We greet your arrival with wonder, Loving God, that you would humble yourself and come to us as a child. This year has humbled us with grief, loneliness, exhaustion, and anxiety. Shine your light in our darkness and illumine our path with your presence.
Read MoreWhen I was four years old, I received an amazing gift the week before Christmas – a baby sister. I was so excited to play with her and care for her. Yet my mom says about two weeks later, the novelty had worn off. Turns out a tiny baby doesn’t make much of a playmate.
Read MoreThis pandemic has awakened my senses. Perhaps it’s the slower pace of life. Perhaps it’s the extended time at home. Even the most ordinary moments seem stronger, brighter, and more lovely to me.
Read MoreChristmas is usually a season of great joy and light, but this year it may feel more like a season of great darkness and shadows. So many things can make this season hard–death, illness, job loss, financial difficulties, broken family relationships, chronic pain to name a few. 2020 has added even more—the coronavirus pandemic, election angst, systemic racism, and the list goes on! It’s no wonder you may be feeling sad, depressed, and overwhelmed at the thought of celebration.
Read MoreWhen our daughter was about two years old, she entered the “Mine!” phase, grabbing toys and art supplies away from other children at daycare. In addition to correcting her, we read to her Todd Parr’s The Peace Book, a brightly illustrated children’s book with lovely thoughts about peace: “Peace is saying you’re sorry when you hurt someone. Peace is helping your neighbor. Peace is thinking about someone you love.”
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