After the storm

Yesterday marked the 2 month anniversary of the terrible outbreak of tornadoes in the South.  Today, I watched workers put a new roof on my neighbor's house.  

Authorities have said that three tornadoes started in our little town...an F1, F3 and F4.  On April 28th, my son and I spent much of our day sheltered in a coat closet. 

Waves of warnings went on throughout the day.  But it was the last round of the storms that hit us.  A good friend who is a meteorologist gave me a heads up two days earlier about the rash of storms that were going to hit.  The day of the storms, he updated me when to take cover on Facebook.  Brian warned me that the later storm would be the worst one of the day.  Our cable went out around 6 p.m. and we lost our TV and computer.  We still had our lights.  Just after 8, I was putting Ben to bed when our lights flickered and our TV did a weird zap thing.  I heard the wind blow really hard against the wall I was leaning against and something inside of me told me to grab Ben and go.  My husband met us in the hall and told us to get in the closet quick.  My ears popped and I heard the wind howl along with snapping of branches outside.  It was all over in under a minute.  When we emerged from our closet, we were scared of what we might see.  But we were blessed, our roof, walls, windows were all there!  We walked over to a big window in our living room and saw the transformer outside blow.  It looked like the 4th of July right in our front yard.  Later, we discovered that a phone line snapped in two also. By then, all of our lights were out and we went around the house with our flashlights.  Adrenaline rushing through our bodies, we were excitedly going through the house making sure it was OK.  Then, we headed outside to check on our neighbors and see if we could see what happened.  By then, it was pitch black outside and we couldn't see a thing.  Early the next morning, we saw the damage. 

(Literally knocked off it's rocker)

(City and County crews were on the scene right away)

(Our yard...and our driveway is under there somewhere)

(One of several phone lines)

 The Weather Channel along with other authorities said we were hit by the start of what turned into an F4 tornado that ran up the mountain and into the next town, killing four people.  For the rest of the week, friends from church stopped by and helped us clean up.  When he saw our house, my friend's son said angels were all around us and the church.  

I felt that was probably the best answer and most reassuring thing I heard that day. 

Here are pictures of that day. I have tried to match up pictures of today to compare. 

(Looking at our house and our neighbor's, street view)

(These were replaced in a couple of days!)

(No more house.... 

There was a barn there as well, but the storm blew that away, so it's not in either picture.)

(There was once a line of Bradford Pear trees between us and our neighbors. This was the only one left after the storm. It's not there anymore either) 

And here are some other pictures that I didn't know where to place in this piece, but they are interesting. 

(I was told this was an 80 year old tree)

(One of our maple trees that I hope we can save.  I cried when I saw how badly damaged our trees were. It use to be HUGE.  And in the fall, it has the most brilliant color.  It seems silly that I cried over trees when others lost so much more.) 

(Strangely, the smallest middle tree had the least amount of damage)

(Our neighbor's garage was blown away.  

They had a brand new 1-week old riding mower in there!  Guess what, the mower was just fine.)

(The garage was blown to the other neighbor's yard)

The Chattanooga Times Free Press has written several stories about survivors and the towns hit.  They had a heartfelt piece in Sunday's paper about those who were killed. Here is a link to part of the story Chattanooga Times Free Press "We all lost so much."  Here is another part of the story that really touched me: "Precious Lives" 

So, where were you during the storms? 

Faith Journaling

A few years ago while I was reporting for the Dothan Eagle, I met Christy Keyton at a scrap booking party. As we chatted, she told me about how she journaled about her faith.  Her book was beautiful with photographs, stickers, and embellishments.  She was also a Creative Memories consultant, so that may give you an idea of how pretty her book was.  Recently, I thought about doing my own book. I found a plain papered journal at a discount book store.  Once I got home with it, I tied ribbons to the spiral part, attached a bookmark cross and glued pretty paper to the front. 

Here is the original story from the paper:

Faith Journaling

Corrina Sisk-Casson

Two days after Christy Keyton found out that she was pregnant with her eighth child, Hannah, she wrote in her journal that she knew this baby was going to be special. She also wrote that God was going to show his glory through her baby. As she wrote, she was drawn to a scripture that says, “the Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want,” and felt that God was reminding her that no matter what was going to happen in the future, the family would be okay. 

“Not even in a fearful way, I didn’t think something was going to be wrong. But I wrote it down in joy,” she said. 

Hannah was born with Downs Syndrome and had a heart problem. Keyton was assured that God had surrounded her with the people that her family need needed as they faced the uncertain future. She made friends with people who also had children with Down Syndrome. She also met a nurse who became great friends of the family. That nurse was the one who Keyton had to hand Hannah over to when she was to have open heart surgery. 

“I had prayed about that specific moment,” Keyton said. “That was going to be the hardest moment when I had to give her up. And I prayed that God would help me in that moment. And it was Charlotte that I had to hand her to. It was an obvious answer to prayer.”

For the Keyton’s family, it was a special time of their family history, so she documented it with a hard covered and bound faith book. Copies of the book were given to family members and also to UAB Hospital where Hannah had her surgery. 

For Keyton, faith journaling is not a hobby or a craft, but a way to grow in her faith. 

“Every time I read it, I’m assured that God is working in my life,” she said. “And that’s what builds your faith, you see God working.”

She noted that it’s easy for people to forget the great things in our lives. Writing journals and placing pictures in a book and remembering her blessings has been a way for Keyton to look back and recall. She teaches others how to faith journal as well.

“The first thing I tell them is to not worry about going in chronological order. And don’t worry about getting pictures that go with everything,” she said. 

She says that some people can just start by writing about the close people in their lives like their children, spouses or best friend. Another way to start is to pick up a hymnal and write the words of favorite songs. 

“Even that is a testimony to the Lord that you can pass down to your children,” Keyton said. 

One of her friends has an entire page devoted to her favorite scriptures. She has seen faith books with quotes from famous Christians such as Martin Luther and Charles Wesley, but she says it’s people’s own lives that are most important. 

“When you write what God has done for you, that will mean more to you,” Keyton said. 

Keyton opened a large Creative Memories scrapbook that is her faith book. Inside the front cover she wrote a quote that meant a lot to her and she used it as a way to get started. Another page features a picture of a little girl and the notes beside it tell of her childhood and being raised in a Christian home. She recalls times when her mother sang “Happiness is the Lord” while washing dishes. And her mother doing interpretive dance at the Methodist church. A story that stands out on her journal page describes a time in 1972, when she attended the Billy Graham Crusade in Birmingham and how she turned her life over to God. 

Her journal doesn’t stay within time boundaries. She says she started thinking of the God moments of her life. Soon she started writing down about the day her son, Pearson, was born though an emergency delivery. 

Then there is the page devoted to her best friend, Dawn Oldham. She wrote about how they met, how great a friend she has been and included photos of them through the years. 

“She’s my closest friend. When I started to think of God’s blessings in my life, she came to mind,” Keyton said. 

Faith journals can be elaborate and sophisticated like Keyton’s, but they can also be simple and easy. Keyton has seen faith books with lists of blessings. And other books have had beautiful doodles and pictures. 

“It’s just a journal of your heart to God. It’s a testament of faith. And you don’t need to worry about how it looks,” she said. 

For more information, there are several sites about Faith Journals on the Internet that can help. Keyton also had a few books that have guided her as well: The God moment principle by Alan D. Wright, To be told by Dan B. Allender, PhD and Beth Moore’s Feather’s from my nest. Keyton