Warning: Falling Snow

As I sit in the quietness of my house, drinking my slow coffee, I see huge hunks of snow falling from the trees.  It is very cloudy and gray out, and the snow just doesn't seem quite as beautiful to me today as it did yesterday.  But then I chide myself for these thoughts, because God created this day for us and I should be appreciative.  Sometimes I find when I can’t discover immediate joy in something, there is usually a lesson I need to be learning from the situation.  Though this concept is great in theory, actually applying some of these lessons to my life is way more difficult. 

I am sure we have all been in situations where we have been hurt in one way or another.  There have been millions of songs and self-help books written on the topic of forgiveness. We know God calls us to forgive those who hurt us, but that is most often easier said than done.  Almost every sermon I have ever heard on forgiveness makes me feel like I have fallen short because whether or not I admit it out loud, I may be harboring a little anger, bitterness, or resentment in my heart which I am not quite ready to let go.  The bible speaks volumes on the topic of forgiveness.  The actual words forgiveness and forgive are used multiple times throughout the Old and New Testament. The scriptures are also laced with countless stories that don’t necessarily use the words, but certainly beautifully illustrate the concept.

Knowing the importance of forgiveness and actually applying the lesson to your life are two very different things.  I think forgiveness is not something that happens overnight or all at once, but rather bit by bit.  Jesus tells us in Mathew 18:22 that we should forgive “not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” This makes me feel better because it confirms that forgiving is a really hard thing to do.  I shouldn't be discouraged when I start remembering the old hurt again and negative thoughts try to overtake me, but instead I should forgive again.  Ephesians 4:31-32 helps put this in perspective. It says:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ forgave you.

As I struggle with this concept of forgiveness, I am going to try to think about the snow falling from the trees.  If I allow a grudge to stay with me too long, I might become droopy, feeling as if I may snap in half under the weight of the grudge. But if I forgive, I can free myself from the burden of my own, ugly thoughts.  Even if it’s slow at first, like the wind blowing little bits of snow off the trees, if I keep at it, I will be able to dump that grudge to the ground in a large clump. When I forgive those who have hurt me, I free myself from the winter in my heart and can become the tree God intended me to be- the one that is ready to bloom!

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

What a beautiful sight to wake up this morning and see the world blanketed with snow! Being a lover of hot weather and sweet summertime, I am not really a fan of all this snow. I do try to stay positive though, so after some pondering, I was able to come up with a new way of thinking to get rid of my winter blahs.

To me it's always very sad when the leaves fall off the trees because it's a sign that we must settle in for the long winter.  The trees look so bare and ugly compared to the beauty of spring's buds, summer's fullness, and fall's vibrant colors.  This morning when I saw those snow covered trees, I thought about how smart God is to make the trees bare in the winter because when the snow covers them, they are simply breathtaking.

Do you know someone around you who, like that winter tree, is going through a stage in life where they feel bare?  Maybe they have experienced hard times or sadness.  Maybe they are battling uncertainty or feeling lonely. Sometimes when we go through difficult times, we lose our focus and forget about the beauty that is inside of others or ourselves.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.  

In the struggles of life, what if we decided to see the beauty in all situations? How would that impact our attitude and how could those thoughts encourage others around us? Whenever the opportunity presents itself, seize the moment to tell someone how beautiful they are to you.  By choosing to see the beautiful snow covered tree, rather than the ugly, barren, brown one, you will make God smile and that is of great worth.

Warning: THE BIG ONE IS COMING!!!!

Let me begin by saying I did not even see today's snow coming! I am not a meteorologist and although my winter weather predictions seem to be in demand, I am not always accurate!  This has been a busier than usual February in the weather predicting department. Many of you have questioned my decision regarding last week's storm when I declared that it was not THE BIG ONE.  I understand why you guys thought it was THE BIG ONE because we were out of school for an entire week.  But the reason for that was because we actually had two snowstorms last week, one on Monday and one on Wednesday.  If all of that snow had fallen in the same day, I definitely would have classified it as THE BIG ONE, but enough justification about that old news.  Here are my thoughts for the upcoming snow.  Even though I usually tend to dance around the topic giving vague descriptions, I am going to go out on a limb here and go ahead and say, I feel really strongly that this storm coming in tomorrow night and into Thursday is THE BIG ONE!!!!  I repeat, THE BIG ONE is coming!  Now as you know, that snow line is a major factor.  It will not determine if we get snow, but it will determine how much we do get.  You know I am no good at predicting totals, but here is what you need to know:

•  My toe has been hurting for two days, which means weather is definitely coming.
• All of our major snowstorms come from the south, which is where THE BIG ONE has originated!
• In my opinion, weathermen tend to underestimate snow totals when it comes to storms that come from the south.
• You need to get your clothes washed just in case we lose power.

There you have it my friends!  That is my official report. I want to take this time to thank you so much for your support and for believing in my toe's ability to predict winter weather.  I also want to thank you for your understanding on the slim chance that this storm turns out to not actually be THE BIG ONE!  You should also know that my favorite season is summer, and I predict flip flop weather will be coming to us in the very near future. Stay safe and remember, you heard it here first!

A Little Encouragement Goes a Long Way

My daughter Kathryn is a piano player.  She started playing when she was about 5 and took lessons every week until about a 1 ½ years ago.  Her piano teacher, whom she loved dearly, passed away, after a very short bout of cancer.  Needless to say, she was heartbroken.  After several months of not playing at all, I finally convinced her to take a lesson from a new teacher, but when it was over, she got in the car sobbing, saying every time she looked over and saw him sitting beside her, she thought of Miss Diana and it was just too painful. My piano sat untouched, and there was nothing I could do to ease her pain.  A few weeks ago, a lady from our church asked if Kathryn would play in the praise band the Sunday before Christmas.  This lady had no idea Kathryn wasn't playing any more.  When I asked if she would play, she was quick to say, “NO!” Later that evening she came to me crying, saying that she really didn't want to say no, but she just “didn't know how to play without Miss Diana teaching her the song.”  I could clearly see the struggle happening within her, because I knew she had the ability but she didn't believe in herself.  We talked a lot about that, and I told her she really had a choice to make.  She could let her talent die with Miss Diana, or she could search herself and pull out that talent I knew was in there.  I put her to bed and then shed a few tears because my daughter was hurting and I couldn't help her.  The next afternoon I was buzzing around my house, when suddenly I heard music coming from the piano.  It was a little rough at first, but then she found her groove.  Then I started hearing some notes that didn't sound quite right.  I peeked to see what she was doing, and she was playing a few notes and then scribbling something on a piece of paper.  This went on for a little while, and she called me to come into the room and listen.  What I saw and heard just blew me away.  She had scribbled down the notes to I’ll Fly Away and was playing the song from her heart.  She said, “I did it mom! I searched way down deep and found what I had been missing.  I love playing the piano, but I had forgotten.” She decided not to play in the praise band this time, and I think it was the right decision for now, but beautiful music fills my home once again, and that is a priceless gift. 

Here is the point to my story.  That lady at church had no idea that Kathryn had gone through such a painful experience.  The fact that she believed in Kathryn enough to ask her to play in the band was enough for Kathryn to find that spark again.  You never know how your actions, regardless how small, will affect someone else.  Is there someone around you who needs encouragement?  

Bacon and God's Perfect Timing

My neighbor and I run 4 days a week, somewhere between the hours of 5:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.  Now don’t get me wrong. We are not serious runners, and here’s how you know we aren't serious.  Sometimes when another neighbor is frying bacon for breakfast, we can smell it.  For years we have been wishing that just once someone would walk to the end of their driveway and offer us a piece, but NO, they never do.  I’m pretty sure real runners don’t think about and wish for bacon when they run. 

That was the background information you needed to understand the rest of the story! On Dec. 30^th  (a Tuesday) I was hosting a breakfast for my Monday night bible study ladies.  On Dec. 23^rd (also a Tuesday) I walked out to the end of my road to meet my neighbor for our run and there was an unfamiliar car in my driveway.  It was 8:00, and we almost never wait that late to go running.  That is an important detail because we need to remember that God's timing is always perfect.  As I approached the end of my driveway, my neighbor was laughing her head off, and I was so curious about what was going on.  As I approached I realized it was one of the bible study ladies who had come to breakfast on the wrong Tuesday.  We all shared a good laugh and as she prepared to leave she said, “Wait!  Before I go, would either of you like a piece of bacon?”  Can you believe it?  After all of those years of waiting and wishing, someone FINALLY came to the end of the driveway and offered us a piece of bacon.  It was a Christmas miracle! Though we laughed and laughed at that funny story, we took time to reflect on the fact that even though we may want something for a really long time, sometimes God says, “No.”  Or maybe he says, “Wait.” He orchestrates everything that happens in our lives and He knows what is best for us.  So just remember, even if it seems like the thing you have been waiting on forever will never happen, keep the faith.  One day out of the blue, bacon may appear at the end of your driveway!

Five Fabulous Things To Do On a Snow Day!

Did you know that snow has blanketed the ground and we are experiencing record lows for this time of year? It certainly has been the topic of conversation on social media over the past few days. Some are loving this winter wonderland, while others are absolutely miserable. If you are facing the winter blues and don't know how to occupy your time, here a a few ideas.  The Bray girls haven't accomplished all five of these yet, but we are very close!

1.  Have a pajama day. This is a popular favorite in the Bray house.  We are always on the go with one million things to do.  Life keeps us hopping, so having the opportunity to crash and do nothing is a welcomed change.  It's not about being lazy, rather it's about recharging. Every once in a while, you just need to take a break, snuggle in, and enjoy being with your family.Teaching kids the value of down time will help them cope when life gets stressful. 
2. Write someone a note. Take the time to write to someone who has made a difference in your life.  Tell them how much you appreciate them and share with them how their actions affected you and made you a better person.  A little encouragement from an old friend may be the perfect thing for you both.
3. Bake something delicious. What better way to spend your time than making a delicious, chocolate treat?  If you have kids, this is the perfect way to trick them into practicing math and reading!  They can read and follow the recipe and they won't even realize they are doing work! Once the treat is ready, put on your snow gear and take some of the treat to your neighbor. This will not only put a smile on your neighbor's face, but it will make you feel warm and fuzzy too. 
4. Read a book. Books can take us on the grandest adventures. Reading is the perfect thing if you are wanting to learn something new or escape to a far away place. We should take time to read every day, but on a snow day, we are free to spend all day reading if that is what our heart desires. 
5. Watch I Love Lucy reruns. There is nothing any funnier than the antics of Lucy Ricardo.  Pop some popcorn or fix a cup of coffee and just laugh and laugh until you have tears in your eyes.  Then think about the good friends you have in your life and be sure to send them a message telling them how much you appreciate them.  

Snow days don't come often, but when they do we should make the most of them.  How will you spend your time? We can either complain and be miserable, as some have chosen to do, or we can see the time off as a gift from God.  What other ideas can you add to this list?