Harvard and God Agree On This

How Gratitude Shapes Our Hearts, Our Homes, and Our Holidays

Firstly, Merry Christmas.

I just wanted to take a moment to say a big thank you for the support you have shown my writing this year. I know I have been inconsistent with my weekly newsletter throughout this pregnancy, and I so appreciate your patience.

I have now left my day job, and some projects have been tied up, so I’ll be back to regular weekly posts as of this week.

I look forward to it more than you know.

As we stumble towards the last days of the year, we can often feel trampled on and burnt out, barely making it to the end…fully alive.

And then Christmas comes along so fast…and sometimes hard. So I wanted to share two projects that I’ve been working on to help soften us in this time of year…and also help us remember why we are stopping and celebrating.

God.

And the gift of his son, who showed us how to live with grace and gratitude as we walk this earth.

We are often told that science and faith are separate paths. But there is a luminous point where the intellectual force of Harvard University and the grace of God are in complete agreement: gratitude is the driving force of happiness.

And it’s this theme of gratitude that has been the focus of most of my work this year. In a world that seems so furious, and so fast - see what I did there! This simple and almost childlike practice has transformed my life. My relationships are sweeter, and I embrace the truth of any situation because of the power of gratitude.

I can be myself, I can live in my essence.

Gratitude has given me the courage to live.

And my work and ideas seem to fall into my lap, the message so clear, and the art and the reason for pursuing art…finally make sense.

I’m so pleased to say that this year, more than 1,000 people have transformed their days using the journal my husband and I created, Faith in Five Minutes: Catholic Journal.

This is a tool designed to give us space to pause the noise, pray, and give thanks in just 5 minutes.

5 minutes that we can so easily forget to offer up as we doomscroll and sigh at some of the global happenings. This journal swiftly and sweetly reminds you of where your precious attention needs to be.

This year, my family and I were lucky enough to walk the Camino de Santiago together. A truly life-changing experience that brought us closer to each other and God, and the journal was a lovely addition to our spiritual adventure.

Faith In Five Minutes On Amazon

In addition to this journal, I have been working on something I’m so excited to now see in the world…

Christmas Every Day. A rhyming story to teach little ones that generosity is the true magic Jesus taught us, and that family is where we should be searching for joy this Christmas.

Here you can find me reading the story. I hope you enjoy it with your little ones.

Christmas Every Day on Amazon.

My gift to you: If you decide to purchase one of the books and leave a review on Amazon, I want to thank you with action, not just words.

Send me a screenshot of your review, and I will gift you an extra copy (of your choice) so you can give it to someone you are grateful for this Christmas.

Paid subscribers, please send me your address and a request for your choice of a free copy of one of these books.

I would love to repay your faith in me and my work with a little bit of faith you might find in these works.

With faith and warmth,

Abigail