Lent is all about slowing down. It’s a time to prepare our hearts for the most important time of our Christian faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During Lent, we make space for quiet, prayer, and introspection. We think about who we are and all that has been won for us through the saving acts of Jesus. I love creating a sacred space where a child can just “be” with God. A space where they can still themselves, get lost in the creative process, and through it, have an encounter (whether they know it or not!) with God. A great way to create this sacred space for a child is through crafts. This Lenten craft for kids is made from inexpensive supplies that you can get at Walmart or any crafts store. Don't worry, it is a foolproof craft! Don’t worry about the shapes your children cut out or if the glue gets everywhere. Let the pieces overlap, let them go out of the lines, it’s ok! Before you begin the craft, read Hebrews 12:1-3 with your kids. Then put on some worship music, relax, and let go! You'll be amazed at what happens during the creative process. Mosaic Cross Craft Supplies Standard-size felt sheets in white, dark brown, light, and dark purple Fabric glue Light colored marker Scissors Instructions With your marker, draw a rough cross shape on a white piece of felt. Cut out small pieces of brown felt ( It doesn't matter what shape they are). Glue the brown pieces of felt inside the cross shape until no white is showing. Next, cut out small pieces of the light purple felt and glue the light purple pieces down around the cross. Cut small pieces of dark purple felt. Add in pieces of the dark purple felt randomly around the outside of the light purple and a few in the middle of the light purple to give it some variation. Continue filling in until the scene looks full.

Did you know that there are traditional songs that the church sings throughout the season of Lent? These songs are very different from other songs. The songs are beautiful but they are also more penitential in tone, being filled with introspection and confession. They are also filled with hope as we look to the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Click the link to hear my playlist of traditional Lenten hymns. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7k3ClEENV1ByyjZD0qStax?si=JQCcqphXSXWY1xl9-XYoZA

​​ We start Lent with a very special day- Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday, the Body of Christ enters a time of devotion. We look at our own mortality and the consequences of our sins. Traditionally, in the Bible, times of penitence were marked by the wearing of sackcloth and ashes. At the Ash Wednesday service, the forehead of each believer is marked with ashes in the sign of the cross and we are reminded through these ashes that we are “but dust and to dust we shall return” (Genesis 3:19). These are the very words God spoke to Adam and Eve after they committed the first sin. On Ash Wednesday, after prayer, our family gathers around the table. We each take a piece of paper and we take some time to think about ourselves. What do we struggle with? What do we want God to change in us? We write it all down, fold the paper, and burn it. Then we read Holy Words from the Bible reminding us that once we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us. Just as the words on our paper are unrecognizable, so have our sins been forgiven. Oh, the love of God!

The King Cake is a traditional Mardi Gras dessert. It was created to use up all of the rich things (butter, sugar, alcohol) in our pantries before a season of fasting begins. This is a delicious traditional King Cake with a flaky, buttery brioche, a sweet filling of toasted pecans, cane syrup, cinnamon, and coated with a bourbon glaze. King Cake Ingredients for the Brioche: 1 envelope of Active Dry Yeast 1/4 cup warm water (115 degrees) 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup milk 2 teaspoons orange zest 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs, beaten 1 1/4 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces 1 egg beaten and 2 Tablespoons water for the egg wash 1 plastic baby trinket or dried bean Dissolve the yeast in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, and let stand until frothy. Dissolve the salt, sugar, orange zest, and milk in a small bowl. When dissolved combine the milk mixture with the yeast mixture. Mix the cinnamon with the flour. Add the eggs with the mixer on low speed, then gradually add the flour until all is incorporated. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes until a smooth elastic dough is formed. A little more flour may be necessary. With the motor running, incorporate the butter into the dough, a little at a time but rather quickly so that it doesn’t heat up and melt. Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, loosely cover it with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 hour in a warm spot. When the dough has doubled in bulk punch it down, cover, and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You can skip this step if you are pressed for time. The following day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out to a 6 x 18-inch rectangle. Spread the pecan filling (recipe below) out in the middle of the rectangle along the whole length, leaving about 1 1/2 inches on each side. Place the baby trinket somewhere with the filling. Fold the length of the dough over the filling and roll up tightly, leaving the seam side down. Turn the roll into a circle, seam side down and put one end inside of the other to hide the seam, and seal the circle. Place the cake on a baking sheet and let rise, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Brush all over with the egg wash, then place the king cake into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. When the cake cools, brush with some of the glaze (recipe below) thinned out with more cold water. This will help the sugars adhere. Decorate the cake with the colored sugars and drizzle some of the thicker glaze onto the cake. Place on a large round serving plate and decorate with Mardi Gras beads, doubloons, and whatever else that you like. Ingredients for the filling: 1 cup pecan halves, broken up slightly and roasted until fragrant 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 pinch of salt 4 tablespoons Steen’s Cane Syrup Combine all of the ingredients. For the glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon bourbon water Combine the sugar and bourbon, and whisk in enough water to make a glaze that can be drizzled. For the sugar topping: 3/4 cup granulated sugar Food coloring Place 1/4 cup of sugar in three sandwich baggies. In the first baggie, add drops of yellow food coloring. Close the bag, squeezing the air out and mash around until the yellow food coloring is evenly distributed. In the second baggie, do the same thing but add green food coloring. In the third add blue and red food coloring to get purple. Sprinkle the colored sugars over the glazed King Cake in strips of purple, yellow and green.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” Proverbs 19:17 Lent is a beautiful time of preparation. It is a time when we ready our hearts for the amazing work of God’s redemption on Easter Sunday. Throughout Lent, we mark our time with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer and fasting have to do with our relationship with God and with ourselves, and almsgiving has to do with our neighbor. While there is a great focus on prayer and fasting in Lent, we don’t hear much about almsgiving. Almsgiving is collecting and distributing money for those in need. When Jesus gives the story of the Good Samaritan, the Good Samaritan does not just pray for the wounded man, he takes care of all of his needs. Traditionally, during the season of Lent, alms boxes are placed on a table right when you walk into church and in a prominent place in your home. We always place ours in the center of the table that we eat at. As we give up things for Lent, we take the money that we would have spent on those things and place the money in our alms box. It is exciting to watch the box fill up as Lent progresses! And there is so much joy at the end to see how much money you have raised as a family and to decide on the way that you will give it away. Having an alms box for Lent is a wonderful way to walk with your children through the season. It helps them to see that preparing our hearts for the Lord involves prayer and fasting but also helping those in need. If you’d like to make an alms box for your home, I created this easy and inexpensive alms jar. This is a kid-friendly project! Let your kids have fun making it. The craft was created to embrace imperfections and little hands! Alms Jar for Lent Supplies: Glass Jar Silver or white sharpie Money Clean the outside of the glass jar. Have a child with good handwriting write, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord.” Let your kids take turns making little crosses all over the jar. Place it on your kitchen or dining table. Have them add their money throughout the season. Have a blessed Lent! +

Tonight is the Eve of Candlemas! Candlemas is one of the oldest feast days from the ancient Christian church, dating all the way back to the fourth century! It falls exactly forty days after Christmas and wraps up the full celebration of Jesus’ birth. On this special day, we celebrate the Holy Family’s (Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus) arrival at the temple in Jerusalem. The firstborn had to be consecrated to the Lord and that had to be done at the temple in Jerusalem. Joseph, as the father, was required to give an offering to God in thanks for the birth of his first child. His offering was the offering of the poor which, was a pair of young pigeons. While at the temple, Joseph and Mary were unexpectedly confronted by Simeon the Prophet. Simeon took the infant Jesus into his arms, lifted him up to God, and uttered the most beautiful prophecy: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32 After Simeon departed, an elderly prophetess named Anna came up to Jesus and she also prophesied. Through these prophecies, we experience another epiphany where Jesus is revealed as the Messiah. Because Jesus was revealed as the light of the world, candles play a huge role in the celebration of Candlemas. Candlemas is a holiday of purification, with the candles representing the purifying nature of light. All of the candles that were used in the house were brought to the local church and blessed on this day. In France the traditional food to eat is crepes. It is said that crêpes, with their golden color and circular form, recall the shape of the sun, evoking the return of spring after a harsh and cold winter. While making the crepes, it is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other. You flip the crêpe into the air and if you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year. In Mexico, following the church service is a large family feast. Whoever found the bean in their Rosca de Reyes on Epiphany was also in charge of making all of the tamales on Candlemas. In Great Britain, Candlemas Day was the day when people predicted the weather. Farmers believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English song goes: If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come winter, have another flight; If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again. This practice led to the folklore behind "Groundhog's Day", which falls on Candlemas Day. Ways to Celebrate Read Luke 2:22-40 with your family. Make candles. Put all of your candles on the dining room table and have a feast. Make anything with. a "sunny" color like crepes, pancakes, or tamales. Here's my quick and delicious recipe for pancakes.

We are almost to my favorite season of the church year, Lent! Lent is a beautiful season of preparation in which Christians around the world ready their hearts for the most pivotal moment of our faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent is based on three pillars: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. During Lent, we fast from anything “of the flesh”, meaning that meat, cheese, butter, sugar, and alcohol are eliminated from our diets. It is a penitential season where we confess our sins and meditate on our need for a savior. Right before we move into Lent, however, there is a brief period of time known as Carnival. The word Carnival comes from the Latin expression, carne levare, or “remove meat.” Carnival is filled with celebration and merrymaking as we empty our larders of all the things we cannot consume during Lent. Carnival ends with a final celebration known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday. Now, if you are like me when you think of this day you probably envision rich foods, elaborate parades, huge crowds, beads being thrown, and excessive partying and drunkenness. But the day is actually a transition day, moving God’s people from the season of Epiphanytide to the season of Lent. It is a day suspended between two worlds. Yes, It is a day of feasting and using up all of our fatty foods, but it is also a day of confessing our sins and preparing our hearts for the start of Lent. Even in New Orleans where Mardi Gras has become so secularized, there are no parades after 2 pm, honoring the tradition that at sundown, a more penitential time begins. Even if you are a die-hard partier and you continue to hang out in the French Quarter to keep the party going, at midnight the party abruptly ends. There is an elaborate parade but this time it is a parade of police officers walking down the streets, forcefully announcing that the party is over followed by street sweepers that clean the streets. At the stroke of midnight, Mardi Gras is over and Lent has begun. This special day is known by many names: Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday in French), Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday and they all point to the duality of the day. Mardi Gras and Pancake Day point to the feasting traditions associated with the day and Shrove Tuesday points to the penitential acts done on the day. The word shrove comes from the Old English word “shrift” and means to confess one’s sins. Traditionally, on this day, the church bells would ring letting the townspeople know that it was time to go to church to confess one’s sins before Lent began. They would also bring their palm crosses from the previous Palm Sunday where the palms were burned and ground up to be the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service. There are also many food traditions that developed around the world as Christians tried to use up all of the rich foods in their houses. In Mexico and Spain, they make what we call “french toast.” In France, they make King Cake. In the United Kingdom, they make pancakes. In Germany and Poland, they make doughnuts filled with jam or cream. In Ukraine, they make thin pancakes called blini. If you’d like to celebrate this special day with your family, here’s an easy guide: Buy some inexpensive Mardi Gras beads and let your kids decorate your home with them. They can hang them from the chandelier or off of the dining room chairs. Let your kids dress up. They can make Mardi Gras masks and wear as many Mardi Gras beads as they want! Let them have fun! Make rich foods like pancakes, King Cake, or doughnuts. Use up all of your meats like sausage and bacon. Put out colored sugar, whipped cream, chocolate chips, syrup, or whatever you want. You are trying to create merriment and joy so let them feast and let them have fun! We are celebrating the goodness of the Lord! Let your kids have a pancake race! In England, the tolling of the bells became known as the pancake bell because it was time to have your pancakes cooked up. In Olney, England, legend has it that a woman was so busy making pancakes for Shrove Tuesday that she lost track of time and was still flipping her pancakes when the church bells began to ring for the start of the church service. In a hurry to get to the church on time, she ran out of her house while still carrying the frying pan and flipping the pancakes. That is why England holds pancake races on Shrove Tuesday. Give your kids cool pans with already-cooked pancakes. Have them race a course as they flip their pancakes. After you are done feasting and your kids are ready for bed, gather together and transition into a time of prayer. Explain to your children that you are now entering a new time, a time set aside to prepare our hearts for Easter. This special time is called Lent. Explain to them that your family will mark this time by making some changes to your lives. As a family, you will be changing how you eat, you will be praying more together, reading the bible more together, and collecting alms for the poor. Spend some time allowing them to talk about or think about what they want to give up during Lent. Close your time by reading Isaiah 25:6-9 together. Easy Fluffy Pancakes 1 egg 3 TBL butter, melted 1 cup flour 1 TBL sugar 1 tsp baking soda ½ salt 1 cup buttermilk Melt the butter. When cool, blend in the egg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the egg, butter and buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Heat a griddle to medium low heat. Melt 1 tsp of butter in the griddle. Pour out batter making small circles. Flip when golden brown. Drizzle with honey or syrup. Makes 2-3 servings.

Happy first day of February! This is a huge month in the Liturgical Calendar! On February 2, we celebrate the final feast of the season of Epiphany, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus or Candlemas is the day that we celebrate Jesus revealed as the "light of the world." Then we have Ash Wednesday, and a whole new season begins, Lent. The season of Lent emerges as a profound and transformative journey. It is a journey that prepares us for the most miraculous event in our lives, the death and resurrection of Jesus. In a culture that frequently prizes instant gratification and superficial pleasures, Lent calls us to something deeper, something more enduring. It’s a call to look inward, to confront our weaknesses, and to embrace the grace that is so freely offered to us in Christ. Get ready! It's a busy month but an incredible month. Let us embrace it with wonder and awe! Follow along as I share everything you’ll need to celebrate this special month, including the history, recipes, and traditions. Helpful Links: The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Celebrating Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras The Season of Lent How to Celebrate Ash Wednesday Making Pretzels for Ash Wednesday Why is Purple the Color of Lent?

As we move into the season of Epiphany, we find ourselves surrounded by the liturgical color green, a hue that symbolizes growth, life, and the ever-present hope we have in the Lord. This season, a special and meaningful activity could be to plant paperwhites. These beautiful, white flowers not only align with the themes of Epiphany but also offer a tangible way to reflect on and participate in the themes of this liturgical season. Watching their growth from bulb to blossom mirrors our spiritual journey, especially during Epiphany. As these bulbs transform, they remind us of the revelation of Christ to the world and the continuous growth in our faith. It’s also a wonderful way to introduce children to the concepts of growth and renewal in a tangible, hands-on way. Paperwhite Instructions: paperwhite bulbs (You can find these at most nurseries. I ordered mine online.) container (I had several ceramic pots in my garage but you could even use a ceramic kitchen bowl.) potting soil Select a container. Fill it with potting soil and nestle the bulbs in the potting soil, making sure that only 1/3 of the bulb is covered. Water your paperwhites gently, just enough to moisten the soil without overwatering. Continue watering only when the soil is dry. You don't want to overwater paperwhite bulbs or they will rot. Bringing it All Together As you care for them daily, let this be a time of prayer and reflection with your family. Each day, as you watch the green shoots emerge and grow, consider how the Lord is cultivating growth and hope in your life. This daily act becomes a living metaphor for nurturing your faith. Our growth in the Lord, like the growth of a paperwhite, is gradual but filled with beauty and wonder.

I have always loved the start of the new year! Goal setting and resolutions have always been two of my favorite things! As soon as January 1st hit, I was ready with my planner and a stack of articles on having a more productive year. I couldn’t wait to sit down and plan, plan, plan. I would think about what I wanted to achieve, break it down into actionable steps, write it all down, and then get busy on achieving my goals! But here’s the problem: I never prayed about those goals or achievements of mine, which never involved my relationship with God or with the people I cared about. My goals were solely focused on myself and any business I had going on at the time. They were shallow and often led to burn-out. Once, I started praying before making my goals for the year, my goals became more deep and fulfilling. Here are some of the most important things that I have learned through the years about goal setting: Before you make any goals, take some time to sit down and pray. Ask the Lord to be present and to guide you in your goal-making for the year. Imagine yourself, your marriage, each child, and each person that is dear to you. It’s amazing how God will center you during this time. He always reveals what is truly important and gives you wisdom and insight as well as guidance with those relationships. Use a Christian planner to help you in your journey. These journals use scripture and guided questions to help you prayerfully figure out what’s most important in your life. These are two that I love - here and here. I just learned about “anti-goals.” I had never heard of this term before but I love it. Rather than setting goals that focus on what you want to achieve, anti-goals are about avoiding things you don't want in your life. For instance, a goal would be, “I want to make $10K more than what I made last year.” An anti-goal would be, “I am not willing to sacrifice family time to get there.” I wish that I had known about anti-goals a long time ago. It would have been incredibly helpful as a guide! I hope these insights help you as you set any goals for the year. What have been the most valuable lessons that you have learned about goal setting?

Epiphany began at sundown on Twelfth Night and continues throughout the next day. On this day, we celebrate the long journey that the wise men made and their final arrival to the child Jesus. In the gospel of Luke, we are told that wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, looking for the one born to be the King of the Jews. They announced that they had seen His star and had come to worship Him. When King Herod heard this, he was troubled and felt threatened as the king. He asked the wise men to go and find the child and bring it back to him. The wise men followed the star as it went before them until the star stopped where the young child was. When they arrived at the home they rejoiced with “exceedingly great joy. They went into the home, saw the young child, and fell down and worshipped Him. Then they presented the child with their treasures; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The church recognizes this beautiful moment as an epiphany. An epiphany is a revelation that happens suddenly and it reveals something’s true nature or meaning. It was in this moment that God’s plan for salvation through Jesus is revealed to the world beyond the Jews. Through the wise men’s visit we see that through Jesus, God’s plan of salvation is meant for everyone. Ways to Celebrate Read Matthew 2:1-12. Sing “We Three Kings of Orient Are”. As you sing, bring your nativity wise men and place them around baby Jesus lying in the manger. After the adoration of baby Jesus, go to your front door and write the initials C, M, and B in chalk along the top of your door. The initials are said to stand for the names of the wise men: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, or “Christ, bless this house” in Latin (Christus mansionem benedicat). The initials are then surrounded by the current year and separated by crosses (20+C+M+B+23). Make a Twelfth Night Cake (also known as King Cake, Galette de Rois, or Rosca de Reyes). Depending on the country, it is a simple cake with a dried bean inside. Whoever finds the bean in their piece of cake is crowned king or queen for the night and might also have duties assigned to them at a later celebration. We tried a different recipe for our King Cake this year and it was so good! The bread was moist and light with such a good orange flavor. It was a hit! Rosca de Reyes 1/2 cup of warm water 1 Envelope or 2 ¼ teaspoons of active yeast 4 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 or 3 Tbsp. more for dusting ¾ cup of sugar 3 large whole eggs 3 egg yolks mixed with 4 Tablespoons of milk ¼ teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons orange water 1 ½ stick unsalted butter softened Freshly grated orange zest from one orange 1 plastic baby doll or a dried bean Sugared Oranges: Thinly sliced oranges 1/2 cup sugar Enough water to cover the orange slices Glaze: 1 egg beaten for glazing the bread 1 tablespoon whole milk or water White sugar to sprinkle on top of the bread 2 or 3 plastic baby dolls To make the sugared oranges, thinly slice oranges and then cut them in half. Place in a saucepan with water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil and cook for 30 minutes. Drain the orange slices on a cookie rack and allow to cool. To make the bread, put your lukewarm water into a bowl, and sprinkle with yeast. Stir with a fork until yeast has dissolved, then let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in ½ cup of the flour, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 25 minutes. In the meantime, mix flour, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, orange extract, orange zest, salt, and butter in a large bowl. Mix until crumbly. Add yeast mixture to the bowl and mix. It will be very sticky but manageable, add flour if needed. Place on a lightly floured surface and start kneading until you have a smooth dough. It will take about 15-20 minutes to get these results or 7 minutes in a stand mixer. DO NOT add too much flour to your working area, the texture should be very soft, sort of wet but manageable. If you add more flour than needed your bread will be dry. Once your dough is smooth and soft, place in a buttered bowl, and cover with buttered plastic wrap. The dough must be wet and elastic. Let dough stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 and ½ hours. If the dough doesn’t double in volume after this time let it rest longer. After the first resting period. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times, then shape it into a round cushion and make a hole in the middle to shape it into a large ring. Transfer to a greased-rimmed baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or more until almost double in volume. Gather all your decorations and the egg wash. For the egg wash whisk the remaining egg with milk or water. Preheat oven for at least 20 minutes before baking at 375 degrees, with rack in the lower third. Brush the dough with the egg wash two times for a golden crust. Place the sugared orange slices around the ring, pressing them gently into the dough. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes until bread is a nice golden brown color. Depending on your oven it will require more time. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. After the bread has cooled insert the plastic baby doll or bean from the bottom of the bread. Do not forget to let your guests know that there is a baby toy or bean inside the bread. The bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The Feast of Epiphany is coming up on January 6th. On this day, we celebrate the long journey that the wise men made and their final arrival to the child Jesus. The church recognizes this beautiful moment as an epiphany. An epiphany is a revelation that happens suddenly and it reveals something’s true nature or meaning. It was at this moment that God’s plan for salvation through Jesus was revealed to the world beyond the Jews. Through the wise men’s visit we see that through Jesus, God’s plan of salvation is meant for everyone. One of my favorite ways to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany is with children's books. Reading books about The Wise Men and their encounter with Jesus is such an easy and fun way to help our children learn about our faith. Today I am sharing some of my favorite books about the Wise Men and their story. I hope they are a blessing! The Story of the Three Wise Kings by Tomie de Paola Tomie de Paola is a master storyteller and illustrator. Y'all know by now that he is one of my favorite authors! The Last Straw by Fredrick Thury This is a cute take on the classic story told through the eyes of a grumpy camel who is tasked with carrying the Wise Men's gifts. He complains about his sciatic and gout but in the end, he realizes the great honor of his task and never again is there a burden too heavy for him to carry. We Three Kings by Gennady Spirin This book is so lovely! The words of the beloved Christmas carol, We Three Kings, are combined with illustrations by the internationally renowned artist, Gennady Spirin.