The Thanksgiving season is upon us. Next week will bring the busiest travel days of the year, families will be together, fantastic turkey dinners will be consumed, all done in the name of giving thanks.  But then, almost immediately after Thanksgiving dinner ends, the crush and rush of Black Friday begins!  The frantic race to Christmas is on. However, before the Christmas season begins, let’s take a few moments to consider why giving thanks is such an important part of life. In truth, every day needs to be Thanksgiving Day… read more

It would not be surprising for your children to ask, “Why is God allowing these terrible fires to hurt so many people and destroy their homes?” You may even be asking yourself that same question!  Here are three possible attempts to understand these catastrophic fires ravaging California and God’s involvement in them. 1. The Fires are random circumstance The first way is to attribute the fires to a random collection of circumstances that sparked these fires and led to the awful results. In this construct, God had nothing to do.. read more

If you are a parent, you can likely identify with feeling of being burned-out.  Other terms such as exhaustion, fatigue, tired, and weary are also a regular part of parental vocabulary. What is the answer?  Does being continually burned-out have to become the normal reality if you are a parent? Exhausted parents, Jesus calls out to you. Listen to his loving entreaty in Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and.. read more