100 joys

a friend posted this on facebook today, and i happen to think that it's a good idea. lately i've been struggling to find joy. then i feel guilty for not feeling joy. then it's just a vicious cycle. so, finding 100 things to feel joyful about will hopefully help me refocus during this advent season. sarah markley is taking pictures for all of her 100. i'm going to start off by doing that, too, but i was noticing today that some things may not be able to be captured in pictures, so i'm not going to hold myself to that. so, here are my first 10 things. it was a good day today, not all days are good. i think that challenge to myself will be to find at least 5 things on the days that i'm not feeling so great. i'm not planning on posting every day. i'll probably post every friday. anyways, here they are:

1. my husband. who constantly cares for me and does sweet things like give me foot massages and cooks dinner for me when i have bad days. and he's handsome. and he holds my hand while we're walking. do i need to get more corny, or can i just say that he brings me joy?
(and he was left alone with my computer while this blog was open while i was talking to a friend, so if something weird is said, it was probably him being "funny". just a warning).
2. Common Prayer. a book recently released by the new monastic movement (shane claiborne, jonathan wilson-hartgrove and enuma okoro). it has different liturgies and songs in it. luke and i have been doing a morning one together every morning and an evening one every evening since we got it (ahem, on sunday, at the book release party, where i won a copy!). and we join with some others living in intentional communities for more prayer on tuesday nights during advent. it's been really great.

3. potential kindred spirits. i just made plans with a new couple at our church to get together. after making these plans i added the woman, rachel, as a facebook friend. imagine my joy and delight when she accepted and the first thing i saw on her facebook page was "pursuing downward mobility". amazing. i cannot wait to get to know this woman better. i emailed her, and we decided that we are destined to be good friends.
(she also listens to christmas music early. another plus for us both!)


4. shepherds. i have been reading the old testament prophets and the book of luke during advent. today i read amos. who was a shepherd. the shepherds are also my favorite characters in the nativity. the poor were the first to worship and celebrate Jesus. it both brings me joy and discourages me that God uses the lowly to bring glory to him and insight change. it brings joy to me because it tells me that God cares for and has not forgotten the poor. and that He knows what He is doing. it discourages me because it shows us that His processes are slow and deliberate. if He used people of power, things would happen much faster, and (as a side note) there probably wouldn't be poor people...
(these are the shepherds from a nativity set purchased in mexico. i love how every nationality is represented.)

5. buke the camera. short for buchanan. i think that this is my camera's new name. elizabeth convinced me that it could be a boy or a (preppy) girl, so i'm still figuring out which it is. i've realized, though, that taking pictures (of pretty much everything, but especially people and nature) brings me joy.

6. d.i.y. projects that i actually think about doing, start doing and finish doing. like these autumn tissue boxes i covered in wrapping paper. i thought the paper was appropriate.








7. christmas lights. tonight specifically, those on our walk to advent prayer. and the fact that we did not see them walking back because someone gave us a ride. i especially like the lights on the third house (the one the "7" is over). i really like the colored christmas lights where the blue is hi-lighted but not overpowering. christmas lights always bring me joy.

8. pajamas and christmas socks. i get pretty excited when i am wearing either of these. both is simply wonderful.






9. peppermint ice cream (and mini marshmallows, though they are optional). i really like peppermint ice cream. i am happy when i eat it. i don't think anything else needs to be said.


10. like-minded friends and talking to them (specifically meghan* on skype). this is not number 10 in importance in any way, it just happened after i had already finished numbering the others and i'm too tired to go back and renumber. talking to like-minded friends (especially those who you want to live with one day) is wonderful. and tonight's conversation brought joy to my heart. there is just something comforting about hearing someone else say "i just really want to move into a slum". it makes it more...normal. i miss servants orientees. i'm so glad we have modern communication devices and the desire to use them!
*disclaimer: in order to talk (she is halfway across the world) i had to stay up way late (hence the pj's) and she had to get up way early. we are both much better looking in person and when we are awake).

so that's that. december will be the month for 100 joys, thanks to ms. sarah markley. hopefully i can keep up! i also invite you to join me! she has instructions on her website, but i would love to hear your list of things. please let me know if you plan on joining in!

(sorry for the wacko layout. one day i will be better at formatting...i think i'll just do simple center pics for the rest of these posts...)