Gospel At Hurricane Shelter Is Just The Right Light In Moment Of Darkness

Victoria White (in the white dress) gave Hurricane Harvey
evacuees a needed and incredibly helpful dose of gospel
this week in Houston. 

Sorry I haven't been around much on this here blog thingy. I've been focusing on Hurricane Harvey on my sister blog, Matt's Weather Rapport.  

Today, I'm back with, well, a Harvey update.  

In a video that's gone totally viral, a group of gospel singers led by a woman named Victoria White lifted spirits in a Houston-area evacuation center. 

I'm definitely not a religious man, but you've got to find comfort where you can. Kudos to Victoria White for providing this totally needed dose of medicine to a roomful of people who had just reached the lowest point in their lives.

The video of what happened is below. (Kleenex alert with this one.)  Notice how the people in the shelter join in on the song. They all needed that.

After the video went viral, White had the following to say. Again, I'm not religious but this woman speaks the truth!

"I had no ide this was being recorded, but God had a plan!... Not only did He want to love on those gathered in Lone Star Expo Center who suffered loss at the hands of Hurricane Harvey, but He wanted to love on people across the world who were dealing with tbier own personal storms! That's the kind of loving God we serve - the kind who is equally concerned for the masses and the individual."

I'm not trying to get political here, but if I did believe in a God, White's version is the one that seems closest to reality. And not the God some so-called religious leaders espouse.

Thank you, Victoria White and the rest of these gospel singers. You brought a glimmer of joy to the people in Houston who needed it most. And we all need a glimmer of joy now and then even if our lives are going pretty well.

Well done,  Victoria!

Here's the video:

Kids Save Their Own Lives By Being Totally Obnoxious To Criminals

Kids can sure be annoying.  

Willie Myrick, 9, and Hezekiah Walker. Willie
saved himself from a kidnapper by repeatedly singing
Walker's song "Every Praise." 

The noise, the yelling, the hitting, the running around. It can be just too much.

Too much for criminals, anyway.

Two stories are circulating this weekend of kidnapped children who saved their own skin by being blessedly obnoxious.

In one case, blessedly is the operative word here.

Earlier this month, Willie Myrick, 9, was outdoors in the Atlanta, Georgia area when a man snatched him, shoved him into his car and took off.

Willie kept singing the gospel song "Every Praise" until the kidnapper got fed up with all that singing and pushed the kid out of the car, according to WMAZ in Macon, Georgia.

Willie told his church congregation later that the man kept cursing and telling him to shut up before eventually kicking him out. "He opened the door and threw me out...He told me not to tell anyone."

Well, I guess Jesus does save when you praise him.  Willie wasn't hurt, but police are still looking for the kidnapper.

On the bright side, Willie, who as you can tell is a huge gospel fan, got to meet the guy who wrote the song "Every Praise" The songwriter, Hezekiah Walker, heard the story and showed up at the church to sing the song with Willie and the rest of the congregation.

Note: The is the first time I've heard "Every Praise," since I don't follow gospel music. Not a bad song, so thanks, Willie, for introducing it to me.

Meanwhile, in San Antonio, a car containing two twin boys, age 7 and their one year old sister was carjacked while one of their parents had run into the house to grab a baby bottle.

The twins kept punching the carjacker with their fists and a rubber snake until this kidnapper, too, had enough with obnoxious kids.    (Note: Turn the sound down before clicking on the link: The television station has one of those annoying autoplay ads that won't let you stop it)

Yep, all that horseplay does pay off. The kids were uninjured, says ABC news.

Frankly, given these stories, I think police departments should hire kids as an effective crime fighting tool. Feed 'em lots of sugar and let them go after the bad guys.

You bet the streets will be safe if that happens.