Snow

Greenville SC is currently under a Winter Storm Warning. Not a Winter Storm Alert, mind you, a Warning.

Buy your milk and bread now!!!

Cathy and I are all huddled up in our cozy living room, hoping it will snow. You see, we don't get a lot of snow here in SC. Cold rain, yes, sleet, yes, freezing rain, yes, ice storms, yes, snow, not so much.

I have some great memories of snowstorms, though.

Here in SC, the memories are few, but sweet. Back in 1993, South Carolina got a freak snowstorm in March, with over a foot of snow! Of course, I took a day of vacation, and the boys and I did the standard snow stuff: snow angels, snowball fights, snowman. In fact, the snowman we built was one of the better ones I can recall -- traditional shape, carrot, rocks for eyes, etc. Unfortunately, our dog at the time (stray Pomeranian mix named Pookie) didn't think as much of the snow man, and hiked his leg on it...

Then, there were a few good snow storms during the years we were at Pliney circle. One time, we had a late-night snowball war. We must have been outside until midnight, lobbing snow bombs over the house and having a general blast in the amber light of the street lamp. I remember Brandon and I hiding in the woods next to the house, waiting until someone (Zach and friend?) walked by, and then ambushing them with armfuls of ice balls. Seems I recall the victims didn't think it was as funny...

Cathy wasn't much for the snowball wars, but did make a mean snow cream! We would gather snow in those stainless steel mixing bowls, and then she would add in sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mmmmmmmm!

As a kid, I grew up in the Washington DC suburbs, where snow was pretty common in the winter. I have a lot of good memories of building igloos & snow fortresses, sledding on my Flexible Flyer with 20+ other neighborhood kids, and watching the snowplow go down our street. Once, I remember walking through 2-foot deep snow with my Dad to the 7-11 to buy milk -- that was a workout!

Why is it that everyone likes snow so much? I suppose the kids like it because it means no school and a day of play. And I suppose the grocery stores like it because bread and milk sales go through the roof. For the rest of us, I guess it brings a little bit of excitement and uncertainty into an otherwise drab winter. And those white, snow-covered days, where no cars are out and about sure are peaceful.

If I were a betting man, I'd be betting on freezing rain. But in my heart, I'm hoping and praying for snow!

Christmas

I love Christmas!

Probably all of us love Christmas, I suppose. Whether its the secular Christmas (presents, shopping, Santa, reindeers, elves, etc) or the true Christian holiday (Luke 2, Advent, the coming of the Messiah, Mary Did You Know?, etc), there's something truly special about this time of year.

I have some great memories of Christmas as a kid. I remember David and I getting matching "laser machine guns", the kind that make the obnoxious "d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d" noise when you pull the trigger. I remember Santa stopping by our house the week before Christmas and giving me a Dymo Labelmaker. I think I labelled everything in my room that year!

When I got a little older, and Angela came on the scene, I started to learn that joy could be found in GIVING gifts, not just RECEIVING gifts. One of my favorite gifts I ever gave was the Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper I gave Angela when she was maybe 5 or 6. Basically, you packed Play-Doh into a little barber chair and inserted a little figurine with a bald head with holes in it. Then, when you pushed a button or lever, the Play-Doh would come squirting out the head holes like hair! You then gave haircuts using the little plastic scissors. Angela loved that toy, and I loved seeing the joy on her face when she played with it.

Fast forward ten or so years, and I found myself in the role of a stepparent with two young Christmas-loving boys. Now, Christmas at our house had RULES. For example, if one boy received a large gift, the other boy better darn well have a large gift or he was going to be upset! If one boy got, say, 10 gifts, the other boy better not end up with only 9!

Brandon and Zach's favorite gifts for a number of years were those little GI Joe action figures. Each figure came with a few weapons (little plastic knives, guns, flamethrowers, etc), but the boys generally dumped the weapons out on the floor and just took out the GI Joe. I have fond memories of walking around in my bare feet on Christmas morning and feeling a small plastic dagger insert itself into the tender area between my toes! Ouch!

Another memory is the year I bought the boys one of those electric slot car tracks. Not because they wanted, it, mind you. They had no idea what slot cars were...I wanted it because it was one of the presents I wanted but never got when I was a kid! I think they played with it twice, and I sat there for hours using it. Cathy just rolled her eyes (at least one of her "boys" was happy!).

This year, the boys are grown and there are no small children around. The "magic" of Christmas will be found not in the exaggerated expressions of delighted children, but instead in the still quiet voice that whispers the real meaning of Christmas. In Luke Chapter 2, in the eyes of the awestruck shepherds, in the wondering eyes of a young Mary, in the joy on the old lined face of Simeon as he proclaimed:

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

May you have a blessed Christmas -- God is with us!

Success

Today, driving home from work, I somehow got thinking about success.

What is success? Am I successful now? When my life is over, will people consider my life to have been successful? Will God?

Back when I was 23, and had just become a true Christ-follower, I read a book called "Man In The Mirror". The author talked about success, as defined by the world versus as defined by Christ. I decided then and there that I would not get caught up in the rat race, trying to be successful by the world's standards: money, fame, power, position, material possessions. Instead, I would define success in my life as God defines it: putting Christ first, treating others well, giving, serving, loving, bearing fruit for His kingdom.

Since then, 17 years have passed, and it occurred to me today that in many ways my life so far has been a success, according my own definition. Though far from perfect (ask Cathy), I have been a faithful husband t0 my wife. We raised our two sons in a Christian household, and they have grown up to be fine young men who are following Christ and actively serving Him. Of course, we must give Jesus full credit for these successes, for it was His strengths in us (not our weaknesses) that produced these good things.

In some other ways, I feel I really have not hit the mark: putting Christ first, growing in my relationship with Him, learning the Word, prayer. And I realize that these are some of the most important things Christ wants me to be successful in.

So driving home today, looking at the beautiful fall colors, it hit me that as a 40-year old empty nester, I really need to evaluate how I will use the years I have left. As the old question goes, if I found out I had incurable cancer and had six months to live, what would I do differently today? This week? By the end of the month?

Then why not do these things now???

I'm beginning to give some thought, in the back of my mind, to what God wants me to do in the next five or ten years. A couple things have bubbled to the surface, and I am praying about them.

Stay tuned -- when the Holy Spirit is done revealing them, I'll let you in on it.

God is good.