It’s the first day of December and the Christmas wars are already in full swing. You might have enlisted if you: correct sales clerks when they say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” give your name as “Merry Christmas” when placing a Starbucks order,...
Ahhh…the beginning of a new month. This is usually the time when I’m asking if anyone knows where the previous month went…and wondering how we can get it back. Not this month. And that’s because Christmas is in 52 days! Yes, I know, most people don’t want to hear...
Growing up in New York, I learned at an early age that chicken soup is good for what ails you. Cold, wintry day? Warm up with a bowl of chicken soup. Sore throat? Sooth it with a bowl of chicken soup. Upset stomach? Yup…chicken soup is easy to digest. But chicken soup...
Christmas is my favorite season, but as I read the news this past week, there were several accounts that did their best to contribute a proverbial “fly in the ointment” this season. Here are a few of my Christmas peeves in the news: 1. In Tallahassee's capitol, a...
I enjoy passing along quotes from people wiser than I am. For the past several years I’ve posted a new quote on social media related to Christmas for each day of December. Today, I offer the list of these Christmas quotes as my gift to the readers of this blog. May...
You’ve probably seen one or two Hallmark Christmas movies on television. I have. Well…that’s not quite true. I haven’t seen one or two. More like thirty-one or thirty-two. Year after year. And I keep coming back for more, enjoying the warm fuzzies each story provides....
We see them in most nativity scenes: three men off to the side, dressed in opulent robes. They seem out of place in the tableau, rich men bearing luxurious gifts, coming to worship a baby belonging to poor parents. We don’t know much about them. We do know they had...
Filthy. Smelly. Not fit for decent society. Outcasts. Otherwise known as shepherds. Shepherds fulfilled an important need in ancient Israel. They watched over the flocks—flocks that provided food for the nation’s physical sustenance as well as temple sacrifices for...
Keep prayer out of schools. Don’t talk to me about Jesus. Believing in God is fine for you, but I don’t need a crutch. How could you believe in a God who allows bad things to happen to good people? Jesus. There’s something about that name…but not always in a good way....
I trust the sun will rise tomorrow morning. I trust gravity will keep my feet anchored to the floor when I get out of bed. I trust the light will turn on when I flip the electric switch. There is a slight chance that one or all of those things may not happen. But...
A Heart for Hospitality: Bless or Impress? The articles and blog posts are already flooding magazines and websites....
Advent: Prince of Peace Four weeks of Advent – four names of the Christ-child from the prophet Isaiah. “For to...
Advent: The Everlasting Father Father. A title that may evoke joy or sadness, blame or gratitude, depending on...