Finishing Well*
by Gary G Hoag (November 15, 2024) Wise stewardship can be the key to lasting impact. By thoughtfully preparing for life’s uncertainties and ensuring our work blesses generations to come, we honor God’s design for flourishing lives, families, and communities. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and …
Elf
by Dan Rupple May 6, 2021* The 2003 Christmas comedy, Elf, a popular family favorite, stars Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. As a child in an orphanage, one Christmas Eve, Buddy mistakenly crawls into Santa’s toy bag and ends up at the North Pole. There he is raised as an elf, but Buddy is not able to do …
St. Francis and the humble nativity.
By Lauren Terrell * Eight hundred years ago, in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first recorded nativity scene. What compelled him to recreate the setting of Jesus’ birth for others to see was not pageantry and spectacle but a realization that many had lost the true spirit of Christmas. It is believed that St. …
Our Family’s Christmas DAF Tradition
by Katie Brubaker* There are two teenagers in our family. When they were toddlers, I read somewhere about a family that set Christmas gift expectations with a little rhyme. My husband and I adopted the idea and added a line about giving. If you ask our kids what’s under the tree, they’ll tell you: Something …
Watchful and Faithful
by Joseph Slife* LISTEN> The Advent season (the weeks just before Christmas) is my favorite time of the year. With every strain of "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" and "O Come, O Come Emanuel," I'm reminded that God is working toward a good end, even amidst the world's trouble and turmoil. When the time is right, …
Rejoice. It is based on faith and it is not necessarily a feel.
Life brings us plenty of reasons to not rejoice. I wear a wrist band that simply says, "God is Big Enough." When I feel confused or look at a situation that doesn't fit my box, I try to remember to look at my wrist. I don't always remember even though it is right there. We …
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The Three Stewards
Last spring I heard a talk by Pastor Mark Schatzman on the parable of the talents from Matthew 25:14-30. He looked at it what a faithful steward is in terms of risk. The first two stewards 'traded up' and were rewarded. Jesus declared them 'good and faithful.' But the third didn’t risks and not only …
This is your brain on generosity*
It’s what researchers call a “cross-cultural universal.” That means – no matter where you live, what your income, age, your culture, or even your politics – generous people are, in general, healthier and happier. The mechanisms for it are built into our brains! Generous givers of time and money suffer less from stress and depression, have better …
How Big is Our God?
His is as big as I believe Him to be. If He is the God of the Bible, he is much bigger than I can put my head or heart around. *Image courtesy of National Christian Foundation's Saturday 7, 09.14.24.
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