peace-ice




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" March 1, 2005 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator @ write2theheart.com. Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart." All new subscribers will receive a free downloadable copy of the e- cookbook, "Write 2 the Heart of the Chocolate Lover." To join, send an e-mail with subscribe written in the subject line to: subscribe-me @ write2theheart.com. *Advertisement* Tired of high cable bills? Consider Dish Network. Right now you can get free installation and free equipment when you sign up for one year of programming. You can get more programming than what is offered by most cable companies for much less. Compare what you now have with the Dish Network programming packages at: http://cognigen.net/dish/?cbspeir Are you a worrier? Janice admits she is one. She shares how she was able to weather an ice storm with the peace that could only come from God. Peace In the Ice By Janice Price Saturday morning I was greeted with an incredibly beautiful sight. Everything was encased in ice and icicles dangled from just about everything. The ice would melt a little and a cold drizzle would freeze to form more ice. The electric blinked, crashed, came back to life, and when I finally thought it safe to turn on the computer and go online, it sent the UPS into a tizzy, trying to shut everything down without the battery being sufficiently recharged. There was little to do. There wasn’t enough light in the house to read or to write a story longhand. I called some friends, took some photographs, walked two very disgruntled dogs around the yard, crunching ice beneath my feet, and talked with some neighbors. When the lights came back on in mid-afternoon, they blinked, winked and died within seconds. I called the electric department and learned that just as soon as the lines in my area were repaired a transformer blew. It was hard to hear the woman over the other voices at the department. A short time later I heard a frightening boom that sent the cats scattering for safety. A branch from a neighbor’s tree fell from some height, caught on the electric line, and bent the pole where the line is attached over my roof. This time I could not get through to the electric department for a while because they were also with- out electricity by then and only one phone would ring. I reported the hanging branch and the damage to the electric line, wondering if I would have electricity when it was restored to the neighbor- hood. All day I was thinking about those who had electric heat instead of gas heat. Before their daughter arrived with food for them, I fixed a thermos of hot tea for my elderly neighbors. Their stove was also electric. The young couple on the other side built a fire in their fireplace for warmth. Everyone made do as best they could. The sidewalks were clear, so I debated whether to take the dogs for our usual walk past the mill, but the route is lined with tall trees which were dropping ice and branches onto the ground. We stayed close to home instead. I heated soup for an early dinner, washed dishes in the fading light, and settled into a swivel rocker with a blanket for warmth and a puppy and a cat for company. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a peaceful day. Yes, it was peaceful, despite the disruption to my routine. I’m not by nature a calm person, so as I rocked, I considered the source of the peace. All day I was thankful for what I did have: for knowing my mother was warm and safe in her home, for having gas heat, for emergency workers who were on the job and for unexpected time to spend with God. There was nothing I could do to fix the electrical problem. I left everything in the capable hands of the professionals, knowing that somewhere and somehow the problem was being resolved. I couldn’t see the trained personnel working to fix the local power outages, but I trusted they were on the job, working their way from area to area, one problem at a time. This wasn’t about me, it was about the community, and it would be worked out for everyone’s good. Too often I have worried and fretted over something I can’t fix or control. It goes against my nature (and the nature of so many others) to release a problem fully to God and allow him to work it out for the good of everyone involved. Once I pry my fingers loose, I can find peace, even though God might not reveal the solution for some time. I couldn’t see what God was doing, but I enjoyed the day, entrusting it to him, and without conscious thought, following 1 Peter 5:7, Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. It grew late and as I became sleepy, I thought, The electricity won’t be back on tonight. I might as well go to bed. It’s too dangerous to work in this weather in the dark. Then, I was wide- awake as the desk lamp suddenly blazed. It was quarter to eight. Life was again full of the wonders of modern technology, until an hour later the phone went dead. Still, it was a peaceful day. © 2005 Janice Price mercyandpercy @ yahoo.com Inspirational writer Janice Price's website, http://mercyandpercy.blogspot.com/, features her daily observations about life's situations and the lessons God is teaching us through them. She recently started a web site journal for her pets because she believes God has a sense of humor or he wouldn't have given us one. http://jansfunnyfarm.blogspot.com/. You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story. . Military Prayer Reminder As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to pray for these young people and their families: Chris Speir Tim Speir Alan Todd Holland Graham William Julie Sagel Jessie Marshal Thompson Jason Eric Hernandez Kristin Danielson Ryan Larry Miele Daniel Amy John Joanne Gary Boardwine Josh Hadassah Chanz Wackerly Robert Henderson David Habighurst Tonia Melissa Bair Matthew Nutter Nick Nation Seth Jarrell Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder. *Advertisement* Imagine my surprise and dismay to open my e-mail program only to find over 1500 e-mails. (That is not a typo!) All of them were spam and each had a virus attached. I knew I had to do something to get a handle on this or I would be constantly swamped with spam and worried about accidentally opening a virus, trojan or a worm. I purchased MailWasher Pro. I can check and delete e-mail before I download it to my computer. It tells me if the e-mail is from a friend, a known spammer or has a possible virus. I love bouncing e-mails back to spammers telling them they have the wrong address! Try it free for 30 days at: http://entier.ecosm.com/link/?wybyoww Cheryl’s Corner One of my best friends that I have never met, sent me a strawberry shelf sitter for my birthday. It has a comical little face with arms and legs that swing in every stray breeze. He proudly sits on my bookshelf next to my computer. Everyone who sees him has to smile or break out into laughter. I think he must be very sensitive to all the attention, he keeps a perpetual blush. Thanks E for the cutie! Cheryl Copyright © 2005, Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.