Dog Days of Summer

Rom. 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Summer is in full swing and as such my body is drained due to the heat and exhaustion that each day brings. As you might have guessed this is not an upbeat season for me and I try to stay away from the social media scene so as not to bring my negative vibes into the corral of hatemongers, the wannabe activists who are hung up on memes and the ‘I’m right-listen-to-me’ opinions.

Why do people assume that because they have an opinion on something they need to rally to get other people to stand firm and walk WITH them into the social media spotlight getting them nowhere really but caged up in their own heads.

I have all but abandoned my own wall seeking instead to just lay low and stick with the prayer warriors of the social scene. I’m down to five people on my newsfeed and they post so rarely, I’m left with prayer and a friend who rises EVERY morning with a positive word from the Lord. “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it,” she begins, and then goes on to tell a story of her positive outlook that really helps me start my day in His Light!

Whenever I start to feel down, God always brings a new friend, a new light into the equation of my day and as such all the negativity dwellers fade to black. I’m trying to make the most of this pain-filled summer and believe it or not negative vibes add to the pain. I’m pained to see dear ones sink to a level I’ve never really understood or grasped.

I have to individually seek out friends to see how they’re doing and what they’re up to and more times than not I’m disappointed in seeing they’re the same-old-same old spewers of propaganda that they always were. Why do I even bother?!?

I have to look at character. I’ve noticed that some people ARE a character instead of harnessing what makes character work. I work on myself daily when I’m in the comfort of the morning dew, nestling my coffee in my hand and reflecting with the sunrise on all the positive things that I have to be thankful for. I then find myself knee-deep in prayer to start my day.

I try really hard to see the good in people but it is kind of hard as they walk around in sheeps clothing deceiving, misleading or just plain filled with so much hate standing behind the word of God, then leading people into hating what THEY themselves hate. From everything I’ve learned in life, I realize that what these people really hate is something churning inside of them, they really hate themselves so much that they want others to hate with them so they can feel somewhat good about themselves?

You know what I hate about myself? My over optimistic ways! The conformist, I mean realist are turning me away from everything I hold positive in my life. They don’t give me hope, they don’t shed Light, they DRAIN all of my optimism and make me want to barf in their faces. Yeah, that’s a picture for ya!

As I climb back in my bubble, as I place my rose colored glasses on and as I cling to optimism which for me is MY Light in a darkened hate-filled world, I will steer clear of the venom that tries to seep into my veins. Some people like bedding with snakes, I prefer to have a pillow of Christ to lean my head on and that is who I am; always will be.

Maybe it isn’t the Dog Days of Summer that weigh me down, maybe it’s just the dogs/wolves.

Luke 10:3 “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”

Winter Wonderland

Job 37:6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

I’m wondering if it’s interesting to write about snow? I know Frost did it in very few words but the impact and images have spanned years. (referring to Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening?)

Today it is snowing again. It began Sunday as we were leaving church to head home. I was so thankful I got the service in because the sermon propels me through the week on a spiritual high.

I started on Facebook, woohoo’ing and yipeeing but it was met with polar responses. No pun intended. Some like snow and some don’t and some wish they were in the land of God awful heat, raking up a.c. bills and spending way too much money on antiperspirant.(That is and never will be Joni!)

I was born and raised in the wonderland of Maryland. We had snow on a yearly basis and I was the first one with excitement quivering in my voice when I exclaimed, “It’s snowing!” The white stuff falling from the skies pushed me to believe that God was as pure as the driven snow and that He loved me because he gave me this gift, yearly!

When I had my son on December 27th, of 1995, I was whisked away to the hospital as snow flurries fell. Two weeks later we had a blizzard! A BLIZZARD and a child who needed his inoculation come hell or high water. Well, the deep snow didn’t keep me from getting him to the doctors and since that day forward, my son shares in the delight and excitement of snow also!

Fast forward to 2003 when I was led to the dreary, dismal, heat drenched Dallas Texas. The vain laden state that swells with arrogance and smells of smog. What the heck was I thinking, oh yeah, I was in love! In love with a man from Nebraska. For six years I longed to come to Nebraska for the snow, the family, the tightly woven communities, the humble beautiful nature of true people of the mid-west.

Sure my first year in Texas when I told everyone I was bringing snow with me, they scoffed and laughed, “We ain’t had that stuff in ten years.” That year...it snowed! God didn’t let me down, I knew He Wouldn’t! For six years he gave me a gift, a day here in winter, a day there, but I saw snow.

Our first snow in Nebraska happened in October! How excited was I??? Walked a mile to go sledding in it! So today after three days of watching the white stuff fall graciously from the sky, I will once again go walking in the purity and feel it grace my face with its tiny tentacles of ice. I will wash my body in the silkiness and feel as if God’s own fingers are touching me.

Once again...my gift from God!