We now have a cover for my forthcoming book, “God in the Whirlwind: Stories of Grace from the Tornado at Union University.” The book goes to the printer this morning and we’re still on target for a June 1 publication date.
For the past month, I’ve been at work on a book entitled “God in the Whirlwind: Stories of Grace from the Tornado at Union University,” to be published by B&H Publishing Group.
The book, which will be available June 1, is a collection of stories about how God has acted providentially in the lives of students and others through the Feb. 5 tornado that hit Union University.
The project has been a consuming one for me, but I’ve been blessed to put into writing some incredible stories about God’s grace. I hope it will be a blessing to those who read it.
I’m almost finished with the book, and will be sending it to the publisher on Tuesday. I’ll post more updates as the publication date nears.
Things are slowly returning to normal, so I’m hoping to be back on here a little more frequently. I appreciate those of you who have prayed for me and for Union University. These have been difficult days, but God has sustained us, and we’re optimistic about the future.
A couple of days ago I did a 20-minute interview with the online program Podweather. You can hear the program here if you’d like to get a recent update about how things are looking here at Union.
Check out the top story on ESPN’s Page 2 about Union University and the Lady Bulldogs. Here’s a direct link to the story.
Here’s my cell phone usage thus far this month:
987 peak minutes
473 off-peak minutes
384 in-network peak minutes
272 in-network off-peak minutes
Total: 2,116 minutes.
And I still have a week to go in my billing cycle. My guess is I’m going to be pushing 3,000 minutes this month.
Recovering The R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, with Ray Van Neste:
Kevin Furniss’ Rescue Story:
Friends,
Thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement and support in recent days. I ask you to continue praying for me and my colleagues in the days ahead. We are tired. We are overwhelmed with the work before us. We need your prayers.
Many people have written to ask what they can do. While some have the means to come and volunteer, and others have the means to provide financial assistance to the university and our students, everyone can pray. Don’t think that by praying you are contributing less than others, because the Bible says that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
I continue to be amazed at the outpouring of love for Union University. We are so grateful for your kindness to us.
Daniel looks at the damage on the Union University campus. Photo by Morris Abernathy.
Yesterday was a good day. It was a day of optimism. It was a day of hope.
The most newsworthy event of the day was the visit to campus by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. It was quite the media circus.
I continued to be inundated with calls from media all over the country. At 6 p.m., I counted 60 calls I had made or received in the last six hours. And Thursday was slow compared to the day before.
Despite an overwhelming task before us, it was good to see people on campus smiling and working together. The pervading spirit on campus is one of anticipation as we embark upon the rebuilding of our campus.
It was the first time since Tuesday’s tornado that I had a chance to talk in-depth with a few students. That was the best part of my day.
I continue to thank the Lord for His mercy in sparing the students from any loss of life. And I continue to pray for the students still in the hospital, some of them with injuries that are most serious.
Today the cleanup effort begins in earnest. I’m excited about the process, because I know I’m going to be deeply moved by the continued support I see from Union’s friends who are stepping up big-time to help.
Yesterday, I recognized for the first time the path that is laid out before me for the next several years. The task of telling Union’s story will be a formidable one as we rise from the rubble. When our restoration is complete, Union will not be the same place it has been in years past. It will be better. And I’m thankful that I get to be a part of making that happen.
Here’s the best sentence I heard today, courtesy of Union University President David S. Dockery:
“We’ve lost the buildings, but we haven’t lost the spirit of Union University, and that’s what will carry us forward.”
If you’d like to make an online donation to Union University’s disaster relief efforts, here’s where you can do so.
Here are some specific ways in which you can pray for Union University during this time of hardship:
1. Pray for the continued recovery of students who were injured.
2. Pray for wisdom for President David S. Dockery, the Union trustees and the senior leadership team. So many decisions have to be made, and those decisions will affect so many lives.
3. Pray for the students who suffered significant losses in their dorm rooms, and for faculty members who lost items (like books) in their offices.
4. Pray for patience and understanding for security and law enforcement personnel, Union staff, students and parents as we try to coordinate efforts for students to retrieve their belongings.
5. Pray for God to move the hearts of people to help in the recovery effort. Most significantly, we’ll need massive financial assistance for the students and the university.
6. Pray for those of us involved in getting Union’s story told. Pray that the spotlight now upon us will result in opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
7. Pray that God will demonstrate His power and sovereignty to the world by raising from the rubble a university that is more excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused and future-directed than it has ever been.