by Shannon Popkin | Dec 11, 2021 | Control Girl, Holidays
Do you get negative at Christmas? Do you have a shorter fuse and a longer list of complaints, the closer closer the calendar inches toward December 25? I do; Without meaning to, I sometimes turn into a Christmas Control Girl. Without even realizing it’s...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 21, 2020 | Comparison, Holidays
Years ago, I attended a company Christmas party (remember those?) with my husband. As we entered the large dining hall, Ken saw a couple of men he worked with about to sit down. Their table had four or five empty seats so he said, “Mind if we join you?”...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 10, 2018 | Holidays
I hope you’ll enjoy this post which was previously published at True Woman, a ministry of Revive Our Hearts. A few years ago, I came up with a tricky idea for tagging our gifts. I formulated this plan because I was frustrated by the way—in years past—my kids...
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 18, 2016 | Holidays
I was shopping at Target, when a dad entered the store with his two kids, pushing a big red cart. The kids, who were very enthusiastic shoppers, darted over near me to look at some of the displays with bright-eyed expressions. You could tell that this dad had done a...
by Shannon Popkin | Jan 1, 2015 | Fear, Goals, Holidays, Humility, Jesus, Serving
I laughed as I read my friend Jocelyn’s Christmas letter. She described how her 8-year-old, Elsa, has solidified her life plans–where she’ll attend college, her field of study, and her career objectives after graduation. Life is quite tidy for Elsa....
by Shannon Popkin | Dec 19, 2014 | Compassion, Family, Gifts, Holidays, Hospitality, Kids' Perspective
Each year, our friends, the Gebhards, put up a ‘Jesus Stocking’ at their house in December. All month, they collect money, and then use the funds to buy a gift for someone in need. All month, they thumb through the Samaritan’s purse catalog, hoping to be able purchase...