It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas whenever we rediscover the simplicity of His love. David Jeremiah I still remember clearly the Christmas when the idea embodied in this quote really grabbed my attention. Thanksgiving had just passed, and Christmas with all its busyness was upon me: shopping, baking and activities galore. Into this mix…all of sudden…my car was rear-ended at a stoplight by another car driving at high speed. My busyness came to a stand still, and this unexpected intrusion resulted in a different type of Christmas season. A more reflective one. God used an unexpected event to slow me down so I could more richly experience his presence in the fullness of the season. I had to let go of my plans and embrace God’s plans. So…instead of shopping and baking and attending parties that year, I was doctor-visiting and couch-sitting. After I worked through a personal pity party, the words from 2 Thessalonians 3:16 came to mind, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself

A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most perfect prayer. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Thanksgiving is an American tradition that began with the Pilgrims praising God for a good harvest. For some, it’s turned into just a day off and a big meal, or perhaps to a general feeling of thanks. For God’s people, however, it can be an invitation to proclaim our gratefulness and praise for God’s continuing power and presence. Scripture tells us to be "thankful in everything, in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The challenge for us is that we often give thanks only after a long litany of requests. Today might be a good time to focus on thanking God first, before any requests. Thank him – first – for the way he already has been working in your life and the lives of people you know. Thank him – first – for his answers to prayer and his provision for your needs; such blessings are just begging to be noticed. When we focus on giving thanks, it can help us pay more a

“A visual image is a simple thing, a picture that enters the eyes.” Roy H. Williams God, as the ultimate creator, communicates his love through the many pictures he creates. I encourage you to take notice of specific aspects of creation that surround you. Talk to God about what you see, and ask him what he might want you to notice that expresses his heart for you. Through nature, God is able to teach us, speak to us, and provide for us. Have you ever closely observed the speedy and purposeful flight of a bumblebee, the effortlessness of a swimming otter, or the vibrancy of a dew-dropped rose? How easily we miss observing these pictures because we are distracted or preoccupied. Our lives easily can become propelled by the tyranny of the urgent, rather than the deliberate pause to observe the important. Why is this distinction important? Because although our lives are filled with responsibilities and tasks, if that becomes our overwhelming focus we lose sight of the things