A year ago, just before Easter, I had gathered a bunch of young moms from our church in California. I wanted to encourage them and asked them to share “Yay God” stories from the past year.
We talked about the blessing of technology during Covid to keep isolated moms with littles connected as they tried to persevere and follow Jesus during a difficult time.
One of the special stories that came up was about a mom named Brooke, married with 3 little kids, who had moved to Switzerland with her husband at the beginning of Covid. She hadn’t found fellowship and Zooming with our group in the states was her lifeline.
Since we lived and ministered in Switzerland for a short while, I asked the group where Brooke had moved.
“Oh, it’s a really tiny town in the Alps”, they responded.
I asked, “Which one? Would you recognize the name?”
I held my breath. “Is it Wengen?”
“YES!” they exclaimed in chorus. “How did you know??!”
I can’t be sure, this is what happened, but I pictured God just laughing with delight as His Holy Spirit danced around my patio where we were gathered.
Because I have a close friend, Jane, who just “happens” to live in Wengen with her husband, and they not only are Jesus followers, they also have the gift of hospitality out the wazoo.
We keep in touch through WhatsApp and I quickly texted her Brooke’s name and information. A few days later my heart soared when Jane sent pictures of Brooke’s family in Jane’s chalet half way around the world, decorating Easter eggs.
This week I got another text from Jane who has invited Brooke and her family to Thanksgiving dinner. I’m looking forward to getting a picture!
Has this solved all of Brook’s family needs for a faith community? No! But I pray that this mama I’ve never met feels seen and I’m grateful for my friend Jane, who welcomes holy interruptions like this.
May Brooke be able to say like Hagar:
“You’re the God who sees me! “Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”
Genesis 16:13 msg
When you feel isolated or discouraged, remember you serve a God who sees you and cares about everything that concerns you.
And if you sense a little nudge from the Holy Spirit, act on it! You may be part of God’s loving reach around the world.
I sit in front of a cheery fire, late at night, looking at our glowing Christmas tree. It’s still delightful, even with gifts gone from underneath. We’ve had a lovely holiday season in spite of Covid and allofthethings.
We lit candles. We sang carols. We marveled at Christmas lights and lifted our gaze to wonder at stars in the night sky.
Jesus was born in us again. Glory to God in the highest heavens. And glory to God in the lowest stable.
Still, there are things I wish I had done differently.
In the Christmas season, everything is MORE.
We feel everything MORE intensely – the good and the bad. We add in MORE to our already-packed-no-margin schedules. We drink MORE and eat MORE and bake MORE.
And all that MORE comes at a price.
If you’re like me, Advent can creep up on you and all of a sudden you’re in the middle of it, scrambling to fit in everything.
SO here are three things I’m doing to make next year even better:
1. MAKE A LIST NOW!
Right now, make a google doc or a paper list if that’s your jam (make sure to put it in a safe place).
Consider having a conversation with your family if you want to include them. Evaluate Christmas 2021. Discuss these questions:
What worked well for Christmas 2021?
What mistakes do we want to avoid for Christmas 2022?
List ideas you read about this year that you’d like to do next year.
Consider getting a plastic bin and labeling it Christmas 2022. In it you can put things like books, gifts, Christmas lights, or cards that you buy on sale in January.
HOSPITALITY
What did you bake that you liked?
What menus worked?
Did you entertain too much or do you wish you had done more?
What helped make entertaining less stressful?
Are there specific types of gatherings you’d like to create?
SOUL CARE
What spiritual practices, devotionals, or books did you read that were meaningful? Are there ones you’ve seen others use that you’d like to try next year?
The best things I did this year were to participate in a half day Advent retreat early in December (you can also purchase portable retreats here), and use the Quiet Christmas Collection by Emily P. Freeman.
DECORATING
Take pictures before you take down decorations if you want to duplicate next year. Save links to that mantel you saw on Instagram that you’d like to try. Make note of what needs to be replaced (like Christmas lights).
CREATING
IF you love creating, make a list linking to ideas of things you’d like to make next year. Things you’ve seen for hostess gifts, family traditions, decorating, or party themes.
Are there traditions you’d like to start? I read about this idea from prvrbsthirtyonegirl that I LOVE and even though I don’t have kids at home, I might create one for John and me! Ally and Ryan have one family activity for each day of Advent. You can make your own list that fits with your life stage!
Every year I used to read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever aloud to the family, a chapter a night. This year my book group read Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory which would be another good read-aloud for a little bit older kids.
A wonderful novel for the season is Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
GIFTS
What are gifts you received that might be a good idea to remember? (Two of our favorites were Lou Malnati’s pizza from Chicago and homemade Lars Bars (which my friend renamed “Laura Bars” 😍 for hiking, along with the recipes! )
Did you hear about a game that another family tried and liked that would be good to get next year? (We got and loved “It’s in the Bag”!)
2. SCHEDULE A DAY LATER
Block off a day on your calendar and label it CHRISTMAS PLANNING DAY.
You can make it whenever you want, but I’d say a day in the week before Thanksgiving would be good. I’ve marked my calendar for Saturday, November 19th. I also try to protect the Sunday, and Monday after Thanksgiving to decorate.
Then put two alerts in – one for a week before and one for two days before so it will actually happen! (I almost forgot this, and believe me, it won’t happen if I don’t have alerts in!)
On this day you’re going to answer questions and make lists and put dates on your calendar.
What do I need to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to the most meaningful things this season?
Since Christmas adds in, are there things you need to cut out in order to make room? How can you manage your expectations? This might even mean talking to your boss if there are extra things required of you at work, and asking what regular responsibilities he or she thinks can be put on hold so that you will have adequate margin.
3. SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
On your Christmas planning day, put dates on your calendar – the big things you want to make sure happen. Include scheduling in Sabbaths. Maybe make an appointment for a pedicure if it is in your budget.
Practice saying, “Thank you so much for thinking of me, but I’m already committed and need to say ‘no’ this time.”
If you’re having trouble scheduling your own family celebration plus time with in-laws, decide what’s best for your family and then give in-laws several options to choose from that will work for you. (Someone once told me, you need to approach in-laws like you do toddlers – assure them that you love them and give them acceptable choices :))
Prayerfully hold things lightly. Remember, you’re planning so that you won’t end up being highjacked by every urgent thing that comes up, but there may be last-minute changes you need to make, or holy interruptions that deserve your attention. Commit your plans to the Lord and ask Him to confirm or help you adapt.
Lord help me to move slowly enough to experience Jesus fully and love others deeply.
Plan to practice the Examenduring Advent. To help, you can upload the Lectio 365 app. It has an Evening prayer that guides you through a review of your day, helping you to slow down and pay attention to the presence of God in your life – especially valuable in the busy Christmas season.
What ideas have you seen this year that you want to remember for next year? Share with us in the comments!
Over the past month I coached an online workshop through National Community Church, teaching people how to share their God stories – the story of how they came to know Jesus and the stories of how God has shown up in their everyday lives – showing them more bout His character.
In our tiny group, was a committed young man who joined us online at 4:30 a.m. his time each week from India! He so inspired me as he shared his story of growing up Hindu, but coming to recognize Jesus as the healer of his mom, forgiver and savior. He has little to no support other than the online faith community and yet he has such a passion for having India know Jesus. Will you pray with me for him?
Gracious Lord, we come before You on behalf of many around the world, like Kirubakaran, who are following You under such difficult circumstances. We pray that your Holy Spirit might strengthen and encourage their hearts. Help them to know that they are known, seen, loved, and valued by You. I pray that even today they might see the fruit of their perseverance. In the strong name of Jesus, Amen.
For Parents (or mentors, aunts, etc)…
I love, love, love this list of 10 Fun Things to Do at Home with Kids and I know they are good, because I did some of them back in the day of littles! Even though my kids are grown, I’d love for us to create a family time capsule over the holidays. Won’t it be interesting to look back on this season 10 years from now? (Hopefully we WILL be looking back some day!)
If you’re like me, you can read something like this and think, “Oh, what a great idea!” but not do anything about it. Maybe choose one idea (or let your kids choose one) and commit to do it this week. Make a memory!
Those who know me, know I need no extra motivation to travel, but I was captivated by this list of 18 Movies that Inspire Traveland am putting several on my list to watch asap!
So thankful I was able to visit D.C. IRL this week!
For Hosts…
A Hosting Game-Changer from Priya Parker – assign your guests roles. People like to help!
In social gatherings, hosts can also carry too much weight (in part because we want people to relax and have fun.) But guess what? These roles can actually be fun, playful, and deeply simple. It could be, as my friend Nora Abousteit does, that you assign a “Water Minister” and a “Wine Minister” to be in charge of refilling glasses and making sure everyone has enough to drink.
Last week, we drove down a shady street of starter homes built in the 50’s and pulled up to our friends’, a few minutes after 6:00 on a perfect Minnesota summer evening.
Dad and sons 5, and 7 years old, were playing catch with their new gator/Covid masks on as they waited for us to arrive.
In their front yard a giant oak tree stretched a green leafy canopy over 4 “big people” chairs and 2 kid-sized chairs socially distanced in a circle. These, with our friends and a table of drinks welcomed us.
We smiled wide, exclaiming greetings, so happy to see each other, but resisting the urge to hug.
We talked about books and church and politics and family and transitions with the easy grace of people who have known each other for some seasons. The boys darted around, alighting once in awhile to join in the conversation like puppies, curious for a time and then gone once more to follow a bright new distraction.
Last night we drove out to a friend’s house on a lake for dinner. She greeted us with hair still damp from the shower – her very presence saying “Come as you are!” We sat on her deck that felt like a treehouse above the lake, and caught up over wine til raindrops chased us inside.
We rummaged in her drawers and set the table as she extinguished a fire on the grill and brought in charred flatbread with tomato, mozzarella and pesto that we gobbled up with laughter, and questions about life and self-understanding, conflict and reconciliation.
These two recent experiences were reminders to me of what true hospitality looks like.
It risks inviting. We do a lot in our home so it is less common for us to be the invited ones. How delightful it feels to be asked over!
It says, “You are so welcome here! Make yourself at home. This is us and you belong.” Real makes people relax.
It focuses on what’s important – being present to people, not stressed with performance. People remember how you made them feel, not how fancy you were.
It asks good questions, tells good stories, and fills us up with reminders of the goodness of God and His people.
We are not made for isolation. Yes, gathering looks different in this cautious season of Covid, but we still get to reflect the welcoming heart of God.
What has your experience of hospitality been recently?
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:
I look around the practically empty German airport terminal at zero dark thirty and pray. Due to a storm, I’ve missed my connection to Zurich, on my way to study at L’Abri in Switzerland. I have no local currency and no good options. It’s in the years before Venmo, before ubiquitous credit card acceptance, and before cash machines. Yes, I’m old. Get over it.
Anyway, I know one person in the entire country. He’s a young pastor, studying for his doctorate. He and his wife live about an hour from Frankfurt. Nervously, I call him collect and without missing a beat, he says, “Stay put. I’m coming to get you.”
When we arrive at his tiny, one bedroom apartment, they already have another young guest bunking with them. They make room for me where there is no room.
The next morning, my friend takes the little he has and shares it with me. He makes me two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on thick, soft slices of homemade bread, puts them in a brown paper bag and drives me to the train station to continue my journey. That brown paper lunch bag has stayed with me as a powerful image of hospitality. God takes our not enough and makes it more than enough.
In the Bible, we see the widow of Zarephath (the least and left behind) with only a handful of flour and a little oil – not enough. But God makes it more than enough to feed both her and the prophet Elijah lunch for days. (1 Kings 17)
There is David, overlooked shepherd boy, told by his dad to be a gofer and take lunch to his brothers – the “important ones” on the battlefield, which positions him to be used by God to show His more than enough power to defeat Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:17ff)
There is the little boy (not even counted as one of the 5,000) who shows up with his lunch, offered as a gift that Jesus doesn’t reject as inadequate, but instead makes more than enough to feed everyone with leftovers! (John 6:1-14)
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have today, what can you offer God that He will lovingly accept and make more than enough to bless others?
My 91 year old aunt shows up with a heart to faithfully pray for others.
My friend Cathy showed up with a car to transport a homeless teen to work.
A kingdom-minded couple we know show up and offer their lake home to be used for ministry retreats.
My friend Heather, shows up with her magical talent for growing and arranging flowers and blesses others through the “Growing Kindness Project”, leaving bouquets to brighten someone’s day.
So often we focus on our “not enough”, when God wants to take what we offer Him and make it “more than enough”. We may not see the results right away, but I believe God will receive our offering with joy.
What “lunch” do you have to offer that feels inadequate? Share in comments and then look for opportunities to let God make it more than enough.
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!
As I read back over this post before hitting “publish”, it seemed decidedly “ordinary” and “unspiritual”. But I was reminded of a good insight I heard, reflecting on the life of David who watched sheep, and ran errands for his brothers before killing Goliath and ruling as king. Opportunity is often disguised in the ordinary. May we be faithful in all the little things, and look for the invitations of God every day!
I’ve been astounded to hear that some kids in the south of the U.S. are already heading back to school this week!
That is just. so. wrong. Let me say that if you lived in Minnesota (as you should), it would be illegal to go inside for more than 15 minutes until after Labor Day.
Not to rub it in, but most this is a picture of most Minnesotans this week.
I feel like it’s taken me awhile to get into the swing of summer entertaining, but this past week I’ve upped my game, reaching out to some neighbors we want to get to know better, and friends we haven’t seen in awhile. I’ve worked for years trying to figure out the easiest go-to meals for when we gather people around our table so I can be truly present.
One of my easiest summer menus for guests is this:
Flank Steak on the grill marinaded in Lowery’s Teryaki marinade
Corn spoon Bread
Suzie’s salad with peppers
Penny’s Ice cream dessert
The crab dip can be made ahead and heated in microwave. Ice cream dessert is made day before. Most of Corn spoon bread can be mixed ahead (just add Jiffy at last minute and pop in the oven)
Corn Spoon Bread
1 stick butter melted
2 eggs hand beaten in
1 small can whole kernel corn
1 small can creamed corn
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (must be Jiffy to work)
1 cup sour cream
Mix together in casserole and bake at 350 for about 45 min – hour. This recipe serves 6, but you can easily double it and put in 9×13 pan.
Here isSuzie’s Salad recipe:
Lettuce
Red and yellow peppers chopped
Green onions chopped
Craisins
Sugar snap pea cut in 1/2″ pieces
Cook 1 cup of almonds and 1/3 cup sugar in frying pan over medium heat til sugar melts and covers almonds. Cool on wax paper and break apart.
Dressing: 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup oil
And Penny’s Oreo Ice Cream Dessert
Crust: 1 Pkg (35) oreos crushed (I put in Cuisenart) mixed with 4 TB melted butter. * Reserve 1 cup of crumbs for topping
Filling: 1/2 gallon ice cream – whatever you want! I did a layer – 2 pints – of coffee ice cream and a layer of 2 pints of chocolate chip ice cream. Spread softened ice cream over crust. Freeze.
Topping: Melt 3/4 cup butter and 3 squares unsweetened chocolate in a pan on the stove. Gradually stir in 4 well-beaten egg yolks, and 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, and 2 ts. vanilla. Cook thoroughly and cool. Beat til smooth. Beat 4 egg whites til stiff peaks form and fold into cooled mixture.
Spread over ice cream and sprinkle with remaining oreo crumbs. Pop back in the freezer.
In past posts, I’ve written about the spiritual practice of the Examen which I really like. This week I found an app created by Fuller Seminary . They offer guided a Examen for different focuses that uses video. You can close your eyes and just listen to the prompts if you don’t want to watch the video. You might want to check it out, or take 9 minutes and just let the audio below lead you through the practice.
With presidential election debates starting, and tweets flying, I’m even more aware of how polarized we have become.
Add to that the isolation that can come with technology and social media and we can drift into loneliness and despair if we don’t fix our eyes on Jesus who made room for all of us.
Here are some resources that help us make space and understand others who are different from us…
If you are a Mama with kids still at home,
if you’re prone to comparison,
if you want to be an advocate for the unique way God created your kids,
if you want your kids or grandkids to understand and value others who are different from them, this is a book for you.
“If we make space in our lives for certain kinds of people, but not others, we will never know the fullness of God, or understand the depth of God’s love for humanity.”
I read Heather Avis’ first book (a memoir), called The Lucky Few about her journey with infertility and adoption of two kids with Down’s Syndrome and one from Haiti. Even if I hadn’t liked that book (I did), and even if I hadn’t heard her talk on this podcast, I think I still would have bought this book just for the title – Scoot Over and Make Some Room!
Another book I loved was this one.
What to Say Next is a fictional story by Julie Buxbaum is about a teenage boy with Aspergers and the friendship that develops between him and a girl who has lost her father in a car accident. This is not written from a Christian worldview, but is a beautiful story about community and understanding.
Also, check out “Tea with Strangers.” Fascinating article on what one man is doing to combat loneliness! https://nyti.ms/2Lo9QvL
And…One of the organizations I love that is working for peace and understanding among Palestinians and Israelis, is The Parents Circle. It was started by Israeli and Palestinian parents who have lost children in the conflict. They are unified by their losses. They work to promote understanding, reconciliation and peace. One of the fascinating ways they do that is through “Embroidering for Peace.”
Palestinian women to teach Israeli women Palestinian embroidery. Through art and culture, we found a bridge to engage some who would normally shy away from dialogue activities.
the parents circle
Also, you might want to go back and look at the “Neighboring Challenge” series of posts I did a couple of years ago.
A couple of Instagram feeds I like that go with this theme…
This is so convicting! Let’s change this statistic! You can hold me accountable!
Lastly, some comfort food! How about inviting someone over for dessert this week? 🙂
Gail’s Peach “Pie” (it’s kind of like a creamy cheesecake with peaches on top – so yummy!)
“Crust”:
3/4 cup flour
1 ts. baking powder
1/2 ts. salt
3 oz. NON-INSTANT vanilla pudding
3 TB soft butter
1/2 cup milk
Beat for 2 minutes. Pour into buttered 10″ glass pie plate. Place a large can of sliced, drained peaches on batter (but RESERVE 3 TB of juice).
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
3 TB reserved peach juice
Spoon over peaches leaving 1 inch around edges.
Topping:
1 TB sugar
1/2 ts. cinnamon
Mix and sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
What have you been reading, or learning about making space for everyone? I’d love to hear from you!
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Woohooo! Summer finally arrived in Minnesota! April 15th we had a blizzard, and May 25th we had 90 degree plus temperatures. Oh Minnesota, you keep us on our toes! When summer finally arrives, cabins open and church attendance drops by one million percent because no one wants go go indoors ever. And it’s all good. We play hard while we can.
Summer is my jam. I feel more fully alive than any other time of year. Summer is lakes and biking and picnics and good books and refreshment. So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things from the past month.
First, books. But even before that, a disclaimer: I find it really hard to review books because we all read through the lenses of our age, experience, and current circumstances. Something I think is “Meh” you may think changed your life. Ok, onward…
