essay about my storms in life

Battling The Storms Of Life: 7 Ways To Overcome Adversity

Categories Christian Growth

In this article, we will explore what it means to battle the storms of life and how, as Christians, we can overcome them with God’s help. So, grab your Bible, and let’s dig in…

Life has many storms that believers must navigate. Every Christian encounters storms in their life. I know I have faced some very difficult ones myself. Learning how to go through them with Biblical principles of faith and in relationship with God is crucial.

Standing strong in our faith can sometimes be challenging when facing intense storms, but there are several Biblical truths to lean on and several Biblical examples to draw from when facing these battles.

Here, we will explore ways to overcome adversity, stand strong in faith, and identify Biblical ways to remain steadfast during storms. These are important tools for every Christian.

10 Ways To Help Overcome The Storms Of Life

Overcoming adversity is not always easy, but there are some anchors that every Christian can use to keep themselves steady when battling the storms of life.

Every storm is different, and every challenge brings with it its own adversities, but there are always ways to stand strong in what we believe and navigate the storm with the grace of God.

Here are some of the best ways to overcome adversities that we face during a storm.

1. Jesus Has Overcome The World

The first thing to do to overcome adversity when facing an intense storm is to remember that Jesus has overcome the world and everything that we have to deal with in it.

In John 16:33, Jesus says…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

When life blows a storm your way, stand fast in the knowledge that Jesus is the one who overcomes it. You do not have to overcome it on your own.

Receive peace from Him, knowing that in the midst of tribulation, you can stand with Him as He overcomes the storm. He is truly our Prince of Peace and Jehovah Shalom .

Understanding Scriptures such as these is the best way to battle the storms of life and overcome adversity.

2. Jesus Calms The Storms

When life becomes difficult, when you are facing adversities, and when you are dealing with intense storms, remember that Jesus calms storms.

In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus is in a boat with His disciples, sleeping, when a storm arises, and the disciples become fearful and anxious and wake Him up for help. Jesus speaks to the wind and the waves, and they obey Him and cease.

When you are facing storms of life, pray. Believe in Jesus and His authority, and ask Him to calm the storm.

Receive His peace, stand in His authority, and sleep in the boat!

There is nothing better to do in a storm than to rely on Jesus and rest in His peace. The storm quickly loses its power when you trust in the Lord, and you don’t focus on fear.

3. Faith Overcomes The World

  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  5  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. – 1 John 5:4-5 NKJV

This passage of Scripture is among the go-to verses for many Christians when they are confronted with the storms of life.

In context, in 1 John 5, John writes that our faith is in Jesus. We believe Jesus is the Son of God, and we love God through Him.

He also writes that the love of God is that we keep His commandments, and His commandment is that we should love Him.

It continues to say that whoever is born of God, which we are when we become born again and love God, overcomes the world. We who are born of God, we who have faith in Jesus and believe that He is the Son of God, it is our faith that overcomes the world.

This is an excellent anchor for every believer. Know that when you face the storms of life, your faith is what will overcome the adversity. Your faith in Jesus overcomes the world, regardless of what it throws at you or what it puts in your way.

With faith, like a mustard seed, you can move a mountain into the sea!

Trust in Jesus, love Him well, stand strong in faith in Him, and you will thrive in the midst of adversity and overcome all that you have to deal with.

4. Put On The Armor Of God

When facing the storms of life, a Christian can apply the armor of God to stand firm in their faith and confidently face the trials that life brings.

Ephesians 6:11-17 says..

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”

This passage of Scripture teaches us that the armor of God…truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, the reality of our salvation in Jesus, the Bible, and prayer are our defense when we face adversities.

Understanding that we do not wrestle against natural things but against spiritual things. This is huge because a lot of times, storms in our lives are not just spiritual attacks, but the enemy uses people to attack us.

And we must remind ourselves that they are not who we are battling.

Remember, stand then in the faith that God has given you when you come against storms, and pray this prayer. Pray for the armor of God, and you will withstand the evil day.

5. Ask Other Believers To Pray For You

A great way to get through difficult times, adversities, and storms is to gather with other believers and pray together. This is extremely beneficial! I can’t tell you how often I have met with friends or my church family and processed and prayed together. It’s like a healing balm.

It is highly Biblical to pray for one another, especially when dealing with adversities and difficult circumstances.

Stand with other believers, pray together, seek the Lord for wisdom and guidance, and the storm you are facing will quickly dissipate, or you will find the way through it in the Lord, with the support of the family of God.

6. Speak With Leaders

Pastors and shepherds that you trust are invaluable when dealing with hard seasons and storms.

Take the time to reach out to your leaders, a pastor in your church, or an elder, and ask to meet with them. Explain to them the struggles that you are facing, and they will be able to provide sound wisdom and guidance.

Counsel from your leaders is always a sure way to navigate storms, and these are good people to have with you as you deal with life’s challenges.

7. Take A Break, And Rest In God

Sometimes when we are faced with a storm, the best thing to do is to take a break from it all.

Step away from the storm and the situation for a short while, spend time with God, rest in Him, pray, and be still with Him. Find rest.

Sleep, eat a good meal, speak with your friends, and distance yourself from the issues, even if only for a few hours. Even a little bit can help your body, and soul to relax.

Sometimes, finding some room to breathe when facing such immense challenges, seeking the Lord, and being with believers is the only way to find respite from the storm.

This will often bring you to a space where you can hear God clearly and find the solutions to the problems or the strength to keep moving through the storm.

When facing the storms of life and the adversities that they bring, stand in the faith of Jesus Christ. Meditate on the Word, pray the prayers in the Bible, stand in your identity as a child of God, and gather with believers.

Storms do not have to dictate the way you respond to life, and they do not have to decide the steadiness of your faith. Do not be afraid; only believe (Luke 8:50).

Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading.

She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine.  Read More…

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Storms of Life: We Are Meant To Go Through, Not Camp Out There

by DrMichelle | Blog , Faith | 15 comments

When was the last time you faced one of life’s storms? Maybe you’re in the midst of one now. I have to admit, at times it feels like one tsunami after another has hit our family over the last few years. On a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective Podcast , I interviewed Cynthia Cavanaugh about staying anchored during the storms of life. If you missed that episode, click here ( Will Your Anchor Hold in the Storms of Life? – Episode 103 ). Cynthia authored the book Anchored: Leading Through the Storms . As I’ve spent some time pondering some of the recent storms of life, I’ve learned a few lessons, including the fact that we are meant to go through the storms of life—not camp out there.

Read to the end for a book giveaway!

With the recent upheaval of the world, there’s so much we don’t know. So much misinformation. So many rumors. And for many, so many fears. I have missed worshipping in person, together. I’ve had concerns for students, families, and businesses. In so many ways, I’ve wanted to turn back the hands of time. But instead, He beckons that His way is through .

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:2-3a NLT).

Go Through Grief

The year 2019 was particularly painful. We lost 19 friends and family to death, mostly from cancer. No sooner would I find out about someone’s new diagnosis, and then I’d hear of the death of someone else I loved, cared for, and had been pouring out my prayers on their behalf. I believed (and still believe) God can and does heal, and yet my heart ached for the earthly losses of each friend and family member who wasn’t healed on this earth, but now lived healed and whole with Him. Grief set in, and each new death seemed to compound the grief I already felt. I found comfort in the Scriptures that reminded me that “Jesus wept.” So I knew He didn’t condemn my grief, but instead allowed it. Yet I also knew He didn’t want me to stay in a permanent state of grief, but rather to journey through it with Him.

His way is through .

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you…

Go Through Cancer

My husband has been diagnosed with three different types of cancer, and I’ve received a cancer diagnosis twice. Each time it has been a journey, reaching for the hem of his garment, waiting on His will and His way. He never intended for cancer to be a way of life, but He has allowed us to go through it, trusting Him to see us through it. There were so many times during each diagnosis and subsequent treatment when I thought for certain one or both of us might drown in the rivers of difficulty, and yet I knew He was in the rivers with us.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown…

Go Through Miscarriage

“I’m so sorry. I can’t find a heartbeat. We’ve lost the pregnancy.” I sat stunned, as the doctor delivered the words that I could not have been more shocked to hear. I had just felt the baby kick the day before. And I had been giddy with excitement over nursery plans and picking out baby names. This baby was a gift from God, until it wasn’t. “How could this happen?” I wondered. I was healthy, and I had “done everything right.” Grief was real, and God was allowing me to feel it. Even though He didn’t intend for me to stay there, it was something I needed to go through .

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you…

Go Through Depression

Having treated thousands of patients in my career, no one was more surprised when I journeyed through my own valley of depression into the dark night of my soul (If you’re not familiar with my story, and the hope that is offered, you can find my book, “ Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression ” that chronicles both my experience and the hope that I found, here . I’ll never forget crying out to God, and honestly sharing that if that was going to be my lot in life, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue living. Fortunately for me, He was patient and gentle as He revealed that that was not His intention. Instead, He wanted to bring me through depression so I could share hope to others who suffered.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Go Through Job Loss

I’ll never forget the day my husband walked through the door in the middle of the day, finding me at the desk. “I’ve been let go as part of the company-wide reduction in force.” Wait…what? You lost your job? We had young children, a mortgage to pay, school loans to repay. We didn’t know what God’s plan was, but we trusted that this turn of events didn’t take Him by surprise, and He knew how He would see us through it. We weren’t going to stay unemployed. But it was a season we had to travel through until we were on the other side, just like the disciples in the storm on the lake with Jesus.

Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” (Luke 8:22-25)

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As our family has journeyed through many of life’s storms, I’ve learned a few things:

• We are meant to go through the storms of life—not camp out there permanently. His way is through . (Isaiah 43:2-3a)
• When Jesus told the disciples “let us go over to the other side of the lake,” He knew they would get there, but they forgot that promise when the storms arose. (Luke 8:22-25) We have to hold onto God’s hand and His promises when the storms of life arise.
• Even when we have to go through the storms of life, God never leaves us to go through them alone. “I will never leave you or abandon you” (Isaiah 43:2).
• Storms may bring pain, doubt, or discouragement, yet He offers to be our comforter through the storms. (Psalm 23:4).
• Regardless of what the storm is, we don’t have to have all the answers, we just have to turn to the One who does. “For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you’” (Isaiah 41:13).

What storms has He taken you through ? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

Book Giveaway!

Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you learned about weathering storms and you will be entered into the contest.

You could also share this blog post on Facebook or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, April 12, 2021, here on this post. Continental United States only.

15 Comments

I’ve often thought about how we tell ourselves and others to “get over it”. But, we must “go through it” to experience God’s mercy and peace. We will experience the pain, but also the peace.

Congratulations! You are the book winner! Be on the lookout for an email. 🙂

i have been through many storms in life, and have come to realize, nothing lasts forever, even though there are days it seems like things would never change

One of the hardest tsunamis I’ve walked through is when my daughter became pregnant at age 15. But God…provided everything we needed. I didn’t have medical insurance at that time, but God…paid every penny of both of Kim’s hospital stays. But God…our church surrounded us during and after her pregnancy. But God…some of the family of the baby’s father turned their backs on us, but today we are the closest of friends. But God…today I have a wonderful 23-year-old grandson. Praise God!!

This message blessed me so much. I heard the podcast and was also blessed by all both of you shared. Cynthia had a wonderful testimony and she, like all of us, is still learning how to go through the storms of life. I love the reminder of what I had learned years ago about not camping out in grief, or depression or for us bankruptcy or severe health issues. Father was with us THROUGH each of those situations. I shared this blog in FB today so would love to get Cynthia’s book. Thank you both for sharing from your life challenges with us so that we can navigate ours with the Lord’s ever presence and His help. I love and appreciate you Michelle and all your guests.

There is so much we don’t know or see the grand picture. We have to trust God that He will be with us through the storms of life.

Keep your eyes on Jesus

amen. i couldn’t do any of life without His nearness. He is so faithful.

Every time I go through difficulties, I say to myself and remind God as well, “This too shall pass.” It has been such a blessing to see God work through my hard times and see His hand of love and comfort. Keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus is also another way to survive health issues, relationship problems and the pandemic. God is in control as we seek Him diligently and not let fear or doubt trouble or defeat us.

The word WHEN jumps off the page for me when I read “when you walk through fire,” etc. It’s a given that we will suffer, and yet we do not suffer alone — nor is it purposeless!

That one word – “through” – makes all the difference. He takes us through and never leaves us there. Such hope!

Such an honest and relatable post – thank you for that powerful reminder ‘His way is through’ – Tweeted to share!

Great encouragement to go THROUGH with Jesus no matter what storm you face!

It wasn’t so much as one specific storm, just the significance of mess-up’s in life. I realized the reasons I need God 1. Every time I tried to do life on my own, I failed. (Shared to Pinterest)

I went through a very difficult storm in my life in April 2015. I had an acute liver failure and received two livers. First liver failed after 3 days. Got a second liver two days later. God gave me a promise before in hospital saying that He will take me through. I hold onto this promise.

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7 Things To Do When Facing The Storms Of Life

Written by Harold Herring . .

Have you ever been in a serious thunderstorm. . .or maybe even a hurricane or tornado?

I’ve never been in a tornado but I have been through a couple of hurricanes and many serious thunderstorms.

During our time in Texas. . .it was not unusual to have thunderstorms with 60-70 mile an hour winds and frequent lightning strikes.  I remember one storm where there were over 1,000 lighting strikes in an hour.

When serious storms come up. . .we’re looking for a safe place.  

How would you react if you were in the middle of the sea when a violent storm arose?

Mark 4:37 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

“And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.”

The disciples and Jesus were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm began to rage.  The disciples were frightened, fearful and faithless in the midst of what they perceived to be a potentially, deadly situation.

Here are seven things we should do when facing the storms of our lives.

1.         When trouble is headed your way. . .always do what Jesus did.

When the storms of life rise up against you. . .seek to be at peace.

When troubles come your way. . . do you find yourself having sleepless nights?   Maybe tossing and turning. . .worrying about what may or may not happen.

Don’t you think Jesus knew there was a weather pattern forming . . .about to churn into a dangerous storm?

We should follow His direction as found in Mark 4:38 in the New King James Bible which says:

“But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

The disciples had done exactly as Jesus told them to do.

They shoved off from the shore to cross over to the other side. 

The storm came about so quickly that the disciples were swamped.

I must admit this sounds far too familiar.  We have lived this experience.

We have been simply going about our business doing what we knew to be the will of God.

In the one moment things were fine.  In the next moment we found ourselves surrounded by a storm...and taking on water.

How do we handle the storms. . .the adversities when one comes upon us suddenly?

Matthew 6:34 in the Message Bible offers some great advice:

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

I love reading about the faith and spiritual exploits of Smith Wigglesworth.  How do we handle the storms of life and attacks of the enemy?

Listen to how Brother Wigglesworth handled one encounter with the devil.

"We were sleeping one night, when the manifestation of evil filled the room and the spirit of fear gripped both of us. Polly was so frightened she could not open her eyes. I suddenly sat up, in the bed, and saw the devil. I rubbed my eyes to be sure, it was him. I said, ‘Oh! It's only you.' I then turned to Polly and told her to go back to sleep, it was nothing of consequence, and I laid my head back down. Suddenly an overwhelming sense of peace and love filled the room and we had the most blessed sleep ever."

In the middle of the storms of life. . . learn to let Jesus be your peace factor . If He did it for Smith Wigglesworth, He will do it for you.

2.         You gotta know God will never tell you to do anything dangerous without a way of escape.

Mark 4:35 in the Amplified Bible says:

“On that same day [when] evening had come, He said to them, Let us go over to the other side [of the lake].”

Do you believe the Son of God knew what was going to happen to that boat. . .before it ever happened?

Of course He did!!

Acts 2:23 in the New Living Translation says:

“But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.”

If Jesus knew He was going to be betrayed and crucified . . . He most certainly knew about a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

 And even if He didn’t … He knew His Father had an answer to the problem …the same way we know God always has an answer for us.

Since Jesus knew the storm was coming. . .do you really think He would have put the disciples. . .those closest to Him … in a position to drown and die?  Of course, not!

In everything you face in life. . . no matter how great the temptation or seemingly insurmountable the problem may be . . .God always provides a way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says:

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

When you’re facing the storms of life. . . God is not in heaven wringing His hands wondering what is going to happen to you next.

In Numbers 11 we read where the Children of Israel were hungry and whining.  God heard them and told Moses how he was going to provide for them.

Numbers 11:19-20 in the New Living Translation says:

“And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty.  You will eat it [meat] for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’

Now this miracle promise was so amazing that even Moses, who had faithfully believed God in every instance, had a hard time believing it… for He said to the Lord in Numbers 11:21:

“There are 600,000 men alone … yet you promise them meat for a whole month!  If we butcher all our flocks … it won’t be enough !  We would have to catch every fish in the ocean to fulfill your promise!”

Verse 23 in the Living Bible gives us God’s overpowering response to Moses’ doubt.   One that is so powerful, we need to take it to heart in a very personal way:

“ Then the Lord said to Moses, “When did I become weak? . .

God is not weak!   He never has been and He never will be .  It is not only His will… but He wants to show Himself mighty on our behalf.  However … we must trust Him for it to be so.

Romans 4:20 in the Amplified Bible says:

“No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.”

Not only is God not weak. . .He will show Himself strong on your behalf.

Psalm 68:28 in the New American Standard Version of the Bible says:

“Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf.

2 Chronicles 16:9 in the New King James Bible says:

“ For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf ofthose whose heartisloyal to Him….”

3.         God is not moved by the adversities we face. . .and neither should we be.

Let me give you an absolute fact. . .if you’re doing what God has called you to do . . . fulfilling His vision for your life. . .being obedient to His divine direction. . . stuff is going to happen.

The enemy will not sit idly by.  He wants to do whatever he can to render you ineffective for and to the Kingdom of God.

The disciples were with Jesus 24/7 yet fear made them forget who they were traveling with.   Even the disciples had to learn to trust Jesus by the doubt-creating circumstances they faced.

I remember one airline flight where a violent thunderstorm was in the distance as the plane leveled off at its cruising altitude.  As we drew closer and closer to the thunderstorm. . .the lady sitting next to me became increasing nervous and fearful about the storm.

I listened quietly until she commented she didn’t want to die in a plane crash.  I confidently told her that our plane was not going to crash. . .that we were going to arrive safely at our destination.

When she asked me how I could be so sure. . .I said:  “because I’m on this plane and God still has a lot for me to accomplish in my life.”   Then I told her He had plans for her as well.

That’s when I discovered she loved the Lord and was a Christian but her faith was weakened because of facing fear without faith.

Isaiah 41:10 in the Message Bible says:

“Don't panic. I'm with you.  There's no need to fear for I'm your God.  I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."

Even in the midst of your personal storms. . .God has a firm grip on you.

4.         When in the midst of the storms of life. . .call on Him and quote the Word.

When trouble comes. . .who will you call on for help?  Not Ghostbusters. . .but the Holy Ghost.

Psalm 86:7 says:

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.”

If you need the peace of God in your life. . .if you need deliverance from the storms of adversity. . .heed the words of Jeremiah 29:12-14 in the Amplified Bible:

“Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you.   Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity . . .”

Now here’s a revelation.  You can’t quote what you don’t know.

Matthew 22:29 in the New Living Translation says:

“Jesus replied, `Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.’”

All professional athletes go to training camps before playing in games that count.

You need spiritual training. . .so when you encounter the storms of life you can be victorious.   Or else, you fate will be worse than having a bad season. Your Bible is your training manual for every season of your life.

Spiritual preparation always precedes victories over the storms of life.

5.         When you rely on the Word. . .all your fears will leave .

The best reason not to be afraid. . .is because the Word of God tells you not to. If you’re already counting on some of the Word … why not count on all of the Word?

I could give you numerous scriptures but I’m only going to go over four.  The truth of the matter is. . .one could be enough.

First, Isaiah 41:10 in the Contemporary English Version says:

“ Don't be afraid. I am with you . Don't tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.”

If you’ve been unsuccessful. . .don’t worry or fret. . .the Word says that God. . .not your relatives …not your boss. . .co-workers. . .best friend or anyone else will make you victorious.

God brings you the victories you desire.

Second, Psalm 118:6 in the Message Bible says:

“God's now at my side and I'm not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me?”       

I love watching movies where it seems that all is lost. . .the good guy is about to go down to defeat or perhaps, even death. . .when suddenly the cavalry shows up and the good guy is saved.

Third, Deuteronomy 20:1 in the Message Bible says:

“. . . In a few minutes you're going to do battle with your enemies. Don't waver in resolve. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Don't panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win."

Don’t waver. . .don’t doubt. . .don’t fear. . .don’t worry. . .don’t hesitate. . .don’t panic because your God will bring you the victory.

Fourth, Psalm 139:5 in the Message Bible says:

“…You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight . You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence.

“I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going.  This is too much, too wonderful—I can't take it all in!” 

I’ve written extensively about how to deal with fear and  worry.  I strongly suggest you visit our website www.debtfreearmy.org and search for “fear” or “worry.”  You’ll find lots of spiritual as well as practical encouragement on how to overcome these mind games of the enemy.

6.         When facing the storms of life. . .tell your circumstances and those in your boat to be still.

Sometimes you don’t even have to tell your friends. . .more properly, known as acquaintances to be quiet. . .because at the first sign of adversity. . . they’re gone faster than a snow man in 80 degree sunshine.

However, for those who either comment before bolting or hang around. . . never let the second voice distract you from what you know to be spiritual truth and your ability to allow God’s power to work through you .

Mark 4:39 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness).”

When Jesus got up. . .He assessed the situation. . .then He rebuked the winds and the waves.

The literal Greek translation of be still is “be muzzled” or “be gagged.”

This next point is very important.  It’s critical to note Jesus did not pray about the storm He was facing.

Jesus spoke to the storm and commanded it to stop causing trouble.

One other point. . .

Have you ever thought about how you want others to perceive you. . .what you want them to say or think about you?

Truthfully, I can think of several ways I’d want to be spoken of. . .but none more satisfying than what’s found in Mark 4:41 in the Message Bible which says:

“They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"

You’re probably thinking . . . yes, but that was Jesus.  I understand that but what about John 14:12 in the Classic Amplified Bible which says:

“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.”

7.         Always be willing to learn in every situation .

Philippians 4:11 in the New Living Translation says:

“I’m not saying this because I’m in any need. I’ve learned to be content in whatever situation I’m in.”

This scripture is most often misunderstood . . . it’s not a scriptural admonition to ‘settle for’ in life.

Go to www.debtfreearmy.org and search for “The Difference Between Contentment And Complacency.”  The teaching is definitely a game changer.

I’ve gone through some things in my life. . .and I’ve wanted to learn everything I could in those situations. . .so I would never have to experience them again.

Philippians 4:12 in the New Living Translation says:

“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”

God clearly wants us to learn how to live blessed, full of joy and content in every situation, circumstance, problem and adversity that we face.

Meditate on Philippians 4:13 in the Message Bible:

“Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

The only way God can make us who He wants us to be. . .is by our willingness to learn from every situation we face.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 in the Message Bible says:

“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel ! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

Immediately after having breast cancer surgery on January 15, 2015 . . . the oncologist (cancer doctor) told me I needed to take chemotherapy.

I asked why.

That wasn’t an unreasonable question because my lymph nodes were free of cancer.  The surgeon had sent the mass removed from my chest from an incision that measured thirteen inches long, two inches wide and two and ½ inches deep to be analyzed and the results were negative. . .no cancer was found.

I told the oncologist I would have to pray about this decision.

As I prayed the Lord brought 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 in the Message Bible to my remembrance which says:

“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”

I have used that scripture on dozens and dozens of occasions to encourage people going through the storms of life.

This time the Lord used it to show me that the decision to take chemo was not about me but about others …meaning the people He would put in my path that I would encourage and pray for.

I’ve been there for others nearly 30 times since my surgery. . .the latest being two days ago.

This lady had driven about 30 miles to position herself to hear what I had to say to her though she had no idea that’s why she made the trip.  Her heart was encouraged and her faith strengthened by our visit. God is incredibly faithful.

Your Heavenly Father is not only waiting to shield you from the storms. . .He’s ever ready to empower and enlighten you to achieve your destiny.

And the best part. . .He’s available 24/7.

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Surviving Life’s Storms

Developing god’s vision for your life -acts 27:9-25, life is full of storms..

While you and I pursue our God given dreams we will encounter many storms. Some will be mild others will be difficult. The life that we live on this earth is full of troubles. When faced with troubles we need to remember what Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” (King James Version).

You are in one of three areas right now. You’ve just got out of trouble, or you’re in it right now, or you’re headed into it. Trouble is a part of life. You will have difficulties.

A Man Who Knew Trouble

The Apostle Paul was a man acquainted with troubles. But Paul never gave up on his dream:

“Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the trouble we suffered in Asia. We had great burdens there that were beyond our own strength. We even gave up hope of living. Truly, in our own hearts we believed we would die. But this happened so we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises people from the dead. God saved us from these great dangers of death, and he will continue to save us. We have put our hope in him, and he will save us again,” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10, New Century Version).

Paul was saying that they were in such trouble that they had given up getting out alive. But this happened that they might trust in God rather than trusting in themselves or others. They learned to trust God for their deliverance.

“In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind,” (1 Corinthians 6:4, New Living Translation).

Paul is saying that when we patiently endure the hardships and difficulties of life’s storms we prove that we are ministers and servants of God.

In the 27th chapter of Acts we see one of the many difficulties Paul had to face and endure in his life. He was being taken to Rome as a prisoner. He had warned the guards that it was not safe to sail. They chose to disregard Paul’s warning and sail anyway because where they were was not good enough for them to spend the winter in. They were not satisfied with the accommodations they had. It was not good enough.

There are 3 questions we need to ask and answer that will help us to Survive Life’s Storms and keep us on track to pursuing our dreams.

Why Did This Happen? What caused this to Happen? What Will Be The Results?

What does God want me to learn from this difficulty I’m facing?

How Will I Respond? How should I react? How does God want me to act in this particular situation?

I. Why Did This Happen?

“I tried to understand all this, but it was too hard for me to see 17 until I went to the Temple of God. Then I understood what will happen to them,” (Psalm 73:16-17, NCV).

When you go to church, God will sometimes speak to you through the message, through a song, through someone else in the service or God may speak directly to you when you come in and begin to seek His face and will.

That’s why I hate to miss church. If God had a special message for me in the sermon and I didn’t show up I wouldn’t get the message. So, on the possibility that God might have a word me I show up to receive it.

When these guys decided to go ahead and sail in spite of Paul’s warning, don’t sail because it will endanger our lives, they made three common mistakes that we all make from time to time.

1. We listen to bad advice.

“But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul,” (Acts 27:11, NLT). God had already said not to do it. Paul had warned them. But because the “expert” said it was OK, they did it. There are a lot of experts in the world. They all have the answer to your problem or so they want you to think they do. I like the Song that say’s “I will talk to my Father For you.” One of the verse say’s, “I could offer opinions that might prove untrue but for the only sure answer here’s what I’ll do. I will talk to my Father for you.” Folks I don’t have all the answer but I can talk to the one who does, your Heavenly Father.

2. We follow the crowd.

“…the majority decided that we should sail on,” (Acts 27:12, New International Version). The majority is often wrong. One of the phrases you hear “but everybody’s doing it”. So what? Everybody can be wrong. In the story of the children of Israel leaving Egypt and going to the Promised Land, the majority of them wanted to go back to Egypt. They were wrong. We often get in to trouble because we follow the crowd.

3. We rely on circumstances.

“When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity…” (Acts 27:13, NIV). They thought it was a nice day for sailing. Paul said, don’t do it, we’re heading into a storm. But they went anyway and they shipwrecked. We all feel if the circumstances are just right we can go ahead and go for it. We should not make a move until we know that it is what God wants for our lives. God’s timing is perfect

II. What Will Be The Results?

A. what can i learn from this.

What is God going to teach me through this experience? What does God want me to learn from this storm?

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever,” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NLT).

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT).

We need to understand that the troubles are only temporary and the rewards are permanent. Paul is saying that the problems you have in your life are not going to last forever but the reward of your faithfulness is eternal.

It doesn’t matter where your problem came from; God still has a purpose for it in your life. God has a purpose for trials

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8:28, New King James Version).

B. One of the results that God wants in your life is spiritual growth.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything,” (James 1:2-4, NIV).

Even if you’re the cause of the trouble, God can use it. Even when other people hurt you intentionally He can use it. Even when the devil plans bad things for your life, God can bring good out of it. God’s purpose is greater than your problem and your pain. God has a plan behind your pain, your problem. Look past the temporary pain and look at the long term benefit and results that it will produce in your life.

“…but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us,” (Romans 5:3-5, NIV).

We can rejoice when we run into problems and trials for we know they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time. That’s the result. God wants you to learn something. Every storm is a school. Every trial is a teacher. Every experience is an education. Every difficulty is for your development. God wants us to learn from life’s storms.

Most of us are slow learners. Most of us have had to learn something more than once. If you don’t learn something God will bring it again in your life. It will come back. God is more interested in your character than He is in your comfort. God is more interested in making you change to be more like Christ than He is in making things easy for you. You never graduate from the school of hard knocks.

III. How Will I Respond?

A. what will i do how should i react.

Your response will determine your outcome. You and I are going to go through many storms in our lives. Whether we like it or not, they are coming. The only thing that we can to is be prepared for them. How are you going to deal with this storm?

In the 27th chapter of Acts we see three things we shouldn’t do.

1. Don’t Drift With The Storm.

“…and when the ship was caught in it and could not head against the wind [to gain stability], we gave up and [letting her drift] were driven along,” (Acts 27:15, Amplified Bible).

The ship, taking prisoners to Rome, was in the middle of the Mediterranean ocean and hadn’t seen the sun for 14 days, total darkness. The crew couldn’t get any bearings, didn’t know where the stars were, and they had no idea where they were. So, they just drifted with the storm. We can begin to “drift.” We give up going to any destination; we give up on reaching our dreams and just start drifting through life. That is the problem with many of our churches today, they’re just drifting through life. They have no goal, no objective, no purpose, no ambition or dream for life. They just go along to get along. Life is tough so why make the effort? Why even try? They just go by on the minimum. We don’t call it drifting today. We call it coasting. The problem with coasting is that you’re headed downhill. You never coast uphill. You’re going the wrong direction if you’re coasting. Life is not a coast. Life is tough. Don’t lose your goal, your ambition or your dreams just because life gets hard.

2. Don’t Throw Away the Things You Need To Survive The Storms.

“…they began to throw the cargo overboard,” (Acts 27:18, NIV).

They were out in the middle of the Mediterranean ocean and it had been 14 days without any sunlight. They’d been battered by the winds and waves back and forth and they started throwing things overboard to lighten the ship. First they threw the cargo overboard. Then it they threw the tackle overboard and then the food. They were ready to throw the prisoners overboard. They were throwing away the things they needed because the storm was so tough. This is a common, human reaction to difficulty. When you get in a storm, a difficulty, a trial, when the heat is on and the pressure is on and the stress gets unbearable, we start throwing away the things we need to survive the storms; our values, relationships that we would not normally let go of in better times. We start saying things like, “I’m throwing in the towel. I’m giving up on my marriage. I’m abandoning this relationship. I’m out of here. I’m checking out, chucking it all. I’m giving up on my dream.

3. God says, Stay with the ship.

‘ Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away,’ (Acts 27:31, NIV).

They cut away the lifeboats to force every one to stay with the ship. Have you done that in your marriage? Have you cut the life boats lose so there’s no way out? Have you said, “Divorce is not an option for us. We’re going to make this thing work.” Have you closed the escape hatch, locked it with a key and thrown away the key. Divorce is not an option. If you haven’t, you’ll always be tempted to walk out. If you don’t throw away the key, you’ll never develop the character God wants you to have. It’s always easier to cop out than it is to develop character. God can change situations and personalities. He can change you. But He won’t if you’re always walking out the back door. He says, “Stay with the ship.” Don’t throw out the values you know are right and important. Don’t abandon the things you know you need in your life. I’ve learned from personal experience that it is never God’s will for me to run from a difficult situation. If you do, you will face it again later. God wants you to learn, to grow and to develop. Stay with it!

4. Don’t Lose Hope.

“…we finally gave up all hope of being saved,” (Acts 27:20, NIV).

Fourteen days in total darkness. They don’t know where they’re going. They’re being beat up and tossed back and forth. They’ve given up their cargo, their tackle and their food. Finally, they give up hope. That’s the last thing to go. Hope. They’d forgotten one thing: Even in a storm, God is in control. He hasn’t left you. You may not feel Him, but if you feel far from God, guess who moved? He hasn’t left you. He’s with you in that storm. He’ll help you through it. God is testing you to see if you’ll trust Him. God is always in control

B. So what is the right response to difficulty?

If you’re not in it now, you’re going to go through it.

1. Accept Responsibilities For Your Part In The Problem.

We call this confession. If you brought it on yourself, admit it. Stop blaming other people. Stop making excuses. Face the problem and say; I brought this on myself. If you’ve got a problem with your temper, you admit it. If you’ve a problem with your mouth, admit it. The Bible says, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.” Accept responsibility. What are you pretending is not a problem? First admit when you are the problem and turn the light on and you won’t be afraid anymore.

2. Face The Reality Of The Problem.

Don’t run away from it. Do what you can. This is what Paul did,

“You have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive,” (Acts 27:33-34).

When you get under stress, tension, in a crisis, when you’re overwhelmed by problems and think you’re going to crack up, you stop taking care of yourself. You don’t eat right or sleep right. Paul says; when you’re overwhelmed with stress remember the simple stuff like eating right. They had been worried sick for 14 days and hadn’t eaten anything.

Then he told them to do some other stuff: They lightened the ship, they untied the rudders and they cut the anchors loose. The crew intentionally ran the ship straight ahead into the storm trying to run aground. That is how you get through a storm. You don’t run from it. You can’t go under it, over it or around it. You go right into it.

God won’t take you around the storm. He will take you through the storm of life. The only way to face a storm is head on. If you turn sideways, you’re going to capsize. God says

“Face the storm, don’t fear it. Go straight on into it.”

You never solve a problem by ignoring it. God didn’t say when you go through the storm it will be easy. He said “I will be with you.” God didn’t say it will be easy getting through what you’re going through right now. But He did say, “I will be with you. And you are going to make it.”

3. Stand On The Promises Of God’s Word.

“Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told,” (Acts 27:25, New American Standard Bible).

God will keep His promises. God did not say the ship would make it. God said you will make it. Some things will be lost, but you will be saved. The ship won’t make it, but you will. That’s God’s promise to you. You will make it. Stand on it, accept it and believe it.

Conclusion:

Are you facing a storm in your life? Do you feel battered and torn by life’s storm? Do you feel like you haven’t seen daylight for 14 days? And you feel like you’re going to pieces, going to crack up, fall apart? Do you feel like your dreams will never come true? Do you feel like you will never accomplish God’s will for you life?

Don’t give up. Don’t become anxious and afraid. Don’t allow yourself to drift apart from your dreams and God Given desires. Don’t throw away the things that you need to make it through the storms. You don’t throw away your convictions, your relationship to God, going to church, meeting with God on a daily basis or reading your Bible. Pray and seek God’s face for your life.

Don’t give up hope.

The interesting thing about this story is that everything was falling apart in this storm except Paul. Why wasn’t Paul falling apart?

Paul wasn’t falling apart because his confidence was in God and not in the ship. You’re going through some storms. If I brought the storm on my own life, I should repent and change. I admit it and ask God to help me change. If Satan brought this problem in my life, I need to resist it — do a little spiritual warfare and resist what he’s trying to do to me. If God brought this problem in my life, I need to just relax. In fact, I need to relax regardless of what the source is and trust God.

Ask God, “What do you want me to learn from this situation?” Put your confidence in Him.

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7 lessons the storms of life can teach us.

shared by Lisa Appelo | 20 Comments

It’s been a week. When forecasters first spotted a hurricane that would likely hit Florida, the entire state went on high alert. It was billed as the largest hurricane on record in the Atlantic and while everyone in the state would be affected, it was uncertain precisely where it would hit.

We’ve seen some massive storms over the last few weeks. Irma left thousands with damage and without power. Texas and Louisiana are recovering from record floods after Hurricane Harvey. And western states have been fighting dozens of destructive wildfires.

As I write this, another hurricane is looming and remains a threat for the Eastern United States. Only time will tell whether we’ll need to prepare for another hit or it will spin off harmlessly into the Atlantic.

Truth is, none of us wants to go through a storm. Not just hurricanes, but storms in our finances, in our jobs and in our families. If only the days could be all sunshine and clear skies. Those are the kinds of days we pray for. And the kinds of days we think we’re entitled to.

But storms are actually vital for us. God uses difficulty not only to reveal himself but to shape us to become more like Christ.

It’s not just that storms teach. It’s that there are lessons we can only understand in a storm.

Lessons the storms of life can teach us

1. storms teach us real gratitude.

It’s easy to be grateful when things in life are going well. When the bank account is full and the children are behaving. But even in difficulty we can find things to be grateful for. Stopping to look for God’s good hand and keep a daily gratitude list helps us see that God is at work all around us even when circumstances are hard.

It’s while Paul was in prison that he wrote he’d “learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” ( Phil 4:11-13, NIV )

2. Storms teach us real joy

Paul taught another truth in prison – to rejoice IN all things. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” ( Phil 4:4, NIV )

After my husband died suddenly , I wondered if I’d ever feel real joy again. I thought it would come months later, after I’d processed the shock and grief. To my surprise, God brought moments of joy in the midst of grief. Evenings with friends. Birthday celebrations with family. Little surprises in my day.

Storms show us that real joy comes in the midst of the hard, not after it’s all resolved.

3. Storms teach us real peace

We’re apt to think peace is when the kids are in bed, the house is clean and quiet, and our favorite movie is on for the evening. But that’s not peace; that’s calm.

Peace isn’t the absence of difficulty. It’s the presence of God.

This too, Paul found while in prison, writing: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ( Phil 4:7, NIV )

God’s presence brings peace even when circumstances are storming around us.

4. Storms teach us real treasure

The world tells us we need bigger, newer and more. A few years ago, we evacuated for a powerful, oncoming hurricane. Before it hit, I could have given you a long list of things I thought I needed. But as we evacuated, none of that mattered.

In the storms that shatter life as you know it, what’s really valuable becomes crystal clear. Again from prison, Paul affirmed this: “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” ( Phil 3:8, NIV )

5. Storms teach us real strength

We can usually handle the mild annoyances and problems that surface on easy days. But trials bring us to the end of ourselves.

In those times, we realize we’re completely dependent on God. We need him to give us wisdom, to replace our fear with faith and to give us strength to battle the storm. But that’s a good place to be. God designed us to be utterly dependent on him.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” ( 2 Cor 12:9, NIV )

6. Storms teach us real faithfulness

It’s easy to quote the promises of God when life is good. But do they hold up in the hard?

Storms prove they do! We can see God’s faithfulness in ways we never see on sunny days. That’s when we can cement our own faith, when it becomes deeply personal because we see firsthand how God meets our needs and takes care of us in the hard. It’s in the storms we so often see God do things we couldn’t even ask or imagine.

“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.” ( Psalm 25:10, NIV )

7. Storm teach us about real home

Trials in life remind us that this world is not our home. Painful diagnoses, deep grief and financial losses are stark reminders that this world is temporary . We’re often forced to let go of things that don’t matter in the long – and the short – run.

The storms of life help us turn our focus from building our own kingdom to building God’s kingdom.

And as brutal as storms can be, scripture tells us “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” ( 2 Cor 4:17, NIV )

None of us are immune from the storms of life. While we don’t know how or when they will hit, God has assured us they will come.

But just like hurricanes, we can prepare.

First, we need to ensure  we’ve trusted our eternal life to God .  Second, we can strengthen our faith through regular Bible study , prayer and obedience. And finally, we can join with other believers to gather as a body and help weather storms together.

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Good stuff Lisa. We are either in a storm, coming out of one or a new one is looming close by. Can’t avoid them or run from them but we can run through them and be victorious if Jesus is present with us.

This’s wonderful message and teaching. It’s a Blessing to me and I shall use this as Teaching and Preaching material. God bless you.

Thanks Lisa for such a blessing message concerning the storms.

Beautifully said Christy❣ Thank you Lisa for reminding us that all things are possible with God.

Thanks Lisa for blessing me with these words from the Bible. Remain blessed.

It’s very practical teaching. I blessed by your sharing. Our God is always with us in all circumstances. Thank you . God bless you

Thank you Lisa, I used to think that the storms came as a result of my shortcoming but I understand it better today that is part of the process I have to go through in life. In order to become what God wants me to be.

Absolutely beautiful everything that you spoke was true thank you it’s amazing how God opens up my eyes and makes me see things to remind me that he’s always there for me I strongly believe that God does send messages to people as well and today I’ve read what I needed to thank you God bless you.

Me too, thank you Lisa for these inspiring words! God bless all your readers ❤️🙏❤️

Am blessed and very encouraged about the storm, may God give me grace and strength to move on

God bless Lisa. It is truly amazing that our God is shaping and moulding us for what we’ll be going through on the other side of the storms of life.

God bless you and your family..

Lisa God bless you. I have to study the word over and over. You have fine tune my thinking of storms. I will preach on it in my youth gathering coming soon. Thank you.

Three storms (one of them a super-typhoon) just recently battered my country (Philippines)…this Sunday I will preach again online and my topic is about storms…looking for some ideas about it and i came across your article…will conclude my sermon with the seven points you shared (will acknowledge your name) …thank you so much and God richly bless you

This is surely a wonderful lesson on spiritual storms

Great exposition of God’s word

Wonderful!!!!! big thanks to you Lisa, I have just concluded my message on the “beauty of storm” when I came across your article , waoooo it add more to my knowledge on storm. Thanks Aniyikaye John

I am really blessed with all the points mentioned. God bless

The message make me to know that what ever we are passing through , God is with us.

thanks Lisa for the good message for broken hearts like me

Thank you so much Lisa for this an amazing message knowing what ever we are passing through, God is with us He will never leave us nor forsake us.

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Overcoming Storms in Life

We often face storms throughout the journey of our lives here on earth. Whether you are a Christian or not, each and every single person will face a storm in their life.

It is a time of crisis and is often something that is outside our control. When we look into the Word of God we can quickly see that it is full of characters facing storms and overcoming them.

There are many different types of storms that we encounter:

1 THERE ARE NORMAL STORMS (Matthew 5:5)

Matthew 5,5 says “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

These are the storms that we face because we live in a world that has storms as a natural part of life. These are the storms that we can usually handle in our own strength and can get through them, accepting it as a natural part of life.

2 THERE ARE STORMS THAT WE ENGINEER (Jonah 1:1-4)

Jonah 1,1 – 4 “1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.”

From the above passage we see that God had a calling on Jonah and he was chosen by God because He had a plan and a purpose for his life. Not only did God have a calling on His life, but the Lord wanted to also save the people of Nineveh. God’s love for both was great.

The Lord could have very easily just picked up another person to do the job of taking the message to the people of Nineveh, but instead He did not give up on Jonah because of His unchanging love love towards them, He wanted to win them back to Himself.

3 THERE ARE STORMS THAT THE LORD SENDS US FOR GROWTH (Matthew 14:22-33)

Matthew 14,22-23 “22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.

Here we see Jesus sending His disciples away, and they went right into a storm. Notice that they entered the storm soon after they left Jesus, later that night. While the disciples were in the storm, Jesus was praying. This was  a test of their faith.

These events are taking place, just after they saw Jesus feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and two fish. By now their trust in Jesus should have been solid, but as soon as they entered the storm, they trusted in their own strength.

Jesus in the meantime did not turn up straight away to rescue them from the storm, but waited until dawn (the fourth watch around 3.00am) in order to save them. God does everything in His perfect timing. Likewise we too might be going through a storm, maybe for some time now but be assured that Jesus himself is interceding on our behalf and will deliver is at the right moment. The storm will help us grow to completely trust in Him and Him alone, and not in our own strength.

4 THERE ARE STORMS THAT WE ARE DRAGGED INTO BY OTHER PEOPLE (Acts 27:10-14)

Acts 27,10-14: “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. 13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island.

The sailors on Paul’s ship made their decision according to their own wisdom and knowledge. We need to fully rely on the Lord before we can make a decision on anything. We must always seek Godly counsel and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our decisions. God brought them through this storm and we can see that Paul in v25 says “ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26  Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

Our faith must be strong in the Lord no matter how we got into the storm or no. If we are in it, be assured that the Lord is always by your side.

So, in such situations what does the Word of God tell us that we can do and what Jesus Christ has done in order to for us to overcome the storms of life?

1 – Understanding that we are destined to overcome:

Psalm 73:24 “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory”

Jeremiah 29:11 “   For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. “

• God has a glorious destiny for each person
• Your current or past circumstance does not alter the fact that He has a plan for your life
• God gave you the right personality, talent, gift, passions, and designed you the way you are, with His purpose in mind and your destiny in mind
• God has a destiny for everyone, not just a select few. It is God’s desire for us to walk in it and that is why we are destined to overcome
• No storm can rob you of God’s destiny for your life
• God will use the storms in order to change us and redirect us. Sometimes we feel that we are being blown off course but in fact God is using the storm in order to put us on the right path
• Whatever you give to Jesus, he resurrects. Give Him all the pieces of your storm battered life and He will breathe new life into it. The storms may be strong but God is stronger.
• Always remember that you are destined to overcome

2 – Jesus came so that we could overcome:

John 16:33 “ 33  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” “ -Jesus overcame in order to bring victory into our storms

Matthew 16:18 “ 18  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” – No storm can destroy the work of the Lord. You are part of His work. Be a rock in the middle of your storm

Hebrews 2:14 “ 14  Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— “ -Jesus has already defeated the storms in our life, so let us claim the victory and allow the Lord to lead you through the storm.

• Jesus conquered our 3 enemies in this world: Sin, Satan and Death. These cause a lot of storms in our lives, but Jesus conquered them all by His Death, Burial and Resurrection
• Sin no longer has power to control you, the power of sin is broken for those in the Lord
• Satan no longer has any authority over us
• Death no longer has any fear or dread on us
• All the sources of storms are defeated by Jesus Christ, but that does not mean that there will be no storms in our lives, but the guarantee is that we can overcome any storm.
• Why, because Jesus overcame them
• In John 16:33 Jesus did promise storms, but He said take heart, I have overcome the world
• STAY CONNECTED TO JESUS through the storm and you will overcome
• Build your foundation on Jesus and you will overcame any storm

3 We’ve been forgiven so we can overcome:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “ 9  Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. “

Psalm 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

• Jesus has already set us free from the past. Our identity is no longer connected to our past life, mistakes or storms. Now our identity is connected to what Jesus Christ has done for us. You are now washed, set apart and made right.
• How can you overcome if you tag you are still dragging your past with you, it will be heavy and bring you down. You must live in the present, with the forgiveness that the Lord has provided.
• You must stop thinking of yourself as a loser, a reject, you are no good, somethings wrong with me, unlovable, unforgivable etc….
• You are now in Christ, which means that you are God’s child, member of Christ’s body, a saint, complete in Christ, citizen of heaven, salt of the earth, God’s workmanship, Forgiven.

4 We are empowered to overcome:

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 “ 7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. “

Acts 1:8 “ 8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

• God places His power inside of us so that we can overcome – The Holy Spirit
• God does not expect us to face the storms on our own and with our own strength, but He places His Holy Spirit in us, His supernatural power in us
• God’s power in us is a witness to the world. 2 Cor 4:7 says that it is “to show that all-surpassing power is from God”, and that when you overcome the storm, the world will know that it is of God
• Many of you may already have many testimonies of how the Lord helped you overcome your storms
• Build your relationship with the Lord and have fellowship with the Holy Spirit, when you get closer to God, He will come closer to you. When you totally rely on Him, he takes over and on His command the storms will cease

5 We all have a choice to overcome

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “ 19  This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20  and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ” – Its your choice to allow Christ to take over, or keep battling in your own strength

John 5:40 “ yet you refuse to come to me to have life. ” – You know about Him but do you go to Him and know Him personally?

• Overcoming is a choice, not chance. Our life is not about chance, luck, fate or good fortune, but everything happens with a plan and purpose.
• We have 2 choice, either that we can overcome the storms in our OWN strength and wisdom, OR we can humble ourselves before God and allow Him to take over the situation. Choosing God is choosing life.
• If you are tired of your life and your situation, give it to Jesus and He will give you a brand new life. Overcoming storms will then become a reality. Jesus came to give us life, abundantly.
• Put God first in all areas of your life and you will see Him work mightily. Matthew 5:33 says “ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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• The Storms of Life: A Poetic Exploration

Life is a journey filled with both joyous moments and turbulent storms. Just as a storm tests the strength of a ship, these trials and challenges test the resilience of our spirit. Throughout history, poets have sought solace in their art by capturing the essence of these storms of life. In this article, we will delve into a selection of poignant poems that beautifully express the various tempests we encounter on our life's voyage.

The Fury of the Storm

Finding hope in the storm, embracing the storm.

When the storms of life rage, they can leave us feeling overwhelmed, shattered, and lost. However, poets have often found inspiration in these tumultuous moments, creating powerful verses that resonate with readers.

One such poem is "The Tyger" by William Blake. This timeless piece explores the darker aspects of life, likening them to a fierce and dangerous beast. The poet's evocative language and vivid imagery emphasize the intensity of the storm within:

"Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

Blake's poem portrays the storms of life as something both fearsome and beautiful, reminding us that even amidst chaos, there can be a certain kind of twisted allure.

While storms can be overwhelming, they also have the power to reveal our inner strength and resilience. Poets have often explored this theme, crafting verses that inspire us to find hope even in the darkest of times.

Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise," is a perfect example of finding strength amid adversity. Her powerful words uplift and empower, reminding us to rise above the storms we face:

"You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise."

Angelou's poem serves as a reminder that storms are temporary, and we possess the strength to overcome them. It encourages us to embrace our resilience and keep moving forward.

While many poems explore the challenges and hardships of life's storms, some poets advocate for embracing these trials as essential parts of our growth and transformation.

Rumi's poem, "The Guest House," beautifully captures this sentiment. It encourages us to welcome all experiences, even the stormy ones, as opportunities for growth and self-discovery:

"This being

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Emotion Regulation

3 steps for navigating life's daily, unexpected "storms", how to handle hassles and challenges without getting swept away..

Posted September 8, 2023 | Reviewed by Tyler Woods

• What Is Emotion Regulation?
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• Daily stressors can be perceived as "threat" by our nervous system and can trigger unwanted, intense emotions.
• Instead of being consumed by our emotions, there are strategies that can help steady us.
• Dropping an anchor, standing at the helm of the ship, and keeping the beacon in sight can help us navigate.

The day the giant piece of glass (for a display case that my husband was building) shattered into thousands of pieces all over the living room Berber carpet and the kitchen floor, was not one of my best. Once I was certain my husband was not badly injured (only a minor cut on his hand), my mind went to the daunting task of how we would ever clean this all up and be assured that we removed every tiny shard of glass from the carpet in which it was embedded and hidden. My nervous system , feeling the major “threat” of having to spend the next several hours cleaning this up (it took two and a half), and the fear of how we would make the room safe again, was enough to throw me into a combination of fight-or-flight (anxious and frustrated) and freeze (initially immobilized out of overwhelm).

Having had recent practice in the middle of the night navigating unwanted wakings at 3 a.m. and simply being awake for hours, I remembered a few strategies to help me navigate the unexpected “storms” of anxiety and intense emotions that come with some of life’s daily challenges.

What do we do when we encounter frustrating external situations out of our control? We can let irritability and anxiety consume us (I’ve been there), or we can turn to some strategies to steady us amidst the storms. Here’s what I’ve found helpful.

When you encounter unexpected, stormy seas, you can:

1. Drop your anchor. When your nervous system reacts to a perceived threat by throwing your body into a fight-or-flight response, it is best, as a first step, to drop your anchor. Rather than being blown out to sea, dropping an anchor means bringing some safety and stability to the body as a way to help calm the nervous system. When our nervous system is more regulated, we can think and see with greater clarity and perspective.

When the glass shattered, after I assessed there were no actual emergencies, I sat (or more, sank) in a glass-free corner and started steadying my breathing. I allowed my breath to come in naturally and deeply, and I slowed down my exhalations to make them longer than my inhalations. This sends calming messages to the nervous system. Other ways of “dropping your anchor” might include: bringing awareness to the feeling of the ground underneath your feet or the support underneath your body if you are seated or lying down; intentionally bringing awareness to and softening muscle tension; or bringing awareness to any or all the five senses as experienced through the body. Mindful attention to inner body signals can provide cues of safety to the nervous system and help invite in some more regulating energy.

2. Remember that you can still navigate the ship (even though you can’t stop the storm). Ask yourself, “What can I choose in this moment? Where can I rest my attention ?" (even if I have to keep redirecting it again and again). Remind yourself that while you can’t always change or control the external circumstances, you can choose your internal mindset and focus.

In the middle of the night, when my mind is racing, I remind myself that I can navigate my attention to thoughts, images and sensations that are soothing and comforting rather than let my mind run completely away with worried thoughts (this is a continual practice and sometimes is more difficult to do than other times). With the glass situation, I chose to make the vacuuming a meditative experience, bringing my attention to the back-and-forth rhythm and motion as I systematically covered one piece of carpet at a time. Rather than focusing on the daunting task ahead of me, I tried to focus on what was right in front of me.

3. Keep the beacon in view (and set your compass in the direction you want to go). The beacon (like a beacon of light guiding ships to safe harbor) is a metaphor I use for connecting with one’s deepest values and intentions. When we can focus on what really matters to us, what we most care about (even in the midst of our challenges) this helps us to make choices that are more aligned with these values and choose behaviors that serve our long-term well-being.

During the glass incident, the beacon I tried to hold in view was wanting to be supportive for my husband and not have my negativity and frustration make him feel worse than he already felt (even though the situation was not his fault but a defect in the glass). I wanted to find the best version of myself to manage this minor calamity (rather than letting it bring out the worst in me). I was at least somewhat successful at this, thanks to keeping the beacon in view.

The daily and unexpected storms of life will surely throw us off course, but when they do, it is helpful to know there are some tools that can help us navigate with a little more ease. Remembering to drop your anchor, stand at the helm of your ship, and keep the beacon in sight can help you find your way back to safe and stable waters.

Beth Kurland, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist, TedX and public speaker, mind-body coach, and author of four books. Her newest book is You Don’t Have to Change to Change Everything.

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EXPLORING SACRED MUSIC, WORSHIP, AND THE ARTS

Stormy Weather: A Homiletic Essay

An earlier version of this essay appeared in Giving it Up: Readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day (Oxford: BRF, 2009); reproduced by kind permission of the author.

In my home country of England, you are never more than seventy-four miles from the coast, so wherever you live it is possible to get to the sea in a day. At different points in my life I have lived close to coastline overlooked by huge cliffs, or by long, shallow beaches that extend across bleak mudflats. There is something therapeutic about the salty smell and the beating of waves on the shore—perhaps because that liminal space between land and sea opens up a sense of possibility. On a beach, our defined, landlocked life encounters the edge of an uncontrollable freedom; we are reminded of endless possibility, but also that we are not as much in control as we might like to think. Therapeutic though a beach may be, the wildness of the sea is not to be underestimated.

My father served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and had the misfortune never completely to get his sea legs. I remember him telling funny stories about journeys through choppy waters, and how he learned to fend off seasickness by avoiding looking at the waves or the boat, instead keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. Years later, in the days before you could take a train from London to France, his advice served me well on many a ferry trip across the English Channel. What my father never mentioned until I was much older, though, was the life-threatening kind of storm in which the sea, the sky and the rain all blend into one grey mess, and you can’t see the horizon at all.

I experienced just such a storm when, in my early twenties, I went to live in a small town on the edge of a Norwegian fjord. My new friends were amazed to discover that, despite coming from a maritime nation, I had never been fishing at sea. Determined to correct this lack in my experience, they took me with them the next time they set out to fish. We stowed our waterproofs and sweaters as it was a warm, dry day, and set out on smooth seas as the sun glinted on the gently moving water beneath the boat. Out on the water we set up various nets and lines, and the degree of excitement I felt at my first catch far outweighed the size of the fish on the end of the line, which was deemed too small to keep.

After some hours, quite suddenly the sun faded, the sky turned grey, and the captain announced that we should pack up urgently and head for home. Within the space of a few minutes, the sea turned angry, the clouds grew dark and forbidding, and the rain began to come down in sheets. The horizon blurred so that you couldn’t tell where the rain ended and the sea began.

The fishermen went into emergency mode, tying us all on to the boat, and we headed towards land, lurching from side to side in enormous waves. Too numb to feel fear, I remember willing the storm to subside, trying in vain to find a point of focus to stop my head from spinning. A long time later when we came in to land, the quayside was lined with people waiting with blankets and hot drinks. As we stepped ashore, I saw the anxiety and relief in the faces of the waiting women, and wondered how often they had stood there, scanning the horizon. I had sung countless times the hymn for naval and fishing boats. Now I felt more starkly what it meant to cry out “for those in peril on the sea.”

In the early chapters of his gospel, Mark tells a series of stories about Jesus and the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee, several times rowing through terrifying storms. The Sea of Galilee is actually a huge lake—fourteen miles long, three miles wide at the narrow point, and seven miles across at the widest place. On a calm day it doesn’t take long for experienced fishermen to cross it, but in a fierce storm, a stretch of water that size is a dangerous place to be. Mark’s writing style is a bit like live TV coverage; he writes in the present continuous tense, giving the sense that he is reporting from a scene that is happening right now. When Mark tells you about a storm, rather than picturing a far distant epic, you actually feel the lurch in your stomach and the spray on your face.

Mark tells of a night when, while the disciples rowed through a fierce storm, Jesus slept undisturbed below deck until, in desperation, they shook him awake. They were unsurprised at his ability to sleep through a violent storm but incredulous that he would seemingly abandon them to its power. [1] Why, when their lives were in danger, did he do nothing to help? The disciples had run not only into a storm, but into a timeless theological conundrum and one of the biggest stumbling blocks to faith: the unanswered question of why God seems to do nothing when people suffer, to be asleep when the storm is raging, to be curiously absent at our time of deepest need.

Just like God’s conversation with Job, however, Jesus offers no explanation, and simply seems surprised at their distress. Their suffering is not explained, and their questions are answered not with a neat theodicy, but only in this: that even though they didn’t realize it, he was fully present with them throughout their ordeal.

A couple of chapters later Mark tells of another night when the disciples rowed through a storm. [2] But this time, when the storm blew up, they could not call on him for help, for Jesus had stayed on shore and gone alone up the mountain to pray. The biblical symbolism of sea and mountains emphasizes the disciples’ sense of isolation. Mountains usually represent the revelation of God. The Ten Commandments, the Transfiguration, the Ascension, Moses’ personal meeting with God—all of these are literally mountain top moments. But the sea, in biblical imagery, represents the chaos and wickedness of humanity apart from God—hence in heaven there is “no more sea.” [3] The image is therefore one of extreme alienation: while Jesus is safe in the revealed presence of God, the disciples are at sea, facing the depths of humanity’s alienation from themselves and from God.

Dawn was breaking when they looked up and saw Jesus walking towards them across the water. After they had battled the storm for some hours, you might expect them to be relieved and comforted at the sight of Jesus approaching. But just as with Mary on Easter morning [4] and the disciples on the road to Emmaus, [5] there was a disruption of perception, and they saw Jesus but did not recognize him. Far from calming them down, his appearance increased their fear, for now they thought that on top of everything else they had to deal with a ghost. Stress and anxiety often impair our perception and our judgment. Sometimes, if we’re cast adrift in difficult and alienating circumstances and have to work hard just to stay afloat, we become incapable of recognizing hope when it appears on our horizon. The very thing that is thrown to us as a lifeline initially appears to make matters worse.

This is one of only a few gospel stories in which Jesus seems to step completely outside his human limitations. Each of the gospel writers tells us that Jesus strode across the water. John goes even further and claims that as soon as Jesus was in the boat, they were miraculously transported to the other side of the lake. [6] It’s inconclusive, and not even particularly interesting, to speculate on the historicity of the miracle. Miracles are implausible by nature, and arguing about whether they really happened or whether there is a rational explanation for them is a cul-de-sac—you can never prove it decisively one way or the other. What is more interesting about this ghostly appearance is that it gives Mark, who doesn’t tell any resurrection stories, an opportunity to portray Jesus in an unrecognizable, super-human form. These tough fishermen had bravely faced down wind and waves for several hours, but this strange and ghostly apparition walking across the water strikes fear into their hearts. The moment of recognition comes with Jesus’ words: “It is I . . . .”. But in translation the point can be lost that Jesus is saying something more than just “It’s me.” The Greek reads ego eimi— I am—which clearly connects us back to the stories of naming and identity from Exodus. “Who am I?” asked Moses, but God’s reply inverts Moses’ question: “I am that I am . . . . Say that I am has sent you . . . .” [7]

Mark, then, highlights the fact that human and divine are brought together in Jesus. The shimmering figure outside the boat represents the unknowable, unrecognizable presence of God—the God who cannot be grasped, and who creates a storm of fear in our souls. But inside the boat, he becomes recognizable, and everything becomes calm and still. We can’t even begin to know God until we accept the paradoxical nature of the encounter—that God is on the one hand limitless and unknowable, and on the other hand made known to us in the practical realities of everyday life. Accepting that we never will understand is, in fact, the beginning of understanding. The knowable and the unknowable have to be held in tension.

Matthew added a postscript to Mark’s story, in which he described Peter stepping out of the boat to join Jesus walking on the waves. Matthew gives the impression that Peter was still not completely certain that it was Jesus standing there, but he was prepared to go out on a limb. You might call this a leap of faith—a term coined by Søren Kierkegaard. In the vernacular this is often used to describe a leap into the complete unknown, but Kierkegaard was trying to describe something more like Peter’s stepping out of the boat: not an irrational movement into complete darkness, but an attempt to make a connection across the gaps of logic that are inevitable in any system of thought. Kierkegaard’s point is that it is futile to try to bridge every gap with logic; instead the connections are made with a leap of faith—a calculated risk based on a probable but unprovable certainty. Peter’s hunch was that, despite the mystery that God is to us, God would nonetheless meet him. And so it proved.

These stories of Jesus meeting his disciples in the storm are not the stuff of gentle Sunday School tales. They speak of the worst and most frightening moments in our own lives. When we are in desperate circumstances—threatened with loss of health, shelter, employment, physical safety, or when life itself is being snatched away—the horizon seems to disappear. We long to tie ourselves to something solid in order not to be swept away, yet the most solid thing we can find is as turbulent as a boat on stormy seas.

Faith rests on the promise that, in the worst of life’s challenges—when nothing is certain, the transcendent God is unrecognizable, and the familiar Jesus seems to be asleep on the job—God is nonetheless present. We may emerge weather-beaten, but we will discover, eventually, that we have not rowed through the storm alone.

[1] Mark 4:35-40

[2] Mark 6:45–52

[3] Revelation 21:1

[4] John 20:11–18

[5] Luke 24:13–35

[6] John 6:21

[7] Exodus 3:11,14

Volume 2.1 Fall 2015

In this Issue Rita Ferrone, editor

On the Cover

The Mystery of Water

A Blessing Over Waters Teresa Berger

The Water Worlds of John Muir Anne Rowthorn

Praying for Rain in the California Drought Megan Sweas

Ten Fathom Ledge Martha Serpas

Walking on Water-Azurite Makoto Fujimura

Irrigation Martha Serpas

The Gift of Water

Water in the Book of Common Prayer Jeffery Rowthorn

Why We Need an Altar Call to the Font Benjamin M. Stewart

A ‘Saguaro Church’ at Worship Talitha Arnold

The Rain: A Funeral Story Michelle Lewis

Trial by Water

Stormy Weather: A Homiletic Essay Maggi Dawn

Hope Travels Below Sea Level Teresa Berger

One Final Note

Water and the Spirit Don E. Saliers

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Plan, Prepare & Make the Best Career Choices

My Life Essay - 100, 200, 500 Words

Life is the state of being alive and the experience of living. It is a characteristic that distinguishes physical entities with biological processes, such as growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli, from those without such processes. Life is a complex and diverse phenomenon that encompasses a wide range of forms and functions. Life can be found in every corner of the earth, from the tiniest microorganisms to the largest animals. It is a precious and fragile thing, and scientists continue to study and understand more about the intricacies of life every day.

100 Words on My Life Essay

200 words on my life essay, 500 words on my life essay.

My life has been a journey of growth and learning. From a young age, I have always been curious and eager to explore the world around me. I have had many experiences that have shaped who I am today. Growing up in a small town gave me a sense of community and belonging while also allowing me to develop a love for nature and the outdoors.

My education has also played a significant role in shaping my life. I have always been a dedicated student and have worked hard to achieve my goals. I have learned valuable lessons about perseverance and determination, and I have been able to apply these lessons to other areas of my life.

My life has been a journey full of ups and downs, but overall it has been a fulfilling and meaningful experience.

Routine of My Daily Life

I am a student, and I have always been passionate about learning. My daily routine starts with waking up early in the morning, and I usually wake up at 6 am. I get dressed and have my breakfast, which generally includes cereal or toast with some fruit. After breakfast, I spend some time reviewing my notes and studying for my upcoming exams.

I then head off to school, where I spend most of my day attending classes and participating in various activities. I am involved in several extracurricular activities, such as sports, debate teams and volunteering which keeps me busy and active. After school, I come back home and spend some time doing my homework and finishing any pending assignments.

Overall, my life is filled with a balance of work and play. I am always busy, but I make sure to make time for the things that matter most to me. I believe that life is about making the most of every opportunity and making the most of every moment. I am grateful for the experiences that I have had, and I am excited about the future.

Life is a journey full of ups and downs, opportunities, and challenges. It is unique for everyone and it is something that we all have to experience on our own. As a student, my life is currently focused on school and my future aspirations. There have been some important moments in my life that I will always remember, and I am always looking for ways to improve my life.

Memorable Life Experiences

One of the most important moments in my life was when I received my first acceptance letter from a university. It was a moment of pride and accomplishment, and it made me feel like all of my hard work had finally paid off. This moment inspired me to work even harder and to strive for success in all of my future endeavours.

Another important moment that made me incredibly proud was when I received the first prize in an inter-school science competition. I had been working on my project for months, conducting experiments, analysing data, and perfecting my presentation. The competition was fierce, with students from all over the city presenting their projects.

How I Felt | When my name was called as the winner, I was overwhelmed with emotion. All of my hard work and dedication had paid off, and I was being recognized for my achievements. The audience erupted into applause, and I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that I will never forget.

Despite these positive moments, there have also been challenges that I have had to face. One of the biggest challenges I have faced is balancing my schoolwork and extracurricular activities. It can be difficult to find the time to study, participate in sports and clubs, and still have time for my friends and family. However, I have learned that time management and prioritisation are important skills to have, and I am always working to improve in these areas.

Moving forward, I have many aspirations for my future. I hope to continue my education and obtain a degree in a field that I am passionate about. I also want to travel the world and experience different cultures, and to use my education and skills to make a positive impact on others.

Volunteer Activities

I have also been involved in several volunteer activities, and I have found them to be incredibly rewarding. I have volunteered for various causes, such as helping out at homeless shelters and working with underprivileged children. It has given me a sense of purpose, and it has made me realise the importance of giving back to society.

In order to achieve my goals, I know that I need to continue to work hard and to be proactive. I want to stay focused and determined, and to never give up on my dreams. I also want to continue to learn and grow, and to always be open to new opportunities and experiences.

My life has been a journey that has been full of memorable experiences. I have had my fair share of ups and downs, but I have learned to appreciate and make the most of every moment. I am grateful for the people in my life, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

• Construction
• Entertainment
• Manufacturing
• Information Technology

Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary. 

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi . 

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive. 

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.  

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues. 

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems. 

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software. 

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description:  A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials. 

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth. 

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs. 

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story. 

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook. 

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion. 

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article. 

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or  MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.  

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications. 

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product. 

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans. 

Process Development Engineer

The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party. 

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems. 

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

Information Security Manager

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack 

ITSM Manager

Automation test engineer.

An Automation Test Engineer job involves executing automated test scripts. He or she identifies the project’s problems and troubleshoots them. The role involves documenting the defect using management tools. He or she works with the application team in order to resolve any issues arising during the testing process. 

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Essay on Storm

Students are often asked to write an essay on Storm in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Storm

Introduction.

Storms are natural events that happen when the atmosphere becomes disturbed. They are characterized by strong winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning.

Types of Storms

There are various types of storms such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards. Each type is unique in its formation and impact.

Storm Formation

Storms form when warm, moist air rises into the cold atmosphere. This creates clouds, and when the conditions are right, a storm occurs.

Impact of Storms

While storms can cause damage, they also bring needed rain to plants and help to cool down the Earth.

Despite their destructive power, storms are an important part of our planet’s weather system.

250 Words Essay on Storm

Storms, a natural phenomenon characterized by significant disruptions in atmospheric conditions, are a fascinating subject of study. They are formed when a system of low pressure develops with a system of high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds and result in the formation of storm clouds, such as cumulonimbus.

The Science Behind Storms

The formation of storms involves a complex interplay of physical factors. The process begins with the sun heating the Earth’s surface, causing the air above to warm and rise, creating an area of low pressure below. Cooler air then rushes in to fill the void, but as it warms, it too rises. This cycle results in the formation of clouds and, under the right conditions, a storm. The severity of the storm is determined by the temperature and moisture differences between the two air masses.

There are various types of storms, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Thunderstorms are the most common, typically resulting from convection in cumulonimbus clouds. Tornadoes, on the other hand, are formed from supercell thunderstorms, where changes in wind speed and direction create a spinning effect. Hurricanes, the most destructive of storms, form over warm ocean waters near the equator.

Storms can have a profound impact on both the environment and human societies. They can cause significant damage to infrastructure, disrupt ecosystems, and even result in loss of life. However, they also play a crucial role in distributing heat and moisture around the Earth, contributing to the planet’s overall climate equilibrium.

In conclusion, storms, while potentially destructive, are a crucial part of Earth’s climatic system. Understanding their formation and impact is not only fascinating but also vital in mitigating their potential harm and utilizing their benefits.

500 Words Essay on Storm

Storms, a natural phenomenon, are a powerful manifestation of nature’s might. They are characterized by high-speed winds, often accompanied by precipitation, and can cause significant damage. However, they also play a crucial role in the earth’s climatic system, redistributing heat and moisture across the globe. This essay explores the science behind storms, their impact on humanity, and our response to these forces of nature.

The Science of Storms

A storm is essentially a disturbance in the atmosphere. They occur due to differential heating of the Earth’s surface, leading to the formation of low-pressure systems. As warm, moist air rises, it cools and condenses to form clouds. The release of latent heat during condensation fuels the storm, causing the air to rise further and creating a self-sustaining system.

Storms can take various forms, such as thunderstorms, cyclones, tornadoes, and blizzards, each with unique characteristics. Thunderstorms, for instance, are short-lived but intense, featuring heavy rainfall, thunder, and lightning. Cyclones, on the other hand, are large-scale systems lasting several days, marked by strong winds spiraling inward towards a calm center or ‘eye’.

Impact on Humanity

Storms have a profound impact on human lives and activities. On the negative side, they can cause widespread destruction—damaging infrastructure, disrupting communication and transportation systems, and even leading to loss of life. The economic cost of storms can be staggering, running into billions of dollars annually.

However, storms also have positive aspects. They help redistribute heat from the tropics to the poles, maintaining the Earth’s overall climate balance. Rainstorms replenish water supplies and are vital for agriculture in many regions. Moreover, the awe-inspiring spectacle of storms has cultural and artistic significance, often serving as a metaphor for human emotions and experiences in literature and the arts.

Human Response to Storms

Humanity’s response to storms is a blend of resilience, adaptation, and scientific advancement. Over centuries, communities have developed coping strategies, from building storm-resistant structures to creating early warning systems.

Modern technology has significantly enhanced our ability to predict and respond to storms. Meteorological satellites provide real-time data on storm formation and progression, enabling accurate forecasts. Advances in construction technology have led to the development of buildings capable of withstanding severe storms.

Yet, despite our advancements, storms continue to pose a significant challenge, particularly in the context of climate change. Scientists predict that global warming could lead to more intense and frequent storms, necessitating further research and preparedness.

Storms, while destructive, are an integral part of our planet’s atmospheric system. Understanding them is not only fascinating from a scientific perspective but also crucial for mitigating their impact. As we continue to grapple with the reality of a changing climate, our relationship with storms is likely to become even more complex and significant. Through continued research and technological advancements, we can hope to better predict, prepare for, and respond to these awe-inspiring phenomena.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Trauma — Worst Experience Of My Life Essay

Worst Experience of My Life Essay

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My Story Was Told in ‘Hotel Rwanda.’ Here’s What I Want the World to Know Now.

By Paul Rusesabagina

Mr. Rusesabagina is the president and founder of the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation.

This week, the world will again turn its eyes toward Rwanda. April 6 marks 30 years since the start of one of the most horrific events in modern history, the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Nearer in time but not unrelated, it has been just over one year since I left Rwanda and returned to the United States, released from prison after 939 days in captivity .

I have not yet spoken at length about what those years in a Rwandan prison were like, or about the daily reality for Rwandan political prisoners who, like me, found themselves behind bars for exercising their freedom of expression. It has been a long year of physical and emotional recovery that has allowed me finally to put pen to paper again, and I expect the healing process will last the rest of my life.

The experience of being kidnapped, tortured, imprisoned and silenced by those whom I had used my voice to criticize is difficult to describe. At many times during my captivity I believed I would be silenced for good, and that I would never again see my wife, my children and my grandchildren. But today I am a free man. And as we face this important and difficult milestone, I feel grateful to be able to join with my fellow Rwandans and reflect on what, if anything, we can take from this terrible chapter of our shared history.

For me and for so many Rwandans, the 1994 genocide remains the focal point of my life. The months of April to July 1994 were a time of incomprehensible horror, in which our beautiful country was dragged into hell by brutal violence and killings on a scale previously unimaginable. At some points in the crisis, as many as 10,000 people were butchered in a day, primarily by machetes and other crude weapons. Even now, three decades later, and even for those of us who saw the killings firsthand, it is impossible to process the depravity and the gravity of the loss.

At the time, I was the manager of the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, where I tried to protect not only my own young family but also the 1,268 people who sought shelter within the walls of the hotel. Their bravery, and our daily macabre dance with death, became the backdrop of the 2004 film “Hotel Rwanda.” This film brought to the screen our compromising, negotiating and begging with our would-be executioners to try to keep the waiting militia at bay.

This experience is still difficult for each one of us to relive. I am grateful to have survived it. I am also grateful for the two personal lessons I decided to take from living through this atrocity. The first: Never, ever, ever give up. This is what sustained me when I was kidnapped in August 2020 by an operative of the Rwandan intelligence services and wrongfully detained in Rwanda on charges of terrorism and other crimes, along with others who were critical of the current government. The second: Words are our most effective weapons when we are confronted by those who seek to oppress and victimize others.

Both of these lessons are on my mind today, as the world considers the state of Rwanda 30 years after the genocide brought us to our knees.

Now Rwanda is viewed by many nations as an important global partner — a partner that has bravely rebuilt itself into a thriving and inclusive modern society. But it is increasingly difficult to remain blind to the jailing — and even the disappearances and killings — of those who criticize or challenge the Rwandan government’s power. Independent journalists, human rights advocates and opposition political parties are nearly absent from the landscape of Rwandan civil society today. This is not a reconciled or inclusive society; it is an authoritarian state.

The rest of the world should stop looking the other way. As a global community, we are being confronted with the rise of authoritarianism and the co-opting of institutions meant to support basic liberties, such as the freedom of press, speech and association. Throughout the world, politics is being used as a tool to promote division, and in some cases violence, in order to gain or maintain power. We continue to see the fundamental human rights that we fought so hard for being upheld only for certain people in certain circumstances. And, as is so often the case, the vulnerable members of society are the ones who pay the greatest price. Rwanda, which today lacks strong democratic institutions and free and fair elections, is not immune to these problems.

I believe that it becomes the role of those of us who have been empowered by our circumstances to speak out, to act as a check on abuses of power and to resist the erosion of our fundamental rights. It is imperative to speak against those who seek to reduce civic space and basic freedoms for their own political gain, choose to fuel violence for profit and openly engage in brutal wars for material wealth. This becomes our work, even if speaking out puts us in the direct line of fire, as it has for me and my family.

Thirty years on from the Rwandan genocide, there is still cause for hope. We can see young Rwandans all over the world continuing to advocate genuine reconciliation and the building of a democratic Rwanda, despite the overt risks of doing so. We can see the bravery and unfailing resolve of the women of Iran and Afghanistan and those who support them. We can see the open resistance of people in Myanmar, Ukraine, Syria and Sudan standing up to tyranny and oppression. Their courage reminds us that it is our collective duty to counter autocratic regimes and policies and promote equality and, above all, peace.

This is my prayer, and hope, for the next 30 years, for Rwanda and beyond.

Paul Rusesabagina served as manager of the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali during the Rwandan genocide, a story later told in the film “Hotel Rwanda.” In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. He is the president and founder of the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation.

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Weather | Storms batter the South, leaving one dead in…

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Weather | o.j. simpson, fallen football hero acquitted of murder in ‘trial of the century,’ dies at 76, weather | storms batter the south, leaving one dead in mississippi, the storms dumped close to 8 inches of rain on parts of the new orleans area.

By Kevin McGill and Gerald Herbert | Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Severe storms blamed for a death in Mississippi spawned tornado-strength winds that demolished buildings in a south Louisiana city Wednesday while inundating streets in low-lying New Orleans with hours of steady rain that snarled traffic and strained the city’s antiquated drainage system.

Severe weather stretched across much of the Gulf South with reports of damage from Texas to the Florida panhandle.

A suspected tornado hit Slidell, Louisiana, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of New Orleans, Wednesday morning, ripping roofs off of buildings, partially collapsing others. Authorities said first responders had to rescue people trapped in one heavily damaged apartment building.

Police video showed tree limbs littering the streets and flooded yards that resembled Louisiana swamps. Outside a McDonald’s restaurant, a car was on its side, power poles leaned toward the ground and large pieces of the restaurant’s trademark golden arches were strewn about.

There were no reports of deaths or critical injuries in Slidell. National Weather Service meteorologist Christopher Bannan said investigators were surveying damage and data to officially determine the cause of the damage but that it was likely a tornado that is believed to have moved from Louisiana into Mississippi.

“I’ve never talked to God so much before in my life,” Robin Marquez said after huddling with coworkers in a two-story building that was heavily damaged.

Close to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of New Orleans. It came as the system of pipes and pumps that drains the city dealt with problems with its power generating system, forcing workers to divert power from one area to another as needed.

“During intense rain, the mission sometimes shifts from keeping the streets dry to draining them as quickly as possible,” the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, which operates the system, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

In Mississippi, the death of Shirley Wilson, 64, is being attributed to the storm. Wilson had several medical conditions that required her to have access to an electric oxygen machine at all times, Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee said. When her home in the central Mississippi county lost power, her oxygen machine shut down. Emergency responders couldn’t reach her until about 20 minutes after her grandchild called 911 early Wednesday, and she was pronounced dead.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said 72 homes were damaged.

In Texas, several people were rescued from homes and vehicles early Wednesday morning when flooding inundated parts of Jasper County, near the Louisiana line, authorities said.

All major roads into Kirbyville, a Jasper County town of about 2,000 people, were shut down early Wednesday due to the flooding, the sheriff’s office said. Shelters were being set up after about 50 people were displaced from their homes, Billy Ted Smith, the Jasper County emergency management coordinator, said. He estimated those people came from about 20 flooded homes and said there had been around half a dozen people rescued from vehicles. He said that no major injuries have been reported so far.

In the Houston suburb of Katy, strong thunderstorms that passed through the area around 2 a.m. Wednesday collapsed part of the roof of a Firestone repair shop. Storms also damaged businesses and cars in a nearby strip mall, sending a large air conditioning unit that had been on the roof crashing to the parking lot, officials said.

No one was inside the repair shop, but at a nearby sports bar, employees were in the back cleaning up and restocking after the business had closed for the night when the thunderstorms rolled through, Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen told reporters later Wednesday morning.

Some of the damage in Katy had preliminarily been determined to have been caused by an EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds of around 90 mph (145 kph), National Weather Service meteorologist Bradley Brokamp said.

Photos posted on social media showed heavy damage to a church in Port Arthur, Texas, where city officials said they were also dealing with downed trees and powerlines.

In Mississippi, the sheriff sent out an urgent warning Wednesday to people in parts of Yazoo County, just northwest of Jackson, about a levee there.

In the county north of Jackson, the sheriff’s office called for the evacuation of one subdivision because of a potential levee failure. County officials continued to monitor the levee, WAPT-TV reported.

Herbert reported from Slidell. Associated Press journalists Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Michael Goldberg in Jackson, Mississippi; Juan Lozano in Houston; Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi; and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.

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'Harmful Cosmic Radiation' Will Pass Close to Earth 'Tonight'?

The april 8, 2024, total solar eclipse gave new life to old fears., anna rascouët-paz, published april 8, 2024.

About this rating

As the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse approached, Snopes' inbox began to fill up with a familiar claim that "tonight," cosmic rays would pass close to the Earth, endangering those who leave switched-on personal electronic devices close to them. The text of these " copypasta " messages was nearly identical in every case:

Tonight from 12:30 am to 3:30 am do not forget to turn off your cell phone, tablet, computer, etc. and place it very far from your body. Singapore TV announced this news. Please tell your relatives and friends. Tonight, from 12:30 am to 3:30 am, our planet will have very high radiation. Cosmic rays will pass very close to the earth. So please turn off your cell phone. Do not leav the equipment close to your body, as it may cause terrible damage. If you don't believe you can check on Google and NASA BBC News. Send this message to all the people important to you. Everyone is in danger, take care of yourselves.

This viral message, which we last  fact-checked in 2017 , is a hoax that has been circulating online since at least 2014. It's been debunked repeatedly since, by outlets such as Agence France-Presse in 2021 , which noticed it was being shared widely in Thailand. In 2019, Vishvas News also addressed this claim when it was spreading in India.

Where Do Cosmic Rays Come From?

Cosmic rays have two sources. One type of cosmic ray originates from supernovas , which are massive stars that "die," collapsing on their own gravity, and then turn either into black holes or neutron stars. As they go through this process, the supernovas hurl charged particles — protons and electrons — through space. These particles go so fast, they can penetrate easily through matter. The second source of cosmic rays is the sun. Solar flares and other solar events can also emit charged particles that reach Earth. 

The good news is that Earth's magnetic field protects us from these cosmic rays, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):

The Earth is shielded by a magnetic field that makes the charged particles bounce from pole to pole, creating two gigantic donut-shaped belts populated by energetic electrons and protons. The magnetosphere deflects cosmic rays and protects us from solar flares. Sometimes, cosmic radiation does reach us, but without creating any harm, just like other low levels of radiation we are regularly exposed to. 

This video by the television program Nova explains it well: 

How Exposed Are We?

The average human is exposed to 3.5 millisieverts of radiation per year, according to the IAEA, only 10% of which is due to cosmic rays. A far larger proportion of such radiation comes from medical exams like X-rays, mammograms, or CT scans, the agency says. There are other natural sources, including radon , which the soil emits in certain areas.

Our level of exposure to cosmic rays varies, because the higher up in space we find ourselves, the more exposed we are. For example, we are more exposed to cosmic rays on high-altitude flights that pass over the poles. This is of particular concern to airplane crews on long-haul flights, a risk about which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning to airline employees.

People who travel into space are even more at risk of harmful radiation. NASA also warns its employees about the risk of cancer potentially cause by that radiation, among other things:

Radiation exposure incurred during space exploration is one of the greatest threats to an astronaut's health. The associated risks include, carcinogenesis, degenerative tissue effects, central nervous system effects, and acute radiation syndromes. The radiation environment outside of Earth's protective atmosphere is comprised of energetic protons and heavy nuclei that pose a hazard to living organisms. The damage caused by energetic nuclei has been shown to produce distinct biological damage compared with radiation on Earth, leading to large uncertainties in the projection of health risks and obscuring evaluation of the effectiveness of possible radiation countermeasures.

But as long as we stay on Earth, and thanks to our planet's magnetic field, cosmic rays do not ordinarily pose a significant threat to human health, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control .

Cosmic Radiation: Why We Should Not Be Worried . 12 Apr. 2021, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/cosmic-radiation-why-we-should-not-be-worried.

'FACT CHECK: Post Asking People To Switch Off Phone Due To Cosmic Rays Is Fake'. Vishvas News , 26 June 2019, https://www.vishvasnews.com/english/society/fact-check-post-asking-people-to-switch-off-phone-due-to-cosmic-rays-is-fake/.

[email protected]. 'Missing Link Found: Supernovae Give Rise to Black Holes or Neutron Stars'. Www.Eso.Org , https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2401/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.

Kasprak, Alex. 'FACT CHECK: Will Dangerous Cosmic Rays Pass Close to Earth "Tonight"?' Snopes , 24 May 2017, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/dangerous-cosmic-gamma-rays/.

'Old Hoax Circulates on Thai Social Media Warning People to Turn off Mobile Phones Due to Harmful Cosmic Rays Passing Earth'. Fact Check , 12 Mar. 2021, https://factcheck.afp.com/old-hoax-circulates-thai-social-media-warning-people-turn-mobile-phones-due-harmful-cosmic-rays.

Space Radiation - NASA . 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/hhp/space-radiation/.

US EPA, OAR. Health Risk of Radon . 14 Aug. 2014, https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon.

What Aircrews Should Know About Their Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation . Federal Aviation Agency, Oct. 2003, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA423589.pdf.

What Is Solar Activity? - NASA . https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/what-solar-activity/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2024.

By Anna Rascouët-Paz

Anna Rascouët-Paz is based in Brooklyn, fluent in numerous languages and specializes in science and economic topics.

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‘She saved my life’: Wife saves husband from under roof after tree falls on house breaking his legs

BATON ROUGE, La. ( WAFB /Gray News) - April Roddy is being hailed a hero after she pulled her husband out from underneath the roof of a house after a tree fell on it Wednesday morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Sirrand Roddy said he and his wife were at his late grandmother’s property when strong storms passed through the area and a massive tree crashed through the back house.

He said he broke both of his legs as a result.

“The roof fell on the top of me, and she got up under the roof some kind of way. She held it up and got me out of there,” he said.

April Roddy said she had to pull her husband from underneath the roof.

She has no idea where she found the strength to pull him to safety and is now being hailed a hero.

April Roddy said she is “grateful” she was able to help her husband.

“It could have killed me, but she saved my life by the grace of God,” Sirrand Roddy said.

Now, the family is trying to find someone who can remove the tree.

Sirrand Roddy is scheduled to have surgery on Friday.

Copyright 2024 WAFB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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