The advent candles are being lit ...

 I like to light the 4 Advent candles in the weeks up to Christmas - it is a gentle reminder, a nudge even, that time is moving on & the preparations need to be on track. 

The quiet times when they burn - first the one for HOPE, then LOVE, followed by JOY & finally PEACE is a time to just reflect on the year & on Advent. 

I lit the first two with the Advent ring just decorated with baubles because I had not got to bringing in some greenery. 

However, today, while on a trip to Wales I came across a fallen tree in the forest & it had the most gorgeous branches scattered on the ground. 

I always have a fold up bag in my crossbody bag, so we gently picked up a few pieces along with some beautiful lichen & moss & I popped them in my bag. The red bag & the silvery branches looked very festive. 

Is that not a bag of absolutely beautiful foliage? 

Once home I could not wait to add them to my Advent ring. I am trying to get a hyacinth bulb to flower in the green glass hyacinth vase. I put the branches on the ring then added the beautiful lichen / moss to the hyacinth vase & lit the candles in the order they have burnt - first HOPE which has burnt the longest, then LOVE & finally the third one for JOY. 

They will join the last candle next Sunday so they all burn down together on the last Sunday before Christmas. 

It is these little rituals we adopt that punctuate out lives & give us time to reflect on the year.  On the last Sunday I like to remember those not with us who passed just before Christmas (a beloved grandmother & an uncle) and my Mother who was a Christmas baby. They are always missed at special times, especially as my close family are not with me. 

May you have HOPE, LOVE & JOY this Advent Sunday, 

Dee 🌲🕯️❤️

A JOYful third Advent Sunday ...

 How quickly the candles are lit - today is the third of the four candles lit, just one more Sunday to Christmas. 

The first two were for 

HOPE

LOVE

This one is for 

JOY 

May you find it in all you do today, go gently amidst the noise of the festive preparations. The commercial demands can become too loud so step away & take in the things that bring you joy. 

Perhaps it is that first cup of tea in the morning, it might be a welcoming text amongst friends, it might even be a card from a neighbour to wish you & yours well. Embrace the little things - they matter. 

JOY

Joy does not arrive with a fanfare,

on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.

Joy sneaks in, as you pour a cup of coffee,

watching the sun hit your favourite tree, just right.

And you usher joy away,

because you are not ready for it.

Your house is not as it must be,

for such a distinguished guest.

But joy cares nothing for your messy home,

or your bank-balance,

or your waistline, you see.

Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life,

that’s how joy works.

You cannot invite her, you can only be ready when she appears.

And hug her with meaning,

because in this very moment,

joy chose you.

Donna Ashworth

What brings JOY in to your life or do we create our own joy? Tell all ... 

Thank you for stopping by & spending some of your precious time here, 

Dee 🎄❤️🕯️

A second Advent candle is lit ...

The first Advent candle was lit last Sunday amidst a snow storm, with everything quiet & white.  It was peaceful & a day to just "be" at home, pottering, putting up the Christmas decorations in perfect peace & quiet. How blessed the day was as the first candle is traditionally for HOPE.

The second Sunday comes amidst rain & winds that are blowing things about & it feels different - wind always makes one feel more restless. 

The second candle is traditionally for LOVE - I posted this on a Valentine post some years back. With Christmas, it is appropriate to quote this verse again ... 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.1 Corinthians 13:4-7

That is  the LOVE to aspire to - the one that protects us, that is enduring. 

May you have a blessed second Sunday of Advent, thank you for stopping by in this busy time. It is always appreciated, 

Dee 💖🎄