Daily 5 - Day 132

Today's Daily "5":

1. Finally finishing all of the Christmas baking that I'm giving as gifts (pumpkin cookies and peanut butter bars tonight!).  Now just the packaging of all of it remains to be done.
2. Getting the Christmas cards that needed to be mailed to the US written and sent.  (Yes, they'll be late, oh well!)
3. Writing the Christmas cards that get mailed within Canada, and having them ready to be sent tomorrow.  (I love writing cards, just have to motivate myself to do it.  I take pleasure in finding words to tell friends that I'm thinking about them and love and miss them.)
   
4. Full day at work, but not a stressful one.
5. Subway for lunch - it was a nice break from the leftovers I've been eating for lunch most of the time
6. Enjoying the house to myself while I baked and puttered tonight.
7. a lit candle in my oil burner, making my bedroom smell lovely
8. Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT
9. listening to a sermon from Bethel Church in Redding, CA while I was baking
10. chicken fingers and french fries - comfort food - for supper after work.
    

Thoughts on Waiting

Two different blogs that I follow had posts on the theme of waiting today.

Both are worth a read.

You can find them at Lois's blog here.

And at Ian's blog here.

From Henri

It's been a while since I posted anything from Henri Nouwen, but I liked this thought that arrived today, and found it particularly appropriate as Advent is drawing to a close.

Light in the Darkness

We walk in a "ravine as dark as death" (Psalm 23:4), and still we have nothing to fear because God is at our side: God's staff and crook are there to soothe us (see Psalm 23:4). This is not just a consoling idea. It is an experience of the heart that we can trust.

Our lives are full of suffering, pain, disillusions, losses and grief, but they are also marked by visions of the coming of the Son of Man "like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into west" (Matthew 24:27). These moments in which we see clearly, hear loudly, and feel deeply that God is with us on the journey make us shine as a light into the darkness. Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. Your light must shine in people's sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Relatively Joyful

Not that I'm counting or anything, but I have 2.5 work days left until I'm off for about 10 days. And that is definitely contributing to a good mood this morning.

But mostly, I woke somewhat joyful. I like the mornings like that - when you wake with the sense that joy is somehow possible in the midst of that day, in the midst of the myriad of crazy circumstances that surround me.

And on it goes.

Another busy day at work.

I need to write and get in the mail (though they'll all be late now) several Christmas cards, some with little gifts tucked inside.

Tonight I'm baking pumpkin cookies, and cooking some sort of dinner for myself.

The week is full and busy, and I'm definitely counting down to time off. But today I feel somehow hopeful, and joyful amidst the longing anticipation of advent.

And for that I'm grateful.