When I woke up this morning, I knew it was going to be another cold, cloudy, dreary day. My first thought was that maybe I could just stay in bed. It isn't often that I think that and always make myself get my feet on the floor.

The next thought was "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." So I got up, showered and fixed breakfast.

Almost everyone I know is bemoaning the long, cold winter. My husband, who doesn't often complain about the cold is beginning to think of heading South for the winter next year. Hm. We could visit our kids who live in Alabama, Texas and Arizona, as well as South Carolina, which is also warmer in the winter than Nebraska.

You know as well as I do, if you have been around for a few years, that we have had many winters that were colder and seemed longer than this year. Are we just getting wimpy? Why are we noticing the weather more this year?

I haven't a clue. Maybe you have some ideas.

So, since I was up and going, I tried to think of ways to help handle the cold, cloudy, dreary weather. To begin, I remembered what a friend told me the other day, "It's February in Nebraska it's supposed to be cold." That didn't help a lot.

Another friend sent a lovely e-mail titled "Whispers" that included delightful illustrations which I can't copy. The message is something to think about as we try to make sense of the weather and the world around us.

Whispers

The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang.

But, the man did not hear.

So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky.

But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.

But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And, a life was born.

But, the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here."

Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted ... even in our electronic age.

So I would like to add one more:

The man cried, "God, I need your help!" And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.

But, the man deleted it and continued crying.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way you expect.

Wow! Is that you and me? How many times have we prayed and then didn't wait for the answer? Or didn't pay attention to what went on around us? Many years ago, I heard a friend say he had prayed for guidance and a few minutes later he heard just what he needed to know on the radio.

When I began this column, I signed on to www.google.com and typed "This is the day the Lord has made" into the search box. There are about a million answers to the search but the first one was all I needed. It's beautiful and has pictures that will brighten your day, as well as poems to gladden your heart.

You will like this one:

Wings Of A Prayer

(Helen Steiner Rice)

Just close your eyes and open your heart

And feel your worries and cares depart

Just yield yourself to the Father above

And let Him hold you secure in His love,

For He hears every prayer and answers each one

When we pray in His name, "Thy will be done"

And the burdens that seemed too heavy to bear

are lifted away on the wings of prayer.

And yes, spring is just around the corner. My friend Gladys often said that "when we have an early Easter, we can expect an early spring." I hope she was right.