Survival On The Prairies

Brrrr.....Living on the prairies makes me think we happen to live in the shopping mecca of the world! I know, I can see you all raising your eyebrows to this.

Think about it: Where else do you need to plan your new house around the CLOSET!?!! Where else does this particular closet need to be the BIGGEST room in your house!?! Where else do you need SIX seasons of clothing!?!!!! Yes, SIX - Summer, gorgeous autumn, icy autumn, winter, mushy spring and blooming spring. See. Six.

My parents-in-law; bless their hearts, are already dreading the inevitable winter to come. They have decided to stay in doors at all costs, find a grocery delivery service and in effect, go stir-crazy! I will let you know in spring how this has all worked out for them!

My parents, on the other hand, are headed to for Belize for 2 weeks. They are leaving next week. My dear little sister and her family are on a 6 month mission there. My brother-in-law is teaching in a school there. I am so glad it is only 6 months because even with all this wonderful technology the world sometimes feels just too big.

Well, given these icy prairie winds, my parents may decide not to come back till the mercury comes out of hiding from below that zero! There would be much wisdom in that!!! LOL

It is surely a very gray day today. The leaves are all gone, leaving no shelter from the incoming cold. The clouds are steely with the promise of snow. The barn blends well into this cold picture - on many levels.

It's gray. It's cold. It's empty.
Only the dormant winter lays ahead.

If I would let it, this entire picture could send me right back to bed! But it won't. There is victory! In no way is this picture a reflection of what God's eternal promises are. One of my favorite verses is:

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we...I trust in the name of the Lord our...MY God.

I am not going to put my trust in the things around me that I can see. Snow-filled clouds, the cavernous gray building and my big closet with jackets galore busting out of it are all tangibles. GOD is so much bigger that all of this. There is nothing that cannot be overcome in the name of the Lord MY God.

God our Father wants to give us good things. We might not be the recipients of it here on this huge ball of dirt, but if we look hard, there is some evidence of it here....
I don't like cold, but I love the snow. Living in this shopping mecca? Well, who doesn't love shopping?! Making everyone bundle up to head out the door in the morning is nothing short of a chore. But having them come blowing in at the end of the day to the sights and smells of home is such a blessing. I love those rosy cheeks!

...and one more thing. Coffee! Waking up to the smell of brewing coffee, inhaling the scent of a promising day and wrapping my hands around the warmth of my favorite mug...what more could you ask for!

When God made coffee, He had this prairie girl in mind!
And seeing as I need a little extra chutzpah this morning, I think I'll go brew another pot!