerned?

My mom once sent me an "encouragement" card which had on the front a big orange kitty cat with a goofy grin on his face. It showed several other cats in various stages of terror running from the scene. The caption said, "If you find yourself at peace when everyone around you is in a panic..." (open the card) Then the picture expanded to show a gang of snarling junkyard dogs encircling the grinning kitty. "...maybe you don't fully understand the situation!" Mom wrote in below that, "Or maybe you just know who's really in control!"

I think that is the key to weathering trials and testing. No matter what terrible, stressful time we've gone through as a family, we remember (and remind each other) that God is the one that is really in control. Nothing happens to make God say, "OH NO! I didn't see that coming! What am I going to do???" I can rest in the knowledge that my Father God sees my need and will not abandon me.

My verse for the week is from Paul (I can't wait to meet that guy!!!)...

Romans 8:15-18 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father". The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ -- if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us!!!