December 14, 2025 Photo by JillWellington on Pixabay Life is ever full of surprises, but Christmas brings  extra  surprises and such. One of the best parts is planning and preparing surprises for our loved ones. As we grow older, we find that more joy comes with giving than receiving, and in preparing surprises and delights.  This is a reflection of God’s love for us, which is demonstrated beautifully in the Christmas story. It started with a surprise for Mary and Joseph when

Written December 23, 2021 Reposted Dec. 24, 2024 My childhood home was filled with music, especially at Christmastime. I developed an...

December 23, 2020 ~ Reposted December 24, 2024 My childhood bedroom was on the 2nd floor overlooking the backyard. I can remember many a...

December 16, 2024 December is the month when the trees are most vibrant and stunning around here. I’ve been struck by their brilliance as...

December 24, 2023 It’s Christmas Eve. All is calm, all is bright. Sigh. This day is a landing place after a busy stretch of days and...

Comparison is the thief of joy. --Theodore Roosevelt It’s perfectly natural to feel a let-down after the holidays. We don’t realize how...

December 9, 2021 Ah, the gift list! What can we give? Where do we find it? What can we make or create? How much will we spend? Time,...

December 1, 2021 As much as I love holiday festivities, gatherings, and traditions, I had a sense of relief last year when the pandemic...