November 29th marked the first Sunday of Advent for the year 2020. I especially enjoy when Advent starts right on the heels of Thanksgiving. While I strive for a grateful heart at other times, Thanksgiving keeps me focused more intently on gratitude. And what better heart attitude than gratitude with which to begin Advent? I rejoice at the opportunity of…
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Advent Hope in Times of Darkness
Cultivating a Heart For Emmanuel
Now that Thanksgiving rests behind us, many of us begin turning our thoughts toward Christmas. Much uncertainty still surrounds the holiday, but perhaps successfully negotiating Thanksgiving, gives us confidence to press on. Of all the holidays, Christmas seems to keep us the most distracted. Cultivating a heart for Emmanuel can prove arduous amid shopping, gift wrapping, decorating, baking and various…
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Thanksgiving When Your Heart is Breaking
On the Eve of Thanksgiving 2020, I’m sitting with tremendous sadness, feeling pain sear my heart once again. A pain that pierces a mother’s heart when she stands helplessly at the side of her suffering child. In this place the enemy comes mocking my faith, taunting my tears and spitting out “where is God’s goodness now?” I faltered, stumbled and…
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Adding Serenity to Your Thanksgiving
Perhaps you feel uncertain about your Thanksgiving plans this year or have either cancelled or altered them. Most of us will have some plans for Thanksgiving, but it may leave us “out of sorts”. Things are different than previous years, and now more than ever adding serenity to your Thanksgiving can help make a huge difference. Approaching the holiday from…
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Thankfulness Expressed in Adoration
I considered the other day, that Autumn culminates in the celebration we call “Thanksgiving.” As soon as the first leaves begin to reveal their autumn beauty, our minds turn towards thoughts of gratitude. While many of us keep gratitude journals, our focus intensifies as November approaches. Various methods for “counting your blessings” abound on social media and beyond. Offering thanks…
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The Beauty of Letting Go
It seemed both mesmerizing and calming all at once. Each time I started to avert my gaze, another drifted slowly to the ground. One of my favorite autumn past times of watching the leaves fall held me captive. Each year the leaves remind me of the beauty of letting go. Watching them elegantly drift to the ground appears carefree, easy….
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Only One Thing Overcomes Hatred
I see many posts, articles and interviews addressing the issue of hatred in our country right now. The racial divide, political divide and well, you fill in the blank with any one of the many “divides”. Divides created by hatred seem easier than the way of love, compassion and respect. Like it or not, hatred in some form lives inside…
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Walking With a Hurting Friend
Sometimes, walking with a hurting friend demands a bit of a sacrifice. We all seem ready to take that journey in the beginning, but by and by weariness sets in. And worse, our once exuberant compassion grows cold. We can quickly find ourselves looking for an easy exit or longing for “the way it used to be”. Learning to journey…
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Serving Serenity Soul Food
Whether the election outcome brought joy or sadness to you, we can all agree we’re glad it’s over! Perhaps like me, you simply feel numb and cautious about the future from a political standpoint. A huge part of surviving this election ordeal for me, was keeping an eternal perspective. Staying focused on those things that bring life to my soul…
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