REFLECTIONS

We've enjoyed the fall colors, and now the crisp air fills our surroundings. Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner. For many, it is a time to reflect on blessings and to celebrate life's gifts with warmth and joy of the holiday season. Yet, for others, Thanksgiving can be a hurtful reminder of absence, loss, or unmet expectations. Cultivating a grateful heart in these circumstances requires intentionality, perspective, and compassion, for oneself and for others.

The Church is our foundation for our Christian walk. Gathering together in its building as a family in God’s love creates a home where we can get to know Christ more deeply. Growing up, my family lived away from extended family. All the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins lived in Northern Illinois. We moved a handful of times to other midwestern locales until finally ending up in Woodinville in the beautiful state of Washington when I was twelve years old. My parents t

I heard a saying recently that went, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” These eleven words could have been...