~ Joy Dove ~

7.5"x8" Watercolor, Gouache, Gold Acrylic, Ink Pen & Acrylic Ink on Arches 300 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper with a Deckled Edge

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The Joy Dove.

More than just happiness, joy goes deeper than an emotion. Joy is a gift of the Spirit. It is a muscle that you grow in your thought life. It is a knowledge that throws off burdens and weights and liberates you to rejoice even in seasons shrouded in darkness.

These four Doves are symbolic of the four different candles that are lit during the celebration of Advent, {Hope, Peace, Joy & Love} while the center star is representative of the fifth candle {Jesus}. Every December we would set up a wreath made of evergreen branches symbolizing everlasting life, and decorated with the candles that we would light progressively in the weeks leading up to Christmas. My dad would read a story reminding us of different ways to prepare our hearts for what was coming. Each story read would center around the theme of the candle we had lit. A story of Hope, or of Peace, or Joy, or Love.  It always felt like an invitation to let all the business and fluff fall away and let the Holy Spirit come nudge our hearts to remember "Why do we celebrate? What do we celebrate? How do we Celebrate?”