Comin' In From the Cold

       Yesterday was a cold, windy day.  The day before was colder but less windy.  Yes, it is cold, and we need to know how to deal with the chill in the air.  But, we also have spiritual winters... when spiritual winter arrives it comes in the form of dark and dreary days.  The trials of a spiritual winter are difficult and many.  We need to know how to winterize our lives.  Otherwise spiritual winter can leave us lonely and discouraged.
     One of the things that can make our winter colder is the bitter air of the world.  When we are going through a spiritual winter, we tend to let down our guard... worldly influences creep in... they seep through the cracks of our lives, around the doors to our hearts.  The cold air of influence may come from worldly friends, from the media, or from within - wrong thinking.  We have to get out the caulk and seal up those holes and cracks. The best way to do this is God's Word. Read it. Memorize it. Apply it to our lives.
     The icicles of a cold heart are a problem in the winter, too.  It's easy to develop a coldness of attitude during our winters.  Talking with The Almighty in earnest prayer can melt even the coldest of hearts.
  

     Frost:  If we are going through trials, depression can easily nip at our toes like frost.  Left unchecked, the frost begins to affect more and more of our lives, becoming unbearable.  Inertia sets in.  And, inertia is deadly. Left  unmoved, frost can become frostbite, and frostbite can result in death.  It is, of course, better to prevent the frost from overtaking us, because once it enters us, it is difficult to relieve. Time spent with God every day will keep us warm, warding off the frost of depression and discouragement.
     And, then there are the blizzards of circumstance.  Blizzards can be devastating; the circumstances of our lives can be overwhelming... illness, financial burdens, relationship difficulties. In the times of blizzard, we must remember that God is in control.  Even in the worst of circumstances, He is right there, ready to guide us to a warmer state of mind.
  

 Before winter enters our lives - or even after - we need to pack Emergency Kits for ourselves and our families:
#1: Extra blankets:  Blanketing ourselves with the fellowship of others creates and maintains warmth in
our  lives. We need love and prayers from others to keep the edge off the winter chill.
#2: Non-perishable food:  Scripture is the perfect food;  the Bible offers milk, meat, or manna - depending on  our needs.  Memorized scripture can help us even in the most desperate of winter storms.
#3:Water - Christ is The Living Water.  Drink of His love and strength.  Relying on Christ will keep us  from a  cold, dry, and  bitter existence.  .
#4: Emergency Light source:  God is our light.  His guidance in our daily lives is essential.  In the cold of
      winter we need His light even more.

     We all have spiritual winters in our lives.  But preparing for them can help prevent them from
becoming disastrous.  So, today, take the time to make sure you are prepared for winter.


       SHALOM   Y'ALL  -  TWYLA

to sleep, perchance to dream

"Now I lay me down to sleep..."

   ...or, a night in the day of yours truly. Sleep is a precious commodity. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the time in which the body heals; it is also the time of dreaming. Every now and then somebody will say to me that they never dream.  I always reply that if you never dreamed you'd be dead... you just don't remember your dreams. The human body requires REM time for daily maintenance and repairs; dreams are sort of a biproduct of brain repair.
     There was a time when I slept a solid eight hours without waking; nowadays I'm not so fortunate in the sleep department; but, I've always had many dreams.  Spiritual/prophetic dreams. Ho-hum dreams. Dreams of flying or climbing.  And dreams where I'd wake myself up laughing. (I've never heard anyone else say they have these!)  Now, I did dream a little bit last night but I don't remember the dream's content... it must've been one of those ho-hum dreams... What I do remember is a lot of the other nighttime occurances at the Ben-David ranch:
     #1 The human burrito:  My hubby has this incredible trick .  He starts out with no covers - says he's warm enough.  Then, when I settle in real good - maybe not yet asleep, but, comfortable. y'know?... he IS asleep, gets cool, and grasps a corner of the quilt and rolls himself up in it.  Thus, the title, the human burrito.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  He doesn't mean to do it;  he's asleep.  There is really not a mean bone in his body - especially when it comes to me... But, I have learned to keep a spare blanket or quilt within reach. The human burrito cannot be unwrapped easily!  So, I grab the extra covers.  This, of course, involves moving my body, getting repositioned with the new, COLD blanket, reassuring the various animals that it is NOT mealtime - I repeat, it is NOT mealtime, and settling back in.
     #2 The Itch:  I had a broken neck some thirty years ago.  Praise God there's not much residual damage. A sore neck most of the time, and a weakness of the right arm and hand, but I'm fairly used to that.  But, recently, I started developing a new problem associated with bad neck injuries: Brachioradial Pruritis.  What this means is that the nerve that ennervates the shoulder and arms is irritated due to pressure in the neck area, causing severe itching at the other end of the nerve.  Itching. Unbearable itching. From everything I've read about it, there is no medication that really works.  One day Caladryl will provide some relief,  the next day it won't.  Then, you try capsacion and it works for a day or two, then fails.  Then you try hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, you-name-it.  Sometimes things bring relief; often, they don't.  My shoulders and arms are covered with scabs, bruises from scratching, and new red bumps waiting to be scratched open... Lovely.  If you ever have insomnia and are looking for something to do with your nightime hours, develop brachioradial pruritis, and you pass the time actively. And, when you get up to find whatever lotion or potion you're applying to the itch, be sure to let the animals know that it is NOT mealtime - I repeat, it is NOT mealtime.  Then, settle back in.
     #3 The cat:  Those of you who have read my blog before know that CassPurr was gone for about a month, and that we got him back a week or so ago. CassPurr's favorite place on earth is our bed - day and night.  He occasionally leaves the boudoir for a meal or for the litter box, and every now and then, he actually wanders through the house.  But, for the most part, he loves that bed!  When I'm in it, he goes for the pillow area, placing his body on top of my head or across my face.  Apparently, he's been watching Moshe, because he tries to roll himself up in my hair - the feline burrito in the making!  Cassie also likes to lay on my stomach and stare into my face, occasionally taking his little paw to pat my cheek.  It is endearing when I'm watching TV... not so much at 1 AM, when I've finally fallen asleep... This morning, around 4 or 5, he desperately woke me up.  He had the strangest little look on his face!  He sort of looked panicky - big eyes, as if he was going to burst.  (Prophetic.)  Then, he started making those feline pre-barf sounds.  I shot up in the bed, scooped him up, and placed him on the floor - just in time.  Three barf sounds.  Ugh.  He had eaten a mouse.  Two piles of mouse entrails and one head.  Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.   Nobody DARED act as if it was mealtime...

CassPurr - friend of birds: mice - not so much!

    
                                Like I said, I USED to sleep eight hours straight.  Nevertheless...
                                 Shalom Y'all - Twyla