Giant Hail Pounds Homes & Dots Landscape

     Just after 5:00 p.m. my friend Fran phoned me to warn my husband Monte and I of a terrific pre-spring storm traveling east from Greensburg to Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

     I called my daughter, Sandy, who lives near us. She and the granddaughter were taking refuge in their basement. Outside was a pre-dusk cloudy-day darkness, nothing ominous.

     Suddenly it sounded like someone was shooting large shells from a machine gun. Monte and I went into the basement. The ratatat tat was deafening. I’ve never experienced anything like it. The rains fell heavily after the barrage of hail-hits ended.

     Monte acted quickly, locating several large pieces of hail and a yardstick. I quickly photographed the items. The hail was large and heavy.

     The storm spawned a tornado that damaged Hempfield High School, Zion Lutheran Church and numerous homes. Fortunately, Fran was safe, and when the storm hit our community, little damage was done—at least what we could discover in the bad weather. Our car windshield is cracked, and my daughter Sandy’s truck is dented. We consider ourselves lucky in light of the damage west of us, and the triple Mother Nature hit on Japan—earthquake and tsunami followed by a snowstorm.

     Tomorrow we will check to see if any damage was done to the house or garage. For now, we are enjoying the calm after the storm.

     To see more photos, click on http://carolyncholland2011.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/weekly-photo-challenge-spring/

ADDITIONAL READING:

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Sloth #2: God’s Way or My Way?

CAROLYN’C COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

SLOTH #2: GOD’S WAY OR MY WAY?

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

SLOTH #2

GOD’S WAY OR MY WAY?

SCRIPTURE: ¹⁴The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. ¹⁵The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed 5,000 coins to the first servant, 2,000 to the second, and 1,000 to the third. Then he left the country. ¹⁶As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the 5,000 coins used them to earn 5,000 more. ¹⁷The servant who had 2,000 coins did the same with his money and earned 2,000 more. ¹⁸But the servant with 1,000 coins dug a hole and hid his master’s money in the ground. ¹⁹Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. ²⁰The servant who had been given 5,000 coins brought them in with the 5,000 that he had earned. He said, “Sir, you gave me 5,000 coins, and I have earned 5,000 more.” ²¹“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!” ²²Next, the servant who had been given 2,000 coins came in and said, “Sir, you gave me 2,000 coins, and I have earned 2,000 more.” ²³“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!” ²⁴The servant who had been given 1,000 coins then came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to work for. You harvest what you don’t plant and gather crops where you haven’t scattered seed. ²⁵I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!” ²⁶The master of the servant told him, “You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know I harvest what I don’t plant and gather crops where I haven’t scattered seed. ²⁷You could have at least put my money in the bank, so I could have earned interest on it.”  ²⁸Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with 10,000 coins! ²⁹Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don’t have anything. ³⁰ You are a worthless servant, and you will be thrown out into the dark where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. (CEV) (Matthew 25:14-30)

²³ Some of you made a living by sailing the mighty sea, ²⁴ and you saw the miracles the LORD performed there. (Psalm 107:23-24 (CEV))

DEVOTION: It isn’t taking God seriously but taking God seriously at the right time and in the right way that often hinders my Christian walk.

     Consider finances. We are called to be stewards for God because what we have is God’s, entrusted to us for proper use. The Bible teaches giving back one-tenth to God for God’s work.

     I try to do that, seeing that one-tenth of what I am blessed with each year goes to work that glorifies God. In a sense I am like the third servant, knowing that God is hard to work for, and trying to make sure that I don’t step out of line and take risks.

     If I settle for that approach, I miss the point.

     God commends the first two servants for their diligence with all their resources. The psalmist points out that the fishermen see God at work all the time they are out on the job. My challenge is to