January Joy

New beginnings....January always sparks something fresh in me. Some of my favorite weather days are those ridiculously bright ones when the sky is brilliant blue and the snow sparkles like bits of glass. I know its cold, but on a day like that I can stay outside almost forever and trudge through the fields and woods, dressed for it of course.

I can feel the coming of spring somewhere in the distance and it lures me to peruse seed catalogs, repot my plants, and do laundry. Yep, those sheets need washing even if I can't hang them on the line. I polish and dust and vacuum and then....ah, its still cold out and not a robin in site. Maybe I get a little ahead of myself. But I think the sun does that to a person. Makes us happy after long stretches of dull days. Gives us energy. That brightness produces January Joy. And if you read way back there in my posts somewhere, you will remember that 'joy' is one of my very most 'favoritest' words.

The sun can produce a temporary physical joy that drags us up out of the everyday and gives us a new lease on life....for a while. 

There is however, a more permanent joy that is always available to us. God has not promised us a perfect life with everything smoothly in place, but He has promised us that if we trust Him in all we do, He will give us joy even in hard times. 

Draw a little closer to Him this year. Read the Bible a little more. Pray a little harder. Rest in God's love. Feel the joy God gives so freely. 

Psalms 63:5-7 My soul will be satisfied and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

1 Peter 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your soul. 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 'Round The Corner

Ahh, the blog. I love it/hate it. I wanted to finish the photo challenge last month but there it sits. I stopped somewhere mid month. The weather was still warm, leaves needed raking, life got busy. But it is November now. More indoor time, more focus on what I want it to feel like between these four walls. My mother made our home such a cozy place to be. I try to focus on that. Hot chocolate, candles lit, decorations up. All the festivity needs to begin! I started where we usually start. Shortly after Remembrance Day, some lovely little people came to visit and set up my Christmas Village.

Day 18 Made Me SmileToday

The fact that my 14 year old still thinks it fun to hide in the leaves or that I found him there while I was raking....both made me smile.

Day 17 Fruit

Day 16 Something You Wrote

A little bit of the writings that collect themselves in various locations around the house.

Day 15 A Mess

I was tired last night and it was late. We ate spaggetti earlier and I did most of the dishes but left some pots in the sink. At somewhere around midnight, the boys decided they wanted cake. They are usually in bed by then but this seemed like a good idea at the time. So I baked a cake....and did the unthinkable. I LEFT MY DISHES IN THE SINK OVERNIGHT! This morning I looked at the Photo Challenge for today and then went downstairs. I think this qualifies as a mess. I'd better go stick my hands in this murky water and fish out the silver ware and icing tools and ....well, you get the picture.

Day 14 Something You Made

I've made a lot of things over the years. I thought first of crafts and sewing, flower beds and poetry. Too much to choose from.

 Kaitlin stretched my mind a bit with her 'made' bed. While I was doing all this contemplating, I 'made' myself a tea!