Other published works by Linda Hanstra online and in print available at the following sources.
Introducing…
For centuries, Lent–the 40 days before Easter–has been a time when Christians focus their minds on the great gift of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
For several years, I intended to do just that. I gave up pleasures and vices. I took on holy and healthy habits instead. But those changes didn’t always change my focus. Despite my best intentions, Jesus’ presence during Lent was, at times, elusive.
Life got in the way, and I would realize days or weeks had gone by and all I had thought about was how many days until I could have chocolate again, and who was coming for Easter dinner…And I’d promise to do better next year.
With that struggle in mind, I penned these meditations. Finding simple reminders throughout my day, I’ve become more mindful of Jesus’ presence on my daily journey. I invite you to join me through 40 personal reflections, as I connects the dots between the “Little Things” in our everyday, ordinary lives and the holy presence of our Lord and Savior.
Are you yearning for a Lenten experience more meaningful than giving up chocolate? Do you long for a daily connection with your Savior? If so, this book is for you.
NEW! Now with FREE Companion Journal Download!
Order your copy now at your favorite online retailer:
Lent begins on February 14, 2024. Get your copy now!
The Christmas Clock
December print issue of Banner magazine (a publication of the Christian Reformed Church)
What happens when our expectations turn to disappointment? When the predictable patterns of the past cease, like a clock with dead batteries? When somber silence replaces the upbeat tunes and ticking?
When Loons Call: Reflections on Conversations with Our Creator
Sept. 22, 2023 - TheBanner.org
If we use our imagination, it’s possible to see loon calls as symbols of our calls to and from God. The more I explore them, the more similarities I see.
Conquering Invasive Growth in the Garden, Mind, Body, and Spirit
This plant can’t be left to its own devices or it will overtake every inch of ground it can.
Life in the Balance: Equinox, Sabbath, and the Gift of Rest
Our changing seasons and ticking clocks tell us when to work and when to take a break. But there’s one more reminder God has given us.
Picnics and Potlucks: Celebrating our Differences
September 9, 2022 - TheBanner.org
It strikes me that church picnics and potlucks are much like the church itself. The CRC is one denomination, but within it there are many flavors of congregations.
From Dust to Drive-Thru: Finding Joy in Ash Wednesday
We received our smudged crosses. We received the words reminding us we would someday return to dust. But on this very unusual Ash Wednesday, we received so much more.
Christmas Trees, Hallelujahs, and Finding Joy in a Broken World
December 17, 2021 - TheBanner.org
December, 2022 print issue of Banner magazine
This year in particular, the tree farm I grew up on reminds me that joy and sorrow often mingle side by side, especially during the holidays.
Taking Care of Our Kids During COVID
September 17, 2021 - TheBanner.org
As parents and teachers representing the body of Christ, we are called to help—to make efforts to repair and restore that which was lost. But we feel unqualified and ill-equipped. So we throw up our hands, we criticize policy-makers (although we’d never want their jobs), and we pray for an end to COVID.
However, there is more we can do.
Is Our Christian Brand True to Christ’s Name?
June 21, 2021 - TheBanner.org
In today’s society, Christians are under scrutiny. Our “brand” is being reviewed daily by those who know us and those who don’t. Do our reviews live up to our name? How does the label “Christian” or “Christ-follower” match up with what’s on the inside? Let’s look at our brand and review how we measure up.
5 Lessons from a Pandemic Year
March 26, 2021 - TheBanner.org
It’s now been a year. Could any of us have guessed, when all this started, that we would still be facing the wrath of the Coronavirus a year later?
For those of us who’ve experienced a general sense of loss—of sadness, frustration, and fear—we might ask what God is trying to teach us. When this pandemic is over, could the losses we encountered have been lessons intended to help us grow? And through growing, have we actually gained?
When Deep Waters Overcome
December 18, 2020 - TheBanner.org
We are not alone in our fears. Nor in our loss and grief. The storm of 2020 has rewritten the course of life for countless others around the world. And like the actions of my siblings and myself, the natural tendency is to grab the helm of the ship and try to steer through it. To take control of any part of our lives we feel we can control.
A Realistic Holiday Wish List for Empty Nesters
December 4, 2020 - Next Avenue (Twin Cities PBS)
The kids haven’t lived at home for at least a few months, some for a few years. They have changed and so have we! In addition, this year we have a global pandemic invading our traditions much like The Grinch, who stole Christmas. In light of all that’s changed, I’ve had to adapt my holiday “wish list” to these empty-nest realist wishes.
Marking Time: Memories Bring Hope Despite COVID-19
September 25, 2020 - TheBanner.org
“Like a scratched record album, her life is stuck on ‘repeat’ and can only move forward when the needle is bumped, and we remind her of the events of the past.”
Staying Afloat in a Sinking Boat
September, 2020 - Banner (and TheBanner.org)
“I wanted to fix the problem, but all I could do was pray their boat would stay afloat, that it wouldn’t sink with the weight of the burden it was now carrying.”
Is There a Heaven? Convinced of What We Cannot See
June 19, 2020- TheBanner.org
“With death knocking so closely at our doorsteps, thoughts turn to the big questions: What happens to us after death? Is heaven real? And what’s it like there? “
5 Ways to Prepare Your Kids for Adulthood
June 12, 2020- Next Avenue (Twin Cities PBS)
“As an empty nester, I’ve nudged four children out of the nest and watched them flop and falter, but eventually fly. Along the way, I’ve learned some secrets to an easier launch.” (Also published on MarketWatch.)
Bringing Fuzzy into Focus
Apr. 16, 2020 - Kindred Mom
“As a mom, I realized that my job was not to protect him from the heartache and pain he’d surely encounter in his life but to give him the tools to manage them. As the tears welled up in my own eyes, I attempted to focus on the road ahead.”
This story, part of the “Ages and Stages” series, recounts the struggles and joys of brining up a child with ADHD.
Lessons from the Trees
Mar. 24, 2020 - TheBanner.org
Whereas trees held up by stakes and supports can potentially grow weaker, those that are left to “fend for themselves” against gentle and moderate winds grow stronger as their roots grow deeper…
Why do some challenges in life rock our faith and break us, while others make our faith grow stronger?
Lent: A Time for Coming Clean
Mar. 6, 2020 - Living by Design
The snow has melted; the coverup is gone. Now is the time to look at the litter. To clean it up. To pluck it from the brambles of the soul.
But how do we begin this process of "spring cleaning" our lives?
Here are three simple steps I have discovered to help guide us through the process of cleansing confession.
A Different Kind of Waiting
December, 2020 - The Banner (Print)
Dec. 6, 2019 - thebanner.org
In this Advent season, as we stand in long check-out lines, sing our advent tunes at church, and wait impatiently in traffic, we would do well to look around and remember the many who are hurting. Waiting is not always a time of excitement, great expectation, and hope. The holidays are not without suffering and pain. “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” might be the most difficult time for the stranger or friend standing next to you.
Pencil Marks on the Doorframe and Other Signs of Growth
Sep. 13, 2019 - theBanner.org
When we run into friends we haven’t seen in years or sometimes only months, we are struck by how much their kids have grown. By comparison, our own kids seemed to grow slowly. We marked their heights with pencil on the doorframes so we could prove they had grown. Those pencil marks, as well as their increasing shoe sizes, were the outward signs that confirmed they were growing…
But how do we measure our spiritual growth? What outward signs will others see?
