Monday 21 December 2009

A Pause in Advent - Joy



joy / joi/ • n. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness: tears of joy the joy of being alive. ∎  a thing that causes joy: the joys of Manhattan. • v. [intr.] poetic/lit. rejoice: I felt shame that I had ever joyed in his discomfiture or pain.  2009 has brought me lots of joy, I have shed the above tears and I have a family that brings me joy every day.
 In the bible joy is more than an emotion it combines a sence of happiness with a state of blessedness.
 
For me this advent has been a time of biblical joy.  I have found the time to find happiness in the everyday, in the small things and rather than just in the build up to the 25th December.
 
In fact MadDad and I commented that we have enjoyed advent for its own this year, we have taken the time to sit and rejoyed in our lifes and teach our children imporatant aspects of the advent story and they both see christmas day as the day we celebrate Jesus' birth.  
 
Yes for them presents also play a role in their joy, but the giving in so much as the receiving.  They have learned the joy in giving their freinds cookies instead of cards, giving small personalised Christmas Stockings to their best friends.
 
By giving each day a task we have lived in the present day and took time to enjoy each one rather than just spending the time waiting for the 25th to arrive.
 
This is the best lesson that I have learnt this advent to enjoy each day for its own merits, to live for the now and what you have rather than what you might be getting.
 
For this and my family I truly rejoice.
 
Thank you Floss for allowing me this platform and this excuse to sit down and contemplate the meaning of advent and of this very special time of year.  
 
Merry Christmas One and All 


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6 comments:

Metropolitan Mum said...

Merry Christmas to you and your family, too! Good to read that you are happy where you are and that you enjoy the now and here. Although I don't have many reasons not to, I find it sometimes hard to do that. xx MM

Unknown said...

Oh thank you for visiting me, I am not supposed to be on here! I am ok, really I am, we all have sadnesses that we hold inside don't we? Maybe I should have not opened my pressie til christmas! Feel a bit naughty! Have a wonderful Christmas! suzie. xxx

BadPenny said...

a lovely post - I've had joy watching my son organise, pay for & wrap his gifts to others with a big smile on his face.

My husband walked to the village shop and came in commenting how lucky we are to live here and remembered the strange run of events which brought us here.

My daughter helped me clean then decorate for Christmas when I was tired out and now it looks so pretty.

Happy Christmas xx

Beki said...

What a lovely post and a lovely blog too.
Have a wonderful Christmas, off to read more of you now
Love and ((hugs))
Beki xxx

Mary Poppins said...

A lovely heartfelt post, thank you for sharing. My three favourite decorations, bar the special children's one's of course, are Love Peace and Joy, a christmas filled with these three would indeed be a perfect christmas for me.

Wishing you a joyful Christmas

X

Anonymous said...

I too have found that although events over the past year have not run to plan, they have allowed our family to reflect on the important things and realise that Joy can be found in the small everyday things too. Wishing you a Very Happy Christmas.

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