Best Christmas Gift Ever

I led a friend to Jesus tonight.

I've prayed with people and talked them to that step before, but have never seen fruit from it afterwards. I've never known if they were sincere or not or if I failed to explain something or if I just planted a seed and God would due something later on or what happened. It's frustrating to look back and ponder, "Have I ever really truly helped someone get saved?"

I have - I know I have - and I got to watch a long slow progression to get here as I've interacted with this person and gotten to see the hunger slowly build and explode and tease.There is still a lot to learn, and I know there will be ups and downs in the days and years ahead, but a foundation has been established, and the Chief Cornerstone has claimed His position.

And... to my surprise... I'm more humbled and honored and in awe than I am dancing and shouting and cheering. I'm glad, don't get me wrong - but I feel like I saw God do something amazing and miraculous more in spite of me than because of me, and I'm realizing that He has worked through me without my seeing it, and the impact of that is... earth shattering. In a wonderful, wonderful way.

Rejoice, rejoice, oh Christians, lift up your voice today... I know that He is with me, whatever men may say. He lives!!!! He lives!!! Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me, He talks with me, along life's narrow way. He lives!!! He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.

Lessons Learned from Upper Midwest Winters

In honor of the snowfall today...

• Get a good windshield scraper. Not a small, cheap, plastic one, but a nice solid one, with a long retractable handle and a brush on the other end. If you really think you can't afford the $10-$15 to pick one up you can try the $0.99 one for awhile, but you will regret your decision with every new snowfall. Don't get me wrong, it can be a delightful challenge to tackle a vehicle 5 inches shorter than yourself with a 6inch scraper, but you'll tire of it after 7 years.
  
• Remove as much snow from your vehicle as possible. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the windows, windshield, rear window, roof, hood, and lights. If that seems excessive, trust me, it's not! It's difficult to describe the frustration of thinking you cleared off your car, only to drive a block and have snow blow off your hood &/or roof and re-coat your windows. Clearing off (and turning on!) your lights just makes sense - the ground, road, shrubbery, and parked cars are covered with snow, and you want to ensure that other drivers are able to see your car as it blends in with the surrounding area in a glaring blaze of white.
  
• Similarly, you will want to completely clean off your windshield wipers. Clearing off all the surrounding snow and ice from your windshield does no good if you are smearing melting snow or ice back across the window with every swipe of the blades. 
• If you want to cheat, sneak out to your car 5-40 minutes before you need to leave. Turn on the car, blast all the defrosts as high as they go with maximum heat, then return to the safety of the house or warm building. The amount of time needed will depend on the thickness of the ice buildup. This is not recommended for mere snow if there is no ice involved, as it just makes a soppy mess and may end up creating ice on your windows after you reached your destination, turned the car off, and all the excess water stays in place.
  
• Always assume that the roads will be icy, regardless of how they look! This means you drive slower, allow more time for stopping, and are extra cautious around corners and curves. Failure to comply could result in anything from an impromptu 180 or 360 degree spin, landing in a ditch, tree, snowdrift, or approaching vehicle, or sliding all the way through red light or stop sign, completely unable to stop. 
• Emergency supplies really are a good idea. Depending on where you travel and the maximum distance you may end up at any given moment from any accessible building (or cell phone signal!), your required supplies will vary somewhat. A shovel, boots, extra warm clothes, and a good blanket or sleeping bag are basic essentials, with water, food, candles, books, games, random friends, extra gas & batteries, cat litter or other traction enabling materials, snowmobiles, cross country skies, etc being discretionary based on the maximum possible timeframe you may end up being stranded.
• If it gets above 20F anytime after January, go ahead and run out to start your car, take the trash out, etc. without a jacket - or even in a t-shirt. It builds character, and gives you bragging power. It also feels refreshing and wakes you up.
• Try skiing, ice skating, and sledding at least once per winter. Building a snowman (or other life form) and tossing at least a couple of snowballs are also required. If you're going to live up here, make the decision to enjoy it!