Rain, Sweet Rain

It has been windy since yesterday afternoon, and the winds blew harder and harder throughout the night. Without having had any measurable rain in more than a few weeks, and because of the severe drought conditions here in SouthEastern Tennessee, this is VERY exciting. The wind seems to be increasing even still, and the weather forcasters are saying there is a possibility of severe storms and possibly tornados - so please pray that the "severe" weather keeps it's distance, but that the rain falls as predicted.

Our children have been watching this storm travel across the country, and will be most pleased to see that it is actually going to remain intact when it arrives. Throughout the summer, storms would come from the west but then would fall apart just as they passed Memphis or Nashville, or would head into Kentucky and toward the north east. Or when the storm systems were coming from the south, the storms would head toward the ocean to the east instead of coming to here.

The children have learned a lot from this less-than-favorable weather this summer. They are definately aware of the drought, which has brought about forth more than a few "science" discussions about the need for water, the effects of drought on plants, animals, and the land itself (including bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, streams, etc) and many about weather itself (forcasts, clouds, the water cycle). We have become avid weather-watchers, and prayers are always offered with requests for rain soon. They've also learned a bit more about the geography, and even the topography, of our nation ... all while watching the weather, watching storms form in the south or the west and watching them travel in our general direction ... but most of all they have been praying for rain to come here .... finally.

Looking at the detailed weather maps, it looks as if the rain should begin falling literally any time now (in the next hour) on our parched land ... God has answered their prayers, and probably the prayers of nearly everyone else around, most especially the farmers who have been really hard-hit this year by the drought.

We'll keep you posted !

Update Friday, Octorber 19th: Thankfully we did not get any severe weather, as did many other places where this storm system passed. According to our rain gauge, 3/4" of rain fell yesterday and last night. Praise the Lord ... even a tiny bit would help, but this significant rain was truly a gift !!