I enjoy having a “quiet time” every morning.....I’m able to do that now that the kids are grown and I usually have no place I have to be at an early hour. I kind of feel like I’m having a cup of coffee with the Lord. First I MUST create the atmosphere: coffee (fresh ground and local roasted, of course), my bible, a devotional (I rotate Spurgeon and Chambers each year), my journal (since I like to write) and a fire if it’s winter or the porch if it’s summer. For some reason, setting the atmosphere gives me peace; I guess it helps me divorce myself from the world’s worries. In the throes of winter, I battle depression every year...February is the worst month for me. January’s not so bad because it comes on the heals of holiday celebration; newness and resolution; and anticipation of soup, football, and snow. February is now old and tired and always, it seems, Punxatawney Phil predicts 6 more weeks of same old same old and, if for some reason, he predicts an early Spring, it’s a lie.