Is this a crazy winter or what! I so desperately wanted to use my snow blower that I bought last April that I have stooped to doing something that I would never normally do. I have pulled it out twice now, and both times we haven’t had more than 5cm of the white stuff on the ground. So there I am with my 27” Craftsman snow-eating machine chewing up a whiff of snow. I can’t imagine what my neighbours are thinking, but I don’t care. There is no way I’m going to purchase a snow blower and then not use it at all during the winter.
The weather has done a bit of a twist on our little planet. Places that don’t normally see the flakes – like Libya (go figure) are finding it on the ground.
Other places that for sure get the flakes are receiving some insane amounts. Valdez, Alaska has received…are you ready for this… twenty-eight feet so far (give or take a few inches)! 
And eastern Europe is getting blasted with snow and cold like they haven’t seen for ages! So what’s up??
I’m fine with considering that El Nino or La Nina, or the greenhouse effect from abusing our ozone layer, or the Eyjafjallajökull volcano (Iceland) are messing things up with our fine weather. I get that. However, I am running into folks (well meaning) who are attributing our screwy winter to the end of the age, Christ’s return, or the Mayan calendar.
It could be true…maybe…but I doubt it. I think there will be many more signs than that when Jesus plans his reentry into our world. But really, I’ve stopped trying to figure that out. I don’t play that game anymore.
When I was in my twentys, studying the end times was invigorating, especially when you believed that you were living in it. But now that I’ve crept over age fifty, the end of times doesn’t grip me the way it used to. Life is short and life is sweet and there are more important things to be focused on.
I have a bit of a different perspective on things now. The way I see it, everyday is an opportunity for the ‘global church’ to be the second coming of Christ. In our actions and words, we can bring heaven to earth. We can give our towns and cities a taste of the new heaven and the new earth.
I find myself telling people more and more not to concern themselves when Jesus is going to return. For many people on this earth, TODAY is going to be their end times…it really is…and that’s the truth!
Good post, Scott. Very thoughtful and truthful.
Amen, I had that discussion with someone on the bus today!