The Third Friday of Advent

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

At 4:23 p.m. winter officially came to our area. This is known as the winter solstice. After tonight we shall gain a few minutes of daylight each day for the next six months, until we experience the summer solstice.

I hope you have the opportunity to go outside tonight. Our front porch was the perfect observation post. It is a crisp, cold night – a winter’s night. The moon is so bright that it throws shadows from the Maple trees in our front yard and I can see everything in the barnyard without a flashlight.

I am glad that God has placed me where I can enjoy the four seasons. Each one is special in it’s own way. Winter for me is a time of hibernation. Having animals means there are outdoor chores but much of my time in the winter is spent indoors. I clean out closets and cupboards. I re-organize areas that have gotten out of control (like my craft room). I crochet. This year I might finally master knitting. I play music – the piano, dobro, and psaltry – none of them very well – but for my own enjoyment.I put jigsaw puzzles together on the dining room table. I read. I write letters. I plan next year’s garden. It sounds like I’m busy, and I am in a way. It is a different kind of busy than the rest of the year. I get to do many of the things I don’t have time for in spring, summer, and fall. Winter gives me time to slow down, to reflect, to breathe.

And I do love a good snowstorm!

When the ground is blanketed in a deep snow the landscape is transformed into a winter wonderland. And there is a quietness that brings a sense of peace. I love sitting by a wood fire on a snowy day – our furnace keeps us warm but it isn’t the same as those flickering flames and the crackling logs. Thank You, Lord, for winter!