Each year, in the dead of winter, when everything is still dry and brown, and when the National Weather Service issues a winter storm warning, Ken and I relish the dream of spring. There are harbingers everywhere and, let me tell you, we look for them. A harbinger is a forerunner of something. It paves the way. The first harbinger of the year is February, the shortest month of the year. We only have to endure 28 days of winter in February.

And this past Sunday, as I wrote, we awaited a harbinger, one that is exciting for us. NASCAR began its season with a bang, the Daytona 500. Drivers look upon this race as the plum they all want to achieve. It’s so historic and the air is electric with excitement. This year’s event included an appearance by the President, and, as always, there was a military flyover. This is one sports event that is always blessed by a local clergy member before the national anthem is sung.

One of the things I really enjoy about racing is that the drivers bring their families along. You’ll see drivers, who will soon race at two hundred miles an hour, chatting anxiously with their spouses, carrying babies, and holding the hands of youngsters, armed with their ear protection, as they wait for the race to begin. Obviously, these families live a lifestyle much different from most of us and we can’t really know them, but that little pre-race snapshot offers a glimpse of who they are and I truly love being witness to all the joy those kids feel being there with Daddy.

After all the opening fanfare, the invocation, the national anthem, the Thunderbirds fly-over, and the appearance of the president, the drivers were ready to race. The pace car pulled away, the cars sped up and watched for the white flag to drop. The race was on. And after eleven of the two hundred laps were run, rain began to pour from the sky. The race went into delay, knowing that it was going to last for hours. The storm was not unexpected. Officials had moved the starting time up and they had hoped to get a legal race in before the track got wet. It was not to be, so they spent the afternoon interviewing drivers and discussing races past, just to kill time until the rain stopped falling and the drying procedures could begin. Wow! Talk about a change of plans!

We all experience changes, roadblocks, and challenges. Most of ours don’t happen in front of a huge in-person and TV audience, but they can be just as daunting or even paralyzing if we try to handle them alone. The best news is that we don’t have to carry those burdens alone. We can plan the events in our lives down to the last detail, but if our plans are not completely aligned with God’s plan, he has his ways of letting us know.

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9

When God places a roadblock in our path, he does it for our good, and while we may not be able to see that in the heat of the moment when we know Him, we know that he does nothing to harm us but only seeks to bring good into our lives. When we find ourselves simmering at a traffic light while on the way to an important event, He may be saving our lives by preventing the crash that would have happened had we gotten through that light. When a longtime job abruptly ends, there may be a better one waiting just around the corner, and when a relationship lies in ruin, that may not have been the right partner for a lifetime commitment and patience will help to find the right one. Many times in our lives, God saves us from mistakes we may never know we were making because, at the time, our plans felt just right. The thing is….we don’t have the master plan. Only God does. So, when everything in life seems backward and upside down, when nothing seems to go right, talk to God about it. Trust in Him and you’ll find your best perspective.

I know you’re wondering about that race. After a four-hour rain delay, the forty one cars entered the track again, the temperature was some twenty degrees cooler, lights were coming on and all the track conditions had been altered by the onslaught of water. But the drivers and their crews made adjustments to their racing strategies and, amidst accident producing cautions, they finished the race set before them. Isn’t that what we’re all expected to do?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 NIV

And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20b

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! By tomorrow morning, when I send my little message off to Casey for this week’s edition, the result will be in. The biggest single event in the world will be over. A new day, a new week, will have begun, and all the hype, the buzz, the tension, and anxiety over a single football game will be over, hovering in the distance of our mental rear-view mirror. And by the time you receive it on Wednesday, talk about “old news!”

What does it take to make a simple football game the phenomenon that it is today? Well, the media does a great deal to contribute, hyping first one player and then another, discussing the merits of the coaching staff, and otherwise engaging in ego-building. They certainly carry a huge ability to influence public opinion. And, of course, advertisers are willing to pay enormous amounts of money to air their commercials and fans will part with many dollars to attend the game and purchase memorabilia. There’s the simple fact that humans have an unusual affinity for watching big guys butt heads with one another, over and over again. Let’s not forget that the Chiefs had tremendous incentive going into the game because they were reaching for a threepeat, as it was coined, a third consecutive Super Bowl win, a feat no other team has accomplished. That’s pretty heady stuff!

I’m not putting the game down, I can get pretty excited when the team I support either scores or is treated “unfairly” by the officials. But I can face reality. It is a game and it’s plagued by countless variables that can affect the final outcome. Weather is a factor when they play on an open field but the domed stadiums have solved that problem in many cases. Injuries are a constant concern and many will occur during the course of the long season as well as the usual trading of players, shaking up the flow of plays. And of course, there are the unpredictable refs, everybody’s favorite scapegoat. Let’s face it, there’s also a lot of luck that accompanies the skill and dedication that are necessary to play the game.

One of the most important components of any game is coaching. Some coaches are born leaders, and others are not so much. In fact, we all need a good coach in our lives, and any athlete would do well to seek a relationship with the best coach, the one you and I have come to know and trust to be by our side every moment of every day.

Quarterbacks will come and go as will coaches, fans will cheer and criticize, and refs will continue to bring either elation or angst to the game. But if we keep our focus on the one true leader, there are no variables, just a trusted and true road to our final reward. OK, maybe a few variables will cross our paths along the journey, but nothing can take us down, not with our Jesus in control……

Well, it’s four hours later and Super Bowl 59 is in the books. The Chiefs Kingdom crumbled under the attack of a flock of very hungry Eagles. The final score doesn’t really tell the story of the game, as often happens. Rough night for the Chiefs, but tomorrow is another day and life will go on. A little rest and they’ll gather again to rebuild. I liked Mahomes’ long touchdown pass to Worthy at the end of the game that said, “We’ll be back!”

The way we respond to these temporal events in our lives determines who we are and shows the world around us whom we serve. I saw evidence that Jesus walks among the players on both teams and some were listening.

I don’t know if you noticed but, in the midst of the game and all the edgy advertising, there was a message about Jesus from the “He Gets Us” campaign. I saw photos of people helping people and heard messages about taking care of one another just like Jesus did. Like I said, Jesus is right here, in our midst, all the time….we just have to watch and listen, to see and hear. Are you watching? Are you listening?

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve….as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Jesus…shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!’  Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ John 7:37-38

The month of January brought to my attention a myriad of articles referring to specific words or phrases made apparent to various authors through contemplation and discernment that will hopefully help to guide them through the year twenty twenty-five in a closer relationship with Jesus or help them meet career and financial goals, strengthen family bonds or in countless other endeavors. Clearly the word most commonly heard in our home this past week and the most helpful has been hydration. There’s a good chance it may have made its way into your home too. You see, COVID came calling at our home, but those other culprits, Influenza A and B, have certainly made the rounds as well. If any of them came to your home, my prayers are with you.

You all know the drill when a respiratory virus appears at your doorstep and won’t take “NO” for an answer. Get plenty of rest, take medication when needed for pain and fever, and drink plenty of fluids. Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! Drinking water is almost as natural as breathing to me but for Ken, it’s a lot harder. It isn’t that he doesn’t like to drink water, he just becomes preoccupied and forgets. But when it comes to liquids, we seldom choose anything but good old water.

Our insulated cups are a constant in our lives. They reside beside recliners or beds when we’re at home. They travel in the cup holders of our car whenever we go anywhere. But this past week they’ve been indispensable to soothe a raspy throat or moisten lips dried by fever. Water, as we know, is the sustenance of physical life. Our bodies can’t survive without it. It’s a constant in all the earth’s living creatures. Without water, our organs will shrivel and die. If you’re an athlete, you know how essential water is to your end game. But it isn’t just athletes who need to up their intake. We all fall short of our daily requirements at times.

I am invited to drink the living water of Christ’s salvation. His Spirit will water, refresh, and revive my soul. Max Lucado, Calm Moments for Anxious Days

Physical water keeps us, our pets, and our plants alive and well hydrated, but there is a well deep within each of our souls that thirst for the Living Water that only a solid relationship with Jesus can fill. If your spiritual well is running empty, it’s time to seek the company of the only One who can fill it. Seek Him wherever you are and you will find that he’s always there, right at your side. Your spouse, your parent or your coach can run beside you with a water supply that you can see, but to receive Living Water, you must believe in what you cannot see. Open your heart to Him and Living Water will flood the reservoir of your soul and you will never thirst again.

I am invited to drink the living water of Christ’s salvation. His Spirit will water, refresh,  and revive my soul. Drink with me from his bottomless well. You don’t have to live with a dehydrated heart. Max Lucado, Calm Moments for Anxious Days

Old man COVID seems to be on the wane now. His telltale signs will linger for a while yet, but the worst is behind us, thanks in no small part to the water we could see and the Living Water that we couldn’t see but always knew was there, stored up in our souls for just such a time.

Thank you, Jesus!

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25

Have you ever been in a situation where all you wanted was a way out, an escape route? Who am I kidding? We’ve all been there. The walls, real or imaginary, are closing in around us. We may feel as if we’re suffocating. All kinds of illogical thoughts crowd our minds, and all we want is a clear path to something better than where we are. I can’t begin to count the messes I’ve found myself in that I wanted to be free of….sooner rather than later.

I recall on our honeymoon that Ken saw a drive-in movie theater that he wanted to check out. I was game until I learned that the feature was a horror movie. I tried to tell him that I was terrified of horror movies but he really wanted to go. So, we went and, as I told him, I was terrified. I promptly slid into the floor of the car, and tucked myself under the dashboard, with my hands over my ears. It was the last horror movie that he took me to, but after we left, we went back to our campground to spend the night in a tent. (We’re nature lovers, not city dwellers, so a camping honeymoon was right up our alley.) Not so that night. I heard everything that moved—and there was a lot of movement. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough the next morning.

And then there was a trip to Gatlinburg, TN, when my whole family wanted to take the skylift to the other side of the mountain. I’m also very uncomfortable with heights and swinging from a cable in a car full of people was not my cup of tea, but I didn’t want to keep all of them from going. So we loaded into the cable cars, the kids left the platform first and then Ken and I launched. I couldn’t breathe, my heart leaped up to my throat and my face became white as a bleached sheet. Ken really thought I was having a heart attack. But he realized my terror was real, perhaps unfounded, but real and he never asked me to ride another skylift or any of his favorite roller coasters again.

Just a few years ago, we went to a fall festival with our daughter’s family and, after viewing all the exhibits and souvenir booths, our granddaughter wanted to go into the corn maze. I don’t know why we allowed ourselves to be talked into this little bit of lunacy, but in we went. Two demoralizing hours later, after all our tracking skills were exhausted and we just wanted a cold drink of water and our air-conditioned car, we finally located the exit. I can’t imagine a human fascination that clamors for the opportunity to become lost and hot and thirsty, but we do it over and over again. We have, however, jointly sworn off corn mazes.

We haven’t tried the craze that swept our country and the world a few years ago and is still going strong. That would be the Escape Room phenomenon. As I understand them, these well-designed rooms are accompanied by a storyline provided by narration and all the clues that a good team of adventurers needs to make their escape. But I can’t get past the idea of being locked into a space with a group of people for a specified time period, people who, being human, are going to argue about the best pathway out of that particular dilemma, where loud noises will bounce from wall to wall assaulting my very sensitive ears. And not the least disturbing is the statistic I read that only thirty percent of those bold adventurers accomplish their escape. Those are not hopeful odds. My hope would be built upon the fact that the person with the key would open thedoor when the allowed time had elapsed. I could be assured that escape would come because the proprietor would be anxious to ready the room for another group of hearty adventurers who were willing to pay the price. I would just need to survive the intervening chaos.

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. Psalm 119:114

And wouldn’t you know, life mirrors that very description. In the chaos that surrounds us, loud voices tell us how to live, what to wear, what job suits us best. Others tell us we’re not good enough, pretty or handsome enough, wealthy enough…and the list goes on until we don’t know which way to turn. I’ve learned that the only way to “escape” the giant room of life is by searching out or creating a quiet space to spend time with Jesus. In His presence, I can escape from a confusing and disastrous room of chaos into a beautiful room of peace and comfort. Won’t you join me there?

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

By: Marcy Barthelette

For I know the plans I have for you….plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (paraphrased)

Last week’s message illustrated the constant promise of God’s presence in our everyday lives, and I’ve felt so many instances in recent weeks when tiny everyday miracles have taught me lessons in humility. I just thought a little more focus on God’s perfect timing was in order, especially following Pastor Dennis’ message on Sunday which had a lot to do with the timing as well. So, bear with me as I share a few more reminders of who is in control in every situation.

Take for instance the story I shared during Ken’s hospitalization about his overwhelming need to vote in this past election. Had our daughter not been there, no one would have called to find out if there was any way to facilitate this wish. We were too traumatized at that point to consider what action might be taken. And what made her think to call Christian County Court House? I believe that certainly had to be a God thing. When they told us they would try but couldn’t promise that someone would come, our spirits tried to remain hopeful but, as Election Day progressed and no one knocked on the door, we almost lost heart. But God knew that three other people in that hospital besides Ken really wanted to vote. So, he cleared the way for two selfless volunteers to make the rounds at Mercy Hospital and make it happen. God is so good and so are daughters and volunteers!

Think of a situation in which you can’t do anything and give it to Jesus. Know He has it covered. Then sit back and watch the miracle unfold. Jeanette Levellie, Mornings with Jesus 2025

One of Ken’s biggest worries as he lay in that hospital bed going through test after test was that leaves were piling up in our yard. He even planned to get out into the yard the day after his discharge and do the work. Of course, his doctors didn’t OK that plan, so he worried. He takes great pride in keeping the yard looking just right. When he was home, all he could do was look out the window and shake his head in dismay at the sheer volume of leaves covering every inch of lawn. Then one day our neighbors were running their big cyclone mulcher, and the next thing we knew there was a loud noise approaching our house. You guessed it…one was blowing leaves into piles and the other was driving the cyclone. I went out with our blower to help and soon another neighbor joined the leaf removal party. As I glanced at the door, Ken had tears flowing down his cheeks in gratitude for this wonderful favor that came our way from caring neighbors. God knew just when to send these angels of mercy to someone who needed a hand. They did a repeat performance a few weeks later to remove the remainder of fall’s bounty of leaves. God is good and so are neighbors!

Many times as we’ve continued a medical journey that we hadn’t anticipated, we’ve become temporarily discouraged and it seems someone sends a text, an email, a card or makes a call and we are reminded that we are not in this alone. You’ll never know what those words have meant to us. Once again, God is so good and so is our church family!

Our kids were here for Thanksgiving and the guys worked on a faulty switch for our gas fireplace. A few days later, I flipped the switch, and it fell from the wall because the original installation had been

incorrect. Another worry for Ken because going to the store to buy what he needed and do the repair was still a little more than he was up to. When the kids came for Christmas, our son-in-law walked in the door with an extra gift, the new electrical box. Together they installed it, and another small miracle of good timing removed another worry. God is good and so are sons-in-law!

And one more thing that has been a constant for me personally is the presence of music. Whenever I feel a little down or can’t fall asleep in the middle of the night, my favorite songs come to mind and everything feels better. On Sunday morning, following a difficult week for us, our wonderful praise band sang two of those favorites and I sang with gusto from my recliner, wishing that I were there to worship with everyone, but all the while knowing that God heard my praise clearly. God is good and so are His singing angels!

Timing is everything and He, in His infinite wisdom, certainly does have everything under control. Sometimes I wonder why we can’t be totally confident in His ability to bring goodness into our lives—then I remember….it’s because we are human, we make mistakes. He is God and He is perfect. I’m trying to remember to trust His good timing…..always.

I cling to you; Your strong right hand holds me securely. Psalm 63:8 (And Your timing is perfect).

Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Ps 50:15

On a morning very similar to the ones we have experienced in recent days, I had a trip of some 10 or 12 miles to make on roads that had been thawing by day and refreezing overnight. I was much younger then—it  was just six weeks before I was to marry Ken—and I was accustomed to driving the roads in our Ozark hills. Even so, I exercised extreme caution as I headed out the gravel drive from my campground home in Lesterville, Mo on my way to Johnson’s Shut-ins State Park, where Ken was assigned, on what was supposed to be the first leg of a trip to St Louis. He would drive the longer leg of our journey.

Ken had been experiencing respiratory difficulties and eventually had lost his voice completely. He’d seen the local doctor who had no answers for the disappearance of Ken’s voice, thus the referral to an ENT that the doctor knew in the city hoping that an answer could be found quickly. Ken and I wanted our vows to be heard on that special day.

I had barely turned onto the highway from the gravel when my tires skidded. I had hit black ice. I remembered that the wisdom of the day said to turn into the skid, but I couldn’t. The car took on a life of its own and rested on the opposite side of the road in a matter of seconds, had made a complete 180° turn, and was prepared to proceed in the other direction. I, however, was not. I walked quickly back to my house and called Ken, whereupon he told me to sit tight and he would come for me. He felt sure we had plenty of time and he wanted company on the trip.

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7a

I took advantage of my wait by calling a friend to ask for a tow back to my house. He said it would be a little while but he’d have it back where it belonged well before I returned. The trip to St Louis was slippery and had its scary moments, but because we had allowed extra travel time, we arrived as planned for the appointment. We learned that the source of his problem was a nasty infection on the vocal cords and antibiotics were prescribed. The doctor’s words, however, were less than encouraging. He said Ken could regain his voice in a week, in a month, or maybe never. We traveled home with heavy thoughts on our minds but, at least, the weather had cleared and everything had melted. When we got back to my house, my car was in the driveway, none the worse for wear.

Fast forward a couple of years and I was headed to town from the park for groceries when I again hit black ice. I’d just rounded a sharp curve which led me to a shaded area. Fortunately, the curve had slowed me down considerably, but like before, I had no control. This time I spun a couple of times and landed atop a culvert with one wheel folded underneath the car. I was off the road so I left the car to walk up a long driveway to a neighbor’s home to make a much-dreaded call. Both these incidents were well before we had even heard of a cell phone so I had to find a landline. Ken arrived shortly to take me home and arrange for a tow to the repair shop. I haven’t ventured onto a snowy highway since.

I tell you these two tales because I want you to exercise extreme caution as you drive this winter but also because I want to remind you that even though we think we’re in control of our everyday lives, we aren’t. God has made a schedule for every moment that we breathe…every single moment. And regardless of how we believe things should happen, they’ll only materialize in His good time if He wants them to happen. Our plans are often interrupted by seemingly coincidental timing, but there’s nothing coincidental about it. He has His hand on everything we do. We can choose to accept His guidance or to go it on our own. But we can’t make Him go away, because He always waits nearby for us to realize we need Him. God had control of my car in both these instances and he steered it to a place of safety for me. I can only imagine my fate had He left me to my own skills. On those occasions when He invites me to choose which way I want to go, I hope that I will choose wisely the path that He would have chosen for me.

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him and he will help you. Psalm 37:5

You may be wondering if Ken was able to speak at our wedding. He was….just loud enough for the preacher and myself to hear. Our guests had to trust that all was said according to tradition or, more precisely, our own vows. Just one day before we were doubtful that the words would be spoken aloud, but God gave Ken a voice at just the right time….God’s good time. 

Not only does God have a plan for your life, but he has the perfect timing for each step of that wonderful plan. Joyce Meyer, Quiet Times with God

This could be the day God does something amazing! Joyce Meyer, Quiet Times with God

I awoke to thunder this morning….yes, it is the first Sunday in a brand new year but a thunderboomer was my alarm. And as I sit in my comfy recliner this afternoon, weather forecasters are still saying we will get some snow tonight. It appears we dodged a bullet regarding ice and I, for one, am very grateful for that….there were others inundated with ice and I hope they have a warm place to be. But what do you suppose is uppermost in my thoughts on this dreary afternoon as I await the white stuff? Spring! That’s right, my thoughts are filled with spring. That’s a good thing, you say? Well, I suppose it is. It means I’m looking forward, hoping for something new and fresh to appear. In only a few weeks I’ll walk my landscape perimeters in search of tiny green shoots. It never ceases to amaze me that all my beautiful perennials can die back with the first frost in fall and re-emerge in March through May re-energized and ready to deliver on their promise of a new season of foliage and colorful blooms. God is amazing, isn’t He?

Sometimes I forget that we humans need seasons to replenish ourselves as well. As much as I dislike the cold and especially the short days that are often nearly as dark as the nights that follow, we need that quiet time to lay back a bit, give our minds and bodies a chance to recharge. Of course, if you have kids who are involved in all kinds of activities and bringing home every nasty little bug that happens to be going around, you’re probably wondering what in the world I’m talking about. Take heart, your turn is coming. They won’t be kids forever and the time will come when you’ll wonder what happened to all those exciting times.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun. Do you not see it? Isaiah 43:19a

The thing is…we all do need that time to set a course, determine our focus. So even if you’re meeting yourself coming and going, winter is the time to find a few moments now and then to align your priorities for this new year of opportunity that lies ahead. And if your kids have reached that age that doesn’t require so much of your direct attention, maybe this is the year to take on a new project, start a new course of study, find a rewarding volunteer position.

The sidelines aren’t a place for you anymore. Take a risk. Be bold and courageous.

Bob Goff, Live in Grace, Walk in Love

Aldersgate offers so many ways to serve, to learn, to pray for others who really need some intercession. And whether or not you choose to believe it, every single one of us has been given a unique skill that was intended to equip us to accomplish our very unique role in the script of life. If you haven’t yet discovered that gift, this may be the year it happens, so open your mind and heart and soul to opportunities. And whatever role you play, do it to the best of your ability, just as if you were doing it for God, because you are!

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

Just looked out the window and the snow has begun, a heavy shower of big, fluffy flakes! A blanket of white will soon cover my perennials to protect them from the cold and help prepare them for their spring appearance. Thank you, Lord, for this season of dreaming and recharging.

Vessel….a person whom God calls and who is receptive to that call.

I think the comment I heard most often this Christmas season was how quickly it seemed to arrive. It surely was linked to the late observance of Thanksgiving and possibly that it seemed lost in the middle of the week. So many of us count on that long weekend to complete all our travel plans. And I know that as we age, time seems to pass in a whisper. But I heard lots of younger people say that it just seemed to land on them without proper warning.

Sunday morning Pastor Dennis, at the close of our combined worship service, said that we only have so many words in a year and he thought he’d used his all up. I can certainly understand that feeling when I consider how many regular and special services our church staff worked so hard to present perfectly to everyone who came, church family or strangers. I, too, am at the end of a year, for as I write it is yet 2024. And I, too, wonder if I can find words to express whatever God wants me to say to you on what will be the first day of a new year filled with promise, with hopes and dreams, and surely with challenges as well.

For Ken and I, the hope we hold onto is the answer to health problems that have been a part of our lives for the past six months. We know that God is orchestrating our lives and His answers will come in His good timing, but sometimes our patience comes up a little short.

And this leads me to the message I feel in my heart today. We need to visit Mary one more time before we lay aside this year’s celebration and turn toward our future year. Mary was given a task, a very unexpected task that would alter the course of her life forever. She was asked to be a vessel to cradle the unborn Christ Child until he was ready for birth. I wonder at the awe she must have experienced at this seemingly impossible request and I wonder how often we view a task before us as being impossible. I wonder how many times we miss an opportunity to carry the Light to someone who needs it desperately. Mary became a vessel to carry the Light of the world physically, but we are asked to be vessels to carry the Light to every corner of the world. To people who may seem unworthy according to our human standards but whom God regards as His special children.

For all of us who have carried a child, the weight of it becomes quite burdensome, especially toward the end when we feel our body just won’t stretch any farther. Our patience runs thin as Mary’s must have as well. And yet, everything we know about her suggests that the awe overcame all the doubts and shortfalls. She was the perfect vessel to carry this precious cargo.

Just as the Magi, in Jesus’ day, traveled long and far to lay their eyes on the Messiah, so must we be seekers of the truth and the Light, so that we will be prepared to illuminate our world with the love of Jesus, the one who willingly gave everything for us. That is the true gift of Christmas.

God doesn’t expect us to have all the answers…in fact, He loves the seekers. Be a seeker and go light the world!