Random Thoughts of Amy Potts

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or if you have known me for very long at all, one thing you know for sure is that I love winter!  As long as I can remember I have loved winter.  I have fond memories of snow forts and sledding.  I had dreams of becoming a figure skater or an olympic skier.  Having grown up in rural Iowa, it wasn't likely that I would become either. Through the years people have said that as I get older I will come to hate winter just like the rest of the world.  I haven't found that to be true.  If anything, my fondness for the snow and bone chilling cold only grows stronger with time. Why winter?  Why not spring, or fall or the warm summer sun? Why am I drawn to the coldest, bleakest time of year?  Would you consider seeing life through winter eyes?  It is my winter eyes that help me to see more than a simple changing of nature's seasons. I have had experiences that have taken me full circle in what I have come to know as the seasons of life.

My pastor ended her sermon today with the words; "May you be present and not somewhere else.  May you be found in Christ."  I listened with intent to her words today for many reasons. She encouraged us to look for joy in what we have and to be thankful for this moment.  I like to think that I do this well, but I often find myself living with the "what if" and "I should have" mentality.  This has always been difficult for me and I suspect that I am not alone. I am known to be a positive, upbeat woman who is rarely if ever down or depressed.  Honestly, I do view life differently than some who have experienced similar struggles and have known less heartache.  But I am also a woman who has real hurts, real disappointments and there are times when resilience seems less present.  But why were the pastor's words so meaningful today? This past week our pastor said goodbye to her mom who had been fighting cancer for some time.  As she approached the pulpit