Often viewed as the darkest of seasons, winter can often leave us in a somewhat gloomy heart season. All the world is at rest, and yet our busy lives go on. The trees have all shed their lively apparel and stand vacant until the arrival of a new beginning. The animals all have finished their busy preparations and are in silent hibernation until the sun shines warmly once again. The grass withers and yields to winter's bitter chill. And we stand in the middle of it all, watching it unfold. Join me as we re-focus our hearts and explore some of the wonderful things this season has to offer us.

Mindset Maintenance

It is easy to feel hopeless this season. As believers, we know exactly where our hope lies, but that doesn't mean it's easy to recall when we most need to. Depression rates have skyrocketed, and winter catches them at their highest point, with an estimated ten million Americans experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD) each year. With so much darkness, it can prove to be difficult for some of us to stand against the temptation to give way to sadness in our lives. But this is not Yahuah's will for our lives. So how can we keep our eyes fixed on Him and resist the dreary feeling winter often brings?

Personally, it all begins with changing my focus. We are the ones who choose what things our hearts dwell on, whether we believe it or not. That's not to say that we can control the thoughts that enter our minds, but Scripture tells us to immediately take each and every thought captive to assure that it is in line with His will for us (2 Corinthians 10:5), therefore controlling the thoughts we allow into our hearts. This means that when anything that is not just, pure, lovely, of good report, and containing virtue and praise (Philippians 4:8) comes into the realm of our thoughts without warning... we must boldly reject it in the name of Yahusha. I always visualize a stick figure drawing pushing whatever dishonoring thoughts I face out of my frame of thought, and pulling down a paper featuring something that truly honors my Father.

We need to have something pure and lovely to think on in place of dark thoughts if we want to win victory over them. This could be anything- a song, a Scripture verse, a pleasant memory... We replace the former dishonoring thoughts with these things and give them our full attention and focus. Study the scene you've chosen for your mind inside out, paying attention to every detail. The colors of clothing, the gentle smiles, the roaring laughter, the flickering candlelight- anything you can find to dwell on. This exercise is something that has worked wonderfully for me in the past, and I strongly encourage you to try it as well.

Another thing that is key for maintaining good mental health (for me, at least), is journaling. I'm going to write another post sometime soon about a few of the journaling methods I use, but the one I most often go to is my everyday journal. This is just a collection of writings about whatever is on my mind in the moment- it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else, because I'm not writing it for anyone else. It's an unfiltered, sometimes nonsensical book filled with random things from my mind. If I have a hard day, an amazing day, or any of the in-betweens, I document that here. Sometimes you can't even sort out your feelings until you put them on paper. Journaling brings me incredible clarity on things I would have never seen otherwise.

The Power of Rest

Rest is often either a much-coveted retreat or a burdensome obligation, depending on the situation, and seldom do we take the time to genuinely appreciate the beauty it offers us. When we feel overworked or weary, we long for rest above all else. When we are in a season of forced rest, like many of us experience in the colder months, we tend to find it a burden that we are unable to be more productive.

But what if we calmed our restless souls to let every last bit of rest we are blessed with soak into our hearts and minds? This is similar to the concept of slow living I discussed in my previous post, Rush Hour: Learning to Live Slow and Accomplish Fast. Life has more precious beauty to unfold to us, bit by bit, when we learn to simply slow down.

Winter is a season of regeneration. Just like the earth has shed the old things and is preparing for the new, our hearts lie in wait of new things the Father has to offer us. Use this time to allow new dreams to spark inside of you, big and small. Forget the old things that have weighed you down... We've shed that, and the time has come for us to move on.

So what exactly does this season of rest have to offer us? Firstly, it gives us an opportunity to quiet our minds. Although school and work resume in spite of the season's relentless retreat, but that doesn't mean our minds have to stay in the same hustle-and-bustle mode they tend to default to in these situations all the time. When you get home, take your shoes off. Make a cup of tea. Pick up an extraordinary book and spend some time getting lost in it. Play your favorite music and sing along. Accept winter's invitation to just be. Only then will we achieve the mental clarity we so long for.

Second, winter is an incredible learning season. I use the cold weather as an opportunity to pick up new skills and learn new things. Right now, I'm reading a book I've had on my list for a while, trying my hand at a crochet blanket, teaching myself a few songs on my ukulele, and implementing a stronger journaling focus into my daily rhythm. These few things help keep me occupied when I grow weary of the "nothing to do" feeling I can sometimes fall into. And they are things that I often don't have time for in warmer seasons, because I spend much of my time outside then, and things start to get busier around our home. Using my winter to learn is an excellent way to accomplish the things I often find myself wishing I had time for.

The third way we can spend our winter days is to go outside. This is an opportunity that is often overlooked, as there are limited things available to keep us busy on the earth while it sleeps. But, there is one thing we forget about: walking. It is by far one of my favorite winter pastimes... The cold is so incredibly good for your health, and walking (plus daily stretching of course), is a wonderful way to avoid your muscles growing weak throughout the season. I love the cold wind on my face and the rosy cheeks I get from being in it. I love overcoming seeming obstacles by simply putting on warm socks and a coat and stepping outside. I love feeling a sense of warmth that is precious beyond measure when I step back inside. In addition to walking, winter is a fantastic time to plan your spring garden out, watch birds, and take some time to observe nature in its hibernation season.

Yahuah has so many exquisite things to offer us in these seemingly bleak months. My hope is that this post has inspired you to keep your spirit hopeful during this time. Continue to look for beauty where it seems to be missing... It is in the eye of the beholder. Let your soul find the rest it needs and embrace the shalom we are offered through this season. Happy resting dear friends<3

Love,

Nola:)