Nature Note - January Thaw

Maple branch in our backyard

I'm happy to report today's daylight increase: seventeen minutes! This morning I noticed dawn's pale light glowing in the east just before 6 AM.

I'm happier to report that the frigid temperatures are behind us - for a few days. We're entering an early January thaw. According to an online website, forecast.weather.gov, a January thaw is "a period of mild weather popularly supposed to recur each year in January." A thaw usually occurs after a bout of cold weather; we've certainly experienced that in the past several days! Temperatures may reach the 50's by Friday.

The Farmers' Almanac, on its website, states: "Annual averages really do show a slight temperature increase, and subsequent dip during the final week of January. [However,] they [January thaws] don't happen every year."

I rejoice.

Women's Daily Devotionals

Devotionals on my bookshelf

Supplementing my daily Bible study time with a devotional reading deepens my understanding of Scripture passages and helps me apply their meaning to my daily life. The following list includes my current favorites:

DeMoss, Nancy Leigh. The Quiet Place, Daily Devotional Readings. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 
     2012. Print.

This devotional is Scripture based and includes questions for reflection - perfect for individual journaling or a group discussion. I've used this devotional in our Bible Sunday School class at church. DeMoss adds historical tidbits and contemporary examples to illustrate her messages. 

Currington, Rebecca. Everyday Blessings, Spiritual Refreshment for Women. Uhrichsville: Barbour
     Publishing, Inc., 2007. Print.

Currington's devotional is the perfect size for your purse, briefcase, or gym bag. The pages are beautifully decorated with various flowers. Each devotion's message is inspired by a letter of the alphabet, is short, and accompanied by a Bible verse. A good choice for busy women on the go. (Examples: "Abilities," "Bible," "Challenge"). 

Petersen., and Robin Shreeves. The One Year Women in Christian History Devotional. Carol
     Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014. Print.

If you enjoy learning about female historical and contemporary figures both in and out of the Bible and Church who lived inspiring lives of faith, then this devotional is a good choice for you.

Donihue, Anita Corrine. When I'm Praising God, Devotional Thoughts On Worship for Women.
     Uhrichsville: Barbour Publishing, Inc., 1999. Print.

This book isn't a 365-day devotional, but it is filled with heartfelt prayers, devotions, and poems written by the author and many others. A must-have for every woman's collection. This is the book I turn to when I can't sleep at night.

Elliot, Elisabeth. Keep A Quiet Heart. Ann Arbor: Servant Publications, 1995. Print.

Here is a collection of Elliot's short lead articles from her newsletter, The Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter, that she published for many years. These pieces aren't all gender specific but filled with common sense wisdom gleaned from the Bible for living the Christian life.

Casey, Karen. A Woman's Spirit. Center City: Hazelden Foundation., 1994. Print.

The perfect twelve step collection of daily meditations for women in recovery. The meditations aren't Scripture based, but they do call upon a Higher Power for guidance and wisdom for daily living.

Meyer, Joyce. Closer to God Each Day. New York: Hachette Book Group., 2015. Print.

Meyer's no nonsense, anti-legalistic approach to worship and devotion writing is refreshing. She simply holds up a mirror for her audience, and lets them see themselves as Christians - or not. These devotions include a Bible verse and encouraging thought to hold close to your heart for the day.

For Teenage Girls 

Dugan., et al. A Little God Time for Teens. Racine: BroadStreet Publishing., 2016. Print.

This book is pretty and packed with Scripture based wisdom for teenagers facing contemporary challenges and issues while growing in Christian confidence. 

What is your favorite devotional?  

Rejoice?

It's challenging to feel joyful when the outside thermometer reads minus five degrees at 5 AM, and the temperature at noon is only three degrees. Today the blustery wind remains brutal. Hungry birds flock to our feeder every hour. There's no sign of the field mouse today; it's probably holed-up somewhere in a cozy nest. Ditto the gray squirrels. The hens remain in their coop, doors latched against drafts. The furnace is working overtime. The antidotes to such cold include wearing layers of warm clothing, remaining inside, and sipping hot liquids.

My mother-in-law gave me a pair of hand-knit wool socks for Christmas that she purchased at a craft sale. They're toasty when paired with a thin cotton sock underneath them. I take my layering seriously. I rejoice that God blessed me with new winter socks.

Venturing outside to replenish the feeder and tend to the hens requires a lengthy ritual of donning coat, scarf, hat (with the coat's hood pulled up over the hat), and mittens. Ditto a trip down the driveway to the mailbox located on the other side of the road from our house.

Preparing a pot of soup from scratch for supper seems like a good idea on such a frigid, cloudy afternoon. I'll begin with a base of onion, celery, and garlic, add chicken broth, and toss in whatever is on hand: diced potatoes, sliced carrots, peas, perhaps a handful of barley, some stewed tomatoes, and a bit of tomato sauce. This IS the day the Lord has made - cold or not - and I'm grateful for the gifts of shelter, heat, and the joy of a hot bowl of soup topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. A crisp Macoun apple for dessert. Yum-o.

There's hope in the increasing daylight. We're up to an increase of 10 minutes a day. I rejoice in that too.

Blizzard Update: The Aftermath

Our motley supply of shovels 

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23 NIV

The winter season's first blizzard moved on during the night, leaving behind a foot of snow, a blustery wind, star-shine and moonlight. Thankfully, we didn't experience a power outage though the wind howled around the corners of the house. My heart and prayers go out to those who did lose their electricity and must manage the best they can until it's restored.

Now the clean-up begins with shovels, snow blower, and roof rake: hard work for anyone facing knee-deep drifts. This before the husband leaves for a full day's employment elsewhere, and I settle at my writing desk to wrestle with words.

Juncos, chickadees, mourning doves, and even a small field mouse visited the bird feeding station for breakfast. They have their own work of foraging for food, water, and shelter. I'm happy to help out.

Mourning doves supervise the clean-up

Nature Note - Snowin' & Blowin'

Blizzard conditions are in the forecast today with accompanying wind gusts that may or may not result in power outages. This is exciting weather news - depending on who you talk to - after a stretch of ho hum days marked only by frigid single-digit temperatures, weak sunshine, and brutal wind chills that brought tears to my eyes.

Aside from being a nuisance to shovel and plow and a joy to skiers and snowmobilers, snow is comprised of ice crystals and air and is 10 times lighter than water. Two things are believed about snowflakes: no two are alike and they all have six points. While it's true that no two flakes are exactly alike, many do not have six points. Flakes vary in size too. Big fluffy flakes are groups of snowflakes that stick together as they fall to the ground. Other flakes can be the size of a dime or the size of a pencil point.

What to do on such a day when travel isn't wise and the power may go out. I opt for writing, reading, planning a Sunday School lesson, and household chores. What do you do?

New Year's Prayer

Running through air 

thick with cold, 

fingers curled inside

mittens trimmed 

with frost, breath 

plumes around my

lips at dawn.  

The pale sun rises 

from sheets of rose 

and gold, spilling 

light across fields 

covered with snow. 

Last year's shadows 

fade while I pull a cap 
low over my ears,
lean against the cold,

and pray
into the new year. 

Nature Note - Hungry Birds

Black-capped chickadee in our backyard

Minus eleven degrees at our place early this morning with ample starlight soon merging with dawn's cheery sunshine. Black-capped chickadees visit the bird feeder, filled with black-oil sunflower seeds, throughout the day. Juncos and gray squirrels compete for the fallout on the ground.

Today's windchill is brutal: minus twenty degrees. Venturing outside for longer than a few minutes means cold toes and a cold nose. Wisely, the hens remain in their coop. The car protests a bit but starts and chugs along in the cold. I guess the operating word for today is: cold.