Chionophile, Me?

My daughter sent me a meme recently that fit me like a snug mitten.

The photo was a person in a knit hat and winter coat.

The caption said:

CHIONOPHILE (n.)
lover of cold weather, snow.
a person who finds joy and peace of mind during snowy days.

I love winter. There I said it. I know many people think I'm crazy. But, I truly find peace and rest when the snow blankets the yard and piles up in my flower bed. I enjoy watching the flakes dance from the clouds. When the sun shines on them, they twinkle like Christmas lights.

We've had freezing temperatures in Ohio. The first time in probably three years. And yes, I'm excited. I don my purple boots, heavy socks, gloves and red scarf, and I'm delighted. I love winter clothes and dressing in layers.

But what I enjoy the most about winter is the quiet. We took a road trip to Marblehead, yesterday. Lake Erie is frozen. Ice piled high along the rocks and snow covered the ground. There were a few other people out enjoying the cold. But the one thing I noticed was the absolute quiet. No waves crashed on the rocks. People whispered. The wind stood still. We tossed small pieces of ice onto the frozen lake and we could hear them skitter.

Peace covered me. I stood amazed at God's creation.

I never want winter to hamper others or cause difficulty. But while I can, I'm enjoying the beauty and peace of winter.

Love is Personal

1 Corinthians 13:4b
Love...does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

As I've considered what 1 Corinthians 13:14b means to me, I've thought about the times in my life when I've felt jealous. I'm not talking about when I was young and envied, Partridge Family actress, Susan Dey's flowing hair. Or the times I'd see a Jeep and wish it was mine. No, this is more personal. I'm talking about the times I've envied people I love. The ones who mean the world to me. Envying someone I don't know is one thing, but being jealous of someone I love is personal.

Jealousy or envy promote bitterness and selfishness. If you've ever envied a friend or family member, a switch flips and a protective mode pops up. You begin to boast about your life to cover up your flaw of jealousy. Sound familiar? It does to me. This is neither wise nor humble. In love, Jesus wants us to support each other. He calls us to rely on Godly wisdom and encourage each other. God's love results in peace.

This week I pray, I will promote peace through love.

Love doesn't envy...

Love is Patient

1 Corinthians 13:4a
Love is patient, love is kind.

Proverbs 14:29
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

Proverbs 19:11
A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

Patience is required for many life moments. I know my patience has stretched like Silly Putty until a hole poked through the center. As I've prayed on and thought about patience in the context of love this week, the example that keeps popping into my head involves a baby. Not a particular one, could be any little one who can't feed themselves, yet. To set the scene—I've buckled the child in the highchair, and I'm preparing a yummy jar of smooshed up green beans. (You know, the ones with no flavor that are a putrid green.) I've warmed them in a pan of hot water, because I don't want to overheat them. I stir and check the temp, several times. The whole time I'm stirring, I'm also entertaining my little one, so she doesn't cry. Finally, the temperature meets my expectations. I sit down in front of my sweet, little dear and spoon up the first bite. She opens her mouth like a baby bird and takes the spoonful.  When I aim the second bite at her mouth, she closes her lips tight and refuses to eat. So we play the airplane game. "Here comes the plane. Vroom." And it sails by those pursed lips. Until finally she open her mouth again, takes a bite, remembers how bad it tastes, and without warning, spits it all over my face. Do I give up? No, I clean myself up and try again. That, my friends, is patience. I want the baby to eat a healthy meal, so I keep trying.

God wants me to nurture the kind of love that requires patience.

According to Proverbs, someone who is patient is understanding and has wisdom. In the thesaurus, another term listed for patience is "lack of complaint." When Jesus chose the twelve disciples to leave their livelihoods and follow him, I'm certain he understood how much patience he would need. He knew Peter would deny him, Thomas would doubt him, and Judas would betray him. Yet, he still loved them with patience and kindness. I wonder if Paul, the author of Corinthians, listed patience first in the traits of love, because it is one of the most difficult to develop. In our society, patience is not a virtue, but it needs to be. As believers in Jesus, we need to cultivate the courage to love with a patient heart, the way Jesus did.

When has your patience been tested? 

Love is patient, kind

Fiction Review: Oath of Honor (Blue Justice, book 1) by Lynette Eason

Book Description:
Police officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she's never without someone to hang out with--or fight with. And she knows they'll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.

Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy's investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll--including someone from her own family. With her dead partner's handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy's head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she's had a secret crush on for years won't leave her side?

With her signature fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Lynette Eason invites readers into a captivating new series where justice is a family affair.

My Review:

I love a good heroes versus villain story. And that's what you get in Oath of Honor, a gripping book and the first installment of the Blue Justice series. This book sets the stage for what looks to be an excellent series. The big family working together in law-enforcement  remind me of the television show Blue Bloods, with a few twists. Throughout the story, I could easily picture this large family getting together for Sunday dinner and ribbing each other, off the job. Izzy is, as you'd expect, a strong female character who can take care of herself, yet has a tender side. I enjoyed the underlying romance theme between Izzy and her secret crush. But that's not the best part. From the beginning, the book is filled with twists, turns, and unexpected moments. Eason's writing offers action, suspense, and edge-of-your-seat excitement. I received this book from Revell Publishing. 

Kindness in the New Year

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

It's that time of year when the excitement of Christmas is rolled up and put away. I have mixed feeling about the week after Christmas. Being off work with a few days to do whatever I want makes me happy. But my heart breaks a little that Christmas is over. Although it took months to prepare for, I love this time of year. In the next week or so, I'll pack away the Christmas tree and decorations. The stores will pull out their Valentine items and maybe even Easter. I'll go back to work and life will be "normal" again.

Even though much of the holidays will be tucked away. I hope a few things continue. Christmas time brings out the kindness and thoughtfulness in people. Dare I say the magic of Christmas sprinkles over people and makes them more aware of helping others, perhaps. But I truly believe people recognize the reason for the season. No one on this earth showed kindness the way Jesus did. He healed the hurting, gave to the needy, and shared with his friends and family. Jesus showed more compassion than anyone. So much so, he gave his life for sinners like me. Whether we want to believe this or not, Christmas draws attention to the kind of man Jesus lived as. He gave kindness and compassion, forgiveness, and hope. So no, kindness and compassion don't grow from magic. Instead they spread because of Jesus. So while we put away Christmas, let's keep the spirit of kindness out and pour it over the people around us. In 2018, share kindness and compassion as part of the everyday. Love God, love people.