Tag Archives: joy

Humble Decorations

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Oh, beloveds! It’s already mid morning on Tuesday and I am just now sitting down to blog. Not that I had anything better to do. I’ve been up for hours already. We had a slow weekend visiting with friends and family. I could have sat down to write yesterday, (or the days before) but I made turkey soup instead. We hauled out the Christmas decorations and my new farmhouse looks like Santa vomited in the living room. I’ve no idea where things are going to go. New house and all. They say life is like that here in the country. You are allowed to take things slower. Revel in the quiet and observe the world around you. You are allowed to have stuff everywhere. People are okay with that. I guess we have come to the right place.

Right now, the world around me is windy. I can hear it howling through our cedar trees outside. I see them bend and sway. The front porch rocking chairs have been rocking on their own all morning like they’ve been taken over by the Ghost of Christmas past. It’s cool, but I suspect winter will bring worse. It’s dark and cloudy out there… which makes the day seem so much heavier, and my mood even more moodier. I wanna snuggle back under the covers. Everything looks the same bleak brown and grey colour under the cloud cover. I’m hoping the sun peaks out later and brightens my day… and my outlook.

So. Let’s curl up together here on the couch and have a chat, shall we? What shall be our muse for the week? I was contemplating Christmas decorations. Country, rustic, Christmas decorations to be specific. We had all the kids over on Sunday to “help” decorate. We didn’t get very far – we ended up visiting and eating and socializing and playing with the dogs and taking a walk up the hill. Hence the still present Santa vomit.

I was hoping my girls would help string together my citrus garland. I also made a cedar swag and “foraged” some dogwood and birch tree twigs. My Pinterest dreams for my front porch and farmhouse windows are going to be Instagram worthy this year! (If I ever get them up!) Keep following along on my social feeds for stories and updates for when those actually happen. I’m not going to post how to’s here as there are much more talented folks out there of which I am learning. I’ll just show you those attempts and you can judge accordingly.

Let’s get back to the muse. I have discovered that the “country chic Christmas vibe” is in fact, one of nostalgia. The red pick up truck with pine tree loaded in the truck bed. The pick up is a working vehicle out here. Everyone has one. Except us city slickers. Citrus garlands -because oranges were rare treats to cherish on Christmas morning. Barn board. Cedar swags, red berries, pine cones, birch bark twigs…. all readily available from the land this time of year. Which pains me greatly to see them in the store with hefty price tags! I made the poor hubby drag those birch branches outta the wood a few weeks back. His fall coat covered in burrs and muddy gloves was worth the price. Slight diversion in thought here… but seriously people, these things are free with a little searching and a willing husband. I love country vibe. It’s good for my frugal mindset.

Happy Poinsettia Day! Photo by Mark Stebnicki on Pexels.com

Today is apparently poinsettia day. I’m sure many of you know the flower originated in Mexico. There are a sprinkling of legends and stories that tell of how the plant became associated with Christmas – taken to evening mass on Christmas Eve and presented to baby Jesus as an offering. Late in 1828, Joel Roberts Poinsett was an American on a diplomatic trip to Mexico when he came across the plant known locally as “Cuetlaxochitl.” Another avid plant guy cultivated the flower and the two made it what we know today as an international Christmas icon. But. It started out as a weed. A Mexican weed whose pretty red “petals” are actually leaves. It’s not even a real “flower”.

As I think and ponder and look back on these “festive decorations” that I have just described, I am struck by the beauty in the everyday. I am again reminded that the howling wind through my cedars can become an icy pot of greens that sparkle and shine when the sun finally does come out. Our Saviour was born in a stable. I now have some experience with hay, straw and barnyard smells. I wonder if Mary cursed the flies and persistent lady bugs. Maybe Bethlehem has other bugs. I bet the shepherds smelled like campfire and urine. Did they hear the coyotes and worry about their pets too?

And so I have come to the realization that Christmas, perhaps, isn’t all Mariah Carey glitz and glamour. It’s humble beginnings, quiet, windy mornings, and seeing the beauty in nature and the everyday. It’s celebrating stinky stables, and being grateful for oranges and warm beds with tattered quilts. It’s seeing the value of hard working machines and pick up trucks and the simplicity of making a living from the bounty God has given us. It’s taking a simple weed and seeing it as a symbol of beauty.

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com

Thank you, Lord, for helping me learn these lessons with my reader friends today. Our journey has again reminded me to see the Glory of You in our everyday. I pray that you will help us focus on the Peace that you bring on this second week of Advent. There is so much going on in the world that is so opposite to Peace, that I am grateful for the reminders. Help us to see it. Help us to cherish the little things. To see the weeds as beautiful. To be thankful for our blessings. To take time to listen to the wind and know that you whisper through it. To slow down and be quiet. To remember the humility of a stable. May you send blessings on the readers touched by my words, Lord. May I remember to be thankful for the ability and the freedom to write them. Amen.

The Journey of Joy

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We’ve come to the last week of Advent: JOY! Many of you know I’ve mused about Joy before, so this topic is no stranger to mittonmusings. Therefore, without further chit-chat, let’s tell our little story for “Joy” as per our advent theme this year.

(Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013 “Saint Irene”, Rethymnon )

One summer evening long ago, a country farmer clanged hard on the knocker of the village’s tiny monastery. The elderly monk who tended the gate and the surrounding herb gardens slowly made his way toward the wrought iron fence. “Good sir!” the farmer exclaimed “I have brought you a gift! The finest grapes from my vineyards! Surely they will be so sweet to taste!” “Thank you… I am sure the Abbott will appreciate your fine donation.” “Oh no, they are not for the Abbott, but for you, because when I come to the gate, it is you who opens it, and you who brought me bread when my crops failed because of the drought, and you who tends the herbs so patiently.”

The monk thanked the kind farmer and placed the bundle of grapes in his garden basket. After admiring them all morning, he finally decided he would indeed take the grapes to the Abbott, for the Abbott shared wise words and treated the elderly monk kindly. The Abbott was pleased with the gift but was aware of a brother laid up in the infirmary who was quite ill. “The grapes look so sweet,” he thought, “This sick brother will appreciate them so much more than I, for his time is short and he has fewer joys to relish in his time left.”

The brother in the infirmary plucked a single grape from the bunch. He held it on his tongue and tasted the sweet juices. “So marvellous!” he thought. “But the entire bunch is too much for me. I will share them with the cook who brings me my nourishing meals each day and brings me physical strength in my hour of need.”

The next morning, after the breakfast meal, the cook gathered up the bundle along with the leftovers. In the kitchen, he admired the grapes and appreciated their fine quality. “I must share these with the sexton, who truly understands the handiwork of God in nature. They will bring him such joy!” thought the cook who then prepared the sexton’s lunch of bread and cheese. He tucked the bundle of grapes beside the warm loaf.

An hour later, the sexton sat down with the novice apprentice he had been mentoring. “Look at this fine treat!” declared the sexton! He popped a grape in his mouth and passed the bunch to the novice. “See, God’s design is perfect. He delights in giving us good gifts if we take care of His world.” When the novice accepted the offer, he was reminded of his first encounter with the tiny village monastery, and the kind, elderly monk who welcomed him at the iron gate.

Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash

And so, just before nightfall, the grapes made their way full circle. “Enjoy them, my friend” the apprentice beamed. The monk smiled and took the cluster of grapes back to his modest room. He savoured each sweet morsel and wiped the juice from his chin. With true joy in his heart, he fell into a pleasant sleep, comforted by the assurance that God was watching over him always as he carried on with God’s work each day.

And so it is, my friends. True joy bubbles out of a heart changed by God. It cannot be contained but spreads from person to person. It takes on a life of its own and the sweetness of it begs to be shared. As we await the final days of Christmas — remember to share Joy!

Did you like that little muse about Joy? Here are some others we’ve shared over the years:

Another Advent Devotion

Joy Photography

Joy even during COVID?

Joy Week Devotional

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Greetings, my friends! The tree is up and cookies are baked… I am behind in my shopping but the Christmas season is upon us, whether I am ready or not. It’s the third week of Advent… Joy according to my list. Let’s have a chat about that word, shall we? Joy. I loved this post we did about Joy in Photographs… and I’m always interested in seeing what brings different people joy. I love that we are all uniquely wired and have our own individual things that spark that joy within our hearts. (check out this post).

I delved into a little e-book this week (thanks @studygateway.com) that has helped me organize this post; I hope that it enlightens you as much as it did me.

Photo by Kolby Milton on Unsplash

Joyful Light

How many times have you been overjoyed at light? Our dog starts bouncing up and down everytime a set of carlights round the corner. As does my momma’s heart when the headlights pull in the driveway after a late night or a snow storm. Or how about securing your fears with the flick of a switch in the middle of the night, or that toddler’s fears about monsters under the bed? Of all the ways God could have signaled the coming of His son, He chose to light up the night with the brightest of stars. One so bright, that the wisest men on Earth had to take notice. “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” Matthew 2:10

Joy Shared

What is good news unless it is shared? Why do you think social media is such a big hit in our society? We just love to share things! How many of us could barely contain the secret of a new baby on it’s way or an engagement announcement? Joyful news is meant to be shared! We were designed to interact. Our stories tell the good news and spread it’s joy! “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20

The Joy of Making Room

Most of us have way to much stuff. Our closets, our pantrys, our garages, our basements are filled to the brim with gizmos and gadgets that are unnecessary. Yet many of our neighbours will go hungry or alone this Christmas season. If we all made a little room at the dinner table this year, do you think it would bring you as much joy as the one you serve will have? I’m all for re-gifting and sharing what we can’t use ourselves. We need to make it normalized. Sharing brings joy — not stigma! “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” John 3:11

A Legacy of Joy

Many of us consider Christmas a time for family. We travel to visit, to celebrate and to reminisce. We miss those who have passed on and recount their stories with laughter and joy. The next generation bring smiles to the faces of those of us who are reliving Christmas morning joys through them. How many of us have learned from family… both in struggle and in peace? How do you want to be remembered? As one who sparked joy or strife? It starts with our attitude for today. “The memory of one who lived with integrity brings joy…” Proverbs 10:7 (VOICE)

Joy in Jesus

Finally, we cannot ignore the fact that our only true joy comes through the babe born. None of us, not even Mary, His mother, can be saved without the baby who came to die on the cross for us. How many times have I marvelled about how do people survive this world without the Hope that Jesus brings? I know I could never do it alone. Being “good” doesn’t cut it. We all start out in the same sinful boat. Truly this is the Joy fullfilled in the advent season. “And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” Luke 1:46, 47

Blessings this Joy week, my friends! Until we muse together again…

photo via: Kendrickhome