Advent 2024

Over the years Advent has become a cornerstone for us in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Starting in 2016 when our kids were 3, 5 and 6, inspired by a friend, it's grown to become our own cherished tradition. If you want to start practicing Advent next year, here's an honest mid-way through Advent reflection I wrote on our first year, and here's an overview of how we've generally practiced Advent and why. It's a bit different every year as traditions ebb and flow, kids grow up and schedules change, but it's still a cornerstone for which I'm so thankful. 

This year we started on November 28th with a big brunch (the same brunch we'll have on Christmas morning as it were - sausage rolls and jam rolls) and decorated our tree with a dear friend from church before all of us curling up for a couple episodes of The Chosen. The perfect kickoff to Advent and Christmas!

Which brings me to this year's Advent, with older kids (11, 13, 14) who have their own schedules (friends, hockey, youth group, etc.) and me working almost full-time. Gone are the days of slow and reflective mornings around the Advent candles and unhurried bedtime routines. I loved the season of being a stay-at-home-mom and how it afforded more time and presence of mind for traditions such as this, but if a good tradition requires the perfect circumstances, it's not very likely to continue, and thankfully Advent does not require perfection at all.

Throughout the month we've been aiming to read a chapter each day of our Advent devotional (this year it was Let Earth Receive Her King by Alistair Begg) though to be honest, we weren't very consistent this year. We've also been going through the New City Catechism with the kids at suppertime, one chapter per night, and we rarely fit in both. I share this so you know that it's not perfect at our house and that if we missed a few days of our advent readings, it wasn't the end of the world. We just picked up at the current day's devotional reading and jumped back in. 

Chloe's Sunday school class at church made their own Advent wreaths this year so we lit her candles and our church used our Advent candleholder for the lighting of candles each Sunday service. Lily actually was the one to light the forth and final candle this past Sunday and read Isaiah 9:1-6, which you can watch below if you like.

 

Aside from the readings and candles, this month has been full and sweet. We hosted a Christmas party for our church's pastoral team in early December and in my spare time I did Christmas baking. As always, I made early grey tea thumb print cookies and classic sugar cookies (both recipes here!) and tried two new ones this year, both from this blog. Mince pies are so traditionally British and Christmassy, but I don't think I'll remake them next year, but the pecan shortbread cookies are a new favourite! Homemade Irish Cream (aka DIY Bailey's) was a 10 minute project I made again this year. Really perfect for gifting and sipping by the tree!

This year was our first year with a truly enormous tree, which we bought last year during Boxing Day sales. It's 9 feet! It's nice to know we can leave for Christmas visits and our tree won't be dying and becoming a fire hazard while we're away! And also I loved having it up for so long this time. I am completely convinced by artificial trees now, though I'll always be wistful for that fresh pine or spruce smell that a candle just can't replicate. 

While busier than years past, this Advent was still so meaningful, and accomplished it's primary task, just like the Apostle John's, in preparing us for the coming King. Jesus and Christmas, we're ready.

3 Very Different Books I'm Loving

Always a fan of wide reading, I often have several genres on the go. I wanted to share three new books I recently found on booksforchrist.com - I've said this already but this website is *the most affordable* place to buy Christian books online in Canada. They beat the big sites, often by a few dollars. I also love that they're Christians themselves, as I've felt uneasy in the past lining Amazon's pockets when I buy a Bible, devotional, or Christian book. Books for Christ is a small operation, they give back to charity, they have the newest releases at the best prices, and I have a 10% coupon code on top of all of that! But more on that later. For now, here are three very different books I've been reading.

Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Karen Swallow Prior 

This beautiful linen-bound hardcover includes the original text by Charlotte Bronte as well as a commentary by the brilliant English Literature professor, Swallow Prior. I've listened to Swallow Prior teach literary reflections and her thoughts on reading well at conferences in the past and I know her to be tremendously insightful and sharp. I couldn't believe when I saw her series on the famous classics! I've also ordered her commentary on Frankenstein for Oli to read next year for homeschooling and Sense and Sensibility for myself! $18 on Books for Christ (it's $24 on Amazon for reference)

Parenting by Paul David Tripp 

The #1 Parenting book I recommend to first-time or long-time parents is this one! It's filled with grace and truth and reorients the parent's heart in the way we need it most. As much theological as practical, this book is one I re-read every couple of years and always glean new wisdom. He speaks to parents in general which is refreshing as often parenting books are very specific to one age or season. I have owned this book for years but have leant it out so many times it's disappeared! So I ordered this new hardcover recently and will read for the forth time this month. $25 on Books for Christ ($27 on Amazon for reference)

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund 

I've yet to start this one but I can't wait to. I listened to a podcast interviewing the author on this work and everything he's said about the life and person of Christ completely wooed me. That and the glowing reviews from some of my favourite teachers and authors (Sam Allberry, Rosaria Butterfield, Paul David Tripp, etc). Ortlund writes like a modern Puritan. His writing captivates the reader and illuminates Jesus. it's also a stunning book that looks to be covered with an old oil painting. I do love a beautiful hardcover! $22 on Books for Christ ($24 on Amazon for reference)

These three - one classic, one non-fiction (parenting), and one theology/Christian living. Usually I have a memoir or biography in there, as well as modern or historical fiction. Can you ever have too many books? 

Use this code for 10% off your next order and do tell me what you choose! I love to hear what others are reading :)

2 Books I Read Every Day (+ the cheapest place to buy them!)

Aside from the Bible, there are two books I've read nearly every day for the past several years. They are both devotional in genre, and have been so impactful on my daily life as a Christian woman. I also wanted to share about an online Christian book store I've recently discovered, where these books cost less than on Amazon (!!), for which I also have a 10% off coupon code. Happy day! 

The books are Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon and Praying Through The Bible for Your Kids by Nancy Gutherie. I have owned these books for years but the versions I had were not the loveliest to look at. I know, these things hardly matter, but as I use them daily and have them on my coffee table year-round, it's a bonus if they are aesthetically pleasing. I found these linen bound hardcovers at Books for Christ, the only place I'll be buying Christian books from now on. 

 

Why these two books? Morning and Evening it written in beautiful language from 19th century British preacher Charles Spurgeon. Twice a day you get a mini sermon from this famed "Prince of  Preachers" as he was called. Praying Through the Bible for your Kids includes a daily bible verse, meditation, and then a pointed prayer for you to pray for your child(ren). 

Devotional reading is a wonderful addition to daily Bible reading, but it should never replace it - they are, after all, a summery and interpretation of the Bible from a flawed and human author. Yet still, they have helped me understand scriptures and guide my prayer life in these past years so I wanted to share.

Books for Christ is another resource I'm happy to pass on to you. I heard about them through a friend and was shocked by their prices! Every book I've looked for on Books for Christ was several dollars less than on Amazon! I've always felt a degree of dissonance lining the pockets of Amazon whenever I buy a Christian book, devotional, or Bible. Yet their prices are often hard to resist. Books for Christ is a Christian organization, run by Christians, and fighting poverty with a percentage of the sales, and their prices are less than Amazon! It's hard to believe! I'm so thrilled to have found them! Use this link for an additional 10% off at Books for Christ, on top of it all. 

Head over to Instagram today to win a free book from Books for Christ!

This was written in collaboration with Books for Christ,

however I am an independent customer of theirs. 

All opinions shared are 100% my own.

To book a collab, please contact me.

Wear a Mask or Trust God? Navigating Covid-19 as a Christian

Last week I discovered that I was in close proximity to someone who had tested positive for Covid-19.  We were together indoors for hours (legally). As soon as I found out I was tested and the results were negative, and I'm thankfully, fine. 

I was incredibly relieved not just for my own sake of course, but for the sake of my family, as I would likely give the virus to them if I had it. I can give you three reasons why my result was a negative one. We were both wearing masks, we were practicing social distancing (though we were together, we avoided being closer than 2 meters apart whenever possible), and of course, the sovereignty of God.

It's come to my attention that some Christians think they must choose between trusting God with their lives and taking cautionary, responsible, neighbour-loving steps to protect themselves and others. Friends, it's both.

I trust Jesus with my life and my soul. And I will honour and obey him by washing my hands, obeying social distancing orders, staying in my bubble, wearing a mask, and laying down my personal freedom for the good of others. 

If we follow Christ we'll live a life of nuance - we will fear no evil (Psalm 23:4) and we will lay down our lives for our friends (John 15:13). 

Meaningful Décor + 10% off Alabaster

I love finding meaningful things to add to my home as décor. Sometimes it's family heirlooms, like my grandma's tea cups, other times it's souvenirs from trips we've taken as a family. Alabaster Bible books are a small and subtle way I decorate with my faith in mind. 

The Alabaster Bible books first caught my eye years ago when they first launched their first four books (the four Gospels). Personally, I find their concept captivating. They make a unique book for each book of the Bible. The Bible books resemble a high quality magazine, like a Kinfolk magazine, let's say. And alongside the enduring Word of God you'll find beautiful photography of people, landscapes, and objects. Each book is so meaningful and lovely to look at. 

I stack them on my mantle and open shelves and rotate which one I have out on our coffee table. Favourites of mine are Romans, the Psalms, the Proverbs, and Esther, because they're also some of my most loved books of the Bible. I love engaging with the Bible in various mediums - audiobook, study Bible, and now, these Bible books. 

To save 10% off any purchase from Alabaster, use code OURNEST10.

This post was in collaboration with Alabaster

All opinions are 100% my own.

Please contact me to book a collab.

Family Photos (from Autumn 2020)

This past Autumn we were so blessed to have my friend Camille take our photos. I'm so thankful to have these place markers for our history, to remember what it looked like having kids ages 7, 9, and 10 and how we all appeared the year of 2020. Every year I feel like we stay more or less the same, until I look at our annual family photos and see that so much indeed has happened and we are utterly changed. 

We love this season so much. Our kids are at an incredible stage where they're independent enough to go to the park together without a parent and have become quite helpful around the house, yet still require a tuck in each night and play make believe. It's the best of both worlds and if we could, we'd freeze time. The truth is, every year it gets better as a parent, so I know better than to think it's all down hill from here. We're starting to enjoy the same activities with our kids and the same books and movies. It's wonderful and awe-inspiring to think we're raising our dearest friends. 

Like many of you, 2020 tested our limits as a family. We faced disappointments, felt boredom and loneliness and fear, made due with no child care and online learning, and got even closer than usual in our two-bedroom condo where we spent all of our days, safe at home. 

We attended Covid funerals and cancelled best laid plans for vacations and the holidays. The family in these photos is not perfect and has failed one another numerous times, but gosh we love each other. And we left 2020 stronger together. 

Thank you Camille for these shots!

the January donut (and thoughts on rhythms, heaven, health, and balance)

I call these the January donut , not because it's a month for resolutions and dieting and self-loathing, heck no. I've just always been someone who is happy with change and goes in opposing directions often as a result. Hence, quite healthy food this month.

In December I go hard into celebrating, because Christmas is truly the most celebratory holidays and for good reason! We ought to eat, drink, and be merry then of all times, because our weary souls rejoice in the little Lord Jesus coming to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found (yes, that run on sentence was a mash up if several Christmastide carols, I hope you noticed). So yes, celebrating and feasting is not just OK it's utterly appropriate. 

And now we're here at the closing of Christmastide and my body is craving a change. Sweets and booze and roasts and carbs and rich fare are meant to be treats, appreciated by the partakers. If you don't think that's Biblical, I invite you to read Revelation and see what Christians believe heaven will be like! 

This side of heaven though, there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing" and I'm feeling the effects of a month of plenty. Craving fresh vegetables and whole foods, eschewing desserts and alcohol for a few weeks. Anyone else feel this way in January? As I said, this is not a resolution or a diet, it's balance.

January donuts are a must! 

Mix together: 

2 eggs 🥚🥚

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/4 cup coconut oil 🥥

1/2 cup Greek yogurt 🥛

1 cup grated carrot 🥕

1 banana 

1/4 cup oats 

1 cup flour + 1 tablespoon baking powder ⚪

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 🟤

Pipe into a donut pan or muffin tins, bake at 350 for 15 minutes or so (this will depend on your oven so keep an eye out), top with vanilla Greek yogurt, and enjoy. 

How We Came to Celebrate Advent, What It Means to Us, and How to Get Started

Are you familiar with the Advent season? Are you wondering how early to begin with your small children, or how to engage your older ones? Are you wondering if it's too late to start Advent or that it would be too complicated? Friends, I'd love to help by sharing our experience. 

I was not raised celebrating the season of Advent. The chocolate Advent calendars which always began on December 1st were as close as I got to the season. Many years later when Brad and I both became Christians, and eventually became parents, we knew we wanted to mark Christmas with joyful celebration and profound reflection so we thought a lot about how we'd do that with a young family. Early on, we decided not to include Santa in our Christmas festivities (though we have always given presents and most years we've had a tree). It wasn't for many more years though, that we'd incorporate Advent into our Christmas Festivities. 

Advent is the season preceding Christmas and is marked by celebrating the four Sundays before December 25th. For this reason, the date of Advent is always changing (it's Sunday, November 29th this year). Most liturgical churches celebrate Advent (think Anglican, Catholic, etc) but few Evangelical churches do, though that's changing. I believe our generation's desire for deeper roots and the comfort of traditions is what's leading many Evangelical churches and Christians to begin celebrating Advent. It's certainly what has drawn me in these past few years, but I digress. Advent is leading up to Christmas and aims to awaken joy and anticipation for the day of days, Christmas! When Christians all over the world celebrate the dawn of Salvation. The beginning of the greatest story ever told. The birth of the King.

There are countless ways one can celebrate Advent. Some celebrate Advent only on the four Sundays before December 25th, others (like us) celebrate every day of Advent, or every few days when schedules allow (also us). We intend to gather around the table and celebrate Advent every evening, but some days we run out of time or someone is ill or we're too tired and we say without guilt, tomorrow! Advent is a reminder of God's grace to us, so please don't let it turn into an obligation or source of guilt. If you miss a night, pick it up the next. If you miss a week, pick it up the next. If you're missing many evenings, consider that you've over-complicated Advent and simplify. 

 

For my family, Advent always includes the lighting of candles, the singing of a Christmas carol (which truly are the best worship songs ever written!) and the reading of scripture and memorizing of scripture (one naturally leads to the other), and is generally 10 minutes per day.

The symbolism of lighting four candles progressively through Advent is beautiful and tactile and one of my favourite parts! Young children are always in awe of flames, made even more special if other lights are dimmed, so as long as they are seated a safe distance away, I suggest using candles even from a young age. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a candleholder either. I've owned three over the years - two were thrifted for a few dollars and another was a $10 Ikea bargain. Or use whatever candles you have on hand. The point is light - representing Christ, the light of the world. We light one candle the first week, then the second week we light the first week's candle and the second candle, and so on. When all four candles are blazing, our hearts are too! It's a beautiful way to anticipate Christmas. 

The singing of carols began as a desire to teach our kids the lyrics to all the classics, especially since our church is French so they weren't learning them there. As our kids have grown it's sweet to hear them sing every word of some of our most cherished carols, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, O Come O Come Emmanuel, O Come All Ye Faithful, and Silent Night. I found an old Hymn book secondhand that has a whole Christmas section, so we sing from that but you could do any simple Google search to find the lyrics to your favourites. We choose a few each Advent and rotate through them until everyone knows the words. This is especially great for little ones who can't read but after repeated listening can memorize. 

Reading and memorizing scripture is the third aspect of Advent for us, and each year we change the passage. One year we read John 1:1-12 every day of Advent and by the second week my kids were finishing my sentences and eventually knew it all by heart. There were no drills or contests, simply the daily practice of reading the Bible. Other years we've read the Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah (which were all fulfilled by Jesus Christ) or Romans 5:1-11, which isn't particularly Christmas-sy but is focused completely on the gospel. You could choose any passage! For us, the importance was just being in the Word together, taking it to heart, and focusing on the eternal promises of God in a season that highlights such temporary joys. 

Our kids were 3, 5, and 6 when we celebrated Advent for the first time. Inspired by a thoughtful mom friend (hi Brit!), I found a candle holder at a thrift store for a few dollars and bought some secondhand children's books that focused on the nativity. We gathered around the candles, lighting one each week and read a story. Later we'd add Christmas hymns and scripture, and the story would be read during other times in the day. It was simple, even with young kids, and oh so meaningful. 

Christmas so often seems to sneak up on us, doesn't it? The week before we're often frantic, racing to bake and buy and decorate, and the truth is, in all of this activity our faith can often take a back seat. The aim of Advent is to delight our hearts in Christ, who came at Christmas to save us from our sins. Starting a full four weeks ahead of Christmas gives us ample time to linger with the Christmas story, meditate on scripture, and form new habits. I don't know about you, but I'm terrible at waiting. Advent turns my impatience into joyful reflection with these small acts of lighting a candle and singing a carol. Advent has become in itself something we look forward to, which makes Christmas seem much richer and longer a holiday. 

Advent teaches us to wait well; refocusing our hearts on the real meaning of Christmas, lessening the power that temporary treasures have on our hearts, and savour the saviour. This year is our forth year celebrating Advent and these last four Christmases have truly been the best ones. We arrive at the tree on Christmas morning not looking for the gifts to fill us, but with hearts already full of joy and worship. Jesus Christ is our greatest gift and Advent builds our affections so well.

 ps - Tomorrow I'll be sharing some of my favourite tools (devotionals, games, books) that I bring out at Advent each year and help enrich the season, if you'd like some more practical suggestions!

We've Never Done "Santa" and the Kids Are Alright!

We're that family that doesn't do Santa at Christmastime. The more I talk about this online, the more I realize there are actually many families like ours, and at the very least, there are many families out there with a bit of dissonance around the whole thing. If you'd like to read a detailed post on why we don't do Santa, see here, and if you'd like to read my most recent musings on why it's been a great decision for us, see here. I can now say, as a parent of kids who are past the Santa age (they're 7, 9, and 10) that it was the right decision for us and our kids are quite alright!

Today I wanted to tackle a few often asked questions. Especially with all three being school aged how did they handle the Santa secret with their peers, and how did we navigate the many Santa-themed activities they do at school, and aren't they feeling a bit left out?

Keeping The Secret 

We've always insisted that our kids don't spoil the secret for others. It's the choice of every individual family and we're not about to have our kids hurting feelings over a fun tradition. That said, last year two of our kids were asked head on from peers if they believed in Santa. This is where it gets awkward, because we don't want them to lie for obvious reasons. 

We've taught the kids to say, "I personally don't believe in Santa, but you can believe whatever you want!" 

They don't say why they don't believe (because we told them the truth!) as that would probably convince their peers and we have no interest in making other kids not believe in something that's special for them. I think it's so important for kids to learn from a young age that it's okay to have opposing beliefs and to communicate them respectfully. 

Santa Themed Activities

Our kids have all attended public school with the exception of Oli beginning homeschool this year. This means come December, every craft has a Santa theme and every song is about him. Honestly, I just let it go. Our kids know full well that he's not real but it's fun to participate in these songs and crafts at school. As with many things in life, they've learned that they won't always share the beliefs of their peers and that doesn't mean they need to break fellowship with them or be offended by everything.

Feeling Left Out? 

I'm often asked if our kids are left out by the lack of "magic" that Santa provides for the Holidays. I can say confidently that this has never been the case for our kids! As Christians, Christmas is magic because God became man and dwelt among us, and because that miracle means life everlasting for all who love him. There is nothing more magical than this beautiful news! We focus our hearts on the joys of the season beginning with Advent (this year it's November 29th, fyi!) and for the next four weeks we're constantly coming back to encouraging Bible verses and our favourite Christmas songs. The anticipation that Advent provides to Christmas is amazing and makes the Holiday last longer. I'll be writing about Advent this week for anyone interested!

This may go without saying, but our kids still receive gifts on Christmas morning like any other Santa-believing children. They're not missing out! The added benefit is that instead of them thinking the gifts came from a fictitious character, they understand that they came from their parents who love them, and they can practice gratitude practically. Our kids look forward to Advent and Christmas all year round and have the fondest memories of our Christmas traditions. 

To be honest I'm glad we're past the Santa years (generally by grade 2 kids no longer believe in him, from what I understand) so it's no longer a *thing*. We have no regrets in not including Santa in our Christmas festivities and we've been able to teach so many life lessons as a result. We've been able to magnify the importance of Christmas as Christians and not get distracted by competing narratives, our kids have learned to speak confidently about their beliefs in a respectful way, and they've learned that there will be many times in life that they don't see the world the same way as their friends - and they can be both bold and loving in those times and maintain fellowship despite differences. 

When Every Moment is Holy

Doing laundry, heading to work, changing diapers, doing house repairs... these are mundane, even grueling aspects of daily life. When you think of everyday tasks such as these, does your heart soar heavenward with brimming hope that God is present and has purpose in this moment? Mine doesn't either. 

I tend to keep my head down in the drudgery, and offer up only stocatto prayers if I run into need. I don't tend to consider the regular moments of life as holy moments, and that's why I have come to use the liturgies in Every Moment Holy daily. 

Part poem and part prayer, liturgies draw the heart in the direction it was made to go - heavenward. Every Moment Holy is a collection of modern liturgies for every imaginable daily moment and I've absolutely loved reading and praying them. ⠀

⠀

When I can't sleep, there's a liturgy for that. When you receive dreadful news, there's a liturgy for that. When my kids are off to school, there's a liturgy for that. Why liturgies for such mundane earthly tasks? Because in those Christ is present, which is the most important takeaway from this book for me. Christ is not more present at church, or when you're curled up with a hot tea (or toddy!) reading your Bible, or when you're singing hymns. He's there in the muck and mire of daily life in this fallen world, and that makes every moment beautiful and indeed holy. I can't recommend this book enough. Read it, memorize it, savour it. 

This post was in collaboration with Every Moment Holy,

however it's a book and principal I've loved for a long time.

I strongly recommend it with an unbound heart!

to book a collaboration, contact me.

Having a Newborn in the Pandemic

Perhaps some of you reading this are pregnant or hope to be pregnant, and the pandemic has brought about concerns greater than the typical pregnancy or conception worries. Maybe some of you are new moms, facing all of the firsts in a Covid-era seperated from the "village" that you assumed would be your help. I have many friends who have conceived and given birth since Covid-19 arrived on Canadian shores in early March, and one of them was brave enough to share her story for a video series my church has recently produced. 

Noemie was one of my first friends in Montreal, and was a key member of my "village" as I was pregnant with Oli and Chloe. She would take Lily for playdates when I needed to nap, often cooked meals for our family, and even showed up with a bottle of wine when all three of my kids contracted lice! I was delighted to hear that she was pregnant with her first baby and dreamed of the many ways I would support her as she supported me. Then Covid hit.  Visits, babysitting, and special deliveries brightened the hazy newborn days for me, and for first time moms during this pandemic, they've been lost. This is worthy of our grief. Noemie shares her experience in the French video below. I hope you'll watch it, and I hope it brings comfort to any who are in the same situation. Hugs to all the mamas. XO

Selah Paper

Today I wanted to share a small shop and dear friend that I know you'll love as much as I do - Selah Paper. Selah Paper is led by the creative genius Sarah Kim, who's soul is in every work of art she creates, and now she's selling scripture prints and compassion cards that I find not only beautiful but deeply moving. She was kind enough to send me a print of my choosing last week, along with some of her sympathy cards and I'm so grateful. 

Sarah is someone I met on Instagram (This may sound strange, but there are some true gems on there if you're willing to go beyond liking a picture and actually engage!) and she's been a constant encouragement to my faith these few years. She regularly creates calligraphy of what Bible verses she's studying at the moment and she very vulnerably shared the loss of her son earlier this year. This is a woman who isn't just making art, but sharing her soul and anyone who follows her is richer for it. 

Her prints make the perfect housewarming, wedding, or baby shower gift and the cards are a must for anyone who's ever found themselves at a loss of what to say to a grieving friend. We chose the Joshua 24:15 print in 8 x 10, which declares, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" as a daily reminder of why we live and our deepest prayer for our children. 

G I V E A W A Y !

Today through Sunday I'm running a giveaway on Instagram that you'll want to check out. Selah Paper is giving away two scripture prints of your choice - one for you to keep and another for you to use to bless a friend. To enter you must be following me (@emmorrice) and @selahpaper on Instagram, and then tag a friend in the comments. That will give you one entry, but you can have additional entries by tagging more friends in additional comments (each comment = another entry). Sharing the original giveaway post in your Instagram stories will also give 10 additional entries! The winner will be announced on Sunday evening. 

The post was written in collaboration with Selah Paper.

All opinions are 100% my own. To book a collab, contact me!

Two Weeks In: Testing Oli for Covid-19, Quarantine, and the Goodness of God

What a week we've had! For the world, of course, it's been a week. But in our little nest, too.

On Saturday March 21, Oli developed a little dry cough. It was intermittent and didn't wake him at night, so we didn't think much of it. By afternoon the following day, his cough was constant and a fever developed. I called our province's COVID-19 line (1‑877‑644‑4545  in case you need it!) and were advised to have him tested for Covid-19. 

A test was scheduled for later in the week and in the meantime Oli would need to be quarantined in our home to protect the rest of our family. Of course, we'd already been exposed to his virus, if it was Covid-19, as we've learned someone may be contagious for days before they present symptoms, but contagion increases once symptoms present, so he was more contagious now that he was sick. So, to protect ourselves and our girls (especially Chloe who had suffered pneumonia just last month), we made the impossible choice to section him off in our bedroom until further notice. The rest of us would be under strict quarantine, not leaving the house until test results came through.

We delivered his meals wearing masks, we passed him notes under the door, we wore gloves to take his temperature, we washed the door knob and our hands dozens of times a day, and we desperately missed our boy. Meanwhile, Oli was sick and suffering all alone. It was the most counter-intuitive thing, keeping such distance from our boy when he needed us the most. Absolutely heartbreaking leaving him alone when all I wanted to do was hug him, stroke his hair, rub his back.

The next day (Monday), we learned of a walk-in testing clinic that had just opened downtown with absolutely enormous capacity. Run by 300 nurses, the clinic could test up to 3,000 people a day and they would test anyone presenting symptoms or who had travelled. I drove down with Oli and we were seen and tested all within thirty minutes. Quick, clean, efficient, and free. I know other provinces in Canada are only testing people who have travelled internationally and there's a severe shortage of tests in the USA and other countries, so we felt incredibly lucky. We were promised results in 24-72 hours, and headed back to our quarantined home hopeful.

Oli was often up in the night with coughing fits this week, and since Brad was sleeping on the couch, he was closest to him and spent some truly special moments with him in the wee hours. Donning his mask, Brad would go in to offer Oli some Tylenol, honey for his throat, and prayer and at one point Oli even said to Brad that he felt so close to God as he was suffering. He said he'd never prayed so much in his entire life! Being all alone had driven him to God. As a parent, I felt I was doing the very worst thing, even as I understood it best for the rest of the family, and yet even in that, God was doing a good work in Oli's heart. God was teaching Oli of his comfort, his presence, and his friendship when we couldn't give ours.

On Wednesday morning we still had no results, but thankfully a friend who works in healthcare was able to look up Oli's information and read his test results for us - negative. Negative! Our sick boy does not have Covid-19, but even if he did, God is good. 

Oli is still sick, but no longer in strict isolation. Brad and I can move back into our bedroom (hallelujah!) and the girls have their brother back. We've just been on the phone with Oli's pediatrician and a prescription for antibiotics has been sent to our pharmacy to treat probable bronchitis.  Our strict quarantine is over, and if needed, Brad or I can go to the store to get supplies or go on a run for fresh air. Glorious! What freedoms we'd taken for granted just a week ago!

We will still be intensely social-distancing, now more than ever, after this scare, but we aren't prisoners in our own home. We won't be seeing any other people except a meter apart, and only if necessary. We won't be allowing the kids outside except in a nature-context like hiking in Bois de Liesse (more on that soon!) and we'll continue catching up with friends and family on Whatsapp and Zoom. The pandemic is just ramping up in most parts of the world and it's far from over here in Canada, but this personal crisis is thankfully over.

Thank you everyone for your concern, prayers, thoughts, and porch deliveries this past week! Let's continue to take care of one another. 

One Week In: Social-Isolation, Home-school, Home-church and Life in a Covid-19 World

It's only been a week of officially homeschooling and two Sundays of worshiping with our church family via Youtube, and I've already felt the gamut of emotions; some holy, most utterly depraved. My motto, as March 12, when the schools officially announced their closure to prevent the spread of Covid-19, has been "these are hard days, and sweet moments", and indeed, they have been.

After the announcement of the school closure, Brad and the elders at our church had a scrappy 48 hours to make the decision to likewise cancel church and move it online. That weekend was slightly overwhelming but also kind of exciting. I love change (weird, maybe) so I saw this all as a fun challenge and one I was eager to adapt to. That enthusiasm lasted all of three days before I was yelling at my kids, weeping "I'm not a teacher and I don't want to be!", fearing the very worst for our finances, our health, our kid's education, the longevity of our church, and the security of our nation. I told you I ran the gamut!

I'm not proud of how I've reacted at times. Of my temper towards my unwilling students/kids, of my lack of faith as if God were not still on the throne, of my clear excessive love of material goods, vacations, etc., only visible when they're taken away. And yet, this has drawn me closer to God, who never asked for perfection in his followers. Jesus said, "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick", and this pandemic is revealing new layers of sickness in me that I didn't know existed. My deep love of control, my self-reliance, my lack of trust in Him. 

I've also seen this pandemic bring out beauty that I would have missed. The things we have taken for granted all of our lives are now precious. Visiting grandparents, healthy kids, fresh groceries, Whatsapp, the Psalms. Receiving news from a friend, or visiting grandparents in isolation through the window, our favourite local cafe delivering milk to our porch, or the hope in Psalm 91... they're almost too beautiful to be true. 

Oh, how I crave a pint at the local pub with my friends, or a long walk with my family in the neighbourhood, stopping every few steps to greet neighbours with hugs and lively chat. Oh how I'd love to hug my relatives, especially the older ones. I think with tears in my eyes about how glorious it would be to stand and sing with our congregation at Eglise du Plateau and listen to sound teaching shoulder to shoulder with the church I love - and instead we can only connect online through videos, words and pictures (though we are still under sound teaching and joyful worship, I must add, simply via Youtube). 

And yes, I long for my kids to be back at their excellent public school instead of in my constant pedagogy and care. Sure, we're doing fine with homeschooling, but I'm not a teacher, nor have I been trained as one. Not to mention, our kids attend an all-French school and my French is nowhere near their Francophone teachers. Imagine me, an Anglophone who has learned French only by ear, struggling through teaching my six year old to read in French. I, myself, have never learned to read in French. I am able, but it's not a strength of mine, and certainly not to the point of teaching another, but here we are. Lily is writing thousand word English book reports, Oli is learning multiplication ahead of his grade-level and teaching himself Arabic on Youtube, and by Jove, Chloe is reading in French! It's not a disaster, God is gracious and kind, and we are afloat. 

Through this week I've seen my heart attach to temporal, fleeting things and am reminded regularly why those things make terrible gods. Control, comfort, money. I'm grateful to believe in a God who is worthy of my respect and my worship and my trust, especially in times of great peril and fear. As Christians, we don't believe terror will never befall us - Jesus was the most moral, perfect being who ever lived and look at how hard his life was - ending in a brutal death! But we believe that in it all, God is good and with us, and one day, a perfect life does await us if we trust in him. 

I guess you could say that this week I re-learned the gospel, so thank you Covid-19.

Pandemic Ponderings

In an effort to process these unprecedented times and hopefully process well, I thought I'd share a collection of my own thoughts and those I've found helpful in the recent days. Please share how you're processing too! There's been great discussion on my Instagram posts related to COVID-19 and I wanted to save them in a more permanent place, so here we are.   

On Friday, March 13 I wrote the following:

The world, or those who are able I should say, are hunkering down and hoping to ride out Coronavirus, which has been made considerably easier given that schools are now closed and many employees are being asked to stay home. Our Prime Minister's wife has just tested positive for it, which, for some reason, brought it all home for me.

Our living room is about to become our school room, gym, church, and work place. Part of me sees thrill in these changes and relishes an opportunity to stay home and hibernate and my family; like Christmas holidays Part II. 

But part of me is overwhelmed by the global panic, by the empty shelves I saw yesterday at a major grocery chain (just the toilet paper section, but what's next?), by the younger and younger people being diagnosed with a novel virus that we were told only affected elderly compromised immune systems, by all of it, really. I'm worried for my friends who work in healthcare and are on the front lines. I'm worried about the many times I've taken public transit this past week. I'm worried about those in our community who will run out of essentials. I'm worried about what social distancing will do for those with mental health concerns and for our economy. 

My church is studying Ecclesiastes right now and the timeliness is striking. This sermon series was planned eight months ago but lo, and behold, Coronavirus arrives at just the time were turning to God's word to remember that material things will not satisfy, that our earthly successes will not bring lasting joy, and that much of the things we turn to in this world for comfort are but a vapour. Smoke. Stockpiling toilet paper is smoke. The stock market rising and falling is smoke. That cancelled vacation is smoke. I don't say this lightly - we, too have lost savings in the market crash, and we may very well need to cancel our June trip.  But I need to remember that these things are not lasting joys. Maybe you need that reminder too?

Practically speaking, please don't forget to love your neighbour in this. Share instead of stockpile. Check in on those who are alone and vulnerable. And remember, perfect love casts out fear ♡

Today, Sunday, March 15, our church worshiped apart but together via a life-feed of our worship pastor leading praise and Brad expounding on Psalm 91. We were encouraged to watch the live fed service in small groups, so the kids and I tuned in with three others who live very close by. Afterwards, Brad led a Facebook live event and did Q&A for his sermon. As we watched dear soul after dear soul check in to the live event we were also treated to pictures of the dozens of other small groups worshiping alongside the live feed in their homes. It was truly so touching. When the event was over, my group opted for a few more songs a capella, just us seven. These are scary times, yet such sweet moments.

Below are other words that bolstered me this week in the unknown and anxious times. I hope they're as good to you as they were to me. 

Psalms or Headlines? That's the question and the choice laid out by Sarah Clarkson, a woman I've come to admire greatly. In this post she writes about picking up the pieces after a home invasion during the already overwhelming time of Coronavirus. She chooses the Psalms and we ought to as well.

I often turn to this newsletter by Matt Civico when I want to challenge myself and go deeper in thought. Matt writes about daily things that we all encounter but with such incredible insight and maturity. Of course, his gleanings on the global pandemic were helpful and beautiful. (log in to read)

Brad shared this Martin Luther quote with our church this week and I thought it was perfect.

" I will ask God out of mercy to protect us. Then I'm going to smoke, to help cleanse the air, give medicine and take them. I will avoid places, and people, where my presence is not necessary to not be contaminated and also inflict and affect others, not to cause their death as a result of my neglect. If God wants to take me, he will surely find me and I will have done what he expected of me, without being responsible neither for my own death nor for the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, I will not avoid any place or anyone, but I will go freely as mentioned above. See, it is such a faith that fears God because it is neither daring nor reckless and does not try God." 

Source: Works by Luther Volume 43 p. 132 the letter "May we escape from a deadly plague" written to the Rev. Dr. John Hess.

This excellent resource for taking to children about COVID-19 was really helpful.

This playlist will bring a lot of comfort to anxious souls.

I appreciate this articicle, which pointed to some incredibly wise words penned 70 years ago that could well be applied today in our Coronavirus time. C S Lewis, writing in 1948 said this:

In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”

 This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

Let's talk Lent.

Today marks the first day of Lent, the 40 day season preceding Easter Sunday. A completely optional exercise that was never commanded in Scripture, isn't practiced in most Evangelical churches, and won't at all make you a better Christian if you take part - and I love it. The liturgical calendar is something I've become reacquainted with in recent years and has been a great encouragement to my faith and the way I disciple my children. 

I want to make one thing excruciatingly clear as I have great fear of this post creating a burden or obligation among you, dear readers. It is that God won't love you more or less if you participate in Lent or abstain from Lent or any "church calendar" activities. With that said, would you permit me to share why I've grown to love these liturgical seasons so much? I'll start at the beginning.

I didn't grow up celebrating Lent. In high school I heard about people giving up chocolate or TV for Lent, but it was more of a fun exercise in will power than anything spiritual. As a new Christian I began to see Christmas and Easter with completely different eyes; eyes of worship, expectation and deeper beauty than a bunny or gift-laden tree could ever conjure, yet still the holidays snuck up on me year after year. In university I was writing exams until right before both major Christian holidays and once I had children life felt so full that I never seemed to arrive "ready" to celebrate with a full heart the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If you ever feel that tension when the holidays roll around, where you're glad for the four day weekend and time with family but your heart isn't quite prepared to worship then you understand exactly how I've felt in years past. Celebrating Advent and Lent have essentially freed me from those experiences and prepared my heart to celebrate in spirit and in truth. I've written a lot about Advent, so here I'll focus on Lent.

Lent gives Christians a concentrated season for grieving our sin and reflecting on the brokenness in our world that necessitated the cross. Life is hard and we are all sinners and sinned against. I believe taking the time to focus on this, to grieve and mourn what we've done and what has been done to us is incredibly meaningful and healthy. Lent is by nature a heavy season. If Advent stirs our hearts for an upcoming birth, Lent grieves our hearts for an approaching death - one that we played a role in causing - and it's right and good to feel sadness, regret, and grief. But we know our grief will end in the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, so there's always a limit to our grief that allows us to grieve with hope and not give in to despair. Some people choose to give up something during this season to share in the sufferings of Christ, to fast or challenge themselves in some way. I don't typically give up something for Lent, because I'm wary of my tendency to be legalistic (Enneagram 1 over here!), but I strongly encourage anyone who is giving up something for Lent to be sure to also add something in it's place that will fill up your affections for Jesus. Example: If you're giving up social media, add reading Scripture. The way I choose to practice Lent is not simply depriving myself of any one thing but truly orienting my heart towards Jesus and the Gospel. 

How are we practicing Lent this year? 

Pancake Tuesday + Explaining Lent

This is the first year I'm walking my kids through Lent though I've done it myself in recent years. We started last night with a big pancake supper feast which made our hearts merry, and then we transitioned into a time of reflection and confession. On the way home from school we had talked about the difference between Advent and Lent - Advent being an anticipatory celebration of an upcoming birth and Lent being a grieving season of an approaching death, lined with the precious hope of Resurrection Sunday. 

Confession + Forgiveness

After explaining the differences and answering any of their questions, I lead us in a time of confession. Simply admitting some of my sins from the day to my family. After each person repented of something, the family would respond, "your sins are forgiven!" It was such a sweet time. I don't know that we'll do this every day of Lent, but it represents the theme of Lent and how we'll be aiming to observe it. Grieving the wrong we've done and the wrong done to us, thanking Jesus for his forgiveness, and encouraging one another that all of those sins were nailed to the cross. The kids also wrote out or drew some of their sins which we put in a jar and lit the jar on fire (don't worry, we quickly moved the jar out onto our balcony - we were safe!)  The kids absolutely loved this and encouraged one another that "it feels so good to repent!" 

Scripture + Song

Like Advent, I'd like to be extra intentional this Lent about reading scripture daily with the kids and singing a hymn each night. We always have morning devotions and often sing praise songs in the car, but for Lent the songs and scripture will be focused on Good Friday and Easter Sunday particularly. Our hymn list includes Jesus Paid it All, There is a Fountain, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Hallelujah! What a Saviour! and on the last week of Lent, Christ the Lord is Risen Today. 

For scripture reading I'd recommend some Old Testament prophecies of Jesus death (Isaiah 53 being a beautiful example), the Gospel accounts of Jesus' death (Mark 15 being my favourite), or any part of the Bible you find pointing you to Jesus paying the price for sin. I may change halfway through Lent this year, but we'll start out with Romans 5:12-15

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men[a] because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent. With the ashes we made in burning up our confessions last night, we had a fresh jar of ashes with which to put small crosses on our hands this morning at breakfast. I got this idea from Asheritah Ciuciu on Monica Swanson's Boy Mom Podcast. The kids found it really moving  - honestly at ages 6, 8, and 9, they were absolutely able to understand that those ashes were a symbol of forgiven sin. I wish I'd started this years ago with them! Kids really are able to understand so much more than we often give them credit for, and symbolic activities like this help them learn and understand. I know some people put an ash cross on their forehead, so this is a version of that. Traditionally the ashes come from burned up palm branches used from the previous year's Palm Sunday, but ash from burned up confessions to sins we know are forgiven felt pretty beautiful too. 

Objections to Lent 

There is good reason why many Evangelicals do not practice the liturgical calendar, and I understand those objections. One common objection is that the Bible doesn't teach Advent or Lent, and the first recorded occurrences of these is usually between 300 and 600 AD, meaning even the very early church didn't practice Lent, so why should we? I absolutely agree that it's not necessary or required for Christians, but that doesn't mean there isn't wisdom in it. Lent uses common, everyday aspects of the Christian life (repentance, confession, reading scripture, fasting, prayer, song) in a simple, repetitive way leading up to the most important days in our calendar year and allows us to approach Easter prepared, in heart and mind to worship the risen Lord. Not at all necessary, but absolutely helpful for many people. 

Another objection is that fasting (giving up something) for Lent can create legalism and I totally agree with this! You know your heart - are you prone to legalism and spiritual performance? Maybe avoid fasting and focus on feasting on the gospel. Are you in a season of life where you're making bad decisions that are leading you away from Jesus and you need more self control? Then maybe regular fasting from all manner of things would be good for you! The purpose is to create grief around our sin and hope and joy in the resurrection, not to tick off any spiritual boxes. 

Where I am, in Quebec, Lent is seen very much as a Catholic practice, and if you know any of the history of our province, you'll know that there is a great degree of mistrust and bitterness towards the Catholic church for past abuses of power as recent as the 1960's when virtually all of Quebec was Catholic. Here it's rare to find a Protestant who wants anything to do with the liturgical calendar because there's a great desire to distance themselves from Catholicism, but many Protestant denominations have historically observed the "church calendar" including Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Lutherns, and regardless of your affiliation, you may find it a helpful practice. 

Simple + Meaningful

As I've said over and over again for Advent, Lent can be simple and meaningful. I know you're busy - me too. Our life is full and I'm not necessarily looking for things to add to our schedule, but done simply, Lent doesn't need to take much planning or time to be meaningful. Take your eyes off of perfection and onto a few easy practices that you can guide your family through to prepare your hearts for Easter. It can be singing one Easter-themed hymn each day. Reciting the same cross-centred Bible verse every night before bed. Creating an environment of confession and repentance in your home by humbling leading by example. Asheritah Ciuciu has a lot of great activities and crafts on her website and in her book, if you're looking for more ideas. 

I hope this was helpful, and if you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comments or over on Instagram.