It is easy for us to be caught off-guard and then to be swept up by the activities of the Christmas season. So we must intentionally make space for prayerful reflection upon the meaning of the season. Why did Christ come, and what significance does His humanity carry? How has Christ’s incarnation impacted my life, and what difference is it making today?
Read MoreMany of us are walking through life these days with a myriad of thoughts and feelings about how life is going. Some are enjoying returning to winter activities, to increased community events, and to more social environments; others are facing loneliness, discouragement, or heartache. The season we are in is a mixed bag for many, so how can we move in step with Jesus to have His strength, peace, and hope?
Read MoreAs we consider Acts 3 this week, we consider not only the miracle performed in the name of Jesus and by the filling of the Spirit, but we are faced with the ways in which we each have denied this Person and power in our lives. Let us “repent,” turning our lives daily to faith and confidence in Father, Son, and Spirit!
Read MoreJust like the time spent in the rain has a slow yet increasing impact upon us, as we spend time with the Lord there is also an increasing impact of the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The more we wait prayerfully (as the disciples did in Jerusalem between Christ’s ascension and the coming of the Spirit), the more we experience the guiding and care of the Spirit of God in our lives.
Read More… we encounter the Holy Spirit in a very real way in [Acts]. In chapter one, we are called to wait prayerfully and together upon the Spirit, to receive His filling, allowing Him to be our Guide, Comforter, and Empowerment as we embrace our purpose to be His “witnesses” on earth.
Read MoreIf we are not intentional, we fail to prepare our hearts for seasons like Thanksgiving. This is a season of appreciating all that God has provided us. Let us begin to reflect upon this.
Read MoreBy our personal experience with Christ, we also offer honesty and forgiveness to one another in our faith family. We do the work of having honest conversations, of caring enough to work through offences (rather than avoiding them), and being a place / a people where others feel safe and accepted as they are.
Read MoreIf all we see are the cracks in our lives, we will not thrive with Jesus. But, if we see the bloom that results from His touch on our lives, then we will grow through the cracks into something of beauty and purpose. May we strive for His love and holiness in our lives while being patient and forgiving with ourselves as He is.
Read MoreMany of us have enjoyed the flowers as they bloom in gardens throughout our community, but even more amazing might be the small self-seeding blooms that grow out of the cracks and crevices of our sidewalks and patios. These flowers are often smaller and more stunted, but they push up beautiful blooms full of colour; they stand alone as they were an unexpected expression of beauty.
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