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I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. We had a great time together and such a feast! Now the days are getting shorter and the nights colder, and it is that special time of the year to remember the coming of Jesus - both in looking back to his birth so long ago in Bethlehem, and then looking ahead to someday when He comes again in glory. All through Advent, we will look at the concept of waiting well.
But first... This is the week that many people across the nation take a whole day to be thankful - and that is no little thing. Gratitude is powerful, and something that we too often forget to hold onto.
Part One of Two
As I write this, I am sitting in front of a crackling fire and sipping on some hot cocoa - I hope that you are just as cozy as you read. We are having unusually cold weather here in Texas this week, and it is so glorious. It really makes it feel like the holidays are finally coming. The wonderful long, dark months of autumn and winter are the perfect time to slow down, relax, and be grateful for all that God has done. (Full disclosure - today was actually a kind of comically busy day, so I am preaching to myself, and taking my own advice.) This summer, Eli and I took a vacation and headed out in our van. We love going to the national parks to camp and hike, and just to enjoy the incredible quiet and beauty. Also, it is a fun list of really different places to visit all over the country. So far we have been to maybe ten of the major parks, and there are almost sixty (we probably should have made an earlier start on this particular list!) This summer, Acadia National Park in Maine was our destination, and it did not disappoint.
I found myself with some time to really think as we drove all of those miles. There may be no better metaphor for life together in our families and communities than is found in driving. There are so many lessons to be learned, and here is one quick thought for today… Recently, as I was reading through the book of Acts, my attention was caught by this passage in chapter 14:
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Hi! I'm Mary - mother to two wonderful grown daughters, wife to an incredible husband, and loving our life in the piney woods of Texas... (read more!)
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January 2025
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