The Weekly Ramble – December 26, 2025

Hey there, it’s the last ramble of the year. Let’s chat about the week as well as a few things you should do right now to prepare for next year.

Isn’t that sunrise remarkable? The most amazing thing about it was that 2 minutes prior the scene was full fog. Like zero visibility. I mean ZERO.

I was in bed reading, but with the blinds open just in case there was a sunrise to see. I went back to reading and looked up so flabbergasted, I shouted — at 6 am. It was a stunning way to start the day.

And a keen reminder that God can change our circumstances in a flash.

I’ve had many sweet moments this season, reminders that God has been working behind the fog of my life for decades, working out things I never saw coming, good things that are blessing me now.

If you find yourself in a season of disconcertion, take heart! He’s working on something you aren’t yet ready to see, but when you are, it will be amazing.

Merry Christmas! I hope you had a great celebration yesterday. Anything fun to report? Be sure and leave a comment below.

I’ve got some homework for you to do, though. While Christmas is fresh in your mind, it’s time for you to do the yearly debrief!

Do not pass go, don’t even leave a comment until you have read this post: 7 Questions to Ask After a Holiday.

Dish yourself up a plate of Christmas treats and a cuppa something you love, and answer the questions for yourself. You don’t need to tell me the answers, but you really, really need to write them down and reflect. This will make next Christmas even better!

If you’re on the mailing list, check your email after 12:30 Pacific as I sent a PDF to make this homework easier.

I’ll be taking the next week to think on these things as we are currently out of pocket, frolicking with the kids for the next few days. I’ll be ready to report back next Friday. I hope you will be, too.

Here’s what else I’ve been doing, eating, listening/watching, reading, and/or writing this past week:

What I’ve Been Doing

Longtime readers will remember the days when my office used to get this messy right before Christmas. Welp, looks like that still happens, even without an official office.

It took me a good three hours to sort this mess, part work/majority Christmas. I’ve made a note to myself to set up clearer stations next year. I really love this season and don’t feel like I got to drink my fill this year.

One thing I’ve observed is that time picks up speed the closer we get to Christmas. I’ve made another note to start my Christmas break earlier next year!

As the countdown petered down, I found myself EADSing all over the place. For example, I turned Christmas treats for the neighbors into New Year’s sourdough bread to deliver once the dust settles. Christmas cards that didn’t get written have turned into these cards to send out later.

This past week I’ve shopped, prepped for Christmas with the kids, and spent a little too much time on social media. Normally, I have controls on my phone but I loosened them a bit. I realize that for the business to grow, I may need to get more serious about social media, so I’m trying to do research without getting sucked into the scroll. But that hits hard.

What I’ve Been Eating

I’ve tried to keep meals relatively simple this past week so that I can focus on other things, but I did get our regular tamales made for Sunday Dinner this past week. I made a batch of my cheese tamales as well as some filled with pork. It’s a time-consuming process, but we all enjoy it.

Since back-up plans tend to serve me well, I also doubled dinner one night to freeze half as well as made game night leftovers into freezer burritos. Originally, I made them in case our Christmas trip was canceled due to weather. Now, they will come in handy this week as I tool up for New Year in the Club.

What I’ve Been Listening/Watching

I don’t use the word sinner. It’s a conscious decision Bryan and I made almost 20 years ago. I know I sin, don’t get me wrong. I am not denying sin at all, but I think of the word sinner as an identity more than an action.

• I sin. (action)
• But because I am made new in Christ, I am a new creation, a saint. I am defined by Christ, not my sin. (identity)

Apparently, talking about sin rather than sinners was evident in our parenting as the topic came up in conversation recently when one of the kids asked if it was theologically accurate to call Christians “sinners”. Since we’ve never referred to them or ourselves as “sinners”, hearing it at church lately sparked a discussion.

Bryan found this John Piper recording from a couple years ago and it was an encouragement to hear that our reasoning two decades ago was sound. I think back in the early oughts, identity wasn’t something anyone discussed. Now, it’s an easier topic to converse about because language and culture have evolved.

Yes, it’s semantics and emphasis, but the more I learn about renewing our minds, I think it’s an important shift to make in how Christians think and speak about themselves. Give the recording a listen and let me know what you think!

What I’ve Been Reading

I think I shared this already. I finished my Bible-in-a-year plan awhile back and started the next one right away. I remember reading this article over 20 years ago about not starting precisely on January 1 and being okay with mixing things up from time-to-time. It has stuck with me.

So, I started the ESV Chronological Bible sometime last month. It’s been hit or miss, not doing it every day, but I’ve finished Genesis and Job.

Did you know that Job occurs during the time of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt? That was news to me.

Job is a little harder to handle. I remember that it was a slog last year, too. This was helpful to keep in mind.

(Fun fact: I was in Starbucks more last week than I have been in a year. The same is true for the Desiring God website this week. lol!)

What I’ve Been Writing

Kelly asked last week if I’m still contemplating fiction writing. Yes, I am! (That’s signified by the old school typewriter image above on my vision page.)

I’ve had an amazing shift in how I think about writing fiction, though. Ten months ago I dug into fiction writing with the aim to make money, using my skills as a writer.

The way to do that is to churn out content that is popular. In the romance genre, that’s a lot of trope-filled work, like fake marriages, fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers, and such.

While those can certainly be fun, I don’t feel like they’re filling. I binged and binged on that kind of fiction this year and loved the process. But at the end of the book, I usually felt a bit empty. Often I’d forget what the book was about within a few days.

That wasn’t true for books like Peace Like a River or The Winter King.

I’m not saying commercial fiction doesn’t have its place; there are lots of reasons for reading. However, I can see how this binge-style reading can be (maybe is already?) a problem for many women.

I realized that up until now, my writing has always offered solutions to problems. I feel good about what I’ve written these past twenty years. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.

So, I want to finish the two books I started this year, but take them in a different, more literary direction. To do that, I think I’ve got more studying to do.

In the meantime, I’m prioritizing solid solutions to problems, such as:

Though I’ve been on break, I’ve got some posts in the queue as well as a fun January Challenge in store for y’all. This year I’m leveling up the Pantry Challenge with the Big ReDo of 2026.

I hope you’ll join me! You don’t need to do them all; just choose one of the following:

• eating down the excess food we have on hand (aka Pantry Challenge)
• dejunking and organizing my kitchen
• refining our grocery budget
• rebooting my meal prep habits

You can learn more here: https://goodcheapeats.com/the-big-redo/

Also be sure to check out these posts here on Life as Mom:

I can’t wait to hear what’s new with you. Leave me a comment and let’s chat!