Our task is to stand tall in God's love, secure in our place, sparkling in kindness, surrounded by his goodness, freely giving to all who come our way. You, me, and the Christmas tree. Picked, purchased, and pruned.

If you knew that only a few would care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? If you knew that the tongues you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did.

Live in such a way that you would not have to change your plans.

Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary's finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that's what love does. It puts the beloved before itself.

The Bible urges us to be respectful to all people, especially people with whom we have disagreements, to never libel people, to never label people.

There was a time I wanted to go into politics. And so all of a sudden, here I am, I guess. I'm in the thick of it.

Has worrying about tomorrow every changed it?