Mary and Martha Throw a Christmas Party--5 Minutes for Faith

Whew! One big holiday down, one big month to go! How are you feeling about it? Are you ready, or not? Excited or exhausted? Anticipating or apprehensive?

Every year I get a little more excited about the month leading up to Christmas. I didn't grow up with any formal Advent observances. The churches I grew up in didn't have Advent readings or Advent candles. When we finally attended one that did, it seemed odd that in my solidly Christian upbringing, I'd completely missed out on such a long-standing tradition. It was so familiar within that church, that they didn't explain it for us newbies, so I still felt like I didn't "get it."

So I was happy to get to our church this morning and see that not only is Advent being observed on Sunday mornings, but they gave us tools to use within our own families. I'm looking forward to incorporating some of the traditional elements of Advent with the newer traditions we've created as a family.

I've shared a little about our family Advent traditions. I've already started getting the books and songs ready to begin on Wednesday evening. Although they're still a little focused on their Christmas lists, I can see that my boys are happily anticipating our Advent activities too.

I haven't always been so Christmas minded during the season. As I wrote this post for 5 Minutes for Faith I was reminded of one of the reasons these traditions are important to me; I have a tendency to get caught up in the details of making things special and I can miss the big picture, the real reason any of it matters. 

There was one specific Christmas when (even though my name is Mary) I played the role of Martha to the hilt. Follow me over and let me know if you're more of a Mary or a Martha when it comes to Christmas.

(And then come back throughout December as I share a storybook and a song for our "25 Stories of Advent" tradition.)

A Taste of Thanksgiving...

This was originally posted a couple of years ago. I pulled it up because I'm making the recipe this week, but the message was a good reminder for me; maybe it will be for you as well. 

It's ironic that the time of year that's supposed to be about family togetherness, thankfulness and good cheer is--all too often--an unfortunate reminder of just how flawed most families are. It's certainly nothing new.

Remember Joseph? The son of clan patriarch Jacob (who got the title of "oldest" son by tricking his father and brother), Joseph was clearly daddy's favorite. And he had no trouble reminding all his brothers of that fact.

When they tired of listening to him gloat and feeling "less than," they threw him down a well. They at least had conscience enough not to leave him there to die, so they sold him to a passing Egyptian caravan to be a slave.

He did work his way into a place of favor and when his family needed his help years later when faced with famine, he forgave them and took them in with the famous line "What you intended for evil, God intended for good."

It can be hard to imagine that some bad family dynamics can be used for good, but at least there's always that glimmer of hope. I know I've got a long list of ways my family was (and is) far from perfect. Some of those experiences taught me things to avoid in my own life; some give me better understanding of other people.

Maybe most important, I've learned that harboring grudges does nothing for me. Forgiveness isn't about setting my "hurter" free, it's about setting myself free from the bondage of the past.

A few years ago I was reminded that I've done my own share of hurting; Jesus went to the cross because of the wrong I've done. But my forgiveness is complete and He doesn't hold any of it against me. 


May this Thanksgiving be just such a reminder for you.

Nutted Wild Rice 
This is a recipe I created a number of years ago to go as a reminder of the forgiveness Joseph offered his brothers. The combination of the grains and fruits and nuts is symbolic of putting aside differences and coming together.

1 cup mixed long grain and wild rice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teasp. curry powder (this isn't a curry dish, the curry powder just adds a nice depth)
1/3 cup diced, mixed dried fruit (peaches, apricots, apples, raisins, etc)
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/3 cup toasted pecan or walnut halves
3 tbsp butter (optional)

Bring chicken broth to rolling boil; add mixed rice and curry powder.

Return to boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat.

Stir in fruit and nuts, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Add butter; fluff with fork before serving.

It's a great side dish with turkey (could be a really nice change of pace to go with the leftovers); throw some chopped turkey in to heat through in the last 5 minutes of cooking and it can be a one-dish meal.

God is in the Detours--5 Minutes for Faith

How's your journey been lately?


Once upon a time, things seemed clearer to me. When we were in college, or Hubs was in seminary, we pretty much knew where we were going and about when we'd get there. There were definitely bumps in the road or unexpected curves, but we didn't doubt or wonder where we were headed.


That hasn't been the case more recently...
 I blogged about it today at 5 Minutes for Faith. Please stop by to see how God used getting lost on the way to church to remind me that a detour isn't always a step in the wrong direction.

Internet Cafe--"Great" Grandparents?

Did you have ‘great’ grandparents? You know, the kind that kept you for a week (or more) every summer. The ones who spoiled you by letting you eat (homemade) cookies before dinner–if they made you eat dinner at all. They listened to you, played games with you, taught you the most important things about life…

When my friend Lydia Harris was working on her book Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting, she asked me to tell her about my relationship with my grandparents. It was hard to know what to say because they weren’t the kind of grandparents I thought she’d want in her book. We didn’t spend the night with them or go on trips together. They didn’t even share my family’s faith, so they didn’t play a role in my faith formation.

But looking back, I can see how important they were nonetheless. Their acceptance of us contributed a lot to who and what my sister and I became...Come on over to Internet Cafe to join the conversation about what makes grandparents 'great.'

The Making of Many Books--Should There be an End?

As dozens of my friends and hundreds of other writers head off to the ACFW conference, I can't help but ponder Solomon's words, "Of making many books there is no end..." Eccles. 13:12

Here we are, some 2,500 years later, the number of books produced every year increasing exponentially as technology simplifies the process. But I'm not sure that I know any writers who haven't momentarily wondered, "Is there any point to adding another volume to the universal library?"

The question may be doubly pointed for the Christian author, "Could the time I spend writing be better used to build the Kingdom?" We know that books written by leading pastors or blockbuster novelists and memoirists are credited with changing lives, but is there really a higher purpose to be found in the pages penned by authors who will never see their name on a best-seller list?

In a business in the northwest, a 40-something man reads a girly, devotional gift book written by one of his employees—primarily out of curiosity and courtesy. In the pages that speak gently of God's presence, he realizes his own distance from God and makes a decision to return to faith.

In a classroom in China, a young girl reads Jane Eyre. For the first time in her intentionally secular childhood, she becomes aware of the existence of God. She takes the first steps toward a relationship with Him as she sees Helen Burns faith and friendship with Jane.

That young girl—now my friend—is raising a new generation to know and love the Lord. And we just learned that her 96 year old grandfather gave his life to Christ this week after she made a trip to China specifically to share her faith with him. Three generations (so far) have been directed toward God because a writer was faithful to the words she was given.

I doubt that Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre as an evangelistic tool. It may never have occurred to her that the book would someday be read in China. And yet the truths that Charlotte included in her work spoke life into the heart of someone who had never heard of "God."

As writers we toil, largely in isolation, hoping our words will communicate Truth to someone who chances to read them. Often, aside from friends and relations, we're not even aware who has read them, let alone hear of the impact they may have had on someone.

But whether we know where our words go and who they touch or not, the effort is isn’t in vain. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.” Col. 3:23.

This is just a brief note to encourage my writing friends to continue to do what you do.


Have you encountered a life-changing book? What was it? I'd love to know.  In coming days I'll be sharing mine...

Going "Back to School"--5 Minutes for Faith

What inspires you?

I figured out quite a while ago that I'm inspired by scenery. I need something pretty to look at when I'm writing. Lovely music helps too. And often, creative thoughts of my own interrupt me when I'm reading excellent writing. (Of course, a good cup of tea doesn't hurt either!)

It took me longer to figure out that those are peripherals. Beautiful scenery or music only enhance the atmosphere for me; they aren't the source from which the words flow.

The concepts that can't be contained nearly always begin when I'm connected to God. I can't count how many book ideas, blog posts and devotions have come to me when I'm sitting in church or listening to the lecture during BSF or doing my Bible study prep.

So you'd think, since I know I need to be in the word to have any real inspiration, that I'd be more consistent in Bible study...

I'm posting today at 5 Minutes for Faith. Join me there to see why this "Back to School" season isn't just for kids.