First Snow, Followed by Tornados

Last week we had our first snowfall! I am not a fan of the stuff! But, ready or not, it's here! After it stopped, though, the sun came out and the snow glistened on top of the fallen leaves. It was SO pretty!

We just had a light layer, and by noon it was all melted.

The lake was clear and sparkled, as it met the shoreline. Yellow leaves were salted with snow.

Icicles formed streaks of frozen rays on the patio.

A lonesome leaf is surrounded by our first powder.

The warmth of the sun soon melted the snow below.



Less than a week later we were bombarded by rain, wind, hail, and TORNADOES!
Sunday morning: We debated whether or not to go to church. The  weather was predicted to get nasty sometime in the afternoon.The sky was gray and nasty-looking. We went....only to have such a downpour of hail, mid-service, that we were sure the roof would collapse. Pastor cut his sermon short, so we could get home, if things got worse.

At home, the wind picked up drastically...we brought in anything not anchored down on our property. The news channel is on. My phone beeps loudly, a text from the local weather service announcing a tornado watch! (I have an automatic text alert on my phone)

We watch the T.V., and keep an eye out the windows. I start to panic. This is the first time we have had a tornado alert at our new house on the lake. We have no basement or lower level where we can go for safely if we are hit directly by a tornado.

The hubs grabs my hands to calm me. We pray for safety and protection. We still watch and wait. A few phone calls, one from my mom. Another from a neighbor , who is currently in Florida. The sky looks extremely menacing. Then a gust of wind blows with vengeance, bending the trees almost to breaking. I jump, run into the living room, grabbing my two dogs, yelling for my hubby to follow. I run into the bathroom, the only interior room in the house. He follows, but keeps looking out the window. Debris is flying in all directions. We pray with radio and flashlights in hand....and wait what feels like an eternity. Soon (maybe 5 minutes), the wind seems to calm a bit. We go to see what the sky looks like. It isn't as dark and eerie. The worst seems to be past us.

The news indicates that the storm is headed more eastward, now. The sun is actually shining. Over the lake....a double rainbow shines. The weather reporter states that many have seen rainbows in their areas....

In awe and thankfulness, I pause and take in the beauty. I praise God that He spared us any injury or major damage to our home. (Only a piece of privacy fencing pulled up).

Today, the news of how much damage this stormfront has done starts trickling in....facebook posts, news reports....and I am crushed. 

Early findings show at least 10 Indiana tornadoes: INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 

In Kokomo (about 1 hr. north of Indianapolis; 
One and a half hours drive south of where I live.)

High winds that eyewitnesses say were caused by a tornado left large swaths of the Kokomo in shambles, flipping cars, downing power lines and turning homes and businesses into ruble.

Reports of a tornado in Howard County started coming in just after 3 p.m. near Russiaville. High winds slammed into Kokomo shortly after that, with a short bout of hail raining on the city.

The destruction prompted the city to declare a state of emergency around 5:30 p.m., banning vehicle and pedestrian traffic throughout the city until 6 a.m. Monday.

'It's all gone': Midwest communities weigh costs of deadly tornadoes...

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Lord, how do we deal with such destruction? How do we respond to Your power to protect some, while others lose everything they own?

 The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17).

We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur.

For one thing, such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity.

Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life. Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people who are suffering. Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ! God can, and does, bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).

My heart aches and I pray for those who have lost their homes, businesses, and family members.
"Oh, Lord! Have mercy and show them your love. Provide for them what they need. Bring those who don't know you to a saving knowdege and desire to follow You the rest of their lives! Amen."

In the midst of destruction and devastation, many were able to view a sign of the promise, made by God to all of His children.

"What The Rainbow Says" 
No doubt we live in a world of great wickedness, violence, evil and those that hate God, the principles in the Bible and all those that are bold and wise enough to believe it and live by it's precepts. 
That Rainbow, God said, "My Bow."  Every Rainbow, the miraculous display of color and beauty belongs to God.  It is a heavenly reminder when he looks down and sees the wickedness... He promised Noah that he would not do what he did again with water.

The Rainbow is a reminder to us, There is still time for someone to get on the boat before the fire of judgement comes.  JESUS is the Boat for this generation.  We get on that boat through the DOOR that is Jesus. 

That Rainbow should not only make us thankful for Grace, but motivate us to live a godly and holy life.  Peter gave us a grave warning, the very same God that destroyed the unrighteous with water is going to destroy the same kind with fire.

What does the Rainbow mean?

Rejoice, Repent, and live a righteous faith filled life.

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶ He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 

2 Peter 3:11-18

Continuing to give thanks, listing the many gifts from the Lord all week long...  Linking over at  "Multitude on Mondays". 
1,533 - First snow
1,534 - The warm sun on a cold day.
1,535 - Feeling a love and closeness to my husband and son that can only be topped by a close relationship with Jesus!
1,536 - That God is in control, even though we may not understand why He allows certain things to happen. 
1,537 - Safety and protection of my family through the storm.
1,538 - Rainbow, after the rain.
1,539 - The meaning behind the rainbow.
1,540 - God leading me to re-write this post a couple of times, as I felt led to talk about this current event.

(All photos from Kokomo Tribune at  //www.kokomotribune.com/local/x143678763/Storm-strafes-Kokomo)

Also linking over to these blog hops:
Heart Reflected Blog Hop
Sunday Stillness (He Cares For You)
Weekend Brew (My Freshly Brewed Life) 
 Soli Deo Gloria Party (Finding Heaven)
 Sharing His Beauty (Beauty In His Grip)
Titus2sdays (Time-Warp Wife)
UNITE (Rich Faith Rising)
Gratituesday (Heavenly Homemakers)
Winsome Wednesday(My Daily Walk in His Grace)  
Watchful Wednesdays (He Cares For You) 
 Word-Filled Wednesday (Woman to Woman)  
  Getting Your Gratitude On (Divas With A Purpose) 
Tell Me a True Story Blog Hop