“D.J. would really benefit from using a treadmill every day a lot more than he would just once a week,” said my 3-year-old son’s physical therapist at one of his sessions. D.J. has mild cerebral palsy, which was hindering use of his right foot and leg. She had been having him use the treadmill like a skateboard, one foot on the edge and one on the track. Using a treadmill meant we could position his foot while it was in motion. The only problem was … we could only do it once a week. I had no money for a treadmill. Sarah, my best friend, was with me at the time. We looked at each other and I said, “Well, God, we need a treadmill. I don’t know how You’re going to do it, but I know You will.” A short time later, D.J. and I went to my mother’s house for a few days and brought along Sarah and her toddler, Hannah. It was two weeks before Christmas when we made that long trip. Before we left, Sarah and I both had the thought that we needed to take out the extra bench in the minivan. We had no idea why. Yet it seemed important, so we did. We arrived at my mother’s house shortly after sunset. It was a beautiful night. My mom suggested we drive around and see the Christmas lights in her neighborhood. That sounded great, so we piled into her car and she drove us up and down many roads including cul-de-sacs that we would have no other reason to be on. As we were turning around in one of those cul-de-sacs, the headlights hit something at the end of a driveway. One of us yelled, “Was that a treadmill?!” Mom backed up. Sure enough, there sat a treadmill. Sarah and I jumped out and ran to the house. We knocked on the door and then asked the man who answered, “Why is that treadmill at the edge of the road?” “Well,” he said, “I just decided to give my wife her Christmas present early. She wanted a new and fancy treadmill. That one was in the way. There is nothing wrong with it. You can have it.” We were so excited! Mom drove us back to her house, and then Sarah and I got into my minivan and drove back to get it. It barely fit. Good thing that bench was not there. To this day, Sarah and I marvel at the way this man acted like he was expecting us that night. God is so good. My son had a need. I put no constraints on how God could meet the need. I just believed He would, and He did! So often, it is tempting to tell God what to do and how to do it. If we would just remember this: God is good, He loves us, and He wants the best for us. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20 NLT) Why would we want to limit our God who wants to do more than we can think? We will never forget that Christmas! It makes me think of the widow in 2 Kings 4. She was in danger of losing her two sons to a creditor and all she had was oil. It was all she needed. The only limit on what God provided was how many jars she collected! Let’s not limit God. Let’s trust Him. ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem!” (Luke 2:10-11 NLT) “You will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John 16:22) Joy is one of the most radiant themes of Advent. It's not surface-level happiness or seasonal cheer, but rather a soul-deep gladness rooted in the presence of Christ. True joy doesn’t depend on what’s happening around us; it flows from the unshakable reality of who Jesus is and what He has done. On a typical night in Bethlehem, ordinary shepherds tended their flocks when heaven broke through with a message that would change history. An angel appeared, declaring, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10). The shepherds, startled and afraid, soon found themselves witnesses to the glory of God revealed in the form of a newborn King. The angel’s announcement to the shepherds wasn’t just a feel-good message. It was good news of great joy; joy that changed everything, for everyone, forever. Jesus’ birth was heaven’s declaration that God’s love had drawn near, and that redemption had come in the form of a baby. Joy can seem hard to hold onto in a world that feels unpredictable and heavy. But the joy of the Lord is not dependent on our circumstances. It’s anchored in who God is and what He has done. Mary’s song of praise (Luke 1:46-55) was sung before the miracle had fully unfolded. She rejoiced in God’s faithfulness, not because she had all the answers, but because she knew the One who did. That same joy can fill our hearts when we choose to praise before we see the outcome. Advent joy calls us to rejoice even in the waiting, because we know the end of the story. It reminds us that God is working, even when we cannot see it. We taste this joy now through the Holy Spirit, yet we also long for the day when our joy will be made complete in His presence forever. And because of Jesus, we have a joy that no one and nothing can take away. Think of a season when joy seemed impossible, yet God’s presence lifted your spirit. That’s the joy Advent invites us to rediscover. And joy grows when we give it away. A smile, a kind word, or an unexpected act of service can point others to the true source of our joy—Jesus Christ. Father, thank You for the joy that comes through Jesus. Fill our hearts with rejoicing this week, not because life is perfect, but because You are. Let joy rise up in us, overflow to others, and shine like a light in the darkness. In every moment, may we choose joy. Amen. ~ Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.  

I have had the honor of serving the Lord through worship for many years. Worship is so entwined with who I am that it comes naturally to me. The Lord has taught me a lot about worship over the years and I am still learning. Worship is not just the music that happens before a pastor’s sermon. Worship itself is so much more than a song. It reflects our heart’s posture towards God. It is not about us, it’s about God. He alone is worthy of all our worship and all our praise.  You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased. (Revelation 4:11 NLT) God, our Father, the Creator of the Universe, is worthy of worship and praise because of who He is, first and foremost. If God never does a single thing for you, He is worthy of your worship and worthy of your praise because of who He is.  I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. (Psalm 145:1-3) The good news is that because of God’s great love, He has done tremendous things for us. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on a cross as the payment for our sins, which separated us from God. This sacrificial act of love made a way for us to be reconciled to God and to be made right in His sight. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20) God is worthy of your total devotion and that is so much more than just singing songs every Sunday morning. Worship is a way of life. It is choosing to praise God and worship Him because of who He is, regardless of what your circumstances may look like. Worship is recognizing that God can do exceedingly and abundantly greater things than we could ever ask or think. It is choosing to seek Him first, to keep your eyes on Him during the storms of life, and choosing to believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do all that He says He will.  It’s walking by faith and not by sight and trusting that God will come through for you because He loves you. It’s recognizing that when things don’t work out the way you thought they would, His ways are higher and better than anything you could come up with. Total devotion to the Lord is seeking Him every day, and not just on Sunday mornings. When you live a life of worship, He becomes the air you breathe and the reason you sing.  Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.” (Psalm 66:1-4) ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 601