Benefits of a Storm

After a night of listening to heavy rain and thunder, I decided to do a quick google search on the benefits of a storm. I landed on a weatherman's blog about tropical storms. Here is what I learned:

1. Storms can bring much needed rain not only to the affected area, but to many surrounding areas as well. As many of us have learned this summer, rain is very important! Rain does more than just keep our yards looking nice and green, it causes our food to grow which causes animals to be fed which causes prices to remain stable and on down the line.

2. Tropical storms are critical for coastal islands to remain afloat. The winds and waves of these strong storms make islands taller and wider by moving the sand. Without these storms, islands would become thinner and smaller and eventually disappear.

3. Much of the destruction done during tropical storms is to structures along the coast. Builders have gone to great lengths to build structures closer and closer to the water. The techniques they have used not only put people in harms way, they actually contribute to the massive damage done during storms.

We all experience storms in life. Some are mild, some are of hurricane proportion. Although storms are not pleasant at the time, there are benefits. Storms can cause us to grow. Not only do we grow, but we are able to care for and encourage others in new ways. Storms build our foundation. When we are hit by the storms of life, a lot of not so important things are washed away and we clearly see what is important. To minimize the damage sustained during our storms, we need to remain in God's word and allow it to guide us away from things that will harms us and into truth and righteousness.

Miscarriage: Our Journey

In the midst of our chaotic summer, we were blessed with a unique opportunity to share our journey through miscarriage with the great people at Group Magazine. This fall, Group will be launching a brand new digital magazine called Unfiltered: Helping Youth Workers Thrive in Life. Our story is part of the premiere issue. For any Group or Unfiltered users finding their way to this blog, I wanted to give a list of links to my blog entries that directly relate to miscarriage or it's aftermath. The journey is often dark and lonely, but God also lavishes His peace, joy and never ending grace on those who seek Him.

Heaven
In this world...
Expecting
My Psalm
Christian
He Does
Offering
Routine
Trust Jesus
Walking on Water
Spring is Coming
Baby Boy
Waiting in Expectation
I Trust You
Lessons from the Shunammite Woman Part I
Lessons from the Shunammite Woman Part II