Ode to Joy

Every Sunday at our church, congregants are invited to come up to the front of the sanctuary and share their various joys and/or sorrows and to light a candle for said occasion(s). Sweetie, like other children there, has been known to share such things as birthday joys or simply the fact that she's lost another tooth. One can also quietly go light a candle at any time during a service without sharing news with everyone, if that is more your "thing."

Neither Hubby nor I have ever, in the year that we've been attending, gone to the front of the sanctuary with news, good or bad. Neither a Joy or a Concern. Not that we haven't had some over the last several months. We're just not sharing folk, I suppose.

But this coming Sunday - hold on to your hats. We have an abundance of joys this week and we're excited to let people know. That day we will be able to announce:

• On Friday Hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. And they said it wouldn't last...

• After exactly 17 months of regular unemployment, I am finally working again, part time, at a job I'm absolutely loving (thanks in large part to our Reverend, as she passed the email from her colleague on to me.)

• After exactly 2 months on the market, we just accepted an offer on our house!!!! (please think of us and pray that all goes through without incident. Also? If you've got extra boxes, extra storage space, and/or a small 2 bedroom place with a basement or garage we can start renting ideally in the middle of November, LET US KNOW!!!)

• And finally, after regularly attending this church for the last year, Hubby and I thrilled to have just "signed the book" to become official members of this church.

Oh - and knowing that Sweetie will want to be part of the action & say her piece as well, we can let her announce her joy that she just learned how to tie her own shoes!!!

Yes, we are a joyful bunch these days. Stressed to the max with new worries and busy-ness. But joyful nonetheless.