February

Thirty days have September, April, June, and November.
All the rest have thirty one except February alone
Which has 28 in line and each leap year 29.

I am glad that February is a short month.
We have had too much snow. We have had too much death and I have had  too much to deal with that I didn't know how to handle.. It has really been snowing or too cold to melt snow since January 15.  We have had temps of minus 8 degrees several morning. Some days I don't even go out of the house. So I read or watch the television. We have so much snow that the piles of it are about 5 feet on the places they plow snow and put it into piles including my driveway.

ON the last week of January two acquaintances died. Both were named Tim. One was 36 and one was 76. Both had become believers. So one day I will see them in heaven. I drove to Kentucky for Tim's funeral and helped Jo Ann with a meal for Jane and for Tim's sisters. It was a small funeral and he had had a very large life but no one came but his sisters and care givers from hospice.  Tim Clark on the other hand had an enormous funeral and an enormous visitation. I only knew Tim when he was 13-15 years old so it was nice to learn that he had become a teacher and was a very good man who knew what God wanted for him in life. What devastation for his parents, children, and family! I can hardly comprehend it, the sorrow, the unreal feeling the questions.

Then this week was a week that I struggled not with death but with my own inadequacy as a home owner. On Wednesday I noticed water seeping up between the cracks in my floor. The water heater had sprung a slow leak, but I didn't know how or where the water turn off was or even how to deal with this problem. It was lucky Dustin knew and could tell me the steps to follow. I now have a new water heater with a pan that allows it to drain into the drain not to drain under the floor. The restoration people are stripping up the old floor. Giant heaters and dehumidifiers are blowing in the kitchen and I am going to have a new floor at some point.

I am going to have to work to build up my financial reserves. so out there job hunting.... I may have a job as a care giver to a blind man- cooking meals for him and visiting with him. I may have a job doing recess duty and cafeteria duty at Kramer.

My attitude? It is what it is. I am an overcomer and I don't have to walk through this alone. Two very kind friends have brought me food and the church gave me a Kroger card.
 My feelings? I don't know if I can be a single adult with house hold responsibilities. I need to look ahead and anticipate what could happen next.

My faith in God is growing because I believe that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  I keep picturing a forty something Olympic skier out on the hill struggling to ski up the hill. The camera's focused on his whole body but I can see his face with snot running down his face. To the side of the track his coach out there telling him. Come on; you can do it.  Get up the hill. Keep up your speed keep up your strength. You can do it. I feel like that skier. I remember the God's words in Hebrews.
Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses let us throw off every thing that hinders. And the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
I may be slow but show me where to go and I will try to get there!