Our God is not a god of decrees, documents, or the paranoid violence of Herod. Instead, God comes to us as a child of refugees: Alone, uncertain, in flight. Emmanuel: God with us,

The sign that God is with us is often not found in the things we desire. But much more in the simple, beautiful relationships. May we today celebrate each other and the profound and beautiful gift of friendships and community.

Like Mary and Elizabeth, we don’t have to do it alone. Though each of us carries different burdens and plans, through love (the same love that John and Jesus preached about), we can help soothe each other's guilt and fears.

Change is life. Stagnation is death. If you don't change, you die. It's that simple. It's that scary.”

When we find ourselves in the messy middle, we may not know how it all will work out or what it will look like when we get there, but I can have faith that it will work itself out.

So maybe this is our cure for being human. Stop going away from the lowly place, whatever that looks like for you. Go there and expect stars to shine and angels to sing over you and your rightful heritage.

Advent does not promise quick answers. It invites us to wait with intention—to pray honestly, love boldly, and trust that restoration is already unfolding among us.

it can be a bit challenging, walking through the sadness the holidays may bring, or asking questions of God and not hearing back in a “timely” manner. Yet we know that God is a God of restoration and healing. Whatever you need to bring to God, bring it and know that God is listening and will answer. 

Peace, then, is not about pretending everything is fine. It is about choosing connection over isolation and mercy over judgment.

... life often comes to us in extremes. It is how we live between those extremes that show the fruits we bear.

The oppression that exists in this world, particularly surrounding mental health, is overwhelming at times, but this Psalm reminds us that God provides justice for the oppressed.

The difference between Scrooge and us is that we do not need ghosts to show us how to be more equitable.

In the book Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne writes, “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday.”

There may be times when it seems we are constantly searching for stability. However, it is often in these moments that something good can be nurtured, even when it feels impossible to recognize.

The Advent season is often a time when we use words like waiting, yearning, longing, and angst.

“Love is not something we decide to do now and then. Love is who we are! Our basic, foundational existence—created in the image of the Trinity—is love.” 

The person that you are, be at peace with. Know who you are and be proud, like John, and if questioned, answer those questions with the confidence that you are the child of the most high God.

When our eyes begin to see the pain and hurt around us, it can be disorienting. Our goal in these moments is not just to mourn the confusion we feel but to take action.

The beauty of Advent lies in our ability to hold in tension the promise of what is coming into this world—the Prince of Peace—and the often harsh reality of our existing circumstances.

Many of us know what it feels like when we get through something we thought would break us or was impossible.