Today is Ascension Day! It is the day that we remember Jesus’ ascent into heaven. After Jesus’ resurrection, He revealed himself to His disciples over a period of forty days. He ate with them and taught them all about the kingdom of God. One day, while He was eating with them, He told them that they were to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the gift His Father had promised. He told them that they would be baptized by fire and the Holy Spirit and that they would receive power and that they would be His witnesses throughout all the world.On the fortieth day, Jesus brought them out into the countryside. He lifted up His hands and blessed them. As He was blessing them, He was lifted up into the clouds. While the disciples were looking up into the sky, two men dressed in white stood beside them and asked why they were looking into the sky? They explained that Jesus would return in the same way that He went into heaven. The disciples immediately began worshipping the Lord and returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. There they stayed for nine days, praying and praising God. Together with Mary and the disciples, we marvel at what happened. Jesus defied all earthly laws and ascended up into the clouds to sit at the right hand of the Father. We also wait for a gift that has been promised to us. We don't fully understand what it is but we have been told to wait and pray. Ascension Day is a feast day and is celebrated all over the world. In many countries, there is a “beating of the bounds” where the boundaries of the church property are beaten with bundles of sticks and prayed over. In Portugal, they gather wheat stalks and place them in their homes. In many churches, a statue of the Risen Lord was lifted on wires up through a hole in the ceiling of the church. Then gifts of cookies, fruit, flowers and green branches rained down from the hole and into the church. Celebrate Ascension by going over the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, sit outside and look at the clouds, fly a kite or make fluffy white meringues. And while you are doing any of those things, rejoice that Jesus did not leave us alone but sent the gift of the Holy Spirit to change us and unite us.

I dropped my youngest off with a group of her friends at a birthday party last week. I had this rare moment, a twenty minute drive with no kids, listening to MY music! Someone cue the heavenly chorus! I am really into Ellie Holcomb right now. If you haven’t listened to her, you should give her a try. The way she writes is so unique and I love it. I was listening to one of her latest releases, “Canyon”, and at the end of the song there’s a bridge that starts I walked into the desert and I found you You set a table for me I knew the passage. You probably know the passage. It’s from Psalm 23, the psalm that talks about the Lord being our shepherd and that we shall not want. I also knew the line that was coming next… In the presence of my enemies I really don’t like that line. It's always bothered me. It’s so BOOM, in your face, enemies! God’s on my side, not yours and you are going to watch as He feeds me! But then the song goes on In the presence of my enemies To share with my enemies No longer my enemies. No longer my enemies The next thing I knew I was crying. Could that bridge be true? I walked into the house stunned. My husband was standing in the kitchen and asked if I was ok. I felt so silly and overly emotional about a couple of lines in a song. Without playing the song for him, I just pulled the words up online and let him read them. His eyes immediately filled with tears. Neither of us could talk. It was one of those things that was so powerful you just couldn’t talk about it right then. Could it be that God is so good, so lavish in His love for all of us that the table He sets for me is also an invitation for you? Maybe the table really is set so that I can share with my enemies who are no longer my enemies because of the blood of Jesus Christ. You set a table for me In the presence of my enemies To share with my enemies No longer my enemies No longer my enemies “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Ephesians 1:13

I write about celebrating the seasons of the church in the home. I share not only my family’s recipes and traditions but recipes and traditions from Christians around the world. One of the things that people often mention to me is that they wish they had known about these faith traditions years ago or that you can only have faith based traditions if you are married or have little kids. There is a sense of sadness about it all like they just don’t qualify to have traditions or it's just too late to start. But traditions are a funny thing. When do traditions actually become traditions? When is it “ok” to start them? Can you even start them or do they have to be passed from generation to generation? This past year, my youngest daughter developed an intense passion for baking. In her search for new recipes, she discovered the famous baker, Richard Bertinet’s Cinnamon Buns. That Sunday, after church, she printed out her recipe and set to work. As the aroma of the buns filled the house, the whole family hovered in the kitchen, wondering what amazing treat awaited us. We all marvelled at the intricate beauty of the braided buns and “oohed and aahed” over the very best cinnamon buns we had ever tasted. Now, every Sunday, we beg my youngest to make her cinnamon buns. In such a short amount of time, those cinnamon buns have become an unexpected and firmly entrenched tradition in our family. Cinnamon buns are suddenly the thing our family looks forward to every Sunday. Our family is so much richer now because of the tradition that she created! No matter if you are single or your kids are grown or your kids are little, there is always room for a new tradition! Start today! Here’s the recipe for the cinnamon buns. I even included my youngest’s conversion chart! : ) For the recipe:https://us.gozney.com/blogs/recipes/cinnamon-buns-recipe

I went for a walk last night. I needed to get away and just be. As I was walking down the road, I saw these two little flowers right past the asphalt, amidst the swirled debris from days of rain. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

We are now in the season of Eastertide! Jesus’ resurrection is so amazing, so pivotal in the life of the Church that an entire season is devoted to it rather than just a single day. Eastertide begins with the Great Vigil of Easter and concludes 50 days later with Christ's Ascension and the birth of the Church on Pentecost Sunday. We celebrate the 50 days of Easter as one enormous feast or one enormous Sunday. There is absolutely no fasting allowed during this season of rejoicing! For 50 full days we feast together, sing together and rejoice together in the resurrection of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! The week right after Easter Sunday, we walk through the scriptures that deal with what happened right after the Resurrection. On Easter Monday, we remember the Emmaus walk story. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus has died and two grief stricken followers have left Jerusalem and are walking back to their hometown. A man begins walking with them and asks why they are so sad. The followers explain to the mystery man that a man that they had followed and believed to be the Messiah was killed. The mystery man begins to walk the followers through the scriptures, showing them how Jesus’ death had been foretold and what it had accomplished. The followers pause their journey for a meal, they invite the mystery man to join them, the mystery man takes bread offered to him, offers it up to God, breaks it, blesses it and suddenly, the followers see clearly who the mystery man really is...it is Jesus! But just as they realize who the mystery man really is, Jesus disappears. The followers run all of the way back to Jerusalem, telling everyone that they have seen the Risen Savior! Easter Monday is celebrated by resting and rejoicing. Schools all over the world are out on this day and in many countries, families go on an "Emmaus walk". Take an Emmaus walk today.What must it have been like to have Jesus appear and start walking with you? Why do you think the followers didn’t recognize Jesus? What stories in the bible do you think Jesus pointed out? A blessed Eastertide and a blessed Easter Monday to you!

“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God” - Jacob to Esau, Genesis 33:10 Last week I shared part one of a spiritual practice that really changed how I move through Lent. This week, I am sharing part two. I love part two! Part two is actually the thing I look most forward to! In part one we deal with ourselves. In part two we deal with ourselves and others. Just like in part one, set aside some time, offer the time up to the Lord and be quiet. Listen. Now, here’s the big change - bring one person that is close to you to mind. This could be a spouse, a child, a friend, a co-worker. Give God the space to speak to your heart about this person. Allow God to show you things about your relationship with this person. Maybe you realize you’ve been harsh with them lately or that you have not made time for them or maybe you’ll see things that you missed, signs that they are struggling or in need. Once these things come to your mind, offer them to the Lord. Ask for forgiveness and for strength to do better. Like in part one, continue to sit in silence, listening. When given the space, what always happens to me is that I am given a new love or a feeling of understanding for that person. I get ideas about ways that I can reach out to them and I actually feel excited about doing those things! Through the silence, I am given an opportunity to reconcile with those that I love or am struggling with, to really meaningfully connect. It reminds me of Jacob, late in life, wanting to return to the land of his fathers except there is this huge problem, he will have to face Esau, his brother, whom he cruelly betrayed. Jacob sends all kinds of gifts ahead of him, hoping that Esau might receive him. As Jacob approaches Esau, Esau runs to meet him and embraces him. It is in this moment of reconciliation that Jacob says, “seeing you is like seeing the face of God”. During this season of Lent, let us repent of our thoughtlessness towards others, and let us be RECONCILED one to another so that we might see the face of God.

Lenten Family Activity - Spoons (it’s a card game) One of the things we’re doing this Lent to connect with each other is play a game after dinner. Right now, we’re playing a super easy and fun card game - Spoons. You’ll Need: Deck of cards and spoons Place one less spoon in the middle of the table than people. Dealer deals four cards to every player. Each player tries to make four of a kind. The dealer takes a card off the top of the deck to have five cards in their hand, removes one and passes it face down to the left. Each player discards to the person on their left. The last player places their discard into a trash pile. Cards are picked up and passed quickly around the table until someone gets four of a kind and quietly takes a spoon from the center. Once the player with four of a kind takes a spoon, anyone can take a spoon. The player left without a spoon is out. If at any time the draw cards run out, pause to reshuffle the trash pile and keep going. You can go as fast or as slow as your kids are comfortable with.It’s so much fun!

Years ago I started researching a book about celebrating Advent. I learned so many things along the way! Here are ten of my favorite unusual discoveries about Advent. 1) Plum pudding has zero plums in it and sits in your cupboard for five weeks! In England and Ireland, plum pudding is an extremely popular dessert served on Christmas Day. Although called “plum pudding”, plums are actually never used. This is because the word “plum” in Victorian times referred to raisins. So you’ll find raisins and other dried fruits but no plums. The other thing that I did not know about plum pudding is that it is made right at the beginning of Advent. This means that by the time you eat it, it has been sitting in your pantry for five weeks. Five weeks everybody! Good thing it gets doused with brandy right before it’s served! 2) St. Francis of Assisi came up with the first Nativity Scene. Ever drive through the live nativity scenes that a local church puts on? Well, you owe a big thank you to St. Francis of Assisi. That’s right, the animal-loving, father of the Franciscan order of monks, St. Francis of Assisi. In 1223, St. Francis came up with the idea of having a live nativity scene with real people and real animals in his hometown of Greccio, Italy. The idea of a nativity scene in one’s town quickly spread throughout Christendom and is one of our most enduring Advent traditions. 3) In Brazil, Christians have a tradition called “Los Pastores” or “The Shepherds.” Like many other Christians around the world, Brazilian Christians attend folk plays depicting the story of the birth of baby Jesus. Only in Brazil, there’s a bit of a kick… Baby Jesus gets kidnapped. In the Brazilian version, instead of male shepherds, the shepherds are females and visit baby Jesus with someone they don’t know. The rest of the play is filled with drama, cliffhangers, and suspense when the stranger kidnaps baby Jesus. P.S. – If you are worried about the outcome of baby Jesus, he is safely rescued by the end of the play! 4) St. Lucy was a real person! On December 13, Christians all over the world celebrate St. Lucy’s Day. Saint Lucy or Santa Lucia was a young girl who grew up in Italy in the 4th century. She is one of the earliest Christian martyrs. She was killed by the Romans in 304 AD because of her religious beliefs. St.Lucy was born into a rich family but desired to dedicate her whole life to God and give all of her worldly possessions to the poor. She brought food to persecuted Christians that were hiding in the Roman catacombs. The catacombs were dark and in order to find your way around, you needed to carry candles. St. Lucy wanted to bring as much food as possible to the people but needed to keep both of her hands-free. She solved this problem by attaching candles to a wreath on her head. That’s why you always see St. Lucy depicted with a wreath of candles on her head. 5) Traditionally, Advent was always a time to focus on the poor. Although the weeks leading up to Christmas are all about the rush to get our Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped, Advent is supposed to be a time to remember those less fortunate than us. Advent is all about preparing our hearts and meditating on the birth of Christ. Since Jesus’ family had very little in life and no place to rest their weary heads, we remember and work hard to bless all those that are less fortunate than us. It is a time to collect alms for the poor and to stretch out our hands in a spirit of charity to bless and heal those around us. 6) KFC for Christmas In Japan, Christians aren’t familiar with turkey as a meal on Christmas Day so they buy KFC fried chicken instead! The popularity of KFC fried chicken for Christmas Day is so great that orders are placed starting at the beginning of Advent! 7) Summer fruits in the South Advent is in the summertime in South Africa, so many of their traditional dishes revolve around summer fruits like watermelon and cantaloupes. 8) Father Christmas is getting old! In China, on St. Nicholas Eve, Christian children hang up muslin stockings that are specially made so “Dun Che Lao Ren”, or “Christmas Old Man,” can fill them with wonderful gifts. 9) Think spring is for Spring Cleaning? Well, it is traditional for many Christians around the world to clean their homes from top to bottom on the days of Advent leading up to Christmas. That way there is no work to be done on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Everyone can just relax and celebrate! 10) There is no “right” way to construct an Advent wreath! Norwegians use a wreath made of straw, Danes make one out of braided bread, and some people use simple brass or wooden forms. The wreaths can be hung from the ceiling or placed on a table. In Venezuela, they even have an Advent wreath in the classroom and each student is able to bring the wreath home for a night. Bonus! Here are two extras just for fun! 11) St. Nicholas arrives by boat in the Netherlands. 12) In Southern Germany they have what is known as “Knocking Nights” during Advent. Children go door to door in their neighborhood making lots of noise. At each house, they are then given candy or sweets. It’s like Halloween all over again but with no scary costumes! Advent really is such a beautiful time of year. The season helps to recenter us on the things that are the most important in life. It is filled with so many wonderful and fun traditions from around the world. Incorporating some of these traditions, heightened the experience of the season for me and my family.

Picture this. Every evening during the last nine days before Christmas, a great crowd forms in the village streets. A small child dressed as an angel leads the figures of Joseph, Mary, and the donkey. Behind the figures, a procession follows made up of townspeople carrying candles and musicians playing carols. The procession stops at different homes, where scriptures are read and traditional songs are sung, begging shelter for poor Mary and Joseph. At each stop, the people in the homes sing a traditional response refusing Mary and Joseph because there is “no room at the inn.” Finally, on Christmas Eve, Mary and Joseph find a home with an open door and a welcome. The angel, Mary, and Joseph enter in and gather around a large cradle. The villagers follow and kneel around the nativity scene to pray. In the cradle, a figure of the infant Jesus is placed on a bed of straw and gently rocked while everyone around sings a traditional lullaby. After songs and prayers, everyone gathers together for a huge celebration with carols, feasting, firecrackers, and a piñata. This tradition, celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries, is known as Las Posadas, which means “the inns.” At the end of Las Posadas, the guests are served a feast of tamales, a hot drink called ponche and a type of fritter called buñuelos. Try these traditional Las Posadas recipes for your family. And, if you’d like more Advent recipes, devotions, and traditions, check out my book: The Liturgical Home: Advent! Homemade Tamales Ingredients: Tamale Filling: 1 1/4 pounds pork loin 1 large onion, halved 1 clove garlic 4 dried California chile pods 2 cups water 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Tamale Dough: 2 cups masa harina 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup lard 1 (8 ounce) package dried corn husks 1 cup sour cream Directions: Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through about 2 hours. Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce. Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder, and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough. Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour. Remove tamales from the husks and drizzle the remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce. Source: Allrecipes.com. Buñuelos (Mexican Fritters) Ingredients: Fritters: 3 cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 1 egg 2 tablespoons lard, melted and cooled 2 teaspoons vanilla Vegetable oil, for frying Cinnamon Sugar: 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon Cinnamon Anise Syrup (Optional): 2 cups water 8 ounces piloncillo, (panela), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon grated lime peel 1 teaspoon grated orange peel 2 Cinnamon Sticks 2 teaspoons Anise Seed Directions For the Fritters, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Mix milk, egg, lard, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring constantly to form a slightly sticky dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Incorporate additional flour, a tablespoon flour at a time, until dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, for the Cinnamon Sugar, mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Set aside. For the Anise Syrup, mix water, piloncillo, lime peel, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and anise seed in heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Cook on medium heat 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve piloncillo. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Boil 20 minutes or until syrup thinly coats a spoon. Strain and set aside at room temperature. (Anise Syrup can be made 3 to 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.) Roll each ball of dough into a 6-inch round on lightly floured surface. Stack dough rounds between wax paper or plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes. Pour vegetable oil into heavy large skillet or saucepan to depth of 1 inch (about 2 cups oil). Heat oil on medium-high heat to 365°F to 370°F on deep-fry thermometer. Fry dough rounds, 1 at a time, for 2 minutes or until golden and puffed, turning once using tongs. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle each fritter with 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve with warm Anise Syrup, if desired. Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch) Ingredients: 4 quarts water 2 cinnamon sticks 8 whole cloves 5 long tamarind pods, husk removed, and seeded or boil the entire pod to make removing easier ½ pound tejocotes or crab apples, left whole 6 large guavas, peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks 2 red apples (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks 1 pear (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks 2 (4-inch) sugarcane sticks, peeled and cut into small chunks 1 cup pitted prunes 1/2 cup dark raisins 1 orange, sliced 1 cone piloncillo, chopped or 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 ounce brandy or tequila per cup (optional) Directions: In a large pot, over high heat, boil water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tamarind, and tejocotes. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tejocotes are soft. Remove the tejocotes from the heat, peel, remove hard ends, cut in half, and deseed. Return them to the pot. Add guavas, apples, pears, sugar cane, prunes, orange slices, and piloncillo. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring gently. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves. Ladle into cups, making sure each cup gets some chunks of fruit. Add brandy or tequila to each cup (optional). Source: MuyBuenoCookbook.com.