Jody Collins

Book Review: Living the Season Well — Reclaiming Christmas

10.18.2017 by Nicole Kristin Twedt //

Today marks the third Sunday of Advent. The Tiniest Tiny is on the verge of losing her first tooth; I’m feeling all the feels. Before long, a dairy-free version of Alice Currah’s “Spicy Sausage Kale Bean Soup” is reheated on the stovetop. Leftover Thai food is thrown into the microwave; and two-thirds of our children refuse to eat it. Eventually, our family gathers around the oak farm table in the dining room to light the Joy Candle. As the flame of the pink candle flickers and comes to life, we set our eyes on whatever is lovely and good, to the dawn of about to get better. This is the song of old, the story rising in me.

The above reflection was part of last year’s Christmas letter. I didn’t mention that the kids were fighting to the death over whose turn it was to blow out the candles; the dog was barking; and each time I snuck a glance at my phone to refer to the Advent reading I’d found online, my husband Greg, always the kid at heart, tried to blow out the candle that was supposed to represent joy.

My family wasn’t the only problem. Panic seemed to creep into my heart as soon as Costco rolled out their holiday decorations. Anxiety was at its peak by Black Friday. For the love of trying to find that special treasure for each family member, extended family member, teacher, school specialist and even the milkman. By the time I got to the milkman, I’m afraid the “special something” came from my neighborhood Starbucks in the form of a $10 gift card. I really wasn’t a Grinch. I really did love Christmas. I was just overwhelmed by the increasing number of obligations, and expenses, associated with the season.

Enter Jody Collins and her new book, Living the Season Well — Reclaiming Christmas. I met the author at a Seattle-based writing group last winter. Jody sat on a red couch by the window and told us, enthusiastically, about an idea she had for a book, an idea she believes God gave her to help parents (and grandparents) appreciate the connection between adapting, or adopting, the liturgies of the church year by presenting simple ways for families to approach the holidays without feeling burdened by it.

Living the Season Well is for evangelical and liturgical families alike. My faith background is Presbyterian-turned-Nondenominational-turned-Assemblies-of-God; which meant I was basically confused about the church calendar and all things liturgy. I have precious memories of the lighting of the Advent candles at the church of my childhood, complete with wooden pews and stained glass windows. As an adult, it’s easy for me to get behind all of the longing and anticipation associated with Advent. But I had questions about the candle business. I knew about the little pink Joy Candle, but only because I Googled it. I loved learning from the book about the sacred traditions of the church in ways that work for modern families. I found the explanation of Advent particularly helpful.

I appreciate the tone of Living the Season Well. Jody is never bossy or condescending. Her book urged me to start small and start now. Since I’m a budget-conscious mama, I love that many of Jody’s ideas and suggestions to incorporate the timeless church traditions are inexpensive, and often free.

I learned that it’s not about cramming more of Christmas on or around December 25. This was one of my favorite take-aways from the book. You see, I’m deeply introspective. My heart requires a great deal of time to ponder and reflect upon the way God chose to show his love for me through the miracle of his son’s birth. I’m not ready to take down the tree just because Christmas has come and gone. I’m still celebrating. What a relief to have permission to stretch the season out and enjoy the sacred beauty of it all.

As mentioned previously, I’m prone to anxiety. It doesn’t take much for me to feel overwhelmed by the increasing number of obligations and expenses associated with the beloved holiday. Can you relate? Friend, it doesn’t have to be this way. Christmas doesn’t have to be a major source of stress and anxiety. There’s a plethora of useful information available in Jody’s book to help you and your family simplify Christmas and live the season well.

As part of the launch team for Living the Season Well, I received a digital copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. Truth be told, I loved Jody’s book so much that I ordered a paperback for myself. I think you’ll like it, too. I encourage you to click on one of the following links to order your own copy of Living the Season Well — Reclaiming Christmas by Jody Collins. You’ll thank me later.

Living the Season Well — Reclaiming Christmas by Jody Collins on Amazon.

Living the Season Well — Reclaiming Christmas by Jody Collins at Barnes & Noble.

Weekend Roundup, October 6, 2017: Book Launch Edition

10.06.2017 by Nicole Kristin Twedt //

Howdy Folks!

It’s been a busy week on the blog. I actually posted something (actually two somethings) other than a Weekend Roundup. Crazy. Something else that’s crazy: cray-cray. Apparently it’s a word now. It means crazy. Did you know this? I heard cray-cray used for the first time last weekend at my mom’s sixty-fifth birthday bash. Don’t even ask. By the way, when I say “birthday bash” I’m referring to a quiet dinner with just the five of us and Mom and Dave. And when I say quiet, I mean not quiet at all for three reasons: Emily, Steven and Lauren. Back to cray-cray. I don’t even know how to properly spell it. Then again, “properly”could never apply to such a word, at least not in my book. But what do I know?

Anyway, I’ve had the joy and privilege of being part of several book launch teams this summer and into fall. In fact, two of my book reviews went live earlier this week. I’m working on completing the third of four. (Jody’s book–so exciting!) I want to spend some more time with Jody’s review because it’s especially dear to me, though the short and sweet version can be found on Amazon under the pen name NKT because I’m clever that way. But I’m afraid “I liked it” and “You should buy it” isn’t going to cut it around here. I’m too long-winded for that. I’ll get my act together, hopefully sooner than later, and hit publish in a few days (or more). Hint: Jody’s book is a refreshing little nugget of truth about a certain holiday that formerly threw me into panic mode faster than you could say Ho Ho Ho.

If I haven’t bored you to death with all this book talk, you can read my review of Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World by Osheta Moore here. I feel like an idiot when I say sistas instead of sisters, but I’m a Shalom Sista through and through. You may recognize Osheta from her blog Shalom in the City or her podcast, also called Shalom Sistas. Gals (and guys?) this one totally changed me. And let’s not forget Melanie Shankle’s Church of the Small Things: A Million Little Pieces That Make Up a Life, which is the other book I talked about. Here it is. Melanie’s book is positively hilarious, and tender to boot. You may have heard about Melanie from, I don’t know, say one of her three previous New York Times Bestsellers. She also writes at The Big Mama Blog and has a podcast with the charming Sophie Hudson called The Big Boo Cast, which is about absolutely nothing but I cannot stop listening to it. How else would I know about the wonders of Organic Rose Hip Oil as a moisturizer, booties, the next must-see show on Netflix and college football? Yes, you heard me right: college football. Seriously, I hate football but I want to listen to Sophie and Melanie talk about it. I’ve even found myself thinking about cheering for the Huskies this fall. But not really, because this is me we’re talking about. Anyway, you could find both books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook.com. Oh, and Melanie’s book can also be found at Target. I’m not going to bother with all the linky-links. After all, that’s what our dear friend Google is for.

OK, enough about books. Here’s this week’s roundup. If you’re new around here, the Weekend Roundup is what happens when I pull from the work of fellow Hope*Writers and showcase them on this little writing spot on the web, which sounds lovelier than saying that I feature them on my blog. Also, Weekend Roundups don’t always happen on the weekend. Because, you know, life happens.

First off, here’s the lovely Caroline Saunders. I hate to say it because it’s such a cliché and all, but this one made me LOL. You may remember Caroline, because you got to meet her for the first time in last week’s Weekend Roundup. This is the first of a new series from Caroline about her pastor husband, who happens to be a sort of Brad Pitt-Aaron Rodgers lookalike. It’s also about the f-bomb and ice cream. I don’t know about you, but after the news of Sunday night’s massacre in Las Vegas, I needed a good laugh. You can read Caroline’s piece here. Have fun with it.

Speaking of the horrors that happened over the weekend, please read this one by Leigh Sain. I didn’t want to read it at first since it’s called Why We Have to Talk to Our Kids About Las Vegas, but I’m so glad I did. This world is a dark place, but to God be the glory. That is all.

I don’t remember where I was or what I was doing, (though I’m pretty sure I was listening to a podcast), when the conversation shifted and the question was asked: “What does it really sound like when women and men of faith say things like, “I’m praying for you,” or “I’ll pray about that.” Pie in the sky, I’ll tell you, that’s what it sounds like. That’s why I loved Shauna Lettellier’s reflection about prayer the time she spent with her grandparents before freshman year. Excellent storytelling, Shauna, excellent. Here ya go. I’ve linked to Shauna’s work before, a few weeks back I believe. I’m too tired to find it now.

What would a Weekend Roundup be without me talking about anxiety or sharing something by Elli Johnson of The Hippo Chronicles? I linked to something similar last week, but this is a quick, yet thoroughly helpful, read. Whether it was the Holy Spirit’s prompting, or my own dumb luck, I’ve discovered that many of the same things help me through a funk or when I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed, along with writing and playing the piano. I just didn’t put two-and-two together until I read Elli’s list. If nothing else, this summer I learned that walking Chloe (while taking deep breaths) is not only good for my body, but also good for my soul. By the way, I’ve been able to leave Chloe’s bags of carrots behind twice in a row! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out this old post from July.

I originally concluded this Weekend Roundup with a prayer from me to you. However, my clumsy fingers bumped the mouse or something, because now it’s gone baby, gone. It went something like this: May God bless you and keep you this weekend and always. May he surprise you with something new about himself. May you see him in unexpected places. May he blow you away, time and again, with his wild love for you. He’s crazy about you, I hope you know it. Amen and Amen.

Weekend Roundup: Stomach Virus Edition

09.25.2017 by Nicole Kristin Twedt //

I’ve come to appreciate a cup or two of strong coffee each morning. Piping hot and in my favorite stainless double insulated travel mug, the lady boss of all my travel mugs (of which I have many) is how I like it. If a morning is particularly lazy and I have nowhere to be, I will splurge and use the hand-painted Polish mug from my sister-in-law Julea, a birthday present from my early thirties. The mug is actually from T.J. Maxx. But it was hand-painted in Poland so I call it the Polish mug. I love the mug (and Julea) so much that I tracked down its sisters from every T.J. Maxx in a ten mile radius to form a perfect set of six. Or I’ll fill a steaming cup of Tony’s French Royale (or Tony’s Espresso Noir when I’m feeling fancy) to the brim of one of three bird mugs: the turquoise mama bird and her nest of eggs, or the lime green mug with the whimsical bird outlined in white, or it’s fraternal mug-brother in blue.

Speaking of the whimsical bird mug in blue, I recently learned from Instagram that Kate has its identical twin. It’s worth mentioning that Kate’s mug is the more exotic of the two. Her mug is from San Luis Obispo. Mine, I’m sad to say, is from Central Market. But I can imagine it came from a far-off place other than China. I stole a screen shot of Kate’s mug for this blog post, but I have a feeling it isn’t Kosher to do so. Excuse me while I delete the screen shot from my photo library.

Back to morning coffee.

The simple fact that I’d abandoned a tumbler full of Tony’s coffee should have been the first clue that trouble was brewing on Saturday.

I will spare you the details and just come out and say it: there was a reason for my coffee avoidance. And it had nothing to do with a pregnancy. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on which camp you belong to, I am not pregnant (or trying to be). But that’s not what I’m getting at. No, this coffee avoidance had everything to do with The Great Stomach Virus of 2017.

Friends, I’m going to fast forward a few days because no one needs to read about my run-in with the stomach bug.

So here we are on Monday. As Melanie Shankle says, Monday is the new Saturday. I agree. Which is why I’m not feeling the least bit bad about publishing a Weekend Roundup on a weekday.

First off, here’s a lovely essay by Leigh Sain. You can read about it here. I’m not a fan of Walmart but I adore Leigh’s essay about her recent encounter with an elderly saint at Walmart. Leigh’s story pretty much sums up everything I love about grocery shopping. I never love the idea of grocery shopping, but once I get there, the kind of stuff Leigh writes about happens on a regular basis. I’m telling you, the aisles of Fred Meyer, Central Market and Costco is where it’s at. Let’s not forget about Trader Joe’s.

Up next is another one from The Hippo Chronicles. I’m a huge fan of Elli Johnson’s work. In fact, I’ve linked to Elli’s essays in previous Weekend Roundups. Elli is my age (okay, maybe a smidget younger) and writes regularly about life with anxiety. Here ya go. Now drop everything and take in her words like breathing in a giant breath of fresh air.

If you’re more of a type-A check list type of gal or guy, the following post kinda-sorta goes along with Elli’s essay. I still haven’t figured out if I’m type-A or B. Depends on the day, I guess. Or the moment, which probably means B. Anyway, Jill E. McCormick shared a similar message on her blog from a slightly different angle. You can read about it here. It’s about what to do when you’re overwhelmed with responsibilities.

I was intrigued by the title of the next Hope*Writer essay: That time I stalked Lisa Harper by Erin Whitmer. Here it is for your reading enjoyment. I probably shouldn’t tell you why Erin’s plug about her essay caught my attention in the first place. I’ll give you a hint to wet your pallet: My fascination with this essay may, or may not, have everything to do with one dreadfully boring summer between sophomore and junior year of high school. One of my high school besties (who shall remain nameless) and I drove shamelessly through Seattle’s Blue Ridge neighborhood in a fire engine red Subaru wagon fueled by snacks from Safeway in hopes of glimpsing a certain someone at home. We practiced the fine art of stalking on a semi-regular basis that summer, I’m sad to say. Come to think of it, the Subie was more tomato-red than anything. We were too cool to care.

Once again I’m linking to my dear friend, Jody Lee Collins. Jody wrote this essay several years ago for (in)Courage about giving up on “quiet time” with God. Jody is a kindred spirit and her words come from a tender place. I’m linking to the original version here because I’m proud of my friend. Here’s a link to Jody’s website if you want to read more. By the way, Jody has a book releasing soon. You’ll hear about it later. I can’t wait to tell you about her labor of love.

Speaking of friends, my friend Emily, the ring leader of Kindred Mom, featured an essay on her site last week by Tia McNelly. Honestly, Tia’s words grabbed me from the start. I’m not entirely sure if Emily shared this essay with the Hope*Writers. I’m sharing it anyway because it’s that good. Here’s a sample to get you hooked: “In the sunshine of a crisp April morning in the Appalachians, I smoked my last cigarette. I knew it was my last cigarette because I knew I was pregnant and once I took a test, that was it.” You can read more here. You’re welcome.

Andrea Wolloff’s essay is the final essay in this poor excuse of a Weekend Roundup. Andrea shared a truly lovely essay about God, and “how he sets our calling in us when we are little and full of wonder.” Yes to this.

When I was a little girl I adored playing school. There’s no words to describe the joy I got out of creating a daily class schedule, which I’d print in my very best handwriting on the oversize green chalkboard in my bedroom. Or was it a blackboard? All I know is that quite a bit of time was spent coming up with seating arrangements and imaginary class lists, alphabetized of course. Another biggie for me was spending time nurturing baby dolls, especially my ten Cabbage Patch Kids, yes ten. (A wee bit obsessive-compulsive, don’t ya think?) And what about Barbie? My neighbor Sharon and I played for hours and hours with our Barbies on the cold cement floor of the daylight basement of my childhood. We played the day away beneath the staircase where my Barbie house was stored. The really interesting part about my Barbie days is that I invested more time in rearranging Barbie’s furniture and thinking up story lines for her life with Ken than I did actually playing with them. As an adult, my greatest love has been teaching preschool and kindergarten, becoming a wife and mama, and realizing that I’m a writer with a constant story happening in my head. Oh, and I spend quite a bit of time trying to transform our home into a sort of sanctuary from the word. In other words, I’m moving furniture.

Enough about Barbie and me. Back to Andrea. As a writer, Andrea is new to me; but I love what she has to say. I appreciate her essay and look forward to reading more from her in the future. By the way, you can read Andrea’s essay here.

That’s all for now. My little dog is fast asleep by my side. So is my husband. Have a wonderful week. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful fall day, at least in the Pacific Northwest where I’m from.

P.S. I have a few book reviews in the works. Stay tuned. I haven’t had time to actually write these reviews, not yet, but they’re long overdue and coming your way! Let’s see if I can type-A myself into making it happen.