Today is November 30th. According to tradition, being the fourth Sunday before Christmas, it is also the beginning of the advent season. I love Christmas! I love making, baking, decorating, singing, gathering.....it can be a truly magical time of year! But I can also get swept up in all the "things" at Christmas time, and forget to take time for myself, to go that little bit deeper.
So over this advent month, each week I am going to take time to reflect. This Sunday, many people around the world light the first candle of advent, the candle of HOPE, and so I thought I'd share with you what's been giving me HOPE recently....
-When people with mental illness work towards recovery and healing.
-My 8 year old recently telling me he used to be a bit jealous of some of his school friends who seemed to get hundreds of brand new presents each Christmas, but now he understands that the way our family celebrates Christmas (handmade, thrifted, simply, mindfully) is really healthy for him and the earth, and he loves it!
-My brand new 2015 diary. The blank pages and possibilities!
-My December is not looking quite as hectic as usual. This gives me hope that this year I may actually have time to take it slow with family and friends.
-The beautiful, sunny (but not too hot) weather we have been having in Melbourne recently.
-Going to vote in our state election on the weekend, and regardless of who we all voted for, and who won etc...I stopped and realised what a privilege it is to vote, and to vote peacefully: without threat of violence, fear and corruption.
-Starting to build a garden form scratch.
What has been giving you HOPE recently? I'd love to know!
Hope this season of Advent is full of HOPE for you!!
Lots of love,
Mezz xox
PS that gorgeous candle in the pic is a handmade beeswax candle made by Dusk aka None of Your Beeswax here in Melbourne. The tea light holder was made by Johnny Ward.
Reading your post gives me hope that there are other people out there who take time to light a candle in advent and think about the preparations for Christmas, not in terms of presents and so on, but in terms of what it really means. Thank you. xx
ReplyDeleteHear,hear ... I love your blog. To look on the next generation and their young children and know they value what I have valued all my life means more than you will realise .
ReplyDeleteHope, the cornerstone of Christmas.....celebrating the birth of a little baby in a humble, probably smelly stable alongside the animals. This same little baby, Jesus, in his 33 years on earth, gave us just a glimpse of Heaven and what His Father, God, is really like. My hope is that people will take the time to try and find out about Him this Christmas. That by loving Him, we will all love others that bit more. And that the spirit of Christmas, when we all seem to be a bit nicer to each other, will continue throughout the year.xo
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