Cultivating Peace This Christmas: A Pastoral Encouragement As pastors and shepherds of God’s people, we know how deeply our world longs for peace. Yet, if we are being honest with ourselves, do we really understand what it means to live in peace?  We wrestle with it constantly in our own lives and in the lives of those we counsel. But, the Christmas season offers us an opportunity to reflect on the one who is the very source of peace itself. Let’s take a moment to dive a little deeper Luke tells us that on the night Christ was born, shepherds stood under a dark sky and suddenly “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The angel declared, “Do not be afraid… For there is born to you this day… a Savior, who is Christ the Lord… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:8–14 NKJV). That proclamation was not poetic sentiment—it was a divine announcement that peace had taken on flesh. The Greek word eirēnē (εἰρήνη) reveals the depth of what the angels were declaring: Harmony and restored relationship—not simply the absence of conflict, but the healing of what was broken. The end of hostility, especially between God and humanity. Wholeness and

I would like to invite you into a concept I have used over the years in visioning. “You were created in the image of God. In the image of God you were created…” Genesis 1:27. Before you were ever genetically coded to a mom and a dad, God knew you. You were His idea before you were anyone else’s child. This being true, He must have placed within you characteristics of His very own nature. Think about that for a moment. If we are created in His image, then the very qualities of God—His kindness, His creativity, His compassion, His strength—have been woven into the fabric of who we are. Sometimes we get caught up in believing that our identity is wrapped up in what we do: the jobs we hold, the responsibilities we carry, or even the roles we play in our families and communities. But what we do is not who we are. At our core, we are reflections of God’s nature. We are of much greater worth than anything we will ever accomplish. Over the years, I have often encouraged people to take time to reflect and actually list their top ten God-given attributes. At first, it might feel uncomfortable or even prideful to write down things like, I am kind. I am faithful. I am sincere. But this exercise

The Empty Nest by Julie McClain...   I didn’t even know I have a Nest! So, I’ve been trying to figure out – where did this phrase ‘Empty Nest’ come from? It’s a colloquialism that describes a very significant stage in a families life cycle. But it’s a bit random when we look to birds to describe what happens when our child or children leave home and move on to live their lives as adults. Empty Nest is even considered a ‘Syndrome’. Oh wow. At the end of our 18-30 years of raising our kids (depending on how many eggs you laid and how far apart they hatched) we end up with a “group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition or a set of concurrent things such as emotions or actions that usually form an identifiable pattern”.* So, at the end of all the years of blood, sweat, (laughter) and tears – you are graced with a SYNDROME! You’re welcome. Even if you don’t qualify for the syndrome title – if you are feeling pretty good about the inevitable transition of no longer raising kids – or if you’re making it over the hump quite well, we can’t ignore what a HUGE reality it is to have our kids grown and gone. A wise mentor of

THE PROBLEM WITH PERFORMANCE by Brandon Bradford             I started playing baseball when I was four. I liked it, but I think soccer was the first sport I fell in love with. My dad was a martial artist, and at an early age he began to train me. It didn’t feel like training. It was fun! I loved to kick, and at an early age the form, technique, and strength came pretty natural to me. It wasn’t uncommon to do a hundred or even hundreds of kicks a day. Even cooler, I got to hang out with my Dad! At the age of 7 my parents heard about the local youth soccer program and signed me up. I absolutely loved it! I got to kick over and over again and because of my previous martial arts training I was often able to kick harder, farther, and more accurately than the other kids. Ah, I’d found success… and with it, the approval of others! Now, let me save you all the details of my life story, and suffice it to say that this started a trend in my life. Whether it was sports, work, or even in ministry I became driven to succeed and often looked for the approval of others. You see, society tells us

WHAT IS A GODLY MAN? THE CHALLENGE EVERY MAN FACES by Brandon Bradford This question has lingered for what seems like an eternity. Actually, it really has been around since the very beginning. Adam had to have asked himself and maybe even God this very question after that mishap in the garden. Now thrust into a very different reality than before, I’m sure this difficult question was present as Adam toiled to provide for his now growing family all the while trying to understand what it meant to be a husband and a father. It’s a question that every man has and or will ask himself as he looks to find his way. In the world today this can be a difficult topic to navigate, but one that I think is essential for us as believers to try and answer. The very notion that a Man is even different from a woman is under attack at the hands of a world that doesn’t acknowledge our divine creator. So, how do we answer this question? First let’s take a deeper look at some of the pressures and challenges that men face as they seek to find this answer. THE PRESSURES AND CHALLENGES Societal Inconsistencies and Influence. Let me start by saying this, a society that tries to

"THRIVE" A 6 week virtual Life Group designed for Christian women who are single and 30 something. Mondays at 7 Eastern. Starting soon! More info at ranchofhope.org/thrive-2/ or to register call (719) 783-9642.

Comparing ourselves to others never leads to a good place. How does the Lord want us to see ourselves?

Mariah shares the dangers of a defensive posture in marriage in this 60 second video. Check it out.

Mariah Bradford spoke at a recent conference on the subject of Toxic Relationships. This is a very timely teaching about how to navigate our most challenging relationships.