Still, small voice

^{1 Kings 19:11-13
11} The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

I absolutely hate it when people refer to natural disasters as "Acts of God". People have died, others are injured and traumatized, homes are totally destroyed...and who is to blame? Would you say God decided to destroy a good portion of Moore, OK and anyone who got in the way? Why? Spite? Anger? Vengance?  No, you will not find God in this mighty wind anymore than Elijah did. This is no one's fault. It's weather, and any scientist can explain what happens to cause storms such as these. 

No, God did not cause it, but He is there:
In those searching the buildings for the missing, hoping to find them alive,
In those who gently and reverently carry the dead,
In the hospital staff tending the wounded,
In those who sit at the side of those whose hearts are broken,
In those who keep calling until they reach those they love,
In those parents who struggle to assure their children that they are safe,
In the people around the world who send their prayers , their love and their money to
people they will never meet.

God did not cause the wind. He wasn't in the wind. He is in those people who see suffering and choose to act out of love, compassion and justice...in the hope of a better world to come.

Tornados

Once again, in less than a month, tornado's have wreaked havoc on communities here in the South. Those of us who live here expect strong spring storms and always keep one ear open for the sirens that warn of the possibility of a twister. The National Weather Service is warning us that today may be another one of death and destruction as storms again push through the area.

So far there have been almost 500 deaths and untold damage to homes and businesses. Our neighbors in Missouri join those from Alabama in our hearts and prayers.

If you are looking for a way to help, UMCOR is always one of the first on the scene, wherever disaster occurs. They can always use our support.

Zombies

At first I thought it was a joke...but it's not:

CDC (Centers for Disease Control) Recommends Preparing for All Disasters -- Even Zombies

You can get the full run down on Yahoo News

Normal natural disasters are floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes and being prepared for disaster means being ready for any type of emergency -- including zombies. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blogged about preparing for disaster and reminded readers that in the event of a zombie apocalypse, basic preparedness will help even if there are flesh-eaters roaming.

According to the CDC blog, if a zombie apocalypse breaks out, the CDC will investigate the event just like they would any other disease outbreak. CDC investigation and assistance would include "consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine)." Just like any other disease outbreak, the CDC would try to determine where and how the outbreak started and would make every effort to determine how to best deal with an outbreak of zombies.

So, even the CDC has a sense of humor! I give them credit for a very tongue-in-cheek way of getting the message of Emergency Preparedness out there!

Pictures of devastation...

Lest we think that we are somehow in control, pictures of the aftermath of yesterday's earthquake and tsunami. It is so hard to imagine, unless you are there...


Swirling waters....


Crushed Cars....


Homes in flames...


Like toys thrown about by a giant hand...


Fireball in the sky...


A highway turned on it's side...


A crack in the earth...

Disaster...

This is what an 8.9 magnitude earthquake looks like on a graph. The photo below shows us what it looks like in the real world. Our prayers go out to the people of Japan and the entire Pacific region....