"... But wisdom is justified of her children." (Matthew 11:19).

In Proverbs 4, the writer requests a listening, a hearing, and an application to words that he gives to his son in verses 1-4.

1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Happy New Year to you! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas season with your family. Despite how wonderful the Christmas season is, it can also be exhaustingly busy! I trust things in your life are beginning to settle down and get back to normal.

Worship, Grow, Serve, and Go! These divine directives are plainly displayed in the calling of Peter in his promotion from fisherman to "fisher of men." Following three and a half years of earthly ministry together, we see in John 21, verse 15 that Jesus asks Peter the bold question, "... lovest thou me more than these? ..." In verses 18-19, Peter's response was met with an account of the Saviour's pending mode of death and resulting glory. Jesus continues in verse 19 with yet another, "... Follow me." His command was an indication that Peter's followship meant repetitiously doing as He taught and as He instructed. It was a training-infused moment.

As the Christmas season is in full swing around us, I was brought back to Luke 2 and the Christmas story. There is so much that takes place in this passage, but for me the main theme is that God's will was accomplished. Too often we see the busyness of the season of life that we are in and perhaps we can even get overwhelmed by the season. However, I hope that through it all we can see that God is in control. After all, the purpose of our existence is for God's glory. Therefore, we should see God being glorified in all things.

It is a special time of the year. Christmas is upon us. I absolutely love Christmas; I love everything about it. It is a special time because it is about Christ and His selfless expression of love in His desire to rescue humanity from sin. We rejoice for who Christ is and what He has done for us! But I know this time of year can also present its own unique challenges. For some people, it is hard to go through the holiday season because of a lost loved one. For others, the challenge of this time of year is that it is a deeply reflective time and they are focused on obstacles to overcome or goals to accomplish.