I need more time with baby Jesus.
Driving up the highway to return a few backup Christmas gifts, I began to meditate on the Christmas season, baby […]
Parenting
Science, Faith, and Chick-Fil-A
We were at Chik-Fil-A with my younger child for dinner. Earlier that day I had listened to a podcast that mentioned the Big Bang and I asked the kids if they knew about it. They both said no. So I explained the Big Bang and this is how the conversation went.
A Crowded Stable
As I stared at the crowds amassed around our holy family, it occurred to me that with our first child, other than the occasional comment on our parenting and her stranger glare reserved demeanor, we were pretty much left alone as parents to sink or float.
The Small Wonders of the Season
I saw an Instagram post this past week made by a residential program for women who are trying to piece their lives back together after varying circumstances. The picture in the post showed a small child holding a Christmas ornament, the young son of one of the women. The child was entranced with the sparkly red ball in his hands.
Your Comprehensive Christmas Reading List
Reading some beautiful picture books of the Christmas stories is easily one of the most delightful and simple ways to focus our preparations on the birth of Christ. So head to your library, bookstore, or the Amazon marketplace and while you are at it, pick up some hot chocolate and marshmallows then prepare to snuggle up in front of twinkly lights.
Re-Imagining Mary
Mary was a distant figure for me before having children. As a child she was the part in the nativity I never got to play (my short brown hair meant that I always lost out to my long blond-haired friends). As an adult, to me she was the venerated saint of Catholics, whose hailing brought a comfort I did not understand. I knew she was important, but I could not relate to her.
God’s Love Actually
I know that it is the season of Advent, but Christmas is on my heart and mind. It’s hard to avoid, since, in the words of fictional rock-n-roll legend Billy Mack, “Christmas is all around.” Christmas is on tv, in stores, in our email boxes, and of course, we’re inundated with holiday musical classics.
Our Thank You Pumpkin
Starting on November 1, we take turns writing one thing we are each thankful for in a black Sharpie marker on our pumpkin. This designated pumpkin sits in the center of our dinner table throughout the month of November. It always brings joy and quite a bit of laughter to hear what our boys are thinking about or to see what they quietly and sneakily write on the pumpkin.
Advent in a Box
Advent in a Box is a resource created by the Christian educators at Family Ministry Tools to help churches equip families to have faith conversations at home. The goal is to send home interactive, fun, and biblically sound activities that engage families and help them grow in their faith. Advent in a Box is a pizza box filled with all-age devotions and activities to help families celebrate Advent and prepare for Christmas.
You’ve Got This
“You’ve got this, Mama.” I find myself saying this to total strangers who are struggling with their kids. I say