During the COVID shutdown, one of the daily practiced we implemented with our kids was a morning walk. We looked at signs that the season were changing. We tracked the morning light, but our favorite days were when we encountered a new creature. The pileated woodpecker would often interrupt our walks or the box turtle …
Last Christmas before the morning light had dawned, we found out we were pregnant. We carried this hope of new life with us as we waited and watched praying this new life would join our family safely. So this Christmas as we held her, the miracle of the story of the Christ Child was a …
Every year, I join the reading challenge on Goodreads. More often than not, I don’t reach my goal of reading 100 books, but last year I exceeded it. I credit this to our nighttime reading switching from picture books to chapter books. We are deep into Who Would Win, Magic Tree House, and Junie B. …
Each year, I end the year reflecting on the word or phrase that has followed me throughout the year. I know this is backwards in some ways. Most people choose a word or mantra for the new year, but that’s never how it’s worked for me. Instead, as I move through the year, so too …
Last night was the darkest night, the most time we will go without light for the whole year. Each day from here on out, we will gain just a little more light each day. Isn’t it interesting that we start gaining more light just as the Light of the World is about to come? As …
Last week marked my ten-year ordination anniversary. As I looked back at the community of Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship who ordained me, my heart was filled with gratitude for their vision and their support. They first called me pastor and they truly taught me to be a pastor. As I look at pictures of that special …
When we decorate for Christmas, it take a little…rearranging. We have to move things around just a bit in order to prepare room for our Christmas tree. We have to stash some mugs and plates in the garage to prepare room for the Christmas dishes. All of these preparations make room for our house to …
I didn’t realize over the weekend how spotty my reception was until we came back down the mountain and my phone started ringing with calls encouraging me to buy this or that and my messages started to buzz to alert me to upcoming Cyber Monday deals and breaking news alerts. Normally. I don’t notice how …
This year, we spent Black Friday at Dollywood. Our oldest two have been many times. Sam and I had been before, but never together. The youngest three had never been to any kind of theme park. Throughout the day, I found myself smiling and laughing so much that my cheeks hurt, watching a four-year-old experience …
There’s a wideness in the world when we take a moment to stop and wonder. A grandeur that helps us realize all that weighs us down, really doesn’t matter in the wide, wide world. It’s easy to be consumed with all that is around us and forget that wideness. When you don’t know what to …
