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The week before Christmas, my husband and I filled up our travel mugs with coffee and ventured forth into the dark of night. The classic holiday tunes on the radio, with a little help from our car’s heater, kept us warm as we made our annual trek around town to view all the holiday décor. We were armed with our official 2024 Scavenger Hunt checklist. The list included items we look forward to every year. The old favorites that keep us grounded, but with a hoped-for surprise or two. …

Fail? For the win?Who in their right mind would ever want to fail? And how can it be considered a win? Whether we like it or not (and trust me…we don’t like it!), somewhere along the road to adulthood and maturity, our kids will experience setbacks, disappointments, and failure. They won’t make the team. They’ll flub a word in the spelling bee. They’ll lose out on the lead in the spring musical. They won’t get admitted to their first-choice college. They’ll be sad or angry or disappointed, …

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”The first time I encountered this idea from Karl Barth was in a 20th Century Theology class I took while in college. I thought it sounded deep and profound, and I made sure to doodle it in the margins of the class notes of my trusty three-ring binder.Over the years I’ve seen that line pop up again and again. It’s an inspirational quotation on wall calendars and day planners. I’ve seen it calligraphed on coffee cups and etched on tchotchkes.But ever si …