WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 — 15 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

There’s something about this time of year that fills every corner of life with more—more decorations, more lists, more places to be, more emotions than we planned for. Even the sweetest parts of Christmas can feel a little overwhelming.

Every December, we start with the best intentions: We will be ready… maybe even ahead. We will stay on budget.  We will keep it simple and be present.  We will enjoy our time with everyone we love. But before we know it, the overwhelm sets in. The list grows longer, the margin shrinks, and we find ourselves asking, Where do I begin? How am I supposed to do it all?

It’s Christmas… but really, it’s life. Plans change. Disappointments slip in. Things don’t unfold the way we expected. And suddenly we’re standing in the middle of our own story, wondering whether to freeze, search, push harder, or just start over. Where do we begin?

Advent steps into the darker days of the season and whispers a steady reminder of the Light God brings into empty places. Before the angel songs, before the shepherds and Wise Men, even before Mary and Joseph, there were simply people waiting and watching. And in that waiting—long before anyone saw proof—God was already working. In the space that felt silent, God was.

What seems like a jumble to us is often the beginning of something new with God. When you don’t know what’s next, small steps of faith are still faithful steps:

• Begin with what you still know is true.

• Begin by turning your heart toward God, even if your mind isn’t there yet. 

• Begin with the next right step, even if you don’t have the whole plan. 

• Begin with obedience, not certainty.

The miracle of Christmas is not that the world suddenly became less broken—but that Jesus stepped into the brokenness with us. Emmanuel—God With Us—is already in the midst.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed… His mercies are new every morning...”  - Lamentations 3:22–23

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Tuesday, December 9 - 16 Days Until Christmas

Tonight is the ABC Bethlehem Special with Kevin Costner. Yesterday was both a Holy Feast Day for many Christians and National Put Up Your Christmas Tree Day for those needing an extra nudge into the season. Christmas is coming fast, and before we know it, everything will go back in the attic as quickly as it came out. Yesterday we asked: What one thing could you do to make this Christmas more?

What if today you could make Christmas happen for someone else?

I love the old TV stop-motion/clay-mation specials—Frosty, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, and especially the Rudolph stories. Rudolph is my favorite because he’s the underdog. He feels unwanted and unseen, convinced his bright red nose is more of a burden than a blessing. But everything changes when Clarice notices him with kindness instead of criticism. Hermey the Elf becomes a friend who helps him accept himself. And finally, Santa sees what was true all along: Rudolph is exactly the one needed to make a difference.

That little spiral of encouragement gives Rudolph courage, and in the end, he becomes the one who saves Christmas for everyone else. One moment of believing in someone helps them shine—and that light can bless more people than we realize.

Christmas brings joy and memories for many of us, but it can also highlight the quiet hurts we still carry. Our struggles don’t magically disappear just because the calendar says December.

That’s why blessing others matters. Sometimes helping someone “shine” is as simple as noticing them, lifting them, or offering a word of kindness that turns their burden into a blessing. That’s what Christmas is really about: a Light that shines for everyone, a Light that comes for the unseen, a Light that stays.

May we be that light for someone today—and may someone be that light for us.

“Let your light shine before others…” — Matthew 5:16

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Monday, December 8 – 17 Days Until Christmas

I was probably ten or eleven the year Santa brought the Domino kit. Santa in the pre-teen years is always a delicate spot… children still want toys, but pre-technology toys had to work hard to hold a kid’s imagination. My kit came with miniature, brightly colored dominos and cardstock templates—figure-eights, letters, spirals, even larger connected designs. There were little bridges, too—tiny platforms to build up and down until everything was ready.

It took more than an hour to set up the design. And then, in one moment—the instant you tapped the first domino with a fingertip (or released a marble you’d positioned just right)—the whole masterpiece came to life. One nudge, and everything moved.

My father, an avid runner, often says the hardest part of running is the first step. We know that one candle can change a dark room, and a plane just one degree off course can end up hundreds of miles away.

One push. One light. One degree.  The power of one small action can shift an entire outcome—especially when that “one thing” is repeated day after day.

Advent is a time of arrival—waiting for the Christ child—but also a time of preparation. Like an athlete striving to be just 1% better each day, Advent invites small, intentional change: to make a little more room in our hearts so we can fully receive God’s gift of Christmas. God doesn’t ask for perfection; He simply asks for the next faithful step.

Along the way, we feel joy, anticipation, longing, and hope… and we’re also given moments to offer a gift back to God: the gift of ourselves.

What can you give God this Christmas? What one thing could you begin today—one step, one habit, one act of faith—that might open your heart to the greatest Christmas you’ve ever experienced?

God gave His best through Jesus. Maybe today we choose one thing—just one—to offer back. Not to change everything overnight, but to take one small step toward the Savior who has already taken every step toward us.

Begin today. Walk toward Christmas with one thing for God. One small step can begin something beautiful—something God will continue long after the presents are unwrapped.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” - Zechariah 4:10a

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Sunday, December 7 - 18 Days Until Christmas

Peace: The Second Sunday of Advent

If you’ve spent much of your life in church, you’re probably familiar with Advent — the season of preparing our hearts for the arrival of Jesus. Each of the four Sundays carries a theme: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. But why do we observe them?

Advent means “arrival.” It’s a season that helps us reflect on who God is, the gift of Jesus, and how we can make room to welcome Christ into our lives. Step into most sanctuaries today and you’ll see reminders of this sacred preparation — decorations, clergy colors, and especially the Advent wreath.

But where did the wreath come from?

Long before Christianity, ancient Europeans lit candles among evergreens during the dark winter months, hoping for the return of the sun’s light and warmth. Christians later adapted this practice to tell a far brighter story: Just as the sun rises again, the Son of God comes into the darkest moments of history to bring eternal light.

The wreath’s shape reminds us that Christ is King, and the unbroken circle symbolizes His eternal love and reign. The evergreens — green even in the cold — speak of God’s steadfast, never-failing love.

Each Sunday, we light another candle, watching the light grow brighter as Christmas draws near. The purple candles remind us of Christ’s royalty and our call to prepare our hearts. The pink candle represents joy in the waiting (or in some traditions, the deep love of God).

Today, the Second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Peace. Peace in Christ is far more than a “peaceful, easy feeling”; it is deep, restoring wholeness — peace for our hearts, minds, and weary souls. It is the promise that God is healing what is broken and that Christ will one day bring an end to conflict, pain, and suffering forever.

So how will you experience Advent this year? Couldn’t we all use a fresh hope of peace?

Wherever you are today — whatever your week has held — make space to worship with others. For a few short weeks, the whole world leans toward the same moment on the calendar: the celebration of Christ’s arrival.

And in preparing for His coming, you just might discover a new kind of peace God has been longing to give you.

“For He Himself is our peace.” — Ephesians 2:14

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Saturday, December 6 — 19 Days Until Christmas

National Microwave Oven Day

In 1945, engineer Percy Spencer was working with radar equipment when the unexpected happened — a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. Curious as to what might happen next, he placed popcorn kernels near the magnetron he was testing and watched them pop. This accidental discovery became the foundation of the microwave oven.

The first microwave, released in 1947, was massive: six feet tall and far too expensive for any home kitchen. But as the technology developed, what began as a surprising moment in a laboratory turned into a tool that reshaped daily life. By the mid-1970s, microwaves were suddenly everywhere, promising speed, convenience, and instant results.

Unlike the microwave, the most important arrival of all — the coming of Christ — did not happen in an instant. The birth of Christ came after centuries of promise and preparation.  God's plan didn’t happen with the push of a button but unfolded slowly, quietly, and deliberately across generations. While we are accustomed to quick fixes and fast solutions, the story of Christmas teaches that God’s purposes often grow in hidden ways before they ever become visible. 

Even now, the Holy Spirit often works quietly from within—warming, shaping, convicting, and renewing the heart before outward change becomes visible.  Just like the microwave,  God’s grace often begins deep beneath the surface where no one else can see.

Advent means “arrival,” but it also calls us to patient anticipation. While the world rushes toward Christmas with noise and hurry, God invites us into a slower rhythm—one that pays attention to the subtle stirrings of God. We watch for the signs of Christ’s presence, trusting that the Spirit is already preparing something holy in hidden places.

Even when nothing seems to be happening, Christ is drawing near. If we stay attentive, we may discover that God is already doing far more than we realized.

What can you do today to watch for the signs? 

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“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” -  Isaiah 64:4

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Friday, December 5 — 20 Days Until Christmas

Peace Out!

It’s the first Friday of Advent, and we are now less than three weeks from Christmas. Can you feel the frenzy? The parties are already underway, calendars are filling with plans to see loved ones, and many of us feel the pressure to finish the year strong at work. In a season that moves faster every year, we find ourselves longing for peace — peace of mind, peace of heart, and, before long, a quiet place where silence can settle our souls.

We often think of peace simply as the absence of conflict or as a general sense of calm. But for the first hearers of Isaiah’s promise of a coming “Prince of Peace,” the word meant much more. Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, conveys wholeness, well-being, completeness, and restoration. When someone greeted another with shalom, it wasn’t just a polite wish for a pleasant afternoon — it was a blessing that every part of life would be made whole again.

Jesus comes to us at Christmas as the Prince of Peace — the Ruler of all Shalom. He is the One with authority to bring peace into every corner of our world: our relationships, our work, our families, our inner lives. But He does not force His way in. The Prince of Peace does not storm the gates of the heart; He stands ready to enter wherever He is welcomed, bringing restoration and calm that no circumstance can take away.

Christmas reminds us not only of how He came, but also why He came — to make us whole, and to assure us that one day He will return to restore all creation in perfect, eternal peace.

So let me ask you: could you use a little shalom today?  Not just quiet… not just a calmer calendar… but the deep, steadying wholeness only Christ can bring?

Take a breath. Open your hands. Invite Him to rule your heart with His peace.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and He will be called the Prince of Peace.”   — Isaiah 9:6

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Thursday, December 4 - 21 Days Until Christmas

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called… Everlasting Father..”  - Isaiah 9:6

Read it again… A child to be born to us who will be called the Everlasting Father.  The destiny of this infant is to be eternal (everlasting) AND to be a Father to His people.  The concept of the Trinity is woven throughout scripture without using the word (Trinity) itself.  Here in Isaiah, we catch a glimpse that this Infant Messiah is also one with the Eternal God, Father God, and that He will carry the character of God within Him.

The first hearers of this prophecy were those in exile, conquered and away from home.  Isaiah delivers God’s word, the first explicit declaration of a heavenly Father, and that this Father would be lasting, permanent, forever their guardian king.  It is significant to us that the word “father” would have meant protector and leader, as well as “guardian king” to the original hearers.  Where human fathers might fall short, this eternal and everlasting Father would protect and lead His children, guarding them all the way as a King guards His nation.

Today, take a moment to remember that your God is, indeed, your Eternal Father.  God is protecting you and leading you, even if you may not hear or follow His call; no matter what our response, God remains faithful to guard us and longs to share with us.

Christmas is Coming.  The LIGHT is coming!  Where will you welcome your Father to lead and guide you today? 

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Wednesday, December 3 - 22 Days Until Christmas

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called… Mighty God..”  - Isaiah 9:6

Today, we examine the second of the four royal names given to our Messiah - “Mighty God”.  For the ancient people, the Hebrew word “El Gibbor” would have evoked defender, warrior, champion, protector.  This is a God who battles and defeats darkness.

Personal or spiritual attack, anxiety, depression, addiction, deteriorating relationships… Darkness is defeated by the Mighty God that fights for his people! 

Though the prophecy was delivered to a people in oppression, the Truth of God is timeless!  God never changes, nor do his promises fail.  God keeps His Word. 

As the season begins to take traction, as your list begins to grow and your calendar busies, remember today that your Mighty Warrior God goes before you and fights for you.  Find the place of quiet to rest in His protection.

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Tuesday, December 2 - 23 Days Until Christmas

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor….” - Isaiah 9:6

You might know it best from hearing it in music in Handel’s Messiah, but this verse of scripture is just one of the 360-something prophecies in Scripture that point to the coming Christ child.  Isaiah gives four royal titles to the Messiah in this one verse, but today we focus on the first name: Wonderful Counselor.

Wonderful Counselor: The Miracle-Working Strategist whose wisdom comes from God Himself.

When you don’t know the answer, God does… and God speaks through His Word, those around you, and the silent little nudges in your spirit to guide your steps.

When you aren’t sure how to handle a loss or disappointment, God does… and is ready to hear your heart and prayers, comforting you and restoring you.

When you can’t see door number three or plan B, guess what… God does.  Not only does God work in the unseen to make a way possible, but God also provides exactly what you need to accomplish the task.

Wonderful Counselor.  It’s not a poetic name, it’s a promise about how Jesus comes to you!

Where do you need the Wonderful Counselor today?  Speak it aloud throughout the day.  Jesus Messiah is there to bring you peace!

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Monday, December 1 - 24 Days Until Christmas

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” - Isaiah 9:2

Darkness in the Bible includes confusion, grief, fear, and uncertainty. Isaiah does not minimize the darkness; he simply declares that God steps into it.

You do not have to pretend things are fine.  You do not have to “fix” your own darkness.  Before there is a solution, before there is healing, before the answers are before you… God – “I AM” – is with you!  The Light comes to you.

Maybe there is a corner of your life, a relationship, or a situation that feels too tangled, too wounded, or too “small” to matter.  Advent begins with the assurance that God knows how to bring dawn to unlikely places.

Christmas is coming… The Light is coming!  Spend a few minutes today quietly reflecting on the Promise that is before you.  Invite God into the dark or uncertain place and trust that God is walking with you today!

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Sunday, November 30, 2025 - 25 Days Until Christmas

“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time, he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” - Isaiah 9:1–2

Today begins the season of Advent – the four Sundays of preparation as the Church focuses on Christ’s birth at Christmas. Each Sunday brings a celebration of the blessings of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, which God delivers through Christ’s birth at Christmas.

We begin with the gift of Hope and pause to remember that God’s light is already breaking into our world. The Scripture invites us to wait with expectancy, trusting that God is working even when we cannot see it. Advent is not about rushing; it is about slowing down long enough to notice the quiet ways God draws near. We remember that Divine light always finds its way into human darkness, bringing hope, peace, joy, and love in ways that reshape our hearts.

Christmas is coming. The Light is Coming! As you move through today and throughout these weeks, hold onto the truth that God meets you right where you are, carrying you with grace. Spend time in quiet reflection, noticing where you see God’s light today!