Small Gifts in the Middle of Winter
Some of my recent favorite things
This is the season where warm socks, throw blankets, and steaming cups of coffee or hot chocolate are a regular in my home.
Winter, to me, often always looks so bare and bleak. The barren trees on our farm are overshadowed by the grey skies of the season. Most days though, the grey will lift and we will get a beautiful glimpse of the warm sun, or the gleaming stars at night.
This year I’ve really enjoyed gazing over the frost covered pastures with the bare oaks and maples scattered around. It feels to me, in this season, a space of knowing—of being seen.
A space of being held in the warmth of the ground—as new life forms.
A space of safety while holding unanswered questions.
A space of quiet.
A space of slowness.
A space of looking and noticing.
A space of being kind to myself.
What is this season inviting you into?
I didn’t intentionally start this, but I’m enjoying this rhythm of offering a list of some of my favorite things if we have a fifth Thursday in the month. So here we are, in the last week of January, and I want to offer some of my favorite things (mostly books) that have given life to me lately.1
Recent Reads
Start with Welcome: The Journey toward a Confident and Compassionate Immigration Conversation - As many of you know, my husband and I serve in ministry to immigrants and refugees. This has been a very big topic in the news lately and has been very heavy on our hearts. Start with Welcome is a phenomenal, bipartisan resource to educate yourself on how to have healthy conversations with others about the biblical issue of caring for those whom God has brought to our country. I cannot recommend this book enough!
Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention - I have intentionally read this book very slowly. I love to inhale books like this so quickly and have tried to take my time and absorb it. I really enjoyed letting the invitations of cultivating holy attention from Sarah Clarkson linger and simmer in my soul. This book is a MUST read.
Honest Advent: Awakening to the Wonder of God-with-Us Then, Here, and Now - I know the Christmas season is over but mark this one for next year! This advent book was such a gift to look at the incarnation through a different, honest, and raw lens. Scott’s artwork is phenomenal and is such an invitation to sit with and experience Advent (or any season) in a deep and meaningful way.
Even After Everything: The Spiritual Practice of Knowing the Risks and Loving Anyway - This book felt like a gentle dance as it weaved hope and grief within the liturgical Christian calendar. It was a soothing balm for my soul as I resonated so much with the grief and hope of Stephanie Duncan Smith’s story. If you have ever struggled with hope after loss, please be kind to yourself and get this book.
How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away - I read Emily P. Freeman’s newest book when it released earlier in 2024, but as I’m holding different areas of discernment in 2025 I’ve revisited the book. This time I’ve read through it slower along with a notebook beside me to write down my reflections. It’s been a gentle guide and companion in the unknown spaces my heart is holding.
Recent Listens
Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans - This is a book that I read or listen to at least once or twice a year now! This time around, I enjoyed listening to the audio version on Spotify. Although I don’t integrate all the practices she shares in the book, I love returning to the simplicity and joy of parenting. This book offers many helpful tips and practical ways to integrate a simpler way of parenting in a complicated twenty-first century world.
Random favorites
Gratitudes and Beatitudes Journal - The Keeping Company – I love this journal! I’ve journaled in a similar way previously, but the simplicity and prompts of this journal are beautiful and such a gift. I love being able to look back at joy moments that I’ve had on each day of the month. It offers such a gift of reflection and remembering as you name joy and gratitude in your life.
I purchased this sweatshirt from Tanner Olson’s website later last year and it has become one of my favorites! Not only is it cozy and comfortable on these cold winter days, but the message of Walk a Little Slower is such a gentle reminder to slow down and remember God is present in all I do. Also, it’s a little ironic to wear right now, as I physically walk VERY slow these days!
I get quite a few comments on this shirt!
May you remember today that you are deeply loved by the One who breathed the stars into existence.
May you remember today that you are held in His long and loving gaze.
May you remember today that as you live your everyday life, God is weaved into every crevice and mundane space.
May you remember today that ALL is holy ground.
Substack always offers their writers the option to open up for paid subscriptions. I know many writers on this platform offer this to their subscribers, but for me, I hope to always keep what I offer here in this space free of charge. My husband and I serve in support-based missions work in diaspora ministry, specifically in refugee care. If you want to support my writing—you could give a one-time or recurring donation to our ministry and that would be a huge blessing.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, none of these are affiliate links. They’re just me wanted to share the hard work of others with you.
Keep the faith! Angels are with you!👼😇
I’d love to gaze over the frost covered pastures with you, that sounds delightful! I’m also reading Sarah Clarkson (slowly,slowly) and Emily P. Freeman ❤️