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!