I'm dreaming of a white...St. Patrick's Day?

As I sit here, my family and I have just dug out from an 11" dumping of snow. Yes...with Spring just around the corner. 27-degrees. Don't get me started on our beloved Punxsutawney Phil and his prediction that Spring was "just around the corner." Here we are SEVEN weeks (not six) after Groundhog's Day, and it's very white outside. In fact, pretty much all of the snow we've gotten this Winter came after Feb. 2nd.

But enough of that. My real purpose here is to encourage you all to take a closer look at the man the world now knows as St. Patrick. While many Americans celebrate with green clothing, green beer, etc., the true story of St. Patrick is rather inspiring. The story of a young slave who, after escaping, returns to the land of his captors in order to forgive them and tell them about Christianity. A great story of grace and forgiveness that we all need to hear in this day and age. A story that I need to be reminded of on a daily basis. To read more about it, check out the entry at Wikipedia, or this fine site at the History Channel.

And, if you are looking for a good read on the subject, check out Stephen R. Lawhead's wonderful piece of historical fiction: Patrick: Son of Ireland. (For those of you who have never read Lawhead, he is a terrific writer, and this should whet your appetite for more. I am looking forward to reading his latest book, Hood, a retelling of the story of Robin Hood. I also highly recommend his series of Arthurian books.)

Anyway, happy St. Patrick's Day. And enjoy the snow. I'll be staying inside watching basketball and pre-season baseball.

Oh...and a late addition here. Just found this article, "The Challenge of St. Patrick" by Eric Hurtgen over at Relevant Magazine. Check it out.