What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Friday, September 8, 2017

Friday Foto Friends-The Calm Before the Storm



Psalm 46
  God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried 
into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

Beauty Berries
There is a river whose streams shall make glad 
the city of God,

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
(This birdbath was a gift from our neighbor just this week. I can see it from my bedroom window and the sunporch. Very peaceful and calming.)


The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 
Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 
The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

I could stop right there and not say another word...This is my "calm before the storm".  As I am sure you all are aware, right now the State of Florida is preparing for a very huge Category 5 Hurricane Irma to descend upon our land in a couple of days.  People are evacuating the state as quickly as possible...which isn't very quick if you look at the highways headed north out of Florida.  We are thankful that we live in a more inland and north central location not prone to flooding, so we are not in the mandatory evacuation zone.  However, we do live in the middle of a national forest, and there are many trees that most likely will create chaos with our  power lines and possible damage to property, roofs, etc.  So that is our main concern...the loss of electricity could last for many days and even weeks in this area.  And since most people in this area also get their water from a well, without power there is no water! Therefore we have been preparing as best we can.  My pictures today will reflect some of the calm before the storm as well as our preparations:
 Our home before the storm. Praying it will still look like this after the storm.

 My oil lamps are trimmed and filled with oil...and we have many candles ready for us as well as flashlights and batteries.
 We splurged and bought a Coleman camp stove so I can boil water, make coffee and tea!! (and cook meals!)
 The red buckets are for the bathrooms...to pour water into toilets for flushing. The water for this will come from rain water.  The charcoal is for cooking if needed. (If we run out of other fuel).
 We have bottled water for drinking, plus I have been filling our own tap water into bottles and freezing, as well as making lots of ice and storing it in the freezer.
And the biggest surprise and miracle "gift" was the purchase of this generator.
After last year's brush with Hurricane Matthew (click HERE for THAT story) we learned what it was like to be without power for quite a few hours, and we said we would not do that again! But generators are expensive...and hard to find when there is a storm brewing. 
So last week when we first heard about the possibility of Hurricane Irma coming our way, we decided to start looking for a good deal on a generator.  We checked a couple of places, and didn't see anything we could afford.  But then someone told us about the new store "Ollies"... a discount bargain store...and we heard they might have generators.  Well, as we explored the store, there weren't any generators in plain view, but upon further exploration of a stack of boxes of something in the middle of the store, we discovered a box with a generator buried on the bottom of the stack.  So we called a clerk (Assistant Manager) over to ask about the price, and she examined the box and quoted us a price that seemed way too good to be true.  So we had her look at it again, and she reaffirmed that the price she had quoted us was the price.  Well...I won't tell you just how good the price was...but let me tell you it was so good that we said "We'll take it!"
As she arranged for someone to come help us get it into our vehicle, I went up to the front to pay for the generator.  When the check out clerk pulled up the sku number in the cash register, the price was considerably higher than what the we had been quoted. The Assistant Manager was called over and asked to double check the price. When she looked at what the price was in the computer, she realized she must have made a mistake somehow, but she said, "Well, I have quoted the customer this price, and we will let them have it at that price!" And she signed a note in the computer giving us the discount that she had given us!
Let me just say that it was miraculous. It was so miraculous, that I felt guilty accepting this "gift"...but we have prayed and asked the Lord to bless this woman for her kindness, and also prayed that she wouldn't suffer any reprisals from her supervisors...and we came home with this "gift" from the Lord  (and from Ollies).  
So now we are ready and waiting, and praying that even though we feel well prepared, we wouldn't be the least bit unhappy if Hurricane Irma decided to just go out to sea.  Right now the forecast is so bad for our state...and especially for those in the coastal regions...we really need a miracle.
I looked back over what happened last year with Hurricane Matthew...and what a miracle that was...and I can't help but believe that God is still in the miracle business today...
Won't you pray with me today?
Peace Be Still 
by the Gaithers.

I will be back after the storm.

19 comments:

  1. Pamela, you look well-prepared! That's all we can do. Get water. Get batteries. I make everyone sleep in their shoes in case we have to leap up in the dead of night and flee for safety. (That's kind of funny...what if we have to swim? Thanks, Mom.) That's all we can do, but God sees around corners and He can provide a safe way out.

    "He makes wars cease to the ends of the Earth"

    This hit me...like a hurricane (ok, bad choice of words..haha) but it really ministered to me. Thanks. The talk about NK has me riled.

    This is from a prayer list a friend sent me. I found it very encouraging, especially the part about being afraid of the dark:

    "Psalm 91:1-5 We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day..."

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    1. God is our refuge and our very present help in time of need. I will not fear the storm, because I know WHO is with me in this storm. Praying for you and your family as well. Thank you for your words of encouragement today.

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  2. Pam: You have made all the arrangements for the time that you know might come. Praise the Lord you got a generator. Praying for all who are in the path of Irma.
    Here is one of my favorite hymns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpr5HPyI4z8

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    1. Thank you Cecelia. We are as ready as we can be...now just praying that God will blow this storm back out to sea. Yes, I love that hymn as well...and have been singing it in my mind for several days. Thank you for your prayers.

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  3. I really enjoy Friday Foto Friends :),
    your photos are lovely. I pray Irma goes bye bye like a good girl and leaves Florida etc, alone.
    We have friends in Puerto Rico who weathered it alright. Much prayer there and prayer for you and yours as well.
    Will be thinking of you and keeping you in prayers.
    Hugs are sent your way.

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    1. So thankful that your friends in PR didn't have quite as bad a time as expected. We are praying that will be our story as well. Thank you for your prayers and kind words. God bless you my friend.

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  4. What amazing photos as always, Pamela! And yes, it seems you are as prepared as you can be for the coming storm. Keeping you and yours, and all the folks affected by this hurricane, in my prayers.
    Be safe!!!

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    1. Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement. We are doing everything in our power to try and be prepared and to stay safe. The rest is left up to the Lord!

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  5. I've been preparing for 3 to 4 days. I'm pooped! Pray we all make thru the storm ok.

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  6. It's so good to see you're prepared, as prepared as can be anyway. Praying for your safety, praying for everyone that is in the path of this storm. I will be anxiously waiting to hear from you, either here or on facebook. Take care and God be with you.

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  7. Pamela, so glad you got the generator and at such a great price. However, I hope you won't need it or any of your other preparations.

    My daughter lives in Florida too, but she is in Cuba right now. Praying she is safe there and that you all in Florida will be safe too.

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    1. Oh dear Cathy...I pray that your daughter is safe as Cuba is being hit pretty hard right now by this storm. Lifting her up in prayer right now. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf as well.

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  8. You and your family are in my prayers, dear Pam. I'm glad you have the generator now. When Sandy went through a few years ago we were wthout power for a week. Before the next season rolled around we bought a generator. We haven't needed it, but it does give us peace of mind knowing that we have it if and when we do need it. You are well prepared. We are praying for the state of Florida, as well as those other states (NC, SC, and we are understanding possibly parts of VA) that could be affected by Irma. When we saw the news yesterday about Mexico our hearts ached for those people because they not only had an eight point earthquake, but also hit with a hurricane. And all of the islands that Irma has already devastated...and the dear ones in TX dealing with the after effects of Harvey.

    I'm definitely praying for your area where you live, in among the trees. xx

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  9. I'm so sorry to be so late to visit. What a blessing from the Lord!!! Prayers for you, sweet Friend.

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  10. I can almost feel the electricity in the air as you show us your place before the storm. I am praying for you, my bloggy friend. Let us know how things are after the storm when you get the chance.

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  11. Isaiah 41:10 -- "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Praying for God's blessings on you & your family as you go through Hurricane Irma.

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  12. "Peace Be Still" what a comfort that song is in the midst of a storm.
    I've been thinking of those of you in Florida and please know that my prayers have been with you.
    You have certainly done a wonderful job looking after the needs that may arise during this storm and what a praise to hear about the gift the Lord has blessed you with!
    Be safe and God bless you, dear lady~

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  13. "Peace Be Still" what a comfort that song is in the midst of a storm.
    I've been thinking of those of you in Florida and please know that my prayers have been with you.
    You have certainly done a wonderful job looking after the needs that may arise during this storm and what a praise to hear about the gift the Lord has blessed you with!
    Be safe and God bless you, dear lady~

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  14. Pam, Thank your for sharing how well you prepared for the storm. The generator was a blessing in more than one way. Psalm 46 is one of my favorites!

    Blessings!

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