REFLECTIONS

Recently I was blessed to spend three weeks with my Scottish granddaughters. Scotland is roughly 4,500 miles from Seattle and 8 hours ahead of us. It makes for difficult FaceTime and phone calls. The oldest is now 8½ so I've accepted the distance and relish the times I can be with them. The youngest, almost 2 years old, so loved "reading" books. She had her favorites and even if they were placed randomly on the bookshelf, she searched them out easily. The 5 year old still enj

Do you know what a Champion Leader is? In the Old Testament, we find that a champion leader was one soldier that was sent out to represent the entire army. The other army would also send out their champion leader, and the two soldiers would battle instead of the whole armies. Obviously, the most famous example of this is David and Goliath. We all know the story of the youngest, runt of the family, David going out to fight the behemoth, giant Goliath. Many times in Scripture,

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...