Welcome to another week!

I hope you stayed home on January 2 and 3. We got about 12 inches of snow during that storm. I walked in my yard for half an hour. The blowing snow burned my cheeks and made me want to curl up in bed with a good movie or book.

The blizzard didn’t stop my kids from having fun. They played outside for hours, making snow angels, shoveling our side walk (without being asked!), building snow bricks for a fort, even shoveling the yard. They had a blast.

Our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters in Christ celebrated Christmas on Epiphany, January 6. Epiphany marks the date when the Magi arrived in Bethlehem with their gifts for Jesus. By the time they got there, Jesus would have been about two years old.

Movies show the Wise Men arriving on the night of Jesus’ birth, but this is inaccurate. The Magi followed the star for two years. The star shone directly over the house where Jesus lived in Bethlehem. The star didn’t stop over the stable where Jesus was born.

Moody Radio and Music Choice on Armstrong Cable played Christmas music throughout last week to honor those who celebrate Epiphany. It was nice hearing a few more Christmas carols.

Are you sad to see Christmas end? It’s hard to put away Christmas decorations and outside lights. I put away my Christmas decorations last Wednesday. Fallowfield United Methodist Church took down the Christmas decorations on January 2.

Things look so drab without the colorful Christmas lights. But the thing is, shortly after Christmas, the tree and decorations start looking stale to me. Once the holiness of the Christmas celebration departs, it’s over, and the decorations seem unnecessary. It’s a bummer.

If you’re prone to depression after Christmas or during winter months, make a point of walking outside as often as you can. The sunshine, however feeble, will lift your spirits. And walking is crucial for people who battle depression. It releases serotonin and improves your mood.

Reducing caffeine consumption will also help lift your mood. Caffeine depletes serotonin over time. Remember: caffeine isn’t only in coffee. It’s in black tea, green tea, Coke, Pepsi, Barq’s Root Beer, Mountain Dew, iced tea, hot chocolate, milk chocolate, etc. It’s sneaky.

Do you support any missionaries financially? As I wrote last week, Fallowfield United Methodist Church, of which I am a member, supports upwards of 30 missionaries.

Two of the missionaries we support, Ibi Fulop and Eva Mergl, serve in Hungary. I don’t keep up with international news, so Ibi Fulop’s news update included a bombshell.

Sometime last fall, the Hungarian Parliament passed a new “religious order/church” law that removes the non-profit status and tax exemptions for evangelical churches and organizations.

The new law shocked the missionaries and Hungarian Christians alike. As a result, missionaries and organizations will need increased support to remain in Hungary. The National Director of Crusade (formerly named Campus Crusade for Christ), Gabor Gresz, wrote that this attack on the church shows that the church is moving in the right direction.

Opposition to God’s work usually is a sign that his people are succeeding in their witnessing.

Could you please pray for Hungarian missionaries? Please pray that supporters will sustain their support accounts. Please also pray that this attack will strengthen the believers’ resolve to continue sharing Christ with others.

By the way, Eva Mergl, missionary to Hungary, grew up in Linesville. We have another missionary from the Atlantic community: Jerry Shannon. He and his family minister in Ethiopia. Jerry is from the Kennard area.

Have a wonderful week. Blessings!