Reminder of the long lasting effects of Katrina

Please don't forget those in Mississippi, as well as elsewhere, that were trememdously affected by Hurricane Katrina. As the hype goes down and something else becomes more news worthy, remember that there are three stages of relief effort. The first was the emergency stage where it was made sure that people were safe and physically cared for. The second is the relief stage where relief and clean-up begins. The final stage is the recovery stage in which things are being put back together to make a sense of normalacy. For Katrina, it's been said that this process will last about four years. And that's only if another hurricane doesn't hit the same area within this time frame.

UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) has a reputation for responding to disasters first and staying there the longest. And I can say that they have certainly done a wonderful job here in Mississippi. This is because we United Methodists are UMCOR. We are the ones responding to the need. And the reason for this post is to simply remind all that the hurting is still there...and will be there for quite a while.

My district superintendent shared some information with us the other night. He told us that hundreds of thousands of health kits and flood buckets would be needed over the next year. He told us that we had to keep volunteering. He told us of the millions of dollars of uninsured flood damage to churches and parsonages alone. He told us of the insurmountable amount of deductibles that would have to be paid on our churches and parsonages. And he told us that if the disaster would have hit us, these brothers and sisters down in the southern part of our state would be doing everything they could to care for us. And I believe him too. We're all brothers and sisters in Christ. Lets not forget those who need us most now.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Psalms 55:22

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14-17

I heard the local preacher on television last night say something very disturbing. He was talking about how our God wants relationships, and how that is what's truly important. With this I totally agree. But the thing he said that disturbed me was that God doesn't want our works. Sure, our works don't get us into Heaven, but many folks have an understanding of salvation that comes by a one time event of being saved. If this is all that's important, then why did Jesus tell us in Matthew 25 that those who didn't do for others would be separated from those who did and be sent into the fire?

Remember that faith is only real when accompanied by works. James is basically telling us that if we claim to have faith (and therefore salvation) but we don't have works, then we don't have the faith we think we have. And so we should reevaluate it.

True faith is what we are given by God when we accept Jesus. And as Paul states in Ephesians, we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God already had planned for us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13

I have often times heard the last sentence of this passage (and even quoted it). "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" is used to help others see that with Christ all things are possible.

But how often have we read the verses that precede this statement? Paul is saying that because he has Christ, he can be happy whether he is on top of the world or in a ditch. If we ask and allow Him to, Christ will give us the strength we need to be wealthy and still give much away...to succeed and still be humble...to live with our heads just above water and still not constantly complain about what we don't have...to be laid off or replaced and still be able to love our neighbor...to be displaced by a hurricane that's demolished everything we had and still love God.

If we ask, we shall receive. Ask for strength from Christ, no matter what your place in life, and He will share it with you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

Often times we Christians can be too timid. Of course the opposite is true too. We have been know to beat people over the head with our Bibles, go on Crusades (or wage war) in the name of Christ, and to condemn folks for their sins while hiding our own. So we can go too far in either direction.

But in the things that Paul is speaking of here, we can never go too far. God gave us a spirit of power. If we have God's Holy Spirit in us, then we have a power unparalleled by any other. We have the power to serve, to forgive, to love. This kind of power knows no bounds and is greater than any of the negatives that the devil tries to throw at us.

God gave us a spirit of love. This means that we are capable of loving no matter what. Here is one of the places we are too timid at times though. Many feel embarrassed to show love in today's world. It's not the "manly" thing to do. Or even for women, it may not be proper in places. But we have been given the spirit of love of neighbor, and the Bible teaches us to use this gift generously. I've seen this in several ways after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. But don't let it come down to a disaster occurring to give you a reason to show love to others.

God also gave us a spirit of self-discipline. Look deep inside yourself. It's there. For some of us though, we just have to look a little harder.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Riding out Hurrican Rita

I found someone who's going to have to ride Hurricane Rita out because she cannot get out of town. It seems that traffic is too slow and gas to short. Check out Grace's website as she lets us know how it's like to be living in the path of the storm with now way out.

Our prayers are with you Grace.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Bishop Willimon's comments on fundamentalism

Finally, somebody has said what I've been trying to say for years...but did it eloquently. Click here and see what Bishop Will Willimon wrote about the Lake Junaluska / Reconciling Congregations / IRD fiasco.

Thought of the Day !!

[God] does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Psalms 103:10

Thank you God!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever...
Psalm 37:28

God does care about those who are just. He cares about those who put others first. He cares about those who practice love of God and love of neighbor. He cares about those who don't try to get ahead at others' expense. He cares about those who are faithful to live according to His Word. He cares about those who speak to Him on a regular basis. He cares about those who don't fill their prayers with their desires only. He cares about those who listen to the call of others in need. He cares about those who give up their time to help out. He cares about those who care about each other. God Cares and will Protect.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Can't Sleep

It's 1:45 in the morning and I cannot sleep. My eyelids are heavy and want to stay closed while at the same time my mind is racing. This racing is what was keeping me awake in bed. This is the sixth night that I've been able to sleep in my own bed away from Laurel, MS. But in my mind I have not left.

Have you ever been doing something repetitive all day and dreamed about it at night? I know of times in the past when I had played on the computer for so long that I kept seeing the game in my sleep when I finally went to bed about this time in the morning.

Well, I've been in that condition since I've been back. While in Laurel I was loading and unloading and stacking and pulling canned goods (as well as other supplies).

I'm still doing this...only now it's in my sleep. And I've not had but one day off since Hurricane Katrina blessed us with her presence. So I'm wearing down. I know it. But I can't seem to do anything about it. I feel the need to take care of my own parishioners here as well as the passion to care for those who are in desperate need elsewhere. And so I continue to not sleep.

Well, that's not exactly true. I did something yesterday that I've never done before. I was in the church trying to figure out what God wanted me to preach on this Sunday, and in the silence of my meditating, I dozed off. There I was lying on the front pew of Avon, UMC asleep. I sure am glad no one came in.

But to make matters worse, as I lie awake in bed (even though my eyes were closed) my mind traveled to all those who are about to lose everything in TX. Rita has turned into a category 5 and is said to the hardest hitting hurricane to ever hit TX. Of course it hasn't got there yet. God can provide miracles. He did earlier this year with Dennis. Please God...do the same this morning with Rita.

But unless God performs another of His miracles, there will be a lot more damage to speak of next week. Hopefully getting this down and out of my head will allow me to sleep. So I am going to bed. But before I do, I have one request of the very few listeners who will ever read this. My request is that you pray. Pray for those whose lives have been affected in a major way by Katrina. Pray for the safety of those who are trying to help others right now down on the coast and in New Orleans. Pray for the dissipation of Rita. Pray for those already affected and those who will possibly be affected by her as well. Pray for a country whose been divided in so many ways over the last several years to come together in love and help those who need it most. Just pray.

Good night and God bless.
greg

Thought of the Day !!

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?
James 2:1(NLT)

Sometimes we can tend to forget this. We place good-looking famous actors and actresses on a pedestal. We give honor and glory to the athlete in the Reebock or Nike commercial. We look up to the rich and powerful people like Donald Trump and Bill Gates because of their billions.

But these are the ones we most likely will never meet. Others around us may be given certain honor or favor because of who their family is...how popular or attractive they are...how much money they have...how they're able to influence our future in one way or another. And sometimes we need the reminder of James not to give favor to these over those who have less.

The fact is…this world honors the rich, famous and powerful people because much of the rest of the world wishes to be like them. But God places honor in another place all together. He honors those who will give up the limelight to minister to the poor.

In the last few weeks people have come to West Laurel UMC down in Laurel, MS to do work that many people will never know about. They’ve come from places like FL, TN, MS, PA, WV, CO, MN, IL, MO, AL, NE and maybe some I’ve forgotten. And other than the ones they help, the majority of people around the country will never know their names or what they did.

But Jesus will. And God will. And God will honor all of us who care for each other, not favoring one over another, but loving everyone as Christ loves us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Paul was one who really knew what it was like to suffer. He'd been beaten, flogged, imprisoned and even stoned (and miraculously survived the stoning). So when he makes this statement, we hear it from one who's a pretty good authority on the subject of suffering.

We all suffer to varying degrees. Some of us are lucky enough to suffer relatively little while on this earth. We'll never know what it feels like to go to bed for the 2nd or 3rd day without food. We'll never know what it looks like to wake up in a war zone. We'll never have to try to go home to a place and realize that the place we used to call home is destroyed or blown away completely.

Some suffer more than others, but the fact is that we will all suffer. And this should not be taken lightly. I hate it when someone says, "I know how you feel" or "Well, everything will be better one day." In actuality nobody knows exactly how another person feels and even though things WILL be better one day when we get to Heaven, it's normally said because the one saying it doesn't know what else to say. And it doesn't change the fact that we're suffering in the here and now.

So what do we do. We realize that some sufferings can actually make us stronger. They are the lessons of life that we learn from. Some will break us down and make us more dependent upon the one who created us. And some will seemingly not have any purpose. Of course only God knows that for sure. But the key is to lean heavily on your Lord to help you through any situation and know that He often uses others to help you. And even though we don't just say that things will be better one day and leave it at that...the fact is that they really will be. For God has so much planned for you and me who love Him and believe in His Son.

So listen to Paul as he tells us that nothing compares to what is to come for you and me...not even our sufferings.

In the love of Christ,
greg

I HATE SPAM !!!!!

Actually, good old Spam fried up is not all that bad from time to time when slapped between two pieces of bread with a little mustard. But who out there likes email and comment spam?

So here's what I've had to go and do. I have turned on word verification. It's very simple. If you want to leave a comment, you simply have to type in the letters you see in front of you after you type what you want to say.

Of course the only comments I've gotten lately are those by the spammers. And I've deleted them. Won't anybody else say hi????

Thought of the Day !!

If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (TEV)

Good morning, afternoon or evening. I'm back! The last two weeks in Laurel, MS working with the hurricane relief effort has been an awesome experience in many ways. But to be quite honest, I'm exhausted. This became evident yesterday when I had problems concentrating during an administrative council meeting. So just as I was glad that God called me to be used by Him, I am just as glad to be home and back to my routine.

Sometimes we decide to wait until things are just right to do what the Lord tells us to do right now. Many people want to wait till later to become a Christian because they're having a good time with living in the world. Others try to wait until they're better Christians before going to church. Still others think that they can work on that habitat home or go on that mission trip next year when there will be more money. And then there are those who've missed the chance to share Christ with someone because they didn't feel comfortable at the time.

I will have to come clean with you this morning as I write this. I have been guilty of all these over my lifetime. But I tend to believe I'm not alone. We all want to do good things as Christians. But how often do we put them off until just the right time. If we're not careful, that right time will never come again and we'll realize we missed the opportunity to serve God and our risen Savior.

Don't put off till tomorrow what God desires of you today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

A note from the pastor at West Laurel UMC

So much has happened in this last three weeks. It is so unbelivable! We have seen generosity in the groups that have come to help. They have left their jobs and their families to travel thousands of miles to work long hard hours to help clear trees and debris. They have unloaded lots of trucks and distributed lots of food to over 10,000 people. Many of the people we serve are people who are down and out. Many are hurting psychologically and spiritually.

West Laurel United Methodist Church never ceases to amaze me in their giving and sacrifices. Many of our people have worked long, hard hours too. They have cooked, washed clothes, distributed food, cleaned, helped unload trucks. Thank you West Laurel for loving others as God loves us!

Yesterday, God gave us another miracle! We needed a place to move our food bank and our tree and debris removal operations. God has given us the use of a 7500 Sq Ft Building with warehouse space immediately behind the church.

Praise God for His wonderful blessings!

Roy

My adventures in Laurel, MS

I am coming home tomorrow from West Laurel UMC.

Thought of the Day !!

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalms 27:13-14

I know that I saw the goodness of the LORD through the work of some wonderful Christian people that I met last week while helping out at West Laurel UMC in Laurel, MS. These were people who were called by God to share their love, their passions, their goodness and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is now a special bond between myself and people from places such as Alabama, Florida and Missouri. And as I gather my things together today to go back for another week, I will meet a group that came from as far as Colorado.

I say all this to point out the fact that in all the bad news of Katrina...the death...the destruction...the rapes...the murder...and so on...that there the goodness of the LORD is at work. The love of Christ is expressed and the work of God is done when we commit to listening to God's call for us and acting accordingly. How might you allow yourself to be seen by others as part of the goodness of the LORD?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Word from Laurel, MS and Rev. Roy Pearson

Grace and peace,

"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:23

Jesus prayed for unity. The Christian Church has been divided for centuries between the East and the West, between Catholic and Protestant, between Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc. Tomorrow, we will receive a team of 14 from the state of Colorado to assist us in the our efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina. This group consists of Catholics, Lutherans, Christian Church, and non-Christian. We have had Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and even Mormons helping us this last week. Out of something tragic, comes something good. Last night, we had a communion service for all who were here.

Yesterday, we fed 434 adults and 104 children through the food bank that we have been running. We have been feeding that many on a daily basis for the last ten days. Isn't God good?

Laurel was established and grew from the lumber that so flourished in this part of the state. Our city and our streets were filled with big, beautiful trees. Many of our homes were hit with trees. Our yards were filled with them. In the subdivision where our parsonage is located, we had so many trees in the streets and on our homes that we have just now been able to receive electricity. Last night about eight p.m. the parsonage had lights once again. I cannot tell you how that felt. We owe a great deal of thanks to the teams of volunteers who have come to help us: United Methodist Church of the Palms, Palm Beach, FL; Alabaster United Methodist Church, Alabaster, AL; John Paul Robertson from Henderson, TN; Buck Furr from the Hollandale United Methodist Church in Hollandale, MS; Rev. and Mrs.. Greg Hazelrig who serve the Glen Allen and Avon Charge in the Mississippi Delta, the Schweitzer United Methodist Church of Springfield, MO. Isn't God great?

When I was child, I was taught to pray this prayer as a blessing over the meals, "God is good, God is great, we thank you for our food. AMEN! Today, I pray that prayer differently. God is good, so good that I cannot comprehend it. God is great, so great that I am beyond words. Thank you God for creating us, for seeing us all through the storms of life, and thank you for reminding us that your are our refuge and strength!

My thanks to all of you have prayed for us. I know those who receive this daily email do so! Thank you and praise God for you.

We will continue our efforts of feeding and cleaning up. But now that our lives are returning to some sense of normalcy. (Our lives will never be the same). Our focus is now turning further south to those areas of Mississippi where the devastation has been the worse. It is still a heavily restricted area. No one can enter without permission of the government. We are now getting a better idea of what has happened. I am going to attach some websites for you to visit if you would like so you can get an idea of what has happened there. You have heard about New Orleans daily.

http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.859767/k.EC2F/United_Methodist_News_Service.htm

http://www.mississippi-umc.org/ ( on this website be sure you look at the special edition of the Advocate)

Roy Pearson

Plea from Laurel, MS

This is an email I received this morning from the pastor that our team is about to be heading towards in Laurel, MS. There was a picture in the email of uprooted trees that did not come through and I simply don't have time to fiddle with it. But I wanted to get this message out. God bless. And please pray for the safety of all the volunteers in MS and LA for it's an ugly situation with some bad people down there right now.

Grace and peace,

"This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears...." Lamentation 1:16

As you can see from the picture below that was made in the back yard of our parsoange, our lives have been uprooted and torn in half. Our emotions are all over the place just like the limbs and trees in this picture. Yes, property can be repaired and replaced. Yet, we know that there are so much of this all over South Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisana.

In our lamenting, we also recoginze that God is at work. God is sending volunteers from all over America to help. Thank you all for your help and love! The United Methodist Committee on Relief is senind us several teams to remove trees and debris, food, and other supplies. God is good!

Today as you pray remember to pray for Buck, John, the team of 10 people from Alabaster, Al, the 14 people from Sedgwick, CO, Greg and Michelle Hazelrig, Wayne McCord, the team of 11 from Columbia, MO, The Trinity United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL; The United Methodist Church of the Palms In Palm Beach, FL. All of these people will be on the road with supplies and workteams. Pray for Dena and Linda, our cooks; David, Howard, Howie, Ron, Hannah, Madelyn, Nicholas, Loretta, Bill, Ann, Paula, Joyln, Shirley, Chirs, Kay, and many others from own congregation who are helping.

We could use more help. If you have connections to churches or friends: we need work teams, supplies, money. Many people have lost their income and need some temporary assistance. We are doing what we can to help in this area. If you can do nothing else, you can send donations to our fund to help those who need help due to lost income. You can send it to West Laurel United Methodist Church, 523 North 14th Avenue, Laurel, MS 39440. Please send this information to all of your friends and fellow church people you may know.

THank you so much.

Roy W. Pearson

Sermon following Hurricane Katrina

Today's Thought of the day is pretty long because it's the sermon I preached yesterday. For those of you who've heard it...sorry...you can delete and go on about your day if you wish. But before you do, please heed my request for your prayers. Michelle and I are heading to Laurel, MS this morning and plan to be back sometime Wednesday. We are part of a team carrying supplies and cleaning up. As there are many reports of dangerous goings on down south (I hope my mom didn't just read that...ha ha) please pray for our safety. I know this is God's will and so I am at peace. But, of course, prayers never hurt.

In the love of Christ,
greg



Jesus Feeds the Thousands
John 6:1-13 (NLT)


I. John 6:1-13

1After this, Jesus crossed over the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2And a huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miracles as he healed the sick. 3Then Jesus went up into the hills and sat down with his disciples around him. 4(It was nearly time for the annual Passover celebration.) 5Jesus soon saw a great crowd of people climbing the hill, looking for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" 6He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7Philip replied, "It would take a small fortune* to feed them!" 8Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 9"There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" 10"Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus ordered. So all of them--the men alone numbered five thousand--sat down on the grassy slopes. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and passed them out to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate until they were full. 12"Now gather the leftovers," Jesus told his disciples, "so that nothing is wasted." 13There were only five barley loaves to start with, but twelve baskets were filled with the pieces of bread the people did not eat!

II. “Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?"
Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people, Jesus asked. Did anyone other than Jesus really know?

Where can we buy bread to fee all these people, Lord? They’ve come such a long way, and they’re hungry. They need a place to stay. Jesus, they’re so many…and they need so much. Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?

Some of these folks are ones we know. They’re friends of ours. They’re relatives. Others, we’ve never met before. They’re ordinary people just like us. But what are we to do? How can we care for them all?

Some have children. Others are elderly. Many haven’t heard from they’re families since they left. Where will they stay? What will they eat? Where will they go when it’s all over? And HOW IN THE WORLD can we show love to so many people?

III. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two
fish.”
Andrew says that there’s a young boy here with five loaves of bread and two fish. BUT what is that with this huge crowd?

What in the world can we do Lord? What in the world can we do?

Here’s what we have. But it’s not much when compared with the great need. Can five loaves and two fish really make a difference?

Lord, we’re overwhelmed by the great amount of suffering and our honest desire to care for others as you’ve taught us. We want to help. But who? And every time we do something…we feel like we need to help someone else because we haven’t done enough.

OK Jesus, we’ll have them sit down. We’ll give thanks for what we have…just as you always do. And then we’ll give…we’ll give out of what we have and see what happens.

And Jesus fed the multitudes…just as he’ll feed the multitudes today. But he’ll do it through faithful servants willing to pray, give thanks and bring their two loaves and their five fish.

Jesus used a boy and the little bit he had. And he’ll use you too (if you’ll only let him). What have to give may seem like very little when compared to the thousands of homeless refugees. But no less than a couple loaves and a few fish seemed to the disciples.

The key is that when Jesus is in the mix, miracles can happen. Andrew…Peter…Philip…or none of the rest could have pulled this off without Jesus. And neither can we.

Even if what you have doesn’t feed…or house…or care for five thousand, it looks like a miracle to the one you help. And that’s because it is.

I remember one lady this past week who didn’t know how her family was going to be able to pay for the room they were staying in. Now this person wasn’t a beggar…wasn’t one who came to us for help. She didn’t even want to take the food we brought to her at first…but she knew her family needed it.

But it was when enough money was placed in her hands to pay for 3-5 nights stay that she lost control and began crying.

You see this wasn’t charity. This was another child of God who just needed a little help for a while. And she experienced a miracle all because one or two of you gave a little.

IV. Where is God (Christ) in all this?
One of my top three favorite verses that I hardly ever get exactly right is Romans 8:28. “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Well, friends…do you love God? Do you feel like you’ve been called according to His purpose?

Then guess what. Good will come from this disaster. You see, the bible doesn’t say that some things work together for good…it says ALL things…even hurricane Katrina.

Don’t listen to these people who’ll try to tell you that God sent her to punish us to test us or anything else like that. What God did was allow something that just naturally occurred to occur. Just like He allowed 9/11 to occur. This is what happens in a sinful world. It’s what’s been happening since the fall of Adam and Eve. And it’s gonna continue to happen until the end of the world.

But even in a tragedy such as Katrina, good can come out of it. Let me share an example of what I mean with you.

I received a call completely out of the blue Friday. A lady from a small rural community in CO with a population of about 2700 said that her community wanted to help. The local bus company had donated their services to come down and pick up all that the bus would hold and take them back to CO.

Now they didn’t want to shelter these refugees. They wanted to open their homes to them and feed them and love them. The schools would be opened up to the kids. Jobs would be found for the adults. And they could stay and find a home if they wished…or be bought a bus ticket any time they wished as well.

One example of God’s goodness that came out of this tragedy was a whole community hearing and heeding the call of God to perform a miracle.

So just where is God found in these times?

1. He’s found in the people who’ve opened up their homes to relatives, friends or even strangers.
2. He’s found in those who are making sandwiches to feed people at the park.
3. He’s found in those who’ve donated money.
4. He’s found in those who’ve visited Roy’s store and cared for the people there.
5. He’s found in those who’ve listened to the stories of the displaced people at the park.
6. He’s found in those who’ve taken anything or volunteered their time at the Greenville Convention Center.
7. He’s found in those who’ve made flood buckets.
8. He’s found in those who’ve shone love to others in any way because they know it’s what Christ did for them and what He’d want them to do for others.

Christ is to be found in us.

And as you bring miracles to others…God will perform miracles in you. You just watch and see.

A last post before going to bed

I received a call right out of the blue today from a lady in Northeast Colorado in a community of 2700 people. She wanted to send a bus down to Mississippi and pick up 56 people (bus capacity). These people would be brought to her community and taken in just as one would take in a foreign exchange student. They could stay as long as they wanted. Their kids would be enrolled in school. Jobs would be found for them, and they could stay if there was nothing else to go home to. And when (or if) they decided to go home, they would be given a ticket to leave.

She said she wanted to work through a church organization. After speaking with the district UMCOR director, he is looking into making this a possibility.

In a time when we hear about shootings and rape and looting, it's nice to hear some good news.

Request for prayers from those in Laurel, MS

In Laurel, MS there are 4,000 troops of National Guard on the way because of looters. West Laurel UMC is home of 30 people right now and may be home for more soon. These are not displaced refugees that have come north to escape the devastation. These are members and family that live there and have no where else to go. Looters are stealing gas out of running generators and a person in nearby Hattiesburg has shot his sister over a bag of ice. And so people are afraid.

We see New Orleans on the television and the fear in people's eyes. But lets not forget the others who've been affected as well. Jones County is home to 70,000 people and was the third worst place hit behind New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. So I humbly ask that as you read this, you stop for just a moment and pray for Don McKinnon and his wife Noel. Don is the Emergency Management Director of Jones County. And he is understandably stressed out right now. Also pray for the families living in Laurel UMC. Pray for their safety...that order may come out of chaos...and that life may be back to some semblence of normal soon.

Roy Pearson - Pastor
Ellzey family
Michlink family
Holifield family
Parker family
Mixon family
Sellers family
Bethea family
Hamm family
Jordan family

Thought of the Day !!

I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:2

I have to rejoice this morning because I just got off the phone with my dear friend Roy Pearson. He's the pastor of Laurel UMC in Laurel, MS. I know others are not so lucky this morning, but I have to take this time of personal privilege and give thanks to my God.

Let us all give thanks and rejoice in small things today. If you have electricity, give thanks. If you have running water, give thanks. If you are not afraid of looters in your area, give thanks. If you are alive, rejoice and give thanks. Many are not so lucky, so pray for them. But let us give thanks today for what we do have.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Praise and Thanksgivings

I just received an email from my dear friend Roy in Laurel. They finally got power. So I just thought I would take a moment to sing God's praise for the fact that Roy made it through the storm alive. I also heard through the grapevine last night that another minister friend that I graduated with was ok. Thank you Lord.

Stories from Gulf Coast and New Orleans Refugees

Just in case anyone is interested, I'm jotting down a few stories I've heard from displaced people now presiding in the delta.

1) A lady said she had not heard from her daughter who lives in Gulfport and didn't come with the rest of the family. The daughter was pregnant and due on Tuesday. She also has a one year old child with her. My prayer is that she got out and had her baby safely. But she doesn't know where the rest of her family is to contact them either.

2) I watched a home video today of a family who went down to Gulfport to check on their home. After walking blocks to get there they found out that several containers had been swept into their neighborhood. These containers contained frozen chicken. Can you imagine what the place smells like now. Also, the water level was 5 feet in the home. Everything beneath this was destroyed, yet all the pictures above it and all the stuff on the mantle were in perfect condition and had not moved an inch. How eery.

4) A family from Bogalousa is staying in a cabin they can't pay for because their credit and debit cards won't work. Their house is not too damaged, but they've been told they won't have electricity for months. They are trying to find odd jobs to survive.

5) Others are in fairly good spirits even though they know they have nothing left to go home to. I wonder if the shock has worn off.

6) I have heard through the grapevine that a couple friends from Pass Christian are alright. I have yet to hear if my friend Roy Pearson, who's the pastor of Laurel UMC, is alright. As of yesterday, it was said that 50 UM pastors were still unaccounted for. May that number be much fewer today and tomorrow.

Well that's it for a long day today. God bless anyone who has been affected in any way by Hurricane Katrina.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought about Hurricane Katrina (Day 4)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

We've seen looters, gas prices going up, devastation on television and refugees in need of help. We've seen people leave the superdome for another dome in TX and who knows where next. In the town of Greenville, MS the Convention Center will be opened up and 5-10 thousand people are expected to come to it. How will it ever hold them? I heard of a story yesterday in Cleveland where a man opened his barn up so a carload of people could have a place to stay. 20 people piled out of the SUV with nothing but the clothes on their backs. And many of you have guests in your own homes.

One person looked at me yesterday and was distraught because she wanted to do something. But she was overwhelmed and wondered what she could do. She is making a flood bucket and has asked for donations to her church to help with more. Even if it were only that one flood bucket made, that one bucket could become a miracle to one family in need. Even though it may seem like we cannot make a difference, every small bit of effort can be used by God to perform miracles.

Some may be asking where is God in all this. Well, I'll tell you where He is. He's found in the grandmother who is giving shelter to her family from the coast. He's found in the woman who doesn't think she's doing much, but is making flood buckets. He's found in the folks who will fix sandwiches for refugees camped out at the park. He's found in each person who phones their pastor asking how they can make a difference. He's found in those who will give up some of their time to go south when the time comes and help clean up. He's found in the person who finds a displaced family and prays with them. He's found in the people who are praying right now.

Folks, we can all make a difference. It doesn't matter how much you have to give. Some will be able to (and I hope will) give much more than others. But whoever you are...whatever you have...you can do everything through Jesus who gives you the strength.

In the love of Christ,
greg