“Seek Yahweh while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to Yahweh, and He will have compassion on him. Turn to our Elohim, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Isaiah 55: 6-7

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Christmas in Virginia

I have 25 stories to tell about Christmas in Virginia. I will tell you about 3 of them.

Christmas 1979 was our first Christmas in Virginia.

Rebekah was Born—1979

Katie and I are from Georgia. For us, snow was an occasional thing, and when we got snow in Georgia, it wasn’t much.

During my first year in Virginia, 1979-1980, we got a 6-inch snowfall in October. That was unusual. It was a wet, heavy snow, not a typical Virginia snow, but it happened that year.

Katie was pregnant with Rebekah when we got to Virginia. Rebekah was born on New Year’s Eve 1979. That’s Katie’s birthday, too.

Since Rebekah was born during Christmas break at the University of Virginia, I had an extended opportunity to spend time with my newborn daughter and the rest of my family. Before spring semester classes started in mid-January, we had several snowstorms. One of them was 18 inches. For Katie and me, that was a sight to behold. It made Rebekah’s early days very interesting, because we had to make several visits to the doctor shortly after she was born.

In Virginia, that wasn’t a problem. They know how to clear the streets and highways.

During the winter of 1980, we got more than 70 inches of snow in Charlottesville. For Katie and me, that was amazing. In the parking lots of malls, they plowed the snow into unused parking spaces on the periphery of the malls. Those snow piles didn’t melt completely until May 1980.

For Katie and me, Christmas 1979 was all about Rebekah. I’ll stop there, but I have more stories to tell about winter 1980.

Off to Miami, Florida

Katie’s parents lived in Miami, Florida. For us, Christmas was a 1000-mile drive to Miami, Christmas, a 700-mile drive to Athens, Georgia to spend time with my parents, and a 470-mile drive from Athens to Charlottesville. It was hectic to say the least.

I don’t remember the year this happened, but it was in the mid-1980s. Katie and I had bought a house on Smith Mountain Lake in Goodview, Virginia. As we were preparing to leave for Miami for Christmas, we got a 12-inch snow. At that time, I had 2 boats, but I had only 1 covered boat slip. My ski boat was protected, but my pontoon boat wasn’t. I had no idea how much snow would accumulate while we were gone, so I decided to spend the night at the lake on the way to Florida. I needed to get all that snow off my boat.

I had another reason to visit the lake at Christmas that year. Shortly before Christmas, I caught a citation-sized striped bass at the lake, and I took it to a taxidermist for mounting. I needed to pick it up and pay him. I still have that bass mounted on my wall. It doesn’t mean anything to anyone but me.

Cold in the Shenandoah Valley, Warm in Charlottesville

I don’t remember what year this was, either. We were on our way back from Christmas in Florida and Georgia. At that time, we thought the best route home from Athens was to Charlotte, I-77 north from Charlotte to I-81 in Fort Chiswell, Virginia, I-81 to I-64 in Staunton, Virginia, and then to Charlottesville. We were wrong, but that’s another story.

The drive from Athens to Charlotte was treacherous. There was lots of snow. We had to stop and spend the night near Charlotte. That was very unusual.

The next day, the trip up I-77 and I-81 was dangerous. There was lots ice.

I-81 and I-64 intersect in Staunton, Virginia. That’s where the Statler Brothers are from. It’s less than 10 miles from Waynesboro, Virginia.

The ride up I-77 and I-81 was treacherous, but going from I-64 in Staunton to Charlottesville means “crossing the mountain”. That’s Afton Mountain and the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had no idea what to expect.

The ice on the mountain was thick, and it got thicker as we climbed to the top. At the summit where the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive meet on Afton Mountain, the ice was really thick. As we made our way down the mountain, it got warmer. By the time we got home about 5 miles later, it was shirtsleeve weather. I loved it.

That’s a Christmas to remember.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Katie and me to you.

Yahweh bless you and keep you. Yahweh make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.

For to us a Child is born. For to us a Son is given. And His Name shall be called Wonderful (Pele), Counselor (Yo’eitz), Mighty God (El Gibbor), Eternal Father (Aviad), Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom).

Yahweh: Our Savior and our Redeemer. HalleluYah!

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“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”

John 10: 14-18

See “His Name is Yahweh”.