Shocked. Yet honored. Placide Cappeau of Roquemaure, France, was a commissionaire of wines in 1847. Asked by the small town parish priest to pen a poem for Christmas, he was happy to share his talent with the church, even though he was known more for his poetry than his church attendance. Traveling to Paris in a horse-drawn coach, Cappeau decided to use the gospel of Luke as his inspiration and imagined he was a witness to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. By the time he arrived in Paris, he had completed “Cantique de Noel.” Moved by his own writing, …
Making Christmas Memories
I am not sure when the phrase “making memories” became so popular, but I cringe every time I hear it. My mind flashes to perfect Pinterest activities, smiling faces, and no fussing. And I feel it…My heart squeezes tight and my throat closes up and I know…I. CAN’T. DO. IT. I can’t get it together to get all the items to make the perfect Pinterest Christmas project. When I do get purchase the items it turns into a disaster…my children love it for two seconds and then spend the rest of the time fussing…And I wonder why it has to …
The Unbusy Be of Christmas
It has taken me many years, but I can honestly say that I’ve been set free from being overly stressed at Christmas. Well, as far as the busyness of Christmas is concerned anyway. Certain stresses in life go on no matter what the season. I was asked awhile back what traditions I can’t live without at Christmas and what insights I’d learned each holiday along the way. Don’t cringe like she did when I tell you that I’m not a big traditions person. It’s a long story, I’m just not. But I do enjoy dwelling on the reason for the …
Throw A Birthday Party for Jesus
This week, I posted the above picture on my Facebook timeline and received many questions about the Birthday Bag for Jesus in front of the Christmas tree. At our house, that Birthday Bag is a reminder that we are celebrating the birthday of Jesus. This tradition started early in our marriage when we decided to throw a birthday party for Jesus. Since our anniversary is December 19th, it’s already a packed month for us, but we knew the Lord was prompting us to throw Him a party, and so we did. The first year, we invited a few family …
Tips to De-Clutter and Organize before & after Christmas
I don’t know about your home little mama but when it’s time to put up the Christmas tree, our living room gets rearranged. And the smallest mess seems like mountains of clutter on top of the kids’ indoor adventures from negative temperatures. And if you’re already wondering how to reorganize your home, the loot, and de-clutter with little ones under foot, here are some fun tips for you. Christmas Ornaments You can either save the boxes each ornament comes in, or save space and time with egg cartons. …
Hope in the Heaviness of a Barren Season
Crack…The sound seems amplified in the muted world of snow. Crack…crack…WHOOSH. The ice broke another branch. And I felt the weight and wondered when it would be too much…might I break too? The weight of mothering three precious souls – encouraging them to grow, learn, and become – it bent me right over. Just like the barren trees bent over in the ice and snow. I felt their barrenness too – the barrenness of the waiting time. Waiting for the season of quiet unseen growth to end. Waiting to see the seeds sown in the lives of my children germinate, …
Surviving December With Small Kids
What do you get when you mix two young children, one tired mom, and a Christmas to-do list? Definitely not peace on Earth. “Don’t step there!” My hand jerked toward my toddler’s ankles, but too late. Her foot crunched a row of Christmas ornaments arranged meticulously on the rug, prepped for hanging. “I sorry, Momma!” Her sock hovered over a sparkly blue star, crushed into five pieces. “I told you to stay on the sofa! Sweetie, if you want to help Mommy decorate the tree, you need to be very careful around the ornaments. Now it’s broken.” Her bottom lip …
When Mom Isn’t So Merry
It happened again this morning. I was irritated at my children; desperately trying to get them to school on time. The twins are only in preschool but some mornings I feel like I have two teenagers on my hands. And, I do what I hoped I wouldn’t: I snap. It doesn’t help that it’s December, one of the craziest months of the year. It doesn’t help that I’m pregnant and working and quite honestly tired. It doesn’t help that my husband is traveling and the dishes are piled up in the sink and those crazy fruit flies have appeared again …
Of Smelly Stables and Messy Lives
Soon after 9-11, I found my heart so full of poetry, it had to get out. So I have pages and pages of it. It was just a season and a time in which I found an outlet and joy in writing poetry. The interesting part is that I haven’t experienced that kind of imparted gift since then. I hope to see it come back around. But in case it never does, I am thankful for the clarity of expression I experienced during this season of poetry. Below I wrote this, as an expression of how we fill our lives …
43 Tips & Ideas to Make Christmas Meaningful as a Family
Can you believe it—23 days until Christmas. The days will pass in a flurry of activities but what if you and I could most intentional over the next 23 days to make Christmas meaningful? What if this Christmas could mark your family’s hearts as a season of celebrating Jesus? Not sure how? I gotcha covered. 1. Begin Advent. It started two days ago but you can still catch up: Advent Reading List & listening in the car on the way to school, at breakfast or before bed each night. Click here for reading printable reading list!!! Create your own …