Word of the Year Wednesdays - First Thoughts

“Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad. But it’s the middle that counts the most. You need to remember that when you find yourself at the beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up, and it will too.”

~ Hope Floats

One week in and I’m already reminded of how much I dislike new things. I’m a fan of things being how they have always been, unless the new somehow is better in every aspect.

I dread walking into new situations or having to make small talk with people I’m just meeting. I think that might surprise some of you who I know outside of the internet. I know I can come across as someone who is confident in talking with anyone and isn’t afraid to step up to a challenge. But honest truth, I fight through each and everyone of those situations. I would much rather let someone do the talking and kinda float in the background.

This really became apparent to me as I am currently preparing to meet a group of new people this week. My first thoughts were the dread of the small talk I was going to have to make, and all those self-conscious thoughts that are sure to invade my head when I enter the room. What do they think of me? Did that sound stupid? Do they like me? Do I like them? Do I really care what they think?

I really had to spend some time this week thinking through why I felt that way and how I could look at new things differently. I came up with a few; I can view new things as a chance to grow in uncomfortable situations. They are also an opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God. The truth of the matter is that He will be with me in that new situation. His opinion is the one I care about. An He is the one who lead me into this new situation to begin with.

So, I guess at the end of week one I’ve learned that beginnings “new things” are scary to me. That I have to make sure I keep my eyes focused on the right things. And that even if something is scary God is right there beside me.

Did you pick a word for the year? If you have, leave it in the comments below and let’s cheer each other on.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - Old Church Choir

I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoy music as a way to worship and build my relationship with God. So, I thought I’d start doing Music Mondays. Each Monday I’ll be feature a worship song and talk about why/what I find compelling in it or lessons that it has taught me. When at all possible I’ll link the song.

I had originally planned to share a different song than I’m going to today. I was trying to be proactive and plan ahead. I should have known better. Since reading the beginning of James last week I cannot get the song below out of my head - “Old Church Choir” by Zach Williams. I’m taking that as a sign that it should be the song of the week. Take a few minutes and give it a listen.

I have a hard time not dancing and singing along when that song comes on. It just naturally puts me in a good mood and puts a smile on my face. This was actually my song of the year when my word of the year was joy . I had had a rough go the year before and I had let my joy be stolen on a number of levels. I had felt like a giant rain cloud was following me around, just like Eeyore.

I learned a lot that year; the difference between joy and happiness, how both big and small things can bring great joy, and what true joy is.

I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy

~”Old Church Choir” Zach Williams

The chorus of the song spoke volumes to me that year. That no matter my earthly circumstances or surroundings, no matter how hard or sad something was, or how disappointed I felt in a situation none of those things could take the true joy that was in my life. Nothing could take the joy from me in knowing that I am known by my creator, that He loves me enough to redeem and restore me. That is true joy.

Friends, I hope this song puts a smile on your face and helps you to remember no matter how things look, nothing can steal the true joy you have in Jesus.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

James

Each Friday of January I am going to be taking a look at the book of James. It is a book I have read several times, yet each time I read through it something new stands out. If you’ve never read this book I highly recommend you go give it a read. It might only be five chapters long, but it is packed full of wisdom.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  James 1:2

That line, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” sure packs a punch. I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t naturally look at the trouble I’m facing as an opportunity. Let alone an opportunity for joy! Looking at trouble like that is a shift. It makes us look at the hard situations we’re in through a different lens. How will my troubles look when I view it that way instead? Will they be easier to face? Will I be encouraged the next time one presents itself? How do I train my brain to view it that way?

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1: 3 - 4

When I faced troubles in the past I always felt like my faith was harder to maintain during that time, but I never thought of it as a testing. That those troubles were actually testing my faith to see where I stood. Or that by facing those troubles my endurance would strengthen and my faith grow stronger. I guess I would like to believe that my faith could grow strong without the troubles. However, if there isn’t any troubles to face, would faith really be needed? Would we be able to understand the importance of trusting that God is in control and not us?

I realize I’m posing a lot of questions and not really giving you any answers. But I think sometimes there are not answers to give right away. Sometimes you have to live through it first.

We all face troubles - some big, some small, but each plays a part in our faith journey. Each one gives us the choice to either stand firm in our beliefs or a convenient excuse to walk away from them. It’s hard friends. No one wants to face hard times, but when I think about looking at them this way; that it’s a chance to see joy, a chance to grow my endurance and faith, that eventually I will be perfect and complete, well - it makes me slightly more hopeful about whatever troubles lay ahead. That maybe I don’t need to be so fearful of the troubles when they arrive. Instead, I should embrace them.

May you find joy in your troubles and a renewed endurance on the other side.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

New Beginnings

For the last 8 years or so I’ve had a word of the year. I know many people pick one now, but when I first started it wasn’t really popular. The place I first saw the idea was actually in a church setting. People were encouraged to pick a word that they felt God was placing on their hearts and to commit to studying it throughout the year. They would find it in scripture and see what lessons could be taken from it.

When I was leading bible studies I had the ladies in my groups pick a word of the year to study too. We would share what we were learning and it was honestly one of my favorite things we did. They used to say that picking just one word for a whole year was a big commitment, some wanted a six month escape clause. After the first year they also became very selective in their word choice because they knew that word was going to greatly influence their life for the next 365 days.

I can honestly say that when I’ve faithfully chosen to study a word it shows up not just in scripture, but everywhere - in songs, in TV shows and movies, in conversations with coworkers. When the word you choose is a focus of yours, you’ll see it start to pop up in the most surprising of places.

This year my word is NEW. There are numerous verses in the bible that contain the word new and I’m excited to view them with fresh eyes. I chose new as my word because I think I’ve allowed old plans, dreams, hopes, to be something that I’ve focused on. Kinda like looking at what I hope the past would have held stops me from looking/working toward what the future could be.

If you haven’t picked a word out for this year yet I encourage you to think about it for a couple of days and then commit to it. I can guarantee that you will find some amazing things out about yourself, your relationship with God, and you interactions with others. However, you’ll also have moments when you regret picking the word you did. Not because you’re actually regretful, but because you’re facing a hard situations and your word is at the center of it. Be hopeful though, in my experience the good has outweighed the hard.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.

Revelations 21:5

Friends, pick out the word and lets see what God is going to teach us in 2020.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

P.S. My plan for January is to post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays if you’re interested in seeing what I learn this year check back in then. Happy New Year!

Looking Back

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

~ C.S. Lewis

Happy New’s Year Eve friends! There is only a few hours left of the year and of the decade. I don’t know what your year was like. I don’t know if it was filled with highs or lows, but either way tomorrow marks a new beginning, a fresh start.

But before that happens, I like a lot of people, take some time to look back over the year. I find that I often forget all the things that took place during the year. It’s been said that memory is an unreliable narrator and I couldn’t agree more. The present always has a way of coloring the past. I’ve found it helpful and fun to complete what I’m going to share.

I’m not disciplined enough to journal daily, but I love the thought of having a record of my year. So, while I couldn’t commit to a daily entry, I could jot down a few lines about my day on the back of a tearoff calendar. I’ve done this for several years now and I really love it. Then on New Year’s Eve I sit down and look through the last 364 days. I love the memories that come up that I forgot. I love seeing what I found important enough to write down 6 months ago. What you see pictured above is a little peek of this years pages.

I’m going to save the rest for later tonight. I’ll end up keeping a couple of them to hold onto the memory. If you’ve never done something like this before I highly recommend trying it out in 2020. I promise you’ll be so happy to look over your year next New’s Year Eve.

Praying that you end this year in good spirits and are ready to see what God is going to do in your life in 2020.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Pouring From My Cup

Here’s the thing about resting and filling ones cup - eventually you have to start pouring out again.

This year has been positive on a number of levels with the resting and refilling, but I became aware in October that my season of rest and refilling was coming to an end. I knew it would soon be time to start pouring out again, but I wanted to be more thoughtful this time around. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just jumping into everything again to simply end up repeating the cycle.

Starting this blog is part of the pouring out. I have wanted to write for a number of years, but I have always found a reason not to. I’ve allowed the voice of fear and failure to talk me out of it. You could say that it is my prayer that God would use these words in someway to help someone. That by sharing a little of myself and my story it could bless someone else.

I’m being mindful of the decisions I’m making heading into the new year. I want to make sure I’m pouring out in small everyday kind of ways like; actually listening when someone is talking to me, smiling at strangers, checking in with friends and family. I also want to do it in larger ways like serving at church or leading a bible study. I know if I listen for God’s voice he’ll show me the way.

Moving forward, I want to make sure that I continue to fill my cup while I’m pouring out - both are equally important. Here’s hoping I can remember that well into the new year.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Filling My Cup

I talked yesterday about how my cup was empty at the start of the year. I knew I needed to make some changes in 2019, but I wasn’t sure what they were. I took the step to stop and rest, but I knew there needed to be more than that. I needed my cup refilled.

2019 wasn’t the best year for my relationship with Jesus. It’s a fair assessment to say that we weren’t on great speaking terms for a good chunk of the year. I was less than thrilled with the way my life was looking at 36. I spent a good amount of time talking AT God, but not listening to see if He had anything to say in return. Naturally that didn’t work out great in a lot of different ways. I knew the only way to change that was to spend time alone - in His word, and choose to quiet my thoughts to listen for His voice. It wasn’t an easy process and it’s still tempting to talk at Him, but the time I have spent with Him has definitely filled my cup. Listening to His voice, being in communication with God helps greatly in walking the road that is before me.

The second way my cup was filled this year was by some very special people. This year I was blessed to meet, work beside, and start building relationships with some incredible educators. This group of people are all in and what some would consider “over the top” in education. Let me tell you - THEY ARE MY PEOPLE!!! They gave me the courage to try my “crazy” ideas out in the classroom. They let me bounce ideas off of them, answered a questions when I had them, and encouraged me to keep trying even when things didn’t go as planned. They reminded me that being the wild card for the kids is what matters. They helped me see that there will always be people who think you’re too much, newsflash - those are not your people! I didn’t meet them in a religious context, but so many of them are believers and their love of Jesus is present in all they do. The more I got to know them, the more of their faith I could see. God knew I needed to meet them this year. I was headed towards teacher burnout, but they helped to refuel the fire. It filled my cup to be surrounded by these passionate people and I look forward to continuing to build these relationships.

There are a number of other things I did this year to fill my cup, but those are the two standouts. I am so grateful not to have an empty cup right now. So friends, how do you refill your cup? When is the last time you made sure to do those things. Make it a point to do something today to fill you cup.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

An Empty Cup

“You cannot pour from an empty cup.”

I’m not sure who to give credit to, but that saying was ringing true in my life this time last year. I was empty. I knew that I wasn’t doing my best at my job. I wasn’t teaching at church to my full potential. Family and friendships were subpar.

I was badly in need of rest, but it doesn’t come easy to me. I have always felt like I need to work harder and longer than many would think is necessary. That if I’m not going full force, I’m not doing my best. I’d managed to run long and hard before I realized I was running well below empty. I knew that something had to change because I literally couldn’t keep doing it. So, despite it going against my natural instinct I pulled back.

First at church. I had taught at least one bible class every year for the last 10 years. I had never taken a break and I hadn’t attended a class as a student in over 5 years. It was time to stop teaching and start being taught for a season. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to decide to do. I loved the ladies I had taught, but I knew I wasn’t doing them any good in the state I was in. While that decision was tough, it was the right one. I entered a season of rest and it has does wonders for my soul.

The second thing I knew I needed rest from was my job. I am currently in year 15 as a teacher and while most would say teachers have summers off, I literally have never stopped for the last 15 years. I have always worked in my room, took classes, organized, planned and prepped through the summer. However, this summer looked different. I decided to do an experiment. I wanted to spend the first 7 days without thinking or working on anything school related. To be honest that first week was kinda painful. I had to search to find a new balance where my focus wasn’t on school. But I let one week turn into two, and then two to three, and before I realized it there was only one week of summer left. I didn’t do anything special really, but the rest was amazing.

That was one of the major things I learned this year - the importance of rest. I do not help anyone by being burned out. I don’t serve well when my cup is empty and my attitude is not great.

All throughout scripture it highlights the importance of rest. From keeping the Sabbath holy, to being restored when we turn our burdens over, to going to a quiet place to be alone with God. In this slowing down I didn’t lose anything - I gained so much.

I still fall heavy on the work side on occasion, but I’m getting better at it. I’ve been realizing that resting allows me to be better in my service and my work. I’m hopeful that 2020 will be a good blend of both.

How’s your cup? Full? Empty? Remember friends…

“You cannot pour from an empty cup.”

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

The Time In Between

We are now in that weird in between time. When it’s after Christmas, but before New Years’s. All the days kinda blend together. You’re resting, catching up with other family and friends, and if you’re like the masses, you’re also spending some time reflecting.

I’ll admit that this is when I start thinking over the year, of what really happened in my life in 2019. A year is a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things, but it’s also long in other respects. Like most people my year has been filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears, and lessons learned.

Over the next couple of days I’ll be sharing some of those lessons I’ve learned this year. I’m positive as I take the time to really reflect a few more will come into view as well.

I’m going to encourage you to spend a little bit of time thinking over the past year, for the next four days or so. I always find that I’ve forgotten things that took place until I slow down enough to focus. Try to remember the big and small things that happened the last 360 days. And then if you’re up for it, ask God to show you His view of it all. I’m always amazed at what I overlooked. I’m amazed at how God moves in my life and how easy it is for me to have missed it.

As we close out 2019 take the time to reflect. With grateful hearts, let’s look to see what God has done in our lives this year before we look towards the next.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

The Day After Christmas

“Happy day after Christmas and merry rest of the year.

Even when Christmas is over, the Light of the World is still here”.

~ Matthew West

If you haven’t figured it out already Matthew West is clearly one of my favorite artist. I love a lot of his songs but this one is a favorite. Take a listen…

I hope your Christmas was lovely. I hope that you were surrounded by friends, family, and were filled with love. I’m sure some of you had a picture perfect Christmas, and others not so much. I’m positive some of you are sad that Christmas is over and others of you are so thankful to have the day behind you.

Whichever camp you find yourself in, I pray this song brings you the hope and encouragement it does to me every day after Christmas, since I first heard it long ago. It’s a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is really suppose to be about, but also that it doesn’t end because the day has past. Jesus is still here today, as He will be tomorrow and the next.

So, when today or any day for that matter starts to look a little dark and less merry remember the Light of the World is still here. And that friends, is something to be joyful about.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Merry Christmas

A Heavenly Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve! I can only imagine the excitement that is running through some of your houses today. The children bouncing with excitement of what tomorrow holds. I’m hoping that you might have searched the skies tonight in hopes of catching a glimpse of flying reindeer too.

Christmas Eve might be my favorite night of the year. You could say that it runs in the family. My Noni loved Christmas Eve. She would open all of her presents that night. I can remember having to wrap each item in her stocking because she loved opening presents so much. My mother also loved Christmas Eve. I think she loved it more than Christmas morning. She was always so excited all day long. From the last minute baking and wrapping, to candle light service, to watching White Christmas before drifting off to sleep.

Tonight is always full of so much joy and also a little sorrow. It’s probably the day I miss my mom the most. It’s also the day that I’m most thankful that I know that I’ll get to see her again. Don’t get me wrong there isn’t much that I wouldn’t give to have her here this Christmas, but there is so much peace in knowing she’s in heaven. That this Christmas she’s actually celebrating with Jesus.

If you’re missing someone this Christmas I’m praying that you find comfort in God’s love and with the knowledge you’ll see them again one day. Until then, cherish the memories and choose to find joy in the moment.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Christmas Faith

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! The day is almost here! The excitement, the anticipation, the moment we have been looking forward to is so close.

I’m guessing that we both had very similar days today. We both ran errands and tried to finish up all the items on our todo list, so that we weren’t totally rushed tomorrow. We did this in hopes that we could actually enjoy both Christmas Eve and Christmas. How’s it going for you? I’m exhausted.

Now as I sat down for the night and allowed myself to become still, I started to think about that familiar Christmas story once again. Pictured up above is what is displayed directly across from my couch. It’s definitely the focal point of the room. I was sitting, kinda staring at it, and was wondering what Mary would have felt like on what would have been the first Christmas Eve Eve. I wonder if she knew it was almost time. I wonder if she was concerned about where they were going to be when the baby came. I wonder if Joseph was stressing about the same thing and maybe also replaying the dream he had had with the angel to reassure himself God had planned all of this. I wonder what their faith must have been like through it all.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

That scripture verse came to mind while I was thinking about all of those things. They both had so much faith in the unseen. They had the confidence that God was blessing them in a remarkable way. While I’m sure they had their moments of doubt, after all they were human, their testimony truly is remarkable.

I know who I put my faith in. I believe what He says is true. I know my faith doesn’t make sense to a nonbeliever - to put my faith in someone I cannot see. If I’m honest sometimes my faith doesn’t make sense to me either. I suppose that is part of the beauty though. That true faith requires you to let go of the “logical” human wisdom and trust in the “supernatural” power of God.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, that I’m striving to be as faithful to the life God has called me to lead, as Mary and Joseph were in this one act of obedience. It’s a tall order to fill and I’m sure I’ll fail more times then I succeed, but I’m hoping that I’ll always try again.

May we be encouraged that God’s plan for our lives far surpasses our expectations and that faith in Him is never in vain.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music

Music was a big part of my life for about 20 years. I took all kinds of instruments lessons. I played in several different bands at school and was in choir. My best friends growing up were band geeks, though in a school as small as ours, many of them were also all-star athletes. I’m not sure I could tell/describe high school or college without some kind of music being involved.

As time went on I pursued other interests and music took a back burner. I would still sing or play on occasion, but nothing like before. And eventually music wasn’t something I did any more. I would listen to the radio and sing on Sundays, but that was about it.

This year a friend of mine invited me to the theater and to symphony on several occasions. As I was sitting there I realized how much I missed it. I missed performing, but I also missed attending events.

Tonight I attended another symphony event and it was amazing. I decided while sitting there that in 2020 I want to go to more events and maybe participate again in making music. It’s a love and a gift that the Lord gave me that I’ve forgotten about. It’s something I haven’t allowed myself to enjoy in far too long.

I know we are celebrating Christmas in two days and the time for end of the year reflect comes after that, but I’m starting to wonder what else I’ve forgotten? What other things have I put away that God might be calling me to take back out? It’s something for me to think about and something for you too.

I’ll leave you with another Christmas song this Sunday. It doesn’t tie in with todays blog itself, but the spirit of the Christmas season. Consider it my prayer for you this Christmas.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Family Christmas

Some days are pretty great. Today was one of those days. The house was filled with lovely noises and smells. There was a lot of great food and conversations. We played some games and I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.

I know my grandparents and my mom would have loved today. My mom especially - she was a people person. Sometimes I forget how much I love my family - how blessed I really am. I want to make more of an effort in the coming year to see them. I also want to remember today when I hit a rough patch and feel lonely.

Days like today remind me that God is awesome at bringing people together. Whether it’s blood family or a found family - He desires for us to be in relationship with each other and with him. We weren’t meant to walk through this world on our own.

I pray that you have a family that you can view as a blessing here on Earth, blood or found. I pray that we remember that we are blessed in ways we often take for granted. Look for those blessing today friends. I have a feeling there are more than we think.

To Everything There Is A Season…..

Kiley Ann

Traditions

Today I spent the day with my sister - and for a little while with one of uncles and my dad too. But really I was with my sister. It’s one day a year I can count on us being together. The day before family Christmas that we host. It’s the day we spend in the kitchen working on recipes that Grandma used to make. The cooking takes most of the day to make this one particular dish - Babalki.

This is a traditional Slovak Christmas Eve dish. Grandma would only make it this one time of year. If I had to pick a single dish that tasted like Christmas to me, it would be babalki.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure to eat babalki allow me to explain what it is. This dish is made of homemade dough balls, fried sauerkraut, and Kelbosi. I promise it tastes amazing!

As we spent the day making the dough and preparing the other dishes, we chatted and reminisced about Grandma. We recalled how she went from the one making it, to supervising, to watching a movie in the other room and only entering the kitchen if we called in a panic. We talked about how she would kneed the dough by hand and how we decided a mixer would be a good choice this year.

It’s nice to talk about the past in a way that isn’t sad. It’s nice, really nice to laugh, talk, and cook the day away. There is a part of me that wishes this happened more than once a year. Yet, I know part of what makes it so special is that it only happens once a year.

Tomorrow I’ll spend the day with my extended family. There will clearly be food, lots of conversations, and hopefully no drama. There will be some family that I haven’t talked to since last year and you can be sure the kids - yes that’s still me and my cousins, will likely play some games.

I think my Grandma would be happy to know we all get together. I like to think that she would be kinda proud of my sister and I carrying on the babalki tradition. I’m glad that we spent the time with her when we were young because when we make the food, it’s like she’s still with us in the kitchen.

I hope that this Christmas you have at least one tradition that lets you remember the past with a smile on your face.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Christmas Obedience

I don’t have anything profound to say. I don’t even really know what to write about. I’m greatly tempted to simply close the computer and just call it a night. I’m tempted to be like , “18 days is good enough. You were shooting for a month, but 18 is still awesome. God’s good with that too. Never mind, that he was the one that placed the 30 days on your heart.”.

The truth of the matter is I’m not sure what I hope this blog will be. I’m not sure how God is/will use it. I don’t know if i’m just writing for myself or if there is an audience that needs to hear the words I have to offer. I just know I want to be obedient to what God is asking me to do. I want to act on the dream that’s been in my heart for a long time, the one I’ve always let satan talk me out of really pursuing.

So, that is what this post is - me simply being obedient. This is me choosing to listen to God’s quiet whisper over satan’s obnoxiously, loud counterargument . It wasn’t easy and this post certainly isn’t pretty, but it’s honest. I hope that I continue to choose to be honest with you, with God, and with myself.

May you hear God’s quiet whispers and gently leadings over the noises of the season.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

An Unexpected Gift

Did you ever have one of those days when you think, “I’m glad I have it all planned out today? I just need to make it to quitting time and then I can get all the things done I need to.”? Everything is going good and then BAM! something unexpected comes up. Now everything is up in the air.

That happened to me today. An unexpected snow squall completely changed my plans and I learned a valuable lesson. Had I not been working on seeing Christmas like a child and looking towards Jesus like I have been these past 17 days, I would have completely fallen into the, 'complaining- but wearing a fake smile’ mentality today. I would have been tempted to commiserate with coworkers and be more Grinch like.

Instead, today I made the best of it. I laughed, I played, and I made some awesome memories. A lot of life really is how you look at it. Living a life of faith definitely colors my view. Today I got to experience childlike joy, it’s been a long time since that has happened. I cannot recommend it enough.

I hope that you are able to take the next interruption you face and view it as an unexpected gift. I pray that you take some time this season to laugh, play, and find the beauty in it all.

To Everything There Is A Season …

Kiley Ann

Christmas Love

Christmas love can mean many things, to many people. You might think of love shared as a family, with your partner, or with the strangers you meet. Christmas love might come in the form of gifts, time, or maybe even as tasty treats.

I’ll be honest that I often have trouble looking past the idea of Christmas love being something other than romantic in nature. I’m sure my steady diet of Hallmark movies and sappy novels don’t do much to change my perspective. The thought of having someone to share the holidays with is always on my mind as the season begins. I’m also foolishly hopeful, to think that although there is no one special in my life currently, somehow Christmas magic will bring us together by the time Christmas Eve comes to pass.

It’s a weird balance, between being hopeful that this year will be the year and trying to be content with disappointment when I’m still alone in the new year.

I wish that I could say I don’t shed tears over this longing. I wish I could tell you I am content giving my love away. I wish I could tell you I finally, truly felt like God is enough. Knowing something is true and feeling it in your heart are two very different things. I think that’s why I often focus on giving the love I have stored away. It doesn’t take away the longing I have in my heart really, but it is nice to see other people receive some amount of joy from that choice.

All of that to say, as I’ve written before I really am working on viewing this Christmas differently. That I’m trying to remain focused on the real reason for the season. The true love of Christmas.

For God so loved the world…

John 3:16a

That’s the kind of Christmas love I need to focus on. The real kind of love that started it all - A father loving the world enough to send his son to save us all.

Whatever kind of love you are experiencing or hope to experience, may you keep the true love of Christmas in the front of your heart.

If you happen to find yourself in a season of longing like I am, take heart that this season won’t last forever. It might not have the ending we are hoping for, but nevertheless it will come to an end. And remember that God has good things in store for those who love Him. He knows what He’s doing - of that I’m sure of.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Bringing Joy

It’s crunch time people. Christmas is only 9 days away! There are still so many things to do, to bake, to buy, to wrap!! I have found that around this time my view of the season starts to get tested. I either continue to proclaim how much I love Christmas like Buddy the Elf or I start understanding why the Grinch didn’t love Christmas on a whole new level. Are you with me on this?

Since I know this about myself I was more mindful today about my interactions with others. I will fully admit I thought to myself, numerous times today, “Don’t be a Grinch! Don’t squash their joy!”. It was a choice I had to make every time something started to veer towards pushing my buttons.

I think Buddy the Elf was onto something when he said, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”. He not only embraced all the craziness, he shared it. He shared joy. So today I tried to do just that, I embraced it. I watched others be joyful and I joined in.

I don’t know if it always sounded beautiful, but it was certainly a joyful noise.

So go make a joyful noise today friends. I promise you’ll end up bringing some joy to yourself in the process.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann