weather

Refreshing Reminder

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I was cutting the grass earlier than normal today in hopes of escaping the heat. Thankfully, it wasn’t super hot yet but the air was already heavy with humidity. Thankfully, there was a refreshing breeze that cooled me down periodically to keep me going.

That reminded me of something I learned about a particular Hebrew word used for the Holy Spirit. Ruach is translated as spirit, but it can also mean wind or breath. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about being born again, He probably used that word ruach to convey how the Spirit moves in mysterious ways.

Usually in western thinking, we typically assign one meaning to a word. Even words that can have different meanings usually have one based on context. But in Hebrew thinking, a word can have multiple meanings all at once.

As I have learned, it’s possible when Jesus used the word He was thinking spirit, breath, and wind all at once. The Holy Spirit is of course the third person in the trinity, the three-in-one consisting of three distinct persons yet also one God.

When Jesus later promised the Holy Spirit to the Church, He said that the Spirit’s job would be to remind them of all He had taught them. The Spirit would also give us the words to say at the right moment of a gospel conversation or where we’re defending what we believe.

I like to think of what the Holy Spirit does (at least in part) as a refreshing reminder of all the promise God has ever made. When life gets hard and the world becomes overbearing, the Spirit is like that gentle breeze that reminds us that God is present with us in the trials. He will bring to mind a verse or something a friend said that reflected God’s heart or even a song lyric that speaks God’s truth.

All that is to point us to Jesus and keep our eyes fixed on Him who is the founder of our faith and the goal of our journey. As long as we’re on this side of heaven with all our struggles and trials, He’s with Him. One day, we’ll have our faith made sight and reach the end of those struggles and trials, and then we’ll be with Him.

False Fall/Second Summer

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I got my hopes up when it got cooler for a bit a few weeks ago. I actually thought for a second that we might be getting an early fall. Then it got hot again, and I sweated to death. I should know better by now.

Every year toward the end of summer, we get a tease of Autumn, a kind of sneak preview of fall that lasts long enough to tempt the weak and feint of heart that fall might actually be here. But those who are old enough and have lived in Tennessee long enough know what’s up.

Inevitably, the first actual day of fall will be hot. People will wear sweaters and flannel anyway. I will see them in their sweaters and flannel and sweat even more in a vicarious “I’m sweating on your behalf” way.

The worst is seeing all the pumpkin spice everywhere. All good people know that pumpkin spice doesn’t taste right when it’s over 90 degrees. Pumpkins are for sweater weather, not sweaty weather. And definitely not for swear weather when it’s so hot outside you want to yell swear words at the sky, but then there are probably little kids hunting for pumpkins.

Fall is still my favorite. No humidity, no bugs, and all those wonderful Autumn scents that float in the air. Plus all my favorite holidays live there (and yes, I count Christmas in with fall because it’s not really winter in Tennessee until January).

At least we’re in the ‘ber months. Those are my favorites.

Sneak Preview

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These last two or so days have been glorious. They’ve almost felt like fall, even though autumn doesn’t officially start for two weeks.

Some call it false fall, one of the nine seasons we have here in Tennessee. It gets your hopes up for an early autumn but dashes them again with the return of hot weather.

I prefer to think of days like this as a sort of sneak preview of coming attractions — in this case, fall. It’s not a harbinger of fall’s arrival, but a kind of glimpse of what it will feel like in a month or so.

I’ve lived here long enough to know how it works. The season of fall may start in two weeks, but the fall weather comes later. There’s that ol’ false fall, then Indian Summer, then another false start for autumn, then more warm, then actual fall.

The lone bad news is that I will have to put away my Hawaiian shirts for a bit. The good news is that I can finally dig the flannel out of my closet and actually think about wearing it and not sweating to death. Plus, there are all the smells and sounds and sights that come with autumn — provided all the leaves don’t fall off first from it being so dry lately.

Last but not least is Halloween. Spooky season is coming and I can’t wait!

Thursday Funnies (and Other Randomness)

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Yesterday was a hot one. Today was also a hot one. Tomorrow will most likely be a hot one. Are you sensing a trend yet?

It’s called summer. It’s like stepping out the front door into an oven. Except in my case living in Tennessee, it’s like an exceptionally moist oven. That’s because it’s very humid.

If it were 100 degrees with no humidity, I could adjust. I could learn to live with heat. But humidity is just not fair. It’s especially unfair to people (like me) with curly hair who just want to look normal and not like an alpaca who stuck its finger in an electrical socket.

But there is still a lot of summer to go. Officially, we have until September 21, but as everyone in Tennessee knows, hot weather is here until at least October. Maybe longer.

So my advice is to drink lots of water, wear sunscreen, and stay inside from 2 pm until November 2 (or maybe longer depending on the outcome of the election).

I see people in the heat wearing hoodies and jackets and long sleeves. I’m not judging, but why? It’s already heat stroke weather. There’s a heat advisory. If it’s me, I’m not adding to the risk. I mean you can wear all the layers and polyester you want. It’s a free country, but just know I will be sweating all the more when I see you bundled up in 95 degree heat.

But fall is coming. My favorite season because it’s not too hot, not too cold. Plus, you can legitimately wear hoodies and flannel and not die.

By the way, I get equally annoyed when I see people in t-shirts and gym shorts in the middle of winter. That’s just as dumb in my humble opinion.

But because we all made it through another week of living in a sauna, I brought you a joke to enjoy. Hope you like it.

Ready for Spooky Season

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The way I look at it, Tennessee has four seasons. I’m not talking about winter, spring, summer, and fall. I’ve come up with my own names for these seasons to help me cope with the one I’m currently stuck in.

Winter is snowy season.

Spring is sneezy season.

Summer is sweaty season.

Fall is spooky season.

No, those aren’t four of the seven dwarves who hung out with Snow White. Those are my experience of each of the seasons.

I guess you’ve figured out which is my favorite.

Winter is alright for a couple of weeks and is pretty when there’s snow. Plus, it technically has Christmas, although winter doesn’t normally hit Tennessee until mid-January.

Spring is when my sinuses explode and my allergies go haywire. It does have the benefit of seeing everything bloom and blossom and turn green, but also, all the bugs wake up and start terrorizing humanity.

Summer is also nice for a few weeks until the heat and humidity kick in. If it were just hot, I could handle it. It’s the humidity that makes my hair explode and also makes me feel like I’m constantly walking around in a sauna.

Fall is the best. All the good holidays are there. All the bugs have gone back to hell where they belong. All the leaves turn all the colors, and I can finally breathe normally again. Plus, I get to wear flannel.

So, while I’m doing my best to enjoy sweaty season, I’m letting you know that I’ll be ready for spooky season when it gets here.

PS I didn’t invent the term spooky season. I can’t claim it as my own, even though I really want to.

Summer Solstice

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“And with the spring comes the thaw
Melting my heart reviving all
It comes full circle and then
It’s summer solstice again” (Wayne Kirkpatrick).

I could have sworn that summer started tomorrow. It seems like June 21 is always the longest day of the year and the official start to summer (although the weather has been jumping the gun a bit lately with the heat and the humidity).

It’s always interesting to me that this particular summer equinox falls almost but not quite at the halfway point of the year. I’ve mentioned it before, but summer used to be my favorite season as a kid. Mainly that was because there was no school and basically no responsibilities for two months.

Now that I’m a fully mature adult (mostly), summer is basically just like every other season but with more sweating. I tend to be less and less a fan of super hot weather as I get older. I’m growing to love fall more and more.

But I appreciate that each season has its place. God made winter, spring, summer, and fall each with a purpose in the cycle of life. Each season has its own set of holidays (though fall has the best, even if you don’t count Christmas that technically falls in winter). After all, most of Advent season is in the fall.

Seasons remind us of the faithfulness of God. Just as summer follows spring, so will the promises of God come to pass. It will not always be summer or fall or winter, and you and I will not always be stuck in our own current season, whatever that may be. One season prepares us for the next.

So long as my air conditioning stays strong, I can survive this summer. Hopefully, I can take a few lessons with me into the fall season.

Is Winter Over Yet?

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Some of you know that I am not a fan of winter. I like the part in December where we get Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I even like the first few weeks into January and February, but after that I’m over being cold and having to scrape my car’s windshield in the morning.

I’m the same way with summer. I like summer through the 4th of July and a few weeks past that, but at a point I start longing for fall. Fall is still my absolute favorite, with spring falling behind into second place.

One annoying aspect of Winter is how it pretends to go away, but doesn’t really. Already, there have been a couple of sneak previews of spring, but then in a day or two it gets rainy and cold again. Typically when I take the lining out of my rain jacket, I can predict that the temperatures will plummet again.

I know the groundhog didn’t see his shadow, so theoretically that means spring comes early. But winter isn’t ready to let go. Winter really wants to have the last word. But I think we’d all agree at this point that the song from Frozen applies — winter just needs to “let it go.”

The reason spring isn’t my favorite season is that along with warmer weather come all forms of pollen, mold, and dust that don’t like my sinuses. Or my sinuses don’t like them. I think the feeling is mutual.

Also, all those bugs that have been napping all winter wake up and want to get all up in your business right away. Plus, this year two different kinds of cicadas will be invading the land. I get that insects are an important part of the circle of life, but I wish they could be important somewhere away from me rather than constantly flying in my face all the time.

But every season serves a purpose, as it says in Ecclesiastes. Winter, spring, summer, and fall all have a part in God’s creation. I may not like them all equally, but I can appreciate each one and find the good in each season. Then I can really celebrate fall and bust out all my flannel all over again . . . in about seven months or so.

1st Snow Day of 2024

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Well, that didn’t take long. 14 days into the new year and it’s already snowing. I don’t think they’re overreacting yet and calling this the Snowpocalypse of 2024, but I’m sure if given time, they’ll give some kind of name to this particular wintery weather event.

All I know is that my office is closed, so I am forced to stay home and sleep in. That time I joked about having a snow day to catch up on my reading? Well, that’s about to happen tomorrow.

I get that for those North of the Mason-Dixon line, snow isn’t a big deal. You see it all the time. If I saw as much snow as you do throughout the year, I’d probably get as sick of it as you will probably be by March (or possibly earlier).

But in the state of Tennessee, snow is still magical. It still makes me feel like a kid again, all excited for snow and no school the next day. For those of you who work from home, it means nothing — except possibly that you have a change of scenery out your office window.

So happy 1st snow day of 2024! Merry Winter!

Random Frozen Thoughts in January

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When I say frozen thoughts, I do not mean thoughts about the Disney movie Frozen, which had the annoyingly popular song Let It Go. I mean how it’s so frickin’ cold outside that all the thoughts in my head are now frozen.

I’m all for winter, but when it gets below freezing, it needs to snow. Right now, the air is so dry that I shocked myself twice simply getting out of my car. At least I had some classic Otis Redding music to keep my thoughts from the cold.

Otis’ version of “Rock Me Baby” might just be one of the most authentic blues songs to come out of Stax records. I definitely didn’t fall asleep in the car while listening to that one.

I’m a little behind on my quest to read the Bible through in 2017. I’m just about to start 1 Peter. Hopefully, I’ll be done at the very least by the end of January. To be fair, I read through the New Jerusalem Bible, a Roman Catholic translation with a few extra books than the standard Protestant version.

It’s 11:05 and I’m ready to call it a night. All that cold weather with no snow is really tiring, so I’ll enjoy the comfort of my flannel sheets and once again count my many blessings after another good day without that dreaded toe tag.

 

An Inauspicious Start to 2018

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In all my wildly imagined scenarios, never did I picture myself standing in the 5 degree weather at 6:20 am, waiting for a tow truck.

It all started normally enough until I went to take a left turn out of my subdivision. First the power steering went, then the power. My car stalled mid-turn.

I sincerely repent of all my comments about all temperatures below 20 being the same. They’re not.

In my short wait for a AAA tow truck, I ran through all the possible causes of my Jeep being in a frozen coma on the side of the road (after I got out and managed to push it to the side of the road).

It could be anything from a bad battery to an engine apocalypse. I was hoping for a dead battery but secretly fearing worse.

Thankfully, the tow truck dude showed up within 20 minutes of me calling AAA for roadside assistance.

Thankfully, he took me to an auto shop close to where I work. They were able to take my car and drop me off at work.

Thankfully, all my beloved Jeep needed was a new battery.

It really could have been much worse on so many levels.

At least I wasn’t pulling out onto a busy street when my car died.

At least I was able to get to work and get my car taken care of.

At least it wasn’t a monumental, wallet-sucking repair.

So a day that started off bad ended up good.

Truly, God is still able to work all things together for good for His beloved, even at a ridiculously early morning hour on a frigid January 2 day.

It’s all about being intentionally grateful and not taking my every day blessings for granted. It’s about thanks-living and not just thanksgiving.

Here endeth the lesson.