Rediscovering the Heart of Christmas Through Liturgical Rhythms

Advent: The Start To A Soft And Sacred December

Photo by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash

Advent starts tomorrow, and this year feels different.

I’ve always loved Christmas—deeply. I’ve always loved celebrating Jesus’ humility, the mystery of Him stepping into humanity, and the hope threaded through every carol and candle. But if I’m honest, so much of my life has still revolved around the festive parts…the decorating, the gifts, the traditions, the pressure to make everything magical for my kids.

And this year, I could feel that pressure showing up before December even began.

Between motherhood, writing, and the pull to create “memories,” I’ve been stretched thin in ways that don’t feel sustainable or rooted in what I actually want Christmas to be about. I felt myself getting swept up in the pace of the season long before it even arrived.

But a few months ago, something shifted.

I joined a multi-denominational mom Bible study—something completely new for me. I grew up Southern Baptist and now attend a non-denominational church, so hearing my Anglican and Catholic friends talk about Advent, the Christian liturgical year, and the rhythms that shape their families felt foreign to me…and also strangely familiar. Like something my heart recognized but had never named.

They introduced me to the book Sacred Seasons by Danielle Hitchen, a family guide to practicing the liturgical year at home through sacred rhythms and soft disciplines.

And as someone who has rebuilt her whole life after burnout through soft rhythms, spiritual disciplines, and gentler ways of living…I felt something settle inside me.

This is what I’ve been longing for.

So this December, I’m trying something new. I’m pausing my usual content series and choosing to follow the rhythms of Advent and the liturgical year. I’ll be working through Sacred Seasons and leaning into the spiritual discipline of slowing down and doing Christmas with intention and connection, the key ingredients of a soft life.

I want to keep the Christmas magic—the lights, the coziness, the wonder.

But I want to reclaim the heart of it too—the waiting, the hope, the anticipation of Jesus in the small moments of motherhood, not just the festive ones.

After years of burnout, soft rhythms and spiritual disciplines have changed my life, my faith, my marriage, and the way I show up as a mom. So it feels right to end this year with slower, softer rhythms anchored not in hustle, but in holiness.

If you’re craving a gentler December—one that’s sacred and slow and rooted in Jesus—you’re more than welcome to walk with me. I’ll be sharing our Advent journey here over the next few weeks: the practices we try, what I’m learning, what’s challenging me, and the simple moments that point me back to the heart of Christmas.

Here’s to a soft and sacred December. 🫶🏼

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