Halloween & Candy Canes

While most people have been shopping for Halloween the past few weeks, I saw Christmas lurking behind the rows of candy, costumes and fake spiders at the store yesterday. On my way to the dairy section, I passed an end cap full of candy canes in several sizes and flavors. And while I haven't yet seen any overt signs of the approaching holiday season or heard Christmas tunes on the radio, it would be nice to actually get through October before Christmas muscles its way to the forefront. Thanksgiving is the next holiday, and I believe we all need to slow down and spend a moment reflecting on all that we have to be truly thankful for.

God Has Our Back

It's easy to get down and forget that God has our back when times get tough. My pastor has recently been preaching on the armor of God found in Ephesians 6. Each piece of armor used by Roman soldiers represents ways in which God helps us to stand firm against the devil's schemes. What he said about the breastplate really stuck in my mind. The breastplate, which represents God's righteousness, is not just a covering for the chest, but as my pastor explained, is better defined as body armor which covers the back as well as the chest. God has our back. That sure is good to know!

The Freighter Resko

The Resko at dusk on St. Clair River

Great Lakes Freighters

There is something about the throbbing hum of the diesel engines on freighters traversing the Great Lakes waterways that I find compelling. I have grown up watching them and still can't help but be fascinated by their size and stateliness as they chug past. Viewing them on the river allows for a much more up close and personal view than on one of the Great Lakes and I enjoy looking them up in a Great Lakes ship guide I own to see where they originate from. This trip, I saw ships from Germany, Japan and Poland along with ones from the United States and Canada. It is also a thrill to see more well-known vessels. Last year, I saw the Arthur M. Anderson, famous for being the last ship to have contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald before she sank and the first to search for her. This year, I saw the Paul R. Tregurtha, which is the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. Despite changes in technology and ship design, goods are still being carried on the Great Lakes waterways as they have for centuries.

God's Covenant

On Sunday, one of my pastors was talking about the covenants God made with the people of Israel in the bible. One of the covenants was His promise not to flood the earth again (Genesis 9:11-12). As a reminder of this covenant, God placed a rainbow in the sky. We see the rainbow most often during or after a rain. God is letting us know he still hasn't forgotten His promise!