simply homemaker

This time last year, my brother and I were preparing for our second Christmas together in the U.S. I had tickets to the Nutcracker with my friend Blair, we went and looked at the Christmas trees with my grad school friends, and some of us visited Mount Vernon for a candlelit tour. I bought a 6-foot tree and asked for ornaments as Christmas gifts. The day before Christmas Eve, my floor was covered in brown paper and bows. It was a Christmas to remember.

Fast forwarding a year, I’m in my parents’ home in Vietnam hang-drying duvet covers and my brother is getting on his plane to come home in just a couple hours. Time sure did fly.

As I wrote down my personal goals for 2025, one thing I am certain about: this is to be a different season from the one I just had. And the thing is, I’m more than excited to enter into this season.

For I have seen the mountains and hiked the forests and eaten the apple strudels.

For I have lost the luggage and written the blogs and made the friends.

Looking back, I thank the Lord for the grand adventure that feels like Bilgo Baggins coming home at the end of the third book: he’s ready to sit on his couch and cozy up for a long time.

After traveling the world for 8 months, I will live with the Ruffin’s family for 4 months and, Lord willing, graduate from my degree, which leads me straight back to the workforce (also Lord willing in this matter, I truly don’t know what’s going to happen).

I’m also thinking about putting down roots for the first time.

And for the first time in eight years, I am truly content with everything I had, have, and will have – the blessings and the hardships.

I’m finally ok wearing my sweatshirt from highschool.

Or living in my childhood home.

Or loving my parents just the way they are.

I’m grateful for the body and mind that I have, for the chances given me to serve the Lord every day and to store up treasures in heaven.

I’m grateful for new mercies every morning, for His daily forgiveness that I might be made new, again, called to holiness and laying down myself.

Even though this Christmas season looks so different from the last one – the joy remains: Jesus has come to save sinners from themselves. No more giant Christmas trees and hand-picked ornaments from friends (I didn’t think to bring any home), trips to Mount Vernon or the Warner Theater or Alexandria to see the tree – yet this remains: to the ends of the earth, the name of the Lord shall be praised.

New Year has never felt really exciting to me. It means the end of the Christmas season and the start of “true winter,” cold and boring and back-to-work. And in a lot of ways, things rarely change for me when a new year starts. But this year, I find myself expecting less of the year and more from the Lord. I am expecting Him to do new things, in my heart and in my life.

I find myself, with open hands, fully surrendering all the matters to Him, the great author of my faith. Even in the mundane moments, in the waiting for emails to come, for clothes to dry, for flights to land, for the time to slowly but also quickly pass as I toil and rest.

My plate is clean.

God, may You do with it as You will, and fill it with anything You want.

And since I get to ask, may it be moments of learning, opportunities to serve You, neighbors to love, time with You, and a brimming cup full of new life.

May it be the reminder that You are the author, I am the page, You are the Potter, I am the clay, and You are the great Alpha and Omega.

Jesus, may Your praise always be on my lips.

I’m thinking about all of you, friends, in this special season, and feel so thankful you are in my life and that we get to share this sliver of time together.

Merry Christmas, to you and yours.

Love,
Tram