Monday January 18 2016  OUR QUANDARY 

This morning it was minus 7 degrees outside when our post toasty bodies emerged from beneath our pile of quilts.  It almost felt that cold inside too.  News from the weather channel quoted the wind-chill made it feel as if it was minus 20 degrees.  I have the heat up to 72 degrees in the living area, and 62 degrees in the bedroom wing.  Downstairs is also set at 62 degrees.  We cannot leave the heat off during this kind of cold for fear of pipes freezing.  We have a large shop off our family room downstairs and lots of pipes, for our baseboard water heating system, that go through that area.  That area is not heated.  Because of the pipes being warm the shop does not freeze.  The space is 40 feet by 20 feet.  To show you how you must dress to go out in this kind of weather, I will include a picture of me still bundled up when we arrived home from the gym earlier today.  It takes about 30 minutes for the car heaters to be able to start pumping out heat so we must really be bundled when we get into the below freezing car.  We have wool blankets in the car that I snuggle in. 

We’ve had quite a cold spell these past weeks and I keep forgetting to mention it in the blog.  It is just a normal part of our life in Wisconsin during this time of year.   I thought some of you living in the warmer climates might enjoy hearing about what it’s like for us in this part of the country.  Dave looked outside the other day and asked me in all seriousness, “What do you see when you look outside?”   I thought he was referring to the beauty of the snow and landscape and such, but he wasn’t.  He simply replied, “I see death”.  He went on to explain that the walls of our house and our heat coming into it, are all that stands between life and death for us.  That was an eye opening statement.  As I walked from the car into the gym, which probably takes less than 30 seconds, I could barely keep my eyes open because the surface of my eyes would start freezing and drying out.  Fortunately I had on warm clothing, and for a short period of time, could be exposed to the bitter cold without permanent damage to my skin and eyes.  Being in this kind of cold is brutal, even for a short period of time.  Being INSIDE in this kind of cold can sometimes feel very uncomfortable if the house isn’t warm enough.  I usually stay busy and active enough that I am not too bothered with it.  But I do look forward to climbing into bed at night.  As much as we enjoy all our windows in the spring, summer, and fall, even with dual panes and high rated glass, there is not quite so much enjoyment of being close to a window in the winter months.  Most of our windows are not covered due to the fact we live in the country, have no street lights to come in, and we would probably never keep the window treatments closed due to the beautiful views we have from all directions.  Another reason we keep our windows exposed inside is because of the humidifier that runs on automatic during the winter. Even the bedroom windows that do have blinds, we keep open.  Too much moisture builds up between the glass and blinds and then drips on the hardwood floors.  So you see, the cold can create dilemmas that you may never think about when you live in a warmer climate.   FLORIDA, HERE WE COME!  We just don’t know when.

There is a lot on our agenda at present and we have some tough decision to make regarding the rebuild from our water loss on Christmas day.  This blog will be short due to time I need to make some phone calls before it is too late in the day.  Please join us in prayer that God will give us wisdom to do what is best for all involved. 

 

OUR QUANDARY

By Kathleen Martens

January 18 2016

 

No matter what confronts us

God is by our side.

He helps us make decisions,

Because in us He abides.

 

Thank you God for being

Our true and constant friend,

Directing mine and Dave’s choices

With answers that You send.

 

We ask for help in this matter

That what we do is  best.

Direct us to do Your will.

Teach us through this test.

 

Such a comfort it is to know

That You guide us on our way.

Calm us that we are quiet

So we hear Your voice each day.

 

Your voice that so tenderly speaks

To the deep within our souls.

For it is our desire,

That You direct our goals.

 

So our quandary we lay at your feet

And ask You would intervene.

Give us courage to face what’s ahead

And show us the unseen.

 

Thank you Lord for Your strength,

That You are a tower in which to hide

Where we find solace and love

Because in You we do abide.

 

Thank you that you are in control

When we don’t know which way to go.

All we must do is faithfully follow

And Your way, to us You’ll show.

 

PROVERBS 18:15

“THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER; THE RIGHTEOUS RUN INTO IT AND THEY ARE SAFE.”

 

I believe this poem just came as a confirmation to me that I be reminded that God is in control and He knows the beginning from the end.  We are to lay our concerns at His feet and then wait for Him to give us direction.  This all has to do with the situation regarding the damage to our home, and how we are going to handle the entire situation, as to what must be done to rebuild.  A lot more involved than that, but that is the gist of it.

Thanks for listening to the concerns we have.  Remember, this is also my journal at present, so my raw feelings sometimes get put on the table for the world to see.  Mostly, we just ask for your prayers tonight that God would lead us in the right direction for all matters involved.

Good night and God bless you!

BELOW PLEASE READ PART TWO OF:

8 Keys to Finding God’s Will For Your Life

2) Surrender your will to God’s.

Many times when we say we are seeking God’s will, what we are really wanting to say to God is this: “OK, God, here’s what I’m planning to do. Now I need you to rubber stamp this, all right?” I must tell you that this is not really effective in finding His true will.

Before God will begin to reveal His will to you, you must be committed to doing whatever it is that He desires for you to do. God will likely be slow to show you His plan if He knows you will likely not do that plan anyway.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Jesus was willing to die for us, so shouldn’t we be willing to live for Him? When we surrender to Him, that is when He really begins to direct our steps.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/8-keys-to-knowing-god-s-will-for-your-life.html