Christmas

The Advent of Hope

December 8, 2020 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I really love Christmastime. Of course, the gatherings and traditions will look different this year, as so much has in 2020. But in our rhythm of life, this is where we are again. There’s something comforting about that.

Even in the rhythm, I don’t do advent the same way every year. Sometimes we’ve read through “The Jesus Storybook” as a family, at least most nights. Sometimes I work through a study on my own. And some years, like this one, I don’t have an actual plan. I just soak up the goodness through a devotion I read sporadically, conversations I get to have with friends, and a slower pace that lets my mind regroup.

I was listening to author Tsh Oxenreider on Annie Downs’ That Sounds Fun podcast today and she reminded me of some important things:

Advent is the season to remember things in our world are not as they should be, which is why Jesus had to come. We are waiting for him to come again, and this is a rhythm in life that recognizes that expectation. All of the tensions and brokenness in life isn’t all there is; we have hope.

We have hope even though it took the kids and me three days to decorate the tree. After we cut it down Saturday, I realized we didn’t have any working lights. So when we were out later that evening I bought two strands of white lights. Turns out I needed another strand, which I got the next day. So yesterday we finally unboxed some ornamented and added them to the branches.

We have hope even when we have to sacrifice traditions for the well-being of our community. We have hope when plans get shuffled yet again. We have hope when we are pulled in different directions and live in a tension that exists all around us, especially these days when politics and opinions divide.

Even though we recognize things aren’t as they should and could be, we can still find goodness. We can show grace to ourselves and to others. We can do as much or as little of advent in whatever ways seem right to us. That’s the pep talk I’m giving to myself these days.

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“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas” is the advent devotional I’m reading sporadically this season. I added it to a shopping list with other good resources. Yes, I know, it’s Dec. 8, more than a week into advent, but, really, you can still dive into these good words whenever you want.

Hospitality at the holidays

December 7, 2020 by Kristin Leave a Comment

This is the third in a series about why hospitality matters in every season.

I saw a stranger on Twitter say she didn’t think she would send Christmas cards this year because she didn’t have much news to share with her friends. Here at the end of what’s been a weird year full of social distancing, I actually swing the other way than the Twitter stranger: If there ever was a year to send Christmas cards, 2020 is it. People need good cheer to show up wherever they can get it.

Of course, Christmas cards aren’t the only way to love on your people. In a season of giving when many are distanced from each other, we can get creative with loving each other across the miles.

In my book, “Bringing Home More Than Groceries,” my friend Christen Price shared some ways her family was still connection with others even during a year that forced distanced between them:

Car Caravans. A friend recently turned eight and couldn’t have a birthday party. So what did we do? We all made “Happy Birthday” signs and hopped in our cars to caravan to her house. We had a parade of people driving through her circular drive singing happy birthday and her mother said it was the best gift to her precious eight-year-old heart.
Comfort Food. A couple in our small group both work in the medical field as a doctor and a nurse. They informed us of the risks of the virus and were on the front lines wearing masks while treating patients as they enter the hospital. When they got home, all they desired was a hot shower and comfort food to ease them of their daily anxiety. Our small group rotated dropping meals for them at their back door. We never saw them, but this little taste of hospitality let them know they weren’t alone in the work they were doing.
Computer Chats. My closest group of girlfriends set up Zoom meetings once a week just so we could see one another’s faces. We met in the evenings and we laughed, prayed, and talked about the serious and the silly. While nothing compares to physically being in the same room together, I’m reminded that we can stay connected even when we are apart.

Elsewhere in my book, I share about a dear childhood friend who remains in my life, even though we have only lived in the same town for one year of our adult lives – and that was 18 years ago! Many of these suggestions of connecting across the miles are relevant all year but could be tied up with a bow for the holidays too.

Here are some simple, practical ways to stay connected and close the distance that physically separates loved ones:

Use social media to spark real conversations. Conversations may happen in emails, text messages, phone calls or Facebook messages, but they go deeper than what’s happening on a public profile. Ask questions, swap stories, or continue previous conversations on a personal level. Maintaining long-distance friendships is certainly aided greatly by technology, but you still have to make an investment.
Send care packages and real mail. Yes, do it for Christmas or other special dates. But also do it just because.
Invite them over. Long-distance friends may not be conveniently located in your same town, but you can still invite them over. Get dates on the calendar and make plans. And these days be safe, of course!
If you can’t be there physically, send something. When my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly a decade ago, some out-of-town friends journeyed to our small town to grieve our loss and celebrate his life with us. Others couldn’t be here, which is understandable, but they sent flowers, pictures frames, cards, and texts of prayers. Celebrate happier holiday moments together across the miles too.

May your December be merry as you find creative ways to connect with your people.

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Free resource!

I have a pretty (and free!) printable called Hospitality For Any Season for y’all! Hospitality matters regardless of what season you’re living, so I share practical ways to open your heart and home to others. This would make a cute gift for you to share with a friend – just print and frame it!

Download it here!

Of course, “Bringing Home More Than Groceries” is available on Amazon or directly from me. To get an autographed copy directly from me, send $10 (plus $5 is shipping is needed) via PayPal to kristinhilltaylor@gmail.com and I’ll get you a copy delivered to your front porch or mailbox. Or I’m happy to send directly to someone you think would love to receive my book as a gift.

Stories from the Porch in December

December 30, 2019 by Kristin 6 Comments

“If I try to force this season to look like my last one, I miss out on the unique beauty of this one and I miss the opportunity to use all that He taught me then, now.” Speaker/encourager Emma Mae Jenkins posted this earlier this month and it struck me deeply because it’s what I’d been missing in appreciating seasons.

God has been teaching me about seasons and the value in rhythm, even during changes. But I was holding on too tightly, trying to replicate previous seasons. God has made each season beautiful and appropriate in its own time. Yes, spring, summer, fall, and winter repeat, but each spring looks different than the one before because God has transformed me. I’m not the same this year. Grieving in the summer seemed unnatural, and now here I am in winter finding myself again. There can be similarities and traditions, but the details change from one season to the next, from one year to the next. That’s both wonderful and terrifying.

Yet here I am at the end of a hard year knowing I’ve been transformed for the better. Here I am saying I’m thankful for seasons.

Nothing in this life stays the same. That almost seems like a threat, but really it’s a promise too. Our God won’t leave us where we were in the winter by the time springs starts blooming new life. Here’s to the seasons we lived in 2019 and the ones to come in 2020.

Highlights

Some of our favorite Christmas traditions happened in the same weekend at the beginning of December. We went on our annual tree hunt on our property and found a good evergreen to bring into the living room. We did this between the huge extended family brunch and the town’s parade later in the evening. We ended the festive night with Santa at the Murray State basketball game.

Then Sunday of that weekend, Greg and I went to see Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God concert with three friend couples. We had dinner before the show.

For years, I’ve heard about Behold the Lamb of God. I’ve listened to the music, first on a CD and then imported to iTunes. I knew he invited lots of friends onto stage, but it wasn’t until I sat in the Ryman Auditorium balcony on that Sunday night that I witnessed a community of musicians.

Andrew Peterson wrote these songs and invited others to share them. Together they tell the story of our need for Jesus, a savior’s birth, and our rescue. He could sing these songs alone, but there’s power in letting go and welcoming others in. The voices and instruments came together to make something even more lovely.

Those people who were on stage are talented. Their bios are about writing songs and accompanying and touring with famous names. But they shared the spotlight and gave God the glory. They brought us to the throne and sent us on our way with hearts fuller than they were three hours earlier.

It was such a sweet start to the Christmas season. We also had a day at Greg’s mom’s house with his brothers and their families. Then we spent a few days in Louisville with my family. I was glad to be able to see aunts, uncles, and cousins from both sides of my family.

We came home on Christmas Eve and have enjoyed some slow days together – or mostly together. Cate was quarantined in her room for a few days, thanks to the flu.

Favorite things

Reflect and Refresh — I joined my friend Kayse Pratt from Anchored Women for this eight-day Instagram challenge that prompted me to slow down to look back on 2019 and toward 2020. You can read the posts when you scroll back on Instagram or Facebook.

Middle school basketball — My seventh-grader and two of her middle school friends are playing on our little school’s first-ever middle school girls’ team. They had their first two games this month and they were so fun. There’s a lot to be learned about playing basketball, but I’m so thankful for Cate’s bravery to try something new. Ben is playing with the younger kids and has games starting in January.

Top Nine from 2019 — I love the website that makes a grid of the top nine liked photos from my Instagram account. These days my big kids are way more picky about me taking their picture. Of course I do, and sometimes I post them. Y’all apparently like when I do. My #topnine of the year includes multiple big kid photos.

Other observations: Y’all also we’re excited we got to meet University of Kentucky Coach John Calipari at the Jockey Being Family Gala in Lake Geneva (center photo). We love our Racers and road-trip friends, so I’m glad y’all do too (left center and bottom right). And, yes, Animal Kingdom is still my favorite Disney Park park. Thanks for liking our roaring faces (bottom left). I love capturing memories and am grateful y’all humor me with your likes, comments, and willingness to follow along. I know, it seems impossible this year marked knowing Greg for 21 years and being married for 17 years of those (top left).

From the bookshelf

“The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer — I mentioned this book last month, but it’s worth mentioning again now that I’m finished with it. Written by a fellow Enneagram 1, Type A person, I really appreciated how he shares about living a slower life, which actually leads to a more fulfilled life. I have so much to learn in this area and am inspired by his words and practices. This is one of those books I’ll think back on for a long time to come, especially as I work on developing some healthy habits entering in the new year.

Okay, how about one quote from this book?

“Jesus’ schedule was full. To the brim at times. In a good way. Yet he never came off hurried. This rootedness in the moment and connectedness to God, other people, and himself weren’t the by-products of a laid-back personality or pre-Wi-Fi world; they were the outgrowths of a way of life. A whole new way to be human that Jesus put on display in story after story. … He put on display an unhurried life, where space for God and love for people were the top priorities, and because he said yes to the Father and his kingdom, he constantly said no to countless other invitations. Then he turned around and said, ‘Follow me.’”

“Regretting You” by Colleen Hoover — I wanted to read this the day it came out, but I waited about 10 days because I knew I’d devour it quickly. I did, and I really enjoyed it during this Christmas weekend. It’s a story about complicated grief, first love, and how people are connected. I loved it being told through alternating perspectives of a mom and daughter. I related to being angry with someone when his death revealed secrets and how it’s tricky to remember the good parts. I’ve read seven Colleen Hoover books this year, all since this summer. Discovering her was definitely a favorite part of my year.

I shared all the books I’ve read this year in a post last week. {THE BOOKS OF 2019!} Plus, many of the recommended reads are linked on Amazon.

On the screen

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” — Greg and I watched the third season of this show. We could do without the cursing and really think in the 1950s people like the characters wouldn’t cuss so much, but otherwise we really love the show.

“Noelle” — This movie streaming on Disney+ was really cute. We watched it as a family one night before Christmas and especially enjoyed all the holiday puns.

“Holiday in the Wild” – Greg and I watched this Christmas movie on Netflix. It has Rob Lowe, Kristin Davis, and a sweet storyline involving elephants in Africa.

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Here are #PorchStories from the earlier months this year: January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November.

In an effort to re-adjust priorities in my home and heart, #PorchStories will look different in 2020. I still plan to write and share stories here, but there won’t be a monthly linkup. I’m going to miss that opportunity for community, but I know stepping back for now is the right thing. I do still hope you’ll gather and share at the virtual porch on Facebook.