One finding from [Neitzke’s] research of healthy families is that they eat together. That might sound like a relatively obvious thing until you start asking around as to how many families actually do that.

There are some things that will never be answered for us regarding God’s reasoning for allowing certain things to happen, but what He sometimes does for us in the Holy Scriptures is give us examples of how He truly does work through things for the good of those who love Him.

If Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we are the sheep. And sheep need a shepherd. They are not able to survive well on their own since they are basically defenseless against their predators. And so it is with us.

How would you describe our world today? One phrase that is sometimes used is, “going to hell in a handbasket.”

During the Easter season, instead of the first Scripture reading during the worship service being from the Old Testament, it’s from the Acts of the Apostles. It seems this has been the practice in the Christian Church since at least the 4th Century. So what’s the reasoning?

Is this coming weekend a “Holiday Weekend” or a “Holy Day Weekend” for you? What’s the difference? It may seem like a matter of semantics since “Holiday” comes from “holy day,” but it can also be a matter of attitude.

This weekend begins our observance of Holy Week and our journey with Jesus into Jerusalem and the cross. What a comfort to know the rest of the story.

Do you believe that Jesus is the great “I AM” right now, who would be actively involved in your present and not just giving you hope for the future?

Sometimes we think of ourselves differently than we actually are. I think all of us would like to think of ourselves as thankful people, but when we actually log how often we actually thank God and others, we may find that we actually assume a lot.

Have you ever tried to run away from something you don’t want to face?

In Baptism God changed everything by washing away the guilt of our original sin and connecting us to Jesus and what He accomplished for us.

The same word that calls us to know who Jesus is points us to what He has done on the cross that we might not be afraid … and can know the peace of sins forgiven.

We live by faith in our Lord Jesus and what He did for us as our Savior, and part of His work includes the gift of the Holy Spirit who works and sustains saving faith in us, helping us to mature in our ability to live a life of love to God and our neighbor as Jesus lived. But some are content to simply know Jesus loves them…

As salt, Jesus’ followers put His teaching into practice by being a positive influence … to love our neighbors as ourselves. As light, Jesus’ followers reflect Him and, in a world darkened by sin, show through our words and actions that there is a positive path to follow…

I must admit that this time of year lack of light can be difficult. That’s why I am thankful for the little bit of snow we’ve received lately. It brightens everything up. For others, the snow might not be so beautiful. Can you imagine if we as humans had the ability to control the weather?

While we’re on His road, we learn from Him not only how we are to live, but also How He lived, and died, for us that we might be the forgiven, redeemed children of God.