Sharing insights and inspiration that happen over a cup of tea

Sharing insights and inspiration that happen over a cup of tea

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Category: Christmas

  • Remembering is the best gift of our holy seasons

    This year Christmas will be very different for us and it’s taken some real effort on my part to adjust. My oldest son and his family, including my three young grandsons and a fourth in Childrens' Hospital of Philadelphia NICU will not be celebrating with us this year. They will celebrate as a family in…

  • The Nativity reminds us that love was born at Christmas

    When my sons were young, I told them the story of Patrick, the penguin, who, even though he was poor, and a penguin, had the very best Christmas presence and he made a point to share it with everyone he knew who needed some Christmas cheer. My sons, not being able to read, didn’t understand…

  • Hope is the reason for joy, even in difficult times

    On the first Christmas, the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, assuring them, “I bring you tidings of great joy;” news bringing them not an ephemeral experience of happiness, but a deep, abiding experience of peace and an assurance of God’s love. “Joy is the air Christians breathe,” Pope Francis has said, and…

  • Understanding the Christmas gift should come with time

    “I hear that in many places something has happened to Christmas; that it is changing from a time of merriment and carefree gaiety to a holiday which is filled with tedium; that many people dread the day and the obligation to give Christmas presents is a nightmare to weary, bored souls; that the children of…

  • In difficult times, Advent reveals the reason to celebrate Christmas

    Here we are at the start of Advent, and many of us are already saturated with Christmas.                                                                                                                                  We’ve all talked about it, or griped about it – stores filled with Christmas before Jack-o-Lanterns were carved , round-the-clock Christmas movies on multiple TV stations before Thanksgiving turkeys were even delivered to the supermarkets, and an…

  • No piece of art is more beautiful than a child’s smile

    With Thanksgiving around the corner, and Christmas not far behind, thoughts of gratitude and giving are close at heart. For those of modest means, the holidays are also a time to be mindful of money, to keep within a budget. But let’s face it, the pressure to spend is sometimes overwhelming. While mulling over our…

  • The humility of the Nativity is the heart of Christmas

    I was first introduced to Harry Emerson Fosdick through a quote: “… real Christians do not carry their religion; their religion carries them. It is not weight, it is wings. It lifts them up, it sees them over hard places. It makes the universe seem friendly, life purposeful, hope real, sacrifice worthwhile. It sets them…

  • The only gift that matters is love

    In a rare stretch outside my comfort zone, I went to the mall, on a Saturday, in the height of   Christmas shopping frenzy. Within the first five minutes of navigating one of the larger anchor stores, I remembered all too clearly why I rarely shop in a mall, most especially during the Christmas season.…

  • The Gift of Evelyn’s Bread

    Evelyn had a special gift. She loved to bake bread. Whenever someone would come to visit, Evelyn would treat her guest to a full pot of hot tea and warm homemade bread with cranberry butter. When the parish had a bake sale, Evelyn would arrive with her arms loaded with freshly bake loaves. When someone…

  • Hey, there’s a goose in my manger!

    Pulling in to my driveway yesterday, I noticed something different about the Nativity scene on the   front lawn. As I got closer, I realized someone had added a ceramic goose to the small group of animals looking in on Mary and Joseph. I smiled, and thought, “Why not?” There are geese in Bethlehem, and why…