We are quickly approaching that time of year. That time when we get super ambitious and idealistic about the upcoming year, and then set unrealistic goals to match our misconceptions of ourselves and the year. For a season, I just threw my hands in the air and said ‘screw it’. Why set goals when I had no anticipation of going through with them? Am I not being more real by just not setting any at all? Maybe so, but I don’t foster much personal growth. In my 9-5 job, I manage people. And I’ve learned that goals I set for my employees have to meet a certain set of parameters…
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Christmas Comfort Food
This year, my mother in law finally relented and let us all pitch in to help with Christmas dinner. She asked if I’d bring my all time favorite food- mac and cheese. I’m a Velveeta shells and cheese kind of girl, but I think I’m going to up my game this year. Going to go for the home made, baked variety. I’ll have to report back and let you know how it turns out! But then she asked me if there was any particular dish that just made Christmas complete. Nothing jumped to mind right away. So I started clicking through the mental list of foods that felt like Christmas,…
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Bethlehem: Where Hopes Are Realized And Fears Relieved
I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to lead the worship at church the past few weeks. And we are in the full swing of Christmas music! We’ve been singing everything from my favorite Sovereign Grace Christmas album to the classic carols proclaiming the Savior’s birth. When I’m leading, I like to get there pretty early to run through the music, make sure the keys are right, and just get a little bit more comfortable with the set before the band shows up to practice. I was doing just that this past week, when the Lord showed up and totally changed my Christmas season. I was working through the traditional carol…
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Tree Snobs And Mountain Dew
As a kid, Christmas officially began on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Boxes and crates were dragged from the basement, and the red and green takeover began. It was great fun to embarrass my brother over his ‘pouty angel’ homemade ornament each year. And just maybe my mom would trust me enough to help with the invaluable nativity set that her mother painted. But I believe that my most favorite memories involved our Christmas tree each year. You see, my parents were proud ‘real tree’ snobs. We picked out a fresh tree every year, looking down on those who pulled one out of a box each year. For a while, we…
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#ThisIsValentinesDay: How To Love In Real Life
This past weekend was Valentines Day. So many people have different opinions on the holiday. Some love to show their special someone how much they mean to them on this day. Others feel more single than ever. Still some just see it as a holiday that Hallmark invented. I personally love the holiday….I always have. The splash of red and pink as you enter any store for the preceding month just makes my heart happy. I have to resist the urge to buy all the little knick knacks that are advertised. I always buy my employees little Valentines, hoping to make them smile just a little bit at the gesture. Sometimes I get…
