We are going to be working our way through the Gospel of John for a little while. If you are interested in taking a closer look at what we are studying on Sundays please read through the Gospel and be praying for God to illuminate it to you. Also, I am going to be looking at A.W. Tozer’s “And He Dwelt Among Us” so if you enjoy reading and want to follow along as we study please pick up a copy. Along with that, text Bible.Org has some good resources that help in our study of Scripture so be sure to check those out!

I am praying that God’s powerful truth would cause us to long for more of Him daily.

As we step into the New Year I am excited and nervous. The Lord is doing good things and changing life up in some beautiful and painful ways for us here at Medford Friends Church. We have an opportunity to step into some new relationships and find ourselves connecting in new ways with God through them. I look forward to the ways in which we seek these things together and how God will continue to show His love and favor to us as we step into these new things. But the saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” So even as we step into these new things we continue to be faithful to God and seek to worship Him day by day, to point to Jesus in all that we do. Even when the world changes and things seem like they won’t ever be the same for us that truth remains: God loves us and is shaping our lives to reflect that love to the world!

This is Advent season. This means that we participate in the expectation of Christ’s return and the remembrance of His incarnation. We celebrate this season as a time of looking forward and looking back. It is a season of hope and joy, of peace and celebration. We are called to an expectant waiting on the Lord to reveal Himself to us again. A hope in the future that Christ has offered to us and is offering to us each day, a new life in the Kingdom of God. This is not the anticipation of a trip somewhere else but the expectant waiting for our King to return and reclaim what is rightfully His. As we step into Advent we are stepping into this expectant hope and the celebration of what Christ’s incarnation and His return mean for us.

November is a time for us to consider the blessings that God had granted us over the course of the last year. We take time to celebrate those blessings with friends and family. Our moments of remembrance and communal acknowledgment of God’s blessing in our lives is something special. This is a great practice and part of me wonders what it might be like if we did this more often.

^“16 Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Scripture encourages us to always be celebrating what God is doing and in constant communication with Him about what is going on in our lives. We are to give thanks at all times, recognizing what God has given us and thanking Him for His power and presence in our lives. God’s will for us is a continual stream of communication and connection with Him. To understand that we were created to have that kind of intimate relationship with God is a pretty powerful thing. As we move into this season of Thanksgiving, let it be only the beginning of this process and practice of communicating with God that we are grateful for all He does for us, not just one day or one month a year, but every day of every month of the year.

What are you thankful for today?