Key Verse: John 12:3 (ESV): Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
In middle school, my sister wanted to spend all her money on a bottle of perfume from the local mall. Birthdays, babysitting, and begging for the difference got her enough money to head to the department store and purchase the treasured triangular bottle from the glass case. It had a floral, woodsy scent, of lilies and freesia. For months she carefully positioned each pump on her clothes to not waste a drop, using it all on herself.
Resources we have found for our family to help prepare our hearts for Christmas during the Advent season.
The clock ticks and the chores multiply. What-ifs attempt to drown out the confidence in walking boldly into what God is calling our family to act on.
Pack, trust, release, behold. So many moves, so little answers.
Control beckons as I push it away and beg for strength. New beginnings begin to rise in my heart and give me the energy to type again after a decade, share again after the years that fear stole.
Redemption beckons and faith steps into new beginnings, greeting us again.
Key Verse: John 12:3 (ESV): Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
In middle school, my sister wanted to spend all her money on a bottle of perfume from the local mall. Birthdays, babysitting, and begging for the difference got her enough money to head to the department store and purchase the treasured triangular bottle from the glass case. It had a floral, woodsy scent, of lilies and freesia. For months she carefully positioned each pump on her clothes to not waste a drop, using it all on herself.
Although I can’t hug you in person at these events coming up, you’ll see me and we can connect online!
Last year I found myself pivoting and helping friends to launch books. It was a joy to get to know some amazing authors and help them celebrate and get the powerful messages out into the world. I also continued writing for Wholly Loved Ministries and serving behind the scenes.
As fall came around, I found God opening and closing doors of opportunity. Now I sit typing this in awe.
I will be helping to produce a Christian Writer’s conference, She Writes for Him.
In April I will be the emcee for the Beautiful Mess Mother-Daughter Conference online through Wholly Loved Ministries.
In July I will have a small part in the Speak Up Conference.
Each conference is utilizing different ways to connect so it doesn’t feel like another Zoom meeting, and is a wonderful resource and way to connect with women. I hope I’ll see you there.
I realized in conversations that it looked like I was no longer writing. That isn’t how it is. Here are some of the things I’ve written this year!
Fighting Fear with Praise at Crosswalk.com
Steady Souls in the Face of Uncertainty
Countering Fear with Praise and even got picked up on radio station websites! (here & here)
I also plan to be writing here more often.
What have you been up to this year?
Was this a year of rest for you? Was this a year of pivoting and trying new things? Share in the comments!
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
These have been some weird days around here lately. Our home and the rhythms aren’t too much different since I’ve been homeschooling a few for the last year and a half, but the difference is the unknowns that are more evident and in our faces. With these changes, and with any changes in our daily rhythms can come feelings of anxiety, feelings I am familiar with if you’ve been around here for any amount of time.
I am waking in worship, God’s Word, prayer, and jumping into what is known. Dwelling on what is true, not the what-ifs. As I try to talk to my kids about combating lies and using those feelings as tools to get through the unknown, we talked about Philippians 4. This book of the Bible is full of encouragement. So often people read a verse or two and stop.
If you’re at home like I am, you have the time.
Sit in Philippians 4.
Do you see it?
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Let your gentleness, reasonableness be seen by all! It’s not always easy when we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Tempers are short and we are sitting on the edge if we aren’t careful.
What else does it say? To pray and give it to God. I can tell you that I daily lay down my thoughts and fears to the One that can handle them. He doesn’t turn me away. He’s not shocked. He’s my Healer, He’s my Shepherd, He’s my Savior. & He gives me His peace, His wholeness, and guards my ever-changing emotions and thoughts in Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
These verses are a great reminder and encouragement. God created us, He knows where we often let our thoughts take over and loop. Do you see what it says? Verse 8 tells us what to think about, what to loop in our brains, the TRUE, the HONORABLE, the JUST, the PURE, the LOVELY, the COMMENDABLE, the EXCELLENT, the PRAISEWORTHY.
It’s easy to fall into the “WHAT-IFS”, but we are called to think about WHAT IS true, honorable, just, pure,…
I made some sheets to help our family focus on these things and practice them.
We are trying to think about the lovely and all we are grateful for. Since I made these for our crew, I thought I'd share them with you! Each “listing” has multiple pages and choices so you can choose. If you know my kids personally, I bet you could guess which ones they chose.
They are in the shop to separate you from any newsletter list. By putting them in the shop you will not be signed up for anything. It does ask for your address, just make one up and click to check out. It will be sent to your email!
5 different sheets to choose from with written reminders on what to focus on. Fill this out daily, weekly, or monthly! Based on Philippians 4.
Print this out and write down daily what you are grateful for, the true, the lovely, the honorable.
Download multiple versions of the gratitude journal, both with and without verses.
Print this out and write down daily what you are grateful for, the true, the lovely, the honorable.
Download multiple versions of the gratitude journal, both with and without verses.
“Mom, that looks like the rug in your old Kindergarten classroom!” my daughter exclaims as I shuffle hesitantly into the living room. All eyes turn to examine me, as my tears tattle on the confident smile I attempt to paint on my face.
The pajamas I slid onto my nearly 41-year-old shifting body have flowers all over and cling to the least confident of places. My daughter’s excitement to see me try on the gift keeps me from running back to my room. The cozy pajamas my husband surprised me with look more like my Grandma’s jammies than those of a young bride. I crumble inside.
The gift, presented on a day that I am struggling, a day that began celebrating 13 years of marriage, is not joyfully received. I allow lies to roll into my mind and day, comparing myself to the young woman in the now-retired white dress boxed in my basement.
I begin to refute the lies screaming in my mind and pray desperate prayers to help me see.
Desperate prayers for significance in the right place.
Pleading for a renewed mind.
Spilling what I was feeling out loud.
And then, in the place of lies dug out, truth pours in.
I am more than a size, gray hair, and wrinkles. Those lines, in fact, are honorable and thankfully mark more smiles and joy than frowns and frustration. These legs hold me up as I walk my daughter to the bus, and run errands for my loved ones. My hurting hips are a constant reminder of the blessing of growing my babies inside of me years ago.
Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.
Proverbs 31:26-31
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Instead of returning the oh so cozy pajamas, I wear them as a reminder that:
My significance is not based on the current shape of my body.
I am beautifully and wonderfully made.
My significance is based on what God thinks of me. I am loved, I am forgiven, I am free, and I have been made by the Creator, the gracious, loving, awesome God.
My practical and thoughtful husband will buy quality, value, and comfort, and that’s one of the things I love about him. I did meet him in his hiking store after all.
A few weeks ago I spoke with Caris Snider about her new book, Anxiety Elephants on IG live. Sadly, it did not save, so I cannot share the interview here today. You can however follow her on Instagram and Facebook, and purchase her devotional book. I am excited to find a new friend to declare the freedom Jesus offers from anxiety, along with practical tips and vulnerable stories.
Do you have a resource you’d like me to share here that has brought you hope? Please contact me, or leave a comment below!
Please note: I am an Amazon Affiliate so I do receive a tiny portion of money for them through the link above. You are not charged any more. This helps me offset some of the costs of hosting and writing here.
I want to thank all of you, my readers, with the updated version of my Anxiety Reflection Sheets. I pray that they are helpful, and bring you hope.
These are meant to help you reflect on the different faces of anxiety, and bring you straight to the hope of God, and the wisdom he gave me as I traveled the long road to healing with him.
