Christmas, Reclaimed
A few weeks ago I spoke to some fellow moms on the topic of “Simplifying Christmas”. About reclaiming the joy and wonder of it. And finding ways to not hate yourself and everyone around you by the time the holidays are over. It was easily one of my favorite topics this fall because, like most things humans get ahold of, we’ve lost our way a bit in this department. And of all the overwhelming, stressful things in life and the world around us, Christmas just doesn’t have to be one. It’s amazing how much stuff we accumulate to celebrate the birth of a savior who couldn’t have come with any less. Our family is over this. So…
When Marriage Gets Crowded
We exchanged wedding vows under a chuppah, a word whose pronunciation I had to Google. chuppah: [khoo p-ah, hoo p–uh] 1. a canopy under which the Jewish marriage ceremony is performed, symbolic of both the home they are creating and their God who will remain over it all To be honest, I didn’t know a lot about chuppahs. I was neither Jewish nor did I speak Hebrew. I saw mention of it in a Rob Bell book once and we went for it. Though I didn’t understand the depth and importance of the tradition at the time, I loved the imagery. I adore it even more today, and here’s why:
Praises of a Thousand Generations
I was born with an overabundance of words. They bubble up inside of me and ooze out of every pore. I can’t help it. I even coach myself on self-control in social settings, yet inevitably walk away thinking, “Why did I just talk so much?” It’s a blessing or a curse, depending who you ask and when. (If you asked my mom circa 1993 after one of her “Sarah, sweetie, mommy’s ears are tired.” schticks, she probably would’ve voted the latter.) But it’s also a blessing. In the past several years, I’ve gotten to use my words across amazing, humbling platforms.
20 Things I Learned in my 20’s
I was kind of an expert of everything in my twenties. Especially my early twenties. (I think everybody is. It’s a rite of passage.) I’m entering my thirties this week, a fact I can confirm not just by the date on the calendar but by how different my mindset is today than it was two, five, ten years ago. Now, I hear a young twenty-something person provide invaluable, irreplaceable expertise on life to an older adult and I smile. I was you, like 1 second ago. I knew it all, until life proved I didn’t. I was an incredible wife before I got married. I was an excellent businesswoman before I started my first job.…
Look Past the Clearance Jesus
If you were to Google stock photos of Good Christian Teenagers, my high school yearbook picture would show up. I was the World’s Best.
The Invisible Mom
I can count on one hand the amount of times in my 5 1/2 years of parenting that I’ve asked my husband to come home from work early to SAVE OUR SHIP, and that is one. One time. Today, actually.
When Magnificence Redeems Minutia
At an ENT appointment last week, the audiologist looked at my oldest son and said – with her actual words, to his actual face – “You are the reason I didn’t have more kids. I did NOT want another boy. This – *motions to him and his 2 brothers* – is my worst nightmare.” To which I wanted to reply, “Then you should definitely either watch Saw or read some news headlines. I guarantee there are far scarier things out there than 3 wonderful, kind, adventurous boys.” This is a thing for us. It happens a lot. Nearly every time we go in public, actually.
ABC Bible Verses
Several years ago when my firstborn was 18 months old, I sat across from a mentor and asked her how to teach him about Jesus. “Do we sit down every Tuesday for family devotions? Play sermon tapes at nap time? Lay my hands on him and pray over his diaper changes? Anoint his head with oils? Leave it up to the professional at Bible class?” It seemed so daunting to me. I didn’t know how. I didn’t have the answers. I’m not great with small children.
The Power of Story
This weekend, we attended an adoption celebration. Not just any adoption – an adoption that catapulted our friends from a family of 6 to a family of 9. They didn’t adopt triplets; no, they adopted 3 kids almost the exact ages of their other kids.
Remembering our Ebenezers
All throughout the Old Testament, God’s people are always piling up rocks. Sometimes altars, sometimes landscape formations…I don’t really know. But these stones are always directly tied to an encounter with God. A moment in time when heaven meets earth in a tangible experience. They see God perform a miracle, they set up stones of remembrance. They witness God’s protection, they build an altar. They experience God’s deliverance from their enemies, they build a memorial.
