Yesterday brought me a day that wasn’t filled with appointments or caregiving to little ones. I delighted in making a family Christmas bread recipe. While the dough was rising, I began to feel a little lost, with all this time to use. What should/ could/ would I do with all these hours? I began to feel guilty that I had procrastinated sending out Christmas cards, so I got ready to complete the task. However, the more I told myself I ‘should’ do it, the more I didn’t want to. My silly self imposed push-pull dance between misplaced guilt and relaxing was stealing the peaceful hours. The real issue is that…

The rhyming Russian proverb, doveryay, no proveryay, translates to “trust, but verify.” I should have embraced this proverb years ago because I assumed my children knew the story of the first Christmas. I learned yesterday I was wrong. They were short a few crucial details. Actual conversation with my 11 year old daughter. Me: “Tell me what you know about the Christmas story from the Bible.” Daughter : Makes exasperated noises. ” I know that Jesus was born. Blah, blah, blah, laid in the casket…” My eyebrows shot up my forehead like 4th of July fireworks. I exhaled loudly, stifling a giggle. “You mean manger? A casket is where a…

Do you ever feel like you’re putting Christmas on autopilot? Instead of rejoicing at the arrival of the Savior of the world, you are just going through the motions out of habit? Watching the same formulaic Christmas sweater wearing couple movies, baking the same sugary treats, whittling down an endless shopping list with a finite budget? Or is it deeper than that? Do you find yourself feeling irritable, angry even, that the birth of Jesus Christ is disrupting your finances, your routines, your plans? Dare we acknowledge it? Our little kingdom is usurped by His? If so, don’t feel bad, you’re not alone. The first Christmas, upon receiving Jesus’ birth…