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Tag: traditions

Being Present to November: It's Not Christmas Yet | sarahdamm.com
Being Present to November: It’s Not Christmas Yet

Being Present to November: It’s Not Christmas Yet

If I had to guess the calendar date based on my favorite store’s décor, I would get it wrong. Fall pumpkins, cornucopias, and leafy garlands are nowhere to be found. Only messy remnants of Halloween remain on the clearance racks. Instead, I see Christmas trees, twinkle lights, and stockings. Signs and symbols of December, not early November. Whenever I see Christmas coming too early, I feel rushed and anxious. Suddenly, I think I am behind, as if I’ve missed a…

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Savoring Summer: 10 Things I Love About the Season | sarahdamm.com
Savoring Summer: 10 Things I Love About the Season

Savoring Summer: 10 Things I Love About the Season

Last week, one of my kids told me, “Summer is almost over.” Say what? When I shared this with Greg, he didn’t sound surprised. Apparently, one of his coworkers said something similar to him. Something along the lines of it being the end of July. On July 10. I returned to my child, and we counted the remaining days of summer. We discovered that we have a few more than 40 days left of summer break. I thought that would…

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Keeping the Sabbath Holy: Six Tips for Living Sunday Differently | sarahdamm.com
Keeping the Sabbath Holy: Six Tips for Living Sunday Differently

Keeping the Sabbath Holy: Six Tips for Living Sunday Differently

Remember the sabbath day — keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God. You shall not do any work, either you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your work animal, or the resident alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh…

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Lenten Inspiration: Heart, Home and Family | sarahdamm.com
Lenten Inspiration: Heart, Home and Family

Lenten Inspiration: Heart, Home and Family

Lent begins tomorrow! Ready or not, the season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is upon us. Are you ready? Or not? I am mostly ready. God has given me a very personal invitation to spend more time in prayer, so that is going to be my focus. And with my ongoing struggle with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disease that attacks my Thyroid) and the various symptoms that accompany it, I am also going to pay closer attention to my diet by…

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Celebrating the Feast of St. Lucia | sarahdamm.com
Star Boys and All: Celebrating the Feast of St. Lucia

Star Boys and All: Celebrating the Feast of St. Lucia

Today’s post is part of the #WorthRevisit series and was originally published on the Feast of St. Lucy in 2016. I am also over at CatholicMom.com today, sharing a reflection on one of my favorite Scripture verses, on one of my favorite feast days. For as long as I can remember, December 13 has been an extra-special day in our family. It is the Feast of Saint Lucia, which is my daughter’s name-day. She has loved this day and the…

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Advent Traditions My Family Loves | sarahdamm.com
Advent Traditions My Family Loves

Advent Traditions My Family Loves

With Thanksgiving just two days away, there is a lot to do. My plans include cooking, baking, and cleaning. I have always liked the Thanksgiving holiday. To be with family and friends, to pause in gratitude for God’s abundant blessings. It’s a good day. Often, the Advent season begins the Sunday right after Thanksgiving. We have just a couple of days to transition from pumpkins and fall hues to our Advent wreath of purple and pink. This year, however, Advent…

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Celebrating the Saints This Halloween
Celebrating the Saints This Halloween With New Greeting Cards

Celebrating the Saints This Halloween With New Greeting Cards

As a little girl, I was always a little apprehensive about Halloween. I liked dressing up and feasting on candy, but some neighbors down the street created this haunted house experience in their front yard, and I wanted nothing to do with it. I don’t know if I just didn’t like feeling scared or if I actually sensed a type of evil in their decorations. What I do know is that it caused Halloween to be one of my least…

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Lent Around My Home: Reclaiming My Joy | sarahdamm.com
Lent Around My Home: Reclaiming My Joy

Lent Around My Home: Reclaiming My Joy

This was first posted on March 2, 2015. It some ways it surprises me that this is still so applicable to my life, and in other ways, it does not surprise me at all. Life is funny that way. Our struggle—our cross—may take a lifetime of carrying, and yet how often do I just wait for it to disappear? Sure, our cross might look differently from year to year, decade to decade, but often it is the one way God has invited us…

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Sharing God's Love This Valentine's Day + Coupon Code | sarahdamm.com
Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Faith-based Greetings + a Coupon Code

Celebrate Valentine’s Day With Faith-based Greetings + a Coupon Code

Ever since I was a little girl, Valentine’s Day has been a special holiday to me. During my childhood, I remember making mailboxes in school to collect all of the red and pink heart-shaped cards from my classmates. As I grew into my tween and teen years, my family emphasized the importance of celebrating friendship and appreciating loved ones. Valentine’s Day, therefore, wasn’t just about romance. As a result, I never resented Valentine’s Day if I didn’t have a “sweetheart”…

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Celebrating the Feast of St. Lucia | sarahdamm.com
Celebrating the Feast of St. Lucia

Celebrating the Feast of St. Lucia

For as long as I can remember, December 13 has been an extra-special day in our family. It is the Feast of St. Lucia, which is my daughter’s name-day. She has loved this day and the saint we celebrate ever since she could grasp its specialness. We have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and read a favorite book about St. Lucy. Since her birthday is in the summer, she usually brings treats into school on this day. But six years ago, a…

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