Life is crazy. I just expect this time of year to be this way. There is the shopping, the decorating, the bombardment of emails, the hosting, the baking... Unfortunately, often the Christmas season equals busy. To sidestep this I have been turning Psalm 23 over in my mind. Yes it is familiar, but timeless and … Continue reading Need Rest?
This is the first year I have taken full advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday for Christmas shopping. Sitting in the comfort of my home, saving up to fifty percent, and pairing it with free shipping, is my way to shop! It sure beats the traffic, dreary weather and waiting in long lines. I … Continue reading Giving the Unexpected at Christmas: Reflections on a Lavish Giver
Fudge reminds me of the Christmas season. My Grandma made it during the holidays, then my mom and now me. Some college women came over last week for a study break, (or maybe to just put off studying for exams) and we enjoyed talking, drinking cocoa and soaking in Christmas at the White House. While … Continue reading Easy as Fudge!
The conversation went something like this: “I am giving up chocolate. What are you giving up? I am going to give up chocolate too. What about you Cindy, what are you going to give up? Well, I don’t really go to church or anything, but I think I will give up chocolate as well.” This … Continue reading What are you giving up? “Giving up” and Giving More.
My family has easily been entertained at times, searching for and finding Waldo. You are probably familiar with these fun, but peculiar books, with an assortment of wacky and whimsical pictures and Waldo somewhere hidden within. I often picked up one of these books, in years past, to help the kids (and me) endure long … Continue reading Finding God in 40 days
It is obvious which holiday is quickly approaching, for the red and pink cards in the seasonal greeting card section remind all shoppers of the latest sentiment to give. The hearts of chocolates are enticing me to buy a little something for myself. Soon the tents with flowers and stuffed bears will arrive in grocery … Continue reading Better than Chocolate: the Gifts that Keep on Giving
The Christmas season isn't complete for me without the song, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." I know I have mentioned this before, but unlike some songs, I never tire of it during the holidays -- playing it over and over on the piano. As a child we usually made it to church during the weeks … Continue reading The Ultimate Christmas Gift: Something to be Merry About
I am sitting here eating my favorite kind of Christmas cookie, an iced sugar cookie in the shape of a gingerbread man. I wonder what gingerbread men have to do with Christmas. There are many Christmas symbols like this-- some having closer connections to Christmas than others. My sister recently posted a photo on Instagram … Continue reading What the Angels Knew about Christmas
Don't you love recipes that are tried and true, delicious, loved by most, and simple to make? For all the above reasons, I love these bar cookies! They go by many names like, "Magic Bars," or "Hello Dollies." But since they are made up of seven layers of ingredients, I call them "7 Layer Bars." … Continue reading 7 Layer Bars: Great for anytime of the Year
Every Christmas story, play or nativity includes shepherds. When my kids were small, we dug through the closets to find costumes for our own Christmas story reenactment. Being the only girl, I was, of course, always Mary. The baby at the time was Jesus, and another kid would be a shepherd with a towel or … Continue reading Sharing the Extraordinary Christmas Story in Ordinary Places
It is easy to be surprised by how quickly Christmas seems to creep up. I am not sure why this is, since we are reminded about it daily for quite awhile. It isn't as if the retail stores have tried to keep it a secret for the last two months! I am also always surprised how … Continue reading The Surprise of Christmas
Peace. Whether as a sentiment in a card or sung at the mall, it adorns the season -- like so many other ornaments of the holidays. I don't really think much about "why" this is, as Christmas surrounds me. I sure have long enough to ponder things like peace, since the store decorations have been … Continue reading The Peace We Sing at Christmas
Summer is officially here, according to the calendar, even though it has felt like summer for weeks now! With summer, comes the blues-- that is blueberries. Can I tell you how much I love blueberries? Everyday is a blueberry kind of day, for each morning I have blueberries on my cereal. They not only taste great, but … Continue reading The Ultimate Blueberry Pie that You Gotta Share!
He sat, soaking in Christmas. Lingering by my sister's glistening Christmas tree, my son longingly lay at the foot of the tree, watching and expecting. The wrapped presents eagerly waited to be open, each shouting, "pick me." The lights and ornaments danced and sparkled singing and speaking their own Christmas joy. The perfume of the … Continue reading Mesmerized by CHRISTmas
As a child, I remember buying my dad a ball of string for Christmas. Yes, I gave him string. Who can’t make use of some string now and then? It is such a useful item. It was inexpensive for a little girl and easily available. My heart was to give my dad something he would … Continue reading Simple Gifts at Christmas
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