a homemade year (and a giveaway)

if you are reading this blog, it will come as no surprise that i am a lover of tradition and intention and purpose filled memory making.  i was not raised attending church on sundays or even holidays, so finding ways to live out my faith throughout the year has been a process.  something we are still figuring out.  truly experiencing advent is only a few years old in our family. sometimes i can feel intimidated by the more formal observations in the church.  i know my heart is sincerely looking to worship Him in small everyday ways, but i also crave the ceremony and ritual.  how do i combine the two?  wouldn't it be great if there was a guide to give newbies like me?

my gal jerusalem wrote a book about just that.  a homemade year is chock full of mouth watering recipes, sweet and simple crafts, and heartfelt sharing of life and wisdom.  in her own words. . .

"May this book be a jumping-off point from which you discover new and creative ways to experience the rhythm of God's story in your home, not just for one season, creating joy and lasting memories in the most ordinary days."

- A Homemade Year 

  i was honored to be sent an advance copy of this newly released book.  it arrived in the midst of one of our crazier months, but i was determined to take a few moments here and there to read through it.  i quickly abandoned that plan and my to-dos in that first sitting and let myself be enveloped in her southern hospitality.  the pages are adorned with beautiful photos taken by jerusalem's sister judea, making it a feast for the eyes as well as the heart.

the chapters on lent and easter received particular attention.  what could i glean from my friend about this current season?  well i dare you to read pages 122-123 without being convicted as a mama and a believer in Christ. 

"Easter is the day when the broken and the wasted, the messed-up plans, the holes in the middle of favorite fabrics, the mistakes, the sins, and all the what-ifs are scooped up and remade in the beauty and mystery of the Resurrection .. .Easter can easily become one of those days in which I become more consumed with what my kids are wearing and what I am cooking than what we are celebrating: the Resurrection.  Maybe this is because when I really get still and quiet enough to think hard about what I am saying I believe, then my hair starts to hurt a little and my shoes suddenly seem too tight.  Resurrection.  I believe in the Resurrection.  I believe that a human man named Jesus is also God.  That he died, descended into hell, and then rose again on the third day.  Alive.  When I am honest with myself I admit that I cannot really fathom what this means - and to say anything else would be to dishonor this day."
- A Homemade Year

well said, sister.  well said.

guess what, friends?  i get to share a copy with one of you!  leave a comment on this post by monday, april 1st for a chance to win your own copy of a handmade home.

and make sure to stop over at jerusalem's place and visit.  it is a lovely bit of the interwebs.

A Homemade Year:The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together
by Jerusalem Jackson Greer
©2013 by Jerusalem Jackson Greer, images by Judea Jackson
Used by permission of Paraclete Press, www.paracletepress.com