The Phil Files

NUTS! Yes, the weather is officially off it’s rocker here in Abilene. Of course we can have weird weather in the spring. Yes, we can have a cold spell. But come on … 90’s yesterday, blizzard warnings today … now it’s sunshine but windy enough to blow the paint off our cars. I just saw a weather warning: “The National Weather Service has issued a severe winter storm warning to all pet owners: keep cats and small dogs inside today or else they will blow to Brownsville.”

Weather has always been hard to figure out for us mere mortals. I guess that is why I love Nahum 1:3 and the images it evokes. I felt like it was an idea to pursue with a Scripture graphic. The image and message seemed to go with where a whole lot of us are, caught up the whirlwind of uncertainty about the road ahead. So, hope you are blessed by the image and the thought. Oh, and don’t go outside with your cat today!

You can get free 1024 X 768 versions of this image and two related ones for free download from Heartlight.org:

Full Version (as above)

Title Only

Text Only

You can find thousands of other free Scripture graphic backgrounds and a search tool to find color, theme, or Scripture reference at Heartlight Backgrounds.

Today is WATS day!

For our church, it is a special day to gather for a shared Communion service and then go out and serve the community in very intensive, manual labor, ways. WATS stands for “We Are the Sermon.” We begin the day with a shared time of worship with communion — the air is electric and people are excited, dressed in their get dirty work clothes and many pulling trailers full of yard tools. The singing is joyous and upbeat. When we finish, we break into work groups, share a quite bite of lunch, and spend the afternoon working our backsides off to bless others. It’s all part of our sense of mission:

We are God’s community front porch: inviting, including, and involving others in the life of Jesus.

Last year, well over a thousand people served their neighbors building wheel chair ramps, painting homes, cleaning up yard messes, restoring houses to code, and just lending a helping hand. We collected over 80 tons of debris and garbage. It’s one of the coolest and most exciting church days of our year.

Here are a few links to help you know more about it:

W.A.T.S. Happening | Churchgoers Will Be the Sermon

What are some things your church family does to get outside the church building and share the love of Jesus with those in your community?

Last minute update: “Will the weather derail our day?” We’ll have to wait and see!

Thank you, God, for spring and the crazy weather it brings. I know we complain about lightning, wind, and hail, but this week you’ve sent two snows and a great rain to our parched land. So much of our area was in flames or under fire warning just 10 days ago. Now, our land is wet and refreshed and the fear of fire has gone for now.

Please forgive us for our whining and please receive our praise. I confess for all of us that I don’t know how or why or when you directly intervene in the weather, but I believe you do (James 5:16-18 NLT). Whether you sent the snow and rain this week as a result of your creative work with the seasons or in direct answer to our cries, I thank you.

I ask that now, you also send your spiritual rain on our thirsty hearts and open our eyes to see our deepest need is met in you. And as I begin a new week, please lead me to the people I need to meet and help me say the things that I need to say and to be quiet and listen for You.

In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

I know everybody has crazy weather, but Texas has gone nuts the last few weeks — no comments from Razorbacks or Okies on that! We’ve had extremely high winds that has made much of West Texas a “burnt offering” and left more than a few homeless and our firefighters exhausted. We had 80 degree temps for a couple of days and then wham! Several inches of snow and a low in the twenties.

We call it Spring, but I still think it’s crazy having all the trees budding out and seeing snow on the ground.