Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

  This verse of scripture pretty well sums it up...winter is going to come every year as long as the earth endures.  So, we have a choice:  enjoy or endure.

  Several years ago before fall had even set in, the dread of winter overtook me like never before.  Not sure why I allowed it but have a sneaking suspicion Satan had set out to steal my joy.

John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have life abundantly."

1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 

 If Satan devours us, he destroys us.  And if he can't devour us, he will steal our joy if we are not vigilant.  This particular winter I fell into one of Satans traps.  I allowed him to steal pretty much three fourths of a year.  But God was faithful and never left me for a minute and taught me a lesson I will never forget.  

  A very good thing to remember is that God always knows our thoughts.  Isaiah 66:18 "For I know their works and their thoughts..." and he hears when we speak our thoughts to others.  Often, I would jokingly but seriously say to other people, "God is putting me through a trial right now. It will probably last for months." I would hesitate...then say, "It's called winter."  To which I would hear big laughs and words of agreement.  Those words, I believe, grieved the heart of my Savior. 

Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."  I believe this means winter as well!!

  The lesson I learned actually took more than one winter to learn.  It also took the preaching of the word of God.  It took reading my Bible more.  It took praying more and it took trusting God more.  Did I really believe all things worked for my good?  And then, I purposed in my heart that I would learn to enjoy winter.

  One day while reading my Bible, I read Job 38:22 "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?"  Huh?? What treasures in the snow?  If there were treasures in the snow, then there must be treasures in winter time!!  I began asking God to help me.  Had trouble seeing the light at the end of this tunnel.  But still I began to look for anything and everything I could find that might help me enjoy winter.  One evening early I looked out my bathroom window through the trees made bare by winter; I could see the sun performing it's evening ritual like it's done soooo many times before.  That was a first for me...and I had lived there 14 years.  I so love sunrises and sunsets!!  Never could see them in the spring and summer out my bathroom window because of the leaves.  I also am a bird lover and I began to notice hawks along the highways and on farm fences.  It was like looking for giant easter eggs!!  Most hawks are fairly large birds and can easily be seen.  Now I also look forward to seeing the emerald fields of young winter wheat along the routes I travel because there are many farmers where I live.  Nothing shouts spring louder than a large field of green grass.  I enjoy more hot chocolate during winter.  Also, it's really good to know that it only takes SECONDS for most of us to walk in the cold to the car, into church, into the stores and then you are back where it is warm again!!  (My heart does go out to our heros that do have to work outside during winter.)  One more important thing that helped me through winter time is I became thankful.  Yes, simple as that!!  Some days I thanked God all the way to work (30 minutes).  Top of my list, of course, was usually the warm heater on my car.  Litterally, you can drive to work or wherever and never run out of things to thank God for!!

  Two simple little things have changed how I look at winter now:  I don't just endure winter I really enjoy each and every one because  God and I changed my attitude and then I upped my grattitude and God truly provides treasures in the snow!!!