For all the playfully-degrading stigma given to the state of Texas by outsiders, I have never been able to understand it. This is a wonderful place and I absolutely love living here!

It’s been raining, seemingly non-stop for the past two days - yet to top it off, the mornings have been rainy and overcast, just the way I love it. It won’t even get above 64 today, and it’s going to be raining all week long, so I am absolutely loving this and taking it in.

This morning’s worship service at Green Lawn (where I attend) had quite a surprise for everyone there!

Dale is in the middle of his sermon…just preaching away - giving it everything he’s got and suddenly, the lights and all the power goes off! He stands there, and joins in everyone’s laughter. Then a brother brings him a flash light and he gets right back to it!

He just kept on preaching, lights or no lights. I feel it would be fitting to say it was a lights-out sermon!

I love and appreciate that brother’s fervor. I long for the same courageous vehemence to boldly proclaim His Word in all circumstances, situations, and settings.

Those who know me well will know that I love dark and quiet places. Not in a sinister sense, but in a calm and peaceful and tranquil way. My friends here call my room “the cave,” because I have large drapes over my windows and at times during the day, it’s so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face, it’s so dark. So I loved that this morning.

He finished the second half of his sermon in the dark and finally, after we partook of the Lord’s Supper, the lights came back on, at last, much to my chagrin.

But it was something different, something that reminded me that God is in control and that He can be glorified in settings that everyone isn’t used to.

Then the highlight of the day followed, as a young man was born into the family. As he arose from the watery womb, I closed my eyes with a smile on my face and said, “Thank You, Father” as I heard him go under and come up from the water - the most beautiful sound in all the world.

As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “It’s because of Him that we are in Christ Jesus.”

Praise Him.