5 Tips for Writing (and Actually Sending) Christmas Cards

5 Tips for Writing (and Actually Sending) Christmas Cards

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There is no longer to-do list than the one I have during December. It is big, long, and far more ambitious than I am committed to. And at the very top of that list is one thing: actually send my Christmas cards.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Christmas cards. All through the years as my children were growing up, I diligently sent Christmas cards. We had moved away, and I wanted to send a photo and a newsletter to friends and family back home. I also knew that if I stopped sending my own cards, I’d fall off others’ card lists, and I really didn’t want to stop receiving them.

I loved getting photos and newsletters from friends and family — well, most of them. Some I just couldn’t bring myself to read because they all sounded so perfect. Their children were smarter than my children. They had better vacations, better husbands, and in general, better lives . . . or so it sounded. The Christmas newsletter was the precursor to social media, except that with the newsletter I only had to hear and see the highlight reel once a year, not every single day.

But still, sending Christmas cards was always at the top of my list because they are valuable. However, last year I got less than halfway through writing my cards, and I threw them all in the trash — even the ones I had addressed and finished. Time had gotten away from me, and I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t send only a few, I couldn’t bear to finish them, and I just couldn’t send them after December 25th.

I didn’t send Christmas cards, and I love Christmas cards.
I didn’t send Christmas cards, and I love all things Christmas.
I didn’t send Christmas cards, and I work for a company that makes greeting cards.

I let time slip away last year, and I was sad, and when I think about it, I still get sad — sad I didn’t find or take the time to write Christmas cards because while words are powerful, handwritten words are priceless.

So this is the year. This is the year to be mindful and deliberate, to respond to Christmas with an attitude of worship, like that very first Christmas.

Mary sang her song, and her soul glorified the Lord. Her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior. The song she sang acknowledged the great things He has done and His mercy that lifts the humble and fills the hungry (Luke 1:46-55).

Mary took the time to worship through song, and I will take the time to worship via meaningful words in each Christmas card I write. It might be five cards or fifty cards, but no matter how many, they will be meaningful.

Words of hope, joy, and encouragement from me will be found in the mailboxes of my loved ones, not in my trash.

This is the season to slow down, rest, worship, and tell others of the great things He has done. This year I am giving encouragement — and a few gifts, of course!

Here are five tips for writing (and actually sending) Christmas cards:

  1. Make a Christmas card spreadsheet. Get a count, fill in addresses, and keep track of cards that were sent and/or received.
  2. Buy stamps ahead of time. Go buy them today!
  3. Write and address a few cards each night. Pop them in your mailbox each morning, put up the flag, and feel satisfied about getting closer to the finish line.
  4. Let your kids help! If their handwriting is legible, let them sign the family name on the cards. Give them some stickers or crayons, and let them decorate the envelopes. If they’re older, put them in charge of that spreadsheet, have them pick up stamps at the store, or let them pick out the actual cards. Whatever their ages, they can help out!
  5. Select Christmas cards that reflect Christ! We love a glittery snowman, but when it comes to cards, we love making it about Jesus. In case you need to stock up, here are a few of our favorites from DaySpring.

Friends, there is still time. Enlist your family to help lick envelopes, crank out those address labels, and send off some Christmas cheer.

For more inspiration, read these articles from DaySpring:

  1. How Sending a Christmas Card Encourages Your Heart
  2. The Lasting Gift of a Christmas Card
  3. What to Write in a Christmas Card
  4. Who Did You Forget This Christmas?

Listen to our daily devotions below or on the (in)courage podcast!

Happy first week of Advent! Join us here at (in)courage each weekend in December for an Advent-themed devotion!

And for daily Advent devotions, visit DaySpring.com any day in December! They are featuring Advent and Christmas-themed devotions by (in)courage writers each day this month! Sign up here to receive one each day until Christmas. Make the season bright by reflecting on the gifts and promises of God.

What Do You Do When It Feels Like the Provision Isn’t Coming?

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It felt like the perfect storm. 

The charity I work for called an all-staff meeting to break the news: the finances we required and expected to have weren’t coming. Multiple donors — all at the same time — needed to pull out. They didn’t have the money to donate to us this year.

I was confident God would provide. God always provides, doesn’t He? My team prayed and fasted. We confessed and repented. We lamented. We hoped. We took communion together. I went to bed each night and awoke each morning full of faith that the money would show up.

I started checking my mailbox regularly just in case a surprise check was arriving. We received prophetic words that the finances would be coming soon. I kept my eyes open for how God might wow us this time. But as the days and weeks went by, and the provision I was praying for didn’t appear, I could feel my faith beginning to falter. 

What happens when the provision you’re praying for doesn’t seem to come when and how you need it?

The discouragement set in. On a morning when our team spirits felt particularly low, I decided to buy a colleague a coffee, just to brighten her day and remind her to keep going. (Coffee makes everything slightly more doable, doesn’t it?) 

When I got to the line at the drive-through, I felt God’s Spirit inviting me to pay for the person behind me. I didn’t want to. My personal finances didn’t necessarily feel tight, but when everything else is shrinking in front of you, there’s a temptation to get stingy. 

I rolled down my window and asked the barista if I could cover the person behind me. 

“Sure you can!” But then, a few seconds later, he told me that person had already paid. 

I laughed, and asked if I could pay for the person behind them.

He checked, and then said that person had used their app and already gotten a free drink.

I laughed again, a bit bewildered. “Let’s try this one more time. How about the person behind them?”

“You wouldn’t believe this… but they already paid too. And there’s no one behind them.”

He handed me the coffees for me and my coworker. I thanked him and drove off.

Had I heard from the Holy Spirit correctly? I prayed as I drove away. God, why would You ask me to pay if no one needed their coffee paid for today?

Immediately, I heard His still, small voice in response: I wanted to see if your heart would remain generous, even when the temptation is to get stingy.

It stopped me in my tracks. Tears filled my eyes as I considered the invitation the Lord had just offered me. 

What happens when the provision you’re praying for doesn’t seem to come when and how you need it? I think the answer is twofold: don’t stop praying, but also don’t stop being generous. 

It was such a simple invitation, but it changed everything for me. When things don’t unfold the way I want them to, I so easily harden my heart. I lose faith. I close my fists and get stingy. But what if Jesus’s invitation is to do the opposite? To remain open-handed and generous, even when you can’t see how or when the provision is coming? 

God is not stingy or close-handed. He is a generous God who gives us everything – His own breath… even His own Son. 

I’m reminded that we don’t follow Jesus in order for Him to give us exactly what we want, when and how we want it. 

We follow Jesus because He is God, generous and open-handed who gives and gives and gives – more than you or I can ever imagine. 

How could we not be generous too? 

Listen to Aliza’s devotion anywhere you stream the (in)courage podcast!

Today is the first week in the season of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Join us here at (in)courage each weekend in December for an Advent-themed devotion!

And for daily Advent devotions, visit DaySpring.com any day in December! They are featuring Advent and Christmas-themed devotions by (in)courage writers each day this month! Sign up here to receive one each day until Christmas. Make the season bright by reflecting on the gifts and promises of God.

The Promise of Peace

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“For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 CSB

As we begin this Advent season, perhaps more than ever, we feel the ache of wanting God to make all things right. Let’s let the words of this familiar passage sink deep in our hearts.

Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor. When we are in despair from a present overwhelming pain or cumulative grief, we remember that God is Healer and Counselor. He is both the One who helps us and the very balm we need for our broken hearts, fragile minds, and bruised bodies.

Jesus is our Mighty God. When we are taken advantage of, when we feel powerless, when we cannot control or predict what will happen next, God is our strength and our defender. No one can stand against His powerful name.

Jesus is our Eternal Father. When we feel unloved — particularly during this holiday season — we remember that God is our loving Father. The perfect parent, provider, and protector. He has known us from before He created the world. He knows our every hair, thought, and breath. He knows where we are headed and He cares about every part of our lives.

Jesus is our Prince of Peace. When fear and anxiety rule our hearts, He is still the giver of peace. Jesus Himself is Peace and dwells within us through the Holy Spirit. Find rest in Him.

Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen. 

He will. And He has! And the same words Jesus spoke to His disciples on their last night together, He speaks to our hearts today.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.”
John 14:27 CSB

Indeed, the Savior is coming and has come. The Prince of Peace. The Only One we need.

Today marks the first Sunday in the season of Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Join us here at (in)courage each weekend in December and let’s count down to Christmas together. For daily Advent devotions, visit DaySpring.com — they are featuring (in)courage devotions each day this month! Sign up here to receive one each day via email in December.

Make the season bright by reflecting on the gifts and promises from God. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, make time to quiet your heart and hear from His.

You Are Allowed to Be a Burden

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Last February, everything changed when I broke my foot.

While perched cross-legged on my couch, my foot fell asleep. I didn’t realize the slumbering status of this limb, and I took a step. In an instant, my toes caught on the carpet and I stumbled forward as the entire weight of my body crunched my fifth metatarsal. I crumpled in a heap with my foot on fire, throbbing as my husband drove me to the emergency room.

In the days and weeks that followed, my right foot was rendered unusable. I could not drive, let alone get up and down the stairs to our apartment on the second floor.

For eight weeks, I was homebound. Instead of my usual activities, I was confined to putter around our house, my foot secured in the clunky, black orthotic boot with the Velcro straps. Our children attend a school that is across the city and, suddenly, I had to scramble to find folks to give them rides home. The calendar spreadsheet lay before me on my laptop, and I began texting friends:

“Could you pick up our boys from school?”

I asked for help and assistance, needing all the support I could get for two whole months, five days each week. It was a lot to ask, but I decided to try anyway. And, to my surprise, my friends kept saying, “Yes.”

One person thanked me for asking because she was glad for the opportunity to help. Our church rallied around us and brought dinner to our door for weeks. One friend even came over and cleaned our apartment, top to bottom, for three hours while I sat on the couch with my leg propped.

We are people that show up. If our friends are gripped with a raging fever or are suffering under influenza’s chill, we bring soup. We scribble encouraging notes and deliver casseroles. When someone cannot pay rent, we support them the best we can. These gestures and savory aromas are a beautiful incense of love. This is what the Church is and should always be about. Yet, while our culture values serving others, no one actually wants to be the person in need. The wider world prizes self-sufficiency and sometimes we, even as believers, also strive to steer clear of looking weak or incapable.

It was humbling to ask for help when I broke my foot . . . and, on this journey, I’m learning that honesty and vulnerability will only flow among friends when we choose to go first. The first to help, but also the first to admit our frailty and our need. The Bible tells of four friends who sought to carry an ailing man to Jesus but found there was no way to approach Jesus due to the enormous crowd. These friends climbed onto the roof of the house where Jesus was, beads of sweat trickling down their temples as they struggled to heave their precious load. Once atop the roof, they dug into the straw and tar to form a hole big enough to lower their friend through for the healing he was soon to receive.

This man was miraculously healed and, undeniably, we all want to be like those friends who ultimately carried the man towards help and healing. Yet, consider how courageous it is to be the one on the mat. It is courageous to admit we need help. Though, at times, this process can be frightening or humiliating, still, the practice of disclosing our vulnerability is worthwhile.

Jesus invites us into these seasons of dependence on others, always. People in our communities may even take joy in using their gifts to serve us. You are allowed to be a burden. Friend, this posture is not shameful. It may be the hardest thing you do, but we are invited to go first.

Don’t wait until you break a bone to invite people in.

How to Hear Him Better This Advent

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“He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:7 NIV

Every time it snows, I wait for my opportunity. When the house is quiet and dark, I tiptoe into the living room and curl up mesmerized in the big front window to watch the flakes fall silently — blanketing the ground, trees, and houses — muting the world. Is that a rabbit peering from the edge of the trees?

These are sacred moments. The blue light of my phone and the voices competing for my attention are traded for the yellow light of the moon and hushed white clusters streaming to the earth. I sigh in relief.

I feel small, and I remember One who made Himself small. Jesus, who, “became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14 NIV). I can hear Him better sitting in this stillness. I wait in anticipation.

In the quiet, I realize, and maybe you do too, that I have become full. And not in a good way. Full of expectations for this season, full of plans and pulls. Full of Facebook and Instagram — I just can’t seem to put them down. Full of myself and what I want. I’m so filled up that I can’t put anything else in.

When I feel like this, I know what I need to do, but sometimes I need someone else to confirm it. So if you need confirmation, too, you have it from me. I have to empty myself of me and make room for Jesus. I must turn off the distractions, even some good ones, so I can focus on the One who is ultimately the most important.

I pour it all out on paper — confess what’s been swirling around in my head, plaguing me. Maybe it’s not paper for you — maybe you talk out loud or play the guitar or paint — but our prayers of confession come out. I ask for forgiveness and He gives it.

And I ask Him to come: Emmanuel, God with Us, come fill this season and my heart. I’m sweeping out the clutter — setting my phone notifications to “Off” and logging out of all those accounts that distract me from what is important.

I want to hear Him so I can be like Him.
I want to be like Him this Advent.
Less of me and more of Him.
Less looking at my phone and more looking at my family’s eyes.
Less “what I want” and more “how can I serve?”

It all begins in the stillness.

This article is by Lauren DeVries from the archives and featured in the Simply Jesus Christmas Magazine.

DaySpring has a special keepsake holiday magazine called Simply Jesus: The Heart of Christmas, and it’s a beautiful resource for holiday inspiration and soul encouragement. You will find a collection of powerful Scriptures, inspiring prayers, and heartfelt articles.

Deepen your faith during this sacred season and help your family celebrate Christmas together in new and exciting ways.

Pick up your copy of Simply Jesus: The Heart of Christmas wherever magazines are sold and at DaySpring.com. We aim to inspire you with heartfelt stories and uplifting articles, Christmas traditions, family celebrations, Advent observances, and ways to keep Christ at the center of it all. With every page, we hope to warm your heart, strengthen your faith, and reignite the Christmas spirit in your home.

This article is just one of many featured in the Simply Jesus keepsake Christmas magazine, which, by the way, is perfect for gifting to a friend, Bible study sister, Sunday School teacher, or neighbor. And to help you do just that, we’re giving away FIVE sets of magazines — one for each winner and one for them to give to a friend! 

Leave a comment telling us to whom you’d gift a copy!

We’ll draw five winners to notify by email*.

*Giveaway is open to US addresses only and will close on 12/3/24 at 11:59 pm central. 

Your Path to Seeing God Work Right Here, Right Now

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Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we are his—
his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever;
his faithfulness, through all generations.
Psalm 100 CSB

Here’s the powerful truth about giving thanks:

Gratitude lifts our hearts beyond the weight of our circumstances to the unfailing goodness of God. As Psalm 100 invites us to, we can enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. In deep pain, in prolonged waiting, even in the middle of life’s small inconveniences, choosing thankfulness becomes a pathway to God’s presence.

When we turn our attention to God’s faithfulness, our perspective changes.

Gratitude opens our eyes to see God working right here, right now.

Whether we’re giving thanks for the beauty of fall, the laughter of loved ones, or the reminder of His promises, each moment of thankfulness is a moment spent in the light of His love.

Write down what you’re grateful for: today’s blessings, memories of God’s goodness, and promises you’re holding onto. Speak them aloud, jot them in a journal, or share them with someone you trust. Let this practice turn your heart to praise, for “the Lord is good and His love endures forever.”

And as we take time to count our blessings, know that you are counted among ours. Every one of you in this community is a gift to us. Thank you for letting us share in your journey of faith and for sharing your own stories with us. We are grateful for you, today and always.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends!

Help If Joy Is Hard at the Holidays

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Years ago I sat in a crowded room at a blogging conference. I’ve forgotten almost everything from that weekend except one phrase that author and researcher Brené Brown said from the stage, “Joy is the most vulnerable emotion we can feel.”

I had two thoughts when I heard these words: “What?” and “Exactly.”

The first reaction came because we tend to think of joy as an “easy” emotion. It’s not heavy like sadness or intense like anger. Joy is the floating balloon, the cotton candy, the confetti of our feelings. But that is a false perception. It turns out joy takes great courage.

Why? Because our brains are wired to protect us from danger. When we feel joy, we also have something to lose. Brené told Inc magazine that “80-90 percent of parents, when experiencing a moment of bliss gazing upon their sleeping child, will then picture something horrific happening to the child.”

Have you ever done something like this? You hug someone you love, and suddenly worry that they’ll get in a car wreck on their way home. You get the promotion you worked so hard for, only to feel like a fraud and picture yourself being fired. You’re finally relaxing on a beach vacation, then remember a news headline you read and feel anxious.

Joy is hard for humans, so this morning I looked up every verse about joy to seek some divine help. I found one phrase that was repeated many times, “filled with joy.”

He [God] helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. Psalm 28:7 NLT

Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Luke 10:21 NLT

The believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:52 NLT

May you be filled with joy. Colossians 1:11 NLT

I’d always viewed joy as something I had to produce, but “being filled” means joy is something God’s Spirit pours into me.

Here’s what I’m coming to believe: We, as humans, aren’t truly capable of joy on our own. It doesn’t come naturally to us. At best, it’s fleeting and dependent on our circumstances. At worst, it’s something we fake but never truly experience.

Here’s what I’m learning: Joy is something we can ask God to fill us with rather than forcing ourselves to feel it. As someone who has experienced anxiety and depression, I’m not saying we’ll feel joy if we just have enough faith. I’m also not saying that we will always experience joy, which isn’t possible or even biblical. What I’m exploring is an alternative to putting pressure on ourselves to be happy-happy all the time. Maybe our role is simply to open ourselves to joy, to not slam the door of our hearts when it comes knocking.

Joy is also not meant to be our only emotion. Paul says, “Always be joyful” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) but he also says, “My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief” (Romans 9:2). Jesus is described as being full of joy and as being a man of sorrows. Proverbs 14:13 tells us, “Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, and the end of joy may be grief.”

As I say in my new devotional book, “We always live with both brokenness and blessings. Challenges and victories. Sorrow and joy. They’re all mixed up together. God understands both.”

Brené says that the practice the most joyful people have in common is gratitude. I would add one more element to gratitude, and that’s trust.

Gratitude today + trust for tomorrow = learning to bravely open the door to joy.

This looks like pausing to say, “God, thank You for this beautiful sleeping baby. I trust You with her future.”

It’s hugging someone we love and saying, “God, thank You for every moment I get to have them in my life. I place them in Your hands.”

It’s accepting the promotion and saying, “God, thank You for getting me this far. I believe You’ll get me through whatever is ahead too.”

It’s standing on the beach and saying, “God, thank You for the extraordinary world You’ve created. You alone are the caretaker of everything and everyone.”

The healthiest humans are those who are open to the whole range of emotions and experience all of them.

Some of us resist negative emotions. We banish sadness and anger because they’re uncomfortable. Some of us resist positive emotions. We shut down joy and happiness because they feel so vulnerable. I’m in the latter group — I can sit with grief and walk alongside sorrow. But joy? That’s scary stuff.

I’m learning joy is not a feeling to force, but a gift to receive. Opening our hearts to embrace it, especially in a broken world, takes guts and bravery. Joy isn’t a balloon, cotton candy, or confetti. It’s challenging and risky, maybe even a little crazy. It’s a wild act of worship by warriors with dents in their armor.

It’s okay if joy is hard for you to feel during the holidays. This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you or your faith — it simply means you’re human. God understands this and He will be with you in everything you face, in every emotion you feel.

If the holidays are hard or stressful for you, Holley Gerth has an encouraging gift to get you through this season. Her mini ebook, Hope for the Holidays, includes twenty devotions, beautiful graphics, and more. Download your free copy now, then share this post so your friends and family can get this lovely gift too!

Trusting God to Blend the Good and the Bad

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My daughter asked if we could celebrate her 29th birthday at a paint-your-own-art studio. Armed with more confidence than my non-artistic self should have, I selected a colorful abstract design of a woman wearing a colorful hat to paint on canvas.

The first step was tracing the lines from the picture through carbon paper onto the white canvas. Then, our instructor handed me a black marker so that I could go over the tracing lines and said, “This will help you not lose sight of the design while you’re painting.

Ready with my pallet of paint and step-by-step instructions, I dapped the brush in the first color and turned toward the canvas. Many sections needed to be painted, but I focused on one section at a time, careful to stay within the black lines. Each set of instructions directed me to paint in different areas of the canvas.

Satisfied that I could proceed, I encountered my next challenge: blending. This technique scared me because I was afraid to put two separate colors on the brush for fear of losing the distinctness of each color. Blending blurred the security of those black lines I’d carefully traced earlier. I had a terrible time blending!

My instructor picked up another brush and showed me with her expert hand how to blend a little of each color on the brush. As she blended, the black lines disappeared but were replaced by the glorious melding of this-and-that color, which was much more in harmony than the hard edges I wanted to hold onto for my comfort. She explained that blending was essential in painting because it creates interest and depth when two colors twist together without losing their individual qualities.

In life, we create a picture in our minds of what we think our lives should look like. We picture a specific type of job, house, or family. We fall in love with that picture because we believe it will make us happy. So we set about to create that picture on the canvas of our lives, carefully following the rules we think will produce our desired image.

Yet, life doesn’t stay within our neatly drawn lines. Jobs are lost, the doctor delivers bad news, till-death-do-us-part ends in divorce, or your teenagers tear apart your heart with their rebellion. Our human impulse is to use control to push everything and everyone back into place.

How do we hold the good and bad and trust God with both?

Thankfully, God specializes in blending!

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Romans 8:28 NLT

I’ve heard Christians refer to this verse as a promise that God squares up everything sad and wrong in their lives. But this verse isn’t an individual promise; Romans 8:28 is a full-picture reflection of the goodness of God, who has seen the full scope of human sin, pain, loss, death, and grief, and He promises eternal healing and restoration for humanity in the end. It’s hard to see the complete big picture of God’s eternal plan because our lives are limited. One scriptural author observed this:

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

At one point, I became confused when I compared my painting to the sample because there were so many lines. The art instructor offered an important insight: “When you’re painting up close for a long time, it’s important to take a step back to see the entire picture.”

She was right! When I took a few steps back, I looked at the whole picture. I could see all the different colors popping with visual interest. The pinkish red contrasted with the lapis blue. I assumed that the titanium white didn’t have much to offer because I was painting on a white canvas, yet the brilliance of that color added a highlight effect that made the other colors pop.

Just like I had to step back from my canvas to see how the entire picture looked, Romans 8:28 assures us that God sees the complete picture of time and humanity from before the world began to our eternal forever.

When our picture of how we believe our lives should look starts to change, we can take comfort in God’s blending power. He can take what’s hard and heartbreaking, the broken and the beautiful, and somehow, in His way, God brings meaning, purpose, and even peace.

We don’t have to fear when our lives don’t look how we planned because our Master Creator knows how to take our messed up and messy lives and make a masterpiece.

Barb’s new book and Bible study, Stronger Than Stress equips you to win the battle of stress and overwhelm with ten spiritual practices that teach you to live with less stress and more peace every day.

Your Name Is Not a Mistake

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I’ve never liked my birth name – Ligia.

No matter how hard I looked, I could never find my name on personalized pencils or toothbrushes. Ms. Molly from Romper Room always kept me waiting, never calling my name while looking into that silly mirror. My name also sounded much like my father’s, which felt like a punishment. The sound of my name has triggered so many painful memories and hurtful feelings. There was only one tone in which I ever heard it said: loud and demeaning.

My name was also too complicated to pronounce. Correcting people’s mispronunciations is uncomfortable for me. As a Latina, I was raised to believe that children should be seen and not heard, so correcting anyone, especially those older than myself, was never an option.

Over the years, I have experimented with different names, hoping to find one that would suit me — one that would help me fit in while still highlighting aspects of myself that I was hesitant to celebrate. After much searching, and at the suggestion of a resume workshop facilitator who advised me that my last name was “Hispanic enough” but my first name was too complicated for potential employers, I decided to adopt the name Leah. The facilitator made a valid point: people might avoid calling me for interviews because, as she put it, “Who wants to sound stupid on the phone?” So Leah stuck!

I have read verses like John 10:3 (CSB): “The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

I have also come across Isaiah 43:1:

“Now this is what the Lord says—
the one who created you, Jacob,
and the one who formed you, Israel—
‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; you are mine.’“

But I questioned whether I truly believe that God cares enough about something as seemingly insignificant as a name. After all, there are likely more important matters to Him in the grand scheme of life, right?

On a podcast, I was once asked if I knew the meaning of my name, Ligia. It struck me that I had never looked it up before. The question caught me off guard, so I quickly turned to Google to find the meaning. As I read, tears began streaming down my face. Emotion overwhelmed me. 

All I could utter was, “He knows me; He knows me by name.” 

The name I had long avoided embracing unveiled the truth about who God created me to be.

Ligia means “clear-voiced” or “sweet loudness.”

The gifts and talents He placed within me, along with the vibrant tone of my voice, were never insignificant. And though those entrusted to love and care for me may have overlooked or spoken against my worth, my heavenly Father never missed a beat.

He always knew me.

I had often associated my name with negativity, but at that moment on the podcast, I realized it had a purpose, starting from the moment I drew my first breath. Despite my hurts, sins, failures, and shortcomings, God chose me. And He chooses you, too, friend!

While the enemy may call us by our sins, God calls us by our names — not just our earthly names, but names that He has given us: Chosen, Loved, Seen, Forgiven, Whole, and many more. He created us in His likeness, redeemed us, and called us by name as His children.

I’m not sure what names or labels you may have carried throughout your life — perhaps not a replacement name like Leah, but terms such as rejected, broken, abandoned, alone, unloved, or lost. These are just some of the identities the enemy would have us believe are better alternatives to the one God has already given us: daughter.

I pray that you will embrace and live out your God-given name today and walk in authority as His daughter.

Regardless of what the world calls you, remember that you are His.

Trusting God’s Peace When Life Feels Heavy

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If I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your faithful love will support me, Lord.
When I am filled with cares,
your comfort brings me joy.
Psalm 94:18–19 CSB

If there’s a drum we should never get tired of beating, it’s this: it’s not about us. Clap it out with me: It’s. Not. About. Us.

Peace isn’t something you attain by striving. Peace is an outpouring of God’s goodness.

Whatever you’re going through today, whatever pain you’re enduring, grief you’re bearing, or load you’re carrying, Jesus understands your suffering. That’s what makes His life, death, and resurrection so miraculous, so complete. Because Jesus experienced every bit of what it means to be human — birth from a mother, betrayal from a friend, thirst, hunger, love, anger, joy, temptation, and agonizing death — we can trust that He understands what we’re going through. We can trust that His peace isn’t trite or superficial. It’s the peace of one who knows what it’s like to be knotted up and knocked down.

His peace lifts us up; it’s Jesus who carries us.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m in the throes of anxiety or dealing with a crisis or just bogged down by the slog of everyday life, I can start to believe things will always be this way. My current feelings will always overwhelm me, my current predicament will always be impossible to overcome. But Scripture tells us that we’re like grass that withers and flowers that fade. Does this mean that our lives are inconsequential? No! This means that our troubles won’t last forever — but God’s Word and His goodness will remain.

Paul, a man well acquainted with hardship, described it like this: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV). When Paul was being flogged or freezing in prison, I can’t imagine those things felt either light or momentary. So was Paul downplaying his pain? Was he telling believers to slap on fake positivity? No. Paul was preaching from an eternal perspective. He was saying that no matter what you’re dealing with today — a cough that’s keeping you awake at night, a family member who isn’t emotionally available, a dream that’s been shattered — God is with you, working through you, and preparing something that is so much better for you.

God is working on our behalf, and the hard things we’re facing today will have lasting value. This doesn’t mean that God causes our hardships. God isn’t the source of cancer or layoffs, verbally abusive parents or broken marriages. But God is able to redeem our pain. If that’s difficult for you to believe right now, I get it. Paul writes,

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:1–5 NIV

There is purpose in what you’re going through today. And it’s possible that the very thing that feels like a barrier to your peace is actually what God is using to guide you to Him.

God’s peace through Jesus and God’s love through the Holy Spirit are what encircle us in our suffering. Remember how it’s not about us? God is the one who makes possible the journey from suffering to hope.

It’s okay if you feel like your foot is slipping. It’s okay if you’ve fallen down and cannot stand. Jesus, like the good shepherd He is, will gather you close to His heart and carry you. His peace is yours right where you are.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

GOOD FATHER, my Shepherd Jesus, faithful Holy Spirit, thank You for being the ultimate source of my comfort and peace. I acknowledge that I don’t have power to overcome today’s challenges or secure tomorrow’s future apart from You. I need You. Oh, how I need You. Thank You for promising to steady me when I slip and carry me when I can’t go on. I love You. Amen.

by Becky Keife from Create in Me a Heart of Peace

 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this Sunday series from our Create in Me a Heart of Peace Bible Study by Becky Keife.

Go deeper this season with the Prince of Peace and receive the fullness of peace God has for you. Create in Me a Heart of Peace is perfect to do with women from your church, a couple of close friends, or on your own. Available on DaySpring.com or wherever books are sold.

Join us for special Advent devotions every Sunday in December!

He Welcomes Us Wholly + a Thanksgiving Recipe

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Lately, my soundtrack has been this playlist I created of autumn piano tunes. They’re soft, they’re contemplative, and they’re a wee bit melancholy.

All things I could say of myself.

It’s taken me over forty years to be okay with identifying as a joyful melancholic, but that is exactly what I am. I love a moody song. Grey days and the early sunsets of late fall and winter are my jam. I incline in the direction of Eeyore in my sighing and slight pessimism. I’m particularly gifted in dreaming up worst-case scenarios. My humor bends towards wry. I’m a writer, and melancholy spurs my inspiration.

I’m also an Enneagram four, and it’s said that we’re made of melancholic stuff. So really, I’m right on track.

All that is true. But there is still joy in my heart and sparkle in my soul. The love of Jesus lights me up, especially when I’m talking about the love He has for His daughters. I’m not a sad or downtrodden personality. I smile far more often than I frown. In high school, my nickname was Smiley.

I rock the grey space that stands between the black and white of joy and moody. Because of that, November is my month.

The days are cloudy and grey, the skies dark by 5 pm. We’ve started hunkering in at home, giving into the dipping temperatures and pull of the couch and a good book. We’re cooking comfort food; the slow cookers are unearthed and the ceramic stockpots are back in rotation. It’s soup season. Root vegetables are appearing on countertops, and twinkle lights are strung. We’re thinking about dipping our toes into the holidays, maybe wrapping a gift or two here and there.

November is the perfect in-between month. A time to prepare and putter in the kitchen. A time to gather in and come together. A time of expectation of what’s yet to come and thankfulness for what has been.

The calendar says November, and my heart says holiday season.

Now, when I say holiday season, I mean the entirety of the holidays which, for me, start in September with back-to-school and go through January 1st. So, as far as I’m concerned, we are smack dab in the middle of holidays right now. In our home, we celebrate the holidays in a big way. We don’t mix them up or clump them together — there are no two-fers here! But sometimes the Christmas tree is up before Thanksgiving. Sometimes the pumpkins come out in August. Maybe it’s because I worked at a Hallmark store throughout high school and college (and I still work for Hallmark as a DaySpring employee!), but I don’t mind Christmas in July. Or October. Or November. Or February. I just don’t feel like there needs to be a defined season of joy, a timestamp on peace, or a cutoff on cheer.

Jesus didn’t arrive with a “Do Not Open Before 12/25” tag. He came for us all, all the time. In the grey days of November. In the summer heat of August. In the slushiness of March and the blossoms of May. When we’re looking for Him and when we’re running from Him. When our hearts are soft and open, and when they’re hard and closed.

In all seasons of the year and of our lives, Jesus comes for us.

Whether your month includes gathering for Thanksgiving with family and friends, mundane days at the office, a kid who has come down with the flu, or decorating for Christmas, you can celebrate everyday grace, the kind that delivers no matter what. We can celebrate everyday gratitude, no matter our circumstances. We can celebrate our God, who was both born holy and grew up experiencing the everyday that we live. A paradox in and of Himself — the Holy of Holies wearing everyday flesh — what an amazing God.

As we welcome the holiday season, it’s okay to be our whole selves — melancholy, joyful, or a mix of both. He welcomes us wholly at any time, in any space, in all of our seasons.

p.s. If you want to put your tree up, listen to a Christmas song, or use peppermint mocha creamer in your coffee, go for it. You’re in good company.

Article by Anna E. Rendell from the (in)courage archives.

 

And now a new fall recipe for you!

The most wonderful time of the year is on the horizon, which means the holiday season is on our minds. We are making our menus to celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States, and we’ve got a great side dish for you to add. This classic seasonal corn casserole from Nancy C. is just the ticket for stepping further into fall, celebrating Thanksgiving, and even tiptoeing into welcoming winter and Christmas. Scroll down for the recipe and to download a FREE printable recipe card!

Corn Casserole

Download the FREE recipe card here!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 45-50 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 (15-oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (14.75-oz) can cream-style corn
  • 1 (8.5-oz) box corn muffin mix (like Jiffy®)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease an 8×8” or 9×9” baking pan or casserole dish with butter or cooking spray; set aside.
  2. In large bowl, combine the corn and cream-style corn with the cornbread muffin mix, then add the melted butter and sour cream (or Greek yogurt). Add in the eggs, mixing everything well. Pour into prepared baking pan.
  3. Bake at 350˚F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until casserole is set and middle is firm.
  4. Remove from oven and serve while warm.

To create the beautiful look that Nancy created here, set the dish on one of these Tea Towels, bake the casserole in the Simply Elegant Baking Dish, and place silverware in the Enjoy Today Caddy. Then serve to family on chili night, as a side dish at Thanksgiving, or bring to a potluck gathering with friends! Find these serving pieces and more in the full Mary & Martha collection — now available at DaySpring.com.

And tell us – how do you tiptoe into the holidays?

Present Suffering, Future Glory

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I bought flowers for myself yesterday.

The grocery store had a sale. $6.99 for a dozen roses. White, yellow, hot pink. Long stems with full buds that I knew would soon burst into a glorious multi-petal display. For now, they hovered between sleep and wakefulness. Thus the price tag. But the hints of vibrant color spoke of a future glory, and I couldn’t resist.

So I bought a dozen. Shelled out the seven bucks and change. Drove home, carried them inside, through the living room, and into the kitchen. I found a crystal clear glass vase, filled it with lukewarm water. Then, I pulled the roses out of their packaging, trimmed each of the twelve stems to different lengths, and slid one stem at a time into the water, carefully arranging each to display their collective beauty.

Satisfied, I carried the vase to my office and set it on my bookshelf, directly across from my desk. Then I sat in my office chair and admired my roses. This is where I spend most of my days — in my office, writing, praying, learning, and collaborating. This is where I do the ordinary lackluster tasks of life and work. But now, every time I need a shot of beauty and hope, I turn and look at my roses. And something within me settles, exhales.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV

It’s been a challenging week. Actually, it’s been a long stretch of multiple challenging weeks, one right after another. This happens sometimes; it’s part of life. There are good days and not-so-good days. I’ve lived long enough to know this is how it works.

I know you know something about this, too. You have your difficult days and weeks. Like me, you probably have days when the bad seems to far outweigh the good. Like a furious storm that blurs the landscape outside your window, all you can see is bad weather. When will it end?

When, Lord, when? 

This is why I bought myself a dozen roses yesterday. I knew I needed to stop looking at the rain and instead fix my eyes on future glory. I needed to remind myself that my story — your story — is yet unfolding. In the timeline of eternity, we hover between sleep and wakefulness, unable to grasp how it will all work out in the end. Goodness, what a mess it all seems! Who could possibly unravel the impossible knot that is this human existence?!

When, Lord, when? 

Though God may appear absent or indifferent, that can’t be further from the truth. He’s here, and He’s already put everything in place for a glorious unfolding. Like a rosebud hovering between sleep and wakefulness, resurrection is just around the corner. New life, better life, in glorious display, full of vibrant color that will take our breath away. And a beauty that will make us forget all about the rain.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Yes, Lord. Make it so. 

 

‘Yes Girl, Me Too’ Gratitude

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It was my turn to speak and my throat burned with emotion. We had each taken time to share updates about our lives before we jumped into board meeting business the next day. I sat among women who were different from me in many ways but got me in a way that few did. This small group represented decades upon decades spent away from their passport countries. They were acutely aware of the strange tension I sat in. Their stories that held echoes of mine had undone me. So when it was my turn to share, my initial coherent words crumbled into sobs that burst from my core.

Have you ever related to something so deeply that as soon as you hear it you’re like, “Yesss, yes, that is me”? Maybe your response isn’t melting into a puddle of tears like I did that weekend. Perhaps you react with a simple but exuberant exclamation of gratitude in your “Yes girl, me too!”

We don’t need an algorithm or a list of societal trends to let us know that there are circumstances that just hit us differently. There are areas we relate to in each other because although our lives vary, there are similarities in our experiences. I can’t say how many times I’ve sat in a group of women and our initial discussion on makeup turns into revealing all the places we stash tweezers in order to be ready to catch those stray hairs that seem to pop up when we least expect it. You know, when the sun hits just right.

Those moments with others hit us just right. They trigger familiarity and solidarity and perhaps remind us in seasons of tension that we are not so alone or unalike after all. There is fun and belonging in all the sometimes hilarious ways our aging bodies make our humanity known. Our quirks and personalities shine and flow within the context of these types of settings. Our knowing looks mingle with our laughter and rolled eyes and groans. The collective sounds of “Yes, me too” form the backdrop to deepening relationships — authentic connection.

Years ago when I worked full-time in youth ministry, I tried to be intentional to ease the initial nervousness in my cabin each summer at camp. I would gather the girls into the living room and with a huge grin on my face, dive straight into potentially awkward situations. I encouraged them not to be embarrassed when they had to take care of certain issues in the restroom. Yes, I went there with them because I wanted to name every unspoken fear they might have about being away from home for a week and rooming with girls they may not know. I reassured them that I had packed smell-good sprays and supplies — we were going to be in this together. Their collective laughs of “whew, you too” inevitably filled the room and set a more inviting atmosphere for them to lean into Jesus.

I thought of this recently when a friend sent me a funny video clip about how women in biblical times were separated from others during their monthly cycles. Growing up, I had always thought of it as some kind of punishment, but the older I got, the more I realized the provision in that process.

Can you picture that time away? And if monthly cycles matched, you would potentially be away with other women who got you, echoes of yes, me too, filling that sacred tent. Perhaps the conversations of our biblical sisters weren’t always rippled with peals of laughter. I’m sure the circumstances produced hormonal rawness and emotional vulnerability that wasn’t always pretty. But that’s the point, isn’t it?

Connection isn’t always clean and curated. Connection is lamenting and laughter over bodily rhythms. Solidarity can be understanding and uniqueness over ages, stages, and seasons. Similarities can be found whether we hold space in marriage or singleness. And those moments still relate to current and future generations like you and me.

Maybe we don’t have specific spaces for monthly separation set aside like our biblical sisters did, but we have living rooms, break rooms, kitchens, small groups, online communities, nursing mother rooms, dressing rooms, and more than we may realize.

And yes, even here, there is room to remember that though we are different, we are connected. You may not have access to the sisterhood you long for but aren’t you thankful for what we get to cultivate here? Here in this place too, our brokenness can be mended and burdens lifted by the words of our sisters echoing out the truth of Yes, me too, therefore girl, I see you.

 

Explore these themes of connection, belonging,g and more in Jenny’s faith-filled novel, Her Part to Play.

From Decades of Pain to a Thanksgiving Miracle

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There was a time in my life when my parents couldn’t be in the same room with each other. As a kid, I learned to wait on the wicker loveseat and stare impatiently out the large picture window. (Yes, it was the early nineties and we had wicker furniture in the living room.) As soon as I saw my dad’s black sedan pull into the driveway, I would yell to my sisters that it was time to go and we would race out the front door. Was I that excited to see my dad? Honestly, not really. I was just that eager to avoid him coming up to the house and igniting a possible confrontation with my mom.

In middle school, I remember standing up for my trumpet solo and quickly scanning the crowded gymnasium in search of supportive faces. I spotted my mom in the left set of bleachers and my dad in the farthest possible section to the right. In high school, when I got the lead in Oklahoma, my parents came to different shows, careful not to cross paths lest a community theater become a battleground.

There were a thousand spoken and unspoken hurts between my parents that spilled over into my heart. The way my dad wouldn’t help pay for my sister’s dance classes to make life harder for my mom. The way my mom didn’t hide her disdain for the summer vacations my dad took us girls on, which made me feel like my excitement was a betrayal. Fifteen years of marriage in and as many years of bitterness out. I never knew if their divorce was the right choice, the only choice. As a kid I never longed for them to get back together — I just wanted things to be different. I just wanted to escape the shrapnel of their pain.

At my college graduation, my dad pretended not to hear me when I asked him to stand next to me for a picture with our whole family — the original five. When I was getting married, my mom didn’t want to sit beside my dad and his new wife; my dad didn’t want to sit in the row behind my mom. Several verbal blowups and low blows left me gutted. Three days before my big day, I looked at my wedding dress hanging on the closet door and wondered if my dad would even show up to walk me down the aisle.

I share all this not as a catalog of grievances against my parents but to set the stage for the miracle I never expected.

Fast-forward several years to when my dad was in a difficult place in his life — well, difficult is an understatement. His second marriage had failed, as had his business and his health. Thanksgiving was approaching. Holidays are always extra complicated for kids of divorce. My sisters and I were all married at this point and had to juggle time with our in-laws and separate gatherings for our mom and dad. Now that my dad was single and struggling, the responsibility to host a celebration with him fell to one of us girls — an added stress when our individual lives were already maxed and being with Dad didn’t feel especially celebratory.

The details of what happened next have become a bit fuzzy through the fog of years. The question might have come through an email or group text thread, or maybe we were talking on the phone while I nursed a baby. Either way, I’ll never forget my mom’s words: “How would you feel if I invited your dad to join us for Thanksgiving?”

As I sat there speechless, my mom went on to explain how she understood what a burden it was to navigate three family get-togethers and how the busyness could take away from the joy of the holiday. She said she wasn’t sure if Dad would accept an invitation from her, but she felt like the Lord was asking her to extend it.

Honestly? My first thought was No way! I pictured the awkwardness of being in the same house all together. I thought about how I would take the chaos of bouncing from one Thanksgiving dinner to the next to the next over the tension of sitting at the same table with my parents for an extended meal. The family chasm caused by their divorce was way too wide to bridge with some mashed potatoes and gravy. Years and years of conflict and failed resolutions proved that reconciliation was impossible, right? So why even try?

Given our family history, this knee-jerk reaction was understandable — but it was also rooted in fear. I’m grateful to tell you that my initial response didn’t win out.

The first miracle was my mom asking my dad to Thanksgiving dinner. The second miracle was the doorbell ringing and my dad showing up in his classic corduroy slacks and argyle sweater and handing my mom a bottle of Martinelli’s. The miracles after that were too many to count.

As little ones threw corn kernels from high chairs and unspoken words passed in sideways glances between sisters, we made it through that first Thanksgiving dinner. My dad thanked my mom for inviting him and complimented her cooking. My mom thanked my dad for coming and gave him another piece of homemade pie to go. It felt a bit like I was living someone else’s life.

It was hard and uncomfortable and so very worth it. I left that dinner with a belly full of turkey and a heart full of praise. What I thought was surely impossible turned out not to be. 

From our pain God produced a miracle — and I’m still giving thanks.

That Thanksgiving dinner was the first of many times my mom and dad would sit together at the same holiday table. After that, there was a standing invitation for my dad to join our family celebrations. And I never want to get over the miracle of it. I never want to lose sight of the fact that what took place over plates of green beans and baskets of bread was the work of the Holy Spirit — and a bunch of messed-up people willing to surrender to the gift of His leading.

Think about it: My mom could have ignored the Spirit’s stirring. Pain and resentment could have blocked her from extending an offering of peace and compassion. My dad could have rejected the invitation. Pride and bitterness could have been barriers to reconciliation and connection.

My sisters and I could have dismissed the hope of family harmony. Anger and unforgiveness for the turmoil caused by our parents’ fractured marriage could have prevented the miracle God wanted to do in our family. I could have said the pain of the past was already too much to bear, so why open myself to the possibility of more?

There are a dozen or more reasons why that first family dinner should never have happened following fifteen years of brutal divorce aftermath. But God . . . (Oh, those two small and mighty words.)

But God was working for the good of those who love Him. And that’s the wild thing about what His Word promises! “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).

Did you catch that? All things. God doesn’t just use the moments of our lives that we deem worthy of an Instagram highlight reel. He doesn’t reserve His work only for the times when we get things right, when we walk without stumbling, when we run without being wounded by the pain of our own making. He works all things together for our good. The only qualifier is that we love Him.

I showed up to that unexpected Thanksgiving dinner still carrying old wounds crusted over with the scab of time. I came with my guard partly up and plenty of skepticism stuffed in my back pocket. But I came to the table. And so did my mother, my father, and my sisters. Sometimes just showing up is the beginning to building new bridges of connection. Showing up with a hefty dose of humility helps.

Humility says I’m willing to give the other person the benefit of the doubt.

Humility says being right or even being heard is not the most important thing.

Humility says I’m going to do my best to love well regardless of how someone else chooses to respond.

I didn’t hear those exact words come out of anyone’s mouth that November night, but each person’s actions spoke volumes. And God’s voice in our midst was the loudest. I’m not sure who else heard Him, but I couldn’t ignore the tender, relentless assurance of the Spirit saying, See Me. See how I’m doing the impossible. See how I’m answering prayers you didn’t even know to pray. See how I’m infusing hope and life and healing into your family in ways you never could have imagined.

Perhaps that’s what the Holy Spirit is whispering to you today too.

Written by Becky Keife

Today’s devotion is an excerpt from Becky Keife’s chapter, “What If Pain Is the Stage for Miracles?” in our (in)courage book, Come Sit with Me.

Being human is hard. Being in relationships with other humans is even harder. People are complex and relationships are messy but loving one another well is possible. Whether navigating political or religious differences, dealing with toxic people or our own unforgiveness, this book tackles the struggles no one really wants to talk about. But there is hope! We can actually grow closer to God and others through the circumstances we’d rather run from. Come Sit with Me will show you how. 

How has God worked out the impossible in your life? Or where do you need Him to reframe your pain as the future stage for a miracle? We’d love to hear.

Four Fun Little Ways to Focus on Faith, Family, and Gratitude This Year

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Years ago, I managed a parent’s morning out program at church, and my role included curriculum and craft planning. Oh, how I loved fall’s inspiration. I didn’t have to look beyond my front yard and calendar for ideas – leaves changing color always put on a spectacular show, and the Thanksgiving holiday built an easy theme of “thankfulness” for our toddlers.

As a mom of three, I always loved whatever crafts my kids brought home. Is there anything cuter than a turkey created from a little one’s hand or an excessively embellished construction paper maple leaf? (Though glitter might just be a teacher’s sparkly payback to parents for a classroom full of rambunctious children.)

I’m one of those people who genuinely appreciates “the reason for the season” when it comes to holidays, and at the heart of Thanksgiving is gratitude. Maybe it’s hokey, but I truly love hearing what people are thankful for as we circle around the table, drawn together by family tradition.

Turkey, dressing, and all the fixings are a fine feast for the body, but conversation and connection among people you love is a life-giving feast for the soul.

Old Testament to New, the Bible has a lot to say about thankfulness; in the ESV translation, there are 162 mentions of some form of the word “thanks.” That tells me it’s important to God. And, what’s important to God, should be important to you and me.

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” In a world that seems to be increasingly, well, rude, it is more essential than ever to instill gratitude and godliness in our children. True, children are most captive to a parent’s authority while living at home, but we can still influence adult kids whenever we’re together. When we model godly attributes, it continues to reinforce what they learned when they were young.

It’s equally important to remember that your influence isn’t limited to children in your life. Everyone we encounter can be impacted by how we live and how we treat them.

Even if you’re in the midst of a really hard season – especially if you’re in the midst of a really hard season – it’s important to look for reasons to be thankful and to express your gratitude to God.

So, with the Thanksgiving holiday nearing, regardless of who you’ll be celebrating with, why not be intentional about encouraging a thankful heart?

Here are a few fun ideas that will engage family and friends of all ages:

Make a Thankful Box. Over the years, submissions to our Thankful Box were “required” before eating Thanksgiving dinner. Paper, pens, and any old box will do. Multiple submissions are encouraged. Over dessert, while everyone is still seated at the table, it is so much fun to pull slips from the box and read what everyone contributes. We did it anonymously, and there’s an added measure of fun to guess who submitted the more creative entries.

Create a Thankful Banner. Tape a poster board or large sheet of craft paper in a spot where everyone gathers, making sure it’s at a reachable height for all. Have colorful markers nearby. Write “I am thankful for…” in the center of the banner, and direct everyone to add their own ideas. We did this for the first time last year, and I left it up for months after Thanksgiving. (Our children all live out of town and this was a sweet little way to keep their presence near – bless my mama’s heart!) What I didn’t expect were the comments from friends who saw the banner long after Thanksgiving was over. They said things like, “We need to do something like that!” and “What a great idea!” It showed me how you can guide others to focus on something meaningful and gently point them to Jesus through the answers you write on the banner.

Sprinkle your table with “thankful” Bible verses. As I mentioned, the ESV translation lists 162 Bible verses about thanksgiving. A simple way to focus on gratitude is to print out your favorite verses and place them around your table. You could also ask friends and family ahead of time to think about their favorite “thankful” verse and then share them during your Thanksgiving meal.

Include a poetry slam. Prior to your Thanksgiving celebration, invite guests to write a gratitude-focused poem. Now before you dismiss this idea, I can tell you from experience your guests might surprise you. While I’ve never done this for Thanksgiving, I’ve thrown out the challenge to our missional community (small group), and they far exceeded my expectations. I suggested writing haikus because they’re only three lines, but everyone was free to do whatever they wanted. The creativity of those both old and young was impressive. Try this, and you’ll be delighted by the response.

What are your traditions or practices that cultivate gratitude among your family and friends?

It pleases God when we express our gratitude for what He has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son. When we understand the gospel’s good news, how can we not be thankful?

So, this year as we gather around tables, when many of us are fighting hard battles, let’s find fun ways to focus on faith, family, and gratitude. The impact may linger long after the table is cleared and the dishes are washed.

The Broken Made Whole

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Last year I had a huge crack in my windshield from a rock that flew up and hit my car on the highway. Luckily, I had insurance to cover the cost of replacing it. But then a month or so later, it happened again. I was very upset because I knew I would have to wait a whole year to get insurance to cover another replacement. The good thing about this crack, though, was that it was super small and ran along the very top of the windshield on the passenger side. It actually wouldn’t be a problem at all. In fact, I forgot all about it.

Out of sight, out of mind… until it wasn’t.

Now it has almost been a year, and that tiny crack has slowly made its way directly into my visual field. There is no ignoring it anymore. I see it clearly every day and it distorts my view. I have to look over and under it. It has been so annoying that I talk about it with my husband at least once a week.

I think this is how most cracks happen in our lives. Something hard, painful, or traumatic happened in our childhood or early adulthood creating a fracture in our identity or relationships. But we can keep living life until one day that little crack becomes something we can no longer ignore. We feel the discomfort it brings up. We see it in our stories. It is distorting the way we see ourselves, our world, and even how we see God. It is impacting our relationships and influencing our decisions. This wound feels too big for all the bandaids we’ve placed on it. It requires real and deep healing that we can’t handle alone.

In John 4, we meet the Samaritan woman with fractured relationships and broken self-worth.

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband.”
John 4:16-18 ESV

We are not told in the text the exact event that first created the crack in her life, but we can tell by this glimpse into this woman’s story that she is wounded. As we read about her encounter with Jesus, it’s clear she has a distorted view of life.

She is isolated. Whether an intentional decision to avoid people or because others have rejected her, she came to the well alone at the hottest part of the day, which is an uncommon practice.

She is insecure. Her immediate response to Jesus asking for water is to point out the racial and gender difference that makes her less than Him.

She is defensive. She tries to push Jesus away. “Are you greater than our Father Jacob who gave us this well?” As Jesus digs deeper into her personal life, she avoids the topic and shifts to blaming the Jews for telling Samaritans where they ought to worship.

Her brokenness was visible to her, to her community, and to Jesus. And while everyone else chose to ignore it, Jesus went out of His way to travel through Samaria and visit at a well to make her whole. Jesus chose this broken woman — with all her trauma and cracks — to be the first person to know that He is the Messiah. Not His disciples or His family, but her. And she becomes the first evangelist.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.
John 4: 28-30 ESV

Shame had silenced her and caused her to hide. Rejection had told her that she was beyond repair. But after meeting Jesus, she ran to the very people who rejected her and joyfully proclaimed her encounter with the Messiah! The story that once caused her shame became her ministry platform to point people to Jesus.

Friend, we all have these cracks. God can use the pain you’ve endured for a purpose, but living in the brokenness is not your purpose. You are meant to have abundant life and wholeness. So will you allow Jesus to expose those wounds so He can heal you from the inside out?

Jesus will not allow shame to steal your identity nor rejection to steal your purpose. He is waiting for you.