Last Sunday was the candle of Peace. This Sunday is the candle of joy. I pray that this month I will display Hope, Peace, Joy, and as next Sunday represents, Love. This is hard. It is a month of serving people intensely. This month I prepare to send my son to another country- a country I have never been to, a country he will live in for a year. Peace, joy, hope, and love?

I have peace that God is leading and will continue to lead.
I have joy in knowing there is a strong possibility my son will launch into the next stage of his growing up life and advance a bit further into manhood.
I have hope that he will fasten himself to Christ in this next season in ways that will carry him throughout the rest of his life
I have love and compassion on him as he moves tenderfooted into the next stage of his life, being carried through with the love of Christ, family and friends who have always believed his perspective on life combined with his gifts of creative and honest expression would serve to advance God's kingdom in some surprising way.

Honestly, somedays I don't feel hope, peace, love and joy and everyone can testify! I am actually biting my nails in between sentences here. I know I will never have peace, joy, hope, and love as a result of my own doing and gumption; But I can have it already in the person of Christ; I just have to get over myself each day in order to agree to get in on it with Jesus!

May these four things be in us as we celebrate Christmas with our sweet families...maybe for the first time, maybe for the last time (unbeknownst to us at the time)and maybe for the upteenth time. Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love to you.