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🔊 Listen to this

About ten years ago, we bought a 44 ft. catamaran. My husband and I had decided to retire (the first time) and live on this beautiful, ocean-going sailboat. Purchased in St. Maartin from a French couple, my husband flew down there and with the help of another person, sailed her back to St. Marys Georgia. While my husband was preparing her for our adventure, I waited back home until our first grandson was born. After his birth, I joined my husband in St. Marys and eagerly waited for November 1st, the official end of hurricane season. After much consideration, we named her “Hodos”, which is Greek for, “The Way”. On October 31t, we had a boat christening with some friends, and set sail on November 1st down the Florida coast.

We were seasoned power boaters, having been active in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for 15 years on inland lakes. We had never spent anytime on this large of a sailboat, let along navigating the open ocean. We had all the fancy gadgets, GPS, radar, depth finder, weather, and autopilot. One disadvantage was that the mast was taller than most catamarans. This meant that we were unable to sail under many bridges along the Intracoastal Waterway, unless it was a drawbridge.

Our choice was to find anchorage each night to avoid sailing through the night. Our first overnighter was St. Augustine. The Hodos was hard to maneuver through small channels beause of 26 ft width, but with God’s grace, we made it.

The next day, we continued down the east coast of Florida. We would sail for the greater part of the day, and make sure we were at an anchorage or dock before dark. Being in November, the days were getting shorter. As we got closer to Port Canaveral I called several marinas. None of them are outside the bridge, which was fixed and we could not pass under it. We were off shore and there was no place to anchor for the night. So we had no choice but to sail through the night.

It started out pleasant enough. There was a shuttle launch scheduled the next day at Cape Canaveral and the whole area was lit up. It served as a beacon for us. Unfortunately , the winds picked up and it started raining, a lot of wind and a lot of rain. We had to lower our sail and continue under power. There was not a lot of boat traffic that night, but it was pitch dark after we rounded Cape Canaveral. There was a lone light in the distance, we thought from another boat, and it seemed that we were traveling the same direction. My husband was steering on the flybridge and asked me to go to the lower outside deck for safety. He would call me it he need me.

The boat was tossing up and down and I prayed that we would have a save journey. Sometime in the night a white bird, starting flying with us from the back of the boat. Strange as it was for a lone bird to be flying in the dark and in the storm, I felt peace. I felt like the bird was from God. We neared the shipping lanes for the big freighters at dawn. The rain has stopped and the winds had died down. I went topside an asked my husband where was the boat that we had followed. He said that when dawn arrived, the light had disappeared. I told him about the bird that followed us. We believed that the Lord had provided a guiding light (and the bird) to navigate us through the storm.

That day, we sailed to Ft. Pierce and the city marina, thankfully was before their bridge, an we docked there for the night and had a time to rest and be thankful to the Lord for seeing us through the storm.

Psalm 107:23:32 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, His impressive works on the deepest seas. He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves. Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror. They reeled and staggered lis drunkards and are at their wit’s end. Lord, help” they cried in their trouble and He saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely in to harbor! Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonder things He has done for them. Let them exhalt Him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation. (NLT)

🔊 Listen to this

I have been watching a show on Netflix, the 4400. In a nutshell, 4400 people disappeared from different years and reappeared in present day without aging. The story is that they were abducted by people from the future and let them return to Earth with special abilities both good and bad. It was discovered that these people had a unique component to their blood. Then it was found that this component could be harvested and the general public could choose to be injected with this component . The drawback was that 50% of those who chose to be inject would die. Those 50% who lived developed abilities, again, both good and bad.

I got to thinking that, when we become Christians, through salvation, we all are given special abilities, as well, called spiritual gifts. In Ephesians 4:7, Paul states, ” However, He has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.” (NLT)

Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 12;4-11)”There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, be we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

A spiritual gift is given to each us some we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give “wise advice”; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides when gift each person should have. ” (NLT)

In Romans 12:6-8, Paul writes , “In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher teach well. If your gift is to encouraging others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (NLT)

Paul summarizes in 1 Corinthians 31. “So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. (NLT)

🔊 Listen to this

(This is the first installment from our guest storyteller)

Years ago when I was 12, we lived in a small town at house on the end of Main Street. My family went to church every Sunday.  I was saved when I was 11, but still was a very active boy, and was in trouble a lot. 

One day when I got out of school, I decided to go to the five and dime store down the road. As I walked by the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Ben was sitting in an old wicker rocking chair, just outside the building. He was sharpening what looked like an ‘ole widow Barnes’ carvin’ knife.  He said howdy, and asked if I had been keeping out of trouble. I responded, “Sheriff, you know I got saved last year, but it’s hard for me to be good.” 

Then Sheriff Ben looked me right in the eye and tenderly spoke, “You know, growing up in a life in Jesus is like sharpening an old, dull knife.” 

“How is that Sheriff Ben?”

Then he continued, “As a new Christian, you are dull to the word of God. Jesus takes you with a coarse stone like this here stone, and gets the rust off and starts to make a rough edge on you, like a knife.  He knows you are rough at first, but He loves you and wants to lead you down the right path.” 

“Were is this path?” I asked. 

“You can start by following the path to Sunday School, to learn how Jesus wants you to live.” 

“I have been goin’ to Sunday School.”

“But do you listen and take into your heart?”

“Well… not really.”

“Then start listening and learn.” 

“I will.”

“Very good,” replied Sheriff Ben, “because you will grow in Jesus and He will continue to hone you into the person that He wants you to be.” 

“Yes sir, I will do my best to be sharp.” 

Ben responded, “That’s the spirit! Let’s pray together. 

Oh, Lord, we praise and worship Your holy name. We thank You for all Your blessings. Please go with us and lead us down the path to grow closer to You.  We ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

🔊 Listen to this The creek in our front yard, changes from season to season. I am amazed in God’s Artistry in the the autumn season. Below are some photos of some of God’s artistry in the end of summer and continuing to the autumn.