Combs is a pastor in a liturgical tradition, and he has included this tradition in each day’s story. Every story ends with a repeated liturgy pointing us towards “the one who is coming”. This addition of a daily liturgy creates a rhythm to each day’s reading that is unique to this Advent devotional.
Summer is upon us, and to be honest, this summer hit me like a brick. My youngest graduated from high school, and with her graduation also came the stark reality that summer is really different for us. I’ve been nostalgic listening to the parents of my second-grade students musing over how they are going to…
Frustration with others is a way of life. Our sinful nature always tends towards “me first” and that struggle is no different whether you are one or ninety-one. There are a myriad of articles and advice out there to parents suggesting the best ways to guide children with handling their emotions and this innate selfish…
Growing up, I have distinct memories of always having a book with me. I can remember waiting with my parents at restaurants and having my nose in a book the whole time. In fifth grade, I will never forget being called into the hall by a teacher for reading “secretly” at my desk while she…
These two books called out to me as possible additions to our second-grade study of animals and habitats. Each provides beautiful illustrations, created with different mediums, which is always intriguing for me to show and talk through with students. Each provides clever prose that lends itself to enjoyable, repeatable read-alouds as we think and study…
I was seven when the animated movie The Last Unicorn came out, so my memories of it border somewhat on the nostalgic. But I do remember how it made me feel. It unsettled me in ways that my short life had not really been unsettled before. I probably watched the movie multiple times and, in…
A while back I was reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as part of a writing group. I found myself walking through the wardrobe with a writer’s eyes and picking apart Lewis’ amazing prose. It was definitely a different way to read this familiar story. As I was reading I was continually stuck…
Just down the road from my house growing up was a cul-de-sac that had at the head an entrance into a huge forest of wooded trails. My friends and I would often roam around these woods that eventually opened up into a field filled with tall waving grass, snowy white Queen Ann’s Lace and all…
Little Men is the perfect summer read-aloud. It is a story that celebrates motherhood, life-long learning, community and relationships. Through the antics of the boys and girls and the gentle patience of Jo and Mr. Bauer we are introduced to a lovely story sure to please any age. Little Men continues with the characters from…
Friendship is a tricky thing. Today’s world of social media and texting adds a level to friendships – or rather takes away a level – that has never been experienced before. Throw in a pandemic and the whole idea of how to “do friendship” could make anyone crazy. Recently I finished two books that speak…
My childhood is filled with so many visions of gathering and feasting. One of my clearest memories growing up was of Thanksgiving. We would take the forty-five minute drive up the back-roads to my aunt and uncle’s house. The house would be filled with cousins and all sorts of other family members. We would fill…
Anyone who has grown up as a sibling knows there is emotional processing that continually goes on as each sibling deals with the attentions, or lack of attentions, of others. Sibling rivalry and jealousy are natural things. I see it in my children as they fight for the front seat of the car. I see…
