Sometimes We Need the Rain (Repost)
We had a pretty decent winter storm come through last weekend. It started off as a wintry mix, then turned to snow, and then back to a wintry mix. Needless to say, it was quite treacherous outside.
By Sunday afternoon, most of the snow and ice had melted off the roads, but our side yard was still a big sheet of white ice. It was fun slip-sliding my way to the truck so we could go to church Sunday evening. (I looked like Bambi on ice, only in a skirt and boots.) On Monday, the sun came out, and it was a beautiful day with highs in the mid-50s. Still, the snow and ice on the grass in the sideyard didn't melt. By Monday night, we could still skate across the yard.
When the Enemy Won’t Quit
Yesterday was our weekly hike date, but it was a bit unusual. We had a couple of light snowfalls over the previous weekend, and the temperatures had remained sub-freezing all week. That being the case, there was still some snow and ice dotting the landscape around us, but we knew the surrounding areas weren’t bad at all.
Unfortunately, the area we had planned to hike had gotten considerably more snow than we had. The winding roads were white and icy, and when we arrived at our destination, we discovered the trails were buried under at least three inches of snow.
Leaky Buckets
I apologize for missing several posts last week. No matter where I am, the Christmas season is a busy time. I spent much of last week preparing our house for the holidays and practicing for our carol service at our chapel last Sunday. Now, with all that done, I can focus on my writing more. . .hopefully.
Friday night, we braved the frigid, snowy weather and attended a concert in town hosted by a local choir. We have several friends in the choir, so we wanted to show our support and enjoy an evening of Christmas songs.
Praying Through Discontentment
Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, it can also be a breeding ground for greed, commercialism, and discontentment. Yes, there’s something about the Christmas season that can cause us to look at our surroundings or circumstances and feel lacking. We find ourselves thinking, If only I had ______, I’d be happy.
This morning, in my devotion time, I read a rather convicting statement about how we often attempt to deal with discontentment. The author questioned our methods for coming to grips with our dissatisfaction and remarked that we often don’t ask God to help us with our attitude but rather to “fix” the situation so we’ll be more content. Ouch!
Looking for Something?
While on our daily walk yesterday, Tess and I came across a couple working diligently in the ditch on the side of the road. As usual, Tess wanted to stop and greet the people, so we chatted for several minutes.
I learned they were trying to uncover the water main to their house, which had become buried under a year’s growth of brush and bramble. They knew the approximate location of the main, but with all the thorns, grass, and weeds, they couldn’t find it. I didn’t envy them. The day was frigid and damp, and the ditch stretched on quite a ways. The brush was thick, and despite the abundance of rain, the ground was hard.