Easter is all about HOPE! Beyond the plastic eggs, grass-filled baskets and sweet, sugary confections, there’s a message waiting to be stamped on the hearts of our children….a message of redeeming life and all prevailing hope. Hope that transcends our yesterdays, captivates our todays and leaves us anticipating our tomorrows. Yet this hope can often be difficult for our children to grasp, and sometimes we have to look for creative, intentional ways to bring hope to life so the gift can saturate their tiny, moldable hearts and carry them to the lap of God. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 So many times these intentional efforts become such a rich experience that before we Continue Reading
How to Savor and Share the Art of Handwritten Letters
Call me sentimental, but I have a love of all things handwritten. So when my parents recently showed me a letter from the nanny who cared for my brother and me in France, I was mesmerized. Not only by the beautiful penmanship and age of the simple lined stationery but also by how the heartfelt sentiments transcended time, bringing to mind sweet memories and emotional ties for my parents. This nanny was my namesake, so to see a picture of her and to be granted a personal glimpse into her life through a handwritten letter from so long ago was a moment to savor. These were precious years of a young couple trying to make their way in a foreign country, raising small children, and our nanny occupied a tender spot in their hearts, even after all these years. This letter was a Continue Reading
A Simple Tradition of Remembering
Some traditions begin on a whim, and yet in their simplicity, they become a profound bedrock of family celebrations, rich in meaning and steeped in value. And it’s not until we’re given a glimpse backward that we realize how they’ve imprinted faith on our hearts and grounded us in hope for the future. I remember it began early in our marriage, with a simple “baby’s first Christmas” ornament, hung on a short, barren tree, between a few golden baubles. Like most young couples starting out, we didn’t have an excess of anything. We lived in a tiny parsonage and had scarcely enough extra to decorate our first Christmas tree. By the time our first child came along, our tree still lacked ornaments, but our hopes and dreams for what we wanted for our children were never lacking. We wanted Continue Reading
5 Ways to Make Christmas 100 Times Brighter
I have a deep love for traditions, especially when it comes to "keeping Christmas. And when traditions hold enough meaning to become an avenue for legacy-building, I'm all in. Although I was unaware as a child of the significant wisdom tucked within the frames of A Charlie Brown Christmas, the profound lessons soon became a part of my family's yearly celebration. And for good reason. Isn't the world still searching for the real meaning of Christmas? Isn't this one message the single most profound treasure that warms the coldest heart and pours hope into the most hopeless situation? Yet, the challenge to fully rest in the beauty of its truth is continually before us. In the midst of all the busyness, we lose sight of how to embrace the hope-filled moments of Continue Reading