Praise God for His Favor!

The official death toll from the Oklahoma tornado has been more than halved, down to 24. That's a sight better than the previous report of 51.

While the coroner expects the number to climb higher, we'll take all the good news we can get. Please continue to pray for all those affected, including the emergency workers from all over who have responded to this situation.

Please also prayerfully consider financial support for those agencies providing food, supplies, medical services and so on during this crisis. If you're not able to give, that's okay - prayers cost nothing.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. 

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

... The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

~ James 1:2-6, 5:17 (The Message)

Oklahoma Tornado Victims

are in our prayers. Please take a moment and ask God to comfort the survivors, and the families of the deceased.

Robbery Victims Fighting Back

There have been several armed robberies of Subway sandwich shops in Anchorage, over the last few years. My oldest daughter was working in one when a guy came in, showed them a gun in his waistband, and demanded cash.

Several more have taken place since that one, including a recent instance where an employee handed over the cash in the register and was pistol-whipped for her trouble.

Today's story is different.

Two employees at a Spenard sandwich shop detained a would-be robber this morning after the man said he had a gun and demanded money, Anchorage police said. 

A caller at the Subway store on West Northern Lights Boulevard reported the robbery to 911 dispatchers at 9:52 a.m., said police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker.

"Within about 30 seconds, we get the call back that the employees had him down on the ground," Parker said.

Police said Alvin L. Archa Jr., 48, walked in the store, put his hand in his pocket and claimed to have a gun. When he demanded cash, two employees came out of the back of the store and grabbed him, Parker said.

"We don't always encourage people to do that, but we try to encourage people only to act and react as the circumstances surrounding the robbery require," Parker said.

Police arrived a few minutes later and arrested Archa. He did not have a gun, Parker said.

Read the rest at the link.