We can easily miss what is happening in our midst. Caught up in our daily routine and distracted by the flurry of activity around us, we become too occupied to see the valuable things surrounding us. The Christmas season seems to amplify this struggle. In the weeks leading up to Christmas Day, we are busy wrapping up year end reports, shopping for family and friends, […]
It is unlikely that many people approach their lives thinking, “I should make this more complicated,” yet, too often our decisions do exactly that. We want things to run smoothly and to be easier in many ways, only to find that it takes very little to make it all more complicated. Even the seemingly insignificant decisions and actions can come with a cascade of unintended […]
“Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 I didn’t know how exhausted I was until I took some time off after Christmas. I knew things were busy, very busy, and I knew I was feeling some stress from it all, but I didn’t realize how much I needed to stop. Busyness can be one of the greatest challenges in my life, […]
Juggling the many details and situations of life can leave us so busy that we only have time for the most pressing priorities. Even the things we love can suddenly be eclipsed by the things we need to do. Sometimes, as we cross off some of the higher priorities, other valuable things rise to the surface, but then there are the times we must dig […]
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart – Luke 2:19 Mary often gets overlooked. This woman chosen by God to bear the Savior of the World and nurture him to adulthood barely gets more than a nod at Christmastime by many people. Of all the women throughout history, she is the one chosen by God to be the means […]
I am amazed how disconnected I feel when I forget my cell phone. Take away my iPad, my computer and my other means of communication and a serious sense of isolation begins to take hold of me, and from the conversations I have, I am not alone. It is not that I cannot live without my technology, though I do have a bit of withdrawal […]
Sometimes, I think that the proper greeting during the passing of the peace should be, “Peace be with you. Now, try not to lose it.” Peace can be far easier to find than it is to keep. We know moments of peace, but we also know the moments that steal that peace away. The first part of John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to […]