So what do we do when the days get full and our practice of celebrating slowly falls by the wayside? Summer reset of course! The beauty of celebrating slowly is that it doesn't take mountains of effort or planning. It's about taking notice in the chaos or calling out your autopilot mode and pausing to slow your mind. Even those of us who are well-versed in mindful, prayerful practices and have built rituals into our lives can be distracted by the routine. Like we discussed in

I don't have to sell you on the joy of holidays. We look forward to them all year round. We prepare for them. We teach our kids to countdown the days with paper chains or Advent calendars. It comes. Then it goes. I do probably have to sell you on the joy of the post-holidays, however. We know the let down. The lights are taken down. The candles burn out. The decorations return to their home in storage. After weeks of anticipation, of marking time with intention, the days retu

Cultivating Gratitude and Presence in Preparation for Christmas The countdown to Christmas is often a race to a single day of excessive gifts and overindulgence. What if, instead of "counting down," we spent the weeks leading up to Christmas in a practice of being present and grateful each day. I'm all for the chocolate Advent calendars, so this is my way of leveling up the experience. While I enjoy my chocolate of the day, I spend 3-5 minutes reflecting on a daily prompt and

In America, we love our holiday season. While it technically kicks off with Halloween and continues through New Year's, we stretch that start date up to the first day of fall in September when all things pumpkin spiced descend upon us. Actually, love is probably the wrong word . It's more like an obsession. ..or a mania. The holidays have become less and less about faith and family and more and more about the hustle and bustle. From holiday shopping to football games to obl

You know that feeling where your schedule starts to feel really tight? It's one event after the other, last minute grocery trips, and the kitchen's a constant mess. You keep yourself going by telling yourself "it's just a season." Then suddenly, it's over. You're not sure when Thanksgiving and Christmas lost its magic, but that feeling of regret settles in because you spent so much time just trying to get through everything that you didn't stop to enjoy it. The reality is tha