There is so much truth, inspiration, and encouragement in these links. I hope they speak to you as they did to me!
Finding Magic in the Mess, by Lisa Leonard
“Brave Love is me being fully me and you being fully you. We don’t have to prove we’re good enough. We don’t have to pretend to be happy. We can let things be magical or let them be messy. We can let them be whatever they are—knowing we are loved.”
I Can’t Make Time Stand Still, by Liz Wann
“I’ve never felt more helpless as I do when I see my children grow and change, with every inch gained and recorded every year. But it’s good for me. . . . It’s good to wrestle with my own mortality, and then accept that I’m not God. Owning this truth puts me in my rightful place as a created being, where I belong, and when I’m where God designed me to be, then I have peace and joy. Seeing myself rightly, and God rightly, helps me grow in holiness.”
On Needing to Find Something to Worry About, from The Book of Life
“We manic worriers need not sarcasm but supportive and intelligent company to give us the love we need to dare to look back at the past – and the insight with which to try to do so. Our feeling of dread is a symptom of an ancient sorrow that hasn’t found its target in the here and now; and our ongoing quest and alarm is a sign that we keep not finding anything in the outer world that answers to the horror of the inner one.”
8 Ways to Deal With Grief Through the Holidays, by Shawn Beucler
“I know that we all have our own issues, and I pray that this holiday season be filled more with joy than with grief. Give yourself the time and space to honor those you have lost and the space to feel your emotions. And, if any of your people are hurting, reach out to them and love them a little harder this year.”
Feed Yourself: On Diets, Bingeing, and Abundance, by Addie Zimmerman
“There’s so much that food can do for us. But also, there’s so much that it can’t do. Eating healthy food won’t fix my unhealthy thought patterns or settle my fears any more than throwing ice cream on it will. I cannot salad my way out of depression or kombucha away my anger, no matter what the diet gurus might say. To approach the feast with a sense of desperation and scarcity or with restraint and discipline is to miss the point entirely, because the banqueting table was never about the food. It’s about the One who prepares it in an overabundance of love and grace.”
Stepping Back Before Speaking Out, by Jan Johnson
“Soaking in God’s peace provides clarity and empowers our words and actions to be redirected into an unpretentious, loving, even healing passion. A rhythm of contemplation and action makes it possible to live life from the very center of ourselves where Jesus dwells.”
Living Your Right Size, by Carolyn Watts
“The truth is that sometimes it’s not faith that keeps me small. It’s fear. Fear of stepping out. Of failure. Of what others will think. Of what God might think. But here’s the thing: Precisely because I am and will always be small compared to God, I can be my strongest, truest, self, unafraid that God will be threatened by me growing to my full stature. He wants me to grow into my fullest, freest self, and He does all he can to facilitate that process.”
If you haven’t knocked out all of your Christmas shopping yet, and are still looking for the perfect gifts, here are a few of my favorite gift guides I’ve come across this year:
The Art of Simple 2018 Holiday Gift Guide — Well-made, as ethical as possible, and truly beautiful… here’s our collection of gift ideas that receive our hearty praise this year!
The Hatmakers’ Favorite Things Returns (Podcast) — Twelve companies creating top-shelf products and making a difference in our world. Jen and Brandon dish about gifts for everyone on your list: ladies, gents, kids, foodies, coffee addicts, coworkers, lovers of all things cozy, nature folks, and so much more.
Sorta Awesome Holiday Gift Guide (Podcast) — The 2018 version of the gift guide will help you tackle the toughest parts of your holiday gift-giving including just the right picks for your mother-in-law, your college-aged brother, and gifts that will work for a whole family.
The Holiday Gift Guide with Jamie Ivey and Amy Hannon (Podcast) — Amy and I had so much fun chatting about these fabulous companies and products and I’m pretty sure we’ll help you knock out some of your Christmas shopping.
Read Aloud Revival 2018 Gift Guide — You’ve come to the right place for bookish gifts for kids. We’ve got dozens of gift ideas for the bookworms in your life.
What’s the best thing you’ve read or written lately? I’d be honored if you’d share it with me, just drop a link in the Comments!