As I sit and reflect, I am incredibly grateful for the way God continually provides for my family and for the community of believers we are a part of who (not perfectly but) faithfully demonstrate His generous love toward others. Thank You Lord!

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to attend the Snowboarders and Skiers for Christ conference at Mt. Hood. Getting to experience the grandeur of the mountain and surrounding area was certainly a highlight! Massive snow covered trees, rays of sun filtering through

It's only when we completely surrender and lose ourselves that we increasingly find the resurrection life, joy, hope and peace that Jesus offers. This is not a decision that is made once, but many times over and over as we are reminded of the Gospel – and it changes our hearts.

Joy in Christ can permeate the darkest of days and supersede the greatest of times. I pray that we would come to deeply know and experience this joy today and in the days to come.

And yet, in the midst of a year filled with much hate, division, tragedy and death – the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ are so apparent and real to me. The name Immanuel means "God with us." Psalm 23 says: "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are WITH me." This is why God sent His son Jesus to earth – so that even in our darkest days, we would truly know and experience the hope, peace, joy and love of Immanuel, God with us.

Yesterday was a great reminder to me that truly ceasing is part of our design. God did it after creation, and Jesus did it regularly during his ministry. I encourage you to make an effort to “sabat” this week. Rest in the finished work of Christ. I think you will find it refreshing to your mind, body and soul.

The truth that I often need to be reminded of is that there are rules worth aligning myself with – God’s rule. It's only with His rule and reign in my life that I can grow and mature. This is true freedom: growing into what God has intended you to be for His glory and our good!

In John 6:35 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst." We all hunger for something more than just food. We are hungry for life – true spiritual life. The life we hunger for can only be satisfied by something outside of us, someone much greater than us: Jesus Christ.

The Lord is slowly working in my heart to change my need to be recognized, rewarded and repaid, and replacing it with a desire to fellowship more deeply with Christ and experience gratitude in all circumstances. I pray you find encouragement today in the all encompassing lifelong journey of following Jesus.

When we give into the lie that we can find something better apart from God, we ultimately end up enslaved and unsatisfied. But, when we have a right view of God and the world around us we are actually able to engage with and enjoy the things of this world in the way God intended, with him at the center, instead of trying to make them something they are not. This is the redemptive advantage that allows us to live life to its fullest potential.

Do you love Jesus? Is He at work in your heart and life? If you do and if He is, then you will talk about Him. And when we talk about Christ our hearts will be increasingly stirred with affection for Him!

As we grow older, we tend to become jaded. Inevitably we are hurt by others and we become guarded. We are burdened by life's many responsibilities and forget how to play. We lose our desire to explore and get outside of our "norm", so we settle for a lifestyle of complacency. There is so much out there that God still has for you if you would come to Him with child-like faith.

I had gone into the woods hoping to hear from God, but I think He was delighted for the opportunity I had to simply be with Him. The best kinds of relationships in life are not transactional. Sadly, I have a tendency to treat my relationship with God as if it was. The best and most intimate relationships are ones that don't require an agenda, or an outcome. God keeps gently reminding me that he didn't save me just so that I could serve him (although that is part of it). He saved me simply because He loves me and He wants me to be with him...Today, tomorrow and for the rest of eternity.

The human heart is prone to wander which is why it is so important to remind ourselves of the truths of Jesus every day, every hour, every moment if need be. The gospel reminds us that Jesus is the only thing worth putting all faith and trust in. His love for us was proven at the cross, and for those who believe, it is not only what we fall back on, but the very thing on which we stand.

I've found that as these doubts arrive, God gives us sweet assurances of his grace as we continue to press into him. He is true to his word. He WILL work in and through us if we believe and obey Him. My prayer is that we will no longer be surprised, but never cease to be amazed that we serve a loving God who saves sinners, transforms lives and uses ordinary people like you and me to accomplish his purposes in a broken world.

Regularly taking a moment to pause, praise and give thanks may seem insignificant, but I am convinced that our habits are constantly forming us into the people we are becoming. If you're like me and you tend to get caught up in the busyness of the day, take a moment now and ask God to grow in you a heart of constant gratitude! He hears your prayers and desires to help you!

Because of God’s great love for us he sent his son Jesus Christ into a broken world to take sin and death upon himself so that we could have a new and greater life. A life in relationship with Him. This life begins today and goes beyond our time here on earth into an eternity spent with our Maker. Because of the love of Christ I have HOPE- hope for Chris, hope for you, hope for me and anyone who calls on the name of Jesus...Because even in death, a life hidden in Christ can never be taken away.