Spring is coming!

After our snow storm just one week ago, temps have risen and spring is making its comeback. Watch for photos of my daffodils in the slideshow feature to the right.

My daffodils have put on the best show yet. I have been planting daffodils for nearly fours years. This year you can see the pay-off. This year's blooms include about 6 new varieties that I got while visiting the boys in TX and hunting the sale bins at Home Depot at the end of the season. I didn't expect much from this new bulbs this year since I planted so late, but I have been surprised at the number of new blooms even though the bulbs haven't been in the ground long. I'm also glad the moles, voles, and squirrels did not make tasty winter meals of them.

Yesterday I planted snow peas and green peas, although I'm planting them about 2-3 weeks late. I'm hoping they will make before the heat burns them up. Today I will plant lettuces, spinach, and Swiss chard. The years of adding the best horse manure in Lawrance County to my beds is also paying off. The soil in my raised beds is so loose and dark and warm and airy, I'm afraid to drop a toothpick for fear it will root and sprout! Gardeners--always optimistic and they can lie like fishermen.

Today in Youth Sunday School I taught Psalm 93. One of the verses there was once used by the church to "prove" that the earth was the center of the solar system and every other heavenly body revolved around it. But, the Hebrew writer had no such "modern" physics in mind. Instead, God in his sovereignty created a world stable enough for God to rule over and stable enough for His work to thrive. Creation is the display case where God's common and special grace is manifest. This verse spoke to me as I thought about one season giving way to the next, God's plan and order always evident and always working. God is in charge. Period. He has proven his sovereignty so well we can trust this great God with all things.

Winter's Back!

What started as rain early yesterday turned to snow and we had plenty for the rest of the day and night. The news said some areas near us got over a foot, but in my windblown front yard, I only had a few inches. Some drifts were almost at my knees. No church, at least for this morning. The wind is still blowing hard and cold although the white blanket around us is beautiful. The beauty is mainly that we still have power and warmth, unlike a month ago in the great ice storm. Here's my suggestion to ol' man winter:

Watch later for snow photos in the slideshow at the right.

Chapel Update

The progress on the new Manley Chapel is moving forward with great speed. The roof and skylight is complete. Most of the steel studs are in place. The channels for the massive windows can be seen. The particle board sliding which will receive the stone work is mostly in place. You can also see the beautiful woodgraining in the major arches is being uncovered. Please continue to help us pray for this important project.

Ice Storm Aftermath

We are about back to normal. We received electricity again just into the tenth 24-hour period of the outage. Fortunately, it came just after dark when we were expecting the temperatures to drop to 18 degrees. That was on Tuesday night. Our cable and internet services resumed yesterday. Most of the mess on campus has been cleaned up but Walnut Ridge is a terrible sight and many of the communities around us will not receive power again for many days.
Unfortunately, my new camera went on the fritz and quit focusing. I added this blurry shot thinking it might show a sense of the destruction. It is basically the same shot as our masthead. I thought you might want to see the difference, like a before-and-after comparision.

Well, we are safe and sound, warm and full, so what more can we ask? We have had a great time of community during this storm, sharing meals with neighbors, working together to clean up and solve problems. There has been a real sense of belonging and caring in the Cove, giving me a glimpse of what life in a geographical community of faith ought to be like. I'll post more photos (not the blurry ones!) to the slide show on the right when they become available.

The Iceman Cometh

We are in the middle of a huge icestorm, coating our area with a thick layer of ice. As you can see in the photo, large limbs are coming down. The power has blinked several times, but we are fully expecting it to go out. The limb behind my truck is in the neighbors' driveway, barely missing their car. Check the slide show feature for more pictures.

Chapel Progress Update

Here's the progress on the WBC Manley Chapel. As you can see, the roof decking is in place and the tar paper is applied. Keep praying for this project and its impact on eternity.

Christmas in the Cove

The slide show currently running is snapshots of Christmas in the Cove, or at least the Norvells' part of that. We are the S'mores house. Many of the homes in the faculty housing area are opened for students. They come and visit. Each home has a different snack. It is always a great time. Since ours is outside, weather is always an issue but this year was only cold; no gale force winds like previous years. The cold made the fire all that much more enjoyable. Anyway, we had a wonderful evening with students and friends. This is just one example of the many things that make Williams such a great institution.