Three thoughts for the weekend

After our first full winter in northern Michigan, I’m enjoying the warm spring days that remind me that summer is really coming to Michigan, and that soon I will tan up, be enjoying late night walks in the warm summer air with my wife and be soaking up the fun at the lake we are privileged to live on. I am, without a doubt, a warm-weather kind of a guy.  

But when God opens the doors and leads you some place that experiences six months of winter, you buckle up your snow pants and follow Him!

So now that winter is officially over (it only took until May 15th for me to feel confident enough to say that), I thought I’d share three lessons I’ve learned about the weather while living with 225” of snow!

Everyone seems to complain about the weather...but I don’t have to: Have you ever noticed that anywhere you travel, people will find something about the weather that they don’t like? I remember a few years back, Traci and I were in Hawaii in January. We had just left Portland after a significant snowfall (ok...significant by NW standards; now that I live in Michigan, I would barely call anything less than ten inches in ten hours “significant!”), and landed in Salt Lake City, Utah where temps were several degrees below zero! You can probably guess at how thrilled we were to be in Maui where the skies were sunny and blue, and the temps were in the high 70s.

Imagine our shock when we heard people complaining about “the unseasonably high

temperatures” and how ready they were for some normal “cooler” temps. Seriously?! If they had just come from the West Coast, they would not be complaining about warmer temps, but because they lived locally, the temps were somehow bothersome. (As a warm weather guy, I’m still struggling with this concept overall, but I’m trying to practice being gracious...it’s not working!)

In the same way, Traci and I found ourselves laughing repeatedly at how often people here griped about the snow, really beginning after the New Year. Yes, it snowed a lot this year, but it’s NORTHERN MICHIGAN! It’s going to snow here, and some winters (like the one we just had) are going to be really bad. That’s the way it is in NORTHERN MICHIGAN! If it was snowing for days on end in Miami, you might have something to complain about (and something to be very worried about), but in NORTHERN MICHIGAN, you can anticipate the possibility of snow from October to early May.

Part way through winter I realized I was starting to develop the same whiney attitude. That’s when I made a choice -- I chose not to complain about the weather. If people in Hawaii complain about the winter warmth, if people in Oregon complain about the spring rains, people in Arizona about the oppressive summer heat wave, if people in the Midwest complain about the humidity and people in Colorado complain about the psychotic temperature changes, the reality is that there is no perfect weather system or location. No matter where you live, at some point or another, the weather will give you something to complain about. I made a choice not to gripe. I didn’t always love the weather, but I refused to gripe.

Griping about the weather affects everything else: The reason that choice was so important was because starting my day in the dull drums about the weather had significant influence on how I approached the rest of my day. You know what I’m talking about. If you’ve ever rolled out of bed and heard the rain falling outside, seen the new layer of snow on your freshly plowed driveway or felt the oven-like heat already coming through the window into your non air-conditioned house, you started your day with a big bucket of “Blahhhhh!” You’re already grumpy and nothing has actually happened.

When I made the choice to accept the day’s weather as simply a backdrop to my day instead of the primary influencer on how I would start (or end!) my day, I had a much better day. Attitude is always a choice, and when I start my day chirping about the weather, I’m giving my choice away to one of life’s many facets that I can’t control!

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to, “be joyful always.” What a statement! It’s such a simple, yet profound, command, and it implies that I actually have control over my joy. When I gripe about the weather, the rest of my day tends to follow suit. When I choose joy regardless of the weather, my day tends to follow suit. Are you sure you want the course of your day to be directed by a climate you can’t control and one which, in most cases, will never be “perfect” regardless of where you live?

Opportunities are lost when we live grumpy: The ultimate reason this attitude change is so important, is that opportunities to live the Overboard Life are lost, when we’re living grumpy! Think about it, when you’re living ticked off about the weather (or about your boss, fellow employees, debt payments, parents, children or broken down car) you are focused primarily on you. You thoughts are focused on how you’d like your day to change, on what you think you need to be happy instead of looking up at the opportunities that are all around you.

We end up being like the people riding the New York subway a few years back. You’ve probably seen the video of a world-renown concert violinist playing the most beautiful music in one of New York’s subway tunnels. He set up his instrument, opened his case as if he were a street musician asking for money, then played his entire concert for those scurrying from stop-to-stop in New York. Few people paid any attention. Hours later, that same violinist was commanding hundreds of dollars per ticket as he performed in one of New York’s famed concert halls in front of thousands of admiring fans.

The chance to enjoy the beauty of music, to hear a world-class musician, was lost because most people were too focused on their own schedules, deadlines, meetings, hunger or the day’s early frustrations to take time to notice the opportunity that was right in front of them. When we live grumpy, we miss chances that are right in front of us. We miss God’s beauty in our lives, we miss an open window to serve others or the joy of being served by others. Being grumpy drastically affects our outlook on life.

So if we get a chance to spend some time together, and you happen to catch me grumbling about the weather, remind me of this blog. Remind me that I can choose not to complain, remind me that according tot he Bible, a joyful attitude is my choice and remind me of what I’m missing when I live grumpy. You might also mention that I’m really not that fun to be around when my attitude is stinkin’ it up.

Go ahead and take the plunge, your attitude is better on the water!

What are you thankful for?

By Joe Castaneda We moved to Michigan in March of 2013. There was snow on the ground. There was snow on the ground in April. We actually celebrated our first Michigan Easter by visiting a church, and Celina did an Easter egg hunt with snow boots, heavy coat and gloves. On Mothers Day, May 12, 2013, we had a huge snowfall with big flakes and an inch of accumulation.

The snow was gone in June, July, August and September, but in October of 2013, we had our first snowfall of “winter”. It didn’t last, but we had several days of snow and understood that when people in northern Michigan said, “Make a Halloween costume that can fit over your snow gear”...they weren’t joking. The snow came to stay in November, and that means, as we near April of 2014, that in the 14 months we have been in Michigan, we have had snow on the ground in ten of those months!

I don’t love the cold and snow like some, but I have certainly come to enjoy it. The snow is beautiful while it is falling and our family has learned to have a lot of fun in this Winter Wonderland we now call home. This particular winter has been very snowy and particularly cold, so that even the most diehard winter fans are ready for the warmth of spring and summer to hit.

When we chose to follow God to Michigan, I knew that I was probably going to be the family member that had the biggest adjustments to make. Tati, our 16-year-old, probably dislikes the cold even more, but she and I have both had ample opportunity to be stretched by this experience. My wife has great childhood memories of the snow, and she has brought a fair amount of joy to all of us as we’ve experienced real winter. But the reality is, cold or no cold, snow or snow, my ability to thank God for my circumstances rests entirely in the freedom God has given me through Christ.

Bottom line, every single moment of every single day, my state of thankfulness is does not have to be hampered by the morning’s weather report.

Since we moved, I’ve prayed and worked hard on being thankful for our situation. Today, for example, thinking about another month of cold and snow, I intentionally thought about those things for which I’m thankful. My list? I am thankful for the amazing beauty of the snow, especially in the morning as the sun comes up over our frozen lake and shines in our kitchen window. I’m thankful for my awesome family that has embraced this journey with courage, joy, laughter, faith and commitment to each other. I’m thankful now -- probably more than ever! -- for the warmth of summer and sunshine. I doubt you’ll ever read a post on this blog about the oppressive heat of summer (please feel free to digi-slap me if you do!).

Paul commands in 1 Thessalonians 5 to, “be thankful always.” One translation says it this way: “Be thankful in all circumstances.” If thankfulness is a command, that means it is also a choice. I can choose to be thankful for where I am in God’s plan, or I can play the victim, and whine and complain about the things I can’t change. You can’t live the Overboard Life as a victim -- you must embrace the journey with thankfulness!

What do you need to thank God for, today? Whatever your state or present circumstance, can you list five reasons why you can give thanks to Him?

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

When life gives you 200" of snow…make Snice Cream!

Traci and I are experiencing our first full winter here in Northern Michigan. The snow hit the ground for good in early November, and here in mid-February, it’s still falling strong (another 6” fell yesterday). For the year, over 200” has fallen on our 320 acre home, and we sill have the rest of February and all of March (and probably some of April) (ok…maybe the first part of May, too!) to experience more. For our family, we’ve never seen this much snow.  

Of course, in order for so much snow to fall, temperatures have to drop below freezing. I realized the other day that we haven’t seen a day of temps above 32 since December. In fact, we’ve spent a lot of this winter with what locals promise us us is “unseasonably cold” weather; weeks where the temp stays in single digits. It can be a little bothersome at times -- especially since the van heaters don’t ever quite get warmed up -- as you end up walking around the house wearing a light coat, sweatshirt or hoodie.

Then on Saturday as I was doing my morning Bible reading I came across this passage in 1 Timothy 6: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” In the immediate context, Paul is talking about how easy it is to love money and to make the pursuit of money the highest goal in life, but the application is much broader. Contentment applies to every of life, even weather.

We have actually really enjoyed the winter here, but have marveled at how often people complain about the cold or snow. We live in northern Michigan…it’s going to be cold and snowy! Back in Oregon, though, we remember how often people would complain about the rain. I remember how often I would complain about the rain! Just how our snow starts in November, Salem rain would start in November and go through the first part of July. But that’s the price we paid to have year-around green, gorgeous summers that lasted into October and mild winter temps.

The more Traci and I talked about the weather, the more we realized we’ve heard people complain everywhere, about everywhere weather pattern. We’ve heard complaints of snow in northern Michigan, of rain in the Willamette Valley, of sun in Maui, Hawaii and of wind in the great plains states. I’m sure we’ll be murmuring around here when summer comes and we get our first big dose of heat and humidity on the same day!

I don’t think this weather whining phenomenon points to a sudden increase in local meteorological interest, I think it stems from a chronic problem of a lack of contentment. I don’t have to listen to another Lake Ann local complain to see this reality, I can listen to myself to talk to know this is true! Contentment is a hard virtue to embrace.

First of all, let me be clear about what contentment is not. It’s not loving every situation you’re in, and the virtue does not require you to abandon any hope for a different future. In other words, you can be content, while working toward something different. Contentment does, however, include the following ideas:

* Being okay in whatever circumstances you are presently residing

* You don’t have to be a Pollyanna (does anyone know that reference anymore?!) but you can’t be a complainer

* Embracing your current reality as opportunity from God for you to grow, and to help others grow, too

* Recognizing that you don’t know the end-game, only God does. So being content requires faith in God’s ultimate plan for our lives, even when we can’t see what He’s doing!

So last week, we had another school closure because of snow and below zero wind chills. We’ve had 7 this year (“an unusually high amount” according to locals), and they aren’t always at the most convenient of times. However, my wife is amazing and she chose the path of contentment despite the significant disruption the snow day caused in her work flow. What did she do? She scooped up piles of the freshly fallen white powder and showed the kids how to make Snice Cream (CJs name for ice cream made from snow). And now, almost every day since, we’ve enjoyed Snice Cream (especially tasty when made with frozen strawberries!) in our Winter Wonderland.

Are you living in contentment? Maybe you’re struggling with the weather, or maybe you’re experiencing something more severe. You don’t have to love the circumstances you’re in to be content, but you do have to choose to trust God’s hand in these moments. I wish contentment was always as easy as making Snice Cream, but somedays I have to face my worst fears, my biggest heartache or my greatest failures and have to make the same choices to trust God, while I pray for, and work toward, a different future.

How would you rate your contentment today?

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!