Finding Joy.

 I'm not one to choose a word for the year, I tend to choose a text instead. The word 'Joy' has been in my mind since last fall for some reason, and it goes so well with my text, that I'm going to have a word and a text this year.

I've had the same text since my surgery three years ago. I read it before I do my regular bible reading, I have it posted on my pin board beside my computer and I finally decided to memorize it as well.

Phillipians 4: 4-9

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
 
It can be hard these days though, can't it? Not to be anxious about anything? To trust that God will always work everything out for good? I know I can really struggle with this some days.

Everyday we are assaulted with doom and gloom. Terrorism, the economy, the environment . . . the news and Facebook is filled with terrible things going on day after day. Our right to live our lives according to God's will seem to be under attack from every direction. Standing up and speaking about what's right, with love, has become nearly impossible. Seldom are we allowed to get past the first sentence in a conversation  on controversial topics. You either believe wholeheartedly in the 'enlightened' ideology of the day or you are an intolerant, religious bigot filled with hatred for your fellow man. The world no longer seems to accept the idea that we can agree to disagree respectfully, and still love and care about each other. That can make you hesitant to connect with people you meet.

How do we go about finding joy in all this? How do we 'Rejoice always.'?

I find my direction in verses 8 and 9. I work hard at filling up with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. I don't always succeed mind you. I'll click that link in Facebook on some topic of the day and foolishly read the comments only to be horrified at the hatred coming from people on both sides of the issue. I'll watch the news for a half an hour and come away feeling as though there is no good left in the world.

But it's not true . . .

There are so many beautiful things in the world around us. So many loving, caring people. The trick is to look at that and not at what the media continually sends our way. After the attack in Paris someone posted a meme on Facebook with the words of Mr. Roger's mother . . .

That's what I look for these days. And those people are everywhere.

But what about finding joy in your day to day life? What do you do on the days you couldn't help watching the news or clicking that link on Facebook? How do you rejoice when someone you love is sick, when you're not sure where the money's coming from for your baby's formula, or the dog threw up on your brand new carpet for the third time that week?

The bible and prayer are our first lines of defense of course. Maybe you have favorite passages marked for just these times. Mine is the passage from Philippians. But it doesn't stop there.  The next thing is to do something. Something to remind yourself of the beauty God put in our world. Some people like to write down all the things they have to be thankful for. A reminder that there are many, many things that we often overlook. They can be as tiny as frosty drops of water on a fuzzy leaf, to as large as an unexpected raise in pay when you had been helplessly watching your bank balance fall farther and farther in the red for months on end.

Holly bought me a wonderful edition of Ann Voskamp's book 'One Thousand Gifts' right after my surgery. Ann talks about how writing down all the gifts she came across in her day today life changed her perspective over time.

I tried that as well, but, as much as I love words, I couldn't seem to keep it up. For me, photography is how I see and share what brings me joy. I love macro photography because it brings the astounding detail and care God put into the natural word into sharp focus. Still life allows me to craft a beautiful moment, using what's at hand. It makes me look hard for the beauty in things. I will look at the items from every angle, moving things from here to there, searching out the best light, losing myself in that peaceful moment. 

Photography for me has become one for the biggest ways I search everyday for those things we are called to fill our lives with in Philippians 4:8. 

 What's wonderful about it, is that I'm able to share it, to add to the 'lovely' in the world rather than the 'doom and gloom'. 

One of my favourite thoughts about this is from Lucy Maud Montgomery's book 'Anne of Avonlea': 

 "I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people know more. . .though I know that is the noblest ambition. . .but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me. . .to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born."

So here's a little extra 'lovely' to finish off your week, and I'd love to know what you do to find joy in your everyday. Do you stop your housework and cross stitch for an hour? Make cookies? Write stories? Read to your grand-kids? Rub your husband's back? Set a pretty table? I'd love to hear what you do to ofset the doom and gloom that surrounds us these days.

Rosa

Getting Ready for Company

Don't you love the way this bee is doing his job? He's got work to do and he does it! No halfhearted effort here . . . it's all or nothing!

That's how I need to do things today! My youngest sister is coming for a first ever visit this Thursday and I have a lot to do to get ready . . . Rooms to tidy, bathrooms to scrub, kitchens to dig out . . . (the kids had to break out the paper plates when they came over for dinner yesterday.)

There's the baking and the fluffing of the guest bedroom (or in my case the studio turned into a guest bedroom) and I may even satisfy my craving for fresh flowers with a trip to the floral wholesaler.

Then there are adventures to plan. Sabrina's never been to Edmonton so everything's fresh and new for her. The Duchess is a must do of course, and the Mall, but I can't quite decide where else to go, she isn't a gardener like me . . .

Duchess Bake Shop

All you Edmontonians . . . What are your favorite adventures in the city? Help me make a fabulous list!

Looking Forward to Spring.

I don't know about you, but not long after Christmas the itch for spring sets in. I enjoy the somewhat slower pace that comes with a Canadian winter (when it gets dark by 4:30 or 5:00 o'clock in the evening, all I really want to do is read a good book) but the gardener in me starts getting restless not long after the winter solstice.

With so many new hobbies and projects in the works this year, I had decided I would keep my gardening efforts very low key. I dismantled the shelves in the greenhouse and I'm still in the process of turning it into a tiny, natural light studio where I can take still life and product photography images all year. (My house doesn't get a lot of light in the winter.) I took the lights off of my seedling shelves and filled them with props . . .

In short  . . . I was sensible.

What I forgot in all this, was the fact that . . . well   . . . I'm not all that sensible when it comes to doing the things I love, especially when life is in need of a little extra joy.

I had a challenging day yesterday. The withdrawal symptoms from the medication I've been on for the lingering nerve pain after my bout with shingles in October aren't great. I decided it was time to do something fun. And today that meant something that would allow me to look forward to spring . . . and gardening.

I had a bag of tulip bulbs I had forgotten about down in my cold room and I knew just what to do. Thankfully, I hadn't gotten so sensible that I had purged all my gardening things. I made a quick trip the garden shed for my planting tray and some 6" pots, the kitchen for coffee filters and the greenhouse for a small bag of potting soil.

I was going to force my tulips, which would give me blooms inside long before I'd see any outside.

I'm late with this. I really should have done it in October sometime but, I had shingles, it was the last thing on my mind, so you work with what you have. Even though the bulbs aren't in top shape they are still firm and have begun to grow . . .

Time to garden!

 

There is nothing like playing in the dirt and imagining how pretty these are going to look to cheer me up!

Once the pots have been thouroghly watered and let sit over night, they will go into a dark, cool place until green starts poking up. Then they come out and go onto a sunny cool ledge. In this case the windowsill in Henry's man cave . . .

Shhhh . . . don't tell him!

The bonus to forcing this many pots of bulbs is that I can give them away as gifts. I get just as much joy giving them away, as I do keeping them.

What do you like to do to cheer yourself up when you feel a little 'blue'?

Oh those Baby Lips!

Is there anything better than tiny baby fingers, or tiny baby toes, or those 'melt your heart' little baby lips?

I always feel like the worst kind of meanie when, after taking a lot of time to settle these sweet little ones to sleep in one position, I take a few photos and then move them around to a whole new pose! It just seems wrong somehow . . .  Too many years of trying to settle my own fussy babies I suppose. ;D

Alina came in with her mom just before Christmas. Isn't she adorable?

I do love a newborn baby . . .

Housewife Fail . . .

When you forget to thaw your meat the night before . . .

Sweet Surprises

Don't you love it when, out of the blue, something beautiful shows up?

Looking up in your rear view mirror as the sun sets with an orange glow that throws leafless trees in dark relief. Hoar frost that causes the world to shimmer magically on your chilly morning walk.

Late last fall  these delicate sweet peas were uncovered in the back garden by my friend Denise, when she was tidying it up for me. It was a challenging time, my shingles still hanging on, leaving me in a fair bit of pain, exhausted and unable to get much work done.

And then she brought me these . . .

Later, in my greenhouse, camera in hand, tears sprang into my eyes as I fluffed and faffed with these pretty little flowers. There are always sweet surprises, if you look for them . . .

They are personal surprises, bits of beauty that speak straight to your heart, reminding you that God isn't a distant, vague Father who cares about you in the abstract. He knows you intimately and goes out of his way to remind you of that. All we have to do is keep our eyes, and hearts, open to see it.

That's what these sweet peas were to me. A tiny bit of unexpected loveliness in a hard time. A reminder that, in the end, God triumphs over all.

Fairytale Friday. 'The Concert'

The Concert

 Tanulia drew the bow across the strings of her cello. The concert was only hours away and she had to get this just right. It wasn't everyday that she was asked to play for a  Naming Day ceremony.  Lord Druindar and his Lady Alyndra  were throwing the kind of feast for their first born daughter that would be talked about in Cewit Forest for years to come. Which is why her stomach was doing back flips and, if she didn't stop sweating, she'd have to go home and change into a new gown. One of these days she'd remember to bring a cloth to wipe her hands on. It was hard to look calm and self possessed when she kept rubbing sweaty hands all over the skirt of her gown.
 The crackle of leaves behind her interrupted her thoughts. "I thought you might like a practice audience." Gondien jumped lightly onto the log, his plumy, red tail waving gently as he sat down beside her. "Rilien's on his way as well. He's just stopping at Lorlis Grove to see if any of the fairies would like to come for a bit as well."
 "That's a wonderful idea Gondien!" Tanulia looked at her  friend and smiled. He always knew how to make her feel better. "I'd love to see Kilyn. She's been awfully busy these days."
 The fox laughed. "11 year old fairy boys seem to feel compelled to investigate every square inch of the forest. Panyin's been keeping her hopping that's for sure!"
The woman drew the bow across the strings, then plucked the top string and turned one of the small pegs by the cello's wooden bridge to adjust the sound a little. She plucked the next string and did a bit more adjusting, working her way through the strings, one by one until she was satisfied that each string was tuned perfectly.
 "Kilyn told me she found him stuck in an ant hill the other day. He wanted to see what they did in there and was mad as a hornet when he wedged himself into one of the tunnels. Fairies might be able to furl their wings pretty tightly but the wings don't disappear altogether!" The elven woman  laughed as she pictured poor Panyin wedged into the tunnel like a cork in a bottle. It was probably the only time he'd been still in days. Maybe even weeks. "I know I shouldn't laugh but that boy is indestructible, not to mention inexhaustible. Luckily for Kilyn, boys seem to settle down a bit by the time they turn twelve."
 "Well then, only 9 months to go!" Gondien said wryly and they both chuckled.
Tanulia wiggled on the log a little and arched her back, loosening her shoulders. The cello wasn't quite at the right height so she leaned over and turned the end pin to adjust it, lowering her cello to a more comfortable spot. She didn't want to regret not taking the time to get the height just right, even if this was just a practice session.
They turned, looking behind them as they heard Rilien winging his way towards them. The fox moved over and gave the owl room to land on the log. "Did you find anyone in the Grove?" Tanulia asked as he swooped down. Rilien landed on the log with a small thump and tucked his wings in. He was a lovely caramel brown and his white face  had the look of  a mask around his  big owl eyes. His feathers were satiny soft while the claws at the end of his toes were razor sharp. Rilien was Cewit's only owl Elder, the others choosing to live in more established elven Havens. There were 12 Havens in all, although over half were fairly new, as elves might reckon age. Cewit's Haven was only 900 years old.
"Alalia and Eloiny will be here any minute and Kilyn's coming as well. She seems to have lost track of Panyin again though, so she may not stay long if she doesn't run across him on her way over." Rilien said.
"What's so funny??" His head swiveled as he looked at Tanulia and Gondien giggling on either side of him. "Tanulia was just telling me about the ant hill escapade" The fox told him. The owl began to chuckle. "That boy really knows how to get himself in trouble alright." The three laughed together as Tanulia got ready to play.
  The elf drew her bow across the strings once again. Satisfied that the tone was just right she began playing a few bars of some of the more complicated spots that had her worried. She began slowly and then, as she felt more confident, worked her way up to the proper tempo, replaying the same bits over and over. She winced as she hit the wrong note on a particularly tricky bit and stopped to lean over and note it down on her music. It wouldn't do at all to make a mistake on a night as important as this one.
  "Eloiny wanted me to tell you that she's been asked to create the light orbs for tonight's ceremony so she's going to practice a bit more when she gets here. She's been working on something a little different for this. Instead of just regular white globes she's figured out a way to fill the centers with flowers." The brown owl told the elf, as he ruffled his feathers and settled in, making himself a little more comfortable.
 "Reow!" A tiny screech wafted down from the tree.
 "What in the world?" Tanulia jumped a little. "Did you hear that ?" she asked the other two. 'Hear wha. . . ?" before Gondien could even finish his sentence the sound came again and a little louder this time. "Reow!!"
 "Have any of you seen Panyin? I've been looking for him everywhere!" called Kilyn as she flew towards them, her tiny forehead wrinkled with worry.
 "Reow!!!" Elf, fox and owl looked up into the tree overhead as the sound grew louder yet. Kilyn flew closer, fluttering above them. Light spilled out as a tiny door flew open and a little fairy boy hovered in the opening. "Panyin!" his mother scolded "What are you doing in a pixie house? You were supposed to be home ages ago. And what's that noise?" Panyin looked at his mom sheepishly. "I found a pixie kitten in the woods and followed her home. Her mom said I could stay for milk and cookies but I spilled the milk all over the kitten. I tried to clean her up but she doesn't want to be dried off!"
Two more fairies flew towards them, a couple of glowing orbs flying along behind.  Tanulia waved her bow at them and said hello. It was time to get back to the music. The fox  breathed in and laid down on the log, his tail dangling over the side. There was nothing he loved more than cello music. Kilyn continued to scold her son but, when he asked, told him he could stay and listen for a little while as long as he promised to behave himself. Eloiny hovered over Gondien and a tiny orb started to form, shimmering in the gathering shadows. She wanted to make sure the orbs were absolutely perfect for tonight's ceremony. Gentle Alaia drifted up into the trees and lay with her head resting on her arms. She was very shy and didn't like to be around large crowds of people so she was happy to be able to enjoy the elf's beautiful music in peace. A small brown bunny hopped up to the log and and paused.
 Tanulia took a deep breath. She was surrounded by friends and it was time to make music. It didn't get much better than that.
  

 *****

A big thank you to Vanessa Smeding my elven cellist, my daughter Crystal for posing for my three fairies and my daughter Holly for the wonderful job she did with the hair and makeup.

If you've ever wondered what goes into a fairytale composite art piece I've given you a tiny glimpse in this video.

  Happy New Year to you all!