My family has been celebrating New Year’s Eve with LeAnn’s family since before my little brother was born. Ever since the eve of January 1, 1996, we’ve all gathered at my grandparents’ ranch to ring in the new year, with fellowship over food, games, and music. In the past fourteen years, I’ve only missed the…
Archive | December, 2009
Merry Third Day of Christmas…
…to our dear readers!!! From Gretchen, Ashleigh, Chantel, Jeannie, Elisabeth and Lanier, fondest wishes to you all for the Happiest of Holidays and for all the best of God’s blessings in the New Year! We hope that you have enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Savior with families and loved ones, and that this blessed…
Day of days
Christmas Eve, 2007 adapted from my journal On Christmas Eve morning I was up at five. I wondered if any of my neighbors were astir at that hour, but all the other houses through the trees were dark. It was my own, private, precious hour with Jesus—on a day when His humanity is nearer to…
Christmas Past
Once upon a time, my Christmases really were like Victorian greeting cards. Back when all ten of us lived in one house, when everyone bought presents for everyone else. (With a little help from our mom, if necessary). There were the secrets in the closet, the anticipation of seeing this person’s face when they saw…
And May All Your Christmases Be White
The trees were bare, leaves having long since fluttered from their home above on to the cold, equally barren looking ground. The air had that particular chill in it that made fires feel extra cozy, and sweaters extra nice, and hot cups of wonderful herbal teas (especially Celestial Seasonings Dessert Teas–which I have long since…
Blessed Insignificance
“So… what do you do?” The question has been presented in various forms over the two years John and I have been married. I heard it again last weekend at the wedding we attended. Before I answer, I ask myself, what do I do? Thinking over my days I remember the many little things that…
Glad and Golden Hours
A very dear friend of mine has made the distinction this Christmas season between ‘Bustle’ and ‘Huffing About’: the former bearing pleasant connotations of bright-cheeked shoppers and cheerful productivity, and the latter something quite unbecoming if not downright undignified. She sent me this quote of ‘Father Tim’s’ from one of Jan Karon’s ‘Mitford’ books: I…
Courtship DTR
My cousins called me the “Pintship Preacher.” At the ripe old age of thirteen, I was an absolute believer in courtship. The only problem was (in retrospect), believing in courtship presents a slight problem when you aren’t exactly of courting age. I soon learned to term it “waiting instead of dating”. But that really raised the eyebrows of the people who already doubted I’d find a husband in our small town. I told them God knew who my husband was and I was waiting on Him to bring us together.
In An Uncertain World
The message in these lyrics written by a family friend conveys the Truth we are clinging to these days, as we watch the world around us. If you’re looking for a Christmas gift, the entire CD is filled with original songs that are easy on the ears and a balm to the heart. –Gretchen In…
Thankful All Year
It’s been years now since I started keeping a mental joy journal- a running list of the things in life that made me happy, that made my cup overflow, that brought my heart joy and made me thankful to be alive. Sometimes my lists are filled with obvious things. Sometimes it is filled with little…
