Always Christmas
I remember C.S. Lewis’ line about how in Narnia, it’s always winter but never Christmas. Now, with Jesus, it’s always Christmas and never winter. We no longer endure a winter of the heart that’s devoid of fruitfulness and joy, that fears death, or sees no hope. It’s always Christmas now.
Follow the Star
In the book of Matthew, we read how the wisemen followed the star to know when and where Jesus had arrived. They understood the sign. The followed that light God gave. They looked upward. They let the light lead them. The followed the star. As we search for meaning and truth in our own live, […]
A Weaker Christmas
I’ve always loved that Jesus came as a weak baby. There’s something so biblical about weakness that hides a secret, counterintuitive strength. It’s like the upside world you inhabit in Philippians 2 where we learn how the servant becomes the exalted one. You know the mystery: the first become last; the last become first. You […]
Simple Gratitude
I love the practice of keeping a gratitude journal each morning. Today, I find myself so thankful for things that keep to a theme: nature. Do you find your gratitude contains a theme? I’m thankful that my Christmas amaryllis will bloom in the next few days. I’m thankful for the beautiful moon on the crisp […]
God Satisfies the Longing Soul
Today I take comfort in Psalm 107:9: “He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” I notice the word “soul.” It’s inside of us. More and more, I think of the internal soul blessings of peace, joy, and a sense of God’s love and presence. Externally, our prayers may […]
An Odd But Delicious Little Appetizer
I’ve twice now baked breaded artichoke hearts to dip in a lemon, garlic, mayo sauce. I know it’s odd. But I love artichokes. I have great memories of eating artichokes as a child and dipping the leaves in butter. I couldn’t wait to get to the heart! To make this recipe, you defrost a bag […]
The Old Christmas Movies
I love watching old Christmas movies like the classic 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This program is the longest running Christmas TV special of all time since it has aired every single December since the 60’s. I love the stop-motion animation, the fun characters, and the music. I like imagining how children today enjoy the very […]
The Christmas Cake
This year, for our Christmas cake, my husband made a Gingerbread Cake with Eggnog Icing. I love how festive and Christmasy the house feels with such a treat in the kitchen.
The Famous Loop
Sometimes when my daughter and I walk the loop around our neighborhood, people remark how consistent we are, and how they see us every day, and how we inspire them. We’ve been walking regularly since 2019 when the pandemic sent us into isolation. I love the comments. We feel famous! My favorite comment of all, […]
Verbs to Shape the Day from Colossians
In Colossians 1:9-14, I notice all the beautiful verbs that remind me of the purpose of the day and, in fact, the purpose of all my days to come. Paul writes this: For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill […]