If I ever have my druthers regarding my own office/work space, it will have WINDOWS. I swear. It's so easy to sit in here, in my cardigan with the air conditioning going, and forget that it's a beautiful sunny day. It can be 100 or 60 degrees outside, and this office feels the same. That makes me sad.

I think our passion for climate control, pest control, weed control and other control reflects a larger obsession with controlling our uncontrollable lives. It also reflects a disconnect with the natural world. Now, I hate bugs (most of them) and weeds (especially stickery ones) as much as the next woman. I like a steadily whirring ceiling fan on a hot night and I love a roaring fire when it's cold. But most of all, I enjoy coming home and being able to open both the front and back doors, and let the day's air - warm or chilly - blow through my house, welcoming the day's temperature and mood into my home.

There's something about the smell of sun on tall grass or warm pine needles that can't compare to a store-bought candle, no matter how pretty it smells. The freshness of a wind (not fan-generated) in your face is an experience that's leagues beyond air conditioning. And even if you're in a climate-controlled environment, being able to look out the window and recognise that there is a natural world, and that it's beautiful and wild (even in Abilene), is a great blessing.

I challenge you: Spend an hour outside today, no hand-held fans, no artificial room scents, no veil between you and God's wild creation. See what it does for your soul.