Scenes from the Sunshine State

These pictures are from our recent family vacation in Panama City Beach, FL, where we have vacationed for 3 years with two other families. God blessed us with beautiful weather, sweet fellowship, and sun-kissed faces! I have an almost endless supply of pictures, but I will only post a few here so as not to overwhelm anyone who may read this.



Admiring my biscuits and gravy at Cracker Barrel!


My sweet brother :)

The back yard :-)

Sisters!

The heavens declaring the glory of God...breathtaking!

Our family

I love this little grove of palm trees!

The Hills Are Alive

This video made my day!

Goodness and Severity

Yesterday (Friday, April 10) several severe storms ripped through Middle Tennessee and other parts of the south, causing a great amount of damage and even a few deaths. A tornado touched down in Murfreesboro, TN, leaving hundreds homeless, and claiming the lives of a mother and her 3 month old baby. For about a 2-3 hour period, my family and I watched a live weather report online, ready to take cover if necessary. In disbelief, I watched the radar screen, as the path of every storm cell missed Goodlettsville (where we live). It was like we were in a little pocket of safety. I am amazed at the "goodness and severity of God" (Romans 11:22). Just 44 miles southeast of us, people are homeless, devastated, grieving, reeling from the shock of it all. And all we experienced was heavy rain. It didn't even hail. My heart goes out to those who have lost everything. And my heart is full to the brim with gratitude and praise to my God, who is ever merciful. My prayer is that His glory would be seen, even in the midst of this devastation.

"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

Why Good Friday is Good

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Romans 5:6-9