...and a time to speak...

Another New Years Eve is upon us and many (maybe all?) of us haven't been this glad to see a calendar year come and go more so than this one right here. While many will reflect back on the hardships this year has brought on for some time to come, others will remind themselves of the small blessings 2020 has delivered as well. Both of these are to be expected and feel completely appropriate to do in this season. But then what? What comes after the long look back? How do I (you/they) plan to move forward based on what 2020 has taken and what it has also given? That is about as personal a journey as it gets, but here's just a bit of what's been on my mind lately. If there is one thing that I, as a believer, have been encouraged by this year regarding the Church (big "C"), it is that nothing can stop it. I knew that prior to 2020 of course (see Matthew 16:18 ), but having physically witnessed it being played out this year has been amazing. Whether it's been a more

As many times as I've sung this line, "Let earth receive her King!" from the infamous song "Joy to the World" during Christmas seasons past, somehow it hit me differently this year. I had already been reflecting on the idea of kindness, and specifically God's kindness towards us, when the word "earth" jumped out of the lyric in a whole new way one Sunday morning. Being an American, and a proud one at that (nod to you, Lee Greenwood), I have found myself guilty of subconsciously believing that God somehow favors America. On the surface I know this isn't true, but, we are the land of the free and home of the brave after all! We have baseball, apple pie and free enterprise. We have opportunities and choices galore. Leisure and excess are our best friends, but the ones that we take for granted because we see them so often. How in the world are we NOT considered special in God's eyes with all of this at our disposal?! Enter that little line, &