Winter tests our hope and resolve. In the Northern hemisphere the temperature drops. Storms disturb. Light fades. But this time of year also sees the festivals of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Each in some way is a reminder that light is never totally absent.

Exploring a path through these festivals, Some Small Heaven seeks to discover the light within the darkness of winter - and within all our winters - to find some small heaven each day, even when life comes at us tough, hard and bleak.

Whether we are waiting for a darkness to pass or yearning for a light to come, these daily reflections and images enable us give our care and attention to both the waiting and the yearning and to recognise the gifts that such times may bring.