This blog is late because I thought our domain was on auto renew but it wasn’t and the day it expired was the day Houston was hit with Hurricane Harvey. Our web hosting company, Hostgator, is based in Houston. Our domain expired once before and it was fixed with a simple phone call but this year I could not reach them via phone or chat. Finally was able to get it corrected yesterday evening when I reached a technician who was working from home via chat. I am sorry for all the hardships they are enduring in Texas and pray they will find relief soon.

Did I tell you about my crepe myrtle bushes? They were ravaged by Japanese beetles just as they were beginning to bloom. The beetles covered the buds like locusts, consuming them voraciously. The beetles symbolize troubles we have in life. The troubles we have seem to eat away at all the beauty and pleasure we want to experience. But wait! The beetles will pass…and they did. I thought I would not see any flowers on the bushes this year because of all the beetles. But now, there are flowers! The flowers are not as flamboyant as the first blossoms would have been if it had not been for the beetles, but they seem even more beautiful to me now because of the trauma they suffered and survived. Older folks are like that, too. They may not look as attractive as when they were young, but their faces reflect a lifetime of trials and tribulations survived and triumphed over and that makes them beautiful to me.

Hardship is part of life. I believe God gives us these realities of life for us to face by trusting Him. And so I am. If you have not read the Bible through from cover to cover, I urge you to do so. God will speak to you. We cannot have physical health without first having spiritual, emotional and mental health. Spiritual, emotional, and mental health begin by seeking God.

Hoping you and yours are having a good week so far and may the rest of your week be blessed!