Epiphany at Epiphany
The hallway feels bereft without a festive tree, our whole house somehow dimmer without the light from its branches. The Light has not departed — rather He is now here with us, lighting up our hearts — but then why does the day feel so gray? Taking down and putting away Christmas decorations is my least favorite part of the new year. After a season full of anticipation and celebration, it’s such a let down. Even the fresh start of a whole new year is not enough to boost the mood on the day that commercialized Christmas is finally over. Yet, I must remind myself, on this the eve of Epiphany, that it’s not truly over. Christ has come to stay and the celebration has…
2023 Words to Live By
It’s another new year (this keeps happening!) and I’ve finally selected a focus word for my devotional and prayer life… or rather, several words. For the last several years, I’ve chosen a ‘Word of the Year’ to help guide and illuminate my regular study of Scripture and personal devotionals. I read recently about some folks choosing a word as a “name it and claim it” sort of demand to God, but this is never how I’ve approached the concept. I agree completely with the author of this post that God’s Word is the only Word we really need! Thus, as impetus for my study of God’s Word, I’ve found great value in focusing my efforts on a particular theme or concept within the Bible. My…
Summer Capsule Wardrobes (for children)
Sometimes I daydream about living a minimalist lifestyle. Fewer things, less clutter, less to worry about, right? This is not always true, because even (especially) non-material things can create “clutter” in our lives. But that’s a post for another day. In real life, I’m pretty far from minimalism, although I put a good deal of effort into avoiding clutter and unnecessary belongings. One habit I like to focus on (and am still working on) is wearing a capsule wardrobe that allows me to feel stylish and comfortable without owning a ton of clothes. The idea of a capsule wardrobe has had a lot of appeal over the last decade and I know plenty of bloggers have built their platforms on this concept (I’ll share a…
Cooking At Home: Family Pizza Night
When I was growing up, my family established Friday evenings as our Pizza & Movie night at home. Habits of our youth easily carry over when we begin determining traditions for our own growing families, and this is one I couldn’t let go of! But with rising grocery prices, I’ve been seeking ways to decrease our overall food costs and reducing take-out/eating out is one of the primary ways to do that. Most meals that we eat out can be made just as easily at home with a little planning and prep work! These make-your-own pizzas from last Friday night were definitely a hit with our little chefs! All of the ingredients came from Aldi (my favorite place to shop!), and I’ve included a full…
Christmas 2021 Recap: Fav Gifts
The older I get, the more I find useful gifts the most enjoyable. As the Old Masters of generations past have long since discovered, the combination of form and function is unbeatable! Since Christmas, the gifts I’ve been enjoying the most are those that are both aesthetically appealing and useful. A truly good gift is one that the recipient can enjoy and use regularly–a fully efficacious gift one might say. Just like the Greatest Gift we received in Christ, the true reason for Christmas! And that’s a good topic for another post. 🙂 For this post, I’m sharing my Top 5 Favorite Useful Gifts from Christmas 2021… Hybrid Smart Watch I’ve had all variations of ‘smart watches’ over the years, from a Fitbit to an…