Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was...
The aroma of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls filled our small ranch house on that Christmas Day in 1983. The tradition established by my mother was an easy breakfast to fix after the pre-dawn awaking of her children. By the time the rolls were in the oven, the sun was up, the gifts were all opened...
The most beautiful Christmas tree I ever saw was a discard on its way to the dump. It had been a lean Christmas for us, and in the absence of more elaborate decorations, my mother built a simple faux fireplace on the main wall of our living room. The mantel allowed just enough room for my...
(edited for length) It is dark and getting darker. Times are as challenging as they have ever been. As we wait and walk through Advent together, let us wrestle with the myths and metaphors that work to keep us locked away from the gifts buried in the luminous darkness. Keep...
It was the last school day before Christmas break. Just home from my school, my brother Paul was taking off his jacket. “So what did you get?” my mom asked. Mom and Paul had spent the previous evening at the local five-and-dime looking for a Secret Santa...
Every Christmas, I, like you, spend a fair amount of time pondering gifts: the gifts I will give to my husband, friends, neighbors, and to my children. As parents, we all want to give our children the best gifts. The New Testament reads, “what man (or woman) is there of...
On the dining room table in our house, a bundle of sage sits next to the Advent wreath. Every night we read from our children’s Advent book, and then from Keepers of the Earth, a book of Native American stories written by Michael Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. I turn the...
The Best Gift Ever! As a young child, presents are opened with such anticipation and surprise as the contents become evident immediately. The best gift that I ever received and am receiving to this very day was not in actually in a festive wrapped box adorned with bright, shiny...
This Advent I am grateful for the gift of hopelessness. Yes, you read that correctly. This past year has been full of heartbreak, suffering, and lament. It follows on the heels of nearly two years of unemployment, financial insecurity, and stress-related health issues. Any hope to which I once...
Her name was Marla, a quiet, pleasant, unassuming young girl in my class at Lebanon High School. Every morning, she came to class, greeted me, sat down, and began working on her assignment. I looked forward to seeing her each day. It was autumn, and several craft shows and bazaars...
