Gaudete! Rejoice!

Philippians 4: 4-7
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, 
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, 
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding 
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
– from the Readings of the Third Week of Advent Gaudete!

I love how the Church, in the midst of this Little Lent, gives us a moment to Rejoice! To celebrate the beauty of the Season of waiting. Way back when I moved to Georgia to serve for a year through the church I took on this scripture as a focus. Rejoicing and praising are good things helping us to connect to God through all of what comes our way. Looking back now I love how peace is tied to rejoicing. 

Last night this was one of the readings, leading to this mornings prayer time and reflection. Rejoicing in God’s mercy and grace, rejoicing in the gift of this year, rejoicing in the difficult moments that led to prayer and petition and ultimately peace. Rejoicing in the gift of my twenties when I decided to be super serious. Rejoicing in the gift of my forties as a time of challenges both personal and professional. Rejoicing in the gift of my fifties as they begin to unfold before me hopefully with the wisdom learned from the twenties, thirties, and forties. Rejoicing in being a quilter for over twenty-five years and loving every stitch of it. Rejoicing in where this leads, and while I still don’t know where I’m going, I’m happy to be here.

I’m rejoicing. Rejoice with me friends it is good to be a quilt maker. I rejoice in all the faltered stitches and the mistakes I’ve made. I rejoice in the painful lessons learned. I rejoice in the friendships made, sustained, and even in the ones that I’ve lost for each has added to my life. 

Rejoice! Gaudete!

I rejoice lifting each one of you in prayer for the gift of who you are. I rejoice in the advice received from the sales manager, good, solid advice. I rejoice in hearing a friend say, “that’s my goal!” I rejoice in seeing friends happy, and growing in the quilt work. I rejoice. 

Rejoicing, like quilting, takes some work to grow in. I do know where rejoicing leads, to peace. 2019 will be a year of practicing rejoicing. Rejoicing in the work I get to do, the friendships that sustain me, the gift of my Sweetie, my family. 

Rejoice!

May the peace of God guard your heart and mind.

Teri