I’ve been awe stuck the last two days watching the devastation being poured out like a modern-day plague in Houston. I keep thinking the death rate could be so much higher until I realized this morning that there are bodies submerged everywhere, and as with Hurricane Katrina, some of them may never be found. I was especially touched by the van that sank with six family members drowning them all as it floated away.
Along with everything that’s happening in Houston I keep thinking of Joe Biden’s comment about our country. He called it a ‘A Battle for the Soul of This Nation.’ And while he was commenting on the aftermath of what happened in Charlottesville, I can see that battle being waged in other ways in this, the worst natural flooding disaster in this country’s history. And it makes me angry.
Two things in particular got my goat this morning. The fact that Joel Osteen, multi-million dollar prosperity preacher and owner of non-denominational Lakewood Church in Houston capable of seating 16,800 in its sanctuary, had to be shamed into opening its doors to those who had lost their homes. Osteen had said there was not good access 
to the building, then was promptly filmed going in and out just fine. Of ALL the buildings that should be a refuge and sanctuary for these people, it is churches. No wonder Christians have such a bad name in this country! I do NOT consider myself part of them… I follow Jesus, and you can bet your sweet bippy he’d have been right at that front door ushering everyone of them in!
The other thing that irritated me enough to make me gag was a national news piece about a young couple on one of the cruise ships stranded in the gulf. They were horribly upset because they were going to be too late getting home to start their classes at some university somewhere. OMG! Now I realize I don’t know the details behind their concerns. Maybe they’d lose their scholarships or something, but compared to the millions of lives that have been ruined and are still in danger, what a FIRST WORLD PROBLEM TO HAVE!
Where is the heart and soul and the spirit of sacrifice that made this country great?
I’m glad to say that despite these flagrant examples of selfishness and greed, there are still more wonderful heroes and heroines in this world. Thank God, because as long as that is so I believe we WILL win the battle for the soul of this nation. Watch out for all the quiet workers that will go help clean up because that’s what we do. We help and uphold and encourage one another.
Our pastor is the head of the disaster relief arm of the United Methodist Church in our regional conference. At the moment he is already organizing teams to go in with supplies and aid as soon as FEMA says we can get in there. Be one of the heroes or heroines! Get involved! It will be the most rewarding thing you’ve ever done.
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Picture Source:
Joel Osteen — Awesomely Luvvie
Lakewood Church, Houston — Wikipedia
Impromptu Promptlings 
I wonder how many of those who needed shelter are members of that horrible man’s congregation. He clearly has a lot of followers. Hopefully a few of them will drop off now they see how uncharitable he is, but perhaps they’ll turn a blind eye, after all, they seem pretty short-sighted…
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That’s a very wealthy church. There’s probably enough extra money in that sanctuary any given Sunday morning to clean up Houston. Oprah frequents that church. 😦
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Does she? You’ve got some weird religions around your way – huh, and people whine about mormons!
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Agree, on all points.
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Years ago during a particularly bad ice storm in my community I asked if we couldn’t leave our town hall open as a warming center and was told ‘no’. So much for concern for the taxpayer.
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For some it just never makes any sense until it happens to them…
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It’s times like this that shine the light on the good, the bad and the downright ugly 😦 From this neck of the woods, I am sending love and light to all those who have been caught up in this.
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Nothing much I can do from here except to castigate the polluters who caused it and the deniers who refuse to accept all the evidence that we are warming the world up with our pollutants. They all should feel great shame.
The first thing Trump did was to close down the bureau that was monitoring global warming and its effects. He then pulled out of the Paris Accord. The man is leading the world into disaster.
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Amen, Opher! You need to holler louder. They can’t hear you over here. 😦
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If I want to get my blood boiling, I just have to listen those prosperity gospel folks…as if God was only concerned with the material wealth of a select few. The lengths people will go to justify their greed and self absorption.
Hopefully people will begin to see that at times it does take a village. Even uber conservative Laura Ingraham was on Fox and Friends saying maybe we need to have more people in empty government jobs so we can deal with the suffering and the needy. Of course Trump tweeted a lame retort.
Nice post, saying what needs to be said.
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Oh, you are so right! It does take a village. One without a motley assortment of idiots, preferably!
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I’m hopping around today to say thank you to folks who leave likes on my blog. You visited yesterday and left a like on “A Marvel…” Thank you. Likes and comments are so encouraging. 😀
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Don’t get around as much as I used to, but I keep checkin’ in!
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Don;t overdo. Take care of that heart. I understand the impossible task of keeping up with everyone, but thanks are due to bloggers who see blogging as a personal mission to encourage and inform. Blessing to you.
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Beautifully said.
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Amen to all of this!
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