Wednesday already again. It's 70 degrees and a slight breeze is blowing on another sunny day. There have been a few showers in the area but none that affected us.

I've been sitting here reading articles on Facebook and listening to the news channels trying to keep up with what is happening in Texas and Louisiana with the Hurricane/Tropical storm Harvey. It looks like Houston is now getting a break from the rain after receiving fifty two inches of rain. Fifty-two inches!!!! There are a lot of countries and areas in the world that don't get that much rain in a year and they got it in five days. There are areas in this country that don't get that much rain in a year. I can't even begin to imagine the devastation and destruction --- fifty two inches of rain on top of the 125 mile an hour winds from the hurricane. I suspect that the damage will be up into the hundreds of billions of dollars.  This morning I read and saw a picture with a warning that said be very careful of where you are walking because there are snakes everywhere and it showed a picture of what looked like a dry hallway somewhere and there must have been a dozen or more snakes of different varieties curled up and slithering around in there. Another picture showed a couple of alligators in someone's back yard. And don't get me started on all of the sewage and toxic waste that is in that water they are walking through. And now, to a lesser degree, it is all headed to Lousiana and will eventually continue to work its way north and east. We are looking to get some rain from it on Friday but only a couple of inches.

Last night I was reading my Sunday school lesson for this coming Sunday and coincidently it focuses on Genesis 8 & 9 and the flood and covenant of God with the earth that God would never destroy all life again by water. I imagine that there were a lot of people that were beginning to wonder if God had reneged on His promise. But God never reneges on a covenant. And one of the last things I saw on the news this morning was picture of the blue sky with light clouds and the woman captioned the picture simple by saying "The sun is out in Houston!, I repeat --- the sun out out in Houston." Coastal Texas will rebuild and learn from this. Yes, it is going to take maybe as much as a decade to be done and we all know that they have yet to begin to know the challenges that lie ahead, but Texas will rebuild and God will walk with them as God has always walked with His children through natural disasters, whether it be floods, earthquakes, tornados, or fire. God is always there. God is the strength in every arm that drives a nail. God is the strength behind every person that volunteers to help or reaches in their pocket and makes a donation or for to the Red Cross and gives blood. God is the strength behind it all because I believe that regardless of what some people and many preachers will tell you --- man is not just a mass of walking sin. I believe that if we are in fact made in the image of God, then we must be made in the image off love and kindness and caring for one another. And --- we have watched that very thing unfold right before our eyes as people of all races and colors and beliefs have worked tirelessly in Texas to help their fellowman --- because they needed help. Jesu said, "What you have done for the least of my brothers, you have done for me."

I didn't start out to do a sermon today, but I suspect you won't mind. I hope the remainder of your week is fully blessed. Peace.