MANY THANKS to all of you who sent me names for my Harvester Island boxes. SO excited to send them out and bless others who are struggling.

But sometimes I am the one who is struggling. Kodiak Island, this island of 13,000 in the faraway Gulf of Alaska, is the 15th hottest covid spot in the nation right now. Most of you are on lockdown as well. We’ve also been besieged with one winter storm after another.

Some days I am black and blue all over. But not yesterday.

Yesterday was my son’s 20th birthday. To celebrate, we drove out Kodiak’s only “highway”—-the Chiniak highway, that goes 45 miles out to a buffalo ranch, an incredible beach and to a rocket launch facility. Yes, for real. Our grumpy lockdown souls awakened.

And there, as we walked and watched for whales out in the surf, we saw 3 people out in the frigid surf. Really?

How is it that when most of us want to curl up into a mug of hot chocolate and feel sorry for ourselves, other people walk casually into frostbite winds to ride frigid crushing waves? How is it that when some of us are trying to stay rooted and safe others are riding the highest coldest waves they can find?

I will not be one of those men or women in the winter surf. But I can do other brave things, even in the midst of covid. So can you!

I can still go out of my house and walk, despite the wind and cold.

I can choose to count the hours of light instead of the hours of darkness.

I will choose to decorate my house with lights, color, with evergreen and hope, (even if I’m not feeling it.)

And On Christmas Eve, I will still light a candle with 100 others on our screens, in each our own houses, singing "Silent Night, Holy Night."

On Christmas Day, I will still ornament tables with gold ribbon, poinsettias and homemade food and feed whoever is able to be here.

It’s not jumping into the winter surf—-but maybe it’s braver? But not because I am brave. I can only do these things because of something that happened centuries ago. Something I know is true, that has happened to me.

Yes, let the God of heaven and earth be born in your heart as well.

It will change your whole world. (I promise).

What brave things are you doing this season to carry on?

(AND—do you need something to look forward to in January? What about beginning to write your story? It’s free. And I promise a shot of joy each week as we spend those 90 minutes together. Sign up here.