Author Archives: diane.connis@gmail.com

Shut Up and Listen!

The flaws of humanity are so blatantly obvious in many Biblical accounts and when I read this today it made me smile.

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Mark 9:2-8

This was a crazy, mind blowing experience for the disciples to witness and I’m not sure how I’d react if I’d been there. Elijah and Moses show up to talk to Jesus about something and Peter, of course, being the impulsive, foot–in–mouth dude that he is, has to say something even though he’s scared out of his wits.

Know anybody that talks or laughs too much when they’re nervous or afraid? This had to be one of those moments.

The best part of this story is God coming down in the form of a cloud, confirming that Jesus is His son, then basically telling the three disciples (probably meant mostly for mouth-running-constantly Peter) in a very, “I’m God and you’re not” authoritive way to shut up and listen to Jesus.

I wonder how many times I talk when I should be listening. Are my prayers and conversations  just a shopping list of my do’s, wants, plans and ideas or am I taking time to be quiet and just listen? I laugh when I read about Peter, but how much am I like him? Maybe more than I care to admit!

That’s something to think on…..

James 1:19 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak”

Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

When we talk we learn what we already know,
When we listen, we have a chance to learn something new.- Lyman Steil

Listen or your tongue will keep you deaf-an old Proverb

Drive-through Faith

In a hungry hurry? Just drive up, place your order, exchange your payment at the window for a bagful of dinner and run.

Need money in a rush? Drive in, slide your card into the slot, press a few buttons and out pops cash. Snatch it and go. 

Thirsty? Insert some loose change into the machine, select a number and a cold drink tumbles into your inpatient hands. 

Drive-through establishments are icons of our smart, fast moving, multi-tasking, self serving culture. Fast foods, banks, dry cleaners, even a few churches provide busy people with instant, have-it-your-way convenience. As agreeable as this may be to our busy lifestyles, it has also contributed to a society that has come to expect immediate solutions and results in every area of life, even in areas of faith. We are not very good at waiting anymore.

I’ve been praying for several years about a few things and have yet to see results I want; in fact God appears to be silent to some of my requests. On a recent day, while whining to God about how long the answers were taking, this phrase dropped into my mind; ‘drive-through faith.’  I knew God was asking me to think about the level of faith I possess. If my faith expects quick and easy access to whatever I desire at the moment or asks for His stamp of approval on all my plans instead of His, then it isn’t faith at all. 

So how are we Christ’s followers, to react when instant healing, provision, solutions aren’t forthcoming? What do we do when Heaven’s drive up window appears to be closed and the divine vending machine in the sky seems to be empty?  

Hebrews chapter eleven gives us a clue. It lists the Sunday school lesson, heroes of faith that we love to remember; Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Joseph, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, Samuel and others. As if these didn’t have enough anxiety waiting for resolution of their troubles, this chapter also reminds us of many unnamed believers who faced unimaginable circumstances. Those who were poor, mistreated, oppressed, wandering, hiding, tortured, mocked, whipped, imprisoned, chained, and murdered for their faith. Verse 38 informs us “they were too good for this world,” but regardless, they were here, facing huge obstacles and faith challenges. But honestly, verse 39 is the one I’d really like to cross out of my Bible, “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.”  Yes, they went to their graves without the magic fairy wand of blab-it and grab-it, name-it-and-claim-it faith wrapping up all their troubles in the one easy step. I have to admit, reading that doesn’t excite me.

Sometimes God gives us those wonderful instant resolutions to problems and sometimes He waits, for a long time. And then, there’s those hard to swallow moments when His answer is,”No, not this time.” Because God is sovereign, His eternal time table rarely corresponds with our earthly clock. Because God is a loving Father, He doesn’t give us everything we think we need. Trusting, believing and enduring when we don’t see the end in sight, the light at the end of a dark tunnel, is the greatest faith of all. Jesus said to His disciple, Thomas, “You believe because you have seen, but blessed are those who have not seen and still believe.” (John 20:29)

God is most interested in maturing and establishing in us, faith for the long haul. The goal is a faith that endures, solid and steady regardless of outcomes and circumstances. Faith is not one dimensional and drive-through faith is never enough to grow the endurance and discipline needed to outlast or overcome the hardships we encounter here. Quick-fix faith is exciting when it happens, but learning to balance contentment and patience with faith is essential for all the times God’s plan or timing doesn’t match our own. 

Romans 4:18 says Abraham “hoped against hope”. When all hope was gone, when the impossible loomed like a mountain before him, he believed God’s promise anyway and he waited. In whatever I am hoping and longing for, God desires to grow me into a level of faith that is so natural it’s like breathing; one that relies on Him without struggle or doubt. He is calling me to a place of abiding confidence, rest, peace and absolute trust. I have the option to remain as a selfish, pouty child who doesn’t want to play anymore when things don’t go my way or submit to God’s maturing process.

Will I trust Him at all times, in all things, especially when I’m not getting the results I want right now? God is asking me to trust Him with my unresolved problems and His timing and wisdom in solving them. It’s not always easy but I’m learning that the best answer is,”Yes Lord. Teach me, help me to place my hope, faith and confidence at all times, ONLY in You!”

And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” Luke 17:5

We Don’t Qualify

When I am out and about and the subject of Jonathan comes up, many people ask me why he is still living at home at the age of thirty two. The question always asked, “Aren’t there programs and residential places for him?”

“Yes, there is.” I explain, “but they are not free or cheap (and some of them are no good, but that’s another topic). Someone has to pay for it and it’s me and you, the tax payer who does, through the Medicaid system. Since there are about 20,000 people on a wait list for developmental services in the state and Medicaid is struggling, while simultaneously Florida is facing the same economic crisis as the rest of the world, there is not enough money to go around.”

I recently decided that in spite of this gloomy scenario, it can’t hurt to ask and requested the application needed to raise Jon’s funding level so we can have him spend a few nights a month at the Duvall Home (where he attends an adult program a few days a week – when I can get him there!) with a long term goal of slowly adjusting him to move in permanently at some point. There aren’t words to express how good this could possibly be for him and us and also the peace of mind it would give us knowing he is in a safe and secure place, especially as the years continue to fly by.

I received this document shown above which outlines the criteria for increased funding from the Florida Agency For Persons With Disabilities. As you can see there are three crisis categories, that should we fall into any one, has to be heavily documented by all sorts of folks who have a long list of letters behind their names but may be short on the experience of actually living 24/7 with a guy like Jon.

Our situation doesn’t warrant any of these qualifications and quite honestly I’m thankful for that. Jon is not homeless, he is not a danger to anyone and we are still able to care for him. But that doesn’t mean that as an adult, he shouldn’t have the choice to move on, have more to look forward to everyday, more opportunities than we can provide for him and the chance to have the best possible life, something besides hanging out in his room and with his mom most of the time.

If we sold our house and lived under a bridge in our car, while Mike continued to work, we might barely have the resources to place Jon at Duvall full time. Obviously, that is not an option, but I am formulating information and a plan in my mind to move forward with this request. We don’t fit the qualifications listed here, but like I said, it doesn’t hurt to ask. 

My God is a miracle working God so I will bathe it all in prayer, hope for favor from some decision maker in an office up in Tallahassee and see what happens.

Will keep you posted.

Suddenly

Rebecca was doing what she did everyday when her knight in shining armor showed up on a white horse to ride her off into the sunset. Well…actually, no… her knight’s family servant showed up on a camel to take her about six hundred miles across hot and dry terrain to a new husband she had not yet met. 

While reading Genesis twenty four, it struck me that the young woman was performing the usual- going to the well at evening to get water for her family. How many times had she faithfully carried out that menial chore with no fanfare, nothing but boring female gossip going on there; another day of walking with a heavy jar on her shoulder to fetch water, then carrying a heavier jar back home.

But in one day everything changed. Abraham’s servant showed up and Rebecca, being taught to go the extra mile in acts of kindness, watered his caravan of camels and in doing so became the answer to Abraham and Eliezer’s prayer for a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac, the son of promise.

So many people in the Bible were carrying out routine and unassuming tasks of life when their “suddenly” occurred. In a day, everything changed.

David was in a field watching sheep when Samuel called for him to be anointed king. Moses was tending his father-in-law’s herds when a fired up bush started talking to him about being a leader of the Hebrew nation. Gideon was threshing wheat when God told him he was to be general over an odd army that would send the oppressive Midianites on a run for their lives. Simon the old priest, was carrying out his usual temple duties when the Christ child came through the sanctuary doors to be dedicated and Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishing when Jesus walked by and turned their lives completely upside down.

So what about us? What are we doing day in and out that is ordinary, tedious or even boring and are we faithful in it? Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much”.

Faithfulness is what He is looking for. The small thing we are called to do today could open the way for our “suddenly”.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

Be faithful in the usual like Rebecca was. Tomorrow could be that new and different day. You never know!

Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Matthew 25:21

Someone is Watching Me

While I was in the bathroom this morning, I realized there were eyes watching me. They were half hidden under a towel draped over the edge of our Jacuzzi tub. I laughed when I spotted them because I knew where they came from and how they landed there.

Pastor Geoff and Bethany, the Children’s Ministry leaders at church,  gave us “Root Deer” for Christmas; a six pack of IBC root beer in glass bottles dressed up as adorable reindeer with red pom pom noses, plastic googly eyes and brown pipe cleaner antlers. As soon as I set eyes on them (pun intended) I commented to Mike, “Of course these would have to be from someone who spends all their time with kids.” I thought they were too cute to drink. Jonathan didn’t. 

Since I rarely buy soda, he was thrilled to discover them in the pantry but refused to drink a bottle until all the add-on parts were removed. I’ve found eyes, noses and antlers everywhere (sorry Bethany), under the Christmas tree, couch cushions, on the floor and patio table, in his room, laundry room and even in the garage. This morning a pair of eyes was in my bathroom, staring at me.

For all the reasons Jon gives me to feel nutty sometimes, he gives me plenty more to smile. As I did my morning routine in the mirror and saw those googly eyes looking at me from the rear view, a verse downloaded into my thoughts from 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

As a child, I was told God was always watching me, which was usually implied as a negative. He was waiting for me to do something wrong and keeping score; like Santa, making a list and checking it twice, keeping track of who’s naughty and nice. 

Over the years of reading scripture and growing in knowledge and love for God, I’ve come to understand that, like any loving parent, He watches me because I am His child and He cares about my good. Does He see when I mess up? Yes, of course, but God is my Redeemer and His ultimate intention is to show Himself strong on my behalf and bring me back to a place of wholeness, health and stability. His strength plays out in my life in many ways: comfort, peace, love, grace, mercy, safety, instruction, guidance and correction, but always in what is best for me.

I’ve come to realize that life without God’s direction and care is not much of a life at all. As my heart remains loyal to Him, I can rest in the awareness that the Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, has His eyes on me! I don’t know if they are googly eyes or not. I’m just glad He’s always looking out for my good.

Psalm 33:8 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

I Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.

Precious Moments

Even though I’ve never been one to attach to stuff or a collector of knick knack-y things, I’ve loved my friend’s Precious Moments nativity set since we first met in 1985. During the years Pat & Earl spent Christmas in Florida with us, she would pack it up and bring it along when they traveled. Not sure exactly what captivates me about it – it’s just cute – precious – as the name appropriately states. It also reminds me of her and the countless ‘precious moments‘ we’ve had together through the years.

After thirty Christmases with her precious nativity, my awesome friend decided to mail it to me this year. I was so surprised when I opened that box! When I called to thank her and ask why she gave it up, she told me that she has enjoyed it for many years and it would bring her more joy to know that I will now. That’s a great friend! Hope you have a few like that!

As I decorated our tree, I was inspired then, to put aside David’s favorite ornaments and give them to him and Clara; the Nutcracker soldier he loved as a boy, my Grandmother’s antique glass bell, Noel, a red bulb with a happy face, I painted for him when he was little to go with a story book by the same name that we read every Christmas, and several others. Time to pass on the memories to another generation. Someday David will tell the stories of those ornaments to their children as they decorate the tree.

It’s not about the stuff, it’s about the people – the people in your life who enrich it, add to it, bless it and make it worth putting up with the hard parts. I’m so grateful this holiday season for all the wonderful people God has sent my way and given me the privilege to love. Most of you know who you are :). 

As we start another year, I just want to express thanks to all of you for blessing my journey through the years. Looking forward to making many more precious moments with you in the days ahead.

God’s abundant joy and blessings be yours and Happy New Year!!

No Dogs Allowed


When our son and his wife arrived for a Christmas visit with their dog, Sammy, the unsuspecting canine was immediately greeted by our kitty with a hiss and claws, slap on the nose. Cola Cat has never shared her domain with anything but humans and like most felines, considers herself queen of her kingdom. 

She has free reign in the house to come, go and be wherever she pleases but right now, Cola is a very unhappy kitty indeed. Since the dog showed up, she has planted herself on top of the book shelf in the office for hours at a time, hardly coming down to eat. Her life has been put on hold, paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. 

Whenever Sammy comes into view Cola’s ears flatten and her eyes dilate to round dark discs as she glares at him with fear and contempt from her high perch. Her limited assessment of Sammy convinces her that he is big, dangerous and best kept at a distance. She doesn’t see him as we do, as one of the mellowest and quietest dogs we have ever met. He watches Cola with tail wagging longing, like a kid who wants to make friends but isn’t allowed in the neighborhood club house.

As I observe this, I consider all the times humans see God as someone threatening, someone to tolerate or even fear. We face loss, hurt or a hard place and suddenly God is blamed. Our safe and secure little spot in the world is disrupted and we are angry, disillusioned and afraid so we pull away while God waits with longing for us to trust more, to lean harder, to love deeper.

I doubt our sulking kitty will understand, before Sammy goes back home, that she missed a potential opportunity to make a new friend, but I am certain that I don’t want to be like her;cowering, withdrawn and sullen, into the corners of my life whenever things don’t go my way. If I define God’s character based on my circumstances, I will see Him as unjust and distant instead of someone who waits with a longing heart and loving arms for me to come close and find the comfort and friendship He alone can give.  

Jesus invites us to “Come to Me..for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and..find rest for your soul” (Matthew 11:28-29). Today, I release all fear, all disdain. I choose to come close to Him and discover all my soul longs for.

James 4:8  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

A Merry Imperfect Christmas to All!

This past week the decorating of our Christmas tree was (finally) completed, shopping was almost finished, packages were mailed out to family in far away places, we attended several fun Christmas parties and I miraculously got Jonathan out the door in time to participate in his Christmas gathering with the Joyful Noise group that meets on Tuesday afternoons.

Also in the past week, our refrigerator quit working, the kitchen sink plugged up (plumber required), my sewing machine broke in the middle of a Christmas sewing project I was working on and I haven’t sent out a single Christmas card because I always make our cards and my printer isn’t working.

Christmas is coming and stuff still happens. These are minor and trivial irritations compared to what others are facing this season so I will choose to be calm and thankful while we repair or replace our material goods and mourn with and pray for those who have losses they can never replace.

Let’s keep our expectations for the “perfect” Christmas in proper perspective this season. I’m doing myself a small favor for the next week. For a few moments every night I’m going to turn on the tree lights and some Christmas music, take a few deep breaths and relax with a cup of tea and my feet up. And while I’m sitting there, I will be thanking the Lord for all that is good and right in my life, all that I am blessed with and by, but most of all, for sending the Light Of The World to give me salvation, hope and peace whenever I reach out to receive it. 

Won’t you join me?

John 1:9-12 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Honey I Blew Up The Kid

I recently read a news story about a mom from Illinois who drove five hundred miles to Tennessee with her nineteen year old developmentally disabled daughter and left her in a bar-just got in the car and drove away without her. The state is not going to press charges because the state’s attorney said they have no precedent for such action and did not know how to proceed.

The mom reported she had been trying for ten years, with no results, to get help with her daughter, who has the mentality of a three year old and was desperate for an alternative living arrangement for her. I guess some folks resort to extreme measures to make a point. The daughter is now being cared for by the state. Comments from people, following the article, ranged from, this mom is a selfish creep who should be strung up by her toenails to actual empathy for her situation. 

The news flash here is not all people with developmental delays are alike. Some are happy and compliant, some are stubborn and unreasonable and a few are downright aggressive and some swing back and forth at any given time through all of these descriptions. Some can work; others can’t or won’t follow the simplest directive. There is a broad range of cognitive ability, personality and behavior on the disabled scale. Most of the adults who get media coverage are those who function at higher levels of ability and do something that was once thought impossible; get married, live independently, become a violin virtuoso or someone like the boy with Aspersers (a form of autism) I recently heard about, who is going to compete on a popular TV game show because he has an astounding memory for facts and trivia. Many in the population, however, require constant supervision and care, and those who are difficult to manage from day to day create unimaginable stress on caregivers, parents, siblings, marriages and families.

You expect a toddler to act like a toddler and you can also pick them up and move them if they’re up to something mischievous or dangerous. But a nineteen year old who behaves like a three year old, might be taller than you, stronger than you and outweigh you and that creates an entirely new struggle that quickly converts to continuous exhaustion both emotionally and physically, leaving a care giver or parent overwhelmed and sometimes desperate. 

Remember the 1990’s movie, “Honey I Blew Up The Kid” which depicted a stereotypical geeky inventor dad who accidentally turned his two year old into a giant? The over-sizedkid roams the town, inadvertently destroying things and putting him and others in harm’s way; developmentally he is incapable of sound judgement or reason. This movie is a somewhat accurate metaphor of the behavior of some adults with mental delays. Imagine taking care of your two year old forty years from now in adult form and you get the picture. 

In an ideal world, people like this mom, would receive all the support and encouragement her situation warranted. While I certainly don’t condone what she did, after thirty plus years being Jonathan’s mom and main care giver, I can relate to her distress. There are too many days when Jon is so moody, stubborn, ornery, uncooperative and unbelievably slow that the minuscule events of everyday living turn into nonstop skirmishes and ridiculous drama. It is comparable to living with a perpetual adolescent.

There are moments when I wonder how much longer I can hold on, how many more years can we do this? But I love our son unconditionally so I put one foot in front of the other, day after day and plod on. When necessary, I count to twenty, fifty, one hundred, pray a lot, sing, ask God for grace, strength, patience, recite scripture, pray some more, look for the humor and laugh as much as possible. I participate in all forms of morally correct and legal stress relief to keep my wits about me. 

And I write. I tell you the reader, what it’s like in this world so you will understand more, criticize less and possibly be inspired to lend a helping hand or a word of encouragement to a worn out, weary soul.

Many times throughout the four gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, preface the interaction of Jesus with people as, “He was moved with compassion…”  When Jesus physically left the planet, the responsibility to be His hands, feet and heart in action, to a hurting world was transferred to us. Each of us can make a difference one person and one day at a time by seeing others through eyes of compassion, then inquiring of our own heart what can be done to reach out and give someone a hand or a break. 

That is what Jesus would do and we can do no less. 

Matthew 9:36  But when He [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

God With Us

We had been married one year when we moved from our hometown in upstate New York to Oregon where Mike attended college. That Christmas in 1976, far away from everything familiar, we were poor, newly married students on an incredibly restricted budget.

I found a job, in a craft store and with access to do it yourself supplies at a discount, purchased molds, cold plaster and acrylic paints. We made our own Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Shepherd Boy, sheep and Wise Men and I painstakingly painted each piece as Mike made a rough stable out of scrap wood and tree bark. Many years later, though chipped and glued in places, this nativity still reminds us of our Savior’s humble beginnings as well as our own. 

Once again, the nativity set has been brought from its’ box in the storage closet. As I carefully unwrap each figure, memories of thirty-some Christmases flood my mind and tug at my heart. My nativity is cozy and serene, as most of us imagine it; Mary and Joseph smiling in a perfectly clean barn, the baby cooing happily inside a soft pile of straw while shepherds and wise men mull about whispering prayers of devotion and words of adoration over the child as sheep stand guard near the manger.

I put all the figures in their customary place and begin to wonder how many times I have missed the stark reality of the birth of Jesus with my comfy stable scene. Although there were many wonderful and miraculous moments surrounding the birth of Jesus, maybe it’s about time for a Christmas reality check.

Here is a small sampling of what the first Christmas really looked like:

•Mary, a young woman losing her reputation as a virgin, in a time when women were killed for doing so, then trying to convince her family, friends and neighbors that it was God’s doing. “Sure Mary, now we’ve heard everything!”

•Joseph, a man preparing to bring home a bride in all the tradition, honor and celebration of a Hebrew engagement and wedding, suddenly faced with the shock that she had been unfaithful to him. Under the circumstances, they probably had to forgo the joyful wedding celebration they had been planning and marry quietly.

•The shame and reproach on both families, as Mary’s belly became obviously large, with everyone believing the couple did not have the proper restraint to wait and had to fabricate an outlandish story to cover their indiscretion.

•A long and difficult trip, from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay taxes (About 80 miles, most likely walking or on a donkey, while pregnant. And we complain? At least we can pay ours by mail or online).

• Giving birth to their first child in a stable far from home and away from the support and help of family and friends.

•Running for their lives to Egypt when they hear of King Herod’s plan to find and kill Jesus.

Jesus arrived on this earth right smack in the middle of every circumstance and emotion we experience:  reproach, shame, gossip, fear, worry, difficulty, uncertainty and inconvenience. 

There must have been moments when Mary wondered if she heard right. Is this really God’s Son or was I dreaming about that angel? Shouldn’t having God’s child should make life easier, bring less pain, heartache and difficulty? 

No. The ultimate plan was for Immanuel to truly be God With Us in every way possible. Our peaceful nativity scenes and misconceptions of the first Christmas often cause us to overlook the incredible human difficulty and divine sacrifice of this event.

Christ came in a way so opposite of what the people of his day envisioned, most did not recognize him.  The prophets had long foretold the coming of the Messiah and every Hebrew boy and girl understood He could come in their lifetime.  But they, like us, with limited comprehension of God’s ways, pictured Him arriving in the way all kings come, born of royalty into a physical kingdom, reigning from a palace and conquering over every evil ever perpetrated against God’s chosen ones. 

They did not understand His kingdom was one of righteousness, peace and joy and only those of great faith knew He had arrived at all.

Our own culture tends to paint Christmas as some dreamy, romantic, Hollywood event with ‘Chestnuts roasting on an open fire’, ‘Walking in a winter wonderland’ and ‘From now on our troubles will be miles away’, threaded through the songs we love.

We dream of smiling families dressed in their holiday finest, crooning words of encouragement and love to each other around an elaborate dinner table or Christmas tree and well behaved children patiently waiting to open another gift, saying thank you every time another round of wrapping paper is removed. 

Media and advertisers make Christmas a feel-good occasion too, creating euphoria and lofty expectations, then when our own experience doesn’t measure up to these illusions, we are completely deflated and depressed.

Christmas isn’t about a romantic, nostalgic feeling, as wonderful as that may be, but about Jesus diving into our chaos and shame to rescue us and show us a better way to live. He came to this planet, wore a robe of skin and traveled from the nativity to the cross so we would know without hesitation; God is with us, always and in everything.

Whatever life throws at us also belongs to Him. He has tasted, felt and touched it so we can trust Him in and with all of it. 

Immanuel, God with me and you!

Matthew 1:23  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).