grace & gratitude | winter 2025

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world." —Virgil A. Kraft

The calendar says winter, but the south says spring. The days are now a confusing combination of chilly and warm, and the sun starts to rise nearer seven than eight. The grass is greening and purple fairy horns are dotting the fields like Dollar Generals dot our county on Google Maps. The apple and crab-apple trees are blooming pink and white, the blueberry bushes following suit.

No matter the bitter cold, the decay and death, the devastation left behind…spring still comes. The sun still rises and sets and ushers in a new season of life that persists despite—and perhaps even because of—every setback that befalls it.

As Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way.”

And that’s ultimately what spring signifies, that life finds a way, that the way of life itself leads through valleys and winters and deaths and into glorious resurrection and rebirth. That life without death isn’t life at all, and that spring without winter isn’t spring at all.

For us in South Georgia, our truest winter is most years in January, with fall restricted to November and December, and by the time February reaches its end, spring has sprung. So even though some of the world is still snowed in, I’m moving forward into the next year. And to be honest, it was a bleak winter, and I’m ready to embrace spring.

January was off to a good start when we—all nine in our house—suddenly caught a nasty virus. By nasty, I mean we were all sprawled out in the living room, barely eating or sleeping or anything else, for a week. Once we recovered and started getting back into the groove (which included picking up routines from before the holidays), January was almost over. Then a record-breaking (for our area) snowstorm kept us inside for a week. Then came February.

Unlike most folks, I wanted January to last longer. The first month of the year had slipped past my fingers, and I felt robbed. And February wasn’t much different; somehow, it’s already over.

But once again, in the midst of the craziness and feverous haze, there was grace. I’ll get to that in a minute.

scripture

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence,

and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:7-12 ESV

gratitude

spending new year’s day with other Grace

we are the biggest goobers

fits & pieces I love

genuinely good stories/books (see below)

snow—from its first flurries to the heavy blanket

delicious meals & new dishes (orzo is my new bestie)

working with Caitlin Miller & reigniting my love for an old project

the love I felt on valentine’s day (from my coworkers; still no beau in sight 😔)

strawberry dark chocolate cupcakes

God (this is a given, but nonetheless relevant)

grace

One thing I did after failing my yearly reading challenge the last three years is finally set an achievable goal: 12 books in a year, aka, 1 book a month. Naturally, this would be the year where I read 6 books in a month. 😅

Truly, the highlight of the winter was my reading. I finished The Chronicles of Narnia—Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle—read the final two installments in Roseanna M. White’s The Imposters series, tackled Sense and Sensibility (quickest Austen read yet, I’d wager), and finally read The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz and Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson.

Y’all. Adorning the Dark far exceeded my expectations (which were already high). It’s worth all the hype and a thousand times more. Such a good, enriching book for all kinds of creative folks (which, Peterson would say, we all are).

I did manage to accomplish a few other tasks in amongst work and sickness and reading: some behind-the-scenes prep for the press launch, got Her Heart’s Home professionally edited by the absolutely amazing Caitlin Miller, and put out some real* blog posts* for the first time in many months.

*By real, I mean I actually spent time writing something (hopefully) beneficial instead of just listing goals and interviewing people. Not that those aren’t still good posts; they’re just not very meaty, so to speak.

*The posts in question would be my latest two: opposites attract: how to do it right (because I’m pretentious enough to claim my way is right) and how to grow spiritually in 2025.

Was it the beginning I’d wanted or expected for 2025? Not really. But it was still good, and I don’t feel too overwhelmed by my backed-up to-do lists (yet).

goals

There’s two main things on the list for March: launch the press and edit a book for a client. Once those two are out of the way, the rest of spring (i.e., April-May) will be concentrated on editing/prepping two of the press’ manuscripts and maybe (very much a maybe) writing a devotional in time for graduation season (that’s a maybe-means-no maybe, I feel).

I’d also like to stick to that book-a-month schedule, and if that morphs into 2-3-6 books a month, yay! You won’t hear me complaining. 😂

And, of course, Lent and Easter are a central part of spring, so there will be festivities/gatherings and Bible studies and all that fun stuff woven into this season. Not gonna lie, I think Lent’s why I’ve been looking forward to spring so much. I’m so ready, so excited for it this year.

a playlist for lent

How was your winter? What was the highlight of the season?

Are you looking forward to springtime?

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