How Our Lives Are Like a Fairy Tale

I've been knee-deep in fairy tales lately, preparing for our ladies' luncheon and retreat. You know how it goes. Once something gets in your head, it seems to pop up everywhere. Even my morning Bible reading took on a magical quality when I stumbled across Psalm 90:9, which speaks of spending our years "as a tale that is told."

Sitting there in my cozy office, watching the Welsh mist roll across the hills outside my window, I found myself thinking about the many ways our lives are both similar to and different from these beloved fairy tales. In today's devotion, we'll explore some of the similarities, and in the next devotion, we'll look at the differences.

Dana Rongione 09/01/2025 Dana Rongione 09/01/2025

The Joy (and Confusion) of Substitutions

Living in rural Wales has its challenges, and one of them is grocery shopping. Thankfully, we live in an age where I can order my groceries online and have them delivered right to my door. What a blessing! No more trudging through the aisles with my wonky joints or trying to manage heavy bags with my fibro-weary muscles.

But there's one quirky aspect of online shopping that never fails to amuse (and sometimes befuddle) me—the substitutions. When an item is out of stock, the store attempts to provide a suitable replacement. Sometimes these swaps make perfect sense, like exchanging one brand of butter for another. However, there are times when I'm left scratching my head and wondering if perhaps the substitution algorithm has gone rogue.

Dana Rongione 07/01/2025 Dana Rongione 07/01/2025

O, Come, Let Us Adore Him

The Christmas gifts are now put away, and the New Year is in full swing, but I can't seem to shake the melody of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" from my mind. More specifically, the phrase "O come, let us adore Him" keeps repeating like a stuck record in my thoughts. As I sit here in my cozy Welsh cottage, watching the snow in my driveway sparkle in the rising sun, I find myself pondering what it truly means to adore Christ.

You see, we sing these carols year after year, often without giving much thought to their deeper meaning. We know the tunes by heart, and the words roll off our tongues with practiced ease, but do we really understand what we're declaring when we sing about adoring Christ?

Dana Rongione 26/12/2024 Dana Rongione 26/12/2024

Walking the Line of Faith

Have you ever watched a tightrope walker? It's fascinating how they maintain their balance, shifting their weight ever so slightly from one side to the other. One wrong move could spell disaster. I often feel like that tightrope walker in my spiritual life, especially when it comes to finding the balance between doing and waiting.

Just yesterday, I sat at my desk, staring at a blank document on my computer screen. I had a Bible study to prepare, several blog posts due, and ministry correspondence waiting for responses. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders. Should I forge ahead with my plans, or was God trying to tell me to wait? Was my drive to complete these tasks stemming from my perfectionist nature, or was it truly God's leading?

Dana Rongione 23/12/2024 Dana Rongione 23/12/2024

Not-So-Merry Melodies

I never thought I'd say this, but last night, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer gave me nightmares. No, I'm not kidding! Jason and I were exploring different Christmas playlists on YouTube, seeking some festive background music while we worked. We stumbled upon what promised to be "Epic Christmas Arrangements," and wow, what a mixed bag that turned out to be!

Some of them were breathtaking, like the gorgeous orchestral version of "O Holy Night" that gave me goosebumps. But then things took a turn. Picture, if you will, "Jingle Bells" transformed into something that sounds like it belongs in a horror movie. The tune clicked and whirred like a broken music box from some abandoned Victorian nursery. The jolly "ho-ho-ho" became a sinister echo, and those cheerful jingling bells morphed into an ominous warning of impending doom.

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How Our Lives Are Like a Fairy Tale

The Joy (and Confusion) of Substitutions

O, Come, Let Us Adore Him

Walking the Line of Faith

Not-So-Merry Melodies

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Dana Rongione