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The title of this devotional may actually give you some trouble. How can we say that God is good when so many children and adults have lost their lives in recent floods, or when our expenses are growing faster than our income, or when death takes our loved ones and friends? What about those lesser troubles, such as not getting a call back from customer service, or not being able to find anyone to mow our lawns, or keeping up with technology? Take a moment to insert in your mind those things that cause you to be troubled, and ask yourself where God fits in among them. I recently became aware of being troubled. I would catch myself saying, “I’m fretting.” That is a word we don’t hear very often these days, but the psalmist knew about it. In Psalm 37:1-5, the author says, “Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him, and He will act.” I began to feel that I had to deal with my troubles. I needed to make some changes.

Alpine Avalanche.

Dear Neil, my red oak is about 10 years old. Some of the leaves are starting to look distressed, so I looked closely. I noticed small red ants climbing up and down the trunk almost as if they were harvesting something. And then I found these unusual nodules at the ends of almost all the branches. Is this a fungus, an insect, or something else. Is it going to harm my beautiful tree?

The number of people still missing in the July 4 Kerr County flood dropped to two after another body was recovered last week, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The two still missing are a child and an adult who were at Camp Mystic, where at least 27 campers and counselors died.

The Brewster County Commissioners Court held a special meeting Tuesday at the Brewster County Courthouse. Brewster County Judge Greg Henington presided over the session. Precinct 3 Commissioner Ruben Ortega was absent.

On Friday, July 25, representatives from Austin Bat Refuge in Austin were onsite at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis to release a big freetail bat back into the wild. Named Hubble after the famous astronomer, he is thought to have accidentally hitched a ride from the Observatory to Austin in some astronomy gear. Big freetail bats do not live in Central Texas but are a common sight in the Big Bend region, where the McDonald Observatory is located.

An exciting Backyard Bible Club event is coming to Kokernot Park! Hillside Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, and Fuenta de Vida Assembly Church, all of Alpine, are joining together to host a fun adventure similar in style to Vacation Bible School! The Backyard Bible Club will be held at the Kokernot Park Pavilion, August 4-7. Each morning will begin at 9 a.m. and run to Noon for boys and girls in kindergarten through 5th grade. Older students are always welcome to come to volunteer. This year’s Backyard Bible Club theme is MAGNIFIED. Youngsters will learn to see the bigness of God in the smallest of His creation through music, Bible stories, and puppet shows.

JULY 24 Roswell Invaders vs Alpine @ Kokernot Field • 6:30 p.m. JULY 25 Roswell Invaders vs Alpine @ Kokernot Field • 6:30 p.m.

The Alpine City Council held its regular meeting last Tuesday, July 15. The meeting was presided over by Mayor Catherine Eaves, and all council members were present, with Ward 5 Councilor Rick Stephens participating via Zoom.

The Alpine Emergency Services Board met on July 10 with all board members present. As there was no public comment after the meeting was called to order, the focus was on Alpine Volunteer Fire Department training and the preparation of a budget to present to the Alpine City Council and Brewster County.