When I was a child, nothing brought me more joy than summer camp. I would beg my mother to let me stay more weeks. The rope swing over the river, the counselor skits at dinner, the girls’ banter in the cabin, the massive games at night in the woods, and …

When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate incarnation; the story of Christ’s birth is the story of God taking on human flesh. Yet, Christmas is about more than a single moment lodged in human history; Christmas proclaims the reality of incarnation: that God is with us. Christmas is about recognizing how …

When I was five my mother married “Big Bob.” Bob was 6’5” with jet black hair and a deep Texas drawl. He was a heavy equipment operator during the week and a successful race car driver on weekends. He was impressive and imposing. The marriage was not one of those …

I recently had the pleasure of re-watching a terrible, wonderful old movie. The fantasy adventure film Willow was released in 1988 and was written by the master storyteller, George Lucas, creator of Star Wars. Willow is a kitchen-sink of classic tropes and Hollywood cliche. There’s an evil Queen, a down-on-his-luck …

It just wasn’t there anymore. After 30 years of getting the house just like he liked it. It didn’t have the latest decorating trends, the most current, trendiest countertops, cabinets, flooring and the like. As a matter of fact it was somewhat tattered in places, well-lived in you might say. …

When our daughter was born, my husband and I decided it was time to establish Christmas traditions unique to our new family. For me, this meant celebrating Christmas morning in our own home. For my in-laws, this meant breaking their family’s tradition of Christmas Eve dinner with a beloved aunt …

If nothing else, I would say about myself that I am steeped in tradition – especially during the holidays. It’s always the same – a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup before going to church Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, my family gathers for a champagne toast at noon followed by …

Several days ago I began putting up the outside Christmas lights. Several of the younger families in our neighborhood had already begun ahead of me. To set this devotional in context, may I mention to you that we are the oldest residents on our block both in age and longevity of ownership. We …

I was built in 1983 on Primrose Lane, on a corner lot, in a sleepy small town. Just before my builders hammered in the final nails, a lovely young couple and two children walked through my doors, bubbling with excitement; shortly thereafter, they became my family. The father used his woodworking talents …

When I was in kindergarten, my parents bought a home in a neighborhood in the very southeast corner of Memphis, Tennessee. The room I moved into that year I finally moved out of when I was 22; after bouncing around from dorm and rental properties, I spent my senior year …

I have been fascinated by the story of the Three Kings (or Three Wisemen, or Three Magi, etc. etc. etc.) since childhood. Something about the idea of traveling so far to see the Baby Jesus seemed both strange and wonderful. I was no stranger to travel as a kid. We …

Our Advent theme this year, Home by Another Way, invites us to approach the season as one phase of our life-long spiritual journey. I wonder, who are your traveling companions? What wise sages might you encounter during this season and how may they encourage or re-direct your steps? I am …

Christmas Eve 1992 will forever live in my memory as the most magical in my life. In typical Weinhold fashion, my parents were hard at work that morning preparing nothing short of a feast for a house full of family and friends on Christmas Day. The oven was fired up, …

This Advent season is like no other. Many of us have altered how we will celebrate Christmas. In our household there have been some discussion about how to handle gifts – our boys are at the age where experiences were more the standard gift than a thing. It has us …

On three Monday nights in November, a bunch of us gathered online for a course called “Saints of Our Time.” The word saints conjures up halos in artwork and names like Saint Augustine or Saint Teresa, heroic people who achieved great things in the name of serving God and community. …