The first year of The Thin Place has come and gone. It’s hard to believe how quickly time has gone by but also very exciting to see how the Lord has taken a simple seed of faith and grown it into something beautiful.
I’m thankful for each and every one of you who take time to read and subscribe to my email newsletter. It may be just a short part of your day but to me, each view and each new Facebook like and email subscription means I’m inching closer to the dream I have of devoting myself full-time to writing for you.
As I was looking back on this year and looking forward to the dreams that are being planted in my heart, I was greatly encouraged. Here are the top 5 posts from the last year. I hope you find a couple of new posts to enjoy and old favorites to share with your friends.
5) Pray Like Hannah And Give It To God
We all have it. Those lingering things we beg God for. Sometimes they quietly ache in the back of our mind when we pray and other times, we have the whole congregation begging God on our behalf. We’ve done the right things. We haven’t committed any of the big sins like murder or adultery. Don’t we deserve the blessing of God? Shouldn’t we be given what our good behavior has earned us?
Hannah knew our plight. She had begged God for years for a child while watching her husband conceive with another woman. Month after month, year after year, baby after baby, she waited and wondered and wept. She was a good woman and it seemed like a simple request. So year after year, she got on her knees in prayer. . . read more here.
4) The Hygge-est Time of the Year
A few weeks ago when I wrote about hygge hospitality, I was already thinking about how to make the holiday season cozier. Because when it comes to creating special, intimate, cozy moments, there is no time like the holidays to incorporate these things into your life. Spending time this holiday season to slow down and create cozy should be a priority in a season but sometimes, it’s hard to know where to begin in the hustle and bustle.
Thankfully, Angela Sackett at Sal et Lux was way ahead of me, creating a book that helps bring hygge, holidays, food, and faith all together into a bundle of goodness. . . read more here.
3) Hospitality isn’t an Option, it’s a Command: Five Ways to Practice Hospitality
When we first moved into our little Hawaii house, we had nothing. Our house sat empty for months as the military shipment of our furniture from Michigan to Oahu drug on and on. We ate our meals at a card table, slept on an air mattress, and sat on an uncomfortable little loveseat we’d managed to snag.
Even in this state of emptiness, our home quickly became filled with Marines.
I struggled to open up my home. I wanted things to be perfect. I wanted to set the table in a Pinterest-worth manner and have everything planned out perfectly. But I am so grateful that God and Hubby thwarted these plans. . . read more here.
2) Hygge Hospitality for Christians
Like seemingly anyone who has been on Pinterest in the past few months, I’ve become slightly obsessed with the “hygge” trend. Hygge is a Danish word encompassing the mindful, cozy life. It’s about intentionally setting an atmosphere focused around simple joys.
As a simple joy person, I couldn’t love this trend more. I prefer real books over tablets. Candles make me smile and, even though I regularly kill them, I enjoy having plants in the room. Rarely am I found without a hot beverage of some sort, usually either tea or coffee, in hand. I think I was born to be a hygge person. . . read more here.
And finally, drumroll please, the top post from 2017.
1) Proverbs 31 Mornings: 6 Ways to Start Your Morning as a Woman of God
If you grew up in church (or even if you didn’t), you’ve probably heard extensive exhortation on being a Proverbs 31 woman. Every Mother’s Day, that famous line, the one about her children arising and calling her blessed, makes it’s way to the front of Hallmark cards and sappy Facebook shoutouts. Proverbs 31 has become such a common passage that we regularly overlook it and try to find something less mainstream to reference. But it is mainstream for a reason. There are principles and wisdom that deserve examination and application to our daily lives. . . read more here.
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This is such good reminder that not everything we do has to be perfect. There just needs to be a good and humble intent behind it. XOXO.
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I adore your blog! Keep up the amazing work!!
Yah! I was nodding my head to your list here! I loved them all–though I think the Hygge one and the hospitality one are my favs! 🙂
I actually read your Proverbs 31 earlier today! It was so good! Loved it and can totally see why it was #1!
I really enjoyed reading each and every post you have highlighted.
Great post! I have always been fascinated with the Proverbs 31 woman. What big shoes to fill. But she sets an example to live up to. Thank you for sharing this compilation. I will be sharing it, for sure!
I always enjoy reading your blog. I can’t wait to see what God does for The Thin Place in 2018.
Something about the end of 2017 made me want to hygge it up. I put my Christmas decorations away quickly, and begin to really make my home a cozy space, free of clutter. Although I’ve also kind of picked up a book collecting habit (and Wouldn’t you know, a Bible buying Habit too). I love the idea of gathering around to actually open your Bibles. Me and the family have been doing this for the last few weeks, and I absolutely love it! Simple joys. I’m hoping to have some gatherings at my house, so this hospitality post was so helpful too.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything I read! I subscribed AND will be back soon to read past posts I’ve missed out on!
As always, you have such a lovely perspective. Hospitality has always been harder for me than it seems like I should be.