47 inches of snow in less than a week!

After a few days of digging out from 27 inches of snow, round two quickly comes upon us. Another blizzard, which had winds 25-35 miles per hour blowing the snow about, dropped another 20 inches on us.





We have been snowed-in now since last Friday. I have been able to get around in our car a few times. My truck is trapped behind my house in the alley.








As I took a walk down my street in the blizzard, I bumped into a couple young neighbors, who asked me take a picture of their snow-fort.




















After shoveling snow most of the day, it's nice to sit with my wife and watch a movie. Last night we watched 'The Princes Bride'. It had been a good while since we watched it, and it really is a fine film, with many, many quotes that stick in the brain. Last night this one hit me:

"Life is pain Highness! Anyone who says
differently is selling something." -Westley, from 'The Princes Bride'

I thought is it true that life is pain? And the answer is, absolutely. From the get-go, when one is born, there is travail for the woman, and pain. And the rest of one's life there will be painful moments, even seasons.

I also thought, as a Christian, there are false teachers in the Church who teach you can live a life without pain. Those are the Benny Hinn's, Joyce Myer's, Kenneth Copeland's, and all the Word of Faith, Health & Wealth gospel preachers.

I thought, there are also those who are not false teachers, but preach and teach that God wants us to have a comfortable life, for the most part. They may not think they are teaching this, because they talk about suffering, yet they lean toward a doctrine that God wants us to be blessed with good things, and it fits well here in the USA, doesn't it.

Suppose God would call some of His children to suffer incredible pain, throughout their whole life for Him? Would He do that? I think He has at times.
I think of the Apostle Paul, when he was yet Saul, what Jesus said about him: "For I will show him [Paul] how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Paul suffered as a Christian, as we could never imagine. There are many passages in the Scriptures which show us just how much Paul suffered, and endured excruciating pain, because he loved and served Christ. (Acts 14:19, 2 Corinthians 11:23-33)

Paul said this about pain:

"I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death". Philippians 3:8-10

The Apostle desired to share in the sufferings of Christ. Amazing, don't you think. I don't want to suffer and feel pain, to be honest.
I wonder if Paul knew the more pain, the more holy you become, and Jesus is glorified as we suffer for Him. He knew, of course, it was 100% grace from above, and no good works in himself, as he endured the pain he would. It would be his Lord working in him, as the Holy Spirit comforted his heart with divine peace, amazing love, and unspeakable joy. These fruits of the Spirit are what will sustain us all as we go through the pain we must in this evil world.

So, there's some thoughts from me, that I pondered from a line in the movie, 'The Princes Bride'. Actually, the pondering even took place right now as I thought more and more on this subject of pain in life, and thoughts just started coming. If that makes sense.

Well, now to go and shovel some more snow, with an already achy body. Actually there's not a whole lot more to do. The Sun is out today, and for the next three days there will be no snow! Thank the Lord.