It's snowing in New Orleans!

For the first time in 4 years (and then it was just a light dusting), it is actually snowing. As I walked past a window this morning, I saw it coming down in big, fat flakes. I screamed to the kids, who took all of 2.4 minutes to get bundled up and within minutes, the entire community was outside, kids catching snowflakes on their tongues, snowballs being hurled between boys, a few daring children making snow angels in the wet stuff, and mothers in their pj's with cameras in hand...all marveling at this wondrous stuff called snow, and marveling at our children and their absolute bliss over something so beautiful and natural.
Sweet little Anne Claire has pronounced herself an "inside girl" by shutting her eyes, blinking rapidly, saying "it cold" repeatedly, and then chanting a mantra of "inthide, mama, inthide..." until I returned her to the warmth of our home.
Griffin is in awe. This is his first time seeing snow, let alone playing in it. The first thing he did was tightly pack a snowball and sent it sailing towards his brother's head. That's Griff for you.
Tucker immediately set to work building a snowman. He was barking instructions at his brother and several other neighbor boys last time I heard him.
So here we are, December 11th in southern Louisiana, and it is snowing. The hot chocolate is on the stove, and I'm playing Christmas carols.
It is indeed "the most wonderful time of the year"!

decisions...

When it rains, it pours.
Especially when it comes to making big decisions. I'm a terrible decision-maker. So is my husband. Fortunately for us we tend these days to leave the mega decisions up to God, and just pray for wisdom in discerning what He is telling us.
It hasn't always been like that, however. In our past, we've tended to make decisions based on what we *thought* was the right thing, or what we *assumed* must be God's desire for us. Bad idea.
In those times we'd always (not often, but always) find ourselves in over our heads in some manner. Whether it be a new job, a new house, or a financial dilemma, when we rested in our own ideas, it never amounted to much good for anyone.
In the years since coming to seminary, I've had moments of wondering what we're doing here, or marveling at the fact that we're at seminary, for goodness' sake, and don't feel the slightest bit spiritually wiser....and it's moments like this.... when what seems like a good idea to me loses out in favor or what we *know* God is telling us to do.
So in times when you can't figure out what to do, turn to God. He is genuinely interested in even the smallest details of your life, and He knows the big picture in a way we cannot even begin to fathom.