A Cold Forecast
There's no doubt that fall is in the air. It's more than just the golden leaves floating in my pool. It's the delayed sunrise and the eager sunset. It's the angle of the sun at midday. It's the pending harvest and the slow-moving vehicles along country roads. It's the pages on my calendar that beg me to put away my white slacks.
Oh, for sure...summer is a fading memory. And if you have seen any of the ominous warnings about what's coming our way this winter, then you are probably like me, wondering if now would be a good time to pack up and head south...far south!
According to the Farmer's Almanac we should expect our first blast of cold air this month! The trusted book predicts a winter that will be exceptionally cold. Bitter cold. I don't even like the sound of that. There aren't enough cute sweaters in the world to make me excited about 'bitter cold'.
We heat our home with a wood boiler furnace. As the price of gas remains ridiculously high, I am so thankful that my husband was perceptive enough to have this type of furnace installed over a decade ago. It has paid for itself time and time again. But the downside (and there's always a downside) is that someone has to cut, split and stack a LOT of firewood to prepare for winter. So while my friends are taking leisurely strolls through the colorful woods, wandering aimlessly around the Covered Bridge Festival, I'll be cutting, splitting and stacking firewood with my husband. Someone, probably a wise old man (they're so full of wise sayings!) once told me that "Firewood heats ya twice! Once when ya cut it, and once when ya burn it." That's some truth, right there.
As much as I dread the whole cutting, splitting and stacking operation, I still dread being cold even more. I don't want to be cold. I don't like to be cold. But as a matter of science, if I'm not willing to cut, split and stack wood: I WILL BE COLD. The memories of staring out the window at a snowy white yard, hearing the north wind howling is enough to make me shiver. I know it will happen, so I choose to spend as much time as necessary in the not-so-cold months of fall to prepare for what's coming.
Have you ever studied 2 Thessalonians? I'm almost finished with a fascinating study written by one of my favorite teachers, Beth Moore. As I was watching the video session today, she was talking about the end times, the events leading up to the return of Christ Jesus. She discussed the mystery of lawlessness coinciding with the mystery of godliness. It's a phenomenal lesson and I strongly encourage you to check it out.
But what struck me today, was when she reference Matthew 24:12, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold..." The increase of wickedness (lawlessness) is a sign of the times. It was like a kick in the gut to realize the sadness and irony in that. Here we are, creeping closer and closer to the second coming of Christ and the love 'of most will grow cold'! But her words rung in my ears,
So how will we avoid getting cold? We will stay in God's word! We will cut it up and split it and discover what hidden treasures are there for us. Then we will stack it up in our minds and be able to use it when we need it to fight off an attack of the enemy. It will keep us warm when Satan is trying to make us feel isolated and cold.
I pray that God will fan the flames in my heart and keep them burning for Him always! It's no wonder that the Holy Spirit is symbolized by fire. Keep cutting, splitting and stacking, Sister! Winter is coming, and we don't want to be cold.
Be blessed!!
Oh, for sure...summer is a fading memory. And if you have seen any of the ominous warnings about what's coming our way this winter, then you are probably like me, wondering if now would be a good time to pack up and head south...far south!
According to the Farmer's Almanac we should expect our first blast of cold air this month! The trusted book predicts a winter that will be exceptionally cold. Bitter cold. I don't even like the sound of that. There aren't enough cute sweaters in the world to make me excited about 'bitter cold'.
We heat our home with a wood boiler furnace. As the price of gas remains ridiculously high, I am so thankful that my husband was perceptive enough to have this type of furnace installed over a decade ago. It has paid for itself time and time again. But the downside (and there's always a downside) is that someone has to cut, split and stack a LOT of firewood to prepare for winter. So while my friends are taking leisurely strolls through the colorful woods, wandering aimlessly around the Covered Bridge Festival, I'll be cutting, splitting and stacking firewood with my husband. Someone, probably a wise old man (they're so full of wise sayings!) once told me that "Firewood heats ya twice! Once when ya cut it, and once when ya burn it." That's some truth, right there.
As much as I dread the whole cutting, splitting and stacking operation, I still dread being cold even more. I don't want to be cold. I don't like to be cold. But as a matter of science, if I'm not willing to cut, split and stack wood: I WILL BE COLD. The memories of staring out the window at a snowy white yard, hearing the north wind howling is enough to make me shiver. I know it will happen, so I choose to spend as much time as necessary in the not-so-cold months of fall to prepare for what's coming.
Have you ever studied 2 Thessalonians? I'm almost finished with a fascinating study written by one of my favorite teachers, Beth Moore. As I was watching the video session today, she was talking about the end times, the events leading up to the return of Christ Jesus. She discussed the mystery of lawlessness coinciding with the mystery of godliness. It's a phenomenal lesson and I strongly encourage you to check it out.
But what struck me today, was when she reference Matthew 24:12, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold..." The increase of wickedness (lawlessness) is a sign of the times. It was like a kick in the gut to realize the sadness and irony in that. Here we are, creeping closer and closer to the second coming of Christ and the love 'of most will grow cold'! But her words rung in my ears,
"In all of this craziness across planet earth, we start to shut down. Because we begin to defend ourselves against the pain and the darkness. And what He's asking us and what we see all over the New Testament, is that we, in an era of time when the love of most will grow cold, you and I have to keep a fiery heart. And if you want to, you'll do it on purpose, because there'll be no other way to keep it. In other words, if you just let come naturally to you what will come naturally in the coming times, you will get cold."That is my biggest fear, my friends! I don't want to be cold. I don't like to be cold. And if it's just a natural tendency, that could be trouble for me. I find that I'm a lot like Paul in matters of natural tendency, as he writes in Romans 7:13, "For what I want to do I do not do but what I hate I do." That's a confusing way of explaining that feeling I get, when I am forced to look myself in the eye and say, "What on earth are you doing???"
So how will we avoid getting cold? We will stay in God's word! We will cut it up and split it and discover what hidden treasures are there for us. Then we will stack it up in our minds and be able to use it when we need it to fight off an attack of the enemy. It will keep us warm when Satan is trying to make us feel isolated and cold.
I pray that God will fan the flames in my heart and keep them burning for Him always! It's no wonder that the Holy Spirit is symbolized by fire. Keep cutting, splitting and stacking, Sister! Winter is coming, and we don't want to be cold.
Be blessed!!
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