Search me, O LORD, and try me; test my soul and my heart. For your mercy is before my eyes, and I walk in your truth.

In my first post yesterday, I started with the bad and the good.  One day later I will continue with that theme.

The Bad…

Yesterday, I found out a young man I had worked with closely while at Kaiser Electric, was in a boating accident at the Lake of the Ozarks on Saturday night and tragically lost his life.  Jason Russell was only 39 and was a brilliant man when it came to electrical business.  He worked his way up from a journeyman electrician to owning his own company in Central Missouri.  Please pray for the repose of his soul and the family that lost him so suddenly on Saturday night.

The Good…

My youngest daughter Teresa turns the magical age of 16 today.  She is blossoming into a beautiful person with a wide variety of gifts and talents.  She loves school, basketball, soccer, choir but more than that she is a very loving person who at such a young age has become a trusted friend with so many people.  She works every Saturday morning at her Grandma Schumacher’s cleaning up around the house; she babysits quite often for her siblings.  In her free time, she has developed a passion for everything The Beatles. I will have the honor of treating her to her favorite meal (at lunch – she has made other plans for the rest of the day and they don’t include dear old dad).  We will be going to a local restaurant and having chicken gizzards and livers with milk gravy!!!  She will have sausage pizza.  Happy Birthday Teresa!!!

Oh, the Gospel.

Today’s Gospel reminds me of who to turn to when times get turbulent; when the waves of life come crashing over the sides of my boat and threaten my inner peace.  I call upon Jesus.  Jesus is the source and summit of all my peace; it is in Him that I take refuge from all that makes me uneasy.  Read today’s Gospel and insert yourself in where it mention’s the disciples…

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

Now you…

As Jesus got into a boat, I followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
I came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save me!  I am perishing!”
He said to me, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
I was amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

Search me, O LORD, and try me;
test my soul and my heart.
For your mercy is before my eyes,
and I walk in your truth.
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Call on the Lord and He will answer you.  Seek the Lord and He will find you.  Lay your burdens on the Lord and He will give you peace.  Trust in the Lord for He is the true shepherd and He will never lead you astray.

And one last thought, tying into the Gospel of Sunday and Monday – chose to follow the Lord and do not look back when you do – remember the wife of Lot (Lk 17:32).

Do something great for our Lord today – profess your 10 “commitments”.

God’s will, not mine, be done.

Be not afraid; just have faith.

Jesus, I trust in You.

He must increase; I must decrease.

PS – please pray for our close friend Ellen who will have bilateral mastectomy surgery this morning for her cancer.  Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves…Dearest Jesus, just as you calmed the angry sea, please bring peace to our dear friends Ellen, Mike and Abbie.  Calm the storms that surround them that they too may shout “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?”  It is always in your name we pray.