“If your Christmas this year is lonely or impoverished in any manner – be present – remind others you are here and of value. Ask for prayers. Ask for help. Give others the gift of the opportunity to be kind and generous, as Jesus directed us to be. We truly need the restoration of compassion.”

“Let’s remember to take the real work of Christmas with us all year. It is a gift that is never too small or large, the wrong color, or a duplicate of something they’ve already got. It is simply what everybody needs – every day, every minute.”

“I wonder how many times any of us
went to bed convinced we knew the right thing,
the sensible thing,
and woke up the next morning
to do exactly the opposite–
because we discovered God had different plans.”

“Sing out, O Earth—
Gathering yourself beneath the blanket of snow
With the promise of green ready to spring forth 
Like a panther after its prey
Sending winds to set the dogwood blossoms dancing …”

“Are you ready for the story of God 
putting on flesh
To know this life and this world
To know us and love us …”

“One of my dreams was to see the aurora borealis. It is still on my bucket list. This amazing display of light illuminates the darkness of the coldest days. Gazing at photos of it reminds me that God illuminates the darkness of our world in spectacular ways. That is what the story of Advent is all about – light penetrating the darkness in sensational and unexpected ways, inviting us to gasp in awe and wonder at the mighty display.”

“For us the angel is often not even discernable, let alone understandable.  We cannot see Gabriel among the bright lights and constant noise of contemporary civilization.  Our cell phones get in the way, as do our constant cycles of meetings and obligations.  The only thing we have to guide us and give us the tiniest inkling of hope is prayer.”

“Elizabeth Kübler-Ross observed that stained-glass windows are beautiful when the sunlight hits them. The light goes from outside in, splashing the interior with patches of color. At night, though, if the building is lit inside, the stained glass glows visible, warm, and welcoming. That is the kind of light Jesus wants us to present, just as he did through his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.”

“I do not have any special insight into how this all can be fixed, but I do know that we must mourn the loss of our international political standing, the power that we were so accustomed to when dealing with both partners and adversaries, and the pride we held in being an example for other nations to follow.”