My family will come together this holiday season, holding the memories of what we’ve lost and the promise of what’s to come, as we celebrate with new faces and the stories that shape our lives. My sister, mother, brother—my unwavering support system, who, along with many others, upheld my family when my husband of 18…
Tag: Christmas
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
It was Christmas eve, impregnated with an importance that thankfully, didn’t visit annually. We all knew next Christmas one of us would not be there, so we held tight to the time gifted to us as we celebrated the birth of my Grandma’s Savior, who she would be meeting…soon. We gathered around the hospice bed…
The Light of the World
The world feels dark right now. I don’t know if it’s darker than it “used” to be—I don’t know how you would even measure that. Man has always been sinful and has relentlessly propagated evil on earth. But currently, the darkness in the world feels especially palpable. I think this is partly because basic, foundational…
My Favorite Name
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Immanuel is Your holy name.I marvel at the way You came.God with us in helpless infant form,Only a mother’s love to keep You warm. Expectations of Your coming were high:A King to conquer,…
The Weary World Rejoices
Jesus Christ was born into a weary world, unto a weary people. God’s last word to the Jewish people had been four hundred years prior in the book of Malachi. A vast silence had echoed in the following centuries. Israel had been ruled by Greece, Syria, and finally at the time of Jesus’ birth, the…
10 Ways to Find the Calm of Christmas
This phrase has a hold on me this year. “All is calm, all is bright.” My heart yearns for this. You will recognize this second line of “Silent Night” describing the first Christmas. As we sing, we’re tempted to picture Mary and Joseph haloed in light in a nice clean stable, surrounded by serene animals,…
Take the Time
Big dreams sometimes come in the darkest of winters. As a young girl, I could often be found on these dark nights watching the images of the beautiful ice skaters move across the television. I sat spellbound as their glittering costumes, and the graceful, rhythmic movements stole my heart. At the tender age of 7,…
Christmas 2020
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV. Christmas is different this year,like so many other things of 2020.My living room should be half-decoratedtwo days after Thanksgiving, butnot a single nativity has escaped the shed.Packing boxes crowd the house instead. Though Jesus in our hearts resides. Christmas eve will be…
The Wait of Christmas
Immersed in the sight of snow-packed roads and lightly dusted evergreens, my husband and I drove over the Cascades for Christmas with my family. We were deep in waiting. Waiting to find out why having children wasn’t easy for everyone. Waiting to see if the doctor would take young newlyweds seriously. Waiting for the perfect…
Remembering We are Loved at Christmas
Our pastor sometimes says at the end of the church service, “He loves you and He likes you. Go in peace.” It’s one of my favorite things he does. God likes me? This wasn’t a concept I had any notion of until my adult years. Up until that point, I was still pretty focused on…
Anchored Voices 