Storm Leaves Some Disconnected

One of my great passions is communications. Graphic Arts, photography, video, music and song, face to face and (increasingly) net-based, new media. Yes FaceBook, Twitter, G-mail, IMs have greatly enriched my everyday life and ministry opportunities.

Like most conveniences of our modernized lives, the importance of the technology isn't really appreciated until it's lost. And that's where I am at the moment... DISCONNECTED.

Last night at 9:20 p.m. a nasty thunderstorm descended upon our neighborhood and unleashed its fury! Lightning strobed. Thunder shook walls. One particularly close strike sent our terrier straight up into the air in fright. Our electricity flashed, just enough to have to reset the VCR/DVR and cause me to go into possible power failure mode. Lighting up the hurricane oil lamp, shutting down computer and peripherals and double checking power surge protector connections; the inevitable happens... the cable connection is lost immediately following a gigantic howling of wind.

With computer off, TV out of commission, and me not wanting to start more reading... I pulled out my guitar and actually practiced technique! I can't tell you how long it's been since I have played focusing on musical technique as opposed to automatic "plug and play" or "Zone out and sing out"... that kind of thing.

After the worst of the storm seems to have passed, I noticed that there were tree leave clumps scattered all over the yard. I was grateful to learn that our 50 foot ash tree managed to keep a grasp of it's limbs. Though, I took a flashlight outside to inspect the cable connections, I didn't see the problem. But clearly we were without cable service. No internet, no TV, not even phone. I am DISCONNECTED!

Fortunately, we still had electrical power, so I did some non-internet computer work and office organization well into the night... into the next morning hours actually.
So much for my original thought of "stormy weather, stuff shut down, I'll make up for recent sleep loss".

My chronic pain always flairs with severe weather and this proved to be no exception.
One of the ongoing tools my chronic pain group uses is "Don't Isolate". And here I was forced into isolation. EEEK!

So, again, I was up 'til near 4 a.m... only 2.5 hours of sleep this time. God help me. I did get task lists organized and established for Getting Things Done, so though the hours were later than I'd have liked, they were very productive. Just not on the major project that I really WANT/NEED to work on... I need the internet for that....aaah.

Here it is 24 HOURS LATER and it seems like a WEEK!
Thank God, I could just hobble on back to my alma mater Crossroads Bible College, the nest of my New Media outreach, and walk right in to settle in at the very same computer station I used while here last December. Check it out.... this computer still houses bookmarks of my favorites. I'm feeling more CONNECTED already.

So as I am nestled in front of the warm glow of the computer screen actually getting some online work done, God continues to minister: I meet an elderly poet who likes to talk religion and reads and comments on my blogs and picture posts. He does most of the talking, I politely stay engaged, but it is God's words that come from my lips to him over and again. : ) A bit frustrated by not getting more "things done", but realize that this divine appointment may have been an investment in a fellow's day; a possible paradigm shift, hopefully an encouragement in his faith walk.

Later, I talk to staff members... testimony sharing time. God is praised and we are blessed.

Then, Jamel a co-student, younger brother in Christ and FaceBook friend happens into the computer lab. What a great surprise. He graduated but is giving a sermon tomorrow so we share the lab as well as exchange useful Bible quotes and illustrations. You know, the very last time I saw Jamal was over 6 months ago. He was preparing for a sermon to give the next day then as well. Coincidence? I don't think so!! I'm really feeling connected and loved now.

Once again, the thing that strikes me most is that I am NOT getting as much of my Project presentation done as I had hoped. However, by putting the people over the things; God is clearly working!! I wish you could SEE this. It's exciting.


So, as I had forgotten yet another password... to my FriendFeed account... I went to ask them to reset it. I of course had to verify the request with a Captcha (random words to weed out unauthentic requests and tampering). Mind you these are RANDOM.
Are you ready to see this???


This "random" set of words given me by Captcha didn't seem so random given the trial I was passing through at the time.

"Render" I had been rendered, torn, forced to do things in a manner I would not willingly have chosen. I rendered to Him that which is due. God is in control!

"Believe" Have Faith, Trust in the One who ALWAYS gives me ALL that I need, and gives so in such abundance that it is beyond my comprehension.