Sipping my white chocolate cappacino in my favorite blue hand crafted mug, while curled up in my pj's, I am listening to Christmas music, I am as happy as a clam. (how ever happy they are?!)
Remember that bubbling excitement you felt as a child when you looked at a sparkling Christmas tree with presents underneath and anticipated Christmas morning? God Himself created us for pleasure and joy and comfort and beauty and all the deep down satisfying feelings of pleasure.He mounted a chorus of angels at the first birthday party of Jesus--He just couldn't hold back celebrating!
Yesterday, I wrote about choices of joy to be an over-comer, but cherishing joy and creating it and placing pleasure into the difficulties of life is a way we become artists of light and beauty and creators in His image. Even as HE casts a glowing pink sunrise every morning for me to behold and honor and enjoy, so I can cast in the midst of darkness light, color and beauty that brings hope.
And so overcoming doesn't mean simply gutting it out, grinding our teeth in an, "I will make it if it kills me," sort of attitude. I
t means crafting pleasure in the midst of darkness which eventually reaches our souls and helps us remember His light and beauty. And I have found that in the obedience of cultivating light and joy in my home and life, even when I do not feel it, invests in my eventual happiness because as my sweet ones around me, whom I serve become delighted in my life celebrations, my own soul becomes encouraged. I know it isn't Christmas yet, but I so enjoyed my George Winston Christmas album this morning in the early morning chill of dawn, and so it became a comfort to myself.
And many thanks to a thoughtful friend who knew I had been sequestered inside for too many days taking care of Clay, who went by my favorite coffee shop and brought me a special coffee--another lighter of joy in my life today.