Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. ~John 8:12
We wait until Epiphany to dismantle our Christmas decorations. I'm always sad to lose the ambient glow and warmth that the lights on both our tree and the garland on our mantle give us during this always special season. This time, though, I take the wonderful suggestion from my friend, Jean, who says that she leaves up her artificial candles in her windows long after Christmas has passed to brighten up the long wintry nights.
Coincidentally, just this past season, I purchase a set of four battery-powered LED candles for our home (A big shout out and thanks to Linda for letting her readers know about these!). Two of them are featured in the header photo. Yes, Danny agrees it's a marvelous idea to keep them "burning," too.
The candle "flames" certainly appear realistic, and their lights make our living room so cozy and comforting. I do love that they run on AA batteries and their timers really do work as advertised. When we decide to put them away, they are easy to disassemble and store away for next winter's long, dark and dreary nights.
When we find ourselves in moments when all feels like darkness and hopelessness closing in to crush our spirits, may we turn to Jesus, allowing Him to fill us with His eternal light. Only He has the light of life and the infinite grace to give it.
Amen!
If I was a betting man (which I'm not) I would wager that after you experienced in the south what we in the north experience every winter, those lights were really a blessing. :) Gonna have to look into them. Hope the snow has melted and you are all doing well.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bill, the snow has been gone for a good while here, and we're glad for that. The candles are such a treat still, even though the worst of winter has retreated. I hope you'll look into getting some of these for next year.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I LOVE winter
DeleteI know you do!
DeleteGreat idea
ReplyDeleteWe thought so.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Jesus, the light of the world!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Diana!
DeleteLove and blessings!
My wife insists we keep the outdoor Christmas lights up until Feb.1. I grumble but acquiesce. It does light up the darkness.
ReplyDeleteTell Janet I'm right there with her, Glynn. A happy wife makes for a happy life, indeed. :)
DeleteLove and blessings!
Amen! Jesus is the Light. I love your candles and the brightness that they give. This is a wonderful idea. I have a ladder that is wrapped with tiny lights....I leave it up all year and I love the light that shines in our living area at night. enjoy your blessings today Martha...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know that you liked the candles, too, Shug, and I love your idea of the ladder lights. I can only imagine how lovely they must look in your home. And Jesus is, and always will be, the light of the world.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, some people do keep the decorations until 1 February; contrary to popular belief, the Christmas season actually continues right through to Candlemas on 2 February.
ReplyDeleteWe had some battery operated candles. I'd better search for them. We have a Cross in our front window all the time which can be seen from the street.
God bless, Martha.
Oh, Victor, I do love that idea of having a cross in your window for all to see year-round. And I hadn't heard about Candlemas until you mentioned it here, either. Now I don't feel so bad about keeping the candles "burning."
DeleteLove and blessings!
We, too, wait until Epiphany to take down the Christmas tree ... oh, what a dark and dismal first few days thereafter! I love the ambience of candlelight year-round, but ever since our vet said they're bad for pets' lungs (not to mention fire hazard) I no longer burn them indoors.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check these out!
I got these on Amazon, Myra, like just about everything else - LOL! No, we don't burn any real candles except during Advent and then only briefly; we don't have any pets now, so that isn't an issue, thank goodness.
DeleteLove and blessings!
LED candles are sure safer.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, they are, Christine.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I always loved the idea of a candle in the window. We don't really have windowsills here in this house, so there is no place to put them where they can be seen outside. But I enjoy soft candle light on the tables and I try to remember to light them each night, but lately I've been forgetting because the days are starting to get longer again. I do miss the Christmas lighting that we had before...it really made our home feel so cozy. Thank you for this idea. I like it!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked this idea, Pamela. And where we put the candles is the only "sill" we have in our home. The others are far too narrow. I like the idea of placing them on tables, too, where they can be enjoyed by the family. Since these candles come on at a set time, I don't have to remember to light them or turn them off. Great perk!
DeleteLove and blessings!
“let your light shine “ Matthew 5:14-16
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Martha!
Lulu
Yes, Lulu, may all our lights shine for the Lord.
DeleteLove and blessings!
It's fascinating how God sort of puts things in our head and it becomes somewhat of a theme for the day, or longer. We have a rather small room off of our upstairs bonus room that we dubbed "the war room" after that movie where the woman had a small room that she engaged her role as a prayer warrior. Anyhow, there's a window that faces east and when I'm up there in the morning just as the sun comes up, it floods that room with bright, encouraging, uplifting light. This morning it just struck me afresh how marvelous it is to have light. And the fascinating thing is that light rays are invisible, yet in them is every shade of every color that exists. And those colors are only available if and when they're reflected. Then you post a piece about not wanting to say goodbye to your Christmas lights. I would have loved it anyway, but especially so this morning. God bless you for adding a glow to our morning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for adding such a glowing warmth to my day today with your kind and thoughtful words here, my friend. I loved the movie you've referenced here, and that you have that room dubbed the same that fills with sunlight at the break of day - such a wonderful reminder that God is present and wants to fill us up with the light of Jesus as we face each new day. Your comment reminds me of this quote by C. S. Lewis: "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else."
DeleteLove and blessings!
I enjoyed your post. Jesus is the Light of the World. I keep battery candles in little vases lit all the time - to remind me of that. I am going to look for the candles you talked about for the windows. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this reminder you give yourself with the candles in the glass vases, Chatty! I ordered these on Amazon, and they're easy to find. Enjoy!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Lots of people here have those kind of candles in their windows. It is a nice sight to see.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Bill, they are so wonderful to see whether you are inside or out.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes! Amen!! Well said, Martha.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Terri.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I like candles in windows - it’s a charming look. In Sweden they use candles all winter and since winter doesn’t end until late March I’d say that would be a good time. I used to have similar candles and now it reminded me how much I’ve missed them. Hmm, may have to order some.
ReplyDeleteYes and Amen - Jesus is the Light of the world to which I am very thankful.
Yes, Debby, you should think about ordering them again. As I recall, the set was quite reasonably priced, and the quality is excellent. That's such an interesting fact, too, about that tradition in Sweden; it certainly makes sense as their winter nights are so long.
DeleteAlways, Jesus is the Light of our world, and I'm thankful, too.
Love and blessings!
I love to see candles in windows; they offer a cozy, welcoming glow. We leave the evergreen garland and fairy lights on top of the hutch for the same glow, cheering up the room on winter nights. Plus, I love keeping a little Christmas joy with us, to bridge the months till spring!
ReplyDeleteAmen to that, Nancy! Keeping that Christmas joy in our hearts is a wonderful way to start and keep the New Year. Fairy lights are so much fun, too. We sent a set to my daughter and her family in their Christmas goodie box this past season. The girls loved them!
DeleteLove and blessings!
My neighbor across from me has candles in all her windows all year long. They look so nice and welcoming. My Christmas remains up til Candlemas which is the date of the purification of Mary and the presentation of the baby at the temple 40 days after birth.
ReplyDeleteAnnie, you are the second reader who has mentioned Candlemas, a commemoration I hadn't heard of before now. I love to learn new things from all of you here, always. Now, I think I'll definitely keep those candles up at least until that day.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Those candles with batteries and timers are great. My mom always put a similar one in each front window of our house at Christmas, but they had to be plugged into an outlet to light up. So thankful Jesus lights my world and is my source of power through the Holy Spirit. Great piece, Martha! God bless!
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful, Karen, as you are that Jesus lights up both our worlds with joy and peace no matter what season of the year it may be. My mother had plug-in candles, too, but these are so handy due to their timers that turn on and off automatically. I love them!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I'm always a little torn when I finally take down my Christmas lights too. I love the feel of having a tree and lights in the house (even if it is an artificial tree), yet I'm also glad to get things cleaned up and back to normal. :) So grateful now for the days getting longer and having more light again in the afternoons!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Lisa, and feel the same about finally getting the house back to "normal" after the Christmas holidays. However, keeping the candles "burning" just a bit longer has certainly brightened our home and our hearts this January.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Bom dia, Martha
ReplyDeleteÓtima ideia das velas. Jesus é a Luz do mundo que ilumina nossos passos, bjs querida.
Jesus is always there to light the way He wants us to go with Him. Glad you liked the candles, too.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Martha Jane: Thank you for sharing this idea. I truly need to find something to help keep me attuned to the goodness of His light and not to horribleness of the darkness of my world. Peace and blessings to all.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Northern Virginia (1984-1988) placing electric candles in the windows for Christmas seemed to really gain in popularity. I bought some for most of my windows but grew weary of the electric cords. It would have been wonderful to have battery-powered lights at that time, and LED, especially. Candles in the window are such a charming look and yes, a wonderful reminder of Jesus, our Light and Salvation.
ReplyDeleteThey do look so cozy in that window, Martha. :) We decided to do something different this year and leave up a Christmas table centerpiece and a timed snow globe for a while longer. I like to think Christmas is all year long. :) Jesus is the reason for every season, right? Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the candle suggestions. I'll have to try them. I meditate daily on what Jesus said in Matthew. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Therefore, let your light so shine, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven."
ReplyDeleteKeep the eternal flame burning.
ReplyDeleteHugs and Blessings
Your lights are so beautiful! They are especially appreciated on these darker winter days! God bless you!
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