It’s safe to say we both probably consume some every day.  No judging. I know you secretly consume Nutella, Cheetos or Red Vines with an equal vengeance.  We recently realized we consume one large container Adams Chunky Peanut Butter every month.  No exception that February is a ‘short’ month. The question remains… does peanut butter land on the “emergency expediting” list?

Andrew, Eric, myself, and our friends Heather and Steve – we had some good brainstorming, prayer time and planning for the spring TLC program.  I am excited to have Heather and Steve as community partners with TLC, as Heather has worked with the camp for several summers and both have a heart to reach this age group.  We even took some time to soak in the sun on the deck the next morning!

The Tundra and I got in a fight in the morning…but it not starting made it a true winter adventure, so I rode back in Eric’s sled, enjoying the frigid snow the sprayed down my neck.

This past weekend I went into Anchorage with Andrew for a speaking engagement at Sand Lake Baptist Church, where Andrew used to attend.  He gave a wonderful message on discipleship, and we each spoke about the program and our roles with it. The weekend was also a blast, as I got to spend time with Sarah… who was on an Anchorage get-a-way weekend! It was a fun treat to go out to coffee, people watch, enjoy dinner, leisurely shop and see a MOVIE! We felt very spoiled.

Bundled up in the plane with our beaver hats, down coats and ear protection.  I think it will be on the cover of InSyle soon…just you watch.

It’s a crazy, wonderful life to have to fly through Lake Clark Pass to travel into Anchorage. The flight was one of the most beautiful one’s I’ve been on, without a single bump and epic winter views of mountains.  I imagined myself as a giant leaping over the mountain peaks, and sliding down the glacier slopes.

You deserve a raise

You deserve some time off

You deserve new shoes

You deserve dark chocolate

You deserve a good husband

Or you don’t deserve to be treated like that…

Deserve: To earn merit, or have claim to because of actions, qualities or situations.

If I work hard, earn my way, change my circumstances, be independent, I have the right sit back and deserve something…  I’ve earned it, right?  I’m the only one in charge of my life.

What is that?  It’s gross! I have become my own god…  I’ve believed that I can ultimately change my destiny and believe I deserve a certain reward because of it… or a better life or what’s been done to me. I mean… I’ve been a really good person.  I deserve better. Ever thought that? Ummmhmmm…

I don’t deserve anything.  How selfish and prideful I am when I think I do deserve something! Yet I think it all the time!

But I can do nothing to deserve the biggest gift of all that has been freely given to me.  I don’t deserve the grace, the forgiveness, and the love that Jesus has lavished on my broken, mess of a life.  I deserve death, separation from the only thing that is good and perfect thing in this whole world. Yet, I’ve been given a new life.  A life of hope.  A fresh start.  A life that allows me to find JOY in forgiving, in not getting a raise, in working with hard people, in being single, in being hurt. It’s crazy! But true.  A life that understands what true grace is because I’ve been given more than I could ever earn…and that giving grace can bring joy.

I hate the word deserve. I love the word grace.  God’s grace.  So undeserved, so freely given… I need to be more grateful for this gift.   Less of me and what I think I deserve and more praise and thanksgiving for the new life in Christ I could never earn.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:8-10

So think twice before you use the word deserve this week…

Filed under: Anecdotes Tagged: Fishing, Port Alsworth ]]> http://missionmemos.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/alaskas-river-wild-lodge/feed/ 3 annaburrows Alaska's River Wild Lodge http://missionmemos.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/thirty-below/ http://missionmemos.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/thirty-below/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:35:50 +0000 annaburrows http://missionmemos.wordpress.com/?p=1496 Continue reading →]]> Every day for the last three weeks, I have woken up thinking … it’s got to be warmer this morning.  I make my way to the thermometer that reads the outside temp and gasp or groan out loud at the reality of negative double digits staring back at me.  Maybe it’s so cold the numbers are frozen inside the thermometer.

Nothing likes to work when it’s this cold. 4-wheelers don’t stand a chance, cars need to be plugged in or kept in a hangar and even snow machines have been breaking down left and right.  Praise the Lord, Jon and I have not have any house issues and it’s been toasty warm in our cabin. Most people have experienced frozen pipes, misfiring furnaces, a backed up sewer system and the list goes on.  The amount of time it takes to keep “life” going in cold weather is something you city-folk just can’t comprehend.  Word on the street is that it hasn’t gotten warmer than -8 since December 26th.  Besides one day when it blew 60 mph and went from -15 to +38 in only a few hours.  Stayed nice one afternoon and shot back down to -25. Freak. That’s been the average these days, settling in nicely at -20-ish.

But you get used to it after a while… like a screaming child, you kind of tune it out and move on with life.

I can’t handle staying in doors for long, no mater what the temp.  The days have been clear, “sunny” and beckoning me out. And when my transportation options are legs, skis or a bike, commuting anywhere in sub-zero temps gets… interesting.  The science behind the layers of clothing, thickness of socks, face coverage, beaver hat vs. wool hat and type of gloves becomes the most important decision I make in a day.  Besides what to eat for breakfast.

Once I get moving, my body temp goes up and my breath increases which causes condensation to instantly freeze on my face, hat, scarf. Snot freezes either in or out of my nose.  TMI?  It’s easy to get overheated then chilled from the frigid air.  Once you hit a warm house, you melt all over. Like a popsicle on a hot day. You can’t keep up with the dripping.  Everything breaks loose…it’s a watery mess.

Today as I biked down the runway at -35, but wearing so much gear, I felt much like I was running uphill carrying an elephant. Winded. Quickly.  I was picturing myself riding my bike in the summer wearing flip-flops, capris and a t-shirt, the sun beating down on me. Focus on summer, the one sunny day we had this summer. It helped for like 30 seconds.

There’s something I love about getting out despite the weather. Granted it’s just getting from one place to another around the village, but often it feels like I won an Olympic event.

With the days increasing, the sun is out in full force on the lake and you can definitely feel the warmth of the rays. Blessed sunshine. The sunsets are unreal and nothing beats the feeling of gliding alone on the vast lake… no matter the temp!  I’ve enjoyed magic hour on the lake several times this past week.

Finding contentment in it is important, as it’s something I have no control over. Seek to be thankful about the weather every day.  I am exceedingly grateful for bountiful firewood that creates a 109 degree difference from inside to outside the house.  And for my skis that help me keep my sanity.