https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpSxEWXE_mo A grateful heart comes from a thankful heart.(Tweet this.) For years, this has been a favorite song of mine this time of year. I only listen to it in the fall. It soothes my soul and brings peace to my heart. A prayer set to a soft melody. I played it over and over while preparing this post for … [Read more...]
40 Days of Encouragement – Begins this Saturday!
Would you believe this Saturday we have only 40 days before Christmas? Bite your tongue! You say? If you're anything like me you roll your eyes when you see ceramic snowmen displayed in September and sigh heavily when you think of all you have to do before Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. Busyness is a common commodity this time of … [Read more...]
5 Fun Christmas Traditions
Family traditions don’t always begin with much fanfare. My mother had no idea what she’d done. She was an incredible mom. Distracting her four children with hot cocoa and Rice Krispy Treats kept us from arguing about who would hang the prettiest ornaments, instead, our mouths were full of sugary heaven. Fast forward twenty-five years, hot cocoa … [Read more...]
Christmas – Where Hope & Purpose Meet
I answered the phone like the thousands of 911 calls before. My body responded to the frantic woman on the other end of the line and sat straight up at attention. “My daughter’s boyfriend wants to kill himself.” Her voice cracked and her statement came out as a plea for help. Almost mechanically, I took charge of the call, asking the “who, … [Read more...]
Call the Police. I’m an Ornament-Felon.
Call 911. I want to turn myself in. My name is Joanne and I am an ornament-felon. My children will be including this sordid chapter of their childhood in their autobiography one day. It's a tradition in our home that each child hangs their own special ornaments. The older you get, the more ornaments you have made and collected over the … [Read more...]
