More than one family argument has started when one person feels hot, while another feels cold, even though they are both in the same room.

Chemical activity which takes place throughout the body constantly generates heat.  The body is well equipped to slowly burn even high energy foods like sugar, and thus produce heat in small quantities.

Important factors that affect our ability to feel right about the temperature include our percentage of body fat, and the surface to mass ratio of our body.  The higher the percentage of body fat, the more we retain heat.  The larger the skin area, the more we radiate heat.

If the room temperature is below normal body temperature, so the body is losing heat to the surroundings, the person with the larger surface area to mass ratio would feel cooler.  But an air temperature equal to our internal body temperature seems uncomfortably warm to us.  This is because the body's metabolism is continually producing heat, some of which is normally lost to the cooler surrounding air.

When the temperature of our environment equals the body's core temperature of thirty-seven degrees celsius it's higher than the surface temperature of our skin, so the body gains heat from the surroundings.  This heat soon builds up, making us feel hot.  Then we have to dissipate the heat by evaporating water from the skin as perspiration.

So next time someone says it's hot in here, don't assume that everyone will agree.

MOVING BEYOND MATTER
by Debbie Hughes 

We've all experienced situations in which we feel out of sync with the other people around us.  Sometimes when we're coming down with a fever, we feel chilly and start to shiver.  Then, we feel hot and begin to perspire.  We cool off and the cycle begins again.

Sometimes our situation reveals not the evidence of disease processes but rather the givens of life.  Infants and older people seem to be more sensitive to extremes of temperature - and less able to adapt.  Caring people in their circle of family and friends will try to provide external sources to help them compensate.  So a blanket or a fan will help grandma, a cozy hat or a cool bath will comfort the baby.  The idea here is to provide what is lacking in their own systems.  This care will compensate for what they can't do for themselves.  It is a recognition that their needs are different and distinct.  That's why such measures comfort them. 

Although this can happen on a physical plane, it can also occur in social situations.  Newcomers particularly need to adapt to new surroundings.  They need to discover the social temperature of this new environment and learn to feel comfortable.  This can happen in job situations, with new family members, in schools or in joining new activities.  It's always nice to have someone else show us some care to help us compensate for our lack of specific knowledge and experience.  

The idea of compensating for our lack has significance in the spiritual realm.  All religions recognize that something has gone wrong in the world.  And all religions propose a solution to fix the problem.  Most religions put the onus on humans to strive to rectify this situation.  But this is not the best way to approach the problem.  Fortunately, it is not the only way either.

The Christian faith holds that God, Himself, is in the renewal business.  At this point in time, He renews individuals one at a time.  One day, everything will be made new.  At that time, things will be as they are meant to be.