This Christmas season has been different from every other. Every previous December, I have focused largely on the hope that comes with the birth of Christ. I get excited that the Savior is here and we are headed on an incredible journey toward Easter, when we get to celebrate a victory chant because of the…
The month of December can be very busy. There’s so much to be done before Christmas Day arrives in many Christian households, that a frenetic tone takes the place of Mary’s long-ago anticipation of her first child’s birth. We can read articles about taking the stress out of Christmas and try. We can set up…
Every year, a dear friend in our ladies’ Bible study hosts a Christmas ornament exchange party at her home. Two things are required of those who are invited to this popular event. They must bring a Christmas ornament either wrapped or in a gift bag, and a finger food to share. Lots of women attend,…
When it comes to holiday decor, you could say I’m an aspiring minimalist. I used to have many small decorations and door hangings for each holiday, but then I realized they weren’t bringing me much joy. Half the time I forgot to unpack them from their storage-tub homes in the basement before the holiday passed….
One frigid March day, my husband and I sat in our canoe in the middle of a lake in Missouri. Our lines had been in the water for well over an hour, and we’d had only one bite. The bite belonged to my husband, of course. An avid fisherman, Joe is used to pulling in…
As Christmas approaches, I’m excited about the joy and festivity involved in the season. I love the holiday cheer and time with family, but I also feel the pull toward busyness. Christmas is coming; I must do all the things! Where does this urge to make Christmas big, lavish, and packed-to-the-gills with merriment come from?…