Brrrr.....Baby It's Cold Outside!

                                              Annora Grace, bundled up in the cold, cold weather



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmiWm9CsLBU

This song by Natalie Cole and James Taylor reminds us of living in Spokane right now :)

After being gone for almost three weeks, how grateful we are to be back in our "Home Sweet Home." Initially, we just wandered around appreciating every photograph of our dearies, our art work on the walls and our comfort chairs by the fireplace. We had to get reacquainted with our home, just as we would with a dear friend we hadn't seen for some time. 

Bert and I have found ourselves gazing out our windows at the amazing winter wonderland that once was our front and back yard. We have made gallons of hot chocolate to sip by the fireplace and held hands as we made our way tentatively down icy sidewalks.  

As Dorthy said in the Wizard of Oz...
      "There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

We just spent almost three weeks in temperatures hovering around the low eighties, so as you can imagine the below zero and high of 7 degrees temperatures are a bit of a shock to our system. We have exchanged flip flops for snow boots and light sweaters for down parkas. Like us, all of our grands are dressed in multiple layers so they can stay warm in their short visits outdoors.

Even our youngest Grand, our beloved Annora Grace pictured at the start of this post, is a snow baby. I may be a bit biased, but she is the cutest little bundled up kiddo we know!:) :)

As always, Bert and I seek to be grateful in every situation we are in. So while the cold weather isn't easy, one of the blessings of this frosty season is the chance to have cozy fireplace conversations with our loved ones. 

One of the topics of late has been about hope and kindness.

It seems that we cannot turn on the news without a report of violence and more violence. It hurts my heart to see all of this anger spilling out all over and the disregard for the value of human life.

What I know for sure is that hurt people hurt people, and
there are lots of hurt people acting out right now.

In my prayer time I have been asking God this question:
    "Lord, what would You have me do right now to make
      the world a kinder and more hopeful place?"

The answer is right out of a book by Bob Goff...
                               Love Does

While I can't change the whole world, I can show kindness, love and hope to those folks I intersect with every day.

While I can't undo all of the hurt that has been done, I can sit along side those who are hurt and pray. I can be present in their lives so they know they are not alone.

While I can't  change everything, I can change some things
as I bring the joys and hurts of others to God in prayer.

Yes, it is cold outside because of the temperature and because of all
the hurt spilling out from so many people. Yet as 2017 begins, my
prayer is that I will do what God asks me to do and that is love one another as He has loved me.

That's a heart-warming love for sure.
God Bless and Happy New Year!
Love, Linda