Merry Christmas! Wow, what a gift to be in your inbox on such a day. I heartily approve of Christmas Saturdays. It just feels right to let excitement keep you up late on a Christmas Eve Friday, fill your time with presents and food and naps on Christmas Saturday, and then gather with the saints on Boxing Day Sunday. I vote the 25th comes on Saturday every year.
Welcome to The Paradox Paper, a monthly newsletter that honors paradox in the every day. If a friend forwarded you this email, click here to subscribe:
In this edition:
A Christmas morning casserole
My mom’s homemade hot chocolate
The question I’m asking headed into the New Year
A few housekeeping updates
An special invitation
A prayer of thanks
Christmas Eve Breakfast Casserole
We were early-morning Christmas people when I was growing up, and now my kids are too. I’ve never been one of those machines who can just shrug off breakfast without feeling terrible, but waiting for breakfast to be prepared AND for presents to be available is flat undoable on this most exciting of mornings. Equally undoable is getting up at 4:30am so that breakfast is ready to go by the time little Santa seekers venture out of their room. Enter, the family night-before casserole recipe. Comes together quickly, sits in the fridge getting goopy and delicious overnight, ready to pull out and throw in the oven first thing in the morning.
Homemade Hot Chocolate
You’re gonna need something cozy to drink with that casserole. Scratch hot chocolate is easier than you think and SO much more delicious than Swede Mead or whatever mix you can buy.
*I skipped the Pain section for this Christmas edition, but if you find your burdens feel heaviest this time of year, I wrote something last year with you in mind. Free dollars.
The Small Group Show
The podcast is on hiatus, but we plan to return to your ears in February for Season Two. In the meantime you can connect with us on Instagram @keeshalil and @stephaniehcochrane. We would love to hear from you!
A Question For The New Year
When it comes to faith, I am a question-asker. This has been true in every stage and season of my life with Jesus. Several versions of the same question have cropped up over the years: “Is (fill in the blank behavior) allowed?”
Conflict averse as I am, I’ve always been driven to find out what exactly God is against so that I can avoid it like the plague. I took one of these “is this okay” questions to a wise friend recently, and he said something that has turned my questioning upside down in the best way.
“I don’t want to be a guy whose known for opposing what God opposes anymore.” he said. “Instead, I want to be for what God is for.”
Wow.
What if, in 2022, we let go of the hopeless religion of finding every little thing God might be against? What if we let go of the anxious pressure to oppose and defend? What if instead we appoint the question, “What is God for?” as the compass of our lives? What if we work to delight in what delights Him?
What freedom and grace!
An Invitation
We really got to know each other in 2021. You’ve shared your hearts and welcomed me into your lives in a deeper way than ever before, and I’ve had a realization.
There are some conversations that are too dear for the whole world wide web. We need a place where those words can live safely and grow deep roots of community. With those needs in mind, I have created a private community here on Substack. I am thrilled to offer you first dibs!
We will launch January 10th, with a subscription cost of $5/mo or $50/yr.
Paid subscribers will receive:
Access to a quarterly book club. I’ll put two books up for a vote each quarter, you can vote on which one we read, and I’ll host a monthly zoom where we can discuss together!
A monthly thread for spiritual curiosity. So many of you are burdened by questions you feel afraid to share with other Christians. This will be a safe forum to do that. The goal is not necessarily to find answers, but to walk with one another as we search. Each month I will post a question or an idea to get us started.
Weekly posts from me with more vulnerability than I share on other platforms. Things like: thoughts I have while reading Scripture, areas of personal struggle, funny things from my kids, and insight into current writing projects.
Seasonal or special offerings like ebooks and guides.
If you are happy receiving The Paradox Paper as it is, good news! Nothing will change for you. You’ll keep receiving it on the last Friday of the month like usual.
If you want to read my words more often, you’re looking to connect with other spiritually curious Christians, or you just want to support my work (what in the world, thank you so much 😭) click below to get access to the community.
It is a true joy to write for you each month, and I always love to hear about anything you tried and loved or anything that stirred your heart. Simply reply to this email or leave a comment to let me know.
Until next time, hold the paradox, don’t panic. Love you.
-Steph
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