Snowy Day Sentiments

January has hit us with a sense of beauty and wonder all its own.

The front door still gets opened many times, but not for long,

especially when you get hit with a gust of wind. 

From the back windows, I can't get enough of the lit up bushes,

the evergreen branches bowing to the ground

or the mighty maple tree showing off every little twig

that is totally hidden in summer.

And as I marvel at the beauty of snow covered landscapes

I'm reminded of how fitting it is to begin a new year

with the look of a new page,

a reminder of the One who makes all things new.

Christmas has been a time to remember the gift of hope we have been given.

And now we go on to practice . . .

life as it comes with its challenges of caring for aging parents,

while welcoming the sound of a new baby's cry and

a line up of small, wet boots by the door.

Hope is here . . . even as joy and sadness walk hand in hand.

The comfort of warmth and lights in the face of a cold blast of wind - 

maybe that is why I'm hanging on to these scenes.

Let me finish with just one of this week's smiles.

(I hope you can figure out the last sentence - where one important word

came out unclear)