Friday, August 31, 2012

Barbie is away for the next week on business. Feel free to browse her blog of past entries!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Monday Morning Isaac Update

What a difference a few days make! Isaac has turned out to be one of the most UNpredictable tropical systems in years. Last Friday, it looked like Isaac could hit the popular beaches of Alabama and Florida. Now it seems he's headed straight for Louisiana and Mississippi.

Isaac is still a ragged storm. We are so accustomed to looking at tropical systems on satellite and we marvel at their beautiful structure and the "swirling" pattern they're noted for. Isaac isn't considered to be one of those. It's structure looks mangled due to dry air being pulled in the south end, but don't count him out with his strength!

The storm should be intensifying today as moves into the open waters of the Gulf. Aircraft reconnaissance flights will continue to get the most accurate reading on it's cycles of growth. Here is the latest track for Isaac.
At this point, Isaac looks to make landfall along Grand Isle, Louisiana late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning (before sunrise). This will dramatically slow the storm's forward speed. Early Thursday morning (before sunrise), the storm will move over Wilkinson County (Woodville area) and continue to move over Natchez and just west of Vicksburg before the remnants move into southern Arkansas and east central Missouri this weekend.
 
Everyone keeps asking, "What can my area expect?" So let me break it down a bit.
 
If you live south of I-20 and west of I-55 (that's the southwestern quadrant of Mississippi), you can expect tropical storm force winds, with higher gusts, for 36 hours. This will also come with heavy rain bands and the threat of tornadoes. Power outages can be expected due to the expansive winds and the power outages may last for a few days.
 
If you live north of I-20 and east of I-55, expect gusty winds, heavy rain, and quick spin up tornadoes. Power outages can be expected although may be more scattered, especially in rural areas.
 
If you live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, expect hurricane force winds, beach erosion, heavy rain, a storm surge of 10-15 feet and tornadoes late Tuesday and early Wednesday as the storm makes landfall. Evacuate now!
 
Rainfall amounts from Isaac for Mississippi could top 5"-10". If you live in a low lying area prone to flooding, you need to head for higher ground.
 
This map shows the winds expected.
 
 
 
As always, I suggest you have your gas tank full, generators fueled up, your cell phones fully charged, cash money on hand that can last for at least 3-5 days, and plenty of water for your family and non-perishable foods to last for 3-5 days. It may be that long for the areas hardest hit to begin to have power restored. Make sure you have a NOAA Weather Radio with the battery backup so you can get immediate weather information should you lose electricity. And by all means, you common sense and civility!
 
No, Isaac will not be as strong as Katrina, but we've learned quite a bit about preparation since then and it's been 7 years since our state was hit with a hurricane. We'll get through this one together, too.
 
I will be on WLBT for the duration of Isaac, so we'll keep you updated.
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, August 24, 2012

Isaac Update--Friday Morning

Tropical Storm Isaac is on everyone's mind so I thought I'd talk a little meteorology today on my blog.

The latest update from the reconnaissance flight shows Isaac is a bit disorganized. The storm isn't expected to strengthen much over the next 24 hours as it will be interacting with the land mass of Hispaniola and Cuba and it's mountainous terrain. Isaac will have an opportunity to strengthen as it moves off the coast of Cuba and into the Florida Straits and eventually into the Gulf. That being said, it is difficult to determine a storm's intensity 3 to 5 days out. Therefore, the storm could be stronger or weaker than what the models are projecting once it reaches the US.

It should continue to jog, or wobble, to the west-northwest over the next few days. It will interact with a trough moving through the Mississippi River Valley which should turn it more north and northeastward. With that track, it could make landfall to the east of Mobile Bay, Alabama. However, it is important to note that areas all along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Biloxi and east to Panama City should be on high alert. High seas, sustained high winds, bands of heavy rain and the threat of tornadoes can be expected.

Here is the latest NHC track:

Friday, August 17, 2012

An Aggressive Spirit

Two years ago, I shared on this blog how I had started praying Ephesians 1:17-22 for myself. I literally took out specific words to make it a personal prayer of mine:

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you (me) the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you (I) may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your (my) heart may be enlightened in order that you (I) may know the hope to which he has called you (me), the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,  and his incomparably great power for us (me) who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength  he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

As I see people going about their day bogged down in hopelessness, despair, negativity and insecurity, I've found myself being more aggressive in my spirit. Why should I be gloomy, down trodden, beaten down, and feel like there is no reason to carry on despite what is going on around me?

Although Isaiah is talking about himself, I've now started praying Isaiah 61:1-3:

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

That's what being aggressive in your spirit is all about--living with an expectation that God is all around you, working on your behalf, and trusting God is wonderful and I don't have to figure everything out that I don't understand! David wrote in Psalm 27:13-14, "I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."


The devil wants to confuse you, abuse you and misuse you. But it's time to get comfortable with not knowing everything there is to know about your future. Be aggressive in your spirit and expect God to move in your life. Walk in the anointing He has given you and know you're not just here on earth to take up space!

(Lemuria Books & Lifeway Christian Store in Jackson have just received a new shipment of Barbie's books. Check them out or click on the links on this page to get yours!)

Monday, August 13, 2012

Time To Grow!

Viewers are always commenting on my hair---it's too long, it's too short, it's too "big", it's too fill-in-the-blank. While my hair, and other superficial things, tend to be a topic of disdain for some viewers, I had idea five years ago: Why not use something people complain about as a way to minister to others? Thus, WLBT's Great Lengths program was birthed.

We've set a Guinness Book of World Records in the past and teamed up with the American Cancer Society to provide human hair wigs for Mississippi women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment. Today at St. Dominic Cancer Services, there is a wig room outfitted with various human hair wigs in many colors for women to choose. While most human hair wigs cost over $1000, the gift of hair is free but takes quite a commitment from those who are growing their hair to donate.

This year, my two daughters--Gracie and Lilly Faith--are growing their hair with me. We will have our hair cut on March 4, 2013 on LIVE television along with hundreds of other men, women and children of all ages and hair types and colors from across the state of Mississippi. Our hair will then be sent to Pantene where it will be put with other hair of like color and texture and made into a beautiful head of hair, then shipped to Mississippi for the wig room to stay stocked.

Would you like to join us? Go to this link  and sign up to donate. If you'd like to tell us why you're donating, we may share that with our WLBT viewers. All details are listed on that page.

Let's grow, cut and share with our friends!

Here is the wig room at St.Dominic Cancer Services.