Christmas Blessing (with Festive Beverage Recipes)

May you wake to the possibility of a miracle in your midst. May the twinkle of lights reflect the sparkle of joy in your world on this Christmas morning. May the unfolding of this day bring a sense of peace to your soul. May you unwrap the gift of hope anew.  (…and may there be

Advent Joy: Holiday Communing and Christmas Stollen Recipe

Holiday Communing  Wishlists exchangedLitanies of MermaidsDumptrucksDinosaursGift cards purchased Recipes bookmarkedCookies bakedWorry and anticipation mingle Guest rooms dusted and polishedMeals plannedPhone calls and textsElectronic prayers Wing across the milesWhat will you bring?When will you arrive? Mantel decoratedSpecial napkins washedPresents wrapped and waiting “What’s your ETA?” They arrive from distant planetsBrooklyn and IllinoisWith bags and good cheerHugs surround us

Advent Joy: Gift of Tradition & Fruitcake Recipe (Luke 1:46-56)

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” -Luke 1:46 Songs connect with a deeper part of ourselves. Familiar melodies and lyrics memorized long ago can stir a well of emotion in us with just a few notes. The familiar words of Mary’s song recorded in the gospel of Luke

Advent Joy: Pecan Tart Recipe

“And blessed is she who believed that here would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” -Luke 1:45 When I use the Favorite Community Recipes: White Horse Fire Company Auxiliary Cookbook, I remember the already and not yet of Advent.  The melancholy beauty we treasure in others when they are

Advent 2022 Series Introduction with Sugar Cookie Recipe (Luke 1:37-38)

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”  Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:37-38 These verses capture the essence of the Christmas season.  A holiday that seems, in some ways, to suspend time for

Joy for Fall: Pumpkin Pie (Psalm 126:6)

Scroll to the bottom for a link to listen to this post on our Some Comfort and Joy podcast! He who goes out weeping, carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6 NIV This week consider choosing an activity that evokes the season for you: Take the

Joy for Fall: Pumpkin Spice (Psalm 146)

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live;  I will sing praises to my God all my life long.” – Psalm 146:1-2 When I was pastoring, people used to joke with me that the local coffee shop was my true office. And it did

Practice of Joy: Eat for Your Heart

“…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people…” Jeremiah 31: 33-34 A great way to practice joy is to celebrate our bodies and our actual, literal hearts beating away in there. And early spring is the

Fall Practice of Joy: Pumpkin Pancakes (Matthew 22)

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.‘”- Matthew 22:37 Creating loving, authentic connections can mean sharing food together with loved ones. 

Fall Joy Practice: Pumpkin Spice Beverages

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 — We can experience beauty through all of our senses. Today, find a sliver of time to drink in the beauty of the day and the season through all of your