Category: Holidays

Finding Hope at Christmas

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Author’s note: Since this month’s blog posts will coincide with the four Sundays in Advent, the theme of each blog post will have the same theme as that week in Advent. The theme for the first Sunday in Advent is hope, the second is love, the third is joy, and the final one is peace.

“…the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” (Ps 147:11)

I look forward to Christmas with great anticipation each year. I enjoy everything about the season: the lights, the music, the baking, the gifts, the cards, the Hallmark movies…and the list goes on. As a child, I looked forward to opening gifts so much that I talked my mom into letting my brother and me open a gift on Christmas Eve once or twice.

As an adult, there have been years when I dreaded the holiday season. The year my grandma and father-in-law both passed away was particularly difficult. But nothing could have prepared me for the feelings of grief and loss that tainted my love for the holiday for several years after my divorce. For a while, I lost hope that things would ever be better. Continue reading “Finding Hope at Christmas” →

Thankful for Family

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Ex 20:12)

When I was a child, one of my favorite traditions was to gather with family and eat all the food. We would go to a relative’s house – either my grandma’s or one of my dad’s siblings’ homes. I had to sit at the kids’ table, but the truth was, I really preferred being there instead of at the adults’ table. As shy as I was, I struggled to find something to say to the adults, even though they were family, and I froze like a deer in the headlights when one of them spoke to me. If I needed something, I would whisper in my mom’s ear. But at the kids’ table, my cousins didn’t care how shy I was. They told stories and entertained each other and me in the process. Continue reading “Thankful for Family” →

Practicing Gratitude

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.

Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude” →

Fear of Clowns and Other Lessons Learned at Halloween

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Ps 9:10)

My fear of clowns began in 1982 when I was five years old. For Halloween that year, my mom, who designed and sewed many of my clothes, made me a clown costume. I can still remember how thrilled I was. It was so cute – a little red costume with a frilly white collar, frilly white cuffs at the feet, and bright yellow buttons. I couldn’t wait to wear it trick-or-treating. Continue reading “Fear of Clowns and Other Lessons Learned at Halloween” →

The Blessings of Freedom

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.” (Ps 118:5 ESV)

I was born and raised in one of the most blessed nations in the world. While the U.S. has its share of problems – just turn on the news and you’ll be bombarded by them – I’m so thankful to live here. I’ve listed just a few reasons why this country means so much to me. Continue reading “The Blessings of Freedom” →