What is it about this time of year?

... I think it must be the early nights and miserable weather in the UK. Can you imagine if there was no Christmas to brighten things up. Ooh - that reminds me of Narnia. How dreadful to live there in the White Witch's days - no Christmas!! Like quite a few people I struggle in the winter months - my mood goes 'flatter' and my smile hides itself away unless I actively think about it. The festive street lights in my home town of Frodsham bring out my reticent smile though - there is something very cheering about Christmas lights, isn't there? Well, light in general, really.

I respond wonderfully to a light box but so far I have broken one and lost another. I'd love to hear if a light box helps you through the winter months - add a comment to this blog if it does. (Add a comment anyway!)

Of course, the most cheering light of all is the light of Christ shining into our lives. But, especially at this time of year, I feel as though there are blackout blinds slipping down in front of my spiritual eyes all the time. I have to work hard at keeping on hoisting the things back up again.

Some of my techniques for lifting the blackout blinds are:
- When I'm driving alone I imagine Jesus in the passenger seat and I have a good natter with him
- I say Night Prayer while snuggled up in bed with my electric blanket on (and sometimes a warm single malt in my hand)
- I try to do something new and different during winter-time. At the moment I've bought a HUGE crochet hook and am making a holey scarf that I intend to weave through with ribbon. I have no idea what it will look like when finished but it's fun to try it out
- I say 'thank you' to God for all my friends at St Laurence Church who constantly make me smile and give me a lovely warm feeling
- I make myself smile around the house even when there is nobody there. I may look like a lunatic, but it's amazing how I can convince myself I'm feeling a lot brighter. The power of the mind, heh?

Have you any techniques for keeping the light of Christ streaming into your life? Come on, lets hear them.

And just one more question - has anyone else out there read 'The Shack'? Maybe not the most literary of books but it has some super insights into the nature of God in there.

Well, Merry Christmas everyone.

Kath