Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Apparently, that's the thing to do this time of year. Bing Crosby sang about it specifically, and Christmas snow drifts festively through most songs and movies. But, having lived all my life near the Gulf Coast, I have never seen one. We have had some heavy Christmas Morning frosts here and there, but we have never enjoyed a white Christmas. We generally get a good deal of precipitation in December, but it's rain.

So, unlike the children in Frosty's town of magical snow, we haven't had any snowmen at Christmas. Along the Gulf Coast, there are no winter wonderlands, glistening snow-covered lanes, or carolers out in the snow. But we have mushrooms, lots of them! Actually, we have experienced a lot of rain recently, and my yard is already dotted with different types of mushrooms.

I love taking pictures of God's beauty in nature. But, some of my favorite things are in the sky and are challenging to photograph. Good images of planets and constellations are often impossible to capture with a regular camera. Rainbows can be a little easier because they happen during the day. However, my favorite (and most difficult challenge) is trying to capture sundogs.  

You probably don't see sundogs as often as you do regular rainbows. Perhaps you have never even heard of them. They look like broken pieces of a rainbow that usually occur among wispy clouds on sunny days. I have learned that they typically appear to the right or left of the sun, sometimes both simultaneously, although I have never observed that. (A new goal for me!)

This past Saturday night was a big night in college football if you didn't know. Georgia, representing the East Division, took on Alabama, representing the West Division, in the SEC Championship Game held in Atlanta. The two teams have tangled many times, and they even met last year and battled for the same championship. So, if you don't follow college football, you would think that fans wouldn't have been very excited. Oh, but we were.

If you have ever been in an extended season of disappointment or waiting, it can be hard or even scary to hope for good things. If you have never had good things come, it can be hard to hope. 

I think Satan attacks us in our "hope" more than we realize. The enemy likes to create a sense of hopelessness. He creates a feeling that life will not change, improve, or get to a better place. He goes after our faith, attacking our belief in who God is and what He has declared for our lives. We do not realize when we are in a depressed/oppressed state of mind, feeling like there is nothing to hope for, we are exactly where Satan wants us. 

I have always been intrigued by the nuances of language, paying attention to little things most of my life. When I was growing up, I noticed something that I didn't know even had a name. I recognized that when my grandmother met someone new, her dialect changed. It was a slight change, and people who weren't familiar with her Southern dialect's regular rolls and lolls might not even have picked up on it. But I noticed that she did this even when speaking with my friends in elementary school. Her language became more formal. Her drawl wasn't as pronounced, and she didn't use as much country slang as she usually did. Grandmama was code-switching.

A popular song in the 1990s began, "The world is a vampire sent to drain: Secret destroyers holding you up to the flame." It is an angry song that seems to be lashing out at Christianity. It ends sadly, the lyrics repeating, "And I still believe that I cannot be saved."

There is truth in the song's beginnings. The world does drain us. Why? The whole world is under the control of the enemy. God and evil don't mix. The Apostle John explains in 1 John 5:19, "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (emphasis mine) As long as we are here, we will have to be mindful not to team up with the world, or its ruler.

In the Old Testament, prophets of God did some things that looked a little strange to other people.

Different prophets were called to raise their arms during entire battles, bury a girdle, marry a prostitute. They were following the prompting of God, doing what we call “prophetic acts.” These aren’t magic spells or incantations. They are actions people do when they feel prompted by the Spirit. What makes them prophetic is that they are done in faith that God will move on their behalf after the act is completed.

The book of 2 Kings, Chapter 13, details what is often called Elisha’s Final Prophecy.

These past couple of months, I have been relatively quiet on our blog. When you are walking through a season of struggle, it is often difficult to share words of encouragement. And, when you are digging for words to give out, sometimes you do not have any left to speak over yourself.

This has not been a season or time that I have doubted whether God is good or if He exists; it has been more like one of struggle because I know in my core that He is ever-present and beyond what I can even begin to describe as good. His attributes are without description. I do not say that because scripture states it, but, in my core, I know it. I have experienced His love, His compassion, His goodness.

I am applying to adopt a rescued dog.

All of my pets have been rescues. In past years, I have adopted dogs from organizations that foster pets until an adoptive family comes along. One came from the pound, and one precious puppy came from the side of the road. My cat came up to the door of our house and announced his intention to stay, first with loud, bawling meows and later with pieces of prey. When I decided to add another furry member to the family, I knew I would check out the rescues. I started my journey online.

Have you ever strained your eyes in the dark to see something better? Maybe you were awakened in the night. You stared across the room, trying to determine if there is a gorilla in the corner or if it was actually your puffy coat hanging on the back of a chair. Or, maybe the power suddenly went out while you were cooking or in the middle of a room trying to make it across. Perhaps you toured a cave, and the guide (after a warning) turned off the lights so you could see how dark it actually was underground. Maybe your eyes searched and searched for light, finding none.

I am confident that you've been told before that your actions affect others. Dominoes. Ripples in a pond. The butterfly effect. But do we realize just how much it is true? Goodness spreads, and so does trouble. We sometimes agree to partner with it, meaning to pay it forward. Sometimes we fall into it, not knowing that we are getting caught up in strife or confusion. Sometimes we help others win their battles. Sometimes we share in their peace.

A few months ago, Joanna and I discovered that Bethel Music was going on tour. Joanna had seen them a few times in the past, but I had not. She told me that each Bethel show she had seen was unique, and they all were good. Joanna told me God showed up with Bethel and that worship was powerful. She felt that God was calling us there. She was being drawn! All I could think of was that this concert was outside. In Georgia. In July. All of my days of sitting on concrete bleachers baked by the Southern summer sun told me not to go. After some deliberation, though, we did secure tickets to see them in LaGrange, Georgia.

This morning I stopped at a gas station to fill up before heading to work. While I was pumping gas, I glanced around and saw a man sitting by his car. He was an older man, wearing a mask, and he had a small table set up with canisters on top. He waved, and we exchanged pleasantries, and while gas flowed briskly into my tank at nearly 3 dollars a gallon, I walked over to chat with him and see what his wares were. He had seasoning, mild and spicy, and cleaned catfish. I told him I was heading into work and didn't need to buy anything frozen, but he insisted I see the catfish. It was pretty, he said.

You probably started as an excited Christian, pointing to Heaven and ready to take on the world. But now, no matter how long you have served the Lord, you probably have some scratches. You've suffered the heat from walking through fires, and yet you still point to the sky. You know where your help comes from! It comes from the Lord, and He made the earth you walk on and the heavens you are looking toward. No matter what you have walked through, or what you are walking through right now, someone is looking at you with respect. You are an encouragement just for standing tall and ready for the next mission.

I found a new song this week. Well, new to me. It's called Voice of God. It's by Dante Bowe, and it features Steffany Gretzinger and Chandler Moore. (You may recognize them from Maverick City Music and Bethel Music.)

It is a very worshipful song that talks about hearing the voice of God in simple things. The verses discuss the beauty of sunsets and moonlight and the novel sounds of crackling fires, ocean waves, and laughing children.

I enjoy hearing great stories of triumph! It is encouraging to dive into the lives of those who have walked against impossible circumstances and accomplished great things. It is the stories of these great people that have filled and inspired my journey. 

Often, we see only the wins of others but do not realize the moments of defeat they walked through to get to where they are. In the future, I will be sharing my journey on the JSM page for encouragement to those who are walking ahead or behind me. Why? you might ask.

Many of us have trouble remembering passwords for the various sites we are connected with, so we click the "remember passwords" button. What a great invention that is, huh? Our computers and phones take over the heavy thinking, and we sign in easily with the touch of a finger or the inspection of a face. If you are like me, you also probably have trouble remembering appointments, dates, and phone numbers. I can remember the phone numbers of my friends in elementary school, but I don't know the numbers of people I call or text now on a regular basis. Why? I don't have to. Technology has made things so much easier on us.

You've probably heard the saying, "the devil is in the details." I wondered where something like that came from, so I Googled. It means that overlooking details can cause problems. So, the devil causes problems, and our negligence can cause problems. All of that is true. Taking care of details is essential in working through projects or situations.