My small pickup truck has seen many, many, miles. I’ve learned to appreciate the small milestones along the way. My truck recently turned 345,000 miles on the odometer. I now celebrate every time the odometer completes another 1,000 miles. So at 346,000 miles, a small mile will cross my face and I will continue to be thankful for my truck.

Often times in the Old Testament, God has the people of Israel build small monuments to remember key milestones of their journey.

In Joshua God had them pick up stones from the middle of the Jordan as they crossed on dry ground and used them to mark that milestone, as a memorial. (Joshua 4)

As we enter a new year, I encourage you to take time to acknowledge the milestones that you will encounter throughout the year, whether big, or small. Many small milestones can lead up to one big milestone that God is leading you toward and far to often I believe that we neglect, or fail to acknowledge the small milestones that God provides and so we fail to see the progress toward the big milestone that God is leading us toward.

I also encourage you to take a look back at the year that was and see where God has led your path. The milestones that you may have neglected and the milestones you marked along the way.

May we always remember how God is working in our lives. In the trials and in the triumph.

One of the favorite songs sung during Christmas is Silent Night. It is often used during candlelight services on Christmas Eve as prepare to end the service. The reality is that it probably would not have been a silent night. The town was full of visitors who were there for the census. That alone would have created some natural disturbances, but for many, it is a silent night. A night of loneliness, a night of despair.

The silent pains of the holidays are very present and often undetected. The most common pains are when we lose loved ones during the holiday season, the financial strain, and increased stress levels.

It is painful when a loved one dies during the holidays. The holiday becomes a constant reminder of their passing. Society places great financial pressure on individuals to provide gifts to one another, even if the family finances cannot accommodate this extra spending. How often do you hear people say that they won’t be able to have a Christmas?

Whether one celebrates the secular Christmas, or the Christmas celebrating Christ’s birth, they are both a time of love, hope, peace,and joy. Sadly in today’s society we can become distracted and we lose that hope that is in Jesus.

As followers of Christ, Christians, we should be able to share the hope that is within us. 1 Peter 3:15, CSB reads

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,…

Yes, we all face times that are difficult. That is part of being human and I do not mean to minimize it. But ultimately there is a hope that comes from Jesus, and my prayer is that we can focus on that hope this holiday season.