The Magical Snowfall

It's snowing!!!!!  Yeah!!!!

I love the snow. There has always been something magical about it. Today I turned off all the noise in the house and opened my sliding door and just listened.

For the most part - snow is silent. But then you hear the wonderful sound of children playing in the snow, no matter how deep. Even a half inch to them is like the most snow in the world, especially in North Carolina where snowfalls are far and in between and tend to melt sometimes the very next day.

In other words - enjoy the snow while you can.

I grew up in Southern Indiana. We would get a lot of snow when I was growing up. I loved playing in the snow. We use to wear these ugly black boots called golashes.

 They were so ugly and only came in black. They were made of rubber and they would fit over your other shoes.

We lived in a row of houses out in the country. When it snowed, all of the kids that lived on our street would get together and sled, build snowmen or build snow forts and have snowball fights. We would play most of the day until we were frozen and our parents called us to come in.

Well one snowy day I decided I wasn't going to wear my ugly old black golashes. I was trying to impress the boy down the street named Jerry Rice. Instead I wore my white canvas tennis shoes with two pairs of socks. We went sledding all day and I didn't think about my shoes getting wet and soaking through.

My toes froze. I didn't think they would ever thaw out. Oh well, you have to look stylish. After we were married, my husband would still tease me about wearing tennis shoes in the snow.

And I loved it when my sons were home from school on snowy days. They would come in from playing in the snow and leave piles of snowy, wet clothing all over the floor and puddles of snow and ice. I didn't care. 

Then we would drink hot chocolate, eat snow cream, and enjoy making memories together.

In fact, right now I have a bowl of snow outside that I'm fixing to bring in and make some delicious snow cream.

Enjoy the snow!!! 

My Delicious Bowl of Snow Cream

Three Golden Apples

I John 2:16

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 

is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 

My husband use to preach a sermon in children’s church called "The Three Golden Apples."

The three apples represented the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the lust of the world (pride of life).

He would tell the story about a beautiful princess. Her father wanted to marry her off, but she did not want to get married. Finally she agreed to marry, but under the condition that the man that she married had to beat her in a footrace.

If they did not win the race, they would be put to death. The princess could run extremely fast, so all of the men who ran against her would die.

One day a young man figured out a way to defeat the princess. He got three golden apples and while they were racing, he would drop an apple one at a time to distract the princess. She would quit running long enough to retrieve each apple. It took all three apples and all of his speed, but finally he won the race and married the beautiful princess.

Our lives are like a race. We are running to receive the prize, but along the way we are so many times tempted by the things of the world.

I know what I want in my life and I know who I am. I know someday I will win this race here on earth. But it is so easy to get distracted along the way. 

I know I want to be a good Christian who is an encourager and a help to other Christians, I want to have a good testimony. I want to live my life so that others may see Christ in me. 

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

On The Sunny Side of the Street

Grab your coat and get your hat
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street.

Can't you hear a pitter-pat
And that happy tune is your step
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street.

I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But now I'm not afraid
This rover crossed over.

If I'd never have a cent
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
Going to set my feet
On the sunny side of the street.

Grab your coat and get your hat
Leave your worry on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
To the sunny side of the street.

This is an old song written in 1930.  I can remember listening to Billie Holiday and also Louis Armstrong singing this song.  I love songs from the 1930's and 1940's.

I do want you to know, though, that I am not that old. Not yet anyway.

Yesterday I was ready to move to the sunny side of the street. On my side of the street, there was no sunshine. We had an ice accumulation the night before and it wouldn't melt. I started to venture out, but I could not even make it to my car. My feet were doing a slip and slide on my sidewalk.  I think I invented a new dance.

It's not that I wasn't adventurous enough, it's just that my bones have gotten a little older and I sure don't want any broken ones.

I had no rock salt, but I did have a box of kosher salt. I wasn't for sure how well kosher salt would work, but finally this morning the ice was crunchy enough to walk on. Yesterday it was like glass. When I saw the little boy next door slide and fall face first, I thought I really don't need to get out. 

This morning I was determined to get out. I was out of cokes! It was an emergency. I can do without a lot of things, but not my soft drinks with lots of caffeine.

But I do love the words to this song. "Leave your worry on your doorstep and just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street."

 Sometimes when things seem hard, I'll sing this song just to lift my spirits. 
There is always  a sunny side to be found.

A Widow's Valentine Day

This is my third Valentine without my husband.

Part of me wants to just sit here all day and feel completely sorry for myself. But that's no fun! So I decided to be thankful for all the love I have had and still have.

Valentine's day is more than the love of a husband and a wife. There are so many different kinds of love in this world. It's the love that we have for one another. It's the love we have for our family and for our friends.

I'm so thankful that I have known the love of a husband. We shared a lot of valentines together. I still have every valentine card that Jerry ever gave to me and a lot of wonderful memories.

 

But I still have so much love in my life. The love of my family and of friends. Especially the love of God.

 

 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

So I went for a walk today for a couple of hours and now I'm going to fix me a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup and watch Hallmark Valentine movies, because Valentine's Day is still a wonderful day that I enjoy.

 

 

Tune My Heart To Sing Thy Grace

One of my favorite hymns is "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."

It was written by Pastor Robert Robinson in the 18th Century. It's a hymn about divine grace. The grace that comes from an all loving God.

Through trials here on earth God tunes our hearts so we can know the wonderful grace and blessings that He has for us.

The lyrics to the song comes from I Samuel 7.

I Samuel 7:12 

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

Israel was coming up against the Philistines and the people asked Samuel to pray.

Samuel told the people of Israel if they would put away their false gods and prepare their hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only, He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

So Israel tuned their hearts and did what Samuel said. Then Samuel cried unto the Lord and the Lord gave Israel victory over the Philistines.

May we tune our hearts to the wishes of the Lord so we can know of God's wonderful GRACE.