Cabin Fever in Your Christian Life

At this time in the year (especially after a long hard winter) it is easy to tell that the lack of fresh air is getting to most living things. My plants are all frozen and covered in snow (if they are outside) and droopy and sad-looking if they are inside. My dogs have begun trying to dig holes in the wood floors and have become experts at sighing. My cats meow to go out and then come right back in meowing even more and I am convinced that they are complaining to me about how beautiful the sun looks and how it is just a mirage that it looks warm outside. My children can't go five minutes without arguing with each other and they have started finding outside activities (like basketball) that they try to do indoors. Not to mention the fact that all of the inside activities are getting worn out because there have been so many days, weeks, and months that they have been stranded inside for most of the time. In Iowa we call this cabin fever. Keeping a good attitude in these times every year requires endurance.

This same type of endurance is required in our Christian walk. I am struck by how many times the authors of the New Testament scriptures mention this. In fact, I find it to be the major theme in 2 Timothy. The list goes on and on but I am going to give the ones that keep me moving. Since there are so many I encourage you to jot them down and use them for motivation and meditation as you are working on your own walk with Christ.

Luke 21:19
1 Cor. 10:13
2 Cor. 1:6, 6:4-10
1 Peter 2:20
2 Timothy 2:11-13, 3:10-14, 4:5
2 Thess. 1:4-7
James 1:2-4
Revelation 2:3

Just like finding ways to squash the feeling of cabin fever in my home helps everyone survive long winters, studying the scriptures, learing more about our Lord, and enduring through the hard times with a Christ-like attitude will strengthen us in Christ and make our walk worth while.

This week my favorite verse from above is this:

"Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself."

2 Timothy 2:11-13

Take this little ditty, stick it in your heart and let its words strengthen you and help you stay away from getting cabin fever in your Christian life!!

God Bless

"Mom, You Have Wrinkles"

One thing about stressing honesty with your children is that you will get it in the good times and the bad. I can count on my kids to tell me the absolute truth about my weight, my looks, and yes, even my skin.

The other day my youngest was sitting on my lap putting in my earings when she looked at my face, got a puzzled look on her face and said, "Mom, you have wrinkles."
I am just over thirty so this is a new one for me. I knew they were there but I am more used to dealing with the fat issue not the wrinkles issue. Usually, I don't mind getting older because there is an element of respect that comes with age but the whole body falling apart thing bothers me. I want to live to see 100 so I think it's only right that I should not have to show signs of wear and tear until I am at least 50, right? Hah!!

As it turns out people in Jesus's time had these same issues and there is a passage that helps me deal with this aging body. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

How perfect is that? So, put this little ditty in your scripture arsenal and the next time your friend offers to take you to get your mustache waxed you can whip it out and say, "Maybe next time."

Have a wonderful week!!