February 2026 – A Writer's Daughter

Time for February – Part 3

For the past couple of days, I have been thinking about how to end my short February treatise on ‘time.’ I researched some Scriptures on the topic, but nothing popped out at me. This morning, I received a Bible verse in a daily texting group that feels exactly right.

Second Corinthians 9 v 8 says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things AT ALL TIMES, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” What struck me on first reading was the obvious abundance: the words “abundantly”, “all” used three times, “abound” and “every.” God promises lavish fullness, demonstrating His generosity toward His own.

A dear friend, Sandee, regularly texts a big group of us a pretty picture with a Bible verse. I received this from her this morning.

In Bible reading, context is of utmost importance. Chapter nine of 2 Corinthians is about giving. Believers in the Corinthian church were preparing to give a gift (likely monetary) to Christians in another region. The writer Paul is reminding them about their promise to give generously, as they were “blessed” and able to follow through on “every good work.” Paul then quotes Psalm 112 v 9 , supporting the concept of the righteous giving generously from another book of the Bible.

It feels odd to wrap up “Time for February” on an altered note, but I hope you can follow my track. While I was thinking of chronology in this month of numerical confusion, God’s Word brought my post to God’s goodness to us all the time, especially through Jesus our Savior, and our opportunity to live generously with good works all the time. In fact, doing so may help pass the time these last days of February, without a 29th day this year! AMEN

Time for February – Part 2

As this shortest month of the year, which sometimes wearily drags on the longest, passes the halfway point, I extend “Time for February” with a recent incident.

Over the holidays, I decorated our fireplace mantel. In typical fashion, I decked it with Christmas-y greens, lights, and ornaments. Also in typical fashion, a mantel clock usually sits centered there. I moved the mantel clock off to the side on a nearby bookshelf, planning to keep it running, visible and audible in a temporary spot.

This clock was built in a train station in Paris, now the Musee d’Orsay art museum.

The clock is mechanical. I wind it monthly and it keeps relatively good time, ticking in a calming, familiar way. I gave the clock a few winds as I set it on its new perch and gently pushed the pendulum to restart it. After a time, I realized the clock had not restarted. I again gave the pendulum a little shove to get it going. Again, some time later, the clock was not ticking, not keeping time. Just to make sure, a third time, I wound it a bit more and started the pendulum. This attempt also failed.

Now, I realized something else was awry. I suspected the bookshelf where I placed the clock might not be level. When the holidays ended and I put all the decorations away, the mantel clock went back on the mantel. With no prompting from me, the clock began its ticking, meting out its normal timekeeping. Apparently, the carpenter did a better job on the mantel than on our bookshelves!

Where do I take this time-keeping anecdote? I think of one of Jesus’ more familiar parables: The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49). Many know it well from the Sunday School ditty, “… the rains came down … and the floods went up!” What happened? When the winds and the rain came, as they certainly will, the house built on the sand collapsed, similar to my clock on the unlevel bookshelf. The house built on the rock foundation stood firm in the flood: my clock was perfectly functional on the solid mantel. In this construction story, Jesus says our lives must be founded on something solid, namely Him and His Truths, or there will be “destruction” (Luke 6 v 49). Storms are inevitable but grounding ourselves in Him stands the tests of time.

Time for February

The month of February defies time. It is the shortest month of the year with only 28 days, but winter weather woes, Super Bowl woes, and Valentine’s Day woes can drag February painfully on. The short month further confuses us with the Groundhog Day syndrome (immortalized by the Bill Murray movie) and a 29th day of the month that only happens every four years. What to do!?! Blog about it!

Scripture speaks much about time. God is the author of time, though in His divinity He is beyond our human limitations of time. God is not a Father Time; that was Chronos, a figure out of Greek mythology. Our God of the ages is the “Ancient of Days*,” and He points us to (a sampling of) His perspectives on time, beginning with my favorite:

Teach us to number our days [aright], that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90 v 12 (Note – this verse is a prayer or request of God)

My times are in Your Hands. Psalm 31 v 15

The seasons chapter, a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3 v 8

“I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1 v 8

May God’s Word sustain your days and weeks. I will continue this post in a few …

February roared in like a lion (oops, that’s March) with a rare coastal snowstorm!

*Daniel 7 v 13