some comfort and joy

Comfort: Beauty is a Counterpoint to Despair

“God has made everything suitable for its time;” –Ecclesiastes 3:11

One of my morning rituals is to read through the newspaper. Of course there is no shortage of griefs. From droughts and famines, wars and rumors of war. On the days this practice proves more devastating than delightful, I remind myself it is important to be informed; necessary even.

What does it look like to keep going when the weight of the world is upon us? Whether overwhelmed by global events or hurting from devastations in our closest circles, how do we face another day?

Our internet friend, Shannan Martin, names counterweights as one of the ways we keep going. Practices, experiences and connections that invite us to joy and remind us of the good are necessary counter points to the hard things that surround us. Beauty is one way we can stave off despair. A gentle breeze on the face, the vibrant pinks and orange of the setting sun, the golden crust on a loaf of freshly baked bread are all glimpses of beauty. Noticing, naming and holding onto these signposts of good provide a ballast amidst the storms of life.

Open my eyes, O God, to the gifts of beauty that surround me this day. Amen.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent is available now! With readings to walk through the Advent and Christmas season, the weekly offerings in Comfort and Joy include a variety of devotional meditations and invitations to spiritual practices that help us slow down and savor this sacred season.

Joy: Beauty Draws Us Closer to God

Spend time today with a form of sacred beauty. Perhaps it’s a beloved scripture passage, a song that makes your heart swell, or taking a walk in a place that brings peace to your soul.

Consider the places and spaces in which you feel the presence of God. In the face of limitations, whether that is time, mobility or accessibility, are there ways to connect with these holy touch points?

If it’s through music, perhaps you can stream a favorite song. If it is a specific view in another part of the world, perhaps you can use a photo of that place on your phone’s wallpaper. Snuggle a new baby or light a candle that’s scent that reminds you of a treasured place.

Today, with intention, engage in an act that reminds you of the goodness of God.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Comfort: Beauty Draws Us Towards God

“The heavens are telling the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.” -Psalm 19:1-2

Have you ever noticed that we often find more of what we seek? So what if we set out to find beauty? Perhaps in the search for beauty we also find God. When I experience the flowers blooming and notice every petal or receive a hug from a friend after a long day, I inevitably feel grateful for the beauty extended my way. My gratefulness then directs me toward God.

Katherine May, a writer and thinker, notes that feelings of awe can crack us open, leaving us softer and more ready to engage. This window created by beauty and wonder opens our awareness of God as well. God created beautiful things – including us – people! It is all interconnected. We can name and experience beauty, and we can create beauty. The joy of a repeated pattern or the unique loveliness of another person’s face can spark our connection to and recognition of the divine. By engaging ourselves with this focus in life we can draw closer to our Creator. And how beautiful is that?

Beautiful God, what a marvel this world is! Draw us closer as we seek you. AMEN

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Joy: Beauty and Human Connection

Recently my brother and sister-in-law took my mother to see an Amish quilt exhibit that was on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Their retelling of the visit included obvious delight and connection found in their mutual enjoyment of the beautiful and historic works of art created by Amish women in the late 1800’s through 1950.

Beauty can often be discovered in the company of others, as each person’s perspective enlarges our own. Consider attending an art exhibit, a concert, or sharing delicious food with friends in the coming month. How is your experience of beauty enlivened by your connection to others? In what ways do these connections pull you closer to God?

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent is available now! With readings to walk through the Advent and Christmas season, the weekly offerings in Comfort and Joy include a variety of devotional meditations and invitations to spiritual practices that help us slow down and savor this sacred season.

Comfort: Experiencing Beauty as Human Connection

“…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” –Philippians 4:8

Often the best memories come from the times when things didn’t go to plan. At least we’ll have a good story to tell! It’s the surprising, the unexpected, and the unusual encounters that stick in our minds.

While in the moment there may be disappointment or frustration, often these tales of mishap, adventure and resilience are part of the legacy that lives on. They are the memories that get told time and again.

Are these remembrances beautiful because they are shared with someone we love or is our connection to the person in the memory made because we had a divine appointment with beauty?

A connection through beauty is one of the gifts that the sacred ordinary has to offer to enrich our lives. A common experience gives us a shared language. A mutual core memory provides a certain intimacy.

It’s why a high school reunion or extended family Christmas celebration can transport us. Particular relationships forged through shared experience kindle the memories of a particular time and place. Of something special and beautiful.

Bring to mind, O God, sweet memories of beauty and connection today. Remind me of your provision, presence and providence through the remembrances stirred. Amen.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Joy: Awe & Wonder

A few times each year, our family would take a trip to Lancaster, PA. My sisters and I loved going to visit our cousins. My mom’s youngest brother has four boys, and I am the oldest of three girls. Our ages lined up pretty nicely, and we had a ball playing together.

We had lots of traditions around our visits to see the Rissers. We loved playing kick the can in the barnyard, having picnics down at the pond,and putting together Christmas plays for our parents to watch.

On one particular Christmas visit we were not ready to leave. As our parents called to us to say our goodbyes as we would be leaving early the next morning, directly from my grandparents’ house, the five of us older cousins gathered in a circle. We wholeheartedly prayed that it would snow so much that we wouldn’t be able to travel the next day.

Imagine our delight when we woke to find my dad shoveling a foot of snow from my grandparents’ driveway. Our prayers had been answered!

Reflect on your own childhood. What memories of delight or wonder stand out? When have you experienced God’s care or response in a dramatic way? Take a moment to note this remembrance in your journal or to share it with a friend or family member. Perhaps you can call, text or email someone who was part of the moment of wonder. Allow the beauty and goodness of this gift to be multiplied in the gratitude and sharing.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Thank you for the celebrations!

It has been a busy season for Some Comfort and Joy! Sherah-Leigh and I have enjoyed watching our book make its debut into the world. Such a big event is full of excitement and, of course, all the ups and downs of anything full of expectation!

A definite highlight for both of us has been being able to mark our book’s “birthday” with so many of you at our book launch celebrations! So many people came out to encourage us with your presence, words of affirmation, and to purchase books. We both felt so blessed to spend this time with each of you.

Thank you! Thank you!

Here are some pictures from the parties that we thought you might enjoy viewing.

Birthday cake for the book release birthday!

This is how happy we were to see each of you!

Beautiful end to a lovely evening! Thank you everyone!

Refreshments at the Ohio party included treats from recipes featured in the book

Comfort: Childlike Wonder

“O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” – Psalm 8:1

I clearly remember taking my two-year-old son for a walk down a gravel lane. I had a time oriented goal and place in mind. While he’s now a middle schooler, it seems like a short time ago that we meandered along, with my son stopping to pick up rocks and notice bugs of various sorts. He was in no hurry, instead he was enjoying each wonder he saw on the way.

Children have so much to teach us about discovering beauty. Part of this is because they are experiencing the world for the first time. Children delight in glitter and the joy of a sweet fruit pop in the summer. Children are also able to quickly access wonder. Their connection to awe in ordinary life can be one of the first ways children begin to understand God.

We, on the other hand, are too busy or sometimes jaded to experience beauty as we grow up and take on “adult” concerns. But as the Psalmist reminds us, creation is still here speaking to us of God’s majesty and goodness.

My toddler son serendipitously reminded me on that walk together that acknowledging beauty takes time and often a slower pace. And in exchange I was gifted with the opportunity to really see the small wonders surrounding us.

Beautiful Creator, thank you for the gift of beauty I can encounter each day. Grant me a slower pace and childlike wonder. AMEN

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Joy: Beauty in Creation

One part of experiencing beauty is slowing down and engaging with the world around us. I have found connecting with all five senses in a conscientious and thoughtful way helps to slow me down and draws me closer to God. Perhaps the same can work for you.

Find a spot where you can relax. Slowly work your way through each of your five senses. Breathe in and out and focus on each sense in turn.

What do you hear?

What do you smell?

What do you taste?

What are you touching? How does it feel?

What do you see?

Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty around you.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Comfort: Beauty in Creation

“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” –Psalm 104:24

When you don’t know any differently, it is easy to take the seemingly ordinary parts of life for granted. While I have a deep love for the rhythm of the year and the changing seasons, whenever I am with someone who has never seen snow or hasn’t experienced the coloring change of deciduous leaves in autumn, I am reminded of the gifts of each season.

Although I am far from being outdoorsy, my reverence for God is always renewed when I am in the beauty of creation. I experience wonderment in equal measure when seeing the sun dip below the peaks of the blue ridge mountains and when light kisses the tassels of corn as the sun rises over flat acres of fields behind my home.

While in my estimation there is nothing lovely about a spider, the gleam of dew on the fragile threads of a web sparks awe within me. I grumble about the staining grime of black walnuts as I gather them ahead of mowing, but the shade of the sprawling branches from the pair of trees in the south yard bring relief in the middle of summer.

A fresh blanket of snow, the refreshment of a gentle rain shower, the fragrance of the budding lilac; the goodness and creativity of God sings around us.

Thank you, generous Creator, for the wonder, beauty and delight of the many good gifts around me. May I experience your goodness through all you have made. Amen.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.