In Hallmark’s Christmas movies there is always much eager anticipation as people countdown on their picture-perfect handcrafted advent calendars to the day when Jesus' birth is celebrated.  Do you have your own traditions for counting down to this wonderful day on our calendar? Do you remember what it was like as a child, when Christmas seemed so far away?

Strongholds are mentioned numerous times in the Bible, yet in modern-day times we rarely hear this word.  What is a stronghold?  Why were they used back then?  How does a twenty-first century Jesus-follower respond to this concept?

This quote is often said to someone who’s experiencing something emotionally taxing and overwhelming.  The advisor intends to give encouragement to the person who is ‘in the valley’ to not rely only on their feelings, but to take everything to God.  

Our lives are full of questions; spoken and unspoken, answered and unanswered.  In Ecclesiastes 1:9 we read, ‘There’s nothing new under the sun’, and this is never so obvious as when we consider how people have always pondered questions - from the earliest of Bible times through to today. Jesus himself lived with such experience, just as we do.

WHY DO WE TAKE COMMUNION?

Communion (in some form or another) is evident throughout both the Old and the New Testament.  To commune means, ‘to get very close to someone by communicating one's feelings and thoughts’ or ‘to live and work together, sharing possessions and responsibilities’ (Oxford Dictionary and Merriam Webster Dictionary). Communion adds ‘to provide for, nourish, protect and redeem.’  

What comes to mind when you hear the words, ‘Trust God’.  What does it mean?  What does it look like?   

Pause.  Jot down your thoughts, then read on.

The dictionary defines trust as: a firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something.  Trust in God is a decision to stand against all odds and believe that He is good, reliable, truthful and able, regardless of the circumstances of our lives.

I love a good adventure… hitting the open road… taking to the skies… Meeting new people, tasting delicacies I’ve never heard of before, breathing in the beauty of the architecture and natural wonders of the world, and trying new things which push me outside my comfort zone (Helmet diving, anyone? I highly recommend it!). I feel like I could travel forever and never get bored of it. There’s always more to discover.

Earlier this week, I tried to help someone, offering some expertise around a particular topic in which she could have benefited from some insight. In response, I received some rather abrasive words… and an opportunity. Opportunity, you say. What? Yes, that’s right. This interaction gave me a choice about how I would respond. Initially, I found myself feeling frustrated at her response, particularly knowing that she was going to face difficulty which could easily have been avoided.