Encouraging Deep Roots

It's hard to believe that we are at the end of 2025. We are going out with a bang as we are in the middle of a lake effect snow event with anywhere from 1-3 feet expected. So our celebrating will take place at home, hunkered down.  Out with the Old This has been a difficult year in many ways with loss and change. My mother-in-law passed away and we moved my father-in-law into an assisted living facility. Their house and most of their things have been donated or sold. He is struggling to adjust to not being at home and not having his wife with him and he takes a lot of attention and time. My stepfather also passed away this year after struggling with Alzheimer's. He was such a sweet man and I grieve the loss of his influence in my life. I know loss is part of life, but it really is difficult for the ones left behind.  This past weekend we moved my daughter and son-in-law two hundred and fifty miles away and this is a good move for my son-in-law as he will be close to his family...

One  of the greatest lessons I'm learning in my life is to go with the flow or to pivot. I was talking with a friend and said to her that half the battle with the holidays is not to be so rigid in what we think these days should look like. As I've learned to be easy going about my expectations it has made for some very pleasant memories. I cringe to think back on my earlier years and all the times I threw a fit because things weren't going according to the plan I had in my head. The reality is that we cannot control anything in our lives and the more we try to, the more unhappy we will become. This year's holiday plans included a lot of pivoting and yet, it has been one of the most pleasant I can remember. A lot of that had to do with the fact that I was determined to be okay with things being different.  We had our traditional Christmas eve service (being in ministry means some things will always be the same). But my daughter and son-in-law ended up staying home and co...

The gifts are all purchased and wrapped. Our different pre-Christmas events are over. The groceries have been purchased and our Christmas eve service has been put together and all the participants are ready to go. The only thing left to do is deliver some gifts to my father-in-law, put together a cookie platter for tonight, and to prepare a prop for my children's moment during tonight's service. But other than that we are ready to celebrate this meaningful event.  I want to wish all my blog readers a Merry Christmas! May you have a wonderful celebration.

There are 3 more sleeps before Christmas Day and it's been such a busy couple of weeks. I feel like I've crammed a year's worth of activities into three weeks.  I mentioned to Dan last night that I'm going into Christmas week tired. However, I also know celebrations are a lot of work and in some ways that's okay. I'm doing these things because I love to do them and not because it's required. It was a month of candy-making.  Cookie baking. List-making and secret keeping. Giving and receiving; blessing and being blessed. Reflection and evaluation. Smiles and giggles. Trying some new things (making cheese) Enjoying some old favorite recipes. Afternoon football games and relaxing. Some different activities such as helping my daughter pack and lunch with her and my son-in-law. Friday we are helping them move. Church activities, home activities, ministry activities and personal activities. Today I'm going to get some things prepared for our Christmas eve servi...

There was a spectacular sunrise yesterday morning and I'm thankful I happened to look out the window to see it.  There are a lot of hours between the time I get up in the morning and the time I go to bed, and those hours are pretty packed full of activity. I am definitely not bored! Our second car died on Sunday and the repairs are going to cost more than the car is worth. At 250,000 miles it had a good run and we've decided to get rid of it. But that also means we are back to juggling one car between us. Because I was able to use the car yesterday morning I wanted to get my Christmas shopping completed. It took me three and a half hours at a number of local stores, but I am completely finished.  I also purchased gifts for the children at church and picked up decorations for our church Christmas banquet on Sunday. I got all the decorations wrapped and under the tree, made another batch of cookies, worked on some gifts for our church family, and had a two hour zoom meeting...

  After having a less than joyful week, I finally shook myself out of the doldrums and realized that my joy wasn't going to magically appear unless I shifted my perspective on situations.  As I prayed through some things, I kept seeing and hearing the word "expectant" turning up. I realized some of my discouragement is the continued battle I have at times of not always taking God at His word. We are in the season of advent which means "coming" or "arrival." The people of Israel had to wait in expectant hope the Messiah would come.  If I'm trusting that He will do what He says He will then I will wait in expectent hope .  When I'm trusting in God's promises, I will have peace . When I believe that the Lord will intervene and act in different situations, I can go about my day with joy in my heart. And I can trust God because He is good and He loves me.  All four of those advent themes are woven into the word expectant.  It's amazing how...