InstaAdvent 1 :: Advent Calendar

My goddaughter and I are participating in Busted Halo's InstaAdvent Photo-a-Day Challenge.  Living several states apart, we don't get to do a whole lot of connecting and I thought this might be fun for us to share.  I'm looking forward to it!

The wooden spiral on the left is my treasured Advent wreath.  While not a "traditional" Advent calendar, as I move both the votive candle and wooden Mary on her donkey one place farther down the spiral road to the center, the three of us are keeping track of the days on our Advent journey. 

Mary and her donkey are standing on the table between the rounds of the spiral, right above my burning votive.  No worries if you can't make them out, she says with a twinkle, I'm sure I'll post a clearer photo later.  

The calendar on the right is a new-to-me practice, introduced by a kind friend called "Praying in Color."  I'm looking forward to trying it as well and the template I'm using can be found here.

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Busted Halo :: InstaAdvent :: Photo-a-Day Challenge

I'm looking forward to participating in 

Busted Halo's InstaAdvent Photo-a-Day Challenge 

with my goddaughter.

Blessing Basking ~ Day 30

Today I am grateful for the beautiful angels 

that quietly stand in the side windows 

on either side of the little country church 

that I like to slip off to on a Saturday evening. 

I always greet them with a warm smile, 

knowing their arrival means that 

Advent, 

my favorite season of the church year, 

is here.

.             *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 29

Today I am grateful 

for your presence with me 

as I've been counting and basking 

in my blessings this month. 

Thank you for your company, 

your comments, 

and the gift of your loving witness.

.          *          .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 28

Today I am grateful for a fun (and funny!) surprise from my sweetie.

.         *         .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 27

Today I am grateful for family time 

on Thanksgiving, 

including some quiet moments 

spent holding our sweet baby nephew, Noah.

.             *            .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 26

Today I am grateful 

for a cherished family tradition 

of sharing the company 

of a lit candle in the kitchen, 

especially when preparing holiday dishes. 

The flame reminds me 

of loved ones who have gone on before me. 

While I may miss them, 

terribly at times, 

I believe they are still near 

and holding me in their heart, 

just as I do them. 

My special angel candleholder 

was a gift from a dear friend 

at a difficult time 

during a blessing 

before a medical procedure 

and my "Auntie Em" mixing bowl 

was a wedding gift. 

(I still love it!)

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 25

Today I am grateful for how uplifted I feel when I watch this show 

(So You Think You Can Dance, too!). 

Following their journeys 

and seeing how hard both the contestants and pro's work 

and the unexpected creativity born 

from working what you have inspires me so much! 

(Congratulations, Alphonso!)

.               *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 24

Today I am grateful for a sweet guardian angel's company on my way home.

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 23

Today I am grateful for some time 

to combine two things I love ~ 

mandala-making 

while listening to a story 

intended to reclaim and honor the voice 

(and reputation) of women.

.   *   .

If you're curious, Heather Plett's
mandala course info can be found here.

Ronna Detrick's beautiful story
about Eve
that I was listening to this morning
can be found here.

.            *            .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 22

Today I am grateful for warmth. Fuzzy slippers, soft blankets, 

hot cocoa, a toasty home and kind hearts.

.             *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 21

Today I am grateful for this morning's lovely greeting

of beautiful, bright blue skies

and the delightful music of birdsong.

What a blessed way to start my day!

.           *            .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 20

Today I am grateful for the peaceful presence of candlelight.    

.               *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 19

Today I am grateful for the wise, ever-present companionship found in books.  I am especially thankful for the ones where the author has honestly shared both their struggles and triumphs - in essence, their heart.  Reading someone else's true stories of how they've gained wisdom by working thru something is such welcomed inspiration for me.  I deeply appreciate the gift of their experience, strength and hope, providing examples and fresh insight of how I might try something a little differently.   

.            *              .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 18

Today I am grateful for cheerful Thanksgiving friends, always ready to bring a smile. 

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 17

Today I am grateful for a good day at work.  This is my busiest time of the year and it can be quite wearisome.  How nice that things went smoothly today plus I enjoy working with my new supervisor.  I so appreciate his integrity, willingness to listen and learn, and how he just pitches in and helps.  Grinning because he has a goofy sense of humor, too!

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 16

This afternoon we said good-bye to a dear "pillar" in Tadd's church.  Faye, 81, was a tender-hearted, kind, grandmotherly woman who clearly loved her family and friends.  We both thought a lot of her and shall miss her.  During her funeral one of her grandson's talked about how as we grow older, we sometimes forget about the folks that offered us a hand up when we were younger (like his grandmother and grandfather did for him).

So, in Miss Faye's honor, today I am deeply grateful for all of the kind souls who have offered so much of themselves to me in the form of love and support.  Truly, I would not be where I am now without their precious presence in my life.

.            *            .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 15

Today I am grateful for our washer and dryer (and dishwasher and fridge and oven and ....). I remember the days, early in our marriage, when we had to load up all of our dirty laundry, hangout at the laundromat while our clothes were washed and dried then bring them all home. So thankful that this evening I can simply throw a load in and putter here at home.

.             *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 14

Today, on a chilly fall morning, 

I am grateful for a warm cup of Hope 

in the company of Grace.

.           *             .

Blessing the Morning

 

"Sometimes one only needs to stand where she is to be blessed."

 

~ Mary Oliver

 

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 13

Today I am deeply grateful for how the internet enables me to stay in touch with 

my friends and family. Smiling softly because our connection feels so seamless 

that it's easy to forget that I've never seen (or hugged!) some of you in person.

.           *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 12

Yesterday it was good to spend (most of) the day unplugged.

.            *             .

Evening Fall Sunshine

Blessing Basking ~ Day 11

Today I am grateful for all of our veterans 

and appreciate their service. 

Thankful, too, for their family and friends 

who've had to do without their loved ones 

while they were away 

(often in harm's way), 

keeping us and our world safe.

.             *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 10

Today I am grateful for this gently wise article, What to do When Gratitude is in Short Supply by Toni Bernhard, an author I've come to trust.  I so appreciate her tender encouragement that it's ok to think small on the days when gratitude can be hard to find. 

 You mean I don't have to pile guilt and shame on to my plate because, for whatever reason, I can't authentically (in this particular moment) name something "big"?  Smiling as I remember that phrase, "God is in the details." 

At the end of another tough day at work (we're in my busy billing season plus continuing to navigate a major software upgrade and procedural changes), finding this gem tucked up in my newsfeed was just the medicine my weary heart needed.

.            *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 9

Today I am grateful 

for my very favorite guy 

and our standing Sunday lunch date.

and on such a beautiful Fall day, too!

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 8

Today I am grateful for some down time 

with The Pioneer Woman 

- she's making pies today! 

Thankful, too, to be 

tucked up under a down comforter 

with a warm bowl 

of cinnamon, dried cranberry 

and candied ginger oatmeal 

(with a pat of melted butter 

and a sprinkling of brown sugar, of course!)

.             *            .

The 4 Sisters

Thought I'd share 

a few more pictures 

from yesterday's visit 

with my beautiful 

sister angel tree quartet.

.              *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 7

Today I am grateful for 

a quartet of beautiful trees 

that I have grown quite fond of. 

These "4 Sisters" 

have been watching over me 

for a long while now 

and each and every weekday 

they greet me with a warm hello. 

When I pass under 

their outstretched branches 

on my way home from work, 

they wish me well 

(surely trees can bless, as well!).

Here is how 2 of them, 

who I have taken to calling 

Gabriel and Uriel 

(because they feel like guardian angel trees) 

looked this morning, 

dressed in all of their 

glorious fall splendor. 

(No filters)

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Blessing Basking ~ Day 6

Today I am grateful for the gift of a lovely morning rain. 

As a farmer's daughter, raised on the Texas prairie, 

we prayed for rain for our thirsty crops every. single. day. 

(With the exception of harvest time, of course.)

.              *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 5

Today, after a long, tiring day at work, 

I am grateful for 

the magical soothing quality 

of twinkle lights

in the evening. 

(And very thankful, too, 

that I made the time 

to replace 

the long-dead batteries 

last night.)

.              *              .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 4

Today I am grateful for the responsibility, privilege, and right to vote. 

Bonus:  I'm also grateful for the unexpected kind gestures this morning 

extended by of a couple of different gentlemen whom I've never met.

.              *              .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 3

Today I am grateful for a perfectly beautiful Fall day 

complete with sparkling sunshine, 

colorful scattered leaves 

and a nip of chill in the air. 

(My very, *very* favorite kind.)

.             *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 2

Today I am grateful for a lovely, relaxing day spent with family.  

We gathered at hubby's parents' celebrate our guys birthdays 

just a wee bit later than expected.  

Grinning because we had originally planed 

to get together 3 weeks ago, 

but our newest member, baby Noah, arrived early.  

Reckon he just *really* wanted to be at the party, too?  

Yep, I think so, too!  :)

.             *             .

Blessing Basking ~ Day 1

(I am writing very late tonight, which I know is ok. Smiling softly because even so, somehow the timing feels exactly right for the blessing I want to name this evening.)

Today I am so grateful for the deep and steady comfort I experience from the blessing of the Communion of Saints. There have been more times than I could possibly count (many of them while in a hospital bed in a room all by myself) when, for whatever reasons, those physically here couldn't be with me during an especially excruciating part. When I remembered (because sometimes it takes a while when we're in the thick of it and/or sometimes we just really, *really* need a person to be God with skin for us), it was during many of those moments that I took great comfort in knowing that those who have gone on before me are able to be with, care for, and love me ... still.

(Just as I still care for and love them.)

.             *             .

November Blessing Basking ~ Intro

As a way to mindfully prepare for Thanksgiving, it has become my cherished November tradition to notice a blessing to count each day. Smiling softly because I've found that when I make the time to intentionally give thanks, especially when done over a period of days and weeks, I find myself quite naturally feeling very blessed indeed.

I've also discovered that it's important that I be honest and sincere. If the fact that a difficult day is finally over is all I can come up with, then I honor and name that, trustin' (and practicin'!) it is Enough. To do anything else like forcing it, sugar-coating it, and/or beating myself up, only leads to me feeling worse and that is so *not* the purpose of this gentle practice.

If you'd like to join me on this journey, please know that your company will be most welcome.

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