by Ashley Larkin | Dec 21, 2016 | Celebration, Faith, Perspective
Hello, friends. I’ve made myself scarce around these parts lately — the usual outcome of a full plate and little room to separate the portions. These days of Advent waiting seem much more like days of doing, plates piled high and course melding with...
by Ashley Larkin | Sep 21, 2016 | Celebration, Childhood, Community, Faith, Fear
We gathered on a rainy Saturday afternoon at the visitor’s center for a hike to Terry Riley Bridge and the ceremony that would take place there. As rain fell and mud mucked, second grade Daisy scouts anticipated becoming Brownies. Under raincoats, the girls wore...
by Ashley Larkin | Jul 22, 2016 | Celebration, Community, Faith, Favorite posts, Giving
Several weeks ago, Michael and I plunged two of our daughters into the ice-cold baptismal waters of Clear Creek. Our church family enveloped us that late summer morning, wrapping around the creek’s banks, nodding in agreement as eyes filled with tears and phone...
by Ashley Larkin | Dec 22, 2015 | Celebration, Perspective, Truth-telling
I sit by the Christmas tree – a ragged little miracle. The front lacks appropriate branches, and so the white goat on wheels lilts strongly toward the center, as do the handprint snowmen and jack-in-the-box. The wooden cranberry garlands hold on the best they can. We...
by Ashley Larkin | Dec 24, 2014 | Celebration, Faith, Perspective, Surrender
Hello, dear friends. I posted this short piece yesterday, but was having some technical problems on the blog, so many subscribers didn’t see it. This is for you today — if you’re wandering, feeling overwhelmed or are grateful for light come down....
by Ashley Larkin | Dec 4, 2014 | Celebration, Faith, Perspective, Sorrow
Every year I need to remind myself in the season of waiting that Advent is not truly the forced-happy and frantic countdown to Christmas that I can sometimes make it. Advent is anticipation and longing, the days of earth’s groaning and our own unmet yearnings....