Thursday, December 1, 2011

Finding Joy in Service

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with catcher's mitts on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
~Maya Angelou~

December is a favorite month of mine.
I love Christmas.
Knipplinger lace made my my talented mother, Lynn Montgomery

I've learned to ignore and mostly throw out the things that stress or bother me about the commercialization of the season and pare it down to the things I love.

I love the music
My daughter and I are playing in an orchestra for the Apex Christmas Nativity Celebration's Messiah Sing-In Saturday Dec. 10th at 7pm.
photo by kohunt on flickr
My Christmas playlist is the longest of any on my ipod. If I haven't played my dulcimer in six months I know at least I'll get it down to play Christmas music. I don't mind running out every other night to hear my kids school band concerts.

I love being with my family and friends
I love the neighborhood and church and family brunches and dinners and parties.
I'm surrounded by wonderful people and feel blessed to be in their presence.
And the food - yes. The food.

I love helping, in whatever small way, to make the world a better place
My kids get totally excited to leave presents on doorsteps. I've already had to take my oldest daughter to the store twice to fill stockings for service projects she's doing at school. 
Photo by weddingmusings at flickr

join me
You and I together have power to make the world a better place. Help me think of things do to, and you can do them too. I was cleaning out a few piles in the studio and realized I have a huge stack of duplicate Quilting Arts magazines. And stuff. Too much wonderful stuff. I want to share it.

So every day - tell me one thing you did to love and help and serve.
(and leave me a way to contact you.) I'll send you a magazine and maybe a goodie along with it.

Yesterday I took dinner to a dear friend who is sick. I called another friend I haven't heard from for a while. Just to say how much I miss and love her.

DO SOMETHING!
big or small it doesn't matter.
(and tell me about it.)