Early to bed ...

Who hasn't heard the old adage, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise?"

Here's an interesting exercise.  Count up the number of hours you have to get something done when you get up early and then when you sleep in and stay up later.  The benefit is definitely on getting up early. 

Sleep is necessary for us, and mostly because we need to dream.  The physical rest might not be nearly as important as the mental rest that our brains need to sort out a day's events.  But sleep can become an escape from unpleasant realities:  a job that isn't going well, depression, worry, financial concerns, and so on. 

The same thing might be said for mind-numbing activities that don't do a thing for us in the long run.

As hard as it is, we are much better off to be on a schedule, and soldier off toward our responsibilities.  Problems don't get solved when we run away from them.  Better to run to God with them.

God helps us through it all.  He is with us, step by step.  The happiest people are those who have hope, who find joy, and who give over their troubles to a God who is interested in every aspect of our lives.

Stay warm!!!