As we go about our daily lives on the gulf coast of Texas, some of us chose to live and make our homes by the water. My husband and I have a lovely little cottage, shop, and yards with comfortable decks by the water, always enjoying the wildlife, except for mischievous raccoons (who love trash cans, especially if they’re full), filling our bird feeders, fishing right off our bulkhead decks, always seeking, “the catch of the day.” I love it when it’s redfish or flounder for lunch.

The spring and fall are my favorite seasons, with their natural beauty and temperatures for cool breezes, watching boats and alligators moving up and down the river, both searching for different things. We named the big gator Bob, and he likes to sneak around in the water in our front yard watching our Great Dane, Candy. Her misfortune is to be a “snowy white with a few black spots” making her easy for Bob to monitor with only those floating eyeballs. Yikes! She has no guile, stands on the walkway barking a thunderous, threatening (she thinks) roar daring him to come aboard. I think she’s okay as I have watched the hog hunters using Danes to bring the critters down and out. One Dane jumped into a bayou after a hog, biting his ear, dragging him out of the water, as the hunters crated the hog, laughing and rewarding the dog with treats.

We pray about our weather. Jesus said we have dominion and authority to use His Name. I take that seriously and remember when He was in a boat with the disciples on a lake. He said, “Get in the boat we’re going to the other side.” He didn’t say, “in case there’s a storm” — he said, we’re going to the other side! He fell asleep at one end of the boat and all at once a storm came on them. The disciples woke him saying, “Lord help us we’re going to die.” So He got up and rebuked the winds and sea, and there was a great calm, perfect peacefulness. On the other side of the lake He would be delivering 2 men filled with demons (and probably glad He slept a little in the boat) knowing the demons awaited. The demon-filled men asked to be sent into a herd of pigs standing near, so they went, then the pigs jumped off a cliff, leaving a very unhappy herdsman. I guess my column didn’t fair well for pigs this time! We raised a couple of pigs on our farm in Washington State years ago, Mr. & Mrs. Pig, lovely animals.

Read Matthew 8:23-26 and go ahead and rebuke destructive, dangerous storms and be safe in your physical area of life.

Kathie Deasy writes about faith for The Port Arthur News