Weather and Folklore. 

Red sunrise in the morning, sailors take warning.

Red sunrise at night is a sailor's delight. 

(this is one Jesus referenced in Matthew 16) 

Foggy August mornings

The bands on a woolly caterpillar

The seed of a persimmon (the Fall of 2012 it was a spoon) (look it up)

The thickness of a mammal's fur in the winter

A ring around the moon

How many can you name? Check your local Farmer's Almanac for more.

A lesser know weather observation indicator is the 12 days of Christmas.  

For many years I have been watching and recording the weather happenings beginning on Christmas day through January 5 to help me have an understanding of the possible average weather patterns for the year. Each of the 12 Days of Christmas represent the 12 months of the year. 

     December 25 = January

     December 26 = February

     December 27 = March

     December 28 = April

            and so on...

During the 2011-2012 Days of Christmas, I worried then that we would have a hot dry summer - and we did.  Burn bans as early as June as well as at least 20 wildfires in Arkansas during June indicated the summer was going to be rough. Most gardeners gave up their summer gardening efforts in hopes of a successful Fall garden. It was, though, a tolerable summer (for those of us acclimated and conditioned to the great outdoors)  in that the humidity wasn't nearly as brutal as is usual here in Central Arkansas.  The summer of 2012 was dry!  

This past 2012-2013 12 Days of Christmas, I was chomping at the bit to get in my garden because the prospects for a beautiful spring and summer with rain or at least not drought conditions were indicated by the 12 Days of Christmas weather patterns.  So far this year, I have not been disappointed with my weather *predictions.*

On December 24 while standing outside saying goodnight to our Christmas Eve guests, we all ooooohed and ahhhed over the beauty of the moon, the huge clear ring with a lone star on the inside of the ring.  I determined then and there that this was going to be a weather year worth observing and I determined to write it all out. As it turned out I had all the time in the world as we were snowed in with an EPIC history making snow event the very next day (hint - one star on the inside of the ring around the moon). Here's what I wrote in my calendar for the 2012-2013 12 Days of Christmas

December 25 (January) -  Day started out windy.  Ice. freezing rain, sleet, thunder, lightning, SNOW - EPIC! Temp hovered around 30. Power's out! 

December 26 (February) - Sunny, windy, dry, 10 + inches of snow on the ground.  Cold! barely above freezing today.  34 maybe.

December 27 (March) - Sunny early turning cloudy.  Cold! Stayed below freezing most of the day. 

December 28 (April) - Cold, Cloudy, freezing rain turning to rain.  Snow still on the ground. High temperature around 37.

December 29 (May) - Sunny, cold, snow still on the ground, another freeze.  Temp barely made it to 33. Power's back on late in the evening.

December 30 (June) - Clear sunrise but turning overcast all day.  High of 41 - finally warming up a bit. snow and ice still on the ground, rain moving in. 

December 31 (July) - Overcast.  rain.  high of 36.  Significant rain to end the day.  Cold. Late night fog.

January 1 (August) - Overcast. Gloomy.  Cold but warmer than it has been.  40 degrees. Snow is finally out of the trees and melting.

January 2 (September) - Overcast. Cold. some snow still on the ground, but not much. 39 degrees as of 2pm, but it feels colder than that. 

January 3 (October) - Heavy frost. Low morning temp of 25 - SUNSHINE!!!! 46 degrees as of 3:30.

January 4 (November) - cold. again. overcast. again. High of 45. 

January 5 (December) - cold. overcast. day warmed to about 46. 

Well.  That's it.  That's a look at my weather observing skills.  I'm learning as I go what these indicators mean.  It's definitely not a 100% accurate look at the weather each day of each month.  But, I have found that it's a good way to get an overall average look at and expectations of the weather for the seasons.  And I'm typing this on a beautiful cool for July in Arkansas day with clouds and rain.  Oh.  And the short-lived burn ban for Pulaski county has been lifted thanks to the rain.  

Observation is a good thing.  And now I can tell Ellen that I finally did this. 

The Wil"funs"

A Departure - part 3

It's been nearly a year to date when things started going awry. It was vacation bible school time. I had intentionally chosen the lesson I would teach - the apostle Paul's salvation, baptism, and being let down in a basket over a wall. Basically the lesson was on the church, what it is, and it's importance.

By this time, Steve had already met with the pulpit search committee and had been questioned, which led to another meeting and another questioning. Then Bible School came and things were "quiet." After Bible School there was another meeting which led up to the August business meeting in which Steve resigned as interim pastor and asked that his name be removed from the list of potential pastors. Here are the verses he read as he resigned...

Psalm 149
Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

By the time Steve finished reading he was shouting and crying "this honour have all his saints." And then, he closed his bible and sat down beside me. Everyone, I guess, was in shock. Just a moment passed and the song director was back in the pulpit, called for the pianist, asked Steve and me to stand up front while the congregation came around to "confirm their love for us." I cannot begin to express the emotional scene and this display. Nearly everyone was crying, nearly everyone hugged us, nearly everyone apologized. The church literally had no idea, just the pulpit committee and and some others.

After this horrendous ordeal, everyone took their seats and like dutiful baptists, the show must go on...and so the business meeting continued with Steve and I sitting in our normal 4th pew from the front spot with everyone else behind us. The August Business Meeting is always the election of officers and teachers.

Under "New Business" Steve continued with the resigning. Here is a list of what we resigned.
Primary class Sunday School teacher - me
Adult Sunday School class, Assistant teacher - Steve
Wednesday night girls class, Assistant teacher - me
Wednesday night boys class, Teacher - Steve
Assistant pianist - me
3rd Assistant organ - me (I don't think this one really counts)
Assistant choir director - me

There was, to be fair - a bit of hesitance by some and questioning as to if it was o.k. to refuse this request. But it was granted with opposition duly noted.

I'm not really sure how the night ended. I know the meeting ended. I know I somehow made it home. I know there was more bewilderment and unbelief from so many. But love still wasn't enough.

A Departure - part 2

Have you ever left something? I mean left? Walked away? Turned your back? ...and it wasn't pretty?

I'm doing that. With my family. My husband and children. We're doing it together. Walking away from practically everything we ever known concerning the church. And it is not pretty.

I've been trying to pinpoint a place and time in which this process began. But like most things of this nature, there is rarely a decisive turning point. It's small things here and little things there.

I can very vividly remember being told at the young age of 24, "you're just not spiritual enough." And while this was not a turning point, it made an impact on me. Time passed and I did what all good fundamental baptists do, try harder to be more spiritual.

In 1993, Steve and I moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. Abigail was 3 months old. We visited the Independent Fundamental Baptist church near where we lived and knew that was not the place for us. We visited Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, and although we did not completely agree with everything not written, we joined because we loved it. We loved the place. We loved the people. Of course it does help when a majority of the church members are family.
In 1994, Steve entered the Missionary Baptist Seminary. He was licensed to preach and then ordained as a minister of the gospel. Except for a nearly 4 year term in Hensley, AR pastoring Lone Pine Missionary Baptist Church, we have been at PRMBC.

Another impacting event (not a turning point, mind you) was when I read The Bible in Eight Ages. A definitive work for any gap theory dispensationalist. I was livid after reading the book and set out to biblically refute it, which I did.

There have been no other impacting events. Nothing but little things here and there, not enough to breakup over. Love was enough. It's not enough anymore

The American Index

So the Sunday morning breakfast conversation goes like this...

(Quiet and contemplative...)

Steve: "Isn't this a beautiful morning?"

Laura: "Yeah, it sure is."

(A little aggravated...)

Steve: "You wouldn't believe all the people complaining about the heat."

(a little more gracious sounding - yes, I was)

Roanna: "Well, it was 96 degrees with a heat index of 100."

Steve: "::snort:: heat index...that's what I call the American index. Forget about actual. Forget about the facts. Forget about what's real. How do you 'feeeeel' about it? How do you 'feel'?"

________

And so today it is supposed to be 99 with a heat index near 110. I don't know about you , but I'm o.k. with it. So far we have shade and water.

Some people think were odd that we choose not to have air conditioning. Shoot, let's face it, most people think we're odd about a lot of things. This June morning sure is beautiful - with or without air conditioning. I do wonder, though, if it is more beautiful because we are conditioned to it.

A Departure

The following is the letter my husband wrote to our friend, brother in Christ, and deacon at our previous church:

Dearest Brother,

Determining how to address you in this letter is the most difficult part. I love you as much as my own father, respect you as much as any man, and admire you to an unending degree.

I will contend to my death that our doctrine in Christ does not vary in Spirit. This conclusion is drawn in my own heart because my Spirit bears witness with yours and our lives match in sobriety and gravity concerning the things of God.

It has become difficult to argue the technical parts of doctrine because our variance is not in Spirit, but very much so in attitude. I do not have decades of “tradition” in Landmarkism, nor do I have any stock in a “genealogy” of churches, only a calm faith that God has preserved and called a remnant of people throughout the ages for His Name’s sake.

I believe whole heartedly in the obligation and work of the local New Testament Church. But this is born out in our “conversation” not in words. The definition of a church remains as it was at my ordination found in Ephesians 2:19-22. This “building” is the same as the “building” in 1 Corinthians 3:9, and the “house of God” in 1 Timothy 3:15, and the “Spiritual house” of 1 Peter 2:5. I am not at liberty to change it.

For eleven years I have searched the Word and the works of other doctors of language to find any excuse to insert one “kind” of body in Ephesians 4:4, and have found that I am not at liberty to do that either.

The church is the work of God, a monument of the truth. When the churches fall as they always have, the Truth, which is Christ, remains untainted, and the “gates of hell” have not and shall not prevail.

Please convey in any part our decision to the church. Only uphold your own doctrine and let it remain in the church.

These are the keys to the church house. By grace through faith we hold the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Forever in Christ’s debt and yours,

Heart's Journey

Heart’s Journey

“There are no accidents.” Mark Baldwin always says this. So when he was at the Razorback/Alabama “game” and gave his phone to a friend to call “Steve” to find out where he was, the friend called Steve, my Steve, the wrong Steve. During the phone conversation Mark reminded Steve that services at Heart’s Journey begin at 9:15.

We woke up early enough Sunday morning to eat an egg sandwich and to get ready in outfits’ that are clean and descent. Nothing too fancy (Steve was the ONLY one in a tie). We left the house happy, but cutting it close for the for the 25 minute drive to the church. Session one begins at 9:15am. We drove up at 9:14. Others were arriving, and we greeted at the door by Mark who was very glad to see us.

The first session begins with worship music. As we walked in, the lights were dimmed and it was kind of dark. A little too dark to be finding seats, especially as 1st time visitors to a Sunday morning meeting. I was instantly uncomfortable trying to find seats for all of us. Somehow I got in the lead and went to the first group of seats I could find. They were saved. So we were floundering in the dark. Finally with some assistance Steve and I sat with Silas, Zeb and Anna in one place. Abby, Levi and Lydia sat with Mark in a different place. I did not like not being able to sit together as a family. During this time of floundering an unsuspecting lady asked to take the babies out. Steve said they would stay with us. The lady told Steve, “They prefer that we take them out.” It’s really a good thing that I didn’t hear this because I would have walked out immediately. When we were finally situated we focused on the worship music.

The music was live, classic praise and worship style songs with one piano (the piano player also sang), one acoustic guitar, one bass guitar and the lead singer, Esther (my cousin – and she can really sing). The words were projected onto a screen. We knew only one of the songs. As I gazed around the dark room I noticed not many people were singing. However they were nearly all focused on the words on the screen. We stood through all of the songs, uninterrupted that led right into preaching.

The preaching style is very different from typical style of what we are used to – a pastor in a suit behind a pulpit. The pastor of Heart’s Journey sat on a stool behind the communion table with a music stand to his left. He wore tan dress pants and a blue dress tee-shirt. Very casual. He presented a very practical, relevant exegesis of the Scripture. The preaching was very good. Very personal. The Spirit was there. There was a 20 minute break at the end of session one of donuts and coffee. Session 2 began with some announcements and then we went right into more sound preaching/teaching.

A couple of things to note…We saw no flags. Typical Baptist Churches have the American Flag and the Christian Flag always prominently displayed. We’re not saying the absence of flags is a bad thing. It’s not. It’s just interesting, the American way, to have our American patriotism as a framework to our theology.

Also, on the stage hanging to the left and right of the large screen are two praise type banners, with identical serene scenes. The banner on the left read, “Life Hurts.” The banner on the right read, “God Heals.” This is a specific framework. All of the ministries, preaching, music funnels through this focus.

All in all it was a very good experience. The people were welcoming and friendly. And the atmosphere was absent of the legalistic externalism we are accustomed to.