Snowmen

As another snow event comes through and I contemplate shoveling its good just to stop and reflect: We love and hate the snow. It's beautiful and has a calming action in our life. Things tend to slow down. We hate because we have to go and move, we drive slower, we have accidents, things get canceled. The kids love it, they whiz down hills on their sleds, pelt each other with snowballs and build snowmen.
We are a lot like snowmen. We are short lived, temporal beings. We are stubborn (ever try to move a snowman?). We let the world around us make us who we are, and put the smile or frown on out face. We can be looking good on the outside, but we're still dirty on the inside, a snow flake forms around a tiny speck of dirt.
Snowmen have all different personalities, short and fat, tall and lean, large and small, straight and crooked. Some hat top hats, some baseball caps, some long pointy noses and some short squatty noses, some where sun glasses and scarves and some just a pair of mittens.
We are like snowmen in how we are all different in shape and personality. We are all unique and special to God. Next time you see a snowman, remember were a lot alike. Maybe when it snows round up the kids and build a snowman or two.

Valentine's Day Reflections

I spent a lot of time on the road on Thursday, Valentine's Day. Listened to the radio and even called my wife a few times. I had left her a surprise card (HTML on the home page of the computer). A number of people called into the radio stations about Valentine's Day.

There were the cheap last minute gift ideas, the romantic stories, prayer requests for loved ones away in the military. One struck me more than the rest: one lady called in to tell of a friend who was spending the day visiting the nursing home and the hospital, because those people on average never have visitors and maybe their spouse is gone, it's lonely.

We get caught up in the love and romance of the day, but our broken world has left a lot of broken lonely people, in nursing homes or on your block.

Depression is rampant in February: lack of sunlight (Season Affect Disorder) and our commercial pursuit of love. We've traded in love for a flash in the pan feeling that all covered in chocolate and wrapped in red, with a rose tied on for extra brownie points.

Family Life Network's morning show had some funny stuff all week. They had their accountant Dave, giving out tips on love and romance, if you look in the mirror and see some long term depreciation of your portfolio, then it's time to get to the gym and burn off the excess cash reserves. He sings, "Let's get fiscal" to "Let's get physical" tune.

It brings up a good point about romancing your spouse. Focus on the Family had a special on marriage, and on the program, they had one of the couples who wrote, "The Most Important Year in a Man's Life, The Most Imporatnt Year in a Woman's Life"
He explained, when the wedding occurs, the man checks it off his list of things to do, and the woman is beginning something new.

The man needs to keep on romancing even though he's won the girl. She's his through and through, but when he keeps pursuing, they both win.

Take a minute this weekend to reflect on Valentine's Day. Are you coasting in the slow lane, or it is petal to metal in pursuit?

Thanksgiving is not just for Thursday

Thanksgiving is upon us! We should take time this week to stop and reflect on what we are all thankful for. In fact we should stop every week and reflect on what to be thankful for. Perhaps we should stop daily and reflect upon what we thankful for.

I'll admit, I don't stop to be thankful enough. There is much to be thankful for this year.

One of our family's favorites is George C Scott's "A Christmas Carol." He finishes the movie off with the quote, "Scrooge was better than his word, for he had learned to keep Christmas in his heart all year long."

If Scrooge can change, so can we. May we keep the spirit of thanksgiving in our hearts all year long.