Blustery and cold this morning, but the sun is shining brightly. I don’t think it is helping much though since it is twenty-nine degrees with a “real-feel” of twenty two. The bird baths are frozen over. Unfortunately I pulled the plug on the electric one a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t see a reason to keep using the electricity with the temperatures staying above freezing. Oops!

The weather has not deterred my buffet guests at all. I have at least a half dozen cardinals out there and I also have at least a half dozen robins. The robins are doing some nest material gathering this morning as they run around in the yard getting something to eat. Beyond that, I mostly have gold finches and junkos. It is a little early for the starling gang to get here and bully the neighborhood and the squirrels are still nestled in their nests somewhere. The steady breeze is keeping the Corinthian chimes singing to me. All in all, it is a pleasant and peaceful morning.

I missed writing yesterday; I just ran out of time and when my day finally settled in, I just didn’t feel like doing it. I had office hours yesterday and then Ms. Kate and I went to get a pedicure. The place was kind of packed but we waited. From there we drove to a funeral home sixty-five miles away for a visitation. The sister of one of our parishioners passed away and even though we didn’t know the sister, we felt we should go to express our sympathy and support for our parishioners. From there, we rushed back to the church for the Lenten meal and Bible study.

I have a full week ahead of me while Pastor Art is on vacation. Saturday our church is hosting the Men’s Lenten breakfast and worship service for our local Evansville Council of Churches. We expect around a hundred men to show up for it. It starts at 0700 and we have to start working the prep around 0530. I haven’t been to one in years but as the host church I need to do the welcome etc. Then od course we have Sunday services, and a week full of meetings, Bible Studies and other things. For a “part-time” job, sometimes it is “full-time” work. But, I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed to come back out of retirement so I’m not complaining at all. God has allowed me to continue serving Him and the church. I couldn’t be doing anything better with my life. (Maybe something more fun sometimes; but not anything better.)

Ms. Kate wants to go shopping for artificial flowers to decorate headstones. The Christmas flowers are past time to remove and we want to get new ones on the graves before Easter. So maybe this afternoon, when the tempeerature gets above freezing we’ll head out to some craft stores or something.

That is about it for today. I’m including you (yes, you) in my prayers today hoping your day is filled with love and joy and good health. May God’s Holy Spirit lift you up and make your world bloom with warmth and love on this cold day. Shalomn