Online Bible Study

Online Bible Study

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Weather Channel Virginia Information

Virginia
•State of Emergency: Governor Bob McDonnell has declared for the state ahead of the storm.
•Fatality: A child is dead in Newport News after a tree fell on an apartment building
•Power Outages: The Virginia Department of Emergency Management reports 701,650 people without power as of 6:30 pm.
•Curfew in Effect: The City of Hampton is declaring a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. No one should be on the roads except emergency personnel, according to local Twitter reports.
•Homes Flooding: A Pinecrest resident reports the Pamlico River is flooding homes in his area, which is 8 feet above the river.
•Road Closures: Virginia Beach police closed Sandbridge Road on Saturday at 7 p.m. due to dangerous conditions in the beach community. Westbound vehicles will be allowed to leave, but no one will be allowed in until further notice.
•Route 258 in Smithfield and surrounding roads are closed due to downed power lines and fallen trees
•Wind Gust: Non-thunderstorm wind gust reached an astounding 66 mph at Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel.
•High Tides: Tides are already running 4 feet above normal at Sewells Point, and high tide is now approaching.
•Record Rain Reports: Wallops Island has received 4.4 inches of rain, breaking the old record of 2.83 inches, set in 1971.
•Road Closed: Colonial Parkway in Wakefield is closed due to amount of downed trees.
•Chesapeake Bay Tunnel: Closed until further notice
•Governor Bob McDonnell: Has said that people who defy mandatory evacuation orders can be prosecuted.
•State Level Emergency Responders: FEMA says it has sent incident management assistance teams to staging areas in Virginia, in anticipation of further deployment to potential hurricane impact areas along the coast
•Local State of Emergency: Declared for Virginia Beach, city manager James K. Spore warned residents to prepare for potential flooding and power outages
•Tolls Open: Northbound tolls on the Chesapeake Expressway have been lifted
•Mandatory Evacuations: Ordered for at least 11 localities, among them the Sandbridge section of Virginia Beach, a barrier island dotted with rentals, Accomack on the Eastern Shore, and for low-lying areas of Norfolk, Hampton and Portsmouth.
•Shelters: The cities of Norfolk, Virginia beach and Hampton opened shelters on Friday

Incredibly Thankful!

As I watch iCarly tonight, listening to the final effects of Hurricane Irene outside my window, accompanied by my youngest daughter, Kristina, I am reminded of the many blessings I have been given today alone.
1. The safety of my entire family.
2. The company of a beautiful, sweet daughter.
3. A devoted son on stand-by! (Answering every text message I sent within seconds! Constantly providing support!)
4. A home spared from Hurricane Irene.
(photo posted tonight on the internet - Hurricane Irene - North Carolina)

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto.


While conducting research for this post, I found this shocking information! I was looking for the "official motto" - but was saddened to discover one doesn't exist (Wikipedia post reference).

Often falsely cited as such, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" is an inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City, derived from a quote from Herodotus' Histories (8.98), referring to the courier service of the ancient Persian Empire:
It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed. (trans. A.D. Godley 1924)

I do want to send a SHOUT OUT to OUR POST MAN! He brought our mail earlier today! I couldn't believe it, but was extremely excited - as he brought a new Netflix movie! Perfect for hurricane conditions!
Praying the power lasts long enough to watch it!

Electricity

I MUST share my "miracle" story....
After I wrote my initial hurricane post, earlier this morning, I felt a little sleepy. I decided to take a nap and enjoy the peace. I woke about 9:30 am to COMPLETE silence. I knew I didn't turn off The Weather Channel - because I needed to "be in the know" EVERY MINUTE. OH MY GOSH - the power was out (ALREADY!). The true storm hadn't even gotten close and we were ALREADY without power. My husband was NOT HAPPY (although I had started a 500 page book by Francine Rivers - and was somewhat excited about it)!
However, I must say, when the last hurricane came through, Isabelle, we were without power for 14 days! I was NOT looking forward to a replay of history!!!! But I kept in the front of my mind that God remained in control - it would be okay (no matter what - and that is still the case)!
At approximately 11:30 am - our power was RESTORED!!!!! I still can't believe it, but am grateful to GOD and Dominion Power! Thank you (BOTH) for taking such good care of us!

Irene update

The wind is blowing and the rain is coming down!

I agree with the family in Nags Head (pictured above) - GOOD NIGHT IRENE!!!!

Mandy

I forgot to share a very strange occurrence....
EVERY SINGLE MORNING, the first moment of my movement, Mandy is on-top of me. She wants to be loved and WALKED! She follows me EVERYWHERE until I take her outside.

This morning, she is laying perfectly still/sleeping, and hasn't approached me AT ALL since 5 am (it's now almost 8 am). I am confident she KNOWS something is going on outside and doesn't even want to consider it!

THANK GOD!!!!

Hurricane Irene - August 2011

I decided I would write a brief blog (with the pending power outages, this may be the ONLY post) of my personal experience with Irene!

I fell asleep watching The Weather Channel's Hurricane coverage. I awoke to The Weather Channel's Hurricane coverage - and the sound of a home flag, attached to the exterior of our home, blowing ferociously! I believe it was about 5:00 am - and we are anticipating an entire day of the same! I don't think I truly understood how LARGE this storm actually is - and the number of hours we will be plummeted by Irene's strong winds and heavy rain.
I read that a surfer lost his life in Virginia Beach, 22 years old, PRIOR to Irene's arrival (if I understood correctly)!
To be completely honest, I KNOW God is in control - but I'm a tad fearful.
More to come.....

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Coach Shef - Part 2 - Staying on Target

The Three Most Redemptive (Therefore Effective) Things I Can Do For Middle Schoolers.

1. Find great people and give them a healthy culture in which to grow and connect with students.

2. Create shared quality experiences built around Biblical truth for the students and the small group leaders.

3. Give parents access to #1 and #2.

Read the complete article here:
http://www.coachshef.com/

Interview with Author of Simple Gifts, Sharen Pearson



SIMPLE GIFTS
By Sharen Pearson





As a mother of five and now grandmother of seven, I’ve planned my share of birthday events. I am a creative person, so my problem is “going over the top.” My expectations supersede those of the birthday child. So, I have to step back and say, “Whose birthday is it anyway?” And, therein lies the key to a successful birthday party.

I recently assisted with my grandson, Waylon’s party. He was reaching that big-boy age of 5 years. He knew what theme he wanted: Herbie the Love Bug. He wanted a backyard campfire and a cake with Herbie on it. Simple—Herbie, campfire, cake. Got it! My daughter complied. She invited a few families from church that Waylon knew well and was comfortable around. Since entire families were represented, parents were there to help with crowd control. Bowls of chips and dip provided a place to gather around as people arrived. Children scattered to play in the back yard, parents grouped to watch and chat. Easy, huh? Daddy lit a small fire in the campfire ring in the yard. More talk, more easy playing. The cake was a simple giant chocolate chip cookie with a frosting “Herbie.” Waylon thought it was wonderful.

Mommy announced that it was gift-opening time and everyone pulled up lawn chairs and sat in family groups. Waylon sat in the middle of the circle on the grass and guests watched as he opened each gift and thanked the giver. He received many nice gifts, but to everyone’s delight, a small, inexpensive VW bug toy car was his favorite. He opened it, raised it above his head as if it were a trophy and yelled in delight. Waylon slept with his “Herbie;” woke up and greeted it; placed it on the edge of the tub so he could see it. He had the birthday he wanted. Simple party, simple gift, simple fun!

Some suggestions to consider when planning your party:
· If your child is old enough to have input, allow it.
· For ages 1-5 years, simple is best. Simple decorations, simple food, simple games.
· Invite only one party guest per age of the child. Young children are very intimidated by
·many children of the same age. Remember, “Whose birthday is it?”
· If guests include family/friends with older children, add activities especially for them.
· Home is the best place for children ages 5 and under. Big party venues are confusing, scary and do not position the “birthday child” as the center of attention as he should be.

Some traps that parents fall into:
· Making the party so complicated that you, as the parent, no longer enjoy it. (Been there,
·done that.)
· Allowing young party guests to get close to and grab for gifts as the birthday child is opening them. (Admit it, you’ve seen this haven’t you?)
· Spending too much money. (Guilty as charged.)
· Preparing food for adults and not age-appropriate to the guests. (The only thing to show off today is your wonderful child)
· Engaging in sleepover parties before the age of 9 years. (Children younger than 9 or 10 years often find sleeping at someone else’s home frightening and uncomfortable.)



Sharen Pearson’s Goof & Giggle classes and materials continue to provide a quality Mom/Tot interaction. Widely popular, Goof & Giggle’s child-focused play plans are offered in various Arizona communities. She’s also created a variety of Goof Juice DVDs and filmed episodes of Baby D.I.Y. and written workbooks for BabyFirstTV. Arizona Midday (NBC) tapes monthly segments with Sharen to provide their audience with a variety of original and creative “easy to do” activities for babies and preschoolers. Sharen’s creativity reaches a combined audience over 200 million viewers worldwide. Goof & Giggle classes and products encourage green living, repurposing materials from around the house into affordable objects for play and learning. Learn more at: http://sharenpearson.com/



This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. You are welcome to place this article on your site or in your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its entirety, 2) the full bio is used, 3) you previously request permission through KCWC at russ@kathycarltonwillis.com. All other standard copyrights apply.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Fabulous Youth Blog

I read this blog this morning and have been thinking about it all day! Tune in tomorrow for his response! (or check his blog - link provided below!)

So…How do you stay focused?
If all these ideas are good ideas for good reason…then how do you figure out what to say “yes” to and what to say “NO” to.

Here’s a little exercise to help.

Stop reading this blog for a couple of hours and answer this question.

If I could only do 3 things…What would be the most redemptive things I could do for the people I serve in this ministry?

Nothing more to be said....


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Preparing to Write a Book Review this week....


As I prepare to write a book review blog post, I was encouraged to include some personal reasons I enjoyed the book (which isn't difficult for me - as I usually do that anyway!). However, this book is a little different in that it's about the Amish.

I must admit that I love the lifestyle the Amish have chosen to embrace - the simple life. As I have gotten older, I have grown to realize that life really IS about the simple things - family, nature, intelligence, thankfulness, appreciation, others...it's not so much about "the stuff". In many ways I envy their ways. I am really looking forward to sharing more of my heart on this topic.

Stay tuned....