I don't think they even sell snow chains for tires here in this area.

Hello friends and neighbors, we survived the frozen tundra, and on this Monday, February 7, 2011, we are thankful to be back in our place once again. Over the years I have been just about as critical of the local weather forecasters as anyone. This past Friday they single handedly added at least one million kids to those who dislike them. Why? No snow. Not even a dusting. But they unanimously predicted a minimum of 1 to 2 inches and when everyone went to bed Thursday evening they expected to wake up to a blanket of white. It didn't happen. But, what we did get was a frozen world where great danger awaited those who ventured out. How bad was it? At least 800 motor vehicle accidents, 4 fatalities, and huge losses in terms of crumpled up cars and those injured but not killed. Therefore, I, for perhaps the first time ever, am going to go on record as supporting the call by the forecasters for everyone to stay off the roads on Friday. Yes, we had sad grandchildren at our place but as we watched the unfolding of so much chaos out on the roadways, it was clear that their dire warnings were on target. I heard a couple of the weather folks who had not yet gone into the witness protection program take a stab at why the snow didn't materialize and how that it would have been much better had it snowed as opposed to the rain that froze immediately when it made contact with the ground. Here's a confession. Had our Company not closed I am 100% convinced that I would have been first in line out on the roads trying to make my way over the hills and through the woods to my workplace. Therefore, I thank God that I didn't become one of those TV highlights from either being somewhere in the ditch or worse, maybe even injured.

The Superbowl was mostly watchable this year and now that we have finally gotten the NFL schedule concluded, although, they will continue to dominate the news regarding the contract dispute between the owners and players, now we can get on with a sport I do care about. NASCAR. The Daytona 500 is coming up on February 20th. You hadn't even thought about it? What's that you say? Isn't that where they go round and round in circles for hours? Yes it is but there's a whole lot more to it than just turning left all day. I became a Jeff Gordon fan many years ago and now have moved into what some call a 'long suffering' Jeff Gordon fan. He still has the potential but he will be turning 40 this year and the young guns are all over the sport these days. While the viewers have fallen off over the past 2 years, the sport still averaged nearly 6 million per race last season. Of course that pales in comparison to the NFL but it is second only to football and believe it or not, basketball, hockey, and soccer would kill for those numbers. I'm no fanatic but I do watch it when I can and it's fun to swap stories with my eldest son who is also a fan. He tends to favor a different driver and that makes for good family competition. My wife also pulls for Jeff when she's watching but she also likes our son's driver too. Women. They like everybody. What's up with that? They are probably the reason that everyone gets a trophy in kids sports today, regardless of who wins. That teaches them something but I'm not sure it prepares them for how the real world works.

It's a new work week and a new opportunity. I know I mention this quite often but there's really something positive about being able to put yesterday behind while focusing on today. There's typically not that much we can do about what we wish we would have done but there's always the time God gives us today. I've had to learn this when I get a less than desired blood glucose number. I can feel really terrible about whatever I did or didn't do to follow my program, or I can learn from it, and move ahead with a commitment to do better today, not sometime way down the road, but today! You would be surprised at how much we can see accomplished whenever we focus our time and energy on the day we have been given. This is not just my idea because it just happens to also reflect a biblical principle. The Apostle Paul wrote as he was inspired by God to the Church located in Ephesus that they should "redeem the time because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16) The sense of the Greek in this verse indicates we should make the most of each and every minute because our time is also filled with temptations and troubles. If we go each day with a desire to make contact with places and situations where we can make a difference, I'm convinced that God will not only provide them to us, but He will also make them known to us. This means that I may be able to speak a word of encouragement or to comfort a hurting heart today, that is, if I am predisposed to redeem the time. That's some pretty good advice for us all on a Monday as we get our day and our work week started. May God bless. Amen.              ......More later.