I am a goal setter. People who know me well know I love organizing and designing a 90 day or full year plan of action and seeking a direction and implementing a blueprint for the future. This is both good and bad. After all life does interfere and God is in charge, not me. LOL One of the practices that has guided my decisions, prayers and focus each year is choosing a word for the year. Actually, the word choses me – it keeps nipping at my heart, reoccurring in messages and in stories, unfolds in my thoughts. How to Choose a Word of the Year I have written about this practice in the past and have included resources so I won’t repeat all the instructions here but share my previous posts about this valuable practice. I encourage you to take the time to read these, especially if this is new for you. How do you find a word for the year? Simple follow these steps: Pray – ask God to show you the quality that He wants to mature in you. Or the word that He wants to transform … [Read more...]
12 Days of Christmas
Merry Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day. But wait! Christmas is NOT over yet. December 25th is just the beginning of the 12 Days of Christmas. Enjoy this little video I made to celebrate this blessed season. If you are getting this by email, come over to the blog to see the video. https://youtu.be/66glIrXWmZY How will you enjoy the 12 Days of Christmas? P.S. You may enjoy this Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson too. … [Read more...]
O Come, O Come Emmanuel Hymn Story
O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of the favorite Advent hymns sung in many churches. The haunting tune and pensive lyrics invite us into this holy season. Instead of a long blog post today, just pause. Read the words of this well known song. See what stirs in your soul. Talk with God about what you experience. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel. O come, O Wisdom from on high, who ordered all things mightily; to us the path of knowledge show and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to your tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times did give the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem, unto your own and rescue them! From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our … [Read more...]
The Writer and the Birds and the Man and the Birds – Winter Bird Lessons
They are back! Who? The birds outside my office window. The Writer and the Birds My hubby filled the feeder and I set up the suet last week. It didn’t take long for my little friends to discover that the Birdseed Bistro open for the season. What these birds don't know, their presence is a gift to me. You see, I hate winter. It is my least favorite season in northwest Ohio. I don’t like being cold. The darkness affects my mood. The uncertainty of never knowing if the roads will be clear or not. The changeable weather shrouds events with worry and uneasiness. Winter is a time of waiting for something better to come along. One practice I’ve adopted the past few years is challenging myself to find something I like about winter. I have learned a lot from doing this and it has opened up my imagination of the beauty of this time of year and the gifts of this season. The birds flocking, playing, and eating just outside my office window is one of these gifts. I … [Read more...]
In the Bleak Midwinter – Hymn Story
Quick quiz: Do you know the hymn “In the Bleak Midwinter”? Do you know who wrote it? This song called to my heart this Advent, so I thought I would explore it. Come along with me. Often when a word, phrase or like this a song resonates in my heart, stirs my spirit, invites me closer – I pay attention. I talk with God about it. I sit quietly, holding the gift in my open hands, listening to its lesson or just enjoying its presence with its Creator. Who Wrote “In the Bleak Midwinter”? Poet Christina Rossetti wrote the words of this hymn. She lived from 1830 to 1895 and originally published this as a poem called “A Christmas Carol.” Rossetti never married and lived quite independently. She used her poems and words to bring attention to issues of the day, such as slavery, animal experimentations and sexual exploitation of young women. She was often sick and without much money, but devoted her life to her family, her faith, and ministry with former prostitutes. Quite a … [Read more...]
Mary and Elizabeth – Lessons for Advent
This time of year, we often hear stories of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Occasionally we hear the story of her relative, John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth. At the start of Advent this year, I read all the verses about Elizabeth and learned a few new things about her story that gave me new insights to this season. Advent is a time of waiting. Waiting is hard. We are an impatient lot. Some days waiting 5 seconds for a web page to load seems heavy. God doesn’t waste time. What are some Advent lessons in our waiting? Waiting is a Time to Bless – Elizabeth’s Story The Book of Luke tells us Elizabeth was an older woman married to Zechariah, a member of the Jerusalem priesthood. She was past menopause, her husband was elderly, and she had given up hoping for a child. But Elizabeth’s life took an unexpected turn. She became pregnant to the amazement of all. Wow! Her prayer had been answered after she had given up all help. She had to have mixed feelings. Amazement, overwhelm. … [Read more...]
Ever Hear of Lost and Found Day?
Lost? The second Friday in December is National Lost and Found Day. Ever hear of this holiday before? I certainly hadn’t, but the idea invited me to consider how being lost and found weaves throughout my life experiences. Lost and Found Day Lost and Found Day encourages us to return any items that we may have found during the past year to the people who have lost them. The official Lost and Found Day is a day for renewed hope and belief that lost items should never be forgotten or abandoned to lost and found limbo. A time to try to find any personal belongings which we have lost and put an end to the frustration of having to go without something we need. Celebrated first in 2012, this fun day is an unofficial holiday that reminds people to not give up on the things they have lost and to increase their efforts to find them. I read one survey that reported that one in five of us loses or misplaces personal items every week. Car keys are the number one item lost and cell phones … [Read more...]
Poetry and the Practice of Being Present
Poetry and the Practice of Being Present I love Advent because of its invitation to pause, be still, be present. The Christmas rush, unrealistic expectations, and chaotic commitments consume all our attention in December in contrast to the peace and quiet joy of the manger scene. Poetry pauses the pandemonium. I stopped this week and drank in poetry. I discovered two poems that calmed my spirit and refreshed my soul. Both were written by William Stafford, a name I knew but didn’t know much about. Who was William Stafford? William Stafford was an American poet who lived from 1914 to 1993. His first poems were not published until he was 48, then he wrote an astonishing 67 books, including almost 60 books of poetry in the next 33 years. These books included 3,000 poems – a large number on their own but just a fraction of the some 22,000 he wrote. He wrote a poem a day until he died. WOW! He wrote the first poem I share here today just two days before he died. Poetry by William … [Read more...]