Author Archives: Ann Kirsten

My friend (a counselor) has noticed time and time again that her clients go through the same things at the same time even though they don't know each other. If one is feeling tired and overwhelmed, he...

My son's history with Christmas pageants has not been exactly merry. It all started when he was only six months old. A church in Seattle asked if they could "borrow" him to represent the baby Jesus in...

My mom had a saying and I heard it hundreds of times while I was growing up: "It will never be seen from a galloping horse." She meant that it was okay if things were less than perfect. I did not appr...

I spent the vast majority of my adult life running myself ragged trying to give my family perfect Christmases. I went way above and beyond, because I thought that's what good moms did. I bought differ...

ARE brownies a cookie? Do we care? Their wonderful chocolaty deliciousness could win over even the harshest critic and that's why they are our December Cookie-of-the-Month. Well, that and the fact tha...

Last week, I was walking through a large store. A silver-haired lady struck up a conversation with me about her cat. I kept looking around to see if she was talking to someone behind me, but there was...

We all have visions of what Thanksgiving is supposed to look like. There are supposed to be loving and supportive friends and family gathered around the table. And, that table is supposed to be filled...

I was reminded this week that my emotions often get the better of me. When that happens, I often picture a giant snowball rolling down a hill, gathering speed and size as it zooms to the bottom. Well,...

Did you know that honey is mentioned in the Bible 61 times? Its meaning is often associated with abundance and prosperity (as in Exodus 3:8 when God told Moses he would lead them to a land flowing wit...

It's time for our November Cookie-of-the-Month. Can you believe this year is almost over? This month's cookie is based on a classic butter tart. Butter Tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert. The...