And I still love looking through Ideals today. Sometimes I will share quotes or poems from them here in my Christmas kitchen. Today I spent a few minutes browsing through an issue I had bought after Christmas, I think it was last year, and found a poem by James Dillet Freeman that spoke to me. Here it is:
The House That is Your Heart
Now take this Christmas Day to go
A little way apart,
And with your gentle hands prepare
The house that is your heart.
Brush out the dusty fears, brush out
The cobwebs of your care,
Till, in the house that's in your heart,
It's Christmas everywhere.
Light every window up with love
And let that love shine through,
So they that walk outside may share
The blessed light with you.
Then will the rooms with joy be bright,
With peace the hearth be blessed,
And Christ Himself will enter in
To be your Christmas guest.
-- James Dillet Freeman
Isn't that beautiful?
I'd like to suggest, though, that we not wait until Christmas day to prepare our hearts and brush out those cobwebs. We ought to be doing that right now.
Once we have those cobwebs cleared out and the windows clean and shiny, the light within will indeed shine through and draw others to the Light of the world.
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8)
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
So many more thoughts spring to mind as I consider this poem. Maybe I'll share them another time.
I have just recently subscribed to your two blogs.........and I want to say that I thoroughly enjoy reading each and every 'issue' (though I have yet to read them all) .....past and present. Thank you for such lovely blogs....now two of my favorites to follow.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, KareBear!
DeleteI am so happy to see you here! I hope you will find time to browse around in the archives -- after ten years or so of blogging, there is a lot of material here that you might enjoy.
Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful comments. So happy you are enjoying the blogs!
Have never heard of Ideals but it sounds like a great magazine. I love Christmas magazines of all kind!
ReplyDeleteIdeals has been around for a long time. They used to publish every season, I think. Mostly they have gorgeous photography and art, poems, remembrances, even a few recipes. No ads. I have always loved them.
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