We’ve all known that person for whom it’s all about the bottom line ... Who focuses so much on building or preserving wealth that they sacrifice all else. Or the one who never seemed to learn the value of money, and falls financially further behind every month. It’s easy for money to rule us, one way or the other ... How can we transform the way we think about our finances?

It seems like it should be so straightforward ... You love someone — a friend, a sibling, a parent, a spouse — they love you back, and you take care of each other, make each other feel safe. Simple, right? But somehow, it’s rarely that clean and tidy. Somehow, as often as not, our relationships are in need of transformation.

Demonstrative or reserved ... Bubbly or restrained ... Verbal or reflective ... We may not all express them the same way, but we all deal with emotions. And regardless of what the world sees when they look at us, we all have times our emotions are confusing ... Times when it comes down to either transforming our hearts or having them transform us.

It’s not a matter of intellect or capability ... There’s no lack of information or knowledge available. But we’ve all been there ... There are just times life gets away on us. Times our minds are overwhelmed and weary. Times our minds desperately need to be transformed. You can’t help thinking it isn’t supposed to be this way.

You could argue we’re living in the healthiest generation ever ... That with fitness and nutrition information and opportunities readily available, with medical care as accessible as it is in Canada, you’d think our physical health as a culture would be transformed. And yet ... medical services and practitioners are as busy as ever. Are we missing something?

We talk about being a free spirit ... About being in good spirits ... About having team spirit. We use the word in a variety of contexts, but at the root it shows there’s something about the core of us that’s intangible, but undeniable. We’re more than biology and intelligence. And though we can’t put our hands on it, our spirit longs for transformation, too. What does that look like?

Imagine living to your fullest potential in 2020 ... Imagine what it would be like to see permanent, positive changes ... Physically ... Emotionally ... Spiritually ... Changes in every facet of your day-to-day life! Sound too good to be true? What if it isn’t? What if there’s a way to make changes that last? To become all God intended for us to be?

Another year draws to a close ... And another invites us in. What are you thankful for? What are you glad to leave behind with 2019? What will you bring with you into 2020 that you wish would just disappear? What are you excited about, hoping for, praying for this year?

Excluded ... Alone ... Overlooked ... Ever felt that way? Ever felt like the world rushes on around you without making eye contact? Like you aren't missed, don’t matter? Like nothing important — no one important — ever includes you? Into the loneliest of lives, the most pivotal birth in history — the birth of Jesus Christ — brings love and hope far beyond our understanding.

Join us Christmas Eve! FAC Deerfoot services: 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00 pm. FAC Southwest services: 4:00 and 6:00 pm.

“What will they think?” We live in a culture so driven by public opinion — and public opinion is everywhere we go! And when we suddenly find ourself in a situation we could never have predicted, facing a decision we would never have wanted to make ... How do we look beyond what others think to make the truly responsible, courageous choice?