emphasis

death is a cold, blindfolded kiss.

it is the finger pressed upon our lips.

it puts an unwanted emphasis on how we should have lived.

life is a gorgeous, broken gift.

six billion+ pieces waiting to be fixed.

love letters that were never signed, sent to where we live.

but the sweetest thing i've ever heard is that i don't have to have the answers,

just a little light to call my own.

though it pales in comparison to the overarching shadows,

a speck of light can reignite the sun and swallow darkness whole.

-emphasis-sleeping at last

hope

When times are dark and bring inconsolable grief and despair, we trust that the light of hope will shine again.
We trust that we will not feel helpless and alone forever.
We trust that we are not alone for even one moment, although many may feel solitary.
We must trust, even though we do not understand.

gratitude this week

I'm bringing you my gratitude post a day early this week because today is November 30th and my month of blogging every day is done and I plan to take tomorrow off! (Based on the lack of comments on the posts this month, I'm pretty sure I've been talking to myself anyway.)

November 24: The good thing about coming home from the beach before the holiday weekend was over was that I could get the Christmas decorations up. Last year, we didn't get the house decorated until the weekend before Christmas and that was a disaster. My very favorite decoration is our creche. If I put nothing else out, I would be fully satisfied. (That's foreshadowing for our home after the kids are grown and moved out.)

November 25: But since you have to put the other stuff out, you might as well be thankful for it. The tree is a comforting sight each night, that is for sure.

November 26: Of course, the best part of the tree is the lights. They are what really bring the Christmas shine to things.

November 27: My sister and I had our own tree growing up filled with angel ornaments. When we married and left home, my mom let us have half of them each and I still love putting them on the tree each year.

November 28: The other ornaments that mean the most to me are the ones that my kids made (or their daycare teachers made for them) when they were little.

November 29: Not a strictly seasonal entry for this day, but I really do love the bare tree branches that are starting to show up all around as the leaves are going, going, going.

November 30: My pastor gave me Watch for the Light (an Advent devotional) several years ago. I have read it each year since then and there are always new words for my heart to hear. I can't recommend this book enough.