So, Christmas is coming. In less than two weeks, even. Already this season I’ve been asked if I’m “ready for Christmas.” Most are inquiring of my progress with the typical preparations—the gifts, the food, the décor. But Christmas is more than that—it’s when we celebrate God’s coming near to us…
As Mike and I prepped a menu for this year’s Thanksgiving feast, we wanted to take our traditional dishes and shake them up a bit. Instead of the typical corn casserole, we’re making a chipotle-cheddar variant; sweet potato souffle will be traded in for twice baked sweet potatoes; green bean…
Of the 12 books in my Beach Retreat 2013 stack, I’ve ventured into three, plus the Bible. The first was a nonfiction about a lit professor who hosted Jane Austen book clubs throughout Latin America over the course of a year. Her commentary on reading’s benefits and luxury makes me…
Some say that faith is a crutch, as if we are merely limping through life and need just a little support to get through. I see faith in Christ as more than a crutch—more like a life preserver to one who is certain to drown or a defibrillator for a…
My reading jaunt at Beach Retreat 2012 is coming to a close. [sigh.] It’s been thoroughly enjoyable and greatly filling! At the end of a Beach Retreat, I like to reflect a bit on the books I’ve consumed and how each has nourished me. A theme or thread often emerges…
This week, I’ve tackled some overdue house cleaning and clutter purging. I love the purging, hate the cleaning. But both are necessary, so I’m trying to alternate between the two to keep up my motivation level. In addition to the need for both in the general sense, these tasks are…
A few months back I read a book titled Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter by Susan Rowland. This easy reading book followed one woman as she decluttered her life from doing and having. She made major lifestyle changes as she sought God for the fulfillment of her…
How would you finish that sentence? I finish it like this: Walking by faith takes a lot of faith! Oh, how I wish following Jesus in faith were always bouncy and fun, like playing with Tigger or following Mary Poppins into that sidewalk chalk scene. I’ve found it to be more…
It is in the starkness of death that the reality of life is laid bare. Here we stop short, faced with the truth that we all must face. Over the weekend I had two funerals to attend; one for my husband’s grandfather, the other for a dear family friend of…
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