When winter brings snow.....

Since it is February, Chicago should not be surprised to get some snow.  But this snow was predicted to be a "BIG" snow (think 9-12").  There was enough confidence in the forecast to get all of the schools in the area to close.  We were in the high end of the snowfall and as of right now (according to the national weather service) we have had between 6 and 7".  There is another 1-3" predicted for overnight and then more on Sunday.  So I guess this does qualify as a big snowfall.  I just love the quiet calmness of this view from our living room.  The snow is so puffy and clean.  One of my all time favorite banners in church had a snow scene and part of Psalm 51:7 that said "wash me and I will be whiter than snow".  Every time I see a snow scene, I remember those verses from David's heart.  He was deep in the pit of sin, and he knew his sinfulness could only be taken away by God.  It was a plea for help.  It is such a powerful thing to realize that we need the sacrifice of Jesus to bring that clean, white, snow-like, freshness to us - that only His shed blood can accomplish.  A true paradox - being covered by the blood, makes us white as snow. 

Isn't it funny how easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking that you have everything under control?  I don't know if it is our society, or just humanness, but I believe most of us struggle in some way or another with trying to handle "life" in our own strength.  This week Gwen sent me an amazing verse from the Message and I just love the clarity it brings.....

"Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself.  Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."   Matthew 19:26

Well, there is so much to think about in that verse!  In the translation that I normally use (NIV) the verse says "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."   This verse falls right in the middle of the disciples asking Jesus how to enter the kingdom of heaven.  I have always thought about this verse showing just how powerful God is.  I know that is most certainly true.  However, the verse from the message opens up the need to trust God in those situations where I have decided that I can handle things MY way.  You know, be in control.  I have been reflecting on the times when there wasn't any chance I could pull off my plans, and also those times when I did fully trust God to handle things and then they worked out great.  Because, let's face it, things work out much better when we realize that when we are weak then He is strong. 

You can't control the weather and you can't stop the snow in February.  Your life might seem dark and dirty right now.  Look at that snowy scene.  Jesus has made a way for us all to be as clean as snow.  You just can't get there on your own strength.   But  there is every chance in the world if you trust God to do it. 

Jesus, thank you for bringing us into the Kingdom of Heaven by the shedding of your blood.  Holy Spirit, remind us to trust God to do the impossible things.  Give us eyes to see your plan of salvation when we look at the snow.  Fill us with your love.  Help us have the courage to let go of control and rest in your peace.   Amen

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Well I am tucked in all snug as a bug in a rug in my nice warm house.  And, yes, it is snowing outside.  Again.  We are supposed to have a "major" snowstorm over the next 30 hours and expect 12" of snow.  Sigh.  This is our second rather large snow of this season.  Quite frankly, we have been somewhat spoiled over the last year.  We had a pretty much snow-less winter last season.  And then this fall has been really warm.  As a matter of fact our grass was still green and growing - LAST WEEK!  But here it is December 10th and we are having our second big snowstorm.  As I said in my last blog, you need to think like a kid and celebrate the snow.  Then you can have joy in the storm.

I have to admit that the snow does help it feel a bit more like Christmas.  I spent most of the day today making candy and treats for Ken to take into his workplace.  My goal for tomorrow is more cookie baking.  A snow day is a really good time to crank up the over and pull out the baking supplies.  I'm not sure what things will be like tomorrow morning, but when you plan to stay in all day, it really doesn't matter!

I was thinking about this sweet picture of Gwen that was taken the first time she ever "played" in the snow.

She was 18 months old at the time and her first winter was a bit like our last years winter.  There wasn't any snow.  So when it snowed in November of her second year, we had to let her experience a bit of snow.  You might notice, however, that she is wearing "Rain boots"!  We had not thought to buy her any winter boots.  I remember thinking how silly it was that I had not considered that she might need winter boots.  Clearly, I was a first time mom!  But she did have a nice warm coat and mittens.  You can also see that she is wearing a dress! To play in the snow.  This one is totally Gwen's fault!  As soon as she could make her wishes known (which was pretty early), that girl insisted on wearing dresses.  I remember one time when she was right around the age of this picture that she refused to leave the changing table until I let her wear her "dress shoes" (which were black leather t-strap).  She wrapped her arms around the rail of the changing table and screamed SHOES! at the top of her lungs until I changed her shoes.  She was a determined young lady.    Now, when I see Anna insisting on the pink pants and purple shirt, I have to laugh!  Gwen is sort of getting some pay back on this.  

I've been remembering a very favorite banner that was at a church I attended.  It was a "winter scene" with a house covered with snow.  There were pine trees and it was such a pretty scene.  But the words said "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow".  I remember thinking that this was an interesting phrase to put on this banner.  It just didn't seem to fit.   Many years later, I saw another banner with the same words.  However this banner had a scarred hand with blood drops falling onto a mountain of dark soil.  Yes, this was a much better visual for these words for me.  I love the picture of the red blood that Jesus shed on the cross for me - hitting all of those dark places in my heart.  And this amazing transformation happens - suddenly that sinful, dirty, shameful heart becomes white as snow.  What a miracle that is.  

As I look out at the quiet street, covered in layers of pure white snow, I am so thankful.  It is easy to say "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"  Advent is usually a time to contemplate the coming of the baby Jesus at Christmas.  But for me, seeing the snow, it is a stark reminder of the cross of Easter.  The truth is that every celebration of the Christmas stable should include the shadow of the cross.  The life of Jesus was destined to end at the cross.  Because we know the entire story, we can celebrate the beginning but also remember the ending.  I don't know about you, but this changes how I feel about so much of my holiday activities.  Suddenly, there is great joy and much thankfulness.

Thanks to a "winter storm warning"!

Jesus, thank you for your shed blood that covers over a multitude of sins.  Holy Spirit, help us all to remember that you see us whiter than snow - especially when we are tempted to be filled with shame and guilt.  Jesus, remind us to look over the stable and see the cross.  Jesus, I love you!  Amen

Playing in the snow and praying with strangers

Today I did something that I don't remember EVER doing (at least as an adult!)...... I went to a playground and played in the snow!  Or at least the KIDS played in the snow.  I did a lot of watching but also some swing pushing!  Gwen had a meeting later in the day and had planned a "play date" with another home school mom, who also has 4 kids!  We met at the local park in their neighborhood.  There is several inches of snow on the ground and the kids were fully decked out in their "snow gear".  Those 8 kids played together for almost an hour.  It was about 36 degrees out, but there was a bit of a wind.  Not really WARM but also not bitter cold.  It was so fun watching Anna.  She spent most of her time eating the snow.

She did make more than one trip down the very slippery slide after watching the big kids do it.  We all came home with rosy cheeks and it was good for the kids to burn off some of that always inside, winter energy.  I confess that I would not have chosen to spend this hour outside, but I am very glad that I did.  The kids were not the only ones that needed some fresh air!

On the way home I was thinking again, how thankful I am to spend time with my grandchildren.  Over and over they push me out of my comfort zone and bring me into experiences that I would never have without them.  Playing in the snow on a sunny- warmish winter day, would not have been on my agenda. I am convinced that this is the season and time to expect to find yourself in situations that are not "normal" for you.  

Recently I met a young gal at the Sunday night meeting I attend.  After praying for her, I gave her my phone number.  We have had some wonderful conversations since that time.  Stepping out and praying for a stranger and then going a step further to give them your phone number is really out of my comfort zone.  But what a blessing this has been for me.  I have been challenged in discussions on topics that are sometimes difficult.  It has been a faith affirming and uplifting experience.  So I've been asking myself, "why do you hesitate to reach out to strangers?"   

Yes, I was refreshed and energized after my outside playtime today.  And I've been blessed by my new friend.  Not so bad for "out of my comfort zone" experiences.  I don't think I'll be so hesitant to take chances from now on!  You never know when a stranger will become a new friend.  And you never know how much fun a little snow can be!  Trust me!  

Jesus, thank you for another reminder to trust your leading and enjoy every part of each day, even when the circumstances are out of the familiar for us.  Holy Spirit, give us grace to walk out of our comfort zone.  Thank you for kids who remind us to breathe in fresh air and taste the snow!  Amen  

Finding the hidden beauty........

This has been a long and hard winter.  When we had yet another "winter storm warning" this week,  all we could do was sigh.  Most people didn't even pay any attention to it.  It was late on Tuesday afternoon before I noticed that dreaded "red stripe" over the weather forecast. Then when I saw that they were actually saying 4-6", well, you had to take it a little more seriously.  I went to bed thinking that we actually might dodge the bullet.  But, alas, when we awoke on Wednesday morning, we had a good 6" of snow.  Maybe a bit more.  And it was the wet, heavy, icky, sticky stuff.  I was pretty cold and wet by the time I got my car cleared off.  And, thanks to the time change this week (I mean, really, who thought it would be a good idea to change to daylight savings time when we are still in the middle of winter???), it was pitch dark on my way to work.  It was a long, long drive to work.  A trip that took me about 40 minutes and that is a lot for 6 miles.  Yes, 6 miles.  Nothing had been plowed.  There were ruts and ice and it was anybody's guess where the lane markings were.  So I can assure you that I did NOT enjoy the snow that morning.

But then the sun came out.  And it was really the most amazingly beautiful snow that we have had this entire winter.  

 

 

 

Ken actually went out, right after work and got some incredible shots of the snow in the Morton Arboretum.   These are just a couple of my favorites.   Wow! 

 

Sometimes, isn't our life like this?   We are in a really messy, dark, icky, sticky place and then the sun comes out and we can start to see the beauty around us.  Sometimes even the stuff that CAUSED the mess we are in, is part of the very nice picture.  The thing is, on this morning when I was stuck in that traffic and slipping around on the roads, I didn't notice how the snow was sticking to the trees.  I missed that there were ice crystals around some of the branches and it almost looked like crystals hanging on the trees.  It wasn't until the sun came out that you could see and appreciate the wonder of this snow.   We need THE SON - Jesus to come into all of the junk in our daily life for us to find the hidden things.  When we begin to look at our problems and our troubles through the SON, we can see the amazing picture that is being painted.  It is a picture of the true plan and destiny for us.  All of the troubles and the problems and difficulties become something very different, when the truth of Jesus and the light of the Holy Spirit shines on them.  Those troubles don't go away, the problems and difficulties are still there.  But our eyes can be opened to see through the muck and find the beauty that is there.  We still had 6 lousy inches of snow......again....... on top of the piles of snow that have NOT melted yet.  There was still ice on the roads and ruts and slush.  But with my eyes looking UP, it was beautiful!

 

Jesus, thank you for the beauty that you have planned in your creation.   Holy Spirit, thank you for your reminder to look up and see the picture you painted with snow.  What an amazing wonder with the sun shining on it.  Thank you for Ken and his ability to capture these images to help us all to remember to see the hidden beauty.  Amen 

Plaid coat reminders........and two things to work on!

 

I know this has happened before and I have shared photo's like this a time or two, but I just couldn't resist.  The top photo is Gwen and Doug in 1984 and the bottom photo is Ellie, Zeke and Lia from December 2013.  When I saw Lia yesterday in her plaid coat, I suddenly flashed to Gwen in a little plaid coat.  Gwen was a couple of years younger than Lia is in these pictures, but I feel the flashback.

Is there anything better than the joy of children when they are sledding?  Or just outside playing in the snow?  Last week at work, when we were trying to get 14 little 3 year olds into snowpants, coats, boots, hats, mittens and scarfs, it didn't seem so great. 
The problem in that situation is that the children that are FIRST to get ready get overheated before we finish getting everyone ELSE dressed!  And I can tell you that the teachers are so overheated that they do not want to put on their own coats, hats, gloves and scarfs!  But looking at these pictures and seeing the joy and fun that the kids at work have outside, I have been reflecting on playing in the snow! 

The first realization that I had was that if adults wore heavy pants and sweaters, snowpants, fur lined boots, big parkas with fur lined hoods, mittens (not gloves) and scarfs, WE WOULD PROBABLY LIKE THE SNOW MUCH MORE THAN WE DO!  Really, isn't this true?   We are simply not prepared for the weather.  So no wonder we don't enjoy being out in the cold and snow.  Being prepared for whatever we are walking through, is thought number one today.

The second realization was that the snow IS really beautiful!  Today was one of those days when everything was glistening (by the way, this happened because it was so very cold when it was snowing).  When you just stop and look at a small bit of snow, it is really amazing.  Incredible acutally.  I for one have a really hard time NOT thinking about the driving and the shoveling.  Kids, on the other hand, just appreciate the snow - for the snow!  So thought number two tonight is to just be in the moment.

I know that in so many ways,  I am not really prepared.  And I have a really hard time staying in the moment.  I tend to think through every possible consequence and my focus shifts to the "what if's".  So today Jesus reminded me that I need to work on these two things!  In a way, these seem like opposites.  On one hand - be prepared.  But on the other side of this, just stay in the moment.  WAIT A MINUTE!  How do you do that???  Is the idea to be prepared to stay in the moment?  YES! 

I just got the message.  When you are prepared for all situations, you have the freedom to just be in the moment.  Yes, further work required!

Jesus, thank you for bringing me something new again today.  Thank you for speaking to me even when I feel like I have my fingers in my ears.  Holy Spirit, help all of us to understand the depth of these really simple ideas.  Thank you for children, grandchildren and yes, thank you for snow!  Amen

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It's snowing in Chicago today!  Really the first snow of the season.  I was just thinking yesterday that it would really feel a bit more like Christmas if there were some snow.  Now I am the first one to say that I hate to drive in the snow.  But it really does make it "seasonal"!  The picture above is one of the first memories I have of "winter".  It's from that same time in Aberdeen, South Dakota that I have been blogging about.  That's my brother Greg and I am 4 years old.  I've come to realize that, for me, lots of important stuff happened in those years when I was between 3 and 6 years old.  When I saw this photo I was remembering the snow.  We had LOTS of snow!  If you notice, I am wearing really big and ugly boots (my brothers hand me downs).  But they kept my feet warm and dry.  I remember that this same winter I learned to ice skate in the ditch next to the highway that was just a couple of doors away from our house.

Everyone talks about the years of the "big snows".  And there are always different years for different people.  In Chicago, there was a BIG snow in February 1967 (which was before either Ken and his family or my family moved here.)  For me one of those "big snow" year memories was the winter of 1978-79.  That year we had snowstorm after snowstorm after snowstorm.  It seemed to snow every week.  And the snow piled up and up and UP!  I especially remember this year because I was pregnant with Gwen and I shoveled lots of snow that winter.  Our neighbor across the street would always run out and insist on finishing up the shoveling if he saw me out there.  Ken was working 45 miles away and was gone from home more than 12 hours a day.  So clearing the drive was left to me!  At one point we had to shovel the roof because of the weight of the snow!   And our small yard had so much snow that I could no longer throw the snow on the pile.  All you could see of our house was the snow and the second floor windows.  Yep, that was WAY TO MUCH SNOW!

When I look out the window today I am so thankful that Jesus has washed my sins away and now I am "white as snow". I love Psalm 51- especially verse 7 -  "Cleanse me with hyssop and  I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow"  And I was thinking about those really ugly boots I have on in that picture.  Isn't that just like the ways that we try to cover up our sins?  We find things to hide behind and think that our sins are hidden from Jesus. Sometimes the cover ups make us feel warm and safe, but that is always a lie.  The only way we have to be free of our sins is by the blood of Jesus.  And then our sins are not covered up or hidden.......... they are TAKEN AWAY! Yes, I love the way snow reminds me of the best gift I have ever been given - Jesus.  So today, the snow is really making me feel "Christmas-y"  Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Jesus, thank you for your plan to bring us not only forgiveness of our sins, but also FREEDOM from our sins.  Holy Spirit, what an amazing gift you give us as you draw us to Jesus.  Thank you for Christmas, for snow and for your great love.  Amen