Monthly Love: December

Here’s some of what I loved for the month of December:

1. Holidays with Family

It was so wonderful to be home for Christmas. We got to see all our family and spend some good time with everyone. I especially loved getting to go to dinner with my siblings and their spouses. It was so wonderful to go out and enjoy an evening, with no kids, together.

2. Purchasing Our New Home

We finally closed on our new house, got keys, and have been working on getting it ready to move in. It’s been a six month process to get to this point but we finally arrived, and we love our house.

3. 1st Snowfall of the Season

It’s long past the first snow by now, but I love that first snow. It’s so magical and beautiful. I love how quiet and still the world seems as the first snow falls.

4. Marvel’s The Punisher

John Bernthal plays the part of Frank Castle masterfully! I have really been enjoying the intensity of this show. I have a few episodes left to go, but this was one of my selections for best shows of 2017!

5. The PourHouse

This place in Chillicothe, OH was great. The food was excellent and diverse, and the atmosphere, inside the Machine Hall in a historic part of the town, was super cool.

6. Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering by Kelly Kapic

This was a powerful book. So intentional in its reflection. Kapic looks at pain from a practical standpoint and not a mere academic one. He guides readers in the value of lamentation and the ways to cultivate Biblical lament. I really loved this book.

7. ReSet: Living a Grace-Paced Life in a Burnout Culture by David Murray

I needed this book. I have been bordering on burnout for a month or two now, only I didn’t realize it. This book has given me some encouragement, and some much-needed strategy on how to better help myself and fight against the habits that have contributed to those feelings. This is a great work!

8. The Help of Friends

There’s not a lot of work that our new house needs. Most of the work is just tedious stuff, and yet I have had the help of some great friends. I am so grateful for the many helping hands who have come by to work on the place already: Rob and Christopher Fox, Brad Hunsanger, Ryan Kolis, and Tim Johnson. Most of these guys have come by multiple days to hep on projects. They have been so kind and supportive. I am blessed with great friends.

9. New Year’s Eve Parties

We had a great night with wonderful friends on New Year’s Eve. Party games, good food, and celebrating the start of a new year made up the evening. It was a blast to be included and to enjoy their laughter and to participate in the fun.