Unhurried Diligence

 

Lately The Lord has really been working on my heart in the area of “unhurried diligence”. I guess if I were to pick a phrase of the year for 2026, this would be it. Let me explain. :)

Very often in my motherhood, I find myself rushing myself and my children, for absolutely no good reason...we don't even need to be on a schedule or be on time to anywhere, and here I am hurrying and rushing along madly, spiking my own cortisol and stressing my kids out in the process. This tendency of mine is shared by many in our day, I believe, as is evidenced by the “slow living” trend that has saturated many social media outlets. However, this isn't just about “romanticizing daily life” or “self care”...it's so much deeper. 

It often weighs on me, this rush and hurry, almost as if it's an oppressor that hovers over my shoulder day after day, yelling, “You aren't doing enough! There's too many things to get done in a day, you can't do it all! You are failing at all of this—being a wife, being a mom, being a church member...you can never be enough for everyone!” And the thing is that all of these things have elements of truth. My heart DOES tend toward laziness, and the desire to waste time on frivolous things. I DO also have physical and mental limitations that dictate what I am actually able to accomplish in any given day. I DO fail and let people in my life down, however desperately I may wish that I never did. And I cannot be enough for everyone, all the time. No one can, except the only One who is all-sufficient. So what do I do? Do I just give up and give in, resigning myself to a life of rush and whirl, and nothing to show for it at the end of the day? Do I throw up my hands in defeat, and resolve to simply “eat, drink, and be merry”, enjoying every bit of self care and me-time that I can possibly manage to cram into every day? What is the answer here? Why does slowing down feel so impossible sometimes, especially when I don't even participate in social media?? Isn't that the main culprit? Apparently not, because here I am, battling just as hard to slow down as many people I know who are hopelessly addicted to TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

I was feeling convicted about this one day, and that very morning in my Bible reading, I came across the verse, “Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.” (Proverbs 19:2) Ok, Lord...I'm listening! :) Then, He brought me to Proverbs 21:5, “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; But of every one that is hasty only to want.”

Wait...that verse makes it sound as if diligence and hurry are antonyms? I always thought that diligence meant working swiftly...? So, of course, I went to Webster's 1828 for the definition. ;)

"Diligence: Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth; due attention; industry; assiduity."

In this definition, there is almost no mention of speed at all, rather, of steady application of oneself to the tasks set before them. The more I have pondered on this problem over the last few months, the more the Lord has impressed upon my heart that it boils down, at its very root, to the issue of faith in God. (Don't so many things??) 

The real question is not “Am I doing enough for my kids?” but rather “Do I trust God to use my faithful, steadfast efforts in my children's lives, for their good and His glory?” The real question is not, “How on earth am I going to accomplish everything on my huge to-do list for today?” but rather, “How can I fulfill the will of The Lord today in my home? What do I need to prioritize and labor diligently (steadily, faithfully) at, and what can I let go of gracefully at the end of the day, trusting that all results of my labor are ultimately up to God?” 

This perspective shift has been slowly working its way into my heart and actions lately. Not all day every day, unfortunately, but more and more often, by God's grace. Sanctification takes time, and I'm trying to apply the light that He has given me, trusting Him to continue His good work in me until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) 

With this in mind, I commissioned a sweet friend of mine to make me a set of bracelets: one says “diligent” and one says “unhurried”. I've been putting them on at the beginning of each day of full-time mothering, as a reminder of this truth that God has been working into me lately. 

Everything that I do is to be done “as unto the Lord”. My obedience should not depend on seeing obvious results of my labor, but rather on faith that I am following God's will for my day to day life, whether I see results or not. In closing, I want to share a quote I found that has encouraged me as I work on “unhurried diligence”.

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you sow.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” ~Galatians 6:9

May I diligently and faithfully sow seeds of goodness, joy, hope, and peace throughout the soil of the lives around me, and trust God to give the increase in HIS time!

~Mykaela

Reflections on Hospitality as a Mama of Littles

 

Around two years ago, a sweet mama friend from my church, with four little children of her own, made the decision to invite me and another friend over for morning coffee and playtime. Despite the fact that her house isn't huge, and we had (at the time) 9 kids under the age of 9 between the three of us moms. Despite the fact that fellowship was challenging because there were almost always tantrums that had to be dealt with and blowouts or spit-up to clean. Despite the fact that all of our kiddos left crumbly messes all over her floor as we ate treats together. This sweet lady chose to ignore the many reasons she could have had for NOT inviting us over, and did it anyway...and it blessed my socks off.

There was something so deeply precious about sharing our imperfect lives together, crumbs and spit up and bags-under-our-eyes-from-3am-nursing-sessions and all, and just do life together for a few hours. To sip coffee, eat cinnamon rolls, and chat about birth and postpartum, homemaking and child rearing, homeschool curriculums and hobbies, all punctuated with many breaks to take care of the little people our lives are so very wrapped up in. 

I truly can't describe to you how refreshed, encouraged, and inspired my heart was as I drove away from that first visit in her home. I called my husband and said with tears in my eyes, "I didn't realize how much I needed that."

Before this experience, I fear that I had fallen prey to the world's ideas of hospitality. That in order to do it "right", my home had to be free from any chaos, my kitchen floor from crumbs, and my clothing from baby snot. I had to have pretty decor and a main dish with at least two side dishes and a set table. The thought of having other mamas over in the middle of the day, of inviting them into my real "daily grind" for a few hours, felt vulnerable to me. Until someone else extended this grace to me, I never realized what a complete breath of fresh air it could be! I feel like God used this friend to open my eyes to the practical application of the truth from His Word, "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Prov. 17:17, emphasis mine). By refusing to think outside the box regarding hospitality, I was robbing myself and others of the sweet joy and blessing of sharing real life together. Of loving one another at all times, even the crazy and busy and slightly-overwhelming times.

Since that day, these two friends and I have gotten together for many more mornings in each other's homes. We usually break it up around noon, so we can get the littles to bed for naps. We now have 11 children between the three of us, and our times together are unstructured and informal, quite chaotic, and absolutely wonderful.

All that to say, I want to extend an encouragement to anyone reading who has never considered this type of hospitality before...go out on a limb and try it! Invite another mama of littles to come over on a random Tuesday. Tidy up beforehand if you can, in between nursing the baby, starting a load of laundry, and discipling the toddler, but don't stress. Don't try to make everything perfect. Grab a box of muffins from Walmart if you don't have time to bake some. Pour some tea or make a cup of coffee, and have a chat. It'll be interrupted at least 17 times, but just pick up where you left off. ;) Invite her into your ordinary life, and watch God bless both of you in extraordinary ways. Until next time,

Mykaela

Thank You, Lord...

 ...For that first sip of coffee. For squares of gold on my kitchen floor from late afternoon sunshine. For peony petals. For the dishes in the sink, and the precious ones who share meals off of them. For a strong body to care for my children.

Thank you for the way sunlight splits into vibrant colors through the prisms hanging in my windows. For the smell of old books. For the cries of a hungry newborn in the night--so many dream of hearing such a sound someday. 

Thank you for the strong arms of my beloved, always ready to embrace and cherish me. For the taste of cinnamon and cloves in the winter. For the sound of pattering feet, and giggles as little people bounce on the couch. Thank you for the gift of quiet moments used for happy things like embroidery or reading.

Thank you for a church family that loves one another like blood family. For a Pastor that teaches and preaches the Word unashamedly. Thank you for new sheet music. For shadows of lace on the wall as the light shines through a crocheted piece from a sweet friend. 

Thank you for the smell of a baby's downy hair. For packages of flower seeds, full of hope for the coming spring. For the glow of candles on a dark evening. For the sound of my husband voicing the prayer at church, dedicating the services to you. 

Thank you for a house that stays cozy warm in winter, and cool in summer. For hot baths after a tiring day. For the gift of deep sleep. Thank you for the growing that comes with serving others as Christ served. For songs sung with family around a Christmas tree. 

Thank you for soft slippers. For the fun of receiving a surprise package in the mail. For books that encourage and inspire. For the ability to bake and cook nourishing meals for my family. For Legos that fill little hands and minds with enjoyment. For cardinals flashing crimson against the snow. 

Open my eyes to see your fingerprints--these thousands of gifts, big and small, significant and minute, that you shower upon me day upon day, month upon month, and year upon year. Let me never grow blind to the joys that flow from your kind hand. Let me see and notice and thank you always.

Mykaela

The Wonder of Christmas

How could it be that these wee little hands

Flung stars into space, formed the oceans and lands?

How could this Babe’s tiny cry in the night

Be the same voice that long past said, “Let there be light”?

How could one see, in this Infant’s bright gaze, 

The God of the Universe, Ancient of Days?

How could it be that these sweet tiny feet

Have walked in a place where pure gold lines the street?

How could this small baby boy bear the weight

Of all humankind and their eternal fate? 

The wonder of that Christmas night long ago

Is greater than my mind can fathom or know.

But one thought shines as clear as that bright star of old: This Christ child has rescued my poor sinful soul.

I wrote this poem on Christmas evening this year, as I held my tiny baby, and pondered on Jesus Christ being this small once. So amazing to consider! I pray you all are having a wonderful, peaceful, and joy-filled holiday season. Love,

Mykaela

My Third Natural Home Birth Story

 

It's been too long since I have added anything to this space! Since my last post, we have added a sweet new member to our family. We found out in February that we were expecting our third child in October, and in June found out that it was in fact another little boy. :) I'm very solidly a boy mom now, haha! 

We were so blessed to have a third labor and delivery in the comfort of our home, and I am truly grateful for that opportunity and experience. I don't take for granted that many are not able to do this for one reason or another. I also know how quickly the details of the birth story tend to fade from memory, so I wrote down all I could remember just a few days postpartum this time. Here is the story of how baby Callen came into the world...hope you enjoy!

Callen's Birth Story

What a strange, long drawn out birth story our little Callen Uriah ended up having! I'm honestly not even sure exactly where to start telling, because there were so many false starts and unexpected twists and turns to it.

My pregnancy with Callen was just truly a dream compared to both of the other boys, but especially compared to Nate's pregnancy. I had almost no complications or issues whatsoever, and the time seemed to fly by all the way up until 35 weeks when baby dropped quite a bit and I started having prodromal labor. Every evening for several hours, I would have stronger contractions that would come and go at fairly regular intervals, sometimes even 10 minutes apart. Week after week went by with no change, except that my feet swelled to such proportions that for the last 5 weeks of the pregnancy, I could wear no shoes but flip-flops (and even those were getting too tight at the end! ;P) Still, I felt like I was pretty prepared mentally for the “contractions-forever-and-ever-amen”, since it happened with both of my other pregnancies as well, and things looked totally normal with me and baby, so I wasn't handling it too badly.

My technical due date was October 28th, but I had actually gotten the 20th from a couple different sites, and there was never a point in the entire pregnancy that I was NOT measuring 2-3 weeks ahead, so I was honestly very much expecting that I would have baby sometime around the middle of October. My midwife, Sabrina, was leaving town for a while on October 16th, so I scheduled an appointment on the 11th (37w, 5d) with Dr. Melissa, our chiropractor/acupuncurist in St. Louis who I saw right before going into labor with Nathaniel. I was really hoping that an adjustment and acupuncture from her would kickstart things, and I'd be able to deliver with Sabrina since she was my midwife for both the other boys. The adjustment went well, and baby dropped even lower, so I went home and did the Miles Circuit, walked a bit, and prayed that things would get going over the weekend.

Well, that night I got up to use the bathroom, and distinctly felt some leakage, along with a smell that I thought I remembered from previous pregnancies of amniotic fluid. I laid back down to rest until morning, not really getting any more sleep, haha! That day was our 6th anniversary, and I was happily resigned to having an anniversary baby, since it meant I'd be done being pregnant! ;D However, after getting up and going about the morning, getting everything ready for the birth, I'd only had a few strong contractions, and nothing really more intense than I'd already been having. We sent the boys to Luke's parents' house after their naps, and things still didn't pick up. All day. Finally around 7 pm, Sabrina came and did a swab, which showed up negative for amniotic fluid. Our best guess was that I had a small leak up high in the amniotic sac, that sealed itself back over throughout the day. I was SO sad and disappointed, and making the mental switch from “Today is baby day for sure!” to “Going to church tomorrow like all other Sundays” was incredibly difficult. From that day, time seemed to grind to a screeching halt, and drag slower than I have ever experienced before. Every night I went to bed disappointed that labor hadn't started during the day, and every morning I woke up disappointed that labor hadn't started in the night. I tried SO hard to keep a good attitude throughout all of it, but I definitely had many moments of struggle as day after day went by and I continued to get bigger and bigger!

6 days passed. On October 18, I had an appointment with Chelsea, my backup midwife. (She is so sweet and I truly loved having her! I just had hoped for Sabrina since she'd delivered the other two. :) Chelsea was checking on baby's position, and had her hand JUST above my pubic bone—as low on my belly as it was possible to get without hitting the actual bone. She said, “Ok, so what I'm feeling here is his SHOULDERS.” No wonder I felt like I had a bowling ball falling out of me 24/7...I practically did!! I found out at this appointment that Sabrina would only be back in town for 2 days before leaving again for several weeks, so I kind of gave up hoping for her to attend me, since it didn't seem like things were going anywhere fast.

October 21 came around, and my body started to clean out...I spent a lot of time in the bathroom that day. This was encouraging to me, as the same thing had happened right before I went into labor with Nate, but I was having a hard time having hope over anything labor related at this point. The next morning, contractions settled into a pattern of every 10 minutes. Not increasing intensity, but just like clockwork, EVERY 10 minutes. All. Day. Long. I took an Epsom Salt bath at 8:30 pm, and frequency increased to 5-7 minutes apart. Went to bed and slept fairly well throughout the night. Got up the next morning to contractions 10 minutes apart again, nonstop. I felt like I was going a little bit crazy, honestly. I couldn't believe that they could just continue for 2 straight days that often, and not turn into the real thing!! I was now at 39 weeks, 1 day. At my appointment in the afternoon, I had Chelsea check me, and I was 50% effaced, 3cm dilated. Measuring at 43 weeks, and feeling every inch of it. ;P By the end of that day, they were gone, and the next day I was back to my typical amount of prodromal labor—a couple dozen contractions throughout the day.

Two more days passed. Late evening on October 26, they picked back up again, and I had no emotion about it except extreme depression, because literally hundreds of contractions had done practically zip, and I was not convinced that my body ever would go into actual labor on its own! However, I woke in the night to a very strong one, and couldn't go back to sleep because they were around 4-5 minutes apart and quite intense. Had some bloody show at this point, which was the first sign at all that I'd had of actual cervical dilation. Around 7 am, Dad came and took the boys, and they went to church. By 9 am, my contractions were gone. Just nothing happening. Watched church services, took an Epsom Salt bath hoping to start them up again, but no go. Labor was gone. I had a huge emotional struggle at this point...I could NOT believe that this was happening again! I cried until I couldn't cry anymore, but finally had to pull it together, since the only thing happening now was a headache. ;) My sweet husband was such a dear support to me, and took me out on a beautiful walk in the autumn woods, then to a Mexican restaurant afterwards. Mom and Dad graciously kept the boys, in hopes that having them stay away would help me not to stall again.

Contractions picked up again around 6:00, and became quite intense by 11:00, but did not settle into a good pattern. There were still longer breaks in between. It was a hard decision to go to bed, as these were the strongest contractions I'd had yet, and I was afraid I would once again stall out, but I knew I couldn't just run myself into the ground either. Went to bed, and was awakened by strong contractions all throughout the night 1-2 times per hour. I once again stalled out in the morning, and had nothing happen all day Monday, the 28th, my due date. Chelsea came in the afternoon, and did a membrane sweep. I was dilated solidly to 4cm, lost my mucus plug, and baby was between -1 and -2 station. It was such a hard mental game at this point, because I knew that if contractions could just start and NOT GO AWAY, I would be having the baby probably pretty quickly! But I just could NOT seem to get to that point for anything! For Pete's sake, I'd been dilated between 3 and 4 for over a week now?! I was getting so exhausted from two nights of pretty hard labor, and the mental/emotional toll it was taking to be so close, yet seemingly so very far away. 

That evening around 5:30, when contractions once again picked up to hard, painful proportions, I was just angry at them, honestly. I decided that I didn't want to think about anything anymore, and started making pretzel croissants, lol! I wanted to bake something complicated and time consuming, to keep me from paying any attention to “labor”. All throughout the baking process, they continued so strong, even getting to the point that I started vocalizing a bit through them. They were somewhere around 6 minutes apart at this point. My labor was SO touchy. We finally came to realize that even when Luke (as in, my husband, the one I love and trust most in this world, and definitely wanted him with me?!) was in the room with me, my contractions would space back out further again!! So after I baked my croissants, (which turned out delicious, by the way ;P) I went into the bedroom, and began settling into a pattern by myself.

I would sit on the ball and sway while listening to music (I listened to all of Dan Forrest's new composition, “Creation” while laboring in the bedroom). When it had been 4 to 5 minutes, I would stand up and rock back and forth, which would trigger a contraction. If it was an especially hard one, Luke would come in and do some hip pressure, but otherwise he stayed out in the dining room so I could just keep things going. He felt terrible about this, but I kept reassuring him that this was apparently just what my body needed to do this time, and as much as both of us might dislike it, at least they seemed to be getting stronger! It was so frustrating not knowing if purposely causing myself all these incredibly painful contractions was actually DOING anything, or if it was going to once again be completely futile.

I kept this pattern going until 10 pm, at which point I had several that were so hard and long that I told Luke, “I feel like this is close to transition, but I don't even want to think that, because I'm still afraid I'll stall out. My point of reference feels like it's just gone. But this is so hard.” Luke started filling the tub, but even that was worrying me, because I wasn't sure I was in real labor. Looking back, it's kind of funny to me, because I was within 3 hours of baby's arrival. But hope deferred had messed me up, lol!

I just wanted a little break at this point, so I got into the shower. I did not in fact get a break from that. ;P They picked up incredibly fast while I showered, coming every two minutes like clockwork. For reference, I have never had contractions two minutes apart, in either of my other labors. Even when I was 10cm dilated and pushing with the other boys, contractions never got closer together than 4-5 minutes, so this was new territory for me. When I got out of the shower, I asked Luke to call Chelsea to come. I had been determined not to call her to come until I was sure I was in transition, and I was so afraid that I still wasn't anywhere close, but things were just SO intense, I felt like I needed to go ahead and do it. I was still thinking that Chelsea would probably show up, and I would stall just from her being there. Thank The Lord, this wasn't the case...it was finally, FINALLY go time for real!!!

Chelsea packed her things and came within half an hour, and when she arrived I was still in full on crazy contractions every two minutes. She observed 2 or 3 of them, and after one, I said, “Oh my goodness, all I want is to get in the tub!” I had been determined not to do so until I was ready to push, but the thought of lying down to get my dilation checked at this point was almost unthinkable to me. Chelsea said, “Mykaela, I truly think it's TIME for you to get in the tub! These are really, really, intense...I don't think labor is going anywhere this time!” I wasn't fully convinced, but opted to go ahead and get in. The water felt SO good! I had 3, maybe 4 contractions in the tub, (still having to “force” them to come by getting on hands and knees), and my body started to push during one. I was sooo excited by this, because I knew that feeling!! I really was IN LABOR! :D (So hilarious that I didn't believe it until I was literally pushing. ;) 

One other funny thing that happened right at this time was that I looked up at the clock, and noticed that it was exactly midnight. I said, “Welp, sorry, Mama!” The 28th was my mom's birthday, and she'd been really hoping I would have baby on that day. ;) Literally seconds after I said that was the contraction that I started to bear down.

After that, things are a blur in my head...when I started to push, I got almost no breaks until he was born 40 minutes later. Contractions were between 45 seconds and a minute apart, and even in between contractions, Cal was moving down very noticeably, so it was INSANELY intense even when I wasn't actively pushing. The midwife assistant, Marlene, showed up at about 12:20, and was only there for about 20 minutes before baby was born. Shortly after she arrived, I was in the thick of a hard contraction, and said, “I just want someone else to do this part for me!” Chelsea, Marlene and Luke all laughed, and I think Marlene said something like, “I wish we could all take a turn for you!” I reached down at one point and felt the top of his head just inside, and that was very encouraging, but also terrifying, because I knew the ring of fire was imminent. That is definitely the part I dread the most about labor!! It started to burn so bad, and at one point I thought for sure his head had surely been born. I desperately asked if that was so, and Chelsea said no, but he was close. I reached down, and realized he hadn't even fully crowned yet. I said, “Oh man...I thought he was so much farther than that!!” I had to fight the urge to just “give up” at that point, (irrational as that thought was...obviously there was no going back! ;P) But I thought to myself, “The only way out is through.” Then I pushed with everything I had, and his head was finally born! That was such a moment of triumph, because I knew the very hardest part was over, and he was so close. Just a few seconds later, he made his rotation and came out fully, being caught by his Daddy. 

As they brought him up, the cord was tugging and hurting, and I gasped that it must be short, but quickly realized it wasn't actually a short cord, it was wrapped around him in a way I'd never seen before. It was around his neck once, and then wrapped under and around one shoulder/armpit like a backpack. Luke and Chelsea did some gymnastics with him, twisting him around to get it untangled.

He didn't have one bit of vernix on him, confirming that he was definitely at least full term, but likely even a bit over. His cry, when it came, was crazy high-pitched, he sounded like a baby eagle. ;) I couldn't believe how tiny he felt and looked!! I had been expecting a very big baby, at least 9 pounds. As we waited for the placenta to come, I said, “That was so fast! I mean it took weeks but it was so fast!” Ha. It truly had felt incredibly fast compared to my two previous labors, especially the whirlwind pushing stage...both other boys I'd pushed for 2 ½ hours.

After the placenta came, (man, I really hate that part!) we cut his cord and handed him off to his daddy while I took a wonderful hot shower. After that, I got into bed to rest, nurse, and enjoy the fruit of all the long, LONG labors!! Chelsea and Marlene cleaned everything up, started a load of laundry, and made me a plate of scrambled eggs. I always say that the meals you eat in the first week after giving birth are some of the best meals ever to exist. ;) Those scrambled eggs that my husband fed to me at 3 am, with my new baby in my arms, were the most gourmet eggs in the world. ;)

Chelsea did Callen's newborn exam, and everything looked perfect. He weighed 8lbs, 6oz... 2oz less than Nathaniel did when he was born, despite Callen being born 2 weeks later. He was 20 inches long, which I think was why he looked so tiny, he was fairly “tall” for his weight.

I was checked for tearing, and only had very minimal damage, similar to what I had with Nathan. I didn't even end up using the peri bottle more than 3 or 4 times, I healed so quickly and had so little pain/burning. As expected and dreaded, the afterbirth cramps were more intense than ever before, and were absolutely horrible for the first 3 or 4 days. I was very glad when I was able to make it past that hurdle and spend time resting and enjoying baby without so much pain!

The boys have so enjoyed their new brother, and watching Luke become a daddy again has made me fall in love with him all the more. :) I am so, so glad to have this sweet baby on the outside after such a long wait, and to be NOT PREGNANT!! ;P My feet almost immediately went down to their normal size after he was born, and having non-blimpy feet is the best thing ever after 6 weeks of severe swelling. ;)

Out of curiosity, I asked Sabrina about Callen's strange nuchal cord. I'm hoping to get my doula certification someday, Lord willing, and thus have done literally hundreds of hours of research and study on all things labor/birth/postpartum...I've never once seen a cord wrapped in quite that way before! Sabrina said that it is indeed quite rare, she's not seen it often at all. The last client of hers that had a baby with that type of nuchal cord ended up having a hospital transfer and cesarean, because the cord was too short to allow for the baby to descend. I was so grateful that Callen's was long enough and I was able to have him at home! God is so good!

I think that's about the whole of it...If you've made it through this very long story, thank you for reading! :)

God bless,

Mykaela

The Homemaker's Christmas Creed

 

Just a semi-humorous, but mostly serious series of things I've been thinking about lately. :)

Though I sing all the Christmas carols with the sweetest voice at church, and do not choose to speak gently and with charity to my children and husband, I am become as an off-key piano, or a harsh, grating trumpet blast.

And though I give the perfect gifts, and choose the most fancy stocking stuffers for everyone on my list, and wrap everything with gorgeous bows and paper, and give not the gift of charity, I am nothing.

And though I cook the best holiday foods, invite all the people over, attend all the gatherings dressed to the nines, and have the most Pinterest-worthy decor and cozy aesthetic all throughout my house, and have not the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity chooses to be still when a relative says something insensitive at Christmas dinner. Wipes the child's nose for the umpteenth time without complaint. Charity doesn't look at the gift someone else received with envy and discontent. Nor at her own gifts with pride and entitlement.

Charity does not speak loud and brashly at the Christmas party, giving others no chance to get a word in edgewise. Does not focus on her own desires and refuse to notice when her family needs to take a step back and rest. Does not explode in anger when the child causes her to run late for choir practice. Gives her husband loving grace and the benefit of the doubt if he speaks shortly.

Rejoices not in the selfish consumerist mindset so common in our world, but rejoices in the simple joys and blessings God has poured out upon her.

Bears all the inconveniences and heartaches that can sometimes mingle with the joy of the holiday season. Believes the best about her loved ones, instead of assuming evil motives. Hopes in the soon coming of her Saviour, and rejoices in His precious birth. Endures with patience the thousands of questions from her children, "Is it Christmas yet??". 

Charity never faileth. But whether there be lovely decorations, they shall be messed up by little ones. Whether there be delicious baked goodies, they shall be burnt accidentally. Whether there be fun plans, they shall be unexpectedly interrupted. 

For nothing is ever "perfect" in our fallen world...but with God's peace, joy, and charity in our hearts from His Spirit within us, we can make this holiday season special in many simple, beautiful ways. We can shower Christ's love on those around us, and remind them of the Babe that came to Bethlehem, to save His people from their sins. Emmanuel. Love Incarnate. Charity personified. The reason we celebrate this beautiful season, despite imperfect circumstances. He is worthy of all the worship and praise.

Mykaela

Growing Through the Stones

 A few days ago, as I was leaving our little apartment for the day, I looked down and saw this sweet little pansy, just growing right through the cracks of the paving stones. It was so unexpected, such a beautiful little spot of sunshine on the pavement, that I had to snap a quick picture before going.

I realize this post will probably sound a little cliche. But I kept thinking about that little flower all throughout the day, and wanted to write about it. 

How do I respond when God has me in a hard place? A place that it seems my margins have disappeared, and I'm left with pressures such as I've never experienced before? How do I respond when I feel like I don't have room to breathe? 

May I, like this little flower, choose to flourish and shine bright for others, even in the tightest and hardest spaces. May I push steadfastly toward the Son (spelling intended ;), not letting my seeming lack of resources discourage me. May I trust in the nourishment and grace that is given me, day by day and moment by moment, not fretting over if or when my reserves will run dry. May I be a person that makes others stop and think of their Creator.

Mykaela