Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A Winter Tornado- A Christmas Miracle!

On Dec. 23 cold weather began to move into Texas, dropping temperatures that had been in the 70's rapidly down into the 30's and 20's. It was an explosive mix that produced 30 and 40 mile per hour gusts across North Texas that by Christmas Eve would see snow blowing horizontally.

In Lufkin, Texas on that Wednesday night; many people were relaxing or getting ready to go to bed. They were probably tired from a day of work mixed with last minute Christmas preparations. I could imagine children being pretty excited as another day ended and brought them one day closer to Christmas.

And then a storm came roaring in. And some time after 10pm people began reporting a funnel cloud to the south and north side of downtown around the Loop. Without warning this funnell cloud landed as a tornado rated between a F1-F3 and left a trail three miles long and about 400 yards wide that devastated the sub-division at Englewood, and homes and buildings along Atkinson Drive, Lubbock Street and Kit McCormick Park and destroyed the VFW Post on Ford Chapel Road. The VFW Post looked like a battle scene where the enemy shelled it until its roof caved in and its walls were battered- but the flag was still there. The local elementary school looked like an aerial attack had targeted it and taken it out with missiles and bombs.

As I drove around surveying the damaged areas I looked at homes with giant trees laying on the roofs. Trees and branches had come down on garages and crushed the cars inside. Metal Debris hung high in trees whose branches were torn and bark was stripped. One house would look fine just a few yards up from their neighbors destroyed house or between two destroyed homes. Bare fields lay exposed where pine trees once stood. People were walking with dazed looks on their faces and many were trying to dig their way out of the damaged houses and buildings to begin the road to recovery and the hope of normalcy.

As I continued to write my observation report for the Incident Command Center and to talk to people in the neighborhoods to encourage and pray with them. One thing struck me- no one was killed or seriously injured. If you were seeing the damage I was witnessing you would know how miraculous this was.

It was also a miracle that the terroist on the Northwest Airlines flight was unable to blow up the flight after lighting his weapon.

I know people say if there is a God why do bad things happen. Why are there diseases and why do people die. I know that we can debate matters of faith or no faith. I believe God prevented people from being injured or killed from the winter tornado and I have felt that at countless ground zero's.

I give thanks and praise to God because I believe He protected people in Lufkin from the "Christmas Twister!"

A Day of Infamy- A Date That is Never to be Forgotten!

History is a tricky thing. The reality of history is a strange and intriguing and as devastating or victorious over enemies or challenges as one can imagine or write about in fiction.
I am afraid that many people have little to no knowledge of US History, and many are re-writing history or revising it even as I write this.

As far as history goes it was not very long that an American President stood in front of congress to tell the American people about a devastating attack on the pacific fleet far from Washington D.C. on the island of Oahu.

A air attack by the forces of Imperial Japan had left behind battered and sunken ships, mainly battleships, hundreds of air planes were destroyed and over 3,000 military personnel and civilians were killed.

A nation could be shattered from all recovery by such a stunning victory, hope could be lost and defeat could almost be a certainty.

Almost!

President Roosevelt stood boldly, delivered the hard core truth and reality and then stirred the nation by telling them to never forget Dec. 7, 1941 a day that would live in infamy in American history and told the American people no matter how long it would take and at whatever cost- Pearl Harbor would be avenged and the American nation would rise from the bottom of Pearl Harbor to ultimate and complete victory.

So, I echo and repeat the command that our President gave in December of 1941 that this day not be forgotten. Two great symbols of World War II can be visited today in Pearl Harbor.

The memorial that is erected over the USS Arizona in which sailors are still entombed that lead us into WWII and the Battleship Missouri that carried the war to the door step of the enemy and on whose decks the enemy surrendered and ended WW II.

The Missouri fulfilled the promise that President Roosevelt gave to a shocked nation that waited in hope to hear him give the direction and guidance and course of action. Let us remember today and let us remember our troops who are fighting in lands for from our shores who brought the war to our lands on 9/11. And let us stay the course, lift up our nation, our leaders and our military as we seek to end a new type of warfare and enemy.

Let's be Merry Out There People and Put Christ in Christmas!

Greetings to the Victim Relief Ministries Volunteers, Network, Partners and Yellow Shirt Nation!

A quick shout out as Christmas day draws near. We have been challenging people via the social networks to reach out and touch a stranger and in some way brighten up their Christmas and let them know that God loves them.

While there is a battle over Christmas tradition- over saying Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas. Not allowing nativity scenes to be displayed, Christmas trees to be put up, candy canes to be distributed or the fact that some people feel "offended" by Christmas etc.

And as I acknowledge that let me say that Christmas, true Christmas "tradition" does not need an "official" title on it. Christmas is a fact based on a true event and nothing can change or distract from that historic and world changing epic!

Christ was a gift presented to mankind by God!

"Tradition" is like "Religion". An institute by which we forget many times to put in action what the event was for. What good is it for our neighbors if we fight to put up the biggest Christmas tree with 10,000 watts of light, so we can stuff a million gifts under the tree with Santa on the roof and three wise men inflatables standing out in the snow- if we fail to deliver the goods at Christmas ourselves?

World News speaks of unemployment, failing banks and companies, depression, suicide, divorce, medical issues, terrorism, murder, abuse, crime, a lack of confidence in our nation, the world and ourselves. Many of us have a loss of hope and the will to move forward.

Well we have the Good News and now in the darkness we need to reflect the light of that truth on the world. Be Merry people, push back with acts of kindness, acts of caring and acts of love. Let us put our fears aside and let us not judge Christmas by the gifts we brought for ourselves but by putting CHRIST in Christmas and helping someone in need ahead of one of our needs.

Merry Christmas and spread Christ beyond your living rooms to those living and needing Christmas in action and to restore hope!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The Chapel of Hope-The Power of Prayer

I had seven minutes to share my stories and thoughts of encourgement and hope at a recent chapel service at Houston Memorial Hermann Hospital. Gathered together were patients, care-givers, medical staff and fellow belivers and encouragers.

I built my talk around Romans 12:12-13. "Be joyful in hope, be patient in affliction, and stay faithful in prayer. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality."

I want to bring these powerful verses to life through some of my own life experiences. Sometimes miracles are done by divine intervention. In the case of my father. I grew up in Hawaii where my father was the pastor of a church. In 1969 he boarded an small, private, aircraft for a flight from Honolulu to the nearby island of Molokai. As they neared the island all instruments were reading normal. There was no turbulence or storms to rock the small aircraft.

Sometimes that is how our lives are just before a major disaster or challenge strikes our life. Everything looks fine and then....

Well THE THEN part that struck was that the prop flew off the plane as the coastline of Molokai drew near. The pilot struggled to glide the plane but it struck the water so hard that it knocked him out of the plane. My father was temporarily knocked out from the impact and the plane took on water and sank quickly beneath the sea. My father came too and struggled to get out of his seat belts and to breath as water filled the small cockpit. Gulping air from the shrinking air pockets he felt as if this battle would be lost. As his strength ebbed he felt himself being released from the seatbelts, the door came open and he began to lift from the bottom of the sea channel toward the light at the top of the ocean. Tired and dazed he popped to the choppy surface where a fisherman jumped into the water upon spotting him and pulled him to shore- a true act of providence from God!

Other times God shows His power through the skills and talents of people-such as the medical staff that are sitting in chapel today.

My daughter was about 7 years old. And she went to attend a birthday party of a neighbor just up the street from our house. She had on her pretty little party dress and was enjoying the celebration. Suddenly a dog, the family pet that my daughter had loved on and hugged many times, sprang up and attacked my daughter. Knocking her violently down on the ground the german shepard tried to reach around to her throat and clamp down. My daughter stayed face down, drawing her little arms up to instictively protect her face and throat as the dog repeatedly bit down on her until the shocked owners pulled their dog off.

We rushed her to the hospital, she was in massive pain and bleeding badly. She was rushed into the emergency room and we waited for the specialist to come and help. I looked outside the door and saw a man praying. It was the doctor, and when he stepped inside he looked at my daughter, took a deep breath and smiled.

It took 150 stitches to close my daughters body up and she took many shots and had to stay conscious throught the entire ordeal. Afterwards I asked the doctor why he smiled.

He told me that he had been born in Vietnam. As a youngster he left on a boat and spent several years floating from place to place, finally ending up in Hong Kong before a missionary couple who sensed his talent, arranged to send him to the states where he eventually ended up in medical school.

He was praying outside the emergency room when I saw him, asking God to prepare him for what he was about to see and to give him the skills needed to save and restore the afflicted patient. He specialized in working with people attacked by animals and he usually deals with people who have terrible face injuries. The reason he smiled was that he was so relieved to see that my daughter did not have facial injuries and he was thanking God.

The point was that God has brought this incredible and dedicated doctor from Vietnam to restore my daughter through the skills and talents he learned and the training he received.

We need to thank God for miracles and we need to lift up medical staff people that God also works through and we need to stay joyful in hope, be patient in affliction and stay faithful in prayer. And when God's people are in need be ready to help them. And always be eager to practice hospitality!

My wife just celebrated her 3rd year of being cancer free from a rare form that grew in her hand. The recommended procedure was to remove most of her hand that would eventually lead to her arm curling up and being useless to her. We prayed and proceeded with the doctor to avoid that and to just try to remove the tumor. The combination of God and the doctors again led to a successful removal of just the tumor (a miracle in itself) that left the hand intact and no major damage.

Keep the faith and keep praying! Blessings to all!
Edward

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Disaster Relief and the Growth of the Cuban Church!

I was reading the July 2009 issue of Christianity Today and came across an article called "Cuba for Christ-Ahora!" It was talking about the revival that began 15 years ago and has led to astounding growth in the local church.

Though the church faces regulations and restrictions since the 1959 Revolution the current church body is made up of young and bold pastors, leaders and members who are carrying the gospel of Christ into the neighborhoods and streets. They are bold and unashamed of their faith and simply want their people to know of the liberating truth of Christ.

As one of the members is quoted from the article said- "The Church in Cuba is alive, growing, faithful, and active and persevering through difficulty."

I was interested in some of the main things that have led to the growth of this generation of Christians. In addition of course to the Holy Spirit, two main things that I can point to is that. One- the church realized that they needed a spirit of unity, of non-denominational work and ministry pulling everyone together- "One Christ, One Cuba, In Christ we are one!"

The other was that a devastation hurricane hit the island in 2008. Local churches repaired the destroyed roofs od their non-Christian neighbors first BEFORE repairing the roofs of church members. This won Christians new respect throughout Cuba!

This is what Christ was teaching us when he said to Love our Neighbors as we Love ourselves. To serve others FIRST. To be Good Samaritans and care for those hurting, in grief, in crisis and trauma.

So let us pray for our brothers and sisters in Cuba. Pray that they will continue to be a beacon of hope and that they continue to bring more people to the truth. And let us strive to serve those in despair in a hurtful world!

Let's live ready to respond everybody!

For full article go to-

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/july/22.20.html




Peace- Edward

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Justice Revival Coming to Dallas!

I recently attended a planning session for the upcoming Justice Revival (Coming November 10-12 at Dallas Market Hall) and I really want to help get the word out on this needed and exciting project- one designed to "Change Your City!"

Their mission:

Over three days of prayer, preaching and worship, the body of Christ will awake to new life, uniting to answer Jesus' call to biblical justice.

By the end of 2010, our prayer is that at least 200 Dallas area churches will answer this call by:

•Creating 25 partnerships with public schools
•Advocating for 700 new units of permanent supportive housing

Victim Relief Ministries (VRM) will be involved in several key serving roles in this outreach and details will soon be going out to our network of volunteers. BUT everyone reading this that can get to Dallas needs to get involved and get their church involved and start praying for God to move across Dallas!

To get more information and to get registered go to:
www.justicerevival.org

It will change your city!
It will change your life!

Serve others and impact others in the name of Christ!

Living ready!
Edward

Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembrance for 9-11-01 and Thanks on 9-11-09

Along with millions of other Americans and people around the world, I am reflecting on the events that occurred 8 years ago.

I am remembering the attack, I am remembering the horrific events from that attack, the planes going into the towers, one going into the pentagon and the other that would be wrestled to the ground in the field in Pennsylvania.

As I reflect I think of all my connections to that event.

The first connection-

I had just come back the day before from a business trip in Manhattan and had been commuting back and forth for nearly a year to New York City and I could not believe the scenes unfolding on my TV screen.

The second connection-

My brother was a pilot at United Airlines and it was his co-workers that perished on the flight that went into the second tower. It was a flight he almost took.

The third connection-

I had a co-worker that was supposed to have been on the American Airlines flight from Boston that was hijacked and diverted into New York and slammed into the first tower, it took all day for us to verify he was alright. He would have been in First Class but had worked late into the night and was too tired to fly out early that morning and elected to catch a later flight. A decision that saved his life.

The fourth connection-

The company I was working with at that time was working on a public option with a company based in the tower in Manhattan. The executives in the group he was working with- all died that morning.

The fifth connection-

Over in the Pentagon a third plane struck killing and wounding hundreds in the early morning hours. A Chaplain was working in the Pentagon who was also a chaplain, he is Colonel David Park. He was quickly to the horrible scene trying to rescue and evacuate people. He then gave assistance at the triage/hospital area temporarily set up at the Pentagon. It is a day that he will never forget.

He would connect in my life in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the Incident Commander at the Family Assistance Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where Victim Relief Ministries (VRM) would serve for 6 months as the chaplains to assist the spiritual and emotional needs of families who lost loved ones from the Hurricane. I came to know him as a great friend and servant of the people. He would become a part of the Victim Relief Family (as are many people reading this blog or on my Facebook or Twitter network) as a chaplain and trainer for VRM. He will be a presenter at the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Conference November 6-7 in Dallas, Texas. (www.victimrelief.org and www.victimchaplain.org)

The Sixth Connection-

Though Victim Relief Ministries (VRM) was born in 1999 it really began its role in Disaster Relief in the Ground Zero of the Twin Towers under Gene Grounds. The events of 9-11 is how I connected to VRM as I desperately looked for ways to serve my nation and help others. God led me to VRM where I served in many roles as a Volunteer for the next 8 years and today I serve full time as VRM Deputy Executive Director under Gene Grounds and carry other titles and duties as Director of Disaster Response and Director of Training.

So, 9-11 really is cause of reflection and remembrance and it connected many dots that led me to volunteer and serve my nation through VRM in missions and operations that include Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster, Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Ike and many floods, fires and tornadoes.

Our nation is unique, powerful, vulnerable, open, nervous, proud, creative and industrious. It is fraught with dangers, pitfalls and problems it has also proved to be a beacon of real hope to the world and I am proud that in over 200 years it has continued to overcome all obstacles and problems and challenges it has faced- and I give great thanks to God for this nation and for guiding us as one nation under God and respect those who don't see it that way, but I will stand up for God and my nation.

As I reflect, I want to end with this thought and this vision. Let us go back to the firefighters and law enforcement agencies who rushed TOWARD the burning twin towers and INTO the burning Pentagon to rescue people knowing full well the dangers confronting them. Let us go into the United Flight where the passengers stood up and FACED their hijackers. Who rushed FORWARD against the terrorist. Who FOUGHT against armed men and who nearly took full control of the cockpit- but in their struggle they prevented the hijackers from striking the White House, their battle took them down into the empty field now filled with their brave spirits.

They all fired the first shots back against our attackers.

That is the story of the birth of our country. I give thanks on 9-11-09 for the men and women who sacrificed their lives on 9-11-01. And I will give remembrance of nearly 3,000 Americans and citizens of 90 countries who were murdered that day.

I give thanks to all who serve in our military, national guards, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency management people and all who work to secure our safety and look out for our way of life. I give thanks for freedom of worship, for a Republic that is free and people can speak out and vote for changes and defend the values dear to them.

I give thanks for organizations and ministries like VRM and Salvation Army that have armies of volunteers that serve others first.

We will win if we remember the victories that have come from our darkest defeats. I thank you God for this nation and pray for all those serving around the world!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Update on Hurricane Fred and Hurricane Tips

Well...Responders and Prayer Warriors one of the largest hurricanes to ever form in the southeastern part of the north Atlantic has occurred and his name is Fred, and he is packing winds of over 150 miles per hour. BUT! Hurricane Fred is projected to be no threat to land masses and will howl away at sea as his older brother Hurricane Bill did earlier this summer.

I am so thankful that the Caribbean and the USA have been spared a season of hurricanes- so keep those prayers for grace and protection going up- heaven is listening!

Let those Hurricanes roar like lions at sea rather than smashing like lions across our lands. Thank you Lord.

But, let us always continue to be prepared and ready should emergencies such as Hurricanes blow into our lives. So check out the following on how to prepare your home for the arrival of a hurricane. You can click on the following link from the weatherchannel.com or read the content I pasted in! Be ready responders!

http://www.weather.com/activities/homeandgarden/home/hometips/severeweather/hurricane_prepare.html?from=hurricane_tracker

Protect Your Home from Hurricane Damage

Related articles
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Hurricane Shutters
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Keep Wind and Water Out

Hurricanes are like no other storms on earth. From Maine to Texas, and in Hawaii, these ferocious weather systems bring torrential rain, flooding, storm surges and devastating winds that damage homes, destroy treasured keepsakes and disrupt family life. You don't have to be blown away when a hurricane hits. It's never too early to prepare and you can take several basic steps right now to protect your family and your home from disaster.

First Things First

Find out if your home meets current building code requirements for high-wind regions (for example, the International Residential Code, which is promulgated by the International Code Council). Experts agree that structures built to meet or exceed current model building codes' high-wind provisions have a much better chance of surviving violent windstorms.

If you're handy with a hammer and saw, you can do much of the work yourself. Work involving your home's structure may require a building contractor, however, or even a registered design professional such as an architect or engineer.

When Working Outside

* Replace gravel/rock landscaping material with shredded bark.

* Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed. Cut weak branches and trees that could fall on your house.

When Building or Remodeling

Windows: If you are replacing your existing windows, install impact-resistant window systems, which have a much better chance of surviving a major windstorm. As an alternative to new window systems, install impact-resistant shutters that close over window openings to prevent flying debris from breaking windowpanes.

Entry Doors: Make certain your doors have at least three hinges and a dead bolt security lock with a bolt at least one inch long. Anchor door frames securely to wall framing.

Patio Doors: Sliding glass doors are more vulnerable to wind damage than most other doors. If you are replacing your patio doors or building a new home, consider installing impact-resistant door systems made of laminated glass, plastic glazing or a combination of plastic and glass. When a hurricane threatens, an easy, temporary and effective step is to cover the entire patio door with shutters made of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB).

Garage Doors: Because of their size, garage doors are highly susceptible to wind damage. A qualified inspector can determine if both the door and the track system can resist high winds and, if necessary, help replace them with a stronger system. Garage doors more than eight feet wide are most vulnerable. Install permanent wood or metal stiffeners. Or contact the door manufacturer's technical staff for recommendations about temporary center supports you can attach and remove easily when severe weather threatens.

Roofs: If you are replacing your roof, take steps to ensure that both the new roof covering and the sheathing it attaches to will resist high winds. Your roofing contractor should:

* Remove old coverings down to the bare wood sheathing.

* Remove enough sheathing to confirm that rafters and trusses are securely connected to the walls.

* Replace damaged sheathing.

* Refasten existing sheathing according to the proper fastening schedule outlined in the current model building code for high-wind regions.

* Install a roof covering that is designed to resist high winds.

* Seal all roof sheathing joints with self-stick rubberized asphalt tape to provide a secondary moisture barrier.

If you want to give your roof sheathing added protection, but it's not time to reroof, glue the sheathing to the rafters and trusses. Use an adhesive that conforms to Performance Specification AFG-01 developed by APA -- The Engineered Wood Association, which you can find at any hardware store or home improvement center.

Gables: Make certain the end wall of a gable roof is braced properly to resist high winds. Check the current model building code for high-wind regions for appropriate guidance, or consult a qualified architect or engineer.

Connections: The points where the roof and the foundation meet the walls of your home are extremely important if your house is to resist high winds and the pressures they place on the entire structure.

* Anchor the roof to the walls with metal clips and straps (most easily added when you replace your roof).

* Make certain the walls are properly anchored to the foundation. A registered design professional can determine if these joints need retrofitting, and a qualified contractor can perform the work the design professional identifies.

* If your house has more than one story, make certain the upper story wall framing is firmly connected to the lower framing. The best time to do this is when you remodel.

When a Hurricane Threatens

You can improve the odds of your home surviving high winds by taking these precautions, but you won't make it hurricane-proof. Nor do these measures guarantee your safety. Take these additional steps to protect yourself and your family as fully as possible:

* Become familiar with your community's disaster preparedness plans and create a family plan. Identify escape routes from your home and neighborhood and designate an emergency meeting place for your family to reunite if you become separated. Also establish a contact point to communicate with concerned relatives.

* Put together an emergency kit that includes a three-day supply of drinking water and food you don't have to refrigerate or cook; first aid supplies; a portable NOAA weather radio; a wrench and other basic tools; a flashlight; work gloves; emergency cooking equipment; portable lanterns; fresh batteries for each piece of equipment; clothing; blankets; baby items; prescription medications; extra car and house keys; extra eyeglasses; credit cards and cash; important documents, including insurance policies.

* Move anything in your yard that can become flying debris inside your house or garage before a storm strikes.

* If a hurricane threatens, follow weather and news reports so you know how much danger you're facing. Obey evacuation orders from local authorities.

Review your homeowners insurance policy periodically with your insurance agent or company representative to make sure you have sufficient coverage to rebuild your life and home after a hurricane. Report any property damage to your insurance agent or company representative immediately after a natural disaster and make temporary repairs to prevent further damage.

For information about filing an insurance claim after a natural disaster, contact your insurance agent or insurance company.

Source: Institute for Business and Home Safety. IBHS is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.



http://www.weather.com/activities/homeandgarden/home/hometips/severeweather/hurricane_prepare.html?from=hurricane_tracker

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

In Remembrance of People- Beyond Dates and Stats

Remember the Alamo!
Remember Pearl Harbor!
Remember 9/11!
Remember Hurricane Katrina!
These are the types of slogans that mark great and tragic events.

All Killed, No Survivors.
The American Fleet was caught unaware and its Pacific Battle Fleet was sunk and over 3,000 military personnel were killed.
With Horror America watched as the towers came down killing thousands trapped inside.
The Hurricanes brought some of the worse death and destruction caused by the power of nature to the United States.

Those were the types of headlines we read or lead stories we heard over the media.
There are alot of anniversaries that are being experienced in this time period.

The 8th Anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 are coming up remembering the nearly 3,000victims from 90 nations that perished on that day.
The 4th Anniversary of Katrina occured Aug 29, 2009 and Rita will be Sept. 24, 2009
And Hurricane Ike will have its one year anniversary on Sept 13.

A lot of people died from those tragic events and billions of dollars of destruction was left behind in their wake. As I have just demonstrated plenty of statistics and dates were thrown out and the data could fill up hundreds of sheets of paper.

What can not be measured is how much more was really lost in the events. I mean you can rebuild levees, and rec centers, and housing areas and theaters and sporting venues- but you can't replace an infant that did not see its second birthday, a husband that will no longer come home from work, a mother raising children or grandchildren on her own, a tree that was once there, a garden that now longer thrives, love that is shattered and broken apart, a pet that can never be replaced- you get the point...how can you possibly measure the loss of such things in the world or in our hearts and memories- and some do not even have photographs of the memories, because those were lost as well.

Whatever the anniversary that is coming that you face, even if you don't know me, I just want you to know that people like me are thinking about you. Praying for you. Pulling for you.

You have been on a long, hard and lonely journey.

I see many of your faces from the ground zeros I have served in. I can only tell you of the compassion for you that wells up in my heart and soul for all you are doing to recover, slowly, day by day and step by step.

You are beyond and number, a statistic, a program or an anniversary date.

You are my sister or brothers and I remember you and your losses and I pray in hope for you now and pray others that are near you are surrounding you in love, encouragement and hope.

Blessings to all of you, victims of tragic events and survivors of life altering events.
Edward

Friday, August 28, 2009

Walk in my shoes- Things happen to the best of Us

Appointments are made by God in normal, typical, and in unusual ways. I enjoy God appointments that take me by surprise. One such appointment occurred not long ago when my wife and I strolled over to a bookstore after watching a movie.
I was in the history section, just browsing, and I noticed a table was set up along with some chairs, so I knew the area was probably used for book signings. In fact I heard the store pa system announcing a book signing would take place in 5 minutes.
I continued browsing when a tall, well polished man sat down at the table and a sharp and well dressed woman sat down in a chair on the other side of him.
A very pleasant "Hello, how are you?" greeted me from the man sitting at the table.
I went over and we all introduced ourselves. The man was the author of a book called "Walk in my Shoes-things happen to all of Us" and his name was Destry Dokes. It is a book about change, the worst kind, the change that is forced on us by events such as Hurricane Katrina.
As we talked I shared with him that I had been involved at Katrina, first as a shelter team leader/volunteer responder at the Baton Rouge River Center Shelter in Sept and Oct for Victim Relief Ministries and later as the Katrina Team Project Director for Victim Relief Ministries with operations in the Family Assistance Center in Baton Rouge and the 9th Ward Operations.
Further as Destry was sharing his passion for helping people he shared that he was from Lakewood Church in Houston that was also committed to responding to the needs of people in the community and wondered if I had heard of his church. (We were at a bookstore in Dallas)
I grinned and said- "victim Relief Ministries is working with Lakewood and we have nearly 100 trained volunteers from the church and have another training session coming up soon!"
We laughed at the way God moves to put people together!
I recommend you buy a copy of "Walking in my Shoes" and you can check out
www.destrydokes.com for more information.
As this blog is dedicated to "Ready to Respond" I will close with a quote from his book-
"Do not invest all your energy in the size and impact of your storm. Instead, address your storm, embrace the change and live your life."
Continuing to journey with you-
Edward

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Is The Power of Prayer- Linked to Calming the Storms?

In Mark 4:35-40 we find the story of Christ and His disciples deciding to cross the Sea of Galilee after a long day of teaching to the multitudes a group of small boats also went out alongside.

We probably all know the story. As Christ slept calmly on His pillow a raging storm struck that flooded the boat and rocked it so violently that the disciples were fearful of dying. They rushed to Jesus, woke Him up and is essence accused Him of not being worried about them.

With the power of His voice, Christ rebuked the wind and commanded it stop and ordered the sea to be calm. After they obeyed He rebuked His disciples who were in such awe of His power and said to each other- "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Christ has power over nature and He showed that power when they cried out to him.

A few years ago Georgia and the southeast states were in the grips of a terrible drought. Gov. Sonny Perdue set a date for people to gather and pray for rain. On November 13, 2007 he stood on the steps of the capitol building along with 250 mayors, government officials and ministers and asked God to send the rain needed to end the drought.

Do you remember that, do you know what happened?

Well a skeptic website tracked the rainfall amount 48-days-before prayer and 48-days-following prayer. 2.485 inches fell before and 5.765 inches fell after. And increase of 132% In fact in June 2009 the state of Georgia declared the drought over and the entire southeast has been lifted out of the drought as well.

Coincident or God-incident?

The other day on the radio I heard tthat Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has been placing prayer requests to God in the wailing wall in Jerusalem since coming to term. It simply reads-"Dear God, please spare Florida of hurricanes and other problems, Charlie"

Now you can debate the power of a paper prayer but this fact remains. In the two years before being elected 8 hurricanes ripped Florida apart. And in the two years since- O!

Coincident or God-incident?

People can and will rationalize the power of prayer out of any equation. I stand on the side of faith and act on that faith in and through God through prayer.

Christ says from the scriptures- "Without me you can do nothing" and "To pray unceasingly".

I believe prayer has helped spare our nation great death and destruction. I believe prayer helped wobble Hurricane Katrina at the last second and that slight change kept Katrina from killings tens of thousands of persons. I believe prayer turned Hurricane Bill on a huge right hand turn that saved many lives and prevented billions of dollars in damages.

Is prayer linked to calming the storms? I believe so. I believe and trust in the God who walked on water, turned water into wine, gave physical and spiritual water to the woman at the well and can calm the storms that rage around us in many ways.

God is love and love is God! Peace and Blessings-
Edward

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Hope is Not A Plan- Dealing with H1N1

Dear Responders-

A lot is being made of and said about the pending re-emergence of the H1N1 influenza strain. Many people are saying too much is being made about it and others say the government agencies in the USA and around the world is putting too much into it.

Many people are just hoping nothing happens. Well as the title says- "Hope is not a Plan!"

Lets look at a few important facts. A pandemic occurs in the USA every 10-30 years. With the growth of international travel on board aircraft, which can serve as great incubators of viruses, the speed in which disease can spread is incredibly fast.

"Regular seasonal Flu" kills about 36,000 people a year in the USA and between 300,000-500,000 people around the world annually. But when the flu takes on new strains the death toll jumps. In the 20th century their were 4 major outbreaks-
1918 Spanish Flu
1957 Asian Flu
1968 Hong Kong Flu
1976 Swine Flu

The 1918 Spanish flu killed millions and returning soldiers from WWI were the main carriers of the flu virus back into the USA. It is estimated that more people died from this flu (over 40,000,000) than all the deaths that resulted from World War I!

Is there enough H1N1 vaccine for everyone- probably not. Do we panic- NO!

Just be aware of the main message that the health world is telling us- WASH YOUR HANDS constantly!

Carry hand sanitizers when away from soap and water. Cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing. Use paper towels to open bathroom doors and throw away the paper towels and napkins that you may be using. Cough into your own sleeve instead into the open air.

Also practice some "social distancing" techniques. In addition to those listed above, try not to shake hands, instead do the H1N1 "fist" and just bump fist to fist! Wave at each other! Wipe down phones. Stay home when sick! Don't be a martyr and show up at the office and send other people home sick!

So hope is not a plan. But sticking with common hygiene habits, some social distancing skills and common sense- and mix that in with prayer and you have a plan that gives great hope!

Keep on serving responders!
Edward

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Weathering the Storms of 2009- With a Spirit of Gratitude!

The Nation and the State of Texas recently jumped into a major state of alert as a string of tropical storms began making its way across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean and the first storm smacked into Florida. At VRM we went on ALERT and told task force teams, shelter teams and other response teams to be prepared for a possible deployment.

For a while Tropical Storm Anna was a threat that has hopefully faded into a depression (though there is one model that shows a chance for a revival into a hurricane when she passes into the gulf) and it looks like Hurricane Bill is making that big right hand turn to the north that will take him between Bermuda and the east coast of the USA and its a good thing Bill was spiking up to a CAT 4 but he will be more roar at sea than a roaring lion on land.

Thank you God and all who have diligently been praying for grace and mercy for the peoples of the Caribbean and North America.

I was reading some information from the weather channel that of May of 2008 there had been 113 people killed in the USA by tornadoes with the second highest total of tornadoes in history with over 1,691 that would strike for a total of 124 killed. By August of 2009 we have experienced 21 deaths from 9 super-sized killer tornadoes.

And of course 2008 saw a lot more storm and hurricane activity than we are seeing in 2009 and we had the horrific Hurricane IKE that ripped things apart from Galveston Island, through east Texas up through the Ohio River Valley and then out through the Atlantic and it seemed we were dodging Hurricanes every week from Dolly to Gustave to Eduard and so on.

So far, again Thank you God, we have been spared destruction and death on a massive scale from killer storms.

While I am grateful let us be diligent and continue to pray, we still do not know what storm surge will result from Hurricane Bill on our East Coast and in Bermuda. And late August and September are notorious for sending in huge Hurricanes.

Fortunately at VRM we did not have to deploy, but that does not mean we do not need to be prepared and ready to respond when the call comes.

As we thank God for calming the storms for the much part in 2009 take a look at a video I came across at U Tube called "Jesus Calms the Storm" using legos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2N8aJOArbc

Are you ready to Respond...Impact and Serve on the Journey?

Edward Smith

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Welcome- Are You Ready To Respond?

Welcome to Victim Relief Chaplains, Crisis Responders, Counselors and new Volunteers. And a big HELLO to Race Track Chaplaincy of America Chaplains, Council Members, Horsemen and all those from the "Thought of the Day" and other family and friends!

You have a new home to access to keep up with information in regards to disaster and emergency response, community preparedness, weather alerts, training insight, devotions, thoughts and spiritual and practical applications on many subjects.

There are several communication channels that are at your disposal, in addition to this blog make sure you store the following information for access:

email: edwardsmith@victimrelief.org and jethunter@aol.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chaplainESmith
Twitter: twitter.com/ChaplainESmith
Blog: www.readytorespond.blogspot.com
Website: www.victimrelief.org

This is the 10th Anniversary of Victim Relief Ministries (VRM) and the celebration banquet will be held Thursday night November 5th in Dallas, Texas. And a special two day training conference will be held November 6-7th with an outstanding line up of speakers and trainers and musicians. But I will be talking about that awesome event in more detail at a later time.

The theme of the VRM Conference is Living Ready...Ready to Journey...Ready to Respond...Ready to Impact. And I want to focus for the moment on "Ready to Respond". In addition to being the VRM Deputy Executive Director I have responsibilities as Director of Disaster Response and Director of Training. So "Responding" is extremely important to me!

Being a Christian fits the principles of response to emergencies, and in helping victim survivors of disaster, crime and terrorism. It requires ACTION. We are commanded to be in ACTION!
We are to Love our Neighbor!
We are to Care for the widows and orphans!
We are to Carry the Good News to the Ends of the Earth!
We are to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty and sometimes to give our lives to defend others!

Pretty ACTION packed if you ask me.

But let me ask you. If a disaster happended at your school, your church, in your neighborhood, in your city, in your state or on a national scale- would you, or are you ready to respond? Do you have the desire, but don't have the means. Perhaps you are already VRM certified and trained on many levels- are you living "Ready to Respond?"

So this blog site will help us prepare to be the Good Samaritan in Action, to be our Neighbors Keeper and to put the teachings and values that Christ modeled for us into action.

Again, welcome to my new blog. And get ready for news, information, spiritual teachings, and other applications to be posted on this site.

In the meantime, continue to pray for protection for our country as we have been spared a horrfic disaster at this point. And that in this grace period we will continue to train and prepare to mobilize and be ready to respond!

Blessings to all who serve others in the name of God and as fellow citizens of this great nation.
Ready to journey, respond and impact with you!
Chaplain Edward Smith
972-234-3999 office