****New “deeper insights” post on abortion by Beth Johnson

You might not look at snow as a treasure. I have had a wonderful time admiring pictures from all over the country featuring snowy landscapes, snowmen, winter sports, and snow angels.

Kids love it, almost without exception. My friend Marty in Colorado calls it “white gold,” in reference to its usefulness as a mild fertilizer. In fact, snow does have value in helping plants grow. In addition to the obvious moisture, it also puts nitrogen into the soil at a slower and more beneficial rate than rain does. It has often been called “the poor man’s fertilizer.”

Another boon to the gardener is the insulating properties of snow. Especially when mulch is not applied deeply, snow can prevent the constant freezing and thawing that could cause roots to be heaved up out of the soil, killing or severely harming plants. Shouldn’t we call snow the “poor man’s mulch,” too?

The fluffy white stuff also can protect newly emerging plants from subzero temperatures and drying winds.

There are so many reasons for the gardener to love the snow. I love it simply because it is so breathtakingly pretty! Sure, I’ve had my share of injuries from slipping, and I’ve skidded my classic VW Beetle in a snowy ditch; but I still have to admire the beauty of the white wonderfulness.

Maybe that’s why I was just a little awe-struck when a friend shared the verse from Job 38:22; “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail?” (NASB)

I’ve read the verse many, many times. It is part of God’s somewhat gentle rebuke to Job for doubting him. But it never seemed to move me as much as it did in the middle of seeing his majesties of snow displayed on such a grand scale! Many states are getting record snows, and we had just gotten about an inch the night before – which sadly melted in the morning.

Storehouses. Picture that! Whether or not you love snow as I do, you have to stand in awe that the Lord could stockpile such a thing as snow. I guess he has clouds laid out like Monopoly houses or like armies in a game of Risk. Maybe not. But he has storehouses! He said so. Releasing these storehouses can cripple a city, leaving it without power or transportation. It can also convert eyesores into art.

He knows exactly where he is about to put each six-sided crystallized flake as he forms it. Now, that is power! This is the God that we serve.

–by Christine Berglund @ www.forthright.net