It’s the most wonderful time of year...or is it? Statistics tell us that, ironically, during the most wonderful time of the year is when people in general experience the most depression and anxiety. While I don’t like to admit it, I am one of those people who struggle with the holiday blues. Some of us experience depression during the holidays because of the stress of buying the right present for everyone on our list. Others develop the holiday blues because they have lost loved ones around this time of year. Even the fact that the sun sets earlier, so there is less light in our lives during the holidays, can cause us to be a little more down than usual. My depression stems from unmet expectations, both expected of me and expected by me. I have this mentality that the holidays are Continue Reading
The Christmas Ninja
Too many years have gone by to remember names, but the image on Christmas morning is forever etched in my mind. We were newlyweds, celebrating our first Ohio Christmas together, both of us bored out of our minds. The tiny “blink and you’ll miss it” country town held little charm and even less in the way of evening entertainment. Our first ministry in the brick church by the railroad tracks wasn’t going so well, and we had lacked hope that our efforts were making any lasting impact on the community. I’m not really sure how it all came about because we really had no extra money to speak of. But we were both hungry for something more. When the opportunity to give hope presents itself, it’s a good idea to grab hold and let it take us places we might not normally go. We Continue Reading
7 Promises to Silence Doubt: Hope for the Holidays
Sometimes finding and hanging onto hope throughout the holidays is a daunting task, especially in the face of lingering doubt. I feel it strong this season. A kind of doubt that snuffs out hope as soon as the prayers leave my lips. And my heart is weary of crying out for God to move. This mountain grows with every word uttered toward the heavens. The faith that stands warrior-strong today yields to questions and doubts as tomorrow dawns. Is God really listening? Does He hear my heart cry? Why can't I hear Him in the midst of all this silence? When will this mountain give way? I wonder if all this hope I'm supposed to grab hold of is meant for someone else. If I've somehow missed out on the secret. If I'll forever be swimming upstream, and if faith is some empty formula Continue Reading
Friendsgiving with Fresh Market Friday Link-Up + Free Gift
This week, I realized I am once again late to the party - the Friendsgiving party. It seems this festivity has been rapidly gaining popularity in our culture, and although I was initially among those so-called skeptics who surmised this was one more opportunity to remove God from the season, I soon came to realize it can easily be considered an extension of Thanksgiving. Friends are such a valuable and necessary part of life, and the gift of friendship is a rich blessing to treasure and offer up gratitude for. "Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold." For many years, a picture with these words hung on the wall, welcoming friends to our home. I'm not sure who authored this quote, but it's long been a favorite. Opportunities for friendship have Continue Reading