Storms in Michigan

Perry, Michigan, after a tornado on August 11, 2023

I wanted to take just a few short minutes to update everyone on the terrible storms that have been going through Michigan. There were tornadoes and “tornadic thunderstorms” near us last night, and almost two weeks ago, our town sustained damage after a direct hit from a tornado.

The tornado that hit Perry, Michigan, was only about 200 yards from our house. No one was injured, but many homes sustained roof damage, including our own. There were trees down everywhere. Several buildings owned by our small town were destroyed. Read more about it here.

The damage last night was much worse. This time a major tornado moved through about 15 minutes south of us, but all over Michigan, there is so much damage. A few people have died, many were injured, and very many homes and buildings were damaged. Hundreds of thousands are still without power, including some of my adult children and their workplaces. Read more about it here.

Our little congregation spent the evening texting each other, calling each other, and sharing pictures. Many of us were huddled in basements as storms came too close. A few families have roof damage today from trees hitting their homes, as well as other minor damage and loss of yard furniture.

Meanwhile, the storms barreled through all of Michigan, over Lake Erie, and into Pennsylvania, where a massive tree came down just yards from my daughter’s dorm at college, and I’m sure many others woke up to a mess this morning.

All of us are safe. I don’t take that for granted. Thankfulness overwhelms my heart this morning, just as it did two weeks ago when we emerged from our home to realize how very close we came to losing everything.

Yeshua told His disciples:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Image courtesy of A Little Perspective

Hard times, testings, and troubles will fall on us all, “for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

“Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).

However, I felt very loved, very protected, and very watched over lately.

“YHVH has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3).

I am looking forward to Sabbath tomorrow, as our congregation gathers together and shares stories of deliverance and protection.

I also know that across mid-Michigan, many people will be out helping families clean up and recover, bringing food and donating supplies as they bring chainsaws and trailers to help their neighbors clear the mess. We are blessed to live in a place where people treat each other like community and show genuine love. I personally think that’s because, even though our state has become famous for its liberal policies in the past few years, we have a heritage of many generations of Christian churches and families. That biblical influence has certainly not disappeared yet!

I am struggling to get my Daily Coffee Break email written each morning the past few weeks. Bear with me, but don’t worry that I have quit. I certainly have not! 🙂

I am in the middle of our peak customer service time of year, as many families begin a new homeschooling year. Pray for these families! Through much sacrifice and effort, many mothers and fathers are working hard to be sure to pass Truth to the next generation. If you know of a homeschooling mom near you, encourage her. If she needs help, don’t forget to send her to our YouTube channel for encouragement to use the Bible as her primary textbook. That’s definitely our hearts’ desire.

Meanwhile, I’m also working hard to release more Word Power lessons to Homeschooling Torah members in the next few days. It’s shaping up well, and I’m very excited about it.

Finally, here on my blog I’m planning to write a few new marriage posts in the coming weeks. Several of you have written to me with questions, and I’m eager to share some encouragement I’ve been learning as I try to make sure my perspective on marriage is shaped by the Torah and not just tradition or culture.

I’m also working to release new blog posts this fall on how to walk in Torah obedience even though we live in 2023. I have a list of Torah questions that women have asked, and my goal is to slowly work through those.

I love you all, and I appreciate your prayers for our family and all those in our congregation, community, and state.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture in this blog post taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.