2025 is a wrap! And what a glorious year it was to watch God move, drawing people to Himself and bringing His name glory.✨
Peace is looking into the face of my Jesus and needing to see nothing else.
Hannah hodgson (@resurrectionpoetry)
Things worth remembering…
- a Christmas parade
- decorating for Christmas
- winter walks in the dark
- a friend who tethered me to truth and light when I couldn’t bring myself to do it
- hot cocoa, a slow afternoon with siblings, and The Appendix Scare
- celebratory dinners for the first responder siblings
- cookie and gift exchange chaos with friends
- grapefruit!!
- drinking hot chocolate and wrapping gifts while listening to Christmas music
- putting a difficult month of winter on the farm in the books
- making shortbread for Christmas with the pro (my youngest sister)
- so much reading after Christmas
- accidental mac and cheese soup
- receiving hugs, hot cocoa, and stories from my grandma on a hard day
- an evening errand run with the brothers
- The Whipped Cream Game
- my brother’s eggnog
Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Joseph H. Gilmore
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
What I’ve been reading…
Louisa May Alcott’s Christmas Treasury – Louisa May Alcott
Before another word could be said, a little old lady appeared in the hall, trying to look stern and failing entirely, because she was the picture of a dear, fat, cozy grandma.
I read this with friends for a book club! It wasn’t my absolute favorite read from Alcott (it began to feel repetitive after awhile), but there were some sweet, thought-provoking stories with Louisa May Alcott’s inevitable dash of humor. Her characters are so endearing!
Where Secrets Lie – Colleen Coble, Rick Acker
I almost didn’t listen to this audiobook because I didn’t love the first book in the series, but I’m glad my restless mind got the better of me; I enjoyed this one so much more the one that preceded it! It ended on a horrible cliffhanger, though, and the third book doesn’t come out till March. Boo!!
Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God – David McCasland
“We are not called to be successful in accordance with ordinary standards, but in accordance with a corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying, becoming in that way what it never could be if it were to abide alone.”
Still reading through this one!
Terms and Traditions – Morgan Taylor Giesbrecht
You know I’m not the biggest fan of the romance genre, but this Christmas rom-com has delighted me with how much I’ve been able to enjoy it! I love the depth of the characters and the author’s sense of humor. If you’re a rom-com fan, you should definitely check this book out.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways,
Psalm 145:17-18
Gracious in all His works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.
From the journal…
Strengthen my hands to lay all my hopes and fears to rest on Your chest, and fix my eyes in sheer adoration on You.
Live slowly enough to be able to think deeply about God.
J.I. Packer
What made your December memorable?
❤ Laurel
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Laurel Luehmann 