Advent - The Season of Waiting
Welcome to my very first newsletter, which I affectionately named “The Gathering Place.” Over the years, I felt myself using social media less and less. And lately I’ve been feeling the nudge to create something of my own, so this is where I’ll be sharing many of my thoughts. I hope this can be a place where we can, well…gather.
As I mentioned, I am the Queen of Decluttering, and I know email can contribute to mental clutter in a big way, so I have no intention of flooding your inbox. My hope is to send out one newsletter per month where I share things I’m learning, projects I’m working on, and maybe even a new essay. I know your time is precious and you could spend it doing a zillion other things, so thanks so much for pulling up a seat beside me. (I hope you have some tea. And maybe even a few cookies!)
Reading and Writing (sorry, no arithmetic here)
I’m homeschooling my son who is a junior in high school this year. We have started a new morning habit of reading Mary Oliver poems, and I have found it to be so refreshing. Before we jump into any heavy brain work, we gather at the work desk beneath the big picture window that bears witness to the new day unfolding outside. I have my fresh, hot cup of coffee beside me, and we welcome the words of Mary Oliver. I always appreciate her awareness of the beauty around her and her ability to notice and to remain present. This month, she inspired me to write my own poem.
In this season of waiting, I've been reading Kate Bowler's daily Advent Devotional. (You can find it here. It's free, and it feels like a gift). Advent is the season in the Church calendar where we wait with hopeful anticipation for the arrival of Jesus. Kate's 4-week devotional includes a short Bible passage and a daily reflection question. I've challenged myself to spend 10 minutes each day writing my response. This is my poetic response to the prompt, "Describe a time you experienced the divine in an everyday moment lately." I'm no poet, but it was fun to play around with words in a different way. Here is my humble offering:
Reflected
by Jana MacDonald
The divine presence of God
in the whisper of the leaves
gently dancing in the trees.
In the solitude of a quiet trail -
birds, frolicking in the canopy above
squirrels, playing tag in the wilderness.
A pink sunset, like stepping into a masterpiece,
and the heart-shaped rock that reminds me
God is still here.
The freedom of the mountaintop
after a really difficult climb –
I catch my breath and lose it at the same time.
Overlooking all of God’s creation,
knowing it extends so much farther
and wider than my eyes can see.
The awe.
The awareness of my smallness
in comparison to God’s greatness.
Not that God thinks I’m small.
God is just so expansive –
and Their love is equally so.
Far and wide like that mountaintop.
Extending to all of us.
Every one.
And nothing can separate us from that love.
We only have to believe.
Building & Creating
This is the third week of Advent: Joy. Gary Haugen, founder of the International Justice Mission, once said that “Joy is the oxygen for doing hard work.” Gosh, he would know. His work as a human rights attorney led him to start IJM, a global movement to fight human trafficking, modern-day slavery, violence of women and children and police abuse of power. Important, necessary and heavy work. But he knows, to balance the brutality of the world, we must too find joy.
We may not be human rights attorneys, getting up close to the darkest parts of humanity, but if we’ve walked a mile in this world, we all carry our own burdens, sorrows and heartaches. A wise friend (okay, therapist) once told me to create a joy list. Just write down all of the things you like to do, activities that you could get lost in. When you’re feeling low, as we’re all prone to feel at some time or another, choose something from the joy list. This has been a wonderful practice for me. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, buried in responsibilities and navigating the heaviness of the world’s news cycle, it’s wise and nourishing to get back to the things that bring us joy. Whip out your sewing machine, learn a new craft, find a new trail - you get the idea.
This month, I created a handful of pillowcases for a family that I love dearly. My hope was that it would bring them some joy during a particularly difficult season and a colorful place to rest their heads, knowing someone was thinking of them and praying for them. I’ve made these pillowcases a dozen times - they make excellent, personalized gifts. And perusing the walls of fabric in the craft store is so much fun!
I’ve used this pattern from Ryan’s Case for Smiles. Super quick and easy! And if you like to sew, making pillowcases for childhood cancer patients would be a great way to use your creativity and time!
If you read this post on my website, you’ll know that I took a women’s carpentry class a few summers ago. I was trying to use my new skills to create a few Christmas gifts for the people who have everything. So I came across this adorable shelf while searching “the google,” and I loved it so much I made one for myself, too. I even got to use my impact driver which is without a doubt, hands down, the number one tool I will never live without. Ta da! (If it sparks your interest, you can find the tutorial here at the 4:10 mark.)
Every year, my good friend Jen invites me and another friend over to her house to make Christmas wreaths. She is one of the most creative people I know, and a lot of my inspiration comes from a visit to her home. We laugh, we chat, we share Christmas gift ideas, we drink coffee and we make these gorgeous wreaths from whatever greenery Jen has pruned from her trees and shrubs that morning. This has become such a wonderful tradition that I look forward to every year. Jen said I could charge money for the wreath I made this year! High praise coming from her.
What’s Cooking?
Honestly, not much. I do cook a lot, but I’ve been in a dinnertime rut for the better part of five years, so I don’t have anything particularly exciting to share. Maybe next time. But my daughter Stella does! She is our in-house baker. I have tasked her with the duty. I have passed on the apron. And she is a remarkable baker. Her goal was to make one batch of Christmasy cookies per week for the month of December, in which I’d set aside a few to have a small platter for Christmas. She made these delectable gingersnaps that were so soft and chewy… and addicting. I’m embarrassed to say how quickly they were devoured. So I won’t. You can get that recipe here.
And that’s a wrap on my first newsletter! (Wrap? 🎁 See what I did there?) Your task is to go find some joy today! A little light in the darkness…
Leave a comment and let us know where you are finding joy this season.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
We wait.
With hopeful expectation.
And the weary world rejoices.
May you find as much joy as this lady with the jingle bells. 🔔🤣
xo, Jana