The house, having expanded to wrap around our friends and family these past number of days, is contracting again to hold the two of us close. It’s always amazing to me how that happens. The rooms now carry only the fragrance and whispers of holiday moments shared with loved ones, and this lingering afterglow of the substance of our time together is poignant. We look back over this last year with all the hills and valleys of the journey momentarily frozen for our contemplation and perspective, and we see the constant faithfulness of God. In the dark shadows of uncertainty and in the bright light of hope, the firm path…

The fire that blazed up from the hibachi grill shot up between us and the chef and was hot enough to bring a flush to our cheeks. We had taken mom and our daughter out for a little pre-Christmas festive dinner, and there was now a definite glow about us. As we were watching our food being prepared, my daughter turned to me and asked, “What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” She has a unique gift for asking questions that make you pause and consider. I thought for a minute and said, “There have been many things through the years, but one that stands out in my…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Nothing makes me quite so happy as planning a party. Once the date is on the calendar, and the invitations have been made, that satisfying endeavor of planning begins to take shape. There’s the consideration of the menu, the deliberation over various recipes, the inventory of resources, and the ultimate grocery list, including fresh flowers. Then the really fun part: scheduling all the small tasks that must be completed before the eventual reveal when the first guests arrive. It’s often a bit of a puzzle to fit the individual projects into the number of hours available. There’s shopping, food preparation, table…

We sat in stacked stadium seats. The arena was quite full, and I pressed up against his arm because the stranger next to me was rather overlapping the confines of her own seat. Darkness came suddenly, and there was a hushed waiting. The first chords reverberated deep into our bellies and streams of light in red, green and white flashed all around. The concert had begun. This particular Christmas concert is one that we’ve enjoyed before, and we purchased the tickets this year as an early present to ourselves. The experience is quite overwhelming to the senses with electric music and throbbing lights. There are even some fire bursts at…

Advent is here. For many people these next few weeks will become a frantic push rushing pell-mell toward the twenty-fifth. For believers, now is the time to slow down, pause, and reflect. We remember the four hundred years of silent waiting for the birth of Christ, and we make room in our souls to long with deep desire for His second coming. We reach forward with hope, because He did come, and He will come again. My childhood memories of Christmas seasons recall to my heart that somewhat desperate excitement of anticipation that innocent children can experience. The spare room my sister and I weren’t allowed to enter after Thanksgiving,…