Winter Solstice Carols

 Winter Solstice Carols

1. Angels We Have Heard On High

2. Frosty the Snowman

3. Away In a Manger

4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

5. O Holy Night

6. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

7. O Come, All Ye Faithful

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

9. We Wish You a Merry Christmas

10. Deck the Halls

11. The First Noel

12. Joy to the World

13. The Shepherd’s Carol (Round)

14. Silent Night

1. Angels We Have Heard On High

French carol, ca. 1862 

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing over the plains
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.

Glo-ori-a
In excelsis de-o
Glo-ori-a
In excelsis de-o

Shepherds, why this Jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Glo-ori-a
In excelsis de-o
Glo-ori-a
In excelsis de-o

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord,
the newborn King

Glo-ori-a
In excelsis de-o
Glo-ori-a
In excelsis de-o

2. Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pie and a button nose
And two eyes made out of coal

Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say
He was made of snow but the children know
How he came to life one day

There must have been some magic in
That old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around

Oh, Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me


Thumpety thump thump

Thumpety thump thump

Look at Frosty go
Thumpety thump thump
Thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow

3. Away In a Manger

Away in a manger,
no crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus
laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the heavens
looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus
asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing,
the poor Baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus;
look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle
till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus;
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
and love me I pray!
Bless all the dear children
in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven
to live with Thee there.

Away in a manger,
no crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus
laid down His sweet head;
The stars in the heavens
looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus
asleep on the hay.

4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Charles Wesley(1707-1788), 1739 
Hark! the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise;
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark! the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the favored one.
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see;
hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King"
Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King"

5. O Holy Night

J.S.Dwight & A.C.Adam, 19th Century 
O holy night,
the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of
our dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world
in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared
and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope,
the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks
a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees,
O hear the angel voices!
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born!
O night divine, O night,
O night divine!

6. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

Edmund H. Sears(1810-1876), 1849 
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
With news of joy foretold,
"Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven's all gracious King."
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
Love's banner all unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
Over all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains
Old echoes plaintive ring,
And ever over its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the Angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man at war with man hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O! hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the Angels sing.
O ye, beneath life's crushing load
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

7. O Come, All Ye Faithful

Attributed to John Francis Wade(ca. 1711-1786) 
O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye,
O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens
of heaven above;
Glory to God,
Glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be
all glory given;
Son of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ, the Lord.

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
"Rudolph, with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You'll go down in history"
9. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a happy new year
Now bring us a figgy pudding
Now bring us a figgy pudding
Now bring us a figgy pudding
And bring some out here
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a happy new year
And we won't go until we got some
And we won't go until we got some
And we won't go until we got some
So bring some out here
Good tidings we bring
To you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas
And a happy new year
Good tidings for Christmas
And a happy new year


10. Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
See the blazing Yule before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
While I tell of Yuletide treasure, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Sing we joyous, all together, Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

11. The First Noel

English carol, 17th century 
The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay
keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night
that was so deep.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from country far,
To seek for a King was their intent
And to follow the star
wherever it went.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
This star drew nigh to the northwest
Over Bethlehem it took its rest,
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
Then did they know assuredly
Within that house the King did lie:
One entered in then for to see,
And found the Babe in poverty:
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence
Their gold, and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!
Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven
and earth of naught
And with His blood
mankind hath bought.
Noel Noel Noel Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

12. Joy To The World

Isaac Watts(1674-1748) 
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Saviour reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, Repeat, the sounding joy
Joy to the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders and wonders of His love
No more will sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He'll come and make the blessings flow
Far as the curse was found,
Far as the curse was found,
Far as, far as the curse was found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And gives to nations proof
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love;
And wonders of His love;
And wonders, wonders of His love.
Rejoice! Rejoice in the Most High,
While Israel spreads abroad
Like stars that glitter in the sky,
And ever worship God,
And ever worship God,
And ever, and ever worship God.

13. The Shepherd's Carol (round)

Mary, Mary hush, see the Child
Joseph, Joseph, look see how mild
This is Jesus; this is our King
This is our Savior, his praises we sing.

14. Silent Night

Joseph Mohr(1792-1848), 1818 
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so Tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Silent night, holy night!
Wondrous star, lend thy light!
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King!
Christ the Saviour is here,
Jesus the Saviour is here!
Silent night, Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord at thy birth;
Jesus Lord at thy birth.

Surprise Visitors During Lockdown

Lockdown life is strange. However, there is something familiar about it. Time has slowed down and we have been able to breathe a bit, but I’ve also found myself feeling like my home is a prison. My home feeling like a prison is a familiar feeling I've had before. A feeling where my mind has trapped me within the walls of my own home. It’s a crumbling, crushing feeling and it doesn’t help that I am claustrophobic. On top of feeling stuck in my 1200 square foot home, no one is allowed to visit. And if they do, we can't embrace, and we usually talk through the door or a window: I'm a prisoner. However, there are some "visitors" that came as a surprise to me during quarantine, they are old friends, if you can even call them that, their names are Depression and Anxiety.

One cannot predict when Depression and Anxiety will come into your home. They don’t even knock to enter, they just help themselves in, eat your food, sleep in your bed, clutter your home, and fill your head with things you’d never wish on anyone else. Depression and Anxiety usually enter our homes as a total surprise and sometimes we can’t even tell that they are here so we think all of the mess and mental clutter is our own fault, but then we have an outsider who looks into the windows of our home and they see that Depression and Anxiety have taken over our homes and possibly our lives. The outsider kindly lets us know what’s going on and slowly, very slowly, we start to push through the fog to see the tiny sliver of light awaiting us on the other end. 

When Depression and Anxiety rudely entered my home after my firstborn, I thought it was a normal side effect to having a newborn and frequently fluctuating hormones. Then I learned that the thoughts and feelings I was having weren’t normal side effects of having a baby, but of having Depression and/or Anxiety trying to make a permanent mark in my life. If you have never had Depression or Anxiety as your friend here is a taste of what it's like.

It’s like your brain is in the fetal position, everything is dark, numb, and difficult. On the exterior you may seem cheery, bright, and carefree but the mind is not that way. Every thought that comes in is tainted, every word spoken to you is reworded by your dark mind and used against you. Unless you've had many experiences with Depression and Anxiety, you usually don't catch on to what is going on in your brain. So someone else has to not only notice it, but inform you that Depression and Anxiety have settled into your home. Then suddenly your brain starts to loosen up from that fetal position. It looks up through its' tears to see if the person is telling the truth or if it's another hopeful lie. When the brain sees the love and kindness in the eyes of the person pleading with you to give Depression and Anxiety the boot, it begins to sit up. The brain straightens its’ back, takes a look around and sees the chaos that they caused. It starts to pick up after Depression and Anxiety and devise a plan on how to kick them out. Oh, but Depression and Anxiety are stubborn and they make believable arguments. 

"You don't have to kick us out yet, you're not ready to be alone, let us stay a little longer." 

"We promise to clean up after ourselves better, please give us another chance." 

But as the brain begins to exercise its’ agency and push back a little, Depression and Anxiety don’t want to hang around anymore. Don’t you see? Depression and Anxiety prefer to go unnoticed so they can cozy into our homes and lives and get deeply rooted so that when we try to get rid of them it’s very, very difficult. However, the brain is smart and thorough. She picks herself up, opens the blinds to let the sunlight in, then slowly starts figuring out how to permanently clean up the mess Depression and Anxiety made.

She starts by calling a trusted professional. This person evaluates her and says she is lucky because she caught those sneaky, unwanted guests early so it will be easier to get them to leave, it will still take hard work and attention, but it can be done. The brain smiles, not just with her lips, with her heart and soul. There really is light at the end of this cold, dark tunnel. She is told to do a few things that Depression and Anxiety hate. They can’t stand to be around people who frequently sing, move their body, laugh, eat healthy food, and go outside. They hate these things so much that they will nag at us all day long to stop doing them; they try to stop us, tell us that it’s not worth our effort, they lie and say that we aren’t worth it, that we don’t look good dancing or sound good singing, they try to tear us down any way they can. The brain knows better, she knows that them pressing back against these tactics means that the plan is working. She is winning! She isn’t perfect at her new goals, but the brain is now standing, smiling, and ready to take on Depression and Anxiety head on. She approaches them, and she is surprised at how confident she is.

"Depression, Anxiety, it's time for you to go," she bravely states.

"Yeah you said that a few days ago," Depression says while slumping on the couch, bored.

"Well this time I mean it, and I have friends to help carry you out if that's the case. I know you're capable of walking out of here on your own so I will give you time to consider your options." She is amazing herself with her confidence, she walks over to the door and opens it gesturing her hand out the door for Depression and Anxiety.

"Come on Depression, let's just get out of here, I'm anxious to find a new host that won't treat us so rudely anyway," Anxiety rolls her eyes as she verbally abuses her victim. 

"Ugh, fine, I guess we could always sneak back in through the back door if we ever need a home here again," Depression reluctantly and lazily gets off the couch.

 

Depression and Anxiety have slowly begun packing up their bags, dreading the day that has come: move out day. Forced to homelessness, they strategize on how they can get back into this home and stay for good. They plead one last time for mercy. They beg her to give up on her goals and to just let them stay one more day. She knows this devious plan all too well, and she unapologetically tells them no. “The time has come, the time is now, [Depression and Anxiety], will you please go now?” -She quotes Dr. Suess as she slams the door behind them.

While she is latching the lock on the door, she catches herself being grateful that Depression and Anxiety came to her house. Now she knows she is strong. As she contemplates this gratitude she understands how having friends like Depression and Anxiety can be considered good - now she can relate to so many other brains out there that have had Depression and Anxiety visit. She looks back on herself as a curled up ball of hopelessness and realizes how she has so many people in her life that love her and are rooting for her, and she knows that she now has that capability to provide the same love, knowledge, and experience for others.

 

The brain releases a giant sigh of relief and feels the weight of her old "friends" leave her shoulders completely. A few days pass and she sees Depression and Anxiety lurking outside her windows. She makes sure they see her doing well and reaching the majority of her goals: cleaning, going on frequent walks, dancing with her children. But seeing them gets her worried so she tries to reevaluate her goals and make them more attainable. As she continues to reach for healthy goals, keeping Depression and Anxiety out of her home becomes easier and easier. She sees them walking by every now and then and she holds onto hope that she really got rid of them for good, however she knows that every day is a battle to keep them from coming back in uninvited. She has to keep her guard up.

As she fights to keep her goals from consuming her with overwhelming stress or negative thinking, she realizes she is not ashamed or mad at Depression and Anxiety for entering her life. Now she has an amazing army standing by her side. She didn't listen to Depression and Anxiety's advice to deny help. Instead she talked to family, friends, and medical professionals and they each gave her the extra strength she needed and could not provide herself. She has gathered her army and together they are unstoppable.

In summary, Depression and Anxiety may come visit your home, rest assured that when they do, they leave clues behind: clutter, a lack of desire, low motivation, thoughts of self-harm, thoughts of harming others, and suicidal thoughts. The sooner we know they are here, the better. And the sooner we can gather our army, the quicker we can win the battle. Together is how we win. This cannot be done alone. Alone is exactly where they want us to be so they can slowly and silently poison us.

A Note to the Reader:

If you have experienced the symptoms I explained in this article as clues that Depression and Anxiety leave behind, please call a medical professional ASAP. Confide in a loved one. Message me. Tell SOMEONE. Gather your army my friend!

If you are experiencing debilitating thoughts of self-harm or suicide please call this hotline 1-800-273-8255 and get the help you need. 

If you are currently the victim of domestic violence or in a hostile environment, please call 911. If your safety is at risk by calling 911, call them as if you are ordering a pizza, help will come. 

6 Months to Live

Over the last few weeks I have been very impacted by death. No one close to me has died within the last few weeks, but it feels like more and more people are dying. Is this just something that comes with growing up, or are you feeling like there is an unusual amount of deaths occurring with people who are far too young? Honestly, either way it is sort of devastating and earth shattering. 

As I have tried to escape the sadness, I have been watching shows or scrolling Facebook and Instagram. I think God has an important lesson for me to learn because on each of those platforms I have still been being fed all about death and the stark reality of it in each of our lives. As I was watching The Good Doctor there was a man with cancer. He was told he had 6 months left to live. He was trying out chemotherapy as a way to hopefully live past his allotted 6 months and he was miserable. He decided to quit the chemo and start to live. As the episode progressed each main character was faced with the question, "What would you do if you only had 6 more months to live?" 

As they each responded, it caused me to ponder what I might do differently. Then my mind wandered further, what if my son, husband, mom, sister, friend, etc. was given 6 more months to live? How would my attitude change? Would I do things a bit differently? The simple answer is YES things would most definitely change. So, the obvious follow up question: how do I change those things NOW?

I started to list out each person in my mind and figure out what was within my power to change right now. First, I started with the most important person in my life: my husband Levi. We would be going on more regular dates, I would be kissing him a whole lot more, flirting more, laughing more, dancing more, completing more things on our bucket lists, etc. Then it hit me that I can be doing those things RIGHT NOW.

Next on the list were my two sons. There would be a lot less TV, more time outdoors, more laughter, more hugs, more connecting, more forgiveness, etc. 

As I continued to do this exercise I was surprised that there are things I am already doing that I am very proud of (like co sleeping with my 18 month old and still nursing him) and the harsh realization that I can be doing WAY more.

So much of my life I have told myself things like, "I wish she would just call me more often," or, "why did so many of my close relationships come to an end?" Most of the time I am blaming others, but often I am asking those questions to myself to see if there was something I did wrong and how I can improve. The thing I love so much about this exercise is how all of it is in my power. It is an active list of things I can personally do or change. 

For better or worse, none of us have a definite death date. The good news is that we absolutely have the power to control our lives. Please sit down and make a list of things you can change, even if it's just your attitude. Pretend like you were just given the news that you and your loved ones only have 6 more months on earth, make a list, and then live it! Share this idea with your loved ones and challenge them to do the same and then come back and let me know how it goes!

If you're interested in the many things that inspired this idea here are all the links:

-Video on connection and how to Use Your Trials to Help Others (15 min)

-Video on Loneliness (20 min)

-Article about a woman in my church community who just recently passed away and the miracles she left behind

-My amazing cousin who has witnessed far too much heartache, including the loss of her babies and nearly losing her life @tiacelise

-The ever-inspiring woman, Kim, on Instagram (she has since passed away, and her legacy is still living on #godisinthedetails) @kimcankickit

-Motivation to get outdoors by following @1000hoursoutside and @tinkergarten

Picture Credit: My sister in law @miriamvancephotography

Throwing Out Your Tidying Up Trash Properly

Throwing Out Your Tidying Up Trash Properly

One of my favorite things to do is clean. For me picking up, organizing, and deep cleaning is therapeutic and rejuvenating. When my husband first talked to me about the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up I was thrilled. He initiated the first step that author Marie Kondo suggests by gathering all of your clothes in the entire house and putting it in a big mound. His mountain of clothes was impressive, yet expected. If you don't know him, this means that it was pretty tiny. Then you touch each item and decide if it sparks joy or not. If it does, you keep it. If not, you thank it for what it provided you and then get rid of it.

The clothes you keep are to be folded with care and placed in a drawer so that when you open the drawer each piece of clothing can be seen. And now, for the past five or so months he has stuck to the KonMari Method of folding and hasn't wavered once. He even told me last night, "I used to hate folding with a passion, and now I look forward to it." If that doesn't make you want to read the book, then maybe the new series on Netflix will spark your interest! Tidying Up is a great show that is refreshing and real. The show is based off the teachings in the book and it showcases Marie Kondo herself. Marie goes into different peoples’ homes and guides them through tidying up. It truly is life changing and most certainly magic.

As I have been watching it though, I wanted to remind anyone who is participating in this fabulous cleanse of the proper way to discard your items. Nothing is worse than seeing someone throw out perfectly usable items. Can anyone say pet peeve? Of course you can. Now can you please never be guilty of this? Thanks. Therefore the first item of business is to DONATE.

Donate

The concept of donating clothes, and other items, should be somewhat second nature. I am surprised and saddened to see that it is not. The biggest reason for donating is that it helps the environment. Along with donating clothes to thrift stores, buying clothes from thrift stores helps the environment. Less demand for new clothes means less demand for new textiles, which means a better environment. Another big reason is employment. By donating you are helping to employ someone. If you aren’t sure where to donate, search “donate near me” on Google. There will be something. Other ideas are to donate to organizations, churches, schools, etc. Get creative and more importantly, be proactive!

As I have not yet read the book and my husband has, I have been informed that a key aspect to the KonMari Method is to let go of the things that don’t spark joy as soon as possible so you don’t change your mind. When you decide to take Marie Kondo’s challenge of tidying up, please set time aside to immediately take your items to the nearest donation center rather than throwing them in your trash.

Recycle/Reuse

The phrase from The Grinch comes to mind here, “One mans trash is another mans potpourri,” and I just know that although you have junk that seems completely useless, it is not. Donate this item so others can reuse it. If an item truly is unusable, make sure to recycle it when possible. To read a detailed list on what can be recycled, read this article. The article teaches us what to do with metals, paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, batteries, bulbs, and electronics. Do your research before tossing something. The same website also guides you to where you can go to recycle unwanted items. Click here for quick access. Again, please be proactive and responsible!

Sell

The final option requires some work, but has a direct personal profit. Selling your items is a great option, especially if it cannot be donated or recycled very easily. If you don’t want to go through the hassle yourself, there are companies that will buy your items from you and then sell them. Facebook Marketplace is one in which I have had great success. A similar idea is to post it to your social media.

Be proactive. Get creative. Take Initiative. Be responsible. Do the right thing, and take care of the items in your life that don’t spark joy by donating, recycling, or selling them. Please oh please think about your effect on the world for good and for bad. Just as the picture I took in Betsy Ross' house, our steps have a lasting effect, whether we live to see it or not. Let’s work together to put our trash where it belongs and make a positive mark on the world!