The bridge between Christmas and the new year is a tricky one. How can I reflect on the infant Christ while also preparing my mind, body, and spirit for the coming new year? Diet and Exercise are common goals for the new year, but I would wager that the biggest goal you can set for 2025 is to Treasure Jesus Christ more. Investing in a steady diet of God's word and exercising our faith are two crucial ways that we can learn to behold Christ daily.

Every nativity scene has some common characters included - obviously the Baby Jesus, his mother Mary, and his father Joseph. You might also see an angel and maybe some farm animals nearby as well. But there are also some characters that probably shouldn't be there...or at least we wouldn't expect them to be. And yet they are vital to the story of the birth of Jesus and vital to our full understanding of God's acceptance and grace that he offers to all of us.

The story of Jesus' birth is full of surprises - angels appearing, life plans changing, the Creator of the Universe becoming a vulnerable little Baby. Just like Joseph, Mary had plans for her life, and those plans got completely disrupted one day when she was visited by an angel. What did she do when God revealed an unexpected change to her plans? And what can I learn from Mary's experience so that I can fully embrace the changes God brings to my life?

We make lots of plans on a fairly regular basis - plans that range from simple decisions like where we're going to eat lunch to more complicated choices like relationships or career paths or finances. But our plans don't always work out the way we see them in our minds, do they? In the story of the birth of Jesus, we see a man who was a planner, a man who had his whole life figured out...until he didn't. What did Joseph do when his life plans got changed? And how can I be more in tune to the change of plans God wants to implement in my life?

Several moments in the Christmas story were unexpected. One of the biggest surprises is how Jesus chose to enter our world in the first place. It wasn't with a parade or nationwide proclamation. It wasn't as a conquering warrior or a popular politician. The Son of God, the Messiah, chose to enter our world as a defenseless Baby. That was a surprise! That was unexpected! But why does that matter? What is it about the surprising birth of Jesus that impacts my life?

There are many who believe that the United States is more divided politically than at any other time in our history. Competing political viewpoints on a variety of topics have fractured friendships and families and even churches. In the middle of such a volatile political climate, can the church really be a source of peace in our communities? As our country heads to the polls this Tuesday, how can Christians actively bring a sense of God's peace into our hostile political landscape?

As God invites me to experience His peace in my life, He also calls me to become a "peacemaker" in this world. But I can't produce the kind of peace in someone else's life that He produces in mine. So how do I help bring peace into my community and my relationships in spite of my own limitations? In a world full of hostility and conflict and anxiety, how do I plant seeds of peace?

God calls us as Christians to be "peacemakers," to be people who generate and produce peace. As we try to understand what it means to be a peacemaker, we need to first look at how Jesus not only provided peace to His followers, but how He provides it to us as well. And I can't share something I don't have, so before I become a peacemaker, I need to honestly ask myself, "Am I experiencing God's peace in my own life?"

Sailors know the value of anchor points when storms hit. They know that it's important to have something solid to anchor to when the winds and the waves come crashing against their boats. And it's important to try to anchor one's vessel ahead of time if possible, before the storm arrives. Anchor points are important for Christians too - solid truths that we can grab hold of and rely on when we experience storms in our own lives. So what are some of these anchor points? And how do I make sure that these promises are going to keep me from drifting away when I go through struggles in my life?

We all face temptations on a regular basis. Some of these enticements are fairly easy for us to turn away from. Others can often take hold of our hearts and dictate our actions. Eventually, giving in to temptations can cause a variety of challenges and "storms" in our lives. But what if I could prepare for the struggle before I faced it? Would that help me say "no" to that temptation? How do I get myself prepped for the temptation "storm" I see on the horizon?