1) Snowmen make lousy friends. While snowmen rarely talk about themselves and appear to be good listeners, they simply aren’t paying attention. Snowmen frequently give the “cold shoulder” and at the first sign of trouble, when things “get a little hot,” they disappear. (I am not even going to discuss what poor role models snowmen are with the whole “corn cob pipe” thing).

2) Managing slippery roads without snow tires and marriage counseling sessions are similar. I feel the frequent need in both cases to shout from the top of my lungs: “Get a grip!”

3) Shoveling snow from one’s driveway and preaching sermons are similar. Both require a lot of work and will be mostly forgotten in a few months (Months? Who am I kidding? I’ve preached a few stinkers I’ve wanted to forget before I got to the church foyer).

4) Salt melts snow but it doesn’t melt cauliflower. As a child I secretly hoped that sprinkling salt on my veggies would magically make them disappear and melt away. It never happened. Neither does salt melt away bad memories, hurtful words, or a guilty past. For those things, allow the Holy Spirit to work deep within your heart. In case you are wondering, as an adult I’ve discovered to eliminate cauliflower it takes three words: working garbage disposal.

5) You can’t control how cold it is outside. But you can control the warmth of your heart. Don’t get distracted by the things you can’t control. Focus on what you can. Keep your heart warm and close to the flame of God’s love.

6) Nothing stops our Senior Adult’s game day. Our policy is when Carmen-Ainsworth schools are closed we have no activities at the church. That rule does not apply to our Senior Adults’ Game Day. Telling an 85 year old she can’t play Skip-bo, takes a battalion of marines and full body armor for protection. I have neither. Play on, grandma, play on!

7) Snowball fights are a lot like church fights. A lot of stuff goes flying through the air, and usually someone goes home crying. Let’s avoid anything that ends in the word “fight.”

8) To get a city snowplow to come down your street follow these four easy steps:
1. Clear all snow from your driveway (either by shovel or snow blower),
2. Return to your warm house
3. Remove all of your winter outerwear
4. Sit down in front of a fire with a cup of warm cocoa and a good book.
Within minutes the plow will roar down your street pushing snow back onto your driveway, filling your entrance with now harden chunks of snow and ice.

9) A cold church with a working furnace is a very bad thing. I want to be a part of a church that is on fire for the Lord. A church that warms ice-cold souls and turns lukewarm disciples into white-hot sparks of God’s transformative love!

10) Snowflakes are individual and small but when they stick together they can make a really big difference. That’s a lot like the church too. On our own we can accomplish a little for Christ, but together we can accomplish so much! Let’s keep sticking together!