“Preparation”

from Comfort & Joy: Readings and Praces for Advent, Herald Press, 2024.

Preparation, then, is the perfect focus for this first week of reflections and practices. In Advent we prepare our hearts so that the outward signs of the season become acts of kindness and creativity instead of a frustrating list of seasonal to-dos. We can make room in our lives so that when Christ arrives, we are ready to notice and celebrate.

We’ll mess up and try again. Mistakes and fresh starts are allowed! I am reminded that it is good to prepare—not just our calendars, but also our hearts—for this season of spiritual waiting and watching for God’s work in our lives.

Rushing from one activity to the next will not get you where you want to be in these coming weeks. Give yourself permission to open your heart to the movement of God’s Spirit, especially if you feel nudged toward something that isn’t on the list. May you prepare yourself so that holy, unexpected experiences will blossom in your home this Advent and Christmas.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.

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.

If you or someone you know is dreading this Christmas, navigating an unchosen journey or difficult circumstances, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a daily devotional for the month of December offering reflections and blessing for those looking to recover a sense of hope.

You may want to check out Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent, a nontraditional devotional that includes recipes, practices, reflections and prompts to help you connect with what really matters (to you) in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

It’s the Holiday Season…

While Advent is still 19 days away, the first signs of snow in my area make it feel like the holiday season is upon us! And there is no doubt that the swirl of activities, opportunities (and stressors) that come with the holiday season are here. For some of us, it is a wonderful time of year as we make our plans and preparations for gatherings in the coming weeks. For others, this may be sad or dreadful stretch of weeks with overwhelm or loneliness.

But no matter how you are approaching Advent this year, there is good news. The words of scripture, written long ago, demonstrate again and again that God is at work. God is present. God is always surprising God’s people by moving and making something new. 

In the midst of a weary world and fragile hope, we come to this season of preparation and celebration to be reminded of this truth. We engage these reflective practices so we, too, can notice anew that God is with us, in the beauty of the ordinary and in the sacred extraordinary of Advent and Christmastide. 

Methods for spiritual reflection and practice are as varied as we are as individuals. There are many ways to commune with God in our daily lives and we hope  you will find a point of connection through our variety of invitations we offer in the coming weeks.

Consider an Advent devotional as a gentle companion through the month of December.

You may want to check out Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent, a nontraditional devotional that includes recipes, practices, reflections and prompts to help you connect with what really matters (to you) in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

If you or someone you know is dreading this Christmas, navigating an unchosen journey or difficult circumstances, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a daily devotional for the month of December offering reflections and blessing for those looking to recover a sense of hope.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others.

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.

And the winner is…

Congratulations to Maria, who can choose from this selection of custom mugs that Melinda Yoder of Muddy Creek Ceramics designed for the launch of Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas.

We are so grateful for our Some Comfort & Joy community. Thank you for your kind comments, likes and shares which help others find us in our little corner of the internet.

As we move into the holiday season, we will be sharing encouragement and practices that can help you connect with some comfort and joy throughout the coming weeks.

And if you are looking for an Advent devotional to use throughout the month of December, you can still get copies of Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent. This non-traditional devotional includes poetry, recipes, practices and prompts focused on the traditional themes of love, joy, hope and peace.

We pray that you will sense the nearness of God in these days.

Blessing (& Giveaway)

Blessing for the dawn*

On the wild edge,

on the threshold,

when you are unsure, longing, and vulnerable

may you be held with love

In the distress,

In the defeat,

When you find that you dwell in the dust

may you find the hidden place of peace

In the long night,

in the holding vigil,

when you are betting on daylight:

may you awake to joy

*This blessing comes from Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas, Sherah-Leigh’s newly released Advent devotional. 

As we move into the holiday season, we’re hosting a giveaway! Leave a comment on this post by midnight on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, and you will be eligible to win a signed copy of Unhappy Holidays along with a custom mug created by our friend at Muddy Creek Ceramics. 

We often think of the Christmas season as a time of good cheer, but what happens when the reality of life stands in stark contrast to these expectations? When the nest is empty or family relationships are strained? Cancer diagnoses, divorce proceedings, and natural disasters do not care about calendar time. How do we live into the spirit of Christmas when things feel bleak?

With thoughtful reflections and compassionate blessings drawn from the familiar biblical texts of Advent, Unhappy Holidays invites readers to recover a sense of hope and notice how God shows up in daily life amid our heartache, grief, and loss.

Now available for purchase here!

 We hope that this has brought you some comfort and joy. If this has been meaningful for you please like, comment or share this with others. 


And in case you missed it, we wrote a book! Comfort and Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent may be a wonderful companion for you this holiday season.

Joy: Practicing Wholeness (Luke 8:48)

“Jesus said, ‘Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!’” -Luke 8:48

If you didn’t get a chance to read Sherah-Leigh’s reflection on Monday take a moment to do that now!

Take time this week to journal or think about your hopes for healing and comfort.

Where would you like to experience wholeness? In what area of your life might it take courage to name the comfort and healing you seek?

After taking time to journal about your own self-care, imagine courageously reaching out to Jesus. What fears hold you back from reaching out in hope? 

If a phrase or idea comes to mind that is helpful, write it down and refer to it this week and this month.  Alternatively, copy the verse from today,”Live well, live blessed!”, and post it where you will read it frequently. 

Of course, healing can come in many forms. It might be as simple as admitting you need to keep your doctor’s appointment! So be alert . . .what will “Live well, live blessed.” mean for you?

We hope that this has brought you some comfort and joy. If this has been meaningful for you please like, comment or share this with others. 

And in case you missed it, we wrote a book! Comfort and Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent may be a wonderful companion for you this holiday season. If you are looking for something new, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a newly released Advent devotional written by Sherah-Leigh as a gentle guide for those dreading the coming weeks.

Comfort: The Courage to Seek (Luke 8:48)

“Jesus said, ‘Daughter, you took a risk trusting me, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed!’” -Luke 8:48

With the setting sun as backdrop, I gathered with my book club. Over brie and chocolate dipped cherries, we shared about what we had read throughout the summer, offering recommendations and adding to our to-be-read lists.

A friend’s upcoming inn-to-inn sojourn in the English countryside called to mind a book I listened to purporting the life-changing benefits of discomfort. As I reflected on the things I disliked and takeaways I appreciated, I noted that inhabiting a female body means routinely being in touch with discomfort. The mental load, changing hormones, monthly cycles, micro (and not so micro) aggressions or glass ceilings– discomfort comes into our lives in many forms. 

Our desire for comfort can be problematic. At times we resist change because of the discomfort of the unknown. Capitalism capitalizes on our troubles offering products, fixes and escapes (for a fee, of course). Sometimes, we may inadvertently rebrand self-comfort as self-care justifying extravagance, expense or escapism. 

But seeking relief and comfort can also be a spiritual discipline. It takes courage to hold out hope for healing. It is a risk to ask for what we need. Others may confuse our self-honoring for selfishness. Being honest before God about our aches, longings and needs requires bravery. 


The account of Jesus healing the woman with chronic bleeding reminds us that seeking relief from our pain requires something from us. Seeking wholeness and well-being may feel risky. It requires tenacity and courage. And yet, like the woman who experienced healing, the pursuit of the comfort of true home- connection and settledness with God- is met with blessing. 

Bless my risks, Jesus. Meet my courage with comfort. May I continue to trust in you for shalom in all things. Amen. 

 We hope that this has brought you some comfort and joy. If this has been meaningful for you please like, comment or share this with others. 


And in case you missed it, we wrote a book! Comfort and Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent may be a wonderful companion for you this holiday season. If you are looking for something new, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a newly released Advent devotional written by Sherah-Leigh as a gentle guide for those dreading the coming weeks.

Joy: Receiving Grace (2 Corinthians 7-9)

“No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then God told me, ‘My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’” –2 Corinthians 7-9, The Message

We all have 24 hours in a day the gurus and influences proclaim as they peddle their products and courses that promise to make their aspirational life accessible. But that, as the kids these days are saying, is propaganda we’re not falling for anymore. 

Our unique circumstances and situations reveal our particular limitations and conditions. When it comes down to commitments, opportunities and expectations, we do not all have the same 24 hours in a day. And comparing or shaming ourselves for not being able to do or achieve as others, doesn’t help any of us. 

While it is counterintuitive, the implicit invitation in Paul’s letter is to embrace our limits and pains– not in a silver lining kind of way, but with a kingdom economy view. God does not value what the world does. God does not long for our productivity, perfection or performance. God longs for our love and loyalty. 

Take some time this week to reflect on the opportunities that have come through what you at first lamented as a limit. Where was God’s strength revealed through your own weakness? What kingdom possibility emerged in the space of something you had to release? 

 We hope that this has brought you some comfort and joy. If this has been meaningful for you please like, comment or share this with others. 


And in case you missed it, we wrote a book! Comfort and Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent may be a wonderful companion for you this holiday season. If you are looking for something new, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a newly released Advent devotional written by Sherah-Leigh as a gentle guide for those dreading the coming weeks.

Comfort: Suffering (2 Corinthians 12:10)

“Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 The Message

Human beings all suffer.  Some of us suffer through prolonged physical pain and illness. Other people suffer from psychological pain. Many others suffer from anxiety or loneliness. Sometimes our suffering becomes evident to others around us and other times we may feel, perhaps rightly so, that no one else knows or understands what we are experiencing.

In the scripture from 2 Corinthians Paul writes about his own limitations and suffering. I don’t think Paul is writing about some minor ailment, since earlier in the chapter he describes begging for God to heal him. Instead of receiving a change in his physical being, Paul is given a change in his point of view. And that changes everything. What a wonderful gift to receive. 

I bet you know people like Paul who have turned a weakness into their greatest strength. People who have allowed God’s Spirit to transform their tremendous struggles into loving care for others. I’m sure it did not happen overnight and I bet Paul didn’t feel as upbeat about his suffering every day. But the truth remains that God can transform our pain.

When I read these words from Paul I experience hope. In life there will be suffering.  There is nothing we can do to change that. But God can help us turn our weaknesses into our strengths.

God may we have humble spirits and learning souls. Transform our suffering into loving kindness! AMEN

Joy: Practice Routines

In times of grief, anxiety or change, routines can help us, especially ones that keep us connected with our body. 

During a recent period of change in my life I found a daily walking schedule was a grounding experience. The changes that were happening in my family life were not under my control and I had trouble finding peace with them. However, these same unwanted changes, also gave me the gift of more time at home.  I was able to use the extra time to start a daily walking routine.  Walking helped me to expend anxiety, start my day in a predictable way, and breathe deeply in my body.

What routines could you add to your life to help you during times of transition or lament? Here are some ideas.  Maybe they will spark some new life-giving routines for this season in your life!

  • Have a day of the week where you bake bread. Kneading the dough can be a physically grounding pursuit and the weekly smell of fresh bread a gift.
  • Create an end of the day routine. Perhaps yoga before bed or a prayer reviewing the day as you fall asleep.
  • Create a routine around dinnertime. Cooking and cleaning up chores around mealtime can make routine moments of connection within yourself or with others in your family group.
  • Attend a church community each week.  This once a week routine has the power to reset my priorities and encourages me to reconnect with God and other people.

What are your lifegiving routines?  We’d love to hear from you.  Maybe your routine will encourage another reader from the Some Comfort and Joy community.  Just click below to share your idea.

 We hope that this has brought you some comfort and joy. If this has been meaningful for you please like, comment or share this with others. 

And in case you missed it, we wrote a book! Comfort and Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent may be a wonderful companion for you this holiday season. If you are looking for something new, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a newly released Advent devotional written by Sherah-Leigh as a gentle guide for those dreading the coming weeks.

Comfort: Chaos and Creativity (Genesis 1:4-5)

“God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. God named the light Day, God named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning—Day One.” -Genesis 1:4-5

From the very beginning of time separation and limits, change and rhythm are part of the design. The opening lines of scripture describe our Creator bringing order, life and light to chaos. And it seems that chaos is a prerequisite for creativity. Just ask anyone who shares space with an artist! 

And as with so many things in our lives, the reality of the ordinary reveals sacred truth. Often the times of upheaval in our lives is the necessary precursor to growth. If we are honest, we love mystery but not the messiness that comes with the life of faith. In the midst of change we may feel unsettled and anxious. Even if we are eagerly anticipating a new rhythm, routine or season, embracing something new also requires a release of what has been. 

Sometimes we need the reminder that limitations are not challenges to overcome nor design flaws to be reformed. Our need for rest and renewal and our finite capacity for connection and care are part of a life of faith and our dependance of God. 

The confines of our energy, abilities and longevity invite us to prioritize. We cannot do it all.  But we can do some things. What is God’s call to you for this day, with the resources you have in this season? 

In the places of chaos and the griefs of my limitations and losses, renew my hope O God. May I trust in the possibility of what yet may be. May I notice signs of your creativity, care and compassion. Amen. 

 We hope that this has brought you some comfort and joy. If this has been meaningful for you please like, comment or share this with others. 


And in case you missed it, we wrote a book! Comfort and Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent may be a wonderful companion for you this holiday season. If you are looking for something new, Unhappy Holidays: Blessings for a Blue Christmas is a newly released Advent devotional written by Sherah-Leigh as a gentle guide for those dreading the coming weeks.