Good relationships keep us healthier and happier. One of the best investments we can make is growing in our relationships, and this is certainly true for parents. Parenting is a lifetime job that doesn’t end when children are grown, and the best gift we can give to our children is our presence.
Humility is not natural to anyone, but it is the lifestyle Jesus models for us. And when we learn to be humble, not only does it open us up to the possibility of wisdom, it also makes others feel encouraged, accepted, and valued in our presence.
Kindness is not a weakness. In fact, it can actually lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and strengthen immune systems. We are made for loving kindness, and when we choose to be kind, we bless others and create a kinder world.
On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the prophet Micah reminds us what God requires of us: to do justice. The long fight for economic justice, racial justice, and any other kind of justice takes intentional planning. Justice doesn’t “just happen.” According to Micah, it is something we do.
When we are baptized, Jesus invites us into a new life. As a new year begins, we invite you to experience newness of life by remembering your baptism or saying yes to Jesus and being baptized for the first time.
Jesus came to bring light into darkness. Today, we celebrate that the light has come into the world, and the darkness cannot overcome it! Merry Christmas!
Hope can seem to be in short supply some days, and that can especially be true at the holidays.
Yet hope is more than a feeling or a wish. Hope is an expectation, trust, and desire for a good outcome.
And, as we learn from Mary’s story, hope is knowing God will show us what to do when we need to do it.
In our more honest moments, we recognize that Christmas can be a time of fear and anxiety. What will happen when I sit next to the empty chair where my loved one used to sit? Do we have enough money to buy all the presents for my family, friends? Can I keep it together the whole time we are visiting family? These are real. And, there is hope. In a scary world, home is a place where we can be safe.
The early church was compelling not because of what they believed, but how they behaved. In a chaotic culture of division, the first Christians were a peaceful presence who welcomed all, loved authentically, and let their light shine. Let’s do that again.
While disagreement is inevitable, division is a choice. When we choose to carry one another’s burdens instead of demonizing one another, what divides us fades, and we realize that we can disagree politically while loving unconditionally.
