Fortunately for us, our neck of the woods did not receive the freezing rain forecasted.  We did get some rain, but our temperatures are above freezing, so thus far we are kinda okay.

Rain on top of icy snow doesn’t provide the best traction though.  Farther west Mosier, Hood River, Cascade Locks (and Bonneville Dam) right through Multnomah Falls is a bit of a different story – and farther east is also finding slick roads from the black ice caused by that freezing rain.

I am very happy that neither of our dam operators have to travel east through the gorge anymore.  It is bad enough that Deed has to start across from Hood River, but at least she is going east.

We are getting a lot of fog and have more to receive over the next few days.  Does make it a bit dreary, but rather have this and a slow melting of our snow than the alternative.

All the pets continue to just hunker down and wait for the sunshine and the snow to be gone so they can once again go outside and sleep out there.  It is hardest on Abby, one of the cats, she loves it outside and just hates this snow.

She will go out and stand on the stoop looking out, then looks back at me and comes back in.  Even if she does go out, she is soon climbing back into the window to find her napping place.

Carla and I are catching up on some of the programs and movies we have saved on TiVo, or whatever it is called, and just laying back waiting for the busy season of her gardening to start.

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John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  KJV

God created us, so why shouldn’t He love us?  Even though we reject Him, curse Him, use His name in vein, ignore His Holy Spirit, refuse to accept Jesus as the Christ – He is God after all and should love all He creates.

AND He does, the problem isn’t with God and HIS love, the problem is with man and His refusal to accept it.

We say our nation is a nation of laws.  People committing criminal acts (and caught) have to go through a process to first determine if they are guilty and then what would be the appropriate way, not to punish, but to rehabilitate. 

We ask for clemency, we strive to keep from being held accountable by using emotions or excuses.

We are used to a sentence in prison being adjusted for various reasons so the criminal rarely serves the full term – whether rehabilitated or not.

So, we think God should use the same standard that we use because we are so enlightened.

God has incredible patience.  His Holy Spirit continues working with sinners, long after everyone else has given up on them.

However, He has also made it clear that the only way we get into heaven and avoid hell, is HIS way.

There are no do overs, man has been given ample opportunity in life to be forgiven, to be given chances to accept His rules.

They are clear, they are concise and they start with the acceptance of His Son Jesus, as the Christ and the Savior through whom we go in order to enter heaven.

He is God.  His standards will not be modified by man’s wisdom or fear, it will only be upheld.

That doesn’t mean He doesn’t love the sinner, after all He gave His only begotten Son to redeem us; every one of us.

He is not required to do anything at all for us, He does it because He loves us.

Later, Art (-: