Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins for Your Weekend [12.08.18]

Happy, happy, happy weekend!

Some real, down in the bones JOY to celebrate today! Links & stories this week 100% guaranteed to make you smile a mile wide & believe like crazy in a Good God redeeming everything — and that there’s love everywhere & for ((you))! 

Serving up only the Good Stuff for you right here: 

Britt Marie Bye Photography / Facebook / Instagram
Britt Marie Bye Photography / Facebook / Instagram
Britt Marie Bye Photography / Facebook / Instagram

enjoy the quiet wonders of your weekend 

The White Envelope: A most moving holiday tradition

just, never, ever underestimate the power of words

YES: Lift Her Chin With Love

finding peace on the field: because everyone needs a friend

Dina Telhami 
Dina Telhami 
Dina Telhami 

she captures the microscopic in extraordinary ways

AMEN: Break Every Chain … maybe like you’re never heard before? 

a vending machine stocked with free books for kids? why yes, yes there is…

He didn’t know he was being recorded. yeah: “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.”

you’ve got to meet them: Five young people creating a better world

Saylor Family Adoption Story: “God never leaves our side”

Rediscovering Home… thank you, Annie F Downs

The John Hudson Story: John lives with epidermolysis bullosa, a condition that leaves his body covered with open sores. He has lost over half his skin and is constantly battling severe pain.

John still finds hope in serving as an example for others that it is possible to survive difficult times.

Want to preach Gospel to yourself every day through December?
Free Stress-Free Holiday Sticky Notes for Your Soul, right here: No Stress Holiday Manifesto

Print this set of 25 Note Cards, one for each day in December.

For mirrors and sinks and dashboards, for pockets and walls and office cubicles. For this Christmas.

Each card is an affirmation, a prayer, for each day this month.

They are quotes from The Greatest Gift and Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, rewritten to be words that you can pray every day,

to keep the focus…to celebrate Christ!

he’s using his hard story to help others in difficult situations

really beautiful words shared in this interview with Jenna and Barbara Bush

just so beautiful: Friends

The Key to Keep Hoping for Hard Things (& Keep Passing The Giving Light)

…what if we kinda quit with all the Fear Mongers — and became Hope Mongers?

So that’s kinda exactly what happened after we lit the first week of Advent’s Hope candle.

Thank you, thank you, Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child

What a shoebox meant for one child. So. many. tears. here.

Feel Dumb to Keep Hoping?

The Secret to Finding a Way Forward (Or: First Candle of Advent- Hope)

don’t miss: If you’re missing someone this Christmas this song’s dedicated to you

Post of the week from these parts here

… doesn’t matter much what story is trending these days–

The only Story that matters is the one that keeps repeating it: Do Not Be Afraid.

That’s the Story we’re staying in, the one I want our kids to stay in, the Story that crushes all discouragement & fear.

the story behind the song, The Thrill of Hope

on repeat this week: The Thrill of Hope

JoyWares
JoyWares 
JoyWares 
JoyWares 

… that wonderful time of the year to pull out one of our most favourite family traditions:

Our 24 hole wooden Advent wreath, with Mary on a donkey, headed toward the manger and the coming of Emmanuel.



Celebrate Advent by retelling the greatest love story every told

yeah… just a little invite? to come experience a Christmas like never before?

Come experience a Christmas like you’ve always dreamed of…

So come Christmas morning — you’ve unwrapped the greatest gift you yearn for — more of Him.

Gather around the Greatest Story this year for the whole family with all 3?

“The Greatest Gift” (adult edition),

“Unwrapping the Greatest Gift” (family read aloud edition),

and “The Wonder of the Greatest Gift”  (pop-up edition with your own 14 inch tree, 25 days of readings, 25 day advent flap calendar, hiding all 25 Biblically inspired ornaments! For any age) 

So you don’t miss out on Jesus this year & the The Greatest Christmas. 

[ Print’s FREE here: ]

…do not be afraid of what could fail when His arms are stronger than any failure & He cannot fail or let you fall.

And do not be afraid of any evil because greater is He who is in the depths of you and breathing the wild courage to love right into your bones.

Do not ever be afraid of suffering because suffering can birth a greater resurrection. When His love wins you over – no fears can pull you under.

We keep #UnWrappingTheGreatestGift and Staying in the Story because the truth is:

Advent is about the coming of God — and the end of fear.

[excerpted from our little Facebook family … come join us each day?]

‪ Dare to fully live!

That’s all for this weekend, friends.

Go slow. Be God-struck. Grant grace. Live Truth.

Give Thanks. Love well. Re – joy, re- joy, ‘re- joys’ again

Share Whatever Is Good.