hello!

A few months ago, for the first time in my life, I was praying for the weather to get colder.  No, not because I don’t like the hot weather, but because I have found I have severe allergies to trees, grasses, and weeds.  I was allergy tested and put on a steroid that did wonders for the two months when I wasn’t able to control my temptation to itch my eyes out of my head.  That is now over, off the steroids, and am completely enjoying all the blessings God has for this season in my life.  This season is great because I am slowing down and enjoying life.   The pool is closed, my job is steady, and my personal life gets more attention.  I love catching up with family and friends and rekindling the connections I lost during the summer due to being tied to the pool.  I have been to a wedding, skateboarding and learning new tricks, planning trips to Charleston, SC, Hillsdale, MI, and Disney World, playing with pre-k kids in the preschool at my work, carving pumpkins, and building new friendships.

Also, this is a time where I can refocus my energies on what God is doing in my life.  I find myself asking questions and staying statements like, “God, what is Your will for my life?; Shine a light on the dark corners of my heart and show me what is not pleasing You.”  I reminisce about my past, getting both sad and happy about what has brought me to this point in my life.  I can get caught in the “what ifs” of my life, but I quickly have to remind myself that God is good and I wouldn’t be who I am without ALL these experiences.  But as the leaves fall, grass stops growing, the birds fly south, and a chill flows in the air, it is a big reminder to me of what is coming in the next few months.

The winter months take everything out of me.  Let me explain myself a little better.  Driving takes longer because I can no longer drive quickly; cannot randomly jump in the car to go somewhere because the snow has to be scrapped off the car; all outdoor activities are limited due to only being able to handle the bitter cold temperatures for so long; getting ready for work takes longer due to the amounts of bundling that is required to stay warm; people tend to stay inside because they don’t want to deal with the weather; the commercialism of Christmas drives me crazy and sickness is bound to creep into my home at some point during this season.  I don’t want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but those are my initial thoughts when I think of winter.

But just like it is difficult to appreciate the challenges and trials in my Spiritual life, it is hard for me to appreciate the winter.  I hope this winter is different for me.  I ask that you pray I find blessings in the winter like I find them in the Summer.  I wish to sip more hot chocolate than I ever have, play in the snow, get out to spend time with family and friends when I just don’t want to,  be able to wake up even when its still dark, grow closer to God during those blistering storms, and remember the real reason why Christmas is important.  I pray this season goes really well for all of us and for my sake Spring comes springing quickly.

But for now, I am praying and finding hope for the winter…

Hi Jammie, Rebecca and Hannah! We have a blog! Welcome and start posting! It’s still under construction, but is workable! Let me know if you have any questions! Also, I made it as private as possible. You won’t be able to pull it up in search engines, but I’m trying to make it invisible. Not sure this is possible yet.