Tag: Advent

#MyMassTakeaway: Beginnings – the Immaculate Conception

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Today’s the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Find the Mass Readings here: Immaculate Conception: December 8, 2017 Continue reading “#MyMassTakeaway: Beginnings – the Immaculate Conception” →

Life without You: Advent, BFFs, and separation

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder: an Advent reflection inspired by my daughter.

My 4 year old daughter Princess and her cousin are best friends.

She sees her cousin almost every day. And when they don’t get together, she spends all her time talking about what she wants to say to her cousin or play with her when she sees her next.

But Princess’s cousin and her family went on vacation recently. For the first time, the two girls were separated by time and distance.

Life without her best friend is hard. Continue reading “Life without You: Advent, BFFs, and separation” →

How to Upgrade and Preserve Your Mosaic Jesse Tree

Published on by tojesussincerely3 Comments

*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through any of these links, I make a small percentage at no extra cost to you.

Hi friends!

I’ve had a lot of questions rolling in about my Mosaic Jesse Tree. Some of the most popular are:

  • How/where do we hang them?
  • Can we laminate them?
  • What’s the best way to preserve them?

Continue reading “How to Upgrade and Preserve Your Mosaic Jesse Tree” →

A Prayer Guide for Advent

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How to have a prayerful Advent.

I love the anticipation of Advent. The joy and excitement. What I don’t love is the commercialization that threatens to distract me.

The gifting and spending make me cringe. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against giving and receiving gifts. I don’t hate the idea of generosity. I just get stressed out from the pressure of mandatory giving.

So, while it’s a tempting proposition for my wallet, you won’t find me writing a gift guide. I won’t tell you what to buy for your mother, father, aunt, spouse, or children. Because 1) I have no idea what my own loved ones want, let alone yours and 2) that would bring me more stress than joy.

But instead of a gift guide, how about a prayer guide? Continue reading “A Prayer Guide for Advent” →

Celebrate Advent like Mary: A Baby is on the Way

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Four pregnancy-inspired lessons to help us observe Advent like Mary did.  (Plus fun bonus tips)

We hear it over and over.  “Advent is a time of preparation, like waiting for a baby’s birth.”  Guess what.  It’s not a metaphor!  Or a simile, or whatever.  Advent is not like waiting for a baby’s birth.

 Advent IS waiting for baby Jesus’ birth.

Let Us Pray…

Today, my Jesus, all those years ago, Your mother Mary waited for Your birth.  She prepared for Your coming.

What are some things Mary did during her Advent, and how can I learn from them? Continue reading “Celebrate Advent like Mary: A Baby is on the Way” →

How to Dress Up for Christmas: A Spiritual Guide

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Prepare your heart for Jesus’ coming on Christmas. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you buy through these links, I make a small percentage at no extra cost to you.

I could barely see his wide eyes through the gap between his hat and scarf.  They had a look that pleaded, “Please, can we get back in the car?”  My three year old was bundled with so many layers he could hardly move.

No, he couldn’t move at all.  Because even with all those layers, he was frozen in place.

I scooped him up and trotted to catch up with my husband.  He carried the one year old who had snot covering her from her nose down to the collar of her jacket.

“How do you like this–” Continue reading “How to Dress Up for Christmas: A Spiritual Guide” →