About the Author

Anna works full-time for DaySpring from Minnesota, where she lives with her husband and four kids. Anna is the author of A Moment of Christmas and Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul, and she shares the good stuff of the regular, encouraging you to see the ordinary glory in your everyday.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Anna,
    As I get older and the family-scape at our table has changed dramatically, I cling to the fact that Jesus is never changing. Even if it’s just Jesus and me at the table, that will be good indeed. So thankful for His constant presense in this ever changing world. Lovely post!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

  2. Beautifully written. Our family experienced countless changes in the last decade. Traditions changed as we lost family members. Your post reminds me that even with changes, I can keep a tradition. And that begins with my heart.

  3. Thank you for telling us about your family traditions. Mine too will be much different this year. My father passed away in August, my mother passed 40 years ago. As an only child, and single, most of the holidays have been spent with my dad. There have been scattered holidays over the years when my dad’s extended family got together for big celebrations. Those Thanksgivings always reminded me of “The Walton’s” TV show. A lot of people and a lot of fun. Watching the parades, the guys watching football, kids playing games, some taking naps. Everyone took home leftovers. And Christmas traditions meant the extended family gathered in the afternoon at the eldest’ house for visiting, exchanging gifts, and nibbling on food, lots of food!
    I had a taste of what future holidays will be like when Labor Day came along. None of the extended family had a picnic, no family get togethers at all this summer. Just me and my 2 cats. And the Lord. It is all OK. I can get a turkey slice, already have cranberry sauce and frozen cranberry/ orange bread and make boxed filling. There’s pumpkin roll in the freezer. I have many photos and memories. And there is the phone and Zoom to communicate with cousins and aunts/ uncles, friends. The cats and I will sit down and give thanks that the Lord has blessed us and there will be a vaccine coming and dad will be with us in spirit. There will be family get togethers in 2021 and a lot to talk about this crazy year of 2020. God is good!

    • Judy,

      Life is constantly changing. You were blessed to have the whole family get together at times. My immediate family is scattered from VA, GA, TX & yes even China. Both parents are gone now (11 years & 3 years). FIL just passed last year. Hubby & I often have to work on Thanksgiving (medical). Like you I have some favorite foods. Absolutely love cranberry orange bread. I have made it for MIL a few times. She raves about it. Said it was better than pumpkin bread from scratch. I will be making some of that for her for Christmas. Praying you feel God’s presence & love as you celebrate alone. Praise God that He never changes & will see us through this crazy year.

      Blessings 🙂

    • Judy, thank you for sharing your beautiful stories with us here! I love picturing your gatherings — both big and small. Blessings to you this Thanksgiving as you prepare your own feast, and know that many of us are doing the very same thing.

  4. Anna,

    Life is evolving & dynamic. Change is never easy to under go. People like constant same old same old. In the midst of all the craziness that is 2020 it is comforting to know that God doesn’t change. He is the one constant in our lives today. I feel traditions are super important this year more than ever. So much is happening to reshape our landscape of what the holidays look like. Thus we need to make adjustments & traditions help us do just that. They center us back where we belong. Focusing on Jesus & his consistency is one way to do just that.

    Blessings 🙂

  5. I still don’t know what Thanksgiving is going to look like this year, but I know there will be Jesus, family, and pie. Even in uncertain times, we have so much to give thanks for. Beautiful words as always, friend. Thank you. xx

  6. Jesus is Our Greatest Tradition. All year round. Some people don’t have anyone in our world to share any Tradition with. Because they are either Homeless or living on their own or in a Nursing home alone. The reason they are maybe living alone or in a Nursing home alone. All their loves one could be no longer alive or living the other side of the world themselves and too old to travel to see their loved ones. So I just thank Jesus I still have my Family and my Husband plus a Roof over my head. That I am saved. I have Family to share Tradition with. We in Northern Ireland don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. We celebrate Christmas and The New year and Easter. We in the Churches at Christmas celebrate Christ Birth. At Easter the Churches celebrate Christ and why he went to Cross. We as Churches just say about the New year as trying if saved to make any changes in our lives that need to be made. Or if possible trying to live a better life for Jesus if you slipped say not being so good at reading God word as well as you should and saying your prayers. But always remembering God loves you. Your not to beat yourself up over this. Try again. Ask God through his Holy Spirit to help you. God will. God will bless you for trying again. You have not failed you are still love by God. He hid Glad you are will to try again with his help. It is nice if have Family more so if saved to get together to celebrate Tradition. You can thank God for the Tradition you are Celebrating. Plus you have Family to Celebrate it with. I can’t do that. Because I am the only one in my Family saved. Along with my Husband. But I do pray for my Families Salvation. I also in my quite time pray for the Homeless who have no one especially coming up to times like Christmas and for people who like over here in Northern Ireland. Call the Soup Kitchens who reach out and give them food for what they do. I don’t know if the Soup Kitchens are Christians. But I thank God for the work they do for people like the Homeless. God see what they do and he will bless them. Thank you for today’s another good reading. Love all incourage reading. Pray for you all. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little XXX

  7. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. It’s good to know this because the great miracles He did while He walked the earth, He still does today. So, it’s good to know that He is unchanging.

  8. Anna you are spot on as the mother of 4 and continuing the beautiful traditions ( I really felt like you know that’s exactly how we grew up!) it’s been so many years since I celebrated that way it felt like it was last year! Sadly not. Besides deceased parents and broken family relationships.. IAM SO GRATEFUL FOR JESUS AND HE IS ALWAYS HERE WITH ME ❤️ Enjoy your precious family time together.. and one day post covid… your kids will have those exact memories you did along with Jesus at their side! Blessings and grateful for your posts