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.
Joyful and Ambivalent: Gift-Giving at Christmastime
I want to give my children gifts, but I don’t want them to confuse the fun of getting stuff with real joy.
Pausing in the Open Space – and Giving Thanks
I have taken a break from the myth of my own indispensability.
Giving thanks is no small thing. It requires a conversion of heart.
We want to give our children the world! So often what we end up giving them is continued complicity in the world’s model of desire and scarcity. Our faith teaches something better.
Another liturgical year is coming to an end. It’s time to reflect and give thanks.
Advent is the beginning of church year, which means late November is the end: a good time to focus on the past year’s gifts.
Getting Ready for the Year-End Sprint
This end-of-year sprint is familiar territory for all of us. And still, every year it rolls around and surprises us.
Day 11: Thank Me for Your Blessings!
When we give thanks to God for our blessings, we recognize their true source.
I give thanks to God for Plainsong Farm.
It didn’t exist a year ago. But today, it is a real ministry just beginning to bear fruit.
Cultivating a Heart of Gratitude
The practice of gratitude – rooted in Scripture, lived out daily – is worth cultivating at home.