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Sunday, December 11, 2022
When Your Hopes and Dreams are Shattered...
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Christmas and Cancer
Two words that should never be in the same sentence... but they are, for too many of our loved ones.
Celebrating Christmas with cancer, there is no right (or wrong) way.
Every cancer journey is completely personal. Some are very private and others very open.
Mom was willing to share her story because she wanted her pain to matter. And I know she prayed it might be of help to other pancreatic cancer patients.
She was also very practical and she faced that first Christmas with a grim determination and a huge dose of grace. With a prognosis of 3-6 months, we all knew this might be her last Christmas with us... and how exactly do you celebrate that kind of Christmas??
Too much pressure in the midst of excruciating and nauseating treatments... celebrating anything wasn't really in the cards.
Maybe you are feeling the same. Or perhaps you have a loved one just diagnosed.
It can be incredibly hard to get into the Christmas spirit.
If mom could, I know she'd want to offer a bit of advice. A way through the minefield of expectations and parties and years of family traditions... a bit of grace to lighten your load.
To begin she would tell you to give yourself permission... permission to put yourself first.
Know, and then honor, your limits. This year might mean limiting your list. Choosing to prioritize one or two things that are especially meaningful to you and then let go of the rest.
Someone once told her to cut her list in half, and then cut it in half again. Excellent advice!
The best gift you can give to yourself and your loved ones is time spent well with them. It is the gift of presence. And it means the world to the ones who love you.
May this Christmas bring moments of unexpected graces and quiet joys to see you through even the hardest days.
My Love, Always,
Jane
Monday, December 25, 2017
Love has a Name...
The beauty. The music. The expectation shining bright in little one's eyes.
We gather to celebrate, we laugh, we hug, we feast. All the while feeling the missing deep. I find myself drawn to the mystery of that manger scene...
Do you think about Mary? Do you think she knew the grief that would be her son's purpose? Did she know the sorrow that would crack her heart wide? I have this hope that she was sheltered from the knowledge, allowed the holy privilege of rocking her newborn son, savoring those precious moments when the baby in her arms was hers alone... before the shadow of the cross covered that blessed manger, pronouncing to all, this... this is the Savior of the world.
Love has a name. JESUS.
Saturday, December 23, 2017
When the Holidays are colored in Loss...
It's been 3 weeks since Leroy's mom passed away. The missing comes in waves... Christmas will be so very different this year.
She has been the Rock of our family for as long as I can remember, quiet and faithful, the hub around which we gathered.
Yes, Christmas will be different... the beauty of the season somehow feels at odds with the grief we're wading through.
Tonight we spent time reminiscing over faded photographs. Seeing her smiling face brought back precious memories... and tears... but happy tears because of the love we see shining back at us.
We have been very loved... and blessed. Very, very Blessed.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
A Hallelujah Christmas
Beautiful lyrics, swelling chorus... for a baby born to us...
May your spirit be lifted this night, as we begin to celebrate...
Friday, December 25, 2015
Heaven's Kiss...
Thursday, December 25, 2014
A Different Kind of Christmas...
Cherish the message, may it minister to your heart...