In my 60 years on this planet, no year compares to 2020 for sheer, unrelenting wretchedness. Gahhhh, so long, 2020. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. One bright spot in the year, however, was more time to read. Books have long been my refuge, and they certainly sustained me during this year of hunkering down. Here’s…
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Great Reads of 2020: A Reading Year in Review
Kim Hickey: Finding Perspective In Grief
I first met Kim Hickey 30 years ago, when she was in high school. There’s a steadiness about her, a quiet strength, an easy smile. Few people know the hardships she’s endured, but I do. So when she found love again after raising her three daughters alone, I was ecstatic. No one deserves love and joy more than Kim! And…
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Immanuel: A Prayer for the Broken-Hearted
It’s Christmas Eve. The house is quiet, the lights are dimmed, and my Facebook feed is filled with smiling faces of people I love. Joy to the world! But tonight, I’m thinking about the people I love who are NOT showing up in my Facebook feed. It’s been a hard year, Love. I know Christmas intensifies the pain. and I’d…
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Holiday Home Tour, Pandemic Style
Home. No other word stirs our longings quite like it, especially at Christmas. While the temperature drops outside, a crackling fire and twinkling lights invite us to huddle with those we love most in all the world. We traditionally host friends for a night of goodies and games at Christmas, but this year we will love you best by NOT…
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A Grinch’s 2020 Gift Guide
Our family stopped exchanging Christmas gifts years ago, about the same time every store cranked up its mechanical Santa, swinging his hips to Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, in October. I snapped. Christmas made me cranky instead of merry. This year, however, I’m making an exception. Because, man, if we ever needed a little Christmas cheer, it’s 2020. And get…
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