It is a lovely winter wonderland outside with the snow still coming down. Roads were slick in a couple of spots but nothing too serious. I am most definately getting boots tomorrow or the next day.
First major snow of the season! Yippee!
Verdict Is In
We Have SNOW!
Well folks, there is a thin coat of snow over the grass right now and the it is still coming down. The streets are staying slushy so maybe it won’t get cold enough for them to freeze tonight. I imagine it will be cold enough to make them slick though.
I’ve decided to walk down to K&G on break at 1:30am so I can be out in it for a few minutes. It is my first snowfall since being home. I’m kind of hungry too – guess that grilled cheese sandwich I had around 1pm isn’t going to sustain me all the way till morning.
So It Begins
Rain is falling on Iowa City – I can see it through my various outside cameras. It started about 20 minutes ago. The Weather Channel says it will change over to snow relatively soon. Kind of cool that I’ll be able to watch the snow fall on different parts of the city for the next 8 hours.
I’m wondering what will be the best way home come morning. I suppose I will ask my replacement how he got in since we live in the same town – I imagine the interstate will be the way to go.
Wish I would have grabbed popcorn from home so I could have something to munch on. I don’t imagine I’ll feel like running down to the Kum-n-Go when I get my break later. Oh well.
Laughable
I just read an article on the internet where the police in New Jersy had a problem at a bank. It seems the alarm went off so officers arrived on the scene. The blinds were pulled but they could make out the shadow of a figure inside the bank.
The police quardened off the entire block, evacuating people in nearby apartment buildings, and called in SWAT. Inside the bank nothing stirred but they could still see the shadow of the figure.
After several unsuccessful attempts to call inside the bank via phone and bullhorn to speak to the thief, SWAT busted inside to take whomever was in there down.
Everyone was rather embarrassed to find that the shadow was cast not by a person but by a life-sized cardboard cutout of a person that the bank had for a promo they were doing. Personally, don’t you think they’d wonder why the shadowed figure didn’t move in all those hours? Kind of funny actually.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Said the night wind to the little lamb,
“Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite.”
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
“Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the the sea,
With a voice as big as the the sea.”
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
“Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold–
Let us bring him silver and gold,
Let us bring him silver and gold.”
Said the king to the people everywhere,
“Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light.”
Amazing Grace
“
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
T’was Grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear…
the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares…
we have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far…
and Grace will lead us home.
The Lord has promised good to me…
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be…
as long as life endures.
When we’ve been here ten thousand years…
bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise…
then when we’ve first begun.
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.
(end)
It’s In the Air
Snow is in the air – I can feel it when I take the dogs out to go on their walk. We are suppose to get up to 2 inches before Monday and than it will start to melt as temps rise up into the high 30’s to low 40’s Monday and Tuesday. I hope the streets are plowed when I go through to get to work tomorrow.
There are many issues to the snow that I’m not ready for. One is the driving – it has been eight years since I’ve had to drive on the stuff so I am a tad bit nervous about that. Two is the colder temps – I hate being cold. Third is not having any boots yet so my feet will get wet and last is having to walk the dogs in the stuff.
Honestly, I am looking forward to the snow but wish it would come on days I didn’t have to work so I would know the streets are cleared off when I do have to go. But the beauty of the season often outweighs the complaints of it so I can’t complain too much.
My sister wants to take a trip down to Florida during the winter so she can have a break from the weather. I hope she gets to go. I did get my vacation time approved for January and I think also in March so I will plan on doing something then. Maybe my friends from Florida can get the time off as well.
Holidays
Thanksgiving is behind us now and everyone is setting their sights on Christmas and the New Year. Hopefully everyone had a great holiday yesterday. I know we had tons of food, lots of fellowship, and general fun as our family clamoured together under one roof for the first time in ages.
I would have liked more adult time to visit but time goes fast and there was no where to send the little kids off to. Maybe next year we can find a bigger place for everyone to congregate.
No one has said anything about Christmas yet so I am guessing nothing has been decided about getting together. Each family will probably have their own little thing with their kids and grandkids. I don’t know what my son is going to do yet – he probably won’t know until mid-December. As he spent Thanksgiving with me, I wouldn’t begrudge him spending Christmas with his girlfriend provided I get to see him Christmas Eve. I’m sure he’ll let me know later.
Sowing Generously
2 Corinthians 9:5 says “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
We are entering the season of giving – a time when we all try to be a little more like the people we would ideally like to be. Whether it is giving to the bell ringers outside the stores or donating to a favorite charity – we try to be more gracious with our giving.
It is also the time we connect with old friends and distant family members – people we haven’t possibly spoken to or heard from since the previous Christmas.
Hopefully if you are a Christian, you will also spend time celebrating Christ’s birth, life, and death. We contemplate John 3:16: “For God so love the world He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” and marvel at God’s love, mercy and grace.
As we reflect on God’s love and sacrifice for us, may we be moved to help fellow human beings who are less fortunate than we are or who are struggling with a burdon that is getting too heavy for them to bear alone. Basically, may we all try to be more like Jesus not only during this season but throughout the entire year. 2 Corinthians 9:12 goes on to say: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”
Matthew 25:34-40 says – “Then the King will say to those on his right ‘ Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ The the righteous will answer him ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Charles Stanley often says something that sticks with me “We will reap what we sow, more than we sow and later than we sow.” As any farmer knows, what we sow doesn’t reap an immediate benefit but can come months after the seed has been planted. The farmer still sows though because he looks ahead to the month when his crops will come to fruitation. We, too, should sow seeds of love, compassion, mercy, and generosity - keeping our sights on our future eternal reward.
Extremities
I watched the above titled movie starring Farrah Fawcett and Mickey Rourke last night. It isn’t the first time I’ve seen it but thought it was quite good so rented it again.
The movie centers around a woman named Marjorie who gets assaulted in a parking lot on her way home from playing racquetball. The film makes it clear that she wasn’t targeted ahead of time but a victim of opportunity by the rapist/killer. He checks out several others in the parking lot who were too visible to grab or had someone with them. So it isn’t that he is someone she knows or has even seen before.
She does get away which pisses off her assailant – however, he gets her wallet so he knows where she lives. He also knows who her room mates are by a picture in her wallet. The guy doesn’t run right over there – he spends a week watching the house, learning the routines, stealing the mail, etc., before he picks the day to get even.
Now, all I told you happens in the first ten minutes so the movie is about what goes on at the house. This movie does an excellent job of portraying what most rapes are really about – ultimate power. The rapist wants to dominate, control and degrade their victim – that is what turns them on. Rape has so little to do with actual sex.
Both actors do a wonderful job – there is no blood or gore and nobody dies (I know, that is rather a spoiler). I say that because there are people who would assume it is a violent movie and that is not really the case.
