Thoughts During Advent: What to Expect When You’re [Mary] Expecting
Nine months. For some women, the time during pregnancy flies. I wonder how the time felt to Mary. As soon as I found out that I was pregnant, I immediately wanted to tell everyone! I wonder how long Mary waited…
Thoughts During Advent: Do Not Be Afraid
Can you imagine it? You’re going about your day, and an angel appears and starts speaking to you! “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you,” he announces. The Bible says that Mary was “greatly troubled at this statement and…
Cultivating Self-Control: It Takes the Spirit Plus Some Effort
Note: I wrote this as a guest post for Mary Kathryn Tiller: Cultivating a Faithful Heart Amid a Frenzied World. When I caught my son sneaking Netflix after he was supposed to be in bed, I couldโve used some self-control.…
Towel Hugs
I donโt remember how it started, but sometime after my firstborn learned to walk, the tradition of โtowel hugsโ began at our house. Hereโs how it works. After the toddler/preschooler gets out of the bath, they give their hooded towel…
The 23rd Psalm: A Mother’s Reflections
As I was reading through Psalms, I came to one of the most famous ones–the 23rd. Since becoming a mother nine years ago, so many images and illustrations I identify with involve God as a parent, and here again, I…
A Tribute to Tradition
It’s hard to tell when traditions actually begin or why they begin. I just know my family has them, especially around Christmastime. First of all, we insist on having a live tree. I’d like to say we go to a…