I get asked every year about whether I can offer a gift guide so here I am again! This year I'm only including products from small businesses so that any sales made will benefit artisans and their families. One of the ways we can make changes in the world is by voting with our wallets. I haven't included any links to the site that can get anything to your doorstep in 48 hours (you know the … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: Advent and Christmas December 2018
I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope … [Read more...]
When Your Weary Heart Needs Advent
I’m sitting here bouncing a sick baby to sleep for a much needed nap between two coughing kids on the couch while another sick kid sits on the floor with a puke bucket and we all watch another episode of some stupid Netflix show between breathing treatments and baths. And I am weary. Three weekends in the past month have featured sick children (who kindly shared their afflictions with me). Sore … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: December 2017
I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: December 2016
I’m always trying to figure out how to make it easier for families to observe the Christian Year because we felt so overwhelmed when we first started that journey (which is why we wrote the book we wish we had then). I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope … [Read more...]
Finding Quiet in the Noise (And Advent Candle Giveaway Sponsored Post)
This post is sponsored by Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles. Giveaway at the end of this post. Every year I love giving away some gorgeous Advent candles to my readers, but before we get into the giveaway, I want to stop and reflect on why I think so many of us desperately need some Advent quiet in our lives... “Advent is the season of secret, the secret of the growth of Christ, of Divine … [Read more...]
Liturgical Living at a Glance: December 2015
I thought it might be helpful for our family to have resources compiled for the month ahead so that we can plan in advance which special saints days we want to observe and I hope having them all in one place is helpful to you, too! And I pinned all of the following resources on a December Liturgical Living pinterest board for your convenience! As always, remember not to get overwhelmed. You … [Read more...]
Why Advent Should Terrify You
image source Every year since I was a little girl, my mother and I go to a sing-along of Handel’s incredible masterpiece, the Messiah, during Advent. We bundle up, grab our music scores, find a seat with our fellow altos, and sing our hearts out. If you’ve never really listened to the Messiah you must do it this Advent. It begins with the words of the biblical prophets foretelling the coming … [Read more...]
How to Prep for a Stress-Free Advent {Advent Candle Giveaway–Sponsored Post}
This post is sponsored by Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles. It's been a stressful year for our family. Job changes, selling a house, moving our three kids across the country, and transitioning to a new town. I still feel like my head is spinning from the move even though we've been in TX a whole month. And I find myself longing for Advent--my favorite time of year. Advent (this year it … [Read more...]
O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Our Only Hope in the Darkness
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel has always been my favorite carol. I love the ancient chant-like melody and the images it conjures: monks singing by candlelight and waiting to celebrate the coming of the Light of the World while a cold, dark winter lingers on. It has many beautiful verses but the first and most familiar is: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That … [Read more...]