I never understood the point of a word(s) of the year until I started thinking of it like a lens. Like if I could put on my “grateful glasses” in order to see the world that way. It’s like a way of training your mind.
I also don’t think you need a new year to start putting on different lenses! Start anytime! And here are a few words to give you some ideas. Feel free to save any of these to use as a reminder for yourself.
Do you choose a word for each year?
This month I entered a festive drawing challenge and here are a few of the pieces!
Do not pretend, oh you who are distressed,
That darkness your weary heart does not bind.
The joy and hopes of ones so long oppressed
The falsely merry lights of Christmas blind.
But truly, Light did not so come for light -
This Season is not just for the merry -
For what matter is light if not for dark?
And who is Christmas for, if not the weary?
Oh merry Christmas, what true light hast thou
For our deep darkness here? So now please shine
Thy soft, sweet Light; lest darkness we allow
To reign in precious body and the mind.
But Grief is welcome, with hope alongside,
Because true Light did come at Christmastide.
A Very Noisy Christmas by Tim Thornborough might be my new favorite Christmas picture book for little ones. The illustrations by Jennifer Davison are absolutely lovely, and the reading instructions (loud and soft, “shhhh”) is a charming and captivating idea for toddlers to kindergartners, and maybe even older kids! (I always think the age range given by Amazon is way too narrow.) This was my most recent addition to the nursery at my church, and I highly recommend it!
From Amazon:
Some people think that Christmas was a "Silent Night". Far from it. It was filled with shouting, singing and screaming! It was as noisy as any of our Christmas celebrations.
This fun and fresh retelling of the Christmas story comes with invitations to make some noise, so that children can join in as parents read to them. But it also shows children that at the heart of the Christmas story is something we should all be quiet and see: God’s Son Jesus was born, so that we can be friends with God forever.
I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️
Today I had the pleasure of reading The Littlest Watchman by Scott James to four kids in Sunday School, all around age 8 and it was a delight. They gasped in all the right places, they made clever predictions, and they wanted to know if it was a true story. That last part was my favorite, because then I could read the very last page, which tells the true story of Christmas (while also explaining that Watchmen are made up). This is the perfect story for Advent, because it is all about waiting.
From Amazon:
Benjamin is a Watchman. It's his job to watch for the sign that all God's promises are coming true. It's his job to watch a stump.
Trouble is, it's hard just waiting. And one night, Benjamin finally gives in and stops watching. But that same night, as he sits outside Bethlehem, he gets to watch something wonderful.
Kids will be gripped by what Benjamin saw, and will be excited by the Christmas story all over again.
Amazon suggests this book for grades 1-2, but the kids I read to today were grades 2-4, and they all loved it! I highly recommend this story for you and your family as you await the coming King this Advent season.
I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️
Every year, I wish that I had signed up to do some Christmas craft shows. I feel like I come alive around Christmas, because I can do craft after craft, gift after gift. But even though I never participate in any craft shows, I use my love of crafts and gifting for friends, family, my amazing Children’s Ministry volunteers, and the kids at church. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see some of them pop up in my stories, and sometimes I give mini tutorials.
All this to get to my point: Although I do not have any crafts for sale (I still take occasional crochet orders), I do have a shop on Society6 where you’ll find a lot of my artwork, including the Christmas ones pictured below. But I love browsing all the other artwork on Society6 as well, and you can get a huge variety of products! So take a look and support an artist this holiday season (it doesn’t have to be me!).
I was thinking recently of the freshman girl who was asked, her first week of college, “what’s unique about you?” And she answered “nothing. There is absolutely nothing special about me.” And she completely believed it.
Sometimes I grieve for that young girl, but I know there are good things to come.
I am so thankful for being transformed from that girl into the woman that I am now, who heard God say I am delightful, and can lean into that Name. (In my darker moments I find it hard to believe, but mostly I just marvel when I see it’s true.) I was recently surprised when I realized I could walk into a room with more confidence in my voice, knowing that I had something important to add to the conversation.
But perhaps, even more importantly, I’ve learned how much YOUR voice matters to me. I’m better if I listen to you, especially if your voice may sound different from mine.
If you don’t think your voice matters, trust me, it does. Your life experience, your expertise, your interests, all matter! So let’s just take the time to listen to other voices, and make sure they know they matter just as much as our own.
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard.
I was hoping to get this book recommendation done for Indigenous People Day, but I didn’t want to rush reading through this book. It has some author’s notes at the end that explain each picture and about what it’s like to be an American Indian. I wanted to take the time to really soak it in and learn, and now think getting this book recommendation out in time for Thanksgiving is equally appropriate.
This is a book that celebrates the Native American culture, through the story of Fry Bread. I definitely recommend it for young readers for it’s lovely pictures and sweet story, but maybe even more for adult readers who want to honor what was lost.
A lot of people will relate to the idea of food and recipes being handed down as part of their heritage and culture. Additionally, there was a line in the book that was especially powerful for me, as a Christian. “[Bread] are communions, meant to be shared and loved with others, because bread is not meant to be cooked for one.” What a lovely picture of the Eucharist, a meal of bread meant to be shared with our family of believers, handed down from the generations before us.
If you are looking for a book to read to your kids around Thanksgiving, pick this one up. Not only can you learn about the indigenous people of this land through the story (and end notes), you can show your kids the value of sharing a special meal together.
I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️
This past month, I participated in a drawing challenge for each of October’s 31 days. Every day, we were given a three prompts and had to reflect them in our drawing/illustration. This was a challenge for me, but I’m so proud of myself for finishing every day!
Here are some of my favorites.
My book pile looks a little different than normal! Usually it’s full of middle grade fiction and mysteries, but this fall I’ve taken a lot of recommendations from friends and family and so the current pile is a bit of a hodgepodge.
N.B. These are not recommendations, simply what I am currently reading. If you’d like to know more about a specific book, or recommendations for you or your children, feel free to contact me. I love to recommend books for kids of all ages! You can also follow me on Goodreads.
So let’s dive in!
Beach Read by Emily Henry, recommended by my cousin. A light, romantic comedy, but not recommended for younger readers.
For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmemann, recommended by my husband. We don’t often read the same books. But something about this one really spoke to him and he asked me to read it. This doesn’t happen often (or maybe, never before?) so I am honored to read it for him. (It’s a stretch for me and my fiction-loving ways, though!)
Tower of Dawn by Sarah Maas, recommended by a friend. I had started this series years ago, but they were a bit too intense for me. By the end of book 5, I couldn’t take it any longer and took an indefinite hiatus. Recently, I was encouraged to get back into the series by a friend, so I’m going to give it a go!
The Bad Guys (book 5) by Aaron Blabey, recommended by my son (8) who absolutely adores this series. I’ve already read books 1-4 and they are cute and silly. He is just very persistent that I finish the entire series, though (17 books and counting!), and who can resist his adorable face???
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, recommended by my church reading group. I have listened to this one multiple times on audiobook, but it’s fun to read it through again. I read through about half of them with my kids, most of stories going over their heads. One story in particular, though, hit us all where it hurts: the story of an older dog dying. I blubbered through it the best I could, and I’m pretty sure my kids cried with me. It was a surprisingly sweet moment.
Start with Hello by Shannon Martin. This one I picked up myself and have been devouring it. She had me hooked when she spoke of herself as a “shy, awkward introvert”, which is exactly how I would describe myself! I appreciate that this book ties in nicely with my current small group study on how to make friends and be a light in the world. I even sent Shannan Martin a note through Instagram thanking her, and she sent the kindest reply! That makes me want to read her books all the more.
Book of Psalms. This is a book of the Psalms with beautiful photography interspersed throughout. The way it is laid out just makes it a pleasure to read. I like to read them out loud for the full effect of the poetry. Just lovely.
And finally, Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. This will probably end up in my book recommendations for November, but I wanted to read it through and savor it one more time. It has a lot of information at the end, and I want to make sure I take the time to learn and absorb it fully before writing about it on my blog!
Not pictured:
I am finishing the Manor House Mystery series by Kate Kingsbury on my Kindle. It’s been fun to read these 9 books, especially as I started them when we visited the English countryside this past August! These are the epitome of cozy mysteries.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien on Audible. This is a re-read (re-listen?) of many times over, but this time is with my son. It has been a delight to listen with him and watch him become enamored with Bilbo, Frodo, and the One Ring to Rule Them All.
I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️
Not pictured: If I Built a Car
The If I Built Series by Chris Van Dusen.
These have been my kids absolute favorite picture books for the past few years. And yes, that includes my 11-year-old daughter. They are witty and clever and told in a fun rhyming scheme. And the illustrations tell half the story! We enjoy pouring over the pictures to see all the details of the imaginative construction of the school, house, and car. I brought two of these books to my son’s second grade class last year, as well, and they were a huge hit!
Amazon says these books are great for ages 3-6, but I would extend that up to 11 or 12! These books are great for inspiring a kids’ imagination, too. Your kids will be drawing blueprints or building with legos for their new house or car ideas after reading these.
From Amazon on If I Built a Car:
If I built a car, it'd be totally new!
Here are a few of the things that I'd do. . . .Young Jack is giving an eye-opening tour of the car he'd like to build. There's a snack bar, a pool, and even a robot named Robert to act as chauffeur. With Jack's soaring imagination in the driver's seat, we're deep-sea diving one minute and flying high above traffic the next in this whimsical, tantalizing take on the car of the future. Illustrations packed with witty detail, bright colors, and chrome recall the fabulous fifties and an era of classic American automobiles. Infectious rhythm and clever invention make this wonderful read-aloud a launch pad for imaginative fun.
I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️
I think about the book The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker a lot since reading it last year. The subtitle says it all: “131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday.” I loved the idea that how you notice and what you do with what you’ve noticed can all be an art form. And that is pretty much what the entire list is about: what people have decided to notice and how. I took some notes and had a few ideas for how I could replicate some in my own life, but none have come to much fruition. Still, I can’t get the book out of my head, because my biggest takeaway was just to take time to notice, well, anything!
For a while, I tried to notice anything odd, and even better, snap a picture of it. I chose “odd” rather than “beautiful” because oddities tell stories and make you curious. The first example that comes to mind is when I saw a motorcycle parked on the sidewalk outside the local library. Immediately questions came to mine and a story formed: Who parked it there? Were they in a hurry for a certain book? What book can make someone that hurried? Is there treasure I should know about? Scavenger hunt? Or maybe it was someone important? I have no idea, but to this day, I wonder!
On another day, I saw a orange traffic cone perched at the top of a tree. How did it get there? Did someone put it there? Was it an industrious squirrel? Or a giant?
These are fun examples, and I hope I can keep up this practice. But it’s actually not the point of this post. The point is that efforts to be present in my every day life, to “eliminate hurry”*, to practice noticing, are worth pursuing.
As a Christian, I actually think I have the same calling: to lift up my head and see life for what it really is. And if I use my lenses of “beauty, freedom, and abundance”, the results can be profound. I really love the idea that not only can noticing be an art form, it can also be a spiritual discipline. (I would argue that creating any art is actually a spiritual practice, which I’ve always known in my soul but have learned more practically from these art classes.)
So I will continue to notice oddities (there may be an occasional blog post), but also every season I want to pursue noticing different things that I set up beforehand, engaging many or all of my senses. For example, this fall, I want to notice anytime:
I see the colors of the trees.
I hear the sound of the leaves on the ground.
I smell and taste fall spices.
I feel soft blankets.
All these things come so naturally in autumn, and maybe that’s why I love this season. Maybe I’ve spent my whole life really noticing fall, and therefore finding the most joy this time of year. That’s good. That’s the whole point.
And it’s also good to start with an easy one!
Will you join me in taking notice, in the hopes that it will keep us really living in the present? What goals would you set for yourself to notice this season?
*This quote is from a chapter I read from the book The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg.
I just became an Amazon Associate, because I link to books so often on my blog! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, so if you want the book and to support me, use my links in this blog post. Thank you!! ❤️
The Owl Who Asks Why by Michelle Garcia Andersen.
I picked up this book because I appreciated the clever title and beautiful pictures, and it didn’t disappoint! It was a sweet story about curious woodland animals who learned to use their own minds and voices.
From Amazon:
This heartwarming tale of friendship from author Michelle Garcia Andersen and artist Ayesha Rubio will remind young readers that by staying true to yourself and embracing what makes you unique, good things come to you.
Photo by Beth Maree. Note my son with his Spiderman.
Not pictured: our resident 1-year-old, Tess, who always crawls towards the altar!
Something kind of beautiful happens at my church every Sunday: many of the kids sit either in the front or near the front of the sanctuary.
If you’ve gone to church at all, you know this is not the norm. Kids sit in the back. Parents of kids sit in the back with them.
It is reasonable that this happens: it’s convenient to leave if you need to; it’s possibly less disruptive to others; if a mother has to nurse, it’s more private. This all makes sense. And there is an argument that children do need to be taught to sit and listen. The problem is when parents and kids feel relegated to the back as if they aren’t welcome to sit wherever they want. And frankly, kids pay better attention when they are up close anyway!
Oftentimes during church, my son (8) is playing with his stuffed animals (that he never fails to bring). Sometimes it bugs me and I feel like my worship is interrupted by his play. I literally have to work through it in my head: what would Jesus say or do if he was here?
Usually when I ask this question, I have to work out the answer based on what I know about Jesus’s character. But this is one of those rare times we actually have a verse that answers the question!
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Perhaps this verse is used so much for Children’s Ministry that it’s lost its potency, but just think about it. It was so important to Jesus and so imprinted on the minds of the early disciples that it makes it into two different gospel accounts! Jesus cares about little children. He wants them to be up front near him. He even goes so far to say that theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
Henri Nouwen says:
“I have always been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my work.”
I feel this quote deeply. But I think you can also substitute “work” for “worship” and it is still true. (N.B. You could also argue that our work is a type of worship, but that’s a post for another day.)
I have always been complaining that my [worship] was constantly interrupted; then I realized that the interruptions were my [worship].
So when my son is playing, instead of being annoyed at the interruption, I remember that I should prioritize play in the presence of Jesus; that I should delight in my son’s play as an act of worship; that I should remember that the kids are the ministry and future of the church. Shouldn’t they feel as welcomed as any adults?
My daughter (11) recently said to me that she wished we had church more than once a week, because she feels so at home there. As a mother and as a director of Children’s Ministries, I was delighted. That is how church should feel: like home.
What would churches look like if we all delighted in the interruptions of children? If we prioritized play in our own lives? If we let the kids sit up front? If we laughed, instead of scorned, at their antics? If we got to know them and heard their stories and what’s on their hearts?
Maybe church would feel more like home to all of us.
This post is a part 2 to what I wrote a couple days ago. I split the post in half, because the first part felt like it should be poetry. This post is mostly to tie up what I was saying, as well as highlight the words of the amazing Deacon at our church. May we all live by her words.
We make room for lament and grief in the church calendar during Lent, and it is the season that speaks to the depths of my soul. It is missing or overlooked too often in churches. We all know the time for rejoicing is coming - and has already come - but we need to take time to grieve now.
Jesus models this for us so beautifully when he took time to weep for Lazarus. Why? Why did Jesus do this when He knew Lazarus would be alive again soon? Why is it even recorded in the Bible?
Because we are not meant to skip the weeping. It is part of the process of healing and abundant life. It is hard. But it is good.
Psalm 126:5-6 says,
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
My friend, the Reverend Jan Buchanan says about these verses,
He does not tell us to stop weeping. We are not told to stop crying so we can get back to work (sowing). We are instructed to go out weeping – to keep doing kingdom work in whatever way our grief allows. The promise of coming back in with joy and with abundance (sheaves) is not dependent on us wiping our faces and getting ourselves together enough to work, but rather the promise is for those who, in their grieving, keep moving forward in the work God as called them to do, in whatever capacity our particular grief allows.
To that I say “Yes, and Amen”.
I wrote this after wondering why I do this to myself sometimes: I just let myself sit and cry, and the grief isn’t always my own. Sometimes I’m crying for friends or family who are hurting, I’m crying for the church, or the world. It feels like a heavy cost, and I wonder what is the payoff? And then I remembered God’s upside-down kingdom, and our prayer to “Let your kingdom come.” Something in me stirred and I realized these tears are kingdom work. I can’t explain it, but this is me trying.
I invite Grief in to sit with me and weep.
Alone, with no one to hear or see,
I cry with those in mourning,
For the oppressed,
And for the suffering.
I know this weeping is good work,
But I don’t know why.
I know it keeps my heart soft,
My eyes open, my ears listening.
I know Grief is a friend of mine.
But Grief is more than just for me.
Grief is a warrior.
One who fights for the suffering.
And when I invite Grief in,
I am a warrior, too.
When I sit with the grief of others
I am advancing the kingdom of God.
My tears are doing battle.
I am alone with Grief,
But I am doing the work of God.
I can’t explain it,
But I know it’s good.
My friendship with Grief is a gift.
A gift I will willingly share with others,
Even though it costs me.
Even when they don’t know,
I share this gift with others
Because I have nothing else to give.
My tears are the widow’s mite,
An offering to God.
I invite Grief in to sit with me and weep.
Alone, with no one to hear or see.
I cry with those who suffer,
For those who are oppressed,
And for those who mourn.
I have been thinking for a while of blogging more about my role as Children’s Ministry Director at my church, so today I am writing about something that has been on my mind for a while. In fact, a few days ago, I prayed that God would give me “eyes to see the invisible and ears to hear what people are really saying.” It struck me as very a very powerful image that I prayed that prayer and then immediately walked out of the main sanctuary back to my job with the kids. So here is the first installment of what I’ve learned as Director of Children’s Ministry.
I am an advocate for the invisible: kids in the church.
One of my goals since I began this job has been to make our children in the church visible. I highlight them in the service as often as I can. I bring other people back into the classrooms as much as I can. I need these children to know that they are seen by other members of the church, and by extension, Jesus himself. I tell my youth volunteers that even if they are struggling with their own beliefs (as they should at their age!), they are still representing Jesus to these little ones. But I think everyone in the church should also hear this message: You are representing Jesus to those around you, especially the children. If the children feel loved and seen by you, they will feel loved and seen by Jesus. Because that’s what Jesus does. And by his grace and favor, he uses His church to do it.
I am an advocate for the invisible servants of the church: children’s ministry volunteers.
I want my volunteers to know that this is a high calling and that they are seen by me (I try to bring lots of gifts to prove it!) and by God. It isn’t something to dread, but actually an opportunity to learn and to be blessed. But it’s not the kind of church volunteering that will bring accolades or compliments (this isn’t the worship team!*). It is almost an invisible task and the blessings you will receive will be on the inside and yours alone. Because you will receive blessing from being with the kids. You will be amazed by their questions, their sweetness, and their sheer energy! You will be reminded of your youth. You may even wish that more people had reached out to you in your own youth, and then you’ll realize that that is exactly what you are doing for these kids. And they will remember. That in itself is a burden and blessing. And all this doesn’t even consider what you will learn from the lessons themselves. Lest you think these lessons are only for children, they are not. They are timeless for a reason.
I am doing the work of Jesus: seeing the invisible and helping others to see them, too.
I remind myself of this a lot, especially when I struggle with feeling invisible. But when I am doing my job for God’s glory, it is incredibly rewarding and humbling. When I can lift up others who feel invisible, I am almost brought to my knees in praise and adoration: what a gift that God invites me in to this good work! If I can help others to see that God sees them and invites them in as well, then I will have done my job.
*I absolutely love our worship team! My point is children’s ministry is not in front of the whole church (as are many other behind-the-scenes jobs… “like the person running sound”, points out my husband…)
If you’ve been reading my blog or looking at my artwork recently, you will already know that the three words that I’ve been meditating on are beauty, freedom, and abundance. These are the three areas I have been trying to live into and see everywhere. And believe it or not, you can find these things everywhere, if you will just have eyes to see them. Sometimes “eyes to see” just means taking the time to look, sometimes it means shifting your perspective, sometimes it could even mean some serious self-care or mental healthcare.
Today I want to talk about my path of seeing the abundance of God, and even how it relates it to my anxiety. This is just my story, and everyone will have a different story to tell. But I hope it can be an encouragement to someone.
I have heard that anxiety is your body being constantly ready for something to happen, even if there is no immediate threat! I feel this a lot when it comes to time or productivity. My natural inclination when I feel high anxiety is to just go with it and keep doing and doing and doing until I can cross off as many things as possible from my list. Logically, this should make me feel better, right? If I’m anxious about there being enough time to get everything done, then a few hours of high productivity should make me feel better! Unfortunately, that’s never how it works.
I remember the exact moment it hit me that the opposite is actually true. I was starting to get that panicky feeling. It was getting late in the day and I was tired. I started to notice piles of stuff everywhere (that’s usually how it starts for me: noticing all there is to do). It suddenly feels like I am drowning and I will never be free, never get done, never be good enough. My impulse was to get to work and push through. But then it occurred to me that maybe I actually needed rest, instead.
Now, resting when I am feeling panicky or anxious is really hard! Taking deep breaths, putting on music, taking a walk, playing the piano, or even just sitting outside are all things that have helped me in those moments. Audiobooks help a lot, too. I don’t have it in me to read, but listening can be soothing.
My spiritual director helped me come up with a breath prayer for moments like these as well. I told her about a time earlier that week when I was telling myself “I just have to push through the rest of this day” when a very clear thought came into my head: God doesn’t want me living like this. Every moment is a gift, I don’t want to squander them by just “pushing through”.
But the truth is, laundry still has to get done, dishes still have to be washed, children still have to be fed. And honestly, those moments won’t just stop coming. So the next time I feel that impulse, praying in the form of deep breaths:
Inhale: Lord, lift up my head
Exhale: To see your beauty
In taking a deep breath, I literally have to change my posture and actually lift up my head. But I am metaphorically changing my posture, too. I am asking for “eyes to see”, even in those hard moments.
One of my goals this year was to do more things that have no purpose, or that don’t make sense on the outside. And with the aforementioned realization of needing rest instead of more work, it suddenly felt like this goal was the answer! Just taking the time when you feel like there is no time somehow multiplies the time! This is God’s economy at work, friends. This is abundance.
Rob Walker, in The Art of Noticing, claims that taking the time to notice our surroundings in different ways sparks creativity. I say absolutely yes, and so much more. Taking the time to do something different, or seemingly pointless, helps us see the abundance of God! Not just in our time (but that, too!) but in our world!
And I have found that in making an effort to take that time, my anxiety about having enough time has lessened.
Surrendering this to God has been hard, and breaking the patterns of 40 years of living is definitely going to be a process - one that I am doing imperfectly (and that’s OK!). I know God is continuing a good work in me and it’s bigger than I can put in this post. But I have been amazed at how much I have been set free in the surrendering, and how much more I can see of the beauty all around and the abundant life He promises.
This is a little infographic to help me remember that God’s economy looks different from ours. Somehow He multiplies where we hoard.
