Are you ready... to discuss the weather?

   I can't believe we haven't talked about weather here on the Vander Griend's  musing spot.  Is it too hot, too cold, too dry, too rainy, too windy...Today is the day - it is deserving of it since a good portion of the U.S. and Canada are in a deep freeze.   I talked with my mom who said even Florida had a "feels like" temperature of 35° this morning and she had her sweat pants on with a sweatshirt.  

   Here is our official temperatures at 10:00 am from our kitchen and the front porch - and the front porch is in the sun right now. (It was 11° at 8 am)

(ignore the time stamp - haven't figured out how to correct that)

   Which brings up the topic that is always mentioned when we tell people we are heading to Alberta, Canada for missions work.  

Weather - particularly temperature. 

There are lots of jokes, 

Lots of "are you ready for this",

 Lots of "you shouldn't be cold".

   Yes, its going to be cold outside there, and really windy a lot of the time.  Today the temperature in Lethbridge is going to be a balmy 12° for the high and a -10° for the low.

   But hey, it is January, and the temperature in Wisconsin Rapids were we lived for a year is projected to be a high of 9° and a low of -2°.

Are we ready for the colder temperatures and the longer winters?

Are we ready for the long nights and endless wind?

Are we ready to think in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit?

Are we ready for no pennies? (did you even know that?)

Are we ready for Showing Them Jesus?

How do you answer them?  How about defining the word ready?

read·y

ˈredē/

adjective

1. 

   1.

   in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared.

   "are you ready, Carrie?"

   synonyms:

   prepared, set, all set, organized, primed;
2. 2.

   easily available or obtained; within reach.

   "there was a ready supply of drink"

noun

BRITISHinformal

1. 1.

   available money; cash.

verb

1. 1.

   prepare (someone or something) for an activity or purpose.

   "the spare transformer was readied for shipment"

   synonyms:

   prepare, get/make ready, organize;

I like that definition: in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation: fully prepared.

1 Peter 3:15

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

In light of those verses, we are working on getting ready.  We are preparing to give a defense to the Blackfoot people and other people we meet about How Great is Our God! We are relying on Him who strengthens us. And we are standing firm in our faith that God will provide the resources we need to get to Canada and provide the strength we need to serve Him there.

And, we are prepared for the weather - plugging in our humidifier when the heat runs all night, and packing up our electric mattress pad that has served us well from Illinois to Tennessee and on to Canada!