Posts about Christian Living (7)

Have you ever felt anxiety before walking into a room full of people?

There are so many different voices clamoring to tell us the meaning of Christmas.

We always eat Christmas dinner at Grandma’s — it’s tradition! We have to sing carols before presents — it’s tradition! It’s not Christmas Eve until we read that one book — it’s tradition! And we can’t forget the eggnog — it’s tradition!

Christmas time is upon us! During this time of year, people share countless Christmas stories with their loved ones.

Three more things added to the to-do list. Another Christmas party to add to the calendar. Presents to buy, cookies to bake, pictures to take, cards to send. The list goes on and on as we succumb to the hustle and bustle of the season, often without taking a moment to pause and breathe.

We often think of thanksgiving in terms of the holiday named for the virtue. “Happy Thanksgiving,” we say, with the best of intentions and the merriest of hearts. In the process, we might inadvertently equate the two — happy and thanksgiving — as if they must go together.

November 11 is Veterans Day. I am a proud, Cold War-era veteran of the U.S. Army Field Artillery.

It’s 5:30 a.m., and the alarm begins its shrill alert. Though he’s already been awake for a bit, the day’s tasks begin to loom heavy on the mind of the pastor. The dog needs to be let out, then there are emails to answer and sermon notes to condense. But first, he shuffles to the kitchen for the caffeinated elixir that’ll get his brain firing this early. On the way, he stops to click the remote off, since someone in the house has left the TV on all night, yet again.