This is an encore episode of the 4:13 Podcast. KC and I hope you enjoy it!
This is an encore episode of the 4:13 Podcast. KC and I hope you enjoy it!
Merry Christmas, my friend! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
You won’t believe who is here this week. New York Times bestselling author, Karen Kingsbury, and singer-songwriter, Michael O’Brien, are on the 4:13 Podcast! [Insert cheers here!]
Well, hey there! I wanted to share some love with you—plus, my favorite Christmas recipe.
So, I paused from munching on some Harry and David’s Dark Chocolate Moose Munch and sipping some Starbuck’s Christmas Blend to hang out with you for a bit. Thanks for pausing to join me for some Christmas java!
I’ve been wrapping gifts—actually, I’ve stuffed them into the crumpled gift bags I saved from last year!
And, girl, I’m loving Christmas songs by Kathy Troccoli and Michael O’Brien while I breathe in the warm cinnamon fragrance of the wassail simmering in the crockpot. Sister, it tastes as good as it smells.
I bet your world is full of holiday hustle about now, right? Christmas is just a few days away and your life may be crammed with parties and wrapping and baking and caroling and shopping and traveling… and… uh…. deep breath… and more wrapping and more baking and… okay, that’s enough!!
I need to stop and breathe. Do you? I mean, I – we — need to stop and breathe in the beauty, the meaning, the radical impact of Christmas. So, I wrote a simple prayer to center me, and maybe it will help you, too.
I’ve got an old mason jar tucked away in my jewelry chest. Some of my most precious possessions are inside.
Now, if you saw it, you may think the jar is full of dried up, tired, mismatched potpourri, all different shades of faded brown and gray — not very attractive! But I’ve been intentional about what I have put in this jar for the last 30 years.
To me, this old mason jar is beautiful.
Within the antique blue glass are the petals from the first roses Phil gave me on Valentine’s Day when we were dating. Mixed in with those are rose petals from my bridal bouquet along with petals from the roses he gave me on our first wedding anniversary. They are joined by petals from the dozen roses he brought me when our first son was born.
When my son Connor was six years old, he wrote a hilarious Christmas wish list.
I still remember his creativity and boldness in choosing the many, many, many, many items. I smile when I think back to the wintery day he asked to get out my laptop and type out his Christmas list for him. He stayed serious and thoughtful as he dictated each item.
When I found it recently, I laughed out loud and thought you may get a kick out of it too.