With one snowy day behind us, and a chilly forecast for the week ahead, my thoughts have begun turning to the halfway mark of winter…and the anticipation of predictions to be made by rodents awakening from hibernation.

On February 2, the most popular groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, will awaken at daybreak to give our nation his weather prediction. Will Phil see his shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter? Or will it be a cloudy, shadowless day in Pennsylvania? Will spring be on the way?

I prefer to rely on our local groundhog, Woody, who will be making his appearance at the Natural Science Center in Greensboro. Woody, unlike Phil, may not make his prediction based solely on his shadow. It is rumored that Woody may be influenced by the crowd. I hope that no one present is going to be cheering for Woody to predict six more weeks of winter.

As we begin the second half of winter next week, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the colorful crocus and daffodils that will be piercing the landscape soon. Daylight savings time can’t be far behind!

Early in December, one of my cousins sent me an e-mail and asked how I was doing. As I thought about how I would answer him, all my problems and worries came to the surface.

At home, as the mother of a 16-year-old and a 21-year-old, there is plenty to worry and fret about. Both kids want more freedom than I’m comfortable giving them, but I know it’s my job to let go and let them make their own mistakes. My husband’s work is slowing down a bit, and there always seems to be more month left at the end of the money.

I love my work, although sometimes there are days when it seems as though I can’t come up with one good idea.

And at church, you would think a small church wouldn’t have disagreements and hard feelings, but I think the small size magnifies things like this. We have some tough decisions coming up, and I worry how this will affect the future of the church.

But then I thought – wait a minute. This particular cousin is in Iraq as a member of the US Army Reserves. He left his wife and three children (7-year-old Hannah and 3-year-old twins) at home and put his job with ATF on hold to serve his second tour of duty in a very dangerous part of the world. I may have some bad days, but no one is shooting at me, I don’t have sand in every nook and cranny of my home, and I don’t have 115 degree heat to contend with. My worries seem pretty small and petty in comparison.

Lots of changes are taking place in our country right now – and things seem a bit scary at times. One of my favorite quotes, from Thomas Edison, says, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it arrives in overalls and looks like work.”  So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to roll up my sleeves and get busy. This is no time to sit back and fret.

Oh, what did I write back to my cousin?  “We’re doing great. We’re praying for you and hope to see you home soon.”

Ahhh…January. It’s the time for New Year’s resolutions and the emptiness of no holiday or warm weather to look forward to for a several months.
I propose that we make this January different. I’m not talking about fitness resolutions that will undoubtedly fall by the way side in the spring or mourning a tropical-island winter vacation that the poor economy has now made unaffordable. Instead, let’s focus on the good things, the simple good things that help us get through January:
NFL Playoffs –I don’t care if your team has been eliminated. With only a handful of games left in the season, every game is precious.
Chocolate – With holiday chocolate still in the house and on sale in the stores, plus the arrival of Valentine’s Day chocolates, is there a better time of year for the greatest food ever?
Award Shows – They’re back! It’s always fun to critique the nominees’ gown or suit…….errrr, I mean performance.
The television show 24 is back on—Need I say more?  Wouldn’t the world be a better place if Jack Bauer really did exist?
The point is no matter what you enjoy, take time to enjoy it!  Be grateful for the simple things in your life that give you pleasure.  January doesn’t have to be the bleak month that is dreaded by so many. Find your fun and remember-- the month only lasts for 31 days.