This Advent season marks the end of another year of lingering challenges. It may still be a time of sorrow, confusion, or even depression, but we have much to be grateful for and strive to make it The Best Christmas Ever despite any trials we face.
Guest blogger: Jenny Spidell
I don’t know how he did it, but somehow Dr. Seuss predicted what the 2020 Christmas season would be like. Do you know what story of his I’m thinking of?
It will be a quieter Christmas. It will be a still Christmas and in that stillness perhaps we can focus more clearly on the meaning of incarnation — of God’s entrance into human experience in the person of Jesus.
Do you remember a moment, event, or revelation that changed your life, your outlook, and your trajectory forever? How did you feel in that moment? Were you aware in that moment that you were encountering what “deep joy” is all about?
I attended the annual Polar Express party last night. I found joy in greeting our young guests and giving them their Polar Express golden train ticket which of course had to be punched by our very own train conductor, Dr. Mike Marshall (who needs Tom Hanks when you have Dr. Marshall after all).
I spoke last night with a dear young friend whose child did not live past his mother’s loving womb. Neither his broken-hearted mother nor father could, with their gentle hands, give him more life than they already had. Months have passed now. Spring turned to summer, summer to fall, and…
Most of us at one time or another in our lives have experienced music that so deeply resonates in our soul we can’t help but join in. What’s that about? Why is it that music moves us so?
This week, I am recalling some ideas from a blog post a few years ago that speak well to our upcoming Advent series. I hope you enjoy the thoughts and that your week is filled with warm and playful memories, friends and family, and all the tastes and smells that delight this time of year!
Because this year marks the 300th anniversary of the beloved classic Christmas hymn, “Joy to the World,” we’ve chosen Joy to the World as our worship and study theme for this Advent season.
Growing up, my family spent Christmas Eve on the road traveling to Wellington, Texas from Liberal, Kansas to be with two sets of grandparents and a bevy of aunts, uncles and cousins.
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