I live in the Great White North.
Since the middle of October, we have had snow. It seems like it has snowed many days out of many weeks since then, thought the accumulation doesn't seem as much as I would expect. I think that may be due to the fact that it's a "dry" snow - not the wet, packing kind - and maybe it doesn't take up as much room. Anyway, it's still more than I really care for. At least it will be a white Christmas!
And, since it's winter, we've also had short days - shorter and shorter each day. Currently, the sun rises above the horizon around 9:10 a.m. and sets around 4:30 p.m. Right now, it's about 8:15 in the morning and it's dark, overcast, flurries, and seems like it's about midnight.
All of this seems to be taking its toll on me. This will be my second winter here, and it seems like my mood is worse than last year. I've been tired, feeling down, homesick, lonely, and have had no energy to do much of anything (haven't felt like doing much of anything lately). A friend of mine suggested that I try taking some vitamin D (that's the one you get from the sun light) and see if that helps. She started taking it when she lived in similar conditions last year and found it helped her. She now lives in the same location as I do, and she's taking it again. She gave me some of her vitamins to try, and I've now taken three (one per day). I don't know how long they take to kick in, but it might already be helping somewhat. I'll keep trying them to see if they help more.
I don't think I'll be heading back home for Christmas this year. It costs so much to fly all the way across the country. I am debating on whether or not I will get a Christmas tree and decorations for my apartment. I kind of want to, but at the same time I don't know if I should. I like having decorations, but it just seems like such an added expense because I don't have any here at all. I didn't buy any tree or decorations last year because I ended up going home for Christmas. I'll wait and see how I feel later in the week...and after I pay my rent, bills and buy some groceries and see if I have money to put towards some decorations.
I've also been up and down in my Bible reading/prayer life again. I really need to dig into the meat of it and stop skimming the milk off the top. If I want to hear from God, find out what He wants, and in what direction I need to be heading, I need to do more than what I have been doing.
I've joined a Bible study recently and have gone to two of them. The last two weeks were cancelled because people were going away or something, and next week is their Christmas get together/pot luck. I was kind of thinking of going, but at the same time, I don't really know anyone there yet and still feel a little uncomfortable. I'm undecided about going, though I really don't think they would mind if I went. I'll wait and see how I feel on Tuesday (the night they have it).
So, that's just a little update on what's going on lately. Hope you have a Christ-filled day!
