Sometimes It Takes A Storm

It was a few minutes after five in the morning. I heard the faint rumble of an approaching storm. I listened as it grew closer. The dark bedroom was bathed in the blue-white of lightning. It went on for quite a while, and now, even hours later, I can still hear thunder. Today is wet and gray and I like it. I like stormy, rainy days…at least once in a while. I like the smell of the soil when it is wet from the rain, or walking through puddles with my rubber boots.

Stormy days remind me of being cleansed. Even in the midst of life’s thunder and lightning, hard torrential rains, and gray skies….we can know that the storms, although at times scary and maybe even dangerous, will eventually stop.

Sometimes it takes the storms to wash away the dirt of life, to bring a fresh perspective and appreciation.

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Mark 4:39

And He (Jesus) got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

 

 

 

THE SKY TURNED DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY…

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A SUMMER STORM AT MY HOUSE…

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I TOOK THIS PICTURE OF A SUMMER STORM IN COSTA RICA…

 

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Living Through The Aftermath

In the aftermath of the fierce and tragic storms that have hit the southern part of our country, we all need the reminder of trusting in the midst. As much as I enjoy watching the weather, my heart aches for those that have been hurt or lost everything they owned to the ferocious winds and flying debris. I wrote this particular blog post a couple of years ago under similar circumstances….when my fellow citizens were living through the aftermath.

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Trusting In The Midst

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Category F5 tornado (upgraded from initial est...

I am a bonafide weather geek. No doubt about it. I have NOAA and The Weather Channel on my computer. I love watching Storm Stories and am fascinated by the Weather in Motion maps, so that I am able to track storms in real time. Weather is a tricky business, and it can change at the last second…sparing one area, devastating another. People think they can predict what will happen days in advance…but, it’s all just an educated guess, isn’t it?

I don’t trust the meteorologists. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that they are not God. They cannot know, not really.

Tomorrow the area of the Mid-West that I live in is in the “red zone” for severe weather, dangerous winds, possible tornadoes.

I can “batten down the hatches” at my house.  I can listen to the news. I can track the storms on my computer. I can try and be prepared, but I cannot trust that I alone can handle the storms that come my way. I can’t. I never could. Oh, I try, but, ultimately I am defenseless in the wake of the strong winds, crashing waves, and utter darkness of this life.

I do know someone that I can trust. Completely.

The One who can calm storms with the very sound of His voice. Sometimes He chooses to calm the storm and no one gets hurt. At other times the storms rage wild, life is torn to bits, people die. We ask the question that hangs heavy on the brokenhearted….. “God, where were You?”

He is there, in the midst. He never left. He never will.

Tragedy happens in this life. There are few of us that have never wept the tears of grief and pain. It is part of the human condition.

Storms do come. They will continue to come. I choose to cling to the Rock that holds steady through the strongest storms of this broken world.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High 
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, 
   my God, in whom I trust.”  Psalm 91

The Light Shines In The Darkness

 

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The clouds rolled in on that late summer day,

incredibly dark and foreboding.

Winds picked up as the sun was completely blotted out.

Amazing to watch from my vantage point inside the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_1099Not so much, if stuck outside in the middle of the storm.

How many times have I been caught in the storms of life?

Unable to see the sun, but knowing that it is there.

Remaining faithful.  Realizing that storms don’t last forever, even if it seems that way at the time.

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:5 

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Continuing to memorize verses, from the book of John, for The Jesus Project.

 

 

 

Summer Storms

I am back on the blogging trail after taking the past few weeks off. Those weeks off, I spent visiting with family and making memories.

We’ve had some crazy weather out here in the country.  I managed to get some interesting, stormy pictures. Everyone knows I have a thing for clouds, and living out here in the country, they really are a show. I thought I’d share some of them with you.

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These clouds are interesting, and a little bit intimidating….
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I love this picture. The light shining through the storm clouds. Isn’t this a picture of life?
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Ominous and calm all at the same time.
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Looking out over the front yard…which, at the time, looked like a swamp. Amazing how fast the rain came that day!

We All Have Storms In Our Lives

We all have storms in our lives.

Sometimes they come, due to our own making

Other times, only because we live in a broken and fallen world…

As darkness envelops…

Jealousy. Anger. Bitterness. Arrogance. Pride.

An unforgiving heart.

The storm pounds on my soul.

Wanting only my own way…

As the storm grows… a heart hardens.

The rain pours…

But….in the midst of the storm….if I look up….an unobstructed view.

Much like the prodigal son of scripture, lost in my own life…my own problems…

I realize my need.

I run back to the Father. “Father, forgive me!”

After I’ve ventured out on my own and made a mess of things,

I return to the One who forgives. The One whose voice alone, can calm any storm.

18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.    “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  Luke 15:18-20 NIV

There is calm after the storm.

There is beauty in forgiveness.

For the forgiven,

as well as for the one that chooses to forgive.

Fragile colors as the anger of the storm subsides.

Quiet. Peaceful…

Awe.

Are you in the middle of a storm, right now?

Are you the forgiven?

Or do you need to be the one who forgives?

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How do you practice forgiveness?

Weathering Life

Lightning

The morning sun pours in through the windows and puddles golden on the floor. It is a bright morning following a stormy night. The lightness is in direct contrast to the steel gray of last night’s weather. I think that life, in general, is a lot like the weather.

*we can try and plan outdoor activities, schedule things on the calendar….but, sometimes it rains and plans change.

*storms are unpredictable, and sometimes scary….but, they don’t last forever.

*as much as we enjoy the sunshine, we need the rain. Rain helps things to grow.

*sun is important and our body needs it for good health and for our moods, but too much sunshine and we get hurt.

*Sunshine and rain are both important in nature…and in life.

Enjoy the sunny times of life, appreciate them. Embrace them. Remember them.

But, also remember that every life is going to have rain…need rain. Learn to weather the storms. Hang on tight. Ride them out.

Both sunshine and rain help you to grow.

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-thank you God, for the sunshine and the rain

-puddles of sunlight

-doggie licks

-the smell of coffee

-holding hands

-good morning hugs

-friendship

-good ideas

-comfy pajamas

-a fresh start to a new week

Stormy Saturday

A wall cloud with tail cloud.

Image via Wikipedia

My alarm clock went off at 7am. I heard the thunder in the distance.

I listened. I heard it coming closer.

Then I heard the rain.

A nice sound, early in the morning.

After about an hour and a half, I decided it was safe enough to walk the dog.

There was a huge, dark, wall cloud at the front of the house. I could still hear thunder and see lightning in the distance.

I told Lonnie to hurry up.

He didn’t.

I was fascinated with the clouds. I am a storm watcher. I did not like being the tallest thing in the field, when I could see lightning…even if it wasn’t right near me. I didn’t want to take any chances, so I squatted down with the dog and reminded him again that he needed to get the show on the road so we could go back inside.

I took him back inside and grabbed my camera.

I ran back outside and snapped some pictures, even though in just a few minutes the clouds had already changed and moved.

I do love summertime storms.

 

Lord Willing, And The Creek Don’t Rise

April showers bring May flowers…..or in my case, THUNDERSTORMS bring flooding.

This morning I woke to high winds, thunder, and lightening. It has rained pretty much the entire day.

The farm land across the road is saturated. There is now a lake where a field used to be.

Such is springtime in rural Ohio.

Springtime is the best and worst of times.

Rain and mud

Storms and flood

Plants blooming, pollen sneezing

Grass growing, allergic wheezing

Farmers planting

Dogs panting

Flip flops to wear

Ponytail hair

Sunshine so bright

Until late at night.

Let’s get into gear

‘Cause Springtime is here!

New International Version (©1984)
Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.

I Am Totally A Weather Geek

I get a little too excited over Storm Stories on The Weather Channel. I am fascinated by amateur footage of tornadoes. I dream of what it would be like to be a storm chaser. ‘Cause I’m just crazy like that.

My husband and I were discussing the famous “tornado alley” the other day. I said, “living out in the flat lands of the mid-west might be a little scary during tornado season”. My very practical husband replied with a shrug, “those people are used to tornado sirens, besides when tornadoes actually hit, it is usually a rather small area, as opposed to say, hurricanes.”  He did not put a damper on my tornado conversation. “I bet they all have a good basement or at least a storm cellar.” ” They probably watch the sky. I wonder if it makes them nervous at all, to live in the dreaded tornado alley?” I suspect my husband thinks I have too much time on my hands and I dwell on tornadoes too much. Whatever. To each his own.

I dreamed about a big, huge, monster tornado the other night. I frequently have dreams about tornadoes. I’m just weird like that. Now, if one reads one of those dream interpretation books it would say that I must have a lot of unsettled business in my life, that I feel like things are out of control, thus the tornado dreams….yada…yada…yada..”  Well, duh. Of course life is unsettled. I’m 42 years old. Out in the country. Living with llamas. And corn. And soybeans. All around me. Wife to a my very own computer geek…um…I mean developer/programmer. Mother of three teenagers. Homeschooler. AND with very little good chocolate around. So, obviously life is unsettled.  Anyone could see that.

I have about a bazillion (or so) blog readers. I wish some of  my Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas,and North and South Dakotas readers would comment on my blog. Any stories to tell? Did you ever see a tornado? Do you have a storm cellar? Do you pay much attention to tornado sirens or are you just used to them? Just curious. It would make my day to hear from you. Come on, throw me a crumb. I know. I’m a total geek. I’ve embraced it.

A few weeks back my husband and I took some friends up to northwest Ohio. On the way back sirens started going off, as the sky became black and ominous. I was totally entranced. A couple weeks earlier a tornado had hit a small town in that part of Ohio, destroying much in its path. So, traveling this area with sirens going off, did make me a little nervous….but, in an adrenaline pumping sort of a way. I could so be a storm chaser. I’d be the one with the camera, taking footage of the approaching storm….the one that yells, “Move it! Move it! Move it! It’s coming this way!” as we tear off down some back country road, tires spinning, and graveling spewing as we make our narrow escape. At least that is how it goes in my dream. Hey, don’t make fun of me–or my obsession with all things stormy. By the way, I’m still waiting to see a cow flying by my window. Now that would be cool. Helen Hunt has nothing on me.