“I wish thy way. And when in me myself should rise, and long for something otherwise, Then Lord, take sword and spear And slay” (Amy Carmichael).

As much as I love a lot of current Christian books, I think everyone should read something old, preferably by someone dead. I think those old classics by authors like John Owen, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, Oswald Chambers, Amy Carmichael, and Watchman Nee really are spiritually beneficial.

Even writers more current like Elisabeth Elliott and Corrie ten Boom can give insight and wisdom gained from lives filled with hardship and suffering. Those are the kind of writers who will be honest with you and talk about things like dying to self, denying myself, taking up my cross, and being willing to sacrifice everything on the altar for Jesus.

Elisabeth Elliot was famous for saying, “Let thy will be done even if it means my undoing.”

Again, I have no problems with books about the unconditional love of God, but I do think that everyone of us needs people who will always tell us the truth and point out our blind spots and faults (in a loving and not legalistic way of course) so that we can continue to mature and grow into Christlikeness.

I also relish finding new writers (and new to me old writers), so if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments.

I don’t need the 15,000 square feet mansion with all the bedrooms, bathrooms, private cinemas, game rooms, and all that. I’d take this cabin (or something like it) in a heartbeat.

The older I get, the less I find that I actually need. The more I find that I am content with what I already have. That said, I wouldn’t mind house-sitting for a mansion or two to get that out of my system.

I found this handy dandy guide that will help you drive in the snow if you live in the South and have never driven in snow before. Or if you have driven in snow before and it didn’t end well.

It helps if you grew up Baptist. It’s not essential to understanding the analogy, but it certainly helps.

Now you know how to drive in the snow. And you’re probably really hungry by now.

“Christ delivered us when bound,
And, when wounded, 
healed our wound,
Sought us wandering, set us right,
Turned our darkness into light.

Can a mother’s tender care
Cease towards the child she bare?
Yes, she may forgetful prove;
He will never cease to love.

His is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above,
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death.

We shall see His glory soon,
When the work of grace is done,
Partners of His throne above;
Such to us His wondrous love!

This alone is our complaint,
That our love is weak and faint;
Yet we love Him, and adore,
O for grace to love Him more!” (William Cowper/John Bacchus Dykes).

Well, it’s official. Tomorrow, I go back to the office. My so-called “snow”cation is over.

I have to say that I was disappointed. I think I want my money back. Or I want the money I didn’t make from not working those 5 days.

I never thought I’d be so thrilled to be going places like Publix and Taco Bell, but when you’re basically snowed in and the roads are treacherously icy (at least in my neighborhood), then you get used to looking out the windows at all the pretty snow. And not much else.

But tomorrow, reality returns. You might say that this is like hitting the reset button to 2024 and tomorrow is like the second New Year’s Day. If you like, you can start over on all those resolutions that you made that crashed and burned by week two. Or you can make new resolutions.

I for one am still looking forward to all that 2024 will teach me. Or more accurately, all that God will teach me in 2024. I’m hoping that it won’t just be another 365 or so pages that I tear off my calendar but a year that finds me growing a year older and wiser. A year that finds me more like Jesus on December 31 than I was on January 1.

It will take a little time to readjust to the routine. It will take a couple of nights before I get used to the new sleep cycle. I will more than likely have a bazillion emails waiting for me at work. But on the bright side, I have a car to get me to work and a job waiting for me when I get there. That’s worth the routine, I think.

Before this week, I never thought I’d be as excited as I was to visit Aldi’s and Taco Bell, though not necessarily in that order. I was just really tired of being snowed in and looking at icy roads all day.

I visited the infamous Mystery Aisle at Aldi’s, otherwise known as the Aisle of Shame for all the unplanned and spontaneous purchases that people make when they see all the random items in one aisle. I myself got a coffee canister because it was $10 (and not because I necessarily needed it).

Even Taco Bell tasted better for all the snow. I don’t remember the quesadillas being as spicy before, but maybe my taste buds have regressed this winter.

It’s amazing to me that God uses even things like snow and ice to teach me patience. Not that I ever thought that I was the patron saint of patience, but I thought I had more than I did until I didn’t. That is, I realized just how quickly I can go stir-crazy instead of using my time more wisely. I have the attention span of a three year old, I think.

I did listen to records, which is always a calming and relaxing activity for me. I didn’t quite manage to get to all that reading I had stated earlier that I was going to do. I managed to stay current on my Bible reading plan for the year, which is always a plus.

But for once, it’d be nice to learn patience by discovering that I have it rather by realizing that I don’t. That would be nice for a change.