These are a few of your favorite things…

by Melissa Taft

We are well into the 12 days of Christmas, and that liminal space between the big celebration of Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve/Day when most of the world is still quiet. Lots of kids are home from school; travels and vacations and rest and celebrations are still happening. I so enjoy both the celebration of Christmas and the soft joyful transition from one year to the next. The week always seems to stretch, time and place melding and puddling together delightfully.

For my family, it is time to greedily devour the books we received for Christmas and the treats we baked for feasting; to play games and cozy up with cocoa and special movies–including an annual viewing of The Sound of Music; to enjoy each other’s presence; to set intentions for the new year; and to look back on the past year in all its hills and valleys. It is also a time for connection and reflection. Many post their lists of favorites–from Spotify to Instagram there are even lists generated for you of what you most enjoyed or who most enjoyed what you sent out into the world.

In the midst of a global pandemic and a global trauma, there have yet been opportunities for global connection and interaction–and we thought it would be neat to highlight some of the things that *you*, our dear Godspace Light readers, have most enjoyed over the past year!

These were a few of your favorite…posts:

1. A Special House Blessing for the Year introduced the concept of early European Christians chalking their doors on or near Twelfth Night. Christine Sine talks about the history and significance and demonstrates her own experiences with house blessings. Apparently, this struck quite a needed chord with many! Will you be chalking your home on Twelfth Night? It is coming up!
2. Our resource pages seem to connect well–and we are so blessed to be blessings! This post on Ash Wednesday and Lent Resources was one of our most popular posts of the past year.
3. This beautiful poem by John O’Donohue–which we recently reposted–has found a renewed following this year.

These were a few of your favorite…resources:

1. Our most popular downloaded resource this year was the Advent in a Jar activity. Little wonder–a versatile activity full of many ideas and creative inspiration as well as instructions and printables that provide plenty of fun for adults and kids, groups and solo crafters.
2. As one season transitions into the next, there is always much to look forward to. Even recently some of you have begun looking ahead to Lent and Easter–40 Daily Ideas Guide for Lent has proven a valuable resource for many of you.
3. One of the top activities people have taken up (or leaned into) in these pandemic times has been gardening. So perhaps unsurprisingly, another popular resource has been our Spirituality of Gardening Course. Packed with organic gardening ideas, spiritual insights, and more, the course connects us to ground–in our faith, our communities, and literally our very earth.
4. Gardening is lovely on its own–even more wonderful when there is a bounty for your efforts! Even if it isn’t the bounty you pictured…In the PNW where I live, this was a year of green tomatoes for me. I did get a little chuckle to see that Christine’s adapted recipe for Green Tomato Chutney was one in the top posts as well. I am lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to sample this chutney directly, and I highly recommend saving this recipe for next year!

These were a few of your favorite….events:

1. This year has been a year of zoom and online events, where we collectively rallied to find creative ways to stay connected, stay learning, and stay safe at the same time. Our most popular event this year was our most recent retreat, Walking in Wonder Through Advent and Christmas. Going into a second Advent and Christmas in lockdown or pandemic has been discouraging and hard; this retreat was meant to provide respite and a release into joy and wonder. Those who attended and shared how it impacted them certainly seemed to agree with that! Now available as a course–if you haven’t already purchased it, I recommend noting it down in your calendar to purchase next Advent season. Pandemic or not, every year brings challenges and finding moments like this to retreat and rekindle wonder and joy are vital.
2. Another popular event was the Time to Heal retreat, now available as a course. It seems that the ongoing drag of the difficult can be overwhelming and many of you connected with the idea of holding space for healing.
3. Aside from the Facebook Live ongoing events in the Godspace Light Community Facebook group, an event that seemed to resonate with people was another retreat featuring both Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin–Making Time for a Sacred Summer. Full of fun activities, relaxing practices, and lively discussion–this is another resource we have made available as a downloadable course.

I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane, and that your time over this Christmas and New Year’s season is full of your favorite things!

Feature photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash

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Prayer cards are available in the shop for many occasions and seasons–from everyday pauses and Lenten ruminations to breath meditations and Advent reflections, enjoy guided prayers and beautiful illustrations designed to delight and draw close. Many are available in single sets, sets of three, and to download–even bundled with other resources!