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You've probably seen paintings of Jesus with children on His knee or in His arms. These images are inspired by a passage in several of the Gospels. In these passages, Jesus was indignant that His disciples were turning children away from "bothering" Him while He taught crowds (Mark 10:13-14). Jesus responded, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18: 3-4) You may be surprised to know that Jesus never said anything about "childlike faith." That's a phrase we've taken from the idea of "becoming like little children."

Wherever you live in the world, there's a time of year where the sunshine of summer begins to lessen in its intensity, and you find yourself turning the lights on earlier and earlier.  Perhaps you've felt a little sad watching the impending change coming on, knowing that long nights are to come. The darkness has begun its descent and now you won't have time to walk or enjoy being outdoors much after work or school.

Have you ever felt that someone disliked you before they even met you? Perhaps, later, you find out that they heard a story about you that colored their perspective. Once you get to know one another, you realize whatever they heard was just plain false. You've been a victim of gossip.

"Among those whom I like or admire," wrote the poet W.H. Auden, "I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can:  all of them make me laugh."[1]  Laughter is truly a gift when shared with others.  In these days of serious stress, loss and uncertainty, the Bible reminds us in Proverbs 17 that "a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."   [1] "Forbes Quotes: Thoughts on the Business of Life." Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 17 August 2021, www.forbes.com/quotes/9550/. 

Jesus promised His followers that His presence would always be with us. So why do we not always feel that presence?

In Seoul, Korea, Christians meet for prayer every morning of the year. Many churches open for communal prayer at 4 A.M. This practice began during the Korean war, when people recognized their need for the comfort of community.  They wanted to be with their siblings in Christ before going to work in dangerous fields and factories.

Do you pray more respectfully toward God than you speak to people? Or more emotionally? There's no right or wrong answer. The way we pray is very personal and in the moment. There simply aren't strict rules about how our prayers should always sound. 

Have you heard of video gamers who are known as "completionists"? These are the most thorough players, not satisfied until they've completed every quest and unlocked every riddle, even if not required to beat the game.

Have you ever hiked or walked through a valley?  Valleys can be wide-open places between mountains, but we mostly think of them as dark, narrow, and difficult. "Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, said the Billy Graham, "but fruit is grown in the valleys."[1] That fruit, or personal growth, forms when we turn toward God in our pain and then, to others.   [1] "Top 25 Valleys Quotes (of 842): A-Z Quotes." AZ Quotes, www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/valleys.html.   

Dr. Paul Brand spent years with leprosy patients in India, helping them and researching their illness. There's a cure today, but leprosy caused severe disfiguration and was stigmatized for thousands of years. Dr. Brand noted that areas of the body affected by leprosy can't sense pain. As a result, people suffering from leprosy might accidentally burn or cut themselves, but their bodies couldn't alert them to their wound that needed attention. For these people, lack of pain led to further damage to their bodies.