Today

This morning we woke up to a blanket of soft white covering the ground, and trees that looked as if they could be out of the pages of C.S. Lewis' Narnia.

Beautiful....and oh so cold. But the sun was shining to make a sparkle-y kind of silver. I love snow days (I know it's crazy). We had breakfast, while my dear husband constructed a warm fire to make the house as cozy as can be; before he left for work. A nice slow pace for the school day in front of a blazing fire.

I know it's cold, and the snow can be a nuisance, but I've attempted to get some enjoyment out of this long-stretched winter--a new and not so easy task for me.

After all, God created it for a reason, it is beautiful...why not savor the beauty before us. A lovely white and silver world...for a season...is a blessing. It's covers the dead brown trees and grass. It hides the mud under it's sheath of silvery white. It makes the morning feel as new as a gift from a beloved. It holds off the dirt and grime of the thaw, until the green begins to bloom anew.

So for today...while I long for the soft colors of a new season...I'll savor the beauty of this one....

I've been thinking lately about how God places many different calls on our lives, not just one defining "job" or purpose. He has given us all gifts to use to further His Kingdom, whatever they may be. That's the hard part, right, discovering and then using those gifts for Him. There are so many things I think I can do with this short life. Sometimes it seems like there isn't enough time to accomplish even one or two of those things, that I get overwhelmed with the thought of even trying! But with His help I'm believing that I can do more, "all things through Him who strengthens me".
The Mighty Singer (I read that term in a novel recently), who sang all of creation into existence, wants to see His children prosper and thrive. This life is a wondrous journey full of unknowns and surprises. I'm only just beginning to see the potential! To see the world the way my kids do, through wide eyes, full of possibilities! I'm excited as a new school year begins with my kids, to see all the things we can dream up and do this year together!

My kids Bible lesson today asks the question, "Why does God let people die". This is a tough one for me after loosing my mother nearly 2 years ago to cancer. I still struggle with this issue in my life, and sometimes still ask this question. She was my best friend and I lost a part of myself when she died.

I was lucky enough to be raised in a loving, Christian home. I KNOW that my mother is with her Savior, and she is healthy and strong. People die because Adam and Eve sinned. But as Christians, we know that's not the end of it. There is life after this one, eternal life through Jesus Christ. He died for you and me, and is preparing a place in heaven for those who know Him. Do you know Jesus?

"We know that when this earthly tent is taken down-when we die and leave these bodies-we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands." 2 Corinthians 5:1

Luke 22:32

“But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”