House built on the ROCK...

This morning started for me around 4:30a.m.. The winds were whipping, the rain was pouring and my cable was off. I have to have me a weather map going in the corner of my television set or I go nuts. I got up and grabbed the storm radio.

"Tornado spotted 8 miles..." Say what?!!! Panic is rising. What good is a weather radio if it is not going to go off?!!! I go check the hall closet to make sure it is clear. As it is the tornado was spotted 8 miles north of our town at the little place where some of my husband's family lives and the deer camp stands nestled in the woods. The radio keeps sounding. The winds keep blowing.

Frustration hits when the guy keeps telling me about the week's forecast, storms and all. "I find myself snapping at the man in the radio; "Excuse me, but I don't care about Thursday's weather, I want to know where the dadgum tornado is!!!" My husband got a chuckle out of that one.


For about an hour it roared outside and even after the storms died down, I "SLEPT" with the radio. Another chuckle from my husband...

But I was the one who had the last laugh (although I really didn't think it was funny!). We woke up and hour later to schools being closed, damage everywhere and no electricity. The worse part of it all is that a tree fell on our friend's house and the dental office where I go. (If only I believed in karma... :) Sorry, a very weak moment. If you only understood all the pain I've had from dental visits lately!!!) Actually, the damage is bad and my heart goes out to them. It is never fun watching friends go through something like this.

My husband and I split up and went two different directions, each with a child. Kayla went with him to the dentist's house. Friends and church members were helping box up their valuables, so they wouldn't lose everything...what a mess!


(Did I mention that the rain was pouring down like a monsoon? It was so thick you couldn't see through it.)


I went with Jordan to the daycare where I work. (Jordan chose to go with me. He is pretty much a mommy's boy in storms.) We had closed for the day, but only after parents had already dropped off some kids. Because the schools had closed, the electricity could go off at any time and there were more storms brewing, we shut down. It was my late day to go in, but I went in to see if they needed help. The thought of babies in the dark... not a good thing. After getting up there and hearing the storm stories of the ladies I work with, I started counting my blessings!

(Did I mention there was the biggest tree ever laying across the end of my road? I'm starting to wonder if I really like the two big, beautiful trees in my front yard. Scary!)


I finally left work and swung by the house...still no electricity. We went to pick up Kayla. The roads were horrible! I had to drive at a snail's pace just to get anywhere and there were a few places that had me turning around and finding and alternate way. I was wishing I had a boat... Dad, how you ever drove in flood waters in Asia I will never know!!!

The kids and I finally made it home and started lighting candles. I told them that they would just have to find a good book and plant it somewhere. The skies were still dark and green. The rains kept coming.

(Did I tell you that my fire alarms work? I had lit a candle in the bathroom and it started smoking...scared me to death!!!)

All of a sudden my husband is home. He had heard of another tornado warning... UGH! Only this time I have to act BRAVE because my son is up and not sound asleep in his bed. (I guess I needed to stop hugging the weather radio.) I did the only thing in MY power to do. I stopped to pray for peace.

And my AWESOME GOD brought it! In that moment I realized everything was going to be alright, no matter what was going to happen. My family sat around the kitchen table, waiting out the storm. Well, except for Kayla who was off walking around listening to her IPod in the dark!

About 10:15a.m. the electricity came back on (I love those electricity guys!!!), the heavy storm had past and Kev headed back out to help our friends. The cable wasn't on so I got on the computer to check out the "weather maps." More storms could head our way later... I'm beginning to HATE spring! If it wasn't for the pretty flowers...


(Did I tell you my electricity went out for another 20 minutes this afternoon? It wasn't storming then, so I guess they were fixing something, somewhere. I had a moment of frustration until I remembered that many,were still living with the damage from the storm. A weak moment, but I soon started counting my blessing once again.)

When I was driving on the flooded streets this morning, I kept thinking about that children's song that we use to sing all the time in Sunday School. The "wise man built his house upon the rock...". Today that song became more than a childhood memory, it became a true statement of faith.

Yes, I HATE storms. I have since I was little. Something about even thinking about tornadoes seems to turn my world upside down. I have a fear like you would not believe. However, in the middle of those storms I always have a sense of where to turn and where my peace can be found. I can not imagine living through the storms of life, without faith in the Almighty God.

What a day! The sun is shining bright right now, giving hope after the dark storm. My son is out playing basketball with friends, like today had been just like any other day.


(Did I tell you that God is good? If I didn't earlier I want to now. I had several friends in harms way during the storm and they are all safe.)

I am going to leave you with this one thought:

I was teasing someone about not getting the "memo" about building an ark. My son looks at me with a funny face. "Why would you need an ark, Mom? God PROMISED not to flood the whole earth again. " Out of the mouth of babes!


OK, so maybe I don't need an ark. But does anyone have a BOAT I could borrow?