Emily Parke Chase
Surprise! Another day of Advent has come and another devotional thought awaits you here! Thirty years ago, my family made plans to come to Pennsylvania for Christmas. My father and mother would drive up from Virginia, my brother David and his family planned to fly in from California, and my brother Robert would come too. …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 6How are your preparations for Christmas coming? Are gifts bought and wrapped? Today we are looking at one more way to prepare our hearts for the holiday. Early in our marriage, my husband and I had many friends who enjoyed decoupage, applying multiple layers of glue to paper or fabric on wood. That first Christmas, …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 5Welcome to the fourth of these Advent devotionals on “Preparation.” Perhaps you want to invite a friend to join you on this journey. About 35 years ago, when my children were still very young, I wanted a way to help Tim, Prisca and John grasp the true meaning of Christmas. The world around them distracted …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 4Glad to see you have returned for a third day as we tackle the Advent theme of “Preparation.” Our family always remembers the year that my young daughter Prisca opened a Christmas package to discover she had received a package of light bulbs. Her face said it all: Disappointment combined with confusion. Little did she …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 3Welcome back for the second of our Advent devotionals on this year’s theme of “Preparation.” When I was a child, one of my older brothers loved to make model airplane kits. Every Christmas there was a new kit under the tree. The pieces came already formed. All he had to do was follow the instructions …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 2With Christmas less than a month away, it is time to begin another series of Advent devotionals designed to prepare our hearts for the arrival of the infant in Bethlehem. Advent marks a season of self-examination and soul preparation, and thus the theme for this year is “Preparation.” Over the next weeks, we will look …
Read More Advent 2021 – Day 1October is almost over. Skies are darker and the weather is rapidly cooling. Yesterday I stayed indoors, and by suppertime I was in a blue funk. Perhaps God was exasperated with me, but I got his clear message: Go outside and take a walk. Enjoy some fresh air! I obeyed. The tall trees on our …
Read More October SkiesWhen each of my grandkids turns ten years old, they come to my home for a week with their grandparents. This week is designed around their special interests, but it also provides a natural opportunity for me to get to know each child outside the context of his or her siblings. For example, when Josiah …
Read More One on OneWhen I look in the mirror, some days I see a person who looks pretty good. But other days, I see someone who is far from perfect. Jacob’s oldest son, Reuben, was also a mixed bag. Good news? Reuben was furious and wanted justice for his sister Dinah when she was raped. Bad news? Just …
Read More Good News, Bad NewsAfter spending last month looking at the topic of hope, we all are now “hoping” for a better New Year. Last year at this time, we had no idea of all the tumult 2020 would bring. For me, those next 12 months involved recovering from three major spinal surgeries, followed by the loss of my …
Read More Another New Year