A teacher asked her class “What is Christmas - a time for?” She got the usual answers—Jesus’ birthday, a time of joy, a time to worship God! One child raised their hand and gave an unusual answer, "a time for sportsmanship, because you don’t always get everything you want."

I believe that the Christmas season is the perfect time of year for us to consider some foundational aspects of our faith. It’s good to ponder what we treasure.

The things that are most meaningful, can be easily taken for granted. What are you waiting on this Christmas? What are you longing for? In Luke, we read about two people who had their hope set on one event, the arrival of Messiah!

This week we intentionally stop to reflect on the many blessings God has given us, along with the challenges of the year that has past.

We like to be liked. We need somebody to look at us and say you are ok, you're beautiful, valuable, you matter, you are worthy! We must be careful what we allow to determine our identity.

Storms, like the recent Hurricanes, can leave a wake of devastation. Sometimes an entire home has to be gutted down to structural walls and rebuilt. This can only be done if "the bones" are good.

It's interesting how we have shifted from a culture that sat on the front porch and talked about life, and shared wisdom, to a culture that sits on the back deck and isolates ourselves. Have we lost wisdom because of the lack of conversation among neighbors? This week we sit on the "front porch" to talk about the future of the family.

Kenny Chesney recorded one of the biggest hits of his career with "The Good Stuff," which gave him his fifth No. 1 hit in 2002. The poignant song was inspired by a tragic story that happened in real life. "The good stuff" is all of the memories you can make with the one you love while they're still here.

TODAY - Everywhere you look there are cracks on the wall. You're seeing cracks in our culture, in our relationships, in our families, and in our lives. And a lot of time and energy — is being spent patching them up. The question that we must answer is what is the foundation that needs to be fixed?

Many of us feel beaten up, and discouraged with the negatives that life can bring. However, God's word gives us a hope and confidence in what the future holds! We choose to stand firm on God's promises, believing that greatest days can still be ahead!