Holidays
-
We Gather Together – Thanksgiving and Fellowship
After another year of tremendous division and fear in our country, we need Thanksgiving more than ever. As I thought about giving thanks today, I couldn’t stop singing the classic hymn We Gather Together. (this site uses Affiliate links-purchases support our ministry through a small referral fee that never affects your cost.) The lyrics seem extra poignant. Maybe, I’ve never really paid attention to them before, but they drew me in today. We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens His will to make known; The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing; Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own. Not only is gathering…
-
Memorial Day Grace & Perspective from an Army Wife
Before 2005, Memorial Day wasn’t really on my radar, even coming from a family of servicemen. It was the beginning of summer, BBQs, and I could wear white shoes again. But wasn’t really tangible for me until I kissed my young man goodbye and sent him to war. Luckily when I gave my heart to a soldier, he came home to me. (Heaven not Harvard is as a participant in affiliate programs including the Amazon Associates Program. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.) Not every service member comes home, and I cannot speak for their families. I can only speak for my heart on this issue. About a…
-
How Motherhood Changed my Mother’s Day Perspective
Motherhood has completely changed my Mother’s Day perspective through every challenging and exhilarating moment. Each year has added to the fullness of the beauty of mothering as much as to its challenges. Instead of expecting gifts, I try to celebrate BEING a mother on Mother’s Day. Card company expectations are the enemy of joy, while macaroni necklaces, dandelions, and Crayola cards are priceless. I’ve learned to celebrate the messy work of being a mother. As my daughter becomes increasingly independent, my role is shifting from primarily physical needs to more emotional and spiritual guidance, which is teaching me so many new aspects of motherhood. My Mother’s Day perspective is also…
-
The Best Way to Explain Easter to a Kindergartner
What is the best way to explain Easter to a kindergartner? She knows the story, she knows Jesus, but I want to help her understand the depth of His choice to go to the cross for us. Choosing to follow Jesus means more than just thinking He was a great guy. We have to grasp our sin sent Him to the cross. I need to really talk with my kid about Jesus, even the hard things. During Lent, we had been devotionally traveling through Jesus’s last week, reading about Palm Sunday, discussing how Jesus’s humble entrance into Jerusalem on the donkey fulfilled ancient prophecy. Can you imagine any of our…
-
Valentine’s Day Tradition to Show Kids True Love
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays as a parent. That might sound strange because Valentine’s Day is usually thought of as a romantic holiday, BUT we started this sweet tradition several years ago. My daughter was just old enough to start understanding that there was a holiday, and it involved presents and chocolate. I mean, what else does a girl need to know? She was all in. But I wanted to find just the right way to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a family. When I saw John 3:16 written so the word VALENTINE was created, I knew that was the message I wanted for her, because it is…
