Day 43

How often do you intentionally surround yourself with beauty?

How often do you realize that you intentionally surround yourself with beauty? 

How important is it?

I was thinking about this today because I bought a calendar for the new year.  Actually, is wasn't a calendar so much as a collection of gridded pages that allowed the user to fill in the months and days themselves. There were two different designs and I chose the one that had more colors in the design on top.  This was an intentional choice.  I knew that if I had to fill in the months and days myself, it would be much nicer to have a variety of colors for the different months that coordinated with the design on top. Beauty matters to me, and whenever possible I intentionally surround myself with it.  I could argue that the reason I am like this is a combination of years as a floral designer, an interior design degree, and the artist in me.  But I think those are just surface things.  I think the real reason I like beauty is because I'm a human, and humans were created in the image of God, and God loves beauty. How do I know that? Because He created it.

Let's be honest, have you ever found someone who doesn't like beauty in some form or another? Probably not, unless they were intentionally acting against it.  People love beauty, whether it's a glorious sunrise, a painter's masterpiece, a well-designed car, a  melodious song, or a bride on her wedding day.  We are attracted to it; we never tire of searching for it or lingering with it once we find it.  There's a longing in all of us to have beauty in our lives.  But my question is: do you create beauty or do you just wait to stumble upon it?  Why is that? I'll try to answer that question, but you'll have to come back tomorrow to find out what I have to say.

May you find joy in beauty.

Day 42

Yesterday I wrote about my insane month of December. But December is over, and a new year has started.

Yesterday I woke up at 10:30 in the morning.  It felt so good to get a full eight hours of sleep plus a little extra. I didn't have to work.  We didn't have dinner plans or evening plans.  I didn't have to make food to take somewhere to buy something on the way there.  We didn't have people coming over to the house. There were no presents to wrap or people to call or emails to write.

Yesterday was a blank slate.

I had time to finish putting the Christmas decorations away and wash the dishes from New Year's eve. I had time to re-arrange the decorations in our dining room and living room after several months of seasonal decor.  I had time to organize my closet and make our bed. I had time to clean the kitchen and de-clutter the corners and counters that had collected various items over the last couple of weeks. I went to a store and another store and another store and stocked up on food for the month. I cooked down a turkey carcass and made some delicious turkey soup throughout the course of the day. I even had time to read my new book and work-out.  It was so wonderful.

Yesterday was a day full of little joys. Nothing exciting happened, but that's what made it special.  I was happy to just have a day to do all of the things I have been needing to do  for days and days. I hope I never take the ordinary for granted; sometimes it is the greatest of blessings.

And so is a clean house : )

Day 41

I always look forward to the Christmas season, but I was especially looking forward to my first one being married and celebrating this special time of the year with my husband.  I anticipated being filled with joy and writing about it for my faithful readers to enjoy.  I thought I was ready to embrace the busy bustle of the season filled with parties and times with friends and family. I predicted cozy days of baking Christmas goodies and wrapping presents in beautiful packages with ribbons and bows. 

It didn't quite happen like that.

Succinctly put: I survived. Barely. The last three weeks contained an onslaught of activities that left me exhausted and run down. I felt like I was running just to catch myself, and doing a poor job of it.  Don't get me wrong: there were many fun activities, good family times, and special moments during the last couple of weeks.  But the problem for an introvert like me is that I need to time to recover between activities, and I just didn't get that opportunity very much.  If I ever found a moment between running hither and thither, the house needed cleaned or the laundry needed washed or dinner needed to be made for the next day when I would once again be gone all day. That being said, I don't think I had as much joy this Christmas season as I was hoping for.   It makes me a little sad thinking about it.  I had a lot of opportunities, and I didn't make the most of those opportunities.  It wasn't that I didn't have joy, but that I could have had more of it.  That was the purpose of starting this blog, so that I would be more aware and make more of an effort to find joy.  I realize that I still have a ways to go.

As we begin 2012, I have a simple goal: I want to be better than I was before.  That does not apply just to this area, but to all areas of my life.  It's a big goal, but with God's help, I can achieve it. I find great joy in the knowledge that each new day is a chance to start again.  When I fail it's not the end.  When I miss an opportunity there's always another one.  Thank you, God, for grace.

May you find joy in this new year.

Announcement

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last week or so. The busyness of the Christmas season has engulfed me and I am having some difficulty finding time for everything.  Writing about joy during this joyous season is something that I desire to do, but the posts will probably be sporadic during the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Day 40

At 6:38 I finished a book. At 6:39 I sat down at the computer, and at 6:40 I started writing this post.

I greatly enjoy reading.  I enjoy a wide variety of genres and authors, from the unexpected twists of John Grisham to the delightful mysteries of Agatha Christie to the intellectual arguments of Malcolm Gladwell, who was the author of the book I just finished reading at 6:38.  The book was "Outliers: The Story of Success" and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys light yet fascinating educational literature. Gladwell has an inquisitive mind and a fresh perspective that I find highly enjoyable.  I hope to read some of his other books soon.

Also on my coffee table are two other treasures: "El Dorado" which is a sequel to the "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis.  I'm wrestling with my age-old dilemma: Re-read some of my favorites or spend my time reading new books.  I know those books are excellent, but there are so many other books out there that are excellent as well. I don't know if I'll ever find the perfect balance, or even if it exists. At least I get to read while I figure it out.

There are several reasons why I enjoy reading so much.  If I am reading fiction it gives me a break from real life and I get to go on a mini-vacation whenever I flip through the pages.  I enjoy non-fiction because I am interested in learning about things and events and people that I didn't know before and by doing so I broaden my world.  Books have so much to offer, and it saddens me that less and less people seem to enjoy reading and instead prefer the fast-paced world of movies, television, and the internet. Those things have much to offer as well, but not in the same way.  Reading disciplines the mind in a way that a movie never will.

I encourage you to read a book over the Christmas season. I know that I will be and enjoying every minute of it.  If you have a favorite book, please let me know about it.  That's how I heard about "Outliers" and many other books that I read.  I always love suggestions, and many times they become my favorites as well. I believe a good book should be shared, and I am happy to share my favorites with you as well.

Read, share, enjoy. That's the good life.

Day 39

The house was full of people: junior highers and high school students, college kids, young adults, parents, and even a few grandparents.  Conversation was everywhere, and the noise from the kitchen only added to the volume.  The snow had started again and drifted down around this house full of warmth and friendship.  We all waited expectantly for the guest of honor to arrive. It was his birthday party, and it was a surprise. When he did arrive we all shouted out a "Happy Birthday!" to him and then made him go first through the food line.  If it was his choice, he would have waited to be the last one like he does at every group meal.  After dinner we had a time of sharing what this man meant to us, and although I know he would have preferred the background to the spotlight, he didn't make a fuss and thanked people for their comments.

There are many ways to describe this modest man who thrives behind-the-scenes, but the best one is servant-hearted.  He is on the leadership team for three major ministries at our church, and he is highly involved with all three.  He gives of his time and money the way not many people do who are not paid ministers. On top of all his serving, he invests in people's lives and is always looking to deepen his walk with God. This is a godly man, and I have the honor to call him my friend.

If he knew I was writing this about him he probably wouldn't like it because he doesn't like attention called on himself, even though he deserves it.  But I wanted to honor him, although anonymously, because he is a person that we all should look to as an example.  He is not perfect and he is only human, but he an imperfect human who understands where his priorities should lie and invests in things that last. I wish I was more like that.  But I get my hope from knowing that if he can do it, then I can do it, too.  And that brings me joy.

Happy birthday and thank you for being my friend.

Day 38

Yesterday I had a good day at work. Most days at work are so-so; nothing really exciting happens, except maybe getting all of the new accessory freight processed and put away.  But yesterday was a good day because I was able to help people who needed help.  I helped three customers right in a row, and although it did not require much effort on my part, all three were exceedingly grateful.  It was a good reminder for me: It does not always require a lot of effort to help someone, and it requires even less effort to let someone know that you are grateful for their help. Because of those three people telling me thank you, and some words from a manager that let me know he appreciated my hard work, I had a good day at work.  It was as simple as that.

I could go on, but I have to leave in ten minutes and it's amazing I got as far as I did. Thank you for reading my blog.  I greatly appreciate it.