Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope you are all having a very blessed week. Today I am wondering how your holiday traditions have changed. This past year has brought a number of challenges, and many of us still seem to be longing for the ability to get back to normal. 

The Bible teaches us that God is with us. There are blessings surrounding us every day, but at times we can ignore God’s presence. I tend to dream about the perfect Thanksgiving. It is easy to wish everything was just like it used to be, but that is not the way of the world. Life moves forward. Life takes unexpected twists and turns, and it never gives you exactly what you want. If you want the perfect holiday, it is already here. We just have to open our hearts and discover the Holy Spirit.

This year my family is having a small gathering with one of my wife’s sisters for Thanksgiving. It has been a long time since we have seen each other, and we have had to talk about what needs to happen for the holiday. How many traditions do we try to bring back? What needs to change? In spite of my concerns, my two little boys are just excited about the day. They are already talking about how wonderful everything is. They love the food, the preparation, and the excitement that comes with visitors in town. They aren’t trying to match this Thanksgiving with previous years. They are in the moment, and they are LOVING it! 

Today I hope we can all enjoy the moment we are in. Life is never going to be exactly like it was. However, God is here, and Christ is always going to make something new. Let’s celebrate the Holy Spirit today, and let’s live with hope in the new creation!

Blessing!

Brian

Our Values

What values do you live by?

Last week we started a brand new sermon series at CLC. We are taking a look at the core values of our church. It is fascinating to think about the kind of community that we are, and it is really important to understand how the Holy Spirit is working among us. This week we will take a look at what it means to be a people of worship, growth, and learning. 

What are the values that are guiding your life? 

We all have principles that lead us, but we do not always take time to name them. If we aren’t careful, I think it is very possible for us to find things like anger, fear, and animosity at the center of our lives.

A week ago my wife was checking the school calendar for our child in 1st grade. She discovered he did not have school the following Thursday and Friday for Veteran’s Day. At first this sent us scrambling to figure out day care, but we realized that we had plenty of remaining vacation time. It was time for a trip! We decided to go to Prescott, Arizona to visit my wife’s sister, and to see a new part of the country. The trip was unexpected, and it is always crazy going camping with the family. However, I find the time allows me to connect with my family on a deeper level. We probably looked rather chaotic as we struggled to make the long drive and camp in the cold nights, but we enjoyed every moment. We were reminded of the love that binds everything together. We also stopped by the Veteran’s Day parade in Prescott, and I was reminded of all the family members and people in my life who have served. I have so much to be grateful for, and I love keeping these things at my core.

This week I hope you can find ways to let love guide you. As we worship and grow together, I hope we can all experience God’s grace in our lives.

Blessings,

Brian