Seeking to be CONTENT in all things, JOYFUL in HOPE, PATIENT in affliction.
I went outside to drink my coffee by the fireplace and the warming sun and light breeze summoned me to stay. Come find the first camellias hidden beneath leaves and fern fronds, it bade. Come to see if the hydrangeas are budding. Oh no! Something is infecting our berry vines. Make a note to head …
City sidewalks, busy sidewalksDressed in holiday styleIn the air there's a feelingOf ChristmasSilver Bells When did Christmas become a checklist? Somehow it happens every year. I asked a neighbor if she was managing to avoid holiday stress. “When is holiday prep not stressful?” was her response. When indeed? And yet, that is the opposite of …
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us... Psalm 46: 10-11 Email after email is screaming at me: There’s still time to buy this!!! Last-minute gifts still available. Few things provide a sense of calm this time of year as the knowledge that you are done …
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1 Until just recently, porch pumpkins and Christmas cheer coexisted on our front porch. Unlike most of my neighbors and friends, I do not rush into the Christmas season. I like to ease into the idea, not unlike savoring the last of the Thanksgiving stuffing and gravy. This is how I’ve always done things, so this pause didn’t really strike …
Silent Night has long been a Christmas favorite. Did you know it started with a broken organ? A broken church organ in an Austrian town more than 200 years ago. The words were penned by a young priest in Oberndorf, a reflection on the night angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside. He wanted the poem set to music for Christmas Eve mass. But the church …
Do you know what day it is? I still have a problem remembering. This has been a problem ever since we began staying at home those many months ago. Our routines changed. We shopped for groceries online. Church services, study and social groups started meeting online. The usual markers of time were missing. Our neighborhood’s end-of-summer Antique Faire was cancelled. The first day of school was anticlimactic because it was virtual, too. Here in California, the weather stayed hot …
Hey, stressed-out friends, I have news for you. Joy is not tied to perfection. Consider this as you struggle to find that last gift, tie the perfect bow or assemble matching outfits for the kids: Christmas doesn't need to be rendered perfect. Christmas is perfect because Jesus is perfect, and He is the founder and …
SMALL MOMENTS FULL OF GRACE 