Irene

Irene


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 31, 2011

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place, he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:16-19 NIV

Storms at the coast can be fierce, but a hurricane can be life threatening to all in its way. Howling winds and driving rains are to be expected with rising tides, including storm surges that know no boundaries. What makes the barrier islands of the Outer Banks so beautiful is also what makes them so vulnerable. With little or no dunes at all to protect the beaches, homes often lose their footing and wash out to sea in hurricane winds. As quickly as the hurricane comes, it most always departs with the same speed. But that was not the case with Irene. With a span of over 450 miles across, it seemed she would never move on. In her wake, the discovery of broken homes and businesses that littered the sound and beaches are heartbreaking. Historic storm surges flooded areas that have never seen flood waters before. While many were directly affected with losses in this hurricane, there were many that were not. No matter how Irene affected the Outer Banks and surrounding areas, we should count everyone blessed. No doubt, there were fervent prayers to God by his people asking God to provide protection. Many stories will unfold over the next few weeks of people that were touched by God and spared. God put them at the right place at the right time.

As the shock of this hurricane subsides and is replaced with the task of cleaning up, it is important that we give God our anxieties, our fears, our frustrations and ask for a renewing of faith. No matter what the situation is that we may be facing, God promises that we are not alone. He will sustain us and He will show His favor upon us. In Psalm 18:28 it says, “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

Turn to God with prayers for the Outer Banks, the residents of the surrounding areas of North Carolina and the eastern United States that were touched by Irene, that God would turn the darkness into light.

Prayers of Protection

Sending prayers of protection to all with the approach of Irene. Psalm 91 is a wonderful Prayer of Protection. I hope it offers comfort and peace.........

 Psalm 91 (NIV)


Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; hey will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Line in the Sand

Line in the Sand



Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 24, 2011

God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Psalm 145:2-4 (The Message)

I am delighted to find strands of beach that seem untouched, natural and beautiful as far as the eye can see when I walk the beaches and dunes of Pea Island. I especially like to see the shifting sands on the large dunes. The winds sculpt the sand making rows of valleys and ridges. These rows reflect the light beautifully casting shadows on the long, wavy unbroken lines in the sand. These ripples in the sand are a work of nature and become even more beautiful when found with the occasional footprint of a shorebird.

A line in the sand distinquishes one side from another. It can represent a boundary. Are we respectful of boundaries? When limits are set for us do we honor them when in relationships or in the workplace? When crossing boundary lines, there will always be consequences. Sometimes, we have to be the ones that “draw a line in the sand”. We have to be the one that sets limits for ourselves or to those we interact with. When we draw those lines, we should always be guided by God and His Holy Word. His wisdom should be our compass, our guide in all ways. Drawing a line in the sand can mean many things. We can set aside old mindsets, old strongholds and negative thoughts and step over the line to seek out a new path with fresh wisdom from God, filled with positivity and refreshed enthusiasm and energy for our future.

Pressing Through

Pressing Through


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 17, 2011

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? -Roman 8:31 NIV

When I was a little girl playing at the ocean’s edge during our many vacations to the Outer Banks, the big waves would knock me down and I would get back up in time for the next wave to tumble me once more. I wasn’t out far, maybe just up to my knees but the swiftness and force of the water knocked my legs out from under me each time. Many times I’d repeat this over and over until exhaustion set in and I would come ashore and rest before going back out again.

Life is like that at times, one wave after another can come against us. We can hardly stand up straight before we get knocked down again with trials, problems, conflicts and demands that won’t go away. If this has happened in your life, you know that the only way to get past these times is to press through. Giving up, “washing our hands of it” or running away won’t give us the victory we seek. Pressing through means to stay with it and never give up. Find another way around the situation. Patience, persistence and determination are all we need to press through to our destiny. God is for us and He is greater than any obstacle or problem we face. Possess a “never give up” attitude. We can reach up to take hold of God’s hand and strength during these times. Having an “overcomer” mentality will keep us on the road to our destiny instead of getting sidetracked by the difficulties we stumble upon on our journey. When the waves of life rise up against us, we must rise up even higher.

Prayer

Prayer


Reflections by the Sea © Betsy Ore Glass
August 10, 2011

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” –Matthew 21:22 NIV

Oil painting is a new found passion and the subject I enjoy painting most are seascapes of the Outer Banks, particularly Pea Island. To paint requires having many tools such as paint thinner, brushes, paints, palette, canvas, easels, etc. Each item is very important to the success of the painting. Before I sit down to spend a day at my easel, I have to be sure I have everything I need. If I am out of brush cleaner, my brushes will harden with paint and be useless. Having the right tools are very important. This week my husband was doing some repairs around the house and brought out his tools. Drills, hammer, screwdriver and nails and so much more. He has learned that before he starts a project, he needs to have the necessary tools at hand first. His knowledge and expertise are great, but without the right tools, he would not be able complete his task.

Spiritually, our greatest tool is prayer. There are times in our lives when we have to endure unpleasantness. Perhaps we have been treated poorly. Maybe we have been falsely judged or accused. Perhaps we are taken advantage of. Maybe we are simply not liked. All those things we cannot change because unless the person doing these things has the Holy Spirit residing in them, change is not likely. But God does equip us with prayer for times such as these. We can pray for those that act as our enemy. In fact, the Bible says “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28 NIV

A daily simple prayer, asking for peace for oneself, peace for the situation and for the accuser to accept God’s Salvation is the best thing we can do. Prayer has mighty power and those that are faithful know that. But those that live without peace and have hardened hearts need the faithful to pray for them. Who do we know today that needs prayer? While we can let things go and allow distance to form between us and the situation, we still have the obligation to pray for those that know no better or choose not to live in God’s peace. A hardened paint brush has to be tossed out as it will never be the same. But a hardened heart can be prayed for and through God, anything is possible

Sand

Sand

Reflections by the Sea   Betsy Ore Glass
August 6, 2011


Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preservers.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

At bedtime I would tell my children that I loved them as much as all the grains of sand in the world and then some. This was an evening ritual and it included me stretching my arms out from side to side as far as I could reach to add emphasis to my claim of love. My daughter and son went to sleep every evening knowing their parents loved them with abundance.

Each beach has its own type of sand. Sometimes the sand is white and sugary and very fine. Other beaches have course sand mixed with small gravel. There are certainly plenty of beaches to explore in search of the favorite shore. As I took walks in the sand or built sandcastles with my children when they were little, we took great delight in being at the shore. But sometimes there were other people we observed that seemed to fight the sand, constantly brushing it off themselves and shaking out their towel.

Love is a choice. We can choose to love or hate. We can either build sandcastles in the sand or we can constantly shake the sand out of the towel. It is our choice, but God shows us in his teachings that love is the best way. He tells us in Galatians 5:22 that “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. If we practice these, we will surely live in love and so will those that share our lives. Giving love and receiving love is at the heart of living a godly life.