2020

No matter what has happened or not happened this year, how busy or how bored I've been, how happy or how sad, I have found time each day to pause, focus, reflect, search, embrace, or at least desire to embrace something or someone. That, in and of itself, is powerful. Transformative. A reminder that we make time for what is important. That there is always time. Time for a moment, a word, a vision, a breath, a smile that can turn an entire day--an entire year--on its head. And it all began with one word . A focus for the year. Declaring who  I wanted to be and how I wanted to live 2013. With arms wide open. Confronting fears head on. Receiving opportunities and unexpected gifts, ordinary days and extraordinary moments. Inviting the world into my heart and extending that invitation to you, in case seeing the world through my eyes might enlarge your vision as well. Because none of us journey alone. We are called to be encouragers, to love one another, to build one another u...

Sometimes Saturdays are about sleeping in, watching cartoons, and not having to go to school. Other times they are about running errands and cleaning house and having a big breakfast of pancakes or french toast. According to Tessa the best thing about Saturdays is that "Daddy doesn't go to work", which means he is home all day to play. I have never heard anyone say "I hate Saturdays". We all love these times of breaking routine and slowing down and being together. But I don't think we have to limit those things to Saturdays. Just like we don't have to limit Christmas to one day. Christmas too is about family and togetherness and love and celebration. Even if Mondays aren't like Saturdays and Wednesdays aren't like Christmas we can still find moments of togetherness and breaking routine and slowing down to appreciate what is important no matter what the calendar says. EMBRACE SATURDAYS . And Saturday-like moments. Each and every day. ...

In a world of thinkers and feelers, I am 100 percent thinker. I haven't the faintest clue what to do with my emotions. In fact I will do most anything to avoid them. Pierce my nose, live in my car, get a tattoo, jump out of an airplane. And those are just the things I've already tried! I love hanging out with emotional people though. Observing them. Trying to rationalize their behavior. Copying their posture and facial expressions to determine what is happening in their bodies. Because when I'm happy I get a knot in my neck. And when I'm sad I get a knot in my shoulder. When I'm angry the tension settles in my lower back. And joy feels a lot like a charlie horse. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that people who are more connected to their emotions don't feel pained by every new feeling. But the world needs both. Thinkers and feelers. And if we are willing to learn from one another, to grow and not be so afraid of the other, we can be more ba...

I absolutely love the holidays. The busy-ness. The togetherness. The loudness. The celebration and shiny things and too much food. And afterwards I absolutely need a day (or 3) of quiet. To reflect. Recharge. And relish all of the gifts that togetherness and busy-ness and loudness brings. So I for one am going to take today to be quiet. To sit and stare. To read and walk. To drive without the radio on. To be alone with my thoughts, remembering my favorite holiday moments and looking forward to the journey to come. EMBRACE QUIET . What about you? Do you relish the post-holiday quiet? Or are you just the opposite, longing once again for noise and toys and holidays to come?

Of all the gifts I gave my nephew for Christmas, these Buzz Lightyear pajamas were definitely his favorite. Above legos and Skylanders and far above the nice shirts I got him. No sooner had he tore into the wrapping than he disappeared down the hall and re-emerged as a superhero. The girls were equally excited about their nightgowns. And I think they were trying to get cousin Riley excited too in the picture above. My family never had the tradition of getting new Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve like it seems so many do. But this year, seeing the kids' excitement inspired me to go home and put on my own Christmas jammies and spend most of Christmas day in them. And I really couldn't imagine a more perfect day. Curled up in flannel, with coffee and movies and leftovers, surrounded by the people (and dog) I love. I think I might have just adopted a new Christmas tradition! EMBRACE PAJAMAS . Are pjs one of your Christmas traditions?

Christmas is filled with magic. It is parents thinking creatively like kids again, participating in the wonder of the season by bringing to life an Elf on a Shelf. It is imagining the possibility of the impossible, where one man could be filled with enough love that, for one magical night, he could bring joy to every child on earth. It is the birth of a Savior, born "without incident", quietly, humbly, with the ability to change the world.   The magic of Christmas is not bought or found in a box wrapped in shiny paper. The magic is found in the snowflakes that hit your windshield on Christmas Eve at 3 in the morning. It is in the handwritten note that your dad put under the tree for you, telling you that he is proud and you are loved. It is in nieces and cousins dancing and singing, "Deck the Halls with lots of holly, Fa la ha ha ha!" It is in spontaneous hugs and mason jars and everyone being home for Christmas. The real magic of Christmas is found in momen...

Kenzi and I were texting a friend of mine on Sunday evening, which sparked a rather interesting conversation. Kenzi : Are you texting Daddy? Me : No. That's not Daddy. That is my friend. Kenzi : Is he going to marry you? Me : Not today. Kenzi : Is he at your house? Me : No. He is at his house. Kenzi : Why? Me : Because his kids are there. Kenzi : And their Mommy? Me : No. She doesn't live there any more. She has a different house. Kenzi : Why? Me : Because sometimes mommies and daddies have different houses. Kenzi : Because they don't love each other any more? Me : That's right. But your Mommy and Daddy will always love each other. Kenzi : Why did you switch houses? Me : So I could live closer to you. Kenzi : I wish you lived in the backyard. Then we could have pajama parties whenever we wanted. I didn't tell Kenzi the whole truth. Where I moved was to be closer to her. But why I moved was because I got divorced. (Though not b...