It was the week before Christmas. The presents were wrapped. Plans were made. Life was in full swing. There was a High School concert to attend. Kids to dress, dinner to eat. I still remember; I had made chicken and biscuits. I had teens that I mentored over. My great niece was playing with the kids. I needed to return the teens to their home. It was time to get ready for the concert. I couldn't reach my Mother in law to retrieve the bundle of energy, I called my great niece. I had too many kids to fit in the van. My farmer came down to take the youngest farm boy with him. I ... View Post
Hope and Love
Hope and Love. The first two candles in Advent. Buzz words for sure. Especially love. A term thrown around. Used to make a point. Added for emphasis. Meant to show tolerance. Used to elevate social consciousness. Love. Definition of Christ. One who gave all, for all. John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. Love personified at Christmas. Born in a manger. Humbled before men. Servant; yet King. Crucified. Glorified. We light these two candles; side by side. One. . . next to the other. Light. Dispelling ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day #30 The Clean Up
The clean up. It's always hard for me. I can't seem to get the last dish put away or have it all completed. A life long struggle. Somehow the laundry is never truly finished. There's an extra sock, or a shirt that belongs to no one. I get distracted. The Clean up. No matter the year we usually transition right into Advent the day after Thanksgiving. This year Thanksgiving is so late Advent begins tomorrow. I am struggling to get rid of the piles and finish cooking down the turkey. I want to make soup and save the stock. But I can't find my big pot! The pot I just used to make ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day #29 Those Name Tags
Those Name Tags. Every year. Every. single. year. They leave me undone. They make me laugh to see the cute art work by the kids. Lovingly those kids have made a name tag for every guest we've ever had. Those name tags humble me to the sheer number of people that have sat around this farmhouse table to break bread and give Thanks. They also make me weep at time gone by. At the changes that these years have brought. The name tag says, Handmade by Elijah and Clarissa. I've been cooking for two days. Pie crusts and stuffing. Turkey and gravy. Chex mix and coffee. The ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day # 26 Just Before Dawn
These dark, early mornings are so holy. The just before dawn moments hang ever so gently. Squash is baking in the oven. Coffee; hot and steaming in my cup. I will head to the Ancient Word soon. These past few days have been so hard. Uncertainty looms. Unknowns are more than knowns. A direction not clear. We pray and ponder. We hold on to hope. Hope that God is working and moving in ways we just can not see. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. We step forward and do the next thing. Longing to know, yet not ... View Post
30 Days of Thankfulness, Day #24 Even Though the Sun Was Shining…
Even though the sun was shining I felt off. The whole day. Tears flowed no matter where I turned. A heaviness seemed to have settled and I couldn't push it off. The weight of all the troubles here seemed insurmountable. Gratitude felt trite and pious. It was a beautiful day. Temperatures warmer. Sun shining in every window. Warmth. Yet it did nothing to stir my soul. It did nothing to change my mood or lift the crushing weight of sadness and heaviness. I puttered through the house trying to tackle the huge list that has accumulated. The mudroom clutter grew as I became ... View Post
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