Image: Magnificat © Jan Richardson
Friends, I have been remiss in posting a note here to let you know that during this season, I’m over at my blog The Advent Door! I would love to have your company there as we travel toward Christmas. In addition to reflections for the Sundays of Advent (including this coming Sunday, Advent 4), I have recently posted an article that shares some of my journey in traveling through this season with grief. The article is titled “This Luminous Darkness: Searching for Solace in Advent and Christmas,” and you can find it here.
In the days to come, I’ll be sharing reflections and blessings for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then I look forward to being back here at The Painted Prayerbook in the new year!
Sending much gratitude and so many blessings to you in this sacred season.
December 18, 2015 at 6:23 PM |
Thank you for your amazing thoughtfulness during this Advent time when our hearts are often so full of memory and love and grief. You are very generous with your messages and the one you mention above is one I by chance used yesterday with a friend who had lost a child a while ago. Your words are so healing and so authentic in understanding. May you have a blessed Christmas time too. I would suggest to everyone to get your In the Sanctuary of Women and the your newest book of Blessings too. Warmly,
December 19, 2015 at 8:54 AM |
I have missed you. I love your messages, blessings, thoughts and prayers. You are a bright light anytime during the year.
Thank you,
Kate
December 19, 2015 at 8:55 PM |
Dear Jan,
My dear beloved husband unexpectedly passed away on June 2, 2013. We had been married for 43 years. Our story is a love story for sure. I have started to write it in a book to pass on to our children. We served in ministry together for 35 of those years. Have two beautiful sons and daughter-in-law and five precious grandchildren.
So this is our third Christmas in which I celebrate the birth of our Lord here with the family and he celebrates in heaven.
I must tell you that your writings resonate so very much with my heart and experience, it is as if your words have come from my story. The blog, “The Luminous Dare: Finding Solace in Advent and Christmas is a gift from the Creator of the universe to me (I know to others as well).
I just want to thank you for giving this tremendous gift to the world.
Every blessing,
Susan