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Encouragement for every season of lifeColors of Christmas | Jesse Tree
When most people in America think about Christmas, visions of reds and greens (and maybe sugar plum fairies) dance in their heads. This is likely because sometime in autumn, stores begin to fill their shelves with glittering reds, shiny greens, and banners of “Happy...
It’s All About the Food!
When I think back to Christmases from my childhood, lots of memories come to mind: the Advent Calendar (complete with gifts) that my grandma would send every year, decorating the tree, sorting (and counting) our presents with my brothers on almost a daily basis,...
The Ornament Exchange
Christmas was coming and we had been dealing with some major life changes, resulting in a tough financial situation for my husband and me. Our children were all starting out with families of their own too. As our family gathered for Thanksgiving, we decided that the...
#MeToo
Lest you’ve been under a rock of late, #MeToo has become a hashtag for social outrage against sexual assault and harassment. #MeToo had the initial purpose to tell others on social media that they had experienced what an estimated—and astonishing—one in three women...
Walking in His Steps Through the Holidays
It happens every October. I see Christmas decorations and slashed prices on almond bark, and I stiffen. Then commit. This year will be different. This season I will walk in his steps through the holidays. Because here’s the thing. I can get tripped up by Hallmark...
Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back
Two months ago, I received clearance from my doctor to get serious about my postpartum health and exercise journey. As many of you have read, I recommend setting goals for your wellness and fitness journey that are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant,...
Our Favorite Comfort Foods
Did you know that December 5 is National Comfort Food day? It’s also International Ninja Day and National Blue Jeans day, but feel free to overlook those crazy little celebrations for a much bigger one that involves food! Should you feel led to wear blue jeans or...
5 Ways to Maintain Gratitude
The other day I sat down with my kids to enjoy one of their favorite movies, Finding Nemo. In one particularly enjoyable part of the Disney flick, two fish find themselves in a terrifying predicament. As the fish flop around frantically on an oceanside dock, some...
25 Days of Christmas Kindness
It's our 6th year of Advent Acts of Kindness: Six years of doing one kind act each day from December 1-25. Six years of brainstorming ideas and asking others for theirs; six years of planning and plotting that culminates in December. Six years of feeling the joy of...
Around the Table
November starts the season of family gatherings, holiday parties, and sometimes a cookie exchange or two. For me, this time of year has always been a little stressful. You see, I want a Good Housekeeping kind of table setting, but I don’t have a decorator’s...
