Heated Steering Wheels & Bun Warmers

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 27: Today, I am grateful for heated steering wheels and heated seats. 

These are truly luxury items in our vehicles. When Randy and I were married, not all cars in Michigan were sold without air-conditioning. Imagine that? Today, we do not see air-conditioning as a luxury feature, but as a necessity. 

My car only has "bun-warmers" but Randy's truck has both. Both are comfort changers on the coldest days. The heated seats get used any time of year there is an evening chill. 

Honestly, in these temperatures, a working heater and a car that starts is a blessing. I remember the years of kid cars and cold weather concerns about our teens' cars starting and their safety in the bitter parts of January and February. 

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:18

This scripture is often quoted with the "all things" as the hard things. It is perfect for when we are offering gratitude for the luxuries in our life, too. Most of us have plenty to eat with some to share. We have cars that can get us to school, work, church, and many other activities with our families. 

If we have heated seats and/or steering wheels, savor them this morning. 

Today, I am grateful for heated steering wheels and heated seats. 

No Mosquitoes in Winter

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 26: Today, I am grateful for no mosquitoes in winter. 

When the cold goes on for days, we can look for the good. There are no mosquitoes in the winter.

I did a little reading. Some insect populations are impacted by extended deep cold. It can cause a decline in reproduction in the spring. Others survive by nature's design. 

We can celebrate the winter days without mosquitoes. 

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." -Ecclesiastes 3:1

As we long for warmer days, we can celebrate that these winter days are mosquito-free. 

Today, I am grateful for no mosquitoes in winter. 

The Cleansing Breath

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 25: Today, I am grateful for the cleansing breath. 

"Keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away." -Dinah M. Craik

When I think about a "cleansing breath," I think about it as a way to fight anxiety. A cleansing breath is deep and refreshing. It is a great idea before beginning a presentation or taking the stage for performance. 

"And with a breath of kindness" is placed in the middle of a quote that could stand alone without it. But, it is "the breath of kindness" that changes everything. The intentional "kindness" adds choice in the midst of the things we cannot control. 

Life happens. Good things. Hard things. When we cannot choose the situation, we can still choose our attitudes. It is equally important to keep what is worth keeping. 

"For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being." -Job 12:10

In our trials, we grow stronger. Great loss teaches us much. We do not want to lose the lessons learned. But, for the things that are not worth keeping... let them go with kindness. 

Today, I am grateful for the cleansing breath.

Better Questions

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 24: Today, I am grateful for better questions. 

"The best way to get a better answer is to start asking a better question." -Tony Robbins

Wouldn't it be easier if every question had a simple "yes" or "no?" Or if "True" and "False" could tell the whole story? There are some absolute truths. There are some absolutely false answers, wrong answers, and lies. 

There are bad questions, too. These kinds of questions show up on pop quizzes, health questionnaires, and in courtrooms during witness examinations. They can be trick questions. At times they are leading questions, and there is no door to open for important details to tell the rest of the story. 

My friend, Don, has had me thinking about "better questions." He has started a trend by asking a question of the day. I have always been a fan of open-ended questions. Raising boys, the answer to "How was your day at school?" was almost always going to be "Fine." if you were not creative with your questions. Don has asked some great ones, and we look forward to it daily. He has used it as a powerful culture and climate impacting tool. 

The right questions can open doors, provide insight, and help us communicate more effectively. Don has been intentional in asking questions in ways that can be answered in fun ways or thoughtful ways. Hearing the answers around me has been a true delight. 

People are talking about Don's questions in the kitchen, in the halls, and at the door. He wrote about his experiences and insights on his Substack, and he perfectly captured the power of better questions. He has caused me to be more intentional to not comment on the weather, unless it is positive. 

My sweet friend Cleve, did not enjoy "The Wagon Wheel" ice breaker game. We did it with every new class of students at Peoria Alternative High School. It was a new open-ended question... with a new person... every move of the wheel. Cleve was one of the best humans I have ever walked with daily, and it made me sad he did not enjoy it. The other team members knew he disliked it too, but sweet Cleve saw the value and did it for the kids... and for me if you hear the other team members tell the story. The students found things in common at their first meeting, and learned some unique things too. 

Open-ended questions are the ones you cannot answer with a yes, no, true, or false. 

There are many important and powerful questions in the Bible, but there is one that changes everything. It has implications for our souls that echo into eternity. 

"Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”" -Matthew 16:15

Better questions take practice and effort, but the rewards are bountiful. 

Today, I am grateful for better questions. 

Decision Makers

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 22: Today, I am grateful for the decision makers.

It is easy to criticize those who make the hard decisions. It would be better to pray for their wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God. 

With the winter storm impacting so many people and places this weekend, it is hard to be the one making the decisions. The truth is that someone is always going to be unhappy. It is good to pray for our decision makers. 

Schools, travel, memorial services, weddings, and athletic events are impacted when weather concerns take over. 

I am grateful for those who make the call. I am grateful for those who show grace when they are disappointed by a cancelled plan. I am grateful for our first responders who get no break in the storm and go out in dangerous conditions. I am grateful for a cozy warm home with the Love-of-my-Life. 

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." -James 1:5

Whatever your week and weekend bring, stay safe. 

"Sometimes,  you just have to bow your head, say a prayer, and weather the storm." 

Today, I am grateful for the decision makers.

An Open Door

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 22: Today, I am grateful for an open door. 

The Congregational Church in Clifton, IL, is where my grandparents raised my Dad and Uncle Mel. It was the only church I remember being associated with the Lindgren family. It is the church where they came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior in adulthood. I was very young, but I remember the change.

This stained glass was a focal point of the sanctuary decor. We sat on that side of the church. Grandpa taught us to twirl our thumbs and offered us hard candy when we were wiggly. 

My Dad loved this window. It spoke to his soul when he realized that the door had no knob. Someone had to open it from the inside. For him, a light went on in his head and he finally understood the window he had stared at from a childhood. 

Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts. We can recognize him when we see him. He can call us by name. He knows who we are, but we have to open the door to invite him into our hearts. 

If we let him in, he sees our mess. He sees what is broken or simply worn out by the wear and tear of daily life. Perhaps, he will want us to change something. We fail to see that He only improves what he touches. His companionship makes every day better. Loneliness becomes quiet communion with the one who died so that we might live life with a wild abandon. 

Paul once said from a jail cell letter ... and I paraphrase... "If they kill me this time, I will have Heaven with my Lord. If they don't kill me this time, I will have more days to share the good news of the Gospel." 

Saul was a religious nut... and then he encountered Jesus and was changed. Saul became Paul. Ananias had to seek out Saul... who was responsible for the death of so many of his brothers and sisters in Christ... to lay hands on him so that he might see again as the Lord had instructed. In a vision, he was told where Saul/Paul would be. He knocked on the door and it was opened. He did as the Lord had instructed, and one of the greatest missionaries of all time was healed. (Acts 9)

As I look at this image I am reminded that we have to open the door and let him in... from the inside. (Thanks Dad for repeating that illustration so many times.)

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." -Matthew 7:7-8

He never refuses the invitation to come in. Don't worry about the mess and the brokenness. He has seen worse. He will only make your days better. As a child once told me, "Jesus doesn't ask you to clean your room. He wants you to clean your heart." Open the door. He is only here to help. 

Today, I am grateful for an open door. 

Remote Start

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 21: Today, I am grateful for remote start. 

This week, all of the creature comforts that help us bear the winter's deepest chill. A remote start is one of them. 

My current vehicle is my first car with that feature (yes, we drive cars a long time) and it is a game changer. It helps the car get warmed up and the windows ready to clear before the drive home. Honestly, it takes longer to warm the car than it does to make my commute home, but I am grateful to have a warm vehicle and clear windows for the drive.  

A side-benefit is that I am much less crabby about the cold. I can focus on some of the beauty in winter's landscape. January is the remote start season. 

We cannot control the weather, but we can control our attitudes about the weather and toward each other. 

"When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly." -Acts 21:17

I hope the remote start (or attached garage) starts your day in a way that warms those you meet and greet. 

Today, I am grateful for remote start.