Epiphany is a greek word meaning "to reveal." This is why the 12 days of Christmas culminates in an epiphany celebration. It is the ultimate revelation of the Gospel message. "In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind." (John 1:4, NIV) This day is closely associated with the revelation of Jesus's birth to the Magi (Gentiles) to show that salvation is for all who call upon His name. I skipped day 9 of Christmas tide, not on accident, but because I needed to

Because we celebrate Christmas on December 25, it makes sense to commemorate the day that Jesus was dedicated in the temple eight days later. Newborns, in ancient Israel, were to be taken to the temple in order to be circumcised on the 8th day. It was during this tradition that their name was also announced. So, although it's a mouthful, in Anglican tradition, January 1 is known as "The Feast of the Circumcision and Holy Name of Jesus." The recognition of Jesus being circumci

I'm a bit behind in my blog series exploring the 12 Days of Christmas on the litergical calendar. It seems the Anglican Church in North America sets aside 5 specific days as Holy (or Dedicated): December 25 (Nativity), December 26 (the Martyrdom of Stephen), December 27 (The Apostle John), December 28 (The Holy Innocents), and January 1 (The Dedication of Jesus in the Temple). It also seems that there are several days of reflection throughout Christmastide including December

Let me set up this interesting Christmastide day with a bit of personal backstory. I was raised in a Lutheran church. I had a deep encounter with Jesus in a Baptist church in my late twenties. I was then discipled for a time by a free methodist and ended up serving in a multi-denominational ministry for years. I then enrolled in a Pentecostal Bible college and attended two different Pentecostal churches. I now attend a charismatic Anglican church and I feel as though all the

December 28 is marked as the Feast of the Holy Innocents. It is a memorial to the baby boys who Herod had put to death at the time of Jesus's birth. It's a day set aside to ponder the truth that although the birth of Christ was a joyful event, evil was present as well. And while the Light of Life would (and ultimately will completely) overtake darkness, we are not to live our lives with our ears closed to the suffering of others. So although it is a more somber day within the

In the litergical tradition of the 12 days of Christmas, December 27th is celebrated as a day of rememberance for St John. I personally love the Gospel of John and his following letters. My belief is that many writers have an affinity for John's letters because of their poetic, emotional, and theological breadth. He has a way of taking deep concepts and making them personal in a raw, vulnerable way. It's for this reason that John is highlighted on the 3rd Day of Christmas. He

Just so you know, this is not a picture of our family tree. But, as I sat with my husband last night reflecting on our Christmas festivities, he said, "There is something about our tree. I dont think we need to take it down just yet." I was already thinking that I would leave it up through January 5th, but because of His prompting to elongate our Christmas season, I did some research on the traditions around the 12 days of Christmas. This includes Christmas Day and the 11 day

When it comes to dark chocolate, I am a fan! And, the greater the intensity, the better! Now that it is finally starting to feel a bit chillier, I plan on keeping a homemade hot chocolate recipe on hand. This helps me not rely on store bought mixes that are full of unwanted ingredients. But, I still get to enjoy the ease of warming up some almond milk and adding a few tablespoons of chocolatey goodness while I wind down from the day. Did you know that cacao is rich in antioxi

Christmas is right around the corner. And, even though it's been an unusually warm fall in Texas, I am actually beginning to sense the wonderment and joy that Christmas brings. Maybe that's because I'm highly aware of the deep work Jesus is doing in my heart, and I am looking forward to pondering the beauty of the advent season. I began working on these last year, but they never felt right. My goal was to create Christmas cards that were creatively unique with a more tender,

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly in Texas Today, as I walked through the traditional Halloween faire in my neighborhood (crime scene tape, a giant web cascading down from the roof of a house onto the lawn [complete with paper mache' black widow] and a 10 ft scarecrow), something glittered and caught my eye. It was a Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly; and it was a beauty with it's silvery black wings and blue tail. I laughed out loud a bit as I realized that Holy Spirit was givin

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