Words and Faith and Love

Joy seems to me a step beyond happiness –
happiness is a sort of atmosphere you can live in
sometimes when you’re lucky. Joy is a light that
fills you with hope and faith and love.
--Adele Rogers St. John

 Women preparing for Christmas is a tale as old as time, but one that I never grow tired of hearing and participating in. The Christmas story is one of reassurance and restoration that I cherish and finally, thank Heavens, it is not surprising in the least to realize that, of course, each December sees us in need of a miracle of one sort or another. How could our Christmas dreams come true, Virginia, if we didn’t need a miracle with our name on it?

(...)

 Let the darkest day shed new Light as you rediscover old-fashioned reasons for a heartfelt season of simple splendor. Hang the socking, trim the tree, get in line for Santa’s knee. Believe us, you’ve been too good this year. What can True Love bring, if the turtledoves go missing or there’s no golden ring? An opulent month of ordinary miracles wrapped up in a reverie of contentment.

Sending you blessings that peace and plenty will always be your portion, gratitude for your support of my work in the world and dearest love.

Glad tidings of comfort and joy,

Sarah Ban Breathnach 

From the Sarah Ban Breathnach Simple Abundance webpage, December 2012. 

I have been and am so busy at this time in the month, and due to family, friends and relatives around Christmas, I doubt I'll have too much time for this space. We shall see. But as we go through Advent and approach Christmas, I'm perhaps approaching my very first bittersweet Christmas. And that's alright. I'll have to see what Love will bring, and what I will do, and what Joys will come from the giving of myself to others, in prayer, thought, word and/or deed. Tis the season of giving, in the truest sense, after all. 

And since it's only just the first week of Advent, here is a relevant song. Really, I should have put this up instead of that other post. It's time for giving and gratitude for all good things, joyful, sorrowful and all worth remembering.