Advent day 19

It's a good thing that Santa has his skis ready. Stockholm is covered in snow. Today was the worst blizzard I've seen since we moved here. It snowed all day and the wind was blowing and the drifts were rising and it has created a most beautiful winter wonderland.
We took a long walk through a forest that is about a 1o minute walk from our house. Tanner loves being in there! He runs and plays and snorts around in the snow...it's a delight to watch his playfulness.
The city is quiet and lovely. The whole movement of life slows down with the snow. It was great to get out and enjoy the cold, dry air and take in the beauty that surrounds us.
Christmas Eve is one week from today. We're busy at church trying to get multiple services ready as well as meet some end of the year deadlines. In the midst of the demands, I need to take time to take a walk with my husband, play with my dog, delight in God's creation and take joy in the loveliness that that fresh winter snow has brought to our surroundings. It's very easy to focus exclusively on the "to do" list. But perhaps what most of us need to do the week before Christmas is to look away from the list and ponder what surprising observation God may have in store for us. The list will get done. It always does. But don't let a special moment of wonderment pass you by because we rarely re-capture the joy of experiencing something like that.