Holy {Advent Day 10}
Bless the Lord, O my soul O my soul Worship His holy name Sing like never before O my soul I’ll worship Your holy name 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redmond
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The Ornaments Story {2013}
This year the ornaments have moved a foot up the tree. “Don’t get a puppy around the holidays.” Looking at our tree you would know we threw that advice out the window this Thanksgiving. And so this puppy’s presence has my uncle’s ceramic angel tightly sharing a branch with a glittery golden ball. My son’s […]
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Delight {Advent Day 9}
He will play and play. And play. In the snow. Pure delight. Enjoyment. In his own world, talking and acting out scenarios that are his secrets. The evergreen trees hide him from enemies I never see. He doesn’t get cold. Or rather the cold doesn’t bother him. The delight in what he is doing outweighs […]
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Wisdom {Advent Day 8}
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight […]
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Ready {Advent Day 7}
Every morning he carefully places Georgie on the staircase. “Don’t let anyone touch him.” he calls as he heads out the door for the bus. He’s on the cusp, this almost seven year old. He still loves his favorite stuffed animal, but no longer ‘needs’ to carry him everywhere he goes. I look at George […]
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Awake {Advent Day 6}
I squinted my eyes to look at my bedside clock. 5:20am. Not my usual wake up time. I lay there for a while this morning. Not quite ready to get up. Not able to fall back asleep. I remember the Advent word of the day: Awake. My mind begins to think of Mary. I wonder […]
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Flood {Advent Day 5}
The journals flood my shelves. The words flood my memory. Marking this life we have journeyed. Wrestling. Confession. Celebration. Questions. All recorded on these pages. My treasure of words. Our words back and forth. Speaking and listening. The wisdom and comfort gleaned flood over my soul. They nourish and convict. They elicit laughter and a […]
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Time {Advent Day 4}
My planner. It’s where we keep our family schedule. It’s where I keep track of our time. A diary of sort. An inventory I don’t always want to uncover. Has it been used wisely? Has it focused on the important, not just the urgent? Are relationships at the heart of my blocks of time? Time. […]
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Peace {Advent Day 3}
This is one of my spots. I come here early morning because it’s the closest to the stairs and I don’t want the puppy to hear my footsteps yet. These are the spaces of peace for me. But they aren’t always serene. I really wished I had snapped this picture about five minutes later. It […]
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Bound {Advent Day 2}
Bound. When I first saw this was today’s word, my thoughts went immediately to images of restriction. Tied up. Limited. Then my son went to a friend’s birthday party this afternoon. At a bounce place. They bounced and jumped and squealed down inflatable slides. Their play full of leaps and bounds. Lots of English words […]
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Go {Advent Day 1}
Go. Whisper the trees. They are my ally on this walk in the woods. Sometimes December 1st seems like the start of a race towards Christmas. Towards accomplishing. Towards balancing a hundred tasks. But when I walk in the woods, my goal becomes noticing. “Go slowly. Wait.” That’s the tickle in my ear, the words […]
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Giving Thanks 2013
The sound of cranberries popping on the stove. Colorful, lively reminders of our day of thanks. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Col 3:1-2 The verse floats around […]
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