Official! Today is the worst day of the year.

This is the title of a news feature on wanadoo.com today - my homepage. I have to say right at the beginning - it's not true!

Cliff Arnalls, a Psychologist from Cardiff University, who specializes in seasonal disorders (whatever that is???) has done a calculation; 1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA. Where: W: Weather D: Debt d: Money due in January pay T: Time since Christmas Q: Time since failed quit attempt M: General motivational levels NA: The need to take action.

EH?

It's amazing how easily we as humans are affected by our natural surroundings. I remember a January a few years back where I felt fairly down. With the dark mornings, dark nights, cold weather, and general feeling of nothing happening too soon to look forward to - January for some people can be a tough month. I spoke to an older gentleman on Saturday outside my house as I took down our Christmas lights (better late than never!) who was telling me how hard he has found Christmas and now the New Year as last year his wife of 55 years died. There are many people who find this time of year hard.

What did I do when I had my low January? I looked to my answer. When asked why he came to this earth, Jesus said 'I have come so that you can have life, and life in all its fullness'. That doesn't just go for the months of July, September, February or May. I goes for every day of every month of every year! When I ask Jesus to fill me with His life - it doesn't matter how close to Christmas I am, what my debt levels are, or what my general motivational levels are (as Cliff Arnalls would base his research on), what matters is how amazing Jesus is! With His life in my life there can be no worst days in the year! Every day is filled with life!

For the not-yet-Christian reading this - ask Jesus to fill you with His life today. If you genuinely do, he will fill you up. Try it. For the Christian reading this - experience and enjoy the life of Jesus today, and spread it around with everyone you meet.

Have a great rest of the day .... and a great rest of the month. And Cliff Arnalls, why not add a 'J' into your formula, where "J" = the life of Jesus. That would mess up your results!