4 Sep, 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist issued a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon as Tropical Storm Hanna loomed.
Hanna is the third storm to threaten Florida in three weeks, and the fourth hurricane of the season. It was forecast to move into the southeastern and central Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hanna was a hurricane Monday, but weakened back to a tropical storm Tuesday.
Crist said Florida should be ready for flash floods and winds of up to 111 mph. However, there is no certainty that Hanna will hit Florida. Current forecasts show it could also make landfall in coastal Georgia, the Carolinas or elsewhere.
"Right now, the uncertainty is such that it could hit anywhere from Miami to the outer banks of North Carolina," said Jessica Schauer Clark, a meteorologist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. "So people really need to keep an eye on it."
Article excerpt courtesy of FOXnews.com
Prepared for the Worst
Matthew 7:24-27
Build Your House on the Rock
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (ESV)
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us?
Both of these men built houses! They may have been similar in structure, and you might have called both houses "great" at first glance. You may have walked through the foolish man's house and stood amazed at his attention to detail.
But the surface can be misleading. At their core, these houses were very different. It took beating winds and rains to expose the houses' true worth. A fierce storm converted the foolish man's house to a pile of nothing.
On the other hand, the wise builder was quite prepared. He established a firm foundation on a rock before building his house. Nothing could cause his house to fall.
Do you ever feel like you are living in the middle of a "life storm?" Some examples might be:
- A relationship that isn't where you'd like it to be.
- A loved one who's recently died and left you feeling empty.
- A friend who's turned their back on you.
- Lies that are being spread about you at school.
- You've dissapointed yourself with a decision you've made.
Like the citizens of Florida, you may be experiencing "the third major storm this week."
God's promise to us is that if we build our foundation in Him (in an ongoing, abiding relationship with Jesus), then he will help us prepare for these types of "life storms".
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Identify your current "life storm." What's going on RIGHT NOW that you can trust Jesus with? Are you prepared for the situation at-hand?
- Resist the temptation to prepare for "life storms" on your own strength. Doing so is like building your house on the sand. Instead, prepare for storms WITH Jesus. Talk to Him about what's coming up. Make sure He knows that you're going to need His help to get through it.
- Pray about upcoming "life storms" that you can't predict. Life storms will surprise you. They will come. Pray and ask God to cover and protect you. Ask a friend to pray with you.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
- Pray that others will ask about your ability to handle your current "life storm". Be prepared to answer them and give Jesus the credit for being your rescuer.
- Write down the name of one friend who is going through a difficult time in life. Consider sharing this verse with your friend and asking them if they need help building a foundation in Jesus.
- Identify one friend who has handled a difficult situation well because of their faith in Christ. Send this friend a text message RIGHT NOW telling them how you noticed. Encourage them in their relationship with Jesus.
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