Seasons Archives - Kristin Saatzer

A Time to Reset and Refocus

March 13, 2023 By Kristin Saatzer 4 Comments

I didn’t notice until I did.

At some point, I had jumped back on the pre-pandemic hamster wheel. I tried to jump off but couldn’t keep up with the demands and commitments that got the wheel going to begin with. So, I’m back on again but working to slow it down.

It has been a wild three years, hasn’t it? So many of us have leaped into life as we knew it without intentionally thinking about how we want our life to go. There were valuable lessons in the time of the Corona crazies when life was slow, and we had no choice but to stop. The lessons I learned then are ones I don’t want to sacrifice at the altar of the busy world and its demands.

So, I am taking time to reset and refocus this year and this Lenten season. One way to do this is through quiet and solitude.

When we read the gospels, we notice Jesus often took time alone to pray and get quiet. A time to reset away from the crowds and the noise. A break from the bustle that came with His ministry and the criticisms of those who set out to cause Him to stumble.Continue Reading

The Gift of Lent

February 20, 2023 By Kristin Saatzer 6 Comments

“I have calmed and quieted myself.”

Psalm 131:2

“What are you giving up for Lint?”

I remember hearing some Catholic kids in my elementary school ask one another this question sporting what I thought was dirt smudged on their foreheads. Come to find out, it wasn’t spelled “Lint” (nor was it the same thing as the lint in the dryer).

And it turns out it wasn’t dirt on their foreheads; it was ash from an Ash Wednesday ceremony at their church.

The church of my youth was non-denominational and did not observe this practice (obviously!), and neither have the churches I’ve attended as an adult. But in recent years, I have embraced Lent and am learning more about the liturgical church calendar. There is a lovely rhythm and beautiful meaning to each season and holy day, even the period called Ordinary Time.Continue Reading

Hear the Savior!

February 13, 2023 By Kristin Saatzer Leave a Comment

Book number two is here!

This devotional features the significant words of Christ in his journey to the cross and his resurrection. A book written with an Easter focus, in chronological order, with the Lenten season pointing us to Christ’s death and resurrection. A forty-two-day journey through Lent and Easter that follows Christ on his way to his death and resurrection. Daily devotional readings examine the words of Christ, from his first recorded words in ministry to his last. I pray that this devotional will draw the reader closer to the Christ of Calvary and the empty tomb through His spoken words and inspirational stories from real life. Questions for reflection, classic quotations, and a daily prayer designed to focus attention on the Savior add to the devotional experience.

Join me on this journey!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IAAeiv

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hear-the-savior-kristin-saatzer/1142986315?ean=9781951310745

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hear-the-Savior-Readings-for-Lent-and-Easter-Based-on-the-Words-of-Jesus-Paperback-9781951310745/1023872999

Featured Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things/id1495658347?i=1000598736357

Fill My Christmas Plate With People, Please!

November 30, 2022 By Kristin Saatzer 4 Comments

On Christmas Eve of 2020, we ate take-out Chinese and watched an online church service, desperately missing our extended family and our special holiday traditions together. Later, on that oh-so-strange night, I lay on the couch, tears falling, and told myself that I would never again take family and friends for granted. Or crowds, live church, in-person shopping, or in-person anything! Shoulder to shoulder, face to face, hand to hand. People.

These last few years have changed all of us.

In the curriculum called the Covid Years, I’ve learned an old lesson in a new way: relationships are vital. We all know this. And I’ve always felt this as fact but wow, was it drilled down in those weird times. I vowed then to intentionally make my loved-ones and Jesus my focus each holiday. Despite the oddness and sadness, there was a beautiful unfussiness in the 2020 holiday and life seemed slower.

Yes, responsibilities are important and necessary, and during the holidays, many of us juggle more than our typical load. So often, I struggle to get it all done while remaining present. There is a boost in my self-esteem, a feeling of value that surges when I am uber-productive. I’m addicted to checking things off my list to the detriment of my relationships. I love people, and I love God, but if I’m not careful, I’m swept up in my typical seasonal trap. Yes, most items on my list are others-focused (buying gifts, charitable giving, baking, cooking, house tasks, etc.) But I want (and need) to connect deeply in my relationships at Christmas.

Perhaps a bit of Patty (or Paul) Productivity lives in you as well?Continue Reading