In these opening verses of the Gospel of John, we are presented with a profound truth that has the power to transform our lives: Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the light of the world. Just as light dispels darkness, Jesus illuminates the dark corners of our hearts and minds, bringing clarity, hope, and purpose. 

Knowledge that remains stuck in our brain but never sees the light of day is not truly understood. We might comprehend bits and pieces of God's faithfulness in theory, but knowing the power of God's truth is only developed through each faith-filled step we take.

If Hallmark cards were around in ancient Greece, there wouldn't be adorable pictures of hearts on those love notes, but instead there would be pictures of someone's intestines with a squeamish inscription like, "I love you with all my guts." Of course, I don't envision those cards flying off the shelves now, but back then, people believed that love and compassion lived in the gut, not the heart. To them, their emotions and feelings resided in their tummy. 

I'm the farthest thing from a thrill seeker. I like my feet firmly planted on the ground. As a kid, I settled for the merry-go-round instead of the rollercoaster. My dad eventually had enough of it and said we would tackle the fastest and tallest ride in the entire amusement park. 

I suffered from the Holy Trifecta of teasing in 6th grade. My nickname was Jellyroll due to my hefty frame. In addition, I had a mouth full of braces, a peach fuzz mustache, and thick glasses. The cherry on top for my tormentors was my dad, who worked as the K-Mart manager in our town. They had so much fodder for teasing that they rarely brought up the turtlenecks or sweater vests my mom forced me to wear.

We do desperate things when we long to be loved. We will go to dramatic lengths to experience love, confirm we are loved or show others we are lovable. From people-pleasing and attention-seeking to fixing our behavior and becoming a doormat, there is nothing off-limits to what we’re willing to do in order to experience that elusive thing called love…

Down three with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. It was now or never. I gripped the bat tight, watched the ball leave the pitcher's hand, and swung with all my might. SMACK! The ball took flight and soared through the sky…

As Christ-followers, we are called to live our lives in service of others. Jesus dares us to deny ourselves and freely give our time, energy, and resources to uplift those He loves. Disciples of Jesus are made to carry the transformative love of God into spaces where others find themselves hopeless, suffering, and broken-hearted. Life is best lived when everything we do is leveraged for His glory and the good of those around us. Though, because we are human, we are often motivated to “do good” for the express purpose of bringing ourselves glory and acclaim. 

This past year was up and down. Learning to live with anxiety was such a blessing, and that foundation that I was standing on seemed firm and confident not to beat me against the rocks, but as 2023 was approaching its end, I was beginning to feel a bit beat up. My husband (and I) were dealing with some health issues that certainly felt like rain, winds, and some days like a Cat 5 Hurricane - storms with no meteorologist telling me they were coming or how long they would last.

There are places and spaces in our lives where we don't feel qualified, mature, or wise, so we say, "For the sake of the Kingdom, I'll step back and let someone else take this one." But what if we all step back? What if we all decide that we are not wise or mature? Who is then left to lead? A small few, if any. 

The only way we will ever share our lives, like Paul speaks about in his letter to the church in Thessalonica, is if trust is present in our relationships. Connection is exchanging life with one another as we trust enough to live safely within the care of our community. It is that challenging, relational topic of trust that we want to focus on today. Trust is required for us to experience life together and serves as the currency of our connections.

I’m not very techy. My young adult children scoff at my outdated iPod that houses my favorite playlists versus the newer streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. I keep my iPod handy because I love music. I love to sing. It’s one of my favorite expressions of worship.

In the Bible, God is referred to over and over again as our Heavenly Father. Like any good dad, God gives us guidelines that protect us and foster our growth. Though, God’s commands often rub up against our short-term desires. As a result, we view God as a kill-joy. Like teenagers who have yet to grasp why their parents “boss them around,” we turn our noses up at God’s instructions. We think God is trying to restrict us and make our lives less “fun.” We view Him as a strict parent who “lays down the law” just to control and manipulate us. So, we choose our own way—and reap the consequences. 

I had the toughest time picking My One Word this year for several reasons. First, I like my word, Animate, from last year, and I don’t feel like I experienced it in the way I had envisioned. So, as soon as I began to consider a new word for this year, I couldn't help but compare it to my old one. What might it be like if I just kept Animate? Then, I would talk myself out of the new word and be back at square one…anyone else following me?

If I'm being completely honest, I often want to pick the absolute perfect word, but not too perfect. It can't challenge me in a way that makes me uncomfortable, but it has to somehow allow me to grow into the follower of Jesus I want to become. I don't think I'm alone, and it's a tension we all face, regardless of where we find ourselves in the picking word process. We desire transformation on our terms, preferably without the struggle and inconvenience. 

There is no striving when it comes to the love of God. There are no prerequisites, no hoops to jump through, and no proof is required to determine our worth. What if God isn't disappointed in our imperfections but glorified by our willingness to participate? 

It took me a long time to land on my word for 2023. I kept circling around words like joy, peace, presence, and abide, but I always kept returning to the word “Delight.” So I spent most of last January considering Delight: What does it mean? How would it change the way I think and live? What does delighting in the Lord even look like on a day-to-day basis? By the end of the month, I realized that what I needed most was not a clear definition of delight but rather for me to experience delight in God’s presence throughout the year. 

My anxiety has never been what I would call overwhelming. It’s more like a faint whirring in the background of my life. I can tune it out usually. But lately, when I don’t, it morphs into this sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop. And while some folks’ other shoe is a lightweight flip flop that floats, I’m pretty sure that my other shoe is going to be a steel-toe work boot that could cause a concussion.

You may have heard the age-old question, “If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” It’s an interesting one that philosophers have used for hundreds of years to explore the tension between perception and reality. It illustrates that in order for us to experience something, we have to be aware of it in the first place. 

Picking a word for the year isn’t always an easy thing to navigate. We pick “humility” because we want to be more humble. We pick “forgiveness” cause we want to be more forgiving. All of a sudden, what is supposed to be a lens to see through turns into a goal to be met. Not only that, but if we are being honest, the goal that we might morph our word into can be a bit tougher than the simple New Year’s Resolution. It’s one thing to be on your phone less or go to the gym every now and again- it’s a whole different ball game to think about who you are becoming.