'Tis the Season

'Tis the season to bring out things like these:

I tend to get really cranky when I have to start using the above items.  I am simply not a winter person.

But I get even crankier when I have to get out these items:

These items have consumed the past three days of my life, and they are likely to consume the next couple (at least).

What I need to keep in mind as my Seasonal Affective Disorder kicks in are these things:

1.  I am blessed to be able to afford a winter coat, scarves, and gloves.
2.  I am fortunate enough to be able to have car windows to scrape in the mornings.
3.  I live comfortably enough to be able to spend money on cold medicine and cough drops.
4.  I am lucky to have a job that provides me good health care, should I decide that my cold needs something stronger than Tylenol.
5.  I have a job which allows me the opportunity to work a three-day week and spend a four-day weekend enjoying a smorgasbord of food with the family I am fortunate enough to have.

I am richly blessed, and I need to spend less time focusing on the seasons of scraping windows and cold medicine and more time focusing on the season of Thanksgiving.

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.

Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.

Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name." 

-1 Chronicles 29:11-13