Releasing to Receive

Welcoming the morning still dark, my son leans in and gives a head butt, an expression of love. He is off to band camp and I am off to preparing a birthday dinner. 

Heaping pile of chicken spaghetti with a side of garlic bread. Double decker vanilla cake patched together with layers of chocolate icing. My daughter decorates with banners, blowers, and poppers. Silliness, joy and laughter fill the room. Living in the spirit of contentment. Gifts are given but the real gift is each other. I look around the room studying each face freeze framing the beauty of the ever changing. I take pictures and they laugh at me, but I never want to forget true beauty and simple joy of time with each other. To live simply is to not live in expectation but to be joy-filled. It's the fullness of simple. 

It's easy to freely give thanks and count my joy gifts in moments of laughter. But as quickly as laughter comes and goes, so does the attitude of joy.

It's 6:30 in the morning. Son frustrated because he can't find his shoes, accidently breaks a three foot vase on the porch. I hear the crashing sound of pottery to tile. "This is not a good way to start the day.” I mutter under by breath. My hand tightens in clenched stress. Rejoice in the Lord always-- Philippians 4:4.  If I have no joy, it is because that is what I choose. Giving thanks is an action where the feeling of joy always begins. So if in my frustration I give thanks, I open the tight fisted hand to receive.

Son apologizes for breaking the vase.

"It's okay”, I say. "I never liked that vase anyway."


 Naming my joys continues.
51. Cake
52. Another birthday
53. Releasing clenched hands to receive.