In the winter we keep the temperature of our home at between 66 and 68 degrees. When we’re up and moving around its comfortable and if we are sitting and feel cold we just put on a sweater.
We installed a new furnace a couple of years ago to replace our 35 year old one and have enjoyed paying less for heating with a more efficient system.
This winter our basement family room and bedroom are always the coolest places in the house, winter or summer, but this winter they seem to be much colder than usual. Since we spend a great deal of our homeschool time there its been challenging. We’ve had a fire in the fireplace almost constantly, checked for leaks at windows and doors, running a little space heater, but it still seemed colder.
Since our home is 3 stories and heat rises, we always open the third floor vents in the summer and close the basement vents and do the reverse in the winter. Last night Eric happened to look up and see that the ceiling vent for heat/AC wasn’t opened. At first he thought we had just forgotten to open one but we soon discovered that none of the vents in the basement were opened.
That just might explain why it’s been so cold there.
There is a parallel in our Spiritual life, and this has been a great teaching opportunity for us. We’ve had a real hands on experience of what happens when your heart grows cold and you close yourself off from the Lord. It is one of the great advantages of homeschooling that we can use real life experiences as teaching tools.
Mat 7:7 says – “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”
You could have a new Bible, great devotional material, a special place to have a quiet time with the Lord, but unless you sit in that chair, open and read that Bible and devotional material, spend some time praying and listening your heart will be as cold as our family room has been.
So, if your “vents” are closed – go open them like we did.
Now for the winner of the devotional: And the winner is Renee Skeate – I’m choosing to use Experiencing God Day by Day by Blackaby. I’ve ordered it and am ready to use it after my 21 days of
A Life of Gratitude by Shelley Hitz . I’ll be giving you my favorite devotional – My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.
Finding Joy in the Journey,
Phyllis
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Phyllis Sather
Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness at:
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12 Comments
momstheword
I love your analogy. If we don’t “open the vents” as you said, then the Bible just isn’t getting in! And if it’s not getting in, we aren’t being transformed into being more like Him! Thanks so much for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday!
Kate @ Teaching What Is Good
Great analogy! And thanks for linking this up with me this week….making sure we are open to the Lord’s power in our lives!
Nina
Hi Phyllis,
Oswald Chambers’ devotional is my favorite too! I’ve started counting the graces, inspired by Ann Voskamps 1000 gifts – her devotional is focusing on grace, balsam to one’s soul. I sleep best in a cold room too – I like a lot your parallel!
Nina
Phyllis
Another OC fan. One year my husband game me the book “The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers”. It came with a searchable CD that I’ve used over and over. Its huge, but I’ve enjoyed it so much. Thanks for stopping by and encouraging me.
Tara
Hi Phyllis, I really like the parallel, thank you for sharing. Tara.
Phyllis
You’re welcome Tara. Thanks for visiting.
LuAnn Braley
It has always been when my ears are closed that I have been unable to hear God.
Following from Friendship Friday at Create With Joy. :O)
Phyllis
Welcome to my site LuAnn. Glad you stopped by and were encouraged.
Pamela
Our heat is off in our bedroom–always. Sometimes I open the window in 20 degree weather. But my heart is one organ I want to be a warm as possible. Open and ready for what God calls me to.
Phyllis
Pamela I like to sleep in a cool room too. I love hearing about people who are open and ready to follow the Lord.
Piper
This is good stuff!! When our hearts are cold nothing can enter… we must open our hearts so that we can let the word of God work thru us!
Phyllis
Hi Piper,
Thanks for stopping by and encouraging me.