Janet's Blog

Winter has never been my favorite season of the year. I love to be outdoors, but not when the air temperature is cold enough to kill me. And not when the frigid northwest wind blows the flags straight out from their poles, and threatens to blow me off my feet. But the temperature isn't the worst of it; I really hate the depressing brown landscape that dominates our winters in the Nebraska panhandle. For me, a skiff of snow is a blessing that covers up the brown and adds some contrast to an otherwise dull vista. Frosty trees are magical. Blazing sunsets, though short lived, revive my sagging spirits. In the dead of winter, I have to look hard to find beauty in the brown. Frosty pine trees line the highway south of town. Footprints on the uncleared path lead to the Monument. He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. Psalm 147:16 A dusting of snow covers the ground just to the east of Chimney Rock, as the setting sun illuminates the sky. Freezing rain can be tre...

I received an unexpected package in the mail today, from my sister, Laura, who forwarded me her granddaughter, Emma's, school Geography project. Emma lives with her family in south-central Nebraska. Her fifth grade teacher has directed her students to mail a journal to a friend or relative, with instructions to write about the area where they live, and then dispatch the journal on to someone else. By mid-April, when the journal is supposed to be returned to the school, each student should have journal entries from several people all over the country. In addition, each writer is asked to mail a postcard to the school at the same time they mail the journal to the next person, so all of the students can see where all of their journals are going. This sounds like a good way to get young students excited about Geography. After I finished writing the letter for Emma's journal, I realized that many of my blog readers might enjoy reading it, too. I've touched on some of the content...

The sun is about to set on 2021. Some of us will say "Good riddance!" Others will be looking forward to 2022 as a chance for new beginnings. As I drove home yesterday afternoon, I was captivated by the sunset near Chimney Rock. Way back in the mid-1800s, travelers were excited to finally see its spire stretching toward the sky, signaling that they were on the right trail, and well on their way to Oregon. Just as those long-ago pioneers faced unknown challenges on their long, often treacherous trip, we, too, look ahead to the New Year with a little uneasiness, even trepidation, and perhaps a little anticipation as we wait to see just what God has planned. As I savored the beautiful sunset, I was reminded that the sun will come up again, just as it has since the beginning of creation, until that day when God determines that the world will come to an end. But even then, he will be with us. Chimney Rock no longer guides wagon trains on their way to the pioneers' new homes, bu...