Into the arena

Well, we got our Christmas snow. & how!! The day after Christmas! & it went right on snowing into the new year & brought with it not just freezing temperatures, but I'm talking Antarctic cold! The wind brought, in some places, like where my daughter lives now & works, (you remember, the remote place I told about in the previous post) minus 56 degrees or 56 degrees below zero!!! which sounds worse. But it was worst no matter how you say it.

When it's that cold the wind feels that big!!

Which is good for these guys,

but not otherwise fit for man nor beast!

However, my Remote Daughter & her horse had to be out in it rounding up cattle for a few hours at times! Conversation was useless unless you had a hammer to break the words  because they froze in the air. & that weather lasted almost two weeks! Then, REPRIEVE!

The last several days have been wonderfully (almost) balmy. But it doesn't lull anyone into the delusion of an early Spring. This is only January in South Dakota. But the break in weather is greatly appreciated nonetheless. 

Goodbyes are now said to 2023. There have been some hard goodbyes.

Our most wonderful Doggie Schnitzel lives at Jesus' house now. Someday, I will write a tribute for our little beloved. He was the best of the best & we miss him terribly, a lover of all & happy & contented just to be with his people. He was more Christian than a lot of Christians I have known. Farewell for now...

So many changes that right now they seem hard & without purpose. But since nothing in God's economy is without merit or purpose, we can be sure that whatever has come or will come, it will bring life, a hope & a future. Maybe even some wonderfuls in 2024. But this is where I want to go, something that I read that I want to quote here, that will cause us to live on purpose in this coming new year, that right now is just in it's January infancy.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man (or woman) who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust & sweat & blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again & again because there is no effort without error & shortcoming; but who actually strives to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause, who  at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement & who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold & timid souls who neither know victory or defeat."  Theodore Roosevelt

This coming year, we must be ready to do our 'assignment' that Jesus gives us to do, whether it's ten talents, five talents, or one talent. As we see all of what is going on around us, we must be ready to be the ones in the arena, the doer of His words, not  hearers only. We must be the 'Repairers of the Breach, the restorer of streets to walk in.' We are investing in the kingdom of God here, & what looks like defeat to our opposition, when we look into the eyes of Jesus, we will see that it is really victory, because FAITH is the VICTORY that overcomes the world. & it's ours! because we dared to step into the arena, we dared to accept the worthy challenge that has eternal value, eternal life in it. We have eleven months left in this year of 2024 to link arms with Jesus & make the eternal difference to give our world, hope & a future. As we step into the arena. 

Raintree Perk of the Day:

When you encounter dark days, don't be afraid, but "let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works & glorify your Father in heaven." & Light up your arena!