A curated list of what I've been up to lately: places, people, books, podcasts, music, links & more for your weekend downtime.

First, a photo from this week!

On a walk through the neighborhood this week.

My grandfather died this week, and I’m really, really sad. I'm also grateful for the way sharing memories with my siblings, kids, cousins, aunts and uncles reminds me of the countless good gifts in my life.

It's a tricky business bearing witness to another person's life when they're no longer present. I hope to do it well - with gratitude, honesty, and abundant love. And, boy, did your family love you, Grandpa. From the few stories, I know of your life before the dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrived I am amazed at the Grace so evident in it all.

I think this photo was taken the last time all my kids were together with my grandparents. It's a lovely memory, and we spent most of the time together listening to Grandma's memories of us all. I don't know many great-grandparents as present in the daily life of their great-grandchildren as these two gave my children. I don't think Brian and I could've made it without the steady care, prayer, and fun my Grandparents offered us every day early on, and still in prayer as they aged. I hope I can carry on your tradition of deep attention, sacrificial love, and invitation to celebrate, rest, and play with my own grandchildren one day.

For now, I'm so, so thankful, Grandpa, that you are held by our Father in everlasting peace with our good and kind Jesus. May every tangled thread of your life be redeemed, valued, and woven by our Creator into the tapestry of generations.

Thanks be to God for your life, Grandpa. We love you.

Here’s some places I’ve talked about my Grandparents on the blog over the years:

A video interview on the occasion of my grandparents’ 67th wedding anniversary: When did you first notice the one you love?
A hilarious family photoshoot: In honor of monotonous matrimony
One of my grandparents’ very best gifts to us: A Place For Rest
The one I keep writing for everyone who’ll read it: All Who Enter Here (Here’s another version.)
I still think about this story every time I look at a photo of my grandparents’ living room: Dismantling the Family Enterprise
The Preacher’s Family is a Dancing Family (and my grandparents started it)
Flying A Kite in a Hurricane (aka, Our Family Tradition of Honeymoon Babies)

Now for more online truth, goodness, and beauty I’ve enjoyed this week…

(A Christmas-full) Top 10

1. Art & Faith

I’m not sure how this beautiful project escaped my notice this Advent! The prints are gorgeous!

2. In Season

It’s time to remind you of our family’s favorite hot beverage for Christmastide (spiked is even better!). And to remind you that I don’t do any holiday baking until Christmas Eve. I’ve found online recipes for two of our must-make cookie recipes that are close to the ones I follow here and here.

3. Justice, Reconciliation, & Social Critique

I learned the fascinating history of an Anti-Slavery Christmas Fair because of the treasure trove of knowledge I’m gaining through Mockingbird History Lessons For Adults. Read the free Holiday Newsletter here and become a patron here!

4. Listening & Watching

All the Call the Midwife Christmas specials starting with the best of the best. (Here’s a bit about our other must-see Advent TV episodes.)

5. People & Place

This wise and hilarious Christmas encouragement for parents of small-ish children from Simcha Fisher and this four-minute recording of an actual Christmas morning in a Chicago living room over 50 years ago reminded me exactly of the morning Brian (in)famously remembers in this post: Christmas Confessions From An Exhausted Dad

6. Reading & Writing

This is sort of a reading/watching combo which is sometimes a wonderful meet-up. Other times not so much. With Greta Gerwig at the helm, odds are stacked in favor of this classic-turned-film being a beauty. Here’s a decent argument that Louisa May Alcott spawned the original super-franchise.

7. Spiritual Direction & Disciplines

I’ve enjoyed these Advent meditations this year. It probably won’t surprise you that I’m drawn to the concept of combining lectio divina (“divine reading”) and visio divina (“divine seeing”) for liturgical and devotional worship. Dreaming up some future projects now….

8. Wholeness & Healing

A friend shared this article with me and I’ve found it helpful as we turn the corner into twelve days of Christmas celebration. Not only will we encounter friends and family at either end of the spectrum of weeping and celebrating, but we ourselves will be attempting to lean into prophetic and hopeful acts of celebration even when our circumstances may be telling us that celebration is absurd or useless. This is a statement we can remind ourselves often in the coming weeks: “We must allow others to celebrate with us, even as we weep with them.”

9. Work & Callings

During our Work Stories series, my sister Alicia shared her calling to learn the language of her Spanish-speaking neighbors. December has been such a fun month to follow her Facebook group sharing dual-language resources because of the daily posts of beautiful Spanish Christmas books for children (and, honestly, all of us). She also shared these lovely free gift tag printables (that even I can understand!) and this compilation of Latino Christmas songs. So much goodness to enjoy during Christmastide!

10. Worship, Liturgy, & Church

And now it’s time for my annual public service announcement: Christmas lasts for TWELVE DAYS. Here are some helpful ideas for keeping Christmas well this year. In the meantime, I'll be unlocking the Advent Daybook post for the final Sunday in Advent (tomorrow!) so everyone can enjoy it. Keep your eyes open on social media for the links.

Would you like to join us for the 12 Days of Christmas by becoming a Daybook Patron? The layout of the posts will look familiar; you could call them Advent Daybook lite.

Watch: I find myself ready for a bit less contemplation and a bit more lovely entertainment during feast days so in place of art and song, you’ll find a little video clip or short film (approx. 5 minutes or less) in each post. You could pretend each post is a little digital Christmas gift from me to you.
Read & Pray: I’ll include with a bit less fanfare the Scripture reading and prayer for those wanting to stay connected to the daily office lectionary.
Do: At the close of each post, I’ll include a simple activity to celebrate each of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Join us by Monday and receive a brand new Christmas Eve playlist. As in the past, it’ll be a lot quirky, sometimes kitschy, a little bit emo, and often melancholy playlist similar to the one I made when we lived so far away from my parents. Now we live far away from other people we love, but the feel of the playlist will remain in honor of those first homesick years.

Become a Daybook patron by Monday to get your link to the secret playlist!

Weekend Top 10: the Christmas-full edition