Don't you hate it when people tell you to "Cheer up!" especially if life is not going so well? True joy comes not from "cheering up" but from the knowledge that God is with you, in all the good times and in the bad. No mind-numbing food, no TV no sugar rush of rash relationships required. Instead, life experienced to the full, good and bad. God fully present with you: laughing with you; crying with you.
What helps you get through a tough day? With whom can you talk when things are difficult?
Write a list of the things that annoy or trouble you at this time of year. Pick one that you can actually change - even if it requires some effort - and go for it!
Loving God
Christmas can seem like a time when everyone else is happy. Help me to realise that to live a joyful life may require me to live fully both the good times and the bad. Help me to change those things I can change and to be honest with you about how I am coping with those things which seem to be beyond my control. Let me trust that you are with me - always - and that you care for me.