A Crushing Weight? Oh, Joy!

Earlier this week, I posted this photo to my Facebook timeline:

When you wake up in the dark with a crushing weight on your chest (or, you know, a 12 pound cat) and you see those plotting eyes, the feeling is a little foreboding. Those eyes seem to say, "Why even get up. This is not going to be a good day for you. You cannot find joy here...just a cat. A cat who could really care less, except...ummm, are you going to feed me today?" Even without the cat, the pressure of life can bring that weighty feeling to my chest if I am not careful. Fortunately, my mornings this week also saw many daffy-dils and even some joyous sunshine! 

Joy is how I am able to go on, even though that weight is planted firmly, claws protruding in a menacing way, as it plots my emotional  demise. Because of joy, I can push off that cat and throw off the darkness so everything can look better. Even on the days it does not, I simply take a lesson from Auntie Mame and look for joy wherever I can...like in a little Christmas!

Yep, I need a little Christmas right this very minute...who doeesn't, really? Also, I have been planning to knit a Nativity for about 10 years, but I never seemed to get around to it. This is the year that I will finally have a little Christmas family for my mantel, no matter what the cat says. Though I do not actually have a mantel...or a fireplace...or an actual plan for displaying Mary, Joseph and Jesus (and their friends), I do have about 7 months to figure something out. This is a good thing, especially since I will need those months to knit some sheep and other accessories. Oh, and a stable. Oh, and a manger. Gosh! I had better get to knitting again!

When I am finished with the toys, there will (of course) be more knitting... On my Christmas list are hats and slippers and sweaters, oh my! I have set specific goals for the 2019 Christmas knitting, so I know that I need at least 1 sweater, three hats and nine pairs of slippers...and again I say, "Oh, my!" It is a very good thing that I have started early, and I already have one hat finished! Yay! Joy! And no pressure when you start Christmas knitting in April!

On the heels of Easter, I have so much joy! Jesus is risen, and because of this I know that my hope is secure. Joy! God sees only the purest form of me, since I have decided to follow Jesus, and I have received the gift of salvation that his blood paid for. Joy! 

I know it sounds trite, but I am truly blessed. God loves me, Jesus has washed away all of my imperfection, and I am surrounded by people to love. As a bonus, many of them love me back well. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, even if I wake up with a surly cat on my chest in the wee hours. (Having family around to snuggle helps too...)

Now it is time to get on with the rest of this sun-shiny day. Maybe I will plant a flower and admire the artwork of small children today! What are your plans?

Thank you to the Holland family, and all of my
Church family, for loving me well. <3 td="">

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!