Although February is the shortest month of the year, it
often feels like the longest month. The novelty of the first snow has worn off
long ago, the days are getting longer but it’s still dark by 6:00, and many of
us begin to experience cabin fever from spending too much time cooped up
indoors. This year instead of counting
the days until February is over, decide to make the days of February
count! Here are some ideas to get you
started:
Serve others. We hear it so often it almost sounds like
a cliché, but helping someone else really does lift your spirits. Get involved in a service project with your
family or small group, volunteer to serve at church, show up for Second
Saturday Serve, shovel your neighbor’s walk, bake cookies to share with your
office, clean your closets and donate things you are not using to charity . . .
if you keep your eyes and heart open, opportunities to serve others are
everywhere!
Learn something
new. If you have always wanted to
learn how to do something or you have an interest or hobby you’ve been meaning
to pick up again, February is the perfect time!
Learn how to knit or crochet or paint, dig that old needlepoint project
out of the closet and finish it, build a bird feeder, get your guitar out its
case, learn a foreign language, find the perfect chili recipe . . . challenge
yourself to do something you’ve always wanted to try!
Celebrate! February brings three holidays –
Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. Find ways to celebrate all three days with
your family and friends. Whether you are
a football fan or not, plan a Super Bowl party.
This is leap year – February 29th comes around just once
every four years! Celebrate the day with
a special dinner.
Spend time with God. February’s dark evenings provide a perfect
opportunity to spend more time in prayer and dig into God’s Word. Read the gospels again, or study a book of
the Old Testament you’ve never read.
Stop at the church bookstore and pick up a Christian book or Bible study
to work through. Join a small group and
get involved in studying the Bible with a group, or engage in studying the
Bible with your family, your spouse or a friend.
Start February off on the right foot by attending First
Wednesday service on February 1st, and decide to make February,
2012, a month of personal, spiritual and relational growth!







