Then you pull into your driveway. A quick check of the house—yes, everything looks okay. You unpack the car. And then it begins to sink in: the post-Feast blahs.

It's that feeling again, that one so many of us get each year immediately after the Feast. You probably know what I mean—that let down feeling that comes from leaving a millennial setting, where nearly every hour was shared with Church brethren. It's that realization that for another year we are back into the world, coping with life in a society that is hostile to God's law.

It's a normal, human reaction to miss the wonderful Feast experiences God allows us to enjoy. For eight days we revel in that small glimpse of life in God's Kingdom that He allows us each year. But we have to live our lives in this world. God does not promise to take us out of the world, but He does promise to give us the power, through His Spirit, to overcome the world (John 17:15).

The question is, What can we do to avoid getting trapped in the post-Feast blahs? Here are few tips for combating the PFBs:

Stay in Touch With Those You Met

A great way to extend that warm Feast glow is to call or e-mail those brethren you met at your Feast site. Let friends know how much you enjoyed seeing them again, and let new acquaintances know how much you enjoyed meeting them. Also, contact friends who have gone to other Feast sites. Find out how enjoyable their Feast was and what they felt were the highlights of the Feast.

Review the Messages You Heard

The Feast of Tabernacles is, above everything else, a spiritual Feast. It provides us with some of the strongest and most encouraging messages we hear each year. Take time to go over your sermon and sermonette notes. Or better yet, get audio or video copies of the Feast messages. Visit the Feast Web site, http://feast.ucg.org, for archived sermons from 2010 and 2009. Usually video recordings are also available at local congregations within a couple of weeks after the Feast.
Resolve to Improve Spiritually

Nearly all of us can tell others about a message that affected us deeply—that seemed to touch an area of our lives that needed changing. Ask God to help you apply those lessons and allow the Feast messages to change you personally.

Begin Planning Now for Next Year's Feast

The Feast of Tabernacles is the highlight of our year. Given this importance, it is quite appropriate for us to begin planning for next year's Feast as soon as this year's Feast is over. Plan now how you will make next year's Feast even better. If you and your family are considering transferring to a different site, find out about that site from brethren who attended there previously.

Remember that God allows us to enjoy a small foretaste of His Kingdom during these days. He commands us to rejoice at the Feast (Deuteronomy 16:14). It's a time of spiritual and emotional rejuvenation that should help us throughout the year. That glow can and should extend beyond Feast time. It should carry us on to the spring Holy Days. We can avoid the post-Feast blahs! UN