Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Catching Up

It has been a month since I last made an entry here. Obviously, I do not "live to blog". Our travels make it interesting to find a place with a signal we can borrow and to find the time to jot a note. We have concluded our Florida journeys where we enjoyed our time greatly. It was almost like being in Puerto Rico since the weather was warmer, palm trees were everywhere, sandy soil abounded, and Spanish could be heard at regular intervals.

We continue to experience the protection of the Lord. While in Panama City, FL we faced a tornado warning in which the newscaster advised everyone in our area to seek out a safe place immediately since circulation had been reported. No tornado developed, however. Then we went to Milton, FL and again severe weather was forecast. We left there and a few weeks later were in Lady Lake. Just one year earlier a very destructive tornado had ravaged the neighborhood. Again, severe thunderstorms were announced, but seemed to dissipate before reaching us.

Then we moved on to Savannah, Georgia. A strong thunderstorm struck that Saturday night, the lights went out for several hours, and a tornado went through just 1/2 hour north of our location. The following day we went to Atlanta where a tornado had done serious damage just two days earlier. We are always amazed by the hand of God directing us and protecting us, and that is just when we know of the danger. How many times are we protected from danger that we are not even aware of?

Another evidence of God's goodness was seen in the fact that on Sunday, March 16 I (Bill) came down with a chest cold that left me with a voice barely stronger than a whisper. Isn't it amazing that we should have a break in our schedule from then until Sunday, March 30. By then, I should be recovered sufficiently to preach. I thought I would be able to attend the Bible Conference at Bob Jones University last week, but the cold made speaking so difficult that I decided rest would be a better option. No, I was not a speaker at the conference. It's just that I met so many people I know on campus the one day that I did attend a service, that my voice suffered from the many conversations. I'm doing much better now. Praise the Lord!

Steven also needed some help in these days. He had lost his previous car in an accident, so we set out to find a suitable replacement. We found a Ford Taurus at an auction which should serve him well for a good while. It needs a little repair, but the problems are minor. Unfortunately, even minor repairs tend to be expensive. The Lord also provided a job for Steven which we hope will allow him opportunity to fully support himself. He will finish his college degree in summer school, but will be allowed to march in May. We are looking forward to being on hand to celebrate his achievement.