loathing to truth

It's been cold here for a few months now.  It's just that, well, it's finally getting to me.  I was enjoying the snow, finding things to enjoy about the cold and the winter, but I'm starting to loathe it.  Here's my weather forecast for the week:

And this is without the windchill...which means minus 5-10 degrees.  A long sigh.  

This is the time of year when I've got to start speaking truth to myself.  This is where He has me. He is for me and withholds no good thing (Ps. 84:11).  He knows the plans He has for me and He desires to prosper me, give me hope, and a future, and not harm (Jer. 32:11).  He is in control.  He is good.  

And...this light and momentary suffering is preparing me for eternal glory (2 Cor. 4:17-18).  Dang cold weather will be gone soon and is God's way of getting me ready for heaven.  He wants me to look to the unseen things and not the seen.  God wants me to realize that this world will not satisfy, but only He will.  He reminds me that weather will never fulfill me.  Disappointments are pointers that my Christ is the only thing that will never disappoint, falter, and be loathe-able.  So really, I can thank God for this icky cold because He's drawing my eyes up to Him.  Not to mention all the dependence on Him that I need for supernatural warmth. :) 

Dear friends from warmer places: please don't remind me how much warmer it is there.  You are tempting me to covet :).  I actually changed my default weather locations on my phone to Minneapolis, then some place in Canada (because I tried somewhere in Alaska and they were still warmer) THEN Atlanta, THEN Delhi, India.  I am merely protecting myself from temptations of discontentment.

Anyway, Andrew and I were at a marriage retreat this past weekend and it was awesome!  It was great content but also great to escape and spend time alone together along with time with fun friends.  We love our church and love how much they value marriage, value good teaching, and value connecting with one another.  Betsy and Gary Ricucci came and spoke (from CJ Mahaney's church Covenant Life in MD). They were a sweet, down-to-earth, engaging couple. Their book, "Love that Lasts" has been one of or church's favorite marriage books though we've never read it.  Hopefully I'll be able to post some good thoughts from it soon.