Annie's "Snow" Page

"She is not afraid of the snow for her household:
for all her household are clothed with scarlet."
~Proverbs 31:21~

Snow is defined this way in the dictionary:

Main Entry: ¹snow
Pronunciation: 'snO
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English snAw; akin to Old High German snEo snow, Latin niv-, nix, Greek nipha (accusative)
Date: before 12th century
1 a : precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals formed directly from the water vapor of the air at a temperature of less than 32°F (0°C) b (1) : a descent or shower of snow crystals (2) : a mass of fallen snow crystals
2 : something resembling snow: as a : a dessert made of stiffly beaten whites of eggs, sugar, and fruit pulp <apple snow> b : a usually white crystalline substance that condenses from a fluid phase as snow does <ammonia snow>

Annie's Thoughts about Snow:

Snow is always white when it falls from the sky. In literature we often here the metaphor "white as snow". But did you know that "white as snow" is mentioned many times in the Bible?

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
~Psalm 51:7~

Once our sins are washed away we will be "white as snow". We all have SIN in our lives. The Christian and the Non Christian alike. Sin is separation from God. But we can "wash away" the sin in our lives by asking Jesus into our hearts. Jesus came to the earth and lived among us. The Lord God needed a perfect lamb sacrifice to atone for our sins. "For without the remission of sin there is no? forgiveness. In the Old Testament we can read about the sacrifices that the Lord God demands from us. But no man was able to keep all the laws that Moses was given. God sent His son Jesus and he was that perfect sacrifice. The perfect lamb. Jesus fulfilled many of the old testament prophecies in His birth life, his death and ultimately his resurrection.

Is your heart white as snow? Have you confessed your sins to the Lord. We don't need an intermediary. We can go directly to the Throne of the Almighty God but ONLY because of the "BLOOD" that was shed on Calvary by our perfect lamb sacrifice.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
~Romans 3:23~

Once you have asked Jesus into your heart and life it doesn't mean that you will be a PERFECT person. Jesus was the ONLY perfect person. Unfortunately people look at Christians for an example and also as an excuse to continue in sin. They say "if that is what a Christian is then I want no part of it". They feel that we are all hypocrites. Not all people will go to a Church or have a Bible to read. You are the only Bible that some people will ever see. It would be much easier for a Christian to where a sign that says "I am not perfect just forgiven" but of course not practical. We just need to remember what the Bible says about not being a stumbling block to other believers.

"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
~Romans 6:15~

Paul tells us that we are to live a life that would not cause any to stumble. That is of course almost impossible. We really should try to be "perfect". If we do we will always be disappointed because we are doing it in our own strength instead of the power of God. We have a loving and forgiving God. As Christians we have the promise that our sins will be forgiven. And yes Christians do sin. But believers are assured in 1 John 1:9 that "if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".

God not only forgives us for our sins bur "forgets' them. "As far as the East is from the West so are our sins forgiven."

As Christian's we strive for perfection. We are reminded to forget then leave our past behind us and then press on for the High calling of God. But even though we strive for that unattainable perfection we do fall short of that mark. We can "try" to change our habits but TRUE change comes from the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Christianity is not a list of "Do's and Don'ts". Yes there are things that we are called to obey and abstain from. Indeed, we will fail if we try to do it all by our selves because we are not perfect. True change comes from the inside and not the outside. What changes a Christian is the relationship that we have with the Lord. We have a new heart. We have a peace that passeth all understanding and a joy deep within us that is unexplainable. A joy that is evident and radiant. People can and should see a difference in us.

If we think that our life as a Christian is measured by the "things" that we do or don't do then we are missing the core of what we believe. We are "saved by GRACE and not of WORKS....lets any man should boast". Some people never consider being a Christian because they don't want to "give up" their favorite habits and lifestyle choices.

Some people may indeed say that "IF" you are a Christian you should NEVER do "this or that" and the list of "do's and don'ts" could be endless. But one Christian should not be telling others what they should give up or do. We are not the Holy Spirit who does the convicting. If change doesn't come from the Lord then we try to change in vain and with our own strength. We are told in the Bible by Jesus to "not tell someone about a splinter in their eye when we have a board in our own". Evelyn Christenson has a great book that you should read if you haven't. It is called "Lord change ME" not "Lord change EVERYONE ELSE." It isn't always the action that is the problem but our reaction to the action.

Remember that sin is sin. Big or small. Gossip is equal to murder in the Lord's eyes. Breaking one of the 10 commandments is just like breaking all of them. Don't get caught up in the exterior "sins" and forget about the other hidden ones. You can be the most upright looking Christian from the outside and have hatred and unforgiveness in your heart. Don't wait another moment. Use this time to check your own life and heart. Stop trying to rationalize your choices and behavior. It is time to bring your sins to the foot of the cross. No more excuses. Now is the time for we never know what tomorrow will bring. God only promises us today.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
~Romans 6:23~

If you are not a Christian and would like to know how to become one just click the snowman above.

Snowbirds

The dictionary defines a "snowbird" this way:
Main Entry: snow·bird
Pronunciation: -"b&rd
Function: noun
Date: 1674
1 : any of several birds (as a junco or fieldfare) seen chiefly in winter
2 : one who travels to warm climes for the winter

We make sure that in the winter we don't go out to eat unless we make reservations. We expect the traffic to increase. But really we don't mind sharing the warmer weather with our Snowbirds. It is always fun to look at all the different license plates on the cars. Snowbirds are not just Canadian they are also American's who live in the North and want to get away to the warm weather for the winter.

Birds migrate south in the winter just like the Northern SNOW BIRDS!!!!!!!

Snowbird links:
All-Florida Visitor's Guide & Snowbirdhelper
Florida USA & The Travel Channel

Snow:

Snow is a form of precipitation that consists of masses of certain types of tiny ice crystals. These crystals, called snow crystals, grow from water vapor in cold clouds. Snow crystals all have six sides, but they differ in shape. They collide and stick together to produce snowflakes.

Snowflakes vary widely in size. As many as 100 crystals may cling together to form a snowflake larger than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter. Snow contains much less water than rain. About 6 inches (15 centimeters) of moist snow or 30 inches (76 centimeters) of dry, fluffy snow equals the water in 1 inch of rain.

Snowfall varies greatly across the earth. It falls in the polar regions throughout the year. But the heaviest snowfalls occur in the mountainous areas of the Temperate Zone in winter. These areas include the coastal mountains of British Columbia in Canada, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada range in the United States, and the Alps in Italy and Switzerland. Snow may even fall near the equator on mountains higher than 16,000 feet (4,880 meters).

Snow is an important source of water. When snow melts in the mountains, it provides water for streams, hydroelectric power plants, and irrigation reservoirs. Snow also serves as a good insulator, protecting plants and hibernating animals from the winter air. However, an excessive build-up on steep, unforested mountainsides may result in dangerous avalanches.

Record snowfalls. In the United States, the record for snowfall in one season was set from July 1971 to June 1972, when 1,122 inches (2,850 centimeters) of snow fell at Rainier Paradise Ranger Station in Washington. In 1921, a 76-inch (193-centimeter) snowfall in Silver Lake, Colo., set a record for the largest snowfall during a 24-hour period. The record snowfall for a calendar month occurred in Tamarack, Calif., where 390 inches (991 centimeters) of snow fell in January 1911.

Artificial snow. In 1936, Ukichiro Nakaya, a Japanese physicist, produced the first artificial snow in a laboratory. During the 1940's, Vincent J. Schaefer and several other American scientists developed methods for artificially making snow outdoors. Clouds containing supercooled water are seeded with artificial ice nuclei, such as silver iodide and metaldehyde crystals. In some cases, such seeding agents as dry ice pellets or liquid propane are used. Also, special machines are used to produce limited amounts of artificial snow for ski slopes and trails.

Snowstorms:

Winter storms include ice storms and blizzards. Most ice storms occur when the temperature is just below freezing. In an ice storm, precipitation falls as rain but freezes as it hits the ground. As a result, a coating of ice forms on the ground and on streets and other surfaces. Ice storms make streets and sidewalks slick and often cause traffic accidents. The weight of the ice can also break power lines, telephone wires, and the branches of trees.

Blizzards are snowstorms with high winds and low temperatures. During a blizzard, the wind blows at 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour or more, and the temperature may be 10 °F (-12 °C) or less. Blowing snow makes it impossible to see more than a short distance. The wind may also pile the snow into huge drifts.
Winter Driving Tips & lots of weather links on my Annie's Hurricane Page

Blizzards:

Blizzard is a blinding snowstorm with strong, cold winds. A blizzard occurs when a cold air mass moves out of the Arctic into the Temperate Zone. The advancing heavy, cold air forces the warmer, moist air to rise along the boundary between the two air masses. This boundary is called a cold front. The rising action produces a heavy snowstorm, which is accompanied by cold north winds. Many blizzards follow a period of unusually warm weather in winter.

The National Weather Service of the United States defines a blizzard as a considerable falling or blowing of snow with winds of 35 miles per hour or more. The winds are accompanied by temperatures as low as 10 °F and visibility less than 500 feet. A severe blizzard has winds of more than 45 miles per hour accompanied by temperatures less than 10 °F and visibility approaching zero.

Blizzards occur most frequently in the northern Great Plains of the United
States, in eastern and central Canada, and in various parts of Russia. They
may pile up huge snowdrifts that completely disrupt daily life. Sometimes all
transportation stops and businesses close down for several days.
Winter Storms Update Center & Fact Sheet: Winter Storms

Igloos:
Igloo is the Inuit name for a shelter. The Inuit are sometimes called
Eskimos. Traditional Inuit shelters were made of snow, sod, or stone. The
best-known igloo was the winter snowhouse of the Canadian Inuit.
Hard-packed snow was cut into blocks from 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91
centimeters) long and 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 centimeters) wide. The blocks
were fitted together in a spiral that became smaller toward the top to form
a dome. A hole poked through the top admitted fresh air, and seal oil lamps
supplied heat. The entrance was a tunnel that trapped cold air. A thin slab
of ice may have been set in the igloo wall for a window, and shelves for
utensils were cut in the walls. The Inuit ate and slept on a raised snow
platform covered with furs. Some family snowhouses were as much as 10
feet (3 meters) wide. Prefabricated houses have replaced igloos.
Related Link: Building an Igloo

Snowshoes:
Snowshoe is a device used for walking over snow. Snowshoes distribute a
person's weight over a large area, which prevents the person from sinking
into the snow. Most snowshoes are at least 3 feet (91 centimeters) long,
and from 1 to 11/2 feet (30 to 46 centimeters) wide. They are made of a
light wooden frame, bent into a long oval. Strings of animal hide are
stretched across the frame. In walking with snowshoes, the wearer moves
the feet so that the snowshoes slide along the surface of the snow. The
wearer gives an outward motion to the snowshoes with each step.

North American Indians were among the first people to use snowshoes.
Today, snowshoes are used in regions of deep snow by hunters, trappers,
loggers, and farmers. In some parts of Canada, there are snowshoe clubs
organized for recreation.
Related Links: Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing;
& Grandshelters Igloo 'Ice Box' How to Build a Simple Pair of Snowshoes
Snowlink.com -- "Snowlink offers tips and information on skiing,
snowboarding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing, plus hundreds of links to
other Web sites for equipment, clothing, accessories, resorts, and more."
Sources: Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia & The World Book Encyclopedia

MORE SNOW Things:

A Snow Day is defined as a day off school because of SNOW!

World Extremes of Snowfall
Deepest falls in one day: 76 in (193 cm) at Silver Lake, Colo., 10,000 ft
(3,050 m) above sea level on April 14-15, 1921 72 in (183 cm) at Dartmoor,
England, on Feb. 16, 1929 Greatest known total fall in one year: 102 ft
(31.1 m) at Paradise Ranger Station, on the southern slope of Mount Rainier,
Wash., about 5,403 ft (1,647 m) above sea level in Feb. 1971-Feb. 1972.
~From Compton's Encyclopedia~

Snow Blindness
Snow blindness (or niphablepsia, or ophthalmia nivialis), a temporary visual
problem caused by exposure of the eyes to ultraviolet rays reflected from
snow or ice; problems can include intolerance to light, impaired vision, and
inflammation; especially affects people walking or driving in high altitudes;
treatment is to relieve the fatigue of the retina by resting in a dark room.
~From Compton's Encyclopedia~

Snow-on-the-mountain:
Snow-on-the-mountain (also called ghostweed), an annual plant "Euphorbia
marginata" of the spurge family, found in e. North America; leaves shaded
light green and white; flowers are the characteristic pistil and
stamen flower arrangement of genus "Euphorbia"
~From Compton's Encyclopedia~

Snow Scorpion:
Snow scorpion fly (or snowflea), an insect (Boreus brumalis) of the order
Mecoptera, family Boreidae; this is the smallest species of the genus; often
found on the surface of snow. ~From Compton's Encyclopedia~

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs':
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', old fairy tale in Grimm brothers'
collection, in which Princess Snow White, friend of the Seven Dwarfs, is
awakened from sleeping death by the kiss of the prince.
~From Compton's Encyclopedia~

Snowshoe:
Snowshoe, oval wooden frame strung with thongs and attached to the foot
that enables a person to walk or run on snow without sinking.

Fitting a Snowshoe:
The shoe is fastened to the foot with thongs or with a contrivance so
adjusted that the back of the foot rises and falls freely as if the sole of
the foot were hinged to the webbing at the rear edge of the toe opening.
The adjustment should always be such that the tail of the snowshoe drags
and is not raised when a step is taken.

For a person who weighs from 125 to 150 pounds a snowshoe 4 feet long and
from 12 to 14 inches wide at the point of greatest width is recommended.
Either leather moccasins or flat-soled boots of rubber with leather tops are
proper footwear. At least two pairs of woolen stockings should be worn.

An hour's practice generally will enable the beginner to master the use of
snowshoes for ordinary tramping. He will not become an expert until he has
covered a great many miles on the rackets, as they are sometimes called.
Running, jumping, sliding, turning quickly, and climbing are accomplishments
that will come gradually to the enthusiastic snowshoer. The sport enables a
person to go almost anywhere across country and to discover the
breathtaking beauty of the winter landscape.

Abominable snowman
Abominable snowman (or Yeti), legendary creature that is
believed to inhabit the Himalayas.

Snowman
The dictionary defines a "snowman" this way:

Main Entry: snow·man
Pronunciation: -"man
Function: noun
Date: 1827
: snow shaped to resemble a human figure

~Above Information From Compton's Encyclopedia~

When I did a search in the Bible there were 30 verses with "SNOW" in
them. Many times the reference is for a "color" or a "descriptive" word.

"For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain,
and to the great rain of his strength."
~Job 37:6~

Below you will read what the Compton's Encyclopedia says about SNOW:

Water that freezes and crystallizes in the atmosphere is called snow. It
may remain in the atmosphere, suspended in cloud formations, or it may fall
to Earth and cover the ground for months at a time or, as in polar regions,
form a permanent ice cap.

Snowflakes are collections of as many as 100 ice crystals, which appear in
an infinite variety of forms and are often beautifully intricate. The size
and shape of these crystals depend mainly on the temperature and the
amount of water vapor present as they develop. They can form in either of
two ways. At temperatures above about -40o F (-40o C), water vapor may
crystallize around minute nuclei of mineral particles that float in the air; at
lower temperatures, water vapor can solidify directly into crystals. The ice
generally forms a hexagonal, or six-sided, structure because of the natural
arrangement of oxygen and hydrogen atoms in the crystal. If the air is
humid, the crystals tend to grow rapidly, develop branches, and clump
together to form snowflakes. In colder and drier air, the crystals
remain small and compact.

Snow crystals have been classified, according to their structure, into seven
general types: plates, stellars, columns, needles, spatial dendrites, capped
columns, and irregular crystals. In addition to snow there are three other
types of frozen precipitation--graupel (snow pellets or soft hail), sleet
(ice pellets), and hail (layered spheres of ice).

Several types of clouds, primarily cirrus and alto, contain snow. These clouds
are most common in the upper atmosphere at temperatures around -4 F
(-20 C). Ice crystals that precipitate from these clouds may evaporate
before reaching the Earth, but those that pass through lower-level clouds
collect moisture and fall to the ground as snow, sleet, hail, or rain,
depending on the temperature. On high mountains, these clouds can be seen
as ice fogs. Furthermore, in polar regions, where warm air meets cold air
near the ground, ice columns and needles form and fall, creating a
spectacular effect known as diamond dust. Snow has been induced
artificially by seeding very cold water clouds with solid carbon dioxide,
commonly called dry ice, or with silver iodide.

Snow covers, permanently or temporarily, about 23 percent of the Earth's
surface, the largest amounts naturally being found in the polar regions. Clean
snow reflects as much as 87 percent of the sunlight that shines on it. Snow
is also a poor conductor of the sun's radiation, so that little of the heat
lost from the Earth's surface at night is replaced by solar heat during the
day. As a result, a snow cover induces a cold climate and delays the growth
of plants, although it can also protect vegetation from severe frost. When
snow melts in the spring, the resulting runoff feeds rivers and supplies
water for irrigation.

Snow on the ground is constantly rearranged by a variety of forces, including
wind, temperature, and its own weight. It tends to grow increasingly dense,
and where it survives spring and summer melting for years, it may turn into
ice and form a glacier. Temperature changes on snow-covered hillsides may
result in snowslides and avalanches. The thickness and duration of snow
cover depend on such factors as the amount of precipitation, transport of
snow by wind, air temperature, and the strength of solar radiation.
~From Compton's Encyclopedia~