the third week

Our week begins with "Gaudete Sunday." Gaudete means "rejoice" in Latin. This joyful spirit is marked by the third candle of our Advent wreath, which is rose colored.

Each night this week we want to pause in gratitude. Whatever the day has brought, no matter how busy it has been, we can stop, before we fall asleep, to give thanks for a little more light, a little more freedom to walk by that light, in joy. (credit)

This got me thinking… what brings me joy? In no particular order, here are some of the first things that came to mind:

- Good olive oil

- Watching Blossom chase squirrels in the backyard

- Twinkling (not blinking) white Christmas lights

- Seeing pictures of my growing nieces and nephews – most recently, seeing Dawsen play with the science kit I got him and watching a video of Annie singing Justin Beiber

- Spending time with good girlfriends –Ray LaMontagne concerts, going for Italian food, hosting a lingerie shower, spending the night at Amy’s parents house, bonding over Joe-Joe cookies or just having a glass of wine

- Watching Larry build a magical fire on a cold night – and seeing the thermostat raise by 10 degrees

- Finding a crumpled dollar in the pocket of the winter coat that has been put away for months

- The smell of pine when I walk in the house

- Calling my parents every Sunday night just to check in

- Tucking my cold toes behind Larry when sitting on the couch watching TV

- Finding the perfect gift for somebody

- Trading some textbooks in for $115 Amazon.com credit

Hope your week is filled with joy. Even if you feel like it won’t be – because you’re struggling with something or are in a bad place right now, find something to rejoice in.There is always something