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…
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”…
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…
Every year, when I take out our Advent wreath, I cannot help but smile. The Advent wreath is one of my family’s favorite traditions! Our wreath, in particular, has a story that I enjoy reliving—and retelling—each Advent, for within the story of our Advent wreath is a lesson that I need reminding of each year. In fall 2009, I finally purchased an Advent wreath online. Prior to this, I had made one each year with pillar candles and greenery. But…
On this #EasterWednesday, I found the perfect post for the #WorthRevisit link up! I wrote this five years ago, and oh how little my children look in these photos! While we did not get this egg-stravagant with our Easter Egg Hunt this year, we have fond memories of past Easters and the joy of sharing the Resurrection with others. This Easter Sunday, we hosted our very first Easter Egg Hunt. We invited extended family and those neighbors who were in town….
This Easter Sunday, we hosted our very first Easter Egg Hunt. We invited extended family and those neighbors who were in town. We ended up with 17 children participating, and we hid more than 270 eggs! Hiding so many eggs was not difficult this year, because we do not have a lot of landscaping or trees, yet. So, many of the eggs were simply scattered across our lawn. Inside the eggs were jelly beans and other candy … and some…
Looking back just a bit to Holy Week, our family hosted a Christian Seder Meal on Wednesday. We invited two other families over for a total of 20! We started with a script my mom had used in the past and incorporated some ideas from Women for Faith and Family. This was a wonderful way to learn more about Passover, the meal Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper. During the spring, Christians and Jews celebrate their own feasts in their…
Quietly waiting. Watching. Hoping. Remembering. Wondering. This first week of Advent.
I don’t know about you, but every Advent, I struggle with the same thing: finding a balance. A balance between quietly and prayerfully celebrating the season. And doing too much. I see so many lovely ideas that I would like to do with my children, but if they cause me stress, are they really good to do? Is that really how the Lord wants me to prepare my family for His birth? Take, for instance, the Jesse Tree. I love…
Today was the first day of school for my three oldest daughters—the Trio, as my husband has affectionately nicknamed them. Several weeks ago, I decided to make Schultütes for their first day of school. One of my daughters has been anxious to go to school this year. And I thought this sweet tradition would put some fun into her first day and hopefully makes some of those jitters subside … I first heard about Schultütes from Barbara at Praying for…