Two well-written, engaging books I read over the holidays?
Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher, about a variety of people whose lives intersect one Christmas at an old house in snowy northern Scotland. Loved it!
And Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon. I love the Mitford books with all the characters – quirky, gentle, kind, hopeful. I had read this, but rereading it at Christmas was perfect.
Like many of you, I’m a little off schedule about now. I hate routines, but they also save me and I’m ready to get back into a healthy rhythm. Anyone else with me?
Christmas was “different” this year. It was our first time away from home, family and friends for a holiday that is full of sacred meaning, memories, and traditions for me.
Some of you, following me on Instagram have seen the lovely images of this place we are blessed to serve for a short time. Some of you may be in a hard season and may have felt a twinge of resentment or envy. I so do not want that! I want to bring you along and I want to be honest about all of it.
I’m the first to say we’re privileged to be able to dive into this adventure and enjoy a myriad of new experiences and relationships. We’re incredibly grateful!
I’m also kind of like the mom who struggles with infertility and after having a baby doesn’t feel like she can have a bad day or get frustrated with her little one because, she HAS a little one. I feel guilty if I get emotionally wrung out or have a frustrating day grocery shopping, because I’m get to live in Lucerne for Pete’s sake!
But I don’t want the beauty of Switzerland to obscure the intense personal pain we’ve encountered in the faith community here. Grieving parents, broken marriages, addiction, emotional breakdowns, loneliness… We’re serving in a small church where basically we’re responsible for all of the things, and we’re definitely not gifted at all of the things! (Read: counseling, administration, technology…)
I want to tell the truth and say we miss our church and the friends we have so much history with. Without complaint, I want to say honestly that as much as I love travel, I’m also a nester, a celebrator, a tradition-keeper. I’ve tried to be present to God and others here, but a part of my heart is at home.
Enough about me. How was your Christmas?
I know for some of you the holidays are incredibly hard and you’re glad they’re almost over. You’ve made it through the first Christmas with an empty chair, or taken the high road when the topic turned to politics around the table, or courageously apologized to a family member, or put up some needed boundaries. Know that you are seen and prayed for and I’m cheering you on.
What do you do to prepare for a new year? I’ve shared our New Years Eve practice in the past, and this year I’ve added some questions for you to reflect on.
Now onto the joyful stuff from Instagram and around the internet.
@ashton.creates@letterfolk
I loved this story (and video below) about an adorably sneaky comfort dog!
And this brought such joy!
As we approach the new year, let’s breathe deep, lean hard, and press on, knowing that God’s love holds.
Next Thursday we are going to have a quiet, candlelit worship service here in Lucerne, specifically for people who are grieving this Christmas.
Is that you? You may have had a miscarriage, or lost a parent, spouse, or friend, and there is an empty place at the table and in your heart. You are sad and weary.
As John and I were preparing last night, we were trying to choose a couple of hymns that give voice to feelings of loss, wilderness, and promises of hope in the darkness.
I was transported back to my childhood when every year we had the tradition of gathering at my aunt and uncle’s house with relatives young and old.
After dinner at the looooong table stretched with many leaves and augmented with card tables attached, we’d move to the piano.
It was a loud and joyful time, but today, at least four people are missing from this picture including my brother. Maybe your pictures are missing loved ones this year too.
Now here’s the thing. I come from a musical family. We had cousins and uncles playing french horn, trumpet, trombone. My grandfather played the violin. Aunts and cousins played the piano. I think for a few years there was a flute thrown in. Maybe an oboe.
I had nothing to contribute but my barely adequate voice added to those who were able to actually, you know… harmonize. (That’s me in the middle back in holiday pigtails 🙂 )
I’m holding music for my cousin who is playing an instrument, but I didn’t need it for the lyrics. I know virtually every word of every carol in the book. (Yes, even Angels From the Realms of Glory). The Christmas lyrics are part of my faith vocabulary, because my family sang them over me, and into me, and with me.
This year there may be lyrics of celebration that are hard for you to sing. Impossible even. It’s ok. Be gentle with yourself.
A friend of mine says sometimes we sing faith words with joy and confidence.
Sometimes we sing them as a declaration of the truth we believe in spite of how we may feel.
And sometimes we just can’t sing “Joy to the World”. We’re too sad, and we let the community carry the words for us, blanketing us with hope that God is still with us. He is still good. That’s ok. Let the community carry hope for you.
Is it hard for you to sing this advent? Share in the comments.
If you receive this in an email, just click on the title and then scroll down on the post to leave a comment. If it’s your first time, it will not appear right away, but don’t worry! It will soon!
As always, I’d love to have you join me over on Instagram! It’s my favorite place for small doses of joy and inspiration!
Monday morning I sat in my Starbucks in Minneapolis one last time, and today (Wednesday) this is where I’m sitting with my coffee in Luzern.
John and I are serving as short-term interim co-pastors at the international church here. A pastor had to leave suddenly (thankfully everything is ok) and we were able to put some stuff on hold and jump in quickly . We are loving this new adventure in a beautiful city with a wonderful church community! If you want to follow along, I’m posting on Instagram and Instagram stories. There is no snow yet and probably won’t be until maybe January. The climate is more like London, but we are surrounded by mountains.
We’re fighting jet-lag and trying to remember what day it is. We are so so grateful for new friends from this faith community who have greeted us with such incredible grace and hospitality!
When our luggage didn’t arrive, they delivered jammies and underwear! Candles were lit when we walked in the door, and our apartment is stocked with everything we could possibly need!
One of the passages that God has spoken to me about this season in Switzerland that also ties into my post last week on being where your feet are, is this from Jeremiah to the Israelites when they were in exile:
Build houses and make yourselves at home.
Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country.
Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare.
Jeremiah 29:5,7
In other words, invest and seek God where you are!
Advent has already started, so I’m going to post this gathering of resources early instead of waiting til Friday. Enjoy! And let me know in the comments what you’re doing to make the season meaningful!
I had the privilege of participating in two years of retreats with The Transforming Community. If you have a ministry leader on your gift list I highly recommend Ruth Hayley Barton’s book, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry. Ruth uses the life of Moses to draw out principles that guard your soul.
For many, the holidays are very difficult. Here are a couple of really good articles and a good reminder that might make you smile:
Most Fridays I try to post some images, resources, and thoughts around a relevant topic. I call it “Soul food”, but it may include things that feed our heart, mind, and body, as well as soul. Whatever is beautiful, funny, true, helpful…I try to make it all things life-giving.
This week in the U.S. we’re looking forward to Thanksgiving, and either looking forward to, or dreading Black Friday, so here are a few resources.
I saw this idea at a Starbucks in California, and had been meaning to copy it. Then Tsh Oxenreider posted it beautifully on Instagram!
She bought an extra pumpkin for November and every day her family tries to write something they’re thankful for on it. Fun Thanksgiving centerpiece too!
In past years I’ve made the commitment to not go into malls after Thanksgiving, but these days that’s not a challenge. Online shopping makes for a kinder, gentler holiday season and God bless us, everyone. Still, there is the random Target and grocery run, so I thought some of the following might help us to laugh at ourselves a little.
Can you find yourself? (I’m a 7)This is just so true I can’t even stand it!
Your turn! What are some fun Thanksgiving hacks, meaningful practices, or soulful insights you can share with us in the comments?
If you receive this in an email, just click on the title and then scroll down on the post to leave a comment. If it’s your first time, it will not appear right away, but don’t worry! It will soon!
As always, I’d love to have you join me over on Instagram! It’s my favorite place for small doses of joy and inspiration!
This is a little bit different type of “Soul Food” post today with some questions I’d REALLY love to hear your feedback on, so be sure to scroll to the bottom.
One of the best and worst things about leaving the church where we served for 30 years is that we attend a new and different church almost every week.
We’ve been to tiny church plants that meet in schools, and inner city worship spaces where we were the only couple with light skin. We’ve been to hipster gatherings in retrofitted industrial space, and liturgical worship in cathedrals.
We’ve seen that there is tons of room for many solid, biblical expressions of faith. The Body of Christ is amazing and there’s lots to celebrate about His work around the world! We are inspired by different creative practices we love. But we’ve also had the truth reinforced that there is no perfect church!
There is so much controversy and constructive conversation about church these days.
We read…
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
But how many of you have heard (or spoken!) statements like these:
“I’ve been hurt by the church and I won’t go back.”
“With 24/7 online worship, podcasts with world-class speakers, and small groups, is traditional church necessary?”
“People in the church are hypocrites.”
“My kids are grown. I don’t need the church to be spiritual.”
Some friends of ours have left the church they were attending and aren’t going anywhere now. When we asked them why they said, “We worked our tails off to engage and make friends, but just didn’t seem to get any response so we gave up. We couldn’t make community happen.”
So, two questions I’m thinking about today…
Is it important to attend a brick and mortar church regularly?
What are legitimate reasons to seek out a different church?
Recently, I’ve had several different people ask me about changing churches. It might be theological concerns, or a vague sense that the Spirit is absent, or lack of programs that meet their needs. I passed along the article I’m linking below, and also offered these thoughts:
You need to discern what you believe the biblical “non-negotiables” are, and what falls into the category of “disputable matters” (Romans 14:1) – places where you may disagree, but you understand there is room for people to land on either side of the theological spectrum. There is no perfect church where you’ll agree with everything, but if you go to church and feel like you are leaving mad, or arguing in your head with what is said each week, another faith community may be a better fit for you.
I’ve written a bunch about this in the past. You might want to check out Missing Church.
Scott Sauls makes his case for attending/being part of a church here.
And we see convicting posts about being the church, like these on Instagram.
I’m really interested in your feedback on this!
Do you attend a brick and mortar church? If so, how regularly?
What are your reasons for going to church or not on a given Sunday, honestly??
If you receive this in an email, just click on the title and then scroll down on the post to leave a comment. If it’s your first time, it will not appear right away, but don’t worry! It will soon!
As always, I’d love to have you join me over on Instagram! It’s my favorite place for small doses of joy and inspiration!
It’s November! And with it comes Thanksgiving – the holiday many people say is their favorite because it’s simple. Family, football, a festive feast day, and no frenetic search for the perfect gifts.
No, it’s not great for everyone, I know. I don’t want to diminish the pain of those who are going through this holiday for the first time with someone missing from their table, or are in the midst of circumstances that are very difficult. Be gentle with yourself. Tell your people what you need. Maybe go back and read this post on a “sacrifice of praise”from a few years ago.
Anyone else feeling sad, discouraged, frustrated, concerned with the state of America right now? Our daughter works on Capitol Hill so you can imagine how hard it is for her!
We are a country divided, deeply in need of humility and wisdom, so I thought I’d devote this post to resources around peace and understanding.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.Â
She also writes that the antidote to armoring up in hard conversations is staying curious. Here are a few of her favorite questions and sentence starters:
Sometimes we feel separated from God, not just separated from each other. Maybe this song will encourage you today.
Lastly, on Instagram stories this week I posted a picture of Susan’s famous maple frosted cookies I was baking and someone asked for the recipe.
These are not the usual kind of cookies we like (they’re soft, not crispy), but everyone loves them in the fall!
Maple Frosted Cookies
Mix:
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
Add:
1 cup sour cream
1 ts. maple flavoring
Blend in:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 ts. baking soda
1 ts. salt
Chill dough 2-4 hours. Heat oven to 375. Drop tablespoons of dough on greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or til no imprint shows when lightly touched.
Glaze:
1/2 cup butter melted
Stir in 2 cups powdered sugar
Add 2 ts. maple flavoring
Stir in 2-4 TB hot water til smooth
I’ve had 3 fun gatherings around my table this week. What are you up to? How are you embracing this season? I’d love to hear from you (and so would others!)
Ahhh, kids! We want them, or they drive us crazy, or make us laugh, or give us a new perspective on life. This week I thought I’d focus our soul food on kids. Jesus said they can teach us much!
What if you took a few minutes today, or when you Sabbath, to sit with the following passage and consider these questions?
Imagine yourself as a little kid in this story. How would you feel if He said, “Let ______ come to me.”?
Imagine crawling into his lap. How might Jesus look at you?
When you were little, what did you most want from your parents? What do you want from Jesus?
What do you think He might say to you?
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on themand pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
If you are struggling with infertility, there are no great answers, but check this out.
Maybe today you find yourself sitting in a pile of ashes, feeling desperate. While our hopes and desires and plans for our lives are finite, an infinite God Who loves us can take our messiest messes and make something beautiful.
Heather Avis
For those who want to better understand the emotions of infertility, check this out.
If you are a mom, Thriving Home is a great resource (think kid-friendly freezer meals)! They have Table Talk Cards and recently shared a series of questions from them. Try these questions tonight around your dinner table!
For pre-schoolers:
If you could make raindrops taste like anything, what flavor would they be?
Who is a good friend to you? Why?
For elementary school kids:
Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?
Share one thing you like about each person at the table.
For tweens and teens:
What is your most vivid and happiest childhood memory?
What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of? Why?
We have been traveling a LOT this fall and I am so grateful for all our experiences, but you know what I am most thankful for? In each place we visited it was like God had a divine appointment for us – an important conversation that we didn’t expect – with someone who needed encouragement, or wisdom or just a listening ear. I am so thankful for these sacred moments and the sense of God’s presence in the midst.
I also could not stop taking pictures of the trees up in northern Minnesota!! So grateful for fall beauty!
Can you even stand how gorgeous this is??
I’m all about gathering people and connecting – whether around a bonfire, a table, or on a walk, and Fall is the perfect time for this, right??
2. Who are you going to gather around your table (or bonfire, or pumpkin patch, or trail?)
For one dinner I’m hosting, I mailed the invites on postcards from the place we honeymooned. I asked the people coming to bring a side dish representative of where they honeymooned or traveled on a recent trip. Someone who went to Door County, Wisconsin recently is bringing a cherry pie. Since we were in France in September, I’m making a French Wine and Mustard Chicken recipe.
3. What are you going to cook/bake/or have others make?
Here are a couple of super easy recipes I’ve been making on repeat.
Yummy Buns
1 lb ground beef
1 ts. salt
1 ts. pepper
1 ts. cumin
1 ts. mustard powder
1/2 ts. smoked paprika
2 c. diced onions 91 whole)
3-4 cloves garlic minced (I use minced garlic from a bottle)
1 10 oz. can Ro-tel tomatoes (I use mild, but you can go spicy if you want)
12 slices cheddar cheese
12 Hawaiian slider buns
Glaze for topping:
1/2 cup butter
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 TB mustard
1 TB sesame seeds
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Bottom:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (SET ASIDE ONE CUP DRY FOR TOPPING – I always forget this part)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
Mix and pat in bottom of greased 9×13 pan
Filling:
1lb can Pumpking pie mix (Not just plain pumpkin)
1 small can evaporated milk
2 eggs
Mix and pour over bottom
Topping:
1 cup yellow cake mix saved from above
1 ts. cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine cut into the mixture with sharp knife
Crumble topping over filling and bake @350 45 minutes. Don’t over-cook. (I’ve had the bottom get too done. It’s supposed to be just barely set.) Serve with ice cream FTW!
4. What will you talk about?
Let’s face it. I can be a bit much for some people with my enthusiastic question-asking! I don’t want to always have an “agenda”, but keeping some good questions in mind can make the difference between a fun evening, and one that is both fun and meaningful. Here are a few to get you started:
I love this question from Letterfolk who I follow on Instagram
And some that I like to ask:
What’s been the most surprising thing to you about __________? (marriage, parenthood, your job, retirement, your recent trip…)
What do you need most from God in this season of your life?
What’s one funny story from your wedding or honeymoon?
Share about a favorite meal you had – was it the food, the location, the conversation, or the people you shared it with that meant the most?
5. How are you connecting with or serving people different from you?
Maybe make some cookies and share then with someone of a different political party or religion?
I’d love to hear from you! How would you answer any one of these 5 questions? Share in the comments!
I’d love to have you join me over on Instagram! Come say “Hey!” and have a great weekend!
