It is smack dab in the middle of winter. There has been snow and cold and little sunlight. We are inside almost all of the time. And do you know what I do when we are all stuck inside?? - I eat food. And I’m not talking about carrots. - I get distracted on my phone. 280 levels later…Bam.

- I watch Netflix. And Amazon Prime. And I DVR stuff. And I channel surf. Y’all. I NEVER channel surf in the summer. Why? Cause ain’t nobody got time for that when the sun is shining! But in winter….

I recently sent Gabe this picture. Because WINTER y’all.

I ran out of Munchkin levels and got bored channel surfing and opened some books (which is my better vice). One of them was Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. The subtitle is: “The Story of Success.” It takes some of the most successful people (in terms of achievement, fame, and money) and breaks down what got them there. And it was RIVETING. Turns out, being super smart isn’t the key. A lot more has to do with hard work and putting in the time. There really isn’t such a thing as a “self-made man.” We are products of our culture, our family, and our circumstances. Which in some ways sounds sad and anti-“American dream.” But really, it was beautiful. As he broke down the stories of successful people, though he never explicitly said it, you could SEE the hand of God moving and working….God arranging and lining things up as He willed them to be. And in my mind, it was not for the success of those individuals. I felt as though I caught a glimpse into God’s workings in the world for His bigger purpose. Was that reading too much into it?

I am currently reading “Don’t Waste your Life” by John Piper.

Gabe just finished listening to, “Just Do Something” by Kevin DeYoung.

I think maybe God is trying to say something.

Ha! Time to find a more productive way to spend my winter. I want to be a part of God’s bigger plan. Maybe I won’t waste my winter. Time to just do something. But that something probably won’t involve carrots. Sorry carrots. I’ll see you in the Spring.