It is amazing to me that weather can have such a profound impact on our mood. We experience seasonal and weather changes with our emotions as well as our bodies and that is phenomenal in my opinion. Sunny weather and summer are often experienced as a time of wonder and exploration, even lifting our spirits and feeling not just warmth from the sun but warmth in our souls. Contrasted with that is cloudy weather and winter. Dark and gloom sink into us and we are often left colder, physically and emotionally. Even with celebrations at this time people often experience this darkening/chilling effect of the weather. It makes me consider what other events or circumstances affect me.

We often call life events “seasons” and in doing so recognize that our lives change. It is a good practice to recognize that life events and circumstances are variable and can shift or be changed by events often outside our control, like the weather. Unlike the weather we have a choice as to what our response will be to the changing seasons of life. Knowing that spring will come after winter ought to give us peace of mind and encouragement on the cloudy cold days. In a similar way we have a promise of new “seasons” in Christ. Many in our world feel like we are living in cloudy days (and not just because it is winter) they are letting that coldness sink into them and their responses are often negative and as chilly as a winter breeze. That is the response of a person who has forgotten that seasons change. They feel as though we are locked into a perpetual winter and therefore have lost sight of the sun beyond the clouds.

As Christians we need to remember that there is a Son who shines for us even on cloudy days and during wintery seasons of life. The hope we have in Christ is one of a new creation, a new day dawning, a change in the seasons that will come. That fills us with warmth and hope and changes our response to the cloudy weather and storms of this life. On cloudy days we know that the sun will come again, during the stormy nights we know that it will pass one eventually, and in times when we don’t remember what spring feels like we get a glimpse of the beautiful God who makes us grow. I hope that your cloudy days are filled with glimpses of the Son shining through this month!

2017. Let that sink in for a bit.

Ok, now that it has sunk in we can talk about what it means. We are living in a new year but these things remain true at any time: Jesus is still king. The Lord of all creation still loves you. The world will always be His. Any problems we have can be brought before Him.

Some of us has been shaken by 2016. Others may feel broken and scarred by it. Coming into 2017 we feel weak and wounded. We need a restoration. We need a redeemer to show us what our lives can be when all we can see is the brokenness. We need Jesus to make us new. Good news is that can happen. Bad news is we have to let Him work on making us new every day.

New Year’s resolutions don’t work so well if we aren’t resolved to them every new day of the year. In the same way, the restoration and redemption found in Christ has to be renewed each day if we want to live fully in it. We get to be new. That happens every day. We can choose to honor Christ with that newness or not.

The year is new and so are you. The day is new and so are you. Christ gives us the chance to see and experience the world in a new way, with Him as our primary interpreter for what is going on around us. In the light of Christ’s activity in the world we see what is going on in a different way. This is part of the newness offered to us. It is one of my favorite things. Getting to see through new eyes helps me to make sense of a world that can be pretty senseless sometimes. I get to be new. Others get to be new. The world gets to be new. Not just once a year. But every single day.

It has been a crazy couple months. From the bottom (and top) of my heart I am grateful for such a wonderful church family. You have blessed me so much and I will never be able to live up to the love that has been shown. It is more than I deserve. I have said it before (and I will say it again now) the only measurement that Quakers know is abundance. Thank you for all your support and prayers over the last month and a half as my family and I have mourned the loss of a son and brother.

              As we look towards Christmas and the celebration of Christ’s coming into the world I am excited. I love how this season brings people together and helps us show our appreciation for one another. We get to give to one another.

The giving we typically think about is in the form of presents given to our friends and family. We buy or make gifts for certain people based on what they like and what we feel they would enjoy or sometimes need. This is good and ends up being really exciting, especially for the younger members of the family! We do this to show how special the people are to us, that we care about them and want to share that in a physical way through a gift of some sort.

Another way we can give is through our presence, being together and sharing our lives is a wonderful gift that we give to one another. We were made to be in relationship and it is during the Christmas season that we celebrate this by coming together and celebrating. We aren’t celebrating ourselves though. We are celebrating Jesus. Our little reunions around the holidays where we share ourselves with one another reflect the Great Reunion of God and the World through Jesus.

As we gather together during this season make sure that you share yourself with those you love. Take time to celebrate being together. Make space to enjoy the relationship that is offered to you in Jesus, a Great Reunion with God. Above all remember to give (yourself, your love, and your other gifts) with the only measurement that Quakers know: Abundance!