Love… One Sip At A Time // A Valentine Tea Party
I started hosting tea parties in an older home propped as pretty as you please on the corner of a quiet street. A family of four in a two-bedroom, one-bath home made for a tight fit, and tea parties felt downright snug, but no one would change a thing. Some teas were scripture-based, and others celebrated holidays, but every time, the room filled with the scent of scones, floral tea, and...
Silence in the Snow and Why We All Need It
In our former house on a city street, snow was the only hope for silence. Every other day was filled with sounds of cars and trucks whizzing by, occasionally hitting the telephone pole that sat only inches away from the road. Across the street was the police department and catty-corner to the old home place was the fire department. No time was sacred -- the blaring horn and flashing lights...
Re-Gifting the Beautiful Gift of the Gospel
No greater gift exists than the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the very definition of Christmas. [Tweet "The gospel is the good news of gracious acceptance. -Tim Keller"] As mentioned in last week's post, there seems to be a softness to one's soul this time of year. Songs, the scent of certain foods, hymns, readings, and traditions take many of us back to simpler days. But this divinely placed...
Re-Gifting the Fragrance of Forgiveness
"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” -Mark Twain Fragrances during the Christmas season can evoke a mix of emotions, even unexpected ones. One whiff of vintage vinyl and I become ten years old all over again, upstairs in my grandmother's house where we played Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby. Or the scent of firewood freshly split for the...
Re-Gifting the Gift of Grace this Christmas
Who can forget the episode of Seinfeld when Dr. Tim Whately is accused of re-gifting a label maker to Jerry? It's true that re-gifting is often frowned upon but some gifts are just meant to be given more than once. Over the next few weeks, I hope you'll join me as we explore what it means to re-gift these types of gifts⎯those purchased in the eternal and wrapped by the love a Savior. Today,...
Meaningful Words Begin With Living A Meaningful Life
Living a meaningful life is a worthy pursuit, wouldn't you say? But exactly how does one define "meaningful"? For me, it goes something like this: Embracing the eternal {God, relationships, the gospel} so tightly, so fully, that the temporal {"stuff", foolish arguments, stepped-on-toes} are gasping for air. The desire to live more intentionally was the catalyst for a recent change -- a reset...
Why We Need A Place to Pray {& How to Find it}
It's no secret that we can pray in any place we choose but there's something {at least for me} about having a dedicated space that helps me to stay focused on God and His Word. Moving into a smaller home forced us to downsize in every way, especially when it came to furniture. But one thing I rallied to keep was a 3 piece set from the first ice cream parlor in Simpsonville SC, and I'm so glad...
Unpacking Four Lessons Learned From Our Move
I didn't plan to be away so long. When I went away on our family beach vacation in early September I fully expected to return to blogging the following week. This, despite the fact we had only a handful of days to pack our life up in brown paper boxes, close on two houses, and move to our new place in the foothills of the mountains, almost an hour away. But that's not what happened. My time...
When Spiritual Clutter Hides Beneath the Physical
Maybe it's the sentimental clutter crying for relief in my attic. Or perhaps it's the upcoming move signaling a fresh start. Point is, Joshua Becker's latest release, "The More of Less...Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own" left me questioning what spiritual clutter might be discovered beneath my sentiment-driven, what-if-I-need-this-some-day,...
Cathy Baker
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