Scripture Reading — Philippians 3:13-14Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal. . . .— Philippians 3:13-14It’s easy to get trapped in the past, isn’t it? We hold on to things we wish we could undo, replaying those moments in our minds again and again.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:17If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here!— 2 Corinthians 5:17I have always loved the idea of starting fresh, shedding old habits or mindsets that no longer serve well. I remember the first time I truly felt like I

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 43:18-19“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! . . .”— Isaiah 43:18-19Change has a way of making us feel uneasy. It often comes with the uncertainty of the unknown and the discomfort of moving away from what we’ve always known. I

Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:1-4We proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.— 1 John 1:2After coming through the Christmas season, we stand today on the verge of a new year. In many homes Christmas decorations are coming down, and Christmas parties are over.

Scripture Reading — Luke 21:25-28“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”— Luke 21:27The Christmas season looks back to the time when the Son of God first came to live among us and to bring us salvation. But this season has a forward-looking aspect as

Scripture Reading — Matthew 2:19-23, Luke 2:39-40When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.— Luke 2:39I like to have the Christmas season continue as long as possible. In our home we often keep our Christmas tree

Scripture Reading — Matthew 2:13-18“Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt . . . for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”— Matthew 2:14Not everyone loves Christmas. Maybe you’ve heard about Ebenezer Scrooge in the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, or about the Grinc