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Preparing for Winter

Nov 6, 2018

Each autumn, my father would climb up into the rafters of the garage and bring down a couple dozen storm window panes for the family to wash. As each window was cleaned it would replace the screen windows throughout the entire house. This process would then be repeated at my grandfather’s farm house which had even more windows. The houses were once more sealed for the cold winter winds and snow, keeping everyone warm, comfortable and peaceful inside. 

Autumn can be the season to prepare your heart and mind to enjoy the comforts of daily living, the warmth of good friends, the joy of spending time with family and a chance to revitalize your being. We need the protection from the cold bitter winds that life can blow around us.  As sure as the seasons come and go, the seasons of our lives bring change as well. So I urge each of us to prepare our hearts and minds for life’s cold winter winds by looking to God and taking to heart and meditating on these words by the Apostle Paul in his heart-felt letter to his friends in a town called Philippi.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”  

                                                                                      …from Philippians 4

Written by Chaplain Lane Skoglund