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2 Degrees

Pastor Matthew Best
3 min readJan 21, 2025

I’m not talking about small changes leading to bigger improvements as in 1 degree of change each day. Those are fine and have their place. But it’s not what I’m talking about today.

I’m not talking about 2 degrees of separation — as in you know someone who knows someone. That’s a fun game, but again, not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about 2 degrees, as in the temperature. 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

That’s cold. that’s what the temperature was this morning when I took the dog out to do his business and then go for a run.

2 degrees offers a variety of lessons that seem appropriate for our current state of affairs.

Here’s my take aways:

First, I didn’t choose the temperature to be so cold. That is out of my control. I have a choice though in how I approach it. I’m someone who prefers colder weather to warmer weather. I have a saying — You can always put more layers on, but you can only take so much off. For me, it’s how I approach the weather, make adjustments, and go.

Second, I went for a run. Yes, outside. My original goal was 4 miles. I dressed appropriately, and off I went. A mile in I was feeling pretty good, with just my face a little cold. 1.5 miles in is where I decided to turn around. I was starting to form ice crystals on my beard. That’s a good sign that I should finish up. The rest of my body was comfortable. I ended up doing 3 miles and was glad I did. I looked like Santa Claus though when I came in.

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Pastor Matthew Best
Pastor Matthew Best

Written by Pastor Matthew Best

My name is Matthew Best. I’m an ELCA (Lutheran) pastor who attempts to translate church and churchy stuff into everyday language.

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