Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. – William Arthur Ward This past week, Christians around the world celebrated Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a quiet, solemn occasion. This observance is one of my favorites, although I didn’t go to my first Ash Wednesday …
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi I’ve wanted to return to travel writing for a while. Although the original concept behind Coffee + Camo was a travel blog, it didn’t take me long to realize I’m not a great travel writer. With the onset of the pandemic and travel …
“There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind” – C.S. Lewis If you’ve been around this space for a while now, or if you know me in real life, you probably know that a few years ago I gave up the idea of New Year’s Resolutions. I found that setting hard …
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. – Hal Borland Usually, I spend the week between Christmas and New Year reflecting on the past year. I like to look back before setting an intention for the upcoming year. I’ll …
Readings: Luke 2:6-20 Today is the day. Today is the day the Messiah entered the world as a humble babe. God chose the most human way to come into the world. And the first people called to come and see the newly born Jesus was a group of humble shepherds. God comes first to the …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Luke 2:6-7 This year has been a weird mix of noise and quiet. The world has been noisy, full of speculation and fear and everchanging information. But our small world, the world inside our house, has been relatively quiet. We’ve spent lots of …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Matthew 11:1-19 + Luke 3:18-20 There’s a lot about this year that didn’t go as planned. Trips and vacations called off. Family gatherings postponed. Many families have felt an uncomfortable tightening of household finances. Others have said unexpected goodbyes. We all have mourned and …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Exodus 12:1-12 + Luke 2:1-5 + Matthew 2:1-2 If I step back and look at any given day, most of the goings-on feel ordinary. Of course, random and unexpected things pop up. We make decisions and deal with things that come up. But …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Isaiah 9:2; 6-7 + Matthew 2:1-12 If you’ve been watching or reading the news, I’m sure you’ve heard about the upcoming ‘Christmas Star.’ This evening, Jupiter and Saturn are coming together in what scientists call a “great conjunction.” From Earth, the two …
Want Advent emails delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Readings: Psalm 8 This week’s Psalm has some powerful imagery in it. As he writes, David praises God for his majesty, glory, and strength. Our God is a big God. He made the universe, setting the moon and stars in their places (v. …
