How can you reduce holiday stress?
It is sunny and 54 degrees here in Chicago today, which is lovely. Except that it really doesn't feel like December, and it's making me deny reality: Christmas is a little over three weeks away, [...]
The Gift of Christmas Present devotional now in paperback!
Happy Thanksgiving! Although it’s our second holiday season in a pandemic, things have shifted. Perhaps this year, we will gather with friends and family. We can’t rely on past holidays to inform this season, except [...]
Rediscover the gift of Christmas present–with a free book!
This year, we’re feeling all the feelings about the holidays, and then some. More than ever, we want meaningful connection with people, around our table, if possible. We want to remember the real reason for [...]
Ready to welcome? Three easy ways to practice hospitality
Fall stirs in me a longing to gather people around my table, to practice hospitality. After months and months of social distancing and not gathering, I’m thrilled to be able to welcome friends to my [...]
Excavating Beauty: what lies beneath the surface?
I never really liked the beige Berber carpet in the family room. When we moved in two decades ago, though, we figured we’d eventually update the room, with its very '80s wall of mirrors and [...]
Fuel for the long run of Lent
Last week, my crocuses bloomed brave and bright. Today, there is a 100 percent chance of snow. We’re in the slog of Midwestern spring, which is not really spring at all, but rather weather that teases [...]
A simple path from scarcity to abundance
One in a series of occasional reflections on Lent. Traditionally, Lent is a season of preparation for Easter. But what does that mean, to prepare for Easter? Maybe you’re not even sure about whether you’ll [...]
What are you longing for this Lent?
I went for a run this week in the woods. The subzero weather has abated, and things are beginning to melt. But the path shaded by tall, bare trees remains hidden from sunlight, and still [...]
Haven’t we given up enough already? Some thoughts on Lent
About a year ago, I remember feeling a bit of mild panic as I took the last container of Clorox Wipes from a now empty shelf in Target. Something big was going on. We had [...]
The surprising secret to experiencing abundance
We all long for it: the abundant life. I don't know about you, but I stand against a scarcity mentality steeped in fear. I want to believe that I have more than enough, even when [...]