“The Christmas Hymn” was first a poem by Christina Rossetti, titled “In the Bleak of Midwinter.” While the musical melody is haunting, the words she wrote are gripping. Here on the northern plains, winter is long and cold and, indeed, bleak. The poem indicates that the nativity is midwinter, but I can testify that it’s…
“You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both.” ~Brené Brown The morning is when I step into a new day, hopefully bringing with me only what was good about the day before. Stepping into a new year holds even more hope. Words and resolutions were once my focus. January 1 always…
When I was a child, the day after Thanksgiving was spent shopping for only one thing: that year’s Christmas tree. My parents took the two bench seats out of our minivan, and my sister and I climbed in the back, thrilled at the rebelliousness of riding in a vehicle not only without seatbelts but without…
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…
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….
I grew up believing November in my home would always be about pumpkin pies, a house full of relatives, and plates of the usual Thanksgiving fare. Instead, we’ve run the gamut from joining friends to quiet days with just the four or five of us. Four years ago November was the beginning of a brutal…