You guys, I’m super excited about December on the ol’ blog. Why? Because we are going to have daily Advent devotionals written by some amazing folks. Some are dear friends. Others I know only through the blogosphere and their beautiful writing. I’ll write a few as well. Each devotion will be short and focus on one … More Wait for the Light
You guys, there are only seven more weeks until Christmas. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! [That’s crazy, hysterical laughter because: OH MY GOODNESS THAT IS NOT MUCH TIME.] Working in ministry, the pre-Christmas season takes on many additional layers. There’s the early November “I don’t have time to prep for my family’s Christmas because there are a bajillion church … More 5 Ways to Celebrate Advent as a Family
Last week my mom and my husband both asked what I wanted for my birthday. Most years, I would have had an answer at the ready. New shoes. A book. A pedicure. A night out. This time, the question made me pause. What did I want? In the last six months our family has celebrated … More My Birthday Wish
So how? How can we settle down the busyness, the anxiety, the constant swarm of activities and practice God’s blessing of Sabbath rest? If we want to take seriously God’s words of life—knowing that these commands are made for us, that, as Jesus says in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath is made for people,” to help … More The How – Sabbath Part 3
In an essay he wrote in 1930, John Maynard Keynes predicted a 15-hour workweek by 2030, when we’d all have time to enjoy “the hour and the day virtuously and well.” During the 1950s during the post-WWII boom in productivity, along with rising incomes and standards of living, led economists and politicians to predict that … More The Busyness Trap: Sabbath Practice Part 1
My husband and I had a grumpy friend in seminary who always wore a scowl. Yet on Easter morning, Daryl walked by him and the man was beaming from ear to ear. “You okay?” Daryl asked. He’d actually never seen the guy smile before. “It’s Easter!” the man exclaimed. “It is just the BEST day!” … More Easter’s YES
I have always hated Valentine’s Day. Hated it. Hated it with a burning passion. Why? Because after the grade school festival-of-sugar parties (which, honestly, were pretty great), it’s all downhill. When I was dating in high school, it always felt like running this gauntlet of pressure-filled unspoken expectations. Here’s a gift card for Pizza Hut because I know … More What We’re Doing for Valentine’s Day
Courtney Ellis 