Advent Journey Day 3

Now the house is decorated and it's cozy and nice.  But before that could happen we had to drag the boxes filled with our Christmas stuff up from the basement storage unit.  I don't know why but I find this to be such a chore.  Thankfully, Doug did it for me!  But then, it is such a joy to open each box and carefully unwrap our Christmas decorations.  Memories pour out of those boxes as I am reminded of where things came from.  I love thinking about where to put them in our house.  Some things have a permanent spot, others I like to move around a bit.  Best of all is the end of the day, when the unpacked boxes have been returned to the basement and the decorations are strewn throughout our house.  Last night we lit candles and enjoyed the coziness of the freshly decorated rooms.  Today includes a trip to Ikea to buy flowers and candles.  We have our first holiday gathering tonight with the Young Adult's Bible Study group from church.  I love welcoming people into our home when it's fully decorated for Christmas.
It's definitely a process getting the house ready for Christmas.  But it's so worth it when we finish.  I am inspired to welcome others into our home and look forward to the joy our home will bring to us over the next several weeks.  
Being mindful about Advent is also a process.  But by daily unpacking the concerns of our hearts and spending time pondering what the season is all about, great reward awaits us.  We can learn to enjoy cozy times with God as well as we allow him to cast the light of Christ on our lives.