Let yourself smile, be crazy inspired, laugh, love & really live the gift of this life
just a little bit more this weekend…
Serving up only the Good Stuff for you & your people right here:
<< grin >>
the way she captures the passing of time…just pure joy!
“Christ the King”: A Sonnet … worth sitting with, by one of my favorite poets, Malcolm Guite
Speaking the language of love: a little boy signs a song to his mother who is deaf.
the astounding thing these officers do this thanksgiving –
building relationships can start in so many ways, even through giving.
#BeTheGift
YES! The more the merrier! The Miracle Ham (!!)
And maybe it’s true — the more we live given,
the more joy we have to give… beautiful!
#BeTheGift
Post Of The Week From Around These Parts
When your heart’s crushed and really the last thing you want to do is give thanks.
Gratitude doesn’t say that we blithely ignore all the excruciating things and simply accept the status-quo,but
gratitude means that we intentionally notice all the everyday things,
and accept God’s grace, in all things, with thanks.
DON’T MISS THIS:
How Gratitude is the Lens No One Can Really Afford to Lose, in a Really Hurting World
“This is my song
I was one way * But now I am different
There was a clear change in * A Holy collision
Who I was * And who I’ll forever be
And He was the in between“
Might we all need to go buy ourselves one of these cows? I’m thinking so! <so many giddy squeals!>
And all that little voice telling us good morning? So precious!!
sometimes we just need to say it aloud – God is great!
“Our greatest calling is to whisper to others, “God is Beautiful.” Yes, one thousand times over, yes!!
– just stunningly beautiful poetry for the soul –
“To Whom Much Has Been Given” — this Thanksgiving Story? It’s what this season, what a life of joy, really looks like.
Moved me deeply — I want to live like this.
GAH! Maybe all our waiting — isn’t what we think it’s about.
Maybe our waiting — is in expectation of not getting, but always how we will get to live given
#BeTheGift
now that’s a reminder we all need – so powerful!
Want a peace-full Christmas this year?
Want to breathe deep and experience the hope, peace, joy, and love of Jesus?
This FREE 4-week Advent journey will gently guide you to discover how to exhale your stress and anxiety and inhale the peace and calm of Christ this Christmas.
Each week, beginning Nov 27 (TOMORROW!) you’ll get:
- A breath prayer that coordinates with that week of Advent (hope, peace, love, & joy + a bonus email on Christmas Day).
- A short audio “podcast” with a guided breath prayer and short reflection with encouragement for your week.
- A printable pocket prayer card + downloadable lock screen to point your heart toward truth.
In addition, immediately after signing up, you’ll get access to free gifts and resources, including a 35-page Christmas Anxiety Toolkit, full of printable resources to help you manage your anxiety through the season!
Sign up for the completely FREE “Breath from Heaven” Christmas series
& breathe peace into this Christmas season.
oh be still my heart! what we can ALL learn from this little girl!
a snack that tastes amazing & fills your home with the smells of the season? Yes, please!
Tonight is the Night Before Advent! And I know no better story to share than This one:
A Story For Advent Eve: The Legacy, The Light & The Lamb, & The Story That Wins Wars
The reality is:
You are made of stories, and all of your life, you are living through a Story Skirmish. You are made by the Word, and you are made of more than cells, and what story gets to tell your cells how to be?
You could be part of a winning story. Your weekend — and your heart — really needs this story:
And did you see?!…
The sheep crashed our Advent Party!
Want to throw your own “Night Before Advent” Party?
(sheep not included)
The Eve of Advent is here!
And we all get to begin! With everything you need for the Annual Tradition of a “Night Before Advent” Hot Chocolate Party, completely redesigned for this Christmas, all FREE for our email list subscribers!
- a “Celebrate Christ” banner
- the Hot Chocolate Part invite
- Hot Chocolate Station signs
- Frameable Prints to focus hearts on the reason for the season.
- Tags for your own Night Before Advent Box — to wrap up new holiday pajamas, and Advent books to focus hearts on Jesus for the entire Christmas season.
- And the printable poem: “The Night Before Advent”
Not only will real hope, from my heart to yours, be emailed directly to your inbox, but too? You get free access to our really amazing whole Resource Library, including all the most recent free tools and frameables, AND our new GORGEOUS free ezine – all exclusive tools we’ve made just for you — hopeful, helpful resource of gifts for you!
AND–we have even more free, exclusive Advent gifts (!!) for you coming in the weeks ahead!
Join the list right here to not miss anything!
This year, let His wonder awaken you again, captivate you, capture your heart!
More Of Jesus Only — and have a STRESS-FREE, WONDER-FULL Christmas.
Read the whole Christmas Love Story, from Creation to the Creche, with all 3 of our Advent Books:
The Greatest Gift
(adult edition)
Best Devotional of the Year, ECPA, 2014, NYTimes Best Seller
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift
(family edition)
Best Inspirational Book of the Year, CBA, 2016, NYTimes Best Seller
The Wonder of the Greatest Gift:
Best Devotional & Gift Book of the Year, CBA, 2019
(pop-up edition with your own 14 inch tree, 25 days of readings, 25 day advent flap calendar, hiding all 25 Biblically inspired ornaments! For any age)
So you don’t miss out on Jesus this year & the The Greatest Christmas.
This Advent, the tried and true traditions will hold us and the new ones will ignite us and this is the truest story I know:
When our holidays are about Staying in the Story, being with Him — Peace leads us — and we can have ourselves The Greatest little Christmas yet!
It seems everyone is touting their own version of an Advent calendar this year, BUT what actually is Advent!?
oh yes, we know it–
the world screams hurry, rush, do it all this season,
but what if this weekend, you took a pause to relax, to enjoy, to breathe deep
and remember the God of the Universe, the One it’s really all about anyway?
“There’s only One strong enough to save
There’s only One who overcame the grave
There’s only One whose worthy of all praise
His name is Jesus…
His name is Wonderful Counselor,
Almighty God”
[from our Facebook community–join us?]
…did you see what just happened there?
We just passed through the gateway that is Thanksgiving
& into the holidays & all the joy our hearts can hold!
Makes sense — that the gate into the holidays [holy-days]
would be Thanksgiving…
“Enter into His presence through the gate of THANKSGIVING —
& in His presence is fullness of JOY”
Ps.100:4, Ps16:11
Because the deal is?
When thanks to God becomes your habit,
joy in God becomes your life.
So — when the holidays get hard,
just take a deep breath & remember how
you always get into the holidays & JOY —
through that gateway: Thanksgiving.
Hold on through the holidays:
JOY IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE —
because there is always, always something to be THANKFUL for!
– From One Thousand Gifts
That’s all for this weekend, friends.
Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.
Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again
Share Whatever Is Good.
