How do you feel about winter? Do you like it, put up with it, despise it, or can’t wait for it to be over? We’ve been discussing this subject on my social feeds all week long. Especially in our Encouragement for Real Life Community Facebook group. When it’s not our favorite, how do we handle winter? How do we spend the winter months refraining from living miserably if we don’t care for winter? Because we all know life is to important to live it in misery, right?
So what do we do?
Well, on this week’s Encouragement for Real Life podcast episode, 10 Simple Ways to Remain Joyful This Winter, I share some ideas how to remain joyful during winter months and seasons of life, and how remaining joyful can help change our perspective about winter (or about anything for that matter). Sure, how we feel about winter may stem from our environment and where we live. My friend Kim lives in Georgia. I live in Iowa. Kim’s winter is mild. My winter is not. She and I have two different perspectives on winter, just because of our locations.
But no matter where we live, remaining joyful is important in how we embrace life, how we see life, and what we do with in life. Remaining joyful is a key to finding fulfillment and happiness. Remaining joyful changes our attitudes, our thoughts, and our actions. It’s helps us keep our eyes lifted to God. And remaining joyful adds a lift to our steps and delight to our hearts.
Remaining joyful this winter is key.
But don’t take my word for it. Here are some timely verses about joy.
Ask in Jesus’ name and we will be filled with joy.
Until this moment, you have not sought after anything in My name. Ask and you will receive so that you will be filled with joy.
John 16:24 VOICE
Joy is good for our bodies and souls.
A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression.
Proverbs 17:22 TPT
We have access to God’s joy!
I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.
John 15:11 MSG
We are called to be joyful.
Be joyful always…
1 Thessalonians 5:16 GNT
No matter how we feel about it, the best way to handle winter is this: we choose joy.
We choose joy when the temps are frigid and we can’t feel our fingers as we shovel another six inches of snow.
We choose joy when we are faced with an icy drive home from work.
Yes, we choose joy, even when the car won’t start or when the furnace quits or when sickness invades our homes.
And we choose joy in the circumstances we find ourselves in, because today is too important to live it miserable. Today is a one-of-a-kind day. We won’t get to live this day ever again.
How we handle winter matters.
Choosing joy matters.
What’s one way you can choose joy today? Even if your current circumstances aren’t ideal or perfect? It’s not always easy, though, is it? But it’s a choice. And it’s an important one to make.
For example, you may have read in another post or in my January email (if you missed it, you can receive access to next month’s email and all of my free resources by clicking here) that we were sick with this virus over Christmas, my birthday, and New Year’s. At first I was mad and upset that we would have to postpone all of our planned celebrations. Yes, I was even upset at God for Him allowing this virus to affect us at Christmastime. (But I repented as He softened my heart.)
On Christmas Eve Day, the day I felt the worst, I had to make a choice. I had to choose joy. I had to change my attitude. Because if I didn’t, Christmas 2021 would go down in history as the worst Christmas ever, for both me and my husband. He had the good attitude. I did not. And I didn’t want my stinkin’ thinkin’ to affect him.
I forced myself to choose joy.
And sometimes that’s what we have to do. Sometimes we have to choose it before we feel it. Sometimes the joy comes after the decision is made to chose it. Choosing joy makes all the difference in how we handle life and in how we handle winter.
Even though I didn’t feel well, I paused to appreciate the good. I chose to see the blessings. And I thanked God for His joy that I knew would eventually come.
It did.
We’re getting more snow here in Iowa today. I really can’t complain though. It’s been a mild winter so far, compared to some years. But as the snow is falling, I’m again forcing myself to choose joy. Winter is not my favorite. Summer is. But God is just as much a part of winter as He is summer. And just because it’s not my favorite, it doesn’t mean that I need to be miserable through an entire three months of the year. I’m not willing to live that way.
I will handle winter by living with intention, finding delight in every day, and choosing joy as I go.
Even today.
We handle winter (and everything else better) when we remain joyful.
Let’s remain joyful together.
And if you love winter, then I encourage you to share your love for it with others. Help those of us who don’t particularly care for it to see it with fresh eyes and a different perspective. Help us appreciate winter more.
Whether you like winter or not, share one thing below that you can appreciate in this season. I can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for choosing joy with me today. May God bless you in this season!!
Much love,
I’m also not a fan of winter but what I do appreciate is sitting in front of the fireplace with my husband while the snow is falling softly outside, while enjoying a roaring fire, a hot drink in hand.
Hi Eva! Thank you for sharing here. There is beauty and unique moments in each season, isn’t there? Your fireside times with your husband sounds absolutely lovely! I’m so glad you are enjoying this part of winter!