Elisabeth Adams 6 Minute Read For many years as the eldest sister of eight, I never doubted I would someday have a houseful of children of my own. Now–well, now I’m in my forties, and that’s not the case. Lanier Ivester, a writer whom I’ve long admired, has walked a similar path. Already this Advent, her brand-new book Glad and…
Jeannie Pederson 3 Minute Read There’s something so beautiful about gathering with friends and family to savor a meal together during the Christmas season. After all, why not take advantage of extra vacation time, decorated spaces, and often, weather that is especially conducive to cozy gatherings? Feasting, done right, is not mere indulgence. It’s a way to celebrate the goodness…
Natasha Metzler 5 Minute Read The first week of December often flies by with excitement fueling each activity and when the second week arrives it can feel like time is too short, the lists of things still left to accomplish too long, and we can all forget an important element in Advent: soft remembrance. In Glad and Golden Hours, Lanier…
Kristy Lynn 4 Minute Read That first year, I bought a pretty Advent wreath at our local book store and began reading about how one actually goes about “observing Advent.” (The “right” way, you know.) I quickly recognized that Advent, like every other good and beautiful thing, has the potential to morph into an altogether less than beautiful thing. That…
Gretchen Louise 8 Minute Read Glad and Golden Hours is a companion for Advent, but it’s also a companion for the seasons of grief and longing that occur all year long.
Rachelle Rea Cobb 6 Minute Read Ever since we got married, I dreamed of Christmas with children. I love Christmas. Always have. Partly because my parents always labored to protect us from materialism by focusing less on the presents beneath the tree and more on stuffing the season with traditions like trimming the tree together, making a gingerbread house, and watching…
Danielle Carey 4 Minute Read Loving something doesn’t mean it will always meet my needs or fulfill my expectations. In fact, sometimes it seems that the more invested I am in something, the more capacity it has to break my heart.
Guest Author 5 Minute Read It was almost Christmas, I was five years old, and my class at school was preparing for the Nativity play. Our teacher, Mrs. Davies, allocated the parts while we waited with anticipation, all the girls hoping to be chosen to play Mary, or at least one of the angels. When my name was called, it…
Callie Mitchell 5 Minute Read “Christmas gift, give it to me!” That’s how my grandfather would greet us at the front door on Christmas Day every year. I remember him sometimes having a bell, but always wearing a smile. We’d walk in past the columns on the front porch that he so proudly wrapped with red ribbon to look like…
Rachelle Rea Cobb 3 Minute Read This will be our eighth Christmas without him. My grandfather was a man of few words. The adjective “quiet” fit him to a T. Still, he was there for everything. Impromptu dinners, horse-riding competitions, graduations, and especially Christmas. There’s just something about sitting on the couch next to your grandpa while watching “Miracle on 34th…
Jenni Marie 3 Minute Read I stared in bleak desperation. Two burners, one pot, one frying pan and a microwave. The logistics of preparing a full-fledged Thanksgiving Dinner to remember seemed impossibly complex. Maybe we could eat dinner in several courses, and do dishes in between? Maybe I should give up and forget my favorite holiday? Plus, throngs of mopeds…
Katie 7 Minute Read Christmas lights and decorations lined store windows and decorated the walkways all through the city. It was beautiful. Even the airport sparkled! I heaved my overstuffed carry-on up onto my shoulder and set off to find my gate. Holidays. What were they to me? This year I spent Thanksgiving abroad. This blog post was written as…
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