I know, I know. Here I am mentioning Christmas and we’ve not even carved a turkey yet.
But there’s a good reason, maybe two. In last week’s Tiny House Tuesday, I shared how this would likely be the final 2019 post due to dad’s recent surgery. {Thank you for your prayers. He continues to recover well.}
Also, despite the desire to create “Silent Night” December days, the real soundtrack that plays for many of us sounds more like the song Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. But it’s not the reindeer that runs us slap over. It’s the shopping, the list of to-do’s, the baking⏤the parties that extroverts enjoy and introverts survive.
So let’s decide now⏤before the traveling, the turkey, and the rush to buy maximum-strength Tums⏤to prepare our soul for the celebration of Christ with holy intent, refusing to allow circumstances to decide for us:
Preparing My Soul Through Prayer
Before animals go into hibernation, they prepare a safe place to lessen the chances of being ambushed by other animals. Many of us shift into a whole other gear during the holiday season. It’s almost as if November and December deserve a separate calendar. Starbucks Chestnut Praline holiday drinks pack on the pounds, while the checking account quickly disintegrates beneath the weight of the Amazon delivery truck. In our “hibernated” state, we can become easy prey, leaving us vulnerable for a cultural ambush.
But prayer protects our holy intentions to stay focused on Christ by purposefully shifting our gaze heavenward, gaining clarity we do not naturally possess.
“Remember, our prayers do not need to be long. Sometimes a word or two will suffice.” — David Jeremiah
Preparing My Soul Through the Celebration of Advent
The word Advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming.” It’s a 4-week celebration that captures our longing to celebrate the first arrival of Jesus, as well as the Second. Advent can be celebrated in several ways⏤calendars, Advent displays with 25 drawers or pockets to fill, devotionals, etc.
This year, I’m reading Walter Wangerin’s Preparing for Jesus: Meditations on the Coming of Christ, Advent, Christmas, and the Kingdom.(The Kindle version is 2.99). Up until now, I celebrated Advent quietly and privately. But this year, through my church, small group, and my children, I learned the beauty of biblical community. I still have a lot of room for growth, but more on that in 2020.
For now, I hope you will join me on Instagram beginning December 1st as I plan to celebrate Advent through scripture, prayers, prompts, and poetry each day leading up to Christmas. It’s one way we can pause to celebrate our glorious Christ together. {Each day will also include a *tiny* snapshot of Christmas at the Tiny House on the Hill.}
“God is coming! God is coming! All the elements we swim in, this existence, echoes ahead the advent. God is coming! Can’t you feel it?” — Walter Wangerin
Preparing My Soul By Planning Wisely
Before Thanksgiving (ideally), set aside a few minutes to gather your people and pull out the calendar. Decide what you’ll say yes to and what you’ll decline⏤guilt-free. You may not know which parties or events you’ll be invited to in December, but you can determine the number of events you want to occupy your family calendar. Jot down a few traditions you enjoy as a family and refuse to budge for they are the builder of memories that will last a lifetime.
“The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
Preparing My Soul in Song
Our turntable rarely stops spinning during the Christmas season. I play Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Johnny Mathis because it reminds me of cooking in the kitchen with my grandmother while her stereo spun these crooners in the background.
But nothing stirs this soul like Michael Card’s The Promise and Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb. One can’t help but sing when Word-immersed lyrics grab hold of both heart and mind.
“The Savior has rescued us that we might sing the song of the redeemed. May we sing it well. May we sing it constantly. May we sing it passionately. May we sing it for his glory and the advancing of his gospel until the time comes when our songs will never end.” — Bob Kauflin
Preparing My Soul in the Pause
When we choose to pause, to slow down and consider our days, we’re able to see unique opportunities to celebrate and share the love of Christ during this particular season. To help in this effort, subscribers (or as I like to say, “our *tiny* community), will receive an easy-to-print download called KEEPING CHRISTMAS.
Here are four possibilities for using this resource:
(1) Read the daily entry that includes a scripture verse and the simple but meaningful way to make Christ known that day.
(2) Read the few words of scripture beside each Sunday and meditate on them throughout the week.
(3) Do both!
(4) Print all three pages and cut each day into daily slips, using them as inserts for your Advent calendar.
If you’re not yet a part of the community, come on in and take a seat. We hope you’ll make yourself right at home in the Tiny House on the Hill.
In addition to KEEPING CHRISTMAS, you’ll also receive a PRIVATE VIDEO CHRISTMAS TOUR of the Tiny House on the Hill!
Hop over to the sidebar and you’ll find a space at the top eagerly awaiting your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you’re already part of the community {thank you!}, watch for your link in today’s Monthly Letter.
Now that the tiny studio build is coming to completion, watch for exciting opportunities coming our way in 2020! But for now, I hope you’ll follow me on Instagram and join in the Advent celebration beginning Sunday, December 1st.
“Awake, my soul!” Psalm 57:8
I pray this Thanksgiving and Christmas season will offer sweet opportunities to bless others, glorify God, and hold our families a little tighter than normal.
The littles love their tiny loft, and maybe the reading nook too.
When Sarah, my daughter-in-law, created these signs last summer I never imagined it would be over a year before two of our six grandchildren had a place to hold them up. Though the nook and loft are not completely finished, the end is finally in sight and as happy as I am, Brian is even happier.
The Reading Nook
Initially, I planned for the reading nook to be the size of a full mattress and closed off, in hopes of giving it a quiet, cozy feel. It didn’t take long, however, to realize that the eight-foot-long window/desk would barely squeeze into the remaining space so we switched the size to a twin. I was disappointed, but the tiny house was created mainly for writing, so I begrudgingly agreed with reality and here we are.
As I played with the idea of closing off this tiny twin nook, I came across a picture in Cottage Living that reminded me of the second-story sleeping porch in Thomas Wolfe’s home, located in Asheville, NC. Its surrounding walls, consisting mainly of windows, make for an airy, bright, and downright dreamy space.
So we decided to make an interior “window” that matched the other three inside the nook. Now, natural light shines through, lending an open feel to the entire tiny house. It may not feel quite as cozy but I figure the stack of vintage chenille spreads, fluffy back pillows, and a copy of Look Homeward, Angel in the corner will help readers feel right at home.
The Littles’ Loft
As an eight-year-old, I dreamed of creating a tiny space in my grandparent’s attic. It was a hidden world above their single-storied home, accessed only by a string that dangled from the door on the ceiling.
The rectangular-shaped attic was bookended by windows. On one side, an iron rod holding vintage dresses coffined in garment bags stretched for what seemed like miles. Brightly colored polyester pieces peeked out from their plastic as if to beg for attention.
On the other side, boxes housed Christmas for eleven months of the year. Grandmother and Granddaddy focused on family instead of fanfare, reflected in the content of the containers that held their decorations, and my memories.
Like the attic in their home, our littles’ loft in the tiny house will be accessible by narrow slats of wood that climb twice as high as their heads. Strategically placed bars across the front, a couple of bean bags, and a comfy throw rug will offer a nice spot to read, play games, or hide Hatchables.
While their tiny “hidden world above” won’t hold vintage dresses or Christmas storage, it will hold the potential to create memories they’ll not soon forget.
Yes, the loft and reading nook are tiny, but if my grandparents’ pocket-sized home taught me anything, it’s that the size of a home doesn’t determine the amount of love it can hold.
So, I’d love to know… what book would you bring to read in the tiny reading nook?
Because gratitude begins when we take notice.
Download your fall calendars today! They include a daily gratitude prompt {that you might not expect!} and they’re perfect for the fridge, your bedside table, or near your coffee pot, where you’re sure to see it every morning.
It’s one small but meaningful way of showing my gratitude for your desire to be a part of this *tiny* community. Simply type your email address in the “Come On In” section at the top of the sidebar box and you’ll receive my monthly letter from the Tiny House on the Hill, a couple of posts each month, and access to this gift as well as all past gifts. You can unsubscribe at any time.
God’s gifts surround us at every turn, but gratitude begins when we take notice.
September is an in-between kind of month. You know, the month that loosens its grip on summer with one arm and stretches to meet fall with the other.
Depending on where you live, it’s a toss-up deciding whether to stow away summer shorts or pull down the oversized, fluffy sweaters from the attic. This decision, however, requires no tossing on my part. {Oversized for the win!} Crisp breezes, bonfires, and sweater necks that crest my chin can’t come soon enough for me.
But in my rush to get to October, it’s easy to use September as a mere stepping stone.
I’m still learning how life is to be savored like a steamy cup of hot tea, and not guzzled down like a thirty-ounce Big Gulp from 7-11. Slowing down long enough to notice people, beauty, and the gifts God places in my life.
Gratitude begins when we take notice.
Those six words have greeted me most mornings over the past several weeks. With them in mind, I began taking the initiative to observe God’s gifts in the here-and-now rather than wait for a specific prayer time to consider my blessings.
Most nights before bedtime, I jot down one gift from God I noticed that day. This simple but intentional act heightens my awareness of God’s gifts and increases my gratefulness in unexpected ways:
“Thank You, God” is whispered (and sometimes shouted) throughout the day.
My appreciation for God’s love and care through creativity continues to increase. God could’ve chosen to give us a bland existence. Instead, He filled it with vivid colors, scents that breed nostalgia, and sounds that are sweet to our ears.
I feel more content. Kind of a throwback to Cindy Morgan’s song in the early ’90s, “How Could I Ask for More?”
Intentionality dares complacency to get in the way of giving God glory.
With this same intentionality, I’ve been working for several weeks on the NEW Fall 2019 gift for subscribers, Spot God’s Gifts Every Day, based on James 1:17:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” [emphasis mine]
Spot God’s Gifts Every Day includes three individual weekday calendars with a daily gift to spot during this beautiful season, September-November. They’re pretty, easy to print (8-1/2″ x 11″), and perfect for the fridge or bedside table. Or tape it to the interior cabinet door that holds one of morning’s most precious gifts, the coffee mugs (which didn’t make the cut but is appreciated nonetheless.)
One of my favorites in this gift — FIREFLIES: God’s living glints of light buzz only a little longer during these final nights of summer.
I hope you enjoy this latest gift from The Tiny House on the Hill. Even more, I pray God will use it stir gratitude to the point of praise throughout our days.
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton
{To assist in jotting down your own gift spotting, I’m giving away a set of two mini-pocket Moleskine journals. Simply leave a comment sharing one gift from God you’ve spotted today!}
When you subscribe to become a part of this *tiny* community, you’re simply saying, I believe God is putting the gospel on display through this ministry and I want to be a part of what He is doing here.
Members of The Tiny House on the Hill community receive 2-3 blog posts in their inbox each month, and a monthly letter that can include:
Creative ideas for connecting with God and others.
Exclusive download gifts to enjoy.
Behind-the-scenes pictures/videos of the progress on the tiny house.
First-to-know updates on my books, guest posts, and articles.
A fun monthly giveaway and more!
What’s not to love? *smile*
It’s easy! Type your email address in the sidebar to claim your Spot God’s Gifts Every Day calendars, as well as access to other freebie resources as my way of saying thank you.
“Gather Co-Listeners” is one of my favorite chapters in Emily P. Freeman’s latest book, The Next Right Thing.
In it, Emily shares how, in the midst of transition and all the questions that came with it, she and her husband invited a few trusted friends in different stages of life to simply listen to their words and see what they had to say. Although they weren’t asking for advice, they were open to it.
She says, “We wanted people we loved and trusted to hear what we were saying, to see if there was something obvious we were missing, and to be with us in the midst of our uncertainty.”
Their friends listened, asked questions, and prayed for them. They even agreed to do it again a few months later. Emily goes on to share how God used their community of co-listeners to eventually help make her husband’s next step clear. They didn’t sit around complaining about how people weren’t showing up in their time of need. Instead, Emily and her husband prayerfully and intentionally sought out co-listeners to join them on their journey.
She shares more details in her FABulous book, so while you wait for your copy to arrive (or possibly win one here!), here are three simple things Emily suggests you keep in mind if gathering your own group of co-listeners:
“One, do it on purpose. …There’s something powerful about gathering people specifically for the purpose of listening, asking questions, and reflecting.”
“Two, the co-listeners don’t have to know one another, but they all need to know you well.”
“Finally, you have to ask them.”
Brian and I have shared in a small setting, but I can’t say we’ve ever intentionally invited others over to simply listen. That might just be our next right thing! Thanks, Emily.
Becoming a Worthy Co-Listener
“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” – Karl A. Menninger
Think back to the last time you felt listened to — How did it make you feel?
Understood?
Loved?
Connected?
Relieved?
Healed?
Chances are your listener possessed one or all of these fundamental elements:
A Godly Motivation
Several years ago when Brandon, our oldest son, and his new bride, Megan, called to ask if they could come over for a few minutes, we knew something was up. Turns out, he was offered a position as a worship pastor in Ohio. You know, the eight-hours-away-Ohio.
At that moment, my flesh wanted to cry out, “No, please don’t leave!” but quietly below the chaotic flesh was the remembrance of inked lines in my prayer journal where I often asked God to use our boys for His glory. Although this mama’s heart struggled, trying to hold on for all the wrong reasons was not going to happen.
{I wish I always listened with two ears and a heart bent toward heaven, but I don’t.}
So before agreeing to be a co-listener in any setting, maybe we would be wise to ask God to search our hearts first.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23, 24
If we find ourselves waiting for the person to hurry and finish up so we can one-up her, or tell her about our experience (that we thought of while she was sharing), or give advice based on anything but God’s truth, we may want to stay here for a while and soak.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 ESV
Spiritual Maturity in Action
Since joining our church last year, I’m reminded of how spiritual maturity has little to do with age. Our small group consists mostly of young couples and college-aged students. I marvel at their wisdom and knowledge of the Word. But I’m especially inspired by the tenacity in which they seek to grow in their faith.
Speaking the truth in love, birthed from a godly motivation, benefits the body of Christ, whether we co-listen in a group setting or over a lavender latte in the local cafe. *wink*
Rather, speaking truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ… Ephesians 4:15
Embrace the Ministry of Listening
“Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener and whose work they should share. We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak the Word of God.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I’d never considered listening as a ministry, but it’s true, isn’t it? When we listen well, we make ourselves available to share in the work of Christ, lending the ears of God and the power of the Word to those who seek it.
So much of Emily’s book has inspired me to reclaim forgotten truths, like the beauty discovered in a listening ear.
If you would like to have an opportunity to win a copy of **The Next Right Thing, by Emily P. Freeman, simply share one way you would like to improve your listening skills in the comment section below.
**This is an affiliate link which means if you purchase this book by clicking the link above, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. {Savin’ for that latte!}
Soli Deo Gloria! (Glory to God Alone)
{Tiny House on the Hill subscribers: Be sure to check your inbox tonight. Your Monthly Letter includes the first peek of our flooring choice for the tiny house, specific ways to pray for children as they head back to school, and ways to use a simple picnic basket to remind people of God’s love. I appreciate you so much!}
I didn’t want insulation used in the tiny ceilings.
It cost more in both time and money, and studios shown on Pinterest didn’t use it (hello, white-washed beams). Need I say more? *wink*
But my husband, being the wise steward that he is, insisted. The hours spent writing + the depth to which I detest feeling hot = a quickly depleted electricity budget, so Brian dressed in his Oompa Loompa outfit and got to work.
You can see from the door color that he started this project months ago, one rectangle at a time. Now that the exterior is complete (except for my porch light), he’s oompa loompin’ right along.
I may not fully appreciate a prickly-pink shield around the walls and ceilings right now, but I know that day is coming. Stifling southern summers and bitter cold days will ensure this heart ends up grateful to the hubby who made it happen.
Receiving protection creates a grateful heart.
King David defined a grateful heart in Psalm 3:3:
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
When he wrote this, his son and former friends had turned against him. Some were saying there was no help for him from God because he didn’t deserve it. (2 Samuel 16:8) But it’s for this very reason that Psalm 3:3 sweeps our soul off its feet with the same excitement of a bridegroom carrying his new bride over the threshold.
I love this! David isn’t asking God to be his shield⏤he’s declaring that God is his shield. And in this truth, he finds rest, both spiritually and physically. (Psalm 3:5)
David doesn’t allow anyone or anything to cloud his confidence in God’s power of redemption.
He knows Whose he is, and that’s a shield of protection that no season in life, circumstance or person can penetrate.
Though the insulation will soon hide behind the walls, its protection will be evident in every season.
“…your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
May God’s power and protection be evident in every season of our lives as we declare that He is our shield!
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