no storms, no parties??

OK, I know you are going to think I am crazy. In fact, you are probably right :) But I want to know what's up with all the hurricanes and tropical storms heading away from us this year?? They all keep turning north into the Atlantic Ocean! Now, I don't want a category 4 hurricane to come right over us and cause major damage; I just like little hurricanes :) It is exciting and a bit scary at the same time, kinda like a roller coaster. We ALWAYS have hurricane parties - even if it is just a little tropical storm :) We buy LOTS of junkfood, and it doesn't matter how much you eat because it is a party, it doesn't count. Everyone is home together without anywhere to go. Sometimes (I like this) we lose electricity. Now... I don't like the being hot part - that's NO fun; but I LOVE that no one in my house can watch t.v. or play on the computer, or the Wii, etc. Now, I prob. would miss my computer, but I could deal with it. We have a closet full of board games we have bought during hurricanes from the past years; in fact when we moved recently I actually had to get rid of some of them we had so many. So basically, we eat junk food, play games together as a family, watch the weather outside - occasionally step outside to feel the wind blowing forcefully; watch the rain as it skims over the tops of the neighbors houses, etc. OK, once again - you may think I'm crazy; but to me this is FUN!! Now, hear me clearly; I don't want like 4 hurricanes in a row like we had 4 years ago... just 1 big tropical storm or small hurricane would be fine :) Maybe I could rent a bid industrial size fan, and put it outside by our palm trees, turn all the power off at the electric box (except the A/C), have Matt take a day off and have a hurricane drill. You know, you have to have fire drills, and tornado drills in school - I think we should have a hurricane drill; just to make sure we could effectively buy junk food, turn off all electrical toys, have uninterrupted family time, etc. Whatcha think?? I know it wouldn't work, but it would be fun :)

OK, I know I am always making analogies, but this kinda sticks out in my mind as I type this. I like hurricanes because the storm draws my family closer by taking all the distractions of life away. Perhaps that is why God sends us storms in life... to take our focus off of all the distractions around us, and have us turn our attention to him - to spend quality time with him, talk to him, listen to Him, and in the end - maybe even play a little with him, laugh a little... and almost always we come out of the storm closer to him, maybe tired from the stress of the storm - but glad we had the time with God, and feeling that it was worth it to have spent the time with Him. My family has been through several life storms lately, and I am thankful for the time we have spent with God and how much closer we ALL are to God after going through them.

Now, if we could just have 1 little storm with no damage, no injuries - just to have a hurricane party :) :)