Many of us have heard abbreviated version of this well-known prayer. You know, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference."

Until recently I wasn't aware that the version that I had memorized and recited over the years was actually incorrect. The original prayer was written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the late 1930's or 1940's.

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

The first verse is nice and has served me well throughout the years to withstand some difficult days. But how I wish I would have known the second verse all this time! Such a wonderful message!

In like a lion and out like a lamb. Rain before seven, quits by eleven. Rainy May dry July. Many of these bits of weather wisdom passed down from generation to generation are surprisingly accurate. By observing weather patterns and conditions, those before us gained a wealth of information on how to predict the weather rather well.

Before modern technology and the 24 hour weather channel, folks needed to figure out for themselves what type of weather was on the way. The following is a list of some of the traditional sayings of yesteryear gathered by our ancestors:

RAIN

When the sugar maple leaves turn over, a rain shower is on the way
Clover leaves will turn up just before a rain
When the full moon is pale on rising, rain can be expected
A halo around the moon means rain, the bigger the halo the sooner the rain
If the sun comes out while it’s raining, it will rain the next day
A morning rainbow is a sign of rain
If a dog eats grass in the morning and shuns meat, rain is coming
When grass is dry in the morning light, look for rain before the night. When dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.
Watch for rain when distant sounds are long and sharp
When cattle extend their necks and sniff the air, rain will come
Rain long foretold long last, Short notice soon past
If cattle out at pasture recline early in the day, rain is on the way
When the stars begin to huddle, the earth will soon become a puddle
If the rooster goes crowing to bed, he’ll wake up with a watery head

STORMS

When a cow bellows three times without stopping a storm is on the way
A growing whiteness in the sky, storm approaching
A solitary crow in flight means bad weather
A halo around the sun means bad weather will come
Stormy weather is on the way if ants move in columns
Flies bite before a storm
When a bird stops singing, listen for thunder
Red sky in the morning is usually a storm warning
When cattle and horses stay in close groups, a storm is coming
When sun dogs (little halo type rainbows that peak from behind clouds) appear after fine weather, stormy weather will follow
Evening red and morning gray send the traveler on his way. Evening gray and morning red brings rain down on his head.
Rainbow at night, shepherd’s delight, Rainbow in morning, shepherd’s warning
Sounds traveling far and wide, a stormy day will betide

FAIR WEATHER

Rainbow in the evening says fair weather will follow
Soft fluffy clouds says fine weather on the way
Red evening and morning gray are sure signs of a fine day
If fireflies are plentiful, fair weather will follow for 3 days
When horses and mules roll in the dirt and shake off, dry weather is here
Steady rising barometer means fair weather
Red sky in the morning is the sailor’s sure warning, Red sky at night is the sailor’s delight
Wind from the west brings fine weather

SIGNS OF SPRING AND SUMMER

Thunderstorms that come before 7am in April and May foretell a wet summer
If ants build small hills, it will be a hot and dry summer
If the hay in the fields lean to the northeast, summer will be hot and long
When trees split their bark in the winter, it will be a hot, dry spring

The Farmer’s Almanac is full of weather wisdom and is an essential resource to have on every homestead. I pick one up every year at Buchheit along with their calendar. In addition, a rain gauge and an outdoor thermometer are must-haves on our farm. We use the calendar to document each day’s weather and then refer back to this information to help forecast what’s ahead. Instead of depending solely on technology to find out if rain is coming, keep an eye on the sky and take note of the signs that nature is giving you to predict the weather!

Words to Live By

Weather Wisdom