We live in a world that rarely thinks of God as interested in a relational connection with his creation. There is a common belief that each person better figure things out for him or herself. God just isn’t interested.  How lonesome and scary that would be for me. But we’ve learned that God does care.

Studies have shown that when people perform behaviors associated with compassionate love such as warm smiles, friendly hand gestures, affirmative forward leans toward another, the body produces more oxytocin, which self-perpetuates itself. This motivates us to be even more compassionate!

Throughout the years, I have carried the idea of sabbath with me and incorporated its practice into our family life. Every home, every person, even our work and land need a time of rest, renewal, and worship. It does not eliminate our caring for others but energizes us to be people of compassion.

“…Build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” These are precious words of advice for all of us. Don’t be swayed by those who devalue the Gospel. Then, to top it all off, Jude writes, “And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire…” Can we live that way? It is a call to be strong in our own faith and to continually stretch out a hand to help those who are struggling or being tempted to go off course.

Trust God and your own instincts in making decisions. Look to the positive side of life decisions, see the new opportunities that lie ahead.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
    I took them up in my arms,
    but they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with bands of love.
I was to them like those
    who lift infants to their cheeks.
    I bent down to them and fed them.

God’s love is as vast as the most magnificent landscape we can see (and then some!). Yet God chose to bring the greatest gift humankind could receive (salvation, hope, forgiveness, and an example of how we can live in peace and harmony in our broken world) in the form of a tiny human baby called Jesus.

Paul founded a church in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. A moment came when Paul was thinking about this new church and the struggles they were having to hang in there when outside influences were pressing against them. So, Paul writes to give encouragement to these new converts.

David, the Psalmist, had sinned mightily in God’s eyes. Yet, with a humble heart, David prays this prayer for forgiveness. God does forgive. God blankets our sin or sins or evil thoughts, words, and deeds with such loving forgiveness that it is like snow covering the ground, the sin wiped or melted away because of God’s love. Wow!

Consider this. Much wisdom that we have is because we have watched a friend become successful in business or in a career and we have tried to mimic that success. When we read a book or attend a lecture, we are stimulated to read or study that topic more. Have you noticed how we do things a certain way because that is what our mom once said or did? Our practices for holiday celebrations are often copying the traditions we did when we were children.