Like many of you, I awoke to a blanket of snow yesterday. Despite grousing from some of you about the snow — and accompanying cold — about it being too early or too much, I loved it. It really isn’t that unusual for snowflakes of varying depth by mid-November, especially in the northern sections of the country. I remember significant snow by mid-October in Illinois and New York and, certainly, Maine.
Yes, I’m a snow fan. I’ve come to appreciate it more as I reached retirement age and not necessarily obligated to venture out while the flakes are falling. But even in my younger days, driving in the snow was never stressful for me … and I was on the road during my share of blizzards, squalls and whiteouts. Challenging? Yes! Frightening? No!
The pure white blanket, especially over an open field, always reminds me of a new slate. It covers the muck, dying leaves, less than vibrant green grass.
We have a short window to enjoy the pristine mantle before life gets in the way on the roads and sidewalks. Plows and shovels “clean up,” often leaving mounds of no longer white snow. Footprints, dogprints, and animal tracks dot the landscape. Snowmen and snow forts are constructed.
But, back in the open field or along the river bank with snow draping now barren tree limbs, the white canvas is an inspiration for me. It is a new beginning, one that is replicated with each dusting. I gaze at the sea of white and start imagining what can be … not just there at that spot, but in life in general.
I’ll take a clean slate any time I can get it.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah … zip-a-dee-ay! My, oh my, what a wonderful day. Plenty of sunshine heading my way! [And a little bit of pure white snow as well!]
The Light 
I remember lots of snow,
and it was there in every season,
but the bad guys called it blow
and it came from Medellin.
A good thing that those days are gone,
but still, I miss the rush,
a cold and vicious kind of fun,
out hunting in the bush.
My soul was scarred when I came home;
was the world a better place?
Or in the end, did we stand alone
out of sight of God’s own grace?
Was it just a politician’s score,
or truly Augustine’s righteous war?
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Just a politician’s score. You survived!
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They were long odds. Glad to be here.
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Joe,
I am with you snow and the cold are something I love.
I have the new IKON ski pass.
42 mountains USA , Quebec, BC, Japan, Austraila, Chile, and new one Zermatt Switzerland.
All I need is Time and Moneyâ¦.. Ode to a middle class wanna be Rockefeller.
Steamboat Springs Colorado last year and Taos
Hope to ski 20/25 times make the $600.00 investment worthwhile.
New Knee c/o Dr Sabrina Strickland HSS NYC
Ready set Go!
Jim
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Enjoy!
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There is a holy beauty to the early morning blanketed in snow – even the mid-day of snow that is blinded by the fury of the wind (here) – but when the wind stills and before humans decide to venture out – whether in early sunrise or middle of the night when I startle awake, to wonder what awoke me, only to realize, “the lullaby of the wind’s fury has stopped, my bones no longer ache and all is still and right with the world…” I go out – and gaze upon the muffled silence of a pure and pristine world – whether in the watery daylight of winter or the sharp cold of o’dark thirty – for a moment, all is right with the world I inhabit – the dirty and ugly and loud and obnoxious is silenced and only the quiet ‘ISness” remains to stand silent witness. Yup – when driving through, commuting to work or else get fired – worrying about getting home alive with kids in the car that needed to be picked up from school early and the boss said you’d be fired if you left before meeting – well….I’ve done all of that – and in the end – risked all of it – over and over – and worried, and fretted, but realized, in the deep quiet of Isness that descends upon quiet snowpacked landscapes, that nothing a human could do to me would ever be bad enough to outweigh the beauty of that moment in time – and usually, I find God there in those moments – that is my church – where I commune – because there, is where I find the peace and faith that I so often do not hear or recognize when I gather in a building on a certain time, with certain folks – 🙂 God speaks to me at unexpected moments – and it’s why I follow your blog and many others here – because I read and learn – you understand it too – even if I’m brash and considered a heretic – 🙂
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That moment in time … God speaks to me. That, my friend, is what life is all about. Not brash or a heretic in my book. Have a peaceful weekend.
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Why is employment so hard? Is it hurting us because it’s hurting us? how long we will have to wait to resolve this. José Aparecido Sônia.
Em qui., 14 de nov. de 2019 às 15:45, Father Says… escreveu:
> wisdomfromafather posted: “Like many of you, I awoke to a blanket of snow > yesterday. Despite grousing from some of you about the snow — and > accompanying cold — about it being too early or too much, I loved it. It > really isn’t that unusual for snowflakes of varying depth by mid-No” >
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